Community Agency Voice and Benefit in Service-Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Miron, Devi; Moely, Barbara E.

2006-01-01

Supervisors from 40 community agencies working with a university-based service-learning program were interviewed regarding the extent of their input in service-learning program planning and implementation "(Agency Voice), Interpersonal Relations" with service-learning students, "Perceived Benefit" of the service-learning…

Improving accessibility and discovery of ESA planetary data through the new planetary science archive

Science.gov (United States)

Macfarlane, A. J.; Docasal, R.; Rios, C.; Barbarisi, I.; Saiz, J.; Vallejo, F.; Besse, S.; Arviset, C.; Barthelemy, M.; De Marchi, G.; Fraga, D.; Grotheer, E.; Heather, D.; Lim, T.; Martinez, S.; Vallat, C.

2018-01-01

The Planetary Science Archive (PSA) is the European Space Agency's (ESA) repository of science data from all planetary science and exploration missions. The PSA provides access to scientific data sets through various interfaces at http://psa.esa.int. Mostly driven by the evolution of the PDS standards which all new ESA planetary missions shall follow and the need to update the interfaces to the archive, the PSA has undergone an important re-engineering. In order to maximise the scientific exploitation of ESA's planetary data holdings, significant improvements have been made by utilising the latest technologies and implementing widely recognised open standards. To facilitate users in handling and visualising the many products stored in the archive which have spatial data associated, the new PSA supports Geographical Information Systems (GIS) by implementing the standards approved by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). The modernised PSA also attempts to increase interoperability with the international community by implementing recognised planetary science specific protocols such as the PDAP (Planetary Data Access Protocol) and EPN-TAP (EuroPlanet-Table Access Protocol). In this paper we describe some of the methods by which the archive may be accessed and present the challenges that are being faced in consolidating data sets of the older PDS3 version of the standards with the new PDS4 deliveries into a single data model mapping to ensure transparent access to the data for users and services whilst maintaining a high performance.

SCOS2: ESA's new generation of mission control systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufeler, J. F.; Head, N. C.

1993-01-01

The paper describes the next generation Spacecraft Control System infrastructure (SCOSII) which is being developed at the Operations Centre (ESOC) of the European Space Agency (ESA). The objectives of the new system and selected areas of the proposed hardware and software approach are described.

The DTU-ESA Millimeter-Wave Validation Standard Antenna – Manufacturing and Testing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Oleksiy S.; Pivnenko, Sergey; Breinbjerg, Olav

2015-01-01

A new precision tool for antenna test range qualification and inter-comparisons at mm-waves – the mm-VAST antenna – is under development at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) in collaboration with TICRA under a European Space Agency (ESA) contract. The DTU-ESA mm-VAST antenna will facilita...... mechanical design, fabrication and assembling procedures. The performance verification test plan as well as first measurement results are also discussed....

ESA Science Archives, VO tools and remote Scientific Data reduction in Grid Architectures

Science.gov (United States)

Arviset, C.; Barbarisi, I.; de La Calle, I.; Fajersztejn, N.; Freschi, M.; Gabriel, C.; Gomez, P.; Guainazzi, M.; Ibarra, A.; Laruelo, A.; Leon, I.; Micol, A.; Parrilla, E.; Ortiz, I.; Osuna, P.; Salgado, J.; Stebe, A.; Tapiador, D.

2008-08-01

This paper presents the latest functionalities of the ESA Science Archives located at ESAC, Spain, in particular, the following archives : the ISO Data Archive (IDA {http://iso.esac.esa.int/ida}), the XMM-Newton Science Archive (XSA {http://xmm.esac.esa.int/xsa}), the Integral SOC Science Data Archive (ISDA {http://integral.esac.esa.int/isda}) and the Planetary Science Archive (PSA {http://www.rssd.esa.int/psa}), both the classical and the map-based Mars Express interfaces. Furthermore, the ESA VOSpec {http://esavo.esac.esa.int/vospecapp} spectra analysis tool is described, which allows to access and display spectral information from VO resources (both real observational and theoretical spectra), including access to Lines database and recent analysis functionalities. In addition, we detail the first implementation of RISA (Remote Interface for Science Analysis), a web service providing remote users the ability to create fully configurable XMM-Newton data analysis workflows, and to deploy and run them on the ESAC Grid. RISA makes fully use of the inter-operability provided by the SIAP (Simple Image Access Protocol) services as data input, and at the same time its VO-compatible output can directly be used by general VO-tools.

The ESA's Space Trajectory Analysis software suite

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, Guillermo

The European Space Agency (ESA) initiated in 2005 an internal activity to develop an open source software suite involving university science departments and research institutions all over the world. This project is called the "Space Trajectory Analysis" or STA. This article describes the birth of STA and its present configuration. One of the STA aims is to promote the exchange of technical ideas, and raise knowledge and competence in the areas of applied mathematics, space engineering, and informatics at University level. Conceived as a research and education tool to support the analysis phase of a space mission, STA is able to visualize a wide range of space trajectories. These include among others ascent, re-entry, descent and landing trajectories, orbits around planets and moons, interplanetary trajectories, rendezvous trajectories, etc. The article explains that STA project is an original idea of the Technical Directorate of ESA. It was born in August 2005 to provide a framework in astrodynamics research at University level. As research and education software applicable to Academia, a number of Universities support this development by joining ESA in leading the development. ESA and Universities partnership are expressed in the STA Steering Board. Together with ESA, each University has a chair in the board whose tasks are develop, control, promote, maintain, and expand the software suite. The article describes that STA provides calculations in the fields of spacecraft tracking, attitude analysis, coverage and visibility analysis, orbit determination, position and velocity of solar system bodies, etc. STA implements the concept of "space scenario" composed of Solar system bodies, spacecraft, ground stations, pads, etc. It is able to propagate the orbit of a spacecraft where orbital propagators are included. STA is able to compute communication links between objects of a scenario (coverage, line of sight), and to represent the trajectory computations and

Operational support to collision avoidance activities by ESA's space debris office

Science.gov (United States)

Braun, V.; Flohrer, T.; Krag, H.; Merz, K.; Lemmens, S.; Bastida Virgili, B.; Funke, Q.

2016-09-01

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Space Debris Office provides a service to support operational collision avoidance activities. This support currently covers ESA's missions Cryosat-2, Sentinel-1A and -2A, the constellation of Swarm-A/B/C in low-Earth orbit (LEO), as well as missions of third-party customers. In this work, we describe the current collision avoidance process for ESA and third-party missions in LEO. We give an overview on the upgrades developed and implemented since the advent of conjunction summary messages (CSM)/conjunction data messages (CDM), addressing conjunction event detection, collision risk assessment, orbit determination, orbit and covariance propagation, process control, and data handling. We pay special attention to the effect of warning thresholds on the risk reduction and manoeuvre rates, as they are established through risk mitigation and analysis tools, such as ESA's Debris Risk Assessment and Mitigation Analysis (DRAMA) software suite. To handle the large number of CDMs and the associated risk analyses, a database-centric approach has been developed. All CDMs and risk analysis results are stored in a database. In this way, a temporary local "mini-catalogue" of objects close to our target spacecraft is obtained, which can be used, e.g., for manoeuvre screening and to update the risk analysis whenever a new ephemeris becomes available from the flight dynamics team. The database is also used as the backbone for a Web-based tool, which consists of the visualization component and a collaboration tool that facilitates the status monitoring and task allocation within the support team as well as communication with the control team. The visualization component further supports the information sharing by displaying target and chaser motion over time along with the involved uncertainties. The Web-based solution optimally meets the needs for a concise and easy-to-use way to obtain a situation picture in a very short time, and the support for

Space strategy and governance of ESA small member states

Science.gov (United States)

Sagath, Daniel; Papadimitriou, Angeliki; Adriaensen, Maarten; Giannopapa, Christina

2018-01-01

The European Space Agency (ESA) has twenty-two Member States with a variety of governance structures and strategic priorities regarding their space activities. The objective of this paper is to provide an up-to date overview and a holistic assessment of the national space governance structures and strategic priorities of the eleven smaller Member States (based on annual ESA contributions). A link is made between the governance structure and the main strategic objectives. The specific needs and interests of small and new Member States in the frame of European Space Integration are addressed. The first part of the paper focuses on the national space governance structures in the eleven smaller ESA Member States. The governance models of these Member States are identified including the responsible ministries and the entities entrusted with the implementation of space strategy/policy and programmes of the country. The second part of this paper focuses on the content and analysis of the national space strategies and indicates the main priorities and trends in the eleven smaller ESA Member States. The priorities are categorised with regards to technology domains, the role of space in the areas of sustainability and the motivators for space investments. In a third and final part, attention is given to the specific needs and interests of the smaller Member States in the frame of European space integration. ESA instruments are tailored to facilitate the needs and interests of the eleven smaller and/or new Member States.

ESA Atmospheric Toolbox

Science.gov (United States)

Niemeijer, Sander

2017-04-01

The ESA Atmospheric Toolbox (BEAT) is one of the ESA Sentinel Toolboxes. It consists of a set of software components to read, analyze, and visualize a wide range of atmospheric data products. In addition to the upcoming Sentinel-5P mission it supports a wide range of other atmospheric data products, including those of previous ESA missions, ESA Third Party missions, Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), ground based data, etc. The toolbox consists of three main components that are called CODA, HARP and VISAN. CODA provides interfaces for direct reading of data from earth observation data files. These interfaces consist of command line applications, libraries, direct interfaces to scientific applications (IDL and MATLAB), and direct interfaces to programming languages (C, Fortran, Python, and Java). CODA provides a single interface to access data in a wide variety of data formats, including ASCII, binary, XML, netCDF, HDF4, HDF5, CDF, GRIB, RINEX, and SP3. HARP is a toolkit for reading, processing and inter-comparing satellite remote sensing data, model data, in-situ data, and ground based remote sensing data. The main goal of HARP is to assist in the inter-comparison of datasets. By appropriately chaining calls to HARP command line tools one can pre-process datasets such that two datasets that need to be compared end up having the same temporal/spatial grid, same data format/structure, and same physical unit. The toolkit comes with its own data format conventions, the HARP format, which is based on netcdf/HDF. Ingestion routines (based on CODA) allow conversion from a wide variety of atmospheric data products to this common format. In addition, the toolbox provides a wide range of operations to perform conversions on the data such as unit conversions, quantity conversions (e.g. number density to volume mixing ratios), regridding, vertical smoothing using averaging kernels, collocation of two datasets, etc. VISAN is a cross-platform visualization and

Space transportation systems within ESA programmes: Current status and perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Delahais, Maurice

1993-03-01

An overview of the space transportation aspects of the ESA (European Space Agency) programs as they result from history, present status, and decisions taken at the ministerial level conference in Granada, Spain is presented. The new factors taken into consideration for the long term plan proposed in Munich, Germany, the three strategic options for the reorientation of the ESA long term plan, and the essential elements of space transportation in the Granada long term plan in three areas of space activities, scientific, and commercial launches with expendable launch vehicles, manned flight and in-orbit infrastructure, and future transportation systems are outlined. The new ESA long term plan, in the field of space transportation systems, constitutes a reorientation of the initial program contemplated in previous councils at ministerial level. It aims at balancing the new economic situation with the new avenues of cooperation, and the outcome will be a new implementation of the space transportation systems policy.

Interoperability at ESA Heliophysics Science Archives: IVOA, HAPI and other implementations

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez-Garcia, B.; Cook, J. P.; Perez, H.; Fernandez, M.; De Teodoro, P.; Osuna, P.; Arnaud, M.; Arviset, C.

2017-12-01

The data of ESA heliophysics science missions are preserved at the ESAC Science Data Centre (ESDC). The ESDC aims for the long term preservation of those data, which includes missions such as Ulysses, Soho, Proba-2, Cluster, Double Star, and in the future, Solar Orbiter. Scientists have access to these data through web services, command line and graphical user interfaces for each of the corresponding science mission archives. The International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) provides technical standards that allow interoperability among different systems that implement them. By adopting some IVOA standards, the ESA heliophysics archives are able to share their data with those tools and services that are VO-compatible. Implementation of those standards can be found in the existing archives: Ulysses Final Archive (UFA) and Soho Science Archive (SSA). They already make use of VOTable format definition and Simple Application Messaging Protocol (SAMP). For re-engineered or new archives, the implementation of services through Table Access Protocol (TAP) or Universal Worker Service (UWS) will leverage this interoperability. This will be the case for the Proba-2 Science Archive (P2SA) and the Solar Orbiter Archive (SOAR). We present here which IVOA standards were already used by the ESA Heliophysics archives in the past and the work on-going.

NASA and ESA Collaboration on Hexavalent Chrome Alternatives - Pretreatments with Primers Screening Final Test Report

Science.gov (United States)

Rothgeb, Matthew J.; Kessel, Kurt R.

2015-01-01

Hexavalent chromium (hex chrome or Cr(VI)) is a widely used element within applied coating systems because of its self-healing and corrosion-resistant properties. The replacement of hex chrome in the processing of aluminum for aviation and aerospace applications remains a goal of great significance. Aluminum is the major manufacturing material of structures and components in the space flight arena. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are engaged in a collaborative effort to test and evaluate alternatives to hexavalent chromium containing corrosion coating systems. NASA and ESA share common risks related to material obsolescence associated with hexavalent chromium used in corrosion-resistant coatings. In the United States, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) studies have concluded that hexavalent chromium is carcinogenic and poses significant risk to human health. On May 5, 2011, amendments to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) were issued in the Federal Register. Subpart 223.73 prohibits contracts from requiring hexavalent chromium in deliverables unless certain exceptions apply. Subpart 252.223-7008 provides the contract clause prohibiting contractors and subcontractors from using or delivering hexavalent chromium in a concentration greater than 0.1 percent by weight for all new contracts associated with supplies, maintenance and repair services, and construction materials. ESA faces its own increasingly stringent regulations within European directives such as Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical (REACH) substances and the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) which have set a mid-2017 sunset date for hexavalent chromium. NASA and ESA continue to search for an alternative to hexavalent chromium in coatings applications that meet their performance requirements in corrosion protection, cost, operability, and health and

ESA innovation rescues Ultraviolet Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

1995-10-01

Astrophysicist Freeman J. Dyson from the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton characterizes IUE as "A little half-meter mirror sitting in the sky, unnoticed by the public, pouring out results". By use of the IUE satellite, astronomers obtain access to the ultraviolet radiation of celestial bodies in unique ways not available by any other means, neither from the ground nor by any other spacecraft currently in orbit. IUE serves a wide community of astronomers all over Europe, the United States and many other parts of the world. It allows the acquisition of critical data for fundamental studies of comets and their evaporation when they approach the Sun, of the mechanisms driving the stellar winds which make many stars lose a significant fraction of their mass (before they die slowly as White Dwarfs or in sudden Supernova explosions), as well as in the search to understand the ways in which black holes possibly power the violent nuclei of Active galaxies. One year ago the project was threatened with termination and serious concern was expressed by astronomers about the potential loss of IUE's capabilities, as a result of NASA not continuing to operate the spacecraft. Under the leadership of ESA, the three Agencies involved in the operations of IUE (ESA, NASA and the United Kingdom's Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, PPARC), reviewed the operations agreements of the Project. A minor investment allowing the implementation of modern management and engineering techniques as well as a complete revision of the communication infrastructure of the project and continuous improvements in efficiency in the ESA management, also taking advantage of today's technologies, both in computing and communications, have made it possible to continue IUE operations within the financial means available, with ESA taking up most of NASA's share in the operations. According to Dr. Willem Wamsteker, ESA's Dutch IUE Project Scientist, "it was a extremely interesting

ESA Earth Observation Ground Segment Evolution Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Benveniste, J.; Albani, M.; Laur, H.

2016-12-01

One of the key elements driving the evolution of EO Ground Segments, in particular in Europe, has been to enable the creation of added value from EO data and products. This requires the ability to constantly adapt and improve the service to a user base expanding far beyond the `traditional' EO user community of remote sensing specialists. Citizen scientists, the general public, media and educational actors form another user group that is expected to grow. Technological advances, Open Data policies, including those implemented by ESA and the EU, as well as an increasing number of satellites in operations (e.g. Copernicus Sentinels) have led to an enormous increase in available data volumes. At the same time, even with modern network and data handling services, fewer users can afford to bulk-download and consider all potentially relevant data and associated knowledge. The "EO Innovation Europe" concept is being implemented in Europe in coordination between the European Commission, ESA and other European Space Agencies, and industry. This concept is encapsulated in the main ideas of "Bringing the User to the Data" and "Connecting the Users" to complement the traditional one-to-one "data delivery" approach of the past. Both ideas are aiming to better "empower the users" and to create a "sustainable system of interconnected EO Exploitation Platforms", with the objective to enable large scale exploitation of European EO data assets for stimulating innovation and to maximize their impact. These interoperable/interconnected platforms are virtual environments in which the users - individually or collaboratively - have access to the required data sources and processing tools, as opposed to downloading and handling the data `at home'. EO-Innovation Europe has been structured around three elements: an enabling element (acting as a back office), a stimulating element and an outreach element (acting as a front office). Within the enabling element, a "mutualisation" of efforts

Hubble space telescope servicing mission joint ESA/BAE UK technical press briefing Wednesday 10 March 1993

Science.gov (United States)

1993-02-01

On Wednesday 10 March 1993 astronauts from ESA and NASA will be at British Aerospace Space Systems Limited, Filton, Bristol, UK, training on the replacement set of solar arrays which they are scheduled to fit to the Hubble Space Telescope at year end. You are invited to attend a technical briefing on that day, which will be given by senior representatives of the European Space Agency and British Aerospace. The briefing will include details of the design modifications and status of the solar arrays, together with a brief overview of the scientific results already achieved by the teams of astronomers using the telescope. There will be an opportunity for interviews with the mission specialists in the crew of NASA's Space Shuttle flight STS-61, who will be carrying out the servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope in a series of "Extra-Vehicular Activities - EVA' (space-walks). Five astronauts are expected : Story Musgrave, Colonel Tom Akers, Jeffrey A. Hoffman, Kathryn C. Thornton from NASA and Claude Nicollier from ESA. There will also be a chance to view the solar arrays in the British Aerospace clean room area where the astronauts are working on their familiarisation programme. The briefing will take place on Wednesday 10 March 1993 at British Aerospace Space Systems, Filton, Bristol, UK (on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol). The event will begin at 10h30 a.m. and end with a buffet lunch running from approximately 01h30 p.m. to 02h30 p.m. In order to assists with arrangements for travel to and from bristol, British Aerospace proposes to run a free coach from and to London Victoria Coach Station - if there proves to be sufficient press interest. This coach would depart from London at approximately 07h50 a.m. and arrive back at around 05h30 p.m. Further details will be available on request when numbers are known. In order to gain access to the site and the briefing it is essential that all attendees are expected and their names are provided in

34 CFR 300.12 - Educational service agency.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... schools and secondary schools of the State; (b) Includes any other public institution or agency having administrative control and direction over a public elementary school or secondary school; and (c) Includes... develop, manage, and provide services or programs to LEAs; (2) Recognized as an administrative agency for...

ESA-NASA collaboration in support of CryoSat-2

Science.gov (United States)

Casal, T. G.; Davidson, M.; Schuettemeyer, D.; Perrera, A.; Armitage, T.; Bianchi, R.; Parrinello, T.; Fornari, M.; Skourup, H.

2012-12-01

In the framework of its Earth Observation Programmes the European Space Agency (ESA) carries out groundbased and airborne campaigns to support geophysical algorithm development, calibration/validation, simulation of future spaceborne earth observation missions, and applications development related to land, oceans and atmosphere. ESA has been conducting airborne and ground measurements campaigns since 1981 by deploying a broad range of active and passive instrumentation in both the optical and microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum such as lidars, limb/nadir sounding interferometers/spectrometers, high-resolution spectral imagers, advanced synthetic aperture radars, altimeters and radiometers. These campaigns take place inside and outside Europe in collaboration with national research organisations in the ESA member states as well as with international organisations harmonising European campaign activities. For the different activities a rich variety of datasets has been recorded, are archived and users can access campaign data through the EOPI web portal [http://eopi.esa.int]. CryoSat-2, ESA's third Earth Explorer, is Europe's first mission dedicated to monitoring Earth's ice fields. The satellite carries a sophisticated radar altimeter that can measure the thickness of sea ice down to centimetres and also monitor changes in ice sheets, particularly around the edges where icebergs are calved from the vast ice sheets that cover Greenland and Antarctica. On order to gather data to help ensure the accuracy of ESA's ice mission, in yet another remarkable collaborative effort, ESA and NASA met up over the Arctic Ocean in April 2012 to perform some carefully coordinated flights directly under CryoSat orbiting above. The aim of this large-scale campaign was to record sea-ice thickness and conditions of the ice exactly along the line traced by ESA's CryoSat satellite orbiting high above. A range of sensors installed on the different aircraft was used to gather

Geographic Disparities in Access to Agencies Providing Income-Related Social Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Scott R; Monuteaux, Michael C; Fleegler, Eric W

2015-10-01

Geographic location is an important factor in understanding disparities in access to health-care and social services. The objective of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate disparities in the geographic distribution of income-related social service agencies relative to populations in need within Boston. Agency locations were obtained from a comprehensive database of social services in Boston. Geographic information systems mapped the spatial relationship of the agencies to the population using point density estimation and was compared to census population data. A multivariate logistic regression was conducted to evaluate factors associated with categories of income-related agency density. Median agency density within census block groups ranged from 0 to 8 agencies per square mile per 100 population below the federal poverty level (FPL). Thirty percent (n = 31,810) of persons living below the FPL have no access to income-related social services within 0.5 miles, and 77 % of persons living below FPL (n = 83,022) have access to 2 or fewer agencies. 27.0 % of Blacks, 30.1 % of Hispanics, and 41.0 % of non-Hispanic Whites with incomes below FPL have zero access. In conclusion, some neighborhoods in Boston with a high concentration of low-income populations have limited access to income-related social service agencies.

29 CFR 102.113 - Methods of service of process and papers by the Agency; proof of service.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Methods of service of process and papers by the Agency; proof of service. 102.113 Section 102.113 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS... process and papers by the Agency; proof of service. (a) Service of complaints and compliance...

Comparing NASA and ESA Cost Estimating Methods for Human Missions to Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Charles D.; vanPelt, Michel O.

2004-01-01

To compare working methodologies between the cost engineering functions in NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and ESA European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), as well as to set-up cost engineering capabilities for future manned Mars projects and other studies which involve similar subsystem technologies in MSFC and ESTEC, a demonstration cost estimate exercise was organized. This exercise was a direct way of enhancing not only cooperation between agencies but also both agencies commitment to credible cost analyses. Cost engineers in MSFC and ESTEC independently prepared life-cycle cost estimates for a reference human Mars project and subsequently compared the results and estimate methods in detail. As a non-sensitive, public domain reference case for human Mars projects, the Mars Direct concept was chosen. In this paper the results of the exercise are shown; the differences and similarities in estimate methodologies, philosophies, and databases between MSFC and ESTEC, as well as the estimate results for the Mars Direct concept. The most significant differences are explained and possible estimate improvements identified. In addition, the Mars Direct plan and the extensive cost breakdown structure jointly set-up by MSFC and ESTEC for this concept are presented. It was found that NASA applied estimate models mainly based on historic Apollo and Space Shuttle cost data, taking into account the changes in technology since then. ESA used models mostly based on European satellite and launcher cost data, taking into account the higher equipment and testing standards for human space flight. Most of NASA's and ESA s estimates for the Mars Direct case are comparable, but there are some important, consistent differences in the estimates for: 1) Large Structures and Thermal Control subsystems; 2) System Level Management, Engineering, Product Assurance and Assembly, Integration and Test/Verification activities; 3) Mission Control; 4) Space Agency Program Level

NASA and ESA Collaboration on Hexavalent Chrome Alternatives: Pretreatments Only Final Test Report

Science.gov (United States)

Kessel, Kurt R.

2015-01-01

Hexavalent chromium (hex chrome or CR(VI)) is a widely used element within applied coating systems because of its self-healing and corrosion-resistant properties. The replacement of hex chrome in the processing of aluminum for aviation and aerospace applications remains a goal of great significance. Aluminum is the major manufacturing material of structures and components in the space flight arena. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are engaged in a collaborative effort to test and evaluate alternatives to hexavalent chromium containing corrosion coating systems. NASA and ESA share common risks related to material obsolescence associated with hexavalent chromium used in corrosion-resistant coatings.

Cross-cultural issues in space operations: A survey study among ground personnel of the European Space Agency

Science.gov (United States)

Sandal, Gro Mjeldheim; Manzey, Dietrich

2009-12-01

Today's space operations involve co-working of people with different ethnical, professional and organisational backgrounds. The aim of this study was to examine the implications of cultural diversity for efficient collaboration within the European Space Agency (ESA), and between ESA employees and representatives from other agencies. ESA employees from European countries ( N=576) answered to the CULT Ground Survey. The results showed that differences in relation to leadership and decision making were the most important issues thought to interfere with efficient co-working within ESA, and between ESA employees and colleagues from other agencies. Employees who collaborated with more than three nationalities within ESA indicated most challenges in co-working due to differences in compliance, behavioural norms and competitiveness. Challenges in co-working differed between agencies, and these differences were consistent with value differences in the national populations. The results may have applied value for training of European employees working in international space program teams.

The Planetary Science Archive (PSA): Exploration and discovery of scientific datasets from ESA's planetary missions

Science.gov (United States)

Vallat, C.; Besse, S.; Barbarisi, I.; Arviset, C.; De Marchi, G.; Barthelemy, M.; Coia, D.; Costa, M.; Docasal, R.; Fraga, D.; Heather, D. J.; Lim, T.; Macfarlane, A.; Martinez, S.; Rios, C.; Vallejo, F.; Said, J.

2017-09-01

The Planetary Science Archive (PSA) is the European Space Agency's (ESA) repository of science data from all planetary science and exploration missions. The PSA provides access to scientific datasets through various interfaces at http://psa.esa.int. All datasets are scientifically peer-reviewed by independent scientists, and are compliant with the Planetary Data System (PDS) standards. The PSA has started to implement a number of significant improvements, mostly driven by the evolution of the PDS standards, and the growing need for better interfaces and advanced applications to support science exploitation.

Part of the Job? Workplace Violence in Massachusetts Social Service Agencies

Science.gov (United States)

Zelnick, Jennifer R.; Slayter, Elspeth; Flanzbaum, Beth; Butler, Nanci Ginty; Domingo, Beryl; Perlstein, Judith; Trust, Carol

2013-01-01

Workplace violence is a serious and surprisingly understudied occupational hazard in social service settings. The authors of this study conducted an anonymous, Internet-based survey of Massachusetts social service agencies to estimate the incidence of physical assault and verbal threat of violence in social service agencies, understand how social…

78 FR 18585 - FIFRA Pesticide Registration Review and ESA Consultation Processes; Stakeholder Input; Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-27

... Review and ESA Consultation Processes; Stakeholder Input; Notice of Availability AGENCY: Environmental... describing enhanced opportunities for stakeholder input during its review of pesticide registrations under... announcing the availability of a document titled, ``Enhancing Stakeholder Input in the Pesticide Registration...

Multicultural development in human services agencies: challenges and solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyde, Cheryl A

2004-01-01

Comprehensive multicultural organizational development (MCOD) is increasingly necessary in human services agencies. This article presents results from an exploratory study that identified challenges and solutions to MCOD, against the backdrop of daily realities of agency life. The author conducted interviews with 20 consultants and 20 practitioners experienced in MCOD. Qualitative analysis revealed four challenges--socioeconomic environment, organizational dynamics, conceptualization of the change effort, and consultant competence; and four solutions--collaborative environmental relations, leadership development, assessment and planning, and consultant selection. Results suggest the complexities of MCOD and ways that human services agencies can sustain such efforts.

Second space Christmas for ESA: Huygens to begin its final journey to Titan/ Media activities.

Science.gov (United States)

2004-12-01

At 1.25 billion km from Earth, after a 7-year journey through the Solar system, ESA’s Huygens probe is about to separate from the Cassini orbiter to enter a ballistic trajectory toward Titan, the largest and most mysterious moon of Saturn, in order to dive into its atmosphere on 14 January. This will be the first man-made object to explore in-situ this unique environment, whose chemistry is assumed to be very similar to that of the early Earth just before life began, 3.8 billion years ago. The Cassini-Huygens pair, a joint mission conducted by NASA, ESA and the Italian space agency (ASI), was launched into space on 15 October 1997. With the help of several gravity assist manoeuvres during flybys of Venus, Earth and Jupiter, it took almost 7 years for the spacecraft to reach Saturn. The Cassini orbiter, carrying Huygens on its flank, entered an orbit around Saturn on 1 July 2004, and began to investigate the ringed planet and its moons for a mission that will last at least four years. The first distant flyby of Titan took place on 2-3 July 2004. It provided data on Titan's atmosphere which were confirmed by the data obtained during the first close flyby on 26 October 2004 at an altitude of 1174 km. These data were used to validate the entry conditions of the Huygens probe. A second close flyby of Titan by Cassini-Huygens at an altitude of 1200 km is scheduled on 13 December and will provide additional data to further validate the entry conditions of the Huygens probe. On 17 December the orbiter will be placed on a controlled collision course with Titan in order to release Huygens on the proper trajectory, and on 21 December (some dates and times are subject to minor adjustment for operational reasons, except the entry time on 14 January which is know to within an accuracy of under 2 minutes) all systems will be set up for separation and the Huygens timers will be set to wake the probe a few hours before its arrival at Titan. The Huygens probe is due to separate on

Strengthening the management of ESA - the Inter-Directorate Reform of Corporate and Risk Management

Science.gov (United States)

Feustel-Büechl, Jörg; Arend, Harald; Derio, Eric; Infante, Giovanni; Kreiner, Gerhard; Phaler, Jesse; Tabbert, Michael

2007-02-01

ESA has undertaken the Inter-Directorate Reform of Corporate and Risk Management to strengthen the Agency's internal operations. The reform was completed at the end of 2006, encompassing five dedicated projects on Risk Management, Agency-Wide Controlling System, Project Plan and Integrated Project Review, General Budget Structure and Charging Policy, and Corporate Information Systems. It has contributed to improved management of the Agency's internal operations by engaging all internal stakeholders in a common objective, introducing improvements to planning and management methods, elaborating consolidated information structures and tools, contributing to enhanced transparency and accountability, and by providing qualified new policies, processes and tools.

How Medicaid agencies administer mental health services: results from a 50-state survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Verdier, James; Barrett, Allison

2008-10-01

This brief report describes some notable variations in how state Medicaid agencies administer and fund Medicaid mental health services. Hour-long telephone interviews were conducted with all state and District of Columbia Medicaid directors or their designees. Responses indicated that Medicaid and mental health agencies were located within the same umbrella agency in 28 states, potentially facilitating collaboration. The mental health agency provided funding for some Medicaid mental health services in 32 states, and counties provided such funding in 22 states. Medicaid agencies generally delegated more authority to state mental health agencies in states where some Medicaid funding came from mental health sources and also in states where both agencies were in the same umbrella agency. The increasing role of Medicaid in funding state mental health services, combined with new federal limits on Medicaid financing of these services, underscores the importance of interagency collaboration and better alignment of Medicaid and mental health responsibilities.

The ESA climate change initiative: Satellite data records for essential climate variables

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hollmann, R.; Merchant, C.J.; Saunders, R.

2013-01-01

The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) to provide satellite-based climate data records (CDRs) that meet the challenging requirements of the climate community. The aim is to realize the full potential of the long-term Earth observation (EO) archives...... that both ESA and third parties have established. This includes aspects of producing a CDR, which involve data acquisition, calibration, algorithm development, validation, maintenance, and provision of the data to the climate research community. The CCI is consistent with several international efforts...... targeting the generation of satellite derived climate data records. One focus of the CCI is to provide products for climate modelers who increasingly use satellite data to initialize, constrain, and validate models on a wide range of space and time scales....

Linking an agency strategic review to increase knowledge management: San Francisco County Human Service Agency.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Lindsay

2012-01-01

Led by the agency director, the agency engaged in a Strategic Review, based on a comprehensive assessment of agency performance that identified strategies to improve organizational effectiveness through increased data-informed practice and knowledge management. The Strategic Review gathered information on staff perceptions, perceptions of external stakeholders, changing citywide and neighborhood demographics, policy mandates, and budget and workload issues. The need for the review was based upon multiple, substantial changes not addressed in the 2000 Strategic Plan, including the 2004 merger of the Department of Human Services and the Department of Aging and Adult Services, changes among the executive management team, transitions among key political entities, new policy mandates and changing budget allocations. This case study describes the Strategic Review process and content, summarizing key challenges and lessons related to addressing workload demands, fostering positive staff attitudes, balancing internal and external information needs, and integrating data use and planning processes across the agency. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Forging ties between young People from CERN and ESA

CERN Multimedia

CERN Bulletin

2010-01-01

The CERN Student Club (CSC) is the official club for the community of young people at CERN. In addition to organizing regular activities for its members, the club serves as a platform for young people to come together and meet people from other backgrounds. On 11 and 12 April, the network for young people from the European Space Agency (YoungESA) organized an excursion to CERN, in which more than 30 young researchers participated. The CERN Student Club was happy to host several activities for the members of the two communities.   Some of the participants in the first meeting of the ESA-CERN student clubs. “One of the most amazing things about being a young researcher is the boundless opportunities for meeting people from all around the world, whether for the exchange of research ideas or for social purposes”, says Yi Ling Hwong, a member of the CMS experiment and Vice-president of the CERN Student Club. “In a place like CERN such occasions are abundant but t...

X-ray optics developments at ESA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bavdaz, M.; Wille, E.; Wallace, K.

2013-01-01

Future high energy astrophysics missions will require high performance novel X-ray optics to explore the Universe beyond the limits of the currently operating Chandra and Newton observatories. Innovative optics technologies are therefore being developed and matured by the European Space Agency (ESA......) in collaboration with research institutions and industry, enabling leading-edge future science missions. Silicon Pore Optics (SPO) [1 to 21] and Slumped Glass Optics (SGO) [22 to 29] are lightweight high performance X-ray optics technologies being developed in Europe, driven by applications in observatory class...... reflective coatings [30 to 35]. In addition, the progress with the X-ray test facilities and associated beam-lines is discussed [36]. © (2013) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only....

Recent Advances in Antenna Measurement Techniques at the DTU-ESA Spherical Near-Field Antenna Test Facility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Breinbjerg, Olav; Pivnenko, Sergey; Kim, Oleksiy S.

2014-01-01

This paper reports recent antenna measurement projects and research at the DTU-ESA Spherical Near-Field Antenna Test Facility at the Technical University of Denmark. High-accuracy measurement projects for the SMOS, SENTINEL-1, and BIOMASS missions of the European Space Agency were driven...

Predictive Analytics for City Agencies: Lessons from Children's Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Shroff, Ravi

2017-09-01

Many municipal agencies maintain detailed and comprehensive electronic records of their interactions with citizens. These data, in combination with machine learning and statistical techniques, offer the promise of better decision making, and more efficient and equitable service delivery. However, a data scientist employed by an agency to implement these techniques faces numerous and varied choices that cumulatively can have significant real-world consequences. The data scientist, who may be the only person at an agency equipped to understand the technical complexity of a predictive algorithm, therefore, bears a good deal of responsibility in making judgments. In this perspective, I use a concrete example from my experience of working with New York City's Administration for Children's Services to illustrate the social and technical tradeoffs that can result from choices made in each step of data analysis. Three themes underlie these tradeoffs: the importance of frequent communication between the data scientist, agency leadership, and domain experts; the agency's resources and organizational constraints; and the necessity of an ethical framework to evaluate salient costs and benefits. These themes inform specific recommendations that I provide to guide agencies that employ data scientists and rely on their work in designing, testing, and implementing predictive algorithms.

29 CFR 42.9 - Farm Labor Specialist (ESA).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Farm Labor Specialist (ESA). 42.9 Section 42.9 Labor Office of the Secretary of Labor COORDINATED ENFORCEMENT § 42.9 Farm Labor Specialist (ESA). (a) The Assistant Secretary for ESA shall designate ESA Compliance Officers as Farm Labor Specialists (Specialists...

Farm service agency employee intentions to use weather and climate data in professional services

Science.gov (United States)

Rachel E. Schattman; Gabrielle Roesch-McNally; Sarah Wiener; Meredith T. Niles; David Y. Hollinger

2018-01-01

Agricultural service providers often work closely with producers, and are well positioned to include weather and climate change information in the services they provide. By doing so, they can help producers reduce risks due to climate variability and change. A national survey of United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) field staff (n...

A Reference Implementation of the OGC CSW EO Standard for the ESA HMA-T project

Science.gov (United States)

Bigagli, Lorenzo; Boldrini, Enrico; Papeschi, Fabrizio; Vitale, Fabrizio

2010-05-01

This work was developed in the context of the ESA Heterogeneous Missions Accessibility (HMA) project, whose main objective is to involve the stakeholders, namely National space agencies, satellite or mission owners and operators, in an harmonization and standardization process of their ground segment services and related interfaces. Among HMA objectives was the specification, conformance testing, and experimentation of two Extension Packages (EPs) of the ebRIM Application Profile (AP) of the OGC Catalog Service for the Web (CSW) specification: the Earth Observation Products (EO) EP (OGC 06-131) and the Cataloguing of ISO Metadata (CIM) EP (OGC 07-038). Our contributions have included the development and deployment of Reference Implementations (RIs) for both the above specifications, and their integration with the ESA Service Support Environment (SSE). The RIs are based on the GI-cat framework, an implementation of a distributed catalog service, able to query disparate Earth and Space Science data sources (e.g. OGC Web Services, Unidata THREDDS) and to expose several standard interfaces for data discovery (e.g. OGC CSW ISO AP). Following our initial planning, the GI-cat framework has been extended in order to expose the CSW.ebRIM-CIM and CSW.ebRIM-EO interfaces, and to distribute queries to CSW.ebRIM-CIM and CSW.ebRIM-EO data sources. We expected that a mapping strategy would suffice for accommodating CIM, but this proved to be unpractical during implementation. Hence, a model extension strategy was eventually implemented for both the CIM and EO EPs, and the GI-cat federal model was enhanced in order to support the underlying ebRIM AP. This work has provided us with new insights into the different data models for geospatial data, and the technologies for their implementation. The extension is used by suitable CIM and EO profilers (front-end mediator components) and accessors (back-end mediator components), that relate ISO 19115 concepts to EO and CIM ones. Moreover

Agency ownership, patient payment source, and length of service in home care, 1992 2000.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Beth; McAuley, William J; Remsburg, Robin E

2007-08-01

Little is known about whether an association exists between agency ownership and length of service among home care patients with different payment sources. This study investigated how for-profit and not-for-profit agencies responded to policy changes in the 1990s with respect to length of service. We examined length of service among 37,364 home care patients using the 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2000 National Home and Hospice Care Surveys. We used Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression models. After we adjusted for patient and agency characteristics, our results revealed that agency ownership was not associated with length of service for patients with private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare plus Medicaid, or Medicare plus private insurance. This finding was consistent from 1992 through 2000. Length of service among patients with Medicare decreased significantly from 1998 through 2000, but length of service among patients with Medicaid did not change significantly from 1992 through 2000. Agency ownership is not associated with patient length of service in home care. Regardless of the policy changes in the home care arena in the 1990s, for-profit and not-for-profit home health agencies behaved similarly with regard to length of service among patients within differently structured payment systems.

ESA technology flies on Italian mini-satellite launched from Russia

Science.gov (United States)

2000-07-01

Owned by the Italian space agency (ASI) and developed by Carlo Gavazzi with contributions from many other Italian companies, MITA has two tasks to perform: in a circular orbit at 450 km altitude, the mini satellite will carry a cosmic particle detector, while its platform will be tested for the first time as a vehicle for future scientific missions. MITA also carries the MTS-AOMS payload (MicroTechSensor for Attitude and Orbit Measurement System), developed by Astrium in the framework of ESA's Technology Flight Opportunity trial programme. With the Technology Flight Opportunity scheme, funded by its General Studies Programme, ESA intends to provide access to space for European industry's technology products needing in-orbit demonstration to enhance their competitiveness on the space market. This new form of support to the European space industry ties in with ESA's strategy for fostering the competitiveness of European-made technology for eventual commercialisation. In-orbit demonstration is essential if new technologies are to compete on level terms on non-European markets. It thus consolidates strategic investments made by the space industry. The MTS-AOMS is a highly integrated sensor for autonomous attitude and orbit control systems. It combines three functions in one unit: Earth sensing, star sensing and magnetic field sensing. The equipment incorporates an active pixel array sensor and a 2-D fluxgate magnetometer. The aims of the flight are to verify in situ the payload's inherent functions and performance, which cannot be done on the ground, and to assess the behaviour of this type of technology when exposed to the space environment. The Technology Flight Opportunity rule is that ESA funds the launch and integration costs, industry the development and operating costs. According to present planning, two further in-orbit demonstrations funded by this scheme will be carried out between now and January 2001.

78 FR 60303 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Online Survey of Web Services Employers; New...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-01

...-NEW] Agency Information Collection Activities: Online Survey of Web Services Employers; New... information collection. (2) Title of the Form/Collection: Online Survey of Web Services Employers. (3) Agency... USCIS obtains data on the E-Verify Program Web Services. Gaining an understanding of the Web Services...

Mental health services for homebound elders from home health nursing agencies and home care agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeltzer, Barry B; Kohn, Robert

2006-04-01

This study examined the practices of home care agencies and home health nursing agencies in the management and treatment of homebound clients with behavioral problems, dementia, and undiagnosed mental illnesses. A survey was mailed to all 54 directors of agencies in Rhode Island in 2003; 53 responded, either by mail or telephone. Data indicated a lack of psychiatric services, a reluctance to address behavioral problems, and a failure to identify undiagnosed disorders. There was also a bias against accepting individuals with primary psychiatric disorders. Although the population of homebound elders with mental illness is increasing, their needs are not being met by these agencies.

Implementation of the Orbital Maneuvering Systems Engine and Thrust Vector Control for the European Service Module

Science.gov (United States)

Millard, Jon

2014-01-01

The European Space Agency (ESA) has entered into a partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop and provide the Service Module (SM) for the Orion Multipurpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) Program. The European Service Module (ESM) will provide main engine thrust by utilizing the Space Shuttle Program Orbital Maneuvering System Engine (OMS-E). Thrust Vector Control (TVC) of the OMS-E will be provided by the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) TVC, also used during the Space Shuttle Program. NASA will be providing the OMS-E and OMS TVC to ESA as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) to integrate into the ESM. This presentation will describe the OMS-E and OMS TVC and discuss the implementation of the hardware for the ESM.

ESA Parabolic Flight, Drop Tower and Centrifuge Opportunities for University Students

Science.gov (United States)

Callens, Natacha; Ventura-Traveset, Javier; Zornoza Garcia-Andrade, Eduardo; Gomez-Calero, Carlos; van Loon, Jack J. W. A.; Pletser, Vladimir; Kufner, Ewald; Krause, Jutta; Lindner, Robert; Gai, Frederic; Eigenbrod, Christian

The European Space Agency (ESA) Education Office was established in 1998 with the purpose of motivating young people to study science, engineering and technology subjects and to ensure a qualified workforce for ESA and the European space sector in the future. To this end the ESA Education Office is supporting several hands-on activities including small student satellites and student experiments on sounding rockets, high altitude balloons as well as microgravity and hypergravity platforms. This paper is intended to introduce three new ESA Education Office hands-on activities called "Fly Your Thesis!", "Drop Your Thesis!" and "Spin Your Thesis!". These activities give re-spectively access to aircraft parabolic flight, drop tower and centrifuge campaigns to European students. These educational programmes offer university students the unique opportunity to design, build, and eventually perform, in microgravity or hypergravity, a scientific or techno-logical experiment which is linked to their syllabus. During the "Fly Your Thesis!" campaigns, the students accompany their experiments onboard the A300 Zero-G aircraft, operated by the company Novespace, based in Bordeaux, France, for a series of three flights of 30 parabolas each, with each parabola providing about 20s of microgravity [1]. "Drop Your Thesis!" campaigns are held in the ZARM Drop Tower, in Bremen, Germany. The installation delivers 4.74s of microgravity in dropping mode and 9.3s in the catapulting mode [2]. Research topics such as fluid physics, fundamental physics, combustion, biology, material sciences, heat transfer, astrophysics, chemistry or biochemistry can greatly benefit from using microgravity platforms. "Spin Your Thesis!" campaigns take place in the Large Diameter Centrifuge (LDC) facility, at ESTEC, Noordwijk, in the Netherlands. This facility offers an acceleration from 1 to 20 times Earth's gravity [3]. The use of hypergravity allows completing the scientific picture of how gravity has an

ESRD POST-HOSPITALIZATION ANEMIA AND ESA UTILIZATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex Yang

2012-06-01

The majority of hospitalizations (∼2/3 had considerable post-hosp Hb drops (mean >1g/dL, with >50% permanently reduced. ∼1.5 months were needed to recover Hb, with elevated ESA doses for >2 months. ESA dose was permanently elevated in 27% of hospitalizations that recovered Hb. Strategies to address post-hosp anemia may mitigate the protracted recovery time and increased ESA use. fx1

The introduction of service fees by travel agencies: A case study in Bloemfontein

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AJ Strydom

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Travel agencies normally receive commission from airlines, tour operators, accommodation establishments and car hire companies in exchange for bookings. Global trends in this commission structure indicate dramatic changes, especially regarding airlines. The majority of them have introduced a system of commission capping, whereby commission paid to travel agencies has been reduced and expectations are that it might even become zero in future. Against this background, travel agencies are considering introducing a system of service fees. It implies that clients will have to pay for services such as the preparation of quotations for national and/or international holidays or business trips. This paper discusses the results of research that was undertaken amongst the middle to higher income classes of the residents of Bloemfontein regarding the introduction of service fees by travel agencies.

Forging University-Community Collaboration: The Agency Perspective on National Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Tice, Carol H.

1994-01-01

With passage of the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, national service volunteers will be joining forces with community-based organizations to work with underserved populations, creating many challenges. The community agency perspective on some anticipated challenges, possible responses, and application of principles of good…

Using CBPR to Assess Client Needs at a Social Service Agency.

Science.gov (United States)

Amendola, Mary Grace; Nazario, Noelia; Sanchez, Veronica

2016-01-01

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) has become an important research approach for universities to partner with social service agencies by uniting them in project design, planning, implementation, and evaluation. This study involved FOCUS, an urban social service agency, and Rutgers College of Nursing (RUCON) collaboratively conducting a needs assessment to compare the health needs of its clients and their employees' perception of their clients health needs, utilizing CBPR. Qualitative data was collected using the focus group method, field notes, photographs, and observation. The employees of FOCUS facilitated focus groups, participant recruitment, and transcribed and translated data. Three themes emerged: Health Education, Cost of Health Care, and Barriers to Health Care. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge of integrating the CBPR approach when conducting a community needs assessment with a social service agency. The CBPR approach closely reflects the identified health needs of its clients resulting in interventions that will meet their specific health needs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lessons from Transportation Agency Participation In Regional Conservation Initiatives

OpenAIRE

Lederman, Jaimee

2017-01-01

Transportation agencies struggle to maximize the benefits of transportation infrastructure while minimizing environmental harm. This dissertation examines institutional collaborations that integrate capital investments (e.g. highway and rail projects) with regional Habitat Conservation Plans (RHCPs) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). It addresses ways of maintaining these collaborations over time. The ESA requires that public and private project developers mitigate any harm to endangered...

Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Needs to Improve Demilitarization Program Self-Assessment Evaluations - Redacted

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-20

from mandatory disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Needs to Improve Demilitarization...Project No. D2016-D000RD-0057.000) │ i Results in Brief Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Needs to Improve Demilitarization Program Self...Assessment Evaluations Visit us at www.dodig.mil December 20, 2016 Objective Our audit objective was to determine whether the Defense Logistics Agency

CERN, ESA and ESO Launch "Physics On Stage"

Science.gov (United States)

2000-03-01

Physics is everywhere . The laws of physics govern the Universe, the Sun, the Earth and even our own lives. In today's rapidly developing society, we are becoming increasingly dependent on high technology - computers, transport, and communication are just some of the key areas that are the result of discoveries by scientists working in physics. But how much do the citizens of Europe really know about physics? Here is a unique opportunity to learn more about this elusive subject! [Go to Physics On Stage Website] Beginning in February 2000, three major European research organisations are organising a unique Europe-wide programme to raise the public awareness of physics and related sciences. "Physics on Stage" is launched by the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) , the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO) , with support from the European Union. Other partners are the European Physical Society (EPS) and the European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE). This exciting programme is part of the European Week for Science and Technology and will culminate in a Science Festival during November 6-11, 2000, on the CERN premises at the French-Swiss border near Geneva. Why "Physics on Stage"? The primary goal of "Physics on Stage" is to counteract the current decline in interest and knowledge about physics among Europe's citizens by means of a series of highly visible promotional activities. It will bring together leading scientists and educators, government bodies and the media, to confront the diminishing attraction of physics to young people and to develop strategies to reverse this trend. The objective in the short term is to infuse excitement and to provide new educational materials. In the longer term, "Physics on Stage" will generate new developments by enabling experts throughout Europe to meet, exchange and innovate. "Physics on Stage" in 22 European Countries "Physics on Stage" has been initiated in 22 European

41 CFR 302-3.419 - For what property will my agency pay property management services?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false For what property will my agency pay property management services? 302-3.419 Section 302-3.419 Public Contracts and Property....419 For what property will my agency pay property management services? Your agency will only pay for...

Building Service Delivery Networks: Partnership Evolution Among Children's Behavioral Health Agencies in Response to New Funding.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunger, Alicia C; Doogan, Nathan J; Cao, Yiwen

2014-12-01

Meeting the complex needs of youth with behavioral health problems requires a coordinated network of community-based agencies. Although fiscal scarcity or retrenchment can limit coordinated services, munificence can stimulate service delivery partnerships as agencies expand programs, hire staff, and spend more time coordinating services. This study examines the 2-year evolution of referral and staff expertise sharing networks in response to substantial new funding for services within a regional network of children's mental health organizations. Quantitative network survey data were collected from directors of 22 nonprofit organizations that receive funding from a county government-based behavioral health service fund. Both referral and staff expertise sharing networks changed over time, but results of a stochastic actor-oriented model of network dynamics suggest the nature of this change varies for these networks. Agencies with higher numbers of referral and staff expertise sharing partners tend to maintain these ties and/or develop new relationships over the 2 years. Agencies tend to refer to agencies they trust, but trust was not associated with staff expertise sharing ties. However, agencies maintain or form staff expertise sharing ties with referral partners, or with organizations that provide similar services. In addition, agencies tend to reciprocate staff expertise sharing, but not referrals. Findings suggest that during periods of resource munificence and service expansion, behavioral health organizations build service delivery partnerships in complex ways that build upon prior collaborative history and coordinate services among similar types of providers. Referral partnerships can pave the way for future information sharing relationships.

Ulysses - An ESA/NASA cooperative programme

Science.gov (United States)

Meeks, W.; Eaton, D.

1990-01-01

Cooperation between ESA and NASA is discussed, noting that the Memorandum of Understanding lays the framework for this relationship, defining the responsibilities of ESA and NASA and providing for appointment of leadership and managers for the project. Members of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and ESA's ESTEC staff have been appointed to leadership positions within the project and ultimate control of the project rests with the Joint Working Group consisting of two project managers and two project scientists, equally representing both organizations. Coordination of time scales and overall mission design is discussed, including launch cooperation, public relations, and funding of scientific investigations such as Ulysses. Practical difficulties of managing an international project are discussed such as differing documentation requirements and communication techniques, and assurance of equality on projects.

Fly me to the Sun! ESA inaugurates the European Project on the Sun

Science.gov (United States)

2000-11-01

In an initiative mounted by ECSITE (European Collaborative for Science, Industry and Technology Exhibitions) with funding from the European Commission and under the supervision, coordination and co-sponsorship of ESA, five teams of youngsters (16-18 years old) from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands were selected and coordinated by European science museums from each of their countries (Musée des Sciences et des Techniques - Parentville, B; Cité de l'Espace - Toulouse, F; Deutsches Museum - Munich, D; Fondazione IDIS - Naples, I; Foundation Noordwijk Space Expo - Noordwijk, NL). The teams each focused on a theme related to solar research: "How does the Sun work?" (I), "The Sun as a star" (F), "Solar activity" (NL), "Observing the Sun" (D), "Humans and the Sun" (B), and built exhibition "modules" that they will present at the inauguration, in the context of European Science and Technology Week 2000 (6-10 November), promoted by the European Commission. During the two-day event, a jury of representatives of other European science and technology museums, ESA scientists, a science journalist, and two ESA astronauts (Frank de Winne and Andre Kuipers) will judge the youngsters' exhibition modules on the basis of their scientific correctness, their museological value and the commitment shown by the young "communication experts". The winning team will be officially announced on 9 November. The prize is a weekend at the Space Camp in Redu, Belgium. The objective of the European Project on the Sun is educational. It aims, through the direct and "fresh" involvement of youngsters, to heighten European citizens' awareness of space research in general and the Sun's influence on our daily lives in particular. The role of the European Space Agency as reference point in Europe for solar research has been fundamental to the project. From ESA's perspective, EPOS is part of this autumn's wider communication initiative called the Solar Season, which is highlighting ESA

Does a hostel's managing agency determine the access to psychiatric services of its residents?

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas, B; Audini, B; Chisholm, D; Knapp, M; Lelliott, P

1998-10-01

This study examines the effect of managing agency (local authority, private or voluntary) on the use of other health and social care services by residents in mental health hostels and group homes with different levels of staffing in England and Wales. The sample comprised 1323 residents in 275 facilities in eight districts. The measures of service use were number of days in hospital and number of other service contacts. There were highly significant differences between facilities with similar levels of staffing managed by different agencies. Residents in the voluntary sector used fewer community services overall; residents in low-staffed local authority facilities used more services than those in similar facilities managed by other agencies. These differences were not easily explained by differences in the social or clinical characteristics of residents. This suggests that there may be organisational factors, e.g. hostel staff, knowledge of services, which influence access to and use of community services.

Evaluating ESA CCI Soil Moisture in East Africa

Science.gov (United States)

McNally, Amy; Shukla, Shraddhanand; Arsenault, Kristi R.; Wang, Shugong; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Verdin, James P.

2016-01-01

To assess growing season conditions where ground based observations are limited or unavailable, food security and agricultural drought monitoring analysts rely on publicly available remotely sensed rainfall and vegetation greenness. There are also remotely sensed soil moisture observations from missions like the European Space Agency (ESA) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and NASAs Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), however these time series are still too short to conduct studies that demonstrate the utility of these data for operational applications, or to provide historical context for extreme wet or dry events. To promote the use of remotely sensed soil moisture in agricultural drought and food security monitoring, we use East Africa as a case study to evaluate the quality of a 30+ year time series of merged active-passive microwave soil moisture from the ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI-SM). Compared to the Normalized Difference Vegetation index (NDVI) and modeled soil moisture products, we found substantial spatial and temporal gaps in the early part of the CCI-SM record, with adequate data coverage beginning in 1992. From this point forward, growing season CCI-SM anomalies were well correlated (R greater than 0.5) with modeled, seasonal soil moisture, and in some regions, NDVI. We use correlation analysis and qualitative comparisons at seasonal time scales to show that remotely sensed soil moisture can add information to a convergence of evidence framework that traditionally relies on rainfall and NDVI in moderately vegetated regions.

Virtual Planetary Space Weather Services offered by the Europlanet H2020 Research Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

André, N.; Grande, M.; Achilleos, N.; Barthélémy, M.; Bouchemit, M.; Benson, K.; Blelly, P.-L.; Budnik, E.; Caussarieu, S.; Cecconi, B.; Cook, T.; Génot, V.; Guio, P.; Goutenoir, A.; Grison, B.; Hueso, R.; Indurain, M.; Jones, G. H.; Lilensten, J.; Marchaudon, A.; Matthiä, D.; Opitz, A.; Rouillard, A.; Stanislawska, I.; Soucek, J.; Tao, C.; Tomasik, L.; Vaubaillon, J.

2018-01-01

Under Horizon 2020, the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure (EPN2020-RI) will include an entirely new Virtual Access Service, "Planetary Space Weather Services" (PSWS) that will extend the concepts of space weather and space situational awareness to other planets in our Solar System and in particular to spacecraft that voyage through it. PSWS will make twelve new services accessible to the research community, space agencies, and industrial partners planning for space missions. These services will in particular be dedicated to the following key planetary environments: Mars (in support of the NASA MAVEN and European Space Agency (ESA) Mars Express and ExoMars missions), comets (building on the outstanding success of the ESA Rosetta mission), and outer planets (in preparation for the ESA JUpiter ICy moon Explorer mission), and one of these services will aim at predicting and detecting planetary events like meteor showers and impacts in the Solar System. This will give the European planetary science community new methods, interfaces, functionalities and/or plugins dedicated to planetary space weather as well as to space situational awareness in the tools and models available within the partner institutes. A variety of tools (in the form of web applications, standalone software, or numerical models in various degrees of implementation) are available for tracing propagation of planetary and/or solar events through the Solar System and modelling the response of the planetary environment (surfaces, atmospheres, ionospheres, and magnetospheres) to those events. But these tools were not originally designed for planetary event prediction and space weather applications. PSWS will provide the additional research and tailoring required to apply them for these purposes. PSWS will be to review, test, improve and adapt methods and tools available within the partner institutes in order to make prototype planetary event and space weather services operational in Europe at the end

ESA strategy for human exploration and the Lunar Lander Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Gardini, B.

As part of ESAs Aurora Exploration programme, the Agency has defined, since 2001, a road map for exploration in which, alongside robotic exploration missions, the International Space Station (ISS) and the Moon play an essential role on the way to other destinations in the Solar System, ultimately to a human mission to Mars in a more distant future. In the frame of the Human Spaceflight programme the first European Lunar Lander Mission, with a launch date on 2018, has been defined, targeting the lunar South Pole region to capitalize on unique illumination conditions and provide the opportunity to carry out scientific investigations in a region of the Moon not explored so far. The Phase B1 industrial study, recently initiated, will consolidate the mission design and prepare the ground for the approval of the full mission development phase at the 2012 ESA Council at Ministerial. This paper describes the mission options which have been investigated in the past Phase A studies and presents the main activities foreseen in the Phase B1 to consolidate the mission design, including a robust bread-boards and technology development programme. In addition, the approach to overcoming the mission's major technical and environmental challenges and the activities to advance the definition of the payload elements will be described.

The ESA Scientific Exploitation of Operational Missions element

Science.gov (United States)

Desnos, Yves-Louis; Regner, Peter; Zehner, Claus; Engdahl, Marcus; Benveniste, Jerome; Delwart, Steven; Gascon, Ferran; Mathieu, Pierre-Philippe; Bojkov, Bojan; Koetz, Benjamin; Arino, Olivier; Donlon, Craig; Davidson, Malcolm; Goryl, Philippe; Foumelis, Michael

2014-05-01

The objectives of the ESA Scientific Exploitation of Operational Missions (SEOM) programme element are • to federate, support and expand the research community • to strengthen the leadership of European EO research community • to enable the science community to address new scientific research As a preparation for the SEOM element a series of international science users consultation has been organized by ESA in 2012 and 2013 In particular the ESA Living Planet Symposium was successfully organized in Edinburgh September 2013 and involving 1700 participants from 60 countries. The science users recommendations have been gathered and form the basis for the 2014 SEOM work plan approved by ESA member states. The SEOM element is organized along the following action lines: 1. Developing open-source, multi-mission, scientific toolboxes : the new toolboxes for Sentinel 1/2/3 and 5P will be introduced 2. Research and development studies: the first SEOM studies are being launched such as the INSARAP studies for Sentinel 1 interferometry in orbit demonstration , the IAS study to generate an improved spectroscopic database of the trace gas species CH4, H2O, and CO in the 2.3 μm region and SO2 in the UV region for Sentinel 5 P. In addition larger Sentinels for science call will be tendered in 2014 covering grouped studies for Sentinel 1 Land , Sentinel 1 Ocean , Sentinel 2 Land, Sentinel 3 SAR Altimetry ,Sentinel 3 Ocean color, Sentinel 3 Land and Sentinels Synergy . 3. Science users consultation : the Sentinel 2 for Science workshop is planned from 20 to 22 may 2014 at ESRIN to prepare for scientific exploitation of the Sentinel-2 mission (http://seom.esa.int/S2forScience2014 ) . In addition the FRINGE workshop focusing on scientific explotation of Sentinel1 using SAR interferometry is planned to be held at ESA ESRIN in Q2 2015 4. Training the next generation of European EO scientists on the scientific exploitation of Sentinels data: the Advanced Training course Land

The BIOMASS mission — An ESA Earth Explorer candidate to measure the BIOMASS of the earth's forests

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scipal, K.; Arcioni, M.; Chave, J.

2010-01-01

The European Space Agency (ESA) released a Call for Proposals for the next Earth Explorer Core Mission in March 2005, with the aim to select the 7th Earth Explorer (EE-7) mission for launch in the next decade. Twenty-four proposals were received and subject to scientific and technical assessment...... of any current space systems capable of addressing this need....

Balancing ESA and iron therapy in a prospective payment environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Aronoff, George R; Gaweda, Adam E

2014-02-01

Ever since the introduction of EPO, ESAs and iron dosing have been driven by financial incentives. When ESAs were a profit center for providers, large doses were used. With ESAs becoming a cost center, a new trend has appeared, gradually replacing their use with iron to achieve the same therapeutic effect at lower cost. This financially driven approach, treating ESAs and iron as alternatives, is not consistent with human physiology where these agents act in a complementary manner. It is likely that we are still giving unnecessarily large doses of ESAs and iron, relative to what our patients' true needs are. Although we have highlighted the economic drivers of this outcome, many other factors play a role. These include our lack of understanding of the complex interplay of the anemia of chronic disease, inflammation, poor nutrition, blood loss through dialysis, ESAs and iron deficiency. We propose that physiology-driven modeling may provide some insight into the interactions between erythropoiesis and ferrokinetics. This insight can then be used to derive new, physiologically compatible dosing guidelines for ESAs and iron.

Agency Ownership, Patient Payment Source, and Length of Service in Home Care, 1992-2000

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Beth; McAuley, William J.; Remsburg, Robin E.

2007-01-01

Purpose: Little is known about whether an association exists between agency ownership and length of service among home care patients with different payment sources. This study investigated how for-profit and not-for-profit agencies responded to policy changes in the 1990s with respect to length of service. Design and Methods: We examined length of…

Critical Considerations in Becoming Literacy Educators: Pre-Service Teachers Rehearsing Agency and Negotiating Risk

Science.gov (United States)

Ticknor, Anne Swenson

2015-01-01

This article looks closely at the talk of two pre-service teachers over time to examine how they used language as a way of rehearsing their evolving agency as literacy educators. Drawing on critical sociocultural theory, I use Agency Tracing to highlight how pre-service teachers' agentic actions are not isolated phenomena but ones developed and…

Comparing consumer-directed and agency models for providing supportive services at home.

Science.gov (United States)

Benjamin, A E; Matthias, R; Franke, T M

2000-04-01

To examine the service experiences and outcomes of low-income Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities under two different models for organizing home-based personal assistance services: agency-directed and consumer-directed. A survey of a random sample of 1,095 clients, age 18 and over, who receive services in California's In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program funded primarily by Medicaid. Other data were obtained from the California Management and Payrolling System (CMIPS). The sample was stratified by service model (agency-directed or consumer-directed), client age (over or under age 65), and severity. Data were collected on client demographics, condition/functional status, and supportive service experience. Outcome measures were developed in three areas: safety, unmet need, and service satisfaction. Factor analysis was used to reduce multiple outcome measures to nine dimensions. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the effect of service model on each outcome dimension, taking into account the client-provider relationship, client demographics, and case mix. Recipients of IHSS services as of mid-1996 were interviewed by telephone. The survey was conducted in late 1996 and early 1997. On various outcomes, recipients in the consumer-directed model report more positive outcomes than those in the agency model, or they report no difference. Statistically significant differences emerge on recipient safety, unmet needs, and service satisfaction. A family member present as a paid provider is also associated with more positive reported outcomes within the consumer-directed model, but model differences persist even when this is taken into account. Although both models have strengths and weaknesses, from a recipient perspective the consumer-directed model is associated with more positive outcomes. Although health professionals have expressed concerns about the capacity of consumer direction to assure quality, particularly with respect to safety, meeting unmet

Effectiveness of Switch to Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agent (ESA) Biosimilars versus Maintenance of ESA Originators in the Real-Life Setting: Matched-Control Study in Hemodialysis Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Minutolo, Roberto; Bolasco, Piergiorgio; Chiodini, Paolo; Sposini, Stefano; Borzumati, Maurizio; Abaterusso, Cataldo; Mele, Alessandra A; Santoro, Domenico; Canale, Valeria; Santoboni, Alberto; Filiberti, Oliviero; Fiorini, Fulvio; Mura, Carlo; Imperiali, Patrizio; Borrelli, Silvio; Russo, Luigi; De Nicola, Luca; Russo, Domenico

2017-10-01

In hemodialysis (HD), switching from erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) originators to biosimilars is associated with the need for doses approximately 10% higher, according to industry-driven studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy on anemia control of switching from ESA originators to biosimilars in daily clinical practice. We retrospectively selected consecutive HD patients receiving stable intravenous ESA doses, and who had not been transfused in the previous 6 months, from 12 non-profit Italian centers. Patients switched from originators to biosimilars (n = 163) were matched with those maintained on ESA originators (n = 163) using a propensity score approach. The study duration was 24 weeks, and the primary endpoint was the mean dose difference (MDD), defined as the difference between the switch and control groups of ESA dose changes during the study (time-weighted average ESA dose minus baseline ESA dose). Age (70 ± 13 years), male sex (63%), diabetes (29%), history of cardiovascular disease (40%), body weight (68 ± 14 kg), vascular access (86% arteriovenous fistula), hemoglobin [Hb] (11.2 ± 0.9 g/dL) and ESA dose (8504 ± 6370 IU/week) were similar in the two groups. Hb remained unchanged during the study in both groups. Conversely, ESA dose remained unchanged in the control group and progressively increased in the switch group from week 8 to 24. The time-weighted average of the ESA dose was higher in the switch group than in the control group (10,503 ± 7389 vs. 7981 ± 5858 IU/week; p = 0.001), leading to a significant MDD of 2423 IU/week (95% confidence interval [CI] 1615-3321), corresponding to a 39.6% (95% CI 24.7-54.6) higher dose of biosimilars compared with originators. The time-weighted average of Hb was 0.2 g/dL lower in the switch group, with a more frequent ESA hyporesponsiveness (14.7 vs. 2.5%). Iron parameters and other resistance factors remained unchanged. In stable dialysis patients

The ESA Gaia Archive: Data Release 1

Science.gov (United States)

Salgado, J.; González-Núñez, J.; Gutiérrez-Sánchez, R.; Segovia, J. C.; Durán, J.; Hernández, J. L.; Arviset, C.

2017-10-01

The ESA Gaia mission is producing the most accurate source catalogue in astronomy to date. This represents a challenge in archiving to make the information and data accessible to astronomers in an efficient way, due to the size and complexity of the data. Also, new astronomical missions, taking larger and larger volumes of data, are reinforcing this change in the development of archives. Archives, as simple applications to access data, are evolving into complex data centre structures where computing power services are available for users and data mining tools are integrated into the server side. In the case of astronomy missions that involve the use of large catalogues, such as Gaia (or Euclid to come), the common ways to work on the data need to be changed to the following paradigm: "move the code close to the data". This implies that data mining functionalities are becoming a must to allow for the maximum scientific exploitation of the data. To enable these capabilities, a TAP+ interface, crossmatch capabilities, full catalogue histograms, serialisation of intermediate results in cloud resources, such as VOSpace etc., have been implemented for the Gaia Data Release 1 (DR1), to enable the exploitation of these science resources by the community without any bottlenecks in the connection bandwidth. We present the architecture, infrastructure and tools already available in the Gaia Archive DR1 (http://archives.esac.esa.int/gaia/) and we describe the capabilities and infrastructure.

Status of the ESA L1 mission candidate ATHENA

Science.gov (United States)

Rando, N.; Martin, D.; Lumb, D.; Verhoeve, P.; Oosterbroek, T.; Bavdaz, M.; Fransen, S.; Linder, M.; Peyrou-Lauga, R.; Voirin, T.; Braghin, M.; Mangunsong, S.; van Pelt, M.; Wille, E.

2012-09-01

ATHENA (Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics) was an L class mission candidate within the science programme Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 of the European Space Agency, with a planned launch by 2022. ATHENA was conceived as an ESA-led project, open to the possibility of focused contributions from JAXA and NASA. By allowing astrophysical observations between 100 eV and 10 keV, it would represent the new generation X-ray observatory, following the XMM-Newton, Astro-H and Chandra heritage. The main scientific objectives of ATHENA include the study of large scale structures, the evolution of black holes, strong gravity effects, neutron star structure as well as investigations into dark matter. The ATHENA mission concept would be based on focal length of 12m achieved via a rigid metering tube and a twoaperture, x-ray telescope. Two identical x-ray mirrors would illuminate fixed focal plane instruments: a cryogenic imaging spectrometer (XMS) and a wide field imager (WFI). The S/C is designed to be fully compatible with Ariane 5 ECA. The observatory would operate at SE-L2, with a nominal lifetime of 5 yr. This paper provides a summary of the reformulation activities, completed in December 2011. An overview of the spacecraft design and of the payload is provided, including both telescope and instruments. Following the ESA Science Programme Committee decision on the L1 mission in May 2012, ATHENA was not selected to enter Definition Phase.

Analytical quality control services of the International Atomic Energy Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suschny, O.

1986-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency provides quality control services to analytical laboratories. These services which include the provision of reference materials and the organisation of intercomparisons are rendered for the purpose of assisting laboratories in determining the accuracy of their analytical work. The following classes of materials are presently available: nuclear materials, environmental materials, animal and plant materials, materials for biomedical studies and materials of marine origin. (orig.) [de

Cryosphere campaigns in support of ESA's Earth Explorers Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Casal, Tânia; Davidson, Malcolm; Plank, Gernot; Floberghagen, Rune; Parrinello, Tommaso; Mecklenburg, Susanne; Drusch, Matthias; Fernandez, Diego

2014-05-01

In the framework of its Earth Observation Programmes the European Space Agency (ESA) carries out ground based and airborne campaigns to support geophysical algorithm development, calibration/validation, simulation of future spaceborne Earth observation missions, and applications development related to land, oceans, atmosphere and solid Earth. ESA has conducted over 110 airborne and ground measurements campaigns since 1981 and this presentation will describe three campaigns in Antarctica and the Arctic. They were undertaken during the calibration/validation phase of Earth Explorer (EE) missions, such as SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity), GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) and CryoSat-2. In support of SMOS and GOCE, the DOMECair airborne campaign took place in Antarctica, in the Dome C region in the middle of January 2013. The two main objectives were a) to quantify and document the spatial variability in the DOME C area (SMOS) and b) to fill a gap in the high-quality gravity anomaly maps in Antarctica where airborne gravity measurements are sparse (GOCE). Results from the campaign for the SMOS component, showed that the DOME C area is not as spatially homogenous as previously assumed, therefore comparisons of different missions (e.g. SMOS and NASA's Aquarius) with different footprints must be done with care, highlighting once again the importance of field work to test given assumptions. One extremely surprising outcome of this campaign was the pattern similarity between the gravity measurements and brightness temperature fields. To date, there has never been an indication that L-Band brightness temperatures could be correlated to gravity, but preliminary analysis showed coincident high brightness temperature with high gravity values, suggesting that topography may influence microwave emissions. Also in support of SMOS, the SMOSice airborne campaign has been planned in the Arctic. It was motived by a previous ESA SMOSice study that

41 CFR 102-76.20 - What issues must Federal agencies consider in providing site planning and landscape design services?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... agencies consider in providing site planning and landscape design services? 102-76.20 Section 102-76.20... What issues must Federal agencies consider in providing site planning and landscape design services? In providing site planning and design services, Federal agencies must— (a) Make the site planning and landscape...

The New Planetary Science Archive (PSA): Exploration and Discovery of Scientific Datasets from ESA's Planetary Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Heather, David; Besse, Sebastien; Vallat, Claire; Barbarisi, Isa; Arviset, Christophe; De Marchi, Guido; Barthelemy, Maud; Coia, Daniela; Costa, Marc; Docasal, Ruben; Fraga, Diego; Grotheer, Emmanuel; Lim, Tanya; MacFarlane, Alan; Martinez, Santa; Rios, Carlos; Vallejo, Fran; Saiz, Jaime

2017-04-01

The Planetary Science Archive (PSA) is the European Space Agency's (ESA) repository of science data from all planetary science and exploration missions. The PSA provides access to scientific datasets through various interfaces at http://psa.esa.int. All datasets are scientifically peer-reviewed by independent scientists, and are compliant with the Planetary Data System (PDS) standards. The PSA is currently implementing a number of significant improvements, mostly driven by the evolution of the PDS standard, and the growing need for better interfaces and advanced applications to support science exploitation. As of the end of 2016, the PSA is hosting data from all of ESA's planetary missions. This includes ESA's first planetary mission Giotto that encountered comet 1P/Halley in 1986 with a flyby at 800km. Science data from Venus Express, Mars Express, Huygens and the SMART-1 mission are also all available at the PSA. The PSA also contains all science data from Rosetta, which explored comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and asteroids Steins and Lutetia. The year 2016 has seen the arrival of the ExoMars 2016 data in the archive. In the upcoming years, at least three new projects are foreseen to be fully archived at the PSA. The BepiColombo mission is scheduled for launch in 2018. Following that, the ExoMars Rover Surface Platform (RSP) in 2020, and then the JUpiter ICy moon Explorer (JUICE). All of these will archive their data in the PSA. In addition, a few ground-based support programmes are also available, especially for the Venus Express and Rosetta missions. The newly designed PSA will enhance the user experience and will significantly reduce the complexity for users to find their data promoting one-click access to the scientific datasets with more customized views when needed. This includes a better integration with Planetary GIS analysis tools and Planetary interoperability services (search and retrieve data, supporting e.g. PDAP, EPN-TAP). It will also be up

Aspects of ESA s public outreach programme

Science.gov (United States)

Maree, H.

The Science Programme Communication Service is currently implementing a new policy to increase the overall public interest in ESA Science Programme by adopting new ways of promoting its activities, accordingly to the simple principle that "different target audiences have different needs". It is clear that the general public (i.e. "the man in the street" / "the average tax- payer") rarely has the knowledge and the background to understand what exactly a space mission is, what it does and why it does it ("Mission oriented approach"). The experience has shown that a space mission becomes "popular" amongst this target audience when the relevant communication is done by passing generic/bas ic/simple messages ("Thematic oriented approach"). The careful selection of adequate supports together with efficient distribution and promotion networks are also key parameters for success of the latter approach. One should also note that the overall objective of this new policy, is to raise people's interest in space in general. By presenting the information under the ESA brand, the public will start more and more to associate this brand and Europe to space exploration. Within the next twelve months, four scientific missions will be launched. Interestingly, tree of them (SMART-1, ROSETTA and MARS EXPRESS) offer a unique opportunity to implement the new communication policy under the single thematic : Europe is exploring the Solar System. Nevertheless, the study of the various mission profiles and their potential communication impact lead us to choose to reach out the general public primarily via the sub-thematic : Europe goes to Mars.

ESA's Gaia Satellite and data processing status

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2015-01-01

Gaia, ESA's astrometric surveyor, was launched on Dec 19th 2013 from Kourou. This exciting mission intends to probe the formation history of our galaxy among other things. We will briefly describe the mission and its goals. An overview of Gaia Data Processing Analysis Consortium and the status of the on ground processing will be provided as this is intimately linked to mission performance and goals. The commissioning phase ended in July 2015, this was longer than planned due to in-flight issues. Now we are well into nominal operations and learning to deal with the Gaia we have (it is a great piece of hardware). We will share the current status of Gaia at L2 and the current end of mission performance estimates. About the speaker Since April 2014 William O'Mullane is head of the Operations Development Division in the Science and Robotic Exploration (SRE) directorate of the the European Space Agency. Based in Madrid, he was Gaia Science Operations Development manager from 2005 to launc...

75 FR 14183 - Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; Agency Information Collection Activities...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-24

... information collection under review: COPS' Rural Law Enforcement National Training Assessment. The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) will be submitting the... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE [OMB Number 1103-NEW] Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; Agency...

Implementation of an ESA delta-DOR capability

Science.gov (United States)

James, Nick; Abello, Ricard; Lanucara, Marco; Mercolino, Mattia; Maddè, Roberto

2009-06-01

This paper describes the implementation of delta-DOR (delta-differential one-way ranging) receivers within the ESA Deep Space ground station network. Delta-DOR provides very accurate plane-of-sky measurements of spacecraft position which complement existing line-of-sight ranging and Doppler measurements. We discuss how this technique has been adapted and implemented at the two ESA deep-space ground stations using existing equipment and infrastructure. These new capabilities were added by writing new software modules for the standard ESA digital receiver (the intermediate frequency modem system—IFMS). With these upgrades the receiver has the ability to record accurately timetagged signals from up to eight IF sub-channels. These sub-channels can have bandwidths of 50 kHz-2 MHz with a sample quantization of 1-16 bits per component. The IF samples are stored locally for subsequent retrieval over a WAN by the correlator facility at ESOC.

78 FR 42537 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Online Survey of Web Services Employers; New...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-16

...-NEW] Agency Information Collection Activities: Online Survey of Web Services Employers; New... sector. It is necessary that USCIS obtains data on the E-Verify Program Web Services. Gaining an understanding of the Web Services process should enable USCIS to identify programmatic improvements to better...

75 FR 19986 - Revision of Agency Information Collection for Financial Assistance and Social Services

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-16

... Financial Assistance and Social Services AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior. ACTION: Notice of... assistance under 25 CFR part 20 to eligible Indians when comparable financial assistance or social services.... Specifically, the application form was revised to include all Financial Assistance and Social Service...

Using evidence-based accreditation standards to promote continuous quality improvement: the experiences of the San Mateo County Human Services Agency.

Science.gov (United States)

Winship, Kathy; Lee, Selina Toy

2012-01-01

Following a difficult period of service provision, an agency determined that drastic changes were needed to improve agency-wide capacity and functioning. The agency engaged in an organizational level self-assessment aimed at identifying areas for improvement and beginning work towards determining professional standards for service. Results of this organizational self-assessment paved the way for pursuing accreditation of its services, and the agency became the first public agency in its state to be accredited by the Council on Accreditation in all eligible services. This case study describes this agency's efforts in engaging in an organizational self-assessment, the analysis and codification of their practices, and their eventual development of a systematized process for capturing, evaluating and improving practice. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

The esa earth explorer land surface processes and interactions mission

Science.gov (United States)

Labandibar, Jean-Yves; Jubineau, Franck; Silvestrin, Pierluigi; Del Bello, Umberto

2017-11-01

The European Space Agency (ESA) is defining candidate missions for Earth Observation. In the class of the Earth Explorer missions, dedicated to research and pre-operational demonstration, the Land Surface Processes and Interactions Mission (LSPIM) will acquire the accurate quantitative measurements needed to improve our understanding of the nature and evolution of biosphere-atmosphere interactions and to contribute significantly to a solution of the scaling problems for energy, water and carbon fluxes at the Earth's surface. The mission is intended to provide detailed observations of the surface of the Earth and to collect data related to ecosystem processes and radiation balance. It is also intended to address a range of issues important for environmental monitoring, renewable resources assessment and climate models. The mission involves a dedicated maneuvering satellite which provides multi-directional observations for systematic measurement of Land Surface BRDF (BiDirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) of selected sites on Earth. The satellite carries an optical payload : PRISM (Processes Research by an Imaging Space Mission), a multispectral imager providing reasonably high spatial resolution images (50 m over 50 km swath) in the whole optical spectral domain (from 450 nm to 2.35 μm with a resolution close to 10 nm, and two thermal bands from 8.1 to 9.1 μm). This paper presents the results of the Phase A study awarded by ESA, led by ALCATEL Space Industries and concerning the design of LSPIM.

77 FR 22760 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Notice of Intent To Update a Recovery Plan for the Blue Whale...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-17

... Recovery Plan for the North Pacific Right Whale AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National... recovery plans; request for information. SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is... ESA. The recovery planning process is guided by the statutory language of Section 4(f) of the ESA and...

ESA is now a major player in global space science

Science.gov (United States)

1997-07-01

* Results from the star-fixing satellite Hipparcos, released this summer to the world's astronomers, give the positions and motions of 118,000 stars a hundred times more accurately than ever before. * Every day the Infrared Space Observatory, ISO, examines 45 cosmic objects on average at many different wavelengths never observable before, giving fresh insights into cosmic history and chemistry. * Invaluable new knowledge of the Sun comes from SOHO, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, which is the first spacecraft able to observe the Sun's deep interior as well as its stormy surface and atmosphere. Besides these missions making present headlines, several other spacecraft are helping to fulfil ESA's scientific objectives. * 2 - * The launch in October 1997 of ESA's probe Huygens, aboard the Cassini spacecraft bound for Saturn, foreshadows a breakthrough in planetary science in 2004. That is when Huygens will carry its scientific instruments into the unique and puzzling atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan. * Ulysses, also built in Europe, is exploring hitherto unknown regions of space, after making the first-ever visit to the Sun's polar regions in 1994-95. It will return to the Sun in 2000-2001, to observe the effects of the climax of solar activity due at that time. * The Cluster 2 mission, announced in April 1997 and to be launched in 2000, will explore the Earth's space environment far more throughly than ever before. ESA's decision to replace the four Cluster satellites lost in a launch accident in 1996 ensures that Europe will continue as the leader in solar-terrestrial research in space. * An example of the three unique 58-mirror X-ray telescopes for the XMM mission was unveiled for the press in May 1997. When it goes into orbit in 1999 XMM will make, in seconds, observations of cosmic objects that took hours with previous X-ray astronomy missions. * The Hubble Space Telescope, in which ESA is a partner, continues to deliver the sharpest pictures of the

Investigation of high-energy sources in optical light by ESA Gaia

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hudec, R.; Šimon, Vojtěch; Hudec, L.; Hudcová, Věra

2010-01-01

Roč. 81, č. 1 (2010), s. 476-481 ISSN 0037-8720. [Multifrequency behaviour of high energy cosmic sources. Vulcano, 25.05.2009-30.05. 2009] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA205/08/1207 Grant - others:ESA(XE) ESA- PECS project No. 98058; GA ČR(CZ) GA102/09/0997; GA MŠk(CZ) ME09027; ESA(XE) ESA- PECS project No. 98023 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10030501 Keywords : high-energy sources * cataclysmic variables * low-dispersion spectra Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics

ESA's tools for internal charging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soerensen, J.; Rodgers, D.J.; Ryden, K.A.; Latham, P.M.; Wrenn, G.L.; Levy, L.; Panabiere, G.

1999-01-01

Electrostatic discharges, caused by bulk charging of spacecraft insulating materials, are a major cause of satellite anomalies. This is a presentation of ESA's tools to assess whether a given structure is liable to experience electrostatic discharges. (authors)

GHRSST Level 2P Global Skin Sea Surface Temperature from the Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) on the ESA Envisat satellite produced by EUR (GDS version 1)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Launched in March 2002 by the European Space Agency (ESA), Envisat is the largest Earth Observation spacecraft ever built. It carries ten sophisticated optical and...

GHRSST Level 2P Global Skin Sea Surface Temperature from the Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) on the ESA Envisat satellite produced by UPA (GDS version 1)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Launched in March 2002 by the European Space Agency (ESA), Envisat is the largest Earth Observation spacecraft ever built. It carries ten sophisticated optical and...

Cross-Cultural Issues of Intra- and Inter-Organisational Cooperation in Space Operations: A Survey Study with Ground Personnel of the European Space Agency

Science.gov (United States)

Mjeldheim Sandal, Gro; Mjeldheim Sandal, Gro; Manzey, Dietrich

Today's space operations often involve close co-working of people with different ethnical, professional and organizational backgrounds. The aim of the study was to examine the implications of cultural diversity for efficient collaboration within the European Space Agency (ESA), and between ESA employees and representatives from other agencies. Methods: A web-based survey was answered by 905 employees at the European Astronaut Centre and at the European Space Technology Centre. An adapted version of the Flight Management Attitude Questionnaire by Helmreich and Merrit was used. Personnel were also asked about interpersonal and operational issues that interfered with efficient co-working within ESA and in relation to other space agencies. Results: Collaboration within ESA: A descriptive analysis was conducted of the rank orders of challenges perceived by members of different nationalities (the Netherlands (N=68), German (N=138), Italian (N=135), French (N=124), British (N=84) and Scandinavian (27).Rank orders show a surprisingly uniformity across nationalities. Most respondents perceived differences in the preferred leadership style as the main challenge for co-working in multi-national groups followed by differences in dealing with conflicts and misunderstandings. In contrast communication problems due different languages and differences in non-verbal behaviour, as well as differences in gender stereotypes were among the lowest rated issues. However, Scandinavian respondents showed a different pattern from other nationalities. Collaboration between agencies: The most significant issues reported to interfere with the efficiency of inter-agency collaboration varied. Most difficulties were reported in relation to clarity of communication, insufficient sharing of task related information, understanding the process of decision making in partner organization, and authoritarian leadership style in the partner organization Conclusion: Cultural differences in leadership and

75 FR 21716 - Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Airline Service Quality Performance...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-26

... RITA 2008-0002] Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Airline Service Quality... Reports'' pursuant to 14 CFR 234.4 and 234.6. These reports are used to monitor the quality of air service.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Approval No. 2138-0041. Title: Airline Service Quality Performance--Part 234...

77 FR 18306 - Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Airline Service Quality Performance

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-27

... 2008-0002] Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Airline Service Quality...'' pursuant to 14 CFR 234.4 and 234.6. These reports are used to monitor the quality of air service that... INFORMATION: OMB Approval No. 2138-0041. Title: Airline Service Quality Performance Reports--Part 234. Form No...

41 CFR 301-50.7 - Should I use the online self-service booking tool once ETS is available within my agency?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... SERVICES § 301-50.7 Should I use the online self-service booking tool once ETS is available within my agency? Yes, you should use the online self-service booking tool offered by ETS or your agency's TMS... self-service booking tool once ETS is available within my agency? 301-50.7 Section 301-50.7 Public...

Specialist services: the need for multi-agency partnership.

Science.gov (United States)

Christian, J; Gilvarry, E

1999-07-01

In the UK the broad trend noted in prevalence surveys is towards increased availability, exposure, and use of illicit drugs across all social strata. There is a developing consensus regarding those groups of young people who are at particular risk. They may be homeless, pregnant, leaving local authority or foster care, engaged in prostitution or involved with the criminal justice system. These young people are likely to require intervention from a variety of agencies and professionals to respond to their multiple needs, yet they are faced with a dearth of specialist substance misuse services. Consequently there is a need to develop a range of partnership approaches amongst both providers and commissioners of services. The importance of partnership has been stressed in a succession of professional guidance documents, but there remain considerable bureaucratic, organisational, and historical barriers that must be overcome. Effective service models that exist in the UK and elsewhere are a source of ideas to stimulate appropriate, child-centred developments. Overall the need for a fresh impetus is emphasised, in which new partnerships are formed, and collaborative services are developed and evaluated. In this way future initiatives can be based upon evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness.

Defense Agency Travel Payments at Defense Finance and Accounting Service Indianapolis Center

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1997-01-01

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of Defense Finance and Accounting Service Indianapolis Center management controls over payments to Defense agency personnel for temporary duty and local travel...

42 CFR 456.6 - Review by State medical agency of appropriateness and quality of services.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... and quality of services. 456.6 Section 456.6 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES... Provisions § 456.6 Review by State medical agency of appropriateness and quality of services. (a) The... professional health personnel of the appropriateness and quality of Medicaid services. (b) The purpose of this...

Photometry and Low Dispersion Spectroscopy with ESA Gaia

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hudec, R.; Šimon, Vojtěch; Hudec, L.

2010-01-01

Roč. 2010, - (2010), 781421/1-781421/7 ISSN 1687-7969 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA205/08/1207 Grant - others:GA AV ČR(CZ) GA102/09/0997; GA MŠk(CZ) ME09027; ESA(XE) ESA- PECS project No. Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10030501 Keywords : high-energy sources * cataclysmic variables * low-dispersion spectra Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics

77 FR 33808 - Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review: Airline Service Quality Performance...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-07

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Research & Innovative Technology Administration [Docket ID Number RITA 2008-0002] Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review: Airline Service Quality.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Approval No. 2138-0041 Title: Airline Service Quality Performance -Part 234. Form...

The technology management process at the European space agency

Science.gov (United States)

Guglielmi, M.; Williams, E.; Groepper, P.; Lascar, S.

2010-03-01

Technology is developed at the European Space Agency (ESA) under several programmes: corporate and domain specific, mandatory and optional, with different time horizons and covering different levels of the TRL scale. To improve the transparency and efficiency of the complete process, it was felt necessary to establish an agreed end to end process for the management of all technology R&D activity that could: Include all ESA programmes and consider the requirements of European users Lead to coordinated multi-year work plan and yearly procurement plans Prepare and enable future European space programmes Be harmonized with national initiatives in Europe Thereby establishing the basis for a product policy to reduce risks to technology users, reduce costs and delays, and enhance industrial competitiveness and non-dependence. In response to the above needs, ESA has developed a technology management process called the ESA End-to-End process (E2E), from establishment of the strategy to the monitoring and evaluation of R&D results. In this paper, the complete process will be described in detail including a discussion on its strengths and limitations, and its links to the wider European Harmonization process. The paper will be concluded with the introduction of the ESA Technology Tree: a basic tool to structure and facilitate communication about technology issues.

75 FR 41920 - Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Airline Service Quality Performance...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-19

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Research & Innovative Technology Administration [Docket ID Number RITA 2008-0002] Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Airline Service Quality...: Airline Service Quality Performance--Part 234. Form No.: BTS Form 234. Type Of Review: Re-instatement of...

Characteristics of care management agencies affect expenditure on home help and day care services: A population-based cross-sectional study in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Mei; Igarashi, Ayumi; Noguchi-Watanabe, Maiko; Yoshie, Satoru; Iijima, Katsuya; Yamamoto-Mitani, Noriko

2017-11-01

The financial interests of care management agencies can affect how care managers assist clients' use of long-term care insurance services. The present study examined the relationship between clients' service expenditures, and whether the home help and day care service agencies belonged to the same organization as the care management agency. Population-based data were obtained from a suburban municipality in Japan. We investigated 4331 persons with care needs certificates (levels 1-5), including those using home help (n = 1780) or day care (n = 2141) services. Data on the service expenditures, and clients' and agencies' characteristics were analyzed using multiple linear regression analyses controlling for potential confounders. Home help service users spent an average of US$558.1 ± 590.1 for home help service, and day care service users spent US$665.0 ± 415.9 for day care service. Living alone, living in a condominium/apartment, higher care needs, more severe cognitive impairment and lower use of other services were associated with higher home help service expenditure. Day care service expenditure increased with older age, female sex, higher care needs, more severe cognitive impairment and higher physical function. Clients whose service agencies and care management agencies belonged to the same organization had higher expenditures, even after adjusting for confounders (home help: β = 0.126, P = 0.007; day care: β = 0.085, P = 0.002, respectively). Financial interests of care management agencies might significantly influence clients' service expenditure. We should develop an effective system to minimize this influence. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2224-2231. © 2017 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Advertising Agencies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moeran, Brian

2015-01-01

Advertising agencies are the most significant organizations in the development of advertising and marketing worldwide. An advertising agency is an independent service company, composed of business, marketing and creative people, who develop, prepare, and place advertising in advertising media...... for their clients, the advertisers, who are in search of customers for their goods and services. Agencies thus mediate between three different but interlocking social groups: industry, media, and consumers. The history of advertising is largely the history of the advertising agencies that have served the needs....... This article is concerned with the origins, early developments, organization, compensation arrangements, and accounts of contemporary full-service advertising agencies....

A case management agency and bank create a service innovation.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, K S; Stowe, A W

1992-01-01

Connecticut Community Care, Inc. (CCCI), a statewide, nonprofit case management agency, in collaboration with Connecticut National Bank (CNB), developed a unique model of delivering case management services to bank trust clients. No reports of such a collaborative model have been found in the published literature in the United States. The article presents a historical overview of this innovative initiative; the identification of the target population; the delivery of the assessment, coordination, and monitoring services; and the marketing techniques. Utilization statistics, a synopsis of the model outcomes as viewed by the trust officers, and suggestions for replication are also presented.

41 CFR 102-76.25 - What standards must Federal agencies meet in providing architectural and interior design services?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Federal agencies meet in providing architectural and interior design services? 102-76.25 Section 102-76.25...) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 76-DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Design and Construction § 102-76.25 What standards must Federal agencies meet in providing architectural and interior design services...

An improved and homogeneous altimeter sea level record from the ESA Climate Change Initiative

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Legeais, Jean-Francois; Ablain, Michael; Zawadzki, Lionel

2018-01-01

, the sea level ECV has been measured from space by different altimetry missions that have provided global and regional observations of sea level variations. As part of the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) program of the European Space Agency (ESA) (established in 2010), the Sea Level project (SL_cci) aimed...... to provide an accurate and homogeneous long-term satellite-based sea level record. At the end of the first phase of the project (2010-2013), an initial version (v1.1) of the sea level ECV was made available to users (Ablain et al., 2015). During the second phase of the project (2014-2017), improved altimeter...

42 CFR 415.204 - Services of residents in skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Services of Residents § 415.204 Services of residents in skilled nursing facilities and home health... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Services of residents in skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies. 415.204 Section 415.204 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID...

[The effect of age, gender and socioeconomic status on the use of services for psychological distress symptoms in the general medical sector: Results from the ESA research program on mental health and aging].

Science.gov (United States)

Préville, Michel; Gontijo-Guerra, Samantha; Mechakra-Tahiri, Samia-Djemaâ; Vasiliadis, Helen-Maria; Lamoureux-Lamarche, Catherine; Berbiche, Djamal

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was, first, to document the psychometric characteristics of a measure of the older adults' socioeconomic status and, secondly, to test the effect of the socioeconomic status on the association between the older adults perceived need to improve their mental health and their use of services in the general medical sector for psychological distress symptoms taking into account the effect of age and gender. Data used in this study come from the ESA study (Enquête sur la santé des ainés) on mental health and aging, conducted in 2005-2008 using a probabilistic sample (n=2811) of the older adult population aged 65 years and over living at home in Quebec. Our results showed that a measurement model of the older adults' socioeconomic status including an individual-level (SES_I) and an area/contextual-level dimension of socioeconomic deprivation (SES_C) was plausible. The reliability of the SES index used in the ESA research program was .92. Our results showed that women (b=-.43) and older people (b=-.16) were more at risk to have a disadvantaged socioeconomic status. However, our results did not show evidence of a significant association between the older adults' socioeconomic status, their perception of a need to improve their mental health and the use of medical services for psychological distress symptoms in the general medical sector in the older adult population in Quebec. Our results do not support the idea suggested in other studies that socioeconomic status has an effect on the older adults use of services for psychological distress symptoms in the general medical sector and suggest that in a context where medical health services are provided under a public insurance programme context, the socioeconomic status does not influence access to services in the general medical sector in the older adult population.

Intangibles Factors and Quality Assessment of the Service Received in Travel Agencies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Esteban Alberdi

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Adaptation of travel agencies to the standards of the New Economy is leading to a trend towards restructuring the sector aimed at finding new competitive strategies. The growing importance of intangible assets in achieving such strategies has motivated this study, which has tried to identify those intangible factors, present in the provision of the service, that have a direct relationship with the client's perception of a differentiation in the service received.

First Prototype of a Web Map Interface for ESA's Planetary Science Archive (PSA)

Science.gov (United States)

Manaud, N.; Gonzalez, J.

2014-04-01

We present a first prototype of a Web Map Interface that will serve as a proof of concept and design for ESA's future fully web-based Planetary Science Archive (PSA) User Interface. The PSA is ESA's planetary science archiving authority and central repository for all scientific and engineering data returned by ESA's Solar System missions [1]. All data are compliant with NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) Standards and are accessible through several interfaces [2]: in addition to serving all public data via FTP and the Planetary Data Access Protocol (PDAP), a Java-based User Interface provides advanced search, preview, download, notification and delivery-basket functionality. It allows the user to query and visualise instrument observations footprints using a map-based interface (currently only available for Mars Express HRSC and OMEGA instruments). During the last decade, the planetary mapping science community has increasingly been adopting Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and standards, originally developed for and used in Earth science. There is an ongoing effort to produce and share cartographic products through Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Services, or as standalone data sets, so that they can be readily used in existing GIS applications [3,4,5]. Previous studies conducted at ESAC [6,7] have helped identify the needs of Planetary GIS users, and define key areas of improvement for the future Web PSA User Interface. Its web map interface shall will provide access to the full geospatial content of the PSA, including (1) observation geometry footprints of all remote sensing instruments, and (2) all georeferenced cartographic products, such as HRSC map-projected data or OMEGA global maps from Mars Express. It shall aim to provide a rich user experience for search and visualisation of this content using modern and interactive web mapping technology. A comprehensive set of built-in context maps from external sources, such as MOLA topography, TES

Building capacity in social service agencies to employ peer providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Gates, Lauren B; Mandiberg, James M; Akabas, Sheila H

2010-01-01

While there is evidence that peer providers are valuable to service delivery teams, the agencies where they work face difficulties in fulfilling the potential of including peers on staff effectively. The purpose of this article is to report findings of a pilot test of a workplace strategy that promoted inclusion of peer providers at social service agencies by building organizational capacity to support people with mental health conditions in peer provider roles. The strategy included training, goal setting and ongoing consultation. Seventy-one peer, non-peer and supervisory staff participated from 6 agencies over a one year period. Goal attainment scaling and data from in-depth interviews about perceptions of differences in the ways in which staff are supported, administered prior to and after the consultation period, were used to assess strategy impact. Most frequently staff set goals to respond to role conflict or a lack of support. Staff that met or exceeded their goals utilized the formal structure of consultation to improve communication among themselves, had leadership that sanctioned changes and felt that their participation was of value to the organization and contributed to their individual development. Strategy participation promoted inclusion by initiating changes to policies and practices that devalued the peer provider role, increased skill sets, and formalized lines of communication for sharing information and understanding related to peer providers. Findings demonstrate that a strategy of training, goal setting and consultation can positively affect perceptions of inclusion, and promote implementation of practices associated with inclusive workplaces.

Electron Microscopy Facility for Research and Services in the Malaysian Nuclear Agency towards TSO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nadira Kamarudin; Mohd Bin Harun; Zaiton Selamat

2011-01-01

Scanning Electron Microscope FEI-Quanta 400 (SEM) made in the USA was commissioned in late 2003. This equipment is used in many areas of materials science, metallurgy, engineering, electronics, medicine, agriculture, biology and so on. This facility has helped the researchers in conducting research in their respective fields as well have been providing services to agencies, institutions, industries and local industry. Since 2004, there were 81 projects and 5000 samples analyzed using this facility in Malaysian Nuclear Agency, while 23 companies and 900 samples were from various agencies. In addition, revenue derived from these services has able to provide for the maintenance of this equipment. SEM is an important step in the nuclear material testing process. Nuclear material can be inspected for its performance by getting information from its morphology micrograph by using SEM. It opens up a whole new world that is unseen by the naked eye. (author)

Challenges for a Local Service Agency to Address Domestic Violence –A Case Study From Rural Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Hayati, Elli Nur; Emmelin, Maria; Eriksson, Malin

2014-01-01

Since the launch of a Zero Tolerance Policy in Indonesia, several policies to address domestic violence have been enacted. The obligation of local governments to establish service units for women survivors of domestic violence is one of them. Since domestic violence is a sensitive and complex issue in Indonesia it is important to understand how governmentally regulated services function in practice. This case study aimed to explore challenges faced by a local service agency in managing service provision for women survivors of domestic violence in rural Indonesia. Data from one focus group discussion (12 participants), four individual interviews, six short narratives, two days of participant observation, as well as archive reviews were collected. All data were analyzed using Grounded Theory Situational Analysis. The major challenge faced by the local agency was the low priority that was given them by the local authorities, mirrored also in low involvement by the assigned volunteers in the daily service. The study also identified a gap between the socio-cultural arena and the law & policy arena that needs to be bridged to avoid that the two arenas address domestic violence in a contradictory way. Budget allocation to support the sustainability of the daily routines of service agencies has to be given priority. There is also a need for careful considerations regarding the composition of personnel involved within daily management of service agencies addressing domestic violence. To bridge the gap between the legal systems and traditional cultural values, culturally adjusted alternative justice systems could be developed to increase women’s access to legal support. PMID:25363105

41 CFR 102-118.65 - Can my agency receive electronic billing for payment of transportation services?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... electronic billing for payment of transportation services? 102-118.65 Section 102-118.65 Public Contracts and... Transportation Services § 102-118.65 Can my agency receive electronic billing for payment of transportation... to use electronic billing for the procurement and billing of transportation services. ...

41 CFR 102-85.190 - Can GSA Rent be adjusted when standard levels of service are performed by other customer agencies?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... when standard levels of service are performed by other customer agencies? 102-85.190 Section 102-85.190... perform or contract for such services must be obtained in advance by the customer agency from the... of Service § 102-85.190 Can GSA Rent be adjusted when standard levels of service are performed by...

Airborne direct-detection and coherent wind lidar measurements over the North Atlantic in 2015 supporting ESA's aeolus mission

Science.gov (United States)

Marksteiner, Uwe; Reitebuch, Oliver; Lemmerz, Christian; Lux, Oliver; Rahm, Stephan; Witschas, Benjamin; Schäfler, Andreas; Emmitt, Dave; Greco, Steve; Kavaya, Michael J.; Gentry, Bruce; Neely, Ryan R.; Kendall, Emma; Schüttemeyer, Dirk

2018-04-01

The launch of the Aeolus mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) is planned for 2018. The satellite will carry the first wind lidar in space, ALADIN (Atmospheric Laser Doppler INstrument). Its prototype instrument, the ALADIN Airborne Demonstrator (A2D), was deployed during several airborne campaigns aiming at the validation of the measurement principle and optimization of algorithms. In 2015, flights of two aircraft from DLR & NASA provided the chance to compare parallel wind measurements from four airborne wind lidars for the first time.

LIDAR technology developments in support of ESA Earth observation missions

Science.gov (United States)

Durand, Yannig; Caron, Jérôme; Hélière, Arnaud; Bézy, Jean-Loup; Meynart, Roland

2017-11-01

Critical lidar technology developments have been ongoing at the European Space Agency (ESA) in support of EarthCARE (Earth Clouds, Aerosols, and Radiation Explorer), the 6th Earth Explorer mission, and A-SCOPE (Advanced Space Carbon and Climate Observation of Planet Earth), one of the candidates for the 7th Earth Explorer mission. EarthCARE is embarking an Atmospheric backscatter Lidar (ATLID) while A-SCOPE is based on a Total Column Differential Absorption Lidar. As EarthCARE phase B has just started, the pre-development activities, aiming at validating the technologies used in the flight design and at verifying the overall instrument performance, are almost completed. On the other hand, A-SCOPE pre-phase A has just finished. Therefore technology developments are in progress, addressing critical subsystems or components with the lowest TRL, selected in the proposed instrument concepts. The activities described in this paper span over a broad range, addressing all critical elements of a lidar from the transmitter to the receiver.

Guidelines for developing effective health education service in a national health agency.

Science.gov (United States)

Ochor, J O

1983-01-01

The constraints facing health education include: the fragmentation and dispersal of health-educational services among different agencies and personnel; lack of policy guidelines; ineffectively organized and inefficiently managed health education systems; poor hierarchical status and inadequacy of resources. To resolve these constraints, national health education systems in health agencies should be developed on the basis of stipulated guidelines that could ensure their viability, efficiency and effectiveness. A study at the African Regional Health Education Centre, Ibadan, Nigeria, has yielded thirty synthesized guidelines. The "guidelines" were empirically tested as an evaluation tool by assessing the operational and organizational status of Oyo State Health Education Unit, Ibadan, Nigeria. These guidelines are adaptable to local conditions to enhance the re-organization, re-orientation and consolidation of health education in national health agencies.

The Hera Saturn Entry Probe Mission: a Proposal in Response to the ESA M5 Call

Science.gov (United States)

Mousis, Olivier; Atkinson, David; Amato, Michael; Aslam, Shahid; Atreya, Sushil; Blanc, Michel; Bolton, Scott; Brugger, Bastien; Calcutt, Simon; Cavalié, Thibault; Charnoz, Sébastien; Coustenis, Athena; Deleuil, Magali; Dobrijevic, Michel; Ferri, Francesca; Fletcher, Leigh; Gautier, Daniel; Guillot, Tristan; Hartogh, Paul; Holland, Andrew

2017-04-01

The Hera Saturn entry probe mission is proposed as an ESA M-class mission to be piggybacked on a NASA spacecraft sent to or past the Saturn system. Hera consists of an atmospheric probe built by ESA and released into the atmosphere of Saturn by its NASA companion Saturn Carrier-Relay spacecraft. Hera will perform in situ measurements of the chemical and isotopic composition as well as the structure and dynamics of Saturn's atmosphere using a single probe, with the goal of improving our understanding of the origin, formation, and evolution of Saturn, the giant planets and their satellite systems, with extrapolation to extrasolar planets. Hera will probe well into and possibly beneath the cloud-forming region of the troposphere, below the region accessible to remote sensing, to locations where certain cosmogenically abundant species are expected to be well mixed. The Hera probe will be designed from ESA elements with possible contributions from NASA, and the Saturn/Carrier-Relay Spacecraft will be supplied by NASA through its selection via the New Frontier 2016 call or in the form of a flagship mission selected by the NASA "Roadmaps to Ocean Worlds" (ROW) program. The Hera probe will be powered by batteries, and we therefore anticipate only one major subsystems to be possibly supplied by the United States, either by direct procurement by ESA or by contribution from NASA: the thermal protection system of the probe. Following the highly successful example of the Cassini-Huygens mission, Hera will carry European and American instruments, with scientists and engineers from both agencies and many affiliates participating in all aspects of mission development and implementation. A Saturn probe is one of the six identified desired themes by the Planetary Science Decadal Survey committee on the NASA New Frontier's list, providing additional indication that a Saturn probe is of extremely high interest and a very high priority for the international community.

Evaluation and prioritization of stream habitat monitoring in the Lower Columbia Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Domain as related to the habitat monitoring needs of ESA recovery plans

Science.gov (United States)

Puls, Amy L.; Anlauf Dunn, Kara; Graham Hudson, Bernadette

2014-01-01

The lower Columbia River and its tributaries once supported abundant runs of salmon and steelhead; however, there are five species currently listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). The National Marine Fisheries Service has completed, and is proposing for adoption, a comprehensive ESA Recovery Plan for the Lower Columbia Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) based on the recovery plans developed by Oregon and Washington. One of the primary factors attributed to the decline of these species is habitat degradation. There are numerous entities conducting status and/or trends monitoring of instream habitat in the lower Columbia River Basin, but because the programs were developed for agency specific reasons, the existing monitoring efforts are not well coordinated, and often lack the spatial coverage, certainty, or species coverage necessary to answer questions related to status and trends of the ESA listed populations. The Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership’s Integrated Status and Trends Monitoring (ISTM) project was initiated to improve integration of existing and new monitoring efforts by developing recommendations for sampling frames, protocols, and data sharing. In an effort to meet the ISTM project goals, five objectives were identified: (1) identify and prioritize decisions, questions, and monitoring objectives, (2) evaluate how existing programs align with these management decisions, questions, and objectives, (3) identify the most appropriate monitoring design to inform priority management decisions, questions, and objectives, (4) use trade-off analysis to develop specific recommendations for monitoring based on outcomes of Objectives 1-3 and (5) recommend implementation and reporting mechanisms. This report summarizes the effort to address Objectives 1 and 2, detailing the commonalities among the habitat characteristics that all entities measure and monitor, and how the metrics align with the priorities listed in the

Priorities in national space strategies and governance of the member states of the European Space Agency

Science.gov (United States)

Adriaensen, Maarten; Giannopapa, Christina; Sagath, Daniel; Papastefanou, Anastasia

2015-12-01

The European Space Agency (ESA) has twenty Member States with a variety of strategic priorities and governance structures regarding their space activities. A number of countries engage in space activities exclusively though ESA, while others have also their own national space programme. Some consider ESA as their prime space agency and others have additionally their own national agency with respective programmes. The main objective of this paper is to provide an up-to date overview and a holistic assessment of strategic priorities and the national space governance structures in 20 ESA Member States. This analysis and assessment has been conducted by analysing the Member States public documents, information provided at ESA workshop on this topic and though unstructured interviews. The paper is structured to include two main elements: priorities and trends in national space strategies and space governance in ESA Member States. The first part of this paper focuses on the content and analysis of the national space strategies and indicates the main priorities and trends in Member States. The priorities are categorised with regards to technology domains, the role of space in the areas of sustainability and the motivators that boost engagement in space. These vary from one Member State to another and include with different levels of engagement in technology domains amongst others: science and exploration, navigation, Earth observation, human space flight, launchers, telecommunications, and integrated applications. Member States allocate a different role of space as enabling tool adding to the advancement of sustainability areas including: security, resources, environment and climate change, transport and communication, energy, and knowledge and education. The motivators motivating reasoning which enhances or hinders space engagement also differs. The motivators identified are industrial competitiveness, job creation, technology development and transfer, social benefits

41 CFR 302-3.421 - What are the income tax consequences when my agency pays for property management services?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are the income tax consequences when my agency pays for property management services? 302-3.421 Section 302-3.421 Public Contracts... § 302-3.421 What are the income tax consequences when my agency pays for property management services...

77 FR 41168 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-12

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... available for review pursuant to section 10(c) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). DATES: Comments and... the ESA. NMFS regulations governing permits for threatened and endangered species are promulgated at...

76 FR 17963 - Renewal of Agency Information Collection for Application for Job Placement and Training Services...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-31

... Application for Job Placement and Training Services; Request for Comments AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs... information for the Application for Job Placement and Training Services. The information collection is... training program, which provides vocational/technical training, related counseling, guidance, job placement...

Swarm: ESA's Magnetic Field Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Plank, G.; Floberghagen, R.; Menard, Y.; Haagmans, R.

2013-12-01

Swarm is the fifth Earth Explorer mission in ESA's Living Planet Programme, and is scheduled for launch in fall 2013. The objective of the Swarm mission is to provide the best-ever survey of the geomagnetic field and its temporal evolution using a constellation of three identical satellites. The mission shall deliver data that allow access to new insights into the Earth system by improved scientific understanding of the Earth's interior and near-Earth electromagnetic environment. After launch and triple satellite release at an initial altitude of about 490 km, a pair of the satellites will fly side-by-side with slowly decaying altitude, while the third satellite will be lifted to 530 km to complete the Swarm constellation. High-precision and high-resolution measurements of the strength, direction and variation of the magnetic field, complemented by precise navigation, accelerometer and electric field measurements, will provide the observations required to separate and model various sources of the geomagnetic field and near-Earth current systems. The mission science goals are to provide a unique view into Earth's core dynamics, mantle conductivity, crustal magnetisation, ionospheric and magnetospheric current systems and upper atmosphere dynamics - ranging from understanding the geodynamo to contributing to space weather. The scientific objectives and results from recent scientific studies will be presented. In addition the current status of the project, which is presently in the final stage of the development phase, will be addressed. A consortium of European scientific institutes is developing a distributed processing system to produce geophysical (Level 2) data products for the Swarm user community. The setup of the Swarm ground segment and the contents of the data products will be addressed. In case the Swarm satellites are already in orbit, a summary of the on-going mission operations activities will be given. More information on Swarm can be found at www.esa.int/esaLP/LPswarm.html.

Quality management as knowledge sharing: experiences of the Napa County Health and Human Services Agency.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Lindsay

2012-01-01

Lacking a coordinated effort in utilizing data and tracking program outcomes, one agency developed a Quality Management (QM) division to facilitate and manage more effective data use. To support this process, the agency sought to develop a collective, agency-wide understanding and investment in improving and measuring client outcomes. Similarly, the agency also focused efforts on creating a culture of transparency and accountability, with goals of improving service, increasing agency integrity, meeting regulatory compliance, and engaging in effective risk management. Operationalizing the QM initiative involved developing procedures, systems, and guidelines that would facilitate the generation of reliable and accurate data that could be used to inform program change and decision-making. This case study describes this agency's experience in successfully creating and implementing a QM initiative aimed at engaging in greater knowledge sharing. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Project FIND: a profile of a community-based senior services agency.

Science.gov (United States)

Lockwood, Andrée

2007-01-01

Project FIND has been providing innovative supportive housing, nutrition, and social support to homeless and low- and moderate-income seniors on New York City's West Side since 1967. This article profiles this nonprofit, community-based agency, which was established to meet the needs of the frail and isolated elderly, and has continued to grow and evolve in response to changing demographics, neighborhood gentrification, and needs of both the homeless as well as the active "younger old." The article describes creative programming that has distinguished Project FIND's response to seniors' needs beyond basic housing and nutrition. It also explores what it takes to successfully provide senior services using limited resources and examines challenges for the future both nationally and for the agency.

ErythropoieSIS stimulating agent (ESA use is increased following missed dialysis sessions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Christopher Bond

2012-06-01

Missed session episodes result in significant increases in ESA utilization in the post-miss period, and also in total monthly ESA use. Such increases should be considered in any assessment of impact of missed sessions: both clinical and economic.

76 FR 20956 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-14

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... regulations promulgated for salmon and steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The FMEP... July 10, 2000, Endangered Species Act (ESA) 4(d) rule for salmon and steelhead (65 FR 42422) and...

The sensitivity of the ESA DELTA model

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, C.; Walker, R.; Klinkrad, H.

Long-term debris environment models play a vital role in furthering our understanding of the future debris environment, and in aiding the determination of a strategy to preserve the Earth orbital environment for future use. By their very nature these models have to make certain assumptions to enable informative future projections to be made. Examples of these assumptions include the projection of future traffic, including launch and explosion rates, and the methodology used to simulate break-up events. To ensure a sound basis for future projections, and consequently for assessing the effectiveness of various mitigation measures, it is essential that the sensitivity of these models to variations in key assumptions is examined. The DELTA (Debris Environment Long Term Analysis) model, developed by QinetiQ for the European Space Agency, allows the future projection of the debris environment throughout Earth orbit. Extensive analyses with this model have been performed under the auspices of the ESA Space Debris Mitigation Handbook and following the recent upgrade of the model to DELTA 3.0. This paper draws on these analyses to present the sensitivity of the DELTA model to changes in key model parameters and assumptions. Specifically the paper will address the variation in future traffic rates, including the deployment of satellite constellations, and the variation in the break-up model and criteria used to simulate future explosion and collision events.

The Impact of Service Quality on Customer Behavioral Loyalty in the Case of Travel Agencies from Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ovidiu I. Moisescu

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Even though the concept of loyalty has been a key issue in tourism destination marketing for the last decades, the issue of customer loyalty in the case of travel agencies seems to be less emphasized in the specialized literature. The current research is part of a larger study directed at analyzing the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR on customer loyalty. Improving service quality is a fundamental part of the social responsibility of tourism businesses, while creating, maintaining and increasing customer loyalty is essential for the sustainability of these businesses. Starting from these assertions, the current paper tries to reveal certain correlations and to identify a model that depicts the impact of travel agencies’ service quality on their customers’ loyalty. In order to accomplish these goals, an online survey has been conducted among a sample of 286 Romanians which travelled using the services of a travel agency. In order to evaluate service quality, the SERVPERF assessment procedure was adapted to the case of travel agencies, using items related to tangibles (physical facilities, equipment and appearance of personnel, reliability (ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately, responsiveness (willingness to help customers and provide prompt service, assurance (knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence - including competence, courtesy, credibility and security, and empathy (caring and individualized attention that the firm provides to its customers - including access, communication, understanding the customer. In what concerns customer loyalty, the paper focuses on its behavioral facet, namely on the recommendations effectively made regarding certain travel agencies. In the proposed model, the scores regarding perceptions (SERVPERF were approached as independent variables, while behavioral loyalty was depicted as dependent variable.

ESA's X-ray space observatory XMM takes first pictures

Science.gov (United States)

2000-02-01

Under the aegis of Prof. Roger Bonnet, ESA Director of Science, the mission's Principal Investigators will be presenting these spectacular first images at a press conference to be held on 9 February at the ESA Vilspa facility at Villafranca/Madrid in Spain, where the XMM Science Operations Centre is located. The event will also be the occasion for several major announcements concerning the XMM mission. In particular Professor Bonnet will launch the third XMM competition "Stargazing" - previously announced in September 1999. This will address European youngsters, 16 to 18 years old, who will be offered the unique opportunity of winning observing time using the X-ray telescope. Commissioning phase starts After a successful launch from Kourou on Ariane 504 on 10 December 1999, XMM was brought to its final operational orbit in the following week. The telescope doors on the X-ray Mirror Modules and on the Optical Monitor telescope were opened on 17/18 December. The Radiation Monitor was activated on 19 December and the spacecraft was put into a quiet mode over the Christmas and New Year period. The mission's scientific data is being received, processed and dispatched to astronomers by the XMM Science Operations Centre in Villafranca. Operations with the spacecraft restarted there on 4 January when, as part of the commissioning phase, all the science payloads were switched on one after the other for initial verifications. By the week of 17 January functional tests had begun on the Optical Monitor, the EPIC pn, the two EPIC MOS and the two RGS instruments. The internal doors of the EPIC cameras were opened whilst keeping the camera filter wheels closed. Astounding first images After a series of engineering exposures, all three EPIC cameras were used in turn, between 19-24 January, to take several views of two different extragalactic regions of the Universe. These views, featuring a variety of extended and X-ray point sources, were chosen to demonstrate the full

41 CFR 301-10.421 - How much will my agency reimburse me for a tip to a taxi, shuttle service, or courtesy...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... reimburse me for a tip to a taxi, shuttle service, or courtesy transportation driver? 301-10.421 Section 301..., Shuttle Services, Or Other Courtesy Transportation § 301-10.421 How much will my agency reimburse me for a tip to a taxi, shuttle service, or courtesy transportation driver? An amount which your agency...

75 FR 80067 - Renewal of Agency Information Collection for Application for Job Placement and Training Services...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-21

... Application for Job Placement and Training Services; Request for Comments AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs... Application for Job Placement and Training Services. The information collection is currently authorized by OMB... information collection conducted under 25 CFR part 26 to administer the job placement and training program...

41 CFR 302-15.13 - What are the income tax consequences when my agency pays for my property management services?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are the income tax consequences when my agency pays for my property management services? 302-15.13 Section 302-15.13 Public....13 What are the income tax consequences when my agency pays for my property management services? When...

Service Quality Robust Design by the Integration of Taguchi Experiments and SERVQUAL Approach in a Travel Agency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

nassibeh janatyan

2012-02-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of this research is to address how robust design of service quality dimensions can be obtained. Service Quality Robust Design has been conducted by the integration of Taguchi Design of Experiments and SERVQUAL approach in Iran Travel Agency. Five basic dimensions of service quality, i.e. reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, tangibles and price have been assumed as control factors. Response factor has been defined as two alternatives i the sum of customer expectations, and ii the sum of service quality gaps. In this investigation assumed that noise factor is not existed. The advantage of this paper is to improve the average and standard deviation simultaneously. Signal to noise ratio has been computed and the desired mix of the levels of service quality dimensions has been addressed. The main findings of this research includes the desired mix of the levels of service quality dimensions based on the sum of customer expectations and the desired mix of the levels of service quality dimensions based on the sum of service quality gaps. Comparing the two sets of findings helps the agency to analyze the cost of attracting new customers or retaining regular customers.

Orion European Service Module (ESM) Development, Integration and Qualification Status

Science.gov (United States)

Berthe, Philippe; Over, Ann P.; Picardo, Michelle; Byers, Anthony W.

2017-01-01

ESA and the European Industry are supplying the European Service Module for Orion. An overview of the system and subsystem configuration of the Orion European Service Module (ESM) as designed and built for the EM-1 mission is provided as well as an outline of its development, assembly, integration and verification process performed by ESA and NASA in coordination with their respective Industrial prime contractors, Airbus Defence and Space and Lockheed Martin.

76 FR 16039 - Agency Information Collection (Statement in Support of Claim for Service Connection for PTSD...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-22

... (Statement in Support of Claim for Service Connection for PTSD) Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Benefits...: Titles: a. Statement in Support of Claim for Service Connection for Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD... Disorder (PTSD) Secondary to Personal Assault, VA Form 21-0781a. OMB Control Number: 2900-0659. Type of...

25 CFR 20.508 - What must the social services agency do when a child is placed in foster care, residential care...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... PROGRAMS Child Assistance Foster Care § 20.508 What must the social services agency do when a child is placed in foster care, residential care or guardianship home? The social services agency must make... placed in foster care, residential care or guardianship home? 20.508 Section 20.508 Indians BUREAU OF...

Factors Affecting the Provision of Quality Service in Real Estate Agency in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria

OpenAIRE

Funmilayo Moyinola Araloyin; OJO Olatoye

2011-01-01

Real estate firms attempting to increase and retain their customers need to know the factors contributing to customers¡¯ satisfaction and retention. This study investigate into real estate agency market with the purposes of identifying factors that affect quality in service provision and possible factors contributing to customers¡¯ satisfaction and retention in real estate agency. This study uses survey questionnaires to obtain information from real estate consumers. This sample size consiste...

Arctic Region Space Weather Customers and SSA Services

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høeg, Per; Kauristi, Kirsti; Wintoft, Peter

Arctic inhabitants, authorities, and companies rely strongly on precise localization information and communication covering vast areas with low infrastructure and population density. Thus modern technology is crucial for establishing knowledge that can lead to growth in the region. At the same time...... and communication can be established without errors resulting from Space Weather effects. An ESA project have identified and clarified, how the products of the four ESA Space Weather Expert Service Centres (SWE) in the ESA Space Situational Awareness Programme (SSA), can contribute to the requirements of SSA...

Is there life out there ? - A new series for the ESA's Web TV

Science.gov (United States)

Clervoy, J. F.; Coliolo, F.

2012-09-01

The European Space Agency, ESA, is preparing a new outreach project: a series of short videos for the ESA's Web TV dedicated to the search for life in the Universe. The rationale behind this pilot project is to use stunning images to attract the attention together with a scientific content accessible to people of varying ages, education levels and cultural outlook. We intent to work with scientists across Europe in order to bring the public on a journey from the boundaries of the Cosmos to the core of the Earth looking for the ingredients necessary for life to form and evolve. Our main objectives are: to share discovery, curiosity and sense of adventure in order to make the public a player in the quest of knowledge about who we are, and where do we come from; to educate and engage different target audiences about European space science and exploration activities; encourage international partnerships. I will present you the first trailer that we have realised with two scientists: André Brack, Astrobiologist, Honorary Director of Research at the CNRS, Orleans, France and Gian Gabriele Ori, Research professor in Geology, and Director of the IRSPS, International Reaserch School of Planetary Science, Pescara, Italy. This first presentation gives an overview of the « exobiological » places beyond the Earth and highlights the importance of comparative planetology for better understand our planet. We would like to share with you ideas and advices in order to produce and diffuse this series in the most efficient way.

Supporting the Establishment of Climate-Resilient Rural Livelihoods in Mongolia with EO Services

Science.gov (United States)

Grosso, Nuno; Patinha, Carla; Sainkhuu, Tserendash; Bataa, Mendbayar; Doljinsuren, Nyamdorj

2016-08-01

The work presented here shows the results from the project "Climate-Resilient Rural Livelihoods in Mongolia", included in the EOTAP (Earth Observation for a Transforming Asia Pacific) initiative, a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Mongolia.The EO services developed within this EOTAP project primarily aimed at enriching the existing environmental database maintained by the National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) in Mongolia and sustaining the collaborative pasture management practices introduced by the teams within the Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Mongolia. The geographic area covered by the EOTAP services is Bayankhongor province, in western Mongolia region, with two main services: drought monitoring at the provincial level for the year 2014 and Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) and changes mapping for three districts of this province (Buutsagaan, Dzag and Khureemaral) for the years 2013, 2014.

Using the structure of social networks to map inter-agency relationships in public health services.

Science.gov (United States)

West, Robert M; House, Allan O; Keen, Justin; Ward, Vicky L

2015-11-01

This article investigates network governance in the context of health and wellbeing services in England, focussing on relationships between managers in a range of services. There are three aims, namely to investigate, (i) the configurations of networks, (ii) the stability of network relationships over time and, (iii) the balance between formal and informal ties that underpin inter-agency relationships. Latent position cluster network models were used to characterise relationships. Managers were asked two questions, both designed to characterise informal relationships. The resulting networks differed substantially from one another in membership. Managers described networks of relationships that spanned organisational boundaries, and that changed substantially over time. The findings suggest that inter-agency co-ordination depends more on informal than on formal relationships. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ESA's tools for internal charging; Outils developpes par l'ESA pour evaluer les repartitions de charges electrostatiques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soerensen, J. [ESA/ESTEC (Netherlands); Rodgers, D.J.; Ryden, K.A.; Latham, P.M. [DERA, Farnborough (United Kingdom); Wrenn, G.L. [T.S. Space Systems (United Kingdom); Levy, L.; Panabiere, G. [Office National d' Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales (ONERA/DESP), 31 - Toulouse (France)

1999-07-01

Electrostatic discharges, caused by bulk charging of spacecraft insulating materials, are a major cause of satellite anomalies. This is a presentation of ESA's tools to assess whether a given structure is liable to experience electrostatic discharges. (authors)

ENTERPRISE SERVICES ARCHITECTURE IN THE WORLD OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan IOVAN

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Enterprise Services Architecture (ESA is blueprint for now enterprise software should be constructed to provide maximum business value. The challenge facing most companies is not whether to adopt Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA, but when and how to do so. There is always a lag between technological vision and business feasibility. It also takes time to fully realize the potential of existing technologies, a process that does not stop the moment the new thing arrives. But when the value of a new approach such as ESA starts to make a difference and produces a competitive advantage, the motivation to change skyrockets. The time to change becomes now and the hunger for learning grows. The goal of this paper is to satisfy the hunger for information for those who suspect that ESA may be a gateway to transforming Information Technology (IT into a strategic weapon. This paper will explain – in more detail that ever before – what ESA is bringing the concept to life in all of its products as a platform supported by an ecosystem.

New Hubble Servicing Mission to upgrade instruments

Science.gov (United States)

2006-10-01

its history. Astronomers are requesting five times more observing time than that available to them” says Bob Fosbury, Head of the HST European Coordinating Facility. “The new instruments will open completely new windows on the universe. Extraordinary observations are planned over the coming years, including some of the most fascinating physical phenomena ever seen: investigation of planets around other stars, digging deeper into the ancestry of our Milky Way and above all gaining a much deeper insight into the evolution of the universe.” Around the same time that the Shuttle lifts off for the Servicing Mission, ESA will launch Herschel, the orbiting telescope with the largest mirror ever deployed in space. Herschel will complement Hubble in the infrared part of the spectrum and is an ESA mission with NASA participation. Instead of being left at the mercy of its aging instruments, the Hubble Space Telescope will now be given the new lease of life it deserves. In the hope that more discoveries from Hubble will help explain more of the mysteries of the universe, astronauts will make this fifth trip to the world’s most powerful visual light observatory and increase its lifespan and scientific power. Hubble’s direct successor, the James Webb Space Telescope - a collaborative project being undertaken by NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency - is scheduled for launch in 2013. The Servicing Mission just decided on will reduce the gap between the end of the HST mission and the start of the JWST mission. Notes for editors The Hubble Space Telescope project is being carried out by ESA and NASA on the basis of international cooperation.

ESA unveils Spanish antenna for unique space mission

Science.gov (United States)

2000-05-01

The newly refurbished antenna, which is located at the Villafranca del Castillo Satellite Tracking Station site (VILSPA) near Madrid, has been selected as the prime communication link with the Cluster II spacecraft. The VIL-1 antenna will play a vital role in ESA's Cluster mission by monitoring and controlling the four spacecraft and by receiving the vast amounts of data that will be returned to Earth during two years of operations. Scheduled for launch in summer 2000, the Cluster quartet will complete the most detailed investigation ever made into the interaction between our pl0anet's magnetosphere - the region of space dominated by Earth's magnetic field - and the continuous stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun - the solar wind. This exciting venture is now well under way, following completion of the satellite assembly and test programme and two successful verification flights by the newly developed Soyuz-Fregat launch vehicle. The ESA Flight Acceptance Review Board has accordingly given the go-ahead for final launch preparations at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. VILSPA, ESA and Cluster II Built in 1975, after an international agreement between the European Space Agency and the Spanish government, VILSPA is part of the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) Tracking Station Network (ESTRACK). In the last 25 years, VILSPA has supported many ESA and international satellite programmes, including the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), EXOSAT and the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). In addition to supporting the Cluster II mission, it has been designated as the Science Operations Centre for ESA's XMM Newton mission and for the Far-Infrared Space Telescope (FIRST), which is due to launch in 2007. There are now more than half a dozen large dish antennae installed at VILSPA. One of these is the VIL-1 antenna, a 15 metre diameter dish which operates in the S-band radio frequency (1.8 - 2.7 GHz). This antenna has been modernised recently in order

U.S. Geological Survey distribution of European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 data

Science.gov (United States)

Pieschke, Renee L.

2017-03-31

A partnership established between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) allows for USGS storage and redistribution of images acquired by the MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) on the European Union's Sentinel-2 satellite mission. The MSI data are acquired from a pair of satellites, Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B, which are part of a larger set of ESA missions focusing on different aspects of Earth observation. The primary purpose of the Sentinel-2 series is to collect multispectral imagery over the Earth’s land surfaces, large islands, and inland and coastal waters. Sentinel-2A was launched in 2015 and Sentinel-2B launched in 2017.The collaborative effort between ESA and USGS provides for public access and redistribution of global acquisitions of Sentinel-2 data at no cost, which allows users to download the MSI imagery from USGS access systems such as Earth- Explorer, in addition to the ESA Sentinels Scientific Data Hub. The MSI sensor acquires 13 spectral bands that are highly complementary to data acquired by the USGS Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+). The product options from USGS include a Full-Resolution Browse (FRB) image product generated by USGS, along with a 100-kilometer (km) by 100-km tile-based Level-1C top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance product that is very similar (but not identical) to the currently (2017) distributed ESA Level 1C product.

N° 15-2000: ESA, CERN and ESO launch "Physics on Stage"

Science.gov (United States)

2000-03-01

But how much do the citizens of Europe really know about physics? Here is a unique opportunity to learn more about this elusive subject! Beginning in February 2000, three major European research establishments [1] are organising a unique Europe-wide programme to raise the public awareness of physics and related sciences. "Physics on Stage" is launched by the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), and the European Southern Observatory (ESO), with support from the European Union (EU). Other partners include the European Physical Society (EPS) and the European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE). This exciting programme is part of the European Week for Science and Technology and will culminate in a Science Festival during November 6-11, 2000, at CERN, Geneva. Why "Physics on Stage"? The primary goal of "Physics on Stage" is to counteract the current decline in interest and knowledge of physics among Europe's citizens by means of a series of highly visible promotional activities. It will bring together leading scientists and educators, government bodies and the media, to confront the diminishing attraction of physics to young people and to develop strategies to reverse this trend. The objective in the short term is to infuse excitement and to provide new educational materials. In the longer term, "Physics on Stage" will generate new developments by enabling experts throughout Europe to meet, exchange and innovate. "Physics on Stage" in 22 European Countries. "Physics on Stage" has been initiated in 22 European countries [2]. In each country, a dedicated National Steering Committee (NSC) is being formed which will be responsible for their own national programme. A list of contact addresses is attached below. "Physics on Stage" is based on a series of high-profile physics-related activities that will inform the European public in general, and European high school physics teachers and media representatives in particular

NASA and ESA astronauts visit ESO. Hubble repair team meets European astronomers in Garching.

Science.gov (United States)

1994-02-01

On Wednesday, February 16, 1994, seven NASA and ESA astronauts and their spouses will spend a day at the Headquarters of the European Southern Observatory. They are the members of the STS-61 crew that successfully repaired the Hubble Space Telescope during a Space Shuttle mission in December 1993. This will be the only stop in Germany during their current tour of various European countries. ESO houses the Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility (ST/ECF), a joint venture by the European Space Agency and ESO. This group of astronomers and computer specialists provide all services needed by European astronomers for observations with the Space Telescope. Currently, the European share is about 20 of the total time available at this telescope. During this visit, a Press Conference will be held on Wednesday, February 16, 11:45 - 12:30 at the ESO Headquarters Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2 D-85748 Garching bei Munchen. Please note that participation in this Press Conference is by invitation only. Media representatives may obtain invitations from Mrs. E. Volk, ESO Information Service at this address (Tel.: +49-89-32006276; Fax.: +49-89-3202362), until Friday, February 11, 1994. After the Press Conference, between 12:30 - 14:00, a light refreshment will be served at the ESO Headquarters to all participants. >From 14:00 - 15:30, the astronauts will meet with students and teachers from the many scientific institutes in Garching in the course of an open presentation at the large lecture hall of the Physics Department of the Technical University. It is a 10 minute walk from ESO to the hall. Later the same day, the astronauts will be back at ESO for a private discussion of various space astronomy issues with their astronomer colleagues, many of whom are users of the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as ground-based telescopes at the ESO La Silla Observatory and elsewhere. The astronauts continue to Switzerland in the evening.

The International Atomic Energy Agency - Organization, Work and Services in Selected Fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Köteles, G.J.

1979-01-01

In an address to the 8th General Assembly of the United Nations (1953) the President of the United States suggested that Governments should begin to make joint contributions from their stockpiles of fissile materials to an international atomic energy agency which would be set up under the aegis of the United Nations. The fissile material so collected would be used to serve the peaceful pursuits of mankind. Experts would be mobilized to apply atomic energy to the needs of agriculture, medicine and other peaceful purposes and a special effort would be made to provide abundant electrical energy in the power-starved areas of the world. This suggestion was taken up. A Statute which defines the structure and purpose of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was prepared by a group of nations and approved by a conference at the United Nations Headquarters in 1956. The Statute entered into force on 29 July 1957. The Agency's objectives, as defined in its Statute, are that it ''shall seek to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. It shall ensure, as far as it is able, that assistance provided by it or at its request or under its supervision or control is not used in such a way as to further any military purpose''. To attain these objectives, the IAEA is authorized ''to encourage and assist research on, and development and practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful uses throughout the world; and, if requested to do so, to act as an intermediary for the purposes of securing the performance of services or the supplying of materials, equipment, or facilities by one member of the Agency for another''; to ''... assemble and make available in an accessible form the [scientific] information made available to it...'' and furthermore ''to make provision, ... for materials, services, equipment, and facilities to meet the

Software Dependability and Safety Evaluations ESA's Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Hernek, M.

ESA has allocated funds for an initiative to evaluate Dependability and Safety methods of Software. The objectives of this initiative are; · More extensive validation of Safety and Dependability techniques for Software · Provide valuable results to improve the quality of the Software thus promoting the application of Dependability and Safety methods and techniques. ESA space systems are being developed according to defined PA requirement specifications. These requirements may be implemented through various design concepts, e.g. redundancy, diversity etc. varying from project to project. Analysis methods (FMECA. FTA, HA, etc) are frequently used during requirements analysis and design activities to assure the correct implementation of system PA requirements. The criticality level of failures, functions and systems is determined and by doing that the critical sub-systems are identified, on which dependability and safety techniques are to be applied during development. Proper performance of the software development requires the development of a technical specification for the products at the beginning of the life cycle. Such technical specification comprises both functional and non-functional requirements. These non-functional requirements address characteristics of the product such as quality, dependability, safety and maintainability. Software in space systems is more and more used in critical functions. Also the trend towards more frequent use of COTS and reusable components pose new difficulties in terms of assuring reliable and safe systems. Because of this, its dependability and safety must be carefully analysed. ESA identified and documented techniques, methods and procedures to ensure that software dependability and safety requirements are specified and taken into account during the design and development of a software system and to verify/validate that the implemented software systems comply with these requirements [R1].

Electronic Government In Democratic Public Service In One Door Integrated Permit Handling Services Agency In The City Of Samarinda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iman Surya

2015-01-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Electronic government needs to carry out in a fundamental public services of democracy. But in practice BPPTSP one door integrated permit service board of Samarinda not able to perform the activities. The aim of this research described analyzing electronic government and public services in a democracy. The methodology used in this research using descriptive qualitative approach the study was on the one door integrated permit service of Samarinda respondents in Samarinda the mayor head of Samarinda the citizen private group of government agencies and interests. Then variable measured in electronic government includes support capacity value and public services including democratic information consultancy and participation. The results of research shows that the variables measured having a deficiency and inability in accommodate aspirations built between citizens and the government in developing electronic democratic government. It is influenced by the absence of elements of liaison which is justice diversity and access electronic between government and public services that make democratic BPPTSP the inability of the city of Samarinda to make changes in depth in an effort to build and create a public being communicative with citizens.

Sharing ESA's knowledge and experience - the Erasmus Experiment Archive

Science.gov (United States)

Isakeit, Dieter; Sabbatini, Massimo; Carey, William

2004-11-01

The Erasmus Experiment Archive is an electronic database, that collects all experiments performed to date in the faciliteis that fall under the responsibility of the ESA (human spaceflight, microgravity, exploration).

NASA and ESA Collaboration on Alternative to Nitric Acid Passivation: Parameter Optimization of Citric Acid Passivation for Stainless Steel Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Kessel, Kurt R.

2016-01-01

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters chartered the Technology Evaluation for Environmental Risk Mitigation Principal Center (TEERM) to coordinate agency activities affecting pollution prevention issues identified during system and component acquisition and sustainment processes. The primary objectives of NASA TEERM are to: Reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous materials or hazardous processes at manufacturing, remanufacturing, and sustainment locations. Avoid duplication of effort in actions required to reduce or eliminate hazardous materials through joint center cooperation and technology sharing. Corrosion is an extensive problem that affects the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). The damaging effects of corrosion result in steep costs, asset downtime affecting mission readiness, and safety risks to personnel. Consequently, it is vital to reduce corrosion costs and risks in a sustainable manner. NASA and ESA have numerous structures and equipment that are fabricated from stainless steel. The standard practice for protection of stainless steel is a process called passivation. Passivation is defined by The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language as to treat or coat (a metal) in order to reduce the chemical reactivity of its surface. Passivation works by forming a shielding outer (metal oxide) layer that reduces the impact of destructive environmental factors such as air or water. Consequently, this process necessitates a final product that is very clean and free of iron and other contaminants. Typical passivation procedures call for the use of nitric acid; however, there are a number of environmental, worker safety, and operational issues associated with its use. Citric acid is an alternative to nitric acid for the passivation of stainless steels. Citric acid offers a variety of benefits including increased safety for personnel, reduced environmental impact, and

Plasma kinetics issues in an ESA study for a plasma laboratory in space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Annaratone, B M; Biancalani, A; Ceccherini, F; Pegoraro, F; Bruno, D; Capitelli, M; Pascale, O de; Longo, S; Daly, E; Hilgers, A; Diomede, P; D'Ammando, G; Marcuccio, S; Mendonca, J T; Nagnibeda, V; Sanmartin, J R

2008-01-01

A study supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), in the context of its General Studies Programme, performed an investigation of the possible use of space for studies in pure and applied plasma physics, in areas not traditionally covered by 'space plasma physics'. A set of experiments have been identified that can potentially provide access to new phenomena and to allow advances in several fields of plasma science. These experiments concern phenomena on a spatial scale (10 1 -10 4 m) intermediate between what is achievable on the ground and the usual solar system plasma observations. Detailed feasibility studies have been performed for three experiments: active magnetic experiments, large-scale discharges and long tether-plasma interactions. The perspectives opened by these experiments are discussed for magnetic reconnection, instabilities, MHD turbulence, atomic excited states kinetics, weakly ionized plasmas, plasma diagnostics, artificial auroras and atmospheric studies. The discussion is also supported by results of numerical simulations and estimates

The new Planetary Science Archive: A tool for exploration and discovery of scientific datasets from ESA's planetary missions

Science.gov (United States)

Heather, David

2016-07-01

Introduction: The Planetary Science Archive (PSA) is the European Space Agency's (ESA) repository of science data from all planetary science and exploration missions. The PSA provides access to scientific datasets through various interfaces (e.g. FTP browser, Map based, Advanced search, and Machine interface): http://archives.esac.esa.int/psa All datasets are scientifically peer-reviewed by independent scientists, and are compliant with the Planetary Data System (PDS) standards. Updating the PSA: The PSA is currently implementing a number of significant changes, both to its web-based interface to the scientific community, and to its database structure. The new PSA will be up-to-date with versions 3 and 4 of the PDS standards, as PDS4 will be used for ESA's upcoming ExoMars and BepiColombo missions. The newly designed PSA homepage will provide direct access to scientific datasets via a text search for targets or missions. This will significantly reduce the complexity for users to find their data and will promote one-click access to the datasets. Additionally, the homepage will provide direct access to advanced views and searches of the datasets. Users will have direct access to documentation, information and tools that are relevant to the scientific use of the dataset, including ancillary datasets, Software Interface Specification (SIS) documents, and any tools/help that the PSA team can provide. A login mechanism will provide additional functionalities to the users to aid / ease their searches (e.g. saving queries, managing default views). Queries to the PSA database will be possible either via the homepage (for simple searches of missions or targets), or through a filter menu for more tailored queries. The filter menu will offer multiple options to search for a particular dataset or product, and will manage queries for both in-situ and remote sensing instruments. Parameters such as start-time, phase angle, and heliocentric distance will be emphasized. A further

41 CFR 302-12.4 - For what relocation services expenses will my agency pay?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... actual expenses the company incurs on your behalf, payment to the company is limited to what you would... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false For what relocation services expenses will my agency pay? 302-12.4 Section 302-12.4 Public Contracts and Property Management...

An improved and homogeneous altimeter sea level record from the ESA Climate Change Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Legeais, Jean-François; Ablain, Michaël; Zawadzki, Lionel; Zuo, Hao; Johannessen, Johnny A.; Scharffenberg, Martin G.; Fenoglio-Marc, Luciana; Joana Fernandes, M.; Baltazar Andersen, Ole; Rudenko, Sergei; Cipollini, Paolo; Quartly, Graham D.; Passaro, Marcello; Cazenave, Anny; Benveniste, Jérôme

2018-02-01

Sea level is a very sensitive index of climate change since it integrates the impacts of ocean warming and ice mass loss from glaciers and the ice sheets. Sea level has been listed as an essential climate variable (ECV) by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). During the past 25 years, the sea level ECV has been measured from space by different altimetry missions that have provided global and regional observations of sea level variations. As part of the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) program of the European Space Agency (ESA) (established in 2010), the Sea Level project (SL_cci) aimed to provide an accurate and homogeneous long-term satellite-based sea level record. At the end of the first phase of the project (2010-2013), an initial version (v1.1) of the sea level ECV was made available to users (Ablain et al., 2015). During the second phase of the project (2014-2017), improved altimeter standards were selected to produce new sea level products (called SL_cci v2.0) based on nine altimeter missions for the period 1993-2015 (https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-sea_level_cci-1993_2015-v_2.0-201612; Legeais and the ESA SL_cci team, 2016c). Corresponding orbit solutions, geophysical corrections and altimeter standards used in this v2.0 dataset are described in detail in Quartly et al. (2017). The present paper focuses on the description of the SL_cci v2.0 ECV and associated uncertainty and discusses how it has been validated. Various approaches have been used for the quality assessment such as internal validation, comparisons with sea level records from other groups and with in situ measurements, sea level budget closure analyses and comparisons with model outputs. Compared with the previous version of the sea level ECV, we show that use of improved geophysical corrections, careful bias reduction between missions and inclusion of new altimeter missions lead to improved sea level products with reduced uncertainties on different spatial and temporal scales. However, there

ESA and CERN link on data and communication

CERN Multimedia

1998-01-01

ESA and CERN have agreed to set up working groups to learn from each others experiences in areas such as handling and networking large amounts of data generated by large-scale experiments and in communicating the results of their experiments to the public (2 paragraphs).

77 FR 56611 - North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-13

... Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... list corals under Endangered Species Act (ESA), update on the Habitat Blueprint); Alaska Department of... States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) Report; Protected Species Report (PSR). 2. Halibut Fisheries...

75 FR 50746 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-17

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... is intended to increase knowledge of species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to..., Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service...

41 CFR 301-53.4 - May I select travel service providers for which my agency is not a mandatory user in order to...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... select travel service providers for which my agency is not a mandatory user in order to maximize my... frequent traveler benefits. You must use the travel service provider for which your agency is a mandatory... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false May I select travel...

ESA presents INTEGRAL, its space observatory for Gamma-ray astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

1998-09-01

A unique opportunity for journalists and cameramen to view INTEGRAL will be provided at ESA/ESTEC, Noordwijk, the Netherlands on Tuesday 22 September. On show will be the full-size structural thermal model which is now beeing examined in ESA's test centre. Following introductions to the project, the INTEGRAL spacecraft can be seen, filmed and photographed in its special clean room environment.. Media representatives wishing to participate in the visit to ESA's test centre and the presentation of INTEGRAL are kindly requested to return by fax the attached registration form to ESA Public relations, Tel. +33 (0) 1.53.69.71.55 - Fax. +33 (0) 1.53.69.76.90. For details please see the attached programme Gamma-ray astronomy - why ? Gamma-rays cannot be detected from the ground since the earth's atmosphere shields us from high energetic radiation. Only space technology has made gamma-astronomy possible. To avoid background radiation effects INTEGRAL will spend most of its time in the orbit outside earth's radiation belts above an altitude of 40'000 km. Gamma-rays are the highest energy form of electromagnetic radiation. Therefore gamma-ray astronomy explores the most energetic phenomena occurring in nature and addresses some of the most fundamental problems in physics. We know for instance that most of the chemical elements in our bodies come from long-dead stars. But how were these elements formed? INTEGRAL will register gamma-ray evidence of element-making. Gamma-rays also appear when matter squirms in the intense gravity of collapsed stars or black holes. One of the most important scientific objectives of INTEGRAL is to study such compact objects as neutron stars or black holes. Besides stellar black holes there may exist much bigger specimens of these extremely dense objects. Most astronomers believe that in the heart of our Milky Way as in the centre of other galaxies there may lurk giant black holes. INTEGRAL will have to find evidence of these exotic objects. Even

Use of Data Denial Experiments to Evaluate ESA Forecast Sensitivity Patterns

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zack, J; Natenberg, E J; Knowe, G V; Manobianco, J; Waight, K; Hanley, D; Kamath, C

2011-09-13

The overall goal of this multi-phased research project known as WindSENSE is to develop an observation system deployment strategy that would improve wind power generation forecasts. The objective of the deployment strategy is to produce the maximum benefit for 1- to 6-hour ahead forecasts of wind speed at hub-height ({approx}80 m). In this phase of the project the focus is on the Mid-Columbia Basin region which encompasses the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) wind generation area shown in Figure 1 that includes Klondike, Stateline, and Hopkins Ridge wind plants. The Ensemble Sensitivity Analysis (ESA) approach uses data generated by a set (ensemble) of perturbed numerical weather prediction (NWP) simulations for a sample time period to statistically diagnose the sensitivity of a specified forecast variable (metric) for a target location to parameters at other locations and prior times referred to as the initial condition (IC) or state variables. The ESA approach was tested on the large-scale atmospheric prediction problem by Ancell and Hakim 2007 and Torn and Hakim 2008. ESA was adapted and applied at the mesoscale by Zack et al. (2010a, b, and c) to the Tehachapi Pass, CA (warm and cools seasons) and Mid-Colombia Basin (warm season only) wind generation regions. In order to apply the ESA approach at the resolution needed at the mesoscale, Zack et al. (2010a, b, and c) developed the Multiple Observation Optimization Algorithm (MOOA). MOOA uses a multivariate regression on a few select IC parameters at one location to determine the incremental improvement of measuring multiple variables (representative of the IC parameters) at various locations. MOOA also determines how much information from each IC parameter contributes to the change in the metric variable at the target location. The Zack et al. studies (2010a, b, and c), demonstrated that forecast sensitivity can be characterized by well-defined, localized patterns for a number of IC variables such as 80-m

IMPROVING THE SKILL AND THE INTEREST OF WRITING ADVERTISEMENTS AND POSTERS THROUGH ESA SEQUENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatma Yuniarti

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The action reserach aims at improving the students’ writing skill especially to write advertsements and posters. Both are the short functional texts to be learned at the first semester of the ninth grade. According to the data on pre cycle, the students of class IXA Junior High School Swadhipa Natar, South Lampung got difficulties in writing advertisements and posters. A treatment was necessary to help the students overcome their problem. To consider the related literature, the writer decided to implement ESA sequence in the class. The elements of teaching in ESA Sequence are Engage (to arouse the students’ interests, Study (learn the language focus, and Activate (use the language freely and communicatively.The data were taken from the test of the linguistic competence mastery, the students writing, and the questionnaire. The result shows ESA Sequence can improve the students’ ability in writing advertisements and posters.Key words : ESA (Engange Study Activate, advertisement, poster.

Assimilation of the ESA CCI Soil Moisture ACTIVE and PASSIVE Product into the SURFEX Land Surface Model using the Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter

Science.gov (United States)

Blyverket, J.; Hamer, P.; Bertino, L.; Lahoz, W. A.

2017-12-01

The European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative for soil moisture (ESA CCI SM) was initiated in 2012 for a period of six years, the objective for this period was to produce the most complete and consistent global soil moisture data record based on both active and passive sensors. The ESA CCI SM products consist of three surface soil moisture datasets: The ACTIVE product and the PASSIVE product were created by fusing scatterometer and radiometer soil moisture data, respectively. The COMBINED product is a blended product based on the former two datasets. In this study we assimilate globally both the ACTIVE and PASSIVE product at a 25 km spatial resolution. The different satellite platforms have different overpass times, an observation is mapped to the hours 00.00, 06.00, 12.00 or 18.00 if it falls within a 3 hour window centred at these times. We use the SURFEX land surface model with the ISBA diffusion scheme for the soil hydrology. For the assimilation routine we apply the Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (ETKF). The land surface model is driven by perturbed MERRA-2 atmospheric forcing data, which has a temporal resolution of one hour and is mapped to the SURFEX model grid. Bias between the land surface model and the ESA CCI product is removed by cumulative distribution function (CDF) matching. This work is a step towards creating a global root zone soil moisture product from the most comprehensive satellite surface soil moisture product available. As a first step we consider the period from 2010 - 2016. This allows for comparison against other global root zone soil moisture products (SMAP Level 4, which is independent of the ESA CCI SM product).

5 CFR 5502.105 - Agency procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

....105 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES § 5502.105 Agency procedures. (a) The designated agency ethics official or, with the concurrence of the designated agency ethics official, each of...

ENDANGERED SPECIES SENSITIVITY AND ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT

Science.gov (United States)

he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service share a common responsibility for the protection of our nation's aquatic species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. The EPA, under the Federal Insectici...

Evidence, Fidelity, and Organisational Rationales: Multiple Uses of Motivational Interviewing in a Social Services Agency

Science.gov (United States)

Björk, Alexander

2016-01-01

In discussions and empirical investigations of the implementation of evidence-based interventions there is often a narrow focus on treatment fidelity. Studying a social services agency trying to incorporate Motivational Interviewing (MI), commonly regarded as evidence-based, this paper problematises a one-sided attention to treatment fidelity by…

Development and Evaluation of a Train-the-Trainer Workshop for Hong Kong Community Social Service Agency Staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Qianling; Stewart, Sunita M; Wan, Alice; Leung, Charles Sai-Cheong; Lai, Agnes Y; Lam, Tai Hing; Chan, Sophia Siu-Chee

2017-01-01

Capacity building approaches are useful in large-scale community-based health promotion interventions. However, models to guide and evaluate capacity building among social service agency staff in community settings are rare in the literature. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a 1-day (7 h) train-the-trainer (TTT) workshop for the "Enhancing Family Well-Being Project". The workshop aimed at equipping staff from different community agencies with the knowledge and skills to design, implement, and evaluate positive psychology-based interventions for their clients in Sham Shui Po, an over-crowded and low-income district in Hong Kong. The current TTT extended and improved on our previous successful model by adding research and evaluation methods (including the Logic Model, process evaluation, and randomized controlled trial), which are important to plan and evaluate the community interventions. Evaluation of the TTT was guided by the Integrated Model of Training Evaluation and Effectiveness (IMTEE), with quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were collected from pretraining (T1), post-training (T2), and 6-month (T3) and 12-month (T4) follow-up surveys. Qualitative data were collected from four focus groups of agency staff after the intervention. Ninety-three staff from 30 community agencies attended the training, and 90 completed the baseline survey. Eighty-eight, 63, and 57 staff performed the evaluations at T2, T3, and T4, respectively. Agency staff were satisfied with the TTT. Immediate enhancement of knowledge, self-efficacy, and positive attitudes toward the training content was found at T2 (Cohen's d ranged from 0.24 to 1.22, all p  agency staff, and delivered to 1,586 participants. The agency staff indicated their intention to utilize the skills they had learned for other interventions (score ≥4 out of 6) and to share these skills with their colleagues. Qualitative feedbacks from 23 agency staff supported the

5 CFR 3601.102 - Designation of separate agency components.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Service; (8) Defense Information Systems Agency; (9) Defense Intelligence Agency; (10) Defense Logistics Agency; (11) Defense Security Service; (12) Defense Threat Reduction Agency; (13) National Imagery and... outside sources and 5 CFR 2635.807 governing teaching, speaking and writing: (1) Armed Services Board of...

ESA's satellite communications programme

Science.gov (United States)

Bartholome, P.

1985-02-01

The developmental history, current status, and future plans of the ESA satellite-communications programs are discussed in a general survey and illustrated with network diagrams and maps. Consideration is given to the parallel development of national and European direct-broadcast systems and telecommunications networks, the position of the European space and electronics industries in the growing world market, the impact of technological improvements (both in satellite systems and in ground-based networks), and the technological and commercial advantages of integrated space-terrestrial networks. The needs for a European definition of the precise national and international roles of satellite communications, for maximum speed in implementing such decisions (before the technology becomes obsolete), and for increased cooperation and standardization to assure European equipment manufacturers a reasonable share of the market are stressed.

The ESA Scientific Exploitation of Operational Missions element, first results

Science.gov (United States)

Desnos, Yves-Louis; Regner, Peter; Delwart, Steven; Benveniste, Jerome; Engdahl, Marcus; Mathieu, Pierre-Philippe; Gascon, Ferran; Donlon, Craig; Davidson, Malcolm; Pinnock, Simon; Foumelis, Michael; Ramoino, Fabrizio

2016-04-01

SEOM is a program element within the fourth period (2013-2017) of ESA's Earth Observation Envelope Programme (http://seom.esa.int/). The prime objective is to federate, support and expand the international research community that the ERS, ENVISAT and the Envelope programmes have built up over the last 25 years. It aims to further strengthen the leadership of the European Earth Observation research community by enabling them to extensively exploit future European operational EO missions. SEOM will enable the science community to address new scientific research that are opened by free and open access to data from operational EO missions. Based on community-wide recommendations for actions on key research issues, gathered through a series of international thematic workshops and scientific user consultation meetings, a work plan is established and is approved every year by ESA Members States. During 2015 SEOM, Science users consultation workshops have been organized for Sentinel1/3/5P ( Fringe, S3 Symposium and Atmospheric science respectively) , new R&D studies for scientific exploitation of the Sentinels have been launched ( S3 for Science SAR Altimetry and Ocean Color , S2 for Science,) , open-source multi-mission scientific toolboxes have been launched (in particular the SNAP/S1-2-3 Toolbox). In addition two advanced international training courses have been organized in Europe to exploit the new S1-A and S2-A data for Land and Ocean remote sensing (over 120 participants from 25 countries) as well as activities for promoting the first scientific results ( e.g. Chili Earthquake) . In addition the First EO Open Science 2.0 was organised at ESA in October 2015 with 225 participants from 31 countries bringing together young EO scientists and data scientists. During the conference precursor activities in EO Open Science and Innovation were presented, while developing a Roadmap preparing for future ESA scientific exploitation activities. Within the conference, the first

Taking CERN and ESA technology to the World’s largest industry fair

CERN Multimedia

2014-01-01

Signed just two weeks ago, the new CERN-ESA agreement is already bearing fruit. This week, our two organisations went to the World’s leading industrial fair, the Hannover Messe, with a joint stand showcasing technologies derived from particle physics and space research.   The notion that space brought us Teflon is something of a cliché, and of dubious veracity, while the World Wide Web is the technology most closely, and in this case correctly, identified with CERN. But technology transfer from ESA and CERN goes well beyond clichés: much of the technology we take for granted today can be traced back to basic research in the highly demanding research fields our organizations deal in. This is a message that both CERN and ESA strive to communicate, and the Hannover Messe gave us that opportunity. But going to Hannover was about more than showcasing past success: it was first and foremost about laying the groundwork for future success. Much of the technology deve...

Spaceborne measurement of Greenland ice sheet changes: the ESA Greenland CCI project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Forsberg, René; Sørensen, Louise Sandberg; Meister, Rakia

The ESA “Greenland_ice_sheet_cci” project is currently making past and present space measurements of Greenland ice sheet changes available for use by scientists, stakeholders and the general public. The data are part of a large set of ECV’s (Essential Climate Variables) made available by the ESA...... Climate Initiative, as a contribution to the global Climate Observing System. The ECV data produced for the Greenlandice sheet include detailed grids of elevation changes and ice flow velocities, as well as line data of grounding lines and calving front locations for major outlet glaciers. The “ice_sheets......_cci” goal is to generate a consistent, validated, long-term and timely set of ECV’s, a.o. to improve the impact of satellite data on climate research and coupled ice sheet/climate models. Special focus is on use of data from ESA missions such as ERS, Envisat and the new Sentinel missions, but in the 2nd...

The European Space Agency and the European Union: The Next Step on the Road to the Stars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Christian Hoerber

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Given the outlook, the main questions considered in this article are whether a European position on a genuine common space policy is developing. If so, why is this happening now?; and what kind of potentials do these developments hold for the European integration process as a whole? This article will approach these questions through an analysis of past European collaboration in space affairs. It will describe the recent process of closer involvement between European Space Agency (ESA and the European Union (EU. It will identify the motivations underlying this process. It will also try to gauge the strategic potential of an intensification of the coordination of national space efforts in ESA and the involvement of the EU. In the conclusion, the ever closer relationship between the EU and ESA will be considered against the larger picture of European politics and the ongoing process of European integration

The ESA Scientific Exploitation of Operational Missions element

Science.gov (United States)

Desnos, Yves-Louis; Regner, Peter; Delwart, Steven; Benveniste, Jerome; Engdahl, Marcus; Zehner, Claus; Mathieu, Pierre-Philippe; Bojkov, Bojan; Gascon, Ferran; Donlon, Craig; Davidson, Malcolm; Goryl, Philippe; Pinnock, Simon

2015-04-01

SEOM is a program element within the fourth period (2013-2017) of ESA's Earth Observation Envelope Programme (http://seom.esa.int/). The prime objective is to federate, support and expand the international research community that the ERS,ENVISAT and the Envelope programmes have built up over the last 25 years. It aims to further strengthen the leadership of the European Earth Observation research community by enabling them to extensively exploit future European operational EO missions. SEOM will enable the science community to address new scientific research that are opened by free and open access to data from operational EO missions. Based on community-wide recommendations for actions on key research issues, gathered through a series of international thematic workshops and scientific user consultation meetings, a work plan has been established and is approved every year by ESA Members States. The 2015 SEOM work plan is covering the organisation of three Science users consultation workshops for Sentinel1/3/5P , the launch of new R&D studies for scientific exploitation of the Sentinels, the development of open-source multi-mission scientific toolboxes, the organisation of advanced international training courses, summer schools and educational materials, as well as activities for promoting the scientific use of EO data. The first SEOM projects have been tendered since 2013 including the development of Sentinel toolboxes, advanced INSAR algorithms for Sentinel-1 TOPS data exploitation, Improved Atmospheric Spectroscopic data-base (IAS), as well as grouped studies for Sentinel-1, -2, and -3 land and ocean applications and studies for exploiting the synergy between the Sentinels. The status and first results from these SEOM projects will be presented and an outlook for upcoming SEOM studies will be given.

An empirical assessment of service quality in the context of travel agencies in the Republic of Macedonia

OpenAIRE

Anita Ciunova-Shuleska; Nikolina Palamidovska; Marija Grishin

2013-01-01

This paper investigates the service quality of travel agencies in the Republic of Macedonia from a customer perspective. Its authors applied a modified version of the SERVQUAL instrument for measuring service quality. The results of the performed paired sample t-testing indicated significant differences between expectations and perceptions, with two exceptions. A positive correlation was identified between expectation means and perception means as well as between perception means and gap scor...

Assessing Advanced Airway Management Performance in a National Cohort of Emergency Medical Services Agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Henry E; Donnelly, John P; Barton, Dustin; Jarvis, Jeffrey L

2018-05-01

Although often the focus of quality improvement efforts, emergency medical services (EMS) advanced airway management performance has few national comparisons, nor are there many assessments with benchmarks accounting for differences in agency volume or patient mix. We seek to assess variations in advanced airway management and conventional intubation performance in a national cohort of EMS agencies. We used EMS data from ESO Solutions, a national EMS electronic health record system. We identified EMS emergency responses with attempted advanced airway management (conventional intubation, rapid sequence intubation, sedation-assisted intubation, supraglottic airway insertion, and cricothyroidotomy). We also separately examined cases with initial conventional intubation. We determined EMS agency risk-standardized advanced airway management and initial conventional intubation success rates by using mixed-effects regression models, fitting agency as a random intercept, adjusting for patient age, sex, race, cardiac arrest, or trauma status, and use of rapid sequence or sedation-assisted intubation, and accounting for reliability variations from EMS agency airway volume. We assessed changes in agency advanced airway management and initial conventional intubation performance rank after risk and reliability adjustment. We also identified high and low performers (reliability-adjusted and risk-standardized success confidence intervals falling outside the mean). During 2011 to 2015, 550 EMS agencies performed 57,209 advanced airway management procedures. Among 401 EMS agencies with greater than or equal to 10 advanced airway management procedures, there were a total of 56,636 procedures. Median reliability-adjusted and risk-standardized EMS agency advanced airway management success was 92.9% (interquartile range 90.1% to 94.8%; minimum 58.2%; maximum 99.0%). There were 56 advanced airway management low-performing and 38 high-performing EMS agencies. Among 342 agencies with

29 CFR 42.5 - Policy review.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... policies of OSHA, ESA and the United States Employment Service (USES), and the Office of the Solicitor and... complaints under, and to detect promptly violations of, any of the protective statutes. (2) The expedited... State agency of violations or complaints discovered by or reported to DOL agencies or appropriate State...

78 FR 79674 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-31

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and regulations governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR.... Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) submitted an application and supporting documents to NMFS for a...

ADVERTISING AGENCY MARKETING MANAGEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denis Kislov, Yevgenia Horobei

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Goal of the paper. The goal of this article is to define the nature, specific features and factors pertaining to the advertising agency marketing management. One of the tools is the use of non-standard approaches to management of advertising agencies, which under certain conditions makes it possible to improve the situation and to bring the agency to a new higher level as well as to improve the efficiency of its functioning in the conditions of transformational economy of Ukraine. Methodology. Monitoring of the marketing behavior of agencies that promote advertising services. The results of monitoring and analysis demonstrated that the majority of agencies have a disorganized approach to the agency marketing, which results in sporadic activities related to the use and organization of agency marketing. Only individual agencies begin to form their own marketing strategy for the implementation of which marketing budgets are allocated. The main marketing functions of a Ukrainian advertising agency have been identified. Practical value. Rapid development of technologies, sophistication and increased variety of goods and services, reduction of their life cycle, higher customer demands, the growth of volume and speed of obtaining information, increased competition – all these changes that are taking place in the external environment make the Ukrainian companies that provide advertising services search for new approaches to ensure better adaptation to these conditions. Uncertainty, unpredictability and instability of the external environment will continue to grow. Therefore, the companies that provide advertising services need to constantly adapt not only to the existing conditions but also ensure that they are able to quickly react in the future. The basic precondition for success is stability of the quality that is achieved through strategic planning, fine-tuned search system, efficient management, which encourages creation of a position of quality

Use of Erythropoietin-Stimulating Agents (ESA) in Patients With End-Stage Renal Failure Decided to Forego Dialysis: Palliative Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Hon Wai Benjamin; Chan, Kwok Ying; Lau, Hoi To; Man, Ching Wah; Cheng, Suk Ching; Lam, Carman

2017-05-01

Normochromic normocytic anemia is a common complication in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is associated with many adverse clinical consequences. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) act to replace endogenous erythropoietin for patients with end-stage renal disease having anemia. Today, ESAs remain the main tool for treating anemia associated with CKD. In current practice, the use of ESA is not limited to the patients on renal replacement therapy but has extended to nondialysis patients under palliative care (PC). Current evidence on ESA usage in patients with CKD decided to forego dialysis often have to take reference from studies conducted in other groups of patients with CKD, including pre-dialysis patients and those on renal replacement therapy. There is paucity of studies targeting use of ESAs in renal PC patients. Small-scale retrospective study in renal PC patients had suggested clinical advantage of ESAs in terms of hemoglobin improvement, reduction in fatigue, and hospitalization rate. With the expected growth in elderly patients with CKD decided to forego dialysis and manage conservatively, there remains an urgent need to call for large-scale prospective trial in exploring efficacy of ESAs in this population, targeting on quality of life and symptoms improvement outcome. This article also reviews the mechanism of action, pharmacology, adverse effects, and clinical trial evidence for ESA in patients with CKD under renal PC.

Operational space weather service for GNSS precise positioning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Jakowski

2005-11-01

Full Text Available The ionospheric plasma can significantly influence the propagation of radio waves and the ionospheric disturbances are capable of causing range errors, rapid phase and amplitude fluctuations (radio scintillations of satellite signals that may lead to degradation of the system performance, its accuracy and reliability. The cause of such disturbances should be sought in the processes originating in the Sun. Numerous studies on these phenomena have been already carried out at a broad international level, in order to measure/estimate these space weather induced effects, to forecast them, and to understand and mitigate their impact on present-day technological systems. SWIPPA (Space Weather Impact on Precise Positioning Applications is a pilot project jointly supported by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR and the European Space Agency (ESA. The project aims at establishing, operating, and evaluating a specific space-weather monitoring service that can possibly lead to improving current positioning applications based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS. This space weather service provides GNSS users with essential expert information delivered in the form of several products - maps of TEC values, TEC spatial and temporal gradients, alerts for ongoing/oncoming ionosphere disturbances, etc.

Operational space weather service for GNSS precise positioning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Jakowski

2005-11-01

Full Text Available The ionospheric plasma can significantly influence the propagation of radio waves and the ionospheric disturbances are capable of causing range errors, rapid phase and amplitude fluctuations (radio scintillations of satellite signals that may lead to degradation of the system performance, its accuracy and reliability. The cause of such disturbances should be sought in the processes originating in the Sun. Numerous studies on these phenomena have been already carried out at a broad international level, in order to measure/estimate these space weather induced effects, to forecast them, and to understand and mitigate their impact on present-day technological systems.

SWIPPA (Space Weather Impact on Precise Positioning Applications is a pilot project jointly supported by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR and the European Space Agency (ESA. The project aims at establishing, operating, and evaluating a specific space-weather monitoring service that can possibly lead to improving current positioning applications based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS. This space weather service provides GNSS users with essential expert information delivered in the form of several products - maps of TEC values, TEC spatial and temporal gradients, alerts for ongoing/oncoming ionosphere disturbances, etc.

ESA Press Event: See Mars Express before its departure to the Red Planet

Science.gov (United States)

2002-08-01

There will be ten participants: four ESA astronauts (Pedro Duque, Leopold Eyharts, Paolo Nespoli and Thomas Reiter), four Japanese astronauts from NASDA (Takao Doi, Koichi Wakata, Satoshi Furukawa and Aikihido Hoshide) and two NASA astronauts (Nicole Passonno Stott and Stephanie D. Wilson). The main objective of this training session is to prepare the astronauts for the tasks they will have to perform when the Japanese experiment module (JEM) and ESA's Columbus laboratory are docked with the core of the International Space Station over the years ahead. After completing their training and certification, the astronauts will be assigned to long-duration missions to the ISS. The advanced training at the EAC will focus on the Columbus systems and the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). It will consist of 24 classroom lectures on the Columbus and ATV systems and 4 on payloads, and 2 sessions in the Columbus Trainer. Instructors are being provided by Astrium for the Columbus systems and Alenia Spazio for the ATV, with ESA/EAC staff as mentors for the Columbus payloads. The astronauts are scheduled to visit Astrium in Bremen on 30 August to get acquainted with the flight unit of the Columbus laboratory module currently undergoing integration. This group of astronauts started their advanced training in April 2001 at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, where they attended a first course on the US segment of the International Space Station. This was followed by training on the JEM system at NASDA's Tsukuba Space Center, Japan, in December 2001 - January 2002 and additional training at the JSC in May 2002. At the beginning of next year the group will be returning to Tsukuba for training on Japanese payloads. Hands-on sessions on Columbus Payload Training Models are scheduled for the second half of 2003, again at ESA's European Astronaut Centre. On Thursday 5 September, between 16:30 and 18:30 hrs, the astronauts and other ESA specialists will be available for interviews

41 CFR 302-3.418 - Will my agency pay for property management services when I am authorized a TCS?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... station as a rental property. Services provided by the company may include, but are not limited to... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Will my agency pay for property management services when I am authorized a TCS? 302-3.418 Section 302-3.418 Public Contracts and...

R2 ESA Grant Condition Boundaries [EPA.R2_ESA_Grant_Condition_bnd

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — In the early to mid 1980s, the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, funded a number of sewage treatment infrastructure projects. In order to comply with...

Web-GIS visualisation of permafrost-related Remote Sensing products for ESA GlobPermafrost

Science.gov (United States)

Haas, A.; Heim, B.; Schaefer-Neth, C.; Laboor, S.; Nitze, I.; Grosse, G.; Bartsch, A.; Kaab, A.; Strozzi, T.; Wiesmann, A.; Seifert, F. M.

2016-12-01

The ESA GlobPermafrost (www.globpermafrost.info) provides a remote sensing service for permafrost research and applications. The service comprises of data product generation for various sites and regions as well as specific infrastructure allowing overview and access to datasets. Based on an online user survey conducted within the project, the user community extensively applies GIS software to handle remote sensing-derived datasets and requires preview functionalities before accessing them. In response, we develop the Permafrost Information System PerSys which is conceptualized as an open access geospatial data dissemination and visualization portal. PerSys will allow visualisation of GlobPermafrost raster and vector products such as land cover classifications, Landsat multispectral index trend datasets, lake and wetland extents, InSAR-based land surface deformation maps, rock glacier velocity fields, spatially distributed permafrost model outputs, and land surface temperature datasets. The datasets will be published as WebGIS services relying on OGC-standardized Web Mapping Service (WMS) and Web Feature Service (WFS) technologies for data display and visualization. The WebGIS environment will be hosted at the AWI computing centre where a geodata infrastructure has been implemented comprising of ArcGIS for Server 10.4, PostgreSQL 9.2 and a browser-driven data viewer based on Leaflet (http://leafletjs.com). Independently, we will provide an `Access - Restricted Data Dissemination Service', which will be available to registered users for testing frequently updated versions of project datasets. PerSys will become a core project of the Arctic Permafrost Geospatial Centre (APGC) within the ERC-funded PETA-CARB project (www.awi.de/petacarb). The APGC Data Catalogue will contain all final products of GlobPermafrost, allow in-depth dataset search via keywords, spatial and temporal coverage, data type, etc., and will provide DOI-based links to the datasets archived in the

Characterizing ecosystem response to water supply changes inferred from GRACE drought severity index and surface soil moisture anomalies from ESA CCI and SMAP

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, M.; Velicogna, I.; Kimball, J. S.

2017-12-01

Climate change such as more frequent heatwaves and drought is threatening our food security and ecosystem by reducing water supply to vegetation. Characterizing vegetation response to water supply changes is not only important for evaluating and mitigating climatic change impacts on ecosystem functions and services, but also to determine the feedback mechanisms that ecosystem response may generate on the climate itself. However, such characterization is not well-known at the global scale partly because large scale observations of underground water supply changes are limited. Satellite observations of soil moisture (SM) datasets such as from Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) and European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative (ESA CCI) do not penetrate more than a few centimeters and do not capture the entire root-zone. Here we employ a newly developed Drought Severity Index from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE-DSI) to complement SM observations by informing total water supply changes in the entire terrestrial hydrological cycle. We use MODIS vegetation indices as proxies for vegetation growth and investigate their seasonal and interannual variability in relation to GRACE-DSI. We find that total water supply constrains vegetation growth across the entire continental US. Water constraint begins at an earlier date of year and lasts for a longer period in the lower latitude than in the higher latitude. We also find that water constraint occurs at different phenological stages depending on vegetation type. For instance, water constrain forest growth during reproductive period in eastern US but constrain shrub land growth during green-up in Arizona (Fig. 1). In western United States, eastern Australia and the horn of Africa, we find that vegetation growth changes closely follows GRACE-DSI but can have 16-day to one-month delay with respect to SM anomalies from SMAP and ESA CCI. This suggests that in these regions, vegetation is sensitive to water

An empirical assessment of service quality in the context of travel agencies in the Republic of Macedonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anita Ciunova-Shuleska

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the service quality of travel agencies in the Republic of Macedonia from a customer perspective. Its authors applied a modified version of the SERVQUAL instrument for measuring service quality. The results of the performed paired sample t-testing indicated significant differences between expectations and perceptions, with two exceptions. A positive correlation was identified between expectation means and perception means as well as between perception means and gap score means, with a negative correlation identified between expectation means and gap means. Furthermore, factor analysis of the gap score means was performed, revealing the existence of 3 dimensions: customer orientation, reliability and tangibles. Data analysis showed negative gaps between expectations and perception on all three dimensions. Finally, by using the ANOVA test, significant differences among the gap scores of the three different classes of travel agencies (with “A”, “B” and “C” licenses were determined, both in total and with regard to the identified dimensions. There are a number of areas of the travel agencies’ service quality where enhancements are needed in order to satisfy the customers more fully.

MUC-1-ESA+ progenitor cells in normal benign and malignant human breast epithelial cells

OpenAIRE

Lu, Xinquan; Li, Huixiang; Xu, Kejia; Nesland, Jahn M.; Suo, Zhenhe

2009-01-01

The existence of mammary epithelial stem/progenitor cells has been demonstrated in MUC-1-/ ESA+ subpopulations of breast epithelial cells. However, knowledge about the expression and localization in benign and malignant breast lesions is unknown. Using a double-staining immunohistochemistry method, we investigated MUC-1-/ESA+ cells in 10 normal breast tissues, 49 cases with fibrocystic disease, 40 fibroadenomas, 36 invasive ductal carcinomas and the breast cancer ce...

ESA uncovers Geminga's `hot spot'

Science.gov (United States)

2004-07-01

16 July 2004 Astronomers using ESA’s X-ray observatory XMM-Newton have detected a small, bright ‘hot spot’ on the surface of the neutron star called Geminga, 500 light-years away. The hot spot is the size of a football field and is caused by the same mechanism producing Geminga’s X-ray tails. This discovery identifies the missing link between the X-ray and gamma-ray emission from Geminga. hi-res Size hi-res: 1284 kb Credits: ESA, P. Caraveo (IASF, Milan) Geminga's hot spot This figure shows the effects of charged particles accelerated in the magnetosphere of Geminga. Panel (a) shows an image taken with the EPIC instrument on board the XMM-Newton observatory. The bright tails, made of particles kicked out by Geminga’s strong magnetic field, trail the neutron star as it moves about in space. Panel (b) shows how electrically charged particles interact with Geminga’s magnetic field. For example, if electrons (blue) are kicked out by the star, positrons (in red) hit the star’s magnetic poles like in an ‘own goal’. Panel (c) illustrates the size of Geminga’s magnetic field (blue) compared to that of the star itself at the centre (purple). The magnetic field is tilted with respect to Geminga’s rotation axis (red). Panel (d) shows the magnetic poles of Geminga, where charged particles hit the surface of the star, creating a two-million degrees hot spot, a region much hotter than the surroundings. As the star spins on its rotation axis, the hot spot comes into view and then disappears, causing the periodic colour change seen by XMM-Newton. An animated version of the entire sequence can be found at: Click here for animated GIF [low resolution, animated GIF, 5536 KB] Click here for AVI [high resolution, AVI with DIVX compression, 19128 KB] hi-res Size hi-res: 371 kb Credits: ESA, P. Caraveo (IASF, Milan) Geminga's hot spot, panel (a) Panel (a) shows an image taken with the EPIC instrument on board the XMM-Newton observatory. The bright tails, made of

Home Health Care Agencies

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — A list of all Home Health Agencies that have been registered with Medicare. The list includes addresses, phone numbers, and quality measure ratings for each agency.

31 CFR 208.7 - Agency responsibilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Agency responsibilities. 208.7 Section 208.7 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE MANAGEMENT OF FEDERAL AGENCY...

Overview of the Acoustic Testing of the European Service Module Structural Test Article (E-STA)

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, William; Fogt, Vince; Le Plenier, Cyprien; Duval, Francois; Durand, Jean-Francois; Staab, Lucas D.; Hozman, Aron; Mcnelis, Anne; Bittinger, Samantha; Thirkettle, Anthony;

Crew of Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission visits Europe

Science.gov (United States)

1994-01-01

The Hubble Space telescope servicing mission in December (STS-61) was a great success and the fully refurbished orbiting telescope produced absolutely remarkable first results just two weeks ago. The 7-member crew who carried out the mission will soon be in Europe to share their experience with the Press, ESA space specialists and the European space community. Public conferences will also be held in Switzerland, the home country of ESA astronaut Claude Nicollier. The visit of the STS-61 crew is scheduled as follows: Friday 11 February, 1994 - ESA Paris, France Presentation and Press Conference Location: ESA, 8/10 Rue Mario Nikis, 75015 Paris time: 16:00 hrs - 17:30 hrs contact: ESA, Public Relations Office Tel. (+33) 1 42 73 71 55 Fax. (+33) 1 42 73 76 90 Monday 14 February, 1994 - British Aerospace, Bristol, United Kingdom Presentation and Press Conference Location: British Aerospace, FPC 333, Filton, Bristol BS12 7QW time: 10:00 hrs - 12:00 hrs contact: BAe, Public Relations Tel. (+44) 272 36 33 69 Tel. (+44) 272 36 33 68 Tuesday 15 February, 1994 - ESA/ESTEC, Noordwijk, the Netherlands Presentation and Press Conference Location: Noordwijk Space Expo, Keplerlaan 3, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, the Netherlands time: 09:30 hrs - 12:00 hrs contact: ESTEC Public Relations Office Tel. (+31) 1719 8 3006 Fax. (+31) 1719 17 400 Wednesday 16 February, 1944 - ESO, Garching - Munich, Germany Presentation and Press Conference Location: European Southern Observatory, Karl- Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching -Munich, Germany time: to be decided contact: ESO Information Service Tel. (+49) 89 32 006 276 Fax. (+49) 89 320 23 62 Thursday 17 February, 1994 - Bern, Switzerland a. Presentation and Press Conference Location: Hotel Bern, Zeughausgasse 9, 3001 Bern, Switzerland time: 09:30 hrs contact: Press & Information Service of the Federal Dept. for Education & Sciences Tel. (+41) 31 322 80 34 Fax. (+41) 31 312 30 15 b. Public conference Location: University of Bern, Institute of Physics

Agency as an Organizational Choice for Public Services Optimization. Past, Present and Future in a Spain in Crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandra Boto

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In the current global crises situation, it is essential to contemplate the administrative organization in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and rationality. A remodeling of the public sector is imperative and to do so requires a type of organizational engineering, which is able to optimize control over public expenses and the provision of essential services. This work looks at an agency’s potential for such a mission, and particularly employs the perspective of the Spanish State Agencies. This paper begins by abstractly addressing the polymorphic and polysemic phenomenon of agencies from a Comparative Law perspective and then moves on to analyze the specific background of state agencies in Spain and their present and future situation.

Space assets, technology and services in support of energy policy

Science.gov (United States)

Vasko, C. A.; Adriaensen, M.; Bretel, A.; Duvaux-Bechon, I.; Giannopapa, C. G.

2017-09-01

Space can be used as a tool by decision and policy makers in developing, implementing and monitoring various policy areas including resource management, environment, transport, security and energy. This paper focuses on the role of space for the energy policy. Firstly, the paper summarizes the European Union's (EU) main objectives in energy policy enclosed in the Energy Strategy 2020-2030-2050 and demonstrates how space assets can contribute to achieving those objectives. Secondly, the paper addresses how the European Space Agency (ESA) has established multiple initiatives and programs that directly finance the development of space assets, technology and applications that deliver services in support of the EU energy policy and sector. These efforts should be continued and strengthened in order to overcome identified technological challenges. The use of space assets, technology and applications, can help achieve the energy policy objectives for the next decades.

Application of the principles of evidence-based practice in decision making among senior management in Nova Scotia's addiction services agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Matthew; MacCarthy, M Jayne; McAllister, Lynda; Gilbert, Robert

2014-12-05

Competency profiles for occupational clusters within Canada's substance abuse workforce (SAW) define the need for skill and knowledge in evidence-based practice (EBP) across all its members. Members of the Senior Management occupational cluster hold ultimate responsibility for decisions made within addiction services agencies and therefore must possess the highest level of proficiency in EBP. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge of the principles of EBP, and use of the components of the evidence-based decision making (EBDM) process in members of this occupational cluster from selected addiction services agencies in Nova Scotia. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit participants from addiction services agencies. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with eighteen Senior Management. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and checked by the participants. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed for themes using content analysis and assisted by qualitative data analysis software (NVivo 9.0). Data analysis revealed four main themes: 1) Senior Management believe that addictions services agencies are evidence-based; 2) Consensus-based decision making is the norm; 3) Senior Management understand the principles of EBP and; 4) Senior Management do not themselves use all components of the EBDM process when making decisions, oftentimes delegating components of this process to decision support staff. Senior Management possess an understanding of the principles of EBP, however, when making decisions they often delegate components of the EBDM process to decision support staff. Decision support staff are not defined as an occupational cluster in Canada's SAW and have not been ascribed a competency profile. As such, there is no guarantee that this group possesses competency in EBDM. There is a need to advocate for the development of a defined occupational cluster and associated competency profile for this

78 FR 59005 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-25

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... with Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) and regulations governing listed fish.... Applications Received Permit 1415 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services' (USFWS) Red Bluff Fish and Wildlife...

The European Space Agency's FESTIP initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Burleson, Daphne

1998-01-01

In an effort to reduce the cost of access and open up new markets, the European Space Agency has begun a program called Future European Space Transportation Investigations Programme or FESTIP, in which reusable launcher concepts are being studied and developed. The ideal reusable launcher would be comparable to a normal aircraft in that it would be capable of taking off from many possible locations on Earth, enter the desired orbital plane, then accelerate to orbital velocity, release its payload, de-orbit, disperse its kinetic energy and land at the take-off base to be prepared for its next flight following a quick turnaround time. This ideal vehicle would be called the `single-stage-to-orbit reusable rocket launcher' or SSTO-RRL. All space launchers currently in use are staged to orbit and expendable, except the US Space Shuttle, and there is no SSTO-RRL in operation as yet. This paper will discuss the design options being studied by the European Space Agency (ESA) as well as their practical use in serving the space-launch market (FESTIP Workshop 1).

IMPROVING THE SKILL AND THE INTEREST OF WRITING ADVERTISEMENTS AND POSTERS THROUGH ESA SEQUENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

author Fatma Yuniarti

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The action reserach aims at improving the students’ writing skill especially to write advertsements and posters. Both are the short functional texts to be learned at the second semester. According to the data on pre cycle, the students of second semester got difficulties to write advertisements and posters. A treatment was necessary to help the students overcome their problem. To consider the related literature, the writer decided to implement ESA sequence (Harmer 2001 in the class. The elements of teaching in ESA Sequence are Engage (to arouse the students’ interests, Study (learn the language focus, and Activate (use the language freely and communicatively. The data were taken from the test of the linguistic competence mastery, the students writing, and the questionnaire. The students’ linguistic competence got increased as shown by the score (58 in pre-cycle, 66 in cycle 1, and 70 in cycle 2. The students’ ability to write the short functional texts also get improved as indicated by the average score on writing tasks (53 in pre-cycle, 63 in cycle 1, 72 in cycle 2. The interest also gets better as shown by the score of the questionnaire (22,3 in pre-cycle, 33,5 in cycle 1, and 37 in cycle 2. It means ESA Sequence can improve the studets’ ability to write advertisements and posters.Key words : advertisement, ESA (Engange Study Activate, poster

Evaluation of a Petition Requesting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to List the Smooth Hammerhead Shark (Sphryna zygaena) as a Threatened or Endangered Species Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Science.gov (United States)

Sturm, A. B.

2016-12-01

The wildlife conservation organization, Defenders of Wildlife, petitioned NMFS to list the smooth hammerhead shark, Sphryna zygaena, as endangered or threatened throughout its range under the ESA. The petition was critically evaluated to determine if the petitioners presented substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the smooth hammerhead shark may warrant listing under the ESA. The petition and the cited scientific literature (as well as scientific literature readily available in NMFS files) were evaluated to determine if the smooth hammerhead shark may be threatened or endangered because of any one or a combination of the following five ESA section 4(a)(1) factors: (1) present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range; (2) over utilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes; (3) disease or predation; (4) inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; (5) or other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence. The available scientific literature indicates that the smooth hammerhead shark populations have declined in multiple regions. Smooth hammerhead sharks may warrant listing due to ongoing threats of over utilization for commercial purposes by global fisheries that target and retain incidental catch of these species to obtain their high-value fins, possible inadequacies in global regulatory mechanisms to control this level of exploitation, and natural factors (such as inherent biological vulnerabilities) that may be exacerbating these threats. Based on these findings, the smooth hammerhead shark may warrant listing as a threatened or endangered species under the ESA and a status review of the species is currently being conducted.

ESA Hyporesponsiveness Is Associated with Adverse Events in Maintenance Hemodialysis (MHD Patients, But Not with Iron Storage.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takahiro Kuragano

Full Text Available It has been reported that hyporesponsiveness to erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA is associated with adverse events in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD. However, it has not been determined whether higher iron storage is associated with an improved response, including better survival, to ESA.We measured serum ferritin, hemoglobin (Hb, and transferrin saturation (TSAT levels every three months for two years in 1,095 MHD patients. The weekly dose of ESA to Hb ratio was also calculated as an index of ESA responsiveness (ERI.A significant correlation (p280; however, serum ferritin and TSAT levels did not predict a higher ERI. In the time-dependent Cox hazard model, the risk for a composite event in the patients with a high ERI (≥280 and a high ferritin level (≥100 ng/mL was significantly greater (hazard ratio [HR], 2.09, P = 0.033 than that for patients with a high ERI and a low ferritin (<100 ng/mL level.Hb was dependent upon ferritin levels in patients with ferritin levels <50 ng/mL but not in patients with ferritin levels ≥50 ng/mL. Patients with hyporesponsiveness to ESA had a greater risk of composite events, but ERI was unrelated to iron storage.

The ESA Hubble 15th Anniversary Campaign: A Trans-European collaboration project

Science.gov (United States)

Zoulias, Manolis; Christensen, Lars Lindberg; Kornmesser, Martin

2006-08-01

On April 24th 2005, NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope had been in orbit for 15 years. The anniversary was celebrated by ESA with the production of an 83 min. scientific movie and a 120 pages book, both titled ``Hubble, 15 years of discovery''. In order to cross language and distribution barriers a network of 16 translators and 22 partners from more than 10 countries was established. The DVD was distributed in approximately 700,000 copies throughout Europe. The project was amongst the largest of its kind with respect to collaboration, distribution and audience impact. It clearly demonstrated how international collaboration can produce effective cross-cultural educational and outreach products for astronomy.

78 FR 4836 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-23

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... steelhead promulgated under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The plan specifies fishery management...: January 17, 2013. Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources...

Planning an organizational wellness initiative at a multi-state social service agency.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, J Jay; Grise-Owens, Erlene; Addison, Donia; Marshall, Midaya; Trabue, Donna; Escobar-Ratliff, Laura

2016-06-01

Increasingly, organizations in general, and social service organizations, specifically, are recognizing the importance of planning and evaluating organizational wellness initiatives. Yet, few participatory models for carrying out these aims exist. For this study, researchers utilized concept mapping (CM) to explicate a conceptual framework for planning, and subsequently evaluating, a wellness initiative at a multi-state social service organization. CM is a participatory approach that analyzes qualitative data via multi-dimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses. Outputs include a number of visual depictions that allow researchers to explore complex relationships among sets of the data. Results from this study indicated that participants (N=64), all of whom were employees of the agency, conceptualized organizational wellness via an eight-cluster solution, or Concept Map. Priority areas of this framework, specifically importance and feasibility, were also explored. After a brief review of pertinent literature, this article explicates the CM methodology utilized in this study, describes results, discusses lessons learned, and identifies apt areas for future research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Threatened and endangered species evaluation for 75 licensed commercial nuclear power generating plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sackschewsky, M.R.

1997-03-01

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended, and related implementing regulations of the jurisdictional federal agencies, the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Interior, at 50 CFR Part 17. 1, et seq., require that federal agencies ensure that any action authorized, funded, or carried out under their jurisdiction is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any threatened or endangered species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitats for such species. The issuance and maintenance of a federal license, such as a construction permit or operating license issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a commercial nuclear power generating facility is a federal action under the jurisdiction of a federal agency, and is therefore subject to the provisions of the ESA. The U.S. Department of the Interior (through the Fish and Wildlife Service), and the U.S. Department of Commerce, share responsibility for administration of the ESA. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) deals with species that inhabit marine environments and anadromous fish, while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is responsible for terrestrial and freshwater species and migratory birds. A species (or other distinct taxonomic unit such as subspecies, variety, and for vertebrates, distinct population units) may be classified for protection as `endangered` when it is in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. A `threatened` classification is provided to those animals and plants likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their ranges. As of February 1997, there were about 1067 species listed under the ESA in the United States. Additionally there were approximately 125 species currently proposed for listing as threatened or endangered, and another 183 species considered to be candidates for formal listing proposals.

Threatened and endangered species evaluation for 75 licensed commercial nuclear power generating plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sackschewsky, M.R.

1997-03-01

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended, and related implementing regulations of the jurisdictional federal agencies, the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Interior, at 50 CFR Part 17. 1, et seq., require that federal agencies ensure that any action authorized, funded, or carried out under their jurisdiction is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any threatened or endangered species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitats for such species. The issuance and maintenance of a federal license, such as a construction permit or operating license issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a commercial nuclear power generating facility is a federal action under the jurisdiction of a federal agency, and is therefore subject to the provisions of the ESA. The U.S. Department of the Interior (through the Fish and Wildlife Service), and the U.S. Department of Commerce, share responsibility for administration of the ESA. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) deals with species that inhabit marine environments and anadromous fish, while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is responsible for terrestrial and freshwater species and migratory birds. A species (or other distinct taxonomic unit such as subspecies, variety, and for vertebrates, distinct population units) may be classified for protection as 'endangered' when it is in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. A 'threatened' classification is provided to those animals and plants likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their ranges. As of February 1997, there were about 1067 species listed under the ESA in the United States. Additionally there were approximately 125 species currently proposed for listing as threatened or endangered, and another 183 species considered to be candidates for formal listing proposals

76 FR 49412 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List the Saltmarsh Topminnow...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-10

... Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We find that the petition presents substantial scientific.... Endangered Species Act'' because NatureServe assessments ``have different criteria, evidence requirements...

77 FR 21084 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-09

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The proposed research program is intended to increase knowledge.... Lisa Manning, Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine...

77 FR 34349 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-11

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... and steelhead under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The HGMPs specify the operations of four... Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries...

Geophysical validation of temperature retrieved by the ESA processor from MIPAS/ENVISAT atmospheric limb-emission measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ridolfi

2007-08-01

Full Text Available The Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS has been operating since March 2002 onboard of the ENVIronmental SATellite of the European Space Agency (ESA. The high resolution (0.035 cm⁻¹ full width half maximum, unapodized limb-emission measurements acquired by MIPAS in the first two years of operation have very good geographical and temporal coverage and have been re-processed by ESA with the most recent versions (4.61 and 4.62 of the inversion algorithms. The products of this processing chain are pressures at the tangent points and geolocated profiles of temperature and of the volume mixing ratios of six key atmospheric constituents: H₂O, O₃, HNO₃, CH₄, N₂O and NO₂. As for all the measurements made with innovative instruments and techniques, this data set requires a thorough validation. In this paper we present a geophysical validation of the temperature profiles derived from MIPAS measurements by the ESA retrieval algorithm. The validation is carried-out by comparing MIPAS temperature with correlative measurements made by radiosondes, lidars, in-situ and remote sensors operated either from the ground or stratospheric balloons.

The results of the intercomparison indicate that the bias of the MIPAS profiles is generally smaller than 1 or 2 K depending on altitude. Furthermore we find that, especially at the edges of the altitude range covered by the MIPAS scan, the random error estimated from the intercomparison is larger (typically by a factor of two to three than the corresponding estimate derived on the basis of error propagation.

In this work we also characterize the discrepancies between MIPAS temperature and the temperature fields resulting from the analyses of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF. The bias and the standard deviation of these discrepancies are consistent with those obtained when

The Arabidopsis defence response mutant esa1 as a tool to discover novel resistance traits against Fusarium diseases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hemelrijck, van W.; Wouters, P.F.J.; Brouwer, M.; Windelinckx, A.; Goderis, I.J.W.M.; Bolle, De M.F.C.; Thomma, B.P.H.J.; Cammue, B.P.A.; Delauré, S.L.

2006-01-01

The Arabidopsis thaliana mutant esa1 was previously shown to exhibit enhanced susceptibility to the necrotrophic fungal pathogens Alternaria brassicicola, Botrytis cinerea and Plectosphaerella cucumerina. In this work, we tried to elaborate on this susceptibility by investigating whether the esa1

Staff Acquisition -- Agencies

Data.gov (United States)

Office of Personnel Management — Job vacancy and organizational information from customer agencies sufficient to provide requested services: examining, strategic staffing, recruitment and branding,...

Strengthening the Security of ESA Ground Data Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Flentge, Felix; Eggleston, James; Garcia Mateos, Marc

2013-08-01

A common approach to address information security has been implemented in ESA's Mission Operations (MOI) Infrastructure during the last years. This paper reports on the specific challenges to the Data Systems domain within the MOI and how security can be properly managed with an Information Security Management System (ISMS) according to ISO 27001. Results of an initial security risk assessment are reported and the different types of security controls that are being implemented in order to reduce the risks are briefly described.

SCOSII: ESA's new generation of mission control systems: The user's perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufeler, P.; Pecchioli, M.; Shurmer, I.

1994-01-01

In 1974 ESOC decided to develop a reusable Mission Control System infrastructure for ESA's missions operated under its responsibility. This triggered a long and successful product development line, which started with the Multi Mission Support System (MSSS) which entered in service in 1977 and is still being used today by the MARECS and ECS missions; it was followed in 1989 by a second generation of systems known as SCOS-I, which was/is used by the Hipparcos, ERS-1 and EURECA missions and will continue to support all future ESCO controlled missions until approximately 1995. In the meantime the increasing complexity of future missions together with the emergence of new hardware and software technologies have led ESOC to go for the development of a third generation of control systems, SCOSII, which will support their future missions up to at least the middle of the next decade. The objective of the paper is to present the characteristics of the SCOSII system from the perspective of the mission control team; i.e. it will concentrate on the improvements and advances in the performance, functionality and work efficiency of the system.

New Tools to Search for Data in the European Space Agency's Planetary Science Archive

Science.gov (United States)

Grotheer, E.; Macfarlane, A. J.; Rios, C.; Arviset, C.; Heather, D.; Fraga, D.; Vallejo, F.; De Marchi, G.; Barbarisi, I.; Saiz, J.; Barthelemy, M.; Docasal, R.; Martinez, S.; Besse, S.; Lim, T.

2016-12-01

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Planetary Science Archive (PSA), which can be accessed at http://archives.esac.esa.int/psa, provides public access to the archived data of Europe's missions to our neighboring planets. These datasets are compliant with the Planetary Data System (PDS) standards. Recently, a new interface has been released, which includes upgrades to make PDS4 data available from newer missions such as ExoMars and BepiColombo. Additionally, the PSA development team has been working to ensure that the legacy PDS3 data will be more easily accessible via the new interface as well. In addition to a new querying interface, the new PSA also allows access via the EPN-TAP and PDAP protocols. This makes the PSA data sets compatible with other archive-related tools and projects, such as the Virtual European Solar and Planetary Access (VESPA) project for creating a virtual observatory.

An empirical typology of private child and family serving agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Emmeline; Collins-Camargo, Crystal; McBeath, Bowen; Wells, Rebecca; Bunger, Alicia

2014-03-01

Differences in how services are organized and delivered can contribute significantly to variation in outcomes experienced by children and families. However, few comparative studies identify the strengths and limitations of alternative delivery system configurations. The current study provides the first empirical typology of private agencies involved with the formal child welfare system. Data collected in 2011 from a national sample of private agencies were used to classify agencies into five distinct groups based on internal management capacity, service diversification, integration, and policy advocacy. Findings reveal considerable heterogeneity in the population of private child and family serving agencies. Cross-group comparisons suggest that differences in agencies' strategic and structural characteristics correlated with agency directors' perceptions of different pressures in their external environment. Future research can use this typology to better understand local service systems and the extent to which different agency strategies affect performance and other outcomes. Such information has implications for public agency contracting decisions and could inform system-level assessment and planning of services for children and families.

Generation of Digital Surface Models from satellite photogrammetry: the DSM-OPT service of the ESA Geohazards Exploitation Platform (GEP)

Science.gov (United States)

Stumpf, André; Michéa, David; Malet, Jean-Philippe

2017-04-01

The continuously increasing fleet of agile stereo-capable very-high resolution (VHR) optical satellites has facilitated the acquisition of multi-view images of the earth surface. Theoretical revisit times have been reduced to less than one day and the highest spatial resolution which is commercially available amounts now to 30 cm/pixel. Digital Surface Models (DSM) and point clouds computed from such satellite stereo-acquisitions can provide valuable input for studies in geomorphology, tectonics, glaciology, hydrology and urban remote sensing The photogrammetric processing, however, still requires significant expertise, computational resources and costly commercial software. To enable a large Earth Science community (researcher and end-users) to process easily and rapidly VHR multi-view images, the work targets the implementation of a fully automatic satellite-photogrammetry pipeline (i.e DSM-OPT) on the ESA Geohazards Exploitation Platform (GEP). The implemented pipeline is based on the open-source photogrammetry library MicMac [1] and is designed for distributed processing on a cloud-based infrastructure. The service can be employed in pre-defined processing modes (i.e. urban, plain, hilly, and mountainous environments) or in an advanced processing mode (i.e. in which expert-users have the possibility to adapt the processing parameters to their specific applications). Four representative use cases are presented to illustrate the accuracy of the resulting surface models and ortho-images as well as the overall processing time. These use cases consisted of the construction of surface models from series of Pléiades images for four applications: urban analysis (Strasbourg, France), landslide detection in mountainous environments (South French Alps), co-seismic deformation in mountain environments (Central Italy earthquake sequence of 2016) and fault recognition for paleo-tectonic analysis (North-East India). Comparisons of the satellite-derived topography to airborne

Mida suudab muusikateraapia? / Melanie Voigt, Esa Ala-Ruona ; inetrvjueerinud Kristel Kossar

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Voigt, Melanie

2012-01-01

Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemias toimunud Euroopa Muusikateraapia Konföderatsiooni peaassambleel ja sümpoosionil ettekannetega esinenud muusikaterapeudid Malanie Voigt Saksamaalt ja Esa Ala-Ruona Soomest räägivad tööst puuetega lastega ja tööstressist ning heliilmast

76 FR 61707 - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-05

... will provide the grantees with technical assistance regarding research design, data collection, data... instruments are designed to capture a combination of quantitative and qualitative data. No claim is made that... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Agency...

Service and Emotional Support Animals on Campus: The Relevance and Controversy

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Melinda

2016-01-01

Service and emotional support animals (ESA) have recently been a topic of conversation on college campuses, despite decades of controversy related to the interpretation of federal law. The distinction between an Emotional Support Animal and Service Animals, and the rights of the student regarding accommodations under FHA and ADA have been debated…

76 FR 5339 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-31

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XA182 Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... are issued in accordance with and are subject to the ESA and NMFS regulations governing listed fish...

75 FR 16738 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-02

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... River fall Chinook salmon under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The FMEP specifies the future... fish, sturgeon, carp, and other species.'' The FMEP describes the management of recreational fisheries...

77 FR 75611 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-21

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... promulgated under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The plans specify the propagation of five species of... 10, 2000). Dated: December 17, 2012. Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of...

76 FR 78242 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-16

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XA866 Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to help guide management and conservation efforts. The application may be...

77 FR 27188 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-09

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... regulations promulgated for Pacific salmon and steelhead under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The HGMPs...). Dated: May 3, 2012. Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources...

76 FR 15946 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-22

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... research permit application request relating to salmonids listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA... research activities. The purpose of the research program is to collect warmwater fish species to analyze...

ESA's Multi-mission Sentinel-1 Toolbox

Science.gov (United States)

Veci, Luis; Lu, Jun; Foumelis, Michael; Engdahl, Marcus

2017-04-01

The Sentinel-1 Toolbox is a new open source software for scientific learning, research and exploitation of the large archives of Sentinel and heritage missions. The Toolbox is based on the proven BEAM/NEST architecture inheriting all current NEST functionality including multi-mission support for most civilian satellite SAR missions. The project is funded through ESA's Scientific Exploitation of Operational Missions (SEOM). The Sentinel-1 Toolbox will strive to serve the SEOM mandate by providing leading-edge software to the science and application users in support of ESA's operational SAR mission as well as by educating and growing a SAR user community. The Toolbox consists of a collection of processing tools, data product readers and writers and a display and analysis application. A common architecture for all Sentinel Toolboxes is being jointly developed by Brockmann Consult, Array Systems Computing and C-S called the Sentinel Application Platform (SNAP). The SNAP architecture is ideal for Earth Observation processing and analysis due the following technological innovations: Extensibility, Portability, Modular Rich Client Platform, Generic EO Data Abstraction, Tiled Memory Management, and a Graph Processing Framework. The project has developed new tools for working with Sentinel-1 data in particular for working with the new Interferometric TOPSAR mode. TOPSAR Complex Coregistration and a complete Interferometric processing chain has been implemented for Sentinel-1 TOPSAR data. To accomplish this, a coregistration following the Spectral Diversity[4] method has been developed as well as special azimuth handling in the coherence, interferogram and spectral filter operators. The Toolbox includes reading of L0, L1 and L2 products in SAFE format, calibration and de-noising, slice product assembling, TOPSAR deburst and sub-swath merging, terrain flattening radiometric normalization, and visualization for L2 OCN products. The Toolbox also provides several new tools for

ESA parabolic flights, drop tower and centrifuge opportunities for university students

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Callens, N; Ventura-Traveset, J.; de Lophem, T.L.; Lopez de Echazarreta, C.; Pletser, V.; van Loon, J.J.W.A

2011-01-01

"Fly Your Thesis!-An Astronaut Experience" is an educational programme launched by the ESA Education Office that aims to offer to European students the unique opportunity to design, build, and eventually fly, a scientific experiment as part of their Master or Ph.D. thesis. Selected teams accompany

Rheticus Displacement: an Automatic Geo-Information Service Platform for Ground Instabilities Detection and Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Chiaradia, M. T.; Samarelli, S.; Agrimano, L.; Lorusso, A. P.; Nutricato, R.; Nitti, D. O.; Morea, A.; Tijani, K.

2016-12-01

Rheticus® is an innovative cloud-based data and services hub able to deliver Earth Observation added-value products through automatic complex processes and a minimum interaction with human operators. This target is achieved by means of programmable components working as different software layers in a modern enterprise system which relies on SOA (service-oriented-architecture) model. Due to its architecture, where every functionality is well defined and encapsulated in a standalone component, Rheticus is potentially highly scalable and distributable allowing different configurations depending on the user needs. Rheticus offers a portfolio of services, ranging from the detection and monitoring of geohazards and infrastructural instabilities, to marine water quality monitoring, wildfires detection or land cover monitoring. In this work, we outline the overall cloud-based platform and focus on the "Rheticus Displacement" service, aimed at providing accurate information to monitor movements occurring across landslide features or structural instabilities that could affect buildings or infrastructures. Using Sentinel-1 (S1) open data images and Multi-Temporal SAR Interferometry techniques (i.e., SPINUA), the service is complementary to traditional survey methods, providing a long-term solution to slope instability monitoring. Rheticus automatically browses and accesses (on a weekly basis) the products of the rolling archive of ESA S1 Scientific Data Hub; S1 data are then handled by a mature running processing chain, which is responsible of producing displacement maps immediately usable to measure with sub-centimetric precision movements of coherent points. Examples are provided, concerning the automatic displacement map generation process, as well as the integration of point and distributed scatterers, the integration of multi-sensors displacement maps (e.g., Sentinel-1 IW and COSMO-SkyMed HIMAGE), the combination of displacement rate maps acquired along both ascending

76 FR 31556 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Act Listing Determination for...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-01

... Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA... Species Act Listing Determination for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service... endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.'' The...

78 FR 43858 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-22

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... number of predicted adults increase, the number of fish escaping to the spawning grounds will also... fish; and (3) application of a sliding scale approach to determine appropriate ESA take limits on...

77 FR 27186 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-09

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to help guide management and conservation efforts. The applications may be... salmon, and LCR steelhead. The purpose of this research is to determine fish species presence and...

76 FR 27016 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-10

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... increase knowledge of species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and help guide management and... during the species' upstream migration. Captured fish would be transported in a tanker truck and released...

76 FR 15932 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Listing of Nine Distinct Population Segments of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-22

... Loggerhead Sea Turtles as Endangered or Threatened AGENCIES: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... Distinct Population Segments (DPS) of loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, as endangered or threatened... populations of loggerhead sea turtle'' as an endangered species under the ESA. NMFS published a notice in the...

Employment protection and temporary work agencies

OpenAIRE

Baumann, Florian; Mechtel, Mario; Stähler, Nikolai

2008-01-01

Employers who use temporary agency staff in contrast to regular staff are not affected by employment protection regulations when terminating a job. Therefore, services provided by temporary work agencies may be seen as a substitute for regular employment. In this paper, we analyze the effects of employment protection on the size of the temporary work agency sector in a model of equilibrium unemployment. We find that higher firing costs may even reduce temporary work agency employment if agenc...

Detection of pigments of halophilic endoliths from gypsum: Raman portable instrument and European Space Agency's prototype analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Culka, Adam; Osterrothová, Kateřina; Hutchinson, Ian; Ingley, Richard; McHugh, Melissa; Oren, Aharon; Edwards, Howell G. M.; Jehlička, Jan

2014-01-01

A prototype instrument, under development at the University of Leicester, for the future European Space Agency (ESA) ExoMars mission, was used for the analysis of microbial pigments within a stratified gypsum crust from a hypersaline saltern evaporation pond at Eilat (Israel). Additionally, the same samples were analysed using a miniaturized Raman spectrometer, featuring the same 532 nm excitation. The differences in the position of the specific bands, attributed to carotenoid pigments from different coloured layers, were minor when analysed by the ESA prototype instrument; therefore, making it difficult to distinguish among the different pigments. The portable Delta Nu Advantage instrument allowed for the discrimination of microbial carotenoids from the orange/green and purple layers. The purpose of this study was to complement previous laboratory results with new data and experience with portable or handheld Raman systems, even with a dedicated prototype Raman system for the exploration of Mars. The latter is equipped with an excitation wavelength falling within the carotenoid polyene resonance region. The ESA prototype Raman instrument detected the carotenoid pigments (biomarkers) with ease, although further detailed distinctions among them were not achieved. PMID:25368354

Detection of pigments of halophilic endoliths from gypsum: Raman portable instrument and European Space Agency's prototype analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Culka, Adam; Osterrothová, Kateřina; Hutchinson, Ian; Ingley, Richard; McHugh, Melissa; Oren, Aharon; Edwards, Howell G M; Jehlička, Jan

2014-12-13

A prototype instrument, under development at the University of Leicester, for the future European Space Agency (ESA) ExoMars mission, was used for the analysis of microbial pigments within a stratified gypsum crust from a hypersaline saltern evaporation pond at Eilat (Israel). Additionally, the same samples were analysed using a miniaturized Raman spectrometer, featuring the same 532 nm excitation. The differences in the position of the specific bands, attributed to carotenoid pigments from different coloured layers, were minor when analysed by the ESA prototype instrument; therefore, making it difficult to distinguish among the different pigments. The portable Delta Nu Advantage instrument allowed for the discrimination of microbial carotenoids from the orange/green and purple layers. The purpose of this study was to complement previous laboratory results with new data and experience with portable or handheld Raman systems, even with a dedicated prototype Raman system for the exploration of Mars. The latter is equipped with an excitation wavelength falling within the carotenoid polyene resonance region. The ESA prototype Raman instrument detected the carotenoid pigments (biomarkers) with ease, although further detailed distinctions among them were not achieved. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Transforming (perceived rigidity in environmental law through adaptive governance: a case of Endangered Species Act implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hannah Gosnell

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The Endangered Species Act (ESA is often portrayed as a major source of instability and crisis in river basins of the U.S. West, where the needs of listed fish species frequently clash with agriculture dependent on federal irrigation projects subject to ESA Section 7 prohibitions on federal agency actions likely to jeopardize listed species or adversely modify critical habitat. Scholarship on Section 7 characterizes the process as unwaveringly rigid, the legal "hammer" forcing federal agencies to consider endangered species' needs when proposing operations and management plans for federally funded irrigation. In this paper, we identify barriers to an integrated approach to Section 7 implementation and characterize a set of strategies for overcoming its rigidity that may have broader applicability. We draw on lessons derived from the Klamath Basin along the Oregon-California border, where cross-scale processes and venues involving interagency collaboration among leaders in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation supported efforts to replace an ecologically and socially fragmented Upper Basin/Lower Basin approach to ESA implementation fraught with conflict. The result was the nation's first joint biological opinion (BiOp, which effectively institutionalized an adaptive, flexible, integrated approach to water sharing among competing interests. Keys to success included existing collaborative capacity related to shifting stakeholder networks, trust, and relationships and a shift in local agency culture facilitated by empathic leadership leading to a greater sense of shared responsibility for Section 7 compliance. A collaborative hydrologic modeling process enhanced participatory capacity, facilitated transformative social and technical learning, and cultivated greater understanding of the social-ecological system among key stakeholders. The 2013 joint BiOp exemplifies both

ESA parabolic flights, drop tower and centrifuge opportunities for university students

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Callens, N.; Ventura-Traveset, J.; de Lophem, T.L.; Lopez de Echazarreta, C.; Pletser, V.; van Loon, J.J.W.A.

2011-01-01

"Fly Your Thesis!—An Astronaut Experience" is an educational programme launched by the ESA Education Office that aims to offer to European students the unique opportunity to design, build, and eventually fly, a scientific experiment as part of their Master or Ph.D. thesis. Selected teams accompany

Hubble gets new ESA-supplied solar arrays

Science.gov (United States)

1993-12-01

Derek Eaton, ESA project manager, was overjoyed with the success of the day's spacewalk. "To build two such massive arrays some years apart to such tight tolerances and have one replace the other with so few problems is a tribute to the design and manufacturing skills of ESA and British Aerospace, the prime contractor for the arrays", he said. "The skill of Kathy and Tom contributed greatly to this success". The astronauts began their spacewalk at 09h30 p.m. CST (04h30 a.m. CET, Monday). Their first task was to jettison the troublesome solar array that failed to retract yesterday. Perched on the end of the shuttle's robot arm, 7.5 metres above the cargo bay, Thornton carefully released the array. ESA astronaut Claude Nicollier then pulled the arm away from the free-floating panel and mission commander Dick Covey fired the shuttle's thrusters to back away. Endeavour and the discarded array are moving apart at a rate of 18.5 kilometres each 90-minute orbit of the Earth. The array is expected to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere harmlessly within a year or so. The astronauts had no problems installing the new arrays and stowing the left-hand wing in the cargo bay for the return to Earth. The new arrays will remain rolled-up against the side of the telescope until the fifth spacewalk on Wednesday/Thursday. The telescope itself will be deployed on Saturday. The telescope's first set of arrays flexed in orbit because of the sudden swing in temperature as the craft moved in and out of sunlight. The movement, or "jitter", affected the telescope's pointing system and disrupted observations at times. The Space Telescope Operations Control Centre largely compensated for the problem with special software but this occupied a large amount of computer memory. The new arrays incorporate three major changes to eliminate the problem. The metal bi-stem booms, which support the solar blankets, is protected from extreme temperature changes by a concertina-style sleeve made up of one

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2007 Appropriations

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Vincent, Carol H; Bearden, David M; Corn, M. L; Gorte, Ross W; Humphries, Marc; Sheikh, Pervaze A; Whiteman, David L; Boren, Susan; Walke, Roger; Bea, Keith

2007-01-01

... of Health and Human Services. It also includes funding for arts and cultural agencies; the Environmental Protection Agency, which was recently transferred to the appropriations subcommittees that deal with Interior and Related Agencies...

78 FR 40729 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-08

... precision requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response... Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY: Washington Headquarters Service (WHS), DOD. ACTION: 30... (Generic ICR): ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery...

ANALYTICAL METHOD DEVELOPMENT FOR ALACHLOR ESA AND OTHER ACETANILIDE HERBICIDE DEGRADATION PRODUCTS

Science.gov (United States)

In 1998, USEPA published a Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) of 50 chemicals and 10 microorganisms. "Alachlor ESA and other acetanilide herbicide degradation products" is listed on the the 1998 CCL. Acetanilide degradation products are generally more water soluble...

Interstellar Neutral Helium in the Heliosphere from IBEX Observations. V. Observations in IBEX-Lo ESA Steps 1, 2, and 3

Science.gov (United States)

Swaczyna, Paweł; Bzowski, Maciej; Kubiak, Marzena A.; Sokół, Justyna M.; Fuselier, Stephen A.; Galli, André; Heirtzler, David; Kucharek, Harald; McComas, David J.; Möbius, Eberhard; Schwadron, Nathan A.; Wurz, P.

2018-02-01

Direct-sampling observations of interstellar neutral (ISN) He by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) provide valuable insight into the physical state of and processes operating in the interstellar medium ahead of the heliosphere. The ISN He atom signals are observed at the four lowest ESA steps of the IBEX-Lo sensor. The observed signal is a mixture of the primary and secondary components of ISN He and H. Previously, only data from one of the ESA steps have been used. Here, we extend the analysis to data collected in the three lowest ESA steps with the strongest ISN He signal, for the observation seasons 2009–2015. The instrument sensitivity is modeled as a linear function of the atom impact speed onto the sensor’s conversion surface separately for each ESA step of the instrument. We find that the sensitivity increases from lower to higher ESA steps, but within each of the ESA steps it is a decreasing function of the atom impact speed. This result may be influenced by the hydrogen contribution, which was not included in the adopted model, but seems to exist in the signal. We conclude that the currently accepted temperature of ISN He and velocity of the Sun through the interstellar medium do not need a revision, and we sketch a plan of further data analysis aiming at investigating ISN H and a better understanding of the population of ISN He originating in the outer heliosheath.

78 FR 32378 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-30

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... application was provided by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Public Utility... Department of Fish and Wildlife submitted an application for an ESA permit to operate the Nason Creek spring...

75 FR 16745 - Endangered and Threatened Species; 90-Day Finding on a Petition to Delist Coho Salmon South of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-02

... Salmon South of San Francisco Bay AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and... delist coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in coastal counties south of the ocean entrance to San... Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. Coho salmon populations in this region are currently listed under...

76 FR 62375 - Endangered and Threatened Species; 90-Day Finding on Petitions To Delist Coho Salmon Under the...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-07

... Salmon Under the Endangered Species Act AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National.... SUMMARY: We, NMFS, announce a 90-day finding on three petitions to delist coho salmon (Oncorhynchus... delist coho salmon under the ESA. We also received two similar petitions from the Siskiyou County Water...

76 FR 6383 - Endangered and Threatened Species; 12-Month Finding on a Petition To Delist Coho Salmon South of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-04

... Coho Salmon South of San Francisco Bay AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National... finding on a petition to delist coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in coastal counties south of the ocean... the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. Coho salmon populations in this region are...

76 FR 35755 - Listing Endangered and Threatened Species: Threatened Status for the Oregon Coast Coho Salmon...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-20

... Oregon Coast Coho Salmon Evolutionarily Significant Unit AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... the Oregon Coast (OC) Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch... coho salmon ESU as threatened under the ESA in 1995 (60 FR 38011; July 25, 1995). Since then, we have...

75 FR 82212 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-29

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... Chinook salmon under Limit 6 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) 4(d) Rule for salmon and steelhead, a.... Dated: December 22, 2010. Susan Pultz, Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected...

76 FR 14923 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-18

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... knowledge of species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and help guide management and... harvested groundfish species. The survey would collect data on 90+ fish species in the ocean to fulfill the...

75 FR 14132 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-24

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The proposed modification is to extend the existing permit... regulations prohibit the ``taking'' of a species listed as endangered or threatened. The term ``take'' is...

75 FR 67682 - Endangered Species; File No. 15566

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-03

... permit is requested under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XA013 Endangered Species; File No. 15566 AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

76 FR 74778 - Endangered Species

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-01

.... 16439] Endangered Species AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and... has been issued under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered and...

77 FR 34061 - Endangered Species; Issuance of Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-08

...-FF09A30000] Endangered Species; Issuance of Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION... following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species. We issue these permits under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). ADDRESSES: Brenda Tapia, Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and...

78 FR 27255 - Endangered Species; Issuance of Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-09

...-FF09A30000] Endangered Species; Issuance of Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION... following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species. We issue these permits under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). ADDRESSES: Brenda Tapia, Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and...

78 FR 56922 - Endangered Species; Issuance of Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-16

...-FF09A30000] Endangered Species; Issuance of Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION... following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species. We issue these permits under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). ADDRESSES: Brenda Tapia, Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and...

The ESA Lunar Lander and the search for Lunar Volatiles

Science.gov (United States)

Morse, A. D.; Barber, S. J.; Pillinger, J. M.; Sheridan, S.; Wright, I. P.; Gibson, E. K.; Merrifield, J. A.; Waltham, N. R.; Waugh, L. J.; Pillinger, C. T.

2011-10-01

Following the Apollo era the moon was considered a volatile poor body. Samples collected from the Apollo missions contained only ppm levels of water formed by the interaction of the solar wind with the lunar regolith [1]. However more recent orbiter observations have indicated that water may exist as water ice in cold polar regions buried within craters at concentrations of a few wt. % [2]. Infrared images from M3 on Chandrayaan-1 have been interpreted as showing the presence of hydrated surface minerals with the ongoing hydroxyl/water process feeding cold polar traps. This has been supported by observation of ephemeral features termed "space dew" [3]. Meanwhile laboratory studies indicate that water could be present in appreciable quantities in lunar rocks [4] and could also have a cometary source [5]. The presence of sufficient quantities of volatiles could provide a resource which would simplify logistics for long term lunar missions. The European Space Agency (ESA's Directorate of Human Spaceflight and Operations) have provisionally scheduled a robotic mission to demonstrate key technologies to enable later human exploration. Planned for launch in 2018, the primary aim is for precise automated landing, with hazard avoidance, in zones which are almost constantly illuminated (e.g. at the edge of the Shackleton crater at the lunar south pole). These regions would enable the solar powered Lander to survive for long periods > 6 months, but require accurate navigation to within 200m. Although landing in an illuminated area, these regions are close to permanently shadowed volatile rich regions and the analysis of volatiles is a major science objective of the mission. The straw man payload includes provision for a Lunar Volatile and Resources Analysis Package (LVRAP). The authors have been commissioned by ESA to conduct an evaluation of possible technologies to be included in L-VRAP which can be included within the Lander payload. Scientific aims are to demonstrate the

Homogeneity testing of the global ESA CCI multi-satellite soil moisture climate data record

Science.gov (United States)

Preimesberger, Wolfgang; Su, Chun-Hsu; Gruber, Alexander; Dorigo, Wouter

2017-04-01

ESA's Climate Change Initiative (CCI) creates a global, long-term data record by merging multiple available earth observation products with the goal to provide a product for climate studies, trend analysis, and risk assessments. The blending of soil moisture (SM) time series derived from different active and passive remote sensing instruments with varying sensor characteristics, such as microwave frequency, signal polarization or radiometric accuracy, could potentially lead to inhomogeneities in the merged long-term data series, undercutting the usefulness of the product. To detect the spatio-temporal extent of contiguous periods without inhomogeneities as well as subsequently minimizing their negative impact on the data records, different relative homogeneity tests (namely Fligner-Killeen test of homogeneity of variances and Wilcoxon rank-sums test) are implemented and tested on the combined active-passive ESA CCI SM data set. Inhomogeneities are detected by comparing the data against reference data from in-situ data from ISMN, and model-based estimates from GLDAS-Noah and MERRA-Land. Inhomogeneity testing is performed over the ESA CCI SM data time frame of 38 years (from 1978 to 2015), on a global quarter-degree grid and with regard to six alterations in the combination of observation systems used in the data blending process. This study describes and explains observed variations in the spatial and temporal patterns of inhomogeneities in the combined products. Besides we proposes methodologies for measuring and reducing the impact of inhomogeneities on trends derived from the ESA CCI SM data set, and suggest the use of inhomogeneity-corrected data for future trend studies. This study is supported by the European Union's FP7 EartH2Observe "Global Earth Observation for Integrated Water Resource Assessment" project (grant agreement number 331 603608).

76 FR 80902 - Senior Executive Service; Performance Review Board; Members

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-27

... COURT SERVICES AND OFFENDER SUPERVISION AGENCY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Senior Executive Service; Performance Review Board; Members AGENCY: Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the... agency's Senior Executive Service. The PRB established for the Court Services and Offender Supervision...

Organizational behavior of regulatory agencies: a case study of the Bureau of Consumer Services in the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silver, J.H.

1981-01-01

Regulatory agencies operate in a complex field of organizations and interest groups. The variety of behaviors that occur in the regulatory field are not satisfactorily explained by current interpretative frameworks. Regulatory agencies are at once criticized and praised. They flourish as organizational entities, yet they exhibit behavior that is often inexplicable. Notions like clientele capture, the politics of regulation, exchange theory, and institutionalized organizations do not singly explain the vagaries of regulatory behavior. A merger of these viewpoints, however, provides a foundation for a comprehensive interpretative framework. A bureau of consumer services within a state public utility commission is viewed as an institutionalized organization. From this perspective, a variety of ritual behaviors, based upon symbolic and tangible interorganizational exchanges are observed and characterized. The outcome of these exchanges is the establishment of the Bureau of Consumer Services as a legitimate regulatory agent with significant impact upon the formulation of regulatory policy in the formal proceedings of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

An Innovative Method for Evaluating Strategic Goals in a Public Agency: Conservation Leadership in the U.S. Forest Service

Science.gov (United States)

David N. Bengston; David P. Fan

1999-01-01

This article presents an innovative methodology for evaluating strategic planning goals in a public agency. Computer-coded content analysis was used to evaluate attitudes expressed in about 28,000 on-line news media stories about the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and its strategic goal of conservation leadership. Three dimensions of conservation...

TEMPO: an ESA-funded project for uncovering significant features of the South Atlantic Anomaly

Science.gov (United States)

Pavón-Carrasco, F. Javier; De Santis, Angelo

2016-04-01

In this work we provide the last results of the ESA (European Space Agency) funded project TEMPO ("Is The Earth's Magnetic field POtentially reversing? New insights from Swarm mission"). The mail goal of this project is to analyse the time and spatial evolution of one of the most important features of the present geomagnetic field, i.e. the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). The region covered by this anomaly is characterized by values of geomagnetic field intensity around 30% lower than expected for those latitudes and extends over a large area in the South Atlantic Ocean, South America, South Africa and the Eastern Pacific Ocean. This large depression of the geomagnetic field strength has its origin in a prominent patch of reversed polarity flux in the Earth's outer core. The study of the SAA is an important challenge nowadays not only for the geomagnetic and paleomagnetic community, but also for other areas focused on the Earth Observation due to the protective role of this potential field against the charged particles forming the solar wind. A further increase of the SAA surface extent could have dramatic consequences for human health and technologies because a larger number of solar charged particles could reach the Earth's surface.

Form follows function? Proposing a blueprint for ecosystem service assessments based on reviews and case studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seppelt, R.; Fath, B.; Burkhard, B.; Fisher, J.L.; Grêt-Regamey, A.; Lautenbach, S.; Pert, P.; Hotes, S.; Spangenberg, J.; Verburg, P.H.; Oudenhoven, van A.P.E.

2012-01-01

Ecosystem service assessments (ESA) hold the promise of supporting the quantification and valuation of human appropriation of nature and its goods and services. The concept has taken flight with the number of studies published on the topic increasing rapidly. This development, and the variation of

78 FR 7755 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-04

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS...)(A) of the ESA of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) and regulations governing listed fish and wildlife.... In situations where the SWFSC are unable to rely on collaborators to capture fish through rotary...

76 FR 51352 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-18

... Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), for a direct take permit pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... Section 9 of the ESA and Federal regulations prohibit the ``taking'' of a species listed as endangered or...

76 FR 61344 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-04

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... modifications, as required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) (ESA), is based on a.... Species Covered in This Notice This notice is relevant to federally endangered Central California Coast...

76 FR 58471 - Endangered Species; File No. 16306

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-21

... requested under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XA712 Endangered Species; File No. 16306 AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

76 FR 2348 - Endangered Species

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-13

.... 15596] Endangered Species AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and... requested permit has been issued under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA... endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226). The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher has been...

78 FR 29114 - Endangered Species; File No. 17304

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-17

... requested under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XC667 Endangered Species; File No. 17304 AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

Stability and Repeatability of the Distress Thermometer (DT and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-Revised (ESAS-r with Parents of Childhood Cancer Survivors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatsiana Leclair

Full Text Available Parents report psychological distress in association with their child's cancer. Reliable tools are needed to screen parental distress over the cancer trajectory. This study aimed to estimate the stability and repeatability of the Distress Thermometer (DT and the Depression and Anxiety items of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-revised (ESAS-r-D; -A in parents of children diagnosed with cancer.Fifty parents (28 mothers, median age = 44 of clinically stable survivors of childhood solid and brain tumours completed questionnaires about their own distress (DT, ESAS-r-D; -A, Brief Symptom Inventory-18: BSI-18, Patient Health Questionnaire-9: PHQ-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7: GAD-7 and their children's quality of life (QoL; Peds Quality of Life: PedsQL twice, with a month interval between the two assessments. At retest, parents also evaluated life events that occurred between the two time points. Hierarchical regressions explored moderators for the temporal stability of test measures.Stability estimates were ICC = .78 for the DT, .55 for the ESAS-r-D, and .47 for the ESAS-r-A. Caseness agreement between test and retest was substantial for the DT, fair for the ESAS-r-D, and slight for the ESAS-r-A. Repeatability analyses indicated that the error range for the DT was more than 2 pts below/above actual measurement, whereas it was more than 3 pts for the ESAS-r-A, and 2.5 for the ESAS-r-D. Instability of the DT could be explained by changes in children's physical QoL, but not by other components of QoL or life events. No moderators of stability could be identified for the ESAS-r items.The DT appears to be a fairly stable measure when the respondent's condition is stable yet with a relatively wide error range. Fluctuations in distress-related constructs may affect the temporal stability of the DT. The lower stability of ESAS-r items may result from shorter time-lapse instructions resulting in a greater sensitivity to change. Findings support

78 FR 52925 - Agency Information Collection

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-27

..., RAs will observe case managers/social workers during their interaction with the patients. To evaluate... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Agency... implementers of the EDT (RNs, case managers, social workers, research assistants), the objectives will include...

31 CFR 210.6 - Agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Agencies. 210.6 Section 210.6 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION IN THE AUTOMATED...

The SCD - Stem Cell Differentiation ESA Project: Preparatory Work for the Spaceflight Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Versari, Silvia; Barenghi, Livia; van Loon, Jack; Bradamante, Silvia

2016-04-01

Due to spaceflight, astronauts experience serious, weightlessness-induced bone loss because of an unbalanced process of bone remodeling that involves bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), as well as osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts. The effects of microgravity on osteo-cells have been extensively studied, but it is only recently that consideration has been given to the role of BMSCs. Previous researches indicated that human BMSCs cultured in simulated microgravity (sim-μg) alter their proliferation and differentiation. The spaceflight opportunities for biomedical experiments are rare and suffer from a number of operative constraints that could bias the validity of the experiment itself, but remain a unique opportunity to confirm and explain the effects due to microgravity, that are only partially activated/detectable in simulated conditions. For this reason, we carefully prepared the SCD - STEM CELLS DIFFERENTIATION experiment, selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) and now on the International Space Station (ISS). Here we present the preparatory studies performed on ground to adapt the project to the spaceflight constraints in terms of culture conditions, fixation and storage of human BMSCs in space aiming at satisfying the biological requirements mandatory to retrieve suitable samples for post-flight analyses. We expect to understand better the molecular mechanisms governing human BMSC growth and differentiation hoping to outline new countermeasures against astronaut bone loss.

76 FR 9584 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-18

... Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Correction of Burden Table. SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration published an Agency Information Collection document in the Federal Register of... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency...

75 FR 61765 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-06

... Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Correction in Burden Table. SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration published an Agency Information Collection document in the Federal Register of... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency...

High dose ESAs are associated with high iPTH levels in hemodialysis patients with end-stage kidney disease: a retrospective analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lan eChen

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: Anemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism are the two most common complications associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs are widely used in the management of anemia in hemodialysis patients. A reverse correlation has been established between hyperparathyroidism and hemoglobin levels. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the relationship of high dose ESAs and hyperparathyroidism in hemodialysis patients with anemia. Methods: A total of 240 uremic patients maintained on regular hemodialysis were enrolled into this study. Among them, 142 patients were treated with Epiao® (epoetin-alfa and 98 patients were treated with Recormon® (epoetin-beta. The target hemoglobin concentration was 110-130 g/L. Laboratory measurements including hemoglobin, calcium, phosphorus, albumin, intact-parathyroid hormone (iPTH, serum ferritin and transferrin saturation were collected. Results: Hemoglobin concentration increased as iPTH level decreased by stratification. However, no significant association between anemia and calcium or phosphorus level was found. Patients with iPTH levels within 150-300 pg/mL had the highest levels of hemoglobin, serum ferritin and transferrin saturation. Patients treated with Recormon and Epiao had similar hemoglobin concentrations. However, the dose of Recormon for anemia treatment was significantly less than that the dose of Epiao (P<0.05. The level of iPTH in the Recormon group was significantly lower than in the Epiao group. In patients with hemoglobin levels between 110-130 g/L (P<0.05, iPTH level was found to be significantly lower in patients treated with lower doses of ESAs than in patients treated with higher doses of ESAs, no matter which ESA was used (Recormon or Epiao, P<0.05. Conclusions: The dose of ESAs might be positively associated with iPTH level, suggesting that a reasonable hemoglobin target can be achieved by using the lowest possible ESA dose.

77 FR 25127 - Food and Nutrition Service

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-27

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Agency Information Collection Activities... Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In... State agencies in order to receive approval from the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to operate a D...

Professional Veterinary Programs' Perceptions and Experiences Pertaining to Emotional Support Animals and Service Animals, and Recommendations for Policy Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoenfeld-Tacher, Regina M; Kogan, Lori R

Given the unique nature of programs in professional veterinary medicine (PVM), the increasing numbers of students requesting accommodations for emotional support animals (ESAs) in higher education settings is of growing interest to student affairs and administrative staff in PVM settings. Since the legislation pertaining to this type of support animal differs from the laws governing disability service animals, colleges and universities now need to develop new policies and guidelines. Representatives from a sample of 28 PVM programs completed a survey about the prevalence of student requests for ESAs and service animals. PVM associate deans for academic affairs also reported their perceptions of this issue and the challenges these requests might pose within veterinary teaching laboratories and patient treatment areas. Responses indicated that approximately one third of PVM programs have received requests for ESAs (32.1%) in the last 2 years, 17.9% have had requests for psychiatric service animals, and 17.9% for other types of service animals. Despite this, most associate deans reported not having or not being aware of university or college policies pertaining to these issues. Most associate deans are interested in learning more about this topic. This paper provides general recommendations for establishing university or PVM program policies.

Programmatic overview of GMES Space Component and implementation status

Science.gov (United States)

Aschbacher, Josef; Milagro, Maria Pilar

2010-05-01

GMES, the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security initiative, is a programme to provide the most comprehensive understanding of the state of land, air and water. Created in 1998 as an independent joint initiative of the European Commission (EC) and the European Space Agency (ESA), GMES will combine information from the world's biggest fleet of satellites and from thousands of atmospheric and Earth based sensors across the world in order to provide joined-up, timely, reliable and easily accessible information in domains such as natural disaster planning and response, the environment, agriculture, land use, climate change and security. GMES is made up of an In-situ Component, a Services Component and a Space Component. ESA is responsible for coordinating the Space Component which is composed of dedicated satellite missions, called Sentinels, and so called Contributing Missions, owned and operated by national agencies or commercial entities of ESA/EU Member States, EUMETSAT or other third parties. It also comprises the associated Ground Segment infrastructure necessary to access, process and disseminate the data from the multitude of missions contributing to GMES. ESA is also responsible for the development and procurement of the dedicated Sentinel satellites. Lastly, ESA will act as interim operator for Sentinel missions -1, -2 and land part of Sentinel-3 while EUMETSAT will operate the ocean part of Sentinel-3 as well as the S-4/-5 instruments which are flying on-board EUMETSAT's MTG and post-EPS respectively. The Sentinels will be the first series of dedicated operational satellites to meet the Earth observation needs of GMES users concerning atmosphere, ocean and land monitoring as well as emergency response and security. The Sentinel-1 constellation is a pair of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellites. It ensures continuity of C-band SAR data and builds upon heritage and experience with the ERS and Envisat satellites. Sentinel-1 satellites will

Form follows function? Proposing a blueprint for ecosystem service assessment studies based on reviews and case studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seppelt, R.; Fath, B.; Burkhard, B.; Fisher, J.L.; Gret-Regamay, A.; Lautenbach, S.; Pert, P.; Hotes, S.; Spangenberg, J.; Verburg, P.H.; van Oudenhoven, A.P.E.

2012-01-01

Ecosystem service assessments (ESA) hold the promise of supporting the quantification and valuation of human appropriation of nature and its goods and services. The concept has taken flight with the number of studies published on the topic increasing rapidly. This development, and the variation of

Religion-Related Child Maltreatment: A Profile of Cases Encountered by Legal and Social Service Agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Bottoms, Bette L; Goodman, Gail S; Tolou-Shams, Marina; Diviak, Kathleen R; Shaver, Phillip R

2015-08-01

Religion can foster, facilitate, and be used to justify child maltreatment. Yet religion-related child abuse and neglect have received little attention from social scientists. We examined 249 cases of religion-related child maltreatment reported to social service agencies, police departments, and prosecutors' offices nationwide. We focused on cases involving maltreatment perpetrated by persons with religious authority, such as ministers and priests; the withholding of medical care for religious reasons; and abusive attempts to rid a child of supposed evil. By providing a descriptive statistical profile of the major features of these cases, we illustrate how these varieties of religion-related child maltreatment occur, who the victims and perpetrators are, and how religion-related child abuse and neglect are reported and processed by the social service and criminal justice systems. We end with a call for greater research attention to these important offenses against children. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Adapting cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis for case managers: increasing access to services in a community mental health agency.

Science.gov (United States)

Montesano, Vicki L; Sivec, Harry J; Munetz, Mark R; Pelton, Jeremy R; Turkington, Douglas

2014-03-01

The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to describe the adaptation of an evidence-based practice and, (b) using a dissemination framework, to describe the process of implementing the practice at a community mental health agency. The authors describe the training concept and dissemination framework of implementing an emerging practice: high-yield cognitive behavioral techniques for psychosis, which is rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy. Thirteen case managers who represented teams from across the agency delivered the adapted practice at a community mental health agency. Implementation required buy in from all stakeholders, communication across disciplines, persistence, and flexibility. It appears that the use of a dissemination framework that is grounded in the literature, yet flexible, eases the process of implementing an adapted practice. Further research focusing on the effectiveness of this approach, along with the impact of implementing a full spectrum of cognitive behavioral therapy services for individuals with persistent psychotic symptoms, based on cognitive behavioral therapy principles, is indicated.

75 FR 14134 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-24

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... modifications, as required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 1543) (ESA), is based on a... trap and beach seine, anesthesize and sample fish for species identification, tags, marks and fin clips...

75 FR 33243 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-11

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) (ESA), is based on a finding that such permits... NMFS regulations (50 CFR parts 222-226) governing listed fish and wildlife permits. Species Covered in...

Operational Planetary Space Weather Services for the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

André, Nicolas; Grande, Manuel

2017-04-01

Under Horizon 2020, the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure (EPN2020-RI, http://www.europlanet-2020-ri.eu) includes an entirely new Virtual Access Service, "Planetary Space Weather Services" (PSWS) that will extend the concepts of space weather and space situational awareness to other planets in our Solar System and in particular to spacecraft that voyage through it. PSWS will provide at the end of 2017 12 services distributed over 4 different service domains - 1) Prediction, 2) Detection, 3) Modelling, 4) Alerts. These services include 1.1) A 1D MHD solar wind prediction tool, 1.2) Extensions of a Propagation Tool, 1.3) A meteor showers prediction tool, 1.4) A cometary tail crossing prediction tool, 2.1) Detection of lunar impacts, 2.2) Detection of giant planet fireballs, 2.3) Detection of cometary tail events, 3.1) A Transplanet model of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, 3.2) A model of the Mars radiation environment, 3.3.) A model of giant planet magnetodisc, 3.4) A model of Jupiter's thermosphere, 4) A VO-event based alert system. We will detail in the present paper some of these services with a particular emphasis on those already operational at the time of the presentation (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.2, 3.1, 4). The proposed Planetary Space Weather Services will be accessible to the research community, amateur astronomers as well as to industrial partners planning for space missions dedicated in particular to the following key planetary environments: Mars, in support of ESA's ExoMars missions; comets, building on the success of the ESA Rosetta mission; and outer planets, in preparation for the ESA JUpiter ICy moon Explorer (JUICE). These services will also be augmented by the future Solar Orbiter and BepiColombo observations. This new facility will not only have an impact on planetary space missions but will also allow the hardness of spacecraft and their components to be evaluated under variety of known conditions, particularly radiation conditions, extending

5 CFR 330.602 - Agency plans.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, AND... Employees § 330.602 Agency plans. (a) Each agency will establish a Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) to actively assist its surplus and displaced employees. A copy of the final plan and any additional...

ESA's Integral detects closest cosmic gamma-ray burst

Science.gov (United States)

2004-08-01

be just sensitive enough to reveal a few more of them in the years to come. These could be just the tip of the iceberg and future gamma-ray observatories, such as the planned NASA's Swift mission, should be able to extend this search to a much larger volume of the Universe and find many more sub-energetic GRBs. Notes for editors The results of this investigation are presented in two articles that have appeared in today's issue of the scientific journal Nature. One of them, by S. Sazonov, A. Lutovinov and R. Sunyaev, is entitled "An apparently normal gamma-ray burst with unusually low luminosity". The other, entitled "The sub-energetic GRB 031203 as a cosmic analogue to GRB 980425", is signed by A. Soderberg, S. Kulkarni, E. Berger, D. Fox, M. Sako, D. Frail, A. Gal-Yam, D. Moon, S. Cenko, S. Yost, M. Phillips, E. Persson, W. Freedman, P. Wyatt, R. Jayawardhana and D. Paulson. The original announcement of the Integral detection of GRB 031203 was made by D. Goetz, S. Mereghetti, M. Beck, J. Borkowski and N. Mowlavi, via the Circular Service of the GRB Co-ordinates Network. More about Integral The International Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (Integral) is the first space observatory that can simultaneously observe celestial objects in gamma rays, X-rays and visible light. Integral was launched on a Russian Proton rocket on 17 October 2002 into a highly elliptical orbit around Earth. Its principal targets include regions of the galaxy where chemical elements are being produced and compact objects, such as black holes. For more information about Integral please see: http://www.esa.int/esaSC/spk.html More about XMM-Newton ESA's XMM-Newton can detect more X-ray sources than any previous satellite and is helping to solve many cosmic mysteries of the violent Universe, from black holes to the formation of galaxies. It was launched on 10 December 1999, using an Ariane-5 rocket, from French Guiana. It is expected to return data for a decade. XMM-Newton's high-tech design uses

ServiceNow

Data.gov (United States)

US Agency for International Development — A cloud based service for creating a single system of record for all types of business services used by OCIO. Service Now applications are built on a single platform...

77 FR 70780 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-27

... requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods... notice. Proposed Project Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service... Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to OMB for approval under the Paperwork...

78 FR 26033 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-03

... precision requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response... Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery--NEW--Epidemiology and Analysis Program Office... Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to OMB for approval under...

7 CFR 3560.631 - Agency monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Agency monitoring. 3560.631 Section 3560.631 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DIRECT MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING LOANS AND GRANTS On-Farm Labor Housing § 3560.631 Agency monitoring. A...

Comparative Effectiveness of Biosimilar, Reference Product and Other Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents (ESAs Still Covered by Patent in Chronic Kidney Disease and Cancer Patients: An Italian Population-Based Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ylenia Ingrasciotta

Full Text Available Since 2007 biosimilars of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs are available on the Italian market. Very limited post-marketing data exist on the comparative effectiveness of biosimilar and originator ESAs.This population-based study was aimed to compare the effects of biosimilars, reference product and other ESAs still covered by patent on hemoglobinemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD and cancer patients in a Local Health Unit (LHU from Northern Italy.A retrospective cohort study was conducted during the years 2009-2014 using data from Treviso LHU administrative database. Incident ESA users (no ESA dispensing within 6 months prior to treatment start, i.e. index date (ID with at least one hemoglobin measurement within one month prior to ID (baseline Hb value and another measurement between 2nd and 3rd month after ID (follow-up Hb value were identified. The strength of the consumption (as total number of defined daily dose (DDD dispensed during the follow-up divided by days of follow-up and the difference between follow-up and baseline Hb values [delta Hb (ΔHb] were evaluated. Based on Hb changes, ESA users were classified as non-responders (ΔHb≤0 g/dl, responders (02 g/dl. A multivariate ordinal logistic regression model to identify predictors for responsiveness to treatment was performed. All analyses were stratified by indication for use and type of dispensed ESA at ID.Overall, 1,003 incident ESA users (reference product: 252, 25.1%; other ESAs covered by patent: 303, 30.2%; biosimilars: 448, 44.7% with CKD or cancer were eligible for the study. No statistically significant difference in the amount of dose dispensed during the follow-up among biosimilars, reference product and other ESAs covered by patent was found in both CKD and cancer. After three months from treatment start, all ESAs increased Hb values on average by 2g/dl. No differences in ΔHb as well as in frequency of non-responders, responders and highly responders among

Observing ice clouds in the submillimeter spectral range: the CloudIce mission proposal for ESA's Earth Explorer 8

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. A. Buehler

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Passive submillimeter-wave sensors are a way to obtain urgently needed global data on ice clouds, particularly on the so far poorly characterized "essential climate variable" ice water path (IWP and on ice particle size. CloudIce was a mission proposal to the European Space Agency ESA in response to the call for Earth Explorer 8 (EE8, which ran in 2009/2010. It proposed a passive submillimeter-wave sensor with channels ranging from 183 GHz to 664 GHz. The article describes the CloudIce mission proposal, with particular emphasis on describing the algorithms for the data-analysis of submillimeter-wave cloud ice data (retrieval algorithms and demonstrating their maturity. It is shown that we have a robust understanding of the radiative properties of cloud ice in the millimeter/submillimeter spectral range, and that we have a proven toolbox of retrieval algorithms to work with these data. Although the mission was not selected for EE8, the concept will be useful as a reference for other future mission proposals.

Joint European x-ray monitor (JEM-X): x-ray monitor for ESA's

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schnopper, H.W.; Budtz-Joergensen, C.; Westergaard, Niels Jørgen Stenfeldt

1996-01-01

JEM-X will extend the energy range of the gamma ray instruments on ESA's INTEGRAL mission (SPI, IBIS) to include the x-ray band. JEM-X will provide images with arcminute angular resolution in the 2 - 60 keV band. The baseline photon detection system consists of two identical, high pressure, imagi...

76 FR 55398 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-07

... precision requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response... Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver...): ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery '' to OMB for...

76 FR 38355 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-30

... calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods for assessing potential... of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY: Architectural and Transportation Barriers...: ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to the Office of...

76 FR 19826 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-08

... calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods for assessing potential... Request; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY... (Generic ICR): ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery...

76 FR 10939 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-28

... requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods... of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA... Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to OMB for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA...

77 FR 17522 - Agency Information Collection Agencies: New Collection; Comments Requested

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-26

...-solving courts by type (e.g., mental health, drug, etc.), ii. Determine PSCs level of government... mental health treatment), and general supportive services (e.g., life skills) d. Participant... with external agencies, iii. PSCs' ability to track participant outcomes after graduation. g. Selected...

Family Violence Among Older Adult Patients Consulting in Primary Care Clinics: Results From the ESA (Enquête sur la santé des aînés) Services Study on Mental Health and Aging

Science.gov (United States)

Préville, Michel; Mechakra-Tahiri, Samia Djemaa; Vasiliadis, Helen-Maria; Mathieu, Véronique; Quesnel, Louise; Gontijo-Guerra, Samantha; Lamoureux-Lamarche, Catherine; Berbiche, Djamal

2014-01-01

Objective To document the reliability and construct validity of the Family Violence Scale (FVS) in the older adult population aged 65 years and older. Method: Data came from a cross-sectional survey, the Enquête sur la santé des aînés et l’utilisation des services de santé (ESA Services Study), conducted in 2011–2013 using a probabilistic sample of older adults waiting for medical services in primary care clinics (n = 1765). Family violence was defined as a latent variable, coming from a spouse and from children. Results: A model with 2 indicators of violence; that is, psychological and financial violence, and physical violence, adequately fitted the observed data. The reliability of the FVS was 0.95. According to our results, 16% of older adults reported experiencing some form of family violence in the past 12 months of their interview, and 3% reported a high level of family violence (FVS > 0.36). Our results showed that the victim’s sex was not associated with the degree of violence (β = 0.02). However, the victim’s age was associated with family violence (β = −0.12). Older adults, aged 75 years and older, reported less violence than those aged between 65 and 74 years. Conclusion: Our results lead us to conclude that family violence against older adults is common and warrants greater public health and political attention. General practitioners could play an active role in the detection of violence among older adults. PMID:25161067

Federal Aid and State Library Agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Shavit, David

1985-01-01

Considers role of states as middlemen between federal government and local public libraries in administration of Library Services and Construction Act funds. An audit of Illinois state library agencies, 1970 federal mandates, state control of federal funds, and state library agencies' use of funds are discussed. Eight references are cited. (EJS)

5 CFR 179.305 - Agency review.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Agency review. 179.305 Section 179.305 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS CLAIMS COLLECTION STANDARDS Administrative Offset § 179.305 Agency review. (a) A debtor may dispute the existence of the debt, the amount of...

New Public Management or Mismanagement? The Case of Public Service Agency of Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JIN-WOOK CHOI

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In line with the new public management (NPM, a public service agency (PSA is considered as an alternative to replace the government-led public service delivery in a more efficient and effective way. At the same time, a PSA mechanism can deliver public service with better quality. To meet these ends, a PSA is granted with operational flexibility and autonomy particularly in managing finance and personnel. However, the PSA system has not yielded the expected benefits in Indonesia. On the contrary, PSAs have been regarded to cause financial burdens to the Government of Indonesia. This paper explores the current conditions of three key institutional bases of PSAs in Indonesia including PSA governance, financial management and performance management. The notable challenges related to the three dimensions in the Indonesia’s PSAs include the weak PSA governance structure, and an inappropriate balance between flexibility and autonomy on the one hand and accountability and performance on the other in managing a PSA. Focusing on these challenges, this paper draws the following policy suggestions for Indonesia to improve the efficient operation of the PSA system: rebuild the PSA governance on a firm and clear legal base, absorb diverse stakeholders and outside experts in the PSA governance decision-making; monitor and evaluate the PSA’s financial flexibility and autonomy through vigilant internal and external monitoring mechanisms; redesign performance appraisal to set up right appraisal structure, process, and performance criteria; and link the results of performance appraisal to relevant rewards and punishment.

77 FR 3743 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-25

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... with section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) and regulations governing listed fish... listed fish but a small number may die as an unintended result of the research activities. The objectives...

78 FR 17355 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-21

... and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) and regulations governing listed fish and... expect to kill any listed fish but a small number may die as an unintended result of the research...

78 FR 51146 - Marine Mammals; File No. 17429

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-20

... Mammals; File No. 17429 AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric...: The subject permit is requested under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as... mammals (50 CFR part 216), the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq...

76 FR 23536 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-27

... requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods... Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery April 22, 2011. AGENCY: Department of Agriculture (USDA... Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to OMB for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA...

76 FR 13977 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-15

... requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods... of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY: Office of the Secretary/Office of the...): ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to OMB for...

76 FR 31383 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-31

... requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods...; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY: Peace... Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery '' to OMB for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA...

Agency-University Partnership for Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work

Science.gov (United States)

Bellamy, Jennifer L.; Bledsoe, Sarah E.; Mullen, Edward J.; Fang, Lin; Manuel, Jennifer I.

2008-01-01

Little is known about evidence-based practice (EBP) in social service agencies beyond studies of researcher, practitioner, and educator opinions. The Bringing Evidence for Social Work Training (BEST) Project involved 16 participants from 3 social service agencies. The experiential training, delivered by 2 doctoral students, focused on a…

12 CFR 28.21 - Service of process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Service of process. 28.21 Section 28.21 Banks... Federal Branches and Agencies of Foreign Banks § 28.21 Service of process. A foreign bank operating at any Federal branch or agency is subject to service of process at the location of the Federal branch or agency. ...

Human Resources as a Competitive Advantage of Travel Agencies in Montenegro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksa Vučetić

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Human resources in travel agencies represent an especially valuable resource, which possesses the multidisciplinary and highly specialized knowledge and skills in the field of selective tourism. Human resources enable the agencies to create the services and products of superior value for the consumers within market niches, and thereby significantly contribute to increase in profitability of agencies, thereby becoming an important factor in competitive advantage of the agencies. Research results enable identification of the relation between human resources and servicing of travel agencies market niches. The paper presents an analysis of travel agencies’ human resources from the aspect of competitive advantage, with a special overview of their role in the domain of offer development and servicing of consumers in various types of selective tourism. The goal of the research is to prove, on a scientific basis, that the human resources represent a very important factor of competitive advantage of travel agencies.

75 FR 41140 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Child Nutrition...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-15

... nutrient data from the food service industry to update and expand the Child Nutrition Database in support... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request--Child Nutrition Database AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA...

Developing Multi-Agency Leadership in Education

Science.gov (United States)

Close, Paul

2012-01-01

This article contributes to the growing debate around how we understand and develop multi-agency leadership in children and young people's services. Bringing together a range of inter-disciplinary research, it presents a framework for multi-agency leadership development, which, it argues, is well theorised, multi-level and versed in key field…

76 FR 20967 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-14

... requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods... Request; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY: U... Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to OMB for approval under...

75 FR 14165 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-24

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency... entry. These systems must be multi-agency and be comprised of the key public and private agencies that... family outcome indicators and provide a theory of change, or rationale, on how a specific ECCS activity...

42 CFR 441.206 - Documentation needed by the Medicaid agency.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Documentation needed by the Medicaid agency. 441.206 Section 441.206 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... SPECIFIC SERVICES Abortions § 441.206 Documentation needed by the Medicaid agency. FFP is not available in...

78 FR 26406 - Product Change-Parcel Return Service Negotiated Service Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-06

... POSTAL SERVICE Product Change--Parcel Return Service Negotiated Service Agreement AGENCY: Postal... United States Postal Service[supreg] hereby gives notice that, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3642 and 3632(b)(3... Postal Service to Add Parcel Return Service Contract 4 to Competitive Product List. Documents are...

78 FR 65392 - Product Change-Parcel Return Service Negotiated Service Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-31

... POSTAL SERVICE Product Change--Parcel Return Service Negotiated Service Agreement AGENCY: Postal... INFORMATION: The United States Postal Service[supreg] hereby gives notice that, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3642 and... States Postal Service To Add Parcel Return Service Contract 5 to Competitive Product List. Documents are...

78 FR 12369 - Product Change-Parcel Return Service Negotiated Service Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-22

... POSTAL SERVICE Product Change--Parcel Return Service Negotiated Service Agreement AGENCY: Postal...: The United States Postal Service[supreg] hereby gives notice that, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3642 and 3632... States Postal Service to Add Parcel Return Service Contract 3 to Competitive Product List. Documents are...

The Australian radiation protection and nuclear safety agency megavoltage photon thermoluminescence dosimetry postal audit service 2007–2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliver, C.P.; Butler, D.J.; Webb, D.V.

2012-01-01

The Australian radiation protection and nuclear safety agency (ARPANSA) has continuously provided a level 1 mailed thermoluminescence dosimetry audit service for megavoltage photons since 2007. The purpose of the audit is to provide an independent verification of the reference dose output of a radiotherapy linear accelerator in a clinical environment. Photon beam quality measurements can also be made as part of the audit in addition to the output measurements. The results of all audits performed between 2007 and 2010 are presented. The average of all reference beam output measurements calculated as a clinically stated dose divided by an ARPANSA measured dose is 0.9993. The results of all beam quality measurements calculated as a clinically stated quality divided by an ARPANSA measured quality is 1.0087. Since 2011 the provision of all auditing services has been transferred from the Ionizing Radiation Standards section to the Australian Clinical Dosimetry Service (ACDS) which is currently housed within ARPANSA.

Investigative Jurisdiction of the RF Inquiry Agencies in Criminal Cases of Public Accusation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suprun S. V.

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the problem of authority conferring upon inquiry agencies of Federal Security Service, Federal Guard Service, Intelligence Service, Federal Service of Penal Bodies, Customs Agencies, Commanders of Military Units, formations, heads of military institutions and garrisons concerning investigation of separate kinds of cases in the form of inquiry.

Bulk processing of the Landsat MSS/TM/ETM+ archive of the European Space Agency: an insight into the level 1 MSS processing

Science.gov (United States)

Saunier, Sébastien; Northrop, Amy; Lavender, Samantha; Galli, Luca; Ferrara, Riccardo; Mica, Stefano; Biasutti, Roberto; Goryl, Philippe; Gascon, Ferran; Meloni, Marco

2017-10-01

Whilst recent years have witnessed the development and exploitation of operational Earth Observation (EO) satellite constellation data, the valorisation of historical archives has been a challenge. The European Space Agency (ESA) Landsat Multi Spectral Scanner (MSS) products cover Greenland, Iceland, Continental Europe and North Africa represent an archive of over 600,000 processed Level 1 (L1) scenes that will accompany around 1 million ESA Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) products already available. ESA began acquiring MSS data in 1975 and it is well known that this dataset can be degraded due to missing data and a loss in accuracy. For these reasons, the content of the product format has been reviewed and the ESA Landsat processing baseline significantly updated to ensure products are fit for user purposes. This paper presents the new MSS product format including the updated metadata parameters for error traceability, and the specification of the Quality Assurance Band (BQA) engineered to allow the best pixel selection and also the application of image restoration techniques. This paper also discusses major improvements applied to the radiometric and geometric processing. For the benefits of the community, ESA is now able to maximize the number of L1 MSS products that can potentially be generated from the raw Level 0 (L0) data and ensure the highest possible data quality is reached. Also, by improving product format, processing and adding a pixel based quality band, the MSS archive becomes interoperable with recently reprocessed Landsat data and that from live missions by way of assuring product quality on a pixel basis.

ESA's XMM-Newton gains deep insights into the distant Universe

Science.gov (United States)

2003-07-01

progress, first results seem to confirm that the number of clusters 7000 million years ago is little different from that of today. This behaviour is predicted by models of the Universe that expand forever and drive the galaxy clusters further and further apart. Eventually, it will be possible for the team to use their results to determine whether the expansion of the Universe is accelerating, as indicated by some other recent observations, or decelerating, as traditionally thought. Note to Editors: This is a coordinated ESA/ESO release. The presented results have been obtained by the XMM-LSS consortium, led by Service d'Astrophysique du CEA (France) and consisting of Co-I institutes from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Chile. The home page of the XMM-LSS project can be found at: http://vela.astro.ulg.ac.be/themes/spatial/xmm/LSS/index_e.html This work is based on two papers to be published in the professional astronomy journal, Astronomy and Astrophysics (The XMM-LSS survey:I. Scientific motivations, design and first results by Marguerite Pierre et al., astro-ph/0305191 and The XMM-LSS survey:II. First high redshift galaxy clusters: relaxed and collapsing systems by Ivan Valtchanov et al.,astro-ph/0305192). More about XMM-Newton XMM-Newton can detect more X-ray sources than any previous satellite and is helping to solve many cosmic mysteries of the violent Universe, from black holes to the formation of galaxies. It was launched on 10 December 1999, using an Ariane-5 rocket from French Guiana. It is expected to return data for a decade. XMM-Newton's high-tech design uses over 170 wafer-thin cylindrical mirrors spread over three telescopes. Its orbit takes it almost a third of the way to the Moon, so that astronomers can enjoy long, uninterrupted views of celestial objects.

Evaluation of the SBAS InSAR Service of the European Space Agency’s Geohazard Exploitation Platform (GEP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Pedro Galve

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The analysis of remote sensing data to assess geohazards is being improved by web-based platforms and collaborative projects, such as the Geohazard Exploitation Platform (GEP of the European Space Agency (ESA. This paper presents the evaluation of a surface velocity map that is generated by this platform. The map was produced through an unsupervised Multi-temporal InSAR (MTI analysis applying the Parallel-SBAS (P-SBAS algorithm to 25 ENVISAT satellite images from the South of Spain that were acquired between 2003 and 2008. This analysis was carried out using a service implemented in the GEP called “SBAS InSAR”. Thanks to the map that was generated by the SBAS InSAR service, we identified processes not documented so far; provided new monitoring data in places affected by known ground instabilities; defined the area affected by these instabilities; and, studied a case where GEP could have been able to help in the forecast of a slope movement reactivation. This amply demonstrates the reliability and usefulness of the GEP, and shows how web-based platforms may enhance the capacity to identify, monitor, and assess hazards that are associated to geological processes.

Naloxone Administration for Suspected Opioid Overdose: An Expanded Scope of Practice by a Basic Life Support Collegiate-Based Emergency Medical Services Agency

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffery, Ryan M.; Dickinson, Laura; Ng, Nicholas D.; DeGeorge, Lindsey M.; Nable, Jose V.

2017-01-01

Opioid abuse is a growing and significant public health concern in the United States. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that can rapidly reverse the respiratory depression associated with opioid toxicity. Georgetown University's collegiate-based emergency medical services (EMS) agency recently adopted a protocol, allowing providers to administer…

26 CFR 1.42-13 - Rules necessary and appropriate; housing credit agencies' correction of administrative errors and...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY INCOME TAX INCOME TAXES Credits Against Tax § 1.42-13... Internal Revenue Service, the Agency, or the Agency and the affected taxpayer, should complete and file the... already been filed with the Service, the Agency, or the Agency and the affected taxpayer, should refile a...

The ESA/ESO/NASA Photoshop FITS Liberator 3: Have your say on new features

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, L. H.; Christensen, L. L.; Hurt, R. L.; Nielsen, K.; Johansen, T.

2008-06-01

The popular, free ESA/ESO/NASA Photoshop FITS Liberator image processing software (a plugin for Adobe Photoshop) is about to get simpler, faster and more user-friendly! Here we would like to solicit inputs from the community of users.

75 FR 74755 - Product Change-Parcel Return Service Negotiated Service Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-01

... POSTAL SERVICE Product Change--Parcel Return Service Negotiated Service Agreement AGENCY: Postal.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Postal Service[supreg] hereby gives notice that on November 17, 2010, it filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission a Request of the United States Postal Service to...

76 FR 4697 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-26

... engagement and on the current organizational culture and climate surrounding patient and family engagement... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research...

Rules Regarding Voluntary Contributions to the Agency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1959-11-06

The texts of the following rules are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency: I. Rules to Govern the Acceptance of Gifts of Services, Equipment and Facilities; II. Rules Regarding the Acceptance of Voluntary Contributions of Money to the Agency.

Rules Regarding Voluntary Contributions to the Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1959-01-01

The texts of the following rules are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency: I. Rules to Govern the Acceptance of Gifts of Services, Equipment and Facilities; II. Rules Regarding the Acceptance of Voluntary Contributions of Money to the Agency

75 FR 53306 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-31

... system change and informs the implementation process and impact evaluation. Using a mixed-methods design... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research...

75 FR 35038 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-21

... system change and informs the implementation process and impact evaluation. Using a mixed-methods design... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research...

Rules regarding voluntary contributions to the Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

The texts of the following Rules Regarding Voluntary Contributions to the Agency are reproduced for the information of all Members of the Agency. Rules to Govern the Acceptance of Gifts of Services, Equipment and Facilities - adopted by the Board of Governors on 10 March 2004; Rules Regarding the Acceptance of Voluntary Contributions of Money to the Agency - approved by the General Conference on 21 September 2001 (GC (45)/RES/9)

Rules regarding voluntary contributions to the Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

The texts of the following Rules Regarding Voluntary Contributions to the Agency are reproduced for the information of all Members of the Agency. Rules to Govern the Acceptance of Gifts of Services, Equipment and Facilities - adopted by the Board of Governors on 13 June 2001; Rules Regarding the Acceptance of Voluntary Contributions of Money to the Agency - approved by the General Conference on 21 September 2001 (GC(45)/RES/9)

77 FR 44306 - Service Delivery Plan

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-27

... SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION [Docket No. SSA-2012-0048] Service Delivery Plan AGENCY: Social... input as we develop our Service Delivery Plan (SDP). We recently completed our Agency Strategic Plan... how we plan to provide our services over the next four years and beyond. DATES: To ensure that we...

Simplifying anemia management in hemodialysis patients: ESAs administered at longer dosing intervals can enhance opportunities to provide patient-focused care.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiller, Brigitte; Besarab, Anatole

2011-08-01

To review issues and challenges in caring for hemodialysis patients with anemia of chronic kidney disease, specifically focusing on the effects of longer erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) dosing intervals on processes of care. PubMed searches were performed limited to the last 10 years to February 2011, focusing on articles in English that were 'clinical trials,' assessed processes of care, measured associations of hemoglobin (Hb) with outcomes, and explored/analyzed extended dosing intervals of ESAs in hemodialysis patients and recommendations for increasing the quality of care of these patients. Some limitations included the fact that a meta-analysis was not conducted; many studies were associative and therefore unable to prove causality; and none of the clinical trials directly compared the impact of more frequent or less frequent ESA dosing strategies on patient care and outcomes. Progress over the past several decades has been substantial; however, unmet needs remain and there is room for improvement in efficiencies of care. Many patients fail to meet Hb targets, and nephrology professionals' time is consumed with preparing, administering, and monitoring therapy. Direct interaction between patients and care providers has been lost as attention has shifted to 'cost-effective' (not necessarily patient-centered) ways to deliver care. Use of ESAs at longer dosage intervals represents one opportunity to improve efficiency of care. Newer ESAs have been developed for less frequent dosing. Once-monthly dosing decreases time spent administering/monitoring therapy and allows nephrology professionals to provide comprehensive renal care, wherein the patient rather than task-oriented processes becomes the primary focus. A fragmented, uncoordinated care-delivery model heightens the urgency to systematically address issues related to delivery of care and improve efficiencies in anemia management as part of the patient-centered approach. ESAs designed for administration

76 FR 46677 - Indoor Tanning Services; Cosmetic Services Excise Taxes

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-03

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service 26 CFR Parts 40 and 49 [REG-112841-10] RIN 1545-BJ40 Indoor Tanning Services; Cosmetic Services Excise Taxes AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of public hearing on proposed rulemaking. SUMMARY: This document provides notice...

76 FR 13019 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Generic Clearance for the Collection...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-09

... requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods... Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY: Department of...): ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery '' to OMB for...

76 FR 37825 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-28

... requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods... Activities; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY: U...): ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery '' to OMB for...

76 FR 36139 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Generic...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-21

... requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods... for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY: Federal Emergency...): ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to the Office of...

75 FR 52716 - Transfer of Land to Forest Service

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-27

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Transfer of Land to Forest Service AGENCY: Forest Service... Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, respectively signed a land transfer agreement... from the Farm Service Agency to the Forest Service. This administrative transfer is authorized by...

50 CFR 100.13 - Board/agency relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Board/agency relationships. 100.13 Section 100.13 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR... Structure § 100.13 Board/agency relationships. (a) General. (1) The Board, in making decisions or...

75 FR 33740 - Indoor Tanning Services; Cosmetic Services; Excise Taxes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-15

... 1545-BJ40 Indoor Tanning Services; Cosmetic Services; Excise Taxes AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service.... 7805. * * * Par. 5. Section 49.0-3 is added to read as follows: Sec. 49.0-3 Introduction; cosmetic...--Cosmetic Services Sec. 49.5000B-1 Indoor tanning services. [The text of this proposed Sec. 49.5000B-1 is...

76 FR 13673 - National Endowment for the Arts; Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-14

... calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods for assessing potential... of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY: The National Endowment for the Arts, NFAH... Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to OMB for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA...

75 FR 54445 - Senior Executive Service; Financial Management Service Performance Review Board (PRB)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-07

..., Management (Chief Financial Officer). Alfred J. Kopec, Assistant Commissioner, Business Architecture. Sheryl... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Senior Executive Service; Financial Management Service Performance Review Board (PRB) AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice...

The first Spacelab payload - A joint NASA/ESA venture

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, R.; Pace, R.; Collet, J.; Sanfourche, J. P.

1977-01-01

Planning for the 1980 qualification flight of Spacelab, which will involve a long module and one pallet, is discussed. The mission will employ two payload specialists, one sponsored by NASA and the other by ESA. Management of the Spacelab mission functions, including definition and execution of the on-board experiments, development of the experimental hardware and training of the payload specialists, is considered; studies proposed in the areas of atmospheric physics, space plasma physics, solar physics, earth observations, astronomy, astrophysics, life sciences and material sciences are reviewed. Analyses of the Spacelab environment and the Spacelab-to-orbiter and Spacelab-to-experiment interactions are also planned.

State Arts Agency Fact Sheet: Support for Arts Education

Science.gov (United States)

Online Submission, 2015

2015-01-01

This national overview of state arts agency grants and services for arts education includes summary statistics and geographic distribution. The fact sheet uses data from Final Descriptive Reports of state arts agency grant-making activities submitted annually to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) and the National Endowment for…

48 CFR 1.202 - Agency compliance with the FAR.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... compliance with the FAR (see 1.304) is the responsibility of the Secretary of Defense (for the military departments and defense agencies), the Administrator of General Services (for civilian agencies other than...

Integrating Palliative Care Services in Ambulatory Oncology: An Application of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System.

Science.gov (United States)

Rauenzahn, Sherri L; Schmidt, Susanne; Aduba, Ifeoma O; Jones, Jessica T; Ali, Nazneen; Tenner, Laura L

2017-04-01

Research in palliative care demonstrates improvements in overall survival, quality of life, symptom management, and reductions in the cost of care. Despite the American Society of Clinical Oncology recommendation for early concurrent palliative care in patients with advanced cancer and high symptom burden, integrating palliative services is challenging. Our aims were to quantitatively describe the palliative referral rates and symptom burden in a South Texas cancer center and establish a palliative referral system by implementing the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS). As part of our Plan-Do-Study-Act process, all staff received an educational overview of the ESAS tool and consultation ordering process. The ESAS form was then implemented across five ambulatory oncology clinics to assess symptom burden and changes therein longitudinally. Referral rates and symptom assessment scores were tracked as metrics for quality improvement. On average, one patient per month was referred before implementation of the intervention compared with 10 patients per month after implementation across all clinics. In five sample clinics, 607 patients completed the initial assessment, and 430 follow-up forms were collected over 5 months, resulting in a total of 1,037 scores collected in REDCap. The mean ESAS score for initial patient visits was 20.0 (standard deviation, 18.1), and referred patients had an initial mean score of 39.0 (standard deviation, 19.0). This project highlights the low palliative care consultation rate, high symptom burden of oncology patients, and underuse of services by oncologists despite improvements with the introduction of a symptom assessment form and referral system.

Exercise in space: the European Space Agency approach to in-flight exercise countermeasures for long-duration missions on ISS.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Nora; Jaekel, Patrick; Rosenberger, Andre; Weber, Tobias; Scott, Jonathan; Castrucci, Filippo; Lambrecht, Gunda; Ploutz-Snyder, Lori; Damann, Volker; Kozlovskaya, Inessa; Mester, Joachim

2016-01-01

To counteract microgravity (µG)-induced adaptation, European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts on long-duration missions (LDMs) to the International Space Station (ISS) perform a daily physical exercise countermeasure program. Since the first ESA crewmember completed an LDM in 2006, the ESA countermeasure program has strived to provide efficient protection against decreases in body mass, muscle strength, bone mass, and aerobic capacity within the operational constraints of the ISS environment and the changing availability of on-board exercise devices. The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of ESA's individualised approach to in-flight exercise countermeasures and an up-to-date picture of how exercise is used to counteract physiological changes resulting from µG-induced adaptation. Changes in the absolute workload for resistive exercise, treadmill running and cycle ergometry throughout ESA's eight LDMs are also presented, and aspects of pre-flight physical preparation and post-flight reconditioning outlined. With the introduction of the advanced resistive exercise device (ARED) in 2009, the relative contribution of resistance exercise to total in-flight exercise increased (33-46 %), whilst treadmill running (42-33 %) and cycle ergometry (26-20 %) decreased. All eight ESA crewmembers increased their in-flight absolute workload during their LDMs for resistance exercise and treadmill running (running speed and vertical loading through the harness), while cycle ergometer workload was unchanged across missions. Increased or unchanged absolute exercise workloads in-flight would appear contradictory to typical post-flight reductions in muscle mass and strength, and cardiovascular capacity following LDMs. However, increased absolute in-flight workloads are not directly linked to changes in exercise capacity as they likely also reflect the planned, conservative loading early in the mission to allow adaption to µG exercise, including personal comfort issues

Nuclear interaction contribution to SEUs in heavy ion energy deposition in the ESA monitor

CERN Document Server

Bahamonde, Cristina

2013-01-01

The effects of nuclear interactions inducing Single Event Upsets in ESA SEU monitor are explored for heavy ion beams of different energies. The experimental and simulated results are compared, the possible causes of disagreement are suggested as well as the future steps to take.

Rosetta performs ESA's closest-ever Earth fly-by

Science.gov (United States)

2005-03-01

Rosetta’s unique instruments, such as its ultraviolet light instrument ALICE, should be able to make critical contributions to the American mission. About Rosetta Rosetta is the first mission designed to both orbit and land on a comet, and consists of an orbiter and a lander. The spacecraft carries 11 scientific experiments and will be the first mission to undertake long-term exploration of a comet at close quarters. After entering orbit around Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014, the spacecraft will release a small lander onto the icy nucleus. Rosetta will orbit the comet for about a year as it heads towards the Sun, remaining in orbit for another half-year past perihelion (closest approach to the Sun). Comets hold essential information about the origin of our Solar System because they are the most primitive objects in the Solar System and their chemical composition has changed little since their formation. By orbiting and landing on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Rosetta will help us reconstruct the history of our own neighbourhood in space. Note for broadcasters: The ESA TV Service will transmit a TV exchange with images of the fly-by, together with science results/images from observations as far as available on 11 March. For further details : http://television.esa.int

42 CFR 456.506 - Waiver options for Medicaid agency.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Waiver options for Medicaid agency. 456.506 Section 456.506 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... options for Medicaid agency. (a) The agency may apply for a waiver at any time it has the procedures...

78 FR 18966 - Publication of Fiscal Year 2012 Service Contract Inventory

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-28

... COURT SERVICES AND OFFENDER SUPERVISION AGENCY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Publication of Fiscal Year 2012 Service Contract Inventory AGENCY: Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia. ACTION: Notice of Public Availability of FY 2012 Service Contract Inventory. SUMMARY...

Mission,System Design and Payload Aspects of ESA's Mercury Cornerstone Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Ferri, A.; Anselmi, A.; Scoon, G. E. N.

1999-09-01

Aim of this paper is to summarise the 1-year study performed by Alenia Aerospazio in close co-operation with the European Space Agency, on the Mercury Cornerstone System and Technology Study, as a part of Horizon 2000+ Scientific Programme plan. ESA's definition study towards a mission to Mercury conceives the launch of a S/C in 2009, on a two to three years journey, plus a one-year scientific observations and data take. The mission's primary objectives are manyfolded, aiming at approaching basic scientific questions on the origin and evolution of Mercury: identify and map the chemical and mineral composition of the surface, measure the topography of surface landforms, define the gravitational field, investigate particles and magnetic fields. The mission is also intended to resolve the librational state of the planet, in a system experiment requiring high accuracy inertial attitude (arcsecond level) and orbit (m-level) reconstitution. This experiment will allow to infer whether Mercury has a molten core, which is crucial to theories of magnetic field generation, and theories of the thermal history of terrestrial type planets. A hard-lander is planned to perform in-situ surface geochemical analysis. The mission is expected to provide scientists with a global portrait of Mercury returning about 1200 Gbits of scientific data, during a 1-year observation phase. The crucial aspects of the spacecraft design have to do with the high-temperature and high-radiation environment. Thermal control is achieved by a combination of orbit selection, attitude law, and special design provisions for IR shielding and HT insulation. Ad-hoc design provisions are envisaged for power and antenna mechanisms. Though the conceptual objectives of this industrial study focused on system architectures and enabling technologies for a "Cornerstone" class mission, in this paper emphasis is given on the scientific payload aspects.

Exploring the effect of organizational culture on consumer perceptions of agency support for mental health recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Clossey, Laurene; Rheinheimer, David

2014-05-01

This research explores the impact of mental health agency culture on consumers' perceptions of agency support for their recovery. This study hypothesized that a constructive organizational culture must be present for consumers to perceive agency support for recovery. A sample of 12 mental health agencies in rural Pennsylvania participated in the research. Agency administrators completed an instrument called the recovery oriented service environment, which measured the number of recovery model program components offered by the agency. Consumers completed the recovery oriented services indicators, which taps into their perception of agency support for recovery. Direct service staff completed the organizational social context, which measured their agency's culture. Results showed that in this sample stronger consumer perceptions of agency support for recovery were correlated with higher ratings of agency constructive culture. The results suggest that agency culture is an important variable to target when implementing recovery model programming.

76 FR 29763 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-23

... precision requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response... Request; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY... ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery.'' Also include...

Agency problems of global budget system in Taiwan's National Health Insurance.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yu-Hua; Yang, Chen-Wei; Fang, Shih-Chieh

2014-05-01

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the agency problem presented by the global budget system followed by hospitals in Taiwan. In this study, we examine empirically the interaction between the principal: Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) and agency: medical service providers (hospitals); we also describe actual medical service provider and hospital governance conditions from a agency theory perspective. This study identified a positive correlation between aversion to agency hazard (self-interest behavior, asymmetric information, and risk hedging) and agency problem risks (disregard of medical ethics, pursuit of extra-contract profit, disregard of professionalism, and cost orientation). Agency costs refer to BNHI auditing and monitoring expenditures used to prevent hospitals from deviating from NHI policy goals. This study also found agency costs negatively moderate the relationship between agency hazards and agency problems The main contribution of this study is its use of agency theory to clarify agency problems and several potential factors caused by the NHI system. This study also contributes to the field of health policy study by clarifying the nature and importance of agency problems in the health care sector. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Marketing strategies: Study in travel agencies and tourism sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aléssio Bessa Sarquis

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The tourism sector has an important economic and social role and marketing strategies can help improve the market performance of service organizations. Thus, the study analyzed the marketing strategies applied in the travel agency services sector in the state of Santa Catarina and, therefore, a quantitative, descriptive inconclusive and in the form of field survey (survey was applied with self-administered questionnaires available in the Google Docs platform for a sample of 109 emissive agencies of small and medium. Statistical analyzes were performed by means, frequency, stand-ard deviation and hypothesis testing as the measurement scales applied. The results show that the vast majority of the surveyed agencies use internal marketing strategies, external, interactive and relationship management with clients and midsize agencies use more often most measured marketing strategies.

78 FR 63310 - Senior Executive Service; Fiscal Service Performance Review Board

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-23

... Performance Review Board AGENCY: Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces the appointment of the members of the Fiscal Service Performance Review Board (PRB) for the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (Fiscal Service). The PRB reviews the performance appraisals of career senior...

78 FR 77095 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Form FNS-648, WIC...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-20

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request--Form FNS-648, WIC Local Agency Directory Report AGENCY: Food and... continuity of program services to migrant and other transient participants. It is also used as a mailing list...

Diana H. Wall, ESA President 1999-2000

Science.gov (United States)

Baron, Jill S.; Parsons, A.

2000-01-01

A more polite term for workaholic is over-achiever, and Diana Harrison Wall could easily serve as the type specimen for both words. Her ability to multi-task is a great boon for the Ecological Society of America. That characteristic drive has also been essential to Wall’s own personal success, since it pushed her to persevere during the lean years when a woman’s place was NOT in the field or laboratory. Diana is a very strong role model for young ecologists through her enthusiasm for science, her remarkable scientific achievements, and her leadership skills. In addition to advising her many graduate students, Diana-as-role-model has been featured in many news media, including PBS TV shows such as “Horizons” and “Discovery,” National Geographic magazine, and the New York Times. She is highlighted on the ESA Web site: “What Do Ecologists Do? Focus on Ecologists.”

Reusable Component Services

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Reusable Component Services (RCS) is a super-catalog of components, services, solutions and technologies that facilitates search, discovery and collaboration in...

Towards a standardized grasping and refuelling on-orbit servicing for geo spacecraft

Science.gov (United States)

Medina, Alberto; Tomassini, Angelo; Suatoni, Matteo; Avilés, Marcos; Solway, Nick; Coxhill, Ian; Paraskevas, Iosif S.; Rekleitis, Georgios; Papadopoulos, Evangelos; Krenn, Rainer; Brito, André; Sabbatinelli, Beatrice; Wollenhaupt, Birk; Vidal, Christian; Aziz, Sarmad; Visentin, Gianfranco

2017-05-01

Exploitation of space must benefit from the latest advances in robotics. On-orbit servicing is a clear candidate for the application of autonomous rendezvous and docking mechanisms. However, during the last three decades most of the trials took place combining extravehicular activities (EVAs) with telemanipulated robotic arms. The European Space Agency (ESA) considers that grasping and refuelling are promising near-mid-term capabilities that could be performed by servicing spacecraft. Minimal add-ons on spacecraft to enhance their serviceability may protect them for a changing future in which satellite servicing may become mainstream. ESA aims to conceive and promote standard refuelling provisions that can be installed in present and future European commercial geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite platforms and scientific spacecraft. For this purpose ESA has started the ASSIST activity addressing the analysis, design and validation of internal provisions (such as modifications to fuel, gas, electrical and data architecture to allow servicing) and external provisions (such as integrated berthing fixtures with peripheral electrical, gas, liquid connectors, leak check systems and corresponding optical and radio markers for cooperative rendezvous and docking). This refuelling approach is being agreed with European industry (OHB, Thales Alenia Space) and expected to be consolidated with European commercial operators as a first step to become an international standard; this approach is also being considered for on-orbit servicing spacecraft, such as the SpaceTug, by Airbus DS. This paper describes in detail the operational means, structure, geometry and accommodation of the system. Internal and external provisions will be designed with the minimum possible impact on the current architecture of GEO satellites without introducing additional risks in the development and commissioning of the satellite. End-effector and berthing fixtures are being designed in the range of few

Improving Land Cover Mapping: a Mobile Application Based on ESA Sentinel 2 Imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Melis, M. T.; Dessì, F.; Loddo, P.; La Mantia, C.; Da Pelo, S.; Deflorio, A. M.; Ghiglieri, G.; Hailu, B. T.; Kalegele, K.; Mwasi, B. N.

2018-04-01

The increasing availability of satellite data is a real value for the enhancement of environmental knowledge and land management. Possibilities to integrate different source of geo-data are growing and methodologies to create thematic database are becoming very sophisticated. Moreover, the access to internet services and, in particular, to web mapping services is well developed and spread either between expert users than the citizens. Web map services, like Google Maps or Open Street Maps, give the access to updated optical imagery or topographic maps but information on land cover/use - are not still provided. Therefore, there are many failings in the general utilization -non-specialized users- and access to those maps. This issue is particularly felt where the digital (web) maps could form the basis for land use management as they are more economic and accessible than the paper maps. These conditions are well known in many African countries where, while the internet access is becoming open to all, the local map agencies and their products are not widespread.

78 FR 61324 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Special Nutrition...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-03

..., Social Science Research Analyst, Office of Policy Support, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, 3101 Park... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request--Special Nutrition Program Operations Study (SNPOS) AGENCY: Food and...

The Oxford Questionnaire on the Emotional Side-effects of Antidepressants (OQuESA): development, validity, reliability and sensitivity to change.

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Jonathan; Cole, Victoria; Doll, Helen; Goodwin, Guy M

2012-09-01

Some patients with major depression report a restricted range of emotions that may appear to arise as a side-effect of treatment with antidepressants. It is uncertain whether this phenomenon, sometimes called emotional blunting, represents residual symptoms of depression or side-effects of antidepressant treatment. There is currently no adequate instrument to measure this phenomenon. A draft questionnaire was developed from patient-derived qualitative data, refined using cognitive interviewing, and administered on three occasions to patients taking antidepressants. Statistical methods including factor analysis were used to reduce the size of the draft questionnaire, and to assess the performance of the resulting Oxford Questionnaire on the Emotional Side-effects of Antidepressants (OQuESA). 207 patients completed the OQuESA on at least one occasion. Their BDI-II scores and self-reported emotional blunting were spread across the possible range. The factor analysis resulted in four dimensions: 'not caring', 'emotional detachment', 'reduction in positive emotions', and 'general reduction in emotions'. The OQuESA appears to be acceptable, valid, and reliable, with sensitivity to change. The OQuESA offers promise as an effective self-report measure of the symptoms of emotional blunting in patients with depression. It can be used as a clinical tool, to facilitate the identification of patients with the syndrome of emotional blunting. It should also be used in research studies, to advance our understanding of the nature, causes and treatment of this phenomenon. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exploring National Environmental Policy Act processes across federal land management agencies

Science.gov (United States)

Marc J. Stern; Michael J. Mortimer

2009-01-01

Broad discretion is granted at all levels throughout federal land management agencies regarding compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We explored the diversity of procedures employed in NEPA processes across four agencies, the USDA Forest Service, The USDI National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...

78 FR 79660 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Child Nutrition...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-31

... Nutrition Database in support of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act. DATES: Written comments on this notice... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request--Child Nutrition Database AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA...

State Library Agency Survey: Fiscal Year 2008

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Everett; Miller, Kim; Farrell, Michele; Brock, Faye; Dorinski, Suzanne; Freeman, Michael; Frid, Lisa; Hardesty, Laura; Music, Christopher; O'Shea, Patricia; Sheckells, Cindy

2009-01-01

This report marks the third release of library statistics data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). It contains data on state library agencies in the 50 states and the District of Columbia for state fiscal year (FY) 2008. The data were collected through the State Library Agencies (StLA) Survey, the product of a cooperative…

Rules regarding voluntary contributions to the Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-11-01

The texts of the following Rules Regarding Voluntary Contributions to the Agency are reproduced: 1. Rules to Govern the Acceptance of Gifts of Services, Equipment and Facilities (adopted by the Board of Governors on 13 June 1989); 2. Rules Regarding the Acceptance of Voluntary Contributions of Money to the Agency (approved by the General Conference on 29 September 1989)

76 FR 63351 - Senior Executive Service; Financial Management Service Performance Review Board (PRB)

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-12

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Senior Executive Service; Financial Management Service Performance Review Board (PRB) AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces the appointment of members to the Financial Management Service (FMS) Performance Review Board (PRB...

77 FR 60177 - Senior Executive Service; Financial Management Service Performance Review Board (PRB)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-02

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Senior Executive Service; Financial Management Service Performance Review Board (PRB) AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces the appointment of members to the Financial Management Service (FMS) Performance Review Board (PRB...

75 FR 35289 - International Services Surveys: BE-180, Benchmark Survey of Financial Services Transactions...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-22

...-AA73 International Services Surveys: BE-180, Benchmark Survey of Financial Services Transactions Between U.S. Financial Services Providers and Foreign Persons AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis... Survey of Financial Services Transactions between U.S. Financial Services Providers and Foreign Persons...

The Responsibility of Telemedicine Focused Organizations in regards to creating Compliant end Users Products and Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Dumitru Tanţău

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of the present study is to provide a highly comprehensive methodological solution for carrying out products/services which fully comply with customers (i.e. end users functional and performance requirements in Telemedicine field, and furthermore to satisfy multitude end users simultaneously. By bringing into the light Systems Engineering (SE as a multidisciplinary theory used preponderantly in the aero-space segment for realization of complex projects, the paper illustrates the way it can be fulfilled the Functional and Performance Requirements of the end users from Romanian (non emergency medicine services in order to develop an innovative telemedicine product. The case study is based on two sets of qualitative researches as interviews in order to validate the telemedicine triggering idea among users, and to classify them, and secondly, as ample observations in order to gain insights on the users' scenarios and further to elaborate user requirements. Both sets of researches undertaken from users' specific environments were backed up with secondary information gained through document analysis. Relevant for this telemedicine research, it is the fact that the results of this survey have been already successfully used as a baseline to prototype the telemedicine product for Romanian market, in a European Space Agency (ESA Project.

7 CFR 800.117 - Who shall perform original services.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Who shall perform original services. 800.117 Section... REGULATIONS Original Services § 800.117 Who shall perform original services. (a) General. Original services... official agency is not available on a regular basis to provide original services, and no official agency...

Datacube as a Service to Exploit the Full Potential of Data Cloudy Distributed

Science.gov (United States)

Mantovani, S.; Natali, S.; Barboni, D.; Hogan, P.; Baumann, P.; Clements, O.

2017-12-01

For almost half a century satellite platforms devoted to Earth Observation have allowed creating a complete description of the global environment, generating hundreds of Petabytes of data. The continuous increase of data availability (and respective data volume), together with the raised awareness of climate change issues, have made people of any kind (from citizens to decision makers to scientists) sensitive to environmental threats, improving their inclination to invest on monitoring and mitigation activities. Recently, the term "datacube" has received increasing attention for its potential to simplify the provision of "Big Earth Data" services, allowing massive spatio-temporal data in an analysis-ready way. A number of datacube-ready platforms have emerged to enable a new collaborative approach to analyse the vast amount of satellite imagery and other Earth Observation data, making quicker and easier to explore a time series of images stored in global or regional datacubes. In this context, the European Space Agency and European Commission H2020-funded projects ([1], [2]) are bringing together multiple organisations in Europe, Australia and United States to allow federated data holdings to be analysed using web-based access to petabytes of multidimensional geospatial datasets. In this study, we provide an overview of the existing datacubes (EarthServer-2 datacubes, Sentinel Datacube, European and Australian Landsat Datacubes, …), how the regional datacube structures differ each other, how datacubes interoperability is achieved through OpenSearch and Web Coverage Service (WCS) standards, and finally how the datacube contents can be visualized on a virtual globe (ESA-NASA WebWorldWind) based on a WC(P)S query, and how data can be manipulated on the fly through web-based interfaces, such as Jupyter notebook. The current study is co-financed by the European Space Agency under the MaaS project (ESRIN Contract No. 4000114186/15/I-LG) and the European Union's Horizon

Comparison of Dosage Requirement of Erythropoietin Stimulating Agent (ESA in Maintenance of Hemoglobin Concentration in patients undergoing twice weekly versus thrice weekly Hemodialysis in Pakistani Population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osama Kunwer Naveed

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Anemia is one of the major complications of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD undergoing hemodialysis (HD and is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and also increases morbidity and mortality. Anemia in patients with CKD can be due to two major reasons; iron deficiency or erythropoietin insufficiency. Erythropoietin Stimulating Agent (ESAs administration is the mainstay in treating anemia if the patient is iron sufficient. However, higher doses of ESAs have been associated with increased cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events. We conducted this study to see how much erythropoietin is required in our setting in iron sufficient patients to maintain hemoglobin(Hb  level and the effect of dialysis frequency on ESA doses.  Methods and Findings: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Nephrology at Ziauddin University Hospital. Patients’ charts were reviewed for Hb levels and doses of ESA to maintain Hb between 10-12 mg/dl. Patients were excluded if they had iron deficiency, malignancy, were on immunosuppressive agents, had renal transplant, and with Hb >12 mg/dl or <10 mg/dl and their ferritin levels, transferrin saturation, hemoglobin concentration, frequency of hemodialysis and ESA dosage were monitored. We also compared these variables between patients undergoing hemodialysis thrice weekly with those undergoing hemodialysis twice a week. A total of 105 patients were analyzed. 24 were excluded as they did not match the inclusion criteria. 81 patients were included in the study. 36 (44.4% were males and 45 (55.6% were females. Mean age of the patient was 56.47 ± 11.72 years. The average dose of ESA was 106.91 ± 61.47 for patients undergoing hemodialysis thrice weekly and 183.94 ± 116.71 for patients undergoing hemodialysis twice a week. Significant difference was found to exist between dosage of patients undergoing thrice weekly dialysis versus twice weekly dialysis(p=<0.001.  Our study has limitations

45 CFR 1230.200 - Agency and legislative liaison.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Agency and legislative liaison. 1230.200 Section 1230.200 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE NEW RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING Activities by Own Employees § 1230.200 Agency and legislative...

Substance abuse treatment and services by criminal justice and other funding sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Arfken, Cynthia L; Kubiak, Sheryl Pimlott

2009-01-01

Studies have found funding source, whether public or private, is associated with treatment and services offered in community-based agencies. However, the association of criminal justice funding with community-based treatment and services is unknown. Using a mixed method case study approach with 34 agencies within one state we assessed administrators' perspectives of the most important funding source, treatment and services offered. We found that agencies rely on multiple funding sources and the source rated most important was associated with treatment and services offered in the agency. Those agencies citing a criminal justice entity as the most important funder were more likely to offer specific ancillary services and adopt motivational interviewing than those citing private funds. Although client characteristics or training opportunities may determine these services and practices, the agency's most important funding source may have implications for services offered.

Corporate Funding of Human Services Agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zippay, Allison

1992-01-01

Conducted case study of philanthropic giving among 29 companies in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Found that most corporations used informal rather than formal process for making funding decisions, with many firms relying on tradition, social contacts, and intuition to guide allocations. Findings suggest ways that social services administrators can…

Approach to technology prioritization in support of moon initiatives in the framework of ESA exploration technology roadmaps

Science.gov (United States)

Aleina, Sara Cresto; Viola, Nicole; Fusaro, Roberta; Saccoccia, Giorgio

2017-10-01

Exploration technology roadmaps have been developed by ESA in the past few years and the latest edition has been released in 2015. Scope of these technology roadmaps, elaborated in consultation with the different ESA stakeholders (e.g. European Industries and Research Entities), is to provide a powerful tool for strategic, programmatic and technical decisions in support of the European role within an International Space Exploration context. In the context of preparation for possible future European Moon exploration initiatives, the technology roadmaps have been used to highlight the role of technology within Missions, Building Blocks and Operational Capabilities of relevance. In particular, as part of reference missions to the Moon that would fit in the time frame 2020 to 2030, ESA has addressed the definition of lunar surface exploration missions in line with its space exploration strategy, with the common mission goals of returning samples from the Moon and Mars and expanding human presence to these destinations in a step-wise approach. The roadmaps for the procurement of technologies required for the first mission elements of the above strategy have been elaborated through their main building blocks, i.e. Visual navigation, Hazard detection and avoidance; Sample acquisition, processing and containment system; Surface mobility elements; Tele-robotic and autonomous control systems; and Storable propulsion modules and equipment. Technology prioritization methodologies have been developed in support of the ESA Exploration Technology Roadmaps, in order to provide logical and quantitative instruments to verify choices of prioritization that can be carried out based on important, but non-quantitative factors. These methodologies, which are thoroughly described in the first part of the paper, proceed through subsequent steps. First, technology prioritization's criteria are selected; then decision trees are developed to highlight all feasible paths of combination of

76 FR 73651 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-29

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request Periodically, the Health Resources and... Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service (BCRS) places...

78 FR 10174 - Public Availability of General Services Administration FY 2012 Service Contract Inventory

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-13

... GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION [Notice-MV-2013-02; Docket No. 2013-0002; Sequence 3] Public Availability of General Services Administration FY 2012 Service Contract Inventory AGENCY: General Services Administration (GSA). ACTION: Notice of Public Availability of FY 2012 Service Contract Inventories. SUMMARY: In...

75 FR 10704 - International Services Surveys: BE-180, Benchmark Survey of Financial Services Transactions...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-09

...] RIN 0691-AA73 International Services Surveys: BE-180, Benchmark Survey of Financial Services Transactions Between U.S. Financial Services Providers and Foreign Persons AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis... BE-180, Benchmark Survey of Financial Services Transactions between U.S. Financial Services Providers...

A case study of desertification hazard mapping using the MEDALUS (ESAs methodology in southwest Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahabeddin Taghipour-Javi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Understanding environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs prone to desertification can lead to substantial gains in the efficiency of land use planning and partly avoid negative outcomes. The main objectives of this research were the monitoring and mapping of ESAs to desertification in the agro-ecosystem of the Khanmirza plain, Iran, during two time series (2000 and 2013. In the current study, an adjusted “Mediterranean desertification and land use (MEDALUS” approach was applied to identify the most ESAs to desertification in the study area and monitorchanges inthe environmental sensitivity area indicator (ESAIbetween 2000 and 2013 over the studied area.Fivemain thematic indicators have been evaluated including, Soil quality indicator (SQI, Management quality indicator (MQI, Climate quality indicator (CQI, Vegetation quality indicator (VQI, and Irrigation water quality indicator (IWQI. Results show that the areas affected by the critical desertification status covered approximately 7% of the farmlands and the meadowlands in this agro-ecosystem region in the year 2000. Likewise, in 2013, almost 24% of the study area was sensitive to and affected by desertification, giving a rate of increase of approximately 1.3% per year.More than half of the land used for agriculture has been moderately to severely degraded. The results also show that the central places intheregionwere affected by farmlands and meadowlands degradingto barrenlands due to mismanagement and a lack ofeffective planning withland and water resources. However, rehabilitation of irreversibly degraded land requires serious measures that aim torestore the capability of those areas and increase resistance to degradation through effective planning in water and land in the region.

78 FR 23755 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-22

... justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods for assessing potential non-response... Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service... Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery '' for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U...

76 FR 63301 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-12

... requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods... Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service... Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to OMB for approval under...

76 FR 15027 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-18

... clustering), the precision requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the...; Comment Request; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery... Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to OMB for approval under...

ESA's Hipparcos finds rebels with a cause

Science.gov (United States)

2004-10-01

hi-res Size hi-res: 20Kb Credits: S. Kerroudj, B. Famaey & A. Jorissen (Université Libre de Bruxelles) Artist's impression of the Milky Way Artist's impression of our galaxy, the Milky Way, an aggregate of thousands of millions of stars. The spiral arms are clearly visible. They are regions of enhanced density of stars and gas. The Sun is located near the edge of one arm, about half-way from the galactic centre. Spiral arms can impart a kick on stars orbiting close to them. These stars are then forced unto streams running inwards or outwards, whereas the bulk of stars in the Milky Way move in circular orbits around the galactic centre. Using data from ESA’s Hipparcos satellite, astronomers have now identified three such streams, reaching into the solar neighbourhood. High-resolution version (TIFF) Low-resolution version (JPG) The Sun and most stars near it follow an orderly, almost circular orbit around the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way. Using data from ESA's Hipparcos satellite, a team of European astronomers has now discovered several groups of 'rebel' stars that move in peculiar directions, mostly towards the galactic centre or away from it, running like the spokes of a wheel. These rebels account for about 20% of the stars within 1000 light-years of the Sun, itself located about 25 000 light-years away from the centre of the Milky Way. The data show that rebels in the same group have little to do with each other. They have different ages so, according to scientists, they cannot have formed at the same time nor in the same place. Instead, they must have been forced together. "They resemble casual travel companions more than family members," said Dr Benoit Famaey, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium. Famaey and his colleagues believe that the cause forcing the rebel stars together on their unusual trajectory is a 'kick' received from one of the Milky Way's spiral arms. The spiral arms are not solid structures but rather regions of higher density of

OCETA: services for environmental companies an technology developers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buckley, A.; Ozdemir, B. [Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement, Toronto, ON (Canada)

1995-12-31

Services provided by OCETA (Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement) to Ontario-based developers of environmental technologies, were described. While OCETA is not a granting agency, it is prepared to provide seed funding, in combination with private and government funding for client projects, and is committed to sharing risks and rewards for successful commercialization. The agency is also in a position to provide technology services at agreed discounts and to maximize in-kind contributions in order to extend project funding. Other services that the agency is equipped to provide, are described. These include information services, technology demonstration and assessment, business services, funding identification and sourcing, marketing, partnerships, and export market development.

75 FR 22689 - Fiscal Service

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-29

... the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service, Financial Accounting and Services..., 2010. Sandra Paylor-Sanders, Acting Director, Financial Accounting and Services Division. [FR Doc. 2010... Bonding Company AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Department of the Treasury. ACTION...

77 FR 6128 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-07

... requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods... Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery ACTION: 30-Day notice of submission of information collection... Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to OMB for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA...

78 FR 44099 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-23

... requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods... Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service... Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S...

Benefits and risks of shared services in healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennewell, Suzanne; Baker, Laura

2016-05-16

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of staff in a large, public health service involved in transitioning support services to a shared services model. It aims to understand their perceptions of the benefits and risks arising from this change. Design/methodology/approach - Thematic analysis of qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with both service provider and customer agency staff was used to identify, analyze and report patterns of benefits and risks within data. Findings - Staff expressed the need for relevant subject-matter-experts to work within customer agencies to facilitate effective communication between the customer agency and shared services provider, reflecting observations found in out-sourcing literature. Research limitations/implications - Results point to significant challenges continuing to occur for shared services in healthcare. Risks identified suggest a more intimate relationship between clinical and support services than previously discussed. Originality/value - Previous discussion of the shared services model has not considered the skills, knowledge and ability required by staff in the customer agency. This research indicates that in the absence of such consideration, the concepts of the shared services model are weakened.

Una manera de nombrar el deseo en Toda esa gran verdad

OpenAIRE

List Reyes, Mauricio

2011-01-01

Este artículo analiza la novela Toda esa gran verdad (2006) del mexicano Eduardo Montagner. El artículo centra su atención en el tema de la sexualidad, particularmente la del personaje principal. La idea es reflexionar acerca de formas disidentes de la sexualidad que rompen con las maneras normativas y que son sancionadas socialmente. En este caso en particular, unas botas de hule son el centro de la atención de un joven de una comunidad rural que dice estar enamorado del dueño de dicho calza...

Quality strategies implemented within the tourism agency Perfect Tour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madar, A.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the quality strategies adopted by the tourism agency Perfect Tour. The most important advantages of the Romanian agency in comparison with its competitors are: the focus on high quality services, cooperation with other international agencies, entering new fields like medical tourism and sole representative of Disneyland Paris. The strategies adopted explain the good financial results even in the period of crisis.

76 FR 38401 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-30

... Administration, HHS. ACTION: Correction. SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration published an... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency... Services Administration (HRSA) under the Health Center Program as authorized under section 330 of the...

78 FR 14804 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-07

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency.... L. 104-13), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of... and Human Services' (HHS) priority policies to improve health care delivery. Some of these priorities...

77 FR 5253 - Public Availability of General Services Administration FY 2011 Service Contract Inventory

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-02

... GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION [Notice-MV-2012-01; Docket 2012-0002; Sequence 3] Public Availability of General Services Administration FY 2011 Service Contract Inventory AGENCY: Office of Acquisition Policy (MV); General Services Administration (GSA). ACTION: Notice of public availability of FY...

76 FR 5375 - Public Availability of General Services Administration FY 2010 Service Contract Inventory

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-31

... GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION [2011-MV-1; Docket No. 2011-0006; Sequence 4] Public Availability of General Services Administration FY 2010 Service Contract Inventory AGENCY: Office of Acquisition Policy; General Services Administration (GSA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces that GSA is...

78 FR 8032 - Misuse of Internet Protocol (IP) Captioned Telephone Service; Telecommunications Relay Services...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-05

... providers to ensure that equipment and software used in conjunction with their service have a default...] Misuse of Internet Protocol (IP) Captioned Telephone Service; Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals With Hearing and Speech Disabilities AGENCY: Federal...

77 FR 32178 - Fiscal Service

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-31

... of the Treasury, Financial Management Service, Financial Accounting and Services Division, Surety... Carrico, Director, Financial Accounting and Services Division. [FR Doc. 2012-13044 Filed 5-30-12; 8:45 am...: Alterra Reinsurance USA, Inc. AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Department of the...

Space Weather Impacts on Spacecraft Operations: Identifying and Establishing High-Priority Operational Services

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, G.; Reid, S.; Tranquille, C.; Evans, H.

2013-12-01

Space Weather is a multi-disciplinary and cross-domain system defined as, 'The physical and phenomenological state of natural space environments. The associated discipline aims, through observation, monitoring, analysis and modelling, at understanding and predicting the state of the Sun, the interplanetary and planetary environments, and the solar and non-solar driven perturbations that affect them, and also at forecasting and nowcasting the potential impacts on biological and technological systems'. National and Agency-level efforts to provide services addressing the myriad problems, such as ESA's SSA programme are therefore typically complex and ambitious undertakings to introduce a comprehensive suite of services aimed at a large number and broad range of end users. We focus on some of the particular threats and risks that Space Weather events pose to the Spacecraft Operations community, and the resulting implications in terms of User Requirements. We describe some of the highest-priority service elements identified as being needed by the Operations community, and outline some service components that are presently available, or under development. The particular threats and risks often vary according to orbit, so the particular User Needs for Operators at LEO, MEO and GEO are elaborated. The inter-relationship between these needed service elements and existing service components within the broader Space Weather domain is explored. Some high-priority service elements and potential correlation with Space Weather drivers include: solar array degradation and energetic proton storms; single event upsets at GEO and solar proton events and galactic cosmic rays; surface charging and deep dielectric charging at MEO and radiation belt dynamics; SEUs at LEO and the South Atlantic Anomaly and its variability. We examine the current capability to provide operational services addressing such threats and identify some advances that the Operations community can expect to benefit

41 CFR 101-39.207 - Reimbursement for services.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... sufficient to recover applicable costs. Failure by using agencies to reimburse GSA for vehicle services will... or neglect. (e) Agencies may be charged for recovery of expenses for repairs or services to GSA IFMS... services. 101-39.207 Section 101-39.207 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property...

76 FR 21746 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-18

... calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods for assessing potential... of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality... Collection Request (Generic ICR): ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency...

76 FR 63581 - Certainty of Terms of Service Contracts and NVOCC Service Arrangements

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-13

... Terms of Service Contracts and NVOCC Service Arrangements AGENCY: Federal Maritime Commission. ACTION... regarding certainty of terms of service contracts and non-vessel- operating common carrier service... flexibility if they decide to use long-term contracts that adjust based on a freight rate index that reflects...

APEX - the Hyperspectral ESA Airborne Prism Experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koen Meuleman

2008-10-01

Full Text Available The airborne ESA-APEX (Airborne Prism Experiment hyperspectral mission simulator is described with its distinct specifications to provide high quality remote sensing data. The concept of an automatic calibration, performed in the Calibration Home Base (CHB by using the Control Test Master (CTM, the In-Flight Calibration facility (IFC, quality flagging (QF and specific processing in a dedicated Processing and Archiving Facility (PAF, and vicarious calibration experiments are presented. A preview on major applications and the corresponding development efforts to provide scientific data products up to level 2/3 to the user is presented for limnology, vegetation, aerosols, general classification routines and rapid mapping tasks. BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function issues are discussed and the spectral database SPECCHIO (Spectral Input/Output introduced. The optical performance as well as the dedicated software utilities make APEX a state-of-the-art hyperspectral sensor, capable of (a satisfying the needs of several research communities and (b helping the understanding of the Earth’s complex mechanisms.

Merger of Science Agencies Proposed

Science.gov (United States)

1992-07-01

A bill proposing the establishment of a cabinet-level Department of Science, Space, Energy and Technology was introduced in the House of Representatives on July 1 by Robert Walker (R-Pa.), George Brown (D-Calif.), Ron Packard (R-Calif.), and Joe Kolter (D-Pa.). The department would be a conglomerate of existing civilian science and technology agencies, including NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the National Technical Information Service, and research functions at the Department of Energy.

Assessing ESA on What It Is Designed For: A Reply to Cooper and Glaesser

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Carsten Q.; Wagemann, Claudius

2016-01-01

We appreciate Barry Cooper and Judith Glaesser's (henceforth CG) energy and effort put into reflecting on parts of our proposals laid out in "Set-theoretic Methods for the Social Sciences" (2012). We use our response to explain what enhanced standard analysis (ESA) is meant to achieve and what not, an issue about which CG hold erroneous…

31 CFR 223.18 - Performance of agency obligations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Performance of agency obligations. 223.18 Section 223.18 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE SURETY COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS...

Special offer from the Carlson Wagonlit Travel agency

CERN Multimedia

Carlson Wagonlit Travel

2011-01-01

Special offer 4th – 28th April Reduced CWT service fee for any new reservation of a holiday package (flight + hotel/apartment). Reserve for 1, 2, 3 or more travelers – pay the service fee for one person only. Valid at your CWT CERN agency.

The Strategy Of Information Services Unit, BPM To Collect Tacit Knowledge Amongst The Officers Who Will Retire At The Malaysian Nuclear Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norzehan Ngadiron; Mohd Hafizal Yusof; Mohd Hasnor Hasan; Habibah Adnan; Rudarul Morhaya Ismail; Iberahim Ali

2013-01-01

This paper discusses the implementation strategies of Information Services Unit, Information Management Division (BPM) in collecting tacit knowledge among Malaysian Nuclear Agency officers before they entered retirement. Tacit knowledge is the knowledge of personnel (personal) owned by a person, consist the combination of knowledge, experience, wisdom and unique insight, and critical and stored in the individual. Therefore, efforts to collect tacit knowledge is designed to ensure that tacit knowledge can be stored and recorded either in the form of documents, visual audio, video and others. It is also to be used by internal and external users to enhance their knowledge and skills. It is hope that these efforts will contribute significantly to the survival of knowledge management activities in Malaysian Nuclear Agency. (author)

31 CFR 225.10 - Other agency practices and authorities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... (Continued) FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE ACCEPTANCE OF BONDS... part by reason of the acceptance of bonds secured by Government obligations. (b) Agency authorities... for security in cases authorized by other provisions of law. ...

78 FR 25750 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-02

... centers advance the preventive and primary medical/health care home model of coordinated, comprehensive... services. More than 1,200 health centers operate nearly 9,000 service delivery sites that provide care in... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency...

76 FR 53478 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-26

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency... Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service (BCRS... States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13), the Health Resources and...

75 FR 26282 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests: State Library Administrative Agencies Survey...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-11

..., Office of Policy, Planning, Research, and Communication, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1800 M... Requests: State Library Administrative Agencies Survey, FY 2011-2013 AGENCY: Institute of Museum and Library Services, The National Foundation for the Arts and the Humanities. ACTION: Notice, request for...

40 CFR 35.2107 - Intermunicipal service agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... historic service relationships for water supply, wastewater or other services between the affected... supplier agency is adequate to continue the project, even if one of the proposed customer agencies fails to participate. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 2040-0027) ...

75 FR 67333 - Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals With Hearing and...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-02

... Docket No. 10-191; FCC 10-161] Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for...-Based Telecommunications Relay Service Numbering AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION... Internet-based Telecommunications Relay Service (iTRS), specifically, Video Relay Service (VRS) and IP...

78 FR 48135 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-07

.... ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Richard Lucas, Office of Policy Support, Food and Nutrition Service, U... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request--Enhancing Completion Rates for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance...

76 FR 17423 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-29

... Services Administration publishes summaries of proposed data collection projects for public comment... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request In compliance with the requirements of...

Results of the ESA study on psychological selection of astronaut candidates for Columbus missions II: Personality assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Goeters, Klaus-Martin; Fassbender, Christoph

A unique composition of personality assessment methods was applied to a group of 97 ESA scientists and engineers. This group is highly comparable to real astronaut candidates with respect to age and education. The list of used tests includes personality questionnaires, problem solving in groups as well as a projective technique. The study goals were: 1. Verification of psychometric qualities and applicability of tests to the target group; 2. Search for culture-fair tests by which multi-national European groups can be examined; 3. Identification of test methods by which the adaptability of the candidates to the psycho-social stress of long-duration space flights can be assessed. Based on the empirical findings, a test battery was defined which can be used in the selection of ESA space personnel.

75 FR 56501 - Information Collection; Land Management Agency Volunteer Surveys

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-16

... Information Collection; Land Management Agency Volunteer Surveys AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice... and test models of volunteer management; supply information to LMA program managers and other... is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the new information...

Design and Development of a Model to Simulate 0-G Treadmill Running Using the European Space Agency's Subject Loading System

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, E. C.; Cowley, M. S.; Scott-Pandorf, M. M.

2010-01-01

Develop a model that simulates a human running in 0 G using the European Space Agency s (ESA) Subject Loading System (SLS). The model provides ground reaction forces (GRF) based on speed and pull-down forces (PDF). DESIGN The theoretical basis for the Running Model was based on a simple spring-mass model. The dynamic properties of the spring-mass model express theoretical vertical GRF (GRFv) and shear GRF in the posterior-anterior direction (GRFsh) during running gait. ADAMs VIEW software was used to build the model, which has a pelvis, thigh segment, shank segment, and a spring foot (see Figure 1).the model s movement simulates the joint kinematics of a human running at Earth gravity with the aim of generating GRF data. DEVELOPMENT & VERIFICATION ESA provided parabolic flight data of subjects running while using the SLS, for further characterization of the model s GRF. Peak GRF data were fit to a linear regression line dependent on PDF and speed. Interpolation and extrapolation of the regression equation provided a theoretical data matrix, which is used to drive the model s motion equations. Verification of the model was conducted by running the model at 4 different speeds, with each speed accounting for 3 different PDF. The model s GRF data fell within a 1-standard-deviation boundary derived from the empirical ESA data. CONCLUSION The Running Model aids in conducting various simulations (potential scenarios include a fatigued runner or a powerful runner generating high loads at a fast cadence) to determine limitations for the T2 vibration isolation system (VIS) aboard the International Space Station. This model can predict how running with the ESA SLS affects the T2 VIS and may be used for other exercise analyses in the future.

Building an Open Data Portal for the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative based on an Iterative Development Methodology and Linked Data Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Kershaw, P.; Bennett, V. L.; Stephens, A.; Wilson, A.; Waterfall, A. M.; Petrie, R.; Iwi, A.; Donegan, S.; Juckes, M. N.; Parton, G.

2016-12-01

The Climate Change Initiative (CCI) programme was initiated by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2009 to address the GCOS Essential Climate Variable (ECV) requirements to provide stable, long-term, satellite-based data products to characterise the climate system and its changes. CEDA, working as part of a project consortium, were awarded the contract to build the Open Data Portal, consisting collectively of a central archive and single point of access for dissemination of the data to the international user community. Reflecting climate and earth observation community requirements, the system needed to support a range of access services in use by this domain and specifically, to integrate into existing infrastructure in the form of the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF). This range of requirements together with the heterogeneity of the ECV datasets presented significant challenges. However, the use of Linked Data technologies and an iterative approach to data model development and data publishing have been instrumental in meeting the objectives and building a cohesive system. The portal supports data discovery based on the OGC CSW specification and on ESGF's powerful faceted search. These services provide complementary content at different levels of granularity and it therefore became clear that a common data model was needed. Key terms are defined in vocabularies serialised in SKOS and OWL and are accessible from a central vocabulary server to provide a single authoritative source for applications consuming metadata content. Exploiting the vocabulary service therefore, it has been possible to develop an innovative solution tagging ISO 19115 records for the CSW with the equivalent vocabulary terms used for the ESGF faceted search system. In this way it has been possible to create a rich user interface for the portal combining search results from both search services and the ability to dynamically populate facet selection and context-based help information from the

Customer service in the residential property market of South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Rudansky-KlopperS

2004-07-01

Full Text Available An increasing number of estate agencies are entering the real estate market in South Africa and many are struggling to survive as competition grows stronger. Customer service has become of overriding importance to establish a differential advantage that will ensure long-term survival. This study investigates customer service by estate agencies in the residential property market of South Africa. The results indicate that estate agencies seem to be aware of the importance of providing good customer service and of being service-oriented, but they do not always seem to realise the need to conduct marketing research and test the actual satisfaction of customers with the services provided, leaving a potential gap between what the customer wants and what the estate agency provides.

76 FR 48171 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-08

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency... States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13), the Health Resources and... The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) of the Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service (BCRS...

32 CFR 728.57 - Department of State and associated agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...) Department of Justice—Drug Enforcement Agency. (10) Department of Treasury—U.S. Customs, U.S. Secret Service... (JECOR), and the Internal Revenue Service. (11) National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (12... State Medical Program. (b) Care authorized—(1) General. The Foreign Service Act of 1946, as amended...

Gross and net land cover changes in the main plant functional types derived from the annual ESA CCI land cover maps (1992-2015)

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; MacBean, Natasha; Ciais, Philippe; Defourny, Pierre; Lamarche, Céline; Bontemps, Sophie; Houghton, Richard A.; Peng, Shushi

2018-01-01

Land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) impacts local energy and water balance and contributes on global scale to a net carbon emission to the atmosphere. The newly released annual ESA CCI (climate change initiative) land cover maps provide continuous land cover changes at 300 m resolution from 1992 to 2015, and can be used in land surface models (LSMs) to simulate LULCC effects on carbon stocks and on surface energy budgets. Here we investigate the absolute areas and gross and net changes in different plant functional types (PFTs) derived from ESA CCI products. The results are compared with other datasets. Global areas of forest, cropland and grassland PFTs from ESA are 30.4, 19.3 and 35.7 million km2 in the year 2000. The global forest area is lower than that from LUH2v2h (Hurtt et al., 2011), Hansen et al. (2013) or Houghton and Nassikas (2017) while cropland area is higher than LUH2v2h (Hurtt et al., 2011), in which cropland area is from HYDE 3.2 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2016). Gross forest loss and gain during 1992-2015 are 1.5 and 0.9 million km2 respectively, resulting in a net forest loss of 0.6 million km2, mainly occurring in South and Central America. The magnitudes of gross changes in forest, cropland and grassland PFTs in the ESA CCI are smaller than those in other datasets. The magnitude of global net cropland gain for the whole period is consistent with HYDE 3.2 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2016), but most of the increases happened before 2004 in ESA and after 2007 in HYDE 3.2. Brazil, Bolivia and Indonesia are the countries with the largest net forest loss from 1992 to 2015, and the decreased areas are generally consistent with those from Hansen et al. (2013) based on Landsat 30 m resolution images. Despite discrepancies compared to other datasets, and uncertainties in converting into PFTs, the new ESA CCI products provide the first detailed long-term time series of land-cover change and can be implemented in LSMs to characterize recent carbon dynamics

Virtual Travel Agencies - Tourist Value through Travel Information Systems

OpenAIRE

Anckar, Bill

1999-01-01

Anckar, B. (1999), ?Virtual Travel Agencies - Tourist Value through Travel Information Systems?. IAMSR Research Report 5/99. Institute for Advanced Management Systems Research, ?bo Akademi University. As electronic commerce enables the tourist service providers to sell their products directly to the consumer, travel agencies are faced with the imminent threat of being by-passed in the travel industry chain in the information age. This paper suggests that virtual travel agencies can compete su...

A new 25 years Arctic Sea level record from ESA satellites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Ole Baltazar; Cheng, Yongcun; Knudsen, Per

The Arctic is an extremely challenging region for the use of remote sensing for ocean studies. One is the fact that despite 25 years of altimetry only very limited sea level observations exists in the interior of the Arctic Ocean. However, with Cryosat-2 SAR altimetry the situation is changing...... the ESA GOCE mission we are now able to derive a mean dynamic topography of the Arctic Ocean with unprecedented accuracy to constrain the ocean circulation. We present both a new estimation of the mean ocean circulation and new estimates of large scale sea level changes based on satellite data and perform...

Development of the Recruitment Services Market in Ukraine

OpenAIRE

Pysarevska Hanna I.

2013-01-01

The article analyses tendencies of development of the recruitment services market in Ukraine. It justifies actuality of the study of the recruitment services market, which confirms high and stable demand on the services of personnel agencies. It determines main problems in this sphere: insufficiently high quality of services, absence of professional standards, high fluctuation of personnel in agencies, low qualification of consultants on personnel selection, absence of statistical data about ...

European parabolic flight campaigns with Airbus ZERO-G: Looking back at the A300 and looking forward to the A310

Science.gov (United States)

Pletser, Vladimir; Rouquette, Sebastien; Friedrich, Ulrike; Clervoy, Jean-Francois; Gharib, Thierry; Gai, Frederic; Mora, Christophe

2015-09-01

Aircraft parabolic flights repetitively provide up to 23 s of reduced gravity during ballistic flight manoeuvres. Parabolic flights are used to conduct short microgravity investigations in Physical and Life Sciences and in Technology, to test instrumentation prior to space flights and to train astronauts before a space mission. The use of parabolic flights is complementary to other microgravity carriers (drop towers, sounding rockets), and preparatory to manned space missions on board the International Space Station and other manned spacecraft, such as Shenzhou and the Chinese Space Station CSS. The European Space Agency (ESA), the 'Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales' (CNES, French Space Agency) and the 'Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.' (DLR, the German Aerospace Centre) have used the Airbus A300 ZERO-G for research experiments in microgravity, and at Moon and Mars gravity levels, from 1997 until October 2014. The French company Novespace, a subsidiary of CNES, based in Bordeaux, France, is in charge of the organisation of Airbus A300 ZERO-G flights. A total of 104 parabolic flight campaigns have been organised by ESA, CNES and DLR since 1997, including 38 ESA, 34 CNES and 23 DLR microgravity campaigns, two Joint European ESA-CNES-DLR Partial-g Parabolic Flight Campaigns, and seven ESA Student campaigns. After 17 years of good and loyal services, this European workhorse for microgravity research in parabolic flights has been retired. The successor aircraft, the Airbus A310 ZERO-G, is being prepared for a first ESA-CNES-DLR cooperative campaign in Spring 2015. This paper looks back over 17 years of microgravity research in parabolic flights with the A300 ZERO-G, and introduces the new A310 ZERO-G that will be used from 2015 onwards.

75 FR 23771 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-04

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency... Services Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects being developed for...: Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education Payment Program (CHGME PP) Annual Report (OMB No. 0915-0313...

NAIP Public Image Services

Data.gov (United States)

Farm Service Agency, Department of Agriculture — This map provides a preview and information about the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) image services available on the APFO public image server. Click on...

Medicare Provider Payment Data - Home Health Agencies

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The Home Health Agency PUF contains information on utilization, payment (Medicare payment and standard payment), and submitted charges organized by CMS Certification...

75 FR 43944 - Membership of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Senior Executive Service (SES) Performance...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-27

... CONTACT: Ms. Lisa Novajosky, SES Program Manager, DLA Human Resources (J-14), Defense Logistics Agency... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Defense Logistics Agency Membership of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA... management of the SES cadre. DATES: Effective Date: September 16, 2010. ADDRESSES: Defense Logistics Agency...

Exploring the characteristics of nursing agencies in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omolola I. Olojede

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Nursing agencies are temporary employment service providers or labour brokers that supply nurses to health establishments. Objective: This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of nursing agencies and their relationship with clients in the health sector. Methods: During 2011, a cross-sectional national survey of 106 nursing agencies was conducted. After obtaining informed consent, telephone interviews were conducted with a representative of the selected nursing agency using a pretested structured questionnaire. Questions focused on the following: ownership, date of establishment, province of operation, distribution of clients across private and public health facilities; existence of a code of conduct; nature of the contractual relationship between nursing agencies and their clients, and numbers and cadres of nurses contracted. The survey data were analysed using STATA® 12. Results: Fifty-two nursing agencies participated in the survey, representing a 49% response rate. The study found that 32 nursing agencies (62% served private-sector clients only, which included private hospitals, homes for elderly people, patients in private homes, and private industry/company clinics, and only four (8% of the agencies served the public sector only. Twenty-seven percent of nursing agencies provided services to homes for elderly individuals. Nursing agencies were more likely to have contracts with private-sector clients (84% than with public-sector clients (16% (p = 0.04. Although 98% of nursing agencies reported that they had a code of conduct, the proportion was higher for private-sector clients (73% compared to public-sector clients (27%. In terms of quality checks and monitoring, 81% of agencies agreed with a statement that they checked the nursing council registration of nurses, 82% agreed with a statement that they requested certified copies of a nurse's qualifications. Only 21% indicated that they conducted reference checks

A Family Agency's Approach to Providing Employee Assistance Programs in Industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Keohane, Raymond G.; Newman, Carrie E.

1984-01-01

Describes the Employee Services Network (ESN), an employee assistance program developed within the Family and Children's Service of Richmond, Virginia. Demonstrates how a not-for-profit agency can develop, structure, and implement a program of services for the corporate community. (LLL)

Taxonomic considerations in listing subspecies under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Haig, Susan M; Beever, Erik A; Chambers, Steven M; Draheim, Hope M; Dugger, Bruce D; Dunham, Susie; Elliott-Smith, Elise; Fontaine, Joseph B; Kesler, Dylan C; Knaus, Brian J; Lopes, Iara F; Loschl, Pete; Mullins, Thomas D; Sheffield, Lisa M

2006-12-01

The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) allows listing of subspecies and other groupings below the rank of species. This provides the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service with a means to target the most critical unit in need of conservation. Although roughly one-quarter of listed taxa are subspecies, these management agencies are hindered by uncertainties about taxonomic standards during listing or delisting activities. In a review of taxonomic publications and societies, we found few subspecies lists and none that stated standardized criteria for determining subspecific taxa. Lack of criteria is attributed to a centuries-old debate over species and subspecies concepts. Nevertheless, the critical need to resolve this debate for ESA listings led us to propose that minimal biological criteria to define disjunct subspecies (legally or taxonomically) should include the discreteness and significance criteria of distinct population segments (as defined under the ESA). Our subspecies criteria are in stark contrast to that proposed by supporters of the phylogenetic species concept and provide a clear distinction between species and subspecies. Efforts to eliminate or reduce ambiguity associated with subspecies-level classifications will assist with ESA listing decisions. Thus, we urge professional taxonomic societies to publish and periodically update peer-reviewed species and subspecies lists. This effort must be paralleled throughout the world for efficient taxonomic conservation to take place.

Copernicus - Practice of Daily Life in a National Mapping Agency?

Science.gov (United States)

Wiatr, T.; Suresh, G.; Gehrke, R.; Hovenbitzer, M.

2016-06-01

Copernicus is an European system created for Earth observation and monitoring. It consists of a set of Earth observation satellites and in-situ sensors that provide geo-information that are used, through a set of Copernicus services, for applications related to the environment and global security. The main services of the Copernicus programme address six thematic areas: land, marine, atmosphere, climate change, emergency management and security. In Germany, there is a national service team of Copernicus service coordinators, who are responsible for the national development of the Copernicus services and for providing user-specific information about the Copernicus processes. These coordinators represent the contact points for all the programmes and services concerning their respective Copernicus theme. To publish information about Copernicus, national conferences and workshops are organised. Many people are involved in planning the continuous process of bringing the information to public authorities, research institutes and commercial companies. The Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie, BKG) is one such organisation, and is mainly responsible for the national land monitoring service of Copernicus. To make use of the freely available data from the Copernicus programme, the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy is currently developing new applications and projects in the field of remote sensing and land monitoring. These projects can be used by other public authorities as examples on how to use the Copernicus data and services for their individual demands and requirements. Copernicus data and services are currently not very commonly used in the daily routine of the national mapping agencies, but they will soon be.

75 FR 67370 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-02

... Transforming Healthcare Quality through Information Technology (THQIT).'' In accordance with the Paperwork... Cooperative Agreements for Transforming Healthcare Quality Through Information Technology (THQIT) AHRQ's... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Agency...

Home health agency work environments and hospitalizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarrín, Olga; Flynn, Linda; Lake, Eileen T; Aiken, Linda H

2014-10-01

An important goal of home health care is to assist patients to remain in community living arrangements. Yet home care often fails to prevent hospitalizations and to facilitate discharges to community living, thus putting patients at risk of additional health challenges and increasing care costs. To determine the relationship between home health agency work environments and agency-level rates of acute hospitalization and discharges to community living. Analysis of linked Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Home Health Compare data and nurse survey data from 118 home health agencies. Robust regression models were used to estimate the effect of work environment ratings on between-agency variation in rates of acute hospitalization and community discharge. Home health agencies with good work environments had lower rates of acute hospitalizations and higher rates of patient discharges to community living arrangements compared with home health agencies with poor work environments. Improved work environments in home health agencies hold promise for optimizing patient outcomes and reducing use of expensive hospital and institutional care.

Gaia-GOSA: An interactive service for coordination of asteroid observation campaigns

Science.gov (United States)

Santana-Ros, Toni; Bartczak, Przemyslaw; Michalowski, Tadeusz; Marciniak, Anna; Butkiewicz-Bak, Magda; Dudziński, Grzegorz

2016-10-01

We describe the Gaia-Ground-based Observational Service for Asteroids (www.gaiagosa.eu), which is a website aiming to facilitate asteroid observers in contributing to the Gaia mission by gathering lightcurves of selected targets.There are many asteroids which lightcurves cannot be covered during one observing run, like slow rotators,with periods longer than 12 hours. There are also targets with periods commensurate with the Earth's day, sotheir lightcurves cannot be covered by observing from one site only. There are also targets of special interest,like binary objects, where a large amount of data is needed. For all targets like those mentioned above, acoordination of observers is needed, also to avoid unnecessary duplication of data gathering.To that end we have created Gaia-GOSA, a web service which allows coordination between observers, focuseson interesting targets and may avoid observers to unnecessary gather data of the same object at the sametime. Furthermore, it is not necessary to be an advanced observer to contribute to the project. The websiteprepares the observing plan, providing all the necessary information to point your telescope. Thesubscription is free and observers with any level of experience are welcome.All the data gathered by Gaia-GOSA users will be reduced and analyzed by astronomers from the Astronomical Observatory of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (AO AMU). The resulting catalogue, containing all the lightcurves obtained, will be used to enhance the results of the Gaia (cornerstone European Space Agency's mission) inversion algorithm.The project has been developed under funding from the European Space Agency (ESA) and initially was only devoted to help users in planning photometric observations of asteroids. However, in this poster we also present an extended version of the website, which also aims to publish predictions of stellar occultations for selected targets. This work has been done in the framework of the Small Bodies: Near

76 FR 9819 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Generic Clearance for the...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-22

...; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery; Correction AGENCY...: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on... Regulatory Commission, Office of Personnel Management, Small Business Administration, and U.S. Agency for...

LMSS - From low data rate to voice services

Science.gov (United States)

Rogard, R.

1992-03-01

An overview of ESA's approach towards the introduction of Land Mobile Communications in Europe is presented. Emphasis is placed on a description of the payload called EMS to be launched on a host satellite, the Italsat-F2 spacecraft, and the definition of services which are most appropriate for a first-generation-operating Land Mobile Satellite System, namely, PRODAT, a message-handling system, and Europhone, an original approach to 'voice' systems. Attention is given to the EMS payload, characteristics, and capacity, the IF processor and channelization, and market considerations. It is shown that the optimization of the satellite characteristics and the mix of services to be provided are the key elements of a successful entry into the market.

77 FR 27062 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-08

... calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods for assessing potential... Project NIOSH Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery--NEW... Collection Request (Generic ICR): ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency...

Information Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Scofield, James

Newspaper librarians discussed the public use of their newspapers' libraries. Policies run the gamut from well-staffed public information services, within or outside the newspaper library, to no service at all to those outside the staff of the paper. Problems of dealing with tax and law enforcement agencies were covered, as well as cooperative…

A Nationwide Survey of State-Mandated Evaluation Practices for Domestic Violence Agencies

Science.gov (United States)

Riger, Stephanie; Staggs, Susan L.

2011-01-01

Many agencies serving survivors of domestic violence are required to evaluate their services. Three possible evaluation strategies include: a) process measurement, which typically involves a frequency count of agency activities, such as the number of counseling hours given; b) outcome evaluation, which measures the impact of agency activities on…

75 FR 30030 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-28

... financial incentives to improve the quality of care in nursing homes. The main purpose of the NHVBP data... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [Document... Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In...

77 FR 77079 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-31

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency.... L. 104-13), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of... Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, Public Law 110-275, is to support...

76 FR 55725 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-08

... requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods... Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery '' to OMB for approval under the Paperwork... Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery. Background: The information...

In Brief: European Earth science network for postdocs

Science.gov (United States)

Showstack, Randy

2008-12-01