Impact of educational intervention on the inter-rater agreement of nasal endoscopy interpretation

Science.gov (United States)

Colley, Patrick; Mace, Jess C.; Schaberg, Madeleine R.; Smith, Timothy L.; Tabaee, Abtin

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE Nasal endoscopy is integral to the evaluation of sinonasal disorders. However, prior studies have shown significant variability in the inter-rater agreement of nasal endoscopy interpretation amongst practicing rhinologists. The objective of the current study is to evaluate the inter-rater agreement of nasal endoscopy amongst otolaryngology residents from a single training program at baseline and following an educational intervention. METHODS 11 otolaryngology residents completed nasal endoscopy grading forms for 8 digitally recorded nasal endoscopic examinations. An instructional lecture reviewing nasal endoscopy interpretation was subsequently provided. The residents then completed grading forms for 8 different nasal endoscopic examinations. Inter-rate agreement amongst residents for the pre- and post-lecture videos was calculated using the unweighted Fleiss’ kappa statistic (Kf) and intra-class correlation agreement (ICC). RESULTS Inter-rater agreement improved from a baseline level of fair (Kf range 0.268–0.383) to a post-educational level of moderate (Kf range 0.401–0.547) for nasal endoscopy findings of middle meatus mucosa, middle turbinate mucosa, middle meatus discharge, sphenoethmoid recess mucosa, sphenoethmoid recess discharge and atypical lesions (ICC, pendoscopy interpretation amongst otolaryngology residents. The inter-rater agreement for the majority of the characteristics that were evaluated improved after educational intervention. Further study is needed to improve nasal endoscopy interpretation. PMID:25781864

Improving regulatory capacity to manage risks associated with trade agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

Walls, Helen L; Smith, Richard D; Drahos, Peter

2015-03-21

Modern trade negotiations have delivered a plethora of bilateral and regional preferential trade agreements (PTAs), which involve considerable risk to public health, thus placing demands on governments to strengthen administrative regulatory capacities in regard to the negotiation, implementation and on-going management of PTAs. In terms of risk management, the administrative regulatory capacity requisite for appropriate negotiation of PTAs is different to that for the implementation or on-going management of PTAs, but at all stages the capacity needed is expensive, skill-intensive and requires considerable infrastructure, which smaller and poorer states especially struggle to find. It is also a task generally underestimated. If states do not find ways to increase their capacities then PTAs are likely to become much greater drivers of health inequities. Developing countries especially struggle to find this capacity. In this article we set out the importance of administrative regulatory capacity and coordination to manage the risks to public health associated with PTAs, and suggest ways countries can improve their capacity.

Factoring economic costs into conservation planning may not improve agreement over priorities for protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Armsworth, Paul R; Jackson, Heather B; Cho, Seong-Hoon; Clark, Melissa; Fargione, Joseph E; Iacona, Gwenllian D; Kim, Taeyoung; Larson, Eric R; Minney, Thomas; Sutton, Nathan A

2017-12-21

Conservation organizations must redouble efforts to protect habitat given continuing biodiversity declines. Prioritization of future areas for protection is hampered by disagreements over what the ecological targets of conservation should be. Here we test the claim that such disagreements will become less important as conservation moves away from prioritizing areas for protection based only on ecological considerations and accounts for varying costs of protection using return-on-investment (ROI) methods. We combine a simulation approach with a case study of forests in the eastern United States, paying particular attention to how covariation between ecological benefits and economic costs influences agreement levels. For many conservation goals, agreement over spatial priorities improves with ROI methods. However, we also show that a reliance on ROI-based prioritization can sometimes exacerbate disagreements over priorities. As such, accounting for costs in conservation planning does not enable society to sidestep careful consideration of the ecological goals of conservation.

Safety impacts of the I-35W improvements done under Minnesota's urban partnership agreement (UPA) project : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

As part of an Urban Partnership Agreement project, the Minnesota Department of Transportation added lanes : and began operating a priced dynamic shoulder lane (PDSL) on parts of Interstate 35W. Following the opening of : these improvements, the frequ...

The Danish agreements on energy efficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-05-01

CO{sub 2}-taxes for industry were introduced in 1993. In 1996, the taxes were increased and an agreement system for energy-intensive companies was implemented. The main purpose of the agreement system has been to allow energy-intensive industry to pay a reduced tax rate, while at the same time improving energy efficiency. The evaluation of the energy tax system has shown that it has been possible to establish an energy tax that has led to a decrease in CO{sub 2}-emissions, without causing a decrease in the competitiveness of trade, industry and services. The agreement system has been a very important element in that it has improved energy efficiency in companies in which taxes would not have been a realistic instrument. In the case of companies with agreements, several studies suggest improvements of approximately 2.7% of the total energy use per agreement (three years). The three sources (concrete projects, special investigation and energy management) contribute approximately one third of this reduction each. The values for special investigation and energy management must be used with great care. It is also predicted that a continuation of the agreement system by 2005, relative to a situation without agreements, can lead to a decrease in CO{sub 2}-emissions corresponding to 6% of total emissions in industry and trade. Of this reduction, the highest amount is due to energy management. However, maintaining the positive effects of energy management systems will require that companies give higher priority to the managerial part of the system and not only focus on energy accounting. Some companies have argued that it is costly to carry out energy audits and to have to audits verified. Therefore, consideration should be given to possibilities for reducing the administrative costs of entering into an agreement, without this causing reduced efforts to save energy. A means of achieving these objectives could be to reduce the requirement for energy audits and verification

Diagnosis of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis with chest computed tomography: inter-observer agreement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oudkerk, S.F.; Jong, Pim A. de; Attrach, M.; Luijkx, T.; Buckens, C.F.; Mali, W.P.T.M. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Utrecht (Netherlands); Oner, F.C.; Verlaan, J.J. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Orthopedics, Utrecht (Netherlands); Resnick, D.L. [University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Radiology, San Diego, CA (United States); Vliegenthart, R. [University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Medical Imaging - North East Netherlands, Groningen (Netherlands); University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Radiology, Groningen (Netherlands)

2017-01-15

To evaluate and improve the interobserver agreement for the CT-based diagnosis of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). Six hundred participants of the CT arm of a lung cancer screening trial were randomly divided into two groups. The first 300 CTs were scored by five observers for the presence of DISH based on the original Resnick criteria for radiographs. After analysis of the data a consensus meeting was organised and the criteria were slightly modified regarding the definition of 'contiguous', the definition of 'flowing ossifications' and the viewing plane and window level. Subsequently, the second set of 300 CTs was scored by the same observers. κ ≥ 0.61 was considered good agreement. The 600 male participants were on average 63.5 (SD 5.3) years old and had smoked on average 38.0 pack-years. In the first round κ values ranged from 0.32 to 0.74 and 7 out of 10 values were below 0.61. After the consensus meeting the interobserver agreement ranged from 0.51 to 0.86 and 3 out of 10 values were below 0.61. The agreement improved significantly. This is the first study that reports interobserver agreement for the diagnosis of DISH on chest CT, showing mostly good agreement for modified Resnick criteria. (orig.)

Significant improvement in the thermal annealing process of optical resonators

Science.gov (United States)

Salzenstein, Patrice; Zarubin, Mikhail

2017-05-01

Thermal annealing performed during process improves the quality of the roughness of optical resonators reducing stresses at the periphery of their surface thus allowing higher Q-factors. After a preliminary realization, the design of the oven and the electronic method were significantly improved thanks to nichrome resistant alloy wires and chopped basalt fibers for thermal isolation during the annealing process. Q-factors can then be improved.

FFTF Authorization Agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DAUTEL, W.A.

2000-01-01

The purpose of the Authorization Agreement is to serve as a mechanism whereby the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) and Fluor Hanford (FH) jointly clarify and agree to key conditions for conducting work safely and efficiently in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). Work must be accomplished in a manner that achieves high levels of quality while protecting the environment and the safety and health of workers and the public, and complying with applicable contractual and regulatory requirements. It is the intent of this Agreement to address those items of significant importance in establishing and supporting the FFTF Authorization Envelope, but this Agreement in no way alters the terms and conditions of the Project Hanford Management Contract (PHMC), Contract Number DE-AC06-96RL13200

Omega-3 fatty acid therapy dose-dependently and significantly decreased triglycerides and improved flow-mediated dilation, however, did not significantly improve insulin sensitivity in patients with hypertriglyceridemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Pyung Chun; Koh, Kwang Kon; Sakuma, Ichiro; Lim, Soo; Lee, Yonghee; Lee, Seungik; Lee, Kyounghoon; Han, Seung Hwan; Shin, Eak Kyun

2014-10-20

Experimental studies demonstrate that higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) improves insulin sensitivity, however, we reported that n-3 FA 2g therapy, most commonly used dosage did not significantly improve insulin sensitivity despite reducing triglycerides by 21% in patients. Therefore, we investigated the effects of different dosages of n-3 FA in patients with hypertriglyceridemia. This was a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study. Age, sex, and body mass index were matched among groups. All patients were recommended to maintain a low fat diet. Forty-four patients (about 18 had metabolic syndrome/type 2 diabetes mellitus) in each group were given placebo, n-3 FA 1 (O1), 2 (O2), or 4 g (O4), respectively daily for 2 months. n-3 FA therapy dose-dependently and significantly decreased triglycerides and triglycerides/HDL cholesterol and improved flow-mediated dilation, compared with placebo (by ANOVA). However, each n-3 FA therapy did not significantly decrease high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and fibrinogen, compared with placebo. O1 significantly increased insulin levels and decreased insulin sensitivity (determined by QUICKI) and O2 significantly decreased plasma adiponectin levels relative to baseline measurements. Of note, when compared with placebo, each n-3 FA therapy did not significantly change insulin, glucose, adiponectin, glycated hemoglobin levels and insulin sensitivity (by ANOVA). We observed similar results in a subgroup of patients with the metabolic syndrome. n-3 FA therapy dose-dependently and significantly decreased triglycerides and improved flow-mediated dilation. Nonetheless, n-3 FA therapy did not significantly improve acute-phase reactants and insulin sensitivity in patients with hypertriglyceridemia, regardless of dosages. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

These columns summarize the different bilateral and multilateral agreements concluded recently between the different OECD countries and concerning the nuclear energy domain: Argentina - Australia: Agreement concerning Co-operation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (2001). Argentina - Brazil: Joint Declaration regarding the Creation of the Argentinean-Brazilian Agency for Nuclear Energy Applications (2001). Australia - Czech Republic / Australia - Hungary: Agreements on Co-operation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy and the Transfer of Nuclear Material (2001). Australia - Indonesia: Arrangement Concerning Co-operation on Nuclear Safeguards and Related Matters (2001). Austria - Switzerland: Agreement on the Early Exchange of Information in the Field of Nuclear Safety and Radiation. Brazil - United States: Extension of the Agreement concerning Research and Development in Nuclear Material Control, Accountancy, Verification, Physical Protection, and Advanced Containment and Surveillance Technologies for International Safeguards Applications (2001). Czech Republic - Republic of Korea: Agreement for Co-operation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (2001). European Union- Russian Federation: Agreements on Nuclear Safety and Controlled Nuclear Fusion (2001). France - United States: Agreement for Co-operation in Advanced Nuclear Reactor Science and Technology (2001). Japan - United Kingdom: Co-operation Agreement on Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Fast Breeder Reactor and Other Related Technologies (2001). Republic OF Korea - United States: Annex IV Joint Project on Cintichem Technology (2000). Morocco - United States: Protocol amending the Co-operation Agreement on the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (2001). Multilateral Agreements: Agreement for Information Exchange on Radiological Surveillance in Northern Europe (2001). Status of Conventions in the Field of Nuclear Energy. (author)

Significant Improvement of Catalytic Efficiencies in Ionic Liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Choong Eui; Yoon, Mi Young; Choi, Doo Seong

2005-01-01

The use of ionic liquids as reaction media can confer many advantages upon catalytic reactions over reactions in organic solvents. In ionic liquids, catalysts having polar or ionic character can easily be immobilized without additional structural modification and thus the ionic solutions containing the catalyst can easily be separated from the reagents and reaction products, and then, be reused. More interestingly, switching from an organic solvent to an ionic liquid often results in a significant improvement in catalytic performance (e.g., rate acceleration, (enantio)selectivity improvement and an increase in catalyst stability). In this review, some recent interesting results which can nicely demonstrate these positive 'ionic liquid effect' on catalysis are discussed

Training directionally selective motion pathways can significantly improve reading efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Lawton, Teri

2004-06-01

This study examined whether perceptual learning at early levels of visual processing would facilitate learning at higher levels of processing. This was examined by determining whether training the motion pathways by practicing leftright movement discrimination, as found previously, would improve the reading skills of inefficient readers significantly more than another computer game, a word discrimination game, or the reading program offered by the school. This controlled validation study found that practicing left-right movement discrimination 5-10 minutes twice a week (rapidly) for 15 weeks doubled reading fluency, and significantly improved all reading skills by more than one grade level, whereas inefficient readers in the control groups barely improved on these reading skills. In contrast to previous studies of perceptual learning, these experiments show that perceptual learning of direction discrimination significantly improved reading skills determined at higher levels of cognitive processing, thereby being generalized to a new task. The deficits in reading performance and attentional focus experienced by the person who struggles when reading are suggested to result from an information overload, resulting from timing deficits in the direction-selectivity network proposed by Russell De Valois et al. (2000), that following practice on direction discrimination goes away. This study found that practicing direction discrimination rapidly transitions the inefficient 7-year-old reader to an efficient reader.

Signalling in international environmental agreements. Using pre-agreement emission level as a signalling device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steiner, U.

1997-12-31

This paper addresses the question about strategic incentives in international environmental agreements and tries to give a positive description of how the design of the agreement influences the strategic behaviour of potential participants before they enter the treaty. A common feature of the design of agreements is that the reduction obligations (RO) are made contingent on a pre-agreement or baseline emission. As it is assumed that countries posses better information about their reduction costs than does the international body in charge of deciding the RO, countries might have incentives to signal higher costs by increasing their baseline emission, and thereby reducing the costs of entering the agreement. The appropriate analytical framework is to use a signalling game approach, where the pre-agreement emission level conveys information about the privately informed country`s reduction cost. In this paper two types of agreement design are considered, one with uniform obligations, and one with differentiated obligations. This enables us to make a comparison between two different reduction regimes. The result is that the predicted outcomes vary with regard to both the environmental effectiveness and the associated expected costs for the participating countries. This means that when private information is considered, the anticipation of a given institutional framework has significant impact on the resulting distortion of the total emission level, highlighting the necessity of taking this into consideration when future designs are proposed. (au)

Signalling in international environmental agreements: Using pre-agreement emission level as a signalling device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steiner, U.

1997-01-01

This paper addresses the question about strategic incentives in international environmental agreements and tries to give a positive description of how the design of the agreement influences the strategic behaviour of potential participants before they enter the treaty. A common feature of the design of agreements is that the reduction obligations (RO) are made contingent on a pre-agreement or baseline emission. As it is assumed that countries posses better information about their reduction costs than does the international body in charge of deciding the RO, countries might have incentives to signal higher costs by increasing their baseline emission, and thereby reducing the costs of entering the agreement. The appropriate analytical framework is to use a signalling game approach, where the pre-agreement emission level conveys information about the privately informed country's reduction cost. In this paper two types of agreement design are considered, one with uniform obligations, and one with differentiated obligations. This enables us to make a comparison between two different reduction regimes. The result is that the predicted outcomes vary with regard to both the environmental effectiveness and the associated expected costs for the participating countries. This means that when private information is considered, the anticipation of a given institutional framework has significant impact on the resulting distortion of the total emission level, highlighting the necessity of taking this into consideration when future designs are proposed. (au)

78 FR 35649 - Negotiated Service Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-13

... whether the 2013 Agreement (1) Improves the net financial position of the Postal Service or enhances the... CFR 3015.5 (filed under seal); a public Excel file containing redacted versions of financial...

International Technology-Oriented Agreements to Address Climate Change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Coninck, H.C.; Fischer, C.; Newell, R.G.; Ueno, T.

2007-01-01

Much discussion has surrounded possible alternatives for international agreements on climate change, particularly post-2012. Among these alternatives, technology-oriented agreements (TOAs) are perhaps the least well defined. We explore what TOAs may consist of, why they might be sensible, which TOAs already exist in international energy and environmental governance, and whether they have the potential to make a valuable contribution to addressing climate change. We conclude that TOAs aimed at knowledge sharing and coordination, research, development, or demonstration could increase the overall efficiency and effectiveness of international climate cooperation, but have limited environmental effectiveness on their own. Technology transfer agreements are likely to have similar properties unless the level of resources expended on them is large, in which case they could be environmentally significant. Technology mandates, standards, or incentives can be environmentally effective, within the applicable sector. However, they are likely to be less cost-effective than broad-based, flexible approaches that place a price on emissions. These results indicate that TOAs have the potential to improve the effectiveness of the global response to climate change. The success of specific TOAs will depend on their design, implementation, and the role they are expected to play relative to other components of the climate policy portfolio

Comfort monitoring? Environmental assessment follow-up under community-industry negotiated environmental agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noble, Bram; Birk, Jasmine

2011-01-01

Negotiated environmental agreements are becoming common practice in the mining industry. In principle, negotiated environmental agreements are said to respond to many of the shortcomings of environmental impact assessment by providing for improved follow-up of project impacts through, among other things, data provision, engaging stakeholders in the monitoring and management of project impacts, and building capacity at the local level to deal with project-induced environmental change. In practice, however, little is known about the efficacy of follow-up under negotiated environmental agreements between proponents and communities and the demonstrated value added to project impact management. This paper examines follow-up practice under negotiated environmental agreements with a view to understanding whether and how community-based monitoring under privatized agreements actually contributes to improved follow-up and impact management. Based on lessons emerging from recent experiences with environmental agreements in Canada's uranium industry, we show that follow-up under negotiated agreements may be described as 'comfort monitoring'. While such monitoring does improve community-industry relations and enhance corporate image, it does little to support effects-based management. If follow-up under negotiated agreements is to be credible over the long term, there is a need to ensure that monitoring results are useful for, and integrated with, regulatory-based monitoring and project impact management practices.

Inhaler Reminders Significantly Improve Asthma Patients' Use of Controller Medications

Science.gov (United States)

... controller medications Share | Inhaler reminders significantly improve asthma patients’ use of controller medications Published Online: July 22, ... the burden and risk of asthma, but many patients do not use them regularly. This poor adherence ...

Improved inter-observer agreement of an expert review panel in an oncology treatment trial--Insights from a structured interventional process.

Science.gov (United States)

Nestle, Ursula; Rischke, Hans Christian; Eschmann, Susanne Martina; Holl, Gabriele; Tosch, Marco; Miederer, Matthias; Plotkin, Michail; Essler, Markus; Puskas, Cornelia; Schimek-Jasch, Tanja; Duncker-Rohr, Viola; Rühl, Friederike; Leifert, Anja; Mix, Michael; Grosu, Anca-Ligia; König, Jochem; Vach, Werner

2015-11-01

Oncologic imaging is a key for successful cancer treatment. While the quality assurance (QA) of image acquisition protocols has already been focussed, QA of reading and reporting offers still room for improvement. The latter was addressed in the context of a prospective multicentre trial on fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG)-positron-emission tomography (PET)/CT-based chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). An expert panel was prospectively installed performing blinded reviews of mediastinal NSCLC involvement in FDG-PET/CT. Due to a high initial reporting inter-observer disagreement, the independent data monitoring committee (IDMC) triggered an interventional harmonisation process, which overall involved 11 experts uttering 6855 blinded diagnostic statements. After assessing the baseline inter-observer agreement (IOA) of a blinded re-review (phase 1), a discussion process led to improved reading criteria (phase 2). Those underwent a validation study (phase 3) and were then implemented into the study routine. After 2 months (phase 4) and 1 year (phase 5), the IOA was reassessed. The initial overall IOA was moderate (kappa 0.52 CT; 0.53 PET). After improvement of reading criteria, the kappa values improved substantially (kappa 0.61 CT; 0.66 PET), which was retained until the late reassessment (kappa 0.71 CT; 0.67 PET). Subjective uncertainty was highly predictive for low IOA. The IOA of an expert panel was significantly improved by a structured interventional harmonisation process which could be a model for future clinical trials. Furthermore, the low IOA in reporting nodal involvement in NSCLC may bear consequences for individual patient care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring rater agreement: configurations of agreement and disagreement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ALEXANDER VON EYE

2006-03-01

Full Text Available At the level of manifest categorical variables, a large number of coefficients and models for the examination of rater agreement has been proposed and used for descriptive and explanatory purposes. This article focuses on exploring rater agreement. Configural Frequency Analysis (CFA is proposed as a method of exploration of cross-classifications of raters’ judgements. CFA allows researchers to (1 examine individual cells and sets of cells in agreement tables; (2 examine cells that indicate disagreement; and (3 explore agreement and disagreement among three or more raters. Four CFA base models are discussed. The first is the model of rater agreement that is also used for Cohen’s (1960  (kappa. This model proposes independence of raters’ judgements. Deviations from this model suggest agreement or disagreement beyond chance. The second CFA model is based on a log-linear null model. This model is also used for Brennan and Prediger’s (1981 n. It proposes a uniform distribution of ratings. The third model is that of Tanner and Young (1985. This model proposes equal weights for agreement cases and independence otherwise. The fourth model is the quasi-independence model. This model allows one to blank out agreement cells and thus to focus solely on patterns of disagreement. Examples use data from applicant selection.

Low agreement among 24 doctors using the Neer-classification; only moderate agreement on displacement, even between specialists

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brorson, S; Bagger, J; Sylvest, A

2002-01-01

Twenty-four orthopaedic surgeons classified 42 pairs of radiographs according to the Neer system for proximal humeral fractures. Mean kappa value for inter-observer agreement was 0.27 (95% CI 0.26-0.28) with no clinically significant difference between orthopaedic residents ( n=9), fellows ( n=6)......) and specialists ( n=9). Mean kappa for agreement of displacement versus non-displacement was 0.41 (95% CI 0.39-0.43) overall, and 0.50 (95% CI 0.45-0.56) within the specialist group. The agreement found in our study is unsatisfactory from a clinical perspective....

Bilateral agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

Ten bilateral agreements are presented. These are: 1) Co-operation agreement relating to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy between Argentina and EURATOM (1996); 2) Agreement on co-operation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy between Argentina and Greece (1997); 3) Implementing arrangement for technical exchange and co-operation in the area of peaceful uses of nuclear energy between Argentina and the United States (1997); 4) Agreement concerning co-operation in nuclear science and technology between Australia and Indonesia (1997); 5) Implementation of the 1985 Agreement for co-operation concerning the peaceful uses of nuclear energy between the People's Republic of China and the United States (1998); 6) Protocol of co-operation between France and Lithuania (1997); 7) Agreement on co-operation in energy research, science and technology, and development between Germany and the United States (1998); 8) Agreement on early notification of a nuclear accident and exchange of information on nuclear facilities between Greece and Romania (1997); 9) Agreement on early notification of nuclear accidents and co-operation in the field of nuclear safety between Hungary and the Ukraine (1997); 10) Agreement in the field of radioactive waste management between Switzerland and the United States (1997). (K.A.)

Improving Interprofessional Consistency in Electronic Fetal Heart Rate Interpretation.

Science.gov (United States)

Govindappagari, Shravya; Zaghi, Sahar; Zannat, Ferdous; Reimers, Laura; Goffman, Dena; Kassel, Irene; Bernstein, Peter S

2016-07-01

Objective To determine if mandatory online training in electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) improved agreement in documentation between obstetric care providers and nurses on labor and delivery. Methods Health care professionals working in obstetrics at our institution were required to complete a course on EFM interpretation. We performed a retrospective chart review of 701 charts including patients delivered before and after the introduction of the course to evaluate agreement among providers in their documentation of their interpretations of the EFM tracings. Results Agreement between provider and nurse documentation at the time of admission improved for variability and accelerations (variability: 91.1 vs. 98.3%, p < 0.001; and accelerations: 75.2 vs. 87.7%, p < 0.001). Similarly, agreement improved at the time of the last note prior to delivery for documentation of variability and accelerations (variability: 82.1 vs. 90.6%, p = 0.001; and accelerations: 56.7 vs. 68.6%, p = 0.0012). Agreement in interpretation of decelerations both at the time of admission and at the time of delivery increased (86.3 vs. 90.6%, p = 0.0787, and 56.7 vs. 61.1%, p = 0.2314, respectively) but was not significant. Conclusion An online EFM course can significantly improve consistency in multidisciplinary documentation of fetal heart rate tracing interpretation. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

76 FR 2114 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-12

... corporate address of American President Line's corporate address. Agreement No.: 201207-002. Title: Terminal... Strategy to improve the air quality in the PONYNJ community. The parties have requested expedited review...

Agreements in Virtual Organizations

Science.gov (United States)

Pankowska, Malgorzata

This chapter is an attempt to explain the important impact that contract theory delivers with respect to the concept of virtual organization. The author believes that not enough research has been conducted in order to transfer theoretical foundations for networking to the phenomena of virtual organizations and open autonomic computing environment to ensure the controllability and management of them. The main research problem of this chapter is to explain the significance of agreements for virtual organizations governance. The first part of this chapter comprises explanations of differences among virtual machines and virtual organizations for further descriptions of the significance of the first ones to the development of the second. Next, the virtual organization development tendencies are presented and problems of IT governance in highly distributed organizational environment are discussed. The last part of this chapter covers analysis of contracts and agreements management for governance in open computing environments.

Bedtime Blood Pressure Chronotherapy Significantly Improves Hypertension Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Hermida, Ramón C; Ayala, Diana E; Fernández, José R; Mojón, Artemio; Crespo, Juan J; Ríos, María T; Smolensky, Michael H

2017-10-01

Consistent evidence of numerous studies substantiates the asleep blood pressure (BP) mean derived from ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) is both an independent and a stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk than are daytime clinic BP measurements or the ABPM-determined awake or 24-hour BP means. Hence, cost-effective adequate control of sleep-time BP is of marked clinical relevance. Ingestion time, according to circadian rhythms, of hypertension medications of 6 different classes and their combinations significantly improves BP control, particularly sleep-time BP, and reduces adverse effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

National Emergency Preparedness and Response: Improving for Incidents of National Significance

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Clayton, Christopher M

2006-01-01

The national emergency management system has need of significant improvement in its contingency planning and early consolidation of effort and coordination between federal, state, and local agencies...

Rater agreement in lung scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christiansen, F.; Andersson, T.; Rydman, H.; Qvarner, N.; Maare, K.

1996-01-01

Purpose: The PIOPED criteria in their original and revised forms are today's standards in the interpretation of ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy. When the PIOPED criteria are used by experienced raters with training in consensus interpretation, the agreement rates have been demonstrated to be excellent. Our purpose was to investigate the rates of agreement between 2 experienced raters from different hospitals who had no training in consensus interpretation. Material and Methods: The 2 raters investigated a population of 195 patients. This group included 72 patients from a previous study who had an intermediate probability of pulmonary embolism and who had also been examined by pulmonary angiography. Results: The results demonstrated moderate agreement rates with a kappa value of 0.54 (0.45-0.63 in a 95% confidence interval), which is similar to the kappa value of the PIOPED study but significantly lower than the kappa values of agreement rates among consensus-trained raters. There was a low consistency in the intermediate probability category, with a proportional agreement rate of 0.39 between the experienced raters. Conclusion: The moderate agreement rates between raters from different hospitals make it difficult to compare study populations of a certain scintigraphic category in different hospitals. Further investigations are mandatory for accurate diagnosis when the scintigrams are in the category of intermediate probability of pulmonary embolism. (orig.)

A multihop key agreement scheme for wireless ad hoc networks based on channel characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Zhuo; Zhong, Sheng; Yu, Nenghai

2013-01-01

A number of key agreement schemes based on wireless channel characteristics have been proposed recently. However, previous key agreement schemes require that two nodes which need to agree on a key are within the communication range of each other. Hence, they are not suitable for multihop wireless networks, in which nodes do not always have direct connections with each other. In this paper, we first propose a basic multihop key agreement scheme for wireless ad hoc networks. The proposed basic scheme is resistant to external eavesdroppers. Nevertheless, this basic scheme is not secure when there exist internal eavesdroppers or Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) adversaries. In order to cope with these adversaries, we propose an improved multihop key agreement scheme. We show that the improved scheme is secure against internal eavesdroppers and MITM adversaries in a single path. Both performance analysis and simulation results demonstrate that the improved scheme is efficient. Consequently, the improved key agreement scheme is suitable for multihop wireless ad hoc networks.

Implementation of voluntary agreements for energy efficiency in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Yuan

2007-01-01

Low-energy efficiency and environmental pollution have long been taken as key problems of Chinese industry, although a number of command-and-control and economic instruments have been adopted in the last few decades. In this paper, policy and legislation development for voluntary agreements were summarized. The voluntary agreements pilot project in two iron and steel companies in Shandong Province as well as other cases were analyzed. In order to identify the existing problems in Chinese cases, comparison was made between China and industrialized countries in the practices of energy efficiency voluntary agreements. Based on the analysis, detained recommendations, including the use of supporting policies for voluntary agreements, were raised. It is expected that voluntary agreements could play a more important role in energy efficiency improvement of Chinese industry

The implementation of a multi-annual agreement for energy efficiency in The Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinica, Valentina; Bressers, Hans Th. A.; Bruijn, Theo de

2007-01-01

The paper analyses the implementation of the second multi-annual agreement for energy efficiency concluded in the Netherlands with industrial sectors for the period 2002-2010. It aims to investigate whether the multi-annual agreement MJA2, as a voluntary instrument, is sufficiently stimulating behavioral change at the target group level, and sustained transformation of production and management patterns towards significant gains in energy efficiency. The analysis uses a Structure-Conduct-Performance analytical framework for implementation processes in order to: (a) analyze the setting of implementation, actor roles, attitudes and interactions; (b) discuss emerging obstacles and positive experiences with the implementation of the three core policy instruments envisaged: energy management system, process efficiency measures, and 'expansion themes' measures. Based on this policy recommendations are formulated regarding voluntary agreements in general, using the Structure-Conduct-Performance framework of implementation analysis, and regarding how the implementation process of MJA2 in particular could be improved

Separate issues of rights and obligations of loan agreement parties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

О. В. Ночовкіна

2015-05-01

Paper main body. Peculiarities of rights and duties of loan agreement parties mainly connected to gratuitous nature of such relations. The scope and content of rights and duties of the counterparts according to the agreement depends upon its legal structure (real or consensus. At characterization of the loan agreement parties’ duties we should address as to the regulations of Chapter 60 of Ukrainian Civil Law and to the regulations governing hire (rent relations. The Clauses of Chapter 58 of Ukrainian Civil Law shall be applied only if the opposite not determined by Chapter “Loan” and does not contradict gratuitous nature of loan relations. The main responsibility of the loaner according to the agreement is the transfer of piece of property to a user for gratuitous usage. At real transaction the loaner performs this function at the moment of agreement conclusion. At consensus model of transaction the duty of the loaner to transfer piece of property arise first of all.Conclusions. In order to improve legal regulation of certain duties of loan agreement parties we should: 1 in legal regulations to determine such terms as “ordinary costs”, “capital repairs” and “minor repairs”; 2 we should clearly indicate which regulations of Clause 58 “Hire(rent” can be applied to govern the loan agreement. Such improvement will allow to eliminate any disputes at allocation of rights and duties of the parties during insurance of loaned property, at repair of property and reimbursement of repair expenses.

Regional trade agreements & procurement rules : facilitators or hindrances?

OpenAIRE

ANDERSON, Robert D.; MÜLLER, Anna Caroline; PELLETIER, Philippe

2015-01-01

This Working Paper considers the significance of government procurement chapters in regional trade agreements (RTAs), both in their own right and vis-à-vis the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA). The paper finds, inter alia, that: (i) a strong complementarity exists between government procurement trade commitments and general goods and services trade commitments, making integration of procurement commitments in a more general system such as the WTO Agreements desirable; (ii) govern...

Informant Agreement in Treatment Gains for Child Anxiety

Science.gov (United States)

Benjamin, Courtney L.; Puleo, Connor M.; Kendall, Philip C.

2011-01-01

The present study examined multiple informant agreement in reports of treatment gains in a sample of children (M age = 10.27) treated for social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder. Mothers and fathers agreed on their child's improvement, and parents and children also generally agreed on the child's improvement.…

Multiparametric MRI of the prostate: diagnostic performance and interreader agreement of two scoring systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Wei-Ching; Muglia, Valdair F; Silva, Gyl E B; Chodraui Filho, Salomão; Reis, Rodolfo B; Westphalen, Antonio C

2016-06-01

To compare the diagnostic accuracies and interreader agreements of the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) v. 2 and University of California San Francisco (UCSF) multiparametric prostate MRI scale for diagnosing clinically significant prostate cancer. This institutional review board-approved retrospective study included 49 males who had 1.5 T endorectal MRI and prostatectomy. Two radiologists scored suspicious lesions on MRI using PI-RADS v. 2 and the UCSF scale. Percent agreement, 2 × 2 tables and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (Az) were used to assess and compare the individual and overall scores of these scales. Interreader agreements were estimated with kappa statistics. Reader 1 (R1) detected 78 lesions, and Reader 2 (R2) detected 80 lesions. Both identified 52 of 65 significant cancers. The Az for PI-RADS v. 2 and UCSF scale for R1 were 0.68 and 0.69 [T2 weighted imaging (T2WI)], 0.75 and 0.68 [diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)] and 0.64 and 0.72 (overall score), respectively, and were 0.72 and 0.75 (T2WI), 0.73 and 0.67 (DWI) and 0.66 and 0.75 (overall score) for R2. The dynamic contrast-enhanced percent agreements between scales were 100% (R1) and 95% (R2). PI-RADS v. 2 DWI of R1 performed better than UCSF DWI (Az = 0.75 vs Az = 0.68; p = 0.05); no other differences were found. The interreader agreements were higher for PI-RADS v. 2 (T2WI: 0.56 vs 0.42; DWI: 0.60 vs 0.46; overall: 0.61 vs 0.42). The UCSF approach to derive the overall PI-RADS v. 2 scores increased the Az for the identification of significant cancer (R1 to 0.76, p < 0.05; R2 to 0.71, p = 0.35). Although PI-RADS v. 2 DWI score may have a higher discriminatory performance than the UCSF scale counterpart to diagnose clinically significant cancer, the utilization of the UCSF scale weighing system for the integration of PI-RADS v. 2 individual parameter scores improved the accuracy its overall score. PI-RADS v. 2 is

The bilateral trade agreements and export performance of South Asian nations with special reference to India Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suhail P

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The regional trade agreements (RTA have been one of the important developments in the world trading system in 1990s. There are number of studies on the effects trade agreements in different contexts. This study is an attempt to analyse the effects of bilateral trade agreements in the intraregional trade in the SAARC region with special reference to the Free Trade Agreements (FTA between India Sri Lanka. The study uses a panel regression analysis by using balance panel data. The study concludes that the FTA between India and Sri Lanka has brought positive results in the trade between these two nations by improving the bilateral trade in goods. The results of the study are important in the context of looking for the prospects of a free trade area in the region by member nations.

The oil market and international agreements on CO2 emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, K.; Fimreite, O.; Golombek, R.; Hoel, M.

1992-01-01

According to most scientists, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced significantly relative to current trends to avoid dramatic adverse climatic changes during the next century. CO 2 is the most important greenhouse gas, so any international agreement will certainly cover CO 2 emissions. Any international agreement to reduce emissions of CO 2 is going to have a significant impact on the markets for fossil fuels. The analysis shows that it is not only the amount of CO 2 emissions permitted in an agreement which matters for fossil fuel prices, but also the type of agreement. Two obvious forms of agreements, which under certain assumptions both are cost efficient, are (a) tradeable emission permits, and (b) an international CO 2 tax. If the fossil fuel markets were perfectly competitive, these two types of agreements would have the same effect on the producer price of fossil fuels. However, fossil fuel markets are not completely competitive. It is shown that, under imperfect competition, direct regulation of the 'tradeable quotas' type tends to imply higher producer prices and a larger efficiency loss than an international CO 2 tax giving the same total CO 2 emissions. A numerical illustration of the oil market indicates that the difference in producer prices for the two types of CO 2 agreements is quite significant. 6 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs

The oil market and international agreements on CO2 emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, K.; Fimreite, Oe.; Golombek, R.; Hoel, M.

1991-01-01

In order to avoid a relatively large risk of dramatic adverse climatic changes during the next century, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced significantly relative to present emissions. CO 2 is the most important greenhouse gas, so any international agreement will certainly cover CO 2 emissions. Any international agreement to reduce emissions of CO 2 is going to have a significant impact on the markets for fossil fuels. The analysis shows that is not only the amount of CO 2 emissions permitted in an agreement which matters for fossil fuel prices, but also the type of agreement. Two obvious forms of agreements, which under certain assumptions both are cost efficient, are (a) tradeable emission permits, and (b) an international CO 2 tax. If the fossil fuel markets were perfectly competitive, these two types of agreements would have the same effect on the producer price of fossil fuels. However, fossil fuel markets are not completely competitive. It is shown that, under imperfect competition, direct regulation of the ''tradeable quotas'' type tends to imply higher producer prices than an international CO 2 tax giving the same total CO 2 emissions. A numerical illustration of the oil market indicates that the difference in producer prices for the two types of CO 2 agreements is quite significant. 6 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

[Improvement of Phi bodies stain and its clinical significance].

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Xu-Bo; Lu, Xing-Guo; Yan, Li-Juan; Xiao, Xi-Bin; Wu, Dong; Xu, Gen-Bo; Zhang, Xiao-Hong; Zhao, Xiao-Ying

2009-02-01

The aim of this study was to improve the dyeing method of hydroperoxidase (HPO), to analyze the morphologic features of Phi bodies and to evaluate the clinical application of this method. 128 bone marrow or peripheral blood smears from patients with myeloid and lymphoid malignancies were stained by improved HPO staining. The Phi bodies were observed with detection rate of Phi bodies in different leukemias. 69 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) specimens were chosen randomly, the positive rate and the number of Phi bodies between the improved HPO and POX stain based on the same substrate of 3, 3'diaminobenzidine were compared. The results showed that the shape of bundle-like Phi bodies was variable, long or short. while the nubbly Phi bodies often presented oval and smooth. Club-like Phi bodies were found in M(3). The detection rates of bundle-like Phi bodies in AML M(1)-M(5) were 42.9% (6/14), 83.3% (15/18), 92.0% (23/25), 52.3% (11/21), 33.3% (5/15) respectively, and those of nubbly Phi bodies were 28.6% (4/14), 66.7% (12/18), 11.1% (3/25), 33.3% (7/21), 20.0% (3/15) respectively. The detection rate of bundle-like Phi bodies in M(3) was significantly higher than that in (M(1) + M(2)) or (M(4) + M(5)) groups. The detection rate of nubbly Phi bodies in (M(1) + M(2)) group was higher than that in M(3) group. In conclusion, after improvement of staining method, the HPO stain becomes simple, the detection rate of Phi bodies is higher than that by the previous method, the positive granules are more obvious, and the results become stable. This improved method plays an important role in differentiating AML from ALL, subtyping AML, and evaluating the therapeutic results.

Model franchise agreements with public utilities. Musterkonzessionsvertraege mit Energieversorgungsunternehmen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menking, C. (Niedersaechsischer Staedte- und Gemeindebund, Hannover (Germany, F.R.))

1989-01-01

In 1987, the Committee of Town and Community Administrations of Lower Saxonia established the task force 'Franchise Agreements'. This is a forum where town and community officials interested in energy issues cooperate. The idea was to improve conditions and participation possibilities for local administrations in contracts with their present utilities, and to draw up, and coordinate with the utilities, a franchise agreement creating possibilities for the communities, inter alia, in the sectors power supply concept, advising on energy conservation, energy generation. A model of a franchise agreement for the electricity sector is presented in its full wording. (orig./HSCH).

7 CFR 1415.11 - Restoration agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... functions and values of the grassland to meet both USDA and the participant's objective and the purposes of... restoration agreement at that time to improve the functions and values with USDA approval and when funds are... grassland resources are adequate to meet the participant's objectives and the purposes of the program, or if...

Outline of new Japan-U.S. atomic energy cooperation agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oki, Naotaka

1988-01-01

The former agreement was revised into the new Agreement between the Japanese Government and the U.S. Government for Cooperation Relating to Peaceful Utilization of Atomic Energy (simply referred as the new Japan-U.S. Atomic Energy Cooperation Agreement). The Implementation Convention between the Japanese Government and the U.S. Government Based on Article 11 of the Agreement between the Japanese Government and the U.S. Government for Cooperation Relating to Peaceful Utilization of Atomic Energy was also concluded. The new Agreement is intended to serve for long-term stabilization of the cooperative relationship for atomic energy between Japan and the U.S., strengthening of nuclear non-proliferation efforts, and improvement in the parity, regulation rights and bilateralism between the two countries. The Agreement states that the countries should cooperate in exchanging experts and information and supplying radioactive substance, that the specified nuclear substances can be stored, reprocessed, etc. after an agreement is made between the governments, that proper protection activities should be performed for the specified substances, that the cooperation under the Agreement is limited to peaceful purposes, etc. (Nogami, K.)

Cryptanalysis and Improvement of a Biometric-Based Multi-Server Authentication and Key Agreement Scheme.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chengqi Wang

Full Text Available With the security requirements of networks, biometrics authenticated schemes which are applied in the multi-server environment come to be more crucial and widely deployed. In this paper, we propose a novel biometric-based multi-server authentication and key agreement scheme which is based on the cryptanalysis of Mishra et al.'s scheme. The informal and formal security analysis of our scheme are given, which demonstrate that our scheme satisfies the desirable security requirements. The presented scheme provides a variety of significant functionalities, in which some features are not considered in the most of existing authentication schemes, such as, user revocation or re-registration and biometric information protection. Compared with several related schemes, our scheme has more secure properties and lower computation cost. It is obviously more appropriate for practical applications in the remote distributed networks.

Cryptanalysis and Improvement of a Biometric-Based Multi-Server Authentication and Key Agreement Scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chengqi; Zhang, Xiao; Zheng, Zhiming

2016-01-01

With the security requirements of networks, biometrics authenticated schemes which are applied in the multi-server environment come to be more crucial and widely deployed. In this paper, we propose a novel biometric-based multi-server authentication and key agreement scheme which is based on the cryptanalysis of Mishra et al.’s scheme. The informal and formal security analysis of our scheme are given, which demonstrate that our scheme satisfies the desirable security requirements. The presented scheme provides a variety of significant functionalities, in which some features are not considered in the most of existing authentication schemes, such as, user revocation or re-registration and biometric information protection. Compared with several related schemes, our scheme has more secure properties and lower computation cost. It is obviously more appropriate for practical applications in the remote distributed networks. PMID:26866606

Cryptanalysis and Improvement of a Biometric-Based Multi-Server Authentication and Key Agreement Scheme.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chengqi; Zhang, Xiao; Zheng, Zhiming

2016-01-01

With the security requirements of networks, biometrics authenticated schemes which are applied in the multi-server environment come to be more crucial and widely deployed. In this paper, we propose a novel biometric-based multi-server authentication and key agreement scheme which is based on the cryptanalysis of Mishra et al.'s scheme. The informal and formal security analysis of our scheme are given, which demonstrate that our scheme satisfies the desirable security requirements. The presented scheme provides a variety of significant functionalities, in which some features are not considered in the most of existing authentication schemes, such as, user revocation or re-registration and biometric information protection. Compared with several related schemes, our scheme has more secure properties and lower computation cost. It is obviously more appropriate for practical applications in the remote distributed networks.

KOREA-CHILE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT – A CASE STUDY FROM THE CHILEAN SIDE TO ANALYZE HOW IT CAN BE IMPROVED

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Felipe Maldaner

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Trade in the global market is one of the most important ways to achieve economic growth. Some countries sell raw materials and others sell value added products. Innovation is the key issue in this competition and, in a sense, it makes a big difference in trade balance worldwide. FTA (Free Trade Agreement is one of the means to gain different markets. The Korea-Chile FTA is a good example of success in terms of trade agreement. Korea sells value added products to Chile, and Chile sells raw materials to Korea, mainly copper. Korea and Chile can improve their Free Trade Agreement to the higher level, which is to produce conductors and semi-conductors in Chile through Korea’s investment. Korea has technology and Chile can offer tax advantages to Korean companies which are interested to invest in Chile. For Chile, it is possible to achieve a huge market in North and Latin America. This is one way to improve the successful Korea-Chile FTA. Keywords: Free Trade Agreement. Innovation. Government Strategy. Results and Improvement.     TRATADO DE LIVRE COMÉRCIO ENTRE COREIA DO SUL E CHILE – UM ESTUDO DE CASO DO PONTO DE VISTA CHILENO PARA ANALISAR COMO ESTE PODE SER AMPLIADO RESUMO O comércio no mercado global é um dos mais importantes caminhos para obter crescimento econômico. Alguns países vendem matérias-primas e outros vendem produtos com valor agregado. Inovação é um ponto-chave nessa competição e, em certo sentido, faz uma grande diferença na balança comercial mundial. Tratado de livre comércio é um dos caminhos para atingir diferentes mercados. O Tratado de Livre Comércio (TLC entre Coreia do Sul e Chile é um bom exemplo de sucesso, tratando-se de acordos comerciais. Coreia do Sul vende produtos de valor agregado para o Chile e o Chile vende matérias-primas para a Coreia, principalmente cobre. Coreia e Chile podem ampliar o seu tratado de livre comércio para um nível mais elevado, qual seja, produzir condutores e

International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT) Agreement Between the United States of American and Other Governments and Operating Agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

Department of State, Washington, DC.

The INTELSAT (International Telecommunications Satellite) agreement was reached because of the desirability of continuing the development of a telecommunications satellite system. INTELSAT's aim was to achieve a single global commercial system as part of an improved global telecommunications network which will provide expanded services to all…

Targeting improved patient outcomes using innovative product listing agreements: a survey of Canadian and international key opinion leaders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thompson M

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Melissa Thompson,1 Chris Henshall,2 Louis P Garrison,3 Adrian D Griffin,4 Doug Coyle,2,5 Stephen Long,6 Zayna A Khayat,7 Dana L Anger,1 Rebecca Yu8 1Cornerstone Research Group Inc., Burlington, ON, Canada; 2Health Economics Research Group, Brunel University London, London UK; 3Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy Program, School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; 4Government Affairs & Policy, Johnson & Johnson, High Wycombe, UK; 5School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; 6Health and Life Sciences, Global Public Affairs, Calgary, AB, 7Health Systems Innovation at MaRS Discovery District, Toronto, ON, Canada; 8Strategic Health Technology Assessment, Government Affairs & Market Access, Janssen Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada Objectives: To address the uncertainty associated with procuring pharmaceutical products, product listing agreements (PLAs are increasingly being used to support responsible funding decisions in Canada and elsewhere. These agreements typically involve financial-based rebating initiatives or, less frequently, outcome-based contracts. A qualitative survey was conducted to improve the understanding of outcome-based and more innovative PLAs (IPLAs based on input from Canadian and international key opinion leaders in the areas of drug manufacturing and reimbursement. Methods: Results from a structured literature review were used to inform survey development. Potential participants were invited via email to partake in the survey, which was conducted over phone or in person. Responses were compiled anonymously for review and reporting. Results: Twenty-one individuals participated in the survey, including health technology ­assessment (HTA key opinion leaders (38%, pharmaceutical industry chief executive officers/vice presidents (29%, ex-payers (19%, and current payers/drug plan managers/HTA (14%. The participants suggested that ~80%–95% of

Agreement and Anti-Agreement in Berber: A Multiple-Feature Inheritance Account

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Saleem Abdelhady

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This study proposes understanding Agreement and Anti-Agreement in Berber from Multi-Feature Inheritance (MFI account following Branigan’s (2016 recent approach. The study aims to bridge a misunderstanding in the literature where it has been assumed that Feature Inheritance (FI can only account for Agreement relations while Anti-agreement relations can only be established by a direct Agree between C as a probe and its goal. Under MFI, it can be argued that FI can account for all aspects of Agreement/Anti-agreement. The study, therefore, presents a unification of the three mechanisms proposed by Ouali (2008. The new approach is tested on data from Berber.

Negotiation and Monitoring of Service Level Agreements

Science.gov (United States)

Quillinan, Thomas B.; Clark, Kassidy P.; Warnier, Martijn; Brazier, Frances M. T.; Rana, Omer

Service level agreements (SLAs) provide a means to define specific Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees between providers and consumers of services. Negotiation and definition of these QoS characteristics is an area of significant research. However, defining the actions that take place when an agreement is violated is a topic of more recent focus. This paper discusses recent advances in this field and propose some additional features that can help both consumers and producers during the enactment of services. These features include the ability to (re)negotiate penalties in an agreement, and specifically focuses on the renegotiation of penalties during enactment to reflect ongoing violations.

New FIGO and Swedish intrapartum cardiotocography classification systems incorporated in the fetal ECG ST analysis (STAN) interpretation algorithm: agreements and discrepancies in cardiotocography classification and evaluation of significant ST events.

Science.gov (United States)

Olofsson, Per; Norén, Håkan; Carlsson, Ann

2018-02-01

The updated intrapartum cardiotocography (CTG) classification system by FIGO in 2015 (FIGO2015) and the FIGO2015-approached classification by the Swedish Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologist in 2017 (SSOG2017) are not harmonized with the fetal ECG ST analysis (STAN) algorithm from 2007 (STAN2007). The study aimed to reveal homogeneity and agreement between the systems in classifying CTG and ST events, and relate them to maternal and perinatal outcomes. Among CTG traces with ST events, 100 traces originally classified as normal, 100 as suspicious and 100 as pathological were randomly selected from a STAN database and classified by two experts in consensus. Homogeneity and agreement statistics between the CTG classifications were performed. Maternal and perinatal outcomes were evaluated in cases with clinically hidden ST data (n = 151). A two-tailed p ST events, heterogeneities were significant and agreements moderate to almost perfect (STAN2007 vs. FIGO2015 0.86, 0.72; STAN2007 vs. SSOG2017 0.92, 0.84; FIGO2015 vs. SSOG2017 0.94, 0.87). Significant ST events occurred more often combined with STAN2007 than with FIGO2015 classification, but not with SSOG2017; correct identification of adverse outcomes was not significantly different between the systems. There are discrepancies in the classification of CTG patterns and significant ST events between the old and new systems. The clinical relevance of the findings remains to be shown. © 2017 The Authors. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NFOG).

12 CFR 533.5 - Related agreements considered a single agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... DISCLOSURE AND REPORTING OF CRA-RELATED AGREEMENTS § 533.5 Related agreements considered a single agreement... entered into within the same 12-month period; and (3) Are each in fulfillment of the CRA. (b... in fulfillment of the CRA, if the contracts were negotiated in a coordinated fashion and a NGEP is a...

12 CFR 35.5 - Related agreements considered a single agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... DISCLOSURE AND REPORTING OF CRA-RELATED AGREEMENTS § 35.5 Related agreements considered a single agreement... into within the same 12-month period; and (3) Are each in fulfillment of the CRA. (b) Substantively... the CRA, if the contracts were negotiated in a coordinated fashion and a NGEP is a party to each...

Assessment of MSFCs Process for the Development and Activation of Space Act Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

Daugherty, Rachel

2014-01-01

Space Act Agreements (SAAs) are contractual agreements that NASA utilizes to form partnerships with researchers, industry, and academia to stimulate cutting-edge innovation within the science and technology communities. center dot This study assessed the current SAA development and activation process at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to determine if improvements could be implemented to increase productivity, decrease time to activation, and improve the quality of deliverables.

Immunostaining for p16(INK4a) used as a conjunctive tool improves interobserver agreement of the histologic diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Horn, L.C.; Reichert, A.; Oster, A.

2008-01-01

The quality of cervical histopathology is critical to cervical cancer prevention, cancer treatment, and research programs. On the basis of the histology results further patient management is determined. However, the diagnostic interpretation of histologic hematoxylin-eosin (H&E)-stained slides is...... immunohistochemistry as an adjunct to conventional H&E-stained specimens thus contributes to a more reproducible diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and may be a valuable aid for the interpretation of cervical histology Udgivelsesdato: 2008/4......The quality of cervical histopathology is critical to cervical cancer prevention, cancer treatment, and research programs. On the basis of the histology results further patient management is determined. However, the diagnostic interpretation of histologic hematoxylin-eosin (H&E)-stained slides......) immunohistochemistry may increase the performance of pathologists in diagnosing squamous lesions in cervical punch and cone biopsies. When using a consecutive p 16(INK4a)-stained slide in conjunction to the H&E-stained slide, interobserver agreement between 6 pathologists improved significantly for both cervical punch...

An Improved and Secure Anonymous Biometric-Based User Authentication with Key Agreement Scheme for the Integrated EPR Information System.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Jaewook; Kang, Dongwoo; Lee, Donghoon; Won, Dongho

2017-01-01

Nowadays, many hospitals and medical institutes employ an authentication protocol within electronic patient records (EPR) services in order to provide protected electronic transactions in e-medicine systems. In order to establish efficient and robust health care services, numerous studies have been carried out on authentication protocols. Recently, Li et al. proposed a user authenticated key agreement scheme according to EPR information systems, arguing that their scheme is able to resist various types of attacks and preserve diverse security properties. However, this scheme possesses critical vulnerabilities. First, the scheme cannot prevent off-line password guessing attacks and server spoofing attack, and cannot preserve user identity. Second, there is no password verification process with the failure to identify the correct password at the beginning of the login phase. Third, the mechanism of password change is incompetent, in that it induces inefficient communication in communicating with the server to change a user password. Therefore, we suggest an upgraded version of the user authenticated key agreement scheme that provides enhanced security. Our security and performance analysis shows that compared to other related schemes, our scheme not only improves the security level, but also ensures efficiency.

An Improved and Secure Anonymous Biometric-Based User Authentication with Key Agreement Scheme for the Integrated EPR Information System.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaewook Jung

Full Text Available Nowadays, many hospitals and medical institutes employ an authentication protocol within electronic patient records (EPR services in order to provide protected electronic transactions in e-medicine systems. In order to establish efficient and robust health care services, numerous studies have been carried out on authentication protocols. Recently, Li et al. proposed a user authenticated key agreement scheme according to EPR information systems, arguing that their scheme is able to resist various types of attacks and preserve diverse security properties. However, this scheme possesses critical vulnerabilities. First, the scheme cannot prevent off-line password guessing attacks and server spoofing attack, and cannot preserve user identity. Second, there is no password verification process with the failure to identify the correct password at the beginning of the login phase. Third, the mechanism of password change is incompetent, in that it induces inefficient communication in communicating with the server to change a user password. Therefore, we suggest an upgraded version of the user authenticated key agreement scheme that provides enhanced security. Our security and performance analysis shows that compared to other related schemes, our scheme not only improves the security level, but also ensures efficiency.

An Improved and Secure Anonymous Biometric-Based User Authentication with Key Agreement Scheme for the Integrated EPR Information System

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Dongwoo; Lee, Donghoon; Won, Dongho

2017-01-01

Nowadays, many hospitals and medical institutes employ an authentication protocol within electronic patient records (EPR) services in order to provide protected electronic transactions in e-medicine systems. In order to establish efficient and robust health care services, numerous studies have been carried out on authentication protocols. Recently, Li et al. proposed a user authenticated key agreement scheme according to EPR information systems, arguing that their scheme is able to resist various types of attacks and preserve diverse security properties. However, this scheme possesses critical vulnerabilities. First, the scheme cannot prevent off-line password guessing attacks and server spoofing attack, and cannot preserve user identity. Second, there is no password verification process with the failure to identify the correct password at the beginning of the login phase. Third, the mechanism of password change is incompetent, in that it induces inefficient communication in communicating with the server to change a user password. Therefore, we suggest an upgraded version of the user authenticated key agreement scheme that provides enhanced security. Our security and performance analysis shows that compared to other related schemes, our scheme not only improves the security level, but also ensures efficiency. PMID:28046075

International agreements on nuclear weapons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dombey, N.

1982-01-01

The satellite detection of a nuclear explosion in the South Atlantic and Israel's destruction of a research reactor in Iraq make it essential to strengthen existing monitoring and enforcement programs to prevent proliferation. While there was no reliable evidence that either South Africa or Iraq was violating non-proliferation agreements, worst case scenarios can demonstrate to unfriendly countries that South Africa had diverted fuel to test a nuclear weapon and that Iraq is intending to produce weapons-grade plutonium 239. The situation can be improved by formulating better terms and conditions for internationalizing access to materials. Nuclear suppliers need to agree on terms that will assure their customers that contracts for civil programs will be honored. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which includes both nuclear suppliers and customers, could achieve stronger agreements that take into account recent technological advances that will expand enrichment and reprocessing activities. 23 references, 1 figure

Intra-examiner repeatability and agreement in accommodative response measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Antona, B; Sanchez, I; Barrio, A; Barra, F; Gonzalez, E

2009-11-01

Clinical measurement of the accommodative response (AR) identifies the focusing plane of a subject with respect to the accommodative target. To establish whether a significant change in AR has occurred, it is important to determine the repeatability of this measurement. This study had two aims: First, to determine the intraexaminer repeatability of AR measurements using four clinical methods: Nott retinoscopy, monocular estimate method (MEM) retinoscopy, binocular crossed cylinder test (BCC) and near autorefractometry. Second, to study the level of agreement between AR measurements obtained with the different methods. The AR of the right eye at one accommodative demand of 2.50 D (40 cm) was measured on two separate occasions in 61 visually normal subjects of mean age 19.7 years (range 18-32 years). The intraexaminer repeatability of the tests, and agreement between them, were estimated by the Bland-Altman method. We determined mean differences (MD) and the 95% limits of agreement [coefficient of repeatability (COR) and coefficient of agreement (COA)]. Nott retinoscopy and BCC offered the best repeatability, showing the lowest MD and narrowest 95% interval of agreement (Nott: -0.10 +/- 0.66 D, BCC: -0.05 +/- 0.75 D). The 95% limits of agreement for the four techniques were similar (COA = +/- 0.92 to +/-1.00 D) yet clinically significant, according to the expected values of the AR. The two dynamic retinoscopy techniques (Nott and MEM) had a better agreement (COA = +/-0.64 D) although this COA must be interpreted in the context of the low MEM repeatability (COR = +/-0.98 D). The best method of assessing AR was Nott retinoscopy. The BCC technique was also repeatable, and both are recommended as suitable methods for clinical use. Despite better agreement between MEM and Nott, agreement among the remaining methods was poor such that their interchangeable use in clinical practice is not recommended.

Two-party quantum key agreement protocols under collective noise channel

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Hao; Chen, Xiao-Guang; Qian, Song-Rong

2018-06-01

Recently, quantum communication has become a very popular research field. The quantum key agreement (QKA) plays an important role in the field of quantum communication, based on its unconditional security in terms of theory. Among all kinds of QKA protocols, QKA protocols resisting collective noise are widely being studied. In this paper, we propose improved two-party QKA protocols resisting collective noise and present a feasible plan for information reconciliation. Our protocols' qubit efficiency has achieved 26.67%, which is the best among all the two-party QKA protocols against collective noise, thus showing that our protocol can improve the transmission efficiency of quantum key agreement.

46 CFR 298.38 - Partnership agreements and limited liability company agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Partnership agreements and limited liability company... liability company agreements. Partnership and limited liability company agreements must be in form and...) Duration of the entity; (b) Adequate partnership or limited liability company funding requirements and...

Model protocol additional to the agreement(s) between state(s) and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the application of safeguards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-09-01

This document is a model Additional Protocol designed for States having a Safeguards Agreement with the Agency, in order to strengthen the effectiveness and improve the efficiency of the safeguard system as a contribution to global nuclear non-proliferation objectives.

Model Protocol Additional to the Agreement(s) between State(s) and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the application of safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-12-01

This document is a model Additional Protocol designed for States having a Safeguards Agreement with the Agency, in order to strengthen the effectiveness and improve the efficiency of the safeguards system as a contribution to global nuclear non-proliferation objectives

Model protocol additional to the agreement(s) between state(s) and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the application of safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-09-01

This document is a model Additional Protocol designed for States having a Safeguards Agreement with the Agency, in order to strengthen the effectiveness and improve the efficiency of the safeguard system as a contribution to global nuclear non-proliferation objectives

Technology Partnership Agreements | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Partnership Agreements Technology Partnership Agreements Looking for Funding? We do not fund any projects under a technology partnership agreement. The partner provides the necessary resources and, in using technology partnership agreements. See a summary of our Fiscal Year 2017 technology partnership

STABILITY OF INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS IN LEADERSHIP MODEL

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jin ZHANG; Shouyang WANG; Lei ZU

2008-01-01

International Environmental Agreements (IEAs) are a form of cooperation ratified by countries which can improve the management of shared environmental resources. The authors analyze the stability of International Environmental Agreements in leadership model. In 2006, Diamantoudi & Sartzetakis found that a stable coalition consists of either 2, 3, or 4 members if the number of countries is greater than 4. Their model is reconsidered. It is shown that the size of stable IEAs decreases from 3 to 2 when the total number of countries involved increases. However, a situation that can guarantee 4 to be the size of stable IEAs could not be found.

The practical outfall of DOE compliance agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Leanne; Henrie, Gregory O.

1992-01-01

Perhaps the significant regulatory issue facing the Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) is the compliant treatment, storage, and disposal of mixed (radioactive and hazardous) waste. Since DOE'S By-Product Rulemaking in 1987, when the Department acknowledged that the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) applied to the hazardous component of mixed waste, DOE has repeatedly communicated to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and host States that, for mixed waste, DOE is not always able to strictly comply with RCRA standards and that bringing treatment on-line in an expeditious manner is proving very difficult. One of the most effective methods used between DOE and its regulators to address mixed waste management issues is the negotiation of compliance agreements. These agreements establish formal mile stones for bringing DOE sites into compliance. The milestones are not completed without overcoming technical roadblocks and a struggle for funding. However, agreements can establish technically attainable compliance methods that take into account the special problems radiation introduces into RCRA waste management. Compliance agreements help promote a cooperative relationship within the Department and between DOE and its regulators in that all parties have reached agreement and have a stake in attaining the same goal. Where agreements exist, mixed waste compliance efforts can proceed in a situation where all parties have a full understanding of each other's needs and expectations. (author)

Factors influencing mother-child reports of depressive symptoms and agreement among clinically referred depressed youngsters in Hungary.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiss, Eniko; Gentzler, Amy M; George, Charles; Kapornai, Krisztina; Tamás, Zsuzsanna; Kovacs, Maria; Vetró, Agnes

2007-06-01

Psychiatric assessments of children typically involve two informants, the child and the parent. Understanding discordance in their reports has been of interest to clinicians and researchers. We examine differences between mothers' and children's report of children's depressive symptom severity, and factors that may influence their reports and level of agreement. We hypothesized that agreement between mother and child would improve if (1) the mother is depressed, due to improved recall of mood congruent symptoms, (2) the child is older, due to better social-cognitive and communication skills, and (3) the child is a female. Subjects were 354 children (158 girls; mean age 11.69 years, SD: 2.05 years) with Major Depressive Disorder. Depressive symptoms were evaluated by a semi-structured interview separately with the mother and the child. Agreement on symptom severity was based on concordance of the presence and extent of symptoms. Maternal reports were significantly higher than their son's but not daughters'. Girls, particularly with increasing age, reported higher levels of symptoms; however mothers' reports were not affected by child sex or age. Maternal depression predicted more severe symptom reports for both children and mothers. Agreement between the mother and the child increased as children got older. The same clinician interviewed the mother and the child, which might inflate rates of agreement. However, this method mirrors clinical evaluation. During a clinical interview one must consider the age and sex of the child and the depressive state of the mother in assimilating information about the child.

Cross-Cultural Agreement in Facial Attractiveness Preferences: The Role of Ethnicity and Gender

Science.gov (United States)

Coetzee, Vinet; Greeff, Jaco M.; Stephen, Ian D.; Perrett, David I.

2014-01-01

Previous work showed high agreement in facial attractiveness preferences within and across cultures. The aims of the current study were twofold. First, we tested cross-cultural agreement in the attractiveness judgements of White Scottish and Black South African students for own- and other-ethnicity faces. Results showed significant agreement between White Scottish and Black South African observers' attractiveness judgements, providing further evidence of strong cross-cultural agreement in facial attractiveness preferences. Second, we tested whether cross-cultural agreement is influenced by the ethnicity and/or the gender of the target group. White Scottish and Black South African observers showed significantly higher agreement for Scottish than for African faces, presumably because both groups are familiar with White European facial features, but the Scottish group are less familiar with Black African facial features. Further work investigating this discordance in cross-cultural attractiveness preferences for African faces show that Black South African observers rely more heavily on colour cues when judging African female faces for attractiveness, while White Scottish observers rely more heavily on shape cues. Results also show higher cross-cultural agreement for female, compared to male faces, albeit not significantly higher. The findings shed new light on the factors that influence cross-cultural agreement in attractiveness preferences. PMID:24988325

Cross-cultural agreement in facial attractiveness preferences: the role of ethnicity and gender.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinet Coetzee

Full Text Available Previous work showed high agreement in facial attractiveness preferences within and across cultures. The aims of the current study were twofold. First, we tested cross-cultural agreement in the attractiveness judgements of White Scottish and Black South African students for own- and other-ethnicity faces. Results showed significant agreement between White Scottish and Black South African observers' attractiveness judgements, providing further evidence of strong cross-cultural agreement in facial attractiveness preferences. Second, we tested whether cross-cultural agreement is influenced by the ethnicity and/or the gender of the target group. White Scottish and Black South African observers showed significantly higher agreement for Scottish than for African faces, presumably because both groups are familiar with White European facial features, but the Scottish group are less familiar with Black African facial features. Further work investigating this discordance in cross-cultural attractiveness preferences for African faces show that Black South African observers rely more heavily on colour cues when judging African female faces for attractiveness, while White Scottish observers rely more heavily on shape cues. Results also show higher cross-cultural agreement for female, compared to male faces, albeit not significantly higher. The findings shed new light on the factors that influence cross-cultural agreement in attractiveness preferences.

Minimalist Program and its fundamental improvements in syntactic theory: evidence from Agreement Asymmetry in Standard Arabic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasser Al-Horais

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 21 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:auto; mso-para-margin-right:1.0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:auto; mso-para-margin-left:2.0cm; text-align:justify; text-indent:-1.0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} The Minimalist Program is a major line of inquiry that has been developing inside Generative Grammar since the early nineties, when it was proposed by Chomsky  (1993, 1995. In that time, Chomsky (1998: 5 presents Minimalist Program as a program, not as a theory, but today, Minimalist Program lays out a very specific view of the basis of syntactic grammar that, when compared to other formalisms, is often taken to look very much like a theory. The prime concern of this paper, however, is  to provide a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the art of minimalist approach to the theory of grammar. In this regard, this paper discusses some new ideas articulated recently by Chomsky, and have led to several fundamental improvements in syntactic theory  such as changing the function of movement and the Extended Projection Principle (EPP feature, or proposing new theories such as Phases and Feature Inheritance. In order to evidence the significance of these fundamental improvements, the current paper provides a minimalist analysis to account for agreement and word-order asymmetry in Stranded Arabic. This fresh minimalist account meets the challenges (to the basic tenets of syntactic theory occurred

48 CFR 225.403 - World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and Free Trade Agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Government Procurement Agreement and Free Trade Agreements. 225.403 Section 225.403 Federal Acquisition... FOREIGN ACQUISITION Trade Agreements 225.403 World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and... Government Procurement Agreement, acquire only U.S.-made, qualifying country, or designated country end...

76 FR 5394 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment; Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-31

... Information Collection for Public Comment; Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and Improvement Plan (IP) in... (this is not a toll-free number) or email Ms. Pollard at [email protected] . Persons with hearing...: Title of Proposal: Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), Progress Report and Improvement Plan (IP). OMB Control...

Security analysis and improvements of two-factor mutual authentication with key agreement in wireless sensor networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jiye; Lee, Donghoon; Jeon, Woongryul; Lee, Youngsook; Won, Dongho

2014-04-09

User authentication and key management are two important security issues in WSNs (Wireless Sensor Networks). In WSNs, for some applications, the user needs to obtain real-time data directly from sensors and several user authentication schemes have been recently proposed for this case. We found that a two-factor mutual authentication scheme with key agreement in WSNs is vulnerable to gateway node bypassing attacks and user impersonation attacks using secret data stored in sensor nodes or an attacker's own smart card. In this paper, we propose an improved scheme to overcome these security weaknesses by storing secret data in unique ciphertext form in each node. In addition, our proposed scheme should provide not only security, but also efficiency since sensors in a WSN operate with resource constraints such as limited power, computation, and storage space. Therefore, we also analyze the performance of the proposed scheme by comparing its computation and communication costs with those of other schemes.

Security Analysis and Improvements of Two-Factor Mutual Authentication with Key Agreement in Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiye Kim

2014-04-01

Full Text Available User authentication and key management are two important security issues in WSNs (Wireless Sensor Networks. In WSNs, for some applications, the user needs to obtain real-time data directly from sensors and several user authentication schemes have been recently proposed for this case. We found that a two-factor mutual authentication scheme with key agreement in WSNs is vulnerable to gateway node bypassing attacks and user impersonation attacks using secret data stored in sensor nodes or an attacker’s own smart card. In this paper, we propose an improved scheme to overcome these security weaknesses by storing secret data in unique ciphertext form in each node. In addition, our proposed scheme should provide not only security, but also efficiency since sensors in a WSN operate with resource constraints such as limited power, computation, and storage space. Therefore, we also analyze the performance of the proposed scheme by comparing its computation and communication costs with those of other schemes.

Agreement among graders on Heidelberg retina tomograph (HRT) topographic change analysis (TCA) glaucoma progression interpretation.

Science.gov (United States)

Iester, Michele M; Wollstein, Gadi; Bilonick, Richard A; Xu, Juan; Ishikawa, Hiroshi; Kagemann, Larry; Schuman, Joel S

2015-04-01

To evaluate agreement among experts of Heidelberg retina tomography's (HRT) topographic change analysis (TCA) printout interpretations of glaucoma progression and explore methods for improving agreement. 109 eyes of glaucoma, glaucoma suspect and healthy subjects with ≥5 visits and 2 good quality HRT scans acquired at each visit were enrolled. TCA printouts were graded as progression or non-progression. Each grader was presented with 2 sets of tests: a randomly selected single test from each visit and both tests from each visit. Furthermore, the TCA printouts were classified with grader's individual criteria and with predefined criteria (reproducible changes within the optic nerve head, disregarding changes along blood vessels or at steep rim locations and signs of image distortion). Agreement among graders was modelled using common latent factor measurement error structural equation models for ordinal data. Assessment of two scans per visit without using the predefined criteria reduced overall agreement, as indicated by a reduction in the slope, reflecting the correlation with the common factor, for all graders with no effect on reducing the range of the intercepts between the graders. Using the predefined criteria improved grader agreement, as indicated by the narrower range of intercepts among the graders compared with assessment using individual grader's criteria. A simple set of predefined common criteria improves agreement between graders in assessing TCA progression. The inclusion of additional scans from each visit does not improve the agreement. We, therefore, recommend setting standardised criteria for TCA progression evaluation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Rehearsal significantly improves immediate and delayed recall on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Hessen, Erik

2011-10-01

A repeated observation during memory assessment with the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) is that patients who spontaneously employ a memory rehearsal strategy by repeating the word list more than once achieve better scores than patients who only repeat the word list once. This observation led to concern about the ability of the standard test procedure of RAVLT and similar tests in eliciting the best possible recall scores. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that a rehearsal recall strategy of repeating the word list more than once would result in improved scores of recall on the RAVLT. We report on differences in outcome after standard administration and after experimental administration on Immediate and Delayed Recall measures from the RAVLT of 50 patients. The experimental administration resulted in significantly improved scores for all the variables employed. Additionally, it was found that patients who failed effort screening showed significantly poorer improvement on Delayed Recall compared with those who passed the effort screening. The general clear improvement both in raw scores and T-scores demonstrates that recall performance can be significantly influenced by the strategy of the patient or by small variations in instructions by the examiner.

Shareholders' agreements in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Werlauff, Erik

2010-01-01

’ agreements”) cannot bind the company within the sense of company law under the new state of law, and voting rights agreements, agreements on right of pre-emption etc. will therefore only apply at the level of contract law between the parties to the agreement. This article for European Business Law Review......The article warns that with effect from 1 March 2010, the new Danish Companies Act (on public and private limited companies) has seriously weakened the effect of shareholders’ agreements which have been entered into on Danish companies. These agreements (in the act’s new terminology: “owners...... analyses the consequences of this. Rights and duties in the owners’ agreements must now be reiterated to the greatest possible extent in the company’s articles of association so that the precepts become binding on the company and its management. Whether the parties to the owners’ agreement can be required...

Investigation into diagnostic agreement using automated computer-assisted histopathology pattern recognition image analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua D Webster

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The extent to which histopathology pattern recognition image analysis (PRIA agrees with microscopic assessment has not been established. Thus, a commercial PRIA platform was evaluated in two applications using whole-slide images. Substantial agreement, lacking significant constant or proportional errors, between PRIA and manual morphometric image segmentation was obtained for pulmonary metastatic cancer areas (Passing/Bablok regression. Bland-Altman analysis indicated heteroscedastic measurements and tendency toward increasing variance with increasing tumor burden, but no significant trend in mean bias. The average between-methods percent tumor content difference was -0.64. Analysis of between-methods measurement differences relative to the percent tumor magnitude revealed that method disagreement had an impact primarily in the smallest measurements (tumor burden 0.988, indicating high reproducibility for both methods, yet PRIA reproducibility was superior (C.V.: PRIA = 7.4, manual = 17.1. Evaluation of PRIA on morphologically complex teratomas led to diagnostic agreement with pathologist assessments of pluripotency on subsets of teratomas. Accommodation of the diversity of teratoma histologic features frequently resulted in detrimental trade-offs, increasing PRIA error elsewhere in images. PRIA error was nonrandom and influenced by variations in histomorphology. File-size limitations encountered while training algorithms and consequences of spectral image processing dominance contributed to diagnostic inaccuracies experienced for some teratomas. PRIA appeared better suited for tissues with limited phenotypic diversity. Technical improvements may enhance diagnostic agreement, and consistent pathologist input will benefit further development and application of PRIA.

Investigation into diagnostic agreement using automated computer-assisted histopathology pattern recognition image analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Joshua D; Michalowski, Aleksandra M; Dwyer, Jennifer E; Corps, Kara N; Wei, Bih-Rong; Juopperi, Tarja; Hoover, Shelley B; Simpson, R Mark

2012-01-01

The extent to which histopathology pattern recognition image analysis (PRIA) agrees with microscopic assessment has not been established. Thus, a commercial PRIA platform was evaluated in two applications using whole-slide images. Substantial agreement, lacking significant constant or proportional errors, between PRIA and manual morphometric image segmentation was obtained for pulmonary metastatic cancer areas (Passing/Bablok regression). Bland-Altman analysis indicated heteroscedastic measurements and tendency toward increasing variance with increasing tumor burden, but no significant trend in mean bias. The average between-methods percent tumor content difference was -0.64. Analysis of between-methods measurement differences relative to the percent tumor magnitude revealed that method disagreement had an impact primarily in the smallest measurements (tumor burden 0.988, indicating high reproducibility for both methods, yet PRIA reproducibility was superior (C.V.: PRIA = 7.4, manual = 17.1). Evaluation of PRIA on morphologically complex teratomas led to diagnostic agreement with pathologist assessments of pluripotency on subsets of teratomas. Accommodation of the diversity of teratoma histologic features frequently resulted in detrimental trade-offs, increasing PRIA error elsewhere in images. PRIA error was nonrandom and influenced by variations in histomorphology. File-size limitations encountered while training algorithms and consequences of spectral image processing dominance contributed to diagnostic inaccuracies experienced for some teratomas. PRIA appeared better suited for tissues with limited phenotypic diversity. Technical improvements may enhance diagnostic agreement, and consistent pathologist input will benefit further development and application of PRIA.

A Comparative Study on Safeguards Implementation under Bilateral Nuclear Cooperation Agreements and the IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeon, Jihye; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Lee, Young Wook [Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

A Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (NCA) requires several conditions, so-called obligations, on the items under the agreement such as: 1) peaceful use, 2) retransfer consent, 3) consent prior to reprocessing or enrichment and 4) safeguards and security. These obligations of the NCAs are imposed by the supplier country. The Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its member states require similar activities. However, there is a significant gap in nuclear material accountancy between safeguards implementation under the NCA and CSA. The difference of those two frameworks is compared herein, focusing on the unique features of the NCA safeguards and its implications are presented. In this study, the NCAs between the ROK and Canada, Australia and US were analyzed since each of them is one of the ROK’s major nuclear trading partners. The safeguards implementation under the NCA is usually specified in an Administrative Arrangement (AA) under the Agreement. The ROK has two AAs in force with Canada and Australia among 29 countries with NCA. Recently, the AA with Canada was revised in December 2015, with those concepts mentioned above. The AA with the US is currently under discussion. Cooperation in nuclear energy between two countries could be further enhanced through reliable implementation of the NCA undertakings. Taking into account the unique features of the NCA, we need to establish effective strategy for fulfilling the obligation under the Agreement.

Unified Health Gamification can significantly improve well-being in corporate environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahrestani, Arash; Van Gorp, Pieter; Le Blanc, Pascale; Greidanus, Fabrizio; de Groot, Kristel; Leermakers, Jelle

2017-07-01

There is a multitude of mHealth applications that aim to solve societal health problems by stimulating specific types of physical activities via gamification. However, physical health activities cover just one of the three World Health Organization (WHO) dimensions of health. This paper introduces the novel notion of Unified Health Gamification (UHG), which covers besides physical health also social and cognitive health and well-being. Instead of rewarding activities in the three WHO dimensions using different mHealth competitions, UHG combines the scores for such activities on unified leaderboards and lets people interact in social circles beyond personal interests. This approach is promising in corporate environments since UHG can connect the employees with intrinsic motivation for physical health with those who have quite different interests. In order to evaluate this approach, we realized an app prototype and we evaluated it in two corporate pilot studies. In total, eighteen pilot users participated voluntarily for six weeks. Half of the participants were recruited from an occupational health setting and the other half from a treatment setting. Our results suggest that the UHG principles are worth more investigation: various positive health effects were found based on a validated survey. The mean mental health improved significantly at one pilot location and at the level of individual pilot participants, multiple other effects were found to be significant: among others, significant mental health improvements were found for 28% of the participants. Most participants intended to use the app beyond the pilot, especially if it would be further developed.

REVIEW OF THE NEGOTIATION OF THE MODEL PROTOCOL ADDITIONAL TO THE AGREEMENT(S) BETWEEN STATE(S) AND THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY FOR THE APPLICATION OF SAFEGUARDS,INFCIRC/540 (Corrected) VOLUME I/III SETTING THE STAGE: 1991-1996.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosenthal, M.D.; Saum-Manning, L.; Houck, F.; Anzelon, G.

2010-01-01

Events in Iraq at the beginning of the 1990s demonstrated that the safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needed to be improved. It had failed, after all, to detect Iraq's clandestine nuclear weapon program even though some of Iraq's's activities had been pursued at inspected facilities in buildings adjacent to ones being inspected by the IAEA. Although there were aspects of the implementation of safeguards where the IAEA needed to improve, the primary limitations were considered to be part of the safeguards system itself. That system was based on the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty of 1970, to which Iraq was a party, and implemented on the basis of a model NPT safeguards agreement, published by the IAEA 1972 as INFCIRC/153 (corrected). The agreement calls for states to accept and for the IAEA to apply safeguards to all nuclear material in the state. Iraq was a party to such an agreement, but it violated the agreement by concealing nuclear material and other nuclear activities from the IAEA. Although the IAEA was inspecting in Iraq, it was hindered by aspects of the agreement that essentially limited its access to points in declared facilities and provided the IAEA with little information about nuclear activities anywhere else in Iraq. As a result, a major review of the NPT safeguards system was initiated by its Director General and Member States with the objective of finding the best means to enable the IAEA to detect both diversions from declared stocks and any undeclared nuclear material or activities in the state. Significant improvements that could be made within existing legal authority were taken quickly, most importantly a change in 1992 in how and when and what design information would be reported to the IAEA. During 1991-1996, the IAEA pursued intensive study, legal and technical analysis, and field trials and held numerous consultations with Member States. The Board of Governors discussed the issue of

Frameworks for improvement: clinical audit, the plan-do-study-act cycle and significant event audit.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillam, Steve; Siriwardena, A Niroshan

2013-01-01

This is the first in a series of articles about quality improvement tools and techniques. We explore common frameworks for improvement, including the model for improvement and its application to clinical audit, plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles and significant event analysis (SEA), examining the similarities and differences between these and providing examples of each.

Voluntary agreements for increasing energy-efficiency in industry: Case study of a pilot project with the steel industry in Shandong Province, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Price, Lynn; Worrell, Ernst; Sinton, Jonathan; Yun, Jiang

2003-03-01

China faces a significant challenge in the years ahead to continue to provide essential materials and products for a rapidly-growing economy while addressing pressing environmental concerns. China's industrial sector is heavily dependent on the country's abundant, yet polluting, coal resources. While tremendous energy conservation and environmental protection achievements were realized in the industrial sector in the past, there remains a great gulf between the China's level of energy efficiency and that of the advanced countries of the world. Internationally, significant energy efficiency improvement in the industrial sector has been realized in a number of countries using an innovative policy mechanism called Voluntary Agreements. This paper describes international experience with Voluntary Agreements in the industrial sector as well as the development of a pilot program to test the use of such agreements with two steel mills in Shandong Province, China.

Improvement on LEACH Agreement of Mine Wireless Sensor Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun-xiang Liu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Based on the characteristics of wireless sensor network communication in mine, LEACH protocol clustering is optimized, and the factors of energy and distance are considered fully. The selection of cluster head nodes is optimized, and a routing algorithm based on K-means ++ clustering is proposed. The problem of uneven distribution of cluster head nodes, uneven energy consumption and network stability in LEACH algorithm is improved effectively. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can improve the energy consumption of the whole network and improve the energy utilization rate, extending the network life cycle effectively.

Bilateral agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2004-01-01

The bilateral agreements concern Brazil with United States relative to the co operation in nuclear energy, Germany with Russian Federation relative to the elimination and disposal of nuclear weapons; The multilateral agreements concerns the signature of the Protocols to amend the Paris and Brussels Conventions, the multilateral nuclear environmental programme in the Russian Federation, the status of Conventions in the field of nuclear energy. (N.C.)

Waste Cleanup: Status and Implications of Compliance Agreements Between DOE and Its Regulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, G. L.; Swick, W. R.; Perry, T. C.; Kintner-Meyer, N.K.; Abraham, C. R.; Pollack, I. M.

2003-01-01

This paper discusses compliance agreements that affect the Department of Energy's (DOE) cleanup program. Compliance agreements are legally enforceable documents between DOE and its regulators, specifying cleanup activities and milestones that DOE has agreed to achieve. Over the years, these compliance agreements have been used to implement much of the cleanup activity at DOE sites, which is carried our primarily under two federal laws - the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (CERCLA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 0f 1976, as amended (RCRA). Our objectives were to determine the types of compliance agreements in effect at DOE cleanup sites, DOE's progress in achieving the milestones contained in the agreements, whether the agreements allowed DOE to prioritize work across sites according to relative risk, and possible implications the agreements have on DOE's efforts to improve the cleanup program

Contracting communities: Conceptualizing Community Benefits Agreements to improve citizen involvement in urban development projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen-Jansen, Leonie; Veen, van der Menno

2017-01-01

Contractual agreements are becoming increasingly important for city governments seeking to manage urban development. Contractual governance involves direct relations between the local state and different public and private actors and citizens. Although abundant literature exists on public–private

Determination of significance in Ecological Impact Assessment: Past change, current practice and future improvements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Briggs, Sam; Hudson, Malcolm D., E-mail: mdh@soton.ac.uk

2013-01-15

Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) is an important tool for conservation and achieving sustainable development. 'Significant' impacts are those which disturb or alter the environment to a measurable degree. Significance is a crucial part of EcIA, our understanding of the concept in practice is vital if it is to be effective as a tool. This study employed three methods to assess how the determination of significance has changed through time, what current practice is, and what would lead to future improvements. Three data streams were collected: interviews with expert stakeholders, a review of 30 Environmental Statements and a broad-scale survey of the United Kingdom Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM) members. The approach taken in the determination of significance has become more standardised and subjectivity has become constrained through a transparent framework. This has largely been driven by a set of guidelines produced by IEEM in 2006. The significance of impacts is now more clearly justified and the accuracy with which it is determined has improved. However, there are limitations to accuracy and effectiveness of the determination of significance. These are the quality of baseline survey data, our scientific understanding of ecological processes and the lack of monitoring and feedback of results. These in turn are restricted by the limited resources available in consultancies. The most notable recommendations for future practice are the implementation of monitoring and the publication of feedback, the creation of a central database for baseline survey data and the streamlining of guidance. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The assessment of significance has changed markedly through time. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The IEEM guidelines have driven a standardisation of practice. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Currently limited by quality of baseline data and scientific understanding. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Monitoring

48 CFR 25.403 - World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and Free Trade Agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Government Procurement Agreement and Free Trade Agreements. 25.403 Section 25.403 Federal Acquisition... 25.403 World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and Free Trade Agreements. (a... in 25.402(a)(1). The WTO GPA and FTAs specify procurement procedures designed to ensure fairness (see...

Combining diagnostic categories to improve agreement between death certificate and autopsy classifications of cause of death for atomic bomb survivors, 1950-87

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, R.L.; Ron, E.; Mabuchi, Kiyohiko.

1993-05-01

Several investigators have observed less-than-desirable agreement between death certificate diagnoses and autopsy diagnoses for most specific causes of death, and even for some causes grouped by major disease category. Our results from data on 5130 autopsies of members of the Life Span Study cohort of atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki conducted prior to September 1987 were equally discouraging. Among diseases with more than 10 cases observed, confirmation rates ranged from 13 % to 97 % and detection rates from 6 % to 90 %. Both rates were greater than 70 % for only 6 of 60 disease categories studied and for only 1 of 16 categories defined by major International Classification of Disease categories (neoplasms). This deficiency suggests cautious interpretation of results from studies based on death certificate diagnoses. To determine whether any groupings of diagnoses might meet acceptable accuracy requirements, we applied a hierarchical clustering method to data from these 5130 cohort members. The resulting classification system had 10 categories: breast cancer; other female cancers; cancers of the digestive organs; cancer of the larynx; leukemia; nasal, ear, or sinus cancer; tongue cancer; external causes; vascular disease; and all other causes. Confirmation and detection rates for each of these categories were at least 66 %. Although the categories are broad, particularly for nonneoplastic diseases, further divisions led to unacceptable accuracy rates for some of the resulting diagnostic groups. Using the derived classification system, there was 72 % agreement overall between death certificate and autopsy diagnoses compared to 53 % agreement for a second system obtained by grouping strictly by major disease category. Eighty-seven percent agreement was observed for a similar classification system with vascular disease grouped with all other nonneoplastic diseases. Further agglomeration achieved very little additional improvement. (J.P.N.)

Nuclear cooperation agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuclear cooperation agreements are reviewed in tabular form, especially agreements with developing countries. The reporting countries are the USA, the Federal Republic of Germany, Canada, Australia, Japan, and France. A separate EURATOM list is annexed

Cryptanalysis and improvement of a biometrics-based authentication and key agreement scheme for multi-server environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Li; Zheng, Zhiming

2018-01-01

According to advancements in the wireless technologies, study of biometrics-based multi-server authenticated key agreement schemes has acquired a lot of momentum. Recently, Wang et al. presented a three-factor authentication protocol with key agreement and claimed that their scheme was resistant to several prominent attacks. Unfortunately, this paper indicates that their protocol is still vulnerable to the user impersonation attack, privileged insider attack and server spoofing attack. Furthermore, their protocol cannot provide the perfect forward secrecy. As a remedy of these aforementioned problems, we propose a biometrics-based authentication and key agreement scheme for multi-server environments. Compared with various related schemes, our protocol achieves the stronger security and provides more functionality properties. Besides, the proposed protocol shows the satisfactory performances in respect of storage requirement, communication overhead and computational cost. Thus, our protocol is suitable for expert systems and other multi-server architectures. Consequently, the proposed protocol is more appropriate in the distributed networks.

Cryptanalysis and improvement of a biometrics-based authentication and key agreement scheme for multi-server environments

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Zhiming

2018-01-01

According to advancements in the wireless technologies, study of biometrics-based multi-server authenticated key agreement schemes has acquired a lot of momentum. Recently, Wang et al. presented a three-factor authentication protocol with key agreement and claimed that their scheme was resistant to several prominent attacks. Unfortunately, this paper indicates that their protocol is still vulnerable to the user impersonation attack, privileged insider attack and server spoofing attack. Furthermore, their protocol cannot provide the perfect forward secrecy. As a remedy of these aforementioned problems, we propose a biometrics-based authentication and key agreement scheme for multi-server environments. Compared with various related schemes, our protocol achieves the stronger security and provides more functionality properties. Besides, the proposed protocol shows the satisfactory performances in respect of storage requirement, communication overhead and computational cost. Thus, our protocol is suitable for expert systems and other multi-server architectures. Consequently, the proposed protocol is more appropriate in the distributed networks. PMID:29534085

Improvements in a four factor formula recipe for educational purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oelgaard, P.L.

1995-05-01

In introductory reactor physics courses the four-factor-formula and two-group theory is normally used to demonstrate to students in a quantitative way the physics of nuclear reactors. However, the agreement obtained between lattice calculations with such simple recipes and measurements is not very good. This is in particular the case for light water reactors. To improve this situation it has been investigated whether it is possible by relative simple modifications of such a recipe to obtain better agreement between theory and measurements. The results obtained from this investigation are presented in this paper. It is seen from the results that significant improvements in the agreement between measurements and theory have been obtained. This report was presented to the meeting on Reactor Physics Calculations in the Nordic Countries, Helsinki, May 8-9, 1995. (au)

Possibilities for Negotiated Agreements on Energy Efficiency in CEE Countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanic, Z.

1997-01-01

This article summarises the results of the four month study of the possibilities for using Negotiated Agreements on Energy Efficiency between Government and Industry as a tool for improving energy efficiency in the CEE industrial sector. Negotiated Agreements are becoming increasingly popular in many countries as a potential means of addressing environmental problems (SO 2 , NO x and CO 2 ) and resource depletion (the use of fossil fuels), without adversely affecting economic development. In the report the use of these instrument in a number of countries is considered and described in view of developing a framework for assessing the possibilities for such agreements in CEE countries. The framework was applied through a case-study of Poland and a quick 'scan' of Belarus, Croatia and Latvia. (author)

The Economics of Advance Pricing Agreements

OpenAIRE

Johannes Becker; Ronald B. Davies; Gitte Jakobs

2014-01-01

Advance pricing agreements (APAs) determine transfer prices for intra-firm transactions in advance. This paper interprets these contracts as a means to overcome a hold-up problem that occurs because governments cannot commit to non-excessive future tax rates. In addition, with private information, just as in practice, our APAs will be complex and require lengthy negotiations. Never- theless, implemented APAs lead to a Pareto improvement even when all agents are risk neutral. However, not all ...

International Fisheries Agreements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pintassilgo, Pedro; Kronbak, Lone Grønbæk; Lindroos, Marko

2015-01-01

This paper surveys the application of game theory to the economic analysis of international fisheries agreements. The relevance of this study comes not only from the existence of a vast literature on the topic but especially from the specific features of these agreements. The emphasis of the survey...... is on coalition games, an approach that has become prominent in the fisheries economics literature over the last decade. It is shown that coalition games were first applied to international fisheries agreements in the late 1990s addressing cooperative issues under the framework of characteristic function games...... and stability of international fisheries agreements. A key message that emerges from this literature strand is that self-enforcing cooperative management of internationally shared fish stocks is generally difficult to achieve. Hence, the international legal framework and regulations play a decisive role...

Carotid endarterectomy significantly improves postoperative laryngeal sensitivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammer, Georg Philipp; Tomazic, Peter Valentin; Vasicek, Sarah; Graupp, Matthias; Gugatschka, Markus; Baumann, Anneliese; Konstantiniuk, Peter; Koter, Stephan Herwig

2016-11-01

sensory threshold on the operated-on side (6.08 ± 2.02 mm Hg) decreased significantly at the 6-week follow-up, even in relation to the preoperative measure (P = .022). With the exception of one patient with permanent unilateral vocal fold immobility, no signs of nerve injury were detected. In accordance with previous reports, injuries to the recurrent laryngeal nerve during CEA seem to be rare. In most patients, postoperative symptoms (globus, dysphagia, dysphonia) and signs fade within a few weeks without any specific therapeutic intervention. This study shows an improved long-term postoperative superior laryngeal nerve function with regard to laryngopharyngeal sensitivity. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Legal questions about negotiating a new international climate agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maljean-Dubois, Sandrine; Wemaere, Matthieu

2015-01-01

Although the last IPCC report emphasized the need for urgent action, international cooperation on the climate has stalled. The second phase (2013-2020) of the Kyoto Protocol has been merely symbolic. The Cancun agreement, which made the Copenhagen one operational, laid the basis for a more flexible system for the period up to 2020. Negotiations on the period after 2020, which started in Durban in 2011, should end with a new agreement in Paris in late 2015. This future agreement should apply to all, as stipulated in the Durban Platform. However the increasing symmetry of obligations between North and South has been achieved by significantly lowering the goals set by each country with regard to its economic situation and national priorities. What kind of agreement will come out of Paris? What legal form will it take?

Conditions for the success of negotiated agreements: Partnerships for environmental improvement in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bressers, Johannes T.A.; de Bruijn, Theo

2005-01-01

Since the late 1980s, Dutch environmental policy has built on close collaboration with industry, meaning: between industry on one side and governments on the other side. Through negotiations between sectors of industry, and the Ministry of the Environment and regional governments, agreements have

The use of long term agreements to improve energy efficiency in the industrial sector: Overview of the European experiences and proposal for a common framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertoldi, P.

1999-01-01

In the European Union efficiency improvements in the industrial sector are regarded as a key element of Member States' strategies to meet their Kyoto target. Besides the traditional policy instruments, such as fiscal and financial aids, minimum efficiency standards, R and D and technology programs, there is an increasing interest by both public authorities and industry for voluntary approaches to improve industrial energy efficiency. In the European context the term voluntary approach is often used to describe a wide range of industry actions including, inter alia: industry covenants, negotiated agreements, long term agreements, self regulations, codes of conduct, benchmarking and monitoring schemes. These voluntary approaches differ in relation to their form, legal status, provisions and enforceability. The paper provides an up-to-date overview of the present status of the different voluntary approaches for the industrial sector in several Member States (the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom). The paper will focus on the particular type of voluntary approach implemented in the Netherlands and commonly called Long Term Agreements (LTA). The paper analyses the opportunities and advantages for creating a common EU framework for the conclusion and implementation of LTAs, based on the successful Dutch model. In doing so, the paper intends also to contribute to the approximation of the LTA's essential elements throughout the Community in order to reduce possible distortions of the internal market and of the competitive position of national industries, thus enlarging the acceptability of this instrument by public authorities and industry. For some industrial sectors, which are quite homogeneous throughout the Community and represent a limited number of companies, the paper analyses the advantages of having European LTAs and recommends their implementation. The paper presents the achievable results at EU level in terms of

Consolidation and improvement of existing multilateral disarmament agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chusei Yamada

1995-01-01

Issues of reviewing the legal regimes which the international community has formulated during the last fifty years in the field of disarmament and particularly nuclear disarmament, and considering ways and means of consolidating and improving them for the future are discussed

12 CFR 346.5 - Related agreements considered a single agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY DISCLOSURE AND REPORTING OF CRA-RELATED AGREEMENTS § 346.5 Related agreements...; (2) Were entered into within the same 12-month period; and (3) Are each in fulfillment of the CRA. (b... in fulfillment of the CRA, if the contracts were negotiated in a coordinated fashion and a NGEP is a...

A juridical review of partnership agreements that have the elements of work agreements in Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Nugroho, A.; Sulistyowati, E.; Hikmah, N.

2018-01-01

The Partnership Agreements place the parties in an equal position each party has something as the bargaining power. In some cases, employers prefer to use Partnership Agreements to some individuals to complete the work in their company than Work agreements. Practicality and the absence of obligations to fulfil workers’ rights such as the right to join a Union and to get social security are some of the reasons why employers use the Partnership Agreements. Sometimes Partnership Agreement contains jobs, wages and orders which is the characteristic of work agreement. Based on the fact above, the legal issues arise whether the Partnership Agreement can be considered as the Work Agreement or not and which court is authorized to hear in the event of a dispute. To analyze the above legal issues, this research uses normative legal research type with the statute approach. The technique of legal material analysis uses prescriptive techniques to assess the issue and make recommendations. Based on the analysis, it can be concluded that the Partnership Agreement, of which the elements are: wages and orders can be categorized as Work Agreement and therefore in the event of a dispute, the authorized court is Industrial Relations Court.

Do we really know that trade agreements increase trade?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kohl, T.

This study surveys the empirical literature in which the gravity equation has been used to study the effect of economic integration agreements (EIAs) on international trade flows. We show that most studies either focus on improving the methodology to assess regionalism’s overall impact, or on a

Voluntary agreements with white certificates for energy efficiency improvement as a hybrid policy instrument

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oikonomou, V.; Patel, M.K.; van der Gaast, W.; Rietbergen, M.G.

2009-01-01

In this paper we examine the implementation of a combined policy scheme that consists of a traditional instrument, the voluntary agreements (VAs), and an innovative one, the white certificates (WhC). The basic structure of this scheme is that energy suppliers who undertake an energy efficiency

Voluntary agreements with white certificates for energy efficiency improvement as a hybrid policy instrument

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oikonomou, V.; Patel, M. K.; van der Gaast, W.; Rietbergen, M.

In this paper we examine the implementation of a combined policy scheme that consists of a traditional instrument, the voluntary agreements (VAs), and an innovative one, the white certificates (WhC). The basic structure of this scheme is that energy suppliers who undertake an energy efficiency

Law as Treaties?: The Constitutionality of Congressional-Executive Agreements

OpenAIRE

Yoo, John C.

2000-01-01

This article seeks to resolve the debate over the use of a statutory method for approving international agreements in place of the supermajority process required by the Constitution's Treaty Clause. These "congressional-executive agreements," which require only simple majorities in Congress and presidential signature, have become the instrument of choice for entry into some of the nation's most significant international obligations, such as the WTO and NAFTA. Some, such as Bruce Ackerman and ...

Voluntary agreements in environmental policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torvanger, Asbjoern

2001-01-01

A typically voluntary agreement is signed between the authorities and an industrial sector in order to reduce the emission of environmentally harmful substances. There are many different types of agreements. Voluntary agreements are not strictly voluntary, since in the background there is often some kind of ''threat'' about taxation or fees if the industry is unwilling to cooperate. This type of agreements has become popular in many OECD countries during the last decades. In Norway there are only a few agreements of this type. Experience with the use of voluntary agreements as well as research show that they are less cost-effective than market-based instruments such as taxes and quota systems. If there are great restrictions on the use of taxes and quota systems because of information- or measurement problems, or because these instruments are not politically acceptable, then voluntary agreements may be an interesting alternative. Thus, voluntary agreements are best used as a supplement to other instruments in some niche areas of the environmental policy. In some cases, voluntary agreements may be used between two countries or at a regional level, for example within the EU

Rocky Flats Cleanup Agreement implementation successes and challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shelton, D.C.

1997-01-01

On July 19, 1996 the US Department of Energy (DOE), State of Colorado (CDPHE), and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) entered into an agreement called the Rocky Flats Cleanup Agreement (RFCA) for the cleanup and closure of the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS or Rocky Flats). Major elements of the agreement include: an Integrated Site-Wide Baseline; up to twelve significant enforceable milestones per year; agreed upon soil and water action levels and standards for cleanup; open space as the likely foreseeable land use; the plutonium and TRU waste removed by 2015; streamlined regulatory process; agreement with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) to coordinate activities; and a risk reduction focus. Successful implementation of RFCA requires a substantial effort by the parties to change their way of thinking about RFETS and meet the deliverables and commitments. Substantial progress toward Site closure through the implementation of RFCA has been accomplished in the short time since the signing, yet much remains to be done. Much can be learned from the Rocky Flats experience by other facilities in similar situations

Does experience in hysteroscopy improve accuracy and inter-observer agreement in the management of abnormal uterine bleeding?

Science.gov (United States)

Bourdel, Nicolas; Modaffari, Paola; Tognazza, Enrica; Pertile, Riccardo; Chauvet, Pauline; Botchorishivili, Revaz; Savary, Dennis; Pouly, Jean Luc; Rabischong, Benoit; Canis, Michel

2016-12-01

Hysteroscopic reliability may be influenced by the experience of the operator and by a lack of morphological diagnostic criteria for endometrial malignant pathologies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and the inter-observer agreement (IOA) in the management of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) among different experienced gynecologists. Each gynecologist, without any other clinical information, was asked to evaluate the anonymous video recordings of 51 consecutive patients who underwent hysteroscopy and endometrial resection for AUB. Experts (>500 hysteroscopies), seniors (20-499 procedures) and junior (≤19 procedures) gynecologists were asked to judge endometrial macroscopic appearance (benign, suspicious or frankly malignant). They also had to propose the histological diagnosis (atrophic or proliferative endometrium; simple, glandulocystic or atypical endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma). Observers were free to indicate whether the quality of recordings were not good enough for adequate assessment. IOA (k coefficient), sensitivity, specificity, predictive value and the likelihood ratio were calculated. Five expert, five senior and six junior gynecologists were involved in the study. Considering endometrial cancer and endometrial atypical hyperplasia, sensitivity and specificity were respectively 55.5 % and 84.5 % for juniors, 66.6 % and 81.2 % for seniors and 86.6 % and 87.3 % for experts. Concerning endometrial macroscopic appearance, IOA was poor for juniors (k = 0.10) and fair for seniors and experts (k = 0.23 and 0.22, respectively). IOA was poor for juniors and experts (k = 0.18 and 0.20, respectively) and fair for seniors (k = 0.30) in predicting the histological diagnosis. Sensitivity improves with the observer's experience, but inter-observer agreement and reproducibility of hysteroscopy for endometrial malignancies are not satisfying no matter the level of expertise. Therefore, an accurate and

Unwrapping Court-Connected Mediation Agreements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adrian, Lin; Mykland, Solfrid

2018-01-01

Court-connected mediated agreements seem to both fulfil and fail the ideal of self-determination in mediation theory. In a study of 134 agreements from court-connected mediation, we found that the majority of agreements contain creative elements and display great variation in the provisions...... and understand them. The judicial language is well known for the drafters of the agreement but not the parties. Thus, court-connected mediation seems to fail aspects of self-determination when it comes to drafting agreements. We draw on new-institutional theory when we explore and explain this apparent...... they contain. These results indicate that the parties play an important role in crafting the substance of their agreements. However, we also found that the wording of the agreements is characterised by legal and bureaucratic language to the extent that people without legal training find it difficult to read...

Neuro-Linguistic Programming: Improving Rapport between Track/Cross Country Coaches and Significant Others

Science.gov (United States)

Helm, David Jay

2017-01-01

This study examines the background information and the components of N.L.P., being eye movements, use of predicates, and posturing, as they apply to improving rapport and empathy between track/cross country coaches and their significant others in the arena of competition to help alleviate the inherent stressors.

Parent-Child Agreement on Parent-to-Child Maltreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Compier-de Block, Laura H C G; Alink, Lenneke R A; Linting, Mariëlle; van den Berg, Lisa J M; Elzinga, Bernet M; Voorthuis, Alexandra; Tollenaar, Marieke S; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J

2017-01-01

Parent-child agreement on child maltreatment was examined in a multigenerational study. Questionnaires on perpetrated and experienced child maltreatment were completed by 138 parent-child pairs. Multi-level analyses were conducted to explore whether parents and children agreed about levels of parent-to-child maltreatment (convergence), and to examine whether parents and children reported equal levels of child maltreatment (absolute differences). Direct and moderating effects of age and gender were examined as potential factors explaining differences between parent and child report. The associations between parent- and child-reported maltreatment were significant for all subtypes, but the strength of the associations was low to moderate. Moreover, children reported more parent-to-child neglect than parents did. Older participants reported more experienced maltreatment than younger participants, without evidence for differences in actual exposure. These findings support the value of multi-informant assessment of child maltreatment to improve accuracy, but also reveal the divergent perspectives of parents and children on child maltreatment.

An ontology based trust verification of software license agreement

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Wenhuan; Li, Xiaoqing; Gan, Zengqin; Wei, Jianguo

2017-08-01

When we install software or download software, there will show up so big mass document to state the rights and obligations, for which lots of person are not patient to read it or understand it. That would may make users feel distrust for the software. In this paper, we propose an ontology based verification for Software License Agreement. First of all, this work proposed an ontology model for domain of Software License Agreement. The domain ontology is constructed by proposed methodology according to copyright laws and 30 software license agreements. The License Ontology can act as a part of generalized copyright law knowledge model, and also can work as visualization of software licenses. Based on this proposed ontology, a software license oriented text summarization approach is proposed which performances showing that it can improve the accuracy of software licenses summarizing. Based on the summarization, the underline purpose of the software license can be explicitly explored for trust verification.

Mitotic Figure Recognition: Agreement among Pathologists and Computerized Detector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Malon

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Despite the prognostic importance of mitotic count as one of the components of the Bloom – Richardson grade [3], several studies ([2, 9, 10] have found that pathologists’ agreement on the mitotic grade is fairly modest. Collecting a set of more than 4,200 candidate mitotic figures, we evaluate pathologists' agreement on individual figures, and train a computerized system for mitosis detection, comparing its performance to the classifications of three pathologists. The system’s and the pathologists’ classifications are based on evaluation of digital micrographs of hematoxylin and eosin stained breast tissue. On figures where the majority of pathologists agree on a classification, we compare the performance of the trained system to that of the individual pathologists. We find that the level of agreement of the pathologists ranges from slight to moderate, with strong biases, and that the system performs competitively in rating the ground truth set. This study is a step towards automatic mitosis count to accelerate a pathologist's work and improve reproducibility.

An improved and effective secure password-based authentication and key agreement scheme using smart cards for the telecare medicine information system.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Ashok Kumar; Bruhadeshwar, Bezawada

2013-10-01

Recently Lee and Liu proposed an efficient password based authentication and key agreement scheme using smart card for the telecare medicine information system [J. Med. Syst. (2013) 37:9933]. In this paper, we show that though their scheme is efficient, their scheme still has two security weaknesses such as (1) it has design flaws in authentication phase and (2) it has design flaws in password change phase. In order to withstand these flaws found in Lee-Liu's scheme, we propose an improvement of their scheme. Our improved scheme keeps also the original merits of Lee-Liu's scheme. We show that our scheme is efficient as compared to Lee-Liu's scheme. Further, through the security analysis, we show that our scheme is secure against possible known attacks. In addition, we simulate our scheme for the formal security verification using the widely-accepted AVISPA (Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications) tool to show that our scheme is secure against passive and active attacks.

Predicting word sense annotation agreement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martinez Alonso, Hector; Johannsen, Anders Trærup; Lopez de Lacalle, Oier

2015-01-01

High agreement is a common objective when annotating data for word senses. However, a number of factors make perfect agreement impossible, e.g. the limitations of the sense inventories, the difficulty of the examples or the interpretation preferences of the annotations. Estimating potential...... agreement is thus a relevant task to supplement the evaluation of sense annotations. In this article we propose two methods to predict agreement on word-annotation instances. We experiment with a continuous representation and a three-way discretization of observed agreement. In spite of the difficulty...

Anticollusion Attack Noninteractive Security Hierarchical Key Agreement Scheme in WHMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kefei Mao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Wireless Health Monitoring Systems (WHMS have potential to change the way of health care and bring numbers of benefits to patients, physicians, hospitals, and society. However, there are crucial barriers not only to transmit the biometric information but also to protect the privacy and security of the patients’ information. The key agreement between two entities is an essential cryptography operation to clear the barriers. In particular, the noninteractive hierarchical key agreement scheme becomes an attractive direction in WHMS because each sensor node or gateway has limited resources and power. Recently, a noninteractive hierarchical key agreement scheme has been proposed by Kim for WHMS. However, we show that Kim’s cryptographic scheme is vulnerable to the collusion attack if the physicians can be corrupted. Obviously, it is a more practical security condition. Therefore, we proposed an improved key agreement scheme against the attack. Security proof, security analysis, and experimental results demonstrate that our proposed scheme gains enhanced security and more efficiency than Kim’s previous scheme while inheriting its qualities of one-round communication and security properties.

ACHP | News | St. Elizabeths Programmatic Agreement Signed

Science.gov (United States)

Search skip specific nav links Home arrow News arrow St. Elizabeths Programmatic Agreement Signed St redevelopment of the St. Elizabeths West Campus, which is part of the St. Elizabeths National Historic Landmark this project, due to the historic significance of the NHL. GSA's client for the St. Elizabeths

42 CFR 57.1514 - Loan guarantee and interest subsidy agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... GRANTS GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF TEACHING FACILITIES, EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND STUDENT LOANS Loan Guarantees and Interest Subsidies to Assist in Construction of Teaching Facilities for Health Profession Personnel § 57.1514 Loan guarantee and interest subsidy agreements. For each application for a...

Agreement in cardiovascular risk rating based on anthropometric parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dantas, Endilly Maria da Silva; Pinto, Cristiane Jordânia; Freitas, Rodrigo Pegado de Abreu; Medeiros, Anna Cecília Queiroz de

2015-01-01

To investigate the agreement in evaluation of risk of developing cardiovascular diseases based on anthropometric parameters in young adults. The study included 406 students, measuring weight, height, and waist and neck circumferences. Waist-to-height ratio and the conicity index. The kappa coefficient was used to assess agreement in risk classification for cardiovascular diseases. The positive and negative specific agreement values were calculated as well. The Pearson chi-square (χ"2) test was used to assess associations between categorical variables (p<0.05). The majority of the parameters assessed (44%) showed slight (k=0.21 to 0.40) and/or poor agreement (k<0.20), with low values of negative specific agreement. The best agreement was observed between waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio both for the general population (k=0.88) and between sexes (k=0.93 to 0.86). There was a significant association (p<0.001) between the risk of cardiovascular diseases and females when using waist circumference and conicity index, and with males when using neck circumference. This resulted in a wide variation in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk (5.5%-36.5%), depending on the parameter and the sex that was assessed. The results indicate variability in agreement in assessing risk for cardiovascular diseases, based on anthropometric parameters, and which also seems to be influenced by sex. Further studies in the Brazilian population are required to better understand this issue

Agreement in cardiovascular risk rating based on anthropometric parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dantas, Endilly Maria da Silva; Pinto, Cristiane Jordânia; Freitas, Rodrigo Pegado de Abreu; Medeiros, Anna Cecília Queiroz de [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN (Brazil)

2015-07-01

To investigate the agreement in evaluation of risk of developing cardiovascular diseases based on anthropometric parameters in young adults. The study included 406 students, measuring weight, height, and waist and neck circumferences. Waist-to-height ratio and the conicity index. The kappa coefficient was used to assess agreement in risk classification for cardiovascular diseases. The positive and negative specific agreement values were calculated as well. The Pearson chi-square (χ{sup 2}) test was used to assess associations between categorical variables (p<0.05). The majority of the parameters assessed (44%) showed slight (k=0.21 to 0.40) and/or poor agreement (k<0.20), with low values of negative specific agreement. The best agreement was observed between waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio both for the general population (k=0.88) and between sexes (k=0.93 to 0.86). There was a significant association (p<0.001) between the risk of cardiovascular diseases and females when using waist circumference and conicity index, and with males when using neck circumference. This resulted in a wide variation in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk (5.5%-36.5%), depending on the parameter and the sex that was assessed. The results indicate variability in agreement in assessing risk for cardiovascular diseases, based on anthropometric parameters, and which also seems to be influenced by sex. Further studies in the Brazilian population are required to better understand this issue.

THE ROLE OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

IRINA GABRIELA RADULESCU

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Regional and sub-regional groups having an integrative character appeared after the war and they aimed at harmonizing their economic policies, and, at the same time, they ensured, in accordance with the agreed degree of integration, free turnover of goods, products, services, capitals and labor force. By setting up these international economic organizations, the states of the world and especially developing countries wanted to improve their efforts for a sustained economic growth, to counteract the effects of the unequal external affairs and to eliminate underdevelopment. Some of the regional agreements that represent the new regionalism have been motivated politically and they were stimulated by the conviction that good agreements do not necessarily stand for good neighbors. Such agreements consolidate good diplomatic practices and their objective is to reduce the inevitable confrontation that may appear as a result of com

THE IMPACT OF BASEL III AGREEMENT ON THE ROMANIAN BANKING SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihaela SUDACEVSCHI

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Basel III Agreement is a set of regulations on the banking system, which aims to ensure the system stability, by applying new standards on the capital level and on the liquidity level adequacy and also, on the reduction of banking risk, implied by the financial crisis. Romanian commercial banks will be forced, by the Basel III Agreement implementation, to reduce the risk of capital, using the balance sheet restructuring and by improving the capital quality. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of implementing new capital requirements, stipulated by Basel III Agreement, on the Romanian commercial banks, how they will react to the new standards and the decisions they will be able to adopt to respect the standards.

Agreement in the assessment of metastatic spine disease using scoring systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Arana, Estanislao; Kovacs, Francisco M; Royuela, Ana; Asenjo, Beatriz; Pérez-Ramírez, Ursula; Zamora, Javier

2015-04-01

To assess variability in the use of Tomita and modified Bauer scores in spine metastases. Clinical data and imaging from 90 patients with biopsy-proven spinal metastases, were provided to 83 specialists from 44 hospitals. Spinal levels involved and the Tomita and modified Bauer scores for each case were determined twice by each clinician, with a minimum of 6-week interval. Clinicians were blinded to every evaluation. Kappa statistic was used to assess intra and inter-observer agreement. Subgroup analyses were performed according to clinicians' specialty (medical oncology, neurosurgery, radiology, orthopedic surgery and radiation oncology), years of experience (⩽7, 8-13, ⩾14), and type of hospital (four levels). For metastases identification, intra-observer agreement was "substantial" (0.600.80) at the other levels. Inter-observer agreement was "almost perfect" at lumbar spine, and "substantial" at the other levels. Intra-observer agreement for the Tomita and Bauer scores was almost perfect. Inter-observer agreement was almost perfect for the Tomita score and substantial for the Bauer one. Results were similar across specialties, years of experience and type of hospital. Agreement in the assessment of metastatic spine disease is high. These scoring systems can improve communication among clinicians involved in oncology care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Significance of MPEG-7 textural features for improved mass detection in mammography.

Science.gov (United States)

Eltonsy, Nevine H; Tourassi, Georgia D; Fadeev, Aleksey; Elmaghraby, Adel S

2006-01-01

The purpose of the study is to investigate the significance of MPEG-7 textural features for improving the detection of masses in screening mammograms. The detection scheme was originally based on morphological directional neighborhood features extracted from mammographic regions of interest (ROIs). Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) was performed to evaluate the performance of each set of features independently and merged into a back-propagation artificial neural network (BPANN) using the leave-one-out sampling scheme (LOOSS). The study was based on a database of 668 mammographic ROIs (340 depicting cancer regions and 328 depicting normal parenchyma). Overall, the ROC area index of the BPANN using the directional morphological features was Az=0.85+/-0.01. The MPEG-7 edge histogram descriptor-based BPNN showed an ROC area index of Az=0.71+/-0.01 while homogeneous textural descriptors using 30 and 120 channels helped the BPNN achieve similar ROC area indexes of Az=0.882+/-0.02 and Az=0.877+/-0.01 respectively. After merging the MPEG-7 homogeneous textural features with the directional neighborhood features the performance of the BPANN increased providing an ROC area index of Az=0.91+/-0.01. MPEG-7 homogeneous textural descriptor significantly improved the morphology-based detection scheme.

Histone deacetylase inhibitor significantly improved the cloning efficiency of porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yongye; Tang, Xiaochun; Xie, Wanhua; Zhou, Yan; Li, Dong; Yao, Chaogang; Zhou, Yang; Zhu, Jianguo; Lai, Liangxue; Ouyang, Hongsheng; Pang, Daxin

2011-12-01

Valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase inbibitor, has been shown to generate inducible pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from mouse and human fibroblasts with a significant higher efficiency. Because successful cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) undergoes a full reprogramming process in which the epigenetic state of a differentiated donor nuclear is converted into an embryonic totipotent state, we speculated that VPA would be useful in promoting cloning efficiency. Therefore, in the present study, we examined whether VPA can promote the developmental competence of SCNT embryos by improving the reprogramming state of donor nucleus. Here we report that 1 mM VPA for 14 to 16 h following activation significantly increased the rate of blastocyst formation of porcine SCNT embryos constructed from Landrace fetal fibroblast cells compared to the control (31.8 vs. 11.4%). However, we found that the acetylation level of Histone H3 lysine 14 and Histone H4 lysine 5 and expression level of Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4 was not significantly changed between VPA-treated and -untreated groups at the blastocyst stage. The SCNT embryos were transferred to 38 surrogates, and the cloning efficiency in the treated group was significantly improved compared with the control group. Taken together, we have demonstrated that VPA can improve both in vitro and in vivo development competence of porcine SCNT embryos.

Ceramic Composite Intermediate Temperature Stress-Rupture Properties Improved Significantly

Science.gov (United States)

Morscher, Gregory N.; Hurst, Janet B.

2002-01-01

Silicon carbide (SiC) composites are considered to be potential materials for future aircraft engine parts such as combustor liners. It is envisioned that on the hot side (inner surface) of the combustor liner, composites will have to withstand temperatures in excess of 1200 C for thousands of hours in oxidizing environments. This is a severe condition; however, an equally severe, if not more detrimental, condition exists on the cold side (outer surface) of the combustor liner. Here, the temperatures are expected to be on the order of 800 to 1000 C under high tensile stress because of thermal gradients and attachment of the combustor liner to the engine frame (the hot side will be under compressive stress, a less severe stress-state for ceramics). Since these composites are not oxides, they oxidize. The worst form of oxidation for strength reduction occurs at these intermediate temperatures, where the boron nitride (BN) interphase oxidizes first, which causes the formation of a glass layer that strongly bonds the fibers to the matrix. When the fibers strongly bond to the matrix or to one another, the composite loses toughness and strength and becomes brittle. To increase the intermediate temperature stress-rupture properties, researchers must modify the BN interphase. With the support of the Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Program, significant improvements were made as state-of-the-art SiC/SiC composites were developed during the Enabling Propulsion Materials (EPM) program. Three approaches were found to improve the intermediate-temperature stress-rupture properties: fiber-spreading, high-temperature silicon- (Si) doped boron nitride (BN), and outside-debonding BN.

Factors Related to Significant Improvement of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rates in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients Receiving Telbivudine Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Te-Fu Lin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim. The improvement of estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs in chronic hepatitis B (CHB patients receiving telbivudine therapy is well known. The aim of this study was to clarify the kinetics of eGFRs and to identify the significant factors related to the improvement of eGFRs in telbivudine-treated CHB patients in a real-world setting. Methods. Serial eGFRs were calculated every 3 months using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI equation. The patients were classified as CKD-1, -2, or -3 according to a baseline eGFR of ≥90, 60–89, or <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively. A significant improvement of eGFR was defined as a more than 10% increase from the baseline. Results. A total of 129 patients were enrolled, of whom 36% had significantly improved eGFRs. According to a multivariate analysis, diabetes mellitus (DM (p=0.028 and CKD-3 (p=0.043 were both significantly related to such improvement. The rates of significant improvement of eGFR were about 73% and 77% in patients with DM and CKD-3, respectively. Conclusions. Telbivudine is an alternative drug of choice for the treatment of hepatitis B patients for whom renal safety is a concern, especially patients with DM and CKD-3.

Financing petroleum agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robson, C.J.V.

1994-01-01

This chapter describes the typical type of financing agreements which are currently used to finance North Sea petroleum projects whether they are in the cause of development or have been developed and are producing. It deals with the agreements which are entered into to finance borrowings for petroleum projects on a non-resource or limited resource basis. (UK)

Agreement Workflow Tool (AWT)

Data.gov (United States)

Social Security Administration — The Agreement Workflow Tool (AWT) is a role-based Intranet application used for processing SSA's Reimbursable Agreements according to SSA's standards. AWT provides...

Health care agreements as a tool for coordinating health and social services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Rudkjøbing

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: In 2007, a substantial reform changed the administrative boundaries of the Danish health care system and introduced health care agreements to be signed between municipal and regional authorities. To assess the health care agreements as a tool for coordinating health and social services, a survey was conducted before (2005–2006 and after the reform (2011.Theory and methods: The study was designed on the basis of a modified version of Alter and Hage's framework for conceptualising coordination. Both surveys addressed all municipal level units (n = 271/98 and a random sample of general practitioners (n = 700/853.Results: The health care agreements were considered more useful for coordinating care than the previous health plans. The power relationship between the regional and municipal authorities in drawing up the agreements was described as more equal. Familiarity with the agreements among general practitioners was higher, as was the perceived influence of the health care agreements on their work.Discussion: Health care agreements with specific content and with regular follow-up and systematic mechanisms for organising feedback between collaborative partners exemplify a useful tool for the coordination of health and social services.Conclusion: There are substantial improvements with the new health agreements in terms of formalising a better coordination of the health care system.

Spine Instability Neoplastic Score: agreement across different medical and surgical specialties.

Science.gov (United States)

Arana, Estanislao; Kovacs, Francisco M; Royuela, Ana; Asenjo, Beatriz; Pérez-Ramírez, Úrsula; Zamora, Javier

2016-05-01

was "substantial" (κ=0.61). Results were similar across specialties, years of experience, and hospital category. Agreement on the assessment of metastatic spine instability is moderate. The SINS can help improve communication among clinicians in oncology care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chile-EU Trade Agreement: What Can We Learn from Trade Statistics?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaime de Pablo Valenciano

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An Association Agreement concluded between the European Union and Chile in 2002 included a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA that entered into force in February 2003. Our purpose is to analyse some of the economic consequences of the agricultural part of this agreement focusing in the fruit and vegetable market. Our finding is that market concentration has significantly decreased since the beginning of previous decade and has been reinforced in both markets. This has been an advantage for both Chilean producers and European consumers of fruits and vegetables.

What does the Paris Agreement mean for adaptation?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lesnikowski, Alexandra; Ford, James; Biesbroek, Robbert; Berrang-Ford, Lea; Maillet, Michelle; Araos, Malcolm; Austin, Stephanie E.

2017-01-01

The Paris Agreement takes a significant step forward in strengthening the adaptation pillar of global climate policy. By widening the normative framing around adaptation, calling for stronger adaptation commitments from states, being explicit about the multilevel nature of adaptation governance, and

An Improvement of Robust Biometrics-Based Authentication and Key Agreement Scheme for Multi-Server Environments Using Smart Cards.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Jongho; Choi, Younsung; Jung, Jaewook; Won, Dongho

2015-01-01

In multi-server environments, user authentication is a very important issue because it provides the authorization that enables users to access their data and services; furthermore, remote user authentication schemes for multi-server environments have solved the problem that has arisen from user's management of different identities and passwords. For this reason, numerous user authentication schemes that are designed for multi-server environments have been proposed over recent years. In 2015, Lu et al. improved upon Mishra et al.'s scheme, claiming that their remote user authentication scheme is more secure and practical; however, we found that Lu et al.'s scheme is still insecure and incorrect. In this paper, we demonstrate that Lu et al.'s scheme is vulnerable to outsider attack and user impersonation attack, and we propose a new biometrics-based scheme for authentication and key agreement that can be used in multi-server environments; then, we show that our proposed scheme is more secure and supports the required security properties.

Why are Trade Agreements Regional?

OpenAIRE

Zissimos, Ben

2007-01-01

This paper shows how distance may be used to coordinate on a unique equilibrium in which trade agreements are regional. Trade agreement formation is modeled as coalition formation. In a standard trade model with no distance between countries, a familiar problem of coordination failure arises giving rise to multiple equilibria; any one of many possible trade agreements can form. With distance between countries, and through strategic interaction in tariff setting, regional trade agreements gene...

THE IMPACT OF THE BASEL III AGREEMENT ON THE BANKING SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena RADULESCU

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In the light of the current financial crisis, some deficiencies of the financial supervision system were highlighted. The former Basel II Agreement needed to be reformulated to achieve more stability of the banking systems. The new Basel III launched tight regulation regarding both banking solvency and liquidity and the leverage ratio. These regulations imply more costs for banks. Many bankers didn’t agree because of the decrease of the profitability of banks. Still, even the current crisis wasn’t surpassed yet, the financial authorities have already claimed another improved agreement Basel IV.

An improved thermodynamic perturbation theory for Mercedes-Benz water.

Science.gov (United States)

Urbic, T; Vlachy, V; Kalyuzhnyi, Yu V; Dill, K A

2007-11-07

We previously applied Wertheim's thermodynamic perturbation theory for associative fluids to the simple Mercedes-Benz model of water. We found that the theory reproduced well the physical properties of hot water, but was less successful in capturing the more structured hydrogen bonding that occurs in cold water. Here, we propose an improved version of the thermodynamic perturbation theory in which the effective density of the reference system is calculated self-consistently. The new theory is a significant improvement, giving good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations of the model, and predicting key anomalies of cold water, such as minima in the molar volume and large heat capacity, in addition to giving good agreement with the isothermal compressibility and thermal expansion coefficient.

Systems management of facilities agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blundell, A.

1998-01-01

The various types of facilities agreements, the historical obstacles to implementation of agreement management systems and the new opportunities emerging as industry is beginning to make an effort to overcome these obstacles, are reviewed. Barriers to computerized agreement management systems (lack of consistency, lack of standards, scarcity of appropriate computer software) are discussed. Characteristic features of a model facilities agreement management system and the forces driving the changing attitudes towards such systems (e.g. mergers) are also described

Provision for Community College Faculty Development in Collective Bargaining Agreements

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Terry H. Smith

1976-01-01

Trends of collective negotiations were examined as they affect inservice education, through an examination of collective bargaining agreements. Conclusion: the trend is presently one of negotiation of provisions in a piecemeal fashion rather than one with the goal of establishing comprehensive professional improvement programs. (Editor/JT)

Global Water Cycle Agreement in the Climate Models Assessed in the IPCC AR4

Science.gov (United States)

Waliser, D.; Seo, K. -W.; Schubert, S.; Njoku, E.

2007-01-01

This study examines the fidelity of the global water cycle in the climate model simulations assessed in the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. The results demonstrate good model agreement in quantities that have had a robust global observational basis and that are physically unambiguous. The worst agreement occurs for quantities that have both poor observational constraints and whose model representations can be physically ambiguous. In addition, components involving water vapor (frozen water) typically exhibit the best (worst) agreement, and fluxes typically exhibit better agreement than reservoirs. These results are discussed in relation to the importance of obtaining accurate model representation of the water cycle and its role in climate change. Recommendations are also given for facilitating the needed model improvements.

Parent and teen agreement on driving expectations prior to teen licensure.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamann, Cara J; Ramirez, Marizen; Yang, Jingzhen; Chande, Vidya; Peek-Asa, Corinne

2014-01-01

To examine pre-licensure agreement on driving expectations and predictors of teen driving expectations among parent-teen dyads. Cross-sectional survey of 163 parent-teen dyads. Descriptive statistics, weighted Kappa coefficients, and linear regression were used to examine expectations about post-licensure teen driving. Teens reported high pre-licensure unsupervised driving (N = 79, 48.5%) and regular access to a car (N = 130, 81.8%). Parents and teens had low agreement on teen driving expectations (eg, after dark, κw = 0.23). Each time teens currently drove to/from school, their expectation of driving in risky conditions post-licensure increased (β = 0.21, p = .02). Pre-licensure improvement of parent-teen agreement on driving expectations are needed to have the greatest impact on preventing teens from driving in high risk conditions.

Effect of ergonomics training on agreement between expert and nonexpert ratings of the potential for musculoskeletal harm in manufacturing tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Fethke, Nathan B; Merlino, Linda; Gerr, Fred

2013-12-01

To evaluate the effect of ergonomics training on non-ergonomists' ability to recognize and characterize the potential for musculoskeletal harm in manufacturing tasks. Ergonomics training was delivered to members of a participatory ergonomics team in a manufacturing facility. Before and after training, participatory ergonomics team members and the research team rated the potential for musculoskeletal harm for each of 30 tasks. Measures of agreement included Pearson, concordance, and intraclass correlation coefficients. Measures of agreement generally improved after training. The greatest agreement was observed for ratings of the potential for musculoskeletal harm to the low back. The greatest improvement in agreement was observed for ratings of the potential for musculoskeletal harm to the neck/shoulder. The training seemed to improve non-experts' ability to identify the potential for musculoskeletal harm.

Long term agreements energy efficiency. Progress 1999

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-11-01

Long Term Agreements (LTAs) on energy efficiency have been contracted with various business sectors since 1992, as part of energy conservation policy: industrial sectors, commercial services, agrarian sectors and non-profit services. LTAs are voluntary agreements between a specific sector and the Minister of Economic Affairs. In some cases, the Minister of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries is also involved. The sector commits to an effort to improve energy efficiency by a particular percentage within an agreed period. As at 31 December 1999, a total of 29 LTAs had been contracted with industrial sectors and 14 with non-industrial ones. This report describes the progress of the LTAs in 1999. It reviews the energy efficiency improvements realised through the LTAs, both overall and in each individual sector. The aim is to make the efforts and results in the various sectors accessible to the general public. Appendix 1 describes the positioning of the LTA instrument. This Appendix provides and insight into the position of the LTAs within the overall set of policy instruments. It also covers the subsidy schemes and fiscal instruments that support the LTAs, the relationships between LTAs and environmental policy and new developments relating to the LTAs in the years ahead. Appendices 2 to 6 contain the reports on the LTAs and a list of abbreviations (Appendix 7)

The challenges of ESRD care in developing economies: sub-Saharan African opportunities for significant improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Bamgboye, Ebun Ladipo

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. This, along with other noncommunicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and heart diseases, poses a double burden on a region that is still struggling to cope with the scourge of communicable diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and more recently Ebola. Causes of CKD in the region are predominantly glomerulonephritis and hypertension, although type 2 diabetes is also becoming a significant cause as is the retroviral disease. Patients are generally younger than in the developed world, and there is a significant male preponderance. Most patients are managed by hemodialysis, with peritoneal dialysis and kidney transplantation being available in only few countries in the region. Government funding and support for dialysis is often unavailable, and when available, often with restrictions. There is a dearth of trained manpower to treat the disease, and many countries have a limited number of units, which are often ill-equipped to deal adequately with the number of patients who require end-stage renal disease (ESRD) care in the region. Although there has been a significant improvement when compared with the situation, even as recently as 10 years ago, there is also the potential for further improvement, which would significantly improve the outcomes in patients with ESRD in the region. The information in this review was obtained from a combination of renal registry reports (published and unpublished), published articles, responses to a questionnaire sent to nephrologists prior to the World Congress of Nephrology (WCN) in Cape Town, and from nephrologists attending the WCN in Cape Town (March 13 - 17, 2015).

Agreement in the assessment of metastatic spine disease using scoring systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arana, Estanislao; Kovacs, Francisco M.; Royuela, Ana; Asenjo, Beatriz; Pérez-Ramírez, Ursula; Zamora, Javier; Abraira, Víctor

2015-01-01

Purpose: To assess variability in the use of Tomita and modified Bauer scores in spine metastases. Materials and methods: Clinical data and imaging from 90 patients with biopsy-proven spinal metastases, were provided to 83 specialists from 44 hospitals. Spinal levels involved and the Tomita and modified Bauer scores for each case were determined twice by each clinician, with a minimum of 6-week interval. Clinicians were blinded to every evaluation. Kappa statistic was used to assess intra and inter-observer agreement. Subgroup analyses were performed according to clinicians’ specialty (medical oncology, neurosurgery, radiology, orthopedic surgery and radiation oncology), years of experience (⩽7, 8–13, ⩾14), and type of hospital (four levels). Results: For metastases identification, intra-observer agreement was “substantial” (0.60 < k < 0.80) at sacrum, and “almost perfect” (k > 0.80) at the other levels. Inter-observer agreement was “almost perfect” at lumbar spine, and “substantial” at the other levels. Intra-observer agreement for the Tomita and Bauer scores was almost perfect. Inter-observer agreement was almost perfect for the Tomita score and substantial for the Bauer one. Results were similar across specialties, years of experience and type of hospital. Conclusion: Agreement in the assessment of metastatic spine disease is high. These scoring systems can improve communication among clinicians involved in oncology care

AO Distal Radius Fracture Classification: Global Perspective on Observer Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

Jayakumar, Prakash; Teunis, Teun; Giménez, Beatriz Bravo; Verstreken, Frederik; Di Mascio, Livio; Jupiter, Jesse B.

2016-01-01

Background The primary objective of this study was to test interobserver reliability when classifying fractures by consensus by AO types and groups among a large international group of surgeons. Secondarily, we assessed the difference in inter- and intraobserver agreement of the AO classification in relation to geographical location, level of training, and subspecialty. Methods A randomized set of radiographic and computed tomographic images from a consecutive series of 96 distal radius fractures (DRFs), treated between October 2010 and April 2013, was classified using an electronic web-based portal by an invited group of participants on two occasions. Results Interobserver reliability was substantial when classifying AO type A fractures but fair and moderate for type B and C fractures, respectively. No difference was observed by location, except for an apparent difference between participants from India and Australia classifying type B fractures. No statistically significant associations were observed comparing interobserver agreement by level of training and no differences were shown comparing subspecialties. Intra-rater reproducibility was “substantial” for fracture types and “fair” for fracture groups with no difference accounting for location, training level, or specialty. Conclusion Improved definition of reliability and reproducibility of this classification may be achieved using large international groups of raters, empowering decision making on which system to utilize. Level of Evidence Level III PMID:28119795

26 CFR 301.6323(c)-2 - Protection for real property construction or improvement financing agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... agreement described in subparagraph (3) of this paragraph (b), the furnishing of goods and services is... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) PROCEDURE AND ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURE AND ADMINISTRATION... into existence after the tax lien filing, (2) Is in qualified property covered by the terms of a real...

An Improved Dynamic ID-Based Remote User Authentication with Key Agreement Scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Qu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, several dynamic ID-based remote user authentication schemes have been proposed. In 2012, Wen and Li proposed a dynamic ID-based remote user authentication with key agreement scheme. They claimed that their scheme can resist impersonation attack and insider attack and provide anonymity for the users. However, we will show that Wen and Li's scheme cannot withstand insider attack and forward secrecy, does not provide anonymity for the users, and inefficiency for error password login. In this paper, we propose a novel ECC-based remote user authentication scheme which is immune to various known types of attack and is more secure and practical for mobile clients.

Interobserver agreement in ultrasound examination of the biliary tract

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grantcharov, Teodor P; Rasti, Z; Rossen, B

2002-01-01

bile duct (CBD), and presence of CBD stones. RESULTS: None of the radiologists observed CBD stones or fluid around the gallbladder. The CBD was clearly distinguished by both observers in all patients. There was good agreement in the conclusions of the two radiologists regarding the presence...... of gallbladder stones and substantial agreement regarding the filling of the gallbladder and splitting of the gallbladder wall. Significant difference existed in the measurements by the two radiologists regarding the thickness of the gallbladder wall and the diameter of the CBD. CONCLUSION: The novice...... radiologist's expertise in the primary diagnosis of uncomplicated gallstone disease was as good as the one provided by the experienced colleague. The significant interobserver difference in the measurements of the thickness of the gallbladder wall and the CBD diameter might indicate that assessment...

Survival prediction algorithms miss significant opportunities for improvement if used for case selection in trauma quality improvement programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Heim, Catherine; Cole, Elaine; West, Anita; Tai, Nigel; Brohi, Karim

2016-09-01

Quality improvement (QI) programs have shown to reduce preventable mortality in trauma care. Detailed review of all trauma deaths is a time and resource consuming process and calculated probability of survival (Ps) has been proposed as audit filter. Review is limited on deaths that were 'expected to survive'. However no Ps-based algorithm has been validated and no study has examined elements of preventability associated with deaths classified as 'expected'. The objective of this study was to examine whether trauma performance review can be streamlined using existing mortality prediction tools without missing important areas for improvement. We conducted a retrospective study of all trauma deaths reviewed by our trauma QI program. Deaths were classified into non-preventable, possibly preventable, probably preventable or preventable. Opportunities for improvement (OPIs) involve failure in the process of care and were classified into clinical and system deviations from standards of care. TRISS and PS were used for calculation of probability of survival. Peer-review charts were reviewed by a single investigator. Over 8 years, 626 patients were included. One third showed elements of preventability and 4% were preventable. Preventability occurred across the entire range of the calculated Ps band. Limiting review to unexpected deaths would have missed over 50% of all preventability issues and a third of preventable deaths. 37% of patients showed opportunities for improvement (OPIs). Neither TRISS nor PS allowed for reliable identification of OPIs and limiting peer-review to patients with unexpected deaths would have missed close to 60% of all issues in care. TRISS and PS fail to identify a significant proportion of avoidable deaths and miss important opportunities for process and system improvement. Based on this, all trauma deaths should be subjected to expert panel review in order to aim at a maximal output of performance improvement programs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier

Agreement between teenager and caregiver responses to questions about teenager's asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Christine L M; Havstad, Suzanne; Johnson, Christine C; Vinuya, Rick; Ownby, Dennis R

2006-03-01

It is unknown if teenagers and caregivers give similar responses when interviewed about the teen's asthma. We analyzed data for 63 urban African-American teen-caregiver pairs. Caregivers underestimated teen smoking by 30%, gave lower estimates for teen exposure to passive smoke, and disagreed with teens on controller medication usage. Teen-caregiver responses were not significantly different for estimates of symptom-days, activity limitations, or nights awakened; nor were they significantly different for report of emergency department visits or hospitalizations. Agreement was weak for perceived asthma control and severity. Teen-caregiver agreement on asthma depends on the type of information being sought.

Multilateral and bilateral agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koponen, H.

1993-01-01

Finland has made both multilateral and bilateral agreements on the exchange of information related to radiation safety. The first arrangements for international agreements and exchange of information were made after the Chernobyl accident. In 1987, Finland joined the convention on early notification of a nuclear power accident coordinated by International Atomic Energy Agency. The convention is applied to accidents that cause of may cause emissions of radioactive substances that might affect the radiation safety of another country. Besides the convention on early notification, some other individual agreements have also been made. These include the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) system and power companies own information exchange systems. Finland has conducted bilateral agreements with the Nordic countries and the Soviet Union on the notification of accidents and exchange of nuclear power plant information. Today, Russia answers for the Soviet Union's contractual obligations. (orig.)

48 CFR 1642.7001 - Management agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS ACQUISITION REGULATION CONTRACT MANAGEMENT CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION Management Agreement (in Lieu of Novation Agreement) 1642.7001 Management agreement. When it is in the best interest of... day-to-day performance of the contract. Examples of situations in which a Management Agreement may be...

Competition for Assistance Agreements

Science.gov (United States)

It is EPA policy to promote competition in the award of assistance agreements to the maximum extent practicable.When assistance agreements are awarded competitively, it is EPA policy that the competitive process be fair and open & that no applicant receive

29 CFR 1908.10 - Cooperative Agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... CONSULTATION AGREEMENTS § 1908.10 Cooperative Agreements. (a) Who may make Agreements. The Assistant Secretary... consultation services to private sector employers. (3) Renegotiation of existing Agreements funded under this part shall be initiated within 30 days of the effective date of these revisions. (c) Contents of...

Nuclear arbitration: Interpreting non-proliferation agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tzeng, Peter

2015-01-01

At the core of the nuclear non-proliferation regime lie international agreements. These agreements include, inter alia, the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, nuclear co-operation agreements and nuclear export control agreements.1 States, however, do not always comply with their obligations under these agreements. In response, commentators have proposed various enforcement mechanisms to promote compliance. The inconvenient truth, however, is that states are generally unwilling to consent to enforcement mechanisms concerning issues as critical to national security as nuclear non-proliferation.3 This article suggests an alternative solution to the non-compliance problem: interpretation mechanisms. Although an interpretation mechanism does not have the teeth of an enforcement mechanism, it can induce compliance by providing an authoritative interpretation of a legal obligation. Interpretation mechanisms would help solve the non-compliance problem because, as this article shows, in many cases of alleged non-compliance with a non-proliferation agreement, the fundamental problem has been the lack of an authoritative interpretation of the agreement, not the lack of an enforcement mechanism. Specifically, this article proposes arbitration as the proper interpretation mechanism for non-proliferation agreements. It advocates the establishment of a 'Nuclear Arbitration Centre' as an independent branch of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and recommends the gradual introduction of arbitration clauses into the texts of non-proliferation agreements. Section I begins with a discussion of international agreements in general and the importance of interpretation and enforcement mechanisms. Section II then discusses nuclear non-proliferation agreements and their lack of interpretation and enforcement mechanisms. Section III examines seven case studies of alleged non-compliance with non-proliferation agreements in order to show that the main problem in many cases

Agreement among healthcare professionals in ten European countries in diagnosing case-vignettes of surgical-site infections.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel Birgand

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Although surgical-site infection (SSI rates are advocated as a major evaluation criterion, the reproducibility of SSI diagnosis is unknown. We assessed agreement in diagnosing SSI among specialists involved in SSI surveillance in Europe. METHODS: Twelve case-vignettes based on suspected SSI were submitted to 100 infection-control physicians (ICPs and 86 surgeons in 10 European countries. Each participant scored eight randomly-assigned case-vignettes on a secure online relational database. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC was used to assess agreement for SSI diagnosis on a 7-point Likert scale and the kappa coefficient to assess agreement for SSI depth on a three-point scale. RESULTS: Intra-specialty agreement for SSI diagnosis ranged across countries and specialties from 0.00 (95%CI, 0.00-0.35 to 0.65 (0.45-0.82. Inter-specialty agreement varied from 0.04 (0.00-0.62 in to 0.55 (0.37-0.74 in Germany. For all countries pooled, intra-specialty agreement was poor for surgeons (0.24, 0.14-0.42 and good for ICPs (0.41, 0.28-0.61. Reading SSI definitions improved agreement among ICPs (0.57 but not surgeons (0.09. Intra-specialty agreement for SSI depth ranged across countries and specialties from 0.05 (0.00-0.10 to 0.50 (0.45-0.55 and was not improved by reading SSI definition. CONCLUSION: Among ICPs and surgeons evaluating case-vignettes of suspected SSI, considerable disagreement occurred regarding the diagnosis, with variations across specialties and countries.

48 CFR 2831.109 - Advance agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... proposed agreement. The approved determination will be placed in the contract file. (c) All advance... the agreements. Advance agreements will be signed by both the contractor and the contracting officer, and made a part of the contract file. Copies of executed advance agreements will be distributed to the...

E2F5 status significantly improves malignancy diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer

KAUST Repository

Kothandaraman, Narasimhan

2010-02-24

Background: Ovarian epithelial cancer (OEC) usually presents in the later stages of the disease. Factors, especially those associated with cell-cycle genes, affecting the genesis and tumour progression for ovarian cancer are largely unknown. We hypothesized that over-expressed transcription factors (TFs), as well as those that are driving the expression of the OEC over-expressed genes, could be the key for OEC genesis and potentially useful tissue and serum markers for malignancy associated with OEC.Methods: Using a combination of computational (selection of candidate TF markers and malignancy prediction) and experimental approaches (tissue microarray and western blotting on patient samples) we identified and evaluated E2F5 transcription factor involved in cell proliferation, as a promising candidate regulatory target in early stage disease. Our hypothesis was supported by our tissue array experiments that showed E2F5 expression only in OEC samples but not in normal and benign tissues, and by significantly positively biased expression in serum samples done using western blotting studies.Results: Analysis of clinical cases shows that of the E2F5 status is characteristic for a different population group than one covered by CA125, a conventional OEC biomarker. E2F5 used in different combinations with CA125 for distinguishing malignant cyst from benign cyst shows that the presence of CA125 or E2F5 increases sensitivity of OEC detection to 97.9% (an increase from 87.5% if only CA125 is used) and, more importantly, the presence of both CA125 and E2F5 increases specificity of OEC to 72.5% (an increase from 55% if only CA125 is used). This significantly improved accuracy suggests possibility of an improved diagnostics of OEC. Furthermore, detection of malignancy status in 86 cases (38 benign, 48 early and late OEC) shows that the use of E2F5 status in combination with other clinical characteristics allows for an improved detection of malignant cases with sensitivity

The Impact of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement as Negotiated

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan Ciuriak

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the impact of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement on the basis of the published text and agreed schedule of commitments. We find that the Agreement reinforces existing patterns of comparative advantage between Canada (agriculture and resource-based sectors and Korea (autos and other industries. The sensitive sectors that held up the deal for years - autos into Canada and beef into Korea - witness major trade gains, but are not unduly disrupted. In both economies, the major output gains otherwise come in non-traded services sectors, driven by income effects. We find that trade diversion effects are quite significant; this lends support for the domino theory of major free trade agreements - since the Korea-EU agreement broke the ice, the pressure has intensified on third parties to re-level playing fields by striking their own deals. The study breaks new ground in modelling services trade by developing policy impacts based on the extent to which the text of the Agreement modifies Korea's and Canada's scores on the OECD's Services Trade Restrictiveness Index and by providing estimates of Mode 3 Services trade impacts. The analysis of the Agreement as negotiated, the present study, in our view, is a step forward in understanding the impact of modern free trade agreements.

Treatment agreement, adherence, and outcome in cognitive behavioral treatments for insomnia.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Lu; Soehner, Adriane M; Bélanger, Lynda; Morin, Charles M; Harvey, Allison G

2018-03-01

Patient adherence has been identified as an important barrier to the implementation of evidence-based psychological treatments. In cognitive behavioral treatments (CBT) for insomnia, the current study examined (a) the validity of therapist ratings of patient agreement and adherence against an established behavioral measure of adherence, and (b) the relationship between treatment agreement, adherence, and outcome. Participants were 188 adults meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for chronic insomnia who were randomized to receive behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, or CBT for insomnia. Treatment agreement/adherence was measured by (a) weekly therapist ratings of patient agreement and homework completion, and (b) adherence to behavioral strategies (ABS) derived from patient-reported sleep diary. Outcome measures were Insomnia Severity Index and insomnia remission (Insomnia Severity Index adherence, and ABS measures during treatment significantly predicted insomnia remission at posttreatment, and all but therapist rating of homework completion predicted remission at 6-month follow-up. Greater patient agreement and adherence (therapist ratings and ABS) during treatment predicted better treatment outcome. Therapist-rated treatment agreement and adherence correspond well with patient-reported sleep diary-derived adherence measure. These simple, deployable therapist-rated patient agreement and adherence can potentially be useful for treatments for other disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Shared use agreements between municipalities and public schools in the United States, 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Omura, John D; Carlson, Susan A; Paul, Prabasaj; Sliwa, Sarah; Onufrak, Stephen J; Fulton, Janet E

2017-02-01

Shared use agreements allow public use of school facilities during non-school hours. Such agreements can cover outdoor facilities alone or may be more comprehensive by also including indoor facilities. Our aim was to: 1) estimate the prevalence of shared use agreements and facility types covered among U.S. municipalities and 2) identify differences in prevalence by municipality characteristics. The 2014 National Survey of Community-based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living is a representative survey of US municipalities (n=2029). Data were analyzed using survey weights to create national estimates. Logistic and multinomial regression models determined odds ratios adjusting for municipality characteristics. Among 1930 municipalities with a school, 41.6% had a shared use agreement as reported by a local official, 45.6% did not, and 12.8% did not know. Significant differences in prevalence existed by population size, rural/urban status, poverty prevalence, median education level, and census region; however, after adjustment for other municipality characteristics significant differences remained only by population size, median education level, and census region. Among municipalities with a shared use agreement, 59.6% covered both outdoor and indoor facilities, 5.5% covered indoor facilities only, and 34.9% covered outdoor facilities only. Opportunities exist to expand the use of shared use agreements particularly in municipalities with small populations, lower education levels, and in the South, and to promote more comprehensive shared use agreements that include both indoor and outdoor facilities. Published by Elsevier Inc.

An Efficient and Secure Arbitrary N-Party Quantum Key Agreement Protocol Using Bell States

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wen-Jie; Xu, Yong; Yang, Ching-Nung; Gao, Pei-Pei; Yu, Wen-Bin

2018-01-01

Two quantum key agreement protocols using Bell states and Bell measurement were recently proposed by Shukla et al. (Quantum Inf. Process. 13(11), 2391-2405, 2014). However, Zhu et al. pointed out that there are some security flaws and proposed an improved version (Quantum Inf. Process. 14(11), 4245-4254, 2015). In this study, we will show Zhu et al.'s improvement still exists some security problems, and its efficiency is not high enough. For solving these problems, we utilize four Pauli operations { I, Z, X, Y} to encode two bits instead of the original two operations { I, X} to encode one bit, and then propose an efficient and secure arbitrary N-party quantum key agreement protocol. In the protocol, the channel checking with decoy single photons is introduced to avoid the eavesdropper's flip attack, and a post-measurement mechanism is used to prevent against the collusion attack. The security analysis shows the present protocol can guarantee the correctness, security, privacy and fairness of quantum key agreement.

Canadian seismic agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wetmiller, R.J.; Lyons, J.A.; Shannon, W.E.; Munro, P.S.; Thomas, J.T.; Andrew, M.D.; Lamontagne, M.; Wong, C.; Anglin, F.M.; Plouffe, M.; Lapointe, S.P.; Adams, J.; Drysdale, J.A.

1990-04-01

This is the twenty-first progress report under the agreement entitled Canadian Seismic Agreement between the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Canadian Commercial Corporation. Activities undertaken by the Geophysics Division of the Geological Survey of Canada (GD/GSC) during the period from July 01, 1988 to June 30, 1989 and supported in part by the NRC agreement are described below under four headings; Eastern Canada Telemetred Network and local network developments, Datalab developments, strong motion network developments and earthquake activity. In this time period eastern Canada experienced its largest earthquake in over 50 years. This earthquake, which has been christened the Saguenay earthquake, has provided a wealth of new data pertinent to earthquake engineering studies in eastern North America and is the subject of many continuing studies, which are presently being carried out at GD and elsewhere. 41 refs., 21 figs., 7 tabs

Tackling the climate targets set by the Paris Agreement (COP 21 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tackling the climate targets set by the Paris Agreement (COP 21): Green leadership empowers public hospitals to overcome obstacles and challenges in a ... To improve commitment from all involved roleplayers, political leadership, supportive government policies and financial funding is mandatory, or public hospitals will ...

Agreement Execution Process Study: CRADAs and NF-WFO Agreements and the Speed of Business

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harrer, Bruce J.; Cejka, Cheryl L.; Macklin, Richard; Miksovic, Ann

2011-02-01

This report summarizes the findings of a study on the execution of Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) and Non-Federal Work for Others (NF-WFO) agreements across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory complex. The study provides quantitiative estimates of times required to negotiate and execute these agreements across the DOE complex. It identifies factors impacting on cycle times and describes best practicies used at various laboratories and site offices that reduce cycle times.

An Improvement of Robust Biometrics-Based Authentication and Key Agreement Scheme for Multi-Server Environments Using Smart Cards

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Jongho; Choi, Younsung; Jung, Jaewook; Won, Dongho

2015-01-01

In multi-server environments, user authentication is a very important issue because it provides the authorization that enables users to access their data and services; furthermore, remote user authentication schemes for multi-server environments have solved the problem that has arisen from user’s management of different identities and passwords. For this reason, numerous user authentication schemes that are designed for multi-server environments have been proposed over recent years. In 2015, Lu et al. improved upon Mishra et al.’s scheme, claiming that their remote user authentication scheme is more secure and practical; however, we found that Lu et al.’s scheme is still insecure and incorrect. In this paper, we demonstrate that Lu et al.’s scheme is vulnerable to outsider attack and user impersonation attack, and we propose a new biometrics-based scheme for authentication and key agreement that can be used in multi-server environments; then, we show that our proposed scheme is more secure and supports the required security properties. PMID:26709702

A prospective study assessing agreement and reliability of a geriatric evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Locatelli, Isabella; Monod, Stéfanie; Cornuz, Jacques; Büla, Christophe J; Senn, Nicolas

2017-07-19

The present study takes place within a geriatric program, aiming at improving the diagnosis and management of geriatric syndromes in primary care. Within this program it was of prime importance to be able to rely on a robust and reproducible geriatric consultation to use as a gold standard for evaluating a primary care brief assessment tool. The specific objective of the present study was thus assessing the agreement and reliability of a comprehensive geriatric consultation. The study was conducted at the outpatient clinic of the Service of Geriatric Medicine, University of Lausanne, Switzerland. All community-dwelling older persons aged 70 years and above were eligible. Patients were excluded if they hadn't a primary care physician, they were unable to speak French, or they were already assessed by a geriatrician within the last 12 months. A set of 9 geriatricians evaluated 20 patients. Each patient was assessed twice within a 2-month delay. Geriatric consultations were based on a structured evaluation process, leading to rating the following geriatric conditions: functional, cognitive, visual, and hearing impairment, mood disorders, risk of fall, osteoporosis, malnutrition, and urinary incontinence. Reliability and agreement estimates on each of these items were obtained using a three-way Intraclass Correlation and a three-way Observed Disagreement index. The latter allowed a decomposition of overall disagreement into disagreements due to each source of error variability (visit, rater and random). Agreement ranged between 0.62 and 0.85. For most domains, geriatrician-related error variability explained an important proportion of disagreement. Reliability ranged between 0 and 0.8. It was poor/moderate for visual impairment, malnutrition and risk of fall, and good/excellent for functional/cognitive/hearing impairment, osteoporosis, incontinence and mood disorders. Six out of nine items of the geriatric consultation described in this study (functional

48 CFR 1642.1204 - Agreement to recognize a successor in interest (novation agreement).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... that the corporate name of (insert old corporate name) was changed to (insert new corporate name) on... MANAGEMENT CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION Novation and Change-of-Name Agreements 1642.1204 Agreement to recognize a... corporate name) (Transferor), a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of (insert State...

Cooperative monitoring of regional security agreements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pregenzer, A.L.; Vannoni, M.; Biringer, K.L.

1995-08-01

This paper argues that cooperative monitoring plays a critical role in the implementation of regional security agreements and confidence building measures. A framework for developing cooperative monitoring options is proposed and several possibilities for relating bilateral and regional monitoring systems to international monitoring systems are discussed. Three bilateral or regional agreements are analyzed briefly to illustrate different possibilities: (1) the demilitarization of the Sinai region between Israel and Egypt in the 1970s; (2) the 1991 quadripartite agreement for monitoring nuclear facilities among Brazil, Argentina, The Argentine-Brazilian Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials and the International Atomic Energy Agency; and (3) a bilateral Open Skies agreement between Hungary and Romania in 1991. These examples illustrate that the relationship of regional or bilateral arms control or security agreements to international agreements depends on a number of factors: the overlap of provisions between regional and international agreements; the degree of interest in a regional agreement among the international community; efficiency in implementing the agreement; and numerous political considerations.Given the importance of regional security to the international community, regions should be encouraged to develop their own infrastructure for implementing regional arms control and other security agreements. A regional infrastructure need not preclude participation in an international regime. On the contrary, establishing regional institutions for arms control and nonproliferation could result in more proactive participation of regional parties in developing solutions for regional and international problems, thereby strengthening existing and future international regimes. Possible first steps for strengthening regional infrastructures are identified and potential technical requirements are discussed.

An efficient chaotic maps-based authentication and key agreement scheme using smartcards for telecare medicine information systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Tian-Fu

2013-12-01

A smartcard-based authentication and key agreement scheme for telecare medicine information systems enables patients, doctors, nurses and health visitors to use smartcards for secure login to medical information systems. Authorized users can then efficiently access remote services provided by the medicine information systems through public networks. Guo and Chang recently improved the efficiency of a smartcard authentication and key agreement scheme by using chaotic maps. Later, Hao et al. reported that the scheme developed by Guo and Chang had two weaknesses: inability to provide anonymity and inefficient double secrets. Therefore, Hao et al. proposed an authentication scheme for telecare medicine information systems that solved these weaknesses and improved performance. However, a limitation in both schemes is their violation of the contributory property of key agreements. This investigation discusses these weaknesses and proposes a new smartcard-based authentication and key agreement scheme that uses chaotic maps for telecare medicine information systems. Compared to conventional schemes, the proposed scheme provides fewer weaknesses, better security, and more efficiency.

THE URUGUAY ROUND AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURE: AN EVALUATION

OpenAIRE

Josling, Timothy E.; Honma, Masayoshi; Lee, Jaeok; MacLaren, Donald; Miner, William M.; Sumner, Daniel A.; Tangermann, Stefan; Valdes, Alberto

1994-01-01

Contact for this paper: Laura Bipes/University of Minnesota/Department of Applied Economics/ 1994 Buford Avenue./ St. Paul, MN 55108 USA. From the start, agriculture played a central role in the Uruguay Round of GATT trade negotiations. The Punta del Este Declaration called for a solution to the problems facing agricultural trade through modified trade rules and an agreement to lower protection levels. It was recognized that such an improvement implied negotiations on the national farm polici...

Fastening Transfer of Technology Through the Franchise Agreement

OpenAIRE

Asikin, Zainal

2014-01-01

The major improvement of franchise practices in Indonesian within the last 10 (ten) years has speeded to many region. Yet the government and local government under informed about the exact concept and regulation of franchise. Therefore this research meant to find out the concept of franchise and how the government regulate franchise agreement and its relation with transfer of technology. This research in a normative research as a way to depth study legal norms in various primary and secondary...

Defining the framework for environmentally compliant cleanup: The Hanford site tri-party agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Austin, B.A.; Wisness, S.H.

1994-01-01

The Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, commonly called the Tri-Party Agreement, was signed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in May of 1989. It was the first three-party agreement of its magnitude in the country and was touted as a landmark agreement. It was one of the most significant actions that has been taken to define the framework for environmentally compliant cleanup actions at the Hanford Site. Accomplishments thus far represent a lot of planning, permitting, and development activities either required by regulation or necessary to ensure an adequate infrastructure to support cleanup activities. Actual cleanup work and construction of new facilities are beginning to accelerate as the Hanford Site moves out of study and development phases into actual cleanup activities. Significant changes to the Hanford Tri-Party Agreement were negotiated between May 1993 and January 1994. These negotiations were precipitated by the completion of a 15-month rebaselining study of the Hanford Site's Tank Waste Remediation System. The revised agreement is based on comments and values the three agencies heard from people of the region during the negotiation process. The recent renegotiation reflected an ability of the agencies and the agreement to change commensurate with technical, economic, and political realities of today. Hanford has moved into a new era of public participation which will continue to watch and guide cleanup efforts in manners satisfactory to regional concerns and values

The Texts of The Agency's Agreements with the Republic of Austria. I. Headquarters Agreement. Amendments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1970-09-04

The text of the Agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Republic of Austria Amending the Agreement of 11 December 1957 Regarding the Headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which was signed on 4 June 1970, is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members. Members will be informed of the entry into force of the Amendments to the Headquarters Agreement.

The Texts of The Agency's Agreements with the Republic of Austria. I. Headquarters Agreement. Amendments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1970-01-01

The text of the Agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Republic of Austria Amending the Agreement of 11 December 1957 Regarding the Headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which was signed on 4 June 1970, is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members. Members will be informed of the entry into force of the Amendments to the Headquarters Agreement

Communication in natural resource management: agreement between and disagreement within stakeholder groups

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Nooy, W.

2013-01-01

Communication among stakeholders is commonly held to improve agreement on facts and management goals. Results from statistical network analyses of six natural resource management systems indicate that the effects of communication depend on context. If communication affects stakeholder knowledge and

Agreements on emission of greenhouse gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aulstad, Johan Greger

2001-01-01

Agreements on emission of greenhouse gases is one of the instruments used by Norwegian authorities to meet their obligations with respect to the Climate Convention and the Kyoto Protocol. This book discusses the legal issues raised by these agreements. A main topic is how the industrial emissions conform to the Pollution Act. Does the Pollution Act apply to these emissions? What is the impact of the sanction rules in this act on the emissions? The book also deals with the following general questions that arise in connection with the application of public authority: (1) Can the administration grant concessions and permits in the form of agreements? (2) What commitments can be imposed on a private party by the administration by agreement? (3) Should the procedures set down in the Pollution Act and in the Public Administration Act be followed fully when the pollution authorities make agreements? Is the opportunity of the administration to reverse more restricted when they make agreements than when they make one-sided decisions? Although this discussion primarily deals with the emission of greenhouse gases, the reasoning and conclusions are relevant in many other types of agreements in which the public administration is one of the parties. The agreement that regulates the emissions of greenhouse gases from the Norwegian aluminium industry is described in a special section. The book also gives a brief account of how agreements are used in the Danish climate policy

Cooperative monitoring of regional security agreements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pregenzer, A.L.; Vannoni, M.; Biringer, K.L. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Nonproliferation and Arms Control Analysis Dept.

1996-11-01

This paper argues that cooperative monitoring plays a critical role in the implementation of regional security agreements and confidence building measures. A framework for developing cooperative monitoring options is proposed and several possibilities for relating bilateral and regional monitoring systems to international monitoring systems are discussed. Three bilateral or regional agreements are analyzed briefly to illustrate different possibilities. These examples illustrate that the relationship of regional or bilateral arms control or security agreements to international agreements depends on a number of factors: the overlap of provisions between regional and international agreements; the degree of interest in a regional agreement among the international community; efficiency in implementing the agreement; and numerous political considerations. Given the importance of regional security to the international community, regions should be encouraged to develop their own infrastructure for implementing regional arms control and other security agreements. A regional infrastructure need not preclude participation in an international regime. On the contrary, establishing regional institutions for arms control and nonproliferation could result in more proactive participation of regional parties in developing solutions for regional and international problems, thereby strengthening existing and future international regimes. Possible first steps for strengthening regional infrastructures are identified and potential technical requirements are discussed.

Significant improvement in one-dimensional cursor control using Laplacian electroencephalography over electroencephalography

Science.gov (United States)

Boudria, Yacine; Feltane, Amal; Besio, Walter

2014-06-01

Objective. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) based on electroencephalography (EEG) have been shown to accurately detect mental activities, but the acquisition of high levels of control require extensive user training. Furthermore, EEG has low signal-to-noise ratio and low spatial resolution. The objective of the present study was to compare the accuracy between two types of BCIs during the first recording session. EEG and tripolar concentric ring electrode (TCRE) EEG (tEEG) brain signals were recorded and used to control one-dimensional cursor movements. Approach. Eight human subjects were asked to imagine either ‘left’ or ‘right’ hand movement during one recording session to control the computer cursor using TCRE and disc electrodes. Main results. The obtained results show a significant improvement in accuracies using TCREs (44%-100%) compared to disc electrodes (30%-86%). Significance. This study developed the first tEEG-based BCI system for real-time one-dimensional cursor movements and showed high accuracies with little training.

Incentives to participate in an international environmental agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoel, M.; Schneider, K.

1997-01-01

For international environmental problems involving many countries, such as the climate problem, it is unlikely that all countries will participate in an international environmental agreement. If some countries commit themselves to cooperate, while the remaining countries act independently and in pure self-interest, it appears to be possible to achieve a Pareto improvement if the non-signatory countries reduce their emissions, in exchange for transfers from the countries which sign an agreement. However, the paper shows that the prospect of receiving a transfer for reducing one's emissions provided the country does not commit itself to cooperation, tends to reduce the incentive a country might have to commit itself to cooperation. Moreover, if the disincentive effect of such side payments is strong, total emissions will be higher in a situation with side payments than in a situation in which the signatory countries commit themselves to not give transfers to free riding countries. 4 figs., 2 tabs., 2 appendices, 13 refs

Interobserver and intraobserver agreement of ligamentous injuries on conventional MRI after simple elbow dislocation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marc Schnetzke

2017-02-01

conventional MRI technique as demonstrated by a weak inter- and intraobserver agreement. This should be the basis to develop new MRI quality standards with special focus on coronal oblique reconstructions to improve the evaluation of ligament injuries after simple elbow dislocations.

TRIPs Agreement, Important Multilateral WTO Treaty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oana-Maria Florescu

2006-08-01

Full Text Available This article aims at presenting the content and the frame of the TRIPs. Agreement. It starts by introducing the reader to the terms that defined the world economical climate by the time of the Agreement negociation. Also, it explains the need of having an Agreement on intellectual property rights with impact on the business world. Moreover, the article reviews the main provisions of the Agreement and the most important intellectual property rights.

The role of between-parent values agreement in parent-to-child transmission of academic values.

Science.gov (United States)

Gniewosz, Burkhard; Noack, Peter

2012-08-01

The present study investigates the intergenerational transmission of academic task values within family in early adolescence. Social learning processes are assumed to operate through the students' perceptions of their parents' values. The major goal of this study is to show that this values transmission is facilitated by between-parent value agreement. Based on a longitudinal data set including 1019 German students, their mothers (N = 847), and fathers (N = 733), structural equation models showed significant effects of the parents' task values regarding math and German language as academic subjects on the respective task values reported by the students, mediated through the student-perceived parental values. This transmission chain was only found if the between-parent agreement was high. The results are discussed in terms of parent-specific mechanisms fostering transmission if both parents agree on academic values, such as an improved perceptive accuracy as well as the increased salience and mutual reinforcement of parental messages. Copyright © 2011 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Producers and non-producers in CO and O agreements : a house divided

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J.J.

1999-01-01

Changes regarding the construction, ownership and operating (CO and O) agreements for natural gas processing facilities are described. Historically, processing was a consequence of production where owners of a field built facilities for processing their own gas. Today, midstream companies make processing their core business and the declining production from existing fields has left many facilities underutilized. Since the interest of co-owners of the facility are no longer consistent, the intention underlying typical CO and O agreements changes to the point where some provisions no longer fit the current environment. New CO and O agreements should take into account the changing environment, and allow for the possibility of eventual 'midstreamer' involvement. Some of the more unique provisions of CO and O agreements involving midstreamers that could significantly change the original intent are described

PXD101 significantly improves nuclear reprogramming and the in vitro developmental competence of porcine SCNT embryos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Jun-Xue; Kang, Jin-Dan; Li, Suo; Jin, Long; Zhu, Hai-Ying; Guo, Qing; Gao, Qing-Shan; Yan, Chang-Guo; Yin, Xi-Jun, E-mail: yinxj33@msn.com

2015-01-02

Highlights: • First explored that the effects of PXD101 on the development of SCNT embryos in vitro. • 0.5 μM PXD101 treated for 24 h improved the development of porcine SCNT embryos. • Level of AcH3K9 was significantly higher than control group at early stages. - Abstract: In this study, we investigated the effects of the histone deacetylase inhibitor PXD101 (belinostat) on the preimplantation development of porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos and their expression of the epigenetic markers histone H3 acetylated at lysine 9 (AcH3K9). We compared the in vitro developmental competence of SCNT embryos treated with various concentrations of PXD101 for 24 h. Treatment with 0.5 μM PXD101 significantly increased the proportion of SCNT embryos that reached the blastocyst stage, in comparison to the control group (23.3% vs. 11.5%, P < 0.05). We tested the in vitro developmental competence of SCNT embryos treated with 0.5 μM PXD101 for various amounts of times following activation. Treatment for 24 h significantly improved the development of porcine SCNT embryos, with a significantly higher proportion of embryos reaching the blastocyst stage in comparison to the control group (25.7% vs. 10.6%, P < 0.05). PXD101-treated SCNT embryos were transferred into two surrogate sows, one of whom became pregnant and four fetuses developed. PXD101 treatment significantly increased the fluorescence intensity of immunostaining for AcH3K9 in embryos at the pseudo-pronuclear and 2-cell stages. At these stages, the fluorescence intensities of immunostaining for AcH3K9 were significantly higher in PXD101-treated embryos than in control untreated embryos. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that PXD101 can significantly improve the in vitro and in vivo developmental competence of porcine SCNT embryos and can enhance their nuclear reprogramming.

Agreement among Classroom Observers of Children's Stylistic Learning Behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchanan, Helen Hamlet; McDermott, Paul A.; Schaefer, Barbara A.

1998-01-01

Investigates the interobserver agreement of the Learning Behavior Scale (LBS) by educators (n=16) observing students in special-education classes (n=72). No significant observer effect was found. Moreover, the LBS produced comparable levels of differential learning styles for assessments of individual children. (Author/MKA)

An On-Chip RBC Deformability Checker Significantly Improves Velocity-Deformation Correlation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chia-Hung Dylan Tsai

2016-10-01

Full Text Available An on-chip deformability checker is proposed to improve the velocity–deformation correlation for red blood cell (RBC evaluation. RBC deformability has been found related to human diseases, and can be evaluated based on RBC velocity through a microfluidic constriction as in conventional approaches. The correlation between transit velocity and amount of deformation provides statistical information of RBC deformability. However, such correlations are usually only moderate, or even weak, in practical evaluations due to limited range of RBC deformation. To solve this issue, we implemented three constrictions of different width in the proposed checker, so that three different deformation regions can be applied to RBCs. By considering cell responses from the three regions as a whole, we practically extend the range of cell deformation in the evaluation, and could resolve the issue about the limited range of RBC deformation. RBCs from five volunteer subjects were tested using the proposed checker. The results show that the correlation between cell deformation and transit velocity is significantly improved by the proposed deformability checker. The absolute values of the correlation coefficients are increased from an average of 0.54 to 0.92. The effects of cell size, shape and orientation to the evaluation are discussed according to the experimental results. The proposed checker is expected to be useful for RBC evaluation in medical practices.

76 FR 67440 - Market Access Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-01

... FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION Market Access Agreement AGENCY: Farm Credit Administration. ACTION: Notice of Draft Second Amended and Restated Market Access Agreement; request for comments. SUMMARY: The... Market Access Agreement (the ``Restated MAA'') is entered into among AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, AgriBank...

50 CFR 81.3 - Cooperative Agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

...) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE-WILDLIFE SPORT FISH RESTORATION PROGRAM CONSERVATION OF ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES OF FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PLANTS-COOPERATION WITH THE STATES § 81.3 Cooperative Agreement. Upon... Project Agreement can be approved for endangered or threatened species projects. A cooperative agreement...

Diffusion tensor imaging of the median nerve: intra-, inter-reader agreement, and agreement between two software packages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guggenberger, Roman; Nanz, Daniel; Puippe, Gilbert; Andreisek, Gustav; Rufibach, Kaspar; White, Lawrence M.; Sussman, Marshall S.

2012-01-01

To assess intra-, inter-reader agreement, and the agreement between two software packages for magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measurements of the median nerve. Fifteen healthy volunteers (seven men, eight women; mean age, 31.2 years) underwent DTI of both wrists at 1.5 T. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the median nerve were measured by three readers using two commonly used software packages. Measurements were repeated by two readers after 6 weeks. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis were used for statistical analysis. ICCs for intra-reader agreement ranged from 0.87 to 0.99, for inter-reader agreement from 0.62 to 0.83, and between the two software packages from 0.63 to 0.82. Bland-Altman analysis showed no differences for intra- and inter-reader agreement and agreement between software packages. The intra-, inter-reader, and agreement between software packages for DTI measurements of the median nerve were moderate to substantial suggesting that user- and software-dependent factors contribute little to variance in DTI measurements. (orig.)

Enhanced Two-Factor Authentication and Key Agreement Using Dynamic Identities in Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, I-Pin; Lee, Tian-Fu; Lin, Tsung-Hung; Liu, Chuan-Ming

2015-11-30

Key agreements that use only password authentication are convenient in communication networks, but these key agreement schemes often fail to resist possible attacks, and therefore provide poor security compared with some other authentication schemes. To increase security, many authentication and key agreement schemes use smartcard authentication in addition to passwords. Thus, two-factor authentication and key agreement schemes using smartcards and passwords are widely adopted in many applications. Vaidya et al. recently presented a two-factor authentication and key agreement scheme for wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Kim et al. observed that the Vaidya et al. scheme fails to resist gateway node bypassing and user impersonation attacks, and then proposed an improved scheme for WSNs. This study analyzes the weaknesses of the two-factor authentication and key agreement scheme of Kim et al., which include vulnerability to impersonation attacks, lost smartcard attacks and man-in-the-middle attacks, violation of session key security, and failure to protect user privacy. An efficient and secure authentication and key agreement scheme for WSNs based on the scheme of Kim et al. is then proposed. The proposed scheme not only solves the weaknesses of previous approaches, but also increases security requirements while maintaining low computational cost.

Analyzing rater agreement manifest variable methods

CERN Document Server

von Eye, Alexander

2014-01-01

Agreement among raters is of great importance in many domains. For example, in medicine, diagnoses are often provided by more than one doctor to make sure the proposed treatment is optimal. In criminal trials, sentencing depends, among other things, on the complete agreement among the jurors. In observational studies, researchers increase reliability by examining discrepant ratings. This book is intended to help researchers statistically examine rater agreement by reviewing four different approaches to the technique.The first approach introduces readers to calculating coefficients that allow one to summarize agreements in a single score. The second approach involves estimating log-linear models that allow one to test specific hypotheses about the structure of a cross-classification of two or more raters'' judgments. The third approach explores cross-classifications or raters'' agreement for indicators of agreement or disagreement, and for indicators of such characteristics as trends. The fourth approach compa...

VHA Data Sharing Agreement Repository

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Veterans Affairs — The VHA Data Sharing Agreement Repository serves as a centralized location to collect and report on agreements that share VHA data with entities outside of VA. It...

40 CFR 35.3010 - Delegation agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Delegation agreement. 35.3010 Section... STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Construction Grants Program Delegation to States § 35.3010 Delegation agreement. (a) Before execution of the delegation agreement, the Regional Administrator must determine that...

7 CFR 900.109 - Mediation agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Mediation agreement. 900.109 Section 900.109 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing... Mediation agreement. An agreement arrived at by mediation shall not become effective until approved by the...

Flexible climate agreements after 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vevatne, Jonas

2004-01-01

The Kyoto agreement is only a small step towards much stronger and broader commitments and new creativity is needed to further develop a really global climate policy. A flexible approach is necessary to obtain broad participation and substantial reduction of the emissions of greenhouse gases. Flexibility is also important to ease negotiations, to ensure cost-effectiveness and implement a global climate agreement. The US withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol has rendered the agreement much less effective than the original goal of five per cent reduction of the emission from the industrialized countries. In addition the emissions are increasing much faster in countries that have not committed themselves to the agreement. The agreement runs out in 2012 and should be followed by a new agreement, the negotiations about which are to start up no later than 2005. Attempts by the European Union to begin a discussion about future commitments were very quickly wrecked by the G77 group with strong support from the U.S.A. To formulate a practical climate policy the general goal in the Climate Convention must be interpreted and specified. It may seem impossible to agree upon a long-term goal. But the clarity it provides will be very useful. It will be a guide for short-term goals and a reference for evaluation of success

Hydrological considerations in providing data for water agreements

Science.gov (United States)

Shamir, U.

2011-12-01

Conflicts over water are as old as human history. Still, analysis of past and present water conflicts, cooperation and agreements clearly indicate a preponderance of cooperation over conflict. How can hydrologists contribute to maximizing the probability that this will be the outcome when interests of adjacent political entities over water move towards conflict? Hydrology is among the most important data bases for crafting a water agreement across a political boundary (others include: political, social, and economic) and are often the most elusive and controversial. We deal here with cases of water scarcity, although flood protection issues are no less interesting and challenging. For hydrologists, some of the important points in this regard are: - Agreed and "stable" hydrological data base: hydrologists know that data bases are always a "moving target" that keeps changing with new and better information, improved understanding of the hydrological components and the use of models, as well as due to the influence of changing internal and external drivers (land use and land cover, modified precipitation fields, climate change). On the other hand, it is not possible to manage an agreement that requires continuous change of the hydrological information. To do so would cause endless discussions between the parties, causing the agreement to become unstable. The tendency is therefore to "freeze" the hydrological information in the agreement and introduce a mechanism for periodic update. - Variability and uncertainty: while the basic hydrology is to be kept "stable", the agreement must recognize variability and uncertainty. Various mechanisms can be used for this, depending on the specific circumstances of the case, including: the range of variability and the degree of uncertainty and the consequences of excursions systematic from nominal values and the effects of random variability. - Water quality is an important parameter that determines usability for various purposes

25 CFR 502.5 - Collateral agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Collateral agreement. 502.5 Section 502.5 Indians NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GENERAL PROVISIONS DEFINITIONS OF THIS CHAPTER § 502.5 Collateral agreement. Collateral agreement means any contract, whether or not in writing...

75 FR 76729 - Market Access Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-09

... FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION Market Access Agreement AGENCY: Farm Credit Administration. ACTION: Notice of approval of the draft amendment to the amended and restated market access agreement. SUMMARY... Credit Bank of Wichita and the Western Farm Credit Bank under Section 7.12 of the Market Access Agreement...

43 CFR 24.5 - International agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... WILDLIFE POLICY: STATE-FEDERAL RELATIONSHIPS § 24.5 International agreements. (a) International conventions... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false International agreements. 24.5 Section 24... shall be to recommend that the United States negotiate and accede to only those international agreements...

Comparison of 5 health care professionals’ratings of the clinical significance of drug related problems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villesen, Christine; Hojsted, Jette; Kjeldsen, Lene Juel

2014-01-01

to a mutual agreement on the level of clinical significance. However, to what degree does the panel agree?Purpose To compare the agreement between different health care professionals who have evaluated the clinical significance of DRPs.Materials and methods DRPs were identified in 30 comprehensive medicines...... reviews conducted by a clinical pharmacist. Two hospital pharmacists, a general practitioner and two specialists in pain management from hospital care (the Panel) evaluated each DRP considering the potential clinical outcome for the patient. The DRPs were rated either nil, low, minor, moderate or highly...... clinically significant. Agreement was analysed using Kappa statistics. A Kappa value of 0.8 to 1.0 indicated nearly perfect agreement between ratings of the Panel members.Results The Panel rated 45 percent of the total 162 DRPs as of moderate clinical significance. However, the overall kappa score was 0...

76 FR 63618 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-13

...; Washington, DC 20036. Synopsis: The amendment removes Korea from the geographic scope of them agreement and... geographic scope of the Agreement to include Taiwan. The parties requested expedited review. Agreement No... and Korea, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore. Agreement No.: 012138. Title: CSAV/CCNI...

22 CFR 120.23 - Distribution agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Distribution agreement. 120.23 Section 120.23... § 120.23 Distribution agreement. An agreement (e.g., a contract) to establish a warehouse or distribution point abroad for defense articles exported from the United States for subsequent distribution to...

Agreement processing and attraction errors in aging: evidence from subject-verb agreement in German.

Science.gov (United States)

Reifegerste, Jana; Hauer, Franziska; Felser, Claudia

2017-11-01

Effects of aging on lexical processing are well attested, but the picture is less clear for grammatical processing. Where age differences emerge, these are usually ascribed to working-memory (WM) decline. Previous studies on the influence of WM on agreement computation have yielded inconclusive results, and work on aging and subject-verb agreement processing is lacking. In two experiments (Experiment 1: timed grammaticality judgment, Experiment 2: self-paced reading + WM test), we investigated older (OA) and younger (YA) adults' susceptibility to agreement attraction errors. We found longer reading latencies and judgment reaction times (RTs) for OAs. Further, OAs, particularly those with low WM scores, were more accepting of sentences with attraction errors than YAs. OAs showed longer reading latencies for ungrammatical sentences, again modulated by WM, than YAs. Our results indicate that OAs have greater difficulty blocking intervening nouns from interfering with the computation of agreement dependencies. WM can modulate this effect.

Vienna Agreement law 15.986 it approve Vienna Agreement for Protection ozone layer and annex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

The Agreement of Vienna is approved with respect to the protection of the Layer of Ozono, definitions,general duties, research and observations systematics, co-operation in the Spheres Scientific Juridical, and information, Technological Conference, transmission from the protocols, amends, secretariat, adoption to the agreement or the protocols, adoption and amendment of controversy, signing, ratify, approve annexes, solution or vote, relation approving, adhesion, rights between the present agreement and its protocols, entrance in vigor, reserves, retirement, deposition, exchange of information [es

Agreement Between Teenager and Caregiver Responses to Questions About Teenager’s Asthma

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Christine L.M.; Havstad, Suzanne; Johnson, Christine C.; Vinuya, Rick; Ownby, Dennis R.

2007-01-01

It is unknown if teenagers and caregivers give similar responses when interviewed about the teen’s asthma. We analyzed data for 63 urban African-American teen-caregiver pairs. Caregivers underestimated teen smoking by 30%, gave lower estimates for teen exposure to passive smoke, and disagreed with teens on controller medication usage. Teen-caregiver responses were not significantly different for estimates of symptom-days, activity limitations, or nights awakened; nor were they significantly different for report of emergency department visits or hospitalizations. Agreement was weak for perceived asthma control and severity. Teen-caregiver agreement on asthma depends on the type of information being sought. PMID:16517427

Significant improvement of optical traps by tuning standard water immersion objectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reihani, S Nader S; Mir, Shahid A; Richardson, Andrew C; Oddershede, Lene B

2011-01-01

Focused infrared lasers are widely used for micromanipulation and visualization of biological specimens. An inherent practical problem is that off-the-shelf commercial microscope objectives are designed for use with visible and not infrared wavelengths. Less aberration is introduced by water immersion objectives than by oil immersion ones, however, even water immersion objectives induce significant aberration. We present a simple method to reduce the spherical aberration induced by water immersion objectives, namely by tuning the correction collar of the objective to a value that is ∼ 10% lower than the physical thickness of the coverslip. This results in marked improvements in optical trapping strengths of up to 100% laterally and 600% axially from a standard microscope objective designed for use in the visible range. The results are generally valid for any water immersion objective with any numerical aperture

76 FR 553 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-05

... obsolete language on the duration of Agreement, and changes the name and restates the Agreement. By Order... agreement's governing board and would update the corporate addresses of American President Lines, Ltd.; APL.... as a party to the agreement and updates the corporate addresses of American President Lines, Ltd...

The quid-pro-quo of environmental agreements: Reflections on industrial energy efficiency agreements from five countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helby, Peter

2001-10-01

This workshop paper reflects on the exchange of values between the government side and the business side, which is a core logic of environmental agreements. The reflections refer to case studies of industrial energy efficiency agreements from Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden, originating from the VAIE project (Voluntary Agreements, Implementation and Efficiency). The government bargaining chips discussed are monetary rewards, help to gain competitive advantage, regulatory flexibility and political protection. The business side bargaining chips are emission limits, organisational change, investments, information, submission to control and political pain reduction. The discussion underlines the need for substantial commitments by the government side, as a precondition for achieving effective agreements.

High inter-observer agreement of observer-perceived pain assessment in the emergency department

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hangaard, Martin Høhrmann; Malling, Brian; Mogensen, Christian Backer

2018-01-01

degree of inter-observer agreement. The aim of the present study was to assess the inter-observer agreement of perceived pain among emergency department nurses and to evaluate if it was influenced by predetermined factors like age and gender. Method: A project assistant randomly recruited two nurses, who...... of 0.05 and 95% limits of agreement of +/-1 category. Patient age, gender, localization of pain, examination room or presence of a significant other did not affect the inter-observer agreement. Conclusion: We found 70% agreement on pain category between the nurses and it is justified that nurse......Background: Triage is used to prioritize the patients in the emergency department. The majority of the triage systems include the patients' pain score to assess their level of acuity by using a combination of patient reported pain and observer-perceived pain; the latter therefore requires a certain...

MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS AND THE TRADE MEASURES CONTAINED IN THESE AGREEMENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margareta Timbur

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The environmental problems which the society is facing, ozone depletion, biodiversity loss, the spread of persistent organic pollutants, are a result of human activity with a worldwide impact, requiring immediate resolution. In this context, negotiation, signing and implementation of several multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs are one of the best solutions, affordable and reliable. The aim of this study is to analyze the commercial measures, which to some extent, ensure stability, security, and expansion of MEAs. The paper discusses, also, the efficiency, necessity and the influences of trade measures in MEAs and the WTO role in signing these agreements.

Thermosensitive Hydrogel Mask Significantly Improves Skin Moisture and Skin Tone; Bilateral Clinical Trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Quattrone

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: A temperature-sensitive state-changing hydrogel mask was used in this study. Once it comes into contact with the skin and reaches the body temperature, it uniformly and quickly releases the active compounds, which possess moisturizing, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties. Methods: An open label clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of the test product on skin hydration, skin tone and skin ageing. Subjects applied the product to one side of their face and underwent Corneometer® and Chromameter measurements, Visual assessment of facial skin ageing and facial photography. All assessments and Self-Perception Questionnaires (SPQ were performed at baseline, after the first application of the test product and after four applications. Results: After a single treatment we observed an increase in skin moisturisation, an improvement of skin tone/luminosity and a reduction in signs of ageing, all statistically significant. After four applications a further improvement in all measured parameters was recorded. These results were confirmed by the subjects’ own perceptions, as reported in the SPQ both after one and four applications. Conclusion: The hydrogel mask tested in this study is very effective in improving skin hydration, skin radiance and luminosity, in encouraging an even skin tone and in reducing skin pigmentation.

77 FR 42310 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-18

...; Washington, DC 20006-4007. Synopsis: The agreement would provide for delivery of data to the Port of Oakland... delivery. Agreement No.: 201217. Title: Port of Long Beach Data Services Agreement. Parties: Port of Long... 1100; Washington, DC 20006-4007. Synopsis: The agreement would provide for delivery of data to the Port...

Tropospheric ozone and aerosols in climate agreements: scientific and political challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rypdal, Kristin; Berntsen, Terje; Fuglestvedt, Jan S.; Aunan, Kristin; Torvanger, Asbjorn; Stordal, Frode; Pacyna, Jozef M.; Nygaard, Lynn P.

2005-01-01

In addition to the six greenhouse gases included in the Kyoto Protocol, the tropospheric ozone precursors CO, NMVOC and NO x and the aerosols/aerosol precursors black carbon, organic carbon and SO 2 also play significant roles in climate change. The aim of this paper is to review some of the main scientific and political challenges associated with incorporating tropospheric ozone and aerosol precursors into climate agreements, and to discuss how these challenges have a bearing on the design of future climate agreements. We argue that the optimal policy design for a particular substance depends on a combination of scientific and political concerns. We look particularly at regional climate effects, negative forcing, metrics (measuring climate effects against other gases on a common scale), political attractiveness, and verification and compliance. We systematically review the existing knowledge on these issues, explore their impact on policy design, and conclude that, with current scientific knowledge, CO and NMVOC could conceivably be included in a global climate agreement, either in a basket with the long-lived greenhouse gases or in a separate basket, while NO x and aerosols might be regulated more appropriately through regional agreements with links to a global agreement. However, the complexity and fairness implications of including tropospheric ozone precursors and aerosols might negatively affect the political feasibility of a future agreement

Client/consultant model services agreement

CERN Document Server

International Federation of Consulting Engineers

2006-01-01

The terms of the Client Consultant Model Services agreement (The White Book) have been prepared by the Fédération Internationale des Ingénieurs-Conseils (FIDIC) and are recommended for general use for the purposes of pre-investment and feasibility studies, designs and administration of construction and project management, where proposals for such services are invited on an international basis. They are equally adaptable for domestic agreements. - See more at: http://fidic.org/books/clientconsultant-model-services-agreement-4th-ed-2006-white-book#sthash.3Uxy5qT3.dpuf

[Innovative medicines and market access agreements].

Science.gov (United States)

Toumi, M; Zard, J; Duvillard, R; Jommi, C

2013-09-01

Market Access Agreements (MAA) for drugs have emerged in response to the need to control health expenditures, as well as to the uncertainty about the true benefit of a drug. It is possible to group MAA in two types of agreements: financial agreements and outcome-based agreements. MAA is a growing trend and is shifting towards conditional access. However, the willingness to use these contracts and their implementation differ across countries, and some are still resistant to put them in place. The MAA challenges to overcome encompass the complexity of the schemes, the administrative burden and the difficulty of evaluating MAA. It is likely that these agreements might experience further evolution in the future to become a faster pathway for therapeutic innovations, at a fair price. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

23 CFR 140.606 - Project agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Reimbursement for Bond Issue Projects § 140.606 Project agreements. Project Agreements, Form PR-2, shall be... 23 Highways 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Project agreements. 140.606 Section 140.606 Highways... projects. 1 The text of FHWA Form PR-2 is found in 23 CFR part 630, subpart C, appendix A. ...

14 CFR 1274.909 - Term of agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Agreement, which, by their express terms or by necessary implication, apply for periods of time other than... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Term of agreement. 1274.909 Section 1274... COMMERCIAL FIRMS Other Provisions and Special Conditions § 1274.909 Term of agreement. Term of Agreement July...

Analysis of international negotiations and trade agreements

OpenAIRE

Górriz Gonzalo, Verónica

2014-01-01

This study aims to analyze international trade agreements and negotiations. For that purpose, two agreements made by the United States are chosen to be analyzed. In the first place, the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) agreement, that was signed by the United States, Canada and Mexico in 1994 in order to create a free trade area. In addition, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will be analyze, an agreement that is still being negotiated between the United Stat...

Current and future role of agreements for cooperation as the framework for international nuclear commerce

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brush, P.N.

1976-01-01

An agreement for cooperation in the civil use of atomic energy was established by Congress as the primary vehicle for ensuring that the benefits of cooperation outweigh the risks. The elements and nature of the agreement for cooperation are reviewed in this article. The evolution of some of the more significant provisions of the agreements and the type of activities conducted under them are discussed. The question is raised as to whether or not these agreements for cooperation are strong enough in the light of nations of the world becoming more concerned with the implications of burgeoning nuclear power activities. The question, ''Should these agreements be elevated to the status of treaties.'' is asked also

Self-other rating agreement and leader-member exchange (LMX): a quasi-replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbuto, John E; Wilmot, Michael P; Singh, Matthew; Story, Joana S P

2012-04-01

Data from a sample of 83 elected community leaders and 391 direct-report staff (resulting in 333 useable leader-member dyads) were reanalyzed to test relations between self-other rating agreement of servant leadership and member-reported leader-member exchange (LMX). Polynomial regression analysis indicated that the self-other rating agreement model was not statistically significant. Instead, all of the variance in member-reported LMX was accounted for by the others' ratings component alone.

Safeguards agreements - Their legal and conceptual basis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanders, B.; Rainer, R.H.

1977-01-01

The application of Agency safeguards requires treaty arrangements (Safeguards Agreements) between the State or States concerned and the Agency. The authority for the Agency to conclude such agreements and to implement them is provided for in the Agency's Statute. On the basis of the statutory provisions safeguards principles and procedures have been elaborated. These have been laid down in: The Agency's Safeguards System 1965, extended in 1966 and 1968; and the basis for negotiating safeguards agreements with NNWS pursuant to NPT. The verification of the undertaking by the State concerned not to use items subject to safeguards for purposes contrary to the terms of the agreement is ensured through the application of various safeguards measures. Containment and surveillance measures are expected to play an increasingly important role. One of the specific features of NPT Safeguards Agreements is the establishment of national systems of accounting and control of nuclear material. The majority of the agreements concluded under the non-NPT safeguards agreements implement obligations undertaken under co-operation agreements between States for peaceful uses of nuclear energy. These agreements naturally reflect approaches adopted by the parties, in particular regarding the circumstances under which safeguards should be applied. Thus, the concepts used in the non-NPT safeguards agreements and the Safeguards System document, which is incorporated in these agreements by reference, are in continuous evolution. The Agency's Safeguards System document (INFCIRC/66/Rev.2) continues to be supplemented in practical application and through explicit decision by the Board. The non-NPT safeguards agreements contain, besides technical safeguards provisions from this document, and further provision for notification, inventories and financial matters, legal and political provisions such as sanctions in the case of non-compliance, and privileges and immunities. The paper discusses the

The impact of the US retreat from the Paris Agreement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pickering, Jonathan; McGee, Jeffrey S.; Stephens, Tim; Karlsson-Vinkhuyzen, Sylvia I.

2017-01-01

The United States’ decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement (pending possible re-engagement under different terms) may have significant ramifications for international climate policy, but the implications of this decision remain contested. This commentary illustrates how comparative analysis

Washington Wildlife Mitigation Projects : Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

United States. Bonneville Power Administration; Washington (State). Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.

1996-08-01

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) proposes to fund the portion of the Washington Wildlife Mitigation Agreement (Agreement) pertaining to wildlife habitat mitigation projects to be undertaken in a cooperative effort with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). This Agreement serves to establish a monetary budget funded by BPA for projects proposed by Washington Wildlife Coalition members and approved by BPA to protect, mitigate, and improve wildlife and/or wildlife habitat within the State of Washington that has been affected by the construction of Federal dams along the Columbia River. This Environmental Assessment examines the potential environmental effects of acquiring and/or improving wildlife habitat within five different project areas. These project areas are located throughout Grant County and in parts of Okanogan, Douglas, Adams, Franklin, Kittias, Yakima, and Benton Counties. The multiple projects would involve varying combinations of five proposed site-specific activities (habitat improvement, operation and maintenance, monitoring and evaluation, access and recreation management, and cultural resource management). All required Federal, State, and tribal coordination, permits and/or approvals would be obtained prior to ground-disturbing activities.

Washington wildlife mitigation projects. Final programmatic environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-08-01

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) proposes to fund the portion of the Washington Wildlife Mitigation Agreement (Agreement) pertaining to wildlife habitat mitigation projects to be undertaken in a cooperative effort with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). This Agreement serves to establish a monetary budget funded by BPA for projects proposed by Washington Wildlife Coalition members and approved by BPA to protect, mitigate, and improve wildlife and/or wildlife habitat within the State of Washington that has been affected by the construction of Federal dams along the Columbia River. This Environmental Assessment examines the potential environmental effects of acquiring and/or improving wildlife habitat within five different project areas. These project areas are located throughout Grant County and in parts of Okanogan, Douglas, Adams, Franklin, Kittias, Yakima, and Benton Counties. The multiple projects would involve varying combinations of five proposed site-specific activities (habitat improvement, operation and maintenance, monitoring and evaluation, access and recreation management, and cultural resource management). All required Federal, State, and tribal coordination, permits and/or approvals would be obtained prior to ground-disturbing activities

The Text of the Fifth Agreement to Extend the 1987 Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (RCA). Extension of Agreement. Latest Status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

The Text of the Fifth Agreement to Extend the 1987 Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (RCA). Extension of Agreement. Latest Status [es

Technology Cooperation Agreement Pilot Project (TCAPP)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keegan, P.; Benioff, R.

1999-10-20

The Technology Cooperation Agreement Pilot Project (TCAPP) is helping developing countries design and implement actions to attract investment in clean energy technologies that will meet their economic development goals, while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. TCAPP was launched by three US government agencies -- the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and the US Department of Energy (USDOE) -- in August 1997 to establish a model for climate change technology cooperation with developing and transition countries. This report describes the TCAPP approach and the significant progress made by the participating countries.

REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS AND COMPETITION POLICY. CASE STUDY: EU, ASEAN AND NAFTA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fora Andreea-Florina

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The large number of regional trade agreements notified to the World Trade Organization (WTO significantly influenced the flow of world trade. By April 2014 there had been notified 583 regional trade agreements to the WTO, of which only 379 are in force. The objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of regional trade agreements in world trade, especially the importance of establishing a regional competition policy in these agreements. The research methodology used is the analysis of legislation governing preferential trade agreements at the level of WTO, the collection and interpretation of statistical data provided by the WTO Secretariat, the case study, namely the study of literature. The paper is structured in three parts. The first part of the paper examines the basic laws based on which regional trade agreements are notified to the WTO and the evolution of these agreements in the period 1958-2013. The second part of the paper is devoted to the analysis of competition policy in regional trade agreements. In this part of the paper, to highlight the patterns of competition policy adopted under these agreements was analyzed by three case studies of competition policy in the EU, ASEAN and NAFTA. The three case studies have revealed that the three preferential trade agreements present regional competition policies with varying degrees of integration. The most complex form of competition policy is found in the European Union, because we are talking about a centralized model of competition policy. ASEAN presents a partially decentralized model, while NAFTA scrolls with a decentralized model of competition policy. The last part of the paper presents the characteristics of the four models of competition policy identified in the preferential trade agreements in force. It should be emphasized that if the initial preferential trade agreements have not put a great emphasis on the rules of competition policy, practice has shown the importance

The multilateral Agreement on Investment: Implications and Policy Recommendations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kwanho Kim

1997-12-01

Full Text Available Consultations that were kept under the discussions in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD are Multilateral Agreements on Investment (MAI and their aim was to be signed before April 1998. The significance of the agreement was to establish a transparent and predictable institutional environment for international investment. The agreement is about the nations participating to have the obligation to make sure that foreign investment and investors will to appreciate the national treatment (treated on the same basics with its citizens, and legally binding in the MAI system, the governmental protection for domestic enterprises will become difficult, and domestic enterprise which does not have international competitiveness will face the pressure of structural adjustment. But Korea should positively approach participation into MAI from the point of promoting the internationalization of Korean economies. Although the participation into MAI would also create new challenges of the Korean economy, but it also becomes an opportunity to promote the Korean economy for transferring to a more competitive economic structure.

23 CFR 630.110 - Modification of original agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Modification of original agreement. 630.110 Section 630... OPERATIONS PRECONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES Project Authorization and Agreements § 630.110 Modification of original agreement. (a) When changes are needed to the original project agreement, a modification of agreement shall...

Natalizumab Significantly Improves Cognitive Impairment over Three Years in MS: Pattern of Disability Progression and Preliminary MRI Findings.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flavia Mattioli

Full Text Available Previous studies reported that Multiple Sclerosis (MS patients treated with natalizumab for one or two years exhibit a significant reduction in relapse rate and in cognitive impairment, but the long term effects on cognitive performance are unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of natalizumab on cognitive impairment in a cohort of 24 consecutive patients with relapsing remitting MS treated for 3 years. The neuropsychological tests, as well as relapse number and EDSS, were assessed at baseline and yearly for three years. The impact on cortical atrophy was also considered in a subgroup of them, and are thus to be considered as preliminary. Results showed a significant reduction in the number of impaired neuropsychological tests after three years, a significant decrease in annualized relapse rate at each time points compared to baseline and a stable EDSS. In the neuropsychological assessment, a significant improvement in memory, attention and executive function test scores was detected. Preliminary MRI data show that, while GM volume did not change at 3 years, a significantly greater parahippocampal and prefrontal gray matter density was noticed, the former correlating with neuropsychological improvement in a memory test. This study showed that therapy with Natalizumab is helpful in improving cognitive performance, and is likely to have a protective role on grey matter, over a three years follow-up.

78 FR 35270 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-12

... Russia from the geographic scope of the agreement. Agreement No.: 012210. Title: Siem Car Carrier Pacific AS/Eukor Car Carriers Inc. Space Charter Agreement. Parties: Siem Car Carrier Pacific AS and Eukor...

Relationship satisfaction and interpartner agreement about acts of physical and psychological aggression: a multilevel analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Graña, José Luis; Cuenca, María Luisa; Redondo, Natalia

2017-08-15

To analyze, in a multilevel context, the impact of individual-level relationship satisfaction on couples' mean reports of aggression and agreement about acts of physical and psychological aggression. We conducted a quota sampling method to recruit a community sample of 2.988 heterosexual adult couples from the Region of Madrid (Spain). The percentages of intimate partner aggression considering the highest report of aggression in the couple were around 60% of psychological aggression and 15% of physical aggression. Couples that used aggressive tactics showed low to moderate levels of agreement about physical and psychological aggression. Multilevel models confirm that women's relationship satisfaction had a significant influence on the level of agreement about acts of psychological aggression, but the same pattern of results was not observed for men. On the other hand, men and women's relationship satisfaction had no significant influence on the level of agreement about physical aggression. Psychological aggression plays a more relevant role in women's relationship satisfaction than physical aggression.

The Mecklenburg County Interlocal Agreement: An 18-Year Collaboration Between Medicine and Public Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Piper, Crystal N; Plescia, Marcus; Keener, Stephen R; DeHaven, Mark

Better integration of public health and medical services has been a long-standing goal in the United States and has been widely discussed in the scientific literature. To identify key lessons and outcomes of the Mecklenburg County Interlocal Agreement, one of the longest running efforts integrating health care delivery and public health services in a major metropolitan area. In-depth key informant interviews and brief questionnaires of leaders involved in the Mecklenburg County Interlocal Agreement. Charlotte-Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Convenience sample of 15 past and present employees and administrative leaders of the Mecklenburg County Privatization Initiative from the Mecklenburg County Health Department (N = 7) and Carolinas Healthcare System (N = 8). Attitudes reflecting the effects of the Mecklenburg County Privatization Initiative, based on 6 "synergies" for evaluating the effectiveness of health care and public health system collaboration. Mean scores were calculated for 21 questionnaire items, using 5-point Likert scales (1 = no impact; 5 = great impact). Mean scores were calculated by averaging the multiple-item question sets reflecting each of the 6 synergies. Synergy scores ranged from a low of 3.1 (3 items reflecting whether the collaboration "Used clinical practice to identify and address community health problems") to a high of 3.7 (3 items reflecting whether the collaboration "Improved health care by coordinating services for individuals"). The in-depth interviews indicated a clear impact for the 2 synergies linked to individual care. Increased access to care emerged as a strong theme, along with the belief that medical care services were improved and that these improvements persist. The findings of this study provide perspective from an 18-year contractual agreement for a large health care system to operate county public health functions. Implications include the need to incorporate well-defined public health principles in any

EPRI-USDOE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT: COFIRING BIOMASS WITH COAL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David A. Tillman

2001-09-01

The entire Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) cofiring program has been in existence of some 9 years. This report presents a summary of the major elements of that program, focusing upon the following questions: (1) In pursuit of increased use of renewable energy in the US economy, why was electricity generation considered the most promising target, and why was cofiring pursued as the most effective near-term technology to use in broadening the use of biomass within the electricity generating arena? (2) What were the unique accomplishments of EPRI before the development of the Cooperative Agreement, which made developing the partnership with EPRI a highly cost-effective approach for USDOE? (3) What were the key accomplishments of the Cooperative Agreement in the development and execution of test and demonstration programs-accomplishments which significantly furthered the process of commercializing cofiring?

76 FR 16420 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-23

.... Title: Hanjin and WHS Transpacific Vessel Sharing and Slot Allocation Agreement. Parties: Hanjin... amendment would add COSCON as a party to the Agreement and revise the name of the Agreement to Hanjin/WHS...

The Text of a Safeguards Agreement relating to the Bilateral Agreement between Japan and Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1973-01-26

The text of a Safeguards Agreement between the Agency, Japan and Australia relating to the agreement of 21 February 1972 between the two Governments for co-operation in the peaceful uses of atomic energy is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members.

Safeguards agreements - their legal and conceptual basis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanders, B.; Rainer, R.

1977-01-01

The application of Agency safeguards requires treaty arrangements (''Safeguards Agreements'') between the State or States concerned and the Agency. The authority for the Agency to conclude such agreements and to implement them is provided for in the Agency's Statute (Articles II, III A.5 and XII). On the basis of the statutory provisions safeguards principles and procedures have been elaborated. These have been laid down in: (a) The Agency's Safeguards System 1965, extended in 1966 and 1968 (INFCIRC/66/Rev.2); and (b) The basis for negotiating safeguards agreements with NNWS pursuant to NPT (INFCIRC/153). The verification of the undertaking by the State concerned not to use items subject to safeguards for purposes contrary to the terms of the agreement is verified through the application of various safeguards measures (design review, records, reports and inspection). Containment and surveillance measures are expected to play an increasingly important role. NPT Safeguards Agreements foresee as one of their specific features the establishment of national systems of accounting and control of nuclear material. The majority of the agreements concluded under document INFCIRC/66/Rev.2 - i.e. the non-NPT safeguards agreements - implement obligations undertaken under co-operation agreements between States for peaceful uses of nuclear energy. These agreements naturally reflect approaches adopted by the parties, in particular as to the circumstances under which safeguards should be applied. Thus, the concepts used in the non-NPT safeguards agreements and the safeguards system of document INFCIRC/66/Rev.2 which is incorporated in these agreements by reference are in continuous evolution. Document INFCIRC/66/Rev.2 continues to be supplemented in practical application and through explicit decision by the Board. The non-NPT safeguards agreements contain, besides technical safeguards provisions from document INFCIRC/66/Rev.2, and further provision for notification, inventories

Progress toward international agreement to improve reactor safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lieberman, J.I.; Graham, B.

1993-01-01

Representatives of nearly one-half of the 114 member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including the United States, have participated in the development of an international nuclear safety conventions proposed multilateral treaty to improve civil nuclear power reactor safety. A preliminary draft of the convention has been developed (referred to as the draft convention for this report), but discussions are continuing, and when the final convention text will be completed and presented to IAEA member states for signature is uncertain. This report responds to the former and current Chairman's request that we provide information on the development of the nuclear safety convention, including a discussion of (1) the draft convention's scope and objectives, (2) how the convention will be implemented and monitored, (3) the views of selected country representatives on what provisions should be included in the draft convention, and (4) the convention's potential benefits and limitations

Intra- and inter-observer agreement in MRI assessment of rotator cuff healing using the Sugaya classification 10years after surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Niglis, L; Collin, P; Dosch, J-C; Meyer, N; Kempf, J-F

2017-10-01

The long-term outcomes of rotator cuff repair are unclear. Recurrent tears are common, although their reported frequency varies depending on the type and interpretation challenges of the imaging method used. The primary objective of this study was to assess the intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of the MRI assessment of rotator cuff repair using the Sugaya classification 10years after surgery. The secondary objective was to determine whether poor reproducibility, if found, could be improved by using a simplified yet clinically relevant classification. Our hypothesis was that reproducibility was limited but could be improved by simplifying the classification. In a retrospective study, we assessed intra- and inter-observer agreement in interpreting 49 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans performed 10years after rotator cuff repair. These 49 scans were taken at random among 609 cases that underwent re-evaluation, with imaging, for the 2015 SoFCOT symposium on 10-year and 20-year clinical and anatomical outcomes of rotator cuff repair for full-thickness tears. Each of three observers read each of the 49 scans on two separate occasions. At each reading, they assessed the supra-spinatus tendon according to the Sugaya classification in five types. Intra-observer agreement for the Sugaya type was substantial (κ=0.64) but inter-observer agreement was only fair (κ=0.39). Agreement improved when the five Sugaya types were collapsed into two categories (1-2-3 and 4-5) (intra-observer κ=0.74 and inter-observer κ=0.68). Using the Sugaya classification to assess post-operative rotator cuff healing was associated with substantial intra-observer and fair inter-observer agreement. A simpler classification into two categories improved agreement while remaining clinically relevant. II, prospective randomised low-power study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

An analysis for formats to the cooperative nuclear nonproliferation agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Sung Tack

1998-01-01

A country's nuclear program can be designed to support nuclear research, the production of energy, and the production of nuclear materials for medical and industrial applications or for use in nuclear weapons, or any combination of these objectives. One significant concern is the diversion of nuclear materials from peaceful nuclear activities to convert weapons programs. Other concerns include the accidental release and transport of radionuclides. The framework for cooperative monitoring consists of context, agreement, parameters and monitoring options. Nuclear material and energy production activities provide nuclear materials for medical and industrial applications, produce electrical power or heat for general use, and possibly support the production of nuclear materials for weapons. All types of nuclear agreements could increase transparency and/or reduce tensions in a regional setting. This article explains about nuclear agreements of South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone, Korean Peace Zone, Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials. (Yi, J. H.)

Federal Facility Agreement progress report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-10-01

The (SRS) Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) was made effective by the US. Environmental Protection Agency Region IV (EPA) on August 16, 1993. To meet the reporting requirements in Section XXV of the Agreement, the FFA Progress Report was developed. The FFA Progress Report is the first of a series of quarterly progress reports to be prepared by the SRS. As such this report describes the information and action taken to September 30, 1993 on the SRS units identified for investigation and remediation in the Agreement. This includes; rubble pits, runoff basins, retention basin, seepage basin, burning pits, H-Area Tank 16, and spill areas.

Federal Facility Agreement progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-10-01

The (SRS) Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) was made effective by the US. Environmental Protection Agency Region IV (EPA) on August 16, 1993. To meet the reporting requirements in Section XXV of the Agreement, the FFA Progress Report was developed. The FFA Progress Report is the first of a series of quarterly progress reports to be prepared by the SRS. As such this report describes the information and action taken to September 30, 1993 on the SRS units identified for investigation and remediation in the Agreement. This includes; rubble pits, runoff basins, retention basin, seepage basin, burning pits, H-Area Tank 16, and spill areas

US-India agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

The United States and India acheived a historic agreement for strategic partnership after the completion of negotiations on the bilateral agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation, also known as the agreement of 123. This agreement regulates the civilian nuclear trade between the two countries and opens the door wide to U.S. and Indian companies for a partnership in every other country in the civil nuclear industry. This agreement has opened the door to complete the remaining steps for the the widest American Indian cooperation in the field of civil uses of atomic energy. Critics to the agreement within the United States say that the agreement reflected serious consequences on the ability of the United States to force other countries to comply with the prevention of nuclear proliferation. The global criticism focused on that the agreement strikes at the heart of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and is considered a dangerous precedent to break the laws of the International Tribunal, and especially the laws and rules of the International Group of Suppliers, which includes 45 countries. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that the agreement is an important step towards meeting India's growing energy needs, especially nuclear technology which is the engine of development. Immediately after the completion of the United States and India for their bilateral agreement for nuclear cooperation, Israel announced that it was seeking U.S. help in the establishment of a power reactor while pressing the direction of tightening control over Iran's nuclear program while some Arab countries announced their desire to have nuclear reactors for electricity generation purposes.

Climate Justice and the Paris Agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michelot, Agnes

2016-01-01

The concept of climate justice has been, for the first time, used in an international agreement - namely, the Paris Agreement. But this recognition of the notion of climate justice is extremely restricted by the very way it is formulated. Preamble of the Paris Agreement 'notes' that climate justice is recognized by 'certain cultures'. Does it mean that particular and concrete stakes of climate justice of the pre-COP21 agenda have been recognized or, on the contrary, that the notion so introduced is actually an empty shell without any genuine legal perspective? Considering this uncertainty, it appears relevant to analyze the Paris Agreement through the claims of various groups and coalitions, which influenced the COP21 negotiations

Energy technologies at the cutting edge: international energy technology collaboration IEA Implementing Agreements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pottinger, C. (ed.)

2007-05-15

Ensuring energy security and addressing climate change issues in a cost-effective way are the main challenges of energy policies and in the longer term will be solved only through technology cooperation. To encourage collaborative efforts to meet these energy challenges, the IEA created a legal contract - Implementing Agreement - and a system of standard rules and regulations. This allows interested member and non-member governments or other organisations to pool resources and to foster the research, development and deployment of particular technologies. For more than 30 years, this international technology collaboration has been a fundamental building block in facilitating progress of new or improved energy technologies. There are now 41 Implementing Agreements. This is the third in the series of publications highlighting the recent results and achievements of the IEA Implementing Agreements. This document is arranged in the following sections: Cross-cutting activities (sub-sectioned: Climate technology initiative; Energy Technology Data Eexchange; and Energy technology systems analysis programme); End-use technologies (sub-sectioned: Buildings; Electricity; Industry; and Transport; Fossil fuels (sub-sectioned: Clean Coal Centre; Enhanced oil recovery Fluidized bed conversion; Greenhouse Gas R & D; Multiphase flow sciences); Fusion power; Renewable energies and hydrogen; and For more information (including detail on the IEA energy technology network; IEA Secretariat Implementing Agreement support; and IEA framework. Addresses are given for the Implementing Agreements. The publication is based on core input from the Implementing Agreement Executive Committee.

Self-Other Agreement Between Employees on their Need for Achievement, Power, and Affiliation: A Social Relations Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra Doeze Jager

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The present study focused on self-other agreement between employees on their Need for Achievement, Need for Power and Need for Affiliation, which needs are relevant for performance and wellbeing at work. The Social Relations Model was used to examine consensus between other-raters, self-other agreement and assumed similarity (seeing others as one sees oneself on these needs. Data were collected among 168 employees from a Dutch non-profit organization, with four employees in each of 42 teams. Consensus between other-raters occurred for all needs. Self-other agreement existed for the Needs for Achievement and Power, but not for Affiliation. Assumed similarity occurred for the Need for Achievement, but not for the other needs. Findings for the Need for Achievement demonstrate a traditional rating pattern exhibiting consensus, self-other agreement and assumed similarity. The absence of assumed similarity for the Need of Power implies that employees are able to distinguish between their own and their peers’ needs to have influence at work. The lack of self-other agreement for the Need for Affiliation may imply that improving others’ awareness of one’s need to connect is necessary to enhance one’s well-being at work. Our findings may be useful to organizations, as being knowledgeable about one’s employees’ needs is important to improve the fit between their needs and the job.

Algorithm of Golgi protein 73 and liver stiffness accurately diagnoses significant fibrosis in chronic HBV infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Zhujun; Li, Ziqiang; Wang, Hui; Liu, Yuhan; Xu, Yumin; Mo, Ruidong; Ren, Peipei; Chen, Lichang; Lu, Jie; Li, Hong; Zhuang, Yan; Liu, Yunye; Wang, Xiaolin; Zhao, Gangde; Tang, Weiliang; Xiang, Xiaogang; Cai, Wei; Liu, Longgen; Bao, Shisan; Xie, Qing

2017-11-01

Serum Golgi protein 73 (GP73) is a potential biomarker for fibrosis assessment. We aimed to develop an algorithm based on GP73 and liver stiffness (LS) for further improvement of accuracy for significant fibrosis in patients with antiviral-naïve chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Diagnostic accuracy evaluation of GP73 and development of GP73-LS algorithm was performed in training cohort (n = 267) with an independent cohort (n = 133) for validation. A stepwise increasing pattern of serum GP73 was observed across fibrosis stages in patients with antiviral-naïve chronic HBV infection. Serum GP73 significantly correlated (rho = 0.48, P 73, accuracy: 63.6%). Using GP73-LS algorithm, GP73 < 63 in agreement with LS < 8.5 provided accuracy of 81.7% to excluded significant fibrosis. GP73 ≥ 63 in agreement with LS ≥ 8.5 provided accuracy of 93.3% to confirm significant fibrosis. Almost 64% or 68% of patients in the training or validation cohort could be accurately classified. Serum GP73 is a robust biomarker for significant fibrosis diagnosis. GP73-LS algorithm provided better diagnostic accuracy than currently available approaches. More than 60% antiviral naïve CHB patients could use this algorithm without resorting to liver biopsy. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Negotiating climate change agreements - the view from the mineral wool sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loudon, Robert

2001-01-01

Trade associations representing energy-intensive industrial sectors in the UK have negotiated agreements with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) to enable their members to receive an 80% rebate on the climate change levy (CCL) providing they meet agreed energy saving targets. Insulation manufacturing is represented by Eurisol and the Mineral Wool Energy Savings Company (MINESCO). Rock wool and glass wool manufacture uses energy for blending, melting, fiberising, curing, cooling, cutting and packaging. However the mineral wool sector has already made significant improvements in energy efficiency over the last 20 years. Confidentiality issues led to Eurisol appointing consultants to advise on how individual plants could achieve further energy savings. Cadogan Consultants developed a strategy that incorporated both qualitative and quantitative issues and allowed the energy saving potential at each site to be identified. MINESCO agreed energy saving targets with the DETR in December 2000, but much work remains to be done

REAL ESTATE PURCHASE AGREEMENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bujorel FLOREA

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The study presented herein represents a field with good present and future perspectives, especially because real estate property is not under the incidence of a single normative act regarding the sale-purchase agreement of such goods, and given the fact that there are specific legal provisions with respect to various real estate categories and the localization of such property. The article deals with the sale-purchase agreement of various real estate categories, such as fields, buildings, the correspondent lots, urban area, farm, and forests fields, focusing on some particularities. A special care is attributed to examining the applicable laws with regard to the purchase agreements of field lands, the special conditions to be taken into account, the persons that may act as buyers, including foreigners, those without citizenship, and legal persons of a nationality other than Romanian. Finally, a special concern is given to the formalities required for legally exerting the pre-emptive right and the applicable sanctions in that respect.

Designing Wind and Solar Power Purchase Agreements to Support Grid Integration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Neill, Barbara [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Chernyakhovskiy, Ilya [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-07-01

Power purchase agreements (PPAs) represent one of many institutional tools that power systems can use to improve grid services from variable renewable energy (VRE) generators. This fact sheet introduces the concept of PPAs for VRE generators and provides a brief summary of key PPA components that can facilitate VRE generators to enhance grid stability and serve as a source of power system flexibility.

The Paris Agreement: end of the climate multilateralism crisis or evolution in chiaroscuro?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavallee, Sophie; Maljean-Dubois, Sandrine

2016-01-01

After a decade of chaotic negotiations, the twenty-first Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change managed on 12 December 12 2015 to agree on the text of an international treaty, the Paris Agreement, preceded by a COP decision aiming both to explain and prepare the entry into force of the treaty. Is this compromise text marking a significant step or is it a weak agreement incapable to alter our medium and long term trajectories of emissions of greenhouse gases? Tracing the process that led to its adoption helps to better understand the substantive and procedural contribution of the Paris agreement, without denying its limits. As a new brick in the complex architecture of the climate regime, the Paris Agreement is more the beginning of a new era for climate diplomacy, full of uncertainties, than a final stage

48 CFR 1542.1203 - Processing agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... MANAGEMENT CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION Novation and Change of Name Agreements 1542.1203 Processing agreements. (a... required documentary evidence. (2) Verify the accuracy of the list of contracts through the Contract...

Trade Agreements PTI

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Homeland Security — The objective of the Trade Agreements PTI is to advance CBP’s mission by working with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate legitimate trade and address...

African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology. Third extension of agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

Pursuant to Article XIV.2, the Agreement 'shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date of its entry into force and may be extended for further periods of five years if the Government Parties so agree'. The third extension of the Agreement entered into force on 4 April 2005, upon expiration of the second extension of the Agreement and will remain in force for an additional period of five years, i.e. through 3 April 2010. As of 10 May 2005, 20 States have notified the Agency of their acceptance of the extension of the Agreement. The status list of the Agreement is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members. Members will be notified of further acceptances of the extension of the Agreement by addenda to this information circular

Spontaneous Resolution of Long-Standing Macular Detachment due to Optic Disc Pit with Significant Visual Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Parikakis, Efstratios A; Chatziralli, Irini P; Peponis, Vasileios G; Karagiannis, Dimitrios; Stratos, Aimilianos; Tsiotra, Vasileia A; Mitropoulos, Panagiotis G

2014-01-01

To report a case of spontaneous resolution of a long-standing serous macular detachment associated with an optic disc pit, leading to significant visual improvement. A 63-year-old female presented with a 6-month history of blurred vision and micropsia in her left eye. Her best-corrected visual acuity was 6/24 in the left eye, and fundoscopy revealed serous macular detachment associated with optic disc pit, which was confirmed by optical coherence tomography (OCT). The patient was offered vitrectomy as a treatment alternative, but she preferred to be reviewed conservatively. Three years after initial presentation, neither macular detachment nor subretinal fluid was evident in OCT, while the inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction line was intact. Her visual acuity was improved from 6/24 to 6/12 in her left eye, remaining stable at the 6-month follow-up after resolution. We present a case of spontaneous resolution of a long-standing macular detachment associated with an optic disc pit with significant visual improvement, postulating that the integrity of the IS/OS junction line may be a prognostic factor for final visual acuity and suggesting OCT as an indicator of visual prognosis and the probable necessity of a surgical management.

Spontaneous Resolution ofLong-Standing Macular Detachment due to Optic Disc Pit with Significant Visual Improvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Efstratios A. Parikakis

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To report a case of spontaneous resolution of a long-standing serous macular detachment associated with an optic disc pit, leading to significant visual improvement. Case Presentation: A 63-year-old female presented with a 6-month history of blurred vision and micropsia in her left eye. Her best-corrected visual acuity was 6/24 in the left eye, and fundoscopy revealed serous macular detachment associated with optic disc pit, which was confirmed by optical coherence tomography (OCT. The patient was offered vitrectomy as a treatment alternative, but she preferred to be reviewed conservatively. Three years after initial presentation, neither macular detachment nor subretinal fluid was evident in OCT, while the inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS junction line was intact. Her visual acuity was improved from 6/24 to 6/12 in her left eye, remaining stable at the 6-month follow-up after resolution. Conclusion: We present a case of spontaneous resolution of a long-standing macular detachment associated with an optic disc pit with significant visual improvement, postulating that the integrity of the IS/OS junction line may be a prognostic factor for final visual acuity and suggesting OCT as an indicator of visual prognosis and the probable necessity of a surgical management.

27 CFR 70.485 - Closing agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Relating to Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Administrative Remedies § 70.485 Closing agreements... disadvantage through consummation of such an agreement. (b) Scope of closing agreement—(1) In general. A...

23 CFR 635.115 - Agreement estimate.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE Contract Procedures § 635.115 Agreement estimate. (a) Following the award of contract, an agreement estimate based on the contract unit prices and estimated quantities shall be...

Community-based naming agreement, familiarity, image agreement and visual complexity ratings among adult Indians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Annamma

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The validity of Snodgrass and Vanderwart pictures and their norms derived on a western population on naming, familiarity, imageability and visual-complexity, is not established on a population with cultural background different from the west. We developed, therefore, a set of culturally appropriate pictures for and derived norms on Indians. Line-drawings of 103 concepts (67 from Snodgrass and Vanderwart, 36 new from 10 semantic-categories were normed on 200 community-based older subjects. Only 31% of the Snodgrass and Vanderwart items showed a concept-agreement on the Indians comparable to western norms. Naming, familiarity and image-agreement mutually correlated but not with visual-complexity. Low-education and rural-residence tended to reduced concept-agreement. The output of this study will be of use in national and cross-national studies.

Agreement between photographic screening and hospital biomicroscopy grading of diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Healy, Rachel; Sallam, Ahmed; Jones, Vanessa; Donachie, Paul H J; Scanlon, Peter H; Stratton, Irene M; Johnston, Robert L

2014-01-01

To examine the level of agreement and reasons for disagreement between grading of diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy using mydriatic digital photographs in a diabetic retinopathy screening service (DRSS) and hospital eye service (HES). English NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme grades for diabetic retinopathy prospectively recorded on a hospital electronic medical record were compared to the grades from the DRSS event that prompted referral. In cases of disagreement, images were reviewed. Data for 1,501 patients (3,002 eyes) referred between 2008 and 2011 were analyzed. The HES retinopathy grades were R0 (no retinopathy) in 341 eyes, R1 (background retinopathy) in 1,712 eyes, R2 (pre-proliferative retinopathy) in 821 eyes, and R3 (proliferative retinopathy) in 128 eyes. The DRSS grades were in agreement in 2,309 eyes (76.9%), recorded a lower grade in 227 eyes, and recorded a higher grade in 466 eyes. Agreement was substantial (κ = 0.65). The commonest cause for disagreement was overgrading of R1 as R2 by hospital clinicians. The HES maculopathy grades were M0 (no maculopathy) in 2,267 eyes and M1 (maculopathy) in 735 eyes. The DRSS were in agreement in 2,111 eyes (70.2%), recorded a lower grade in 106 eyes, and recorded a higher grade in 785 eyes. Agreement was fair (κ = 0.39). The commonest cause for disagreement was hospital clinicians missing fine exudates. This study establishes a benchmark standard for agreement between HES and DRSS grading. Review of DRSS and grading reports images for newly referred patients is likely to improve levels of agreement, particularly for diabetic retinopathy, and should be strongly encouraged.

Interobserver agreement for sonograms of breast lesions obtained by an automated breast volume scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Jing; Lai, Xing-Jian; Zhu, Qing-Li; Wang, Hong-Yan; Jiang, Yu-Xin; Liu, He; Dai, Qing; You, Shan-Shan; Xiao, Meng-Su

2012-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the interobserver agreement of radiologists in the description and final assessment of breast sonograms obtained using an automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) using a unique descriptor of three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) and the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) US lexicon. Methods: From October to December 2010, 208 patients were subjected to an ABVS examination in the supine position, and data were automatically sent to the ABVS workstation. Two radiologists independently evaluated 234 breast masses (148 benign and 86 malignant masses) using a unique descriptor from the 3D US and the BI-RADS US lexicon. The reviewers were blinded to the patient's mammographic images, medical history, and pathologic findings. The interobserver agreement was measured using kappa statistics. Results: Substantial agreement was obtained for lesion shape, orientation, margin, echo pattern, posterior acoustic features, calcification and final assessment (κ = 0.79, 0.74, 0.76, 0.69, 0.68, 0.71 and 0.70, respectively). Fair agreement was obtained for retraction phenomenon and lesion boundary (κ = 0.54 and 0.42, respectively). Conclusions: The interobserver agreement for breast sonograms obtained by ABVS is good, especially for lesion shape and margin; however, the interobserver agreement for the retraction phenomenon, which is a unique descriptor of coronal-plane 3D US, needs to be improved

An initiative to improve the management of clinically significant test results in a large health care network.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Christopher L; Rothschild, Jeffrey M; Dighe, Anand S; Schiff, Gordon D; Graydon-Baker, Erin; Lenoci-Edwards, Jennifer; Dwyer, Cheryl; Khorasani, Ramin; Gandhi, Tejal K

2013-11-01

The failure of providers to communicate and follow up clinically significant test results (CSTR) is an important threat to patient safety. The Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors has endorsed the creation of systems to ensure that results can be received and acknowledged. In 2008 a task force was convened that represented clinicians, laboratories, radiology, patient safety, risk management, and information systems in a large health care network with the goals of providing recommendations and a road map for improvement in the management of CSTR and of implementing this improvement plan during the sub-force sequent five years. In drafting its charter, the task broadened the scope from "critical" results to "clinically significant" ones; clinically significant was defined as any result that requires further clinical action to avoid morbidity or mortality, regardless of the urgency of that action. The task force recommended four key areas for improvement--(1) standardization of policies and definitions, (2) robust identification of the patient's care team, (3) enhanced results management/tracking systems, and (4) centralized quality reporting and metrics. The task force faced many challenges in implementing these recommendations, including disagreements on definitions of CSTR and on who should have responsibility for CSTR, changes to established work flows, limitations of resources and of existing information systems, and definition of metrics. This large-scale effort to improve the communication and follow-up of CSTR in a health care network continues with ongoing work to address implementation challenges, refine policies, prepare for a new clinical information system platform, and identify new ways to measure the extent of this important safety problem.

Unfolding the phenomenon of inter-rater agreement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Slaug, Bjørn; Schilling, Oliver; Helle, Tina

2011-01-01

Objective: The overall objective was to unfold the phenomenon of inter-rater agreement: to identify potential sources of variation in agreement data and to explore how they can be statistically accounted for. The ultimate aim was to propose recommendations for in-depth examination of agreement, i...

75 FR 78245 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-15

... Mexico, Panama, Jamaica, Colombia, and the Far East, including China, Hong Kong, and Korea. Agreement No.../CSAV Slot Swap Agreement. Parties: China Shipping Container Lines Co. Ltd., China Shipping Container... trade between United States ports and ports in China and Vietnam. Agreement No.: 201208-001. Title...

75 FR 14159 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-24

... parties to exchange slots in the trade between U.S. East Coast ports and ports in Turkey. Agreement No.: 201048-005. Title: Lease and Operating Agreement between Philadelphia Regional Port Authority and... FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION Notice of Agreements Filed The Commission hereby gives notice of the...

Communication: Proper treatment of classically forbidden electronic transitions significantly improves detailed balance in surface hopping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sifain, Andrew E. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0485 (United States); Wang, Linjun [Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Prezhdo, Oleg V. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0485 (United States); Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-1062 (United States)

2016-06-07

Surface hopping is the most popular method for nonadiabatic molecular dynamics. Many have reported that it does not rigorously attain detailed balance at thermal equilibrium, but does so approximately. We show that convergence to the Boltzmann populations is significantly improved when the nuclear velocity is reversed after a classically forbidden hop. The proposed prescription significantly reduces the total number of classically forbidden hops encountered along a trajectory, suggesting that some randomization in nuclear velocity is needed when classically forbidden hops constitute a large fraction of attempted hops. Our results are verified computationally using two- and three-level quantum subsystems, coupled to a classical bath undergoing Langevin dynamics.

Agency Agreements Process Champion Support Intern

Science.gov (United States)

Miksa, Ember

2018-01-01

This document will provide information on the 2018 Spring semester NIFS Intern who represented the Office of Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) as a Reimbursable Accountant at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This intern supported the Agency Agreements Process Champions and Team Lead, Susan Kroskey, Sandy Massey and Mecca Murphy, with major initiatives to advance the KSC OCFO's vision of creating and innovating healthy financial management practices that maximize the value of resources entrusted to NASA. These initiatives include, but are not limited to: updating the Agency Guidance and NASA Procedural Guidance 9090.1 Agreements, implementing a new budget structure to be utilized across all centers, submitting a Call Request (CRQ) to enhance non-federal customer reporting, initiating a discussion to incorporate a 3-year funding program for NASA agreements, and undertaking the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Audit. In support of these initiatives, this intern identified technical methods to enhance and reduce the workload of financial processes for reimbursable and non-reimbursable agreements, prepared reports in support of accounting functions, and performed administrative work and miscellaneous technical tasks in support of the OCFO as requested. In conclusion of the internship, the intern will become knowledgeable on reimbursable accounting, reimbursable policy, types of reimbursable agreements, the agreements process, estimated pricing reports, and the roles and responsibilities of the Financial Accounting and Financial Services offices.

Working under the PJVA gas processing agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, S.

1996-01-01

The trend in the natural gas industry is towards custom processing. New gas reserves tend to be smaller and in tighter reservoirs than in the past. This has resulted in plants having processing and transportation capacity available to be leased to third parties. Major plant operators and owners are finding themselves in the business of custom processing in a more focused way. Operators recognize that the dilution of operating costs can result in significant benefits to the plant owners as well as the third party processor. The relationship between the gas processor and the gas producer as they relate to the Petroleum Joint Venture Association (PJVA) Gas Processing Agreement were discussed. Details of the standard agreement that clearly defines the responsibilities of the third party producer and the processor were explained. In addition to outlining obligations of the parties, it also provides a framework for fee negotiation. It was concluded that third party processing can lower facility operating costs, extend facility life, and keep Canadian gas more competitive in holding its own in North American gas markets

12 CFR 533.6 - Disclosure of covered agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... REPORTING OF CRA-RELATED AGREEMENTS § 533.6 Disclosure of covered agreements. (a) Applicability date. This... mailing the agreement. (7) Use of CRA public file by insured depository institution or affiliate. An... institution's CRA public file if the institution makes the agreement available in accordance with the...

African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology. Fourth Extension of Agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

Pursuant to Article XIV.2, the Agreement 'shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date of its entry into force and may be extended for further periods of five years if the Government Parties so agree'. The fourth extension of the Agreement entered into force on 4 April 2010, upon expiration of the third extension of the Agreement and will remain in force for an additional period of five years, i.e. through 3 April 2015. As of 30 April 2010, 8 States have notified the Agency of their acceptance of the extension of the Agreement. The status list of the Agreement is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members [es

Recent coal and uranium investment agreements in the Third World

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zorn, S.A.

1982-01-01

The improvements made by developing countries in the 1970s in petroleum and mineral agreements with transnational corporations have been well documented, and substantial evidence exists to show that some real gains, in terms of host country control over operations, distribution of economic benefits, better employment and training requirements, etc., have in fact been made. In the case of the energy-related minerals, uranium and coal, however, relatively few contracts between Third World governments and transnational corporations have become public, and it is thus difficult to document whether the same gains made in the case of petroleum or non-fuel minerals have been achieved in relation to these energy resources. This article reviews a number of such recent coal and uranium agreements in developing countries. In overall terms, these agreements do not go as far in providing for the interests of host countries as do those negotiated for petroleum or hard minerals. The reasons for this apparent weakness in developing countries' bargaining power in the case of uranium and coal include the specific nature of the markets for these minerals, the structure of transnational corporations in the industry, and the very secrecy which has kept most of these contracts from public view. (Auth.)

Fifth Supply Agreement. Agreement for the Transfer of Low Enriched Uranium for a Research Reactor in Romania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

The text of the Fifth Supply Agreement among the Government of Romania, the Government of the United States of America and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Transfer of Low Enriched Uranium for a Research Reactor in Romania is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency. The Agency's Board of Governors approved the text of the Agreement on 20 November 2003, which was signed by the authorized representatives of Romania and the United States, and by the Director General of the IAEA, on 24 November 2003. Pursuant to Article V of the Agreement, the Agreement entered into force on 24 November 2003, upon signature by the representatives of Romania, the United States and the Director General of the IAEA

45 CFR 162.915 - Trading partner agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Trading partner agreements. 162.915 Section 162... REQUIREMENTS ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS General Provisions for Transactions § 162.915 Trading partner agreements. A covered entity must not enter into a trading partner agreement that would do any of the...

10 CFR 603.1340 - Technology investment agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Technology investment agreement. 603.1340 Section 603.1340 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Definitions of Terms Used in this Part § 603.1340 Technology investment agreement. A TIA is a special type of...

24 CFR 266.15 - Risk-Sharing Agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY RISK-SHARING PROGRAM FOR INSURED AFFORDABLE MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS General Provisions § 266.15 Risk-Sharing Agreement. Execution of a Risk-Sharing Agreement is a prerequisite to... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Risk-Sharing Agreement. 266.15...

7 CFR 3550.205 - Delinquency workout agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Delinquency workout agreements. 3550.205 Section 3550... Delinquency workout agreements. Borrowers with past due accounts may be offered the opportunity to avoid liquidation by entering into a delinquency workout agreement that specifies a plan for bringing the account...

22 CFR 120.21 - Manufacturing license agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Manufacturing license agreement. 120.21 Section... DEFINITIONS § 120.21 Manufacturing license agreement. An agreement (e.g., contract) whereby a U.S. person grants a foreign person an authorization to manufacture defense articles abroad and which involves or...

22 CFR 120.22 - Technical assistance agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Technical assistance agreement. 120.22 Section... DEFINITIONS § 120.22 Technical assistance agreement. An agreement (e.g., contract) for the performance of a... license to manufacture defense articles. Assembly of defense articles is included under this section...

Costello Syndrome with Severe Nodulocystic Acne: Unexpected Significant Improvement of Acanthosis Nigricans after Oral Isotretinoin Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leelawadee Sriboonnark

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We report the case of 17-year-old female diagnosed with Costello syndrome. Genetic testing provided a proof with G12S mutation in the HRAS gene since 3 years of age with a presentation of severe nodulocystic acne on her face. After 2 months of oral isotretinoin treatment, improvement in her acne was observed. Interestingly, an unexpected significant improvement of acanthosis nigricans on her neck and dorsum of her hands was found as well. We present this case as a successful treatment option by using oral isotretinoin for the treatment of acanthosis nigricans in Costello syndrome patients.

25 CFR 225.33 - Assignment of minerals agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Assignment of minerals agreements. 225.33 Section 225.33 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ENERGY AND MINERALS OIL AND GAS, GEOTHERMAL, AND SOLID MINERALS AGREEMENTS Minerals Agreements § 225.33 Assignment of minerals agreements. An...

12 CFR 346.6 - Disclosure of covered agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... POLICY DISCLOSURE AND REPORTING OF CRA-RELATED AGREEMENTS § 346.6 Disclosure of covered agreements. (a... exceed the cost of copying and mailing the agreement. (7) Use of CRA public file by insured depository... the insured depository institution's CRA public file if the institution makes the agreement available...

Group size effects in two repeated game models of a global climate agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helland, Leif

2002-01-01

What levels of total abatement can one hope for in a global climate agreement. Some potential answers to this question are provided by game theory. This working paper contains a critical discussion of two (prominent) game ,models that answer the question quite pessimistically. Both models take the n-person, infinitely repeated prisoner's dilemma game as their point of departure. The first model is a full information model and utilises the motion of a weakly re negotiation proof equilibrium. This results in the (maybe counterintuitive) prediction that an agreement that can provide high utility to the group will attract less total abatement than an agreement that can only provide low utility to the group. The second model assumes imperfect public information and utilises the notion of a trigger level equilibrium. This results in the (more intuitive) prediction that the level of total abatements will increase with improved verification techniques for a given player set. Still the level of total abatements decrease with an increasing player set for a given verification technique. Empirical implications of the two models are identified and it is argued that one should confront these with experimentally generated data in order to discriminate between the models. One reason for this is that historical data on abatement efforts in a global climate agreement do not exist since no such agreement has entered into force yet. (Author)

Group size effects in two repeated game models of a global climate agreement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helland, Leif

2002-07-01

What levels of total abatement can one hope for in a global climate agreement. Some potential answers to this question are provided by game theory. This working paper contains a critical discussion of two (prominent) game ,models that answer the question quite pessimistically. Both models take the n-person, infinitely repeated prisoner's dilemma game as their point of departure. The first model is a full information model and utilises the motion of a weakly re negotiation proof equilibrium. This results in the (maybe counterintuitive) prediction that an agreement that can provide high utility to the group will attract less total abatement than an agreement that can only provide low utility to the group. The second model assumes imperfect public information and utilises the notion of a trigger level equilibrium. This results in the (more intuitive) prediction that the level of total abatements will increase with improved verification techniques for a given player set. Still the level of total abatements decrease with an increasing player set for a given verification technique. Empirical implications of the two models are identified and it is argued that one should confront these with experimentally generated data in order to discriminate between the models. One reason for this is that historical data on abatement efforts in a global climate agreement do not exist since no such agreement has entered into force yet. (Author)

The Text of the Safeguards Agreement relating to the Bilateral Agreement between India and the United States of America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1971-01-01

The text of the Safeguards Agreement between the Agency, the Government of India and the Government of the United States of America providing for the Agency to apply safeguards in relation to the agreement between those Governments concerning co-operation in the civil uses of atomic energy, is reproduced in part I of this document for the information of all Members. The text of the co-operation agreement is reproduced in part II. The Safeguards Agreement entered into force on 27 January 1971

The Text of the Safeguards Agreement relating to the Bilateral Agreement between India and the United States of America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1971-09-03

The text of the Safeguards Agreement between the Agency, the Government of India and the Government of the United States of America providing for the Agency to apply safeguards in relation to the agreement between those Governments concerning co-operation in the civil uses of atomic energy, is reproduced in part I of this document for the information of all Members. The text of the co-operation agreement is reproduced in part II. The Safeguards Agreement entered into force on 27 January 1971.

Synthetic definition of biological significance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buffington, J.D.

1975-01-01

The central theme of the workshop is recounted and the views of the authors are summarized. Areas of broad agreement or disagreement, unifying principles, and research needs are identified. Authors' views are consolidated into concepts that have practical utility for the scientist making impact assessments. The need for decision-makers and managers to be cognizant of the recommendations made herein is discussed. Finally, bringing together the diverse views of the workshop participants, a conceptual definition of biological significance is synthesized

Multirater agreement for grading the femoral and tibial cartilage surface lesions at CT arthrography and analysis of causes of disagreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omoumi, Patrick; Michoux, Nicolas; Larbi, Ahmed; Lacoste, Laure; Lecouvet, Frédéric E.; Perlepe, Vasiliki; Vande Berg, Bruno C.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The multirater agreement of the modified Outerbridge system is only fair when readers of varying levels of experience are taken into account. • Inter- and intra-observer agreement increase with readers experience. • Interobserver agreement is substantial for grade 4 lesions. • Knowledge of normal variations of cartilage thickness is required to help avoid pitfalls and improve interobserver agreement in reporting cartilage lesions. - Abstract: Objective: To assess the multirater agreement of the modified Outerbridge system for the grading of predefined areas of femorotibial cartilage at CT arthrography with multiple readers, with varying experience. Design: Five readers with varying experience (two junior radiologists, three musculoskeletal radiologists including two experts in cartilage imaging) separately analyzed 962 cartilage sectors from pre-divided knee CT arthrograms with femorotibial osteoarthritis (Kellgren/Lawrence = 3). Each cartilage area was graded twice by each reader, at a three-month interval, according to the modified 5-grade Outerbridge system. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement were assessed. After the second reading, 121 areas exhibiting the highest interobserver disagreement were reviewed in consensus to determine the sources of disagreement. Results: The global interobserver agreement was fair (k = 0.35), and increased with the grade (from k = 0.14 to k = 0.76 from grade 0–4). The intraobserver agreement varied with the readers’ experience from moderate (k = 0.59) to almost perfect (k = 0.92). The majority of cases of disagreement (44%) was due to difficulties in assessing the normal variations of cartilage thickness, including diffuse cartilage thinning (23%) and normal variants of cartilage thickness (22%). 32% of cases of disagreement were due to retrospectively avoidable interpretation errors. Conclusions: The multirater agreement of the modified Outerbridge system is only fair when readers of different

Multirater agreement for grading the femoral and tibial cartilage surface lesions at CT arthrography and analysis of causes of disagreement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Omoumi, Patrick, E-mail: patrick.omoumi@chuv.ch [Department of Radiology, Cliniques Universitaires St Luc − UC Louvain, Hippocrate Avenue 10/2942, B-1200 Brussels (Belgium); Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, Bugnon 46, CH-1011 Lausanne (Switzerland); Michoux, Nicolas; Larbi, Ahmed; Lacoste, Laure; Lecouvet, Frédéric E.; Perlepe, Vasiliki; Vande Berg, Bruno C. [Department of Radiology, Cliniques Universitaires St Luc − UC Louvain, Hippocrate Avenue 10/2942, B-1200 Brussels (Belgium)

2017-03-15

Highlights: • The multirater agreement of the modified Outerbridge system is only fair when readers of varying levels of experience are taken into account. • Inter- and intra-observer agreement increase with readers experience. • Interobserver agreement is substantial for grade 4 lesions. • Knowledge of normal variations of cartilage thickness is required to help avoid pitfalls and improve interobserver agreement in reporting cartilage lesions. - Abstract: Objective: To assess the multirater agreement of the modified Outerbridge system for the grading of predefined areas of femorotibial cartilage at CT arthrography with multiple readers, with varying experience. Design: Five readers with varying experience (two junior radiologists, three musculoskeletal radiologists including two experts in cartilage imaging) separately analyzed 962 cartilage sectors from pre-divided knee CT arthrograms with femorotibial osteoarthritis (Kellgren/Lawrence = 3). Each cartilage area was graded twice by each reader, at a three-month interval, according to the modified 5-grade Outerbridge system. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement were assessed. After the second reading, 121 areas exhibiting the highest interobserver disagreement were reviewed in consensus to determine the sources of disagreement. Results: The global interobserver agreement was fair (k = 0.35), and increased with the grade (from k = 0.14 to k = 0.76 from grade 0–4). The intraobserver agreement varied with the readers’ experience from moderate (k = 0.59) to almost perfect (k = 0.92). The majority of cases of disagreement (44%) was due to difficulties in assessing the normal variations of cartilage thickness, including diffuse cartilage thinning (23%) and normal variants of cartilage thickness (22%). 32% of cases of disagreement were due to retrospectively avoidable interpretation errors. Conclusions: The multirater agreement of the modified Outerbridge system is only fair when readers of different

78 FR 43912 - Final Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances, Final Environmental Assessment, and...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-22

...-FF02ENEH00] Final Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances, Final Environmental Assessment, and Finding of No Significant Impact; Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout, New Mexico and Colorado AGENCY: Fish and... environmental assessment (EA) and the draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) under the National...

5 CFR 575.210 - Service agreement requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... agreement must specify that if an employee does not successfully complete the training before the service... employee. (c) The service agreement must specify the total amount of the incentive, the method of paying... incentive, an agency must require the employee to sign a written service agreement to complete a specified...

Name agreement in picture naming : An ERP study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cheng, Xiaorong; Schafer, Graham; Akyürek, Elkan G.

Name agreement is the extent to which different people agree on a name for a particular picture. Previous studies have found that it takes longer to name low name agreement pictures than high name agreement pictures. To examine the effect of name agreement in the online process of picture naming, we

29 CFR 215.6 - The Model Agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false The Model Agreement. 215.6 Section 215.6 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor OFFICE OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR GUIDELINES, SECTION 5333(b), FEDERAL TRANSIT LAW § 215.6 The Model Agreement. The Model (or National) Agreement mentioned in paragraphs...

Form 6 - gas balancing agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1990-01-01

In 1988, a special Committee of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation undertook a project to draft a model from gas balancing agreement. This project was initiated at the request of a number of Foundation members who felt that a model form gas balancing agreement would facilitate the negotiation of operating agreement, since gas balancing issues had become sticking points in the process. The Committee was composed of attorneys representing a wide cross-section of the oil and gas industry including both major and independent oil companies, production companies with interstate pipeline affiliates, and private practitioners. The Committee attempted to address the more controversial issues in gas balancing with optional provisions in the Form. To facilitate the negotiation process, the number of optional provisions was minimized. This form may be used as an Appendix to the new A.A.P.L. Form 610-1989 Model Form Operating Agreement. This book includes provision of this Form which are: Ownership of gas production; Balancing of production accounts; Cash balancing upon depletion; Deliverability tests; Nominations; Statements; Payment of taxes; Operating expenses; Overproducing allowable; Payment of leasehold burdens; Operator's liability; Successors and assigns; Audits; Arbitration; and Operator's fees

The Text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement relating to the Bilateral Agreement between Pakistan and Canada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1969-11-13

The text of the Safeguard Transfer Agreement between Pakistan, Canada and the Agency relating to the agreement of 14 May 1959 between the two Governments for co-operation in the peaceful uses of atomic energy is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members.

The Text of a Safeguards Transfer Agreement relating to the Bilateral Agreement between France and Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1973-01-01

The text of a Safeguards Transfer Agreement between the Agency, France and Japan relating to the agreement of 26 February 1972 between the two Governments for co-operation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy is reproduced in this document for the information or all Members

The Text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement relating to the Bilateral Agreement between Pakistan and Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1969-01-01

The text of the Safeguard Transfer Agreement between Pakistan, Canada and the Agency relating to the agreement of 14 May 1959 between the two Governments for co-operation in the peaceful uses of atomic energy is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members

The Text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement relating to the Bilateral Agreement between Canada and Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1966-01-01

The text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement between the Agency, Canada and Japan relating to the agreement between those Governments concerning co-operation in the promotion and development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members

The Text of a Safeguards Transfer Agreement relating to the Bilateral Agreement between France and Japan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1973-01-31

The text of a Safeguards Transfer Agreement between the Agency, France and Japan relating to the agreement of 26 February 1972 between the two Governments for co-operation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy is reproduced in this document for the information or all Members.

47 CFR 73.1650 - International agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Agreements for the Broadcasting Service in Region 2: (i) MF Broadcasting 535-1605 kHz, Rio de Janeiro, 1981. (ii) MF Broadcasting 1605-1705 kHz, Rio de Janeiro, 1988. (3) Bi-lateral Agreements between the United...

The text of the third agreement to extend the 1987 Regional Co-operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (RCA). Extension of agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The text of the Third Agreement to Extend the 1987 Regional Co-operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology, 'the 1987 RCA', is reproduced herein for the information of all Members. Pursuant to Article 1 of the Third Agreement to Extend the 1987 Regional Co-operative Agreement, the 1987 RCA shall continue in force for a further period of five years with effect from 12 June 2002, i.e., through 11 June 2007. As of 15 May 2002, notifications of acceptance had been received by the Director General from the Governments of Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam. The latest status list is attached

Power sales contract/energy supply agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallace, R.B.

1999-01-01

The factors involved in negotiating power purchase/sales arrangements in Ontario's newly deregulated electricity market are described, and the ways in which they will evolve in the future are predicted. Indications are that the trends that will govern the changes in the electric power industry will be the same as those that existed in the natural gas industry. For this reason, a comparative evaluation of purchase and sale agreements in the two industries was provided. Traditional power purchase arrangements, including requests for proposals, the seller's response, the memorandum of understanding, and the principal terms of a traditional bilateral power purchase agreement were examined. The author predicted that over time, and probably fairly fast in power pool jurisdictions, the traditional power purchase agreement will give way to the concept of energy as a pure commodity and to a standard form of agreement. 1 appendix

pEPito: a significantly improved non-viral episomal expression vector for mammalian cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ogris Manfred

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The episomal replication of the prototype vector pEPI-1 depends on a transcription unit starting from the constitutively expressed Cytomegalovirus immediate early promoter (CMV-IEP and directed into a 2000 bp long matrix attachment region sequence (MARS derived from the human β-interferon gene. The original pEPI-1 vector contains two mammalian transcription units and a total of 305 CpG islands, which are located predominantly within the vector elements necessary for bacterial propagation and known to be counterproductive for persistent long-term transgene expression. Results Here, we report the development of a novel vector pEPito, which is derived from the pEPI-1 plasmid replicon but has considerably improved efficacy both in vitro and in vivo. The pEPito vector is significantly reduced in size, contains only one transcription unit and 60% less CpG motives in comparison to pEPI-1. It exhibits major advantages compared to the original pEPI-1 plasmid, including higher transgene expression levels and increased colony-forming efficiencies in vitro, as well as more persistent transgene expression profiles in vivo. The performance of pEPito-based vectors was further improved by replacing the CMV-IEP with the human CMV enhancer/human elongation factor 1 alpha promoter (hCMV/EF1P element that is known to be less affected by epigenetic silencing events. Conclusions The novel vector pEPito can be considered suitable as an improved vector for biotechnological applications in vitro and for non-viral gene delivery in vivo.

14 CFR 372.24 - Surety bond, depository agreement, escrow agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... (2) which is listed in Best's Insurance Reports (fire and casualty) with a general policyholders... surety to any charter participant shall not exceed the charter operator's applicable tariff fare. Such... not exceed the charter operator's applicable tariff fare; and (ii) Enter into an agreement with a bank...

12 CFR 207.5 - Related agreements considered a single agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... RESERVE SYSTEM DISCLOSURE AND REPORTING OF CRA-RELATED AGREEMENTS (REGULATION G) § 207.5 Related... of the CRA. (b) Substantively related contracts. All written contracts to which an insured depository... each such contract is in fulfillment of the CRA, if the contracts were negotiated in a coordinated...

7 CFR 3021.620 - Cooperative agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 3021.620 Cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreement means an award of financial assistance...

Production sharing agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

This paper, which was presented at the Production Sharing Agreement seminar, discusses economic rent, negotiations, trends in fiscal system development, and concessionary systems. Production sharing contracts, risk service contracts, joint ventures and the global market are examined. (UK)

The Text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement relating to the Bilateral Agreement between Denmark and the United Kingdom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1965-01-01

The text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement between the Agency, Denmark and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland relating to the agreement between those Governments concerning co-operation in the promotion and development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members. This Safeguards Transfer Agreement was signed and entered into force on 23 June 1965

The Text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement relating to the Bilateral Agreement between Denmark and the United Kingdom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1965-07-23

The text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement between the Agency, Denmark and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland relating to the agreement between those Governments concerning co-operation in the promotion and development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members. This Safeguards Transfer Agreement was signed and entered into force on 23 June 1965.

Validation of Interobserver Agreement in Lung Cancer Assessment: Hematoxylin-Eosin Diagnostic Reproducibility for Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Grilley-Olson, Juneko E.; Hayes, D. Neil; Moore, Dominic T.; Leslie, Kevin O.; Wilkerson, Matthew D.; Qaqish, Bahjat F.; Hayward, Michele C.; Cabanski, Christopher R.; Yin, Xiaoying; Socinski, Mark A.; Stinchcombe, Thomas E.; Thorne, Leigh B.; Allen, Timothy Craig; Banks, Peter M.; Beasley, Mary B.; Borczuk, Alain C.; Cagle, Philip T.; Christensen, Rebecca; Colby, Thomas V.; Deblois, Georgean G.; Elmberger, Göran; Graziano, Paolo; Hart, Craig F.; Jones, Kirk D.; Maia, Diane M.; Miller, C. Ryan; Nance, Keith V.; Travis, William D.; Funkhouser, William K.

2018-01-01

Context Precise subtype diagnosis of non–small cell lung carcinoma is increasingly relevant, based on the availability of subtype-specific therapies, such as bevacizumab and pemetrexed, and based on the subtype-specific prevalence of activating epidermal growth factor receptor mutations. Objectives To establish a baseline measure of inter-observer reproducibility for non–small cell lung carcinoma diagnoses with hematoxylin-eosin for the current 2004 World Health Organization classification, to estimate interobserver reproducibility for the therapeutically relevant squamous/nonsquamous subsets, and to examine characteristics that improve interobserver reproducibility. Design Primary, resected lung cancer specimens were converted to digital (virtual) slides. Based on a single hematoxylin-eosin virtual slide, pathologists were asked to assign a diagnosis using the 2004 World Health Organization classification. Kappa statistics were calculated for each pathologist-pair for each slide and were summarized by classification scheme, pulmonary pathology expertise, diagnostic confidence, and neoplastic grade. Results The 12 pulmonary pathology experts and the 12 community pathologists each independently diagnosed 48 to 96 single hematoxylin-eosin digital slides derived from 96 cases of non–small cell lung carcinoma resection. Overall agreement improved with simplification from the comprehensive 44 World Health Organization diagnoses (κ = 0.25) to their 10 major header subtypes (κ = 0.48) and improved again with simplification into the therapeutically relevant squamous/nonsquamous dichotomy (κ = 0.55). Multivariate analysis showed that higher diagnostic agreement was associated with better differentiation, better slide quality, higher diagnostic confidence, similar years of pathology experience, and pulmonary pathology expertise. Conclusions These data define the baseline diagnostic agreement for hematoxylin-eosin diagnosis of non–small cell lung carcinoma

48 CFR 18.118 - Trade agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Trade agreements. 18.118 Section 18.118 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES EMERGENCY ACQUISITIONS Available Acquisition Flexibilities 18.118 Trade agreements...

Are physicians and patients in agreement? Exploring dyadic concordance.

Science.gov (United States)

Coran, Justin J; Koropeckyj-Cox, Tanya; Arnold, Christa L

2013-10-01

Dyadic concordance in physician-patient interactions can be defined as the extent of agreement between physicians and patients in their perceptions of the clinical encounter. The current research specifically examined two types of concordance: informational concordance-the extent of agreement in physician and patient responses regarding patient information (education, self-rated health, pain); and interactional concordance-the extent of physician-patient agreement regarding the patient's level of confidence and trust in the physician and the perceived quality of explanations concerning diagnosis and treatment. Using a convenience sample of physicians and patients (N = 50 dyads), a paired survey method was tested, which measured and compared physician and patient reports to identify informational and interactional concordances. Factors potentially related to dyadic concordance were also measured, including demographic characteristics (patient race, gender, age, and education) and clinical factors (whether this was a first visit and physician specialty in family medicine or oncology). The paired survey showed informational discordances, as physicians tended to underestimate patients' pain and overestimate patient education. Interactional discordances included overestimating patients' understanding of diagnosis and treatment explanations and patients' level of confidence and trust. Discordances were linked to patient dissatisfaction with physician listening, having unanswered questions, and feeling the physician had not spent enough time. The paired survey method effectively identified physician-patient discordances that may interfere with effective medical practice; this method may be used in various settings to identify potential areas of improvement in health communication and education.

A framework for nuclear agreement and verification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, A.

1991-01-01

This chapter assesses the prospects for a nuclear agreement between India and Pakistan. The chapter opens with a review of past and present political environments of the two countries. The discussion proceeds to describe the linkage of global arms control agreements, prospects for verification of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the role of nuclear power in any agreements, the intrusiveness of verification, and possible post-proliferation agreements. Various monitoring and verification technologies are described (mainly satellite oriented). The chapter concludes with an analysis of the likelihood of persuading India and Pakistan to agree to a nonproliferation arrangement

Agreement reached on integrated safeguards in European Union

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

Full text: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in cooperation with the European Commission, has reached agreement on arrangements to implement 'integrated safeguards' in all non-nuclear-weapon States of the European Union with significant nuclear activities. 'This important milestone is the result of the constructive common efforts of all parties concerned. It is a clear signal of the importance attributed by the EU and its Member States, as well as the IAEA, to the reinforcement of the nuclear non-proliferation regime,' said Andris Piebalgs, Member of the European Commission in charge of Energy. 'Once we have sufficient confidence that a State' s nuclear activities are purely peaceful, we can apply safeguards measures in a less prescriptive, more customised manner. This reduces the inspection burden on the State and the inspection effort of the IAEA, while enabling the IAEA to maintain the conclusion that all nuclear material has remained in peaceful activities,' said Olli Heinonen, Deputy Director General and Head of IAEA Safeguards Department. Background The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the main international Treaty prohibiting the spread of nuclear weapons. It entrusts the IAEA to verify that nuclear material is not diverted to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices through the application of 'safeguards'. IAEA safeguards include comprehensive safeguards agreements and additional protocols that enable the IAEA to conclude that all nuclear material has remained in peaceful activities in a State. Integrated Safeguards refers to the optimum combination of all safeguards measures available to the Agency under comprehensive safeguards agreements and additional protocols to achieve maximum effectiveness and efficiency in meeting the Agency ' s safeguards obligations. In the European Union, nuclear safeguards are implemented on the basis of the Euratom Treaty and trilateral agreements between Euratom, its Member States and the IAEA

EPRI-USDOE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT: COFIRING BIOMASS WITH COAL; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David A. Tillman

2001-01-01

The entire Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) cofiring program has been in existence of some 9 years. This report presents a summary of the major elements of that program, focusing upon the following questions: (1) In pursuit of increased use of renewable energy in the US economy, why was electricity generation considered the most promising target, and why was cofiring pursued as the most effective near-term technology to use in broadening the use of biomass within the electricity generating arena? (2) What were the unique accomplishments of EPRI before the development of the Cooperative Agreement, which made developing the partnership with EPRI a highly cost-effective approach for USDOE? (3) What were the key accomplishments of the Cooperative Agreement in the development and execution of test and demonstration programs-accomplishments which significantly furthered the process of commercializing cofiring?

FFTF Authorization Agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DAUTEL, W.A.

2000-01-01

The purpose of the Authorization Agreement is to serve as a mechanism whereby the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) and Fluor Hanford (FH) jointly clarify and agree to key conditions for conducting work safely and efficiently

76 FR 77998 - Market Access Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-15

... FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION Market Access Agreement AGENCY: Farm Credit Administration. ACTION: Notice of approval of the Draft Second Amended and Restated Market Access Agreement. SUMMARY: The Farm Credit Administration (FCA) announces that it has approved the Draft Second Amended and Restated Market...

African Regional Co-operative Agreement for research, development and training related to nuclear science and technology. Extension of agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

Pursuant to Article XIV.2, the Agreement ''shall continue in force for a period of five years from the data of its entry into force and may be extended for further periods of five years if the Government Parties so agree''. The extension of the Agreement entered into force on 4 April 1995, upon expiration of the original Agreement

African Regional Co-operative Agreement for research, development and training related to nuclear science and technology. Extension of agreement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-05-10

Pursuant to Article XIV.2, the Agreement ``shall continue in force for a period of five years from the data of its entry into force and may be extended for further periods of five years if the Government Parties so agree``. The extension of the Agreement entered into force on 4 April 1995, upon expiration of the original Agreement.

Mitosis Counting in Breast Cancer: Object-Level Interobserver Agreement and Comparison to an Automatic Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Veta, Mitko; van Diest, Paul J; Jiwa, Mehdi; Al-Janabi, Shaimaa; Pluim, Josien P W

2016-01-01

Tumor proliferation speed, most commonly assessed by counting of mitotic figures in histological slide preparations, is an important biomarker for breast cancer. Although mitosis counting is routinely performed by pathologists, it is a tedious and subjective task with poor reproducibility, particularly among non-experts. Inter- and intraobserver reproducibility of mitosis counting can be improved when a strict protocol is defined and followed. Previous studies have examined only the agreement in terms of the mitotic count or the mitotic activity score. Studies of the observer agreement at the level of individual objects, which can provide more insight into the procedure, have not been performed thus far. The development of automatic mitosis detection methods has received large interest in recent years. Automatic image analysis is viewed as a solution for the problem of subjectivity of mitosis counting by pathologists. In this paper we describe the results from an interobserver agreement study between three human observers and an automatic method, and make two unique contributions. For the first time, we present an analysis of the object-level interobserver agreement on mitosis counting. Furthermore, we train an automatic mitosis detection method that is robust with respect to staining appearance variability and compare it with the performance of expert observers on an "external" dataset, i.e. on histopathology images that originate from pathology labs other than the pathology lab that provided the training data for the automatic method. The object-level interobserver study revealed that pathologists often do not agree on individual objects, even if this is not reflected in the mitotic count. The disagreement is larger for objects from smaller size, which suggests that adding a size constraint in the mitosis counting protocol can improve reproducibility. The automatic mitosis detection method can perform mitosis counting in an unbiased way, with substantial

Designing Comprehensive Partnering Agreements : An Introduction to the Partnering Agreement Scorecard

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S.M. Pfisterer (Stella); N. Payandeh (Nasim); S. Reid

2014-01-01

textabstractAgreements are a key mechanism of partnerships because their role is to govern interactions. They help partnerships become more effective by allowing partners to cope with relational, performance and situational risks that characterise inter-organisational relationships. The

7 CFR 1424.5 - Agreement process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Agreement process. 1424.5 Section 1424.5 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS BIOENERGY PROGRAM § 1424.5 Agreement process. (a) To...

New Danish Company Act on Shareholders' Agreements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Werlauff, Erik

2011-01-01

) organizational rights, (2) financial rights, and (3) rights of disposal, or in plainer words, the corporate (1) power, (2) money, and (3) exit. If a shareholders’ agreement is thoroughly kept and respected by all parties, both in the way they vote at general assemblies and in the way they act when wishing....... The substantial elements in many agreements are clauses on (1) voting for board candidates, (2) voting for dividends of certain proportions, and (3) first refusal rights, respectively, call options for shares in the company. Such clauses are at the very roots of corporate law, dealing with the shareholders’ (1......Section 82 of the Danish Company Act, in force from 1 March 2010, provides that ‘Shareholders’ agreements are neither binding on the company nor on decisions taken by the general assembly’. This has far-reaching consequences for shareholders’ agreements, also for already existing agreements...

Statistical methods for assessing agreement between continuous measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sokolowski, Ineta; Hansen, Rikke Pilegaard; Vedsted, Peter

Background: Clinical research often involves study of agreement amongst observers. Agreement can be measured in different ways, and one can obtain quite different values depending on which method one uses. Objective: We review the approaches that have been discussed to assess the agreement between...... continuous measures and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. Different methods are illustrated using actual data from the `Delay in diagnosis of cancer in general practice´ project in Aarhus, Denmark. Subjects and Methods: We use weighted kappa-statistic, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC......), concordance coefficient, Bland-Altman limits of agreement and percentage of agreement to assess the agreement between patient reported delay and doctor reported delay in diagnosis of cancer in general practice. Key messages: The correct statistical approach is not obvious. Many studies give the product...

International environmental agreements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Zeeuw, Aart

2015-01-01

The regulation of environmental externalities at the global level requires international agreements between sovereign states. Game theory provides an appropriate theoretical tool for analysis. However, game theory can result in a wide range of outcomes, and therefore it is important to discuss the

A longitudinal study of childhood social behaviour : Inter-informant agreement, inter-context agreement, and social preference linkages

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuppens, Sofie; Grietens, Hans; Onghena, Patrick; Michiels, Daisy

2009-01-01

This study examined inter-informant agreement, inter-context agreement, and social preference linkages for social behaviour subtypes. On two occasions, data was collected on 600 children (8-10 years old) via mother, father, teacher, and peer reports. Informant reports converged within each context

The Sicomines Agreement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jansson, Johanna

of the global political economy have shifted, and that China’s position as a foreign policy actor is now consolidated. Continuity, since the 2009 amendment of the agreement, which came about partly as a result of China’s ambitions to take up an active role in the International Monetary Fund (IMF......), was to the benefit of the policy preferences of the IMF and the World Bank. This case thus indicates that since China’s own aspirations are changeable, its emergence as an alternative development partner may not bring about any substantive change of direction for the DRC’s international relations. Furthermore......The Sicomines multibillion minerals-for-infrastructure deal was struck in 2007 between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and China. The paper investigates the drivers behind the original conception of the agreement, outlines the structure of the contract, analyses the dynamics at play during...

Energy and the NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plourde, A.

1993-01-01

A review is presented of the implications of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) for the energy industry. This agreement expands the coverage accorded to energy in the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and is of limited significance with respect to Canada-US relations, but is quite important to these two countries' energy trade with Mexico. With respect to Canada-US trade, the most important departure from the FTA is that NAFTA tends to ensure a greater degree of respect for the terms of negotiated contracts, in particular by requiring the parties to make efforts to secure compliance with the national treatment provisions of the NAFTA by subfederal regulatory entities. Mexico's constitution severely restricts foreign participation in the activities of its energy industries, including basic petrochemicals. While NAFTA accomodates these restrictions, Canadian and US companies will have opportunities to bid on contracts for goods and services and construction in the Mexican energy sector on an equal footing with their Mexican counterparts. NAFTA also provides expanded opportunities for foreign investment and control in electricity generation for own-use, cogeneration and public service purposes. The parties are explicitly allowed to extend activity incentives to their respective oil and gas industries. 9 refs

7 CFR 1290.8 - Grant agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Grant agreements. 1290.8 Section 1290.8 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS... minimum the following: (1) The projects in the approved State plan. (2) Total amount of Federal financial...

7 CFR 1291.8 - Grant agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Grant agreements. 1291.8 Section 1291.8 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS... minimum the following: (1) The projects in the approved State plan. (2) Total amount of Federal financial...

48 CFR 2131.109 - Advance agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Advance agreements. 2131... PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES Applicability 2131.109 Advance agreements. FAR 31.109 is applicable to FEGLI Program contracts, except that precontract costs and nonrecurring costs that exceed $100,000 will not be...

Increased interreader agreement in diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma using an adapted LI-RADS algorithm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becker, Anton S., E-mail: anton.becker@usz.ch; Barth, Borna K.; Marquez, Paulo H.; Donati, Olivio F.; Ulbrich, Erika J.; Karlo, Christoph; Reiner, Cäcilia S.; Fischer, Michael A.

2017-01-15

Purpose: To evaluate a simplified Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) algorithm to improve interreader agreement while maintaining diagnostic performance for HCC. Materials and methods: MRI scans of 84 cirrhotic patients with 104 distinct liver observations were retrospectively selected to equivocally match each of the LI-RADS grades (LR1-5) using histopathology and imaging follow up as standard of reference. Four independent radiologists categorized all observations as benign (LR1-2) or potentially malignant (LR3-5) and determined LI-RADS based imaging features including observation size, arterial phase hyperenhancement, washout, capsule appearance and threshold growth for LR3-5 observations and timed their readouts. LR3-5 observations were categorized according to the LI-RADS v2014 algorithm and according to a modified LI-RADS (mLI-RADS) version. Diagnostic performance and Interreader agreement were determined for LI-RADS and mLI-RADS using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and Fleiss’ and Cohen’s Kappa analysis respectively. Results: ROC analysis revealed equal diagnostic performance for LI-RADS and mLI-RADS (area under the ROC curve = 0.91). Interreader agreement was higher using mLI-RADS as compared to current LI-RADS showing an improved overall (κ = 0.53 ± 0.04 vs. 0.45 ± 0.04), and pair-wise agreement between most readers (κ range 0.44-0.62 vs. 0.35-0.60) at a reduced median evaluation time (51 vs. 62 s per observation, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Focusing on observation size and washout criteria using a modified, stepwise LI-RADS decision tree for LR3-5 observations results in higher interobserver reliability and faster categorization while maintaining diagnostic accuracy.

Rater Agreement Indexes for Performance Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Burry-Stock, Judith A.; And Others

1996-01-01

It is argued that interrater agreement is a psychometric property which is theoretically different from classic reliability. Formulas are presented to illustrate a set of algebraically equivalent rater agreement indices that are intended to provide educational and psychological researchers with a practical way to establish a measure of rater…

5 CFR 1655.12 - Loan agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Loan agreement. 1655.12 Section 1655.12 Administrative Personnel FEDERAL RETIREMENT THRIFT INVESTMENT BOARD LOAN PROGRAM § 1655.12 Loan agreement. (a) Upon determining that a loan application meets the requirements of this part, the TSP record keeper...

Switching Between Noun and Verb Agreement Rules Comes at a Cost: Cross-Sectional and Interventional Studies in a Developmental Sample

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Van Reybroeck Marie

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This study clarifies the impact of switching context between noun and verb number agreement rules in written language production. In Experiment 1, children from grade 3 to 6 were asked to fill in sentences with nouns and verbs in either a switching condition (noun followed by verb or a repeating condition (noun followed by noun. The results showed that third- and fourth-grade children produced more erroneous agreements in the switching condition than in the repeating condition, showing that switching between rules comes at a cost, whereas fifth- and sixth-grade participants’ performance was not affected by the switching context. Based on these findings, Experiment 2 aimed to assess whether a switching treatment offers a greater opportunity to improve the acquisition of grammatical agreement production, as compared to a simple treatment. Teachers from grade 3 gave either a switching treatment (mixed noun and verb exercises or a simple treatment (noun exercises followed by verb exercises. The results show that children learned better from the switching treatment than from the simple treatment. These findings highlight the cost of switching between noun and verb agreement rules during the acquisition of grammatical number agreement and also how grammatical spelling acquisition can be improved at school.

Authenticated Diffie-Hellman Key Agreement Scheme that Protects Client Anonymity and Achieves Half-Forward Secrecy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hung-Yu Chien

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Authenticated Diffie-Hellman key agreement (D-H key is the de facto building block for establishing secure session keys in many security systems. Regarding the computations of authenticated D-H key agreement, the operation of modular exponentiation is the most expensive computation, which incurs a heavy loading on those clients where either their computational capacities or their batteries are limited and precious. As client’s privacy is a big concern in several e-commerce applications, it is desirable to extend authenticated D-H key agreement to protect client’s identity privacy. This paper proposes a new problem: the modified elliptic curves computational Diffie-Hellman problem (MECDHP and proves that the MECDHP is as hard as the conventional elliptic curves computational Diffie-Hellman problem (ECDHP. Based on the MECDHP, we propose an authenticated D-H key agreement scheme which greatly improves client computational efficiency and protects client’s anonymity from outsiders. This new scheme is attractive to those applications where the clients need identity protection and lightweight computation.

Rights Information Infrastructures and Voluntary Stakeholders Agreements in Digital Library Programmes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piero Attanasio

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Rights management for digital library programs is affected by high transaction costs and this calls for new schemes of collective management. Voluntary Stakeholders Agreements (VSA is proposed as a solution. However, there is a need to reshape the way of defining the scope of such agreements. In the past, the scope was set by limiting the type of uses licensed in the collective agreement, while other uses, pertaining the primary exploitation of works, remain in the sphere of direct management by the rightholder. In the agreements under discussion in several countries in relation to digital library initiatives, the scope is rather defined through limiting the type of works included in the agreement, while the licensed use is broad, including full making available in the Internet. A key distinction is the commercial status of a work, if it is in-print or out-of-print.Such new VSAs require innovative forms of managing of rights information, i.e. set of metadata referred to rights management. A significant part of transaction costs derives from the search of rightholders, and thus there is a trend to call for reducing or even abolishing the need for this search. However, the identification of the right status (public domain vs. in-copyright and the commercial status (in print vs. out of print requires a title by title management of information, which is inevitable because of the characteristics of the emerging VSAs. The proper rightholder search cost should be assessed as an additional cost to something that is in the nature of the agreements. The paper tries to set the terms and conditions to achieve this assessment, and to figure out practical solutions to the problem.

The text of a safeguards transfer agreement relating to a bilateral agreement between Argentina and the United States of America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-06-01

The document reproduces the text of a safeguards transfer agreement of 28 August 1996 relating to a bilateral agreement between Argentina and the United States of America to suspend the application of safeguards pursuant to the agreement of 25 July 1969 between the Agency, Argentina and the United States of America in light of the provisions for the application of safeguards pursuant to the quadripartite safeguards agreement between Argentina, Brazil, the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for the Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials and the IAEA. The Protocol entered into force on 13 January 1997

8 CFR 217.6 - Carrier agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Carrier agreements. 217.6 Section 217.6 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS VISA WAIVER PROGRAM § 217... may notify a carrier of the existence of a basis for termination of a carrier agreement under this...

23 CFR 710.307 - Project agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Project agreement. 710.307 Section 710.307 Highways FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RIGHT-OF-WAY AND ENVIRONMENT RIGHT-OF-WAY AND REAL ESTATE Project Development § 710.307 Project agreement. As a condition of Federal-aid, the STD...

48 CFR 252.225-7020 - Trade Agreements Certificate.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Trade Agreements... of Provisions And Clauses 252.225-7020 Trade Agreements Certificate. As prescribed in 225.1101(5), use the following provision: Trade Agreements Certificate (JAN 2005) (a) Definitions. Designated...

Assessing implementation mechanisms for an international agreement on research and development for health products.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Steven J; Røttingen, John-Arne

2012-11-01

The Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) are currently debating the substance and form of an international agreement to improve the financing and coordination of research and development (R&D) for health products that meet the needs of developing countries. In addition to considering the content of any possible legal or political agreement, Member States may find it helpful to reflect on the full range of implementation mechanisms available to bring any agreement into effect. These include mechanisms for states to make commitments, administer activities, manage financial contributions, make subsequent decisions, monitor each other's performance and promote compliance. States can make binding or non-binding commitments through conventions, contracts, declarations or institutional reforms. States can administer activities to implement their agreements through international organizations, sub-agencies, joint ventures or self-organizing processes. Finances can be managed through specialized multilateral funds, financial institutions, membership organizations or coordinated self-management. Decisions can be made through unanimity, consensus, equal voting, modified voting or delegation. Oversight can be provided by peer review, expert review, self-reports or civil society. Together, states should select their preferred options across categories of implementation mechanisms, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. The challenge lies in choosing the most effective combinations of mechanisms for supporting an international agreement (or set of agreements) that achieves collective aspirations in a way and at a cost that are both sustainable and acceptable to those involved. In making these decisions, WHO's Member States can benefit from years of experience with these different mechanisms in health and its related sectors.

MRMC analysis of agreement studies

Science.gov (United States)

Gallas, Brandon D.; Anam, Amrita; Chen, Weijie; Wunderlich, Adam; Zhang, Zhiwei

2016-03-01

The purpose of this work is to present and evaluate methods based on U-statistics to compare intra- or inter-reader agreement across different imaging modalities. We apply these methods to multi-reader multi-case (MRMC) studies. We measure reader-averaged agreement and estimate its variance accounting for the variability from readers and cases (an MRMC analysis). In our application, pathologists (readers) evaluate patient tissue mounted on glass slides (cases) in two ways. They evaluate the slides on a microscope (reference modality) and they evaluate digital scans of the slides on a computer display (new modality). In the current work, we consider concordance as the agreement measure, but many of the concepts outlined here apply to other agreement measures. Concordance is the probability that two readers rank two cases in the same order. Concordance can be estimated with a U-statistic and thus it has some nice properties: it is unbiased, asymptotically normal, and its variance is given by an explicit formula. Another property of a U-statistic is that it is symmetric in its inputs; it doesn't matter which reader is listed first or which case is listed first, the result is the same. Using this property and a few tricks while building the U-statistic kernel for concordance, we get a mathematically tractable problem and efficient software. Simulations show that our variance and covariance estimates are unbiased.

The agreement between parent-reported and directly measured child language and parenting behaviors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shannon K Bennetts

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Parenting behaviors are commonly targeted in early interventions to improve children’s language development. Accurate measurement of both parenting behaviors and children’s language outcomes is thus crucial for sensitive assessment of intervention outcomes. To date, only a small number of studies have compared parent-reported and directly measured behaviors, and these have been hampered by small sample sizes and inaccurate statistical techniques, such as correlations. The Bland-Altman Method and Reduced Major Axis regression represent more reliable alternatives because they allow us to quantify fixed and proportional bias between measures. In this study, we draw on data from two Australian early childhood cohorts (N= 201 parents and slow-to-talk toddlers aged 24 months; and N=218 parents and children aged 6-36 months experiencing social adversity to (1 examine agreement and quantify bias between parent-reported and direct measures, and (2 to determine socio-demographic predictors of the differences between parent-reported and direct measures. Measures of child language and parenting behaviors were collected from parents and their children. Our findings support the utility of the Bland-Altman Method and Reduced Major Axis regression in comparing measurement methods. Results indicated stronger agreement between parent-reported and directly measured child language, and poorer agreement between measures of parenting behaviors. Child age was associated with difference scores for child language; however the direction varied for each cohort. Parents who rated their child’s temperament as more difficult tended to report lower language scores on the parent questionnaire, compared to the directly measured scores. Older parents tended to report lower parenting responsiveness on the parent questionnaire, compared to directly measured scores. Finally, speaking a language other than English was associated with less responsive parenting behaviors on the

Agreement and disagreement on health care quality concepts among academic health professionals: the Saudi case.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahrous, Mohamed Saad

2014-01-01

A systematic and rigorous implementation of quality improvement processes is likely to improve the well-being of staff members and heighten their job satisfaction. Assessing professionals' perceptions of health care quality should lead to the betterment of health care services. In Saudi Arabia, no previous studies examine how university health professionals view health care quality concepts. A cross-sectional analytical study employing a self-administered questionnaire with 43 statements assessing quality perceptions of academic health care professionals was used. Despite the agreement of health professionals on numerous quality concepts addressed in this study, there was insufficient agreement on 10 core quality concepts, 3 of which were the following: "quality focuses on customers" (50%), "quality is tangible and therefore measurable" (29.3%), and "quality is data-driven" (62%). Hence, providing health professionals with relevant training likely will generate a better understanding of quality concepts and optimize their performance.

48 CFR 16.702 - Basic agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... attachment the required and applicable clauses agreed upon in the basic agreement. A basic agreement is not a... Government to place future contracts or orders with the contractor; or (3) Be used in any manner to restrict... (including reference to each amendment) or by attachment. (2) The contracting officer shall include clauses...

75 FR 42445 - Notice of Agreement Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-21

...)-523-5793 or [email protected] . Agreement No.: 012105. Title: SCM Lines Transportes/CCNI Agreement. Parties: Compania Chilena de Navegacion Interoceanica S.A. and SCM Lines Transportes Maritimos Sociedade...

Ultrasound contrast-agent improves imaging of lower limb occlusive disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eiberg, J P; Hansen, M A; Jensen, F

2003-01-01

to evaluate if ultrasound contrast-agent infusion could improve duplex-ultrasound imaging of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and increase the agreement with digital subtraction arteriography (DSA).......to evaluate if ultrasound contrast-agent infusion could improve duplex-ultrasound imaging of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and increase the agreement with digital subtraction arteriography (DSA)....

77 FR 59064 - United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-26

...-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland... Trade Promotion Agreement entered into by the United States and the Republic of Colombia. DATES: Interim...-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (``CTPA'' or ``Agreement''), and on June 28, 2007, the Parties signed a...

76 FR 65365 - United States-OMAN Free Trade Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-21

... Free Trade Agreement AGENCIES: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security... other customs-related provisions of the United States--Oman Free Trade Agreement entered into by the... the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement (``OFTA'' or ``Agreement''). The provisions of the OFTA were...

78 FR 32356 - United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-30

...-Korea Free Trade Agreement AGENCIES: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security... treatment and other customs-related provisions of the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement entered into...-Korea Free Trade Agreement (hereinafter ``UKFTA'' or the ``Agreement''). On December 3, 2010, the United...

Agreements to work outside the scope of employment

OpenAIRE

Svobodová, Tereza

2010-01-01

Resumé / Summary Title: Agreements on work performed outside an employment relationship Agreements on work performed outside an employment relationship are a specific type of labour relationship allowing the employer to employ an employee on the basis of its actual needs. These agreements are unique in whole Europe; we may find them only in the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic, which is caused by the common development until the first half of 1990's. There are two kinds of these agreements ...

Comparing the detection and agreement of parapapillary atrophy progression using digital optic disk photographs and alternation flicker.

Science.gov (United States)

VanderBeek, Brian L; Smith, Scott D; Radcliffe, Nathan M

2010-09-01

Parapapillary atrophy (PPA) progression has been associated with progressive glaucoma, but has proven to be difficult to assess clinically. We compared inter- and intra-observer agreement using a novel automated alternation flicker technology and side-by-side digital photography inspection for the evaluation of PPA progression. Consecutive patients with serial digital optic nerve photographs at least 1 year apart were included. Two graders (NR, BV) masked to image chronology assessed a set of photographs for progressive PPA using predefined criteria based on reference photographs containing mild, moderate, extensive or no PPA progression. At a separate session, the graders evaluated photographs using alternation flicker (EyeIC, Narberth, PA, USA) applying the same criteria. The order of patients and technique was randomized. Graders then assessed the same set of flickers and photographs a second time with the order of presentation reversed. The main outcome measure was the assessment of progressive PPA as identified by alternation flicker and digital photography inspection. Inter- and intra-observer agreement using each technique was assessed using the kappa statistic. A bootstrap method for comparing correlated kappa coefficients was used to assess statistical significance. Serial photographs from 131 eyes of 68 patients were evaluated. Both graders identified significantly more cases of PPA progression using flicker compared to photography (27-34% vs 8-13%; both pphotographs (kappa=0.52 vs 0.18, p=0.02). Intra-observer agreement was similar for both graders (photos: kappa=0.58 vs 0.57, p=0.97; flicker: kappa=0.61 vs 0.70, p=0.37). When progression was assessed by the number of progressive quadrants identified by each grader using a weighted kappa statistic, flicker inter-observer agreement was still moderate (kappa=0.45) and significantly better (p=0.01) than photography, which showed poor agreement (kappa=0.15). Intra-observer agreement with a weighted kappa for

Innovative approaches to structuring the transaction agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Droppo, D.L.

1999-01-01

Several issues regarding the negotiation and structuring of oil and gas property transactions are reviewed. They include: (1) areas of mutual exclusion covenants, (2) use of the short-form term sheet or letter agreement or the longer, more comprehensive formal offer or letter agreement, (3) coping with standard form purchase and sale agreements and property bid packages, (4) allocations of purchase price and their effect on ROFRs, (5) interim operations covenants, including maintaining insurance, contractual relationships and operational integrity, (6) structuring the transaction to facilitate unique financing requirements, (7) making effective use of adjustment clauses, (8) dealing with the cyclicity of commodity prices in the purchase and sale agreement, and (9) using escrow and trust arrangements to meet closure deadlines

Carfilzomib significantly improves the progression-free survival of high-risk patients in multiple myeloma.

Science.gov (United States)

Avet-Loiseau, Hervé; Fonseca, Rafael; Siegel, David; Dimopoulos, Meletios A; Špička, Ivan; Masszi, Tamás; Hájek, Roman; Rosiñol, Laura; Goranova-Marinova, Vesselina; Mihaylov, Georgi; Maisnar, Vladimír; Mateos, Maria-Victoria; Wang, Michael; Niesvizky, Ruben; Oriol, Albert; Jakubowiak, Andrzej; Minarik, Jiri; Palumbo, Antonio; Bensinger, William; Kukreti, Vishal; Ben-Yehuda, Dina; Stewart, A Keith; Obreja, Mihaela; Moreau, Philippe

2016-09-01

The presence of certain high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities, such as translocations (4;14) and (14;16) and deletion (17p), are known to have a negative impact on survival in multiple myeloma (MM). The phase 3 study ASPIRE (N = 792) demonstrated that progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly improved with carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (KRd), compared with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd) in relapsed MM. This preplanned subgroup analysis of ASPIRE was conducted to evaluate KRd vs Rd by baseline cytogenetics according to fluorescence in situ hybridization. Of 417 patients with known cytogenetic risk status, 100 patients (24%) were categorized with high-risk cytogenetics (KRd, n = 48; Rd, n = 52) and 317 (76%) were categorized with standard-risk cytogenetics (KRd, n = 147; Rd, n = 170). For patients with high-risk cytogenetics, treatment with KRd resulted in a median PFS of 23.1 months, a 9-month improvement relative to treatment with Rd. For patients with standard-risk cytogenetics, treatment with KRd led to a 10-month improvement in median PFS vs Rd. The overall response rates for KRd vs Rd were 79.2% vs 59.6% (high-risk cytogenetics) and 91.2% vs 73.5% (standard-risk cytogenetics); approximately fivefold as many patients with high- or standard-risk cytogenetics achieved a complete response or better with KRd vs Rd (29.2% vs 5.8% and 38.1% vs 6.5%, respectively). KRd improved but did not abrogate the poor prognosis associated with high-risk cytogenetics. This regimen had a favorable benefit-risk profile in patients with relapsed MM, irrespective of cytogenetic risk status, and should be considered a standard of care in these patients. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01080391. © 2016 by The American Society of Hematology.

Patient-physician agreement on tobacco and alcohol consumption: a multilevel analysis of GPs' characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Thebault, Jean-Laurent; Falcoff, Hector; Favre, Madeleine; Noël, Frédérique; Rigal, Laurent

2015-03-18

Data about tobacco and alcohol consumption are essential in many types of studies. These data can be obtained by directly questioning patients or by using the information collected from physicians. Agreement between these two sources varies according to the characteristics of patients but probably also those of physicians. The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of general practitioners (GPs) associated with agreement between them and their patients about the patients' consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Data came from an observational survey among GPs who were internship supervisors in the Paris metropolitan area. Fifty-two volunteer GPs completed a self-administered questionnaire about the organization of their practice and their training. For each GP, a random sample of 70 patients, aged 40 to 74 years, answered questions about their personal tobacco and alcohol consumption. GPs simultaneously answered similar questions about each patient. We used a mixed logistic model to assess the association between physicians' characteristics and agreement for patients' smoking status and alcohol consumption. Data were collected from both patient and physician for 2599 patients. The agreement between patients and their physicians was 60.4% for smoking status and 48.7% for alcohol consumption. Physicians with continuing medical education in management of smokers and those reporting specific skill in managing hypertension had the best agreement for smoking. Physicians who taught courses at the university medical school and those reporting specific skill in managing alcoholism had the best agreement for alcohol consumption. Agreement increases with physicians' training and skills in management of patients with tobacco and alcohol problems. It supports the importance of professional training for improving the quality of epidemiologic data in general practice. Researchers who use GPs as a source of information about patients' tobacco and alcohol consumption

12 CFR 207.6 - Disclosure of covered agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... DISCLOSURE AND REPORTING OF CRA-RELATED AGREEMENTS (REGULATION G) § 207.6 Disclosure of covered agreements... CRA public file by insured depository institution or affiliate. An insured depository institution and...) by placing a copy of the covered agreement in the insured depository institution's CRA public file if...

48 CFR 52.225-6 - Trade Agreements Certificate.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Trade Agreements....225-6 Trade Agreements Certificate. As prescribed in 25.1101(c)(2), insert the following provision: Trade Agreements Certificate (JAN 2005) (a) The offeror certifies that each end product, except those...

Inequality aspects of alternative CO2 agreement designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welsch, Heinz

1992-01-01

In recent years, the expected climate change, due to the atmospheric accumulation of CO 2 and other trace gases, has become an increasingly important issue in energy policy. Given the important contribution of CO 2 to the greenhouse effect, and the global character of the problem, an international agreement on curbing CO 2 emissions is under current consideration. The design of such an agreement inevitably raises significant questions of equity and efficiency. In the international political debate, most emphasis is generally put on the distributive aspect. Interestingly, the discussion usually focuses on equity in terms of the distribution of emissions. From an economic perspective, it appears more natural to address the equity issue from the point of view of income. It is obvious that a given degree of abatement can have dramatically different economic effects in different countries. Of course, this aspect is implicitly at the centre of all CO 2 related equity considerations. In what follows, this issue will be addressed explicitly, by examining the applicability and the implications of various economic approaches to distributive justice. (author)

Policy Poison or Promise: Exploring the Dual Nature of California School District Collective Bargaining Agreements

Science.gov (United States)

Strunk, Katharine O.

2012-01-01

Purpose: This study examines policies set in the collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) negotiated between teachers' unions and school boards and explores what kinds of districts have contract provisions that restrict district administrators, enhance administrative flexibility, and/or improve teachers' professional work lives and that have…

77 FR 71001 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-28

.... Agreement No.: 012187-000. Title: Siem Car Carrier Pacific AS/Hoegh Autoliners, Inc. Space Charter Agreement. Parties: Siem Car Carrier Pacific AS and Hoegh Autoliners, Inc. Filing Party: Ashley W. Craig Esq...

Flexibility of the Paris Agreement on climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemoine-Schonne, Marion

2016-01-01

The Paris agreement lays the foundation for a new international legal regime on climate change. To achieve a universal agreement, many compromises were made, reflected in the international agreement by signs of flexibility. Firstly, at the temporal level, a 'periodic review mechanism of the National Contributions' is set up. Concerning then the means of implementation of the agreement, a new 'mechanism for sustainable development' has been introduced. This mechanism aims to facilitate the implementation of international legal obligations with a logic of cost-effectiveness, reproducing in this sense the market mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. At least, at the normative level, flexibility of law is obvious in this agreement, in order to adapt norms to scientific knowledge evolution and political decisions

Integration of biomimicry and nanotechnology for significantly improved detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs).

Science.gov (United States)

Myung, Ja Hye; Park, Sin-Jung; Wang, Andrew Z; Hong, Seungpyo

2017-12-13

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have received a great deal of scientific and clinical attention as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of many types of cancer. Given their potential significance in clinics, a variety of detection methods, utilizing the recent advances in nanotechnology and microfluidics, have been introduced in an effort of achieving clinically significant detection of CTCs. However, effective detection and isolation of CTCs still remain a tremendous challenge due to their extreme rarity and phenotypic heterogeneity. Among many approaches that are currently under development, this review paper focuses on a unique, promising approach that takes advantages of naturally occurring processes achievable through application of nanotechnology to realize significant improvement in sensitivity and specificity of CTC capture. We provide an overview of successful outcome of this biomimetic CTC capture system in detection of tumor cells from in vitro, in vivo, and clinical pilot studies. We also emphasize the clinical impact of CTCs as biomarkers in cancer diagnosis and predictive prognosis, which provides a cost-effective, minimally invasive method that potentially replaces or supplements existing methods such as imaging technologies and solid tissue biopsy. In addition, their potential prognostic values as treatment guidelines and that ultimately help to realize personalized therapy are discussed. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Implementation of nuclear reduction agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheinman, L.

1994-01-01

The collapse of the Soviet Union not only created a new political environment conductive to arms control and disarmament. It also raised unique and unprecedent non-proliferation problems which bear on the implementation of Start I and even on the Non-proliferation treaty insofar as a failure to rein in Ukraine would create a case of instant proliferation and raise questions about whether somehow Russia as a successor of the Soviet Union failed to meet its Non-proliferation Treaty obligation not to 'assist' any other state in acquiring nuclear weapons. The significance of implementing the agreements concerned with non-proliferation, production of highly enriched uranium outside IAEA safeguards, transparency relevance to the international arena, particularly to nuclear issues are discussed as crucial to progress towards a more stable and secure world order. The importance of the Non-proliferation Treaty extension Conference is underlined

76 FR 72408 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-23

.... Synopsis: The amendment adds Korea to the geographic scope of the agreement and removes some historical... agreement authorizes the parties to exchange space in the trade between China, Singapore, Vietnam and the U...

78 FR 6325 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-30

... Enterprises LLC. Agreement No.: 012193-000. Title: Siem Car Carrier Pacific AS/Compania Sud Americana de Vapores S.A. Space Charter Agreement. Parties: Siem Car Carrier Pacific AS and Compania Sud Americana de...

Compression stockings significantly improve hemodynamic performance in post-thrombotic syndrome irrespective of class or length.

Science.gov (United States)

Lattimer, Christopher R; Azzam, Mustapha; Kalodiki, Evi; Makris, Gregory C; Geroulakos, George

2013-07-01

Graduated elastic compression (GEC) stockings have been demonstrated to reduce the morbidity associated with post-thrombotic syndrome. The ideal length or compression strength required to achieve this is speculative and related to physician preference and patient compliance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hemodynamic performance of four different stockings and determine the patient's preference. Thirty-four consecutive patients (40 legs, 34 male) with post-thrombotic syndrome were tested with four different stockings (Mediven plus open toe, Bayreuth, Germany) of their size in random order: class 1 (18-21 mm Hg) and class II (23-32 mm Hg), below-knee (BK) and above-knee thigh-length (AK). The median age, Venous Clinical Severity Score, Venous Segmental Disease Score, and Villalta scale were 62 years (range, 31-81 years), 8 (range, 1-21), 5 (range, 2-10), and 10 (range, 2-22), respectively. The C of C0-6EsAs,d,pPr,o was C0 = 2, C2 = 1, C3 = 3, C4a = 12, C4b = 7, C5 = 12, C6 = 3. Obstruction and reflux was observed on duplex in 47.5% legs, with deep venous reflux alone in 45%. Air plethysmography was used to measure the venous filling index (VFI), venous volume, and time to fill 90% of the venous volume. Direct pressure measurements were obtained while lying and standing using the PicoPress device (Microlab Elettronica, Nicolò, Italy). The pressure sensor was placed underneath the test stocking 5 cm above and 2 cm posterior to the medial malleolus. At the end of the study session, patients stated their preferred stocking based on comfort. The VFI, venous volume, and time to fill 90% of the venous volume improved significantly with all types of stocking versus no compression. In class I, the VFI (mL/s) improved from a median of 4.9 (range, 1.7-16.3) without compression to 3.7 (range, 0-14) BK (24.5%) and 3.6 (range, 0.6-14.5) AK (26.5%). With class II, the corresponding improvement was to 4.0 (range, 0.3-16.2) BK (18.8%) and 3.7 (range, 0.5-14.2) AK (24

The Text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement relating to the Bilateral Agreement between Colombia and the United States of America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1971-02-23

The text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement between the Agency, Colombia and the United States of America relating to the agreement between the two Governments for co-operation in the promotion and development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members. The Safeguards Transfer Agreement entered into force on 9 December 1970.

The Text of the Agreement of 8 July Extending the Asian Regional Co-Operative Project on Food Irradiation. Extension Agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-12-01

The text of the Agreement to Extend the Agreement of 23 May 1980 Establishing the Asian Regional Co-operative Project on Food Irradiation within the framework of the Regional Co-operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology of 1972, as extended in 1977 and in 1982, is reproduced herein for the information of all Members

The Text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement relating to the Bilateral Agreement between Colombia and the United States of America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1971-01-01

The text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement between the Agency, Colombia and the United States of America relating to the agreement between the two Governments for co-operation in the promotion and development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members. The Safeguards Transfer Agreement entered into force on 9 December 1970.

A prospective study assessing agreement and reliability of a geriatric evaluation

OpenAIRE

Locatelli, Isabella; Monod, St?fanie; Cornuz, Jacques; B?la, Christophe J.; Senn, Nicolas

2017-01-01

Background The present study takes place within a geriatric program, aiming at improving the diagnosis and management of geriatric syndromes in primary care. Within this program it was of prime importance to be able to rely on a robust and reproducible geriatric consultation to use as a gold standard for evaluating a primary care brief assessment tool. The specific objective of the present study was thus assessing the agreement and reliability of a comprehensive geriatric consultation. Method...

7 CFR 3431.17 - VMLRP service agreement offer.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false VMLRP service agreement offer. 3431.17 Section 3431... Administration of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program § 3431.17 VMLRP service agreement offer. The Secretary will make an offer to successful applicants to enter into an agreement with the Secretary to...

30 CFR 914.30 - State-Federal Cooperative Agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Agreement (Agreement) to read as follows: Article I: Introduction, Purposes and Responsible Agencies A... provided to the DOR under this Agreement will be adjusted in accordance with Office of Management and.... The financial status report submitted pursuant to 30 CFR 735.26 will include a report of the amount of...

41 CFR 109-50.4801 - Equipment Gift Agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Equipment Gift Agreement... 50-SPECIAL DOE DISPOSAL AUTHORITIES 50.48-Exhibits § 109-50.4801 Equipment Gift Agreement. (a) The following Equipment Gift Agreement format will be used to provide gifts of excess and/or surplus equipment...

77 FR 16838 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-22

... the U.S. Pacific Coast and the Middle East and Asia. Agreement No.: 012161. Title: Siem Car Carrier Pacific AS/Hyundai Glovis Co., Ltd. Space Charter Agreement. Parties: Siem Car Carrier Pacific AS; Hyundai...

Structured reporting platform improves CAD-RADS assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Szilveszter, Bálint; Kolossváry, Márton; Karády, Júlia; Jermendy, Ádám L; Károlyi, Mihály; Panajotu, Alexisz; Bagyura, Zsolt; Vecsey-Nagy, Milán; Cury, Ricardo C; Leipsic, Jonathon A; Merkely, Béla; Maurovich-Horvat, Pál

2017-11-01

Structured reporting in cardiac imaging is strongly encouraged to improve quality through consistency. The Coronary Artery Disease - Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) was recently introduced to facilitate interdisciplinary communication of coronary CT angiography (CTA) results. We aimed to assess the agreement between manual and automated CAD-RADS classification using a structured reporting platform. Five readers prospectively interpreted 500 coronary CT angiographies using a structured reporting platform that automatically calculates the CAD-RADS score based on stenosis and plaque parameters manually entered by the reader. In addition, all readers manually assessed CAD-RADS blinded to the automatically derived results, which was used as the reference standard. We evaluated factors influencing reader performance including CAD-RADS training, clinical load, time of the day and level of expertise. Total agreement between manual and automated classification was 80.2%. Agreement in stenosis categories was 86.7%, whereas the agreement in modifiers was 95.8% for "N", 96.8% for "S", 95.6% for "V" and 99.4% for "G". Agreement for V improved after CAD-RADS training (p = 0.047). Time of the day and clinical load did not influence reader performance (p > 0.05 both). Less experienced readers had a higher total agreement as compared to more experienced readers (87.0% vs 78.0%, respectively; p = 0.011). Even though automated CAD-RADS classification uses data filled in by the readers, it outperforms manual classification by preventing human errors. Structured reporting platforms with automated calculation of the CAD-RADS score might improve data quality and support standardization of clinical decision making. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Novel Multi-Party Quantum Key Agreement Protocol with G-Like States and Bell States

Science.gov (United States)

Min, Shi-Qi; Chen, Hua-Ying; Gong, Li-Hua

2018-06-01

A significant aspect of quantum cryptography is quantum key agreement (QKA), which ensures the security of key agreement protocols by quantum information theory. The fairness of an absolute security multi-party quantum key agreement (MQKA) protocol demands that all participants can affect the protocol result equally so as to establish a shared key and that nobody can determine the shared key by himself/herself. We found that it is difficult for the existing multi-party quantum key agreement protocol to withstand the collusion attacks. Put differently, it is possible for several cooperated and untruthful participants to determine the final key without being detected. To address this issue, based on the entanglement swapping between G-like state and Bell states, a new multi-party quantum key agreement protocol is put forward. The proposed protocol makes full use of EPR pairs as quantum resources, and adopts Bell measurement and unitary operation to share a secret key. Besides, the proposed protocol is fair, secure and efficient without involving a third party quantum center. It demonstrates that the protocol is capable of protecting users' privacy and meeting the requirement of fairness. Moreover, it is feasible to carry out the protocol with existing technologies.

Novel Multi-Party Quantum Key Agreement Protocol with G-Like States and Bell States

Science.gov (United States)

Min, Shi-Qi; Chen, Hua-Ying; Gong, Li-Hua

2018-03-01

A significant aspect of quantum cryptography is quantum key agreement (QKA), which ensures the security of key agreement protocols by quantum information theory. The fairness of an absolute security multi-party quantum key agreement (MQKA) protocol demands that all participants can affect the protocol result equally so as to establish a shared key and that nobody can determine the shared key by himself/herself. We found that it is difficult for the existing multi-party quantum key agreement protocol to withstand the collusion attacks. Put differently, it is possible for several cooperated and untruthful participants to determine the final key without being detected. To address this issue, based on the entanglement swapping between G-like state and Bell states, a new multi-party quantum key agreement protocol is put forward. The proposed protocol makes full use of EPR pairs as quantum resources, and adopts Bell measurement and unitary operation to share a secret key. Besides, the proposed protocol is fair, secure and efficient without involving a third party quantum center. It demonstrates that the protocol is capable of protecting users' privacy and meeting the requirement of fairness. Moreover, it is feasible to carry out the protocol with existing technologies.

Millisecond photo-thermal process on significant improvement of supercapacitor’s performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Kui; Wang, Jixiao; Wu, Ying; Zhao, Song; Wang, Zhi; Wang, Shichang

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: A high way for charge transfer is created by a millisecond photo-thermal process which could decrease contact resistance among nanomaterials and improve the electrochemical performances. - Highlights: • Improve conductivity among nanomaterials with a millisecond photo-thermal process. • The specific capacitance can increase about 25% with an photo-thermal process. • The circle stability and rate capability can be improved above 10% with photo-thermal process. • Provide a new way that create electron path to improve electrochemical performance. - Abstract: Supercapacitors fabricated with nanomaterials usually have high specific capacitance and excellent performance. However, the small size of nanomaterials renders a considerable limitation of the contact area among nanomaterials, which is harmful to charge carrier transfer. This fact may hinder the development and application of nanomaterials in electrochemical storage systems. Here, a millisecond photo-thermal process was introduced to create a charge carries transfer path to decrease the contact resistance among nanomaterials, and enhance the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. Polyaniline (PANI) nanowire, as a model nanomaterial, was used to modify electrodes under different photo-thermal process conditions. The modified electrodes were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the results were analysed by equivalent circuit simulation. These results demonstrate that the photo-thermal process can alter the morphology of PANI nanowires, lower the charge transfer resistances and thus improve the performance of electrodes. The specific capacitance increase of the modified electrodes is about 25%. The improvement of the circle stability and rate capability are above 10%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt on research the effect of photo-thermal process on the conductivity

75 FR 69079 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-10

... World Liner Data Agreement. Parties: A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S; CMA CGM S.A.; Compania Chilena de... from ports in Mexico to the U.S. Atlantic ports. Agreement No.: 012110. Title: Trailer Bridge/HLUSA...

The effects of urgency to reach agreement on the process and outcome of multi-party natural resource negotiations

Science.gov (United States)

Lamb, B.L.; Taylor, J.G.; Burkardt, N.; Gillette, S.C.

2005-01-01

We studied seven hydropower license consultations to examine the role of a sense of urgency to reach agreement. Hydropower licensing consultations were studied because the statutory requirement for consultation encourages negotiation, all such consultations are similar, and a negotiated settlement is not a foregone result. Cases selected for analysis met screening criteria. Structured interviews were conducted with participants after the negotiations had been concluded. Respondent recollections were checked against the documentary record. A sense of urgency to reach agreement was a significant factor in the completion of these negotiations; where there was no shared sense of urgency, purposeful delay adversely affected the negotiations. Although a sense of urgency was experienced by at least one party in each case, only a shared sense of urgency at the end of the process proved significant. Delay did not prevent ultimate agreement but a shared sense of urgency brought speedier agreement and greater satisfaction with the negotiation.

The Text of a Safeguards Transfer Agreement relating to a Bilateral Agreement between Argentina and the United States of America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1969-01-01

The text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement between the Agency, Argentina and the United States of America relating to the agreement of 25 June 1969 between the two Governments for co-operation in the promotion and development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members. The Safeguards Transfer Agreement entered into force on 25 July 1969.

The Text of a Safeguards Transfer Agreement Relating to a Bilateral Agreement between Austria and the United States of America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1971-05-18

The text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement between the Agency, Austria and the United States of America relating to the agreement of 11 July 1969 between the two Governments for cooperation in the promotion and development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members. The Safeguards Transfer Agreement entered into force on 24 January 1970.

The Text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement Relating to the Bilateral Agreement between Iran and the United States of America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1969-05-06

The text of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement between the Agency, Iran and the United States of America relating to the agreement between the two Governments for co-operation in the promotion and development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members. Members will be informed of the entry into force of the Safeguards Transfer Agreement.

45 CFR 1640.4 - Violation of agreement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... OF FEDERAL LAW TO LSC RECIPIENTS § 1640.4 Violation of agreement. (a) A violation of the agreement... negligence allowed the employee or board member to engage in the activities which led to the conviction or...

The Texts of the Agency's Headquarters Agreement with Austria and Related Agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

The texts of the Agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Republic of Austria that were in force on 30 September 1975 are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency [ru

The Texts of the Agency's Headquarters Agreement with Austria and Related Agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

The texts of the Agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Republic of Austria that were in force on 30 September 1975 are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency [fr

The Texts of the Agency's Headquarters Agreement with Austria and Related Agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

The texts of the Agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Republic of Austria that were in force on 30 September 1975 are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency [es

The Outlier Sectors: Areas of Non-Free Trade in the North American Free Trade Agreement

OpenAIRE

Eric T. Miller

2002-01-01

Since its entry into force, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been enormously influential as a model for trade liberalization. While trade in goods among Canada, the United States and Mexico has been liberalized to a significant degree, this most famous of agreements nonetheless contains areas of recalcitrant protectionism. The first part of this paper identifies these "outlier sectors" and classifies them by primary source advocating protectionism, i.e., producer interests ...

Low-dose vaporized cannabis significantly improves neuropathic pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilsey, Barth; Marcotte, Thomas; Deutsch, Reena; Gouaux, Ben; Sakai, Staci; Donaghe, Haylee

2013-02-01

We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study evaluating the analgesic efficacy of vaporized cannabis in subjects, the majority of whom were experiencing neuropathic pain despite traditional treatment. Thirty-nine patients with central and peripheral neuropathic pain underwent a standardized procedure for inhaling medium-dose (3.53%), low-dose (1.29%), or placebo cannabis with the primary outcome being visual analog scale pain intensity. Psychoactive side effects and neuropsychological performance were also evaluated. Mixed-effects regression models demonstrated an analgesic response to vaporized cannabis. There was no significant difference between the 2 active dose groups' results (P > .7). The number needed to treat (NNT) to achieve 30% pain reduction was 3.2 for placebo versus low-dose, 2.9 for placebo versus medium-dose, and 25 for medium- versus low-dose. As these NNTs are comparable to those of traditional neuropathic pain medications, cannabis has analgesic efficacy with the low dose being as effective a pain reliever as the medium dose. Psychoactive effects were minimal and well tolerated, and neuropsychological effects were of limited duration and readily reversible within 1 to 2 hours. Vaporized cannabis, even at low doses, may present an effective option for patients with treatment-resistant neuropathic pain. The analgesia obtained from a low dose of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (1.29%) in patients, most of whom were experiencing neuropathic pain despite conventional treatments, is a clinically significant outcome. In general, the effect sizes on cognitive testing were consistent with this minimal dose. As a result, one might not anticipate a significant impact on daily functioning. Published by Elsevier Inc.

75 FR 6079 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-05

... cultural significance. The objects are imported pursuant to loan agreements with the foreign owners or custodians. I also determine that the exhibition or display of the exhibit objects at the Yale Center for... Professional and Cultural Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. [FR Doc...

The myriad challenges of the Paris Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Dann; Allen, Myles R.; Hall, Jim W.; Muller, Benito; Rajamani, Lavanya; Le Quéré, Corinne

2018-05-01

The much awaited and intensely negotiated Paris Agreement was adopted on 12 December 2015 by the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The agreement set out a more ambitious long-term temperature goal than many had anticipated, implying more stringent emissions reductions that have been under-explored by the research community. By its very nature a multidisciplinary challenge, filling the knowledge gap requires not only climate scientists, but the whole Earth system science community, as well as economists, engineers, lawyers, philosophers, politicians, emergency planners and others to step up. To kick start cross-disciplinary discussions, the University of Oxford's Environmental Change Institute focused its 25th anniversary conference upon meeting the challenges of the Paris Agreement for science and society. This theme issue consists of review papers, opinion pieces and original research from some of the presentations within that meeting, covering a wide range of issues underpinning the Paris Agreement. This article is part of the theme issue `The Paris Agreement: understanding the physical and social challenges for a warming world of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels'.

Agreement between radiographic and photographic trabecular patterns

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korstjens, C.M.; Geraets, W.G.M.; Stelt, P.F. van der [Dept. of Oral Radiology, Academic Centre for Dentistry, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Spruijt, R.J. [Div. of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, Netherlands Cancer Inst., Amsterdam (Netherlands); Mosekilde, L. [Dept. of Cell Biology, Univ. of Aarhus (Denmark)

1998-11-01

Purpose: It has been hypothesized that photographs can facilitate the interpretation of the radiographic characteristics of trabecular bone. The reliability of these photographic and radiographic approaches has been determined, as have various agreements between the two approaches and their correlations with biomechanical characteristics. Material and Methods: Fourteen vertebral bodies were obtained at autopsy from 6 women and 8 men aged 22-76 years. Photographs (n=28) and radiographs (n=28) were taken of midsagittal slices from the third lumbar vertebra. The radiographs and photographs were digitized and the geometric properties of the trabecular architecture were then determined with a digital images analysis technique. Information on the compressive strength and ash density of the vertebral body was also available. Results: The geometric properties of both radiographs and photographs could be measured with a high degree of reliability (Cronbach`s {alpha}>0.85). Agreement between the radiographic and photographic approaches was mediocre as only the radiographic measurements showed insignificant correlations (p<0.05) with the biomechanical characteristics. We suggest that optical phenomena may result in the significant correlations between the photographs and the biomechanical characteristics. Conclusion: For digital image processing, radiography offers a superior description of the architecture of trabecular bone to that offered by photography. (orig.)

Agreement between radiographic and photographic trabecular patterns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korstjens, C.M.; Geraets, W.G.M.; Stelt, P.F. van der; Spruijt, R.J.; Mosekilde, L.

1998-01-01

Purpose: It has been hypothesized that photographs can facilitate the interpretation of the radiographic characteristics of trabecular bone. The reliability of these photographic and radiographic approaches has been determined, as have various agreements between the two approaches and their correlations with biomechanical characteristics. Material and Methods: Fourteen vertebral bodies were obtained at autopsy from 6 women and 8 men aged 22-76 years. Photographs (n=28) and radiographs (n=28) were taken of midsagittal slices from the third lumbar vertebra. The radiographs and photographs were digitized and the geometric properties of the trabecular architecture were then determined with a digital images analysis technique. Information on the compressive strength and ash density of the vertebral body was also available. Results: The geometric properties of both radiographs and photographs could be measured with a high degree of reliability (Cronbach's α>0.85). Agreement between the radiographic and photographic approaches was mediocre as only the radiographic measurements showed insignificant correlations (p<0.05) with the biomechanical characteristics. We suggest that optical phenomena may result in the significant correlations between the photographs and the biomechanical characteristics. Conclusion: For digital image processing, radiography offers a superior description of the architecture of trabecular bone to that offered by photography. (orig.)

Complete Au@ZnO core-shell nanoparticles with enhanced plasmonic absorption enabling significantly improved photocatalysis

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yiqiang; Sun, Yugang; Zhang, Tao; Chen, Guozhu; Zhang, Fengshou; Liu, Dilong; Cai, Weiping; Li, Yue; Yang, Xianfeng; Li, Cuncheng

2016-05-01

Nanostructured ZnO exhibits high chemical stability and unique optical properties, representing a promising candidate among photocatalysts in the field of environmental remediation and solar energy conversion. However, ZnO only absorbs the UV light, which accounts for less than 5% of total solar irradiation, significantly limiting its applications. In this article, we report a facile and efficient approach to overcome the poor wettability between ZnO and Au by carefully modulating the surface charge density on Au nanoparticles (NPs), enabling rapid synthesis of Au@ZnO core-shell NPs at room temperature. The resulting Au@ZnO core-shell NPs exhibit a significantly enhanced plasmonic absorption in the visible range due to the Au NP cores. They also show a significantly improved photocatalytic performance in comparison with their single-component counterparts, i.e., the Au NPs and ZnO NPs. Moreover, the high catalytic activity of the as-synthesized Au@ZnO core-shell NPs can be maintained even after many cycles of photocatalytic reaction. Our results shed light on the fact that the Au@ZnO core-shell NPs represent a promising class of candidates for applications in plasmonics, surface-enhanced spectroscopy, light harvest devices, solar energy conversion, and degradation of organic pollutants.Nanostructured ZnO exhibits high chemical stability and unique optical properties, representing a promising candidate among photocatalysts in the field of environmental remediation and solar energy conversion. However, ZnO only absorbs the UV light, which accounts for less than 5% of total solar irradiation, significantly limiting its applications. In this article, we report a facile and efficient approach to overcome the poor wettability between ZnO and Au by carefully modulating the surface charge density on Au nanoparticles (NPs), enabling rapid synthesis of Au@ZnO core-shell NPs at room temperature. The resulting Au@ZnO core-shell NPs exhibit a significantly enhanced plasmonic

Texts of the Agency's Agreements with the Republic of Austria. A further supplemental agreement to the Headquarters Agreement. Supplemental Agreement pursuant to Section 4(b) of the Agreement between the Republic of Austria and the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding the Headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The text of the exchange of Notes, dated 6 July 1995 and 29 September 1995 respectively, between the IAEA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria regarding Section 4(b) of the Headquarters Agreement which allows the IAEA 'to establish and operate such additional radio and other telecommunications facilities as may be specified by supplemental agreement ....' is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency

Addition of 2-(ethylamino)acetonitrile group to nitroxoline results in significantly improved anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitrović, Ana; Sosič, Izidor; Kos, Špela; Tratar, Urša Lampreht; Breznik, Barbara; Kranjc, Simona; Mirković, Bojana; Gobec, Stanislav; Lah, Tamara; Serša, Gregor; Kos, Janko

2017-08-29

Lysosomal cysteine peptidase cathepsin B, involved in multiple processes associated with tumor progression, is validated as a target for anti-cancer therapy. Nitroxoline, a known antimicrobial agent, is a potent and selective inhibitor of cathepsin B, hence reducing tumor progression in vitro and in vivo . In order to further improve its anti-cancer properties we developed a number of derivatives using structure-based chemical synthesis. Of these, the 7-aminomethylated derivative (compound 17 ) exhibited significantly improved kinetic properties over nitroxoline, inhibiting cathepsin B endopeptidase activity selectively. In the present study, we have evaluated its anti-cancer properties. It was more effective than nitroxoline in reducing tumor cell invasion and migration, as determined in vitro on two-dimensional cell models and tumor spheroids, under either endpoint or real time conditions. Moreover, it exhibited improved action over nitroxoline in impairing tumor growth in vivo in LPB mouse fibrosarcoma tumors in C57Bl/6 mice. Taken together, the addition of a 2-(ethylamino)acetonitrile group to nitroxoline at position 7 significantly improves its pharmacological characteristics and its potential for use as an anti-cancer drug.

The administrative review of concession agreements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatmira Hajdari

2014-01-01

The practice of concessionary agreements in Albania is only in its early steps of development. Furthermore, the legislation that provides for the concession agreements has suffered changes to reflect the international legislation. All of which have led to the case law encountering various issues, which we have only humbly tried to reflect in this paper, while also providing our opinion with regard to addressing them.

Reduction of Conflicts in Mining Development Using "Good Neighbor Agreements"

Science.gov (United States)

Masaitis, A.

2013-05-01

New environmental and social challenges for the mining industry in both developed and developing countries show the obvious need to implement "responsible" mining practices that include improved community involvement. Good Neighbor Agreements (GNA's) are a relatively new mechanism for improving communication and trust between a mining company and the community. The focus of a GNA will be to provide a written and enforceable agreement, negotiated between the concerned public and the respective mining company to respond to concerns from the public, and also provide a mechanism for conflict resolution, when there is mutual benefit to maintain a working relationship. Development of GNA's, a recently evolving process that promotes environmentally sound relationships between mines and the surrounding communities. Modify and apply the resulting GNA formulas to the developing countries and countries with transitional economies. This is particularly important for countries that have poorly functioning regulatory systems that cannot guarantee a healthy and safe environment for the communities. The fundamental questions addressed by this research. 1. This is a three-year research project started in August 2012 at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) to develop a Good Neighbor Agreements standards as well as to investigate the details of mine development. 2. Identify spheres of possible cooperation between mining companies, government organizations, and the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's). Use this cooperation to develop international standards for the GNA, to promote exchange of environmental information, and exchange of successful environmental, health, and safety practices between mining operations from different countries. Discussion: The Good Neighbor Agreement currently evolving will address the following: 1. Provide an economically viable mechanism for developing a partnership between mining operations and the local communities that will increase mining industry

The Texts of the Agency's Agreements with the Republic of Austria. V. Supplemental Agreement on the Establishment of an Agency Commissary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1973-03-08

The text of the Supplemental Agreement on the Establishment of an Agency Commissary is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members. The Supplemental Agreement entered into force on 1 April 1972 pursuant to Article VII, hereby superseding the Supplemental Agreement which was the subject of documents INFCIRC/15, part V and INFCIRC/15/Add. 1.

The Texts of the Agency's Agreements with the Republic of Austria. V. Supplemental Agreement on the Establishment of an Agency Commissary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1973-01-01

The text of the Supplemental Agreement on the Establishment of an Agency Commissary is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members. The Supplemental Agreement entered into force on 1 April 1972 pursuant to Article VII, hereby superseding the Supplemental Agreement which was the subject of documents INFCIRC/15, part V and INFCIRC/15/Add. 1

The Text of the Fourth Agreement to Extend the 1987 Regional Co-operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (RCA). Extension of Agreement. Latest Status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

The text of the Fourth Agreement to Extend the 1987 Regional Co-operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology, 'the 1987 RCA', is reproduced herein for the information of all Members

Cooperation Agreement between the European Central Bank and Europol for Combating Euro Counterfeiting. Some Critical Opinions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdan Birzu

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Within this paper there has been examined the Agreement between the European Police Office (Europol and the European Central Bank (ECB for preventing and combating euro counterfeiting, focusing on certain provisions which take into account the aim and the exchange of information between the two European institutions. The novelty of this paper relates to the achieved examination, where it is highlighted the importance of European legal instrument and the critical opinions and proposals for improving the agreement. The paper can be useful to academics and practitioners who conduct their activity within this area.

The Text of the Fourth Agreement to Extend the 1987 Regional Co-operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (RCA). Extension of Agreement. Latest Status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

The text of the Fourth Agreement to Extend the 1987 Regional Co-operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology, 'the 1987 RCA', is reproduced herein for the information of all Members [es

Technology transfer and the Argentina-German cooperation agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Primio, J.C.

1977-01-01

The transfer of technology from developed countries is usually done through industrial enterprises. The local industrialization of imported technology does not necessary imply that full benefit is extracted from its application. A pre-established scientific and technical infrastructure is needed to understand and incorporate it, and to develop methods for improvement and use at the industrial level, in the frame of national conditions. The transference of nuclear technology has shown recently new concepts for the implementation. It is becoming a rule that massive industrial nuclear technology transfer to developing nations is conditioned by the latter requirement for simulataneous assistance to create or promote that infrastructure. An example of international cooperation to meet the requirement explained above is the Argentine-German agreement for the peaceful applications of nuclear energy. Since 1971 it has been used to strengthen the scientific and technical programs of the Argentine Atomic Energy Commission, by application to fields relevant by its industrial implications. The objectives and implementation of the agreement are described: cooperative actions where initially directed to the infrastructure needed to support the nuclear fuel cycle industry. The results achieved during the period 1971-76 are critically analyzed. This analysis has influenced the selection of future cooperative projects as well as the extension of the cooperation to other nuclear fields of common interest [es

Canada and the North American Free Trade Agreement: Between globalization and regional integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caterina García Segura

1995-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present article is to analize, from Canada’s perspective, the choice regarding the model of state as well as of economic and commercial policy which the decision to participate in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA implies. The debatewhich NAFTA provoked in Canada expresses in concrete terms that debate which, in much larger terms, takes place at the international level regarding the multilateralization and/or the regionalization of commercial exchanges. It is a reflection of the tension between theintegrating forces (process of globalization and the fragmenting ones (processes of regionalization which characterize the dynamics of the contemporary international system. The hypothesis of this work is that in spite of being a commercial agreement, the Canadian government’s decision to participate in NAFTA was a decision of a political nature which was not determined exclusively by the reality of the existing commercial exchanges between Canada and Mexico or by the perspectives of improving them inthe short term. The immediate objective of Canada was to avoid that a possible bilateral agreement between its prinicipal economic member, the United States, and Mexico would empty out the contents of the existing Free Trade Agreement (FTA between Canada and the United States. In this sense, NAFTA was the possible remedy to an unwanted situation (the negotiation of a US-Mexico bilateral agreement. The objective in the medium and long term is use the platform of regional integration as a trampoline from where the Canadian economy can be reorientated and driven in order to attain international competitiveness. In this sense, Canada’s true option had already beenrealised with the FTA.

The Text of the Third Agreement to Extend the 1987 Regional Co-operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (RCA). Latest Status. Extension of Agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The text of the Third Agreement to Extend the 1987 Regional Co-operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology, t he 1987 RCA , is reproduced herein for the information of all Members [es

The Texts of the Agency's Headquarters Agreement with Austria and Related Agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

The texts of six agreements concluded between the Agency and the Republic of Austria as a result of the location of the Agency's headquarters in Austria, which were in force on 31 October 1975, are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members

Agreement of Peer and Teacher Perceptions of Aggression in Fifth-Grade Students

Science.gov (United States)

Appleton, Carolyn

2011-01-01

A large body of literature suggests the importance of examining certain high-risk behaviors, particularly aggression (overt/relational), as significant predictors of later outcomes as violence, substance abuse, and some forms of psychopathology. The literature also shows that agreement on these high-risk behaviors is inconsistent across raters.…

12 CFR 704.16 - Contracts/written agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Contracts/written agreements. 704.16 Section 704.16 Banks and Banking NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS AFFECTING CREDIT UNIONS CORPORATE CREDIT UNIONS § 704.16 Contracts/written agreements. Services, facilities, personnel, or equipment...

12 CFR 725.21 - Modification of agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Modification of agreements. 725.21 Section 725.21 Banks and Banking NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS AFFECTING CREDIT UNIONS NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION CENTRAL LIQUIDITY FACILITY § 725.21 Modification of agreements. The...

75 FR 40837 - Notice of Agreements Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-14

... filing of the following agreements under the Shipping Act of 1984. Interested parties may submit comments... & Construction Co., Ltd. and Discovery Sun Partnership Space Agreement. Parties: Discovery Sun Partnership and... Discovery Sun Partnership to provide space to Tropical Shipping & Construction Co., Ltd. in the trade...

Opening the Black Box of Trade Agreements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kohl, Tristan; De Lombaerde, Philippe; Saucedo Accosta, Edgar J.

2017-01-01

In this chapter the author presents a coding methodology to capture the heterogeneity of trade agreements and to facilitate quantitative analysis departing from qualitative legal differences in trade agreements. The coding is based on whether the provisions of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are

LACK OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN GAS EXCHANGE VARIABLES MEASURED BY TWO METABOLIC SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DjordjeG. Jakovljevic

2008-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to assess the agreement and consistency between gas exchange variables measured by two online metabolic systems during an incremental exercise test. After obtaining local ethics approval and informed consent, 15 healthy subjects performed an incremental exercise test to volitional fatigue using the Bruce protocol. The Innocor (Innovision, Denmark and CardiO2 (Medical Graphics, USA systems were placed in series, with the Innocor mouthpiece attached to the pneumotach of the CardiO2. Metabolic data were analysed during the last 30 seconds of each stage and at peak exercise. There were non- significant differences (p > 0.05 between the two systems in estimation of oxygen consumption (VO2 and in minute ventilation (VE. Mean Cronbach's alpha for VO2 and VE were 0.88 and 0.92. The Bland-Altman analysis revealed that limits of agreement were -0.52 to 0.55 l.min-1 for VO2, and -8.74 to 10.66 l.min-1 for VE. Carbon dioxide production (VCO2 and consequently respiratory exchange ratio (RER measured by the Innocor were significantly lower (p < 0.05 through all stages. The CardiO2 measured fraction of expired carbon dioxide (FeCO2 significantly higher (p < 0.05. The limits of agreement for VO2 and VE are wide and unacceptable in cardio-pulmonary exercise testing. The Innocor reported VCO2 systematically lower. Therefore the Innocor and CardiO2 metabolic systems cannot be used interchangeably without affecting the diagnosis of an individual patient. Results from the present study support previous suggestion that considerable care is needed when comparing metabolic data obtained from different automated metabolic systems.

75 FR 37438 - Minnesota Rural Health Cooperative; Analysis of the Agreement Containing Consent Order to Aid...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-29

... benefit consumers; and (2) the price agreements are reasonably necessary to realize those efficiencies... behavior, none of the programs creates enforceable obligations for physicians to improve their clinical... engage in them on its own without any involvement from the other clinics. Finally, the challenged conduct...

Gas tax/public transit annual expenditure report pursuant to the agreement on the transfer of federal gas tax revenue and the agreement on the transfer of public transit funds for the period April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binnie, B.; Taylor, R.; Gibson, B.

2007-09-01

Federal funding initiatives for local infrastructure and capacity building was discussed with particular reference to the unique partnerships between the Canada-British Columbia Agreement on the transfer of federal gas tax revenues and the Canada-British Columbia agreement on the transfer of funds for public transit. The agreements reflect the nature of intergovernmental relations in British Columbia where the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) works together with both federal and provincial governments to promote sustainable communities. This report identified the initiatives that are underway in communities across British Columbia as they begin to implement Gas Tax and Public Transit funded projects. These projects span a broad range of eligible project categories. The leadership role taken by local governments in the province to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was highlighted. Some of the 141 projects reported in 2007 were highlighted in this report, including improvement to public transit in the District of Saanich; TransLink bus replacement and expansion; cycling and pedestrian infrastructure; improvements to local roads and bridges; alternative energy retrofits; collection of solid waste; improvement to water systems; stormwater and wastewater treatment; capacity building; watershed protection; and water acquisition strategies. Of the projects reported, 33 per cent anticipated gas tax spending in more than 1 year, indicating either payment of capital costs as they are incurred during a construction period that spans beyond a single year, or use of gas tax funding towards the debt servicing costs related to the eligible project. tabs., figs

Agreement on Agriculture in the Uruguay Round of GATT, The

OpenAIRE

Zuhair A. Hassan

1994-01-01

The Uruguay Round is the eighth round of multilateral trade negotiations (MTN) under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The previous seven rounds produced significant reductions in tariffs on manufactured goods, but little or no progress was made in opening international markets for agricultural trade (see Appendix A0. However, the distortions in international agricultural trade and domestic agricultural production and the increasing budgetary outlays prompted trade ministers ...

Complexity Matters: On Gender Agreement in Heritage Scandinavian

Science.gov (United States)

Johannessen, Janne Bondi; Larsson, Ida

2015-01-01

This paper investigates aspects of the noun phrase from a Scandinavian heritage language perspective, with an emphasis on noun phrase-internal gender agreement and noun declension. Our results are somewhat surprising compared with earlier research: We find that noun phrase-internal agreement for the most part is rather stable. To the extent that we find attrition, it affects agreement in the noun phrase, but not the declension of the noun. We discuss whether this means that gender is lost and has been reduced to a pure declension class, or whether gender is retained. We argue that gender is actually retained in these heritage speakers. One argument for this is that the speakers who lack agreement in complex noun phrases, have agreement intact in simpler phrases. We have thus found that the complexity of the noun phrase is crucial for some speakers. However, among the heritage speakers we also find considerable inter-individual variation, and different speakers can have partly different systems. PMID:26733114

Voluntary agreements between government and business - a scoping review of the literature with specific reference to the Public Health Responsibility Deal.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryden, Anna; Petticrew, Mark; Mays, Nicholas; Eastmure, Elizabeth; Knai, Cecile

2013-05-01

A scoping review was conducted to synthesise the findings of evaluations of voluntary agreements between business and government. It aimed to summarise the types of agreements that exist, how they work in practice, the conditions for their success and how they had been evaluated. Voluntary agreements were included if they involved a transparent signing-up process and where businesses agreed to carry out specific actions or to achieve specific outcomes. Studies of any design published in English were included. 47 studies were identified. Voluntary agreements may help to improve relationships between government and business, and can help both parties agree on target-setting and data-sharing. Governments may also use the experience to help develop subsequent legislation. For voluntary agreements to be successful, targets should be ambitious and clearly defined, with robust independent monitoring. Public knowledge of agreements can help encourage participation and ensure compliance. If properly implemented and monitored, voluntary agreements can be an effective policy approach, though there is little evidence on whether they are more effective than compulsory approaches. Some of the most effective voluntary agreements include substantial disincentives for non-participation and sanctions for non-compliance. Many countries are moving towards these more formal approaches to voluntary agreements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Co-operation Agreement relating to LHC Commissioning

CERN Multimedia

2005-01-01

CERN Director-General Robert Aymar and Ryszard Tadeusiewicz, the Rector of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow, after signing the agreement. On 29 July, the Rector of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow, Ryszard Tadeusiewicz, and CERN Director-General Robert Aymar signed a collaboration agreement relating to the commissioning of the instrumentation and monitoring equipment for the LHC cryogenic system. Under the agreement, a team consisting of a dozen physicists, engineers and technicians from the AGH University in Cracow will lend a helping hand to the teams at CERN for the commissioning of the cryogenic system in the tunnel. This is the first in what will be a series of agreements relating to the commissioning of the LHC's various systems. From the end of this year until the summer of 2007, CERN will require reinforcements of physicists, engineers and technicians in order to complete the many tasks associated with the start-up of the accelerator. CERN is therefore pre...

Creating Significant Learning Experiences across Disciplines

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Laura E.; Fallahi, Carolyn R.; Nicoll-Senft, Joan M.; Tessier, Jack T.; Watson, Cheryl L.; Wood, Rebecca M.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to use Fink's (2003) taxonomy of significant learning to redesign courses and assess student learning. Significant improvements were found across the semester for students in the six courses, but there were differences in which taxa showed improvement in each course. The meta-analysis showed significant, positive…

Challenges on preparing unitization agreements in Brazil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ribeiro, Marilda Rosado de Sa [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Faculdade de Direito; Appi, Valeria Tiriba [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2004-07-01

As a further stage of the new oil and gas industry in Brazil, various challenges are now faced as an outcome from the O and G projects progress, under the legal framework in force in Brazil. Among all are the first unitization processes, which require a set of steps to be performed in order to achieve a unitization agreement. The paper aims at analyzing the legal, technical and drafting issues to be dealt with in such agreements. After a brief introduction to the general issues at stake in the unitization agreements the study shall encompass a follow up of the sequence of events to be complied with. One could mention the settlement of the criteria onto calculations to serve as guidelines for the negotiations will be based on. That, is usually based on concepts as oil in place, possible O and G in the reservoir, or reserve, which must be agreed by all involved parties. Another possible step to be considered is the creation of a common database, in order to permit fast decisions and optimise E and P operations in the unitized area. Other concerns should be addressed, depending on the amount of O and G to be produced from the unitized area, as: the avoidance of multiple redeterminations aiming to decrease unnecessary expenditures, which could jeopardize the arising project profitability; and the recalculations of Government take, royalties and other incumbencies, to be shared by all involved parties. The paper shall also mention the experience of other countries trying to adopt, where applicable and compatible with the best practices of the oil industry, solutions adopted where tradition in oil and gas is more mature. It should be considered that, in each bidding round the Brazilian Concession Agreement has undergone changes, therefore during an unitization process with two different versions of the Concession Agreement differences between corresponding clauses will have to be faced. Comments should also be made about satellite agreements, encompassing O and G buying

Analysis of agreement between cardiac risk stratification protocols applied to participants of a center for cardiac rehabilitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana A. S. Santos

2016-01-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Background Cardiac risk stratification is related to the risk of the occurrence of events induced by exercise. Despite the existence of several protocols to calculate risk stratification, studies indicating that there is similarity between these protocols are still unknown. Objective To evaluate the agreement between the existing protocols on cardiac risk rating in cardiac patients. Method The records of 50 patients from a cardiac rehabilitation program were analyzed, from which the following information was extracted: age, sex, weight, height, clinical diagnosis, medical history, risk factors, associated diseases, and the results from the most recent laboratory and complementary tests performed. This information was used for risk stratification of the patients in the protocols of the American College of Sports Medicine, the Brazilian Society of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the protocol designed by Frederic J. Pashkow, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, the Société Française de Cardiologie, and the Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample and the analysis of agreement between the protocols was calculated using the Kappa coefficient. Differences were considered with a significance level of 5%. Results Of the 21 analyses of agreement, 12 were considered significant between the protocols used for risk classification, with nine classified as moderate and three as low. No agreements were classified as excellent. Different proportions were observed in each risk category, with significant differences between the protocols for all risk categories. Conclusion The agreements between the protocols were considered low and moderate and the risk proportions differed between protocols.

78 FR 6188 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Free Trade Agreement-Colombia

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-29

... Promotion Agreement. This Trade Promotion Agreement is a free trade agreement (FTA) that provides for... 77 FR 27548 on May 10, 2012, to implement the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement... and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). E.O. 13563 emphasizes the importance of...

Methylphenidate significantly improves declarative memory functioning of adults with ADHD.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verster, J.C.; Bekker, E.M.; Kooij, J.J.; Buitelaar, J.K.; Verbaten, M.N.; Volkerts, E.R.; Olivier, B.

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: Declarative memory deficits are common in untreated adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but limited evidence exists to support improvement after treatment with methylphenidate. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of methylphenidate on memory

32 CFR 22.215 - Distinguishing grants and cooperative agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... GRANT AND AGREEMENT REGULATIONS DoD GRANTS AND AGREEMENTS-AWARD AND ADMINISTRATION Selecting the... than an absolute, concept, and that it is primarily based on programmatic factors, rather than requirements for grant or cooperative agreement award or administration. For example, substantial involvement...

78 FR 60191 - United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-01

... Trade Promotion Agreement AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security... tariff treatment and other customs-related provisions of the United States- Colombia Trade Promotion... States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (``CTPA'' or ``Agreement''), and on June 28, 2007, the Parties...

77 FR 64031 - United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-18

... Trade Promotion Agreement AGENCIES: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security... tariff treatment and other customs-related provisions of the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement... other customs-related provisions of the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA). Please...

Paris agreement in the light of the objectives and principles of the contemporary policy and environmental law

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Todić Dragoljub

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The author points to the overall context of the discussion about the problems related to Climate change. The paper analyzes the provisions of the Paris Agreement, adopted on the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (Paris, December, 2015. The overall context of the discussion is determined by the content and significance of the objectives and principles defined in the Paris Agreement in relation to the goals and principles of the contemporary policy and environmental law in general. Particular emphasis is given to the place and importance of the objectives related to human rights (the right to a healthy environment and sustainable development. The central part of the paper examines the significance of the objectives and principles in the field of the climate change that are contained in the provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change with the Kyoto Protocol and other relevant international agreements relevant to climate change that were adopted prior to the Paris Agreement. Further on, the provisions of the Paris Agreement are analyzed, and in particular the parts relating to the objectives and principles. The last part of the paper gives an overview of the relevance of the solutions contained in the Paris Agreement for the Republic of Serbia. Paper provides an overview of the basic strategic and normative elements of national policy in the field of climate change, including the question of objectives and principles. In addition to that it considers the thesis that Paris agreement, aside from the elements of the continuity as the successor of the Kyoto protocol, contains a new element regarding goals and principles of international community's activities in the climate change field.

Surrounding circumstances and custom: Extrinsic evidence in the interpretation of oil and gas industry agreements in Alberta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hardy, D.E. (Ballem, McDill, MacInnes and Eden, Calgary, AB (Canada))

1989-01-01

The oil and gas industry is built on agreements. When the inevitable disuputes arise as to the rights and obligations of the parties under these agreements, the courts are often called upon to construe the agreements. During such litigation, an issue which often arises is the extent to which evidence outside the agreement can be used as an aid to interpretation. The courts use the parol evidence rule to determine this issue. The purpose of this paper is to consider two exceptions to the parole evidence rule, the exceptions for surrounding circumstances and for custom, which are argued frequently in oil and gas industry litigation as grounds for the admission of extrinsic evidence to aid in the interpretation of written agreements. While the issue of whether or not evidence is admissible under one or both of these exceptions is rarely the central issue in a case, it often plays a significant role in how a court construes a written agreement. The purpose of this paper, then, is to explain the basis for these two exceptions, discover the principles which have developed regarding their application in Alberta courts, and describe some of the difficulties which may be encountered in their application. As well as illustrating the principles governing the application of the surrounding circumstances and custom exceptions, the case authority surveyed in this paper illustrates two important facts about the application of these exceptions to the parol evidence rule. The first is that a court's decision on whether or not to admit evidence under one of these exceptions can have a significant impact on how that court construes an agreement and, therefore, on the outcome of a dispute. The second is that difficulties exist in the way in which some courts have applied the exceptions.

Evaluating the agreement between tumour volumetry and the estimated volumes of tumour lesions using an algorithm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laubender, Ruediger P. [German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg (Germany); University Hospital Munich - Campus Grosshadern, Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry, and Epidemiology (IBE), Munich (Germany); German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany); Lynghjem, Julia; D' Anastasi, Melvin; Graser, Anno [University Hospital Munich - Campus Grosshadern, Institute for Clinical Radiology, Munich (Germany); Heinemann, Volker; Modest, Dominik P. [University Hospital Munich - Campus Grosshadern, Department of Medical Oncology, Munich (Germany); Mansmann, Ulrich R. [University Hospital Munich - Campus Grosshadern, Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry, and Epidemiology (IBE), Munich (Germany); Sartorius, Ute; Schlichting, Michael [Merck KGaA, Darmstadt (Germany)

2014-07-15

To evaluate the agreement between tumour volume derived from semiautomated volumetry (SaV) and tumor volume defined by spherical volume using longest lesion diameter (LD) according to Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) or ellipsoid volume using LD and longest orthogonal diameter (LOD) according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Twenty patients with metastatic colorectal cancer from the CIOX trial were included. A total of 151 target lesions were defined by baseline computed tomography and followed until disease progression. All assessments were performed by a single reader. A variance component model was used to compare the three volume versions. There was a significant difference between the SaV and RECIST-based tumour volumes. The same model showed no significant difference between the SaV and WHO-based volumes. Scatter plots showed that the RECIST-based volumes overestimate lesion volume. The agreement between the SaV and WHO-based relative changes in tumour volume, evaluated by intraclass correlation, showed nearly perfect agreement. Estimating the volume of metastatic lesions using both the LD and LOD (WHO) is more accurate than those based on LD only (RECIST), which overestimates lesion volume. The good agreement between the SaV and WHO-based relative changes in tumour volume enables a reasonable approximation of three-dimensional tumour burden. (orig.)

The SGLT2 Inhibitor Dapagliflozin Significantly Improves the Peripheral Microvascular Endothelial Function in Patients with Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugiyama, Seigo; Jinnouchi, Hideaki; Kurinami, Noboru; Hieshima, Kunio; Yoshida, Akira; Jinnouchi, Katsunori; Nishimura, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Tomoko; Miyamoto, Fumio; Kajiwara, Keizo; Jinnouchi, Tomio

2018-03-30

Objective Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduce cardiovascular events and decrease the body fat mass in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We examined whether or not the SGLT2-inhibitor dapagliflozin can improve the endothelial function associated with a reduction in abdominal fat mass. Methods We prospectively recruited patients with uncontrolled (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] >7.0%) T2DM who were not being treated by SGLT2 inhibitors. Patients were treated with add-on dapagliflozin (5 mg/day) or non-SGLT2 inhibitor medicines for 6 months to improve their HbA1c. We measured the peripheral microvascular endothelial function as assessed by reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT) and calculated the natural logarithmic transformed value of the RH-PAT index (LnRHI). We then investigated changes in the LnRHI and abdominal fat area using computed tomography (CT). Results The subjects were 54 patients with uncontrolled T2DM (72.2% men) with a mean HbA1c of 8.1%. The HbA1c was significantly decreased in both groups, with no significant difference between the groups. Dapagliflozin treatment, but not non-SGLT2 inhibitor treatment, significantly increased the LnRHI. The changes in the LnRHI were significantly greater in the dapagliflozin group than in the non-SGLT2 inhibitor group. Dapagliflozin treatment, but not non-SGLT2 inhibitor treatment, significantly decreased the abdominal visceral fat area, subcutaneous fat area (SFA), and total fat area (TFA) as assessed by CT and significantly increased the plasma adiponectin levels. The percentage changes in the LnRHI were significantly correlated with changes in the SFA, TFA, systolic blood pressure, and adiponectin. Conclusion Add-on treatment with dapagliflozin significantly improves the glycemic control and endothelial function associated with a reduction in the abdominal fat mass in patients with uncontrolled T2DM.

Characteristics and allowed behaviors of gay male couples' sexual agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Jason W

2014-01-01

Research has shown that gay male couples' sexual agreements may affect their risk for HIV. Few U.S. studies have collected dyadic data nationally from gay male couples to assess what sexual behaviors they allow to occur by agreement type and the sequence of when certain behaviors occur within their relationships. In our cross-sectional study, dyadic data from a convenience sample of 361 male couples were collected electronically throughout the United States by using paid Facebook ads. Findings revealed that couples discussed their HIV status before having unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) but established their agreement some time after having UAI. About half of the couples (N = 207) concurred about having an agreement. Among these couples, 58% concurred about explicitly discussing their agreement, 84% concurred about having the same type of agreement, and 54% had both men adhering to it. A variety of sexual behaviors were endorsed and varied by agreement type. Concordance about aspects of couples' agreements varied, suggesting the need to engage couples to be more explicit and detailed when establishing and communicating about their agreements. The allowed behaviors and primary reasons for establishing and breaking sexual agreements further highlight the need to bolster HIV prevention for gay male couples.

77 FR 35680 - Notice of Agreement Filed

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-14

... or [email protected] . Agreement No.: 201215. Title: Port of Los Angeles Data Delivery Agreement. Parties: Port of Los Angeles; PierPass Inc.; APM Terminals Pacific; California United Terminals, Inc... data to the Port of Los Angeles by the participating marine terminal operators and PierPass Inc., and...

5 CFR 575.110 - Service agreement requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... agreement commencement date until after the employee completes an initial period of formal training or... specify that if an employee does not successfully complete the training or probationary period before the... the employee. (c) The service agreement must specify the total amount of the incentive, the method of...

Hubs and spokes in Regional Trade Agreements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vaal, A. de

2017-01-01

In the plethora of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) some countries are involved in much more RTAs than others. Furthermore, some countries take in a position as a hub: they have trade agreements with many other countries, while their partner countries are much less involved in RTA relations. Even

Protecting the autonomy of states to enact tobacco control measures under trade and investment agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Andrew; Sheargold, Elizabeth

2015-06-01

Since the adoption of the WHO's WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, governments have been pursuing progressively stronger and more wide-reaching tobacco control measures. In response, tobacco companies are frequently using international trade and investment agreements as tools to challenge domestic tobacco control measures. Several significant new trade and investment agreements that some fear may provide new legal avenues to the tobacco industry to challenge health measures are currently under negotiation, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (a 12 party agreement of Asia-Pacific regional countries) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (an agreement between the USA and the European Union). This commentary examines different options for treaty provisions that the parties could employ in these agreements to minimise legal risks relating to tobacco control measures. It recommends that parties take a comprehensive approach, combining provisions that minimise the potential costs of litigation with provisions that increase the likelihood of a state successfully defending tobacco control measures in such litigation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Agreements process: problems and opportunities for the states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunter, T.

1985-01-01

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (the Act) directs the Secretary of the US Department of Energy (US DOE) to consult and cooperate with the Governor and legislature of each state within which a candidate site for a nuclear waste repository may exist. The Act further directs USDOE to begin negotiations and to seek to enter into a binding written agreement to address specific concerns of any candidate state which requests such an agreement or within which a site has been approved for site characterization. The written agreements are to address at least the eleven topic areas specified in the Act and are to be completed within six months if possible. The author has been a negotiator for the State of Washington in the repository siting agreements process over the past year. The experience of the author has shown that the agreements process as contemplated by the Act bears little resemblance to the institutional interaction process of the state and federal government on matters relating to consideration of the state for a nuclear waste repository. This paper seeks to analyze the agreements process as it has developed in one state, and identify the problems and opportunities in that process so that other states and USDOE may learn from that experience

Implementing the Kyoto Protocol. The role of environmental agreements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torvanger, Asbjoern; Skodvin, Tora

1999-09-01

This report examines under what circumstances voluntary agreements to curb greenhouse gas emissions could be an attractive policy option from the government`s perspective. The report begins by defining the term Environmental Agreement (EA) and then explores EAs in three steps: (1) Advantages and disadvantages of EAs compared to other policy tools (direct regulation, taxes and tradable permits), based on theoretical studies and experience from practical use, (2) The potential of EAs as an international policy tool, either in a bilateral or regional setting, (3) The attractiveness of EAs to implement the Kyoto Protocol, and the relation to joint implementation and international emissions trading. The main conclusions are: (1) Experience from OECD countries suggests that EAs are most attractive as a supplement to traditional command and control, or to market-based policy tools. (2) Skillful design of EAs can improve their efficiency. (3) Bilateral EAs is an interesting policy option to regulate pollution from other countries. (4) Regional EAs are rare but could have important advantages. (5) EAs can play a role in a soft transition stage from traditional command and control to domestic emission trading, and further on to a Kyoto Protocol regime of emission trading and joint implementation. 52 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.

Managing Regional Collaboration in Higher Education: The Case of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Science.gov (United States)

Crespo, Manuel

2000-01-01

Describes accomplishments in increasing collaboration in higher education within the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Analyzes procedures for determining equivalencies of courses and degrees and for improving transnational mobility of students and professors. Also discusses the role of the private sector in research, education and…

78 FR 63052 - United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-23

...-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland... Trade Promotion Agreement entered into by the United States and the Republic of Panama. DATES: Interim... and the Republic of Panama (the ``Parties'') signed the United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement...

48 CFR 217.7103 - Master agreements and job orders.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Master agreements and job... SYSTEM, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES SPECIAL CONTRACTING METHODS Master Agreement for Repair and Alteration of Vessels 217.7103 Master agreements and job orders. ...

24 CFR 266.505 - Regulatory agreement requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... force for the duration of the insured mortgage and note or bond. The Regulatory Agreement must include a... Project Management and Servicing § 266.505 Regulatory agreement requirements. (a) General. (1) The HFA... payments due under the mortgage and note/bond. (2) Where necessary, establish a sinking fund for future...

13 CFR 120.400 - Loan Guarantee Agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Loan Guarantee Agreements. 120.400 Section 120.400 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Lenders § 120... specific proposed loan that a Lender may submit. The existence of a Loan Guarantee Agreement does not limit...

Strategic planning of an integrated program for state oversight agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walzer, A.E.; Cothron, T.K.

1991-01-01

Among the barrage of agreements faced by federal facilities are the State Oversight Agreements (known as Agreements in Principle in many states). These agreements between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the states fund the states to conduct independent environmental monitoring and oversight which requires plans, studies, inventories, models, and reports from DOE and its management and operating contractors. Many states have signed such agreements, including Tennessee, Kentucky, Washington, Idaho, Colorado, California, and Florida. This type of oversight agreement originated in Colorado as a result of environmental concerns at the Rocky Flats Plant. The 5-year State Oversight Agreements for Tennessee and Kentucky became effective on May 13, 1991, and fund these states nearly $21 million and $7 million, respectively. Implementation of these open-quotes comprehensive and integratedclose quotes agreements is particularly complex in Tennessee where the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation houses three installations with distinctly different missions. The program development and strategic planning required for coordinating and integrating a program of this magnitude is discussed. Included are the organizational structure and interfaces required to define and coordinate program elements across plants and to also effectively negotiate scope and schedules with the state. The planned Program Management Plan, which will contain implementation and procedural guidelines, and the management control system for detailed tracking of activities and costs are outlined. Additionally, issues inherent in the nature of the agreements and implementation of a program of this magnitude are discussed. Finally, a comparison of the agreements for Tennessee, Kentucky, Colorado, and Idaho is made to gain a better understanding of the similarities and differences in State Oversight Agreements to aid in implementation of these agreements

Agreement on technology? Exploring the political feasibility of technology-oriented agreements and their compatibility with cap-and-trade approaches to address climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Coninck, H.C.; Bakker, S.; Van der Zwaan, B.; Junginger, M.; Kuik, O.; Massey, E.

2007-11-01

Climate change has been on the international policy agenda since the UNFCCC was agreed in 1992. The Kyoto Protocol was the UNFCCC's answer to the call for measures and has been effective in establishing an international carbon market and reducing emissions in some countries and regions. A follow-up of the Kyoto Protocol is currently under discussion. In theory, the economically most efficient form of a global agreement is a global cap-and-trade agreement. It remains highly uncertain whether an effective global climate regime fully founded on another cap-and-trade type of agreement is politically feasible. In addition, it has been suggested that a new agreement would have to be more effective in promoting technology development and diffusion. This report explores the compatibility of a cap-and trade regime with a different form of international agreements to address climate change: technology-oriented agreements (TOAs)

48 CFR 225.7303-3 - Government-to-government agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Military Sales 225.7303-3 Government-to-government agreements. If a government-to-government agreement... support of a specifically defined weapon system, major end item, or support item, contains language in conflict with the provisions of this section, the language of the government-to-government agreement...

On the security of a novel key agreement protocol based on chaotic maps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiang Tao; Wong, K.-W.; Liao Xiaofeng

2009-01-01

Recently, Xiao et al. proposed a novel key agreement protocol based on Chebyshev chaotic map. In this paper, the security of the protocol is analyzed, and two attack methods can be found in different scenarios. The essential principle of Xiao et al.'s scheme is summarized. It is also pointed out with proof that any attempt along this line to improve the security of Chebyshev map is redundant.

26 CFR 301.6363-1 - State agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...) Opinion by State Attorney General or judgment of highest court. A written statement by the State Attorney... agreements. (a) Notice of election. If a State elects to enter into a State agreement it shall file notice of such election with the Secretary or his delegate. The notice of election shall include the following...

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Mexican nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Squires, Allison

2011-03-01

In the context of nurse migration, experts view trade agreements as either vehicles for facilitating migration or as contributing to brain-drain phenomena. Using a case study design, this study explored the effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on the development of Mexican nursing. Drawing results from a general thematic analysis of 48 interviews with Mexican nurses and 410 primary and secondary sources, findings show that NAFTA changed the relationship between the State and Mexican nursing. The changed relationship improved the infrastructure capable of producing and monitoring nursing human resources in Mexico. It did not lead to the mass migration of Mexican nurses to the United States and Canada. At the same time, the economic instability provoked by the peso crisis of 1995 slowed the implementation of planned advances. Subsequent neoliberal reforms decreased nurses' security as workers by minimizing access to full-time positions with benefits, and decreased wages. This article discusses the linkages of these events and the effects on Mexican nurses and the development of the profession. The findings have implications for nursing human resources policy-making and trade in services.

Trade agreements and access to drugs in Peru

OpenAIRE

Llamoza, Javier; Químico Farmacéutico, Acción Internacional para la Salud, Lima, Perú.

2009-01-01

Through Free Trade Agreements, the economies of the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) have been achieving a higher standard of protection of the intellectual property rights. This increases unduly the monopolist rights of the industry, restricting competition and limiting the access of new generic drugs. Peru has not been the exception to this process, subscribing a free trade agreement with the USA called Agreement of Commercial Promotion (APC) that involved the ...

47 CFR 76.1805 - Alternative rate regulation agreements.

Science.gov (United States)