Global floor planning approach for VLSI design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LaPotin, D.P.

1986-01-01

Within a hierarchical design environment, initial decisions regarding the partitioning and choice of module attributes greatly impact the quality of the resulting IC in terms of area and electrical performance. This dissertation presents a global floor-planning approach which allows designers to quickly explore layout issues during the initial stages of the IC design process. In contrast to previous efforts, which address the floor-planning problem from a strict module placement point of view, this approach considers floor-planning from an area planning point of view. The approach is based upon a combined min-cut and slicing paradigm, which ensures routability. To provide flexibility, modules may be specified as having a number of possible dimensions and orientations, and I/O pads as well as layout constraints are considered. A slicing-tree representation is employed, upon which a sequence of traversal operations are applied in order to obtain an area efficient layout. An in-place partitioning technique, which provides an improvement over previous min-cut and slicing-based efforts, is discussed. Global routing and module I/O pin assignment are provided for floor-plan evaluation purposes. A computer program, called Mason, has been developed which efficiently implements the approach and provides an interactive environment for designers to perform floor-planning. Performance of this program is illustrated via several industrial examples

PARETO: A novel evolutionary optimization approach to multiobjective IMRT planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiege, Jason; McCurdy, Boyd; Potrebko, Peter; Champion, Heather; Cull, Andrew

2011-09-01

In radiation therapy treatment planning, the clinical objectives of uniform high dose to the planning target volume (PTV) and low dose to the organs-at-risk (OARs) are invariably in conflict, often requiring compromises to be made between them when selecting the best treatment plan for a particular patient. In this work, the authors introduce Pareto-Aware Radiotherapy Evolutionary Treatment Optimization (pareto), a multiobjective optimization tool to solve for beam angles and fluence patterns in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment planning. pareto is built around a powerful multiobjective genetic algorithm (GA), which allows us to treat the problem of IMRT treatment plan optimization as a combined monolithic problem, where all beam fluence and angle parameters are treated equally during the optimization. We have employed a simple parameterized beam fluence representation with a realistic dose calculation approach, incorporating patient scatter effects, to demonstrate feasibility of the proposed approach on two phantoms. The first phantom is a simple cylindrical phantom containing a target surrounded by three OARs, while the second phantom is more complex and represents a paraspinal patient. pareto results in a large database of Pareto nondominated solutions that represent the necessary trade-offs between objectives. The solution quality was examined for several PTV and OAR fitness functions. The combination of a conformity-based PTV fitness function and a dose-volume histogram (DVH) or equivalent uniform dose (EUD) -based fitness function for the OAR produced relatively uniform and conformal PTV doses, with well-spaced beams. A penalty function added to the fitness functions eliminates hotspots. Comparison of resulting DVHs to those from treatment plans developed with a single-objective fluence optimizer (from a commercial treatment planning system) showed good correlation. Results also indicated that pareto shows promise in optimizing the number

Heuristic knowledge-based planning for single-isocenter stereotactic radiosurgery to multiple brain metastases.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziemer, Benjamin P; Sanghvi, Parag; Hattangadi-Gluth, Jona; Moore, Kevin L

2017-10-01

Single-isocenter, volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for multiple brain metastases (multimets) can deliver highly conformal dose distributions and reduce overall patient treatment time compared to other techniques. However, treatment planning for multimet cases is highly complex due to variability in numbers and sizes of brain metastases, as well as their relative proximity to organs-at-risk (OARs). The purpose of this study was to automate the VMAT planning of multimet cases through a knowledge-based planning (KBP) approach that adapts single-target SRS dose predictions to multiple target predictions. Using a previously published artificial neural network (ANN) KBP system trained on single-target, linac-based SRS plans, 3D dose distribution predictions for multimet patients were obtained by treating each brain lesion as a solitary target and subsequently combining individual dose predictions into a single distribution. Spatial dose distributions di(r→) for each of the i = 1…N lesions were merged using the combination function d(r→)=∑iNdin(r→)1/n. The optimal value of n was determined by minimizing root-mean squared (RMS) difference between clinical multimet plans and predicted dose per unit length along the line profile joining each lesion in the clinical cohort. The gradient measure GM=[3/4π]1/3V50%1/3-V100%1/3 is the primary quality metric for SRS plan evaluation at our institution and served as the main comparative metric between clinical plans and the KBP results. A total of 41 previously treated multimet plans, with target numbers ranging from N = 2-10, were used to validate the ANN predictions and subsequent KBP auto-planning routine. Fully deliverable KBP plans were developed by converting predicted dose distribution into patient-specific optimization objectives for the clinical treatment planning system (TPS). Plan parity was maintained through identical arc configuration and target normalization. Overall

Theoretical orientations in environmental planning: An inquiry into alternative approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Briassoulis, Helen

1989-07-01

In the process of devising courses of action to resolve problems arising at the society-environment interface, a variety of planning approaches are followed, whose adoption is influenced by—among other things—the characteristics of environmental problems, the nature of the decision-making context, and the intellectual traditions of the disciplines contributing to the study of these problems. This article provides a systematic analysis of six alternative environmental planning approaches—comprehensive/rational, incremental, adaptive, contingency, advocacy, and participatory/consensual. The relative influence of the abovementioned factors is examined, the occurrence of these approaches in real-world situations is noted, and their environmental soundness and political realism is evaluated. Because of the disparity between plan formulation and implementation and between theoretical form and empirical reality, a synthetic view of environmental planning approaches is taken and approaches in action are identified, which characterize the totality of the planning process from problem definition to plan implementation, as well as approaches in the becoming, which may be on the horizon of environmental planning of tomorrow. The suggested future research directions include case studies to verify and detail the presence of the approaches discussed, developing measures of success of a given approach in a given decision setting, and an intertemporal analysis of environmental planning approaches.

Implementing corporate wellness programs: a business approach to program planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Helmer, D C; Dunn, L M; Eaton, K; Macedonio, C; Lubritz, L

1995-11-01

1. Support of key decision makers is critical to the successful implementation of a corporate wellness program. Therefore, the program implementation plan must be communicated in a format and language readily understood by business people. 2. A business approach to corporate wellness program planning provides a standardized way to communicate the implementation plan. 3. A business approach incorporates the program planning components in a format that ranges from general to specific. This approach allows for flexibility and responsiveness to changes in program planning. 4. Components of the business approach are the executive summary, purpose, background, ground rules, approach, requirements, scope of work, schedule, and financials.

Corridor X in Serbia: Approach to spatial planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milijić Saša

2003-01-01

Full Text Available For the infrastructural corridor's area, of the national importance, is predicted making spatial plans of area of special use, as the most complex instruments for the developing and arranging management of these areas. These plans should have an integrative and problem-oriented approach towards development planning and arrangement of such an area, and it is obliged to include: a complex evaluation of state and function of infrastructural system in the corridor; an analysis of infrastructural corridor influence on the development of the planning area and its surrounding; an alternative conception of long-term protection, improvement, organization and use of the planning area; a choice of the priorities and assumption of the realization phases; instructions for the implementation of the plan etc. The approach in making of this category of plans, as well as, experiences in planning, arrangement and use of multimodal corridors, have been considered on the example of Spatial plan of the infrastructural corridor E-75 section Belgrade-Nis area.

Green Infrastructure and German Landscape Planning: A Comparison of Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catalina VIEIRA MEJÍA

2015-11-01

Full Text Available A variety of similarities between green infrastructure and the German landscape planning can be found in comparing the approaches of the two planning instruments. Principles of green infrastructure such as multifunctionality, the multi-scale approach and connectivity show correspondences with landscape planning elements. However, some differences are apparent. The objective of this paper is to determine whether the main aims of these two frameworks overlap. It also seeks to deduce what benefits from ecosystem services could be provided by integrating the green infrastructure approach into the German landscape planning system. The results show that the green infrastructure concept is not well-known in German planning practice, although its principles are generally implemented through traditional landscape planning. Nevertheless, green infrastructure could act as a supplementary approach to current landscape planning practices by improving public acceptance and strengthening the social focus of the current landscape planning system.

PARETO: A novel evolutionary optimization approach to multiobjective IMRT planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiege, Jason; McCurdy, Boyd; Potrebko, Peter; Champion, Heather; Cull, Andrew

2011-01-01

Purpose: In radiation therapy treatment planning, the clinical objectives of uniform high dose to the planning target volume (PTV) and low dose to the organs-at-risk (OARs) are invariably in conflict, often requiring compromises to be made between them when selecting the best treatment plan for a particular patient. In this work, the authors introduce Pareto-Aware Radiotherapy Evolutionary Treatment Optimization (pareto), a multiobjective optimization tool to solve for beam angles and fluence patterns in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment planning. Methods: pareto is built around a powerful multiobjective genetic algorithm (GA), which allows us to treat the problem of IMRT treatment plan optimization as a combined monolithic problem, where all beam fluence and angle parameters are treated equally during the optimization. We have employed a simple parameterized beam fluence representation with a realistic dose calculation approach, incorporating patient scatter effects, to demonstrate feasibility of the proposed approach on two phantoms. The first phantom is a simple cylindrical phantom containing a target surrounded by three OARs, while the second phantom is more complex and represents a paraspinal patient. Results: pareto results in a large database of Pareto nondominated solutions that represent the necessary trade-offs between objectives. The solution quality was examined for several PTV and OAR fitness functions. The combination of a conformity-based PTV fitness function and a dose-volume histogram (DVH) or equivalent uniform dose (EUD) -based fitness function for the OAR produced relatively uniform and conformal PTV doses, with well-spaced beams. A penalty function added to the fitness functions eliminates hotspots. Comparison of resulting DVHs to those from treatment plans developed with a single-objective fluence optimizer (from a commercial treatment planning system) showed good correlation. Results also indicated that pareto shows

An Approximation Approach for Solving the Subpath Planning Problem

OpenAIRE

Safilian, Masoud; Tashakkori, S. Mehdi; Eghbali, Sepehr; Safilian, Aliakbar

2016-01-01

The subpath planning problem is a branch of the path planning problem, which has widespread applications in automated manufacturing process as well as vehicle and robot navigation. This problem is to find the shortest path or tour subject for travelling a set of given subpaths. The current approaches for dealing with the subpath planning problem are all based on meta-heuristic approaches. It is well-known that meta-heuristic based approaches have several deficiencies. To address them, we prop...

Vector-model-supported approach in prostate plan optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Eva Sau Fan; Wu, Vincent Wing Cheung; Harris, Benjamin; Lehman, Margot; Pryor, David; Chan, Lawrence Wing Chi

2017-01-01

Lengthy time consumed in traditional manual plan optimization can limit the use of step-and-shoot intensity-modulated radiotherapy/volumetric-modulated radiotherapy (S&S IMRT/VMAT). A vector model base, retrieving similar radiotherapy cases, was developed with respect to the structural and physiologic features extracted from the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) files. Planning parameters were retrieved from the selected similar reference case and applied to the test case to bypass the gradual adjustment of planning parameters. Therefore, the planning time spent on the traditional trial-and-error manual optimization approach in the beginning of optimization could be reduced. Each S&S IMRT/VMAT prostate reference database comprised 100 previously treated cases. Prostate cases were replanned with both traditional optimization and vector-model-supported optimization based on the oncologists' clinical dose prescriptions. A total of 360 plans, which consisted of 30 cases of S&S IMRT, 30 cases of 1-arc VMAT, and 30 cases of 2-arc VMAT plans including first optimization and final optimization with/without vector-model-supported optimization, were compared using the 2-sided t-test and paired Wilcoxon signed rank test, with a significance level of 0.05 and a false discovery rate of less than 0.05. For S&S IMRT, 1-arc VMAT, and 2-arc VMAT prostate plans, there was a significant reduction in the planning time and iteration with vector-model-supported optimization by almost 50%. When the first optimization plans were compared, 2-arc VMAT prostate plans had better plan quality than 1-arc VMAT plans. The volume receiving 35 Gy in the femoral head for 2-arc VMAT plans was reduced with the vector-model-supported optimization compared with the traditional manual optimization approach. Otherwise, the quality of plans from both approaches was comparable. Vector-model-supported optimization was shown to offer much shortened planning time and iteration

Vector-model-supported approach in prostate plan optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Eva Sau Fan [Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane (Australia); Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong); Wu, Vincent Wing Cheung [Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong); Harris, Benjamin [Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane (Australia); Lehman, Margot; Pryor, David [Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane (Australia); School of Medicine, University of Queensland (Australia); Chan, Lawrence Wing Chi, E-mail: wing.chi.chan@polyu.edu.hk [Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong)

2017-07-01

Lengthy time consumed in traditional manual plan optimization can limit the use of step-and-shoot intensity-modulated radiotherapy/volumetric-modulated radiotherapy (S&S IMRT/VMAT). A vector model base, retrieving similar radiotherapy cases, was developed with respect to the structural and physiologic features extracted from the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) files. Planning parameters were retrieved from the selected similar reference case and applied to the test case to bypass the gradual adjustment of planning parameters. Therefore, the planning time spent on the traditional trial-and-error manual optimization approach in the beginning of optimization could be reduced. Each S&S IMRT/VMAT prostate reference database comprised 100 previously treated cases. Prostate cases were replanned with both traditional optimization and vector-model-supported optimization based on the oncologists' clinical dose prescriptions. A total of 360 plans, which consisted of 30 cases of S&S IMRT, 30 cases of 1-arc VMAT, and 30 cases of 2-arc VMAT plans including first optimization and final optimization with/without vector-model-supported optimization, were compared using the 2-sided t-test and paired Wilcoxon signed rank test, with a significance level of 0.05 and a false discovery rate of less than 0.05. For S&S IMRT, 1-arc VMAT, and 2-arc VMAT prostate plans, there was a significant reduction in the planning time and iteration with vector-model-supported optimization by almost 50%. When the first optimization plans were compared, 2-arc VMAT prostate plans had better plan quality than 1-arc VMAT plans. The volume receiving 35 Gy in the femoral head for 2-arc VMAT plans was reduced with the vector-model-supported optimization compared with the traditional manual optimization approach. Otherwise, the quality of plans from both approaches was comparable. Vector-model-supported optimization was shown to offer much shortened planning time and iteration

An Approach for Practical Multiobjective IMRT Treatment Planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craft, David; Halabi, Tarek; Shih, Helen A.; Bortfeld, Thomas

2007-01-01

Purpose: To introduce and demonstrate a practical multiobjective treatment planning procedure for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning. Methods and Materials: The creation of a database of Pareto optimal treatment plans proceeds in two steps. The first step solves an optimization problem that finds a single treatment plan which is close to a set of clinical aspirations. This plan provides an example of what is feasible, and is then used to determine mutually satisfiable hard constraints for the subsequent generation of the plan database. All optimizations are done using linear programming. Results: The two-step procedure is applied to a brain, a prostate, and a lung case. The plan databases created allow for the selection of a final treatment plan based on the observed tradeoffs between the various organs involved. Conclusions: The proposed method reduces the human iteration time common in IMRT treatment planning. Additionally, the database of plans, when properly viewed, allows the decision maker to make an informed final plan selection

A Sociotechnical Systems Approach To Coastal Marine Spatial Planning

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

SYSTEMS APPROACH TO COASTAL MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING by Tyler B. McDonald December 2016 Thesis Advisor: Karen Holness Co-Advisor: Tom...2016 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE A SOCIOTECHNICAL SYSTEMS APPROACH TO COASTAL MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING...engineering perspective and specifically used a sociotechnical systems approach . The research investigated aquaculture permitting from the

A novel approach for multiple mobile objects path planning: Parametrization method and conflict resolution strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Yong; Wang, Hongwei; Zamirian, M.

2012-01-01

We present a new approach containing two steps to determine conflict-free paths for mobile objects in two and three dimensions with moving obstacles. Firstly, the shortest path of each object is set as goal function which is subject to collision-avoidance criterion, path smoothness, and velocity and acceleration constraints. This problem is formulated as calculus of variation problem (CVP). Using parametrization method, CVP is converted to time-varying nonlinear programming problems (TNLPP) and then resolved. Secondly, move sequence of object is assigned by priority scheme; conflicts are resolved by multilevel conflict resolution strategy. Approach efficiency is confirmed by numerical examples. -- Highlights: ► Approach with parametrization method and conflict resolution strategy is proposed. ► Approach fits for multi-object paths planning in two and three dimensions. ► Single object path planning and multi-object conflict resolution are orderly used. ► Path of each object obtained with parameterization method in the first phase. ► Conflict-free paths gained by multi-object conflict resolution in the second phase.

Freshwater conservation planning: the case for systematic approaches

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Linke, S

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The authors review recent advances in systematic conservation planning in fresh waters. Most modern systematic planning approaches are based on the CARE principles: comprehensiveness, adequacy, representativeness and efficiency. Efficiency...

Demand planning approaches employed by clothing industry stakeholders in Gauteng, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ntombizodwa J. Matsoma

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background: The decline in the productivity of the South African clothing industry was attributed to changing trends in the number of clothing production organisations, which together with a decline in manufacturing output and a fluctuation in employment had all contributed to complexities in demand planning. Purpose: This article investigates demand planning approaches in the clothing industry in Gauteng. Method: A descriptive study was conducted based on a structured questionnaire. Findings: The results revealed that both hierarchical and optimal approaches should be considered in clothing manufacturing. Managerial implications: In order to improve demand planning practices in the clothing industry, managers are recommended to apply hierarchical and optimal demand planning approaches, which might bring about improvements to demand planning in the Gauteng clothing industry. Conclusion: It is recommended that clothing manufacturers consider the types of product offering before making decisions about adopting the hierarchical or optimal demand planning approaches. When planning for basic clothes, manufacturers should consider a hierarchical demand planning approach, whereas the optimal demand planning approach is recommended for fashion clothes.

Optimal planning of multiple distributed generation sources in distribution networks: A new approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

AlRashidi, M.R., E-mail: malrash2002@yahoo.com [Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Technological Studies, Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) (Kuwait); AlHajri, M.F., E-mail: mfalhajri@yahoo.com [Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Technological Studies, Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) (Kuwait)

2011-10-15

Highlights: {yields} A new hybrid PSO for optimal DGs placement and sizing. {yields} Statistical analysis to fine tune PSO parameters. {yields} Novel constraint handling mechanism to handle different constraints types. - Abstract: An improved particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) is presented for optimal planning of multiple distributed generation sources (DG). This problem can be divided into two sub-problems: the DG optimal size (continuous optimization) and location (discrete optimization) to minimize real power losses. The proposed approach addresses the two sub-problems simultaneously using an enhanced PSO algorithm capable of handling multiple DG planning in a single run. A design of experiment is used to fine tune the proposed approach via proper analysis of PSO parameters interaction. The proposed algorithm treats the problem constraints differently by adopting a radial power flow algorithm to satisfy the equality constraints, i.e. power flows in distribution networks, while the inequality constraints are handled by making use of some of the PSO features. The proposed algorithm was tested on the practical 69-bus power distribution system. Different test cases were considered to validate the proposed approach consistency in detecting optimal or near optimal solution. Results are compared with those of Sequential Quadratic Programming.

Optimal planning of multiple distributed generation sources in distribution networks: A new approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

AlRashidi, M.R.; AlHajri, M.F.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A new hybrid PSO for optimal DGs placement and sizing. → Statistical analysis to fine tune PSO parameters. → Novel constraint handling mechanism to handle different constraints types. - Abstract: An improved particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) is presented for optimal planning of multiple distributed generation sources (DG). This problem can be divided into two sub-problems: the DG optimal size (continuous optimization) and location (discrete optimization) to minimize real power losses. The proposed approach addresses the two sub-problems simultaneously using an enhanced PSO algorithm capable of handling multiple DG planning in a single run. A design of experiment is used to fine tune the proposed approach via proper analysis of PSO parameters interaction. The proposed algorithm treats the problem constraints differently by adopting a radial power flow algorithm to satisfy the equality constraints, i.e. power flows in distribution networks, while the inequality constraints are handled by making use of some of the PSO features. The proposed algorithm was tested on the practical 69-bus power distribution system. Different test cases were considered to validate the proposed approach consistency in detecting optimal or near optimal solution. Results are compared with those of Sequential Quadratic Programming.

Patient-specific surgical simulator for the pre-operative planning of single-incision laparoscopic surgery with bimanual robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Turini, Giuseppe; Moglia, Andrea; Ferrari, Vincenzo; Ferrari, Mauro; Mosca, Franco

2012-01-01

The trend of surgical robotics is to follow the evolution of laparoscopy, which is now moving towards single-incision laparoscopic surgery. The main drawback of this approach is the limited maneuverability of the surgical tools. Promising solutions to improve the surgeon's dexterity are based on bimanual robots. However, since both robot arms are completely inserted into the patient's body, issues related to possible unwanted collisions with structures adjacent to the target organ may arise. This paper presents a simulator based on patient-specific data for the positioning and workspace evaluation of bimanual surgical robots in the pre-operative planning of single-incision laparoscopic surgery. The simulator, designed for the pre-operative planning of robotic laparoscopic interventions, was tested by five expert surgeons who evaluated its main functionalities and provided an overall rating for the system. The proposed system demonstrated good performance and usability, and was designed to integrate both present and future bimanual surgical robots.

Determination of beam intensity in a single step for IMRT inverse planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chuang, Keh-Shih; Chen, Tzong-Jer; Kuo, Shan-Chi; Jan, Meei-Ling; Hwang, Ing-Ming; Chen, Sharon; Lin, Ying-Chuan; Wu, Jay

2003-01-01

In intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), targets are treated by multiple beams at different orientations each with spatially-modulated beam intensities. This approach spreads the normal tissue dose to a greater volume and produces a higher dose conformation to the target. In general, inverse planning is used for IMRT treatment planning. The inverse planning requires iterative calculation of dose distribution in order to optimize the intensity profile for each beam and is very computation intensive. In this paper, we propose a single-step method utilizing a figure of merit (FoM) to estimate the beam intensities for IMRT treatment planning. The FoM of a ray is defined as the ratio between the delivered tumour dose and normal tissue dose and is a good index for the dose efficacy of the ray. To maximize the beam utility, it is natural to irradiate the tumour with intensity of each ray proportional to the value of the FoM. The nonuniform beam intensity profiles are then fixed and the weights of the beam are determined iteratively in order to yield a uniform tumour dose. In this study, beams are employed at equispaced angles around the patient. Each beam with its field size that just covers the tumour is divided into a fixed number of beamlets. The FoM is calculated for each beamlet and this value is assigned to be the beam intensity. Various weighting factors are incorporated in the FoM computation to accommodate different clinical considerations. Two clinical datasets are used to test the feasibility of the algorithm. The resultant dose-volume histograms of this method are presented and compared to that of conformal therapy. Preliminary results indicate that this method reduces the critical organ doses at a small expense of uniformity in tumour dose distribution. This method estimates the beam intensity in one single step and the computation time is extremely fast and can be finished in less than one minute using a regular PC

Electric generating capacity planning: A nonlinear programming approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yakin, M.Z.; McFarland, J.W.

1987-02-01

This paper presents a nonlinear programming approach for long-range generating capacity expansion planning in electrical power systems. The objective in the model is the minimization of total cost consisting of investment cost plus generation cost for a multi-year planning horizon. Reliability constraints are imposed by using standard and practical reserve margin requirements. State equations representing the dynamic aspect of the problem are included. The electricity demand (load) and plant availabilities are treated as random variables, and the method of cumulants is used to calculate the expected energy generated by each plant in each year of the planning horizon. The resulting model has a (highly) nonlinear objective function and linear constraints. The planning model is solved over the multiyear planning horizon instead of decomposing it into one-year period problems. This approach helps the utility decision maker to carry out extensive sensitivity analysis easily. A case study example is provided using EPRI test data. Relationships among the reserve margin, total cost and surplus energy generating capacity over the planning horizon are explored by analyzing the model.

Single Molecule Analysis Research Tool (SMART: an integrated approach for analyzing single molecule data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Max Greenfeld

Full Text Available Single molecule studies have expanded rapidly over the past decade and have the ability to provide an unprecedented level of understanding of biological systems. A common challenge upon introduction of novel, data-rich approaches is the management, processing, and analysis of the complex data sets that are generated. We provide a standardized approach for analyzing these data in the freely available software package SMART: Single Molecule Analysis Research Tool. SMART provides a format for organizing and easily accessing single molecule data, a general hidden Markov modeling algorithm for fitting an array of possible models specified by the user, a standardized data structure and graphical user interfaces to streamline the analysis and visualization of data. This approach guides experimental design, facilitating acquisition of the maximal information from single molecule experiments. SMART also provides a standardized format to allow dissemination of single molecule data and transparency in the analysis of reported data.

Intelligent Transportation and Evacuation Planning A Modeling-Based Approach

CERN Document Server

Naser, Arab

2012-01-01

Intelligent Transportation and Evacuation Planning: A Modeling-Based Approach provides a new paradigm for evacuation planning strategies and techniques. Recently, evacuation planning and modeling have increasingly attracted interest among researchers as well as government officials. This interest stems from the recent catastrophic hurricanes and weather-related events that occurred in the southeastern United States (Hurricane Katrina and Rita). The evacuation methods that were in place before and during the hurricanes did not work well and resulted in thousands of deaths. This book offers insights into the methods and techniques that allow for implementing mathematical-based, simulation-based, and integrated optimization and simulation-based engineering approaches for evacuation planning. This book also: Comprehensively discusses the application of mathematical models for evacuation and intelligent transportation modeling Covers advanced methodologies in evacuation modeling and planning Discusses principles a...

Laparoscopic surgery for esophageal achalasia: Multiport vs single-incision approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuda, Shuichi; Nakajima, Kiyokazu; Miyazaki, Yasuhiro; Takahashi, Tsuyoshi; Makino, Tomoki; Kurokawa, Yukinori; Yamasaki, Makoto; Miyata, Hiroshi; Takiguchi, Shuji; Mori, Masaki; Doki, Yuichiro

2016-02-01

SILS can potentially improve aesthetic outcomes without adversely affecting treatment outcomes, but these outcomes are uncertain in laparoscopic Heller-Dor surgery. We determined if the degree of patient satisfaction with aesthetic outcomes progressed with the equivalent treatment outcomes after the introduction of a single-incision approach to laparoscopic Heller-Dor surgery. We retrospectively reviewed 20 consecutive esophageal achalasia patients (multiport approach, n = 10; single-incision approach, n = 10) and assessed the treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction with the aesthetic outcomes. In the single-incision approach, thin supportive devices were routinely used to gain exposure to the esophageal hiatus. No statistically significant differences in the operating time (210.2 ± 28.8 vs 223.5 ± 46.3 min; P = 0.4503) or blood loss (14.0 ± 31.7 vs 16.0 ± 17.8 mL; P = 0.8637) were detected between the multiport and single-incision approaches. We experienced no intraoperative complications. Mild dysphagia, which resolved spontaneously, was noted postoperatively in one patient treated with the multiport approach. The reduction rate of the maximum lower esophageal sphincter pressure was 25.1 ± 34.4% for the multiport approach and 21.8 ± 19.2% for the single-incision approach (P = 0.8266). Patient satisfaction with aesthetic outcomes was greater for the single-incision approach than for the multiport approach. When single-incision laparoscopic Heller-Dor surgery was performed adequately and combined with the use of thin supportive devices, patient satisfaction with the aesthetic outcomes was higher and treatment outcomes were equivalent to those of the multiport approach. © 2015 Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery, Asia Endosurgery Task Force and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

IPIP: A new approach to inverse planning for HDR brachytherapy by directly optimizing dosimetric indices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siauw, Timmy; Cunha, Adam; Atamtuerk, Alper; Hsu, I-Chow; Pouliot, Jean; Goldberg, Ken

2011-01-01

Purpose: Many planning methods for high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy require an iterative approach. A set of computational parameters are hypothesized that will give a dose plan that meets dosimetric criteria. A dose plan is computed using these parameters, and if any dosimetric criteria are not met, the process is iterated until a suitable dose plan is found. In this way, the dose distribution is controlled by abstract parameters. The purpose of this study is to develop a new approach for HDR brachytherapy by directly optimizing the dose distribution based on dosimetric criteria. Methods: The authors developed inverse planning by integer program (IPIP), an optimization model for computing HDR brachytherapy dose plans and a fast heuristic for it. They used their heuristic to compute dose plans for 20 anonymized prostate cancer image data sets from patients previously treated at their clinic database. Dosimetry was evaluated and compared to dosimetric criteria. Results: Dose plans computed from IPIP satisfied all given dosimetric criteria for the target and healthy tissue after a single iteration. The average target coverage was 95%. The average computation time for IPIP was 30.1 s on an Intel(R) Core TM 2 Duo CPU 1.67 GHz processor with 3 Gib RAM. Conclusions: IPIP is an HDR brachytherapy planning system that directly incorporates dosimetric criteria. The authors have demonstrated that IPIP has clinically acceptable performance for the prostate cases and dosimetric criteria used in this study, in both dosimetry and runtime. Further study is required to determine if IPIP performs well for a more general group of patients and dosimetric criteria, including other cancer sites such as GYN.

Reactive Path Planning Approach for Docking Robots in Unknown Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng Cui

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Autonomous robots need to be recharged and exchange information with the host through docking in the long-distance tasks. Therefore, feasible path is required in the docking process to guide the robot and adjust its pose. However, when there are unknown obstacles in the work area, it becomes difficult to determine the feasible path for docking. This paper presents a reactive path planning approach named Dubins-APF (DAPF to solve the path planning problem for docking in unknown environment with obstacles. In this proposed approach the Dubins curves are combined with the designed obstacle avoidance potential field to plan the feasible path. Firstly, an initial path is planned and followed according to the configurations of the robot and the docking station. Then when the followed path is evaluated to be infeasible, the intermediate configuration is calculated as well as the replanned path based on the obstacle avoidance potential field. The robot will be navigated to the docking station with proper pose eventually via the DAPF approach. The proposed DAPF approach is efficient and does not require the prior knowledge about the environment. Simulation results are given to validate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed approach.

An innovative approach to capability-based emergency operations planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Keim, Mark E

2013-01-01

This paper describes the innovative use information technology for assisting disaster planners with an easily-accessible method for writing and improving evidence-based emergency operations plans. This process is used to identify all key objectives of the emergency response according to capabilities of the institution, community or society. The approach then uses a standardized, objective-based format, along with a consensus-based method for drafting capability-based operational-level plans. This information is then integrated within a relational database to allow for ease of access and enhanced functionality to search, sort and filter and emergency operations plan according to user need and technological capacity. This integrated approach is offered as an effective option for integrating best practices of planning with the efficiency, scalability and flexibility of modern information and communication technology.

75 FR 64683 - Liability for Termination of Single-Employer Plans; Treatment of Substantial Cessation of Operations

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-20

... Termination of Single-Employer Plans; Treatment of Substantial Cessation of Operations AGENCY: Pension Benefit... cessations of operations by employers that maintain single-employer plans. DATES: Comments must be submitted... 4062(e), which provides for reporting of and liability for certain substantial cessations of operations...

Optimization approaches to volumetric modulated arc therapy planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Unkelbach, Jan, E-mail: junkelbach@mgh.harvard.edu; Bortfeld, Thomas; Craft, David [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114 (United States); Alber, Markus [Department of Medical Physics and Department of Radiation Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus C DK-8000 (Denmark); Bangert, Mark [Department of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg D-69120 (Germany); Bokrantz, Rasmus [RaySearch Laboratories, Stockholm SE-111 34 (Sweden); Chen, Danny [Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 (United States); Li, Ruijiang; Xing, Lei [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Men, Chunhua [Department of Research, Elekta, Maryland Heights, Missouri 63043 (United States); Nill, Simeon [Joint Department of Physics at The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SM2 5NG (United Kingdom); Papp, Dávid [Department of Mathematics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States); Romeijn, Edwin [H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States); Salari, Ehsan [Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas 67260 (United States)

2015-03-15

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has found widespread clinical application in recent years. A large number of treatment planning studies have evaluated the potential for VMAT for different disease sites based on the currently available commercial implementations of VMAT planning. In contrast, literature on the underlying mathematical optimization methods used in treatment planning is scarce. VMAT planning represents a challenging large scale optimization problem. In contrast to fluence map optimization in intensity-modulated radiotherapy planning for static beams, VMAT planning represents a nonconvex optimization problem. In this paper, the authors review the state-of-the-art in VMAT planning from an algorithmic perspective. Different approaches to VMAT optimization, including arc sequencing methods, extensions of direct aperture optimization, and direct optimization of leaf trajectories are reviewed. Their advantages and limitations are outlined and recommendations for improvements are discussed.

Spatiotemporal radiotherapy planning using a global optimization approach

Science.gov (United States)

Adibi, Ali; Salari, Ehsan

2018-02-01

This paper aims at quantifying the extent of potential therapeutic gain, measured using biologically effective dose (BED), that can be achieved by altering the radiation dose distribution over treatment sessions in fractionated radiotherapy. To that end, a spatiotemporally integrated planning approach is developed, where the spatial and temporal dose modulations are optimized simultaneously. The concept of equivalent uniform BED (EUBED) is used to quantify and compare the clinical quality of spatiotemporally heterogeneous dose distributions in target and critical structures. This gives rise to a large-scale non-convex treatment-plan optimization problem, which is solved using global optimization techniques. The proposed spatiotemporal planning approach is tested on two stylized cancer cases resembling two different tumor sites and sensitivity analysis is performed for radio-biological and EUBED parameters. Numerical results validate that spatiotemporal plans are capable of delivering a larger BED to the target volume without increasing the BED in critical structures compared to conventional time-invariant plans. In particular, this additional gain is attributed to the irradiation of different regions of the target volume at different treatment sessions. Additionally, the trade-off between the potential therapeutic gain and the number of distinct dose distributions is quantified, which suggests a diminishing marginal gain as the number of dose distributions increases.

[Landscape planning approaches for biodiversity conservation in agriculture].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yun-hui; Li, Liang-tao; Yu, Zhen-rong

2008-11-01

Biodiversity conservation in agriculture not only relates to the sustainable development of agriculture, but also is an essential part of species conservation. In recent years, the landscape planning approach for biodiversity was highlighted instead of species-focused approach. In this paper, the landscape factors affecting the biodiversity in agriculture were reviewed, and the possible landscape approaches at three different scales for more efficient conservation of biodiversity in agro-landscape were suggested, including: (1) the increase of the proportion of natural or semi-natural habitats in agriculture, diversification of land use or crop pattern, and protection or construction of corridor at landscape level; (2) the establishment of non-cropping elements such as field margin at between-field level; and (3) the application of reasonable crop density, crop distribution pattern and rotation, and intercrop etc. at within-field level. It was suggested that the relevant policies for natural conservation, land use planning, and ecological compensation should be made to apply the landscape approaches for biodiversity conservation at larger scale.

The role of the observational approach in RI planning: WAG 5 case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brill, A.K.; Kuhaida, A.J. Jr.

1992-10-01

A Remedial Investigation (RI) Plan was developed for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 5 in March 1988 and submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region IV and the State of Tennessee for review and approval. The observational approach was evaluated by the ORNL Environmental Restoration (ER) Program and accepted by EPA as an accelerated and cost-effective approach to the RI/Feasibility Study (FS) process for remediation of WAG 5. The traditional approach used in preparing the 1988 RI Plan focused on data completeness, included a typical range of RI data-gathering activities for determining the nature and extent of contamination at WAG 5, and used multiple iterations of sampling activities to deal with uncertainties without consideration of potential deviations. In fall 1991, a revised Field Sampling Plan (FSP) was developed that used the observational approach to integrate site characterization with site remediation needs. This approach recognized the uncertainties of site characterization/remedial planning and developed contingency plans for dealing with them. The observational approach emphasizes data sufficiency to support remedial planning decisions for WAG 5

A multi-objective approach for developing national energy efficiency plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haydt, Gustavo; Leal, Vítor; Dias, Luís

2014-01-01

This paper proposes a new approach to deal with the problem of building national energy efficiency (EE) plans, considering multiple objectives instead of only energy savings. The objectives considered are minimizing the influence of energy use on climate change, minimizing the financial risk from the investment, maximizing the security of energy supply, minimizing investment costs, minimizing the impacts of building new power plants and transmission infrastructures, and maximizing the local air quality. These were identified through literature review and interaction with real decision makers. A database of measures is established, from which millions of potential EE plans can be built by combining measures and their respective degree of implementation. Finally, a hybrid multi-objective and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) model is proposed to search and select the EE plans that best match the decision makers’ preferences. An illustration of the working mode and the type of results obtained from this novel hybrid model is provided through an application to Portugal. For each of five decision perspectives a wide range of potential best plans were identified. These wide ranges show the relevance of introducing multi-objective analysis in a comprehensive search space as a tool to inform decisions about national EE plans. - Highlights: • A multiple objective approach to aid the choice of national energy efficiency plans. • A hybrid multi-objective MCDA model is proposed to search among the possible plans. • The model identified relevant plans according to five different idealized DMs. • The approach is tested with Portugal

The third stage of hospital long-range planning: the marketing approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Rynne, T J

1980-01-01

Today most hospital administrators are convinced they should implement long-range planning. The marketing approach to long-range planning is an effective strategy that is consumer oriented. It starts the planning process with the consumer, letting the consumer's needs and wants guide the organization's planning.

Improving resource capacity planning in hospitals with business approaches.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Lent, Wineke Agnes Marieke; van Lent, W.A.M.

2011-01-01

This dissertation contributed to the knowledge on the translation of approaches from businesses and services to improve the resource capacity planning on tactical and operational level in (oncologic) hospital care. The following studies were presented: * Chapter 2 surveyed the business approaches

Burnout of pulverized biomass particles in large scale boiler - Single particle model approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saastamoinen, Jaakko; Aho, Martti; Moilanen, Antero [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Box 1603, 40101 Jyvaeskylae (Finland); Soerensen, Lasse Holst [ReaTech/ReAddit, Frederiksborgsveij 399, Niels Bohr, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Clausen, Soennik [Risoe National Laboratory, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Berg, Mogens [ENERGI E2 A/S, A.C. Meyers Vaenge 9, DK-2450 Copenhagen SV (Denmark)

2010-05-15

Burning of coal and biomass particles are studied and compared by measurements in an entrained flow reactor and by modelling. The results are applied to study the burning of pulverized biomass in a large scale utility boiler originally planned for coal. A simplified single particle approach, where the particle combustion model is coupled with one-dimensional equation of motion of the particle, is applied for the calculation of the burnout in the boiler. The particle size of biomass can be much larger than that of coal to reach complete burnout due to lower density and greater reactivity. The burner location and the trajectories of the particles might be optimised to maximise the residence time and burnout. (author)

Adapt or Perish: A Review of Planning Approaches for Adaptation under Deep Uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan H. Kwakkel

2013-03-01

Full Text Available There is increasing interest in long-term plans that can adapt to changing situations under conditions of deep uncertainty. We argue that a sustainable plan should not only achieve economic, environmental, and social objectives, but should be robust and able to be adapted over time to (unforeseen future conditions. Large numbers of papers dealing with robustness and adaptive plans have begun to appear, but the literature is fragmented. The papers appear in disparate journals, and deal with a wide variety of policy domains. This paper (1 describes and compares a family of related conceptual approaches to designing a sustainable plan, and (2 describes several computational tools supporting these approaches. The conceptual approaches all have their roots in an approach to long-term planning called Assumption-Based Planning. Guiding principles for the design of a sustainable adaptive plan are: explore a wide variety of relevant uncertainties, connect short-term targets to long-term goals over time, commit to short-term actions while keeping options open, and continuously monitor the world and take actions if necessary. A key computational tool across the conceptual approaches is a fast, simple (policy analysis model that is used to make large numbers of runs, in order to explore the full range of uncertainties and to identify situations in which the plan would fail.

MO-G-201-04: Knowledge-Based Planning for Single-Isocenter Stereotactic Radiosurgery to Multiple Brain Metastases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ziemer, B; Shiraishi, S; Hattangadi-Gluth, J; Sanghvi, P; Moore, K

2016-01-01

Purpose: Single-isocenter, linac-based SRS for multiple brain metastases (multi-mets) can deliver highly conformal radiation doses and reduce overall patient treatment time compared to other therapy techniques. This study aims to quantify the dosimetric benefits of knowledge-based planning (KBP) for multi-met treatments. Methods: Using a previously-published KBP methodology (an artificial neural network (ANN) trained on single-target linac-based SRS plans), 3D dose distribution predictions for multi-met patients were obtained by treating each brain lesion as a solitary target and subsequently combining individual predictions into a single distribution using a dose-weighted geometric averaging to obtain the best results in the inter-target space. 17 previously-treated multi-met plans, with target numbers ranging from N=2–5, were used to validate the ANN predictions and subsequent KBP auto-planning routine. The fully-deliverable KBP plans were developed by converting dose distribution predictions into patient-specific optimization objectives while maintaining identical target normalizations (typically PTV V100%=D98%). Plan quality improvements were quantified by the difference between SRS quality metrics (QMs): δdQM=QM(clinical)-QM(KBP). QMs of interest were: gradient measure (GM), conformity index (CI), brain V10 and V5, brainstem D0.1cc and heterogeneity index (HI). Finally, overall plan quality was judged via blinded plan comparison by SRS-specializing physicians. Results: Two clinical plans were found to be significant outliers wherein plan quality was dramatically worse than KBP. Despite indicating KBP superiority, these were removed from the QM analysis to prevent skewing the results. In the remaining cases, clinical and KBP QMs were nearly identical with modest improvements in the KBP sample: δGM=0.12±0.56mm, δCI=−0.01±0.04, Brain δV10=0.8±2.6cc, brain δV5=6.3 ±10.7cc, brainstem δD0.1cc=0.06±1.19Gy and δHI= −0.04±0.05. Ultimately, 13/17 KBP

MO-G-201-04: Knowledge-Based Planning for Single-Isocenter Stereotactic Radiosurgery to Multiple Brain Metastases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ziemer, B [University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States); Shiraishi, S [Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States); Hattangadi-Gluth, J; Sanghvi, P; Moore, K

2016-06-15

Purpose: Single-isocenter, linac-based SRS for multiple brain metastases (multi-mets) can deliver highly conformal radiation doses and reduce overall patient treatment time compared to other therapy techniques. This study aims to quantify the dosimetric benefits of knowledge-based planning (KBP) for multi-met treatments. Methods: Using a previously-published KBP methodology (an artificial neural network (ANN) trained on single-target linac-based SRS plans), 3D dose distribution predictions for multi-met patients were obtained by treating each brain lesion as a solitary target and subsequently combining individual predictions into a single distribution using a dose-weighted geometric averaging to obtain the best results in the inter-target space. 17 previously-treated multi-met plans, with target numbers ranging from N=2–5, were used to validate the ANN predictions and subsequent KBP auto-planning routine. The fully-deliverable KBP plans were developed by converting dose distribution predictions into patient-specific optimization objectives while maintaining identical target normalizations (typically PTV V100%=D98%). Plan quality improvements were quantified by the difference between SRS quality metrics (QMs): δdQM=QM(clinical)-QM(KBP). QMs of interest were: gradient measure (GM), conformity index (CI), brain V10 and V5, brainstem D0.1cc and heterogeneity index (HI). Finally, overall plan quality was judged via blinded plan comparison by SRS-specializing physicians. Results: Two clinical plans were found to be significant outliers wherein plan quality was dramatically worse than KBP. Despite indicating KBP superiority, these were removed from the QM analysis to prevent skewing the results. In the remaining cases, clinical and KBP QMs were nearly identical with modest improvements in the KBP sample: δGM=0.12±0.56mm, δCI=−0.01±0.04, Brain δV10=0.8±2.6cc, brain δV5=6.3 ±10.7cc, brainstem δD0.1cc=0.06±1.19Gy and δHI= −0.04±0.05. Ultimately, 13/17 KBP

Forest management planning for timber production: a sequential approach

Science.gov (United States)

Krishna P. Rustagi

1978-01-01

Explicit forest management planning for timber production beyond the first few years at any time necessitates use of information which can best be described as suspect. The two-step approach outlined here concentrates on the planning strategy over the next few years without losing sight of the long-run productivity. Frequent updating of the long-range and short-range...

A revised 3-column classification approach for the surgical planning of extended lateral tibial plateau fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoekstra, H; Kempenaers, K; Nijs, S

2017-10-01

Variable angle locking compression plates allow for lateral buttress and support of the posterolateral joint surface of tibial plateau fractures. This gives room for improvement of the surgical 3-column classification approach. Our aim was to revise and validate the 3-column classification approach to better guide the surgical planning of tibial plateau fractures extending into the posterolateral corner. In contrast to the 3-column classification approach, in the revised approach the posterior border of the lateral column in the revised approach lies posterior instead of anterior of the fibula. According to the revised 3-column classification approach, extended lateral column fractures are defined as single lateral column fractures extending posteriorly into the posterolateral corner. CT-images of 36 patients were reviewed and classified twice online according to Schatzker and revised 3-column classification approach by five observers. The intraobserver reliability was calculated using the Cohen's kappa and the interobserver reliability was calculated using the Fleiss' kappa. The intraobserver reliability showed substantial agreement according to Landis and Koch for both Schatzker and the revised 3-column classification approach (0.746 vs. 0.782 p = 0.37, Schatzker vs. revised 3-column, respectively). However, the interobserver reliability of the revised 3-column classification approach was significantly higher as compared to the Schatzker classification (0.531 vs. 0.669 p column, respectively). With the introduction of variable angle locking compression plates, the revised 3-column classification approach is a very helpful tool in the preoperative surgical planning of tibial plateau fractures, in particular, lateral column fractures that extend into the posterolateral corner. The revised 3-column classification approach is rather a practical supplement to the Schatzker classification. It has a significantly higher interobserver reliability as compared to the

Planning approaches for rurban areas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Busck, Anne Gravsholt; Hidding, Marjan; Kristensen, Søren Bech Pilgaard

2009-01-01

), Staffanstorp municipality (Sweden) and Werv-area (the Netherlands). All three areas belong to the rurban zone and are selected to exemplify pro-active planning. The analysis focuses on how the concept of compact city is perceived and implemented, how rurban areas are managed in order to avoid further urban...... encroachment, and how resilient green landscapes are ensured. The results reveal significant differences in approaches, reflecting variations in the public involvement in rurban areas development, the role of different administrative levels and the use of zonation. Variation in the use of zonation encapsulates...

Research approach for forming a new typology of spatial planning theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bulajić Vladan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available What is being suggested in this paper is the research approach for the classification of theoretical contributions in the scientific domain of the spatial planning. Typology is a multidimensional classification, actually it is the framework for the understanding of the subject area, theory and practice, ideas and methodologies. The complex approach is needed to organize the complex and diverse domain of spatial planning theory, which has been shaped by different schools of thought and the influences of the related scientific disciplines. It has been suggested that the research approach becomes the bridge between two cultures, in other words it should be the synthesis of the qualitative and quantitative methods of the typology construction. With the analysis of the existing typologies, which are quantitatively derived, the chosen concepts will be improved and completed due to the computerized statistical analysis of the appropriate bibliometrical data. Moreover, the procedure in the opposite direction will be used, which also connects empiric types with their conceptual counterparts. With that approach, the main aim is to achieve the comprehensive classification scheme, which will take part of the platform for integration of the interdisciplinary approach in the spatial planning domain. That concept of the research belongs to the wider approach that has got the aim that with the scientific innovations and imaginations bring about the solving of the problems and challenges that the spatial planning faces with. The forming of the new typology is the first step in that direction.

Nuclear power programme planning: An integrated approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-12-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has published material on different policy considerations in the introduction of nuclear power, primarily addressed to top level decision makers in government and industry in Member States. Several Member States and experts recommended to the IAEA to address the aspects of an integrated approach to nuclear power programme planning and to serve as guidance to those countries wishing to embark on a nuclear power programme. As a follow-up, the present publication is primarily intended to serve as guidance for executives and managers in Member States in planning for possible introduction of nuclear power plants in their electricity generating systems. Nuclear power programme planning, as dealt with in this publication, includes all activities that need to be carried out up to a well-founded decision to proceed with a project feasibility study. Project implementation beyond this decision is not in the scope of this publication. Although it is possible to use nuclear energy as a heat source for industrial processes, desalination and other heat applications, it is assumed in this publication that the planning is aimed towards nuclear power for electricity generation. Much of the information given would, however, also be relevant for planning of nuclear reactors for heat production. The publication was prepared within the framework of the IAEA programme on nuclear power planning, implementation and performance as a joint activity of the Nuclear Power Engineering Section and the Planning and Economic Studies Section (Division of Nuclear Power)

An LNS Approach for Container Stowage Multi-port Master Planning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pacino, Dario

2013-01-01

The generation of competitive stowage plans have become a priority for the shipping industry. Stowage planning is NP-hard and is a challenging optimization problem in practice. Two-phase decomposition approaches have proved to give viable solutions. We propose a large neighborhood search (LNS) to...

An Asset-Based Approach to Tribal Community Energy Planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gutierrez, Rachael A. [Pratt Inst., Brooklyn, NY (United States). City and Regional Planning; Martino, Anthony [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Materials, Devices, and Energy Technologies; Begay, Sandra K. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Materials, Devices, and Energy Technologies

2016-08-01

Community energy planning is a vital component of successful energy resource development and project implementation. Planning can help tribes develop a shared vision and strategies to accomplish their energy goals. This paper explores the benefits of an asset-based approach to tribal community energy planning. While a framework for community energy planning and federal funding already exists, some areas of difficulty in the planning cycle have been identified. This paper focuses on developing a planning framework that offsets those challenges. The asset-based framework described here takes inventory of a tribe’s capital assets, such as: land capital, human capital, financial capital, and political capital. Such an analysis evaluates how being rich in a specific type of capital can offer a tribe unique advantages in implementing their energy vision. Finally, a tribal case study demonstrates the practical application of an asset-based framework.

A Spawn Mobile Agent Itinerary Planning Approach for Energy-Efficient Data Gathering in Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Qadori, Huthiafa Q; Zulkarnain, Zuriati A; Hanapi, Zurina Mohd; Subramaniam, Shamala

2017-06-03

Mobile agent (MA), a part of the mobile computing paradigm, was recently proposed for data gathering in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). The MA-based approach employs two algorithms: Single-agent Itinerary Planning (SIP) and Multi-mobile agent Itinerary Planning (MIP) for energy-efficient data gathering. The MIP was proposed to outperform the weakness of SIP by introducing distributed multi MAs to perform the data gathering task. Despite the advantages of MIP, finding the optimal number of distributed MAs and their itineraries are still regarded as critical issues. The existing MIP algorithms assume that the itinerary of the MA has to start and return back to the sink node. Moreover, each distributed MA has to carry the processing code (data aggregation code) to collect the sensory data and return back to the sink with the accumulated data. However, these assumptions have resulted in an increase in the number of MA's migration hops, which subsequently leads to an increase in energy and time consumption. In this paper, a spawn multi-mobile agent itinerary planning (SMIP) approach is proposed to mitigate the substantial increase in cost of energy and time used in the data gathering processes. The proposed approach is based on the agent spawning such that the main MA is able to spawn other MAs with different tasks assigned from the main MA. Extensive simulation experiments have been conducted to test the performance of the proposed approach against some selected MIP algorithms. The results show that the proposed SMIP outperforms the counterpart algorithms in terms of energy consumption and task delay (time), and improves the integrated energy-delay performance.

Planning and management for health in periods of economic stringency and instability: a contingency approach.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Werff, A

1986-01-01

The mid-1970s marked the end of the longest period of uninterrupted economic growth in history, and initiated in Europe--and other parts of the world--a period of economic stagnation and instability. Along with the prosperity explosion of the past, the pattern of health problems has changed and is still changing. Moreover, the demand for health care has kept on rising, without much improvement of health status in general. Thus, there is a critical need to rethink policies, and to ensure that future changes occur within the limits of shrinking resources and the allotted time-span. In particular, the change in priorities envisaged by the Health for All 2000 (HFA 2000) strategies will need to take place against the background of an ageing population, social instability, and continuing development of new lifestyles and persistent economic scarcity. It is by analysing that background that this article seeks to make recommendations as to how health planning and management might successfully cope with the policy reorientation of the HFA 2000 strategy. The structure of this article is as follows. Firstly, the changes taking place in planning conditions will be reviewed, and form the basis of a framework for subsequent analysis of the planning environment. Following this framework, some of the conflicts likely to be faced in planning and management will be discussed, many of which are the consequence of economic stringency and instability. Also the requirements for an improvement of the effectiveness and efficiency of planning will be identified. Finally, a limited number of approaches to planning will be considered, for their appropriateness to the present-day economic circumstances. The point of view elucidated throughout is that there is no single solution which is 'best' under all circumstances. The conclusion, rather, is that the selection of particular theory or method of planning and management should depend both on the objectives of the decision maker and on the

Single-port laparoscopic approach of the left liver: initial experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Camps Lasa, Judith; Cugat Andorrà, Esteban; Herrero Fonollosa, Eric; García Domingo, María Isabel; Sánchez Martínez, Raquel; Vargas Pierola, Harold; Rodríguez Campos, Aurora

2014-11-01

New technological advances have enabled the development of single-port laparoscopic surgery. This approach began with cholecystectomy and subsequently with other abdominal surgeries. However, few publications on laparoscopic liver surgery have described the use of complete single-port access. We present our initial experience of a single-port laparoscopic hepatectomy. Between May 2012 and December 2013, 5 single-port laparoscopic hepatectomies were performed: one for benign disease and four for colorectal liver metastases. The lesions were approached through a 3-5 cm right supraumbilical incision using a single-port access device. All the lesions were located in hepatic segments II or III. Four left lateral sectorectomies and one left hepatectomy were performed. Median operative time was 135 min. No cases were converted to conventional laparoscopic or open surgery. The oral intake began at 18 h. There were no postoperative complications and no patients required blood transfusion. The median hospital stay was 3 days. The degree of satisfaction was very good in 4 cases and good in one. Patients resumed their normal daily activities at 8 days. Single-port laparoscopic hepatectomy is safe and feasible in selected cases and may reduce surgical aggression and offer better cosmetic results. Comparative studies are needed to determine the real advantages of this approach. Copyright © 2014 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

A model for solving the prescribed burn planning problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Rachmawati, Ramya; Ozlen, Melih; Reinke, Karin J; Hearne, John W

2015-01-01

The increasing frequency of destructive wildfires, with a consequent loss of life and property, has led to fire and land management agencies initiating extensive fuel management programs. This involves long-term planning of fuel reduction activities such as prescribed burning or mechanical clearing. In this paper, we propose a mixed integer programming (MIP) model that determines when and where fuel reduction activities should take place. The model takes into account multiple vegetation types in the landscape, their tolerance to frequency of fire events, and keeps track of the age of each vegetation class in each treatment unit. The objective is to minimise fuel load over the planning horizon. The complexity of scheduling fuel reduction activities has led to the introduction of sophisticated mathematical optimisation methods. While these approaches can provide optimum solutions, they can be computationally expensive, particularly for fuel management planning which extends across the landscape and spans long term planning horizons. This raises the question of how much better do exact modelling approaches compare to simpler heuristic approaches in their solutions. To answer this question, the proposed model is run using an exact MIP (using commercial MIP solver) and two heuristic approaches that decompose the problem into multiple single-period sub problems. The Knapsack Problem (KP), which is the first heuristic approach, solves the single period problems, using an exact MIP approach. The second heuristic approach solves the single period sub problem using a greedy heuristic approach. The three methods are compared in term of model tractability, computational time and the objective values. The model was tested using randomised data from 711 treatment units in the Barwon-Otway district of Victoria, Australia. Solutions for the exact MIP could be obtained for up to a 15-year planning only using a standard implementation of CPLEX. Both heuristic approaches can solve

The UK national response plan: An 'all-risk' approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Englefield, C.

2001-01-01

Full text: The UK has been using and regulating radioactive materials for many years. The law, and the regulatory systems to implement it have developed over time, to meet the perceived need. More recently, the threat of inadvertent movements of, and illicit trafficking in radioactive materials has become apparent. This relatively new challenge cannot be met by a single U.K. law enforcement body. There will be Police and security services interest in any cases that arise of deliberate trafficking in fissile materials, and there will be statutory concerns for Customs and Excise. At the operational level, they do not have radioanalytical services and radiation protection support immediately available, as the frequency of occurrence of such incidents is extremely low. However, the typical case is an inadvertent movement. These usually involve orphaned sources, where none of the above law enforcement bodies have a statutory locus. In such cases, it is the UK environment agencies that take the lead (as regulators of radioactive substances), together with Health and Safety Executive as regulators of radiation safety. However they do not have all the statutory powers needed to intervene. This is in contrast to the position in some other countries. The UK paper at the International Conference of Regulators in Buenos Aires in December 2000 described the UK's co-ordination work to create synergies between law enforcement bodies and potentially affected industry groups. This was described as an 'All Risk Approach'. This is seen as the best way to manage an effective response to the challenge, given that the legislation cannot at present provide all the necessary powers. This new paper will describe the UK Response Plan and how it is designed to cover all risk: radiological and socio-economic. It will also describe how the Plan is being tested and validated as a project. The plan draws on UK Emergency Planning policy, as well as IAEA guidance on the Prevention, Detection and

Language Management Theory as One Approach in Language Policy and Planning

Science.gov (United States)

Nekvapil, Jirí

2016-01-01

Language Policy and Planning is currently a significantly diversified research area and thus it is not easy to find common denominators that help to define basic approaches within it. Richard B. Baldauf attempted to do so by differentiating between four basic approaches: (1) the classical approach, (2) the language management approach (Language…

A Planning Approach of Engineering Characteristics Based on QFD-TRIZ Integrated

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shang; Shi, Dongyan; Zhang, Ying

Traditional QFD planning method compromises contradictions between engineering characteristics to achieve higher customer satisfaction. However, this compromise trade-off can not eliminate the contradictions existing among the engineering characteristics which limited the overall customer satisfaction. QFD (Quality function deployment) integrated with TRIZ (the Russian acronym of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) becomes hot research recently for TRIZ can be used to solve contradictions between engineering characteristics which construct the roof of HOQ (House of quality). But, the traditional QFD planning approach is not suitable for QFD integrated with TRIZ for that TRIZ requires emphasizing the contradictions between engineering characteristics at problem definition stage instead of compromising trade-off. So, a new planning approach based on QFD / TRIZ integration is proposed in this paper, which based on the consideration of the correlation matrix of engineering characteristics and customer satisfaction on the basis of cost. The proposed approach suggests that TRIZ should be applied to solve contradictions at the first step, and the correlation matrix of engineering characteristics should be amended at the second step, and at next step IFR (ideal final result) must be validated, then planning execute. An example is used to illustrate the proposed approach. The application indicated that higher customer satisfaction can be met and the contradictions between the characteristic parameters are eliminated.

Curriculum Planning and the Concept of Participation in the Reggio Emilia Pedagogical Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Hocevar, Andreja; Šebart, Mojca Kovac; Štefanc, Damijan

2013-01-01

The article analyses two defining assumptions about the Reggio Emilia (RE) approach: the absence of a planned curriculum designed in advance as a basis for educational work and children's participation in preschools. The authors demonstrate that different approaches to planning preschool education have advantages and disadvantages, which we cannot…

Robustness via Run-Time Adaptation of Contingent Plans

Science.gov (United States)

Bresina, John L.; Washington, Richard; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

In this paper, we discuss our approach to making the behavior of planetary rovers more robust for the purpose of increased productivity. Due to the inherent uncertainty in rover exploration, the traditional approach to rover control is conservative, limiting the autonomous operation of the rover and sacrificing performance for safety. Our objective is to increase the science productivity possible within a single uplink by allowing the rover's behavior to be specified with flexible, contingent plans and by employing dynamic plan adaptation during execution. We have deployed a system exhibiting flexible, contingent execution; this paper concentrates on our ongoing efforts on plan adaptation, Plans can be revised in two ways: plan steps may be deleted, with execution continuing with the plan suffix; and the current plan may be merged with an "alternate plan" from an on-board library. The plan revision action is chosen to maximize the expected utility of the plan. Plan merging and action deletion constitute a more conservative general-purpose planning system; in return, our approach is more efficient and more easily verified, two important criteria for deployed rovers.

Environmental costs and resource planning consequences: New England electric's rating and weighting approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Destribats, A.F.; Hutchinson, M.A.; Stout, T.M.; White, D.S.

1990-01-01

In mid 1989, the New England Electric System (NEES or Company) began an effort to reflect the potential environmental externalities of new resources in its long range planning process. Having examined several methods for incorporating externalities, including cost of control, the Company adopted a rating and weighting approach. Not strictly quantitative nor qualitative, the rating and weighting approach provided a means to apply an environmental score to all new resources considered for the Company's long range resource plan, NEESPLAN 1990. A maximum environmental cost penalty of fifteen percent was applied to the resource considered for inclusion in the plan that posed the highest amount of potential environmental degradation. All other resources received a smaller penalty that was based on the ratio of their environmental score to the highest score. Application of this penalty tended to improve the cost-effectiveness of demand-side programs and worsen some supply-side options' cost-effectiveness. Both the rating and weighting approach employed by NEES and its application in the long range planning process have been the subject of several critical reviews. Having stated that the advantages of the rating and weighting approach include its easy reviewability and flexibility to be modified as better information becomes available, the Company has subsequently revised the approach to address the comments made by reviewers. The purpose of this paper is to describe the rating and weighting approach, its recent revisions, and the effect of the revised methodology on the Company's long range resource plan

The advanced neutron source safety approach and plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrington, R.M.

1989-01-01

The Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) is a user facility for all areas of neutron research proposed for construction at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The neutron source is planned to be a 350-MW research reactor. The reactor, currently in conceptual design, will belong to the United States Department of Energy (USDOE). The safety approach and planned elements of the safety program for the ANS are described. The safety approach is to incorporate USDOE requirements [which, by reference, include appropriate requirements from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) and other national and state regulatory agencies] into the design, and to utilize probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) techniques during design to achieve extremely low probability of severe core damage. The PRA has already begun and will continue throughout the design and construction of the reactor. Computer analyses will be conducted for a complete spectrum of accidental events, from anticipated events to very infrequent occurrences. 8 refs., 2 tabs

The Advanced Neutron Source safety approach and plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrington, R.M.

1990-01-01

The Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) is a user facility proposed for construction at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for all areas of neutron research. The neutron source is planned to be a 350-MW research reactor. The reactor, currently in conceptual design, will belong to the United States Department of Energy (USDOE). The safety approach and planned elements of the safety program for the ANS are described. The safety approach is to incorporate USDOE requirements (which, by reference, include appropriate requirements from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) and other national and state regulatory agencies) into the design, and to utilize probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) techniques during design to achieve extremely low probability of severe core damage. The PRA has already begun and will continue throughout the design and construction of the reactor. Computer analyses will be conducted for a complete spectrum of accidental events, from anticipated events to very infrequent occurrences

Clinical Significance: a Therapeutic Approach Topsychological Assessment in Treatment Planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Afolabi Olusegun Emmanuel

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Psychological assessment has long been reported as a key component of clinical psychology. This paper examines the complexities surrounding the clinical significance of therapeutic approach to treatment planning. To achieve this objective, the paper searched and used the PsycINFO and PubMed databases and the reference sections of chapters and journal articles to analysed, 1 a strong basis for the usage of therapeutic approach to psychological assessment in treatment plans, 2 explained the conceptual meaning of clinical significant change in therapeutic assessment, 3 answered some of the questions regarding practicability and the clinical significance of therapeutic approach to treatment plans, particularly during or before treatment, 4 linked therapeutic assessment to change in clients’ clinical impression, functioning and therapeutic needs 5 analysed the empirically documenting clinically significant change in therapeutic assessment. Finally, the study suggested that though therapeutic assessment is not sufficient for the systematic study of psychotherapy outcome and process, it is still consistent with both the layman and professional expectations regarding treatment outcome and also provides a precise method for classifying clients as ‘changed’ or ‘unchanged’ on the basis of clinical significance criteria.

Individualized Surgical Approach Planning for Petroclival Tumors Using a 3D Printer.

Science.gov (United States)

Muelleman, Thomas John; Peterson, Jeremy; Chowdhury, Naweed Iffat; Gorup, Jason; Camarata, Paul; Lin, James

2016-06-01

Objectives To determine the utility of three-dimensional (3D) printed models in individualized petroclival tumor resection planning by measuring the fidelity of printed anatomical structures and comparing tumor exposure afforded by different approaches. Design Case series and review of the literature. Setting Tertiary care center. Participants Three patients with petroclival lesions. Main Outcome Measures Subjective opinion of access by neuro-otologists and neurosurgeons as well as surface area of tumor exposure. Results Surgeons found the 3D models of each patient's skull and tumor useful for preoperative planning. Limitations of individual surgical approaches not identified through preoperative imaging were apparent after 3D models were evaluated. Significant variability in exposure was noted between models for similar or identical approaches. A notable drawback is that our printing process did not replicate mastoid air cells. Conclusions We found that 3D modeling is useful for individualized preoperative planning for approaching petroclival tumors. Our printing techniques did produce authentic replicas of the tumors in relation to bony structures.

Quickly Planning TF/TA2 Trajectory by Artificial Immune Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LIU Lifeng

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Flight path planning by artificial immune algorithm approach met the requirements of aircraft's flyability and operation is proposed for the problem of single and double TF/TA2 flight path planning. Punishment function (affinity function with comprehensive 3D threat information is designed. A comprehensive threat model is formed including dynamic and static threats and no-fly-zone. Accordingly, single and dual flight paths are planned by AIA, which have been compared with the paths by GA. The results show that, GA's planned a quick and longer path compared under simple threat environment; in complex environments, GA has high failure rate (greater than 95% for single aircraft, but it is failed for double aircrafts. For the single and double aircrafts, AIA can provides one optimal and more candidate optimal flight paths.

Changing Perspectives on the Planning of Ankara (1924-2007 and Lessons for a New Master-Planning Approach to Developing Cities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olgu Çalişkan

2014-07-01

Full Text Available As one of the newly planned capitals in the 20th century – like Islamabad, Canberra and Brazil –, Ankara represents an original case in planning history: from shaping a new town under the influence of early European urbanism to the control of a dynamic metropolitan form by structural planning approaches. Forming its urban core according to the initial planning perspectives between the beginning of 1930s and the mid-1970s, the city has entered a rapid phase of space production in its extensions for about the last thirty years.In the current period of development, highly fragmented urban peripheral formation has being occurred in Ankara. Since the existing trend on the dispersion of urban form lacking spatial coherence at different scale-levels causes the dominance of the private domain and a loss of urbanity, this trend might at first glance be considered as a break with the European tradition and the emergence of Anglo-Americanization in Turkish planning system in terms of looser development control approach on urban form.Before, coming to such a critical end-point, the paper prefers a closer look into the changing dynamics of master plans of the city. It is aimed to reveal the developmental logic of the city by means of master plan analysis. The comprehensive outlook – called plan matrix – is integrated into each master plan schema by correlating the basic components like main policy directions, depth of control, settlement typology, and city structure and form. Such a framework has a potential to be utilized for any kind of plan analysis at metropolitan scale for different cases. At the end of the analysis, the paper tends to address an alternative master planning approach for the similar types of developing cities striving for keeping its urban character within a fragmented urban body.

A complex systems approach to planning, optimization and decision making for energy networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beck, Jessica; Kempener, Ruud; Cohen, Brett; Petrie, Jim

2008-01-01

This paper explores a new approach to planning and optimization of energy networks, using a mix of global optimization and agent-based modeling tools. This approach takes account of techno-economic, environmental and social criteria, and engages explicitly with inherent network complexity in terms of the autonomous decision-making capability of individual agents within the network, who may choose not to act as economic rationalists. This is an important consideration from the standpoint of meeting sustainable development goals. The approach attempts to set targets for energy planning, by determining preferred network development pathways through multi-objective optimization. The viability of such plans is then explored through agent-based models. The combined approach is demonstrated for a case study of regional electricity generation in South Africa, with biomass as feedstock

ZONAL IMPACT ANALYSIS OF A STRATEGIC PLANNING APPROACH FOR LAND DEVELOPMENT CONTROLS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karin LIMAPORNWANITCH

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Due to rapid urban developments in developing cities, the integration of land-use and transportation planning is very necessary. However, up-to-date land-use and transportation interaction planning is still difficult, because of rapid urbanization and complex relationships. The lack of human resources, budget, and necessary data are some of the hindrances. The planners in Bangkok have tried to utilize Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA in harmonizing land developments and transportation improvements, but without a complete land-use comprehensive plan, the TIA cannot effectively manage urbanization. This paper intends to propose a Zonal Impact Analysis (ZIA framework as a strategic planning tool to balance travel demands of land developments and performance of transportation systems over urban areas. First, the land-use planning situation in Bangkok is explained, afterwards the framework is described. The framework is applied into Bangkapi areas as a case study. Both single and simultaneous development cases are considered. It was found that more comprehensive development alternatives were established. The most suitable zone for a single project is Zone 179, as the advantages of location in the center of radial networks, so full accessibility can be provided. Without any network improvements in Zone 179, the simultaneous developments should be implemented in Zone 168 and 173, as high capacities of the expressway are available. The results give a better understanding on the characteristics of land-use and transportation planning in Bangkapi. Finally, it was emphasized that the ZIA framework is a strategic planning alternative to increase the capabilities of growth management for sustainable developments.

Problem in application carrying capacity approach for land allocation assessment in Indonesian municipal spatial planning: A case of Kutai Kartanegara Regency

Science.gov (United States)

Wijaya, I. N. S.; Rahadi, B.; Lusiana, N.; Maulidina, I.

2017-06-01

Urbanization in many countries, such as Indonesia, is commonly appeared as a dynamic population of developed areas. It is followed with reducing rural uses of land for improving urban land uses such as housing, industry, infrastructure, etc. in response to the growth of population. One may not be sufficiently considered by the urban planners and the decision makers, urbanization also means escalation of natural resources consumption that should be supported by the natural capacity of the area. In this situation, balancing approach as carrying capacity calculation in spatial planning is needed for sustainability. Indonesian Spatial Planning Law 26/2007 has already expressed about the balance approach in the system. Moreover, it strictly regulates the assessment and the permission system in controlling land development, especially for the conversion. However, the reductions over the rural uses of land, especially agriculture, are continuously occurred. Concerning the planning approach, this paper aims to disclose common insufficiency of carrying capacity considerations in Indonesian spatial planning practice. This paper describes common calculation weaknesses in projecting area for the urban development by recalculating the actual gap between supply and demand of agriculture land areas. Here, municipal spatial plan of Kutai Kartanegara Regency is utilized as single sample case to discuss. As the result, the recalculation shows that: 1) there are serious deficit status of agriculture land areas in order to fulfil the demanded agriculture production for the existed population, 2) some calculation of agriculture production may be miss-interpreted because of insufficient explanation toward the productivity of each agriculture commodity.

Bioinformatics approaches to single-cell analysis in developmental biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Yalcin, Dicle; Hakguder, Zeynep M; Otu, Hasan H

2016-03-01

Individual cells within the same population show various degrees of heterogeneity, which may be better handled with single-cell analysis to address biological and clinical questions. Single-cell analysis is especially important in developmental biology as subtle spatial and temporal differences in cells have significant associations with cell fate decisions during differentiation and with the description of a particular state of a cell exhibiting an aberrant phenotype. Biotechnological advances, especially in the area of microfluidics, have led to a robust, massively parallel and multi-dimensional capturing, sorting, and lysis of single-cells and amplification of related macromolecules, which have enabled the use of imaging and omics techniques on single cells. There have been improvements in computational single-cell image analysis in developmental biology regarding feature extraction, segmentation, image enhancement and machine learning, handling limitations of optical resolution to gain new perspectives from the raw microscopy images. Omics approaches, such as transcriptomics, genomics and epigenomics, targeting gene and small RNA expression, single nucleotide and structural variations and methylation and histone modifications, rely heavily on high-throughput sequencing technologies. Although there are well-established bioinformatics methods for analysis of sequence data, there are limited bioinformatics approaches which address experimental design, sample size considerations, amplification bias, normalization, differential expression, coverage, clustering and classification issues, specifically applied at the single-cell level. In this review, we summarize biological and technological advancements, discuss challenges faced in the aforementioned data acquisition and analysis issues and present future prospects for application of single-cell analyses to developmental biology. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European

Physical treatment planning by several approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burger, G.; Morhart, A.; Wittmann, A.

1985-01-01

Neutron isodose planning may be performed by commercial treatment planning systems for photons, providing that certain modifications are applied. All geometry-related corrections such as for nonregular surfaces and oblique incidence remain unchanged. The main modifications concern the tissue-air-ratio, containing essentially the attenuation correction function. We have as a first step applied this modified commercial system to a few regular exposure situations in a homogenious water phantom and compared the generated isodose charts with those derived by direct Monte Carlo calculations of the neutron transport for the corresponding fields. As expected the commercial methods do not incorporate the necessary corrections for the change of scatter conditions in case of oblique incidence or wedged fields. For this reason we developed another approach, based upon the numerical superposition of dose matrices for pencil beams. These matrices were again Monte Carlo calculated. From it build-up functions can be derived by partial radial integration. The isodose charts generated by superposition of pencil beam dose distributions agree much better with directly Monte Carlo calculated ones, than those from the commercial treatment planning system. Based upon these results the method was finally applied to real patients cross sections, as derived from CT or MR-tomography. In the latter case one can even perform a pixelwise attenuation correction, if spin density images are available

RCRA Assessment Plan for Single-Shell Tank Waste Management Area TX-TY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horton, Duane G.

2007-03-26

WMA TX-TY contains underground, single-shell tanks that were used to store liquid waste that contained chemicals and radionuclides. Most of the liquid has been removed, and the remaining waste is regulated under the RCRA as modi¬fied in 40 CFR Part 265, Subpart F and Washington State’s Hazardous Waste Management Act . WMA TX-TY was placed in assessment monitoring in 1993 because of elevated specific conductance. A groundwater quality assessment plan was written in 1993 describing the monitoring activities to be used in deciding whether WMA TX-TY had affected groundwater. That plan was updated in 2001 for continued RCRA groundwater quality assessment as required by 40 CFR 265.93 (d)(7). This document further updates the assessment plan for WMA TX-TY by including (1) information obtained from ten new wells installed at the WMA after 1999 and (2) information from routine quarterly groundwater monitoring during the last five years. Also, this plan describes activities for continuing the groundwater assessment at WMA TX TY.

A single grain approach applied to modelling recrystallization kinetics in a single-phase metal

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chen, S.P.; Zwaag, van der S.

2004-01-01

A comprehensive model for the recrystallization kinetics is proposed which incorporates both microstructure and the textural components in the deformed state. The model is based on the single-grain approach proposed previously. The influence of the as-deformed grain orientation, which affects the

A Comparative Study of Strategic HRD Approaches for Workforce Planning in the Tourism Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Bartlett, Kenneth; Johnson, Karen; Schneider, Ingrid E.

2006-01-01

This study compares the outcomes of two often used approaches for strategic HRD planning. Using methods framed within a strategic HRD planning framework the outcomes of a qualitative primary data approach are examined against quantitative labor market projections in a study of the future Minnesota tourism workforce. Results show each planning…

Information Technology Investment Strategy Planning: Balance Scorecard Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henny Hendarti

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose of this research are to prepare the IT investment strategy using Balanced Scorecard approach in the company where the appropriate planning of this IT investment strategy can maximize the competitive benefit in the company, and it also to recommended a strategy of IT investment that can be implemented and measure the rate of return from the IT investment in the company. Research Method used book studies, field studies, and analysis system. Book studies from the books and journal. Field studies done by observation, interview, and questioner, and analysis system done by analyzed the ongoing system in the company. The result from this analysis is a recommendation in investment IT such as sales module, payment module, and report module. Then for the conclusion, this information technology investment planning can be develop to another investment implementation such authorized website of the company and using PDA (Personal Digital AssistantIndex Terms - Planning, Information Technology, Investment, Balance Scorecard

A Unified Approach to Model-Based Planning and Execution

Science.gov (United States)

Muscettola, Nicola; Dorais, Gregory A.; Fry, Chuck; Levinson, Richard; Plaunt, Christian; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Writing autonomous software is complex, requiring the coordination of functionally and technologically diverse software modules. System and mission engineers must rely on specialists familiar with the different software modules to translate requirements into application software. Also, each module often encodes the same requirement in different forms. The results are high costs and reduced reliability due to the difficulty of tracking discrepancies in these encodings. In this paper we describe a unified approach to planning and execution that we believe provides a unified representational and computational framework for an autonomous agent. We identify the four main components whose interplay provides the basis for the agent's autonomous behavior: the domain model, the plan database, the plan running module, and the planner modules. This representational and problem solving approach can be applied at all levels of the architecture of a complex agent, such as Remote Agent. In the rest of the paper we briefly describe the Remote Agent architecture. The new agent architecture proposed here aims at achieving the full Remote Agent functionality. We then give the fundamental ideas behind the new agent architecture and point out some implication of the structure of the architecture, mainly in the area of reactivity and interaction between reactive and deliberative decision making. We conclude with related work and current status.

A knowledge-based approach to improving and homogenizing intensity modulated radiation therapy planning quality among treatment centers: an example application to prostate cancer planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Good, David; Lo, Joseph; Lee, W Robert; Wu, Q Jackie; Yin, Fang-Fang; Das, Shiva K

2013-09-01

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment planning can have wide variation among different treatment centers. We propose a system to leverage the IMRT planning experience of larger institutions to automatically create high-quality plans for outside clinics. We explore feasibility by generating plans for patient datasets from an outside institution by adapting plans from our institution. A knowledge database was created from 132 IMRT treatment plans for prostate cancer at our institution. The outside institution, a community hospital, provided the datasets for 55 prostate cancer cases, including their original treatment plans. For each "query" case from the outside institution, a similar "match" case was identified in the knowledge database, and the match case's plan parameters were then adapted and optimized to the query case by use of a semiautomated approach that required no expert planning knowledge. The plans generated with this knowledge-based approach were compared with the original treatment plans at several dose cutpoints. Compared with the original plan, the knowledge-based plan had a significantly more homogeneous dose to the planning target volume and a significantly lower maximum dose. The volumes of the rectum, bladder, and femoral heads above all cutpoints were nominally lower for the knowledge-based plan; the reductions were significantly lower for the rectum. In 40% of cases, the knowledge-based plan had overall superior (lower) dose-volume histograms for rectum and bladder; in 54% of cases, the comparison was equivocal; in 6% of cases, the knowledge-based plan was inferior for both bladder and rectum. Knowledge-based planning was superior or equivalent to the original plan in 95% of cases. The knowledge-based approach shows promise for homogenizing plan quality by transferring planning expertise from more experienced to less experienced institutions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multi-criteria analysis and systemic planning: Towards a tetra-logical approach to planning and assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leleur, Steen

This paper presents systemic planning (SP) with emphasis on multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). Specifically, SP is presented as a “tetra-logical” methodology approach with MCDA as one out of four major method orientations. The Danish-Swedish Øresund Fixed Link is used as application example...

Plan's CCCD approach - Country study PLAN-Bangladesh

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Uffelen, van G.J.

2009-01-01

PLAN Netherlands National Organisation has in coordination with PLAN International Headquarters commissioned an independent formative evaluation study to get systematic insight in the preconditions for appropriate functionality of Child Centred Community Development (CCCD) and to strengthen common

A heuristic approach for short-term operations planning in a catering company

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farahani, Poorya; Grunow, Martin; Günther, H.O.

2009-01-01

Certain types of food such as catering foods decay very rapidly. This paper investigates how the quality of such foods can be improved by shortening the time interval between production and delivery. To this end, we develop an approach which integrates short-term production and distribution...... planning in a novel iterative scheme. The production scheduling problem is solved through an MILP modeling approach which is based on a block planning formulation complemented by a heuristic simplification procedure. Our investigation was motivated by a catering company located in Denmark. The production...... configuration and the processes assumed in our numerical experiments reflect real settings from this company. First numerical results are reported which demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach....

A Mission Planning Approach for Precision Farming Systems Based on Multi-Objective Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaoyu Zhai

2018-06-01

Full Text Available As the demand for food grows continuously, intelligent agriculture has drawn much attention due to its capability of producing great quantities of food efficiently. The main purpose of intelligent agriculture is to plan agricultural missions properly and use limited resources reasonably with minor human intervention. This paper proposes a Precision Farming System (PFS as a Multi-Agent System (MAS. Components of PFS are treated as agents with different functionalities. These agents could form several coalitions to complete the complex agricultural missions cooperatively. In PFS, mission planning should consider several criteria, like expected benefit, energy consumption or equipment loss. Hence, mission planning could be treated as a Multi-objective Optimization Problem (MOP. In order to solve MOP, an improved algorithm, MP-PSOGA, is proposed, taking advantages of the Genetic Algorithms and Particle Swarm Optimization. A simulation, called precise pesticide spraying mission, is performed to verify the feasibility of the proposed approach. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed approach works properly. This approach enables the PFS to plan missions and allocate scarce resources efficiently. The theoretical analysis and simulation is a good foundation for the future study. Once the proposed approach is applied to a real scenario, it is expected to bring significant economic improvement.

The Role of Regional Strategies in Sustainable Development: The Approach of City Plan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Polat

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In the world economy and development, understanding changes are occurring, with the EU integration process of developments and understanding of planning priorities when considered as together, "city" scale development approach and an appropriate planning system, that is the basis of Turkey`s administrative division and the national management system, should be improved self-rises. To reduce disparities among regions to an acceptable level and development of relatively underdeveloped regions and cities, naturally, a development and planning system even starting from the city and province levels, is required. In today's sustainable understanding and evolution tools, burden important functions to local units, as "participation" in the foreground stands out in the stages of planning and execution of the development strategies. Regional and city development plans and strategies as the center of rapid and balanced development dynamics are sensitive to local needs and local initiatives are required in being a trigger level. The study is done with Goal Directed Project Management methodology, and in the study city level taken as an example of city scale development approach and an appropriate planning system.

The Role of Regional Strategies in Sustainable Development: The Approach of City Plan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Polat

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In the world economy and development, understanding changes are occurring, with the EU integration process of developments and understanding of planning priorities when considered as together, "city" scale development approach and an appropriate planning system, that is the basis of Turkey`s administrative division and the national management system, should be improved self-rises. To reduce disparities among regions to an acceptable level and development of relatively underdeveloped regions and cities, naturally, a development and planning system even starting from the city and province levels, is required. In today's sustainable understanding and evolution tools, burden important functions to local units, as "participation" in the foreground stands out in the stages of planning and execution of the development strategies. Regional and city development plans and strategies as the center of rapid and balanced development dynamics are sensitive to local needs and local initiatives are required in being a trigger level. The study is done with Goal Directed Project Management methodology, and in the study city level taken as an example of city scale development approach and an appropriate planning system.

A single sensor and single actuator approach to performance tailoring over a prescribed frequency band.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jiqiang

2016-03-01

Restricted sensing and actuation control represents an important area of research that has been overlooked in most of the design methodologies. In many practical control engineering problems, it is necessitated to implement the design through a single sensor and single actuator for multivariate performance variables. In this paper, a novel approach is proposed for the solution to the single sensor and single actuator control problem where performance over any prescribed frequency band can also be tailored. The results are obtained for the broad band control design based on the formulation for discrete frequency control. It is shown that the single sensor and single actuator control problem over a frequency band can be cast into a Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation problem. An optimal controller can then be obtained via the convex optimization over LMIs. Even remarkable is that robustness issues can also be tackled in this framework. A numerical example is provided for the broad band attenuation of rotor blade vibration to illustrate the proposed design procedures. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-Robot Motion Planning: A Timed Automata Approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Quottrup, Michael Melholt; Bak, Thomas; Izadi-Zamanabadi, Roozbeh

2004-01-01

This paper describes how a network of interacting timed automata can be used to model, analyze, and verify motion planning problems in a scenario with multiple robotic vehicles. The method presupposes an infra-structure of robots with feed-back controllers obeying simple restriction on a planar...... grid. The automata formalism merely presents a high-level model of environment, robots and control, but allows composition and formal symbolic reasoning about coordinated solutions. Composition is achieved through synchronization, and the verification software UPPAAL is used for a symbolic verification...... then subsequently be used as a high-level motion plan for the robots. This paper reports on the timed automata framework, results of two verification experiments, promise of the approach, and gives a perspective for future research....

Multi-Robot Motion Planning: A Timed Automata Approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Quottrup, Michael Melholt; Bak, Thomas; Izadi-Zamanabadi, Roozbeh

This paper describes how a network of interacting timed automata can be used to model, analyze, and verify motion planning problems in a scenario with multiple robotic vehicles. The method presupposes an infra-structure of robots with feed-back controllers obeying simple restriction on a planar...... grid. The automata formalism merely presents a high-level model of environment, robots and control, but allows composition and formal symbolic reasoning about coordinated solutions. Composition is achieved through synchronization, and the verification software UPPAAL is used for a symbolic verification...... then subsequently be used as a high-level motion plan for the robots. This paper reports on the timed automata framework, results of two verification experiments, promise of the approach, and gives a perspective for future research....

Social marketing: an approach to planned social change.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotler, P; Zaltman, G

1971-07-01

This article examines the applicability of marketing concepts to social causes and social change. Social marketing is defined as the design, implementation, and control of programs calculated to influence the acceptability of social ideas and involving considerations of product planning, pricing, communication, distribution and marketing research. Wiebe examined four social advertising campaigns and concluded that their effectiveness depended on the presence of adequate force, direction, adequate and compatible social mechanism, and distance (the "cost" of the new attitude as seen by message's message"s recepient). A marketing planning approach is not a guarantee for the achievement of social objectives; yet, it represents a bridging mechanism linking the knowledge of the behavioral scientist with the socially useful implementation of that knowledge.

Coping planning: a patient-centred and strengths-focused approach to suicide prevention training.

Science.gov (United States)

Stallman, Helen M

2018-04-01

Suicide is a leading cause of premature death and, despite significant investment, the prevalence rate has remained relatively stable for more than a decade. Theoretically, the use of 'safety planning' as a response to suicidality likely maintains suicide as a potential solution for vulnerable people. This paper describes a theoretically-supported paradigm shift from safety planning to 'coping planning' to improve patient outcomes and improve the confidence and competence of clinicians working with people with suicidality. Coping planning is a strategy used to support people with acute distress. Its components of 'caring', 'collaborating' and 'connecting' reinforce existing strengths, promote self-efficacy and link people with more intensive supports, as needed. Coping planning overcomes the limitations of existing approaches. It reframes suicide prevention from managing patients disclosing suicidality to ensuring patients have minimally sufficient temporary support to help them cope. This approach has the potential to promote coping self-efficacy and prevent deterioration that leads to suicide.

Methodical approaches in the Norwegian Master Plan for Water Resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowitz, Einar

1997-01-01

The Norwegian Master Plan for Water Resources instructs the management not to consider applications for concession to develop hydroelectric projects in the so called category II of the plan. These are the environmentally most controversial projects or the most expensive projects. This report discusses the methods used in this Master Plan to classify the projects. The question whether the assessments of the environmental disadvantages of hydropower development are reasonable is approached in two ways: (1) Compare the environmental costs imbedded in the Plan with direct assessments, and (2) Discuss the appropriateness of the methodology used for environmental evaluations in the Plan. The report concludes that (1) the environmental costs that can be derived from the ranking in the Plan are significantly greater than those following from direct evaluations, (2) the differences are generally so great that one may ask whether the methods used in the Plan overestimate the real environmental costs, (3) it seems to have been difficult to make a unified assessment of the environmental disadvantages, (4) the Plan has considered the economic impact on agriculture and forestry very roughly and indirectly, which may have contributed to overestimated environmental costs of hydropower development. 20 refs., 6 figs., 7 tabs

Single-shell tank retrieval program mission analysis report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stokes, W.J.

1998-08-11

This Mission Analysis Report was prepared to provide the foundation for the Single-Shell Tank (SST) Retrieval Program, a new program responsible for waste removal for the SSTS. The SST Retrieval Program is integrated with other Tank Waste Remediation System activities that provide the management, technical, and operations elements associated with planning and execution of SST and SST Farm retrieval and closure. This Mission Analysis Report provides the basis and strategy for developing a program plan for SST retrieval. This Mission Analysis Report responds to a US Department of Energy request for an alternative single-shell tank retrieval approach (Taylor 1997).

Single-shell tank retrieval program mission analysis report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stokes, W.J.

1998-01-01

This Mission Analysis Report was prepared to provide the foundation for the Single-Shell Tank (SST) Retrieval Program, a new program responsible for waste removal for the SSTS. The SST Retrieval Program is integrated with other Tank Waste Remediation System activities that provide the management, technical, and operations elements associated with planning and execution of SST and SST Farm retrieval and closure. This Mission Analysis Report provides the basis and strategy for developing a program plan for SST retrieval. This Mission Analysis Report responds to a US Department of Energy request for an alternative single-shell tank retrieval approach (Taylor 1997)

A 3-Component Approach Incorporating Focus Groups in Strategic Planning for Sexual Violence Prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, Theresa H; Hess, Julia Meredith; Woelk, Leona; Bear, Samantha

2016-01-01

Sexual violence is of special concern in New Mexico because of the presence of large priority populations in which its prevalence is high. This article describes a 3-component approach to developing a strategic plan to prevent sexual violence in the state that consisted of an advisory group, subject matter experts, and focus groups from geographically and demographically diverse communities. Both common and community-specific themes emerged from the focus groups and were included in the strategic plan. By incorporating community needs and experiences, this approach fosters increased investment in plan implementation.

Integrated Transport Planning Framework Involving Combined Utility Regret Approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Yang; Monzon, Andres; Di Ciommo, Floridea

2014-01-01

Sustainable transport planning requires an integrated approach involving strategic planning, impact analysis, and multicriteria evaluation. This study aimed at relaxing the utility-based decision-making assumption by newly embedding anticipated-regret and combined utility regret decision mechanisms...... in a framework for integrated transport planning. The framework consisted of a two-round Delphi survey, integrated land use and transport model for Madrid, and multicriteria analysis. Results show that (a) the regret-based ranking has a similar mean but larger variance than the utility-based ranking does, (b......) the least-regret scenario forms a compromise between the desired and the expected scenarios, (c) the least-regret scenario can lead to higher user benefits in the short term and lower user benefits in the long term, (d) the utility-based, the regret-based, and the combined utility- and regret...

Leader-Follower Approach to Gas-Electricity Expansion Planning Problem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khaligh, Vahid; Oloomi Buygi, Majid; Anvari-Moghaddam, Amjad

2018-01-01

investment in capacity addition to the generation and transmission levels while considers the limitations on fuel consumption. On the other hand gas operator decides about investment in gas pipelines expansions considering the demanded gas by the electricity network. In this planning model for a joint gas......The main purpose of this paper is to develop a method for sequential gas and electricity networks expansion planning problem. A leader-follower approach performs the expansion planning of the joint gas and electricity networks. Electric system operator under adequacy incentive decides about......-electricity network, supply and demand are matched together while adequacy of fuel for gas consuming units is also guaranteed. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method Khorasan province of Iran is considered as a case study which has a high penetration level of gas-fired power plants (GFPP). Also...

A review of plan library approaches in adaptive radiotherapy of bladder cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Shane D; Leech, Michelle M

2018-05-01

Large variations in the shape and size of the bladder volume are commonly observed in bladder cancer radiotherapy (RT). The clinical target volume (CTV) is therefore frequently inadequately treated and large isotropic margins are inappropriate in terms of dose to organs at risk (OAR); thereby making adaptive radiotherapy (ART) attractive for this tumour site. There are various methods of ART delivery, however, for bladder cancer, plan libraries are frequently used. A review of published studies on plan libraries for bladder cancer using four databases (Pubmed, Science Direct, Embase and Cochrane Library) was conducted. The endpoints selected were accuracy and feasibility of initiation of a plan library strategy into a RT department. Twenty-four articles were included in this review. The majority of studies reported improvement in accuracy with 10 studies showing an improvement in planning target volume (PTV) and CTV coverage with plan libraries, some by up to 24%. Seventeen studies showed a dose reduction to OARs, particularly the small bowel V45Gy, V40Gy, V30Gy and V10Gy, and the rectal V30Gy. However, the occurrence of no suitable plan was reported in six studies, with three studies showing no significant difference between adaptive and non-adaptive strategies in terms of target coverage. In addition, inter-observer variability in plan selection appears to remain problematic. The additional resources, education and technology required for the initiation of plan library selection for bladder cancer may hinder its routine clinical implementation, with eight studies illustrating increased treatment time required. While there is a growing body of evidence in support of plan libraries for bladder RT, many studies differed in their delivery approach. The advent of the clinical use of the MRI-linear accelerator will provide RT departments with the opportunity to consider daily online adaption for bladder cancer as an alternate to plan library approaches.

Motion and operation planning of robotic systems background and practical approaches

CERN Document Server

Gomez-Barvo, Fernando

2015-01-01

This book addresses the broad multi-disciplinary topic of robotics, and presents the basic techniques for motion and operation planning in robotics systems. Gathering contributions from experts in diverse and wide ranging fields, it offers an overview of the most recent and cutting-edge practical applications of these methodologies. It covers both theoretical and practical approaches, and elucidates the transition from theory to implementation. An extensive analysis is provided, including humanoids, manipulators, aerial robots and ground mobile robots. ‘Motion and Operation Planning of Robotic Systems’ addresses the following topics: *The theoretical background of robotics. *Application of motion planning techniques to manipulators, such as serial and parallel manipulators. *Mobile robots planning, including robotic applications related to aerial robots, large scale robots and traditional wheeled robots. *Motion planning for humanoid robots. An invaluable reference text for graduate students and researche...

Advance Planning of Form Properties in the Written Production of Single and Multiple Words

Science.gov (United States)

Damian, Markus F.; Stadthagen-Gonzalez, Hans

2009-01-01

Three experiments investigated the scope of advance planning in written production. Experiment 1 manipulated phonological factors in single word written production, and Experiments 2 and 3 did the same in the production of adjective-noun utterances. In all three experiments, effects on latencies were found which mirrored those previously…

An Ensemble Approach to Knowledge-Based Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiahan Zhang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Knowledge-based planning (KBP utilizes experienced planners’ knowledge embedded in prior plans to estimate optimal achievable dose volume histogram (DVH of new cases. In the regression-based KBP framework, previously planned patients’ anatomical features and DVHs are extracted, and prior knowledge is summarized as the regression coefficients that transform features to organ-at-risk DVH predictions. In our study, we find that in different settings, different regression methods work better. To improve the robustness of KBP models, we propose an ensemble method that combines the strengths of various linear regression models, including stepwise, lasso, elastic net, and ridge regression. In the ensemble approach, we first obtain individual model prediction metadata using in-training-set leave-one-out cross validation. A constrained optimization is subsequently performed to decide individual model weights. The metadata is also used to filter out impactful training set outliers. We evaluate our method on a fresh set of retrospectively retrieved anonymized prostate intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT cases and head and neck IMRT cases. The proposed approach is more robust against small training set size, wrongly labeled cases, and dosimetric inferior plans, compared with other individual models. In summary, we believe the improved robustness makes the proposed method more suitable for clinical settings than individual models.

An integrated approach to strategic planning in the civilian high-level radioactive waste management program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sprecher, W.M.; Katz, J.; Redmond, R.J.

1992-01-01

This paper describes the approach that the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) of the Department of Energy (DOE) is taking to the task of strategic planning for the civilian high-level radioactive waste management program. It highlights selected planning products and activities that have emerged over the past year. It demonstrates that this approach is an integrated one, both in the sense of being systematic on the program level but also as a component of DOE strategic planning efforts. Lastly, it indicates that OCRWM strategic planning takes place in a dynamic environment and consequently is a process that is still evolving in response to the demands placed upon it

Analyzing an Integrated Planning Approach Among Planning Scale and Sector a Case Study of Malang City's Vision as the City of Education

OpenAIRE

Amirudin, Akhmad; Fefta Wijaya, Andy; Yossomsakdi, Samrit

2014-01-01

Integrated planning is more needed by government today because of the complexity of problems and limited resources. Integrated planning can undertake the problems by giving comprehensive solution and provide how much resources are needed to reach the goal. Integrated planning approach is implied to provide better tools to guide actions towards the development of cities, improvement of human conditions, and ultimately a better urbanism. So the research focused on integrated planning in Malang ...

Wilmington Area Planning Council, New Castle County, Delaware and Cecil County, Maryland : a performance-based approach to integrating congestion management into the metropolitan planning process

Science.gov (United States)

2009-04-01

The Wilmington Area Planning Council takes an objectives-driven, performance-based approach to its metropolitan transportation planning, including paying special attention to integrating its Congestion Management Process into its planning efforts. Th...

A new approach of quantum mechanics for neutron single-slit diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Xiangyao; Yang Jinghai; Liu Xiaojing; Wang Li; Liu Bing; Fan Xihui; Guo Yiqing

2007-01-01

Phenomena of electron, neutron, atomic and molecular diffraction have been studied in many experiments, and these experiments are explained by many theoretical works. We study neutron single-slit diffraction with a quantum mechanical approach. It is found that the obvious diffraction patterns can be obtained when the single slit width a is in the range of 3λ-60λ. We also find a new quantum effect of the thickness of single-slit which can make a large impact on the diffraction pattern. The new quantum effect predicted in our work can be tested by the neutron single-slit diffraction experiment. (authors)

Analytic network process (ANP approach for product mix planning in railway industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hadi Pazoki Toroudi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Given the competitive environment in the global market in recent years, organizations need to plan for increased profitability and optimize their performance. Planning for an appropriate product mix plays essential role for the success of most production units. This paper applies analytical network process (ANP approach for product mix planning for a part supplier in Iran. The proposed method uses four criteria including cost of production, sales figures, supply of raw materials and quality of products. In addition, the study proposes different set of products as alternatives for production planning. The preliminary results have indicated that that the proposed study of this paper could increase productivity, significantly.

Flexible integration of path-planning capabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Stobie, Iain C.; Tambe, Milind; Rosenbloom, Paul S.

1993-05-01

Robots pursuing complex goals must plan paths according to several criteria of quality, including shortness, safety, speed and planning time. Many sources and kinds of knowledge, such as maps, procedures and perception, may be available or required. Both the quality criteria and sources of knowledge may vary widely over time, and in general they will interact. One approach to address this problem is to express all criteria and goals numerically in a single weighted graph, and then to search this graph to determine a path. Since this is problematic with symbolic or uncertain data and interacting criteria, we propose that what is needed instead is an integration of many kinds of planning capabilities. We describe a hybrid approach to integration, based on experiments with building simulated mobile robots using Soar, an integrated problem-solving and learning system. For flexibility, we have implemented a combination of internal planning, reactive capabilities and specialized tools. We illustrate how these components can complement each other's limitations and produce plans which integrate geometric and task knowledge.

Participatory approach in planning for low carbon and eco-village: A case of Felda Taib Andak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngah, I; Zulkifli, A S

2014-01-01

Participatory approaches have becoming an important tool in planning of sustainable communities. Although participation is conceived as a malleable concept there are certain methods that planners can adopt to ensure a meaningful participation. This paper will provide some experiences and lessons on how participatory planning could be carried out with local people, the role of planners in the process of plan preparation, implementation and the outcome. This paper first explores some of the meanings of participation, the criteria of participation and the approaches of participation in planning for sustainable community. The second part is a description and discussion of how participatory approach in planning was applied in planning for low carbon and eco-village in Iskandar Malaysia based on a case study of planning of Felda Taib Andak scheme. The participatory approach involved a series of meetings, site visit and focus group discussions with representative of the Felda Village to come out with action plan and actual implementation. From focus group discussions a roadmap consisted of a vision and objectives and a dozen actions were formulated and adopted. In the process of implementation the main implementation and coordination committee was form in which the author (planner) is one of its members to look into fund raising and implementation strategies together with the local people. Several task forces or sub committees responsible to implement the dozen actions were also formed. The outcome was encouraging in which some of the actions such as planting of bamboo trees, reduction of pollution from oil palm factory and bicycling activities has been implemented and shown progress. The paper also highlights some of the issues and challenges in participatory planning

Narrative Financial Therapy: Integrating a Financial Planning Approach with Therapeutic Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Megan A. McCoy

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The article serves as one of the first attempts to develop an integrated theoretical approach to financial therapy that can be used by practitioners from multiple disciplines. The presented approach integrates the components of the six-step financial planning process with components of empirically-supported therapeutic methods. This integration provides the foundation for a manualized approach to financial therapy, shaped by the writings of narrative theorists and select cognitive-behavioral interventions that can be used both by mental health and financial professionals.

Curriculum Integration Using Enterprise Resource Planning: An Integrative Case Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Cannon, David M.; Klein, Helen A; Koste, Lori L.; Magal, Simha R.

2004-01-01

Efforts to achieve greater curriculum integration in schools of business have included team teaching, student group projects, multidisciplinary cases, and, more recently, the use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Although these approaches are beneficial, they tend to be implemented on an ad hoc basis rather than through curriculum…

Optimal Control Approaches to the Aggregate Production Planning Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasser A. Davizón

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In the area of production planning and control, the aggregate production planning (APP problem represents a great challenge for decision makers in production-inventory systems. Tradeoff between inventory-capacity is known as the APP problem. To address it, static and dynamic models have been proposed, which in general have several shortcomings. It is the premise of this paper that the main drawback of these proposals is, that they do not take into account the dynamic nature of the APP. For this reason, we propose the use of an Optimal Control (OC formulation via the approach of energy-based and Hamiltonian-present value. The main contribution of this paper is the mathematical model which integrates a second order dynamical system coupled with a first order system, incorporating production rate, inventory level, and capacity as well with the associated cost by work force in the same formulation. Also, a novel result in relation with the Hamiltonian-present value in the OC formulation is that it reduces the inventory level compared with the pure energy based approach for APP. A set of simulations are provided which verifies the theoretical contribution of this work.

Planned change or emergent change implementation approach and nurses' professional clinical autonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Luiking, Marie-Louise; Aarts, Leon; Bras, Leo; Grypdonck, Maria; van Linge, Roland

2017-11-01

Nurses' clinical autonomy is considered important for patients' outcome and influenced by the implementation approach of innovations. Emergent change approach with participation in the implementation process is thought to increase clinical autonomy. Planned change approach without this participation is thought not to increase clinical autonomy. Evidence of these effects on clinical autonomy is however limited. To examine the changes in clinical autonomy and in personal norms and values for a planned change and emergent change implementation of an innovation, e.g. intensive insulin therapy. Prospective comparative study with two geographically separated nurses' teams on one intensive care unit (ICU), randomly assigned to the experimental conditions. Data were collected from March 2008 to January 2009. Pre-existing differences in perception of team and innovation characteristics were excluded using instruments based on the innovation contingency model. The Nursing Activity Scale was used to measure clinical autonomy. The Personal Values and Norms instrument was used to assess orientation towards nursing activities and the Team Learning Processes instrument to assess learning as a team. Pre-implementation the measurements did not differ. Post-implementation, clinical autonomy was increased in the emergent change team and decreased in the planned change team. The Personal Values and Norms instrument showed in the emergent change team a decreased hierarchic score and increased developmental and rational scores. In the planned change team the hierarchical and group scores were increased. Learning as a team did not differ between the teams. In both teams there was a change in clinical autonomy and orientation towards nursing activities, in line with the experimental conditions. Emergent change implementation resulted in more clinical autonomy than planned change implementation. If an innovation requires the nurses to make their own clinical decisions, an emergent change

77 FR 74353 - Benefits Payable in Terminated Single-Employer Plans; Interest Assumptions for Paying Benefits

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-14

... regulation will be 0.75 percent for the period during which a benefit is in pay status and 4.00 percent... PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION 29 CFR Part 4022 Benefits Payable in Terminated Single-Employer Plans; Interest Assumptions for Paying Benefits AGENCY: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation...

SINGLE MOLECULE APPROACHES TO BIOLOGY, 2010 GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE, JUNE 27-JULY 2, 2010, ITALY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Professor William Moerner

2010-07-09

The 2010 Gordon Conference on Single-Molecule Approaches to Biology focuses on cutting-edge research in single-molecule science. Tremendous technical developments have made it possible to detect, identify, track, and manipulate single biomolecules in an ambient environment or even in a live cell. Single-molecule approaches have changed the way many biological problems are addressed, and new knowledge derived from these approaches continues to emerge. The ability of single-molecule approaches to avoid ensemble averaging and to capture transient intermediates and heterogeneous behavior renders them particularly powerful in elucidating mechanisms of biomolecular machines: what they do, how they work individually, how they work together, and finally, how they work inside live cells. The burgeoning use of single-molecule methods to elucidate biological problems is a highly multidisciplinary pursuit, involving both force- and fluorescence-based methods, the most up-to-date advances in microscopy, innovative biological and chemical approaches, and nanotechnology tools. This conference seeks to bring together top experts in molecular and cell biology with innovators in the measurement and manipulation of single molecules, and will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work in poster format and to exchange ideas with leaders in the field. A number of excellent poster presenters will be selected for short oral talks. Topics as diverse as single-molecule sequencing, DNA/RNA/protein interactions, folding machines, cellular biophysics, synthetic biology and bioengineering, force spectroscopy, new method developments, superresolution imaging in cells, and novel probes for single-molecule imaging will be on the program. Additionally, the collegial atmosphere of this Conference, with programmed discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings in the beauty of the Il Ciocco site in

Security planning an applied approach

CERN Document Server

Lincke, Susan

2015-01-01

This book guides readers through building an IT security plan. Offering a template, it helps readers to prioritize risks, conform to regulation, plan their defense and secure proprietary/confidential information. The process is documented in the supplemental online security workbook. Security Planning is designed for the busy IT practitioner, who does not have time to become a security expert, but needs a security plan now. It also serves to educate the reader of a broader set of concepts related to the security environment through the Introductory Concepts and Advanced sections. The book serv

Demand planning approaches employed by clothing industry stakeholders in Gauteng, South Africa

OpenAIRE

Ntombizodwa J. Matsoma; Intaher M. Ambe

2017-01-01

Background: The decline in the productivity of the South African clothing industry was attributed to changing trends in the number of clothing production organisations, which together with a decline in manufacturing output and a fluctuation in employment had all contributed to complexities in demand planning. Purpose: This article investigates demand planning approaches in the clothing industry in Gauteng. Method: A descriptive study was conducted based on a structured questionnaire. ...

Integrating fuel treatment into ecosystem management: A proposed project planning process

Science.gov (United States)

Keith D. Stockmann; Kevin D. Hyde; J. Greg Jones; Dan R. Loeffler; Robin P. Silverstein

2010-01-01

Concern over increased wildland fire threats on public lands throughout the western United States makes fuel reduction activities the primary driver of many management projects. This single-issue focus recalls a management planning process practiced frequently in recent decades - a least-harm approach where the primary objective is first addressed and then plans are...

Assessing Changes in Job Behavior Due to Training: A Guide to the Participant Action Plan Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Office of Personnel Management, Washington, DC.

This guide provides a brief introduction to the Participant Action Plan Approach (PAPA) and a user's handbook. Part I outlines five steps of PAPA which determine how job behavior is changed by training course or program participation. Part II, the manual, is arranged by the five steps of the PAPA approach. Planning for PAPA discusses making…

Scenario planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Enzmann, Dieter R; Beauchamp, Norman J; Norbash, Alexander

2011-03-01

In facing future developments in health care, scenario planning offers a complementary approach to traditional strategic planning. Whereas traditional strategic planning typically consists of predicting the future at a single point on a chosen time horizon and mapping the preferred plans to address such a future, scenario planning creates stories about multiple likely potential futures on a given time horizon and maps the preferred plans to address the multiple described potential futures. Each scenario is purposefully different and specifically not a consensus worst-case, average, or best-case forecast; nor is scenario planning a process in probabilistic prediction. Scenario planning focuses on high-impact, uncertain driving forces that in the authors' example affect the field of radiology. Uncertainty is the key concept as these forces are mapped onto axes of uncertainty, the poles of which have opposed effects on radiology. One chosen axis was "market focus," with poles of centralized health care (government control) vs a decentralized private market. Another axis was "radiology's business model," with one pole being a unified, single specialty vs a splintered, disaggregated subspecialty. The third axis was "technology and science," with one pole representing technology enabling to radiology vs technology threatening to radiology. Selected poles of these axes were then combined to create 3 scenarios. One scenario, termed "entrepreneurialism," consisted of a decentralized private market, a disaggregated business model, and threatening technology and science. A second scenario, termed "socialized medicine," had a centralized market focus, a unified specialty business model, and enabling technology and science. A third scenario, termed "freefall," had a centralized market focus, a disaggregated business model, and threatening technology and science. These scenarios provide a range of futures that ultimately allow the identification of defined "signposts" that can

An integrated multi−period planning of the production and transportation of multiple petroleum products in a single pipeline system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Herrán

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A multiproduct pipeline provides an economic way to transport large volumes of refined petroleum products over long distances. In such a pipeline, different products are pumped back−to−back without any separation device between them. The sequence and lengths of such pumping runs must be carefully selected in order to meet market demands while minimizing pipeline operational costs and satisfying several constraints. The production planning and scheduling of the products at the refinery must also be synchronized with the transportation in order to avoid the usage of the system at some peak−hour time intervals. In this paper, we propose a multi−period mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP model for an optimal planning and scheduling of the production and transportation of multiple petroleum products from a refinery plant connected to several depots through a single pipeline system. The objective of this work is to generalize the mixed integer linear programming (MILP formulation proposed by Cafaro and Cerdá (2004, Computers and Chemical Engineering where only a single planning period was considered and the production planning and scheduling was not part of the decision process. Numerical examples show how the use of a single period model for a given time period may lead to infeasible solutions when it is used for the upcoming periods. These examples also show how integrating production planning with the transportation and the use of a multi−period model may result in a cost saving compared to using a single−period model for each period, independently.

Family planning and the labor sector: soft-sell approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Teston, R C

1981-01-01

Dr. Cesar T. San Pedro, the director of the company clinic at Dole Philippines plantation in South Cotabato in Region 11, has been pressing the management to initiate a comprehensive family planning programs for their 10,000 workers. Pedro wants the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE) to enforce its population program. The situation at Dole is one that requires an arbiter. Since 1977, there has not been a Population/Family Planning Officer (PFPO) for the area, and it is not possible to monitor closely if the qualified firms are following the labor code and providing family planning services to their employees. Susan B. Dedel, executive director of the PFPO, has reported that the office has sought to endear its program to the private sector by showing that family planning is also profitable for the firm. This "soft-sell" approach has been the hallmark of the MOLE-PFPO since it began in 1975 as a joint project of the Commission on Population (POPCOM), United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), and International Labor Organization (ILO). Some critics have argued that this liberal style of implementation is short-selling the program. They point out that the Labor Code of 1973 enforces all establishments with at least 200 employees to have a free in-plant family planning program which includes clinic care, paid motivators, and volunteer population workers. The critics seem, at 1st glance, to have the statistics on their side. In its 5 years of operation, the PFPO has convinced only 137,000 workers to accept family planning. This is quite low, since of the 1.2 million employed by the covered firms, 800,000 are eligible for the MOLE program. Much of the weakness of the implementation is said to be due to the slow activation of the Labor-Management Coordinating Committees (LMCC). The critics maintain that because of the liberal enforcement of Department Order No. 9, the recalcitrant firms see no reason to comply. Dedel claims that the program is on the

SU-F-T-615: Comparison of Plan Quality for Linac-Based Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) Using Single- and Multi-Isocenter Techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, J [Dept of Radiation Medicine, Northwell Health, Lake Success, NY (United States); Dept of Radiation Oncology, NewYork Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY (United States); Wernicke, A [Dept of Radiation Oncology, NewYork Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY (United States); Pannullo, S [Dept of Neurological Surgery, NewYork Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To compare the plan quality of linear accelerator (linac)-based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) using single-isocenter volumetric arc therapy (SI-VMAT), restricted single-isocenter dynamic-arc (RSI-DARC), and multi-isocenter DARC (MI-DARC) techniques. Methods: Fifteen SRS cases were randomly selected and re-planned using the SI-VMAT (Pinnacle), RSI-DARC (iPlanNet) and MI-DARC (iPlanNet). The number of planning target volumes (PTVs) for each plan ranged from 1 to 6. For SI-VMAT, a single isocenter and 3-4 VMAT beams are used for all PTVs, while for MI-DARC, each PTV has its own isocetner with 3 DARC beams. RSI-DARC uses one isocnter with 3-6 DARC beams to irradiate all PTVs within 2.5-cm radius. Both SI-DARC and RSI-DARC plans were optimized manually. The prescription dose was 20 Gy to each PTV. The maximal dose was 25 Gy for RSI-DARC and MI-DARC, but could not be controlled for SI-VMAT due to the nature of VMAT planning. Plan quality indexes including PTV coverage, mean dose of PTV (PTVmean) and tissue (Tmean), V12Gy, conformity index (CI), and V10Gy/VPTV were calculated and compared. Results: Full PTV coverage was achieved for all three techniques. Using the MI-DARC plans as the gold standard, the PTVmean of the SI-VMAT plans was 12.5%±8.3% (mean±standard deviation) higher, in comparison to 0.7%±1.4% for the RSI-DARC plans. Similar trend was observed for other indexes including V12Gy (39.4%±27.3% vs. 9.3%±7.8%), Tmean (35.0%±26.8% vs. 2.8%±3.4%), and V10Gy/VPTV (42.2%±31.5% vs. 9.9%±8.2%). CI is comparable (6.2%±14.2% vs. 6.3%±7.2%). Assuming the treatment time is proportional to the number of isocenters, the reduction of the treatment time in comparison to MI-DARC was 70% for SI-VMAT and 42% for RSI-DARC. Conclusion: Although the SI-VMAT can save a considerable amount of treatment time, the plan indexes also significantly deviates from the gold standard, MI-DARC. RSI-DARC, on the other hand, provides a good compromise between the treatment

Towards a synecological framework for systematic conservation planning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hortal, Joaquín; Lobo, Jorge M.

2006-01-01

Biodiversity conservation design, though difficult with fragmentary or insufficient biological data, can be planned and evaluated with several methods. One of them, the complementarity criterion, is commonly used to account for the distributions of a number of species (i.e., an autoecological...... of single-species distributions as the biodiversity attribute to be used in complementarity strategies. Several technical and theoretical advantages of composite biodiversity variables (i.e., a synecological approach) may, however, make them ideal biodiversity indicators for conservation area selection....... The drawbacks associated with current biodiversity data are discussed herein, along with the possible advantages and disadvantages of conservation planning through a synecological or autoecological approach....

Designing a strategic plan development approach for integrated area development projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Kort, Inge

2009-01-01

Increasingly, it has become evident that spatial problems can no longer be resolved in isolation, but should be solved in conjunction with other development-related issues. Interest in integrated area development is growing, and a more integrated planning approach is desired. In this design-based

From RLP to SLP: Two Different Approaches to Landscape Planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Federica Isola

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The concepts of governance and sustainable development are concepts related to complex systems and processes, in terms of problems and implications, with a variety of people involved in different ways and whose number has increased over time. In the processes of regional governance, the concept of sustainability interacts with the environment and to the territory. Since 2006, year of approval of its Regional Landscape Plan (RLP, the Region of Sardinia, has been experiencing a new era of regional governance characterisedcharacterized by a new understanding of environmental resources; and by a different relational approach among regional government bodies, as well as between them and local communities. In 2009 began the revision phase of the plan recently concluded with the approval of the Sardinia Landscape Plan (SLP. This paper will highlight a comparison between RLP and SLP focusing on three aspects: i the concept of protection and safeguarding of the territory; ii the institutional governance; iii the application of the Strategic Environmental Assessment.

Proposing an Aggregate Production Planning Model by Goal Programming Approach, a Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mansoureh Farzam Rad

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Production planning is one of the most important functions in the process of production management. Production planning in the intermediate range of time is termed as aggregate production planning (APP. Aggregate production planning is an important upper level planning activity in a production management system. The present study tries to suggest an aggregate production planning model for products of Hafez tile factory during one year. Due to this fact that the director of the company seeks 3 main objectives to determine the optimal production rate, the linear goal planning method was employed. After solving the problem, in order to examine the efficiency and the distinctiveness of this method in compare to linear programming, the problem was modeled just by considering one objective then was solved by linear programming approach. The findings revealed the goal programming with multi objectives resulted more appropriate solution rather than linear programming with just one objective.

Methodological approach to participatory formulation of agricultural technical assistance plans with territorial approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Holmes Rodríguez Espinosa

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The collective identification of needs and shared decision-making in projects’ formulation for agricultural development is a process that requires the identification of participatory methodologies to promote active and reflective engagement of producers. The aim of this study was to evaluate a methodological approach for participatory formulation of technical assistance plan with territorial approach. Matrix analysis for the identification and prioritization of the most limiting technical assistance factors for milk production was performed and alternative solutions were defined, through participatory workshops with farmers. The results show the advantages of a collective reflection with stakeholders and quantitative tools reducing subjectivity in decision-making, improving participation in their own development and identifying acceptable alternatives to farmers and viable to the municipality in order to improve lack of pasture and forage management, implementation of good agricultural practices GAP and rational use of agrochemicals.

A jackknife approach to quantifying single-trial correlation between covariance-based metrics undefined on a single-trial basis.

Science.gov (United States)

Richter, Craig G; Thompson, William H; Bosman, Conrado A; Fries, Pascal

2015-07-01

The quantification of covariance between neuronal activities (functional connectivity) requires the observation of correlated changes and therefore multiple observations. The strength of such neuronal correlations may itself undergo moment-by-moment fluctuations, which might e.g. lead to fluctuations in single-trial metrics such as reaction time (RT), or may co-fluctuate with the correlation between activity in other brain areas. Yet, quantifying the relation between moment-by-moment co-fluctuations in neuronal correlations is precluded by the fact that neuronal correlations are not defined per single observation. The proposed solution quantifies this relation by first calculating neuronal correlations for all leave-one-out subsamples (i.e. the jackknife replications of all observations) and then correlating these values. Because the correlation is calculated between jackknife replications, we address this approach as jackknife correlation (JC). First, we demonstrate the equivalence of JC to conventional correlation for simulated paired data that are defined per observation and therefore allow the calculation of conventional correlation. While the JC recovers the conventional correlation precisely, alternative approaches, like sorting-and-binning, result in detrimental effects of the analysis parameters. We then explore the case of relating two spectral correlation metrics, like coherence, that require multiple observation epochs, where the only viable alternative analysis approaches are based on some form of epoch subdivision, which results in reduced spectral resolution and poor spectral estimators. We show that JC outperforms these approaches, particularly for short epoch lengths, without sacrificing any spectral resolution. Finally, we note that the JC can be applied to relate fluctuations in any smooth metric that is not defined on single observations. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Planning and support materials in teaching story comprehension from the interbehavioral approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Cristina Mascareño Bórquez

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Despite the latest changes in educational reforms within the country, curriculum plans and ongoing program renewals aimed at resolving the educational gap reflected in national statistics, the results remain unfavorable. This leads to reflection and analysis to generate and implement new forms and teaching strategies. The purpose of this paper is to present the design of an alternative proposal for planning and the development of support materials, developed according to the second block of sixth grade primary education, in two expected learning contained in the formal basic education curriculum. Centered on the interaction in teaching-learning and according to different levels of functional aptitude. Subsequently it underwent a process of piloting and revision by experts to prove the pertinence of the planning and precisions for its implementation. As results, the support materials and the planning proposal are presented and discussed with the authors who have worked on planning proposals from the inter-behavioral approach.

Optimizing Maintenance Planning in the Production Industry Using the Markovian Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B Kareem

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Maintenance is an essential activity in every manufacturing establishment, as manufacturing effectiveness counts on the functionality of production equipment and machinery in terms of their productivity and operational life. Maintenance cost minimization can be achieved by adopting an appropriate maintenance planning policy. This paper applies the Markovian approach to maintenance planning decision, thereby generating optimal maintenance policy from the identified alternatives over a specified period of time. Markov chains, transition matrices, decision processes, and dynamic programming models were formulated for the decision problem related to maintenance operations of a cable production company. Preventive and corrective maintenance data based on workloads and costs, were collected from the company and utilized in this study. The result showed variability in the choice of optimal maintenance policy that was adopted in the case study. Post optimality analysis of the process buttressed the claim. The proposed approach is promising for solving the maintenance scheduling decision problems of the company.

Analytical approach to phonons and electron-phonon interactions in single-walled zigzag carbon nanotubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kandemir, B S; Keskin, M [Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, Ankara University, 06100 Tandogan, Ankara (Turkey)

2008-08-13

In this paper, exact analytical expressions for the entire phonon spectra in single-walled carbon nanotubes with zigzag geometry are presented by using a new approach, originally developed by Kandemir and Altanhan. This approach is based on the concept of construction of a classical lattice Hamiltonian of single-walled carbon nanotubes, wherein the nearest and next nearest neighbor and bond bending interactions are all included, then its quantization and finally diagonalization of the resulting second quantized Hamiltonian. Furthermore, within this context, explicit analytical expressions for the relevant electron-phonon interaction coefficients are also investigated for single-walled carbon nanotubes having this geometry, by the phonon modulation of the hopping interaction.

Analytical approach to phonons and electron-phonon interactions in single-walled zigzag carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kandemir, B S; Keskin, M

2008-01-01

In this paper, exact analytical expressions for the entire phonon spectra in single-walled carbon nanotubes with zigzag geometry are presented by using a new approach, originally developed by Kandemir and Altanhan. This approach is based on the concept of construction of a classical lattice Hamiltonian of single-walled carbon nanotubes, wherein the nearest and next nearest neighbor and bond bending interactions are all included, then its quantization and finally diagonalization of the resulting second quantized Hamiltonian. Furthermore, within this context, explicit analytical expressions for the relevant electron-phonon interaction coefficients are also investigated for single-walled carbon nanotubes having this geometry, by the phonon modulation of the hopping interaction

SU-E-T-428: Dosimetric Impact of Multileaf Collimator Leaf Width On Single and multiple Isocenter Stereotactic IMRT Treatment Plans for multiple Brain Tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giem, J; Algan, O; Ahmad, S; Ali, I; Young, J; Hossain, S

2014-01-01

Purpose: To assess the impacts that multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf width has on the dose conformity and normal brain tissue doses of single and multiple isocenter stereotactic IMRT (SRT) plans for multiple intracranial tumors. Methods: Fourteen patients with 2–3 targets were studied retrospectively. Patients treated with multiple isocenter treatment plans using 9 to 12 non-coplanar beams per lesion underwent repeat planning using single isocenter and 10 to 12 non-coplanar beams with 2.5mm, 3mm and 5mm MLC leaf widths. Brainlab iPlan treatment planning system for delivery with the 2.5mm MLC served as reference. Identical contour sets and dose-volume constraints were applied. The prescribed dose to each target was 25 Gy to be delivered over 5 fractions with a minimum of 99% dose to cover ≥ 95% of the target volume. Results: The lesions and normal brains ranged in size from 0.11 to 51.67cc (median, 2.75cc) and 1090 to 1641cc (median, 1401cc), respectively. The Paddick conformity index for single and multiple isocenter (2.5mm vs. 3mm and 5mm MLCs) was (0.79±0.08 vs. 0.79±0.07 and 0.77±0.08) and (0.79±0.09 vs. 0.77±0.09 and 0.76±0.08), respectively. The average normal brain volumes receiving 15 Gy for single and multiple isocenter (2.5mm vs. 3mm and 5mm MLCs) were (3.65% vs. 3.95% and 4.09%) and (2.89% vs. 2.91% and 2.92%), respectively. Conclusion: The average dose conformity observed for the different leaf width for single and multiple isocenter plans were similar, throughout. However, the average normal brain volumes receiving 2.5 to 15 Gy were consistently lower for the 2.5mm MLC leaf width, especially for single isocenter plans. The clinical consequences of these integral normal brain tissue doses are still unknown, but employing the use of the 2.5mm MLC option is desirable at sparing normal brain tissue for both single and multiple isocenter cases

Rapid approach for cloning bacterial single-genes directly from soils ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Obtaining functional genes of bacteria from environmental samples usually depends on library-based approach which is not favored as its large amount of work with small possibility of positive clones. A kind of bacterial single-gene encoding glutamine synthetase (GS) was selected as example to detect the efficiency of ...

Reflectance of Biological Turbid Tissues under Wide Area Illumination: Single Backward Scattering Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guennadi Saiko

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Various scenarios of light propagation paths in turbid media (single backward scattering, multiple backward scattering, banana shape are discussed and their contributions to reflectance spectra are estimated. It has been found that a single backward or multiple forward scattering quasi-1D paths can be the major contributors to reflected spectra in wide area illumination scenario. Such a single backward scattering (SBS approximation allows developing of an analytical approach which can take into account refractive index mismatched boundary conditions and multilayer geometry and can be used for real-time spectral processing. The SBS approach can be potentially applied for the distances between the transport and reduced scattering domains. Its validation versus the Kubelka-Munk model, path integrals, and diffusion approximation of the radiation transport theory is discussed.

An approach to improve Romanian geological repository planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrei, Veronica; Prisecaru, Ilie

2016-01-01

International standards recommend typical phases to be included within any national program for the development of a geological repository dedicated to disposal of the high level radioactive wastes generated in countries using nuclear power. However, these are not universally applicable and the content of each of these phases may need to be adapted for each national situation and regulatory and institutional framework. Several national geological repository programs have faced failures in schedules and have revised their programs to consider an adapted phased management approach. The authors have observed that in the case of those countries in the early phases of a geological repository program where boundary conditions have not been fully defined, international recommendations for handling delays/failures in the national program might not immediately help. This paper considers a case study of the influences of the national context risks on the current planning schedule of the Romanian national geological repository. It proposes an optimum solution for an integrated response to any significant adverse impact arising from these risks, enabling sustainable program planning

Planning for strategic change? A participative planning approach for community hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, S K; Beange, J E; Blachford, P C

1992-01-01

Strategic planning is becoming to hospitals what business case analysis is to private corporations. In fact, this type of planning is becoming essential for the professional management of Ontario hospitals. The participative strategic planning process at Toronto East General Hospital (TEGH) is an example of how a professionally structured and implemented strategic planning process can be successfully developed and implemented in a community hospital. In this article, the environmental factors driving planning are reviewed and the critical success factors for the development and implementation of a strategic plan are examined in the context of TEGH's experience.

Self-interested Planning Agents using Plan Repair

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van der Krogt, R.P.J.; De Weerdt, M.M.

2005-01-01

We present a novel approach to multiagent planning for selfinterested agents. The main idea behind our approach is that multiagent planning systems should be built upon (singleagent) plan repair systems. In our system agents can exchange goals and subgoals through an auction, using their own

Self-interested planning agents using plan repair

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.P.J. van der Krogt; M.M. de Weerdt (Mathijs)

2005-01-01

htmlabstractWe present a novel approach to multiagent planning for selfinterested agents. The main idea behind our approach is that multiagent planning systems should be built upon (singleagent) plan repair systems. In our system agents can exchange goals and subgoals through an auction, using

An integrated approach for facilities planning by ELECTRE method

Science.gov (United States)

Elbishari, E. M. Y.; Hazza, M. H. F. Al; Adesta, E. Y. T.; Rahman, Nur Salihah Binti Abdul

2018-01-01

Facility planning is concerned with the design, layout, and accommodation of people, machines and activities of a system. Most of the researchers try to investigate the production area layout and the related facilities. However, few of them try to investigate the relationship between the production space and its relationship with service departments. The aim of this research to is to integrate different approaches in order to evaluate, analyse and select the best facilities planning method that able to explain the relationship between the production area and other supporting departments and its effect on human efforts. To achieve the objective of this research two different approaches have been integrated: Apple’s layout procedure as one of the effective tools in planning factories, ELECTRE method as one of the Multi Criteria Decision Making methods (MCDM) to minimize the risk of getting poor facilities planning. Dalia industries have been selected as a case study to implement our integration the factory have been divided two main different area: the whole facility (layout A), and the manufacturing area (layout B). This article will be concerned with the manufacturing area layout (Layout B). After analysing the data gathered, the manufacturing area was divided into 10 activities. There are five factors that the alternative were compared upon which are: Inter department satisfactory level, total distance travelled for workers, total distance travelled for the product, total time travelled for the workers, and total time travelled for the product. Three different layout alternatives have been developed in addition to the original layouts. Apple’s layout procedure was used to study and evaluate the different alternatives layouts, the study and evaluation of the layouts was done by calculating scores for each of the factors. After obtaining the scores from evaluating the layouts, ELECTRE method was used to compare the proposed alternatives with each other and with

Patient Care Planning: An Interdisciplinary Approach

OpenAIRE

Prophet, Colleen M.

1989-01-01

The INFORMM Patient Care Planning System provides interdepartmental communication and individualized patient care plans based upon current standards of care. This interdisciplinary system facilitates the identification of patient problems and nursing diagnoses as well as patient care orders. The selected nurses' and physicians' orders are integrated and organized by care plan categories in printouts. As a system by-product, Patient Care Planning automatically generates and calculates patient ...

Beyond Lip Service: A Council Approach to Planning for Behaviour Change

Science.gov (United States)

Collier, Grahame; Smith, Phil

2009-01-01

The Council of the City of Sydney--like many other councils around Australia--has embarked on a whole-of-council approach to establishing sustainable behaviours amongst its residents. In developing its "Residential Environmental Action Plan"--designed to motivate and bring about real change in resident choices and behaviours--the City…

Focal species and landscape "naturalness" corridor models offer complementary approaches for connectivity conservation planning

Science.gov (United States)

Meade Krosby; Ian Breckheimer; D. John Pierce; Peter H. Singleton; Sonia A. Hall; Karl C. Halupka; William L. Gaines; Robert A. Long; Brad H. McRae; Brian L. Cosentino; Joanne P. Schuett-Hames

2015-01-01

Context   The dual threats of habitat fragmentation and climate change have led to a proliferation of approaches for connectivity conservation planning. Corridor analyses have traditionally taken a focal species approach, but the landscape ‘‘naturalness’’ approach of modeling connectivity among areas of low human modification has gained popularity...

Approaches to proton single-event rate calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petersen, E.L.

1996-01-01

This article discusses the fundamentals of proton-induced single-event upsets and of the various methods that have been developed to calculate upset rates. Two types of approaches are used based on nuclear-reaction analysis. Several aspects can be analyzed using analytic methods, but a complete description is not available. The paper presents an analytic description for the component due to elastic-scattering recoils. There have been a number of studies made using Monte Carlo methods. These can completely describe the reaction processes, including the effect of nuclear reactions occurring outside the device-sensitive volume. They have not included the elastic-scattering processes. The article describes the semiempirical approaches that are most widely used. The quality of previous upset predictions relative to space observations is discussed and leads to comments about the desired quality of future predictions. Brief sections treat the possible testing limitation due to total ionizing dose effects, the relationship of proton and heavy-ion upsets, upsets due to direct proton ionization, and relative proton and cosmic-ray upset rates

2012 Gordon Research Conference, Single molecule approaches to biology, July 15-20 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernandez, Julio M. [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)

2012-04-20

Single molecule techniques are rapidly occupying a central role in biological research at all levels. This transition was made possible by the availability and dissemination of robust techniques that use fluorescence and force probes to track the conformation of molecules one at a time, in vitro as well as in live cells. Single-molecule approaches have changed the way many biological problems are studied. These novel techniques provide previously unobtainable data on fundamental biochemical processes that are essential for all forms of life. The ability of single-molecule approaches to avoid ensemble averaging and to capture transient intermediates and heterogeneous behavior renders them particularly powerful in elucidating mechanisms of the molecular systems that underpin the functioning of living cells. Hence, our conference seeks to disseminate the implementation and use of single molecule techniques in the pursuit of new biological knowledge. Topics covered include: Molecular Motors on the Move; Origin And Fate Of Proteins; Physical Principles Of Life; Molecules and Super-resolution Microscopy; Nanoswitches In Action; Active Motion Or Random Diffusion?; Building Blocks Of Living Cells; From Molecular Mechanics To Physiology; Tug-of-war: Force Spectroscopy Of Single Proteins.

A new methodological approach for PET implementation in radiotherapy treatment planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellan, Elena; Ferretti, Alice; Capirci, Carlo; Grassetto, Gaia; Gava, Marcello; Chondrogiannis, Sotirios; Virdis, Graziella; Marzola, Maria Cristina; Massaro, Arianna; Rubello, Domenico; Nibale, Otello

2012-05-01

In this paper, a new methodological approach to using PET information in radiotherapy treatment planning has been discussed. Computed tomography (CT) represents the primary modality to plan personalized radiation treatment, because it provides the basic electron density map for correct dose calculation. If PET scanning is also performed it is typically coregistered with the CT study. This operation can be executed automatically by a hybrid PET/CT scanner or, if the PET and CT imaging sets have been acquired through different equipment, by a dedicated module of the radiotherapy treatment planning system. Both approaches have some disadvantages: in the first case, the bore of a PET/CT system generally used in clinical practice often does not allow the use of certain bulky devices for patient immobilization in radiotherapy, whereas in the second case the result could be affected by limitations in window/level visualization of two different image modalities, and the displayed PET volumes can appear not to be related to the actual uptake into the patient. To overcome these problems, at our centre a specific procedure has been studied and tested in 30 patients, allowing good results of precision in the target contouring to be obtained. The process consists of segmentation of the biological target volume by a dedicated PET/CT console and its export to a dedicated radiotherapy system, where an image registration between the CT images acquired by the PET/CT scanner and a large-bore CT is performed. The planning target volume is contoured only on the large-bore CT and is used for virtual simulation, to individuate permanent skin markers on the patient.

Finding the K best synthesis plans.

Science.gov (United States)

Fagerberg, Rolf; Flamm, Christoph; Kianian, Rojin; Merkle, Daniel; Stadler, Peter F

2018-04-05

In synthesis planning, the goal is to synthesize a target molecule from available starting materials, possibly optimizing costs such as price or environmental impact of the process. Current algorithmic approaches to synthesis planning are usually based on selecting a bond set and finding a single good plan among those induced by it. We demonstrate that synthesis planning can be phrased as a combinatorial optimization problem on hypergraphs by modeling individual synthesis plans as directed hyperpaths embedded in a hypergraph of reactions (HoR) representing the chemistry of interest. As a consequence, a polynomial time algorithm to find the K shortest hyperpaths can be used to compute the K best synthesis plans for a given target molecule. Having K good plans to choose from has many benefits: it makes the synthesis planning process much more robust when in later stages adding further chemical detail, it allows one to combine several notions of cost, and it provides a way to deal with imprecise yield estimates. A bond set gives rise to a HoR in a natural way. However, our modeling is not restricted to bond set based approaches-any set of known reactions and starting materials can be used to define a HoR. We also discuss classical quality measures for synthesis plans, such as overall yield and convergency, and demonstrate that convergency has a built-in inconsistency which could render its use in synthesis planning questionable. Decalin is used as an illustrative example of the use and implications of our results.

Mission-directed path planning for planetary rover exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Tompkins, Paul

2005-07-01

Robotic rovers uniquely benefit planetary exploration---they enable regional exploration with the precision of in-situ measurements, a combination impossible from an orbiting spacecraft or fixed lander. Mission planning for planetary rover exploration currently utilizes sophisticated software for activity planning and scheduling, but simplified path planning and execution approaches tailored for localized operations to individual targets. This approach is insufficient for the investigation of multiple, regionally distributed targets in a single command cycle. Path planning tailored for this task must consider the impact of large scale terrain on power, speed and regional access; the effect of route timing on resource availability; the limitations of finite resource capacity and other operational constraints on vehicle range and timing; and the mutual influence between traverses and upstream and downstream stationary activities. Encapsulating this reasoning in an efficient autonomous planner would allow a rover to continue operating rationally despite significant deviations from an initial plan. This research presents mission-directed path planning that enables an autonomous, strategic reasoning capability for robotic explorers. Planning operates in a space of position, time and energy. Unlike previous hierarchical approaches, it treats these dimensions simultaneously to enable globally-optimal solutions. The approach calls on a near incremental search algorithm designed for planning and re-planning under global constraints, in spaces of higher than two dimensions. Solutions under this method specify routes that avoid terrain obstacles, optimize the collection and use of rechargable energy, satisfy local and global mission constraints, and account for the time and energy of interleaved mission activities. Furthermore, the approach efficiently re-plans in response to updates in vehicle state and world models, and is well suited to online operation aboard a robot

Phase 1 RCRA Facility Investigation/Corrective Measures Study Work Plan for Single-Shell Tank (SST) Waste Management Areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MCCARTHY, M.M.

1999-01-01

This document is the master work plan for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) Corrective Action Program (RCAP) for single-shell tank (SST) farms at the US. Department of Energy's (DOE'S) Hanford Site. The DOE Office of River Protection (ORP) initiated the RCAP to address the impacts of past and potential future tank waste releases to the environment. This work plan defines RCAP activities for the four SST waste management areas (WMAs) at which releases have contaminated groundwater. Recognizing the potential need for future RCAP activities beyond those specified in this master work plan, DOE has designated the currently planned activities as ''Phase 1.'' If a second phase of activities is needed for the WMAs addressed in Phase 1, or if releases are detected at other SST WMAs, this master work plan will be updated accordingly

Analytic hierarchy process-based approach for selecting a Pareto-optimal solution of a multi-objective, multi-site supply-chain planning problem

Science.gov (United States)

Ayadi, Omar; Felfel, Houssem; Masmoudi, Faouzi

2017-07-01

The current manufacturing environment has changed from traditional single-plant to multi-site supply chain where multiple plants are serving customer demands. In this article, a tactical multi-objective, multi-period, multi-product, multi-site supply-chain planning problem is proposed. A corresponding optimization model aiming to simultaneously minimize the total cost, maximize product quality and maximize the customer satisfaction demand level is developed. The proposed solution approach yields to a front of Pareto-optimal solutions that represents the trade-offs among the different objectives. Subsequently, the analytic hierarchy process method is applied to select the best Pareto-optimal solution according to the preferences of the decision maker. The robustness of the solutions and the proposed approach are discussed based on a sensitivity analysis and an application to a real case from the textile and apparel industry.

Effectiveness of the population health and environment approach in improving family planning outcomes in the Gurage, Zone South Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinaga, Makeda; Mohammed, Ahmed; Teklu, Negash; Stelljes, Kristen; Belachew, Tefera

2015-11-13

Family planning is a strategy of balancing population growth with economic development for sustainable use of natural resources. A high population growth induces increased demand for resources and the rate at which these resources are exploited. Population, health and environment are connected inextricably. Population growth unbalanced with economic development leads to food insecurity which exposes households to the consumption of food with reduced quality and quantity leading to increased risk of malnutrition and poor health. Food insecurity again obliges people to encroach into the natural environment leading to a spiraling progress to destitution. A study in the Philippines provided concrete evidence that integrated development programming incorporating population, health, and the environment (PHE) can be more effective in lowering population growth rates and preserving critical coastal ecosystems than single-sector development interventions". Although the PHE approach has been implemented for 5 years (2008-2012) Guraghe Zone of South Ethiopia, its outcomes have not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of PHE approach for achieving family planning (FP) outcomes in Gurage Zone. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in October, 2012. A total of 962 married women in the reproductive age group were included in the study. Data were collected using an interviewer administered Amharic version questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to compare the PHE and non-PHE Woredas (district) based on family planning parameters adopted from Measure Evaluation Manual. Comparison of non-new family panning acceptor women showed that PHE Woreda had a significantly high CPR compared to non-PHE (78% vs 52%, P health and environmental issues into the grassroots level interventions in the PHE Woreda through using students as a medium for reaching parents on family planning

Graded Approach to the Development of a Contingency Plan for On-Line Maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Hee Seung; Kim, Jung Wun; Song, Tae Young

2012-01-01

Many utilities perform preventive maintenance for safety systems during power operation to improve equipment reliability so as to focus on the work activities more easily and improve the quality of maintenance. Such a strategy can also reduce outage work activities, thus allowing resources to be utilized effectively. Preventive maintenance during power operation, known as on-line maintenance (OLM), requires an assessment and mitigation of risk, which can increase owing to out-of-service safety systems. One of the mitigation action plans is a contingency plan. EPRI recommends the development of a contingency plan for all planned system outages which include factors that strongly affect safety. The Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) undertook the preventive maintenance of the Essential Chilled Water System (ECWS) of a Westinghouse plant as a pilot OLM implementation. During the preparation of the work activities, a contingency plan was a pertinent issue during the discussions with regulators, especially regarding the scope and depth of the plan. This paper discusses the purpose of a contingency plan, including as examples some cases of US utilities, and proposes a graded approach to develop a contingency plan for OLM in consideration of the risks

Evaluation Of Open, Wedge Filtered And Half Block Profile For Single And Plan Parallel Field For 60Co Teletherapy Unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heru-Prasetio; Nasukha; Soejoko, Djarwani S

2003-01-01

TPS shall be evaluated with experimental data before it is used for patient treatment. This experiment was performed using small water phantom, at the depth of 10 cm, SSD technique for single beam and 16 cm, SAD technique for plan parallel beam. Measuring device used in this experiment is Farmer 2571 detector. It was found differences between experiment and TPS iSis are not significant. Single field experiment and TPS differences of 0.6%, 3.6% and 0.1% for open, wedge filter and half-blocked field, for plan parallel experiment and TPS differences are 2.1%, 2% and 2.4% for open, wedge filter and half-blocked field. (author)

An Ecological Approach to Seeking and Utilising the Views of Young People with Intellectual Disabilities in Transition Planning

Science.gov (United States)

Small, Neil; Raghavan, Raghu; Pawson, Nicole

2013-01-01

Transition planning using a person-centred approach has, in the main, failed to shape service provision. We offer an alternative based on an ecological understanding of human development linked to public health approaches that prioritise whole system planning. A total of 43 young people with intellectual disabilities, in Bradford, England, who…

Internet plan and planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kahriman Emina

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Paper discuss specific features of internet plan as well as planning as management process in general in the contemporary environment. No need to stress out that marketing plan and marketing planning is core activity in approaching to market. At the same time, there are a lot specific c request in preparing marketing plan comparing to business planning due to marketing plan is an essential part. The importance of internet plan and planning rely on specific features of the internet network but as a part of general corporate as well as marketing strategy.

Planning and Design: A Systems Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Bozeman, William C.; Clements, Mary A.

1981-01-01

Explains "purpose design," a planning and problem-solving strategy involving determination of planning purposes, generation and selection of solutions, specification of solution details, implementation, and evaluation. Describes the application of purpose design to the planning of an alumni association at Black Hawk College, a community…

Strategic Planning in Population Health and Public Health Practice: A Call to Action for Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Phelps, Charles; Madhavan, Guruprasad; Rappuoli, Rino; Levin, Scott; Shortliffe, Edward; Colwell, Rita

2016-03-01

Scarce resources, especially in population health and public health practice, underlie the importance of strategic planning. Public health agencies' current planning and priority setting efforts are often narrow, at times opaque, and focused on single metrics such as cost-effectiveness. As demonstrated by SMART Vaccines, a decision support software system developed by the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Engineering, new approaches to strategic planning allow the formal incorporation of multiple stakeholder views and multicriteria decision making that surpass even those sophisticated cost-effectiveness analyses widely recommended and used for public health planning. Institutions of higher education can and should respond by building on modern strategic planning tools as they teach their students how to improve population health and public health practice. Strategic planning in population health and public health practice often uses single indicators of success or, when using multiple indicators, provides no mechanism for coherently combining the assessments. Cost-effectiveness analysis, the most complex strategic planning tool commonly applied in public health, uses only a single metric to evaluate programmatic choices, even though other factors often influence actual decisions. Our work employed a multicriteria systems analysis approach--specifically, multiattribute utility theory--to assist in strategic planning and priority setting in a particular area of health care (vaccines), thereby moving beyond the traditional cost-effectiveness analysis approach. (1) Multicriteria systems analysis provides more flexibility, transparency, and clarity in decision support for public health issues compared with cost-effectiveness analysis. (2) More sophisticated systems-level analyses will become increasingly important to public health as disease burdens increase and the resources to deal with them become scarcer. The teaching of strategic planning in public

Energy-Performance as a driver for optimal production planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salahi, Niloofar; Jafari, Mohsen A.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A 2-dimensional Energy-Performance measure is proposed for energy aware production. • This is a novel approach integrates energy efficiency with production requirements. • This approach simultaneously incorporates machine and process related specifications. • The problem is solved as stochastic MILP with constraints addressing risk averseness. • The optimization is illustrated for 2 cases of single and serial machining operation. • Impact of various electricity pricing schemes on proposed production plan is analyzed. - Abstract: In this paper, we present energy-aware production planning using a two-dimensional “Energy-Performance” measure. With this measure, the production plan explicitly takes into account machine-level requirements, process control strategies, product types and demand patterns. The “Energy-Performance” measure is developed based on an existing concept, namely, “Specific Energy” at machine level. It is further expanded to an “Energy-Performance” profile for a production line. A production planning problem is formulated as a stochastic MILP with risk-averse constraints to account for manufacturer’s risk averseness. The objective is to attain an optimal production plan that minimizes the total loss distribution subject to system throughput targets, probabilistic risk constraints and constraints imposed by the underlying “Energy-Performance” pattern. Electricity price and demand per unit time are assumed to be stochastic. Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR) of loss distributions is used as the manufacturer’s risk measure. Both single-machine and production lines are studied for different profiles and electricity pricing schemes. It is shown that the shape of “Energy-Performance” profile can change optimal plans.

A synecological framework for systematic conservation planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joaquín Hortal

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Biodiversity conservation design, though difficult with fragmentary or insufficient biological data, can be planned and evaluated with several methods. One of them, the complementarity criterion, is commonly used nowadays to deal with the distribution of number of species (i.e., an autoecological approach. At the same time, the patchiness and spatial bias of available distribution data has also been dealt with through distribution modelling. However, both the uncertainty of the ranges estimated, and the changes in species distribution in response to changing climates, limit single-species the biodiversity attribute to be used in complementarity strategies. Several technical and theoretical advantages of composite biodiversity variables (i.e., a synecological approach may, however, make them ideal biodiversity indicators for conservation area selection. The drawbacks associated with current biodiversity data are discussed herein, along with the possible advantages and disadvantages of conservation planning through a synecological or autoecological approach.

Technical task plan for Acquire Commercial Technology for Retrieval

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDaniel, L.B.

1995-01-01

Objective is to determine from industry their best approaches to retrieving waste from the Single Shell Tanks. This task plan describes the first 18 months of work; the task will be further defined as the work progresses. The retrieval is to be demonstrated on tank 241-C-106

A general approach to break the concentration barrier in single-molecule imaging

KAUST Repository

Loveland, Anna B.; Habuchi, Satoshi; Walter, Johannes C.; van Oijen, Antoine M.

2012-01-01

Single-molecule fluorescence imaging is often incompatible with physiological protein concentrations, as fluorescence background overwhelms an individual molecule's signal. We solve this problem with a new imaging approach called PhADE (Photo

Security and privacy preserving approaches in the eHealth clouds with disaster recovery plan.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahi, Aqeel; Lai, David; Li, Yan

2016-11-01

Cloud computing was introduced as an alternative storage and computing model in the health sector as well as other sectors to handle large amounts of data. Many healthcare companies have moved their electronic data to the cloud in order to reduce in-house storage, IT development and maintenance costs. However, storing the healthcare records in a third-party server may cause serious storage, security and privacy issues. Therefore, many approaches have been proposed to preserve security as well as privacy in cloud computing projects. Cryptographic-based approaches were presented as one of the best ways to ensure the security and privacy of healthcare data in the cloud. Nevertheless, the cryptographic-based approaches which are used to transfer health records safely remain vulnerable regarding security, privacy, or the lack of any disaster recovery strategy. In this paper, we review the related work on security and privacy preserving as well as disaster recovery in the eHealth cloud domain. Then we propose two approaches, the Security-Preserving approach and the Privacy-Preserving approach, and a disaster recovery plan. The Security-Preserving approach is a robust means of ensuring the security and integrity of Electronic Health Records, and the Privacy-Preserving approach is an efficient authentication approach which protects the privacy of Personal Health Records. Finally, we discuss how the integrated approaches and the disaster recovery plan can ensure the reliability and security of cloud projects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An automated and fast approach to detect single-trial visual evoked potentials with application to brain-computer interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Yiheng; Hung, Yeung Sam; Hu, Li; Huang, Gan; Hu, Yong; Zhang, Zhiguo

2014-12-01

This study aims (1) to develop an automated and fast approach for detecting visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in single trials and (2) to apply the single-trial VEP detection approach in designing a real-time and high-performance brain-computer interface (BCI) system. The single-trial VEP detection approach uses common spatial pattern (CSP) as a spatial filter and wavelet filtering (WF) a temporal-spectral filter to jointly enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of single-trial VEPs. The performance of the joint spatial-temporal-spectral filtering approach was assessed in a four-command VEP-based BCI system. The offline classification accuracy of the BCI system was significantly improved from 67.6±12.5% (raw data) to 97.3±2.1% (data filtered by CSP and WF). The proposed approach was successfully implemented in an online BCI system, where subjects could make 20 decisions in one minute with classification accuracy of 90%. The proposed single-trial detection approach is able to obtain robust and reliable VEP waveform in an automatic and fast way and it is applicable in VEP based online BCI systems. This approach provides a real-time and automated solution for single-trial detection of evoked potentials or event-related potentials (EPs/ERPs) in various paradigms, which could benefit many applications such as BCI and intraoperative monitoring. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Single-Cell Biochemistry Approach Reveals PAR Complex Dynamics during Cell Polarization.

Science.gov (United States)

Dickinson, Daniel J; Schwager, Francoise; Pintard, Lionel; Gotta, Monica; Goldstein, Bob

2017-08-21

Regulated protein-protein interactions are critical for cell signaling, differentiation, and development. For the study of dynamic regulation of protein interactions in vivo, there is a need for techniques that can yield time-resolved information and probe multiple protein binding partners simultaneously, using small amounts of starting material. Here we describe a single-cell protein interaction assay. Single-cell lysates are generated at defined time points and analyzed using single-molecule pull-down, yielding information about dynamic protein complex regulation in vivo. We established the utility of this approach by studying PAR polarity proteins, which mediate polarization of many animal cell types. We uncovered striking regulation of PAR complex composition and stoichiometry during Caenorhabditis elegans zygote polarization, which takes place in less than 20 min. PAR complex dynamics are linked to the cell cycle by Polo-like kinase 1 and govern the movement of PAR proteins to establish polarity. Our results demonstrate an approach to study dynamic biochemical events in vivo. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phase 1 RCRA Facility Investigation & Corrective Measures Study Work Plan for Single Shell Tank (SST) Waste Management Areas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MCCARTHY, M.M.

1999-08-01

This document is the master work plan for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) Corrective Action Program (RCAP) for single-shell tank (SST) farms at the US. Department of Energy's (DOE'S) Hanford Site. The DOE Office of River Protection (ORP) initiated the RCAP to address the impacts of past and potential future tank waste releases to the environment. This work plan defines RCAP activities for the four SST waste management areas (WMAs) at which releases have contaminated groundwater. Recognizing the potential need for future RCAP activities beyond those specified in this master work plan, DOE has designated the currently planned activities as ''Phase 1.'' If a second phase of activities is needed for the WMAs addressed in Phase 1, or if releases are detected at other SST WMAs, this master work plan will be updated accordingly.

Comparison of Different Approaches to the Cutting Plan Scheduling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Bober

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Allocation of specific cutting plans and their scheduling to individual cutting machines presents a combinatorial optimization problem. In this respect, various approaches and methods are used to arrive to a viable solution. The paper reports three approaches represented by three discreet optimization methods. The first one is back-tracing algorithm and serves as a reference to verify functionality of the other two ones. The second method is optimization using genetic algorithms, and the third one presents heuristic approach to optimization based on anticipated properties of an optimal solution. Research results indicate that genetic algorithms are demanding to calculate though not dependant on the selected objective function. Heuristic algorithm is fast but dependant upon anticipated properties of the optimal solution. Hence, at change of the objective function it has to be changed. When the scheduling by genetic algorithms is solvable in a sufficiently short period of time, it is more appropriate from the practical point than the heuristic algorithm. The back-tracing algorithm usually does not provide a result in a feasible period of time.

Radiative characterization of random fibrous media with long cylindrical fibers: Comparison of single- and multi-RTE approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Randrianalisoa, Jaona; Haussener, Sophia; Baillis, Dominique; Lipiński, Wojciech

2017-11-01

Radiative heat transfer is analyzed in participating media consisting of long cylindrical fibers with a diameter in the limit of geometrical optics. The absorption and scattering coefficients and the scattering phase function of the medium are determined based on the discrete-level medium geometry and optical properties of individual fibers. The fibers are assumed to be randomly oriented and positioned inside the medium. Two approaches are employed: a volume-averaged two-intensity approach referred to as multi-RTE approach and a homogenized single-intensity approach referred to as the single-RTE approach. Both approaches require effective properties, determined using direct Monte Carlo ray tracing techniques. The macroscopic radiative transfer equations (for single intensity or two volume-averaged intensities) with the corresponding effective properties are solved using Monte Carlo techniques and allow for the determination of the radiative flux distribution as well as overall transmittance and reflectance of the medium. The results are compared against predictions by the direct Monte Carlo simulation on the exact morphology. The effects of fiber volume fraction and optical properties on the effective radiative properties and the overall slab radiative characteristics are investigated. The single-RTE approach gives accurate predictions for high porosity fibrous media (porosity about 95%). The multi-RTE approach is recommended for isotropic fibrous media with porosity in the range of 79-95%.

Learning Outcomes in Vocational Education: A Business Plan Development by Production-Based Learning Model Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Kusumaningrum, Indrati; Hidayat, Hendra; Ganefri; Anori, Sartika; Dewy, Mega Silfia

2016-01-01

This article describes the development of a business plan by using production-based learning approach. In addition, this development also aims to maximize learning outcomes in vocational education. Preliminary analysis of curriculum and learning and the needs of the market and society become the basic for business plan development. To produce a…

Planning-in-Action: An Innovative Approach to Human Development. The Hunger Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Community Development Journal, 1991

1991-01-01

The Hunger Project in India used a strategic planning-in-action approach that involved (1) reaching a common understanding; (2) creating a strategic intent; (3) choosing social indicators; (4) identifying strategic objectives; (5) empowering leadership; (6) identifying immediate action steps; and (7) sustaining the action. (SK)

Mimicking multichannel scattering with single-channel approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Grishkevich, Sergey; Schneider, Philipp-Immanuel; Vanne, Yulian V.; Saenz, Alejandro

2010-02-01

The collision of two atoms is an intrinsic multichannel (MC) problem, as becomes especially obvious in the presence of Feshbach resonances. Due to its complexity, however, single-channel (SC) approximations, which reproduce the long-range behavior of the open channel, are often applied in calculations. In this work the complete MC problem is solved numerically for the magnetic Feshbach resonances (MFRs) in collisions between generic ultracold Li6 and Rb87 atoms in the ground state and in the presence of a static magnetic field B. The obtained MC solutions are used to test various existing as well as presently developed SC approaches. It was found that many aspects even at short internuclear distances are qualitatively well reflected. This can be used to investigate molecular processes in the presence of an external trap or in many-body systems that can be feasibly treated only within the framework of the SC approximation. The applicability of various SC approximations is tested for a transition to the absolute vibrational ground state around an MFR. The conformance of the SC approaches is explained by the two-channel approximation for the MFR.

Mimicking multichannel scattering with single-channel approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grishkevich, Sergey; Schneider, Philipp-Immanuel; Vanne, Yulian V.; Saenz, Alejandro

2010-01-01

The collision of two atoms is an intrinsic multichannel (MC) problem, as becomes especially obvious in the presence of Feshbach resonances. Due to its complexity, however, single-channel (SC) approximations, which reproduce the long-range behavior of the open channel, are often applied in calculations. In this work the complete MC problem is solved numerically for the magnetic Feshbach resonances (MFRs) in collisions between generic ultracold 6 Li and 87 Rb atoms in the ground state and in the presence of a static magnetic field B. The obtained MC solutions are used to test various existing as well as presently developed SC approaches. It was found that many aspects even at short internuclear distances are qualitatively well reflected. This can be used to investigate molecular processes in the presence of an external trap or in many-body systems that can be feasibly treated only within the framework of the SC approximation. The applicability of various SC approximations is tested for a transition to the absolute vibrational ground state around an MFR. The conformance of the SC approaches is explained by the two-channel approximation for the MFR.

Autonomous Path Planning for Road Vehicles in Narrow Environments: An Efficient Continuous Curvature Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Domokos Kiss

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper we introduce a novel method for obtaining good quality paths for autonomous road vehicles (e.g., cars or buses in narrow environments. There are many traffic situations in urban scenarios where nontrivial maneuvering in narrow places is necessary. Navigating in cluttered parking lots or having to avoid obstacles blocking the way and finding a detour even in narrow streets are challenging, especially if the vehicle has large dimensions like a bus. We present a combined approximation-based approach to solve the path planning problem in such situations. Our approach consists of a global planner which generates a preliminary path consisting of straight and turning-in-place primitives and a local planner which is used to make the preliminary path feasible to car-like vehicles. The approximation methodology is well known in the literature; however, both components proposed in this paper differ from existing similar planning methods. The approximation process with the proposed local planner is proven to be convergent for any preliminary global paths. The resulting path has continuous curvature which renders our method well suited for application on real vehicles. Simulation experiments show that the proposed method outperforms similar approaches in terms of path quality in complicated planning tasks.

Bottom-up approach for decentralised energy planning. Case study of Tumkur district in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hiremath, Rahul B. [Walchand Institute of Technology, Solapur 413006 (India); Kumar, Bimlesh [Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati 781039 (India); Balachandra, P. [Energy Technology Innovation Policy, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Ravindranath, N.H. [CST, IISc, Bangalore 560012 (India)

2010-02-15

Decentralized Energy Planning (DEP) is one of the options to meet the rural and small-scale energy needs in a reliable, affordable and environmentally sustainable way. The main aspect of the energy planning at decentralized level would be to prepare an area-based DEP to meet energy needs and development of alternate energy sources at least-cost to the economy and environment. Present work uses goal-programming method in order to analyze the DEP through bottom-up approach. This approach includes planning from the lowest scale of Tumkur district in India. The scale of analysis included village level - Ungra, panchayat level (local council) - Yedavani, block level - Kunigal and district level - Tumkur. The approach adopted was bottom-up (village to district) to allow a detailed description of energy services and the resulting demand for energy forms and supply technologies. Different scenarios are considered at four decentralized scales for the year 2005 and are developed and analyzed for the year 2020. Decentralized bioenergy system for producing biogas and electricity, using local biomass resources, are shown to promote development compared to other renewables. This is because, apart from meeting energy needs, multiple goals could be achieved such as self-reliance, local employment, and land reclamation apart from CO{sub 2} emissions reduction. (author)

Bottom-up approach for decentralised energy planning: Case study of Tumkur district in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hiremath, Rahul B., E-mail: rahulhiremath@gmail.co [Walchand Institute of Technology Solapur 413006 (India); Kumar, Bimlesh, E-mail: bimk@iitg.ernet.i [Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati 781039 (India); Balachandra, P., E-mail: balachandra_patil@hks.harvard.ed [Energy Technology Innovation Policy, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Ravindranath, N.H., E-mail: ravi@ces.iisc.ernet.i [CST, IISc, Bangalore 560012 (India)

2010-02-15

Decentralized Energy Planning (DEP) is one of the options to meet the rural and small-scale energy needs in a reliable, affordable and environmentally sustainable way. The main aspect of the energy planning at decentralized level would be to prepare an area-based DEP to meet energy needs and development of alternate energy sources at least-cost to the economy and environment. Present work uses goal-programming method in order to analyze the DEP through bottom-up approach. This approach includes planning from the lowest scale of Tumkur district in India. The scale of analysis included village level-Ungra, panchayat level (local council)-Yedavani, block level-Kunigal and district level-Tumkur. The approach adopted was bottom-up (village to district) to allow a detailed description of energy services and the resulting demand for energy forms and supply technologies. Different scenarios are considered at four decentralized scales for the year 2005 and are developed and analyzed for the year 2020. Decentralized bioenergy system for producing biogas and electricity, using local biomass resources, are shown to promote development compared to other renewables. This is because, apart from meeting energy needs, multiple goals could be achieved such as self-reliance, local employment, and land reclamation apart from CO{sub 2} emissions reduction.

Strategic planning as a tool for achieving alignment in academic health centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Higginbotham, Eve J; Church, Kathryn C

2012-01-01

After the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010, there is an urgent need for medical schools, teaching hospitals, and practice plans to work together seamlessly across a common mission. Although there is agreement that there should be greater coordination of initiatives and resources, there is little guidance in the literature to address the method to achieve the necessary transformation. Traditional approaches to strategic planning often engage a few leaders and produce a set of immeasurable initiatives. A nontraditional approach, consisting of a Whole-Scale (Dannemiller Tyson Associates, Ann Arbor, MI) engagement, appreciative inquiry, and a balanced scorecard can, more rapidly transform an academic health center. Using this nontraditional approach to strategic planning, increased organizational awareness was achieved in a single academic health center. Strategic planning can be an effective tool to achieve alignment, enhance accountability, and a first step in meeting the demands of the new landscape of healthcare.

Strategic Planning as a Tool for Achieving Alignment in Academic Health Centers

Science.gov (United States)

Higginbotham, Eve J.; Church, Kathryn C.

2012-01-01

After the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010, there is an urgent need for medical schools, teaching hospitals, and practice plans to work together seamlessly across a common mission. Although there is agreement that there should be greater coordination of initiatives and resources, there is little guidance in the literature to address the method to achieve the necessary transformation. Traditional approaches to strategic planning often engage a few leaders and produce a set of immeasurable initiatives. A nontraditional approach, consisting of a Whole-Scale (Dannemiller Tyson Associates, Ann Arbor, MI) engagement, appreciative inquiry, and a balanced scorecard can, more rapidly transform an academic health center. Using this nontraditional approach to strategic planning, increased organizational awareness was achieved in a single academic health center. Strategic planning can be an effective tool to achieve alignment, enhance accountability, and a first step in meeting the demands of the new landscape of healthcare. PMID:23303997

Planning Approach to Organisational and Methodical Provision of Formation and Functioning of Logistic Systems of Enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kolodizyeva Tetyana O.

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The article analyses factors of external and internal environment of enterprises that influence the process of formation of logistic systems and justifies expediency of use of the planning approach to development of the organisational and methodical provision of functioning of logistic systems of enterprises. The article offers to conduct development of organisational and methodical provision of formation of functioning of logistic systems with the use of not one but several methodological approaches: situational, process, functional and planning. The conducted analysis allowed composing a basic project, which could be laid in the foundation of formation of a logistic system by any enterprise for meeting requirements of the planning triangle: content / borders, time, cost, taking into consideration the forth limitation – quality.

Phase 1 RCRA Facility Investigation and Corrective Measures Study Work Plan for Single Shell Tank Waste Management Areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ROGERS, P.M.

2000-01-01

This document is the master work plan for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) for single-shell tank (SST) farms at the Hanford Site. Evidence indicates that releases at four of the seven SST waste management areas have impacted

Phase 1 RCRA Facility Investigation and Corrective Measures Study Work Plan for Single Shell Tank Waste Management Areas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

ROGERS, P.M.

2000-06-01

This document is the master work plan for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) for single-shell tank (SST) farms at the Hanford Site. Evidence indicates that releases at four of the seven SST waste management areas have impacted.

The evolution of brachytherapy treatment planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rivard, Mark J.; Venselaar, Jack L. M.; Beaulieu, Luc

2009-01-01

Brachytherapy is a mature treatment modality that has benefited from technological advances. Treatment planning has advanced from simple lookup tables to complex, computer-based dose-calculation algorithms. The current approach is based on the AAPM TG-43 formalism with recent advances in acquiring single-source dose distributions. However, this formalism has clinically relevant limitations for calculating patient dose. Dose-calculation algorithms are being developed based on Monte Carlo methods, collapsed cone, and solving the linear Boltzmann transport equation. In addition to improved dose-calculation tools, planning systems and brachytherapy treatment planning will account for material heterogeneities, scatter conditions, radiobiology, and image guidance. The AAPM, ESTRO, and other professional societies are working to coordinate clinical integration of these advancements. This Vision 20/20 article provides insight into these endeavors.

A stochastic approach to long term operation planning of hydrothermal systems; Uma abordagem estocastica para o planejamento a longo prazo da operacao de sistemas hidrotermicos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrade, Marinho G. [Sao Paulo Univ., Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil). Inst. de Ciencias Matematicas; Soares, Secundino; Cruz Junior, Gelson da; Vinhal, Cassio D.N. [Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia Eletrica

1996-01-01

This paper is concerned with long term operation of hydro-thermal power systems. The problem is approached by a deterministic optimization technique coupled to an inflow forecasting model in open-loop feedback framework in monthly basis. The paper aims to compare the solution obtained by this approach and Stochastic Dynamic Programming (SDP), which has been accepted for over than two decades as the better solution to deal with inflow uncertainty in long term planning. The comparison was carried out in systems with a single plant, simulating the operation throughout a period of five years under the historical inflow conditions and evaluating the cost of the complementary thermal generation. Results show that the proposed approach can handle uncertainty as effectively as SDP. Furthermore, it does not require modeling simplification, such as composite reservoirs, to deal with multi hydro plant systems. 10 refs., 1 tab.

Tank Waste Remediation System Inactive Miscellaneous Underground Storage Tanks Program Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gustavson, R.D.

1995-12-01

The Program Management Plan (PMP) describes the approach that will be used to manage the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Inactive Miscellaneous Underground Storage Tank (IMUST) Program. The plan describes management, technical, and administrative control systems that will be used to plan and control the IMUSTs Program performance. The technical data to determine the IMUSTs status for inclusion in the Single Shell Tank Farm Controlled Clean and Stable (CCS) Program. The second is to identify and implement surveillance, characterization, stabilization, and modifications to support CCS prior to final closure

Approach of ICT Application to Governance in Urban Planning

Science.gov (United States)

Virtudes, Ana; Sá, João

2017-10-01

This article discusses the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) at the local level of governance in the field of urban planning. It is based on a literature review, in order to define a set of considerations about their use in the urban context and the challenges ahead on this domain. As a starting point, there is the need of rethinking the local governance through the use of ICT related to cities, focused on the modernization of the processes associated with urban planning. Nowadays, in several societies the paradigm about cities if shifting, from an expansionist way of acting towards a regeneration and rehabilitation approach. In the case of Portugal, the local authorities; the municipalities; are the main responsible for the coordination, and integration of policies with territorial impacts. However, these policies are generally onerous and inefficient, triggering communication and information failures in between local administration and citizens. In this sense, governance should support the decision-making process related to cities’ policies, engaging citizens and socio-economic agents. As the main result in this scenario, the use of ICT demonstrates the ability to play an important role in urban planning, by contributing as a simplifying tool, regarding the information and knowledge sharing, gathering local authorities, citizens and socio-economic agents. On the one hand, they promote the reduction of inefficiencies associated to the urban planning process. On the other hand, they boost the development of networks, and consequently the social and territorial cohesion. In summary, the use of ICT infrastructures works as a glue allowing the integration of several intelligence elements of the city, and operating as their base platform. Finally, the literature has revealed that the use of ICT in urban planning should be seen as a means to a wider social goal, and not as an end by itself. With the use of ICT, urban planning authorities are more

Integrated Food and Nutrition Security Programming to Address Undernutrition : The Plan Approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boer, de F.A.; Verdonk, I.

2012-01-01

From a technical point of view, it is widely recognised that an integrated approach to food and nutrition security is an effective way to promote child nutritional well-being. In this desk review, based on project documents of the countries which took part in the PLAN NL supported Food and Nutrition

Variable dose rate single-arc IMAT delivered with a constant dose rate and variable angular spacing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, Grace; Earl, Matthew A; Yu, Cedric X

2009-01-01

Single-arc intensity-modulated arc therapy (IMAT) has gained worldwide interest in both research and clinical implementation due to its superior plan quality and delivery efficiency. Single-arc IMAT techniques such as the Varian RapidArc(TM) deliver conformal dose distributions to the target in one single gantry rotation, resulting in a delivery time in the order of 2 min. The segments in these techniques are evenly distributed within an arc and are allowed to have different monitor unit (MU) weightings. Therefore, a variable dose-rate (VDR) is required for delivery. Because the VDR requirement complicates the control hardware and software of the linear accelerators (linacs) and prevents most existing linacs from delivering IMAT, we propose an alternative planning approach for IMAT using constant dose-rate (CDR) delivery with variable angular spacing. We prove the equivalence by converting VDR-optimized RapidArc plans to CDR plans, where the evenly spaced beams in the VDR plan are redistributed to uneven spacing such that the segments with larger MU weighting occupy a greater angular interval. To minimize perturbation in the optimized dose distribution, the angular deviation of the segments was restricted to ≤± 5 deg. This restriction requires the treatment arc to be broken into multiple sectors such that the local MU fluctuation within each sector is reduced, thereby lowering the angular deviation of the segments during redistribution. The converted CDR plans were delivered with a single gantry sweep as in the VDR plans but each sector was delivered with a different value of CDR. For four patient cases, including two head-and-neck, one brain and one prostate, all CDR plans developed with the variable spacing scheme produced similar dose distributions to the original VDR plans. For plans with complex angular MU distributions, the number of sectors increased up to four in the CDR plans in order to maintain the original plan quality. Since each sector was

An innovative approach for planning and execution of pre-experimental runs for Design of Experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Arsalan Farooq

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This paper addresses the study of the pre-experimental planning phase of the Design of Experiments (DoE in order to improve the final product quality. The pre-experimental planning phase includes a clear identification of the problem statement, selection of control factors and their respective levels and ranges. To improve production quality based on the DoE a new approach for the pre-experimental planning phase, called Non-Conformity Matrix (NCM, is presented. This article also addresses the key steps of the pre-experimental runs considering a consumer goods manufacturing process. Results of the application for an industrial case show that this methodology can support a clear definition of the problem and also a correct identification of the factor ranges in particular situations. The proposed new approach allows modeling the entire manufacturing system holistically and correctly defining the factor ranges and respective levels for a more effective application of DoE. This new approach can be a useful resource for both research and industrial practitioners who are dedicated to large DoE projects with unknown factor interactions, when the operational levels and ranges are not completely defined.

A fast 4D IMRT/VMAT planning method based on segment aperture morphing.

Science.gov (United States)

Klawikowski, Slade; Tai, An; Ates, Ozgur; Ahunbay, Ergun; Li, X Allen

2018-04-01

Four-dimensional volumetric modulated arc therapy (4D VMAT) and four-dimensional intensity-modulated radiotherapy (4D IMRT) are developing radiation therapy treatment strategies designed to maximize dose conformality, minimize normal tissue dose, and deliver the treatment as efficiently as possible. The patient's entire breathing cycle is captured through 4D imaging modalities and then separated into individual breathing phases for planning purposes. Optimizing multiphase VMAT and IMRT plans is computationally demanding and currently impractical for clinical application. The purpose of this study is to assess a new planning process decreasing the upfront computational time required to optimize multiphased treatment plans while maintaining good plan quality. Optimized VMAT and IMRT plans were created on the end-of-exhale (EOE) breathing phase of 10-phase 4D CT scans with planning tumor volume (PTV)-based targets. These single-phase optimized plans are analogous to single-phase gated treatment plans. The simulated tracked plans were created by deformably registering EOE contours to the remaining breathing phases, recalculating the optimized EOE plan onto the other individual phases and realigning the MLC's relative positions to the PTV border in each of the individual breathing phases using a segment aperture morphing (SAM) algorithm. Doses for each of the 10 phases were calculated with the treatment planning system and deformably transferred back onto the EOE phase and averaged with equal weighting simulating the actual delivered dose a patient would potentially receive in a tracked treatment plan. Plan DVH quality for the 10-phase 4D SAM plans were comparable with the individual EOE optimized treatment plans for the PTV structures as well as the organ at risk structures. SAM-based algorithms out performed simpler isocenter-shifted only approaches. SAM-based 4D planning greatly reduced plan computation time vs individually optimizing all 10 phases. In addition

QUALITY ENHANCEMENT IN MAINTENANCE PLANNING THROUGH NON-IDENTICAL FMECA APPROACHES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nilesh Pancholi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to investigate the scope of reliability improvement of aluminium wire rolling mill. This paper addresses the performance reliability of continuous process industry of interest to many applications in maintenance planning where multi-attribute decision making (MADM approaches are very useful. The paper addresses the process of discriminating critical components through substantial shop-floor failure data. The research work narrates a method for evaluating risk priority number (RPN traditionally. Moreover, the maintainability criticality index (MCI for each failure cause of identified critical components is evaluated through two disparate MADM failure models: technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS and preference section index (PSI to overcome the limitations of more traditional approaches. The primary findings of this research work are to enhance quality in planning the maintenance activities of critical components of targeted process industry through traditional as well as non-traditional failure analysis models. The research work is focused on potential failure causes of critical components like; bearings, gears, and shafts of aluminium wire rolling mill which are commonly representing the most critical components in a large range of industrial processes including aluminium wires. The proposed work will illustrate the working lives of components and associated failures. It will help to elucidate maintenance issues of major process industries and recommended deliverable keys.

Social Justice, Children's Needs and Rights: An Approach to Planning

Science.gov (United States)

Sims, Margaret

2015-01-01

Commonly, planning for children involves comparing what they know against a curriculum or learning framework which identifies what they should know. Early childhood educators are then expected to create learning opportunities to help fill the gap between these two extremes. In this paper I argue that such an approach does not honour the…

Multi-criteria approach for strategic planning of reverse supply chain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdelkader Benzohra

2017-04-01

Full Text Available A reverse supply chain is viewed as a process from consumption point to recovery point and the management of domestic waste is considered as a specific and complex reverse supply chain. This important sector represents a high challenging problem for our cities, constrained by financial, social, health and environmental considerations. This paper proposes multicriteria decision aid to help choose an efficient domestic waste management strategy. In fact, Multicriteria decision making techniques are considered as a key option to solve this type of problems, giving a solution that represents a good compromise between different preferences. The adopted approach consists in outranking a set of candidate management plans using a method based on partial aggregation criteria. This model is applied on a real case study of an Algerian city and to validate the obtained results, a deep sensitivity analysis is carried out, giving the most appropriate plans.

A Robust Planning Algorithm for Groups of Entities in Discrete Spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igor Wojnicki

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Automated planning is a well-established field of artificial intelligence (AI, with applications in route finding, robotics and operational research, among others. The task of developing a plan is often solved by finding a path in a graph representing the search domain; a robust plan consists of numerous paths that can be chosen if the execution of the best (optimal one fails. While robust planning for a single entity is rather simple, development of a robust plan for multiple entities in a common environment can lead to combinatorial explosion. This paper proposes a novel hybrid approach, joining heuristic search and the wavefront algorithm to provide a plan featuring robustness in areas where it is needed, while maintaining a low level of computational complexity.

Process planning optimization on turning machine tool using a hybrid genetic algorithm with local search approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuliang Su

2015-04-01

Full Text Available A turning machine tool is a kind of new type of machine tool that is equipped with more than one spindle and turret. The distinctive simultaneous and parallel processing abilities of turning machine tool increase the complexity of process planning. The operations would not only be sequenced and satisfy precedence constraints, but also should be scheduled with multiple objectives such as minimizing machining cost, maximizing utilization of turning machine tool, and so on. To solve this problem, a hybrid genetic algorithm was proposed to generate optimal process plans based on a mixed 0-1 integer programming model. An operation precedence graph is used to represent precedence constraints and help generate a feasible initial population of hybrid genetic algorithm. Encoding strategy based on data structure was developed to represent process plans digitally in order to form the solution space. In addition, a local search approach for optimizing the assignments of available turrets would be added to incorporate scheduling with process planning. A real-world case is used to prove that the proposed approach could avoid infeasible solutions and effectively generate a global optimal process plan.

Challenges and Approaches in River Delta Planning - Annexes to report on training workshop

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wosten, J.H.M.; Douven, W.; Long Phi, H.; Fida Abdullah Khan, M.

2012-01-01

Programme, participants and all powerpoint presentations of the Delta Alliance Training Workshop: Challenges and approaches in river delta planning, sharing experiences from SE Asian Deltas and the Rhine-Meuse Delta. 22-26 October 2012, WACC, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

A simulated annealing approach to supplier selection aware inventory planning

OpenAIRE

Turk, Seda; Miller, Simon; Özcan, Ender; John, Robert

2015-01-01

Selection of an appropriate supplier is a crucial and challenging task in the effective management of a supply chain. Also, appropriate inventory management is critical to the success of a supply chain operation. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the area of selection of an appropriate vendor and creating good inventory planning using supplier selection information. In this paper, we consider both of these tasks in a two-stage approach employing Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Sets ...

Risk-Based Inspection and Maintenance Planning Optimization of Offshore Wind Turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ramírez, José G. Rangel; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

2009-01-01

A risk-based inspection planning (RBI) approach applied to offshore wind turbines (OWT) is presented, based on RBI methodology developed in the last decades in the oil and gas industry. In wind farm (IWF) and single-alone locations are considered using a code-established turbulence models including...

Rebranding city: A strategic urban planning approach in Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Firzal, Yohannes

2018-03-01

Concomitant with entering the decentralization period has had a significant effect on cities in Indonesia, and is seen as a new era for local life. The decentralization period has also generated sentiments which are locally bounded that can be identified in the discretion given to the local government in charge to rebranding the city. In this paper, the rebranding phenomena have learned from Pekanbaru city where has changed its city brand for few times. By using a qualitative research approach and combining multi methods to collect and process the data, this paper investigates that the rebranding city has found as a strategic approach in urban planning today that is used to inject more senses to the city and its local life by the local government. This research has confirmed, for almost two decades of the decentralization period, the rebranding phenomena are not only found to generate sense locally, but also as a power marker of the local regime.

Proposals for enhancing tactical planning in grocery retailing with S&OP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dreyer, Heidi Carin; Kiil, Kasper; Dukovska-Popovska, Iskra

2018-01-01

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to explore tactical planning in grocery retailing and propose how process and integration mechanisms from sales and operations planning (S&OP) can enhance retail tactical planning.Design/methodology/approach-This work follows an explorative design with case...... studies from the grocery retailing industry in Finland, Norway, and the UK.Findings-The tactical planning process focuses on demand management and securing product availability from suppliers in order to reach sales targets. Less attention is directed toward balancing supply and demand or toward providing...... a single plan to guide company operations. Planning appeared to be functionally oriented with limited coordination between functional plans, but it did include external integration that improved forecast accuracy.Research limitations/implications-The study involves grocery retailer cases with variable...

Stakeholder perceptions of a total market approach to family planning in Nicaragua.

Science.gov (United States)

Drake, Jennifer Kidwell; Espinoza, Henry; Suraratdecha, Chutima; Lacayo, Yann; Keith, Bonnie M; Vail, Janet G

2011-05-01

To assess private-sector stakeholders' and donors' perceptions of a total market approach (TMA) to family planning in Nicaragua in the context of decreased funding; to build evidence for potential strategies and mechanisms for TMA implementation (including public-private partnerships (PPPs)); and to identify information gaps and future priorities for related research and advocacy. A descriptive exploratory study was conducted in various locations in Nicaragua from March to April 2010. A total of 24 key private-sector stakeholders and donors were interviewed and their responses analyzed using two questionnaires and a stakeholder analysis tool (PolicyMakerTM software). All survey participants supported a TMA, and public-private collaboration, in family planning in Nicaragua. Based on the survey responses, opportunities for further developing PPPs for family planning include building on and expanding existing governmental frameworks, such as Nicaragua's current coordination mechanism for contraceptive security. Obstacles include the lack of ongoing government engagement with the commercial (for-profit) sector and confusion about regulations for its involvement in family planning. Strategies for strengthening existing PPPs include establishing a coordination mechanism specifically for the commercial sector and collecting and disseminating evidence supporting public-private collaboration in family planning. There was no formal or absolute opposition to a TMA or PPPs in family planning in Nicaragua among a group of diverse nongovernmental stakeholders and donors. This type of study can help identify strategies to mobilize existing and potential advocates in achieving articulated policy goals, including diversification of funding sources for family planning to achieve contraceptive security.

‘Inverted Y’ field radiotherapy planning with multi-leaf collimator: A single isocentric technique using multiple fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puja Sahai

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of our study is to describe a planning technique using multi-leaf collimator and asymmetric fields for irradiating an ‘inverted Y’ shaped geometry in a patient with testicular seminoma. The entire target area covering the para-aortic, pelvic, and inguinal nodal regions was split into three fields. Single isocenter half-beam block technique was employed. The fields were planned with antero-posterior and postero-anterior portals with a differential weightage. The dose was prescribed at the respective reference points of the fields. A uniform dose distribution for the entire portal was achieved without any under- or over-dosing at the field junctions.  

Marketing planning by learning: "Plearning" approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilić Milovan M.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This work emphasizes that the final outcome of planning is not only the benefit of having the ready plan but showing that the very process of planning through which a business goes through, is important. Here we consider the process of learning in order to get a complete picture of current and future business processes. Three stages of learning are included. The first stage describes the current position of the business; the second stage describes the position of the business in the future and the last stage shows how the business will achieve these objectives. The focus of planning should be deciding on internal communication which form the basis for gaining the competitive advantage. One of the ways for carrying out this analysis is creating the matrix based on gaining competitive advantage through using resources.

On e-business strategy planning and performance evaluation: An adaptive algorithmic managerial approach

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Alexandra Lipitakis

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A new e-business strategy planning and performance evaluation scheme based on adaptive algorithmic modelling techniques is presented. The effect of financial and non-financial performance of organizations on e-business strategy planning is investigated. The relationships between the four strategic planning parameters are examined, the directions of these relationships are given and six additional basic components are also considered. The new conceptual model has been constructed for e-business strategic planning and performance evaluation and an adaptive algorithmic modelling approach is presented. The new adaptive algorithmic modelling scheme including eleven dynamic modules, can be optimized and used effectively in e-business strategic planning and strategic planning evaluation of various e-services in very large organizations and businesses. A synoptic statistical analysis and comparative numerical results for the case of UK and Greece are given. The proposed e-business models indicate how e-business strategic planning may affect financial and non-financial performance in business and organizations by exploring whether models which are used for strategy planning can be applied to e-business planning and whether these models would be valid in different environments. A conceptual model has been constructed and qualitative research methods have been used for testing a predetermined number of considered hypotheses. The proposed models have been tested in the UK and Greece and the conclusions including numerical results and statistical analyses indicated existing relationships between considered dependent and independent variables. The proposed e-business models are expected to contribute to e-business strategy planning of businesses and organizations and managers should consider applying these models to their e-business strategy planning to improve their companies’ performances. This research study brings together elements of e

How to act strategically in a turbulent e-business environment - an eclectic approach to strategic inter-organisational systems (IOS) management

OpenAIRE

Wassenaar, Arjen

2002-01-01

This paper presents an eclectic inter-organisational -oriented approach to so called strategic IOS management as an alternative to the more single organisation-oriented, linear approach of strategic information system planning (SISP). This approach is termed eclectic because it is based on a toolbox of mini-theories integrating existing strategic (IS) planning a n d management theories. The core component of this approach is an IOS scenario and strategic option generator"...

Nuclear emergency response planning based on participatory decision analytic approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinkko, K.

2004-10-01

This work was undertaken in order to develop methods and techniques for evaluating systematically and comprehensively protective action strategies in the case of a nuclear or radiation emergency. This was done in a way that the concerns and issues of all key players related to decisions on protective actions could be aggregated into decision- making transparently and in an equal manner. An approach called facilitated workshop, based on the theory of Decision Analysis, was tailored and tested in the planning of actions to be taken. The work builds on case studies in which it was assumed that a hypothetical accident in a nuclear power plant had led to a release of considerable amounts of radionuclides and therefore different types of protective actions should be considered. Altogether six workshops were organised in which all key players were represented, i.e., the authorities, expert organisations, industry and agricultural producers. The participants were those responsible for preparing advice or presenting matters for those responsible for the formal decision-making. Many preparatory meetings were held with various experts to prepare information for the workshops. It was considered essential that the set-up strictly follow the decision- making process to which the key players are accustomed. Key players or stakeholders comprise responsible administrators and organisations, politicians as well as representatives of the citizens affected and other persons who will and are likely to take part in decision-making in nuclear emergencies. The realistic nature and the disciplined process of a facilitated workshop and commitment to decision-making yielded up insight in many radiation protection issues. The objectives and attributes which are considered in a decision on protective actions were discussed in many occasions and were defined for different accident scenario to come. In the workshops intervention levels were derived according justification and optimisation

MRI-based treatment plan simulation and adaptation for ion radiotherapy using a classification-based approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rank, Christopher M; Tremmel, Christoph; Hünemohr, Nora; Nagel, Armin M; Jäkel, Oliver; Greilich, Steffen

2013-01-01

In order to benefit from the highly conformal irradiation of tumors in ion radiotherapy, sophisticated treatment planning and simulation are required. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of MRI for ion radiotherapy treatment plan simulation and adaptation using a classification-based approach. Firstly, a voxelwise tissue classification was applied to derive pseudo CT numbers from MR images using up to 8 contrasts. Appropriate MR sequences and parameters were evaluated in cross-validation studies of three phantoms. Secondly, ion radiotherapy treatment plans were optimized using both MRI-based pseudo CT and reference CT and recalculated on reference CT. Finally, a target shift was simulated and a treatment plan adapted to the shift was optimized on a pseudo CT and compared to reference CT optimizations without plan adaptation. The derivation of pseudo CT values led to mean absolute errors in the range of 81 - 95 HU. Most significant deviations appeared at borders between air and different tissue classes and originated from partial volume effects. Simulations of ion radiotherapy treatment plans using pseudo CT for optimization revealed only small underdosages in distal regions of a target volume with deviations of the mean dose of PTV between 1.4 - 3.1% compared to reference CT optimizations. A plan adapted to the target volume shift and optimized on the pseudo CT exhibited a comparable target dose coverage as a non-adapted plan optimized on a reference CT. We were able to show that a MRI-based derivation of pseudo CT values using a purely statistical classification approach is feasible although no physical relationship exists. Large errors appeared at compact bone classes and came from an imperfect distinction of bones and other tissue types in MRI. In simulations of treatment plans, it was demonstrated that these deviations are comparable to uncertainties of a target volume shift of 2 mm in two directions indicating that especially

NEW APPROACH TO TERRITORIAL PLANNING IN UKRAINE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT PROCESSE OF DECENTRALIZATIONAND AUSTRIAS EXPERIENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorosh A.M

2016-08-01

and goals of development without a clear spatial reference (so-called vision of future is developed. Based on this concept a plan for targeted purposes is developed.It clearly defines the boundaries of land parcelswith appropriate purpose. The next step is to make a plan of development for areas that are designated for residential, public or industrial building.This plan put restrictions and requirements for newbuildings,namely for their superficiality, compactness, density and possible use. Like the planning hierarchy, there is also a hierarchy of planning and cartographic materials of all planning levels. During the process of comparing the approaches to spatial planning in Austria and spatial planning in Ukraine was found that the spatial planning system of Ukraine requires conceptual changes. Therefore, it is proposed to upgrade the system of spatial planning to a hierarchical system, to refuse from separation of urbanplanning and spatial planning and land management and to update the tolls of this process at the local level (at the level of local communities. It is proposed instead of the Master Plan of settlement, which in the present conditions of land relations reforming is not able to ensure the effective planning processes to implement a plan for target purposes and restrictions for the entire community and to develop on this basis detailed plans for areas designated for built up. This approach will provide a unified system of spatial planning for the successful development of both urban and rural communities.

Comparisons of single-stage and two-stage approaches to genomic selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulz-Streeck, Torben; Ogutu, Joseph O; Piepho, Hans-Peter

2013-01-01

Genomic selection (GS) is a method for predicting breeding values of plants or animals using many molecular markers that is commonly implemented in two stages. In plant breeding the first stage usually involves computation of adjusted means for genotypes which are then used to predict genomic breeding values in the second stage. We compared two classical stage-wise approaches, which either ignore or approximate correlations among the means by a diagonal matrix, and a new method, to a single-stage analysis for GS using ridge regression best linear unbiased prediction (RR-BLUP). The new stage-wise method rotates (orthogonalizes) the adjusted means from the first stage before submitting them to the second stage. This makes the errors approximately independently and identically normally distributed, which is a prerequisite for many procedures that are potentially useful for GS such as machine learning methods (e.g. boosting) and regularized regression methods (e.g. lasso). This is illustrated in this paper using componentwise boosting. The componentwise boosting method minimizes squared error loss using least squares and iteratively and automatically selects markers that are most predictive of genomic breeding values. Results are compared with those of RR-BLUP using fivefold cross-validation. The new stage-wise approach with rotated means was slightly more similar to the single-stage analysis than the classical two-stage approaches based on non-rotated means for two unbalanced datasets. This suggests that rotation is a worthwhile pre-processing step in GS for the two-stage approaches for unbalanced datasets. Moreover, the predictive accuracy of stage-wise RR-BLUP was higher (5.0-6.1%) than that of componentwise boosting.

Dosimetric comparison of stopping power calibration with dual-energy CT and single-energy CT in proton therapy treatment planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, Jiahua [Department of Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005 (Australia); Penfold, Scott N., E-mail: scott.penfold@adelaide.edu.au [Department of Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia and Department of Medical Physics, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA 5000 (Australia)

2016-06-15

Purpose: The accuracy of proton dose calculation is dependent on the ability to correctly characterize patient tissues with medical imaging. The most common method is to correlate computed tomography (CT) numbers obtained via single-energy CT (SECT) with proton stopping power ratio (SPR). CT numbers, however, cannot discriminate between a change in mass density and change in chemical composition of patient tissues. This limitation can have consequences on SPR calibration accuracy. Dual-energy CT (DECT) is receiving increasing interest as an alternative imaging modality for proton therapy treatment planning due to its ability to discriminate between changes in patient density and chemical composition. In the current work we use a phantom of known composition to demonstrate the dosimetric advantages of proton therapy treatment planning with DECT over SECT. Methods: A phantom of known composition was scanned with a clinical SECT radiotherapy CT-simulator. The phantom was rescanned at a lower X-ray tube potential to generate a complimentary DECT image set. A set of reference materials similar in composition to the phantom was used to perform a stoichiometric calibration of SECT CT number to proton SPRs. The same set of reference materials was used to perform a DECT stoichiometric calibration based on effective atomic number. The known composition of the phantom was used to assess the accuracy of SPR calibration with SECT and DECT. Intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) treatment plans were generated with the SECT and DECT image sets to assess the dosimetric effect of the imaging modality. Isodose difference maps and root mean square (RMS) error calculations were used to assess dose calculation accuracy. Results: SPR calculation accuracy was found to be superior, on average, with DECT relative to SECT. Maximum errors of 12.8% and 2.2% were found for SECT and DECT, respectively. Qualitative examination of dose difference maps clearly showed the dosimetric advantages

Single dose planning for radioiodine-131 therapy of Graves' disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kita, Tamotsu; Yokoyama, Kunihiko; Kinuya, Seigo; Taki, Junichi; Michigishi, Takatoshi; Tonami, Norihisa

2004-01-01

Patients with Graves' disease were studied one year after radioiodine-131 therapy to assess the relationship between the effectiveness of the therapy and the radioiodine doses used. Patients were classified into three groups according to thyroid function as hyperthyroidism, euthyroidism and hypothyroidism at one year after I-131 therapy. In these groups we compared the mean values of dose, dose per thyroid weight calculated with I-123 uptake before the therapy (pre D/W), dose per thyroid weight calculated with therapeutic I-131 uptake (post D/W), and absorbed dose. No significant differences were found between the three groups in terms of dose or pre D/W. The mean values of post D/W and absorbed dose in the non-hyperthyroid (euthyroid and hypothyroid) group were significantly greater than those in the hyperthyroid group. Post D/W of 6.3 MBq/g was a threshold separating the non-hyperthyroid group from the hyperthyroid group. There was no correlation between pre D/W and post D/W; however, the mean post D/W was significantly greater than the mean pre D/W. All patients with pre D/W above 6.3 MBq/g showed non-hyperthyroidism at one year after the radioiodine treatment. No indicators before the radioiodine therapy had significant relationships with the effectiveness of the therapy at one year after the treatment. However, the single therapy planned for setting the pre D/W above 6.3 MBq/g will certainly make the patients non-hyperthyroid. As this proposal of dose planning is based on a small number of patients, further study is needed. (author)

The exploration of the closure of patent ductus arteriosus with Amplatzer occluder through single venous approach under ultrasound monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Guoxin; He Jianxin; Li Guoying; Gong Zhihua; Wen Yanfei

2011-01-01

Objective: To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with Amplatzer occluder by using single venous approach method under ultrasound monitoring. Methods: During the period from May 2003 to April 2010, transcatheter closure of PDA were performed in 123 cases. Of the 123 patients, the procedure was accomplished by using arteriovenous dual approach method in 46 and by using single venous approach method in 77. All the procedures were monitored by ultrasound. The shape, size of PDA and immediate therapeutic results were checked with angiography in arteriovenous dual approach method or with ultrasonography in single venous approach method. The size of Amplatzer occluder was individually selected according to the smallest diameter of PDA. Echocardiography was performed at 3 days, one, 6 and 12 months after the procedure to evaluate the results. Results: Successful device placement with the initially selected occluder was obtained in 118 cases. In 4 cases the procedure was eventually completed after a bigger occluder was employed to replace the initial one, while in one case a smaller occluder had to use to replace the first one. The technical success rate was 100%. Conclusion: The transcatheter closure of PDA with Amplatzer occluder under ultrasound monitoring by single venous approach method is clinically effective and feasible. Being technically simple and time-saving, this single venous approach method is of great value in clinical practice. (authors)

Robot Learning from Demonstration: A Task-level Planning Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Staffan Ekvall

2008-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we deal with the problem of learning by demonstration, task level learning and planning for robotic applications that involve object manipulation. Preprogramming robots for execution of complex domestic tasks such as setting a dinner table is of little use, since the same order of subtasks may not be conceivable in the run time due to the changed state of the world. In our approach, we aim to learn the goal of the task and use a task planner to reach the goal given different initial states of the world. For some tasks, there are underlying constraints that must be fulfille, and knowing just the final goal is not sufficient. We propose two techniques for constraint identification. In the first case, the teacher can directly instruct the system about the underlying constraints. In the second case, the constraints are identified by the robot itself based on multiple observations. The constraints are then considered in the planning phase, allowing the task to be executed without violating any of them. We evaluate our work on a real robot performing pick-and-place tasks.

Approaches to single photon detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thew, R.T.; Curtz, N.; Eraerds, P.; Walenta, N.; Gautier, J.-D.; Koller, E.; Zhang, J.; Gisin, N.; Zbinden, H.

2009-01-01

We present recent results on our development of single photon detectors, including: gated and free-running InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiodes (APDs); hybrid detection systems based on sum-frequency generation (SFG) and Si APDs-SFG-Si APDs; and SSPDs (superconducting single photon detectors), for telecom wavelengths; as well as SiPM (Silicon photomultiplier) detectors operating in the visible regime.

An Economic Evaluation on Replacement Plan for Aged Thermal Power Plants through a Real Option Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Moritoshi; Zhou, Yicheng

This paper presents a novel method to evaluate replacement plan for aged thermal power plants under uncertain circumstances through a real option approach. The most economical plan is selected among the three options: an option to operate an existing oil-fired thermal plant, an option to mothball it, and an option to abandon it and to construct an advanced gas combined cycle power plant (ACC) at the same time. Basic ideas of our model are: we use quadranomial approach in order to evaluate an option value consisted by two different uncertain assets; we consider cash flow with a dividend in order to reflect conditions of an aged oil-fired thermal plant and use the sequential compound option approach; we evaluate replacement time using quadranomial decision tree taking into account the options. We also analyze value and time of replacement using numerical examples. Our proposed method will be practically used for generation planning. For example it is possible to make priority quantitatively in replacements of aged thermal power plants by real option values. The target year of replacement may be set as a year when cumulative probability of replacement becomes over certain level.

Optimal planning approaches with multiple impulses for rendezvous based on hybrid genetic algorithm and control method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JingRui Zhang

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In this article, we focus on safe and effective completion of a rendezvous and docking task by looking at planning approaches and control with fuel-optimal rendezvous for a target spacecraft running on a near-circular reference orbit. A variety of existent practical path constraints are considered, including the constraints of field of view, impulses, and passive safety. A rendezvous approach is calculated by using a hybrid genetic algorithm with those constraints. Furthermore, a control method of trajectory tracking is adopted to overcome the external disturbances. Based on Clohessy–Wiltshire equations, we first construct the mathematical model of optimal planning approaches of multiple impulses with path constraints. Second, we introduce the principle of hybrid genetic algorithm with both stronger global searching ability and local searching ability. We additionally explain the application of this algorithm in the problem of trajectory planning. Then, we give three-impulse simulation examples to acquire an optimal rendezvous trajectory with the path constraints presented in this article. The effectiveness and applicability of the tracking control method are verified with the optimal trajectory above as control objective through the numerical simulation.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE SINGLE FLAP APPROACH WITH CONNECTIVE TISSUE WALL FOR PERIODONTAL REGENERATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamen Kotsilkov

2017-09-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The destructive periodontal diseases are among the most prevalent in the human population. In some cases, bony defects are formed during the disease progression, thus sustaining deep periodontal pockets. The reconstruction of these defects is usually done with the classical techniques of bone substitutes placement and guided tissue regeneration. The clinical and histological data from the recent years, however, demonstrate the relatively low regenerative potential of these techniques. The contemporary approaches for periodontal regeneration rely on minimally invasive surgical protocols, aimed at complete tissue preservation in order to achieve and maintain primary closure and at stimulating the natural regenerative potential of the periodontal tissues. AIM: This presentation demonstrates the application of a new, minimally invasive, single flap surgical technique for periodontal regeneration in a clinical case with periodontitis and a residual deep intrabony defect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 37 years old patient presented with chronic generalised periodontitis. The initial therapy led to good control of the periodontal infection with a single residual deep periodontal pocket medially at 11 due to a deep intrabony defect. A single flap approach with an enamel matrix derivate application and a connective tissue wall technique were performed. The proper primary closure was obtained. RESULT: One month after surgery an initial mineralisation process in the defect was detected. At the third month, a complete clinical healing was observed. The radiographic control showed finished bone mineralisation and periodontal space recreation. CONCLUSION: In the limitation of the presented case, the minimally invasive surgical approach led to complete clinical healing and new bone formation, which could be proof for periodontal regeneration.

Forest Resource Management Plans: A Sustainability Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Pile, Lauren S.; Watts, Christine M.; Straka, Thomas J.

2012-01-01

Forest Resource Management Plans is the capstone course in many forestry and natural resource management curricula. The management plans are developed by senior forestry students. Early management plans courses were commonly technical exercises, often performed on contrived forest "tracts" on university-owned or other public lands, with a goal of…

Selected approaches to determining the purpose of emergency planning zones

Science.gov (United States)

Dobeš, Pavel; Baudišová, Barbora; Sluka, Vilém; Skřínský, Jan; Danihelka, Pavel; Dlabka, Jakub; Řeháček, Jakub

2013-04-01

One of the major accident hazards (hereinafter referred to as "MAH") tools to determine the range of effects of a major accident and consequent protection of the public is the determination of the emergency planning zone (hereinafter referred to as "zone"). In the Czech Republic, the determination of the zone is regulated by the Decree No. 103/2006 Coll. laying down the principles for determination of the emergency planning zone and the extent and manner of elaborating the external emergency plan (hereinafter referred to as "Decree") 3. The Decree is based on the principles of the IAEA-TECDOC-727 method - Manual for the Classification and Prioritization of Risks Due to Major Accidents in Process and Related Industries (hereinafter referred to as "method" and "manual", respectively)3. In the manual, it is pointed out that the method used is not suitable for making emergency plans for special situations (industrial activities in an inhabited area). Nonetheless, its principles and procedures are still used for such purposes in the Czech Republic. The expert scientific community dealing with MAH issues in the Czech Republic, however, realizes that the procedure of the zone boundary delineation should be modified to reflect up-to-date knowledge in protection of the public and its enhancement. Therefore, the OPTIZON Project (Optimization of the Emergency Planning Zone Designation and Elaboration of Emergency Plans Based on Threatening Effects of Dangerous Chemical Substances at Operational Accidents with Respect to Inhabitant Protection Enhancement) was developed and approved for the Program of Security Research of the Czech Republic 2010 - 2015 (BV II/2-VS). One of the main project's objectives is to define clearly the purpose of the zone because at present it is not quite apparent. From the general view, this step may seem insignificant or trivial, but the reverse is true. It represents one of the most important stages in seeking the approach to the zone designation as

A comprehensive formulation for volumetric modulated arc therapy planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Dan; Lyu, Qihui; Ruan, Dan; O’Connor, Daniel; Low, Daniel A.; Sheng, Ke, E-mail: ksheng@mednet.ucla.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90024 (United States)

2016-07-15

.59% and 7.45%, respectively, of the prescription dose. Reductions in max dose and mean dose were as high as 14.5 Gy in the LNG case and 15.3 Gy in the H&N{sub 3PTV} case. PTV coverages measured by D95, D98, and D99 were within 0.25% of the prescription dose. By comprehensively optimizing all beams, the comVMAT optimizer gained the freedom to allow some selected beams to deliver higher intensities, yielding a dose distribution that resembles a static beam IMRT plan with beam orientation optimization. Conclusions: The novel nongreedy VMAT approach simultaneously optimizes all beams in an arc and then directly generates deliverable apertures. The single arc VMAT approach thus fully utilizes the digital Linac’s capability in dose rate and gantry rotation speed modulation. In practice, the new single VMAT algorithm generates plans superior to existing VMAT algorithms utilizing two arcs.

300 Area dangerous waste tank management system: Compliance plan approach. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-03-01

In its Dec. 5, 1989 letter to DOE-Richland (DOE-RL) Operations, the Washington State Dept. of Ecology requested that DOE-RL prepare ''a plant evaluating alternatives for storage and/or treatment of hazardous waste in the 300 Area...''. This document, prepared in response to that letter, presents the proposed approach to compliance of the 300 Area with the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Washington State's Chapter 173-303 WAC, Dangerous Waste Regulations. It also contains 10 appendices which were developed as bases for preparing the compliance plan approach. It refers to the Radioactive Liquid Waste System facilities and to the radioactive mixed waste

Energy supply planning in Iran by using fuzzy linear programming approach (regarding uncertainties of investment costs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadeghi, Mehdi; Mirshojaeian Hosseini, Hossein

2006-01-01

For many years, energy models have been used in developed or developing countries to satisfy different needs in energy planning. One of major problems against energy planning and consequently energy models is uncertainty, spread in different economic, political and legal dimensions of energy planning. Confronting uncertainty, energy planners have often used two well-known strategies. The first strategy is stochastic programming, in which energy system planners define different scenarios and apply an explicit probability of occurrence to each scenario. The second strategy is Minimax Regret strategy that minimizes regrets of different decisions made in energy planning. Although these strategies have been used extensively, they could not flexibly and effectively deal with the uncertainties caused by fuzziness. 'Fuzzy Linear Programming (FLP)' is a strategy that can take fuzziness into account. This paper tries to demonstrate the method of application of FLP for optimization of supply energy system in Iran, as a case study. The used FLP model comprises fuzzy coefficients for investment costs. Following the mentioned purpose, it is realized that FLP is an easy and flexible approach that can be a serious competitor for other confronting uncertainties approaches, i.e. stochastic and Minimax Regret strategies. (author)

Treatment planning optimization for linear accelerator radiosurgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meeks, Sanford L.; Buatti, John M.; Bova, Francis J.; Friedman, William A.; Mendenhall, William M.

1998-01-01

Purpose: Linear accelerator radiosurgery uses multiple arcs delivered through circular collimators to produce a nominally spherical dose distribution. Production of dose distributions that conform to irregular lesions or conformally avoid critical neural structures requires a detailed understanding of the available treatment planning parameters. Methods and Materials: Treatment planning parameters that may be manipulated within a single isocenter to provide conformal avoidance and dose conformation to ellipsoidal lesions include differential arc weighting and gantry start/stop angles. More irregular lesions require the use of multiple isocenters. Iterative manipulation of treatment planning variables can be difficult and computationally expensive, especially if the effects of these manipulations are not well defined. Effects of treatment parameter manipulation are explained and illustrated. This is followed by description of the University of Florida Stereotactic Radiosurgery Treatment Planning Algorithm. This algorithm organizes the manipulations into a practical approach for radiosurgery treatment planning. Results: Iterative treatment planning parameters may be efficiently manipulated to achieve optimal treatment plans by following the University of Florida Treatment Planning Algorithm. The ability to produce conformal stereotactic treatment plans using the algorithm is demonstrated for a variety of clinical presentations. Conclusion: The standard dose distribution produced in linear accelerator radiosurgery is spherical, but manipulation of available treatment planning parameters may result in optimal dose conformation. The University of Florida Treatment Planning Algorithm organizes available treatment parameters to efficiently produce conformal radiosurgery treatment plans

Inter-active and dynamic approaches on forest and land-use planning - proceedings from a training workshop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandewall, Mats [ed.

1999-07-01

This document summarises the outcome of a training workshop, 'Inter-active and dynamic approaches on forest and land-use planning', that was organised in Vietnam and Lao PDR during April 1999. The workshop was arranged by researchers from SLU, Umeaa in cooperation with SIDA and it's CCB programme, The National Board of Forestry and concerned government institutions in Lao PDR - The national Programme for Shifting Cultivation Stabilisation, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry , and in Vietnam - the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The main purpose of this paper are: (1) to review and conclude the outcome of the workshop to all those who have participated or been concerned with it; (2) to summarise an evaluation of the somewhat unique arrangement, with participants from different sectors, administrative levels, gender and countries; and (3) to present 'the APM approach' on land use planning, which was put forward, tested and discussed during the workshop.

From justice in planning toward planning for justice: A capability approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Basta, Claudia

2016-01-01

This article discusses the relevance of Rawls’ Theory and Sen’s Idea of justice to contemporary planning theory by drawing on the writings of the two philosophers. Besides providing a comprehensive account of what the two respective frameworks imply for the foundation of public planning and for the

Approach and plan for cleanup actions in the 100-FR-2 operable unit of the Hanford Site, Revision 0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-06-01

A new administrative approach is being used to reach a cleanup decision for the 100-FR-2 Operable Unit. The unit, located at the 100-F Area, contains solid waste sites and is one of the remaining operable units scheduled for characterization and cleanup in the 100 Area. This Focus Package (1) describes the new approach and activities needed to reach a decision on cleanup actions for the 100-FR-2 Operable Unit and (2) invites public participation into the planning process. The previous approach included the production of a Work Plan, a Limited Field Investigation Report, a Qualitative Risk Assessment, a Focused Feasibility Study, and a Proposed Plan, all culminating in an interim action Record of Decision. Information gathered to date on other operable units allows the analgous site approach to be used on the 100-FR-2 Operable Unit, and therefore, a reduction in documentation preparation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington State Department of Ecology, and the U.S. Department of Energy (Tri-Party Agreement) believe that the new approach will save time and funding. In the new approach, the Work Plan has been condensed into this 12 page Focus Package. The Focus Package includes a summary of 100-F Area information, a list of waste sites in the 100-FR-2 Operable Unit, a summary of proposed work, and a schedule. The new approach will also combine the Limited Field Investigation and Qualitative Risk Assessment reports into the Focused Feasibility Study. The Focused Feasibility Study will analyze methods and costs to clean up waste sites. Consolidating the documents should reduce the time to complete the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) process by 16 months, compared to the previous approach

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

Science.gov (United States)

Barrows, Randolph C; Ezzard, John

2011-01-01

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

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery through an ostomy site: a natural approach by an unnatural orifice.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Nicole E; Peterson, Carrie Y; Ramamoorthy, Sonia L; McLemore, Elisabeth C; Sedrak, Michael F; Lowy, Andrew M; Horgan, Santiago; Talamini, Mark A; Sicklick, Jason K

2015-02-01

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) is gaining popularity for a wide variety of surgical operations and capitalizes on the benefits of traditional laparoscopic surgery without incurring multiple incision sites. Traditionally, SILS is performed by a midline periumbilical approach. However, such a minimally invasive approach may be utilized in patients who already have an abdominal incision. Our series retrospectively reviews 7 cases in which we utilized the fascial defect at the time of after ostomy reversal as our SILS incision site. In turn, we performed a variety of concurrent intra-abdominal procedures with excellent technical success and outcomes. Our study is the largest single-institution case series of this novel approach and suggests that utilizing an existing ostomy-site abdominal incision is a safe and effective location for SILS port placement and should be considered in patients undergoing concurrent procedures.

Comparison of marine spatial planning methods in Madagascar demonstrates value of alternative approaches.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas F Allnutt

Full Text Available The Government of Madagascar plans to increase marine protected area coverage by over one million hectares. To assist this process, we compare four methods for marine spatial planning of Madagascar's west coast. Input data for each method was drawn from the same variables: fishing pressure, exposure to climate change, and biodiversity (habitats, species distributions, biological richness, and biodiversity value. The first method compares visual color classifications of primary variables, the second uses binary combinations of these variables to produce a categorical classification of management actions, the third is a target-based optimization using Marxan, and the fourth is conservation ranking with Zonation. We present results from each method, and compare the latter three approaches for spatial coverage, biodiversity representation, fishing cost and persistence probability. All results included large areas in the north, central, and southern parts of western Madagascar. Achieving 30% representation targets with Marxan required twice the fish catch loss than the categorical method. The categorical classification and Zonation do not consider targets for conservation features. However, when we reduced Marxan targets to 16.3%, matching the representation level of the "strict protection" class of the categorical result, the methods show similar catch losses. The management category portfolio has complete coverage, and presents several management recommendations including strict protection. Zonation produces rapid conservation rankings across large, diverse datasets. Marxan is useful for identifying strict protected areas that meet representation targets, and minimize exposure probabilities for conservation features at low economic cost. We show that methods based on Zonation and a simple combination of variables can produce results comparable to Marxan for species representation and catch losses, demonstrating the value of comparing alternative

Statistical approaches to assessing single and multiple outcome measures in dry eye therapy and diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomlinson, Alan; Hair, Mario; McFadyen, Angus

2013-10-01

Dry eye is a multifactorial disease which would require a broad spectrum of test measures in the monitoring of its treatment and diagnosis. However, studies have typically reported improvements in individual measures with treatment. Alternative approaches involve multiple, combined outcomes being assessed by different statistical analyses. In order to assess the effect of various statistical approaches to the use of single and combined test measures in dry eye, this review reanalyzed measures from two previous studies (osmolarity, evaporation, tear turnover rate, and lipid film quality). These analyses assessed the measures as single variables within groups, pre- and post-intervention with a lubricant supplement, by creating combinations of these variables and by validating these combinations with the combined sample of data from all groups of dry eye subjects. The effectiveness of single measures and combinations in diagnosis of dry eye was also considered. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Heisenberg magnetic chain with single-ion easy-plane anisotropy: Hubbard operators approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spirin, D.V.; Fridman, Y.A.

2003-01-01

We investigate the gap in excitation spectrum of one-dimensional S=1 ferro- and antiferromagnets with easy-plane single-ion anisotropy. The self-consistent modification of Hubbard operators approach which enables to account single-site term exactly is used. For antiferromagnetic model we found Haldane phase that exists up to point D=4J (where D is anisotropy parameter, J is exchange coupling), while quadrupolar phase realizes at larger values of anisotropy. Our results specify those of Golinelli et al. (Phys. Rev. B. 45 (1992) 9798), where similar model was studied. Besides the method gives gap value closer to numerical estimations than usual spin-wave theories

Planning for Self-Renewal: A New Approach to Planned Organizational Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Palola, Ernest G.; Padgett, William

This monograph presents the findings of a study of planning and change at 80 colleges and universities, private and public, located in four separate states--California, Florida, Illinois and New York. In Chapter I, different substantive crises now facing higher education are presented and discussed. The next chapter (II), analyzes planning styles…

Strategic planning approach to nuclear training

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, R.J.

1985-01-01

Detroit Edison Company's Nuclear Training group used an organizational planning process that yielded significant results in 1984. At the heart of the process was a concept called the Driving Force which served as the basis for the development of goals, objectives, and action plants. A key ingredient of the success of the planning process was the total, voluntary participation by all members of the organization

Planning and urbanistic projects – the non-author approach and issues of synergy in cooperation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liljana Jankovič Grobelšek

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents the non-author approach to urbanistic and planning projects. The project leader guides the entire project team, yet particular coordinators are also important. Contrary to authorship in architectural projects, in physical planning authorship is often or even always completely shared. Not only because planning projects can change significantly during adoption procedures, but mainly because there are many participating actors (designers, planners, commissioners and/or investors etc. that are involved in any project’s undertaking. Experience proves that the non-author approach is beneficial for good project management and creation of conditions for constructive cooperation within an interdisciplinary working group and with all the other contributing parties. Two tested examples are presented. Their comparison is very interesting, since the first example shows a project where good cooperation between the client, investor and designers, as well as willing interested public, conditioned quality improvements, while the second (because of the public and consequently against its interests diminished its quality significantly. Our judgement is that the quantity of the often mentioned necessity of public involvement is actually sufficient. There are no obstacles for public participation in urbanistic and physical planning, as long as the public is interested. Troubles are often triggered elsewhere – how to safeguard the common, public interest before particular publics (e.g. neighbours, the immediately affected etc..

Review. Assessing uncertainty and risk in forest planning and decision support systems: review of classical methods and introduction of innovative approaches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pasalodos-Tato, M.; Makinen, A.; Garcia-Gonzalez, J.; Borges, J. G.; Lamas, T.; Eriksson, L. O.

2013-09-01

Aim: Since forest planning is characterized by long time horizon and it typically involves large areas of land and numerous stake holders, uncertainty and risk should play an important role when developing forest management plans. The aim of this study is to review different methods to deal with risk and uncertainty in forest planning, listing problems that forest managers may face during the preparation of management plans and trying to give recommendations in regard to the application of each method according to the problem case. The inclusion of risk and uncertainty in decision support systems is also analyzed. Area: It covers the temporal and spatial scale of forest planning, the spatial context, the participation process, the objectives dimensions and the good and services addressed. Material and methods: Several hundreds of articles dealing with uncertainty and risk were identified regarding different forestry-related topics and approaches. Form them, around 170 articles were further reviewed, categorized and evaluated. Main results: The study presents a thorough review and classification of methods and approaches to consider risk and uncertainty in forest planning. Moreover, new approaches are introduced, showing the opportunities that their application presents in forest planning. Research highlights: The study can aid forest managers in the decision making process when designing a forest management plan considering risk and uncertainty. (Author)

Review. Assessing uncertainty and risk in forest planning and decision support systems: review of classical methods and introduction of new approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Pasalodos-Tato

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Aim: Since forest planning is characterized by long time horizon and it typically involves large areas of land and numerous stakeholders, uncertainty and risk should play an important role when developing forest management plans. The aim of this study is to review different methods to deal with risk and uncertainty in forest planning, listing problems that forest managers may face during the preparation of management plans and trying to give recommendations in regard to the application of each method according to the problem case. The inclusion of risk and uncertainty in decision support systems is also analyzed.Area: It covers the temporal and spatial scale of forest planning, the spatial context, the participation process, the objectives dimensions and the good and services addressed.Material and methods: Several hundreds of articles dealing with uncertainty and risk were identified regarding different forestry-related topics and approaches. Form them, around 170 articles were further reviewed, categorized and evaluated.Main results: The study presents a thorough review and classification of methods and approaches to consider risk and uncertainty in forest planning. Moreover, new approaches are introduced, showing the opportunities that their application present in forest planning.Research highlights: The study can aid forest managers in the decision making process when designing a forest management plan considering risk and uncertainty.Keywords: operations research; optimal alternative; stochastic risk; endogenous risk; stand level; forest level.

Approaches to building single-stage AC/AC conversion switch-mode audio power amplifiers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ljusev, Petar; Andersen, Michael Andreas E.

2004-01-01

This paper discusses the possible topologies and promising approaches towards direct single-phase AC-AC conversion of the mains voltage for audio applications. When compared to standard Class-D switching audio power amplifiers with a separate power supply, it is expected that direct conversion...

A fully automatic approach for multimodal PET and MR image segmentation in gamma knife treatment planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Rundo, Leonardo; Stefano, Alessandro; Militello, Carmelo; Russo, Giorgio; Sabini, Maria Gabriella; D'Arrigo, Corrado; Marletta, Francesco; Ippolito, Massimo; Mauri, Giancarlo; Vitabile, Salvatore; Gilardi, Maria Carla

2017-06-01

Nowadays, clinical practice in Gamma Knife treatments is generally based on MRI anatomical information alone. However, the joint use of MRI and PET images can be useful for considering both anatomical and metabolic information about the lesion to be treated. In this paper we present a co-segmentation method to integrate the segmented Biological Target Volume (BTV), using [ 11 C]-Methionine-PET (MET-PET) images, and the segmented Gross Target Volume (GTV), on the respective co-registered MR images. The resulting volume gives enhanced brain tumor information to be used in stereotactic neuro-radiosurgery treatment planning. GTV often does not match entirely with BTV, which provides metabolic information about brain lesions. For this reason, PET imaging is valuable and it could be used to provide complementary information useful for treatment planning. In this way, BTV can be used to modify GTV, enhancing Clinical Target Volume (CTV) delineation. A novel fully automatic multimodal PET/MRI segmentation method for Leksell Gamma Knife ® treatments is proposed. This approach improves and combines two computer-assisted and operator-independent single modality methods, previously developed and validated, to segment BTV and GTV from PET and MR images, respectively. In addition, the GTV is utilized to combine the superior contrast of PET images with the higher spatial resolution of MRI, obtaining a new BTV, called BTV MRI . A total of 19 brain metastatic tumors, undergone stereotactic neuro-radiosurgery, were retrospectively analyzed. A framework for the evaluation of multimodal PET/MRI segmentation is also presented. Overlap-based and spatial distance-based metrics were considered to quantify similarity concerning PET and MRI segmentation approaches. Statistics was also included to measure correlation among the different segmentation processes. Since it is not possible to define a gold-standard CTV according to both MRI and PET images without treatment response assessment

77 FR 37349 - Amendment of Prohibited Payment Option Under Single-Employer Defined Benefit Plan of Plan Sponsor...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-21

... or after the date on which the enrolled actuary of the plan certifies that the adjusted funding... on which the enrolled actuary of the plan certifies that the plan's adjusted funding target... defined in Sec. 1.411(d)-3(g)(4)). First, the enrolled actuary of the plan has certified that the plan's...

Planning with Reachable Distances

KAUST Repository

Tang, Xinyu

2009-01-01

Motion planning for spatially constrained robots is difficult due to additional constraints placed on the robot, such as closure constraints for closed chains or requirements on end effector placement for articulated linkages. It is usually computationally too expensive to apply sampling-based planners to these problems since it is difficult to generate valid configurations. We overcome this challenge by redefining the robot\\'s degrees of freedom and constraints into a new set of parameters, called reachable distance space (RD-space), in which all configurations lie in the set of constraint-satisfying subspaces. This enables us to directly sample the constrained subspaces with complexity linear in the robot\\'s number of degrees of freedom. In addition to supporting efficient sampling, we show that the RD-space formulation naturally supports planning, and in particular, we design a local planner suitable for use by sampling-based planners. We demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach for several systems including closed chain planning with multiple loops, restricted end effector sampling, and on-line planning for drawing/sculpting. We can sample single-loop closed chain systems with 1000 links in time comparable to open chain sampling, and we can generate samples for 1000-link multi-loop systems of varying topology in less than a second. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.

A case-based approach to understanding vacation planning

Science.gov (United States)

Susan I. Stewart; Christine A. Vogt

1999-01-01

Vacations provide an opportunity to make many choices, and even for travelers who want their vacations to be spontaneous, planning is often an important part of vacationing. Although descriptive studies of travel planning have sketched out the elements of the vacation plan, these elements have not been drawn together in a conceptual model of the consumer planning...

77 FR 66915 - Amendment of Prohibited Payment Option Under Single-Employer Defined Benefit Plan of Plan Sponsor...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-08

... limitation does not apply in a plan year on or after the date on which the enrolled actuary of the plan... after the date within the plan year on which the enrolled actuary of the plan certifies that the plan's... (the applicable amendment date, as defined in Sec. 1.411(d)-3(g)(4)). First, the enrolled actuary of...

An Approach to Evaluate Comprehensive Plan and Identify Priority Lands for Future Land Use Development to Conserve More Ecological Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Long Zhou

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Urbanization has significant impacts on the regional environmental quality through altering natural lands, converting them to urban built-up areas. One common strategy applied by urban planners to manage urbanization and preserve natural resources is to make a comprehensive plan and concentrate future land use in certain areas. However, in practice, planners used to make future land use planning mainly based on their subjective interpretations with limited ecological supporting evidence and analysis. Here, we propose a new approach composed of ecological modelling and land use zoning in the spatial matrix to evaluate the comprehensive plan and identify priority lands for sustainable land use planning. We use the city of Corvallis, OR, as the test bed to demonstrate this new approach. The results indicate that the Corvallis Comprehensive Plan 1998–2020 featured with compact development is not performing efficiently in conserving ecological values, and the land use plan featured with mixed-use spreading development generated by the proposed approach meets the city’s land demands for urban growth, and conserves 103% more ecological value of retaining storm water nitrogen, 270% more ecological value of retaining storm water phosphorus and 19% more ecological value in storing carbon in the whole watershed. This study indicates that if planned with scientific analysis and evidence, spreading urban development does not necessarily result in less sustainable urban environment than the compact development recommended in smart growth.

All-loop calculations of total, elastic and single diffractive cross sections in RFT via the stochastic approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolevatov, R. S.; Boreskov, K. G.

2013-01-01

We apply the stochastic approach to the calculation of the Reggeon Field Theory (RFT) elastic amplitude and its single diffractive cut. The results for the total, elastic and single difractive cross sections with account of all Pomeron loops are obtained.

All-loop calculations of total, elastic and single diffractive cross sections in RFT via the stochastic approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kolevatov, R. S. [SUBATECH, Ecole des Mines de Nantes, 4 rue Alfred Kastler, 44307 Nantes Cedex 3 (France); Boreskov, K. G. [Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, 117259, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2013-04-15

We apply the stochastic approach to the calculation of the Reggeon Field Theory (RFT) elastic amplitude and its single diffractive cut. The results for the total, elastic and single difractive cross sections with account of all Pomeron loops are obtained.

Single-shell tank closure work plan. Revision A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-06-01

In January 1994, the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Conset Order (Tri-Party Agreement) was amended to reflect a revised strategy for remediation of radioactive waste in underground storage tanks. These amendments include milestones for closure of the single-shell tank (SST) operable units, to be initiated by March 2012 and completed by September 2024. This SST-CWP has been prepared to address the principal topical areas identified in Tri-Party Agreement Milestone M-45-06 (i.e., regulatory pathway, operable unit characterization, waste retrieval, technology development, and a strategy for achieving closure). Chapter 2.0 of this SST-CWP provides a brief description of the environmental setting, SST System, the origin and characteristics of SST waste, and ancillary equipment that will be remediated as part of SST operable unit closure. Appendix 2A provides a description of the hydrogeology of the Hanford Site, including information on the unsaturated sediments (vadose zone) beneath the 200 Areas Plateau. Chapter 3.0 provides a discussion of the laws and regulations applicable to closure of the SST farm operable units. Chapter 4.0 provides a summary description of the ongoing characterization activities that best align with the proposed regulatory pathway for closure. Chapter 5.0 describes aspects of the SST waste retrieval program, including retrieval strategy, technology, and sequence, potential tank leakage during retrieval, and considerations of deployment of subsurface barriers. Chapter 6.0 outlines a proposed strategy for closure. Chapter 7.0 provides a summary of the programs underway or planned to develop technologies to support closure. Ca. 325 refs.

Single-shell tank closure work plan. Revision A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-06-01

In January 1994, the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Conset Order (Tri-Party Agreement) was amended to reflect a revised strategy for remediation of radioactive waste in underground storage tanks. These amendments include milestones for closure of the single-shell tank (SST) operable units, to be initiated by March 2012 and completed by September 2024. This SST-CWP has been prepared to address the principal topical areas identified in Tri-Party Agreement Milestone M-45-06 (i.e., regulatory pathway, operable unit characterization, waste retrieval, technology development, and a strategy for achieving closure). Chapter 2.0 of this SST-CWP provides a brief description of the environmental setting, SST System, the origin and characteristics of SST waste, and ancillary equipment that will be remediated as part of SST operable unit closure. Appendix 2A provides a description of the hydrogeology of the Hanford Site, including information on the unsaturated sediments (vadose zone) beneath the 200 Areas Plateau. Chapter 3.0 provides a discussion of the laws and regulations applicable to closure of the SST farm operable units. Chapter 4.0 provides a summary description of the ongoing characterization activities that best align with the proposed regulatory pathway for closure. Chapter 5.0 describes aspects of the SST waste retrieval program, including retrieval strategy, technology, and sequence, potential tank leakage during retrieval, and considerations of deployment of subsurface barriers. Chapter 6.0 outlines a proposed strategy for closure. Chapter 7.0 provides a summary of the programs underway or planned to develop technologies to support closure. Ca. 325 refs

Tools for an integrated systems approach to sustainable port city planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilles Morel

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Large port cities like Shanghai, Amsterdam and Rio de Janeiro are key cogwheels in international logistics and transport networks but also serve as showcases for the rest of the world; as such, they constitute strategic assets for the host country´s economy and international influence. Historically, a city and its port often developed independently, through sometimes contradictory or even confrontational policies. Today, the growing number of usage disputes over increasingly coveted coastal areas is prompting local managers to incorporate urban and port-related issues in overarching planning programs. In particular, planning of the sea front and the buffer zone between the port and the city must contribute decisively to the deployment of more effective, cleaner transport services for the port city as a whole. In general, one of the key global challenges for planners and decision-makers consists in integrating sustainable development goals (environmental and social components, as well as the stimulation of industrial competitiveness into urban planning. In this context the PHEBUS research group has initiated an international program of research to develop innovative methods and tools that can help territorial stakeholders to design, evaluate, compare and ultimately choose development scenarios for the future of their port cities. The main themes are addressed via a multidisciplinary systems approach on the scale of a coastal urban area with an industrial and port complex. In particular, the themes include sea front planning, the city-port interface, energy optimization (e.g. the introduction and sharing of renewable energies, risk resilience, climate change and multimodal, clean transport.

Optimal path planning for single and multiple aircraft using a reduced order formulation

Science.gov (United States)

Twigg, Shannon S.

High-flying unmanned reconnaissance and surveillance systems are now being used extensively in the United States military. Current development programs are producing demonstrations of next-generation unmanned flight systems that are designed to perform combat missions. Their use in first-strike combat operations will dictate operations in densely cluttered environments that include unknown obstacles and threats, and will require the use of terrain for masking. The demand for autonomy of operations in such environments dictates the need for advanced trajectory optimization capabilities. In addition, the ability to coordinate the movements of more than one aircraft in the same area is an emerging challenge. This thesis examines using an analytical reduced order formulation for trajectory generation for minimum time and terrain masking cases. First, pseudo-3D constant velocity equations of motion are used for path planning for a single vehicle. In addition, the inclusion of winds, moving targets and moving threats is considered. Then, this formulation is increased to using 3D equations of motion, both with a constant velocity and with a simplified varying velocity model. Next, the constant velocity equations of motion are expanded to include the simultaneous path planning of an unspecified number of vehicles, for both aircraft avoidance situations and formation flight cases.

Non-symmetric approach to single-screw expander and compressor modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Ziviani, Davide; Groll, Eckhard A.; Braun, James E.; Horton, W. Travis; De Paepe, M.; van den Broek, M.

2017-08-01

Single-screw type volumetric machines are employed both as compressors in refrigeration systems and, more recently, as expanders in organic Rankine cycle (ORC) applications. The single-screw machine is characterized by having a central grooved rotor and two mating toothed starwheels that isolate the working chambers. One of the main features of such machine is related to the simultaneous occurrence of the compression or expansion processes on both sides of the main rotor which results in a more balanced loading on the main shaft bearings with respect to twin-screw machines. However, the meshing between starwheels and main rotor is a critical aspect as it heavily affects the volumetric performance of the machine. To allow flow interactions between the two sides of the rotor, a non-symmetric modelling approach has been established to obtain a more comprehensive model of the single-screw machine. The resulting mechanistic model includes in-chamber governing equations, leakage flow models, heat transfer mechanisms, viscous and mechanical losses. Forces and moments balances are used to estimate the loads on the main shaft bearings as well as on the starwheel bearings. An 11 kWe single-screw expander (SSE) adapted from an air compressor operating with R245fa as working fluid is used to validate the model. A total of 60 steady-steady points at four different rotational speeds have been collected to characterize the performance of the machine. The maximum electrical power output and overall isentropic efficiency measured were 7.31 kW and 51.91%, respectively.

Application of an uncertainty analysis approach to strategic environmental assessment for urban planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yi; Chen, Jining; He, Weiqi; Tong, Qingyuan; Li, Wangfeng

2010-04-15

Urban planning has been widely applied as a regulatory measure to guide a city's construction and management. It represents official expectations on future population and economic growth and land use over the urban area. No doubt, significant variations often occur between planning schemes and actual development; in particular in China, the world's largest developing country experiencing rapid urbanization and industrialization. This in turn leads to difficulty in estimating the environmental consequences of the urban plan. Aiming to quantitatively analyze the uncertain environmental impacts of the urban plan's implementation, this article developed an integrated methodology combining a scenario analysis approach and a stochastic simulation technique for strategic environmental assessment (SEA). Based on industrial development scenarios, Monte Carlo sampling is applied to generate all possibilities of the spatial distribution of newly emerged industries. All related environmental consequences can be further estimated given the industrial distributions as input to environmental quality models. By applying a HSY algorithm, environmentally unacceptable urban growth, regarding both economic development and land use spatial layout, can be systematically identified, providing valuable information to urban planners and decision makers. A case study in Dalian Municipality, Northeast China, is used to illustrate applicability of this methodology. The impacts of Urban Development Plan for Dalian Municipality (2003-2020) (UDP) on atmospheric environment are also discussed in this article.

A Quantitative Exposure Planning Tool for Surgical Approaches to the Sacroiliac Joint.

Science.gov (United States)

Phelps, Kevin D; Ming, Bryan W; Fox, Wade E; Bellamy, Nelly; Sims, Stephen H; Karunakar, Madhav A; Hsu, Joseph R

2016-06-01

To aid in surgical planning by quantifying and comparing the osseous exposure between the anterior and posterior approaches to the sacroiliac joint. Anterior and posterior approaches were performed on 12 sacroiliac joints in 6 fresh-frozen torsos. Visual and palpable access to relevant surgical landmarks was recorded. Calibrated digital photographs were taken of each approach and analyzed using Image J. The average surface areas of exposed bone were 44 and 33 cm for the anterior and posterior approaches, respectively. The anterior iliolumbar ligament footprint could be visualized in all anterior approaches, whereas the posterior aspect could be visualized in all but one posterior approach. The anterior approach provided visual and palpable access to the anterior superior edge of the sacroiliac joint in all specimens, the posterior superior edge in 75% of specimens, and the inferior margin in 25% and 50% of specimens, respectively. The inferior sacroiliac joint was easily visualized and palpated in all posterior approaches, although access to the anterior and posterior superior edges was more limited. The anterior S1 neuroforamen was not visualized with either approach and was more consistently palpated when going posterior (33% vs. 92%). Both anterior and posterior approaches can be used for open reduction of pure sacroiliac dislocations, each with specific areas for assessing reduction. In light of current plate dimensions, fractures more than 2.5 cm lateral to the anterior iliolumbar ligament footprint are amenable to anterior plate fixation, whereas those more medial may be better addressed through a posterior approach.

Business planning for digital libraries international approaches

CERN Document Server

Collier, Mel

2010-01-01

This book brings together international experience of business planning for digital libraries: the business case, the planning processes involved, the costs and benefi ts, practice and standards, and comparison with the traditional library where appropriate. Although there is a vast literature already on other aspects of digital libraries, business planning is a subject that until now has not been systematically integrated in a book.Digital libraries are being created not only by traditional libraries, but by museums, archives, media organizations, and indeed any organization concerned with ma

Optimization of Investment Planning Based on Game-Theoretic Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Vladimirovna Butsenko

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The game-theoretic approach has a vast potential in solving economic problems. On the other hand, the theory of games itself can be enriched by the studies of real problems of decision-making. Hence, this study is aimed at developing and testing the game-theoretic technique to optimize the management of investment planning. This technique enables to forecast the results and manage the processes of investment planning. The proposed method of optimizing the management of investment planning allows to choose the best development strategy of an enterprise. This technique uses the “game with nature” model, and the Wald criterion, the maximum criterion and the Hurwitz criterion as criteria. The article presents a new algorithm for constructing the proposed econometric method to optimize investment project management. This algorithm combines the methods of matrix games. Furthermore, I show the implementation of this technique in a block diagram. The algorithm includes the formation of initial data, the elements of the payment matrix, as well as the definition of maximin, maximal, compromise and optimal management strategies. The methodology is tested on the example of the passenger transportation enterprise of the Sverdlovsk Railway in Ekaterinburg. The application of the proposed methodology and the corresponding algorithm allowed to obtain an optimal price strategy for transporting passengers for one direction of traffic. This price strategy contributes to an increase in the company’s income with minimal risk from the launch of this direction. The obtained results and conclusions show the effectiveness of using the developed methodology for optimizing the management of investment processes in the enterprise. The results of the research can be used as a basis for the development of an appropriate tool and applied by any economic entity in its investment activities.

An ecological approach to seeking and utilising the views of young people with intellectual disabilities in transition planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Small, Neil; Raghavan, Raghu; Pawson, Nicole

2013-12-01

Transition planning using a person-centred approach has, in the main, failed to shape service provision. We offer an alternative based on an ecological understanding of human development linked to public health approaches that prioritise whole system planning. A total of 43 young people with intellectual disabilities, in Bradford, England, who were approaching transition from school or college were recruited to a qualitative study. Their ethnic breakdown was as follows: 16 white British, 24 Pakistani, 2 Bangladeshi and 1 Black African. Each young person was interviewed twice, at recruitment and a year later, to observe any changes in their social networks during transition. Interviews were undertaken with a semi-structured interview schedule and with the pictorial approach of Talking Mats. Both the networks the young people live within, and their sense of what the future might hold for them, are described and linked to Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of human development. The importance of the family and school is emphasised, as is the absence of engagement in leisure activities and work. Transition planning needs to start with mapping the systems individuals live within, areas of strength should be supported and parts of the system, which are not fit for purpose for these young people, should be prioritised for interventions.

Improved Test Planning and Analysis Through the Use of Advanced Statistical Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Lawrence L.; Maxwell, Katherine A.; Glass, David E.; Vaughn, Wallace L.; Barger, Weston; Cook, Mylan

2016-01-01

The goal of this work is, through computational simulations, to provide statistically-based evidence to convince the testing community that a distributed testing approach is superior to a clustered testing approach for most situations. For clustered testing, numerous, repeated test points are acquired at a limited number of test conditions. For distributed testing, only one or a few test points are requested at many different conditions. The statistical techniques of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Design of Experiments (DOE) and Response Surface Methods (RSM) are applied to enable distributed test planning, data analysis and test augmentation. The D-Optimal class of DOE is used to plan an optimally efficient single- and multi-factor test. The resulting simulated test data are analyzed via ANOVA and a parametric model is constructed using RSM. Finally, ANOVA can be used to plan a second round of testing to augment the existing data set with new data points. The use of these techniques is demonstrated through several illustrative examples. To date, many thousands of comparisons have been performed and the results strongly support the conclusion that the distributed testing approach outperforms the clustered testing approach.

A Descriptive Case Study of Appreciative Inquiry as an Approach to Strategic Planning for Special Education in a Public School

Science.gov (United States)

Ruhlman, Paul L., Jr.

2014-01-01

This study's purpose was to describe appreciative inquiry (AI) as an approach to strategic planning for special education in a public school. The study investigated four research questions. How do plans for special education emerge as participants engage in the four phases of AI during strategic planning for the future of special education in a…

Modeling an integrated hospital management planning problem using integer optimization approach

Science.gov (United States)

Sitepu, Suryati; Mawengkang, Herman; Irvan

2017-09-01

Hospital is a very important institution to provide health care for people. It is not surprising that nowadays the people’s demands for hospital is increasing. However, due to the rising cost of healthcare services, hospitals need to consider efficiencies in order to overcome these two problems. This paper deals with an integrated strategy of staff capacity management and bed allocation planning to tackle these problems. Mathematically, the strategy can be modeled as an integer linear programming problem. We solve the model using a direct neighborhood search approach, based on the notion of superbasic variables.

En Route Descent Advisor Multi-Sector Planning Using Active and Provisional Controller Plans

Science.gov (United States)

Vivona, Robert; Green, Steven

2003-01-01

As decision support tools are developed to support controllers in complex air traffic control environments, new approaches to maintaining situation awareness and managing traffic planning must be developed to handle the ever-increasing amounts of alerting and advisory data. Within high-density metering and other environments where flight path changes are the rule, not the exception, and where interactions between these changes are required, current trial planning approaches are limited by potential increases in workload. The Enroute Descent Advisor (EDA) is a set of decision support tool capabilities for managing high-density en route traffic subject to metering restrictions. The EDA system s novel approach builds aircraft plans from combinations of user intent data and builds controller plans from combinations of aircraft plans to effectively maintain situation awareness during traffic planning. By maintaining both active (current) and provisional (proposed) controller plans, EDA supports controllers in coordinated traffic planning both within and between sectors. Ultimately, EDA s multi-sector planning approach will facilitate a transition from current sector-oriented operations to a new trajectory-oriented paradigm, enabling new levels of efficiency and collaboration in air traffic control.

Planning for Office Automation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mick, Colin K.

1983-01-01

Outlines a practical approach to planning for office automation termed the "Focused Process Approach" (the "what" phase, "how" phase, "doing" phase) which is a synthesis of the problem-solving and participatory planning approaches. Thirteen references are provided. (EJS)

An optimisation approach for capacity planning: modelling insights and empirical findings from a tactical perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andréa Nunes Carvalho

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract The academic literature presents a research-practice gap on the application of decision support tools to address tactical planning problems in real-world organisations. This paper addresses this gap and extends a previous action research relative to an optimisation model applied for tactical capacity planning in an engineer-to-order industrial setting. The issues discussed herein raise new insights to better understand the practical results that can be achieved through the proposed model. The topics presented include the modelling of objectives, the representation of the production process and the costing approach, as well as findings regarding managerial decisions and the scope of action considered. These insights may inspire ideas to academics and practitioners when developing tools for capacity planning problems in similar contexts.

Rolling schedule approaches for supply chain operations planning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spitter, J.M.

2005-01-01

Supply Chain Operations Planning (SCOP) involves the determination of an extensive production plan for a network of manufacturing and distribution entities within and across organizations. The production plan consist of order release decisions that allocate materials and resources in order to

Urban Adaptation to Climate Change Plans and Policies – the Conceptual Framework of a Methodological Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julianna Kiełkowska

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The adaptation of urbanised areas to climate change is currently one of the key challenges in the domain of urban policy. The diversity of environmental determinants requires the formulation of individual plans dedicated to the most significant local issues. This article serves as a methodic proposition for the stage of retrieving data (with the PESTEL and the Delphic method, systemic diagnosis (evaluation of risk and susceptibility, prognosis (goal trees, goal intensity map and the formulation of urban adaptation plans. The suggested solution complies with Polish guidelines for establishing adaptation plans. The proposed methodological approach guarantees the participation of various groups of stakeholders in the process of working on urban adaptation plans, which is in accordance with the current tendencies to strengthen the role of public participation in spatial management.

Risk assessment for enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementations: a fault tree analysis approach

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Yajun; Skibniewski, Miroslaw J.

2013-08-01

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementations are often characterised with large capital outlay, long implementation duration, and high risk of failure. In order to avoid ERP implementation failure and realise the benefits of the system, sound risk management is the key. This paper proposes a probabilistic risk assessment approach for ERP system implementation projects based on fault tree analysis, which models the relationship between ERP system components and specific risk factors. Unlike traditional risk management approaches that have been mostly focused on meeting project budget and schedule objectives, the proposed approach intends to address the risks that may cause ERP system usage failure. The approach can be used to identify the root causes of ERP system implementation usage failure and quantify the impact of critical component failures or critical risk events in the implementation process.

INTEGRATED APPROACH TO GENERATION OF PRECEDENCE RELATIONS AND PRECEDENCE GRAPHS FOR ASSEMBLY SEQUENCE PLANNING

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2002-01-01

An integrated approach to generation of precedence relations and precedence graphs for assembly sequence planning is presented, which contains more assembly flexibility. The approach involves two stages. Based on the assembly model, the components in the assembly can be divided into partially constrained components and completely constrained components in the first stage, and then geometric precedence relation for every component is generated automatically. According to the result of the first stage, the second stage determines and constructs all precedence graphs. The algorithms of these two stages proposed are verified by two assembly examples.

Advanced methodology for generation expansion planning including interconnected systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, M; Yokoyama, R; Yasuda, K [Tokyo Metropolitan Univ. (Japan); Sasaki, H [Hiroshima Univ. (Japan); Ogimoto, K [Electric Power Development Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1994-12-31

This paper reviews advanced methodology for generation expansion planning including interconnected systems developed in Japan, putting focus on flexibility and efficiency in a practical application. First, criteria for evaluating flexibility of generation planning considering uncertainties are introduced. Secondly, the flexible generation mix problem is formulated as a multi-objective optimization with more than two objective functions. The multi-objective optimization problem is then transformed into a single objective problem by using the weighting method, to obtain the Pareto optimal solution, and solved by a dynamics programming technique. Thirdly, a new approach for electric generation expansion planning of interconnected systems is presented, based on the Benders Decomposition technique. That is, large scale generation problem constituted by the general economic load dispatch problem, and several sub problems which are composed of smaller scale isolated system generation expansion plans. Finally, the generation expansion plan solved by an artificial neural network is presented. In conclusion, the advantages and disadvantages of this method from the viewpoint of flexibility and applicability to practical generation expansion planning are presented. (author) 29 refs., 10 figs., 4 tabs.

Beyond the case study dilemma in urban planning: using a meta-matrix to distil critical success factors in transit-oriented development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thomas, R.; Bertolini, L.

2014-01-01

Case study is well established as a learning tool and as a research methodology in the field of planning. However, there are a number of barriers to the use of single-case study results in planning practice and research. Meta-analysis is one approach to this case study ‘dilemma’. This article

Optimal Pricing and Production Master Planning in a Multiperiod Horizon Considering Capacity and Inventory Constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neale R. Smith

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We formulate and solve a single-item joint pricing and master planning optimization problem with capacity and inventory constrains. The objective is to maximize profits over a discrete-time multiperiod horizon. The solution process consists of two steps. First, we solve the single-period problem exactly. Second, using the exact solution of the single-period problem, we solve the multiperiod problem using a dynamic programming approach. The solution process and the importance of considering both capacity and inventory constraints are illustrated with numerical examples.

The educational approach within Colombia's nutrition plan (PAN)

Science.gov (United States)

de Pizano, Julia Mejia

1980-03-01

With the knowledge that malnutrition affects the quality of life of an individual, the Colombian Government set up in 1976 a unique multi-sectorial plan (PAN), to combat the country's serious malnutrition. Government agencies and private industries in the sectors of production, distribution, health, sanitation, and education have coordinated their previously independent efforts. Among the interesting aspects are the coordination of sectors through work at various levels and through control of the budget, the limitation of bureaucracy, and the decentralization of decision-making. The ongoing attempts to overcome the difficulties encountered include making decisions in the face of inconclusive knowledge on what constitutes a well-balanced diet; combating the lack of knowledge of professionals about the environment of the poorest percentage of the population; and revising the traditional teaching method to make it more successful through a multi-media approach to assure wider coverage and more impact for the least cost, using materials such as games, puppets, posters and radio.

Dosimetric validation for an automatic brain metastases planning software using single-isocenter dynamic conformal arcsDosimetric validation for an automatic brain metastases planning software using single-isocenter dynamic conformal arcs.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Haisong; Li, Jun; Pappas, Evangelos; Andrews, David; Evans, James; Werner-Wasik, Maria; Yu, Yan; Dicker, Adam; Shi, Wenyin

2016-09-08

An automatic brain-metastases planning (ABMP) software has been installed in our institution. It is dedicated for treating multiple brain metastases with radiosurgery on linear accelerators (linacs) using a single-setup isocenter with noncoplanar dynamic conformal arcs. This study is to validate the calculated absolute dose and dose distribution of ABMP. Three types of measurements were performed to validate the planning software: 1, dual micro ion chambers were used with an acrylic phantom to measure the absolute dose; 2, a 3D cylindrical phantom with dual diode array was used to evaluate 2D dose distribution and point dose for smaller targets; and 3, a 3D pseudo-in vivo patient-specific phantom filled with polymer gels was used to evaluate the accuracy of 3D dose distribution and radia-tion delivery. Micro chamber measurement of two targets (volumes of 1.2 cc and 0.9 cc, respectively) showed that the percentage differences of the absolute dose at both targets were less than 1%. Averaged GI passing rate of five different plans measured with the diode array phantom was above 98%, using criteria of 3% dose difference, 1 mm distance to agreement (DTA), and 10% low-dose threshold. 3D gel phantom measurement results demonstrated a 3D displacement of nine targets of 0.7 ± 0.4 mm (range 0.2 ~ 1.1 mm). The averaged two-dimensional (2D) GI passing rate for several region of interests (ROI) on axial slices that encompass each one of the nine targets was above 98% (5% dose difference, 2 mm DTA, and 10% low-dose threshold). Measured D95, the minimum dose that covers 95% of the target volume, of the nine targets was 0.7% less than the calculated D95. Three different types of dosimetric verification methods were used and proved the dose calculation of the new automatic brain metastases planning (ABMP) software was clinical acceptable. The 3D pseudo-in vivo patient-specific gel phantom test also served as an end-to-end test for validating not only the dose calculation, but the

Improvement of tool support of the spatial approach to regional planning: problems, specifics, trends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nataliya Gennadievna Yushkova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The emerging imperatives of innovation economic development in Russia determine the content of conceptual and institutional constraints to the development of regional economic systems (RES. They consider the regional planning system as a leading priority in its inseparable unity with modern public administration tasks. However, the practice of development of long-term plans in the RF subjects proves that the innovation challenges of economic policy are not reflected properly in them or they are significantly distorted. The following reasons reduce the effectiveness of modernization processes in the RF subjects and hamper the appropriate reaction of RES on their impact: the lack of coordination between socio-economic and spatial regional plans, the imbalance of interaction between state authorities engaged in long-term planning, the lack of real prerequisites for the implementation of innovation initiatives in the regions. Systematization and analysis of long-term plans make it possible to substantiate the consistency of the spatial approach to regional planning expressed in the dominance of the transformational function that synchronizes the configuration and parameters of RES, and to establish ways to integrate spatial components in the system of regional planning through optimization of its tool support. The change in the content of the instrumentation support is based on the synthesis of the predominant basic characteristics of the existing tools used in isolated subsystems of regional planning of socio-economic and territorial development. The study has established a system of tool support for regional planning that adapts to the changes in both internal and external factors in the development of RES. Three main groups of tools: organizing, regulating, and coordinating are defined by their typing in accordance with the groups of management functions. The article proposes the modeling of combinations of tools that are subordinated to the

Optimization approaches for robot trajectory planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Llopis-Albert

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The development of optimal trajectory planning algorithms for autonomous robots is a key issue in order to efficiently perform the robot tasks. This problem is hampered by the complex environment regarding the kinematics and dynamics of robots with several arms and/or degrees of freedom (dof, the design of collision-free trajectories and the physical limitations of the robots. This paper presents a review about the existing robot motion planning techniques and discusses their pros and cons regarding completeness, optimality, efficiency, accuracy, smoothness, stability, safety and scalability.

Fourier-based approach to interpolation in single-slice helical computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

La Riviere, Patrick J.; Pan Xiaochuan

2001-01-01

It has recently been shown that longitudinal aliasing can be a significant and detrimental presence in reconstructed single-slice helical computed tomography (CT) volumes. This aliasing arises because the directly measured data in helical CT are generally undersampled by a factor of at least 2 in the longitudinal direction and because the exploitation of the redundancy of fanbeam data acquired over 360 degree sign to generate additional longitudinal samples does not automatically eliminate the aliasing. In this paper we demonstrate that for pitches near 1 or lower, the redundant fanbeam data, when used properly, can provide sufficient information to satisfy a generalized sampling theorem and thus to eliminate aliasing. We develop and evaluate a Fourier-based algorithm, called 180FT, that accomplishes this. As background we present a second Fourier-based approach, called 360FT, that makes use only of the directly measured data. Both Fourier-based approaches exploit the fast Fourier transform and the Fourier shift theorem to generate from the helical projection data a set of fanbeam sinograms corresponding to equispaced transverse slices. Slice-by-slice reconstruction is then performed by use of two-dimensional fanbeam algorithms. The proposed approaches are compared to their counterparts based on the use of linear interpolation - the 360LI and 180LI approaches. The aliasing suppression property of the 180FT approach is a clear advantage of the approach and represents a step toward the desirable goal of achieving uniform longitudinal resolution properties in reconstructed helical CT volumes

A geometric approach for fault detection and isolation of stator short circuit failure in a single asynchronous machine

KAUST Repository

Khelouat, Samir

2012-06-01

This paper deals with the problem of detection and isolation of stator short-circuit failure in a single asynchronous machine using a geometric approach. After recalling the basis of the geometric approach for fault detection and isolation in nonlinear systems, we will study some structural properties which are fault detectability and isolation fault filter existence. We will then design filters for residual generation. We will consider two approaches: a two-filters structure and a single filter structure, both aiming at generating residuals which are sensitive to one fault and insensitive to the other faults. Some numerical tests will be presented to illustrate the efficiency of the method.

Lean Supply Chain Planning: A Performance Evaluation through Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rossini Matteo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays companies look more and more for improving their efficiency to excel in the market. At the same time, the competition has moved from firm level to whole supply chain level. Supply chain are very complex systems and lacks of coordination among their members leads to inefficiency. Supply chain planning task is to improve coordination among supply chain members. Which is the best planning solution to improve efficiency is an open issue. On the other hand, Lean approach is becoming more and more popular among managers. Lean approach is recognize as efficiency engine for production systems, but effects of Lean implementation out of single firm boundaries is not clear. This paper aims at providing a theoretical and practical starting point for Lean implementation in supply chain planning issue. To reach it, a DES simulation model of a three-echelon and multi-product supply chain has been set. Lean management is a very broad topic and this paper focuses on two principles of “pull” and “create the flow”. Kanban system and setup-time and batch-size reductions are implemented in the lean-configured supply chain to apply “pull” and “create the flow” respectively. Lean principles implementations have been analyzed and compared with other supply chain planning policies: EOQ and information sharing (Visibility. Supported by the simulation study, this paper points Lean supply chain planning is a competitive planning policies to increase efficiency.

Better Forecasting for Better Planning: A Systems Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Austin, W. Burnet

Predictions and forecasts are the most critical features of rational planning as well as the most vulnerable to inaccuracy. Because plans are only as good as their forecasts, current planning procedures could be improved by greater forecasting accuracy. Economic factors explain and predict more than any other set of factors, making economic…

A multispecies framework for landscape conservation planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwenk, W Scott; Donovan, Therese M

2011-10-01

Rapidly changing landscapes have spurred the need for quantitative methods for conservation assessment and planning that encompass large spatial extents. We devised and tested a multispecies framework for conservation planning to complement single-species assessments and ecosystem-level approaches. Our framework consisted of 4 elements: sampling to effectively estimate population parameters, measuring how human activity affects landscapes at multiple scales, analyzing the relation between landscape characteristics and individual species occurrences, and evaluating and comparing the responses of multiple species to landscape modification. We applied the approach to a community of terrestrial birds across 25,000 km(2) with a range of intensities of human development. Human modification of land cover, road density, and other elements of the landscape, measured at multiple spatial extents, had large effects on occupancy of the 67 species studied. Forest composition within 1 km of points had a strong effect on occupancy of many species and a range of negative, intermediate, and positive associations. Road density within 1 km of points, percent evergreen forest within 300 m, and distance from patch edge were also strongly associated with occupancy for many species. We used the occupancy results to group species into 11 guilds that shared patterns of association with landscape characteristics. Our multispecies approach to conservation planning allowed us to quantify the trade-offs of different scenarios of land-cover change in terms of species occupancy. Conservation Biology © 2011 Society for Conservation Biology. No claim to original US government works.

Single-shell tank interim stabilization risk analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basche, A.D.

1998-01-01

The purpose of the Single-Shell Tank (SST) Interim Stabilization Risk Analysis is to provide a cost and schedule risk analysis of HNF-2358, Rev. 1, Single-Shell Tank Interim Stabilization Project Plan (Project Plan) (Ross et al. 1998). The analysis compares the required cost profile by fiscal year (Section 4.2) and revised schedule completion date (Section 4.5) to the Project Plan. The analysis also evaluates the executability of the Project Plan and recommends a path forward for risk mitigation

Mission Planning and Decision Support for Underwater Glider Networks: A Sampling on-Demand Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferri, Gabriele; Cococcioni, Marco; Alvarez, Alberto

2015-12-26

This paper describes an optimal sampling approach to support glider fleet operators and marine scientists during the complex task of planning the missions of fleets of underwater gliders. Optimal sampling, which has gained considerable attention in the last decade, consists in planning the paths of gliders to minimize a specific criterion pertinent to the phenomenon under investigation. Different criteria (e.g., A, G, or E optimality), used in geosciences to obtain an optimum design, lead to different sampling strategies. In particular, the A criterion produces paths for the gliders that minimize the overall level of uncertainty over the area of interest. However, there are commonly operative situations in which the marine scientists may prefer not to minimize the overall uncertainty of a certain area, but instead they may be interested in achieving an acceptable uncertainty sufficient for the scientific or operational needs of the mission. We propose and discuss here an approach named sampling on-demand that explicitly addresses this need. In our approach the user provides an objective map, setting both the amount and the geographic distribution of the uncertainty to be achieved after assimilating the information gathered by the fleet. A novel optimality criterion, called A η , is proposed and the resulting minimization problem is solved by using a Simulated Annealing based optimizer that takes into account the constraints imposed by the glider navigation features, the desired geometry of the paths and the problems of reachability caused by ocean currents. This planning strategy has been implemented in a Matlab toolbox called SoDDS (Sampling on-Demand and Decision Support). The tool is able to automatically download the ocean fields data from MyOcean repository and also provides graphical user interfaces to ease the input process of mission parameters and targets. The results obtained by running SoDDS on three different scenarios are provided and show that So

Mission Planning and Decision Support for Underwater Glider Networks: A Sampling on-Demand Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriele Ferri

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper describes an optimal sampling approach to support glider fleet operators and marine scientists during the complex task of planning the missions of fleets of underwater gliders. Optimal sampling, which has gained considerable attention in the last decade, consists in planning the paths of gliders to minimize a specific criterion pertinent to the phenomenon under investigation. Different criteria (e.g., A, G, or E optimality, used in geosciences to obtain an optimum design, lead to different sampling strategies. In particular, the A criterion produces paths for the gliders that minimize the overall level of uncertainty over the area of interest. However, there are commonly operative situations in which the marine scientists may prefer not to minimize the overall uncertainty of a certain area, but instead they may be interested in achieving an acceptable uncertainty sufficient for the scientific or operational needs of the mission. We propose and discuss here an approach named sampling on-demand that explicitly addresses this need. In our approach the user provides an objective map, setting both the amount and the geographic distribution of the uncertainty to be achieved after assimilating the information gathered by the fleet. A novel optimality criterion, called A η , is proposed and the resulting minimization problem is solved by using a Simulated Annealing based optimizer that takes into account the constraints imposed by the glider navigation features, the desired geometry of the paths and the problems of reachability caused by ocean currents. This planning strategy has been implemented in a Matlab toolbox called SoDDS (Sampling on-Demand and Decision Support. The tool is able to automatically download the ocean fields data from MyOcean repository and also provides graphical user interfaces to ease the input process of mission parameters and targets. The results obtained by running SoDDS on three different scenarios are provided

Mission Planning and Decision Support for Underwater Glider Networks: A Sampling on-Demand Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Ferri, Gabriele; Cococcioni, Marco; Alvarez, Alberto

2015-01-01

This paper describes an optimal sampling approach to support glider fleet operators and marine scientists during the complex task of planning the missions of fleets of underwater gliders. Optimal sampling, which has gained considerable attention in the last decade, consists in planning the paths of gliders to minimize a specific criterion pertinent to the phenomenon under investigation. Different criteria (e.g., A, G, or E optimality), used in geosciences to obtain an optimum design, lead to different sampling strategies. In particular, the A criterion produces paths for the gliders that minimize the overall level of uncertainty over the area of interest. However, there are commonly operative situations in which the marine scientists may prefer not to minimize the overall uncertainty of a certain area, but instead they may be interested in achieving an acceptable uncertainty sufficient for the scientific or operational needs of the mission. We propose and discuss here an approach named sampling on-demand that explicitly addresses this need. In our approach the user provides an objective map, setting both the amount and the geographic distribution of the uncertainty to be achieved after assimilating the information gathered by the fleet. A novel optimality criterion, called Aη, is proposed and the resulting minimization problem is solved by using a Simulated Annealing based optimizer that takes into account the constraints imposed by the glider navigation features, the desired geometry of the paths and the problems of reachability caused by ocean currents. This planning strategy has been implemented in a Matlab toolbox called SoDDS (Sampling on-Demand and Decision Support). The tool is able to automatically download the ocean fields data from MyOcean repository and also provides graphical user interfaces to ease the input process of mission parameters and targets. The results obtained by running SoDDS on three different scenarios are provided and show that So

Smart City Planning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ekman, Ulrik

2018-01-01

This article reflects on the challenges for urban planning posed by the emergence of smart cities in network societies. In particular, it reflects on reductionist tendencies in existing smart city planning. Here the concern is with the implications of prior reductions of complexity which have been...... undertaken by placing primacy in planning on information technology, economical profit, and top-down political government. Rather than pointing urban planning towards a different ordering of these reductions, this article argues in favor of approaches to smart city planning via complexity theory....... Specifically, this article argues in favor of approaching smart city plans holistically as topologies of organized complexity. Here, smart city planning is seen as a theory and practice engaging with a complex adaptive urban system which continuously operates on its potential. The actualizations in the face...

Identifying Opportunities for Decision Support Systems in Support of Regional Resource Use Planning: An Approach Through Soft Systems Methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu; Dale

2000-10-01

/ Regional resource use planning relies on key regional stakeholder groups using and having equitable access to appropriate social, economic, and environmental information and assessment tools. Decision support systems (DSS) can improve stakeholder access to such information and analysis tools. Regional resource use planning, however, is a complex process involving multiple issues, multiple assessment criteria, multiple stakeholders, and multiple values. There is a need for an approach to DSS development that can assist in understanding and modeling complex problem situations in regional resource use so that areas where DSSs could provide effective support can be identified, and the user requirements can be well established. This paper presents an approach based on the soft systems methodology for identifying DSS opportunities for regional resource use planning, taking the Central Highlands Region of Queensland, Australia, as a case study.

Deconstructing stem cell population heterogeneity: Single-cell analysis and modeling approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jincheng; Tzanakakis, Emmanuel S.

2014-01-01

Isogenic stem cell populations display cell-to-cell variations in a multitude of attributes including gene or protein expression, epigenetic state, morphology, proliferation and proclivity for differentiation. The origins of the observed heterogeneity and its roles in the maintenance of pluripotency and the lineage specification of stem cells remain unclear. Addressing pertinent questions will require the employment of single-cell analysis methods as traditional cell biochemical and biomolecular assays yield mostly population-average data. In addition to time-lapse microscopy and flow cytometry, recent advances in single-cell genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic profiling are reviewed. The application of multiple displacement amplification, next generation sequencing, mass cytometry and spectrometry to stem cell systems is expected to provide a wealth of information affording unprecedented levels of multiparametric characterization of cell ensembles under defined conditions promoting pluripotency or commitment. Establishing connections between single-cell analysis information and the observed phenotypes will also require suitable mathematical models. Stem cell self-renewal and differentiation are orchestrated by the coordinated regulation of subcellular, intercellular and niche-wide processes spanning multiple time scales. Here, we discuss different modeling approaches and challenges arising from their application to stem cell populations. Integrating single-cell analysis with computational methods will fill gaps in our knowledge about the functions of heterogeneity in stem cell physiology. This combination will also aid the rational design of efficient differentiation and reprogramming strategies as well as bioprocesses for the production of clinically valuable stem cell derivatives. PMID:24035899

Teaching Treatment Planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Seligman, Linda

1993-01-01

Describes approach to teaching treatment planning that author has used successfully in both seminars and graduate courses. Clarifies nature and importance of systematic treatment planning, then describes context in which treatment planning seems more effectively taught, and concludes with step-by-step plan for teaching treatment planning.…

A gentle introduction to epistemic planning: The DEL approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bolander, Thomas

2017-01-01

Epistemic planning can be used for decision making in multi-agent situations with distributed knowledge and capabilities. Dynamic Epistemic Logic (DEL) has been shown to provide a very natural and expressive framework for epistemic planning. In this paper, we aim to give an accessible introduction...... to DEL-based epistemic planning. The paper starts with the most classical framework for planning, STRIPS, and then moves towards epistemic planning in a number of smaller steps, where each step is motivated by the need to be able to model more complex planning scenarios....

Collaborative multi-stakeholder approach to drafting flood risk management plans in Wallonia, Belgium

Science.gov (United States)

Maroy, Edith; Javaux, Mathieu; Vandermosten, Pierre; Englebert, Benjamin

2015-04-01

The Flood Directive 2007/60/CE establishes a common framework within the European Union for assessing and reducing risks posed by floods on human health, the environment, economic activity and cultural heritage. For that purpose, Member States had to establish flood areas and flood risk maps, and subsequently, flood risk management plans (due December 2015). According to the Directive, special attention is to be paid to international coordination for transboundary water courses, integrated management approaches at the catchment scale, cost-effectiveness of measures and public involvement. Management measures must focus on reducing the probability of flooding and the potential consequences of flooding. They must cover prevention, protection and preparedness and must take into account relevant aspects, such as water management, soil management, spatial planning, land use and nature conservation. Floods in Wallonia mostly originate from overflowing of both little sloped rivers and highly reactive rivers but also, from concentrated runoff in the intensely cultivated and erosion-prone region north of the Sambre-Meuse axis. Consequently, walloon flood area maps not only show flood areas based on hydraulic modelling and observations but also runoff concentration axis in agricultural areas. Now released to the public, this information can be used to assess the risk of damage for land planning and erosion control strategies. Incidentally, some 166 km2 were mapped as flood hazard area with a return period of 25 years, 28.8 of which are urbanized or destined to urbanisation and counting of number of approximatively 39.000 people living in those areas. Flood area and flood risk maps should be the starting point of elaborating flood risk management plans. In order to involve the diversity of water managers and stakeholders in the drafting of a management plan for hydrographic districts in Wallonia, responsible authorities decided to mandate scientists and engineers to organize

Analyzing an Integrated Planning Approach Among Planning Scale and Sector A Case Study of Malang City’s Vision as The City of Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akhmad Amirudin

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Integrated planning is more needed by government today because of the complexity of problems and limited resources. Integrated planning can undertake the problems by giving comprehensive solution and provide how much resources are needed to reach the goal. Integrated planning approach is implied to provide better tools to guide actions towards the development of cities, improvement of human conditions, and ultimately a better urbanism. So the research focused on integrated planning in Malang City based on Malang City’s vision, strategic planning, operational planning, budgeting planning in Malang City to achieve Malang City’s vision as the city of Education. In this study, researcher used qualitative method with descriptive research, which is a research process aims to describe the exact nature / something happened and took place on the research conducted. The research purpose is to identify and describe and analyze the process of Malang City Planning Agency integrate other planning scale and sector in developing planning; and to identify, describe and analyze the process of Malang City Planning Agency integrated all stakeholders in Integrated Planning process. This research use descriptive research method. The reason to use descriptive research method in this study because the principle objectives of this study aimed to describe, illustrate in a systematic, factual and accurate statement of the facts and the relationship between phenomenon. Then qualitative method was directed at the individual's background and a holistic (whole. So in this case should not isolate the individual or organization into a variable or hypothesis, but should view it as part of wholeness. The result of this research in the case study of Malang City has shown thatThe case study of Malang City showed that various sectors recognized but did not pay much attention to Malang City’s vision as City of Education in their plans; however, Regional Mid-term Development

Developing a planning tool for South African prosecution resources: challenges and approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Koen

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In every country the prosecution of criminal cases is governed by different laws, policies and processes. In South Africa, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA has the responsibility of planning and managing all prosecution functions. The NPA has certain unique characteristics that make it different from other similar organisations internationally. The development of a planning tool that the NPA could use to plan their future resource requirements over the short to medium term required extensive modelling, and its final form included features which, to the best knowledge of the development team, make it unique both locally and internationally. Model design was largely influenced by the challenges emanating from the special requirements and context of the problem. Resources were not forecasted directly, but were derived with the help of simulation models that traced docket flows through various resource-driven processes. Docket flows were derived as a proportion of reported crimes, and these were forecasted using a multivariate statistical model which could take into account explanatory variables as well as the correlations between the patterns observed within different crime categories. The simulation consisted of a number of smaller models which could be run independently, and not of one overarching model. This approach was found to make the best use of available data, and compensated for the fact that certain parameters, linking different courts and court types, were not available. In addition, it simplified scenario testing and sensitivity analysis. The various components of the planning tool, including inputs and outputs of the simulation models and the linkages between the forecasts and the simulation models, were implemented in a set of spreadsheets. By using spreadsheets as a common user interface, the planning tool could be used by prosecutors and managers who may not have extensive mathematical or modelling experience.

An Investigation of Telecom Mobile Data Billing Plans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-Bing Lin

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In the recent years, mobile operators have provided many billing alternatives such as limited and unlimited billing plans, and shared and non-shared data plans for the users with different needs. A non-shared data plan is designed for a single user with a limited monthly data allowance. On the other hand, the monthly data allowance of a shared data plan is shared by a group of users with multiple devices. The mobile operators often conduct the primary price study to compare their billing plans, which shows the relationship between the prices of the billing plans against the fixed amounts of data usage. Although the primary price study can easily and quickly draw the conclusions, it only provides rough billing plan suggestions. In reality, the amounts of data usage are not fixed, and therefore should be measured from commercial mobile networks to reflect the user behaviors on data usage. This paper proposes an analytical approach by using the measured data of Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. (CHT, the largest telecommunications company in Taiwan, to derive the expected payments of various billing plans. The results of the analytical model are more accurate than those of the primary price study, and therefore provide better suggestions for billing plan selection. Other mobile operators can easily use our model to analyze the billing alternatives with their measured data.

Multimodal Logistics Network Design over Planning Horizon through a Hybrid Meta-Heuristic Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Yoshiaki; Yamazaki, Yoshihiro; Wada, Takeshi

Logistics has been acknowledged increasingly as a key issue of supply chain management to improve business efficiency under global competition and diversified customer demands. This study aims at improving a quality of strategic decision making associated with dynamic natures in logistics network optimization. Especially, noticing an importance to concern with a multimodal logistics under multiterms, we have extended a previous approach termed hybrid tabu search (HybTS). The attempt intends to deploy a strategic planning more concretely so that the strategic plan can link to an operational decision making. The idea refers to a smart extension of the HybTS to solve a dynamic mixed integer programming problem. It is a two-level iterative method composed of a sophisticated tabu search for the location problem at the upper level and a graph algorithm for the route selection at the lower level. To keep efficiency while coping with the resulting extremely large-scale problem, we invented a systematic procedure to transform the original linear program at the lower-level into a minimum cost flow problem solvable by the graph algorithm. Through numerical experiments, we verified the proposed method outperformed the commercial software. The results indicate the proposed approach can make the conventional strategic decision much more practical and is promising for real world applications.

Single-gene testing combined with single nucleotide polymorphism microarray preimplantation genetic diagnosis for aneuploidy: a novel approach in optimizing pregnancy outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Brezina, Paul R; Benner, Andrew; Rechitsky, Svetlana; Kuliev, Anver; Pomerantseva, Ekaterina; Pauling, Dana; Kearns, William G

2011-04-01

To describe a method of amplifying DNA from blastocyst trophectoderm cells (two or three cells) and simultaneously performing 23-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphism microarrays and single-gene preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Case report. IVF clinic and preimplantation genetic diagnostic centers. A 36-year-old woman, gravida 2, para 1011, and her husband who both were carriers of GM(1) gangliosidosis. The couple wished to proceed with microarray analysis for aneuploidy detection coupled with DNA sequencing for GM(1) gangliosidosis. An IVF cycle was performed. Ten blastocyst-stage embryos underwent trophectoderm biopsy. Twenty-three-chromosome microarray analysis for aneuploidy and specific DNA sequencing for GM(1) gangliosidosis mutations were performed. Viable pregnancy. After testing, elective single embryo transfer was performed followed by an intrauterine pregnancy with documented fetal cardiac activity by ultrasound. Twenty-three-chromosome microarray analysis for aneuploidy detection and single-gene evaluation via specific DNA sequencing and linkage analysis are used for preimplantation diagnosis for single-gene disorders and aneuploidy. Because of the minimal amount of genetic material obtained from the day 3 to 5 embryos (up to 6 pg), these modalities have been used in isolation of each other. The use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis for aneuploidy coupled with testing for single-gene disorders via trophectoderm biopsy is a novel approach to maximize pregnancy outcomes. Although further investigation is warranted, preimplantation genetic diagnosis for aneuploidy and single-gene testing seem destined to be used increasingly to optimize ultimate pregnancy success. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A systematic approach to the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of integrated health services.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Heidi W; Sutherland, Elizabeth G

2013-05-06

Because of the current emphasis and enthusiasm focused on integration of health systems, there is a risk of piling resources into integrated strategies without the necessary systems in place to monitor their progress adequately or to measure impact, and to learn from these efforts. The rush to intervene without adequate monitoring and evaluation will continue to result in a weak evidence base for decision making and resource allocation. Program planning and implementation are inextricability linked to monitoring and evaluation. Country level guidance is needed to identify country-specific integrated strategies, thereby increasing country ownership. This paper focuses on integrated health services but takes into account how health services are influenced by the health system, managed by programs, and made up of interventions. We apply the principles in existing comprehensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks in order to outline a systematic approach to the M&E of integration for the country level. The approach is grounded by first defining the country-specific health challenges that integration is intended to affect. Priority points of contact for care can directly influence health, and essential packages of integration for all major client presentations need to be defined. Logic models are necessary to outline the plausible causal pathways and define the inputs, roles and responsibilities, indicators, and data sources across the health system. Finally, we recommend improvements to the health information system and in data use to ensure that data are available to inform decisions, because changes in the M&E function to make it more integrated will also facilitate integration in the service delivery, planning, and governance components. This approach described in the paper is the ideal, but its application at the country level can help reveal gaps and guide decisions related to what health services to prioritize for integration, help plan for how to

Setup planning for machining

CERN Document Server

Hazarika, Manjuri

2015-01-01

Professionals as well as researchers can benefit from this comprehensive introduction into the topic of setup planning, which reflects the latest state of research and gives hands-on examples. Starting with a brief but thorough introduction, this book explains the significance of setup planning in process planning and includes a reflection on its external constraints. Step-by-step the different phases of setup planning are outlined and traditional as well as modern approaches, such as fuzzy logic based setup planning, on the solution of setup planning problems are presented. Three detailed examples of applications provide a clear and accessible insight into the up-to-date techniques and various approaches in setup planning.

Developing a mental health care plan in a low resource setting: the theory of change approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Hailemariam, Maji; Fekadu, Abebaw; Selamu, Medhin; Alem, Atalay; Medhin, Girmay; Giorgis, Tedla Wolde; DeSilva, Mary; Breuer, Erica

2015-09-28

Scaling up mental healthcare through integration into primary care remains the main strategy to address the extensive unmet mental health need in low-income countries. For integrated care to achieve its goal, a clear understanding of the organisational processes that can promote and hinder the integration and delivery of mental health care is essential. Theory of Change (ToC), a method employed in the planning, implementation and evaluation of complex community initiatives, is an innovative approach that has the potential to assist in the development of a comprehensive mental health care plan (MHCP), which can inform the delivery of integrated care. We used the ToC approach to develop a MHCP in a rural district in Ethiopia. The work was part of a cross-country study, the Programme for Improving Mental Health Care (PRIME) which focuses on developing evidence on the integration of mental health in to primary care. An iterative ToC development process was undertaken involving multiple workshops with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds that included representatives from the community, faith and traditional healers, community associations, non-governmental organisations, Zonal, Regional and Federal level government offices, higher education institutions, social work and mental health specialists (psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses). The objective of this study is to report the process of implementing the ToC approach in developing mental health care plan. A total of 46 persons participated in four ToC workshops. Four critical path dimensions were identified: community, health facility, administrative and higher level care organisation. The ToC participants were actively engaged in the process and the ToC encouraged strong commitment among participants. Key opportunities and barriers to implementation and how to overcome these were suggested. During the workshops, a map incorporating the key agreed outcomes and outcome indicators was developed and finalized later

Single-resolution and multiresolution extended-Kalman-filter-based reconstruction approaches to optical refraction tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Naik, Naren; Vasu, R M; Ananthasayanam, M R

2010-02-20

The problem of reconstruction of a refractive-index distribution (RID) in optical refraction tomography (ORT) with optical path-length difference (OPD) data is solved using two adaptive-estimation-based extended-Kalman-filter (EKF) approaches. First, a basic single-resolution EKF (SR-EKF) is applied to a state variable model describing the tomographic process, to estimate the RID of an optically transparent refracting object from noisy OPD data. The initialization of the biases and covariances corresponding to the state and measurement noise is discussed. The state and measurement noise biases and covariances are adaptively estimated. An EKF is then applied to the wavelet-transformed state variable model to yield a wavelet-based multiresolution EKF (MR-EKF) solution approach. To numerically validate the adaptive EKF approaches, we evaluate them with benchmark studies of standard stationary cases, where comparative results with commonly used efficient deterministic approaches can be obtained. Detailed reconstruction studies for the SR-EKF and two versions of the MR-EKF (with Haar and Daubechies-4 wavelets) compare well with those obtained from a typically used variant of the (deterministic) algebraic reconstruction technique, the average correction per projection method, thus establishing the capability of the EKF for ORT. To the best of our knowledge, the present work contains unique reconstruction studies encompassing the use of EKF for ORT in single-resolution and multiresolution formulations, and also in the use of adaptive estimation of the EKF's noise covariances.

Technical Approach and Plan for Transitioning Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project Facilities to the Environmental Restoration Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SKELLY, W.A.

1999-01-01

This document describes the approach and process in which the 100-K Area Facilities are to be deactivated and transitioned over to the Environmental Restoration Program after spent nuclear fuel has been removed from the K Basins. It describes the Transition Project's scope and objectives, work breakdown structure, activity planning, estimated cost, and schedule. This report will be utilized as a planning document for project management and control and to communicate details of project content and integration

SU-G-BRC-02: A Novel Multi-Criteria Optimization Approach to Generate Deliverable Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) Treatment Plans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirlik, G; D’Souza, W; Zhang, H [University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To present a novel multi-criteria optimization (MCO) solution approach that generates treatment plans with deliverable apertures using column generation. Methods: We demonstrate our method with 10 locally advanced head-and-neck cancer cases retrospectively. In our MCO formulation, we defined an objective function for each structure in the treatment volume. This resulted in 9 objective functions, including 3 distinct objectives for primary target volume, high-risk and low-risk target volumes, 5 objectives for each of the organs-at-risk (OARs) (two parotid glands, spinal cord, brain stem and oral cavity), and one for the non-target non-OAR normal tissue. Conditional value-at-risk (CVaR) constraints were utilized to ensure at least certain fraction of the target volumes receiving the prescription doses. To directly generate deliverable plans, column generation algorithm was embedded within our MCO approach for aperture shape generation. Final dose distributions for all plans were generated using a Monte Carlo kernel-superposition dose calculation. We compared the MCO plans with the clinical plans, which were created by clinicians. Results: At least 95% target coverage was achieved by both MCO plans and clinical plans. However, the average conformity indices of clinical plans and the MCO plans were 1.95 and 1.35, respectively (31% reduction, p<0.01). Compared to the conventional clinical plan, the proposed MCO method achieved average reductions in left parotid mean dose of 5% (p=0.06), right parotid mean dose of 18% (p<0.01), oral cavity mean dose of 21% (p=0.03), spinal cord maximum dose of 20% (p<0.01), brain stem maximum dose of 61% (p<0.01), and normal tissue maximum dose of 5% (p<0.01), respectively. Conclusion: We demonstrated that the proposed MCO method was able to obtain deliverable IMRT treatment plans while achieving significant improvements in dosimetric plan quality.

Behavioural differences between single scandinavian brown bears (Ursus arctos) and females with dependent young when experimentally approached by humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahlén, Veronica; Ordiz, Andrés; Swenson, Jon E; Støen, Ole Gunnar

2015-01-01

Carnivore-human encounters that result in human injury present a conservation and management challenge and it is therefore important to understand under what conditions such incidents occur. Females with cubs are often involved when humans are injured by brown bears Ursus arctos. In Scandinavia, this is particularly true for unarmed recreational forest users. Our aim was to document behavioural differences between single bears and females with cubs in order to develop recommendations to minimize the risk of injuries to recreational forest users. We documented the reactions of GPS-collared females with cubs and single brown bears to experimental approaches by humans to 50 m from the bear on 42 and 108 occasions, respectively. The majority of females with cubs (95%) and single bears (89%) left when approached. Bears that left were passed at shorter distances and were in more open areas than those that stayed. Both groups had similar flight initiation distances, which were longer for bears that were active at the time of the disturbance. Females with cubs selected more open habitat than single bears, also for the new site they selected following disturbance. Females with cubs, particularly active females with cubs of the year, moved greater distances and spent more time active following the approach. Females with cubs and single bears were seen or heard in 26% and 14% of the approaches, respectively. None of the bears displayed any aggressive behaviour during the approaches. Females with cubs selected more open habitat, perhaps predisposing them to encountering people that are not involved in hunting activities, which might be the primary explanation why females with cubs are most frequently involved when unarmed people are injured by bears in Scandinavia. To mitigate injury risks, one must consider factors that bring bears closer to human activity in the first place.

The Theory of Planned Behaviour: Predicting Pre-Service Teachers' Teaching Behaviour towards a Constructivist Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Carrie Lijuan; Ha, Amy S.

2013-01-01

The two-pronged purpose of this study is to examine factors determining the teaching behaviour of pre-service physical education (PE) teachers towards a constructivist approach, likewise referred to as teaching games for understanding (TGfU). Theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was applied to guide the formulation of research purpose and design. Six…

Administration by Objectives: A Systematic Approach to Educational Planning in Virginia. Report of a Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, George W., III; Seawell, William H.

This report presents (1) details of a program for educational administration by objectives and (2) the results of such a program developed by the Virginia State Department of Education to upgrade the quality of education in the public schools of that State. Administration by objectives is a systematic approach to education planning using…

Simplifying documentation while approaching site closure: integrated health and safety plans as documented safety analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Tulanda

2003-01-01

At the Fernald Closure Project (FCP) near Cincinnati, Ohio, environmental restoration activities are supported by Documented Safety Analyses (DSAs) that combine the required project-specific Health and Safety Plans, Safety Basis Requirements (SBRs), and Process Requirements (PRs) into single Integrated Health and Safety Plans (I-HASPs). By isolating any remediation activities that deal with Enriched Restricted Materials, the SBRs and PRs assure that the hazard categories of former nuclear facilities undergoing remediation remain less than Nuclear. These integrated DSAs employ Integrated Safety Management methodology in support of simplified restoration and remediation activities that, so far, have resulted in the decontamination and demolition (D and D) of over 150 structures, including six major nuclear production plants. This paper presents the FCP method for maintaining safety basis documentation, using the D and D I-HASP as an example

Strategic Planning Approaches for Creating Resilient Cities: A Case Study on Hangzhou City

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Liu; Dan; Hua; Chen

2015-01-01

In the twenty-first century, the population in China will be increasingly urbanized – focusing the sustainability challenge on cities and raising new challenges to address the urban resilience capacity. During the past two decades, China’s urban policies are state institution-directed, growth-oriented, and land-based, imposing unprecedented challenges on sustainability. Strengthening the capacity of cities to manage resilience appears to be a key factor for cities to effectively pursue sustainable development. The aim of this paper is to explore strategic planning approaches for creating resilient cities in China through a study on Hangzhou City in an integrated framework. Firstly, the paper gives a systematic insight into the structure of Hangzhou City. Secondly, the development trajectory of the urban system is analyzed to understand how the past has shaped the present and to get a broader perspective on its evolution. Thirdly, scenario planning is conducted to explore the adaptive capacity of Hangzhou City under different future conditions. At last, having analyzed the past, present, and future of the urban system, the paper discusses the strategies for resilient planning, which helps to identify factors and trends that might enhance or inhabit the adaptability.

Using a Service Planning Approach to Improve the Impact of Earth Observations in the Developing World

Science.gov (United States)

Irwin, D.; Frankel-Reed, J.

2017-12-01

SERVIR is joint development initiative of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), working in partnership with leading regional organizations around the world to help developing countries use information provided by Earth observing satellites and geospatial technologies to empower decision-makers with tools, products, and services to better address critical issues related to food security, water resources, natural disasters, and land use. Since its launch in 2005, SERVIR has grown into a global network of four active hubs that are improving awareness, increasing access to information, and supporting analysis to help people in Africa, Hindu Kush Himalaya, and the Lower Mekong regions better manage today's complex environmental challenges. To help improve the impact of SERVIR activities throughout the global network, a Service Planning Approach was developed with three main steps that involve: 1) consultation and needs assessment, 2) service design and 3) service delivery. To successfully accomplish these steps, SERVIR has created a series of capacity building tools that focus on specific activities to better engage stakeholders, design a more successful service, and to conduct end-to-end monitoring, evaluation, and learning. Currently, all four SERVIR hubs in different regions of the world are implementing this Service Planning Approach and helping to improve it by providing feedback based on their implementation. This presentation will describe the SERVIR Service Planning Approach and discuss the various tools, which ultimately can empower remote sensing scientists and application developers to obtain a greater impact from the Earth Observation products they develop.

Planning for information systems

CERN Document Server

King, William R

2015-01-01

Edited by one of the best-known and most widely respected figures in the field, ""Planning for Information Systems"" is a comprehensive, single source overview of the myriad ideas and processes that are identified with IS planning. While many chapters deal with high level strategic planning, the book gives equal attention to on-the-ground planning issues.Part I, 'Key Concepts of IS Planning', focuses on how IS planning has evolved over the years; business-IS strategic alignment; and the role of dynamic organizational capabilities in leveraging IS competencies. Part II, 'The Organizational IS P

Practical planning extending the classical AI planning paradigm

CERN Document Server

Wilkins, David E

2014-01-01

Planning, or reasoning about actions, is a fundamental element of intelligent behavior--and one that artificial intelligence has found very difficult to implement. The most well-understood approach to building planning systems has been under refinement since the late 1960s and has now reached a level of maturity where there are good prospects for building working planners. Practical Planning is an in-depth examination of this classical planning paradigm through an intensive case study of SIPE, a significantly implemented planning system. The author, the developer of SIPE, defines the plann

SU-E-T-521: Feasibility Study of a Rotational Step-And-Shoot IMRT Treatment Planning Approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, X; Chang, S; Cullip, T; Yuan, L; Zhang, X; Lian, J; Tang, X; Tracton, G; Dooley, J

2014-01-01

Purpose: Rotational step-and-shot IMRT (r-IMRT) could improve delivery efficiency with good dose conformity, especially if it can leverage the burst mode of the accelerator where radiation is turned on/off momentarily while the gantry rotates continuously. The challenge for the r-IMRT planning is to minimize the number of beams to achieve a fast and smooth rotational delivery. Methods: Treatment plans for r-IMRT were created using an in-house treatment planning system. To generate the plan using a very few beams, gantry angle was optimized by weighting the beam monitoring unit (MU), and beam shape optimization was a combination of column search with k-means clustering. A prostate case and a head and neck case were planned using r-IMRT. The dosimetry is compared to s-IMRT planned with Varian Eclipse treatment planning system. Results: With the same PTV dose coverage D95=100%, the r-IMRT plans shows comparable sparing as the s-IMRT plans in the prostate for the rectum D10cc and the bladder Dmean, and in the head and neck for the spinal cord Dmax, the brain stem Dmax, the left/right parotid Dmean, the larynx Dmean, and the mandible Dmean. Both plans meet the established institutional clinical dosimetric criteria. The r-IMRT plan uses 19 beam/405 MU for the prostate, and 68 beam/880 MU for the head and neck, while the s-IMRT uses 7 beam/724 MU and 9 beam/1812 MU, respectively. Compared to the corresponding s-IMRT, r-IMRT has a reduction of MUs of 44% for the prostate case and 41% for the head and neck case. Conclusions: We have demonstrated the feasibility of a rotational step and shoot IMRT treatment planning approach that significantly shortens the conventional IMRT treatment beam-on time without degrading the dose comformity

SU-E-T-521: Feasibility Study of a Rotational Step-And-Shoot IMRT Treatment Planning Approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, X [Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Chang, S [UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Cullip, T [UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Yuan, L; Zhang, X [Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Lian, J; Tang, X [UniversityNorth Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Tracton, G; Dooley, J [University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: Rotational step-and-shot IMRT (r-IMRT) could improve delivery efficiency with good dose conformity, especially if it can leverage the burst mode of the accelerator where radiation is turned on/off momentarily while the gantry rotates continuously. The challenge for the r-IMRT planning is to minimize the number of beams to achieve a fast and smooth rotational delivery. Methods: Treatment plans for r-IMRT were created using an in-house treatment planning system. To generate the plan using a very few beams, gantry angle was optimized by weighting the beam monitoring unit (MU), and beam shape optimization was a combination of column search with k-means clustering. A prostate case and a head and neck case were planned using r-IMRT. The dosimetry is compared to s-IMRT planned with Varian Eclipse treatment planning system. Results: With the same PTV dose coverage D95=100%, the r-IMRT plans shows comparable sparing as the s-IMRT plans in the prostate for the rectum D10cc and the bladder Dmean, and in the head and neck for the spinal cord Dmax, the brain stem Dmax, the left/right parotid Dmean, the larynx Dmean, and the mandible Dmean. Both plans meet the established institutional clinical dosimetric criteria. The r-IMRT plan uses 19 beam/405 MU for the prostate, and 68 beam/880 MU for the head and neck, while the s-IMRT uses 7 beam/724 MU and 9 beam/1812 MU, respectively. Compared to the corresponding s-IMRT, r-IMRT has a reduction of MUs of 44% for the prostate case and 41% for the head and neck case. Conclusions: We have demonstrated the feasibility of a rotational step and shoot IMRT treatment planning approach that significantly shortens the conventional IMRT treatment beam-on time without degrading the dose comformity.

Socioeconomic Status, Parenting, and Externalizing Problems in African American Single-Mother Homes: A Person-Oriented Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Anton, Margaret T.; Jones, Deborah J.; Youngstrom, Eric A.

2016-01-01

African American youth, particularly those from single-mother homes, are overrepresented in statistics on externalizing problems. The family is a central context in which to understand externalizing problems; however, reliance on variable-oriented approaches to the study of parenting, which originate from work with intact, middle-income, European American families, may obscure important information regarding variability in parenting styles among African American single mothers, and in turn, variability in youth outcomes as well. The current study demonstrated that within African American single-mother families: (a) a person-, rather than variable-, oriented approach to measuring parenting style may further elucidate variability; (b) socioeconomic status may provide 1 context within which to understanding variability in parenting style; and (c) 1 marker of socioeconomic status, income, and parenting style may each explain variability in youth externalizing problems; however, the interaction between income and parenting style was not significant. Findings have potential implications for better understanding the specific contexts in which externalizing problems may be most likely to occur within this at-risk and underserved group. PMID:26053349

Socioeconomic status, parenting, and externalizing problems in African American single-mother homes: A person-oriented approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Anton, Margaret T; Jones, Deborah J; Youngstrom, Eric A

2015-06-01

African American youth, particularly those from single-mother homes, are overrepresented in statistics on externalizing problems. The family is a central context in which to understand externalizing problems; however, reliance on variable-oriented approaches to the study of parenting, which originate from work with intact, middle-income, European American families, may obscure important information regarding variability in parenting styles among African American single mothers, and in turn, variability in youth outcomes as well. The current study demonstrated that within African American single-mother families: (a) a person-, rather than variable-, oriented approach to measuring parenting style may further elucidate variability; (b) socioeconomic status may provide 1 context within which to understanding variability in parenting style; and (c) 1 marker of socioeconomic status, income, and parenting style may each explain variability in youth externalizing problems; however, the interaction between income and parenting style was not significant. Findings have potential implications for better understanding the specific contexts in which externalizing problems may be most likely to occur within this at-risk and underserved group. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Sustainable Planning Approaches for Water Resources: Case Studies

OpenAIRE

Samuel, Asumadu-Sarkodie

2017-01-01

Lake Okeechobee, Florida Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast Restoration Planning Process for the Gulf Coast. This record was migrated from the OpenDepot repository service in June, 2017 before shutting down.

College Seniors' Plans for Graduate School: Do Deep Approaches Learning and Holland Academic Environments Matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Rocconi, Louis M.; Ribera, Amy K.; Nelson Laird, Thomas F.

2015-01-01

This study examines the extent to which college seniors' plans for graduate school are related to their tendency to engage in deep approaches to learning (DAL) and their academic environments (majors) as classified by Holland type. Using data from the National Survey of Student Engagement, we analyzed responses from over 116,000 seniors attending…

Quality Assurance Project Plan for Facility Effluent Monitoring Plan activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frazier, T.P.

1994-01-01

This Quality Assurance Project Plan addresses the quality assurance requirements for the activities associated with the Facility Effluent Monitoring Plans, which are part of the overall Hanford Site Environmental Protection Plan. This plan specifically applies to the sampling and analysis activities and continuous monitoring performed for all Facility Effluent Monitoring Plan activities conducted by Westinghouse Hanford Company. It is generic in approach and will be implemented in conjunction with the specific requirements of the individual Facility Effluent Monitoring Plans

Approaches to Quality Risk Management When Using Single-Use Systems in the Manufacture of Biologics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii-Watabe, Akiko; Hirose, Akihiko; Katori, Noriko; Hashii, Norikata; Arai, Susumu; Awatsu, Hirotoshi; Eiza, Akira; Hara, Yoshiaki; Hattori, Hideshi; Inoue, Tomomi; Isono, Tetsuya; Iwakura, Masahiro; Kajihara, Daisuke; Kasahara, Nobuo; Matsuda, Hiroyuki; Murakami, Sei; Nakagawa, Taishiro; Okumura, Takehiro; Omasa, Takeshi; Takuma, Shinya; Terashima, Iyo; Tsukahara, Masayoshi; Tsutsui, Maiko; Yano, Takahiro; Kawasaki, Nana

2015-10-01

Biologics manufacturing technology has made great progress in the last decade. One of the most promising new technologies is the single-use system, which has improved the efficiency of biologics manufacturing processes. To ensure safety of biologics when employing such single-use systems in the manufacturing process, various issues need to be considered including possible extractables/leachables and particles arising from the components used in single-use systems. Japanese pharmaceutical manufacturers, together with single-use suppliers, members of the academia and regulatory authorities have discussed the risks of using single-use systems and established control strategies for the quality assurance of biologics. In this study, we describe approaches for quality risk management when employing single-use systems in the manufacturing of biologics. We consider the potential impact of impurities related to single-use components on drug safety and the potential impact of the single-use system on other critical quality attributes as well as the stable supply of biologics. We also suggest a risk-mitigating strategy combining multiple control methods which includes the selection of appropriate single-use components, their inspections upon receipt and before releasing for use and qualification of single-use systems. Communication between suppliers of single-use systems and the users, as well as change controls in the facilities both of suppliers and users, are also important in risk-mitigating strategies. Implementing these control strategies can mitigate the risks attributed to the use of single-use systems. This study will be useful in promoting the development of biologics as well as in ensuring their safety, quality and stable supply.

Operative planning of functional sessions for multisatellite observation and communication systems

Science.gov (United States)

Darnopykh, Valeriy V.; Malyshev, Veniamin V.

2012-04-01

An important control aspect of modern satellite observation and communication systems is the control of the functional processes. Functional sessions proceed under conditions of restricted technical ability, large amounts or information to be processed by the on-board equipment, practice inequality of the received information, intentions of system management and operators, interests of customers and other factors. A large number of spacecrafts (SC) in orbital constellation is one of the most important factors affecting the functional process also. Besides that some modern projects of satellite systems are multifunctional that is mixed operations of observation and communication. Therefore the functioning of SC on-board equipment must be accurately co-ordinate. That is why the problem of operative planning the functioning of these systems, while directly affecting the efficiency of the system, is very complex and actual at present. A methodical approach and software package for operative planning of functional processes for satellite observation and communication systems, including multifunctional projects, are considered in the paper. The base scheme of this approach consists of four main stages: stage 1—modeling of SC orbital kinematics and dynamics; stage 2—modeling of system functional processes with all kind of restrictions and criterion function values; stage 3—solving an optimization tasks by numerical applicable algorithms and constructing the optimal (or accuracy) plans; stage 4—repeated plan optimization (different variants) and analyzing. Such scheme is the result of authors practical research which have been realized during last 15 years by the operative planning as for any kinds of single SC as for satellite systems with different structure of orbital constellation. The research helps to unify the procedure of operative planning, to formulate basic principles and approaches for its solving, to develop special software package. The main aspects

A review of single-sample-based models and other approaches for radiocarbon dating of dissolved inorganic carbon in groundwater

Science.gov (United States)

Han, L. F; Plummer, Niel

2016-01-01

Numerous methods have been proposed to estimate the pre-nuclear-detonation 14C content of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) recharged to groundwater that has been corrected/adjusted for geochemical processes in the absence of radioactive decay (14C0) - a quantity that is essential for estimation of radiocarbon age of DIC in groundwater. The models/approaches most commonly used are grouped as follows: (1) single-sample-based models, (2) a statistical approach based on the observed (curved) relationship between 14C and δ13C data for the aquifer, and (3) the geochemical mass-balance approach that constructs adjustment models accounting for all the geochemical reactions known to occur along a groundwater flow path. This review discusses first the geochemical processes behind each of the single-sample-based models, followed by discussions of the statistical approach and the geochemical mass-balance approach. Finally, the applications, advantages and limitations of the three groups of models/approaches are discussed.The single-sample-based models constitute the prevailing use of 14C data in hydrogeology and hydrological studies. This is in part because the models are applied to an individual water sample to estimate the 14C age, therefore the measurement data are easily available. These models have been shown to provide realistic radiocarbon ages in many studies. However, they usually are limited to simple carbonate aquifers and selection of model may have significant effects on 14C0 often resulting in a wide range of estimates of 14C ages.Of the single-sample-based models, four are recommended for the estimation of 14C0 of DIC in groundwater: Pearson's model, (Ingerson and Pearson, 1964; Pearson and White, 1967), Han & Plummer's model (Han and Plummer, 2013), the IAEA model (Gonfiantini, 1972; Salem et al., 1980), and Oeschger's model (Geyh, 2000). These four models include all processes considered in single-sample-based models, and can be used in different ranges of

Structuring a Multiproduct Sales Quota-Bonus Plan for a Heterogeneous Sales Force: A Practical Model-Based Approach

OpenAIRE

Murali K. Mantrala; Prabhakant Sinha; Andris A. Zoltners

1994-01-01

This paper presents an agency theoretic model-based approach that assists sales managers in determining the profit-maximizing structure of a common multiproduct sales quota-bonus plan for a geographically specialized heterogeneous sales force operating in a repetitive buying environment. This approach involves estimating each salesperson's utility function for income and effort and using these models to predict individual sales achievements and the associated aggregate profit for the firm und...

Inspection planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korosec, D.; Levstek, M.F.

2001-01-01

Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA) division of nuclear and radiological safety inspection has developed systematic approach to their inspections. To be efficient in their efforts regarding regular and other types of inspections, in past years, the inspection plan has been developed. It is yearly based and organized on a such systematic way, that all areas of nuclear safety important activities of the licensee are covered. The inspection plan assures appropriate preparation for conducting the inspections, allows the overview of the progress regarding the areas to be covered during the year. Depending on the licensee activities and nature of facility (nuclear power plant, research reactor, radioactive waste storage, others), the plan has different levels of intensity of inspections and also their frequency. One of the basic approaches of the plan is to cover all nuclear and radiological important activities on such way, that all regulatory requests are fulfilled. In addition, the inspection plan is a good tool to improve inspection effectiveness based on previous experience and allows to have the oversight of the current status of fulfillment of planned inspections. Future improvement of the plan is necessary in the light of newest achievements on this field in the nuclear world, that means, new types of inspections are planned and will be incorporated into plan in next year.(author)

Incorporating organ movements in IMRT treatment planning for prostate cancer: Minimizing uncertainties in the inverse planning process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unkelbach, Jan; Oelfke, Uwe

2005-01-01

We investigate an off-line strategy to incorporate inter fraction organ movements in IMRT treatment planning. Nowadays, imaging modalities located in the treatment room allow for several CT scans of a patient during the course of treatment. These multiple CT scans can be used to estimate a probability distribution of possible patient geometries. This probability distribution can subsequently be used to calculate the expectation value of the delivered dose distribution. In order to incorporate organ movements into the treatment planning process, it was suggested that inverse planning could be based on that probability distribution of patient geometries instead of a single snapshot. However, it was shown that a straightforward optimization of the expectation value of the dose may be insufficient since the expected dose distribution is related to several uncertainties: first, this probability distribution has to be estimated from only a few images. And second, the distribution is only sparsely sampled over the treatment course due to a finite number of fractions. In order to obtain a robust treatment plan these uncertainties should be considered and minimized in the inverse planning process. In the current paper, we calculate a 3D variance distribution in addition to the expectation value of the dose distribution which are simultaniously optimized. The variance is used as a surrogate to quantify the associated risks of a treatment plan. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated for clinical data of prostate patients. Different scenarios of dose expectation values and corresponding variances are discussed

A new approach to sum frequency generation of single-frequency blue light in a coupled ring cavity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Ole Bjarlin; Petersen, Paul Michael

2014-01-01

We present a generic approach for the generation of tunable single-frequency light and demonstrate generation of more than 300 mW tunable light around 460 nm. One tapered diode laser is operated in a coupled ring cavity containing the nonlinear crystal and another tapered diode laser is sent thro...... through the nonlinear crystal in a single pass. A high conversion efficiency of more than 25 % of the single-pass laser is enabled by the high circulating power in the coupled cavity. The system is entirely self-stabilized with no need for electronic locking....

Scanned ion beam therapy for prostate carcinoma. Comparison of single plan treatment and daily plan-adapted treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hild, Sebastian; Graeff, Christian; Rucinski, Antoni; Zink, Klemens; Habl, Gregor; Durante, Marco; Herfarth, Klaus; Bert, Christoph

2016-01-01

Intensity-modulated particle therapy (IMPT) for tumors showing interfraction motion is a topic of current research. The purpose of this work is to compare three treatment strategies for IMPT to determine potential advantages and disadvantages of ion prostate cancer therapy. Simulations for three treatment strategies, conventional one-plan radiotherapy (ConvRT), image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), and online adaptive radiotherapy (ART) were performed employing a dataset of 10 prostate cancer patients with six CT scans taken at one week intervals. The simulation results, using a geometric margin concept (7-2 mm) as well as patient-specific internal target volume definitions for IMPT were analyzed by target coverage and exposure of critical structures on single fraction dose distributions. All strategies led to clinically acceptable target coverage in patients exhibiting small prostate motion (mean displacement < 4 mm), but IGRT and especially ART led to significant sparing of the rectum. In 20 % of the patients, prostate motion exceeded 4 mm causing insufficient target coverage for ConvRT (V95 mean = 0.86, range 0.63-0.99) and IGRT (V95 mean = 0.91, range 0.68-1.00), while ART maintained acceptable target coverage. IMPT of prostate cancer demands consideration of rectal sparing and adaptive treatment replanning for patients exhibiting large prostate motion. (orig.) [de

Africa takes a more male-friendly approach to family planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Omuodo, D O

1996-12-01

It has been demonstrated that men are more likely to support family planning (FP) and to use a method themselves if services and educational programs are targeted to them. Because men fear that contraception reduces their control over their wives' sexuality, male-friendly approaches can enhance gender equality in reproductive health decisions. In Togo, the media is being used to encourage positive attitudes towards FP in specific male groups. In Ghana, FP services targeted to men have resulted in increased male involvement. In Swaziland, male audiences are targeted with FP education. In Sierra Leone, men have met in groups to learn about how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and about the benefits of FP, and in Kenya, three male-only clinics exist to provide FP services to men.

Health Workforce Planning

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Sawai, Abdulaziz; Al-Shishtawy, Moeness M.

2015-01-01

In most countries, the lack of explicit health workforce planning has resulted in imbalances that threaten the capacity of healthcare systems to attain their objectives. This has directed attention towards the prospect of developing healthcare systems that are more responsive to the needs and expectations of the population by providing health planners with a systematic method to effectively manage human resources in this sector. This review analyses various approaches to health workforce planning and presents the Six-Step Methodology to Integrated Workforce Planning which highlights essential elements in workforce planning to ensure the quality of services. The purpose, scope and ownership of the approach is defined. Furthermore, developing an action plan for managing a health workforce is emphasised and a reviewing and monitoring process to guide corrective actions is suggested. PMID:25685381

Sustainable cities: challenges of an integrated planning approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijkamp, Peter; Geenhuizen, van Marina

1995-01-01

This paper will identify specific planning conditions that arise when planning aims at sustainable development. First, attention will be paid tosocio-ethical attitudes toward sustainability issues and to the reasons why much of the sustainability debate deserves an urban focus. Then,

A hybrid simulation approach for integrating safety behavior into construction planning: An earthmoving case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Goh, Yang Miang; Askar Ali, Mohamed Jawad

2016-08-01

One of the key challenges in improving construction safety and health is the management of safety behavior. From a system point of view, workers work unsafely due to system level issues such as poor safety culture, excessive production pressure, inadequate allocation of resources and time and lack of training. These systemic issues should be eradicated or minimized during planning. However, there is a lack of detailed planning tools to help managers assess the impact of their upstream decisions on worker safety behavior. Even though simulation had been used in construction planning, the review conducted in this study showed that construction safety management research had not been exploiting the potential of simulation techniques. Thus, a hybrid simulation framework is proposed to facilitate integration of safety management considerations into construction activity simulation. The hybrid framework consists of discrete event simulation (DES) as the core, but heterogeneous, interactive and intelligent (able to make decisions) agents replace traditional entities and resources. In addition, some of the cognitive processes and physiological aspects of agents are captured using system dynamics (SD) approach. The combination of DES, agent-based simulation (ABS) and SD allows a more "natural" representation of the complex dynamics in construction activities. The proposed hybrid framework was demonstrated using a hypothetical case study. In addition, due to the lack of application of factorial experiment approach in safety management simulation, the case study demonstrated sensitivity analysis and factorial experiment to guide future research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Planning additional drilling campaign using two-space genetic algorithm: A game theoretical approach

Science.gov (United States)

Kumral, Mustafa; Ozer, Umit

2013-03-01

Grade and tonnage are the most important technical uncertainties in mining ventures because of the use of estimations/simulations, which are mostly generated from drill data. Open pit mines are planned and designed on the basis of the blocks representing the entire orebody. Each block has different estimation/simulation variance reflecting uncertainty to some extent. The estimation/simulation realizations are submitted to mine production scheduling process. However, the use of a block model with varying estimation/simulation variances will lead to serious risk in the scheduling. In the medium of multiple simulations, the dispersion variances of blocks can be thought to regard technical uncertainties. However, the dispersion variance cannot handle uncertainty associated with varying estimation/simulation variances of blocks. This paper proposes an approach that generates the configuration of the best additional drilling campaign to generate more homogenous estimation/simulation variances of blocks. In other words, the objective is to find the best drilling configuration in such a way as to minimize grade uncertainty under budget constraint. Uncertainty measure of the optimization process in this paper is interpolation variance, which considers data locations and grades. The problem is expressed as a minmax problem, which focuses on finding the best worst-case performance i.e., minimizing interpolation variance of the block generating maximum interpolation variance. Since the optimization model requires computing the interpolation variances of blocks being simulated/estimated in each iteration, the problem cannot be solved by standard optimization tools. This motivates to use two-space genetic algorithm (GA) approach to solve the problem. The technique has two spaces: feasible drill hole configuration with minimization of interpolation variance and drill hole simulations with maximization of interpolation variance. Two-space interacts to find a minmax solution

SU-F-T-312: Identifying Distinct Radiation Therapy Plan Classes Through Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Plan Complexity Metrics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Desai, V; Labby, Z; Culberson, W [University of Wisc Madison, Madison, WI (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To determine whether body site-specific treatment plans form unique “plan class” clusters in a multi-dimensional analysis of plan complexity metrics such that a single beam quality correction determined for a representative plan could be universally applied within the “plan class”, thereby increasing the dosimetric accuracy of a detector’s response within a subset of similarly modulated nonstandard deliveries. Methods: We collected 95 clinical volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans from four body sites (brain, lung, prostate, and spine). The lung data was further subdivided into SBRT and non-SBRT data for a total of five plan classes. For each control point in each plan, a variety of aperture-based complexity metrics were calculated and stored as unique characteristics of each patient plan. A multiple comparison of means analysis was performed such that every plan class was compared to every other plan class for every complexity metric in order to determine which groups could be considered different from one another. Statistical significance was assessed after correcting for multiple hypothesis testing. Results: Six out of a possible 10 pairwise plan class comparisons were uniquely distinguished based on at least nine out of 14 of the proposed metrics (Brain/Lung, Brain/SBRT lung, Lung/Prostate, Lung/SBRT Lung, Lung/Spine, Prostate/SBRT Lung). Eight out of 14 of the complexity metrics could distinguish at least six out of the possible 10 pairwise plan class comparisons. Conclusion: Aperture-based complexity metrics could prove to be useful tools to quantitatively describe a distinct class of treatment plans. Certain plan-averaged complexity metrics could be considered unique characteristics of a particular plan. A new approach to generating plan-class specific reference (pcsr) fields could be established through a targeted preservation of select complexity metrics or a clustering algorithm that identifies plans exhibiting similar

Single-diffractive production of charmed mesons at the LHC within the k{sub t}-factorization approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Łuszczak, Marta [University of Rzeszów,PL-35-959 Rzeszów (Poland); Maciuła, Rafał; Szczurek, Antoni; Trzebiński, Maciej [Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN,PL-31-342 Cracow (Poland)

2017-02-16

We discuss the single-diffractive production of cc̄ pairs and charmed mesons at the LHC. For a first time we propose a k{sub t}-factorization approach to the diffractive processes. The transverse momentum dependent diffractive parton distributions are obtained from standard (collinear) diffractive parton distributions used in the literature. In this calculation the transverse momentum of the pomeron is neglected with respect to transverse momentum of partons entering the hard process. We also perform a first evaluation of the cross sections at the LHC using the diffractive transverse momentum dependent parton distributions. The results of the new approach are compared with those of the standard collinear one. Significantly larger cross sections are obtained in the k{sub t}-factorization approach in which some parts of higher-order effects is effectively included. The differences between corresponding differential distributions are discussed. Finally, we present a feasibility study of the process at the LHC using proton tagging technique. The analysis suggests that the measurement of single-diffractive charm production is possible using ATLAS and CMS/TOTEM detectors.

Approaches to building single-stage AC/AC conversion switch-mode audio power amplifiers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ljusev, P.; Andersen, Michael A.E.

2005-07-01

This paper discusses the possible topologies and promising approaches towards direct single-phase AC-AC conversion of the mains voltage for audio applications. When compared to standard Class-D switching audio power amplifiers with a separate power supply, it is expected that direct conversion will provide better efficiency and higher level of integration, leading to lower component count, volume and cost, but at the expense of a minor performance deterioration. (au)

Optimal trajectory planning and train scheduling for urban rail transit systems

CERN Document Server

Wang, Yihui; van den Boom, Ton; De Schutter, Bart

2016-01-01

This book contributes to making urban rail transport fast, punctual and energy-efficient –significant factors in the importance of public transportation systems to economic, environmental and social requirements at both municipal and national levels. It proposes new methods for shortening passenger travel times and for reducing energy consumption, addressing two major topics: (1) train trajectory planning: the authors derive a nonlinear model for the operation of trains and present several approaches for calculating optimal and energy-efficient trajectories within a given schedule; and (2) train scheduling: the authors develop a train scheduling model for urban rail systems and optimization approaches with which to balance total passenger travel time with energy efficiency and other costs to the operator. Mixed-integer linear programming and pseudospectral methods are among the new methods proposed for single- and multi-train systems for the solution of the nonlinear trajectory planning problem which involv...

Methods and approaches to support Indigenous water planning: An example from the Tiwi Islands, Northern Territory, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Hoverman, Suzanne; Ayre, Margaret

2012-12-01

SummaryIndigenous land owners of the Tiwi Islands, Northern Territory Australia have begun the first formal freshwater allocation planning process in Australia entirely within Indigenous lands and waterways. The process is managed by the Northern Territory government agency responsible for water planning, the Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport, in partnership with the Tiwi Land Council, the principal representative body for Tiwi Islanders on matters of land and water management and governance. Participatory planning methods ('tools') were developed to facilitate community participation in Tiwi water planning. The tools, selected for their potential to generate involvement in the planning process needed both to incorporate Indigenous knowledge of water use and management and raise awareness in the Indigenous community of Western science and water resources management. In consultation with the water planner and Tiwi Land Council officers, the researchers selected four main tools to develop, trial and evaluate. Results demonstrate that the tools provided mechanisms which acknowledge traditional management systems, improve community engagement, and build confidence in the water planning process. The researchers found that participatory planning approaches supported Tiwi natural resource management institutions both in determining appropriate institutional arrangements and clarifying roles and responsibilities in the Islands' Water Management Strategy.

SU-E-T-284: Dose Plan Optimization When Using Hydrogel Prostate-Rectum Spacer: A Single Institution Experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rajecki, M; Thurber, A; Catalfamo, F; Duff, M; Shah, D [Cancer Care of Western New York, Cheektowaga, NY (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To describe rectal dose reduction achieved and techniques used to take advantage of the increased peri-rectal spacing provided by injected polyethylene-glycol. Methods: Thirty prostate cancer patents were 2:1 randomized during a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of injected poly-ethylene glycol hydrogel (SpaceOAR System) in creating space between the prostate and the anterior rectal wall. All patients received a baseline CT/MR scan and baseline IMRT treatment plan. Patients were randomized to receive hydrogel injection (n=20) or Control (n=10), followed by another CT/MR scan and treatment plan (single arc VMAT, 6 MV photons, 79.2 Gy, 44 fractions). Additional optimization structures were employed to constrain the dose to the rectum; specifically an avoidance structure to limit V75 <15%, and a control structure to limit the maximum relative dose <105% in the interface region of the anterior rectal wall and the prostate planning target volume. Dose volumetric data was analyzed for rectal volumes receiving 60 through 80 Gy. Results: Rectal dose reduction was observed in all patients who received the hydrogel. Volumetric analysis indicates a median rectal volume and (reduction from baseline plan) following spacer application of 4.9% (8.9%) at V60Gy, 3.8% (8.1%) at V65Gy, 2.5% (7.2%) at V70Gy, 1.6% (5.8%) at V75Gy, and 0.5% (2.5%) at V80Gy. Conclusion: Relative to planning without spacers, rectal dose constraints of 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1% for V60, V65, V70, V75, and V80, should be obtainable when peri-rectal spacers are used. The combined effect of increased peri-rectal space provided by the hydrogel, with strict optimization objectives, resulted in reduced dose to the rectum. To maximize benefit, strict optimization objectives and reduced rectal dose constraints should be employed when creating plans for patients with perirectal spacers. Clinical Trial for SpaceOAR product conducted by Augmenix,Inc. The research site was paid to be a participating site.

SU-E-T-284: Dose Plan Optimization When Using Hydrogel Prostate-Rectum Spacer: A Single Institution Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajecki, M; Thurber, A; Catalfamo, F; Duff, M; Shah, D

2015-01-01

Purpose: To describe rectal dose reduction achieved and techniques used to take advantage of the increased peri-rectal spacing provided by injected polyethylene-glycol. Methods: Thirty prostate cancer patents were 2:1 randomized during a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of injected poly-ethylene glycol hydrogel (SpaceOAR System) in creating space between the prostate and the anterior rectal wall. All patients received a baseline CT/MR scan and baseline IMRT treatment plan. Patients were randomized to receive hydrogel injection (n=20) or Control (n=10), followed by another CT/MR scan and treatment plan (single arc VMAT, 6 MV photons, 79.2 Gy, 44 fractions). Additional optimization structures were employed to constrain the dose to the rectum; specifically an avoidance structure to limit V75 <15%, and a control structure to limit the maximum relative dose <105% in the interface region of the anterior rectal wall and the prostate planning target volume. Dose volumetric data was analyzed for rectal volumes receiving 60 through 80 Gy. Results: Rectal dose reduction was observed in all patients who received the hydrogel. Volumetric analysis indicates a median rectal volume and (reduction from baseline plan) following spacer application of 4.9% (8.9%) at V60Gy, 3.8% (8.1%) at V65Gy, 2.5% (7.2%) at V70Gy, 1.6% (5.8%) at V75Gy, and 0.5% (2.5%) at V80Gy. Conclusion: Relative to planning without spacers, rectal dose constraints of 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1% for V60, V65, V70, V75, and V80, should be obtainable when peri-rectal spacers are used. The combined effect of increased peri-rectal space provided by the hydrogel, with strict optimization objectives, resulted in reduced dose to the rectum. To maximize benefit, strict optimization objectives and reduced rectal dose constraints should be employed when creating plans for patients with perirectal spacers. Clinical Trial for SpaceOAR product conducted by Augmenix,Inc. The research site was paid to be a participating site

Conversion of helical tomotherapy plans to step-and-shoot IMRT plans--Pareto front evaluation of plans from a new treatment planning system.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersson, Kristoffer; Ceberg, Crister; Engström, Per; Benedek, Hunor; Nilsson, Per; Knöös, Tommy

2011-06-01

The resulting plans from a new type of treatment planning system called SharePlan have been studied. This software allows for the conversion of treatment plans generated in a TomoTherapy system for helical delivery, into plans deliverable on C-arm linear accelerators (linacs), which is of particular interest for clinics with a single TomoTherapy unit. The purpose of this work was to evaluate and compare the plans generated in the SharePlan system with the original TomoTherapy plans and with plans produced in our clinical treatment planning system for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) on C-arm linacs. In addition, we have analyzed how the agreement between SharePlan and TomoTherapy plans depends on the number of beams and the total number of segments used in the optimization. Optimized plans were generated for three prostate and three head-and-neck (H&N) cases in the TomoTherapy system, and in our clinical treatment planning systems (TPS) used for IMRT planning with step-and-shoot delivery. The TomoTherapy plans were converted into step-and-shoot IMRT plans in SharePlan. For each case, a large number of Pareto optimal plans were created to compare plans generated in SharePlan with plans generated in the Tomotherapy system and in the clinical TPS. In addition, plans were generated in SharePlan for the three head-and-neck cases to evaluate how the plan quality varied with the number of beams used. Plans were also generated with different number of beams and segments for other patient cases. This allowed for an evaluation of how to minimize the number of required segments in the converted IMRT plans without compromising the agreement between them and the original TomoTherapy plans. The plans made in SharePlan were as good as or better than plans from our clinical system, but they were not as good as the original TomoTherapy plans. This was true for both the head-and-neck and the prostate cases, although the differences between the plans for the latter were

SU-F-T-629: Effect of Multi-Leaf Collimator (MLC) Width On Plan Quality of Single-Isocenter VMAT Intracranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Multiple Metastases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraus, J; Thomas, E; Wu, X; Fiveash, J; Popple, R

2016-01-01

Purpose: Single-isocenter VMAT has been shown able to create high quality plans for complex intracranial multiple metastasis SRS cases. Linacs capable of the technique are typically outfitted with an MLC that consists of a combination of 5 mm and 10 mm leaves (standard) or 2.5 mm and 5 mm leaves (high-definition). In this study, we test the hypothesis that thinner collimator leaves are associated with improved plan quality. Methods: Ten multiple metastasis cases were identified and planned for VMAT SRS using a 10 MV flattening filter free beam. Plans were created for a standard (std) and a high-definition (HD) MLC. Published values for leaf transmission factor and dosimetric leaf gap were utilized. All other parameters were invariant. Conformity (plan and individual target), moderate isodose spill (V50%), and low isodose spill (mean brain dose) were selected for analysis. Results: Compared to standard MLC, HD-MLC improved overall plan conformity (median: Paddick CI-HD = 0.83, Paddick CI-std = 0.79; p = 0.004 and median: RTOG CI-HD =1.18, RTOG CI-std =1.24; p = 0.01 ), improved individual lesion conformity (median: Paddick CI-HD,i =0.77, Paddick CI-std,i =0.72; p < 0.001 and median: RTOG CI-HD,i = 1.28, RTOG CI-std,i =1.35; p < 0.001), improved moderate isodose spill (median: V50%-HD = 37.0 cc, V50%-std = 45.7 cc; p = 0.002), and improved low dose spill (median: dmean-HD = 2.90 Gy, dmean-std = 3.19 Gy; p = 0.002). Conclusion: For the single-isocenter VMAT SRS of multiple metastasis plans examined, use of HD-MLC modestly improved conformity, moderate isodose, and low isodose spill compared to standard MLC. However, in all cases we were able to generate clinically acceptable plans with the standard MLC. More work is need to further quantify the difference in cases with higher numbers of small targets and to better understand any potential clinical significance. This research was supported in part by Varian Medical Systems.

SU-F-T-629: Effect of Multi-Leaf Collimator (MLC) Width On Plan Quality of Single-Isocenter VMAT Intracranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Multiple Metastases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kraus, J; Thomas, E; Wu, X; Fiveash, J; Popple, R [University Alabama Birmingham, Birmingham, AL (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Single-isocenter VMAT has been shown able to create high quality plans for complex intracranial multiple metastasis SRS cases. Linacs capable of the technique are typically outfitted with an MLC that consists of a combination of 5 mm and 10 mm leaves (standard) or 2.5 mm and 5 mm leaves (high-definition). In this study, we test the hypothesis that thinner collimator leaves are associated with improved plan quality. Methods: Ten multiple metastasis cases were identified and planned for VMAT SRS using a 10 MV flattening filter free beam. Plans were created for a standard (std) and a high-definition (HD) MLC. Published values for leaf transmission factor and dosimetric leaf gap were utilized. All other parameters were invariant. Conformity (plan and individual target), moderate isodose spill (V50%), and low isodose spill (mean brain dose) were selected for analysis. Results: Compared to standard MLC, HD-MLC improved overall plan conformity (median: Paddick CI-HD = 0.83, Paddick CI-std = 0.79; p = 0.004 and median: RTOG CI-HD =1.18, RTOG CI-std =1.24; p = 0.01 ), improved individual lesion conformity (median: Paddick CI-HD,i =0.77, Paddick CI-std,i =0.72; p < 0.001 and median: RTOG CI-HD,i = 1.28, RTOG CI-std,i =1.35; p < 0.001), improved moderate isodose spill (median: V50%-HD = 37.0 cc, V50%-std = 45.7 cc; p = 0.002), and improved low dose spill (median: dmean-HD = 2.90 Gy, dmean-std = 3.19 Gy; p = 0.002). Conclusion: For the single-isocenter VMAT SRS of multiple metastasis plans examined, use of HD-MLC modestly improved conformity, moderate isodose, and low isodose spill compared to standard MLC. However, in all cases we were able to generate clinically acceptable plans with the standard MLC. More work is need to further quantify the difference in cases with higher numbers of small targets and to better understand any potential clinical significance. This research was supported in part by Varian Medical Systems.

Multilayer Network Planning - A Practical Perspective

OpenAIRE

Autenrieth, Achim

2018-01-01

The paper presents a pragmatic and practical multilayer network planning approach based on a candidate lightpath auxiliary graph model. The paper discusses, how this approach can be applied to offline network planning as well as dynamic planning and provisioning of services.

Cervical cancer prevention: safety, acceptability, and feasibility of a single-visit approach in Accra, Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Blumenthal, Paul D; Gaffikin, Lynne; Deganus, Sylvia; Lewis, Robbyn; Emerson, Mark; Adadevoh, Sydney

2007-04-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and acceptability of a single-visit approach to cervical cancer prevention combining visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid wash (VIA) and cryotherapy. The study was observational. Nine clinicians were trained in VIA and cryotherapy. Over 18 months 3665 women were VIA-tested. If positive and eligible, cryotherapy was offered immediately. Treated women were followed-up at 3 months and 1 year. The test-positive rate was 13.2%. Of those eligible, 70.2% and 21% received immediate or delayed treatment, respectively. No major complications were recorded, and 5.6% presented for a perceived problem post-cryotherapy. Among those treated over 90% expressed satisfaction with their experience, and 96% had an indentifiable squamo-columnar junction. Only 2.6% (6/232) were test positive, 1-year posttreatment. A single-visit approach using VIA and cryotherapy proved to be safe, acceptable, and feasible in an urban African setting.

Treatment planning for heavy ion radiotherapy: calculation and optimization of biologically effective dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraemer, M.; Scholz, M.

2000-09-01

We describe a novel approach to treatment planning for heavy ion radiotherapy based on the local effect model (LEM) which allows to calculate the biologically effective dose not only for the target region but for the entire irradiation volume. LEM is ideally suited to be used as an integral part of treatment planning code systems for active dose shaping devices like the GSI raster scan system. Thus, it has been incorporated into our standard treatment planning system for ion therapy (TRiP). Single intensity modulated fields can be optimized with respect to homogeneous biologically effective dose. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) is calculated separately for each voxel of the patient CT. Our radiobiologically oriented code system is in use since 1995 for the planning of irradiation experiments with cell cultures and animals such as rats and minipigs. Since 1997 it is in regular and successful use for patient treatment planning. (orig.)

Implementation of laparoscopic approach in colorectal surgery - a single center's experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwiatkowski, Andrzej P; Stępińska, Gabriela; Stanowski, Edward; Paśnik, Krzysztof

2018-03-01

Implementation of the laparoscopic approach in colorectal surgery has not happened as rapidly as in cholecystectomy, because of concerns about oncological safety. The results of controlled trials in multiple centers showed the method to be safe. Consequently, surgeons decided to try the approach with colorectal surgery. This process, in our clinic, began in earnest about four years ago. To analyze and present the clinical outcomes of applying the laparoscopic approach to colorectal surgery in a single center. We retrospectively identified patients from a hospital database who underwent colorectal surgery - laparoscopic and open - between 2013 and 2016. Our focus was on laparoscopic cases. Study points included operative time, duration of the hospital stay, postoperative mortality and rates of complications, conversion, reoperation and readmission. Of 534 cases considered, the results showed that the relation between open and laparoscopic procedures had reversed, in favor of the latter method (2013: open: 82% vs. laparoscopic: 18%; 2016: open: 22.4% vs. laparoscopic: 77.6%). The most commonly performed procedure was right hemicolectomy. The total complication rate was 22%. The total rate of conversion to open surgery was 9.3%. The postoperative mortality rate was 3%. Use of the laparoscopic approach in colorectal surgery has increased in recent years world-wide - including in Poland - but the technique is still underused. Rapid implementation of the miniinvasive method in colorectal surgery, in centers with previous laparoscopic experience, is not only safe and feasible, but also highly recommended.

Solution combustion synthesis of strontium aluminate, SrAl2O4, powders: single-fuel versus fuel-mixture approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Ianoş, Robert; Istratie, Roxana; Păcurariu, Cornelia; Lazău, Radu

2016-01-14

The solution combustion synthesis of strontium aluminate, SrAl2O4, via the classic single-fuel approach and the modern fuel-mixture approach was investigated in relation to the synthesis conditions, powder properties and thermodynamic aspects. The single-fuel approach (urea or glycine) did not yield SrAl2O4 directly from the combustion reaction. The absence of SrAl2O4 was explained by the low amount of energy released during the combustion process, in spite of the highly negative values of the standard enthalpy of reaction and standard Gibbs free energy. In the case of single-fuel recipes, the maximum combustion temperatures measured by thermal imaging (482 °C - urea, 941 °C - glycine) were much lower than the calculated adiabatic temperatures (1864 °C - urea, 2147 °C - glycine). The fuel-mixture approach (urea and glycine) clearly represented a better option, since (α,β)-SrAl2O4 resulted directly from the combustion reaction. The maximum combustion temperature measured in the case of a urea and glycine fuel mixture was the highest one (1559 °C), which was relatively close to the calculated adiabatic temperature (1930 °C). The addition of a small amount of flux, such as H3BO3, enabled the formation of pure α-SrAl2O4 directly from the combustion reaction.

Single-Arc IMRT?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bortfeld, Thomas; Webb, Steve

2009-01-01

The idea of delivering intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with a multileaf collimator in a continuous dynamic mode during a single rotation of the gantry has recently gained momentum both in research and industry. In this note we investigate the potential of this Single-Arc IMRT technique at a conceptual level. We consider the original theoretical example case from Brahme et al that got the field of IMRT started. Using analytical methods, we derive deliverable intensity 'landscapes' for Single-Arc as well as standard IMRT and Tomotherapy. We find that Tomotherapy provides the greatest flexibility in shaping intensity landscapes and that it allows one to deliver IMRT in a way that comes close to the ideal case in the transverse plane. Single-Arc and standard IMRT make compromises in different areas. Only in relatively simple cases that do not require substantial intensity modulation will Single-Arc be dosimetrically comparable to Tomotherapy. Compared with standard IMRT, Single-Arc could be dosimetrically superior in certain cases if one is willing to accept the spreading of low dose values over large volumes of normal tissue. In terms of treatment planning, Single-Arc poses a more challenging optimization problem than Tomotherapy or standard IMRT. We conclude that Single-Arc holds potential as an efficient IMRT technique especially for relatively simple cases. In very complex cases, Single-Arc may unduly compromise the quality of the dose distribution, if one tries to keep the treatment time below 2 min or so. As with all IMRT techniques, it is important to explore the tradeoff between plan quality and the efficiency of its delivery carefully for each individual case. (note)

Heuristic hybrid game approach for fleet condition-based maintenance planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Qiang; Bi, Xiong; Zhao, Xiujie; Chen, Yiran; Sun, Bo

2017-01-01

The condition-based maintenance (CBM) method is commonly used to select appropriate maintenance opportunities according to equipment status over a period of time. The CBM of aircraft fleets is a fleet maintenance planning problem. In this problem, mission requirements, resource constraints, and aircraft statuses are considered to find an optimal strategy set. Given that the maintenance strategies for each aircraft are finite, fleet CBM can be treated as a combinatorial optimization problem. In this study, the process of making a decision on the CBM of military fleets is analyzed. The fleet CBM problem is treated as a two-stage dynamic decision-making problem. Aircraft are divided into dispatch and standby sets; thus, the problem scale is significantly reduced. A heuristic hybrid game (HHG) approach comprising a competition game and a cooperative game is proposed on the basis of heuristic rule. In the dispatch set, a competition game approach is proposed to search for a local optimal strategy matrix. A cooperative game method for the two sets is also proposed to ensure global optimization. Finally, a case study regarding a fleet comprising 20 aircraft is conducted, with the results proving that the approach efficiently generates outcomes that meet the mission risk-oriented schedule requirement. - Highlights: • A new heuristic hybrid game method for fleet condition-based maintenance is proposed. • The problem is simplified by hierarchical solving based on dispatch and standby set. • The local optimal solution is got by competition game algorithm for dispatch set. • The global optimal solution is got by cooperative game algorithm between two sets.

Keeping all options open: Parents' approaches to advance care planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Beecham, Emma; Oostendorp, Linda; Crocker, Joanna; Kelly, Paula; Dinsdale, Andrew; Hemsley, June; Russell, Jessica; Jones, Louise; Bluebond-Langner, Myra

2017-08-01

Early engagement in advance care planning (ACP) is seen as fundamental for ensuring the highest standard of care for children and young people with a life-limiting condition (LLC). However, most families have little knowledge or experience of ACP. To investigate how parents of children and young people with LLCs approach and experience ACP. Open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of 18 children; nine children who were currently receiving palliative care services, and nine children who had received palliative care and died. Verbatim transcripts of audiotaped interviews were analysed following principles of grounded theory while acknowledging the use of deductive strategies, taking account of both the child's condition, and the timing and nature of decisions made. Parents reported having discussions and making decisions about the place of care, place of death and the limitation of treatment. Most decisions were made relatively late in the illness and by parents who wished to keep their options open. Parents reported different levels of involvement in a range of decisions; many wished to be involved in decision making but did not always feel able to do so. This study highlights that parents' approaches to decision making vary by the type of decision required. Their views may change over time, and it is important to allow them to keep their options open. We recommend that clinicians have regular discussions over the course of the illness in an effort to understand parents' approaches to particular decisions rather than to drive to closure prematurely. © 2016 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

On strategic spatial planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tošić Branka

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The goal of this paper is to explain the origin and development of strategic spatial planning, to show complex features and highlight the differences and/or advantages over traditional, physical spatial planning. Strategic spatial planning is seen as one of approaches in legally defined planning documents, and throughout the display of properties of sectoral national strategies, as well as issues of strategic planning at the local level in Serbia. The strategic approach is clearly recognized at the national and sub-national level of spatial planning in European countries and in our country. It has been confirmed by the goals outlined in documents of the European Union and Serbia that promote the grounds of territorial cohesion and strategic integrated planning, emphasizing cooperation and the principles of sustainable spatial development. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 176017

A strategic approach for Water Safety Plans implementation in Portugal.

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, Jose M P

2011-03-01

Effective risk assessment and risk management approaches in public drinking water systems can benefit from a systematic process for hazards identification and effective management control based on the Water Safety Plan (WSP) concept. Good results from WSP development and implementation in a small number of Portuguese water utilities have shown that a more ambitious nationwide strategic approach to disseminate this methodology is needed. However, the establishment of strategic frameworks for systematic and organic scaling-up of WSP implementation at a national level requires major constraints to be overcome: lack of legislation and policies and the need for appropriate monitoring tools. This study presents a framework to inform future policy making by understanding the key constraints and needs related to institutional, organizational and research issues for WSP development and implementation in Portugal. This methodological contribution for WSP implementation can be replicated at a global scale. National health authorities and the Regulator may promote changes in legislation and policies. Independent global monitoring and benchmarking are adequate tools for measuring the progress over time and for comparing the performance of water utilities. Water utilities self-assessment must include performance improvement, operational monitoring and verification. Research and education and resources dissemination ensure knowledge acquisition and transfer.

Integration of on-line imaging, plan adaptation and radiation delivery: proof of concept using digital tomosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mestrovic, Ante; Otto, Karl; Nichol, Alan; Clark, Brenda G

2009-01-01

The main objective of this manuscript is to propose a new approach to on-line adaptive radiation therapy (ART) in which daily image acquisition, plan adaptation and radiation delivery are integrated together and performed concurrently. A method is described in which on-line ART is performed based on intra-fractional digital tomosynthesis (DTS) images. Intra-fractional DTS images were reconstructed as the gantry rotated between treatment positions. An edge detection algorithm was used to automatically segment the DTS images as the gantry arrived at each treatment position. At each treatment position, radiation was delivered based on the treatment plan re-optimized for the most recent DTS image contours. To investigate the feasibility of this method, a model representing a typical prostate, bladder and rectum was used. To simulate prostate deformations, three clinically relevant, non-rigid deformations (small, medium and large) were modeled by systematically deforming the original anatomy. Using our approach to on-line ART, the original treatment plan was successfully adapted to arrive at a clinically acceptable plan for all three non-rigid deformations. In conclusion, we have proposed a new approach to on-line ART in which plan adaptation is performed based on intra-fractional DTS images. The study findings indicate that this approach can be used to re-optimize the original treatment plan to account for non-rigid anatomical deformations. The advantages of this approach are 1) image acquisition and radiation delivery are integrated in a single gantry rotation around the patient, reducing the treatment time, and 2) intra-fractional DTS images can be used to detect and correct for patient motion prior to the delivery of each beam (intra-fractional patient motion).

Collaborative planning approach to inform the implementation of a healthcare manager intervention for hispanics with serious mental illness: a study protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cabassa Leopoldo J

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study describes a collaborative planning approach that blends principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR and intervention mapping to modify a healthcare manager intervention to a new patient population and provider group and to assess the feasibility and acceptability of this modified intervention to improve the physical health of Hispanics with serious mental illness (SMI and at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD. Methods The proposed study uses a multiphase approach that applies CBPR principles and intervention-mapping steps--an intervention-planning approach--to move from intervention planning to pilot testing. In phase I, a community advisory board composed of researchers and stakeholders will be assembled to learn and review the intervention and make initial modifications. Phase II uses a combination of qualitative methods--patient focus groups and stakeholder interviews--to ensure that the modifications are acceptable to all stakeholders. Phase III uses results from phase II to further modify the intervention, develop an implementation plan, and train two care managers on the modified intervention. Phase IV consists of a 12-month open pilot study (N = 30 to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the modified intervention and explore its initial effects. Lastly, phase V consists of analysis of pilot study data and preparation for future funding to develop a more rigorous evaluation of the modified intervention. Discussion The proposed study is one of the few projects to date to focus on improving the physical health of Hispanics with SMI and at risk for CVD by using a collaborative planning approach to enhance the transportability and use of a promising healthcare manager intervention. This study illustrates how blending health-disparities research and implementation science can help reduce the disproportionate burden of medical illness in a vulnerable population.

Collaborative planning approach to inform the implementation of a healthcare manager intervention for Hispanics with serious mental illness: a study protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabassa, Leopoldo J; Druss, Benjamin; Wang, Yuanjia; Lewis-Fernández, Roberto

2011-07-26

This study describes a collaborative planning approach that blends principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and intervention mapping to modify a healthcare manager intervention to a new patient population and provider group and to assess the feasibility and acceptability of this modified intervention to improve the physical health of Hispanics with serious mental illness (SMI) and at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The proposed study uses a multiphase approach that applies CBPR principles and intervention-mapping steps--an intervention-planning approach--to move from intervention planning to pilot testing. In phase I, a community advisory board composed of researchers and stakeholders will be assembled to learn and review the intervention and make initial modifications. Phase II uses a combination of qualitative methods--patient focus groups and stakeholder interviews--to ensure that the modifications are acceptable to all stakeholders. Phase III uses results from phase II to further modify the intervention, develop an implementation plan, and train two care managers on the modified intervention. Phase IV consists of a 12-month open pilot study (N = 30) to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the modified intervention and explore its initial effects. Lastly, phase V consists of analysis of pilot study data and preparation for future funding to develop a more rigorous evaluation of the modified intervention. The proposed study is one of the few projects to date to focus on improving the physical health of Hispanics with SMI and at risk for CVD by using a collaborative planning approach to enhance the transportability and use of a promising healthcare manager intervention. This study illustrates how blending health-disparities research and implementation science can help reduce the disproportionate burden of medical illness in a vulnerable population.

Reducing the sensitivity of IMPT treatment plans to setup errors and range uncertainties via probabilistic treatment planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unkelbach, Jan; Bortfeld, Thomas; Martin, Benjamin C.; Soukup, Martin

2009-01-01

Treatment plans optimized for intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) may be very sensitive to setup errors and range uncertainties. If these errors are not accounted for during treatment planning, the dose distribution realized in the patient may by strongly degraded compared to the planned dose distribution. The authors implemented the probabilistic approach to incorporate uncertainties directly into the optimization of an intensity modulated treatment plan. Following this approach, the dose distribution depends on a set of random variables which parameterize the uncertainty, as does the objective function used to optimize the treatment plan. The authors optimize the expected value of the objective function. They investigate IMPT treatment planning regarding range uncertainties and setup errors. They demonstrate that incorporating these uncertainties into the optimization yields qualitatively different treatment plans compared to conventional plans which do not account for uncertainty. The sensitivity of an IMPT plan depends on the dose contributions of individual beam directions. Roughly speaking, steep dose gradients in beam direction make treatment plans sensitive to range errors. Steep lateral dose gradients make plans sensitive to setup errors. More robust treatment plans are obtained by redistributing dose among different beam directions. This can be achieved by the probabilistic approach. In contrast, the safety margin approach as widely applied in photon therapy fails in IMPT and is neither suitable for handling range variations nor setup errors.

submitter Biologically optimized helium ion plans: calculation approach and its in vitro validation

CERN Document Server

Mairani, A; Magro, G; Tessonnier, T; Kamp, F; Carlson, D J; Ciocca, M; Cerutti, F; Sala, P R; Ferrari, A; Böhlen, T T; Jäkel, O; Parodi, K; Debus, J; Abdollahi, A; Haberer, T

2016-01-01

Treatment planning studies on the biological effect of raster-scanned helium ion beams should be performed, together with their experimental verification, before their clinical application at the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT). For this purpose, we introduce a novel calculation approach based on integrating data-driven biological models in our Monte Carlo treatment planning (MCTP) tool. Dealing with a mixed radiation field, the biological effect of the primary $^4$He ion beams, of the secondary $^3$He and $^4$He (Z  =  2) fragments and of the produced protons, deuterons and tritons (Z  =  1) has to be taken into account. A spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) in water, representative of a clinically-relevant scenario, has been biologically optimized with the MCTP and then delivered at HIT. Predictions of cell survival and RBE for a tumor cell line, characterized by ${{(\\alpha /\\beta )}_{\\text{ph}}}=5.4$ Gy, have been successfully compared against measured clonogenic survival data. The mean ...

Utilize target motion to cover clinical target volume (ctv) - a novel and practical treatment planning approach to manage respiratory motion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin Jianyue; Ajlouni, Munther; Kong Fengming; Ryu, Samuel; Chetty, Indrin J.; Movsas, Benjamin

2008-01-01

Purpose: To use probability density function (PDF) to model motion effects and incorporate this information into treatment planning for lung cancers. Material and methods: PDFs were calculated from the respiratory motion traces of 10 patients. Motion effects were evaluated by convolving static dose distributions with various PDFs. Based on a differential dose prescription with relatively lower dose to the clinical target volume (CTV) than to the gross tumor volume (GTV), two approaches were proposed to incorporate PDFs into treatment planning. The first approach uses the GTV-based internal target volume (ITV) as the planning target volume (PTV) to ensure full dose to the GTV, and utilizes the motion-induced dose gradient to cover the CTV. The second approach employs an inhomogeneous static dose distribution within a minimized PTV to best match the prescription dose gradient. Results: Motion effects on dose distributions were minimal in the anterior-posterior (AP) and lateral directions: a 10-mm motion only induced about 3% of dose reduction in the peripheral target region. The motion effect was remarkable in the cranial-caudal direction. It varied with the motion amplitude, but tended to be similar for various respiratory patterns. For the first approach, a 10-15 mm motion would adequately cover the CTV (presumed to be 60-70% of the GTV dose) without employing the CTV in planning. For motions 15-mm. An example of inhomogeneous static dose distribution in a reduced PTV was given, and it showed significant dose reduction in the normal tissue without compromising target coverage. Conclusions: Respiratory motion-induced dose gradient can be utilized to cover the CTV and minimize the lung dose without the need for more sophisticated technologies

TU-G-210-02: TRANS-FUSIMO - An Integrative Approach to Model-Based Treatment Planning of Liver FUS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Preusser, T. [Fraunhofer MEVIS & Jacobs University (Germany)

2015-06-15

Modeling can play a vital role in predicting, optimizing and analyzing the results of therapeutic ultrasound treatments. Simulating the propagating acoustic beam in various targeted regions of the body allows for the prediction of the resulting power deposition and temperature profiles. In this session we will apply various modeling approaches to breast, abdominal organ and brain treatments. Of particular interest is the effectiveness of procedures for correcting for phase aberrations caused by intervening irregular tissues, such as the skull in transcranial applications or inhomogeneous breast tissues. Also described are methods to compensate for motion in targeted abdominal organs such as the liver or kidney. Douglas Christensen – Modeling for Breast and Brain HIFU Treatment Planning Tobias Preusser – TRANS-FUSIMO – An Integrative Approach to Model-Based Treatment Planning of Liver FUS Tobias Preusser – TRANS-FUSIMO – An Integrative Approach to Model-Based Treatment Planning of Liver FUS Learning Objectives: Understand the role of acoustic beam modeling for predicting the effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound treatments. Apply acoustic modeling to specific breast, liver, kidney and transcranial anatomies. Determine how to obtain appropriate acoustic modeling parameters from clinical images. Understand the separate role of absorption and scattering in energy delivery to tissues. See how organ motion can be compensated for in ultrasound therapies. Compare simulated data with clinical temperature measurements in transcranial applications. Supported by NIH R01 HL172787 and R01 EB013433 (DC); EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under 270186 (FUSIMO) and 611889 (TRANS-FUSIMO)(TP); and P01 CA159992, GE, FUSF and InSightec (UV)

TU-G-210-02: TRANS-FUSIMO - An Integrative Approach to Model-Based Treatment Planning of Liver FUS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Preusser, T.

2015-01-01

Modeling can play a vital role in predicting, optimizing and analyzing the results of therapeutic ultrasound treatments. Simulating the propagating acoustic beam in various targeted regions of the body allows for the prediction of the resulting power deposition and temperature profiles. In this session we will apply various modeling approaches to breast, abdominal organ and brain treatments. Of particular interest is the effectiveness of procedures for correcting for phase aberrations caused by intervening irregular tissues, such as the skull in transcranial applications or inhomogeneous breast tissues. Also described are methods to compensate for motion in targeted abdominal organs such as the liver or kidney. Douglas Christensen – Modeling for Breast and Brain HIFU Treatment Planning Tobias Preusser – TRANS-FUSIMO – An Integrative Approach to Model-Based Treatment Planning of Liver FUS Tobias Preusser – TRANS-FUSIMO – An Integrative Approach to Model-Based Treatment Planning of Liver FUS Learning Objectives: Understand the role of acoustic beam modeling for predicting the effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound treatments. Apply acoustic modeling to specific breast, liver, kidney and transcranial anatomies. Determine how to obtain appropriate acoustic modeling parameters from clinical images. Understand the separate role of absorption and scattering in energy delivery to tissues. See how organ motion can be compensated for in ultrasound therapies. Compare simulated data with clinical temperature measurements in transcranial applications. Supported by NIH R01 HL172787 and R01 EB013433 (DC); EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under 270186 (FUSIMO) and 611889 (TRANS-FUSIMO)(TP); and P01 CA159992, GE, FUSF and InSightec (UV)

Approaches to evaluating climate change impacts on species: A guide to initiating the adaptation planning process

Science.gov (United States)

Erika L. Rowland; Jennifer E. Davison; Lisa J. Graumlich

2011-01-01

Assessing the impact of climate change on species and associated management objectives is a critical initial step for engaging in the adaptation planning process. Multiple approaches are available. While all possess limitations to their application associated with the uncertainties inherent in the data and models that inform their results, conducting and incorporating...

Project management a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling

CERN Document Server

Kerzner, Harold

2017-01-01

Project Management is the bestselling text for students and professionals, presenting a streamlined approach to project management functions in full alignment with PMI(r)'s latest Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK(r)). This new 12th edition has been updated to reflect the latest changes found in the PMBOK(r) Guide--Sixth Edition, and features new coverage of emerging topics including global stakeholder management, causes of failure, agile project management, project governance failure, customer approval milestones, classifying project metrics, and more. Supplementary materials are available for students, working professionals, and instructors. * Understand organizational structures and project management functions * Learn how to control costs, manage risk, and analyze trade-offs * Examine different methods used for planning, scheduling, QA, and more * Work effectively with customers and stakeholders from around the globe Project Management is the comprehensive reference to keep within arm's reach. ...

Test plan for determining breathing rates in single shell tanks using tracer gases. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersen, J.A.

1997-01-01

This test plan specifies the requirements and conditions for the injection of tracer gas (Helium (He)) into single shell tanks to determine breathing rates using periodic sampling. The eight tanks which have been selected at the time this Test Plan was developed are A-101, AX-102, AX-103, BY-105, C-107, U-103 (U-103 is counted twice, once during the winter months and once during the summer), and U-105. Other tanks to be sampled will be assigned by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) at a later date in the study process as resources allow, the document shall be revised as required. The sampling of headspace for each of these tanks shall be performed using available risers or the Standard Hydrogen Monitoring System (SHMS) cabinet as available. The tank farm vapor cognizant engineer shall assign the injection and sample testing point for each tank and document the point in the field work package. SUMMA TMI canisters, equipped in-line with dual particulate air filters and two silica gel sorbent traps will be used to collect the gas samples. The purpose of dual particulate air filters is to ensure no radioactive particulates are transferred to the SUMMA TMI canisters. The silica gel sorbent traps will effectively eliminate any tritiated water vapor that may be present in the sample gas stream. PNNL shall supply the tracer gases injection system and shall perform the analysis on the headspace samples. TWRS Characterization project shall inject the tracer gas and perform the sampling. Refer to Engineering Task Plan HNF-SD-TWR-ETP-002 for a detailed description of the responsibilities for this task

Feasibility of Single-Isocenter Volumetric Modulated Arc Radiosurgery for Treatment of Multiple Brain Metastases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, Grant M.; Popple, Richard A.; Young, P. Edward; Fiveash, John B.

2010-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the relative plan quality of single-isocenter vs. multi-isocenter volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for radiosurgical treatment of multiple central nervous system metastases. Methods and Materials: VMAT plans were created using RapidArc technology for treatment of simulated patients with three brain metastases. The plans consisted of single-arc/single-isocenter, triple-arc (noncoplanar)/single-isocenter, and triple-arc (coplanar)/triple-isocenter configurations. All VMAT plans were normalized to deliver 100% of the 20-Gy prescription dose to all lesions. The plans were evaluated by calculation of Paddick and Radiation Therapy Oncology Group conformity index scores, Paddick gradient index scores, and 12-Gy isodose volumes. Results: All plans were judged clinically acceptable, but differences were observed in the dosimetric parameters, with the use of multiple noncoplanar arcs showing small improvements in the conformity indexes compared with the single-arc/single-isocenter and triple-arc (coplanar)/triple-isocenter plans. Multiple arc plans (triple-arc [noncoplanar]/single-isocenter and triple-arc [coplanar]/triple-isocenter) showed smaller 12-Gy isodose volumes in scenarios involving three metastases spaced closely together, with only small differences noted among all plans involving lesions spaced further apart. Conclusion: Our initial results suggest that single-isocenter VMAT plans can be used to deliver conformity equivalent to that of multiple isocenter VMAT techniques. For targets that are closely spaced, multiple noncoplanar single-isocenter arcs might be required. VMAT radiosurgery for multiple targets using a single isocenter can be efficiently delivered, requiring less than one-half the beam time required for multiple isocenter set ups. VMAT radiosurgery will likely replace multi-isocenter techniques for linear accelerator-based treatment of multiple targets.

Smart Dialogue for Smart Citizens: Assertive Approaches for Strategic Planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isidoro Fasolino

2014-05-01

Full Text Available It is very important to know how to communicate, but even more important is knowing how to listen. There is no dialogue without listening. Listening and speaking can generate a virtuous cycle that, enriching the field of information, allows the introduction of essential elements of innovation. It is relevant in this context the assertive ability of who manages and coordinates the decision-making processes. The potential of new approaches based on assertiveness are the new frontier of research discipline that is able to meet future challenges aiming to contribute to the construction of places and forms of living together in the growing interest of fairness and justice. Assertive facilitator knows how to guide difficult people and handle very hard situations without adopting manipulative behaviors. He is able to detect the potential conflict and to bring to light the reasons for disagreement , softening the tone and avoiding any possible uncontrolled escalation. He encourages debates and open discussions; he has to build links too, fueling reports profits, collaborating with others toward common goals; speaking and discussing in groups and among groups; seeking solutions in which, both parties, come out winning. So the view expressed is argument of discussion in the development of the tools of urban structure, with the aim of implementing a participatory methodology in the development of planning tools. We propose an application in the series of meetings of initial preparatory participation to the formation of a Preliminary Plan for a medium size town.

Planning for seven generations: Energy planning of American Indian tribes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brookshire, Daniel; Kaza, Nikhil

2013-01-01

The prevalence of energy resources on American Indian lands, the links between energy management and tribal sovereignty, and recent federal government incentives make tribal energy planning an interesting case study for community energy planning in the US. This paper studies the strategic energy planning efforts, energy resource development, and energy efficiency policies established by tribes within the continental US. The paper analyzes the results of a survey of various tribes′ energy resource development and planning efforts and supplements the responses with publicly available information on resources, economics, and demographics. We find that incentives and advisory services from the federal government are key to developing the capacity of the tribes to pursue energy planning and energy resource development. These incentives largely avoid the misdeeds of past federal policy by promoting tribal control over energy planning and energy resource development efforts. Tribes with formal energy plans or visions are more likely to develop energy resources than tribes without them and are engaged in a more comprehensive and sustainable approach to energy resource development and energy efficiency. - Highlights: • American Indian tribal energy planning is an understudied topic. • Tribal energy planning is interconnected with tribal sovereignty and sustainability. • We report the results of a survey of energy planning and development efforts. • Federal Government assistance is critical to the efforts of the tribes. • Tribes with energy plans take a more comprehensive approach to energy resource development

Systems Engineering Implementation Plan for Single-Shell Tanks (SST) Retrieval Projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LEONARD, M.W.; HOFFERBER, G.A.

2000-01-01

This document communicates the planned implementation of the Systems Engineering processes and products for the SST retrieval projects as defined in the Systems Engineering Management Plan for the Tank Farm Contractor

29 CFR 4007.13 - Premiums for certain terminated single-employer plans.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... (dealing with certain plans of commercial passenger airlines and airline catering services) while an... October 18, 2005. (3) Special rule for certain airline-related plans. Paragraph (a)(2) of this section...

Systems Engineering Implementation Plan for Single Shell Tanks (SST) Retrieval Projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

LEONARD, M.W.; HOFFERBER, G.A.

2000-11-30

This document communicates the planned implementation of the Systems Engineering processes and products for the SST retrieval projects as defined in the Systems Engineering Management Plan for the Tank Farm Contractor.

Phase Transitions in Planning Problems: Design and Analysis of Parameterized Families of Hard Planning Problems

Science.gov (United States)

Hen, Itay; Rieffel, Eleanor G.; Do, Minh; Venturelli, Davide

2014-01-01

There are two common ways to evaluate algorithms: performance on benchmark problems derived from real applications and analysis of performance on parametrized families of problems. The two approaches complement each other, each having its advantages and disadvantages. The planning community has concentrated on the first approach, with few ways of generating parametrized families of hard problems known prior to this work. Our group's main interest is in comparing approaches to solving planning problems using a novel type of computational device - a quantum annealer - to existing state-of-the-art planning algorithms. Because only small-scale quantum annealers are available, we must compare on small problem sizes. Small problems are primarily useful for comparison only if they are instances of parametrized families of problems for which scaling analysis can be done. In this technical report, we discuss our approach to the generation of hard planning problems from classes of well-studied NP-complete problems that map naturally to planning problems or to aspects of planning problems that many practical planning problems share. These problem classes exhibit a phase transition between easy-to-solve and easy-to-show-unsolvable planning problems. The parametrized families of hard planning problems lie at the phase transition. The exponential scaling of hardness with problem size is apparent in these families even at very small problem sizes, thus enabling us to characterize even very small problems as hard. The families we developed will prove generally useful to the planning community in analyzing the performance of planning algorithms, providing a complementary approach to existing evaluation methods. We illustrate the hardness of these problems and their scaling with results on four state-of-the-art planners, observing significant differences between these planners on these problem families. Finally, we describe two general, and quite different, mappings of planning

Intervention planning for a digital intervention for self-management of hypertension: a theory-, evidence- and person-based approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Band, Rebecca; Bradbury, Katherine; Morton, Katherine; May, Carl; Michie, Susan; Mair, Frances S; Murray, Elizabeth; McManus, Richard J; Little, Paul; Yardley, Lucy

2017-02-23

This paper describes the intervention planning process for the Home and Online Management and Evaluation of Blood Pressure (HOME BP), a digital intervention to promote hypertension self-management. It illustrates how a Person-Based Approach can be integrated with theory- and evidence-based approaches. The Person-Based Approach to intervention development emphasises the use of qualitative research to ensure that the intervention is acceptable, persuasive, engaging and easy to implement. Our intervention planning process comprised two parallel, integrated work streams, which combined theory-, evidence- and person-based elements. The first work stream involved collating evidence from a mixed methods feasibility study, a systematic review and a synthesis of qualitative research. This evidence was analysed to identify likely barriers and facilitators to uptake and implementation as well as design features that should be incorporated in the HOME BP intervention. The second work stream used three complementary approaches to theoretical modelling: developing brief guiding principles for intervention design, causal modelling to map behaviour change techniques in the intervention onto the Behaviour Change Wheel and Normalisation Process Theory frameworks, and developing a logic model. The different elements of our integrated approach to intervention planning yielded important, complementary insights into how to design the intervention to maximise acceptability and ease of implementation by both patients and health professionals. From the primary and secondary evidence, we identified key barriers to overcome (such as patient and health professional concerns about side effects of escalating medication) and effective intervention ingredients (such as providing in-person support for making healthy behaviour changes). Our guiding principles highlighted unique design features that could address these issues (such as online reassurance and procedures for managing concerns). Causal

Technology decision making. A constructive approach to planning and acquisition will require a paradigm shift.

Science.gov (United States)

Berkowitz, D A; Swan, M M

1993-01-01

Technology should be viewed as an integrating rather than a divisive element in hospital planning. In the past, technology decision-making responsibility has often been diffused throughout hospitals, but providers are beginning to take a more considered and coherent approach. The process of making decisions about technology has four key elements: assessment, planning, acquisition, and management. The most important aspect of the assessment phase is the formation of a technology advisory committee to review and evaluate requests for new and emerging technology; review capital budget requests for new and replacement technology; and set mission-based and strategic priorities for new, emerging, and replacement technologies. Technology planning allows hospitals to set long-term goals for technology acquisition. The process involves an audit of existing technologies, evaluation of other hospitals' technologies, and review of technology trends. A well-defined technology plan will, in turn, facilitate the acquisition and management process, allowing hospitals greater flexibility in negotiating costs and budgeting for training, spare parts, service, upgrades, and support. By pooling resources with other providers in their region, hospitals can further enhance the effectiveness of their use and acquisition of technology. Collaboration allows providers to share the risks of technologically volatile and intensive services and avoid costly duplication of equipment and facilities.

A Strategic Spatial Planning Approach to Cross-Border Place Branding with References to Galicia and Northern Portugal

NARCIS (Netherlands)

da Silva Oliveira, Eduardo; Zenker, Sebastian; Jacobsen, Björn

2015-01-01

This chapter adopts a strategic spatial planning approach to think strategically about potential joint place-branding initiatives between cross-border regions. The case study focuses on the extended cross-border European region composed of the NUTS III Alto Minho, Cávado, Ave, Área Metropolitina do

Emerging digital plan data – New research perspectives into planning practice and evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fertner, Christian

Profound digitalization in public administration in many European countries is gaining momentum and spatial planning is no exception. International policies as e.g. EU’s INSPIRE directive from 2007, EU’s strategy for a digital single market or also the Arctic SDI Strategy from 2015 are driving......) planning databases and portals. Denmark is one of the forerunners in that digitalization, e.g. with its digital plan platform “plandata.dk” which, since 2006, collects all regional, municipal and local plans in a geodatabase. This includes e.g. over 33,000 local plans which are currently effective...

SU-F-T-637: Single-Isocenter Versus Multiple-Isocenter VMAT SRS for Unusual Multiple Metastasis Case with Two Widely Separated Lesions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas, EM; Popple, RA; Fiveash, JB [The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Single-isocenter (SI) volumetric modulated arc therapy has been shown to be an effective and efficient approach to multiple metastasis radiosurgery. However, certain extreme cases raise the question of whether multiple-isocenter (MI) approaches can still generate superior plans. In this study, we ask this question with respect to a clinical case with two very widely separated lesions. Methods: A patient with two widely separated (d = 12cm) tumors was treated with SI-VMAT SRS using 10MV flattening filter free (FFF) beam with high-definition multi-leaf collimator (HD-MLC, 2.5/5mm) in two non-coplanar arcs using concentric rings to enforce steep gradient. Because of lesion positioning with respect to collimator angle selection, lesions were treated by 5mm leaves. We re-planned the case with a congruent arc arrangement but separate isocenter for each lesion. In this manner, lesions were treated by 2.5mm leaves. Conformity index (CI), V50%, and mean brain dose were compared. Results: Neither conformity (CI-SI = 1.12, CI-MI = 1.08) nor V50% (V50%-SI =8.82cc, V50%-MI =8.81cc) were improved by utilizing a separate isocenter for each lesion. Mean brain dose was slightly reduced (dmean-SI = 118.4 cGy, dmean-MI = 88.7 cGy) by using multiple isocenters. Conclusion: For this case with a lesion at the apex of the brain and another distantly located at the base of skull, employing a separate isocenter for each target did not meaningfully improve plan quality. Single-isocenter VMAT has been shown feasible and equivalent to multiple-isocenter VMAT for multiple metastasis cases in general. In this extreme case, single- and multiple- isocenter VMAT were also equivalent. If rotational setup errors are appropriately corrected, the increased delivery efficiency of the single-isocenter approach renders it preferable to the multiple isocenter approach. Dr’s Thomas, Popple, and Fiveash have all received honoraria from Varian Medical Systems for discussing their experiences with

DASH Eating Plan

Science.gov (United States)

... Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is an eating plan that is based on research studies sponsored by ... risk of getting heart disease. The DASH eating plan Emphasizes vegetables, fruits, and whole-grains Includes fat- ...

Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program phase 1 : comprehensive deployment plan : New York City : volume 1 : technical application : part I : technical and management approach.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-08-01

This document describes the Deployment Plan for the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC) Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment (CVPD) Project. This plan describes the approach to complete Phase 2 Design/Build/Test, and Phase 3 Operate and Ma...

Lockheed Martin approach to a Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV)

Science.gov (United States)

Elvin, John D.

1996-03-01

This paper discusses Lockheed Martin's perspective on the development of a cost effective Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV). Critical to a successful Single Stage To Orbit (SSTO) program are; an economic development plan sensitive to fiscal constraints; a vehicle concept satisfying present and future US launch needs; and an operations concept commensurate with a market driven program. Participation in the economic plan by government, industry, and the commercial sector is a key element of integrating our development plan and funding profile. The RLV baseline concept design, development evolution and several critical trade studies illustrate the superior performance achieved by our innovative approach to the problem of SSTO. Findings from initial aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic wind tunnel tests and trajectory analyses on this concept confirm the superior characteristics of the lifting body shape combined with the Linear Aerospike rocket engine. This Aero Ballistic Rocket (ABR) concept captures the essence of The Skunk Works approach to SSTO RLV technology integration and system engineering. These programmatic and concept development topics chronicle the key elements to implementing an innovative market driven next generation RLV.

Systemic Planning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leleur, Steen

This book presents principles and methodology for planning in a complex world. It sets out a so-called systemic approach to planning, among other things, by applying “hard” and “soft” methodologies and methods in combination. The book is written for Ph.D and graduate students in engineering...

Plan4all – A European Approach to Spatial Data Used on Territorial Planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GERGELY TÖRÖK

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In order to ensure the increased efficiency of European policies and the implementation of Structural Funds in a more balanced manner in the different territories of the country, a number of eight development regions have been established in Romania, corresponding to NUTS II level. In between these regions, as well as within each of them, a major concern is the diminution of economic and social disparities. Moreover, these disparities can manifest themselves in a cross-border context, jumping the administrative boundaries of regions and even neighbouring countries. In this sense, development plans provide certain measures in order to stimulate a more balanced development of the territories, using spatial planning as the actual support in identifying factors that lead to the emergence and intensifying of regional disparities. The present paper focuses on these aspects related to spatial planning data in the context of the recent European initiatives, through the activities of the Plan4all project that is being implemented by a European consortium. Romania is partner in this project and is represented by the North-West Regional Development Agency (North-West RDA. The paper presents the achievements of the running Plan4all project until the present day, as well as the involvement and the contributions of the North-West RDA so far.

Acid rain compliance planning using decision analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norris, C.; Sweet, T.; Borison, A.

1991-01-01

Illinois Power Company (IP) is an investor-owned electric and natural gas utility serving portions of downstate Illinois. In addition to one nuclear unit and several small gas and/or oil-fired units, IP has ten coal-fired units. It is easy to understand the impact the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) could have on IP. Prior to passage of the CAAA, IP formed several teams to evaluate the specific compliance options at each of the high sulfur coal units. Following that effort, numerous economic analyses of compliance strategies were conducted. The CAAA have introduced a new dimension to planning under uncertainty. Not only are many of the familiar variables uncertain, but the specific form of regulation, and indeed, the compliance goal itself is hard to define. For IP, this led them to use techniques not widely used within their corporation. This paper summarizes the analytical methods used in these analyses and the preliminary results as of July, 1991. The analysis used three approaches to examine the acid rain compliance decision. These approaches were: (1) the 'most-likely,' or single-path scenario approach; (2) a multi-path strategy analysis using the strategies defined in the single-scenario analysis; and (3) a less constrained multi-path option analysis which selects the least cost compliance option for each unit

Teaching planning theory as planner roles in urban planning education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Kristian

2018-01-01

Planning theory is often portrayed as a subject that urban planning students find too abstract and fail to see the relevance of. This paper advocates the perspective that planning theory can be made more student-friendly. This requires, firstly, that academic discussions about the relevance...... of planning theory for urban planning practice are integrated into the course module. If students are to appreciate planning theory, it requires that they understand how planning theory can inspire planning practice. Secondly, it requires careful considerations to the pedagogy of planning theory. The paper...... suggests that teaching planning theory as a variety of planner roles offers a helpful pedagogical approach for helping students construct their identities as urban planners. The paper builds on the author’s own experiences of teaching planning theory in a master’s urban planning programme, and has been...

New Approaches for the Use of the Classical Tools of Scenario Planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Balieiro Fischer

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The future is to be built – is multiple and uncertain. Within the social sciences, scenarios can be defined as a description of a future situation and a course of events that allow move from a primary position toward this future situation. Currently, there is a multiplicity of methods and tools available for building scenarios, including methods of an essentially rationalist approach, as Michel Godet’s method. The purpose of this work is to use the hypothetical-deductive method to reduce, starting from Michel Godet’s Scenario Method and its tools, the complexity of the scenario-building process while maintaining the robustness of the findings. For this purpose, it is proposed two different approaches: (1 to integrate, in one step, the structural analysis and the cross-impact matrix so the first one derives automatically while filling the last one; (2 to use the concept of Bayesian networks as a method to integrate the cross-impact matrix and the morphological analysis. Both approaches aim to reduce the amount of information needed to feed the tools and improve the feedback criteria, resulting in greater flexibility during the process and better holistic view of the system. Scientifically, these approaches open a new field of studies in scenario planning as it appropriates the concept of Bayesian networks, widely used in other areas of knowledge (artificial intelligence, geological studies, medical diagnostics, pattern classification, etc., and bring it to the field of social sciences.

Scenario Approach to the Planning of the Production Activities of the Enterprise with a Discrete Type of Production (for Example, Electrical Engineering Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krylova E.V.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In conditions of global economic instability the success of electromechanical enterprises depends on their ability to react quickly to challenges of external environment. In order to create background and conditions for this ability the given enterprises refer to manufacturing activity planning, using a probabilistic approach based on forecasts that may not be true. The question of provision of more complete consideration of various internal and external factors and acceleration of decision making process and reaction to changing business environment arises before the organizations that concern more effective scheduling policy. International practice of solving such problems generally leads to qualitative discussion, whereas quantitative assessment of impact of control parameters of enterprise is not practically used, because there is no one systematic approach to manufacturing activity planning. On the basis of studying of international practices methodical guidelines of scenario approach to manufacturing activity planning with mathematical modeling of economics of producer price on electromechanical enterprises have been developed, which reasonably could be used with reference to and interaction with enterprise manufacturing program. The described approach allows solving planning problems iteratively in real-time mode concerning profit maximization, to form producer prices, to divide overhead costs according to the type of products and carry out cost accounting according to the type of a product, and it will provide functional interaction between factors and performance indicators.

Use of 3D-computed tomography angiography for planning the surgical removal of pineal region meningiomas using Poppen's approach: a report of ten cases and a literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Ye

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There are several treatment approaches for pineal region meningiomas, such as Poppen's approach, Krause's approach and combinations of the two approaches. We present our experience with the use of 3D-computed tomography angiography for planning the surgical removal of pineal region meningiomas using a suboccipital transtentorial approach (Poppen's approach and evaluate the role of Poppen's approach. Methods During the period from January 2005 to June 2010, ten patients presented to us with pineal region meningioma. MRI was routinely used to define the tumor size, position, and its relevant complications while 3D-CTA was applied to define the blood supply of the tumor and the venous complex (VC shift before operations. Most of the meningiomas had developed at both sides of the tentorial plane and extended laterally with typical characteristics of a pineal region tumor. Results All tumors were completely removed surgically without any injury to the VC. Postoperative intracranial infection occurred in one case who recovered after antibiotics were given. Postoperative intraventricular hemorrhage and pneumocephalus were found in one case, but fully recovered after conservative treatment. In the nine cases of concurrent hydrocephalus, this was gradually relieved in eight patients and the single case that became aggravated was successfully treated with ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Moreover, the follow-up MRI examinations did not indicate any recurrence of the meningiomas. Conclusion We found that the use of Poppen's approach is strongly supported for the successful removal of pineal region meningiomas without serious complications.

Letter to the Editor on 'Single-Arc IMRT?'.

Science.gov (United States)

Otto, Karl

2009-04-21

In the note 'Single Arc IMRT?' (Bortfeld and Webb 2009 Phys. Med. Biol. 54 N9-20), Bortfeld and Webb present a theoretical investigation of static gantry IMRT (S-IMRT), single-arc IMRT and tomotherapy. Based on their assumptions they conclude that single-arc IMRT is inherently limited in treating complex cases without compromising delivery efficiency. Here we present an expansion of their work based on the capabilities of the Varian RapidArc single-arc IMRT system. Using the same theoretical framework we derive clinically deliverable single-arc IMRT plans based on these specific capabilities. In particular, we consider the range of leaf motion, the ability to rapidly and continuously vary the dose rate and the choice of collimator angle used for delivery. In contrast to the results of Bortfeld and Webb, our results show that single-arc IMRT plans can be generated that closely match the theoretical optimum. The disparity in the results of each investigation emphasizes that the capabilities of the delivery system, along with the ability of the optimization algorithm to exploit those capabilities, are of particular importance in single-arc IMRT. We conclude that, given the capabilities available with the RapidArc system, single-arc IMRT can produce complex treatment plans that are delivered efficiently (in approximately 2 min).

Planning in the Continuous Operations Environment of the International Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Maxwell, Theresa; Hagopian, Jeff

1996-01-01

The continuous operation planning approach developed for the operations planning of the International Space Station (ISS) is reported on. The approach was designed to be a robust and cost-effective method. It separates ISS planning into two planning functions: long-range planning for a fixed length planning horizon which continually moves forward as ISS operations progress, and short-range planning which takes a small segment of the long-range plan and develops a detailed operations schedule. The continuous approach is compared with the incremental approach, the short and long-range planning functions are described, and the benefits and challenges of implementing a continuous operations planning approach for the ISS are summarized.

Waste feed delivery test and evaluation plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' TOOLE, S.M.

1999-09-30

This plan documents the Waste Feed Delivery Program test and evaluation planning and implementation approach. The purpose of this document is to define and communicate the Waste Feed Delivery Program Test and Evaluation scope, objectives, planning and implementation approach.

Waste feed delivery test and evaluation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'TOOLE, S.M.

1999-01-01

This plan documents the Waste Feed Delivery Program test and evaluation planning and implementation approach. The purpose of this document is to define and communicate the Waste Feed Delivery Program Test and Evaluation scope, objectives, planning and implementation approach

The capability and constraint model of recoverability: An integrated theory of continuity planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindstedt, David

2017-01-01

While there are best practices, good practices, regulations and standards for continuity planning, there is no single model to collate and sort their various recommended activities. To address this deficit, this paper presents the capability and constraint model of recoverability - a new model to provide an integrated foundation for business continuity planning. The model is non-linear in both construct and practice, thus allowing practitioners to remain adaptive in its application. The paper presents each facet of the model, outlines the model's use in both theory and practice, suggests a subsequent approach that arises from the model, and discusses some possible ramifications to the industry.

Groundwater regulation and integrated planning

Science.gov (United States)

Quevauviller, Philippe; Batelaan, Okke; Hunt, Randall J.

2016-01-01

The complex nature of groundwater and the diversity of uses and environmental interactions call for emerging groundwater problems to be addressed through integrated management and planning approaches. Planning requires different levels of integration dealing with: the hydrologic cycle (the physical process) including the temporal dimension; river basins and aquifers (spatial integration); socioeconomic considerations at regional, national and international levels; and scientific knowledge. The great natural variation in groundwater conditions obviously affects planning needs and options as well as perceptions from highly localised to regionally-based approaches. The scale at which planning is done therefore needs to be carefully evaluated against available policy choices and options in each particular setting. A solid planning approach is based on River Basin Management Planning (RBMP), which covers: (1) objectives that management planning are designed to address; (2) the way various types of measures fit into the overall management planning; and (3) the criteria against which the success or failure of specific strategies or interventions can be evaluated (e.g. compliance with environmental quality standards). A management planning framework is to be conceived as a “living” or iterated document that can be updated, refined and if necessary changed as information and experience are gained. This chapter discusses these aspects, providing an insight into European Union (EU), United States and Australia groundwater planning practices.

EVENT PLANNING USING FUNCTION ANALYSIS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lori Braase; Jodi Grgich

2011-06-01

Event planning is expensive and resource intensive. Function analysis provides a solid foundation for comprehensive event planning (e.g., workshops, conferences, symposiums, or meetings). It has been used at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to successfully plan events and capture lessons learned, and played a significant role in the development and implementation of the “INL Guide for Hosting an Event.” Using a guide and a functional approach to planning utilizes resources more efficiently and reduces errors that could be distracting or detrimental to an event. This integrated approach to logistics and program planning – with the primary focus on the participant – gives us the edge.

Approach to operational mine planning: Case study Tamnava West

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stevanović Dejan R.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In contemporary mining industry is very difficult to achieve production targets and profit without investing effort in detailed excavation planning. It is especially true for deposits with complex geological structure and production technology, as is the case for many coal mines in Serbia. The majority of coal production is used for generation of electricity in power plant. This fact is the main reason why production objectives of coal mine and power plant are strongly connected. Due to the fluctuation of the coal quality, operational mine planning (as a part of coal homogenization process, is of critical importance for managing successful coal quality control and meeting criteria of power plant. This paper investigates advantage of proper operational planning on coal quality control process and overall production performance. For better understanding case study is conducted on open pit Tamnava West field. Successful operational mine planning is almost impossible without use of modern software packages. For that reason in presented case study operational mine planning is done with Minex software.

Two approaches for incorporating climate change into natural resource management planning at Wind Cave National Park

Science.gov (United States)

Symstad, Amy J.; Long, Andrew J.; Stamm, John; King, David A.; Bachelet, Dominque M.; Norton, Parker A.

2014-01-01

Wind Cave National Park (WICA) protects one of the world’s longest caves, has large amounts of high quality, native vegetation, and hosts a genetically important bison herd. The park’s relatively small size and unique purpose within its landscape requires hands-on management of these and other natural resources, all of which are interconnected. Anthropogenic climate change presents an added challenge to WICA natural resource management because it is characterized by large uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of park and National Park Service (NPS) staff. When uncertainty is high and control of this uncertainty low, scenario planning is an appropriate tool for determining future actions. In 2009, members of the NPS obtained formal training in the use of scenario planning in order to evaluate it as a tool for incorporating climate change into NPS natural resource management planning. WICA served as one of two case studies used in this training exercise. Although participants in the training exercise agreed that the scenario planning process showed promise for its intended purpose, they were concerned that the process lacked the scientific rigor necessary to defend the management implications derived from it in the face of public scrutiny. This report addresses this concern and others by (1) providing a thorough description of the process of the 2009 scenario planning exercise, as well as its results and management implications for WICA; (2) presenting the results of a follow-up, scientific study that quantitatively simulated responses of WICA’s hydrological and ecological systems to specific climate projections; (3) placing these climate projections and the general climate scenarios used in the scenario planning exercise in the broader context of available climate projections; and (4) comparing the natural resource management implications derived from the two approaches. Wind Cave National Park (WICA) protects one of the world’s longest caves

4D Proton treatment planning strategy for mobile lung tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang Yixiu; Zhang Xiaodong; Chang, Joe Y.; Wang He; Wei Xiong; Liao Zhongxing; Komaki, Ritsuko; Cox, James D.; Balter, Peter A.; Liu, Helen; Zhu, X. Ronald; Mohan, Radhe; Dong Lei

2007-01-01

Purpose: To investigate strategies for designing compensator-based 3D proton treatment plans for mobile lung tumors using four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) images. Methods and Materials: Four-dimensional CT sets for 10 lung cancer patients were used in this study. The internal gross tumor volume (IGTV) was obtained by combining the tumor volumes at different phases of the respiratory cycle. For each patient, we evaluated four planning strategies based on the following dose calculations: (1) the average (AVE) CT; (2) the free-breathing (FB) CT; (3) the maximum intensity projection (MIP) CT; and (4) the AVE CT in which the CT voxel values inside the IGTV were replaced by a constant density (AVE R IGTV). For each strategy, the resulting cumulative dose distribution in a respiratory cycle was determined using a deformable image registration method. Results: There were dosimetric differences between the apparent dose distribution, calculated on a single CT dataset, and the motion-corrected 4D dose distribution, calculated by combining dose distributions delivered to each phase of the 4DCT. The AVE R IGTV plan using a 1-cm smearing parameter had the best overall target coverage and critical structure sparing. The MIP plan approach resulted in an unnecessarily large treatment volume. The AVE and FB plans using 1-cm smearing did not provide adequate 4D target coverage in all patients. By using a larger smearing value, adequate 4D target coverage could be achieved; however, critical organ doses were increased. Conclusion: The AVE R IGTV approach is an effective strategy for designing proton treatment plans for mobile lung tumors

Planning Innovation and Regional Development: the Spreading of Urban Strategic Planning in Southern Italy

OpenAIRE

Vinci, Ignazio

2011-01-01

For decades the Italian system of planning has been strongly characterized by a regulatory approach and the question of cities' development had been taken into account within general land use plans. In the 1990s this approach has been considered a strong constraint on the regeneration of cities and the revitalization of their economic potential. Therefore, in the last decade the improvement of flexibility and participation within planning processes were considered primary objectives both at r...

Population planning: a well co-ordinated approach required.

Science.gov (United States)

1984-01-01

of the region explicit or implicit incentives and/or disincentives are included in the population/family planning program. In the Philippine Population Program, incentives are explicitly given only to volunteer program workers. Disincentives are incorporated in the Internal Revenue Code and the Woman and Child Labor Code. In Indonesia preference is given to incentives rather than to disincentives. The government of Bangladesh is seriously considering the introduction of a package deal of incentives and disincentives in an all out effort to reach desired demographic objectives. In Nepal such a package is already in operation. The more recent innovative measures to encourage the 2-child child family norm in India include: increased compensation money to acceptors of sterilization and IUD and giving lottery tickets to acceptors of sterilization. There is recognition in these countries of the need for an integrated approach to population and development programs.

Transmission planning in a deregulated environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, Zhao

2006-01-01

The worldwide trend for the deregulation of the electricity generation and transmission industries has led to dramatic changes in system operation and planning procedures. The optimum approach to transmission-expansion planning in a deregulated environment is an open problem especially when the r...... electricity market grid are performed. In addition, the proposed method is compared with a traditional planning method to further verify its effectiveness....... the responsibilities of the organisations carrying out the planning work need to be addressed. To date there is a consensus that the system operator and network manager perform the expansion planning work in a centralised way. However, with an increasing input from the electricity market, the objectives, constraints...... and approaches toward transmission planning should be carefully designed to ensure system reliability as well as meeting the market requirements. A market-oriented approach for transmission planning in a deregulated environment is proposed. Case studies using the IEEE 14-bus system and the Australian national...

An approach to family planning for Indochinese refugee women.

Science.gov (United States)

Presswell, N J

1982-08-01

Family planning services were introduced in Vietnam by the Americans about 20 years ago, but on a limited basis. Many of the Vietnamese refugee women have had no contact with such services. Abortion was illegal until 1975 in South Vietnam, but since the takeover, abortion clinics have been available as part of the public hospital system. Family planning was available in some of the refugee camps. Most of the Vietnam refugees fled their country by boat. Before their acceptance by Australia, the Vietnamese refugees have health checks by the Australian Commonwealth Health Department in the country of transit. Shortly after their arrival in Australia, health screening is done by the State Health Department. The majority of refugees are accommodated in migrant hostels for the 1st 3-12 months. Family planning is incorporated into Eastbridge Hostel's orientation program. During participation in some family planning discussion groups with the Indochinese refugees, it was observed that the women were particularly shy and hesitant to talk about sexual concerns in a large group or in mixed company. As personal matters are dealt with in the family, it is preferable to have a female as a discussion leader and interpreter. Visual aids such as a display of contraceptive devices, a model showing female anatomy and a family planning film for non-English speaking migrants are particularly useful. As a female doctor using a female interpreter the aim was to provide an accessible service for Indochinese women with family planning inquiries or gynecological problems. It is important that the interpreter is present in the consulting room. Nonverbal cues are most important and particular attention should be paid to establishing eye contact with the patient. Simple miming techniques or the use of diagrams may be helpful in reinforcing the work of the interpreter. When listening to the patient, it is useful to look and listen for nonverbal cues from them. Between February 1980 and May 1981

Tau-U: A Quantitative Approach for Analysis of Single-Case Experimental Data in Aphasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jaime B; Cherney, Leora R

2018-03-01

Tau-U is a quantitative approach for analyzing single-case experimental design (SCED) data. It combines nonoverlap between phases with intervention phase trend and can correct for a baseline trend (Parker, Vannest, & Davis, 2011). We demonstrate the utility of Tau-U by comparing it with the standardized mean difference approach (Busk & Serlin, 1992) that is widely reported within the aphasia SCED literature. Repeated writing measures from 3 participants with chronic aphasia who received computer-based writing treatment are analyzed visually and quantitatively using both Tau-U and the standardized mean difference approach. Visual analysis alone was insufficient for determining an effect between the intervention and writing improvement. The standardized mean difference yielded effect sizes ranging from 4.18 to 26.72 for trained items and 1.25 to 3.20 for untrained items. Tau-U yielded significant (p data from 2 of 3 participants. Tau-U has the unique advantage of allowing for the correction of an undesirable baseline trend. Although further study is needed, Tau-U shows promise as a quantitative approach to augment visual analysis of SCED data in aphasia.

GIS-Based Approach for Municipal Renewable Energy Planning to Support Post-Earthquake Revitalization: A Japanese Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qianna Wang

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Following a regional-level study conducted in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan (Wang et al., 2014 [1], this paper presents an approach for municipal renewable energy planning and its experimental application in a Japanese municipality using a Geographic Information System (GIS. The proposed approach is comprised of local issue identification, renewable energy potential evaluation and visualization, site comparison and scenario analysis. GIS was used to analyze and visualize solar, wind and biomass (forest and agriculture residue potential within Kawamata Town, Fukushima, Japan. According to local conditions, all potential sites were coded and then compared based on different criteria, such as solar radiation, wind speed, slope and land uses, among others. In the scenario analysis section, two scenarios, “renewable energy prioritized” and ”evacuation area prioritized”, were adopted and compared. The scenarios are altered in terms of placement and the number of renewable energy facilities inside and outside evacuation areas within the town. The results generated through the proposed approach can provide information on local potentials of renewable energy resources, as well as renewable energy development alternatives at the municipal level. They can be used in the interactive dialogue for the municipal renewable energy planning process, to help to fulfill the municipality’s post-earthquake energy developmental vision.

Knowledge-light adaptation approaches in case-based reasoning for radiotherapy treatment planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrovic, Sanja; Khussainova, Gulmira; Jagannathan, Rupa

2016-03-01

Radiotherapy treatment planning aims at delivering a sufficient radiation dose to cancerous tumour cells while sparing healthy organs in the tumour-surrounding area. It is a time-consuming trial-and-error process that requires the expertise of a group of medical experts including oncologists and medical physicists and can take from 2 to 3h to a few days. Our objective is to improve the performance of our previously built case-based reasoning (CBR) system for brain tumour radiotherapy treatment planning. In this system, a treatment plan for a new patient is retrieved from a case base containing patient cases treated in the past and their treatment plans. However, this system does not perform any adaptation, which is needed to account for any difference between the new and retrieved cases. Generally, the adaptation phase is considered to be intrinsically knowledge-intensive and domain-dependent. Therefore, an adaptation often requires a large amount of domain-specific knowledge, which can be difficult to acquire and often is not readily available. In this study, we investigate approaches to adaptation that do not require much domain knowledge, referred to as knowledge-light adaptation. We developed two adaptation approaches: adaptation based on machine-learning tools and adaptation-guided retrieval. They were used to adapt the beam number and beam angles suggested in the retrieved case. Two machine-learning tools, neural networks and naive Bayes classifier, were used in the adaptation to learn how the difference in attribute values between the retrieved and new cases affects the output of these two cases. The adaptation-guided retrieval takes into consideration not only the similarity between the new and retrieved cases, but also how to adapt the retrieved case. The research was carried out in collaboration with medical physicists at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, City Hospital Campus, UK. All experiments were performed using real-world brain cancer

Explicit optimization of plan quality measures in intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Engberg, Lovisa; Forsgren, Anders; Eriksson, Kjell; Hårdemark, Björn

2017-06-01

To formulate convex planning objectives of treatment plan multicriteria optimization with explicit relationships to the dose-volume histogram (DVH) statistics used in plan quality evaluation. Conventional planning objectives are designed to minimize the violation of DVH statistics thresholds using penalty functions. Although successful in guiding the DVH curve towards these thresholds, conventional planning objectives offer limited control of the individual points on the DVH curve (doses-at-volume) used to evaluate plan quality. In this study, we abandon the usual penalty-function framework and propose planning objectives that more closely relate to DVH statistics. The proposed planning objectives are based on mean-tail-dose, resulting in convex optimization. We also demonstrate how to adapt a standard optimization method to the proposed formulation in order to obtain a substantial reduction in computational cost. We investigated the potential of the proposed planning objectives as tools for optimizing DVH statistics through juxtaposition with the conventional planning objectives on two patient cases. Sets of treatment plans with differently balanced planning objectives were generated using either the proposed or the conventional approach. Dominance in the sense of better distributed doses-at-volume was observed in plans optimized within the proposed framework. The initial computational study indicates that the DVH statistics are better optimized and more efficiently balanced using the proposed planning objectives than using the conventional approach. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

The approach to regional planning in Natal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Thorrington-Smith

1965-03-01

Full Text Available Limitations on the development of regional planning in the Republic are no longer due to lack of public interest or the availability of funds, but rather to a tragic shortage of men and women trained to undertake the work. While being conscious and most appreciative of the great honour and kindness extended to me by the University of Potchefstroom in inviting me to address so distinguished a company today, may I also say what a great pleasure it is to be present at the inauguration of an Institute for Regional Planning which will have as one of its main objects, the training of regional planners to help meet South Africa’s needs.

Recurrent Pneumonia in Children: A Reasoned Diagnostic Approach and a Single Centre Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Montella, Silvia; Corcione, Adele; Santamaria, Francesca

2017-01-29

Recurrent pneumonia (RP), i.e., at least two episodes of pneumonia in one year or three episodes ever with intercritical radiographic clearing of densities, occurs in 7.7%-9% of children with community-acquired pneumonia. In RP, the challenge is to discriminate between children with self-limiting or minor problems, that do not require a diagnostic work-up, and those with an underlying disease. The aim of the current review is to discuss a reasoned diagnostic approach to RP in childhood. Particular emphasis has been placed on which children should undergo a diagnostic work-up and which tests should be performed. A pediatric case series is also presented, in order to document a single centre experience of RP. A management algorithm for the approach to children with RP, based on the evidence from a literature review, is proposed. Like all algorithms, it is not meant to replace clinical judgment, but it should drive physicians to adopt a systematic approach to pediatric RP and provide a useful guide to the clinician.