WorldWideScience

Sample records for sponsored derived variables

  1. SPONSORING, BRAND VALUE AND SOCIAL MEDIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Zauner

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available The increasing involvement of individuals in social media over the past decade has enabled firms to pursue new avenues in communication and sponsoring activities. Besides general research on either social media or sponsoring, questions regarding the consequences of a joint activity (sponsoring activities in social media remain unexplored. Hence, the present study analyses whether the perceived image of the brand and the celebrity endorser credibility of a top sports team influence the perceived brand value of the sponsoring firm in a social media setting. Moreover, these effects are compared between existing customers and non-customers of the sponsoring firm. Interestingly, perceived celebrity endorser credibility plays no role in forming brand value perceptions in the case of the existing customers. Implications for marketing theory and practice are derived.

  2. A variable-order fractal derivative model for anomalous diffusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Xiaoting

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper pays attention to develop a variable-order fractal derivative model for anomalous diffusion. Previous investigations have indicated that the medium structure, fractal dimension or porosity may change with time or space during solute transport processes, results in time or spatial dependent anomalous diffusion phenomena. Hereby, this study makes an attempt to introduce a variable-order fractal derivative diffusion model, in which the index of fractal derivative depends on temporal moment or spatial position, to characterize the above mentioned anomalous diffusion (or transport processes. Compared with other models, the main advantages in description and the physical explanation of new model are explored by numerical simulation. Further discussions on the dissimilitude such as computational efficiency, diffusion behavior and heavy tail phenomena of the new model and variable-order fractional derivative model are also offered.

  3. The Influence of Sponsor-Event Congruence in Sponsorship of Music Festivals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Penny Hutabarat

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper focuses the research on the Influence of Sponsor-Event Congruence toward Brand Image, Attitudes toward the Brand and Purchase Intention. Having reviewed the literatures and arranged the hypotheses, the data has been gathered by distributing the questionnaire to 155 audiences at the Java Jazz Music Festival, firstly with convenience sampling and then snowballing sampling approach. The analysis of data was executed with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM. The result shows the sponsor-event congruence variable has a positive impact toward brand image and attitudes toward the brand sponsor. Brand Image also has a positive impact toward purchase intention; in contrary attitudes toward the brand do not have a positive purchase intention. With those results, to increase the sponsorship effectiveness, the role of congruency is very significant in the sponsorship event. Congruency is a key influencer to trigger the sponsorship effectiveness. Congruency between the event and the sponsor is able to boost up the brand image and bring out favorable attitudes towards the brand for the success of marketing communication programs, particularly sponsorship. In addition to it, image transfer gets higher due to the congruency existence (fit between sponsor and event and directs the intention creation to buy sponsor brand product/service (purchase intention. In conclusion, sponsor-event congruence has effect on consumer responds toward sponsorship, either on the cognitive level, affective and also behavior.

  4. 77 FR 26697 - New Animal Drugs; Change of Sponsor; Change of Sponsor Address; Change of Sponsor Name and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-07

    ... rights and interest in, abbreviated new animal drug application (ANADA) 200-472 for Fomepizole for... [Docket No. FDA-2012-N-0002] New Animal Drugs; Change of Sponsor; Change of Sponsor Address; Change of.... SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect a...

  5. The Influence of Sponsor-Event Congruence in Sponsorship of Music Festivals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Penny Hutabarat

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE This paper focuses the research on the Influence of Sponsor-Event Congruence toward Brand Image, Attitudes toward the Brand and Purchase Intention. Having reviewed the literatures and arranged the hypotheses, the data has been gathered by distributing the questionnaire to 155 audiences at the Java Jazz Music Festival, firstly with convenience sampling and then snowballing sampling approach. The analysis of data was executed with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM. The result shows the sponsor-event congruence variable has a positive impact toward brand image and attitudes toward the brand sponsor. Brand Image also has a positive impact toward purchase intention; in contrary attitudes toward the brand do not have a positive purchase intention. With those results, to increase the sponsorship effectiveness, the role of congruency is very significant in the sponsorship event. Congruency is a key influencer to trigger the sponsorship effectiveness. Congruency between the event and the sponsor is able to boost up the brand image and bring out favorable attitudes towards the brand for the success of marketing communication programs, particularly sponsorship. In addition to it, image transfer gets higher due to the congruency existence (fit between sponsor and event and directs the intention creation to buy sponsor brand product/service (purchase intention. In conclusion, sponsor-event congruence has effect on consumer responds toward sponsorship, either on the cognitive level, affective and also behavior.

  6. The Sponsored Film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klein, Walter J.

    For public relations professionals and would-be sponsors of films, this book provides guidelines for understanding the film medium and its potential as a persuasive force in industry, government, organizations, and religious orders. For filmmakers, it brings together practical information needed to survive in the sponsored-film industry and to…

  7. 45 CFR 1226.12 - Sponsor employees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Sponsor employees. 1226.12 Section 1226.12 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PROHIBITIONS ON ELECTORAL AND LOBBYING ACTIVITIES Sponsor Employee Activities § 1226.12 Sponsor employees...

  8. A class of constitutive relations with internal variable derivatives. Derivation from homogenization and initial value problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrieux, S.; Joussemet, M.; Lorentz, E.

    1996-01-01

    A general framework for deriving and using a class of constitutive laws incorporating spatial gradients of internal variables is presented. It uses two basic ingredients: a derivation of such models by homogenization techniques and a reformulation of the evolution equation at the scale of the whole structure. (orig.)

  9. Team sponsors in community-based health leadership programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, Tracy Enright; Dinkin, Donna R; Champion, Heather

    2017-05-02

    Purpose The purpose of this article is to share the lessons learned about the role of team sponsors in action-learning teams as part of community-based health leadership development programs. Design/methodology/approach This case study uses program survey results from fellow participants, action learning coaches and team sponsors to understand the value of sponsors to the teams, the roles they most often filled and the challenges they faced as team sponsors. Findings The extent to which the sponsors were perceived as having contributed to the work of the action learning teams varied greatly from team to team. Most sponsors agreed that they were well informed about their role. The roles sponsors most frequently played were to provide the teams with input and support, serve as a liaison to the community and serve as a sounding board, motivator and cheerleader. The most common challenges or barriers team sponsors faced in this role were keeping engaged in the process, adjusting to the role and feeling disconnected from the program. Practical implications This work provides insights for program developers and community foundations who are interested in building the capacity for health leadership by linking community sponsors with emerging leaders engaged in an action learning experience. Originality/value This work begins to fill a gap in the literature. The role of team sponsors has been studied for single organization work teams but there is a void of understanding about the role of sponsors with multi-organizational teams working to improve health while also learning about leadership.

  10. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY): 1995 Cohort Derived Variables. Technical Report 69

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), 2012

    2012-01-01

    This technical report details the derived variables developed for users of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) data. The derived variables fall into the categories education, employment and social, and help to simplify the complexity of the LSAY data by providing useful indicators for analysis. To help LSAY data users understand…

  11. Employer-sponsored pension plans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rakonjac-Antić Tatjana N.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Apart from pension plans within social insurance, in developed pension systems there are also available to individuals schemes which may to a large extent ensure a significant part of their total pension. Among them are the following: employer-sponsored pension plans or individual pension plans. The most widely used employer-sponsored pension plan in the USA is 401(k, in which both the employer and the employee contribute to the financing of the pension. These contributions as well as the return to their investment have a preferential tax treatment, i.e. do not enter a tax base. The funds are taxed only when drawn from the account in the form of a pension. This paper aims to present the functioning of 401(k pension plan as the most widely used employer sponsored pension plan in the USA, which is likely, in a modified form, to have an important place within our future reformed pension insurance system.

  12. A class of constitutive relations with internal variable derivatives: derivation from homogenization and initial value problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrieux, S.; Joussemet, M.; Lorentz, E.

    1996-01-01

    When they are subjected to excessive loads, some materials may exhibit a softening behaviour resulting from the deterioration of their mechanical properties. To idealize such behaviours, constitutive relations with softening are introduced, for which the size of the domain of reversibility in the stress-space decreases. These models feature a strain localization within the material, in agreement with experiments, but cannot predict the subsequent behaviour because they lead to shear bands the width of which is equal to zero, physically unacceptable and numerically troublesome. It has been proposed in the literature to overcome these difficulties by adding to the list of internal variable the spatial gradients of some of them. This procedure suffers from lack of firm methodological basis. Although, some quantitative justification have been advanced relying on some kind of microscopic analysis. Therefore, we propose to extend the classical (local) models by introducing the internal state variable first gradients. Given local model within the framework of standard generalized materials, consistent homogenization procedure is put forward to derive macroscopic free energy and dissipation potentials. The standard generalized character is preserved, with an extended set of state variables, containing not only the strain and the internal variables but also the internal variable derivatives. Nevertheless, when dealing with the whole structure, the independence between the new state variables is lost. We propose then to generalize the constitutive relations, leading to a new variational principle that ensures the Clausius-Duhem inequality at the structure scale. (authors)

  13. Paradigma Baru Sponsor sebagai Mitra Penyelenggaraan Event

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lidia Evelina

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available The goals of this article is to know why sponsorship only to be viewed as sources of funding to implement the public relation events or marketing communication events. Method used in this article is qualitative method research to be based on observation, library study and content analysis. The result of this research seems that change happened in role of sponsorship from only fund source to become a partner of cooperation (mutual symbiotism between sponsor and event organizer. This article exploring the change of sponsorship concept from only looking for sponsor as an activity of fund mobilitation to become a partnership cooperation between event organizer and sponsor company. The mean of sponsor itself beside the fund supporter, they are also a side who takes mutual benefit from the cooperation. Conclusion, any close relationship (mutual benefit between two sides who take cooperation in event implementation (sponsor and event organiser. 

  14. Modelling Emotional and Attitudinal Evaluations of Major Sponsors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Martensen, Anne; Hansen, Flemming

    2004-01-01

    The paper reports findings from a larger study of sponsors and their relationship to sponsoredparties. In the present reporting, the focus is on sponsors. Rather than evaluating suchsponsorships in traditional effect hierarchical terms, a conceptual Sponsor Value Model isspecified as a structural...

  15. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY): Derived Variables. Technical Report 64

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), 2012

    2012-01-01

    This technical report describes the 24 derived variables developed for users of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) data. The variables fall into the categories education, employment and social, and help to simplify the complexity of the LSAY data by providing useful indicators for analysis. To help LSAY data users understand and…

  16. 14 CFR 151.121 - Procedures: Offer; sponsor assurances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Procedures: Offer; sponsor assurances. 151.121 Section 151.121 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... Engineering Proposals § 151.121 Procedures: Offer; sponsor assurances. Each sponsor must adopt the following...

  17. 45 CFR 233.51 - Eligibility of sponsored aliens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Eligibility of sponsored aliens. 233.51 Section... CONDITIONS OF ELIGIBILITY IN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS § 233.51 Eligibility of sponsored aliens... affidavit(s) of support or similar agreement on behalf of an alien (who is not the child of the sponsor or...

  18. OCOPTR, Minimization of Nonlinear Function, Variable Metric Method, Derivative Calculation. DRVOCR, Minimization of Nonlinear Function, Variable Metric Method, Derivative Calculation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nazareth, J. L.

    1979-01-01

    1 - Description of problem or function: OCOPTR and DRVOCR are computer programs designed to find minima of non-linear differentiable functions f: R n →R with n dimensional domains. OCOPTR requires that the user only provide function values (i.e. it is a derivative-free routine). DRVOCR requires the user to supply both function and gradient information. 2 - Method of solution: OCOPTR and DRVOCR use the variable metric (or quasi-Newton) method of Davidon (1975). For OCOPTR, the derivatives are estimated by finite differences along a suitable set of linearly independent directions. For DRVOCR, the derivatives are user- supplied. Some features of the codes are the storage of the approximation to the inverse Hessian matrix in lower trapezoidal factored form and the use of an optimally-conditioned updating method. Linear equality constraints are permitted subject to the initial Hessian factor being chosen correctly. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: The functions to which the routine is applied are assumed to be differentiable. The routine also requires (n 2 /2) + 0(n) storage locations where n is the problem dimension

  19. 48 CFR 35.017-1 - Sponsoring agreements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... of the FFRDC's relationship with its sponsor(s). (3) A provision for the identification of retained earnings (reserves) and the development of a plan for their use and disposition. (4) A prohibition against...

  20. Redactions in protocols for drug trials: what industry sponsors concealed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marquardsen, Mikkel; Ogden, Michelle; Gøtzsche, Peter C

    2018-04-01

    Objective To describe the redactions in contemporary protocols for industry-sponsored randomised drug trials with patient relevant outcomes and to evaluate whether there was a legitimate rationale for the redactions. Design Cohort study. Under the Freedom of Information Act, we requested access to trial protocols approved by a research ethics committee in Denmark from October 2012 to March 2013. We received 17 consecutive protocols, which had been redacted before we got them, and nine protocols without redactions. In five additional cases, the companies refused to let the committees give us access, and in three other cases, documents were missing. Participants Not applicable. Setting Not applicable. Main outcome measure Amount and nature of redactions in 22 predefined key protocol variables. Results The redactions were most widespread in those sections of the protocol where there is empirical evidence of substantial problems with the trustworthiness of published drug trials: data analysis, handling of missing data, detection and analysis of adverse events, definition of the outcomes, interim analyses and premature termination of the study, sponsor's access to incoming data while the study is running, ownership to the data and investigators' publication rights. The parts of the text that were redacted differed widely, both between companies and within the same company. Conclusions We could not identify any legitimate rationale for the redactions. The current mistrust in industry-sponsored drug trials can only change if the industry offers unconditional access to its trial protocols and other relevant documents and data.

  1. 45 CFR 1226.13 - Obligations of sponsors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Obligations of sponsors. 1226.13 Section 1226.13 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PROHIBITIONS ON ELECTORAL AND LOBBYING ACTIVITIES Sponsor Employee Activities § 1226.13...

  2. On the derivation of thermodynamic restrictions for materials with internal state variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malmberg, T.

    1987-07-01

    Thermodynamic restrictions for the constitutive relations of an internal variable model are derived by evaluating the Clausius-Duhem entropy inequality with two different approaches. The classical Coleman-Noll argumentation of Rational Thermodynamics applied by Coleman and Gurtin to an internal variable model is summarized. This approach requires an arbitrary modulation of body forces and heat supply in the interior of the body which is subject to criticism. The second approach applied in this presentation is patterned after a concept of Mueller and Liu, originally developed within the context of a different entropy inequality and different classes of constitutive models. For the internal variable model the second approach requires only the modulation of initial values on the boundary of the body. In the course of the development of the second approach certain differences to the argumentation of Mueller and Liu become evident and are pointed out. Finally, the results demonstrate that the first and second approach give the same thermodynamic restrictions for the internal variable model. The derived residual entropy inequality requires further analysis. (orig.) [de

  3. The Meaning of Sponsoring : A study on the motives behind sponsoring a sports team and the following effects on brand awareness.

    OpenAIRE

    Skovshoved, Fredrik; Roshandel, Salar

    2009-01-01

    Background: Sponsoring is a topic that has always been present but in different forms. Recently however, it has become even more popular and companies today invest small fortunes on becoming sponsors of different events, individuals and teams. However, there is still not much research done within this field, hence we find it interesting to investigate further. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate, from a strategic marketing perspective, what a sponsoring organization wants to...

  4. Variables influencing the use of derivatives in South Africa – the development of a conceptual model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Schwegler

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper, which is the first in a two-part series, sets out the development of a conceptual model on the variables influencing investors’ decisions to use derivatives in their portfolios. Investor-specific variables include: the investor’s needs, goals and return expectations, the investor’s knowledge of financial markets, familiarity with different asset classes including derivative instruments, and the investor’s level of wealth and level of risk tolerance. Market-specific variables include: the level of volatility, standardisation, regulation and liquidity in a market, the level of information available on derivatives, the transparency of price determination, taxes, brokerage costs and product availability.

  5. Can the ministry collaborate to form the "next generation" of sponsors?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanley, Teresa

    2007-01-01

    In looking to the future of sponsored ministry of Catholic institutions, the formation of future sponsors--both religious and lay alike--is an important issue. As this ministry continues to evolve, and sponsoring groups determine how best to prepare new sponsors, might it not be time to think about how to pool the ministry's collective wisdom on formation? Sponsors act not only in the name of the health care institution (or other ministry) but on behalf of the faith community engaged in continuing the compassionate healing ministry of Jesus. In Catholic ministry, and particularly health care ministry, sponsors carry out their responsibilities through a multiplicity of organizational relationships. Just as structures differ, so too do criteria that guide who will be called to join a sponsoring group. There are several core elements that are incorporated in the majority of sponsor competency sets. Elements identified by a committee of ministry members, and reviewed by hundreds of sponsors and other ministry leaders are: mission oriented, animated, theologically grounded, collaborative, church related, and accountable. If one is looking at the potential for convening dialogues about possible areas of collaboration in formation, these core elements, with examples of how they are lived out, may offer an outline of areas new sponsors might need to learn more about for their personal and professional development. Our Catholic health ministry depends on leaders who can create and steward organizational cultures that incarnate Jesus' healing. The possibilities for collaboration in the formation of future sponsors are endless, but there are challenges. If you are a member of a sponsor body/council/corporate member in Catholic health care, and are interested in nominating potential persons to take part in a representative group that would discuss possibilities for collaboration in sponsor formation, please go to www.chausa.org/sponsorformation and complete all sections of the

  6. 14 CFR 151.51 - Performance of construction work: Sponsor force account.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Performance of construction work: Sponsor... Development Projects § 151.51 Performance of construction work: Sponsor force account. (a) Before undertaking any force account construction work, the sponsor (or any public agency acting as agent for the sponsor...

  7. Sponsors of Nebraska Indochinese Refugees: Meeting the Challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meredith, William H.; Cramer, Sheran L.

    This report summarizes the response of 80 sponsors of Indochinese refugees in Nebraska to a survey designed to explore their sponsorship experience. Problem solving areas for sponsors and refugees are named as: acculturation, emotional adjustments, communication, health, housing, transportation, employment, and legal, financial and consumer…

  8. 21 CFR 316.22 - Permanent-resident agent for foreign sponsor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... SERVICES (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE ORPHAN DRUGS Designation of an Orphan Drug § 316.22 Permanent-resident agent for foreign sponsor. Every foreign sponsor that seeks orphan-drug designation shall name a permanent resident of the United States as the sponsor's agent upon whom service of all processes, notices...

  9. Differential Globalization of Industry- and Non-Industry-Sponsored Clinical Trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atal, Ignacio; Trinquart, Ludovic; Porcher, Raphaël; Ravaud, Philippe

    2015-01-01

    Mapping the international landscape of clinical trials may inform global health research governance, but no large-scale data are available. Industry or non-industry sponsorship may have a major influence in this mapping. We aimed to map the global landscape of industry- and non-industry-sponsored clinical trials and its evolution over time. We analyzed clinical trials initiated between 2006 and 2013 and registered in the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP). We mapped single-country and international trials by World Bank's income groups and by sponsorship (industry- vs. non- industry), including its evolution over time from 2006 to 2012. We identified clusters of countries that collaborated significantly more than expected in industry- and non-industry-sponsored international trials. 119,679 clinical trials conducted in 177 countries were analysed. The median number of trials per million inhabitants in high-income countries was 100 times that in low-income countries (116.0 vs. 1.1). Industry sponsors were involved in three times more trials per million inhabitants than non-industry sponsors in high-income countries (75.0 vs. 24.5) and in ten times fewer trials in low- income countries (0.08 vs. 1.08). Among industry- and non-industry-sponsored trials, 30.3% and 3.2% were international, respectively. In the industry-sponsored network of collaboration, Eastern European and South American countries collaborated more than expected; in the non-industry-sponsored network, collaboration among Scandinavian countries was overrepresented. Industry-sponsored international trials became more inter-continental with time between 2006 and 2012 (from 54.8% to 67.3%) as compared with non-industry-sponsored trials (from 42.4% to 37.2%). Based on trials registered in the WHO ICTRP we documented a substantial gap between the globalization of industry- and non-industry-sponsored clinical research. Only 3% of academic trials but 30% of industry trials are

  10. Differential Globalization of Industry- and Non-Industry–Sponsored Clinical Trials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atal, Ignacio; Trinquart, Ludovic; Porcher, Raphaël; Ravaud, Philippe

    2015-01-01

    Background Mapping the international landscape of clinical trials may inform global health research governance, but no large-scale data are available. Industry or non-industry sponsorship may have a major influence in this mapping. We aimed to map the global landscape of industry- and non-industry–sponsored clinical trials and its evolution over time. Methods We analyzed clinical trials initiated between 2006 and 2013 and registered in the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP). We mapped single-country and international trials by World Bank's income groups and by sponsorship (industry- vs. non- industry), including its evolution over time from 2006 to 2012. We identified clusters of countries that collaborated significantly more than expected in industry- and non-industry–sponsored international trials. Results 119,679 clinical trials conducted in 177 countries were analysed. The median number of trials per million inhabitants in high-income countries was 100 times that in low-income countries (116.0 vs. 1.1). Industry sponsors were involved in three times more trials per million inhabitants than non-industry sponsors in high-income countries (75.0 vs. 24.5) and in ten times fewer trials in low- income countries (0.08 vs. 1.08). Among industry- and non-industry–sponsored trials, 30.3% and 3.2% were international, respectively. In the industry-sponsored network of collaboration, Eastern European and South American countries collaborated more than expected; in the non-industry–sponsored network, collaboration among Scandinavian countries was overrepresented. Industry-sponsored international trials became more inter-continental with time between 2006 and 2012 (from 54.8% to 67.3%) as compared with non-industry–sponsored trials (from 42.4% to 37.2%). Conclusions Based on trials registered in the WHO ICTRP we documented a substantial gap between the globalization of industry- and non-industry–sponsored clinical research. Only 3% of

  11. Fractional derivatives of constant and variable orders applied to anomalous relaxation models in heat transfer problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Xiao-Jun

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we address a class of the fractional derivatives of constant and variable orders for the first time. Fractional-order relaxation equations of constants and variable orders in the sense of Caputo type are modeled from mathematical view of point. The comparative results of the anomalous relaxation among the various fractional derivatives are also given. They are very efficient in description of the complex phenomenon arising in heat transfer.

  12. A Method to Derive Monitoring Variables for a Cyber Security Test-bed of I and C System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Kyung Soo; Song, Jae Gu; Lee, Joung Woon; Lee, Cheol Kwon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-10-15

    In the IT field, monitoring techniques have been developed to protect the systems connected by networks from cyber attacks and incidents. For the development of monitoring systems for I and C cyber security, it is necessary to review the monitoring systems in the IT field and derive cyber security-related monitoring variables among the proprietary operating information about the I and C systems. Tests for the development and application of these monitoring systems may cause adverse effects on the I and C systems. To analyze influences on the system and safely intended variables, the construction of an I and C system Test-bed should be preceded. This article proposes a method of deriving variables that should be monitored through a monitoring system for cyber security as a part of I and C Test-bed. The surveillance features and the monitored variables of NMS(Network Management System), a monitoring technique in the IT field, were reviewed in section 2. In Section 3, the monitoring variables for an I and C cyber security were derived by the of NMS and the investigation for information used for hacking techniques that can be practiced against I and C systems. The monitoring variables of NMS in the IT field and the information about the malicious behaviors used for hacking were derived as expected variables to be monitored for an I and C cyber security research. The derived monitoring variables were classified into the five functions of NMS for efficient management. For the cyber security of I and C systems, the vulnerabilities should be understood through a penetration test etc. and an assessment of influences on the actual system should be carried out. Thus, constructing a test-bed of I and C systems is necessary for the safety system in operation. In the future, it will be necessary to develop a logging and monitoring system for studies on the vulnerabilities of I and C systems with test-beds.

  13. A Method to Derive Monitoring Variables for a Cyber Security Test-bed of I and C System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Kyung Soo; Song, Jae Gu; Lee, Joung Woon; Lee, Cheol Kwon

    2013-01-01

    In the IT field, monitoring techniques have been developed to protect the systems connected by networks from cyber attacks and incidents. For the development of monitoring systems for I and C cyber security, it is necessary to review the monitoring systems in the IT field and derive cyber security-related monitoring variables among the proprietary operating information about the I and C systems. Tests for the development and application of these monitoring systems may cause adverse effects on the I and C systems. To analyze influences on the system and safely intended variables, the construction of an I and C system Test-bed should be preceded. This article proposes a method of deriving variables that should be monitored through a monitoring system for cyber security as a part of I and C Test-bed. The surveillance features and the monitored variables of NMS(Network Management System), a monitoring technique in the IT field, were reviewed in section 2. In Section 3, the monitoring variables for an I and C cyber security were derived by the of NMS and the investigation for information used for hacking techniques that can be practiced against I and C systems. The monitoring variables of NMS in the IT field and the information about the malicious behaviors used for hacking were derived as expected variables to be monitored for an I and C cyber security research. The derived monitoring variables were classified into the five functions of NMS for efficient management. For the cyber security of I and C systems, the vulnerabilities should be understood through a penetration test etc. and an assessment of influences on the actual system should be carried out. Thus, constructing a test-bed of I and C systems is necessary for the safety system in operation. In the future, it will be necessary to develop a logging and monitoring system for studies on the vulnerabilities of I and C systems with test-beds

  14. Blauwe ogen schieten tekort. Lessen voor sponsoring van landschap

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Overbeek, M.M.M.; Graaff, de R.P.M.

    2010-01-01

    Literatuuronderzoek en gesprekken met (ervarings)deskundigen en vertegenwoordigers van bedrijven in Amstelland en in Het Groene Woud over het proces en de voorwaarden van bedrijven om sponsoring van landschap te realiseren. Sponsoring gebeurt meestal in het kader van mvo, waarbij bedrijven de

  15. The Political Economy of Federally Sponsored Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bart Ragon

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Librarian involvement in the Open Access (OA movement has traditionally focused on access to scholarly publications. Recent actions by the White House have focused attention on access on the data produced from federally sponsored research. Questions have emerged concerning access to the output of federally sponsored research and whether it is a public or private good. Understanding the political battle over access to federally funded research is closely tied to the ownership of the peer review process in higher education and associated revenue streams, and as a result, interest groups seeking to influence government regulation have politicized the issues. As a major funder of research in higher education, policies from the federal government are likely to drive change in research practices at higher education institutions and impact library services. The political economy of federally sponsored research data will shape research enterprises in higher education inspire a number of new services distributed throughout the research life cycle.

  16. Derivation and application of mathematical model for well test analysis with variable skin factor in hydrocarbon reservoirs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pengcheng Liu

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Skin factor is often regarded as a constant in most of the mathematical model for well test analysis in oilfields, but this is only a kind of simplified treatment with the actual skin factor changeable. This paper defined the average permeability of a damaged area as a function of time by using the definition of skin factor. Therefore a relationship between a variable skin factor and time was established. The variable skin factor derived was introduced into existing traditional models rather than using a constant skin factor, then, this newly derived mathematical model for well test analysis considering variable skin factor was solved by Laplace transform. The dimensionless wellbore pressure and its derivative changed with dimensionless time were plotted with double logarithm and these plots can be used for type curve fitting. The effects of all the parameters in the expression of variable skin factor were analyzed based on the dimensionless wellbore pressure and its derivative. Finally, actual well testing data were used to fit the type curves developed which validates the applicability of the mathematical model from Sheng-2 Block, Shengli Oilfield, China.

  17. "Food company sponsors are kind, generous and cool": (Misconceptions of junior sports players

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    King Lesley

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Children's exposure to unhealthy food marketing influences their food knowledge, preferences and consumption. Sport sponsorship by food companies is widespread and industry investment in this marketing is increasing. This study aimed to assess children's awareness of sport sponsors and their brand-related attitudes and purchasing intentions in response to this marketing. Methods Sports clubs known to have food sponsors and representing the most popular sports for Australian children across a range of demographic areas were recruited. Interview-based questionnaires were conducted at clubs with children aged 10-14 years (n = 103 to examine their recall of local sports club and elite sport sponsors, and their attitudes towards sponsors and sponsorship activities. Results Most children (68% could recall sponsors of their sports club, naming a median of two sponsors, including a median of one food company sponsor each. Almost half (47% of children could recall any sponsors of their favourite elite sporting team. Children aged 10-11 years were more likely than older children to report that they thought about sponsors when buying something to eat or drink (P Conclusions Children's high recall of food and beverage company sport sponsors and their positive attitudes towards these sponsors and their promotions is concerning as this is likely to be linked to children's food preferences and consumption. Limiting children's exposure to this marketing is an important initiative to improve children's nutrition.

  18. Event seeking for sponsors: Case Helsinki Pride

    OpenAIRE

    Jaakkola, Johanna

    2014-01-01

    This thesis was done for HeSeTa Ry (Helsingin seudun seksuaalinen tasavertaisuus ry) and the goal was to find out how Helsinki Pride could get sponsors more efficiently and how the co-operation could be made more long lasting with the current sponsors. Helsinki Pride is an event organized in Helsinki each year in June. It is also the biggest LGBT event organized in Finland. The biggest event of the week is the Gay Parade and the Party in the Park. In 2014 only these events had over 20 000 par...

  19. Criminal implication of sponsoring in medicine: legal ramifactions and recommendations; Strafrechtliche Bedeutung des Sponsorings in der Medizin: Gesetzliche Rahmenbedingungen und Handlungsempfehlungen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahnken, A.H.; Guenther, R.W. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Universitaetsklinikum Aachen (Germany); Theilmann, M. [Rechtsanwalt Martin Theilmann, Osnabrueck (Germany); Bolenz, M. [Fakultaet Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Fachhochschule Osnabrueck (Germany)

    2005-08-01

    As a consequence of the so-called ''Heart-Valve-Affair'' in 1994, the German public became aware of the potential criminal significance of industrial sponsoring and third-party financial support in medicine. Since 1997, when the German Anti-Corruption Law came into effect, the penal regulations regarding bribery and benefits for public officers were tightened. Due to the lack of explicit and generally accepted guidelines in combination with regional differences of jurisdiction, there is a lingering uncertainty regarding the criminal aspects of third-party funding and industrial sponsoring. The aim of this review is to summarize the penal and professional implications of third-party funding and sponsoring in medicine including recent aspects of jurisdiction. The currently available recommendations on this issue are introduced. (orig.)

  20. Beware: this is sponsored! How disclosures of sponsored content affect persuasion knowledge and brand responses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boerman, S.; van Reijmersdal, E.; Neijens, P.

    2012-01-01

    This study examined how disclosure of sponsored content influences persuasion knowledge and brand responses (i.e., brand memory and brand attitude). Moreover, we tested whether extending disclosure duration increases its effect. We conducted an experiment (N = 116) in which we compared the effects

  1. 42 CFR 423.401 - General requirements for PDP sponsors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... sponsor is organized and licensed under State law as a risk bearing entity eligible to offer health insurance or health benefits coverage in each State in which it offers a prescription drug plan. If not... with State Law and Preemption by Federal Law § 423.401 General requirements for PDP sponsors. (a...

  2. TEDS-M 2008 User Guide for the International Database. Supplement 3: Variables Derived from the Educator and Future Teacher Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brese, Falk, Ed.

    2012-01-01

    This supplement contains documentation on all the derived variables contained in the TEDS-M educator and future teacher data files. These derived variables were used to report data in the TEDS-M international reports. The variables that constitute the scales and indices are made available as part of the TEDS-M International Database to be used in…

  3. "Food company sponsors are kind, generous and cool": (mis)conceptions of junior sports players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Bridget; Baur, Louise A; Bauman, Adrian E; King, Lesley; Chapman, Kathy; Smith, Ben J

    2011-09-05

    Children's exposure to unhealthy food marketing influences their food knowledge, preferences and consumption. Sport sponsorship by food companies is widespread and industry investment in this marketing is increasing. This study aimed to assess children's awareness of sport sponsors and their brand-related attitudes and purchasing intentions in response to this marketing. Sports clubs known to have food sponsors and representing the most popular sports for Australian children across a range of demographic areas were recruited. Interview-based questionnaires were conducted at clubs with children aged 10-14 years (n = 103) to examine their recall of local sports club and elite sport sponsors, and their attitudes towards sponsors and sponsorship activities. Most children (68%) could recall sponsors of their sports club, naming a median of two sponsors, including a median of one food company sponsor each. Almost half (47%) of children could recall any sponsors of their favourite elite sporting team. Children aged 10-11 years were more likely than older children to report that they thought about sponsors when buying something to eat or drink (P return the favour to sponsors by buying their products (P marketing is an important initiative to improve children's nutrition.

  4. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring-derived short-term blood pressure variability in primary hyperparathyroidism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Concistrè, A; Grillo, A; La Torre, G; Carretta, R; Fabris, B; Petramala, L; Marinelli, C; Rebellato, A; Fallo, F; Letizia, C

    2018-04-01

    Primary hyperparathyroidism is associated with a cluster of cardiovascular manifestations, including hypertension, leading to increased cardiovascular risk. The aim of our study was to investigate the ambulatory blood pressure monitoring-derived short-term blood pressure variability in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, in comparison with patients with essential hypertension and normotensive controls. Twenty-five patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (7 normotensive,18 hypertensive) underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring at diagnosis, and fifteen out of them were re-evaluated after parathyroidectomy. Short-term-blood pressure variability was derived from ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and calculated as the following: 1) Standard Deviation of 24-h, day-time and night-time-BP; 2) the average of day-time and night-time-Standard Deviation, weighted for the duration of the day and night periods (24-h "weighted" Standard Deviation of BP); 3) average real variability, i.e., the average of the absolute differences between all consecutive BP measurements. Baseline data of normotensive and essential hypertension patients were matched for age, sex, BMI and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring values with normotensive and hypertensive-primary hyperparathyroidism patients, respectively. Normotensive-primary hyperparathyroidism patients showed a 24-h weighted Standard Deviation (P blood pressure higher than that of 12 normotensive controls. 24-h average real variability of systolic BP, as well as serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels, were reduced in operated patients (P blood pressure variability is increased in normotensive patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and is reduced by parathyroidectomy, and may potentially represent an additional cardiovascular risk factor in this disease.

  5. Dynamics with infinitely many derivatives: variable coefficient equations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnaby, Neil; Kamran, Niky

    2008-01-01

    Infinite order differential equations have come to play an increasingly significant role in theoretical physics. Field theories with infinitely many derivatives are ubiquitous in string field theory and have attracted interest recently also from cosmologists. Crucial to any application is a firm understanding of the mathematical structure of infinite order partial differential equations. In our previous work we developed a formalism to study the initial value problem for linear infinite order equations with constant coefficients. Our approach relied on the use of a contour integral representation for the functions under consideration. In many applications, including the study of cosmological perturbations in nonlocal inflation, one must solve linearized partial differential equations about some time-dependent background. This typically leads to variable coefficient equations, in which case the contour integral methods employed previously become inappropriate. In this paper we develop the theory of a particular class of linear infinite order partial differential equations with variable coefficients. Our formalism is particularly well suited to the types of equations that arise in nonlocal cosmological perturbation theory. As an example to illustrate our formalism we compute the leading corrections to the scalar field perturbations in p-adic inflation and show explicitly that these are small on large scales.

  6. 14 CFR 152.105 - Sponsors and planning agencies: Airport planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Sponsors and planning agencies: Airport planning. 152.105 Section 152.105 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF....105 Sponsors and planning agencies: Airport planning. (a) To be eligible to apply for a project for...

  7. The Complex Dynamics of Sponsored Search Markets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robu, Valentin; La Poutré, Han; Bohte, Sander

    This paper provides a comprehensive study of the structure and dynamics of online advertising markets, mostly based on techniques from the emergent discipline of complex systems analysis. First, we look at how the display rank of a URL link influences its click frequency, for both sponsored search and organic search. Second, we study the market structure that emerges from these queries, especially the market share distribution of different advertisers. We show that the sponsored search market is highly concentrated, with less than 5% of all advertisers receiving over 2/3 of the clicks in the market. Furthermore, we show that both the number of ad impressions and the number of clicks follow power law distributions of approximately the same coefficient. However, we find this result does not hold when studying the same distribution of clicks per rank position, which shows considerable variance, most likely due to the way advertisers divide their budget on different keywords. Finally, we turn our attention to how such sponsored search data could be used to provide decision support tools for bidding for combinations of keywords. We provide a method to visualize keywords of interest in graphical form, as well as a method to partition these graphs to obtain desirable subsets of search terms.

  8. Building Strong Bonds with Program Sponsors--Public Relations Ideas To Make It Happen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephens, Karen

    2003-01-01

    Lists public relations strategies for child care center directors seeking to cultivate relationships with their program sponsors. Suggests ways to identify a public relations message, make the sponsor part of the child care family, become part of the sponsor's family, give public recognition, and share the children's accomplishments. (JPB)

  9. Market Imperfections and Firm-Sponsored Training

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Picchio, M.; van Ours, J.C.

    2010-01-01

    Recent human capital theories predict that labor market frictions and product market competition influence firm-sponsored training. Using matched worker-firm data from Dutch manufacturing, our paper empirically assesses the validity of these predictions. We find that a decrease in labor market

  10. Modes of ocean variability in the tropical Pacific as derived from GEOSAT altimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zou Jiansheng

    1993-01-01

    Satellite-derived (GEOSAT) sea surface height anomalies for the period November 1986 to August 1989 were investigated in order to extract the dominant modes of climate variability in the tropical Pacific. Four modes are identified by applying the POP technique. The first mode has a time scale of about 3 months and can be identified with the first baroclinic equatorial Kelvin wave mode. The second mode has a time scale of about six months and describes the semi-annual cycle in tropical Pacific sea level. Equatorial wave propagation is also crucial for this mode. The third mode is the annual cycle which is dominated by Ekman dynamics. Wave propagation or reflection are found to be unimportant. The fourth mode is associated with the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. The ENSO mode is found to be consistent with the 'delayed action oscillator' scenario. The results are substantiated by a companion analysis of the sea surface height variability simulated with an oceanic general circulation model (OGCM) forced by observed wind stresses for the period 1961 to 1989. The modal decomposition of the sea level variability is found to be similar to that derived from the GEOSAT data. The high consistency between the satellite and the model data indicates the high potential value of satellite altimetry for climate modeling and forecasting. (orig.)

  11. 7 CFR 226.16 - Sponsoring organization provisions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... comparison, reviewers must determine whether the meal counts were accurate. If there is a discrepancy between...) Program payments. The sponsoring organization must continue to pay any claims for reimbursement for...

  12. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring-derived short-term blood pressure variability is increased in Cushing's syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rebellato, Andrea; Grillo, Andrea; Dassie, Francesca; Sonino, Nicoletta; Maffei, Pietro; Martini, Chiara; Paoletta, Agostino; Fabris, Bruno; Carretta, Renzo; Fallo, Francesco

    2014-11-01

    Cushing's syndrome is associated with high cardiovascular morbility and mortality. Blood pressure (BP) variability within a 24-h period is increasingly recognized as an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk. The aim of our study was to investigate the short-term BP variability indices in Cushing's syndrome. Twenty-five patients with Cushing's syndrome (mean age 49 ± 13 years, 4 males; 21 Cushing's disease and 4 adrenal adenoma patients) underwent 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) and evaluation of cardiovascular risk factors. Cushing patients were divided into 8 normotensive (NOR-CUSH) and 17 hypertensive (HYP-CUSH) patients and were compared with 20 normotensive (NOR-CTR) and 20 hypertensive (HYP-CTR) age-, sex-, and BMI-matched control subjects. Short-term BP variability was derived from ABPM and calculated as the following: (1) standard deviation (SD) of 24-h, daytime, and nighttime BP; (2) 24-h weighted SD of BP; and (3) average real variability (ARV), i.e., the average of the absolute differences between consecutive BP measurements over 24 h. In comparison with controls, patients with Cushing's syndrome, either normotensive or hypertensive, had higher 24-h and daytime SD of BP, as well as higher 24-h weighted SD and ARV of BP (P = 0.03 to P CUSH or between HYP-CTR and HYP-CUSH subgroups. ABPM-derived short-term BP variability is increased in Cushing's syndrome, independent of BP elevation. It may represent an additional cardiovascular risk factor in this disease. The role of excess cortisol in BP variability has to be further clarified.

  13. 22 CFR 62.3 - Sponsor eligibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Sponsor eligibility. 62.3 Section 62.3 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND EXCHANGES EXCHANGE VISITOR PROGRAM General Provisions... visitor program are: (1) United States local, state and federal government agencies; (2) International...

  14. [Criminal implication of sponsoring in medicine: legal ramifactions and recommendations].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahnken, A H; Theilmann, M; Bolenz, M; Günther, R W

    2005-08-01

    As a consequence of the so-called "Heart-Valve-Affair" in 1994, the German public became aware of the potential criminal significance of industrial sponsoring and third-party financial support in medicine. Since 1997, when the German Anti-Corruption Law came into effect, the penal regulations regarding bribery and benefits for public officers were tightened. Due to the lack of explicit and generally accepted guidelines in combination with regional differences of jurisdiction, there is a lingering uncertainty regarding the criminal aspects of third-party funding and industrial sponsoring. The aim of this review is to summarize the penal and professional implications of third-party funding and sponsoring in medicine including recent aspects of jurisdiction. The currently available recommendations on this issue are introduced.

  15. Criminal implication of sponsoring in medicine: legal ramifactions and recommendations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahnken, A.H.; Guenther, R.W.; Theilmann, M.; Bolenz, M.

    2005-01-01

    As a consequence of the so-called ''Heart-Valve-Affair'' in 1994, the German public became aware of the potential criminal significance of industrial sponsoring and third-party financial support in medicine. Since 1997, when the German Anti-Corruption Law came into effect, the penal regulations regarding bribery and benefits for public officers were tightened. Due to the lack of explicit and generally accepted guidelines in combination with regional differences of jurisdiction, there is a lingering uncertainty regarding the criminal aspects of third-party funding and industrial sponsoring. The aim of this review is to summarize the penal and professional implications of third-party funding and sponsoring in medicine including recent aspects of jurisdiction. The currently available recommendations on this issue are introduced. (orig.)

  16. Sponsored Research & the Freedom of Publication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Packham, David

    This paper examines conflicts and collaboration between industry and universities regarding sponsored research and freedom of publication, particularly in the United Kingdom. An opening section notes that the values of the market and the university are in fundamental conflict which presents problems for institutions attempting to work in…

  17. Sponsorship investments: do they deliver brand awareness for all sponsors?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mpolokeng Sephapo Catherine

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Sponsorship as a marketing communications tool is well adopted in South Africa across various areas such as sports and entertainment. Although world markets have experienced economic turmoil in the last few years, the sponsorship market may be considered to be thriving as companies use this marketing communication tool as a vehicle to create and maintain relationships. The purpose of this study was to explore which sponsors of the South African National Rugby team are sports consumers aware of as a result of the sponsorship. Literature states that awareness also influences the judgments about brands in the consideration set, even without any brand associations in the consumer’s mind. In low involvement decision; where consumers do not need to search extensively for information in order to make a decision; minimal brand awareness levels may be enough to convince the consumer to make their final choice. The study is exploratory in nature however provides a South African perspective on how effective the sponsorship of the Springbok is with regards to creating awareness of the sponsors among sports consumers. The study made use of a qualitative approach whereby primary data was collected by means of focus groups and naïve sketches. Data collected was analyzed by means of content analysis. The findings suggest that participants were predominantly aware of the key sponsors of the Springboks; these were sponsors who had their branding on the Springbok jersey worn during rugby matches. The factors that participants mentioned to contribute to their awareness of the sponsors were the branding on the Springbok playing jersey as well as television adverts along with other promotional tools. This study urges sponsors to not only rely on the sponsorship initiative to create awareness but rather leverage the sponsorship with tools that are relevant to their target audience. This study contributes to sponsorship literature relating to the effectiveness of

  18. Evaluation of the performance of hydrological variables derived from GLDAS-2 and MERRA-2 in Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Real-Rangel, R. A.; Pedrozo-Acuña, A.; Breña-Naranjo, J. A.

    2017-12-01

    Hydrological studies have found in data assimilation systems and global reanalysis of land surface variables (e.g soil moisture, streamflow) a wide range of applications, from drought monitoring to water balance and hydro-climatology variability assessment. Indeed, these hydrological data sources have led to an improvement in developing and testing monitoring and prediction systems in poorly gauged regions of the world. This work tests the accuracy and error of land surface variables (precipitation, soil moisture, runoff and temperature) derived from the data assimilation reanalysis products GLDAS-2 and MERRA-2. Validate the performance of these data platforms must be thoroughly evaluated in order to consider the error of hydrological variables (i.e., precipitation, soil moisture, runoff and temperature) derived from the reanalysis products. For such purpose, a quantitative assessment was performed at 2,892 climatological stations, 42 stream gauges and 44 soil moisture probes located in Mexico and across different climate regimes (hyper-arid to tropical humid). Results show comparisons between these gridded products against ground-based observational stations for 1979-2014. The results of this analysis display a spatial distribution of errors and accuracy over Mexico discussing differences between climates, enabling the informed use of these products.

  19. Asthma: NIH-Sponsored Research and Clinical Trials | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... of this page please turn Javascript on. Feature: Asthma Asthma: NIH-Sponsored Research and Clinical Trials Past Issues / Fall 2011 Table of Contents NIH-Sponsored Research Asthma in the Inner City: Recognizing that asthma severity ...

  20. Chemical equilibrium. [maximizing entropy of gas system to derive relations between thermodynamic variables

    Science.gov (United States)

    1976-01-01

    The entropy of a gas system with the number of particles subject to external control is maximized to derive relations between the thermodynamic variables that obtain at equilibrium. These relations are described in terms of the chemical potential, defined as equivalent partial derivatives of entropy, energy, enthalpy, free energy, or free enthalpy. At equilibrium, the change in total chemical potential must vanish. This fact is used to derive the equilibrium constants for chemical reactions in terms of the partition functions of the species involved in the reaction. Thus the equilibrium constants can be determined accurately, just as other thermodynamic properties, from a knowledge of the energy levels and degeneracies for the gas species involved. These equilibrium constants permit one to calculate the equilibrium concentrations or partial pressures of chemically reacting species that occur in gas mixtures at any given condition of pressure and temperature or volume and temperature.

  1. Exclusion of pregnant women from industry-sponsored clinical trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shields, Kristine E; Lyerly, Anne Drapkin

    2013-11-01

    The lack of human data available to inform evidence-based treatment for illness during pregnancy has led to calls for greater inclusion of pregnant women in research, but the extent of their current representation is poorly characterized. Our objective was to measure the current exclusion of pregnant women from industry-sponsored clinical trials as a baseline for future comparison. We compiled data from studies enrolling women of childbearing potential posted on www.ClinicalTrials.gov between 1 October 2011 and 31 January 2012. The review was limited to open United States-based phase IV interventional studies sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry evaluating treatment of conditions that may be experienced by but are not limited to pregnant women and did not involve a medication classified as potentially teratogenic. If there was no mention of pregnancy in the inclusion or exclusion criteria, we contacted a study representative to confirm that pregnant women could be enrolled. Of 558 qualifying industry-sponsored studies, five (1%) were designed specifically for pregnant women. Of 367 phase IV clinical trials with verified inclusion and exclusion criteria, 348 (95%) excluded pregnant women and 19 (5%) did not. We found the exclusion of pregnant women from industry-sponsored clinical trials to be common practice. Moving beyond reflexive exclusion and developing thoughtful criteria for inclusion of pregnant women in clinical research would likely advance the evidence base to inform treatment decisions during pregnancy and lead to better health outcomes for women and children.

  2. The relationship between absenteeism and employer-sponsored ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Establishing on- site employer-sponsored child-care facilities is an example of such ..... The sample size and characteristics of each of the groups are presented in Table 1. Table 1: ...... 'A qualitative and quantitative review of antecedents.

  3. 21 CFR 500.84 - Conditions for approval of the sponsored compound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Conditions for approval of the sponsored compound. 500.84 Section 500.84 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... Used in Food-Producing Animals § 500.84 Conditions for approval of the sponsored compound. (a) On the...

  4. DOE-EERC jointly sponsored research program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hendrikson, J.G.; Sondreal, E.A.

    1999-09-01

    U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Cooperative Agreement DE-FC21-93MC30098 funded through the Office of Fossil Energy and administered at the Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC) supported the performance of a Jointly Sponsored Research Program (JSRP) at the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) with a minimum 50% nonfederal cost share to assist industry in commercializing and effectively applying efficient, nonpolluting energy technologies that can compete effectively in meeting market demands for clean fuels, chemical feedstocks, and electricity in the 21st century. The objective of the JSRP was to advance the deployment of advanced technologies for improving energy efficiency and environmental performance through jointly sponsored research on topics that would not be adequately addressed by the private sector alone. Examples of such topics include the barriers to hot-gas cleaning impeding the deployment of high-efficiency power systems and the search for practical means for sequestering CO{sub 2} generated by fossil fuel combustion. The selection of particular research projects was guided by a combination of DOE priorities and market needs, as provided by the requirement for joint venture funding approved both by DOE and the private sector sponsor. The research addressed many different energy resource and related environmental problems, with emphasis directed toward the EERC's historic lead mission in low-rank coals (LRCs), which represent approximately half of the U.S. coal resources in the conterminous states, much larger potential resources in Alaska, and a major part of the energy base in the former U.S.S.R., East Central Europe, and the Pacific Rim. The Base and JSRP agreements were tailored to the growing awareness of critical environmental issues, including water supply and quality, air toxics (e.g., mercury), fine respirable particulate matter (PM{sub 2.5}), and the goal of zero net CO{sub 2} emissions.

  5. 76 FR 68808 - Exchange Visitor Program-Cap on Current Participant Levels and Moratorium on New Sponsor...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-07

    ... participants for whom sponsors are responsible and the third parties that sponsors rely upon to assist them in administering their programs (i.e., U.S. employers and foreign agents); (b) requires that participants from non... sponsors to fully vet employers and all SWT job offers; and, (d) requires sponsors to contact current...

  6. What can Bilfinger teach Olympic sponsors?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Dodds

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Bilfinger SE (Bilfinger is a leading international engineering and services group (Bilfinger.com, 2015, and was a local sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The company is accused of paying bribes through its subsidiary company, Mauell, (dw. com, 2015 to public officials in Brazil for contracts related to the 2014 World Cup (Cassin, 2015. The corruption allegations relate to orders to equip security command centers at twelve host cities during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil (dw.com, 2015. Because Brazil hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup and will host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, companies need to consider the risks of many international anti-corruption laws, such as Brazil’s anti-corruption law commonly referred as The Clean Companies Act and other applicable anticorruption law like the United States’ Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (Rogers, et. al, 2014. This paper will analyze the Bilfinger case involving corruption activity at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and offer insights for sponsors of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

  7. Committees and sponsors

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-01

    International Advisory Committee Richard F CastenYale, USA Luiz Carlos ChamonSão Paulo, Brazil Osvaldo CivitareseLa Plata, Argentina Jozsef CsehATOMKI, Hungary Jerry P DraayerLSU, USA Alfredo Galindo-UribarriORNL & UT, USA James J KolataNotre Dame, USA Jorge López UTEP, USA Joseph B NatowitzTexas A & M, USA Ma Esther Ortiz IF-UNAM Stuart PittelDelaware, USA Andrés SandovalIF-UNAM Adam SzczepaniakIndiana, USA Piet Van IsackerGANIL, France Michael WiescherNotre Dame, USA Organizing Committee Libertad Barrón-Palos (Chair)IF-UNAM Roelof BijkerICN-UNAM Ruben FossionICN-UNAM David LizcanoININ Sponsors Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, UNAMInstituto de Física, UNAMInstituto Nacional de Investigaciones NuclearesDivisión de Física Nuclear de la SMFCentro Latinoamericano de Física

  8. 22 CFR 42.31 - Family-sponsored immigrants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Family-sponsored immigrants. 42.31 Section 42.31 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Immigrants Subject to Numerical Limitations § 42.31 Family...

  9. Fluid Mechanics and Complex Variable Theory: Getting Past the 19th Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newton, Paul K.

    2017-01-01

    The subject of fluid mechanics is a rich, vibrant, and rapidly developing branch of applied mathematics. Historically, it has developed hand-in-hand with the elegant subject of complex variable theory. The Westmont College NSF-sponsored workshop on the revitalization of complex variable theory in the undergraduate curriculum focused partly on…

  10. 76 FR 2807 - New Animal Drugs; Change of Sponsor; Follicle Stimulating Hormone

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-18

    ... [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0002] New Animal Drugs; Change of Sponsor; Follicle Stimulating Hormone AGENCY...) is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect a change of sponsor for a new animal drug....O. Box 324-12, Tyler, TX 75703 has informed FDA that it has transferred ownership of, and all rights...

  11. Recycling: Establishing a Citizen-Sponsored Reclamation Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keep America Beautiful, Inc., New York, NY.

    This booklet applies the Clean Community System (CCS) of Keep America Beautiful, Inc. to the development of citizen-sponsored recycling projects. Six initial steps in establishing a reclamation center are given and include information gathering, market analysis, legal requirements, and site location. Suggestions are included for recruiting staff…

  12. Trends and inter-annual variability of methane emissions derived from 1979-1993 global CTM simulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Dentener

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available The trend and interannual variability of methane sources are derived from multi-annual simulations of tropospheric photochemistry using a 3-D global chemistry-transport model. Our semi-inverse analysis uses the fifteen years (1979--1993 re-analysis of ECMWF meteorological data and annually varying emissions including photo-chemistry, in conjunction with observed CH4 concentration distributions and trends derived from the NOAA-CMDL surface stations. Dividing the world in four zonal regions (45--90 N, 0--45 N, 0--45 S, 45--90 S we find good agreement in each region between (top-down calculated emission trends from model simulations and (bottom-up estimated anthropogenic emission trends based on the EDGAR global anthropogenic emission database, which amounts for the period 1979--1993 2.7 Tg CH4 yr-1. Also the top-down determined total global methane emission compares well with the total of the bottom-up estimates. We use the difference between the bottom-up and top-down determined emission trends to calculate residual emissions. These residual emissions represent the inter-annual variability of the methane emissions. Simulations have been performed in which the year-to-year meteorology, the emissions of ozone precursor gases, and the stratospheric ozone column distribution are either varied, or kept constant. In studies of methane trends it is most important to include the trends and variability of the oxidant fields. The analyses reveals that the variability of the emissions is of the order of 8Tg CH4 yr-1, and likely related to wetland emissions and/or biomass burning.

  13. Measuring Consumer Reactions to Sponsoring Partnerships Based upon Emotional and Attitudinal Responses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riis Christensen, Sverre

    2004-01-01

    Consumers' reactions from being exposed to sponsorships has primarily been measured and docu-mented applying cognitive information processing models to the phenomenon. In the paper it is argued that such effects are probably better modelled applying models of peripheral information processing...... in consumer reactions towards sponsored objects of different natures as well as towards potential sponsoring organisations. For instance, the charitable institutions measured in the study elicit larger negative emotional re-sponses than positive responses, corresponding to a negative Net Emotional Response...... to the net scores and to the full evaluations on the attitude and emotion batteries and it seems as if the latter approach will be richer in explanatory power for a potential sponsor....

  14. An industry-sponsored, school-focused model for continuing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    An industry-sponsored, school-focused model for continuing professional ... HEIs and Departments of Education (DoE), could change the traditional concept that CPTD is the responsibility of DoEs into a new model where the business

  15. Improving evapotranspiration in a land surface model using biophysical variables derived from MSG/SEVIRI satellite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Ghilain

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Monitoring evapotranspiration over land is highly dependent on the surface state and vegetation dynamics. Data from spaceborn platforms are desirable to complement estimations from land surface models. The success of daily evapotranspiration monitoring at continental scale relies on the availability, quality and continuity of such data. The biophysical variables derived from SEVIRI on board the geostationary satellite Meteosat Second Generation (MSG and distributed by the Satellite Application Facility on Land surface Analysis (LSA-SAF are particularly interesting for such applications, as they aimed at providing continuous and consistent daily time series in near-real time over Africa, Europe and South America. In this paper, we compare them to monthly vegetation parameters from a database commonly used in numerical weather predictions (ECOCLIMAP-I, showing the benefits of the new daily products in detecting the spatial and temporal (seasonal and inter-annual variability of the vegetation, especially relevant over Africa. We propose a method to handle Leaf Area Index (LAI and Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC products for evapotranspiration monitoring with a land surface model at 3–5 km spatial resolution. The method is conceived to be applicable for near-real time processes at continental scale and relies on the use of a land cover map. We assess the impact of using LSA-SAF biophysical variables compared to ECOCLIMAP-I on evapotranspiration estimated by the land surface model H-TESSEL. Comparison with in-situ observations in Europe and Africa shows an improved estimation of the evapotranspiration, especially in semi-arid climates. Finally, the impact on the land surface modelled evapotranspiration is compared over a north–south transect with a large gradient of vegetation and climate in Western Africa using LSA-SAF radiation forcing derived from remote sensing. Differences are highlighted. An evaluation against remote sensing derived land

  16. Effect of Crop-Straw Derived Biochars on Pb(II) Adsorption in Two Variable Charge Soils

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    JIANG Tian-yu; XU Ren-kou; GU Tian-xia; JIANG Jun

    2014-01-01

    Two variable charge soils were incubated with biochars derived from straws of peanut, soybean, canola, and rice to investigate the effect of the biochars on their chemical properties and Pb(II) adsorption using batch experiments. The results showed soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) and pH signiifcantly increased after 30 d of incubation with the biochars added. The incorporation of the biochars markedly increased the adsorption of Pb(II), and both the electrostatic and non-electrostatic adsorption mechanisms contributed to Pb(II) adsorption by the variable charge soils. Adsorption isotherms illustrated legume-straw derived biochars more greatly increased Pb(II) adsorption on soils through the non-electrostatic mechanism via the formation of surface complexes between Pb(II) and acid functional groups of the biochars than did non-legume straw biochars. The adsorption capacity of Pb(II) increased, while the desorption amount slightly decreased with the increasing suspension pH for the studied soils, especially in a high suspension pH, indicating that precipitation also plays an important role in immobilizing Pb(II) to the soils.

  17. Unfulfilled translation opportunities in industry sponsored clinical trials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Smed, Marie; Getz, Kenneth A.

    2013-01-01

    in the industry and site representatives are changing. The process of clinical trials has increased in complexity over the years, resulting in additional management layers. Besides an increase in internal management layers, sponsors often also outsource various tasks related to clinical trials to a CRO (Contract...... Research Organization) and thereby adding another link in the relationships between site and sponsor. These changes are intended to optimize the time-consuming and costly trial phases; however, there is a need to study whether valuable knowledge and experience is compromised in the process. Limited......' knowledge gained in clinical trials is utilized by the industry. Responses from 451 global investigative site representatives are included in the study. The analysis of the extensive dataset reveals that the current processes of collaboration between sites and the industry restrict the leverage of valuable...

  18. On a State-Sponsored Sport System in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Jie; Zhiwei, Pan

    The gold medal success of China in recent Olympic Games can be traced to the advancement of the state-sponsored sport system (SSSS). While the program was developed initially through socialist ideals, it is more than a centralized government system to monopolize resources for glorified sport performance. Participation in competition is an inherent part of the human condition. Success in athletics is associated with national identity and has economic, social, and cultural implications. Because of this, it is essential that the SSSS adjust and improve to keep pace with other facets of China's quickly changing national reform. In association with emerging economic reform, some sports now receive equal or more funds from private investments compared to government allocation. The state-sponsored sport system must continue to adapt to maintain the Chinese tradition of excellence in competition.

  19. TIMSS 2011 User Guide for the International Database. Supplement 3: Variables Derived from the Student, Home, Teacher, and School Questionnaire Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foy, Pierre, Ed.; Arora, Alka, Ed.; Stanco, Gabrielle M., Ed.

    2013-01-01

    This supplement contains documentation on all the derived variables contained in the TIMSS 2011 data files that are based on background questionnaire variables. These variables were used to report background data in the TIMSS 2011 International Results in Mathematics and TIMSS 2011 International Results in Science reports, and are made available…

  20. 8 CFR 204.1 - General information about immediate relative and family-sponsored petitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... relative and family-sponsored petitions. 204.1 Section 204.1 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND... about immediate relative and family-sponsored petitions. (a) Types of petitions. Petitions may be filed..., Application to Determine Suitability as Adoptive Parents for a Convention adoptee; and (ii) After USCIS...

  1. Risk sharing between competing health plans and sponsors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    E.M. van Barneveld (Erik); W.P.M.M. van de Ven (Wynand); R.C.J.A. van Vliet (René)

    2001-01-01

    textabstractIn many countries, competing health plans receive capitation payments from a sponsor, whether government or a private employer. All capitation payment methods are far from perfect and have raised concerns about risk selection. Paying health plans partly on the basis

  2. Highlight: IDRC sponsors Caribbean symposium on impact of ...

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

    12 mai 2015 ... An IDRC-sponsored symposium exploring the impact of the Internet on economic ... Le symposium commandité par le CRDI, qui a eu lieu à Saint Andrew, ... Une nouvelle recherche fait état d'arguments convaincants pour ...

  3. The University Campus: Why Military Sponsored Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messing, Aubrey E.

    Military-sponsored research on the university campus has been a major issue during the past several years. Opposition has come from radicals, who wish to destroy the university itself, to critics, who feel such activities take needed funds and personnel from the more important task of solving our nation's social problems. These viewpoints and the…

  4. Lidar-derived variables as a proxy for fungal species richness and composition in temperate Northern Europe

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thers, Henrik; Brunbjerg, Ane Kirstine; Læssøe, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    . Lidar-derived variables performed best in predicting fungal richness and the first ordination axis, interpreted as a gradient from low and open herb-dominated communities over closed swards and scrubs to closed-canopy forests (cross validated r2 of 0.50 and 0.81, respectively). The number of red...

  5. Use and Misuse of Industry Sponsored Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DuVall, Charles R.; Krepel, Wayne J.

    A review of educational research reveals that free and inexpensive materials are used today to a much greater extent than they had been in the past. Two studies, sponsored by the American Iron and Steel Institute, are evidence of the producer's interest in determining the strengths and weaknesses of the materials being sent into classrooms and…

  6. Breather management in the derivative nonlinear Schrödinger equation with variable coefficients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhong, Wei-Ping, E-mail: zhongwp6@126.com [Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Shunde Polytechnic, Guangdong Province, Shunde 528300 (China); Texas A& M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23874 Doha (Qatar); Belić, Milivoj [Texas A& M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23874 Doha (Qatar); Malomed, Boris A. [Department of Physical Electronics, School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel); Huang, Tingwen [Texas A& M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23874 Doha (Qatar)

    2015-04-15

    We investigate breather solutions of the generalized derivative nonlinear Schrödinger (DNLS) equation with variable coefficients, which is used in the description of femtosecond optical pulses in inhomogeneous media. The solutions are constructed by means of the similarity transformation, which reduces a particular form of the generalized DNLS equation into the standard one, with constant coefficients. Examples of bright and dark breathers of different orders, that ride on finite backgrounds and may be related to rogue waves, are presented. - Highlights: • Exact solutions of a generalized derivative NLS equation are obtained. • The solutions are produced by means of a transformation to the usual integrable equation. • The validity of the solutions is verified by comparing them to numerical counterparts. • Stability of the solutions is checked by means of direct simulations. • The model applies to the propagation of ultrashort pulses in optical media.

  7. 7 CFR 225.14 - Requirements for sponsor participation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 225.14 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM Sponsor and Site Provisions... Youth Sports Program; and (5) Private nonprofit organizations as defined in § 225.2. (c) General...

  8. why sponsored posts on facebook and instagram are effective online branding tools

    OpenAIRE

    Eggers, Raphael

    2017-01-01

    This research is motivated by the incongruence of how businesses and contemporary research evaluate paid social media advertisement as online branding tools. Therefore, we examine the possibilities of social media marketing: why sponsored posts on Facebook and Instagram are effective online branding tools. A questionnaire was utilized to approach the research, and answer the hypotheses. Results from 316 participants indicated that sponsored posts were effective for brand awaren...

  9. Deriving Daytime Variables From the AmeriFlux Standard Eddy Covariance Data Set

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    van Ingen, Catharine [Berkeley Water Center. Berkeley, CA (United States); Microsoft. San Francisco, CA (United States); Agarwal, Deborah A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Berkeley Water Center. Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Humphrey, Marty [Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States); Li, Jie [Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States)

    2008-12-06

    A gap-filled, quality assessed eddy covariance dataset has recently become available for the AmeriFluxnetwork. This dataset uses standard processing and produces commonly used science variables. This shared dataset enables robust comparisons across different analyses. Of course, there are many remaining questions. One of those is how to define 'during the day' which is an important concept for many analyses. Some studies have used local time — for example 9am to 5pm; others have used thresholds on photosynthetic active radiation (PAR). A related question is how to derive quantities such as the Bowen ratio. Most studies compute the ratio of the averages of the latent heat (LE) and sensible heat (H). In this study, we use different methods of defining 'during the day' for GPP, LE, and H. We evaluate the differences between methods in two ways. First, we look at a number of statistics of GPP. Second, we look at differences in the derived Bowen ratio. Our goal is not science per se, but rather informatics in support of the science.

  10. 14 CFR 152.309 - Availability of sponsor's records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... (CONTINUED) AIRPORTS AIRPORT AID PROGRAM Accounting and Reporting Requirements § 152.309 Availability of... the purposes of accounting and audit. (b) The sponsor or planning agency shall allow appropriate FAA...-term retention value, the FAA may require transfer of custody of those records to the FAA. ...

  11. Consumer Perceptions of Sponsors of Disease Awareness Advertising

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Danika V.; Jones, Sandra C.; Iverson, Donald C.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: In many countries there is emerging concern regarding alliances between the pharmaceutical industry and health non-profit organizations (NPOs), and the increase of co-sponsored marketing activities such as disease awareness advertising. The current study aims to explore Australian women's perceptions of disease awareness advertising with…

  12. Failure mode analysis using state variables derived from fault trees with application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bartholomew, R.J.

    1982-01-01

    Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is used extensively to assess both the qualitative and quantitative reliability of engineered nuclear power systems employing many subsystems and components. FTA is very useful, but the method is limited by its inability to account for failure mode rate-of-change interdependencies (coupling) of statistically independent failure modes. The state variable approach (using FTA-derived failure modes as states) overcomes these difficulties and is applied to the determination of the lifetime distribution function for a heat pipe-thermoelectric nuclear power subsystem. Analyses are made using both Monte Carlo and deterministic methods and compared with a Markov model of the same subsystem

  13. [Analysis of projects of schistosomiasis sponsored by National Science Foundation of China].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen-di, Zhou; Liang, Shi; Xue-Dan, Ke; Jie, Wang

    2017-07-27

    To summarize the present development by analysis of projects in schistosomiasis funded by National Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Based on the ISIS database of NFSC, the projects in the studies of schistosomiasis from 2005 to 2016 were analyzed. The distributions of sponsored numbers, amounts, types, agencies, disciplines and changes in research topics by means of network profiles were described. During the study period, 198 projects were funded by NSFC totally with 76.05 million yuan in which the general and youth projects were main types. The main sponsored agencies were research institutes and medical colleges. The top three fields sponsored were medical pathogenic microbes and infection, veterinary and medical immunology. The funding on schistosomiasis researches has a downward trend, but studies are continuing in depth. In this situation, innovative and interdisciplinary researches need to be encouraged to promote the development of schistosomiasis.

  14. Identifying associations between sport sponsorship decision-making variables

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CH Van Heerden

    2004-04-01

    Full Text Available Sport sponsorship spending in South Africa has increased steadily. This paper discusses the findings of an exploratory study into key sponsorship decision-areas, namely the setting of sponsorship objectives, the integration of marketing communication variables into sponsorship to create a leverage effect, and the measurement of sponsorship success. It is argued that for a sponsorship to be successful certain associations should exist between these key decision-making areas and also among elements internal to each of these areas. The main findings are that the respondents indicated a bias towards setting media related objectives that will subsequently enable the sponsors to use media-related measurement tools. It is recommended that sponsors should develop alternative methods to measure the effectiveness of their sponsorships.

  15. What can Bilfinger teach Olympic sponsors?

    OpenAIRE

    Mark Dodds; Mauro Palmero

    2016-01-01

    Bilfinger SE (Bilfinger) is a leading international engineering and services group (Bilfinger.com, 2015), and was a local sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The company is accused of paying bribes through its subsidiary company, Mauell, (dw. com, 2015) to public officials in Brazil for contracts related to the 2014 World Cup (Cassin, 2015). The corruption allegations relate to orders to equip security command centers at twelve host cities during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil (dw.com, 2015). B...

  16. Undergraduates with Employer-Sponsored Aid: Comparing Group Differences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faulk, Dagney G.; Wang, Zhenlei

    2014-01-01

    Tuition assistance offered by employers is an understudied area of financial aid research. The purpose of this study is to compare the demographic, socioeconomic, academic and financial aid characteristics of college students who receive employer-sponsored financial aid with students who receive traditional financial aid (institutional, state, or…

  17. Measuring Consumer Reactions to Sponsoring Partnerships Based upon Emotional and Attitudinal Responses

    OpenAIRE

    Riis Christensen, Sverre

    2004-01-01

    Consumers reactions from being exposed to sponsorships has primarily been measured and docu-mented applying cognitive information processing models to the phenomenon. In the paper it is argued that such effects are probably better modelled applying models of peripheral information processing to the measurements, and it is suggested that the effects can be measured on the atti-tudes-towards-the sponsor and on the emotion-towards-the sponsor levels. This type of modelling is known as the ELAM m...

  18. Biopharmaceutical industry-sponsored global clinical trials in emerging countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarenga, Lenio Souza; Martins, Elisabeth Nogueira

    2010-01-01

    To evaluate biopharmaceutical industry-sponsored clinical trials placed in countries previously described as emerging regions for clinical research, and potential differences for those placed in Brazil. Data regarding recruitment of subjects for clinical trials were retrieved from www.clinicaltrials.gov on February 2nd 2009. Proportions of sites in each country were compared among emerging countries. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to evaluate whether trial placement in Brazil could be predicted by trial location in other countries and/or by trial features. A total of 8,501 trials were then active and 1,170 (13.8%) included sites in emerging countries (i.e., Argentina, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Korea, and South Africa). South Korea and China presented a significantly higher proportion of sites when compared to other countries (pattractiveness for biopharmaceutical industry-sponsored clinical trials.

  19. Enhanced evaluation data initiates a collaborative out-of-school time food sponsors work group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rifkin, Robin; Williams, Lauren A; Grode, Gabrielle M; Roberts-Johnson, Wendy-Anne

    2015-01-01

    Philadelphia's Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Out-of-School Time (OST) Initiative led by the Health Promotion Council developed 10 Healthy Living Guidelines for Out-of-School Time Programs to support a healthy environment for Philadelphia youth in 200 OST programs. Health Promotion Council participated in an enhanced cross-site evaluation with the national Robert Wood Johnson Foundation evaluator during the final year of funding to learn more about food and nutrition in the OST setting, and to share data and engage the OST food providers. A plate waste study measured the quantity and nutrition composition of meals served to youth compared to food not eaten. Staff interviews measured program adherence to the Healthy Living Guidelines, along with other facets of the food environment in 7 Philadelphia OST programs. Online surveys were sent to OST programs. Food providers (sponsors) were interviewed using Appreciative Inquiry methodology to gain insight into systems, goals, and common interests. Aggregated plate waste data from 7 observations showed an average of 42% of the food uneaten after meal/snack consumption, and high sodium content of the meals. Twenty-nine staff at OST programs completed the online survey, and 3 food sponsors were interviewed. Recommendations to improve the food included increasing variety, offering more salads, fruits and vegetables, and culturally appropriate foods. Food sponsor interviews showed a variety of meal production, distribution, service and training systems, and an interest in working together. The food sponsors met to review the data and prioritized common goals. They continue to work together to improve systems and meals for food service. A food sponsors work group formed and continues as a result of sharing enhanced cross-site data about food in OST settings. Food sponsors continue to work together to improve systems and nutritional offerings for Philadelphia OST programs.

  20. The Effects of Climate Variability on Phytoplankton Composition in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean using a Model and a Satellite-Derived Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rousseaux, C. S.; Gregg, W. W.

    2012-01-01

    Compared the interannual variation in diatoms, cyanobacteria, coccolithophores and chlorophytes from the NASA Ocean Biogeochemical Model with those derived from satellite data (Hirata et al. 2011) between 1998 and 2006 in the Equatorial Pacific. Using NOBM, La Ni a events were characterized by an increase in diatoms (correlation with MEI, r=-0.81, Pphytoplankton community in response to climate variability. However, satellite-derived phytoplankton groups were all negatively correlated with climate variability (r ranged from -0.39 for diatoms to -0.64 for coccolithophores, Pphytoplankton groups except diatoms than NOBM. However, the different responses of phytoplankton to intense interannual events in the Equatorial Pacific raises questions about the representation of phytoplankton dynamics in models and algorithms: is a phytoplankton community shift as in the model or an across-the-board change in abundances of all phytoplankton as in the satellite-derived approach.

  1. 29 CFR 4010.12 - Alternative method of compliance for certain sponsors of multiple employer plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION CERTAIN REPORTING AND DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS ANNUAL FINANCIAL AND ACTUARIAL INFORMATION REPORTING § 4010.12 Alternative method of compliance for certain sponsors of multiple employer... part for an information year if any contributing sponsor of the multiple employer plan provides a...

  2. Student experimenter and sponsor display SE83-9 'Chix in Space' incubator

    Science.gov (United States)

    1988-01-01

    Student experimenter John C. Vellinger (left) explains components of an incubator for his Student Experiment (SE) 83-9 Chicken Embryo Development in Space or 'Chix in Space' to be carried onboard STS-29 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103. Mark S. Deusser, representing the sponsoring organization, holds up the incubator for inspection by STS-29 crewmembers who will monitor in-space operation of the experiment. Mission Specialist (MS) Robert C. Springer is partially visible in the lower right foreground. The student's sponsor is Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).

  3. Mantle-derived trace element variability in olivines and their melt inclusions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neave, David A.; Shorttle, Oliver; Oeser, Martin; Weyer, Stefan; Kobayashi, Katsura

    2018-02-01

    Trace element variability in oceanic basalts is commonly used to constrain the physics of mantle melting and the chemistry of Earth's deep interior. However, the geochemical properties of mantle melts are often overprinted by mixing and crystallisation processes during ascent and storage. Studying primitive melt inclusions offers one solution to this problem, but the fidelity of the melt-inclusion archive to bulk magma chemistry has been repeatedly questioned. To provide a novel check of the melt inclusion record, we present new major and trace element analyses from olivine macrocrysts in the products of two geographically proximal, yet compositionally distinct, primitive eruptions from the Reykjanes Peninsula of Iceland. By combining these macrocryst analyses with new and published melt inclusion analyses we demonstrate that olivines have similar patterns of incompatible trace element (ITE) variability to the inclusions they host, capturing chemical systematics on intra- and inter-eruption scales. ITE variability (element concentrations, ratios, variances and variance ratios) in olivines from the ITE-enriched Stapafell eruption is best accounted for by olivine-dominated fractional crystallisation. In contrast, ITE variability in olivines and inclusions from the ITE-depleted Háleyjabunga eruption cannot be explained by crystallisation alone, and must have originated in the mantle. Compatible trace element (CTE) variability is best described by crystallisation processes in both eruptions. Modest correlations between host and inclusion ITE contents in samples from Háleyjabunga suggest that melt inclusions can be faithful archives of melting and magmatic processes. It also indicates that degrees of ITE enrichment can be estimated from olivines directly when melt inclusion and matrix glass records of geochemical variability are poor or absent. Inter-eruption differences in olivine ITE systematics between Stapafell and Háleyjabunga mirror differences in melt

  4. Legitimate Use of Military Force Against State-Sponsored International Terrorism

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Erickson, Richard

    1989-01-01

    ... is part of a larger strategy that seeks to maximize the risk of punishment for terrorists and their sponsors and supporters while minimizing their potential rewards, In this context military action...

  5. Forests: the potential consequences of climate variability and change

    Science.gov (United States)

    USDA Forest Service

    2001-01-01

    This pamphlet reports the recent scientific assessment that analyzed how future climate variablity and change may affect forests in the United States. The assessment, sponsored by the USDA Forest Service, and supported, in part, by the U.S Department of Energy, and the National Atmospheric and Space Administration, describes the suite of potential impacts on forests....

  6. Industry sponsored anti-smoking ads and adolescent reactance: test of a boomerang effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henriksen, L; Dauphinee, A L; Wang, Y; Fortmann, S P

    2006-02-01

    To examine whether adolescents' exposure to youth smoking prevention ads sponsored by tobacco companies promotes intentions to smoke, curiosity about smoking, and positive attitudes toward the tobacco industry. A randomised controlled experiment compared adolescents' responses to five smoking prevention ads sponsored by a tobacco company (Philip Morris or Lorillard), or to five smoking prevention ads sponsored by a non-profit organisation (the American Legacy Foundation), or to five ads about preventing drunk driving. A large public high school in California's central valley. A convenience sample of 9th and 10th graders (n = 832) ages 14-17 years. Perceptions of ad effectiveness, intention to smoke, and attitudes toward tobacco companies measured immediately after exposure. As predicted, adolescents rated Philip Morris and Lorillard ads less favourably than the other youth smoking prevention ads. Adolescents' intention to smoke did not differ as a function of ad exposure. However, exposure to Philip Morris and Lorillard ads engendered more favourable attitudes toward tobacco companies. This study demonstrates that industry sponsored anti-smoking ads do more to promote corporate image than to prevent youth smoking. By cultivating public opinion that is more sympathetic toward tobacco companies, the effect of such advertising is likely to be more harmful than helpful to youth.

  7. The frequency of company-sponsored alcohol brand-related sites on Facebook™-2012.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nhean, Siphannay; Nyborn, Justin; Hinchey, Danielle; Valerio, Heather; Kinzel, Kathryn; Siegel, Michael; Jernigan, David H

    2014-06-01

    This research provides an estimate of the frequency of company-sponsored alcohol brand-related sites on Facebook™. We conducted a systematic overview of the extent of alcohol brand-related sites on Facebook™ in 2012. We conducted a 2012 Facebook™ search for sites specifically related to 898 alcohol brands across 16 different alcoholic beverage types. Descriptive statistics were produced using Microsoft SQL Server. We identified 1,017 company-sponsored alcohol-brand related sites on Facebook™. Our study advances previous literature by providing a systematic overview of the extent of alcohol brand sites on Facebook™.

  8. How do staff members at science and technology centres consider the impact of sponsors on the scientific content of exhibitions?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Davidsson, Eva; Sørensen, Helene

    2009-01-01

    or historical museums. But in what ways may sponsors impact exhibition content and design at science and technology centres? This study seeks to explore how staff members consider the impact of sponsors and donors on exhibit content and design. The data collection involves a survey, interviews and a focus group...... interview with staff members, who work with planning and constructing new exhibitions at their science and technology centre. The results suggest that sponsors may interfere in exhibition construction both directly and indirectly. This means that sponsors could put explicit demands when it comes...... to the choice of scientific content and design and thereby interfere directly. Indirect impact, on the other hand, refers to implicit demands of sponsors where staff members take into account for what they believe are views of the sponsors through self-censorship....

  9. "This program contains advertising": How the timing of sponsorship disclosure influences critical processing of sponsored content

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boerman, S.; van Reijmersdal, E.; Neijens, P.

    2013-01-01

    This study investigates whether the timing of sponsorship disclosure influences the processing of sponsored content. A model is proposed in which sponsorship disclosure activates persuasion knowledge, which leads to critical processing of the sponsored content, and ultimately negatively affects the

  10. A Case Study of Teaching Marketing Research Using Client-Sponsored Projects: Method, Challenges, and Benefits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bove, Liliana L.; Davies, W. Martin

    2009-01-01

    This case study outlines the use of client-sponsored research projects in a quantitative postgraduate marketing research subject conducted in a 12-week semester in a research-intensive Australian university. The case study attempts to address the dearth of recent literature on client-sponsored research projects in the discipline of marketing.…

  11. 75 FR 5637 - Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Secondary School Student Sponsor On-Site Reviews

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-03

    ... will include, but are not limited to, decision-making processes (including the numbers of students... the changing demographics of potential American host families, however, are having an impact on the... attention; cap program growth; more closely monitor sponsor performance; evaluate sponsor compliance; and...

  12. 76 FR 2807 - New Animal Drugs; Change of Sponsor

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-18

    .... FDA-2010-N-0002] New Animal Drugs; Change of Sponsor AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the animal drug regulations to...., Cambridge, MA 02141 has informed FDA that it has transferred ownership of, and all rights and interest in...

  13. [Analysis of projects of infectious disease epidemiology sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jian-Ming, Wang; Yan-Kai, Xia; Hui-Juan, Zhu; Feng, Chen; Hong-Bing, Shen

    2016-05-10

    To analyze the projects on the infectious disease epidemiology sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), explore the hotspot and development trend, and offer a reference for researchers in this field. Based on the NSFC database, the projects on the infectious disease epidemiology (H2609) sponsored from 1987 to 2014 were analyzed. The changes of fund numbers, amounts and research fields were described. During the study period, NSFC sponsored 373 projects, including 228 general projects (61.1%), 78 youth projects (20.9%) and 67 other projects (18.0%). The average amount of the grant was 358.2 thousand Yuan (20 thousand-8 million). The main sponsored research fields were mechanisms of pathogen and immunity (36.2%) and population-based epidemiological studies (33.0%). The top three diseases were hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. The amount of funding on researches of infectious disease epidemiology has increased continuously, which has played an important role in training scientific talents in the field of prevention and control of infectious diseases.

  14. Effects of sponsorship disclosure timing on the processing of sponsored content: a study on the effectiveness of European disclosure regulations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boerman, S.C.; van Reijmersdal, E.A.; Neijens, P.C.

    2014-01-01

    This study investigates whether the timing of sponsorship disclosure affects viewers’ processing of sponsored content, and whether a disclosure influences the persuasive effect of the sponsored content. A model is proposed in which sponsorship disclosure enhances the recognition of sponsored

  15. Sponsors' and investigative staffs' perceptions of the current investigational new drug safety reporting process in oncology trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perez, Raymond; Archdeacon, Patrick; Roach, Nancy; Goodwin, Robert; Jarow, Jonathan; Stuccio, Nina; Forrest, Annemarie

    2017-06-01

    The Food and Drug Administration's final rule on investigational new drug application safety reporting, effective from 28 March 2011, clarified the reporting requirements for serious and unexpected suspected adverse reactions occurring in clinical trials. The Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative released recommendations in 2013 to assist implementation of the final rule; however, anecdotal reports and data from a Food and Drug Administration audit indicated that a majority of reports being submitted were still uninformative and did not result in actionable changes. Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative investigated remaining barriers and potential solutions to full implementation of the final rule by polling and interviewing investigators, clinical research staff, and sponsors. In an opinion-gathering effort, two discrete online surveys designed to assess challenges and motivations related to management of expedited (7- to 15-day) investigational new drug safety reporting processes in oncology trials were developed and distributed to two populations: investigators/clinical research staff and sponsors. Data were collected for approximately 1 year. Twenty-hour-long interviews were also conducted with Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative-nominated interview participants who were considered as having extensive knowledge of and experience with the topic. Interviewees included 13 principal investigators/study managers/research team members and 7 directors/vice presidents of pharmacovigilance operations from 5 large global pharmaceutical companies. The investigative site's responses indicate that too many individual reports are still being submitted, which are time-consuming to process and provide little value for patient safety assessments or for informing actionable changes. Fewer but higher quality reports would be more useful, and the investigator and staff would benefit from sponsors'"filtering" of reports and increased sponsor communication. Sponsors

  16. A Commentary on Literacy Narratives as Sponsors of Literacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandt, Deborah

    2015-01-01

    This brief commentary first clarifies Brandt's concept of sponsors of literacy in light of the way the concept has been taken up in writing studies. Then it treats Brandt's methods for handling accounts of literacy learning in comparison with other ways of analyzing biographical material. Finally it takes up Lawrence's argument about literacy…

  17. School-Sponsored Health Insurance: Planning for a New Reality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Bryan A.

    2010-01-01

    Health care reform efforts in both the Clinton and Obama administrations have attempted to address college and university health. Yet, although the world of health care delivery has almost universally evolved to managed care, school health programs have not. In general, school-sponsored health plans do little to improve access and have adopted…

  18. List of Organizing Committees and Sponsors

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-01

    Organizers DIRECTORS Maria L CalvoPresident of International Commission for Optics, Spain Aram V PapoyanDirector of Institute for Physical Research of NAS, Armenia HEADS OF PROJECT Tigran Dadalyan YSU, Armenia Artsrun MartirosyanIPR, Armenia COORDINATOR Narine GevorgyanIPR, Armenia / ICTP, Italy MANAGERS Paytsar MantashyanIPR, Armenia Karen VardanyanIPR, Armenia INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Marcis AuzinshLatvia Roland AvagyanArmenia Tapash ChakrabortyCanada Yuri ChilingaryanArmenia Eduard KazaryanArmenia Albert KirakosyanArmenia Radik KostanyanArmenia Avinash PandeyIndia Marat SoskinUkraine INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM COMMITTEE David Sarkisyan (Chair)Armenia Roman AlaverdyanArmenia Dan ApostolRomania Levon AslanyanArmenia Aranya BhattacherjeeIndia Gagik BuniatyanArmenia Vigen ChaltykyanArmenia Roldao Da RochaBrazil Miltcho DanailovItaly Vladimir GerdtRussia Samvel GevorgyanArmenia Gayane GrigoryanArmenia Rafik HakobyanArmenia Takayuki MiyaderaJapan Levon MouradianArmenia Atom MuradyanArmenia Simon RochesterUSA Hayk SarkisyanArmenia Aleksandr VardanyanArmenia LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Narek AghekyanArmenia Anahit GogyanArmenia Melanya GrigoryanArmenia Armen HovhannisyanArmenia Lilit HovhannisyanArmenia Tatevik KhachatryanArmenia Astghik KuzanyanArmenia Satenik KuzanyanArmenia Vladimir LazarevRussia Lilit MantashyanArmenia Hripsime MkrtchyanArmenia Pavel MuzhikyanArmenia Wahi NarsisianArmenia Sahak OrdukhanyanArmenia Anna ReymersArmenia Narine TorosyanArmenia The Symposium was organized by YSU & NAS SPIE Armenian Student Chapter Institute for Physical Research (IPR) of National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University (RAU) LT-PYRKAL cjsc Yerevan State University (YSU) Official Sponsors of the Symposium LT-PYRKAlRussian ArmenianSPIE LT-PYRKAL cjscRussian-Armenian UniversityYSU & NAS SPIE Student Chapter Further sponsors NFSATICTPSCSADevout Generation National Foundation of Science and Advanced TechnologiesThe Abdus Salam International Centre

  19. Does industry-sponsored education foster overdiagnosis and overtreatment of depression, osteoporosis and over-active bladder syndrome? An Australian cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mintzes, Barbara; Swandari, Swestika; Fabbri, Alice; Grundy, Quinn; Moynihan, Ray; Bero, Lisa

    2018-02-13

    To investigate patterns of industry-sponsored educational events that focus on specific health conditions for which there are concerns about overdiagnosis and overtreatment. This retrospective cohort study examines publicly reported industry-sponsored events in Australia from October 2011 to September 2015 for three conditions potentially subject to overdiagnosis and overtreatment: depression, osteoporosis and overactive bladder. We used a database of transparency reports to identify events with a focus on depression, osteoporosis and overactive bladder and compared these with other sponsored events. We hypothesised that companies marketing treatments for each condition would sponsor related events and that target audiences would mainly work in primary care, reflecting a broad patient population. Event and attendee characteristics, sponsoring companies, related marketed treatments, cost-effectiveness ratings and dispensing rates. Over the study period, we identified 1567 events focusing on depression, 1375 on osteoporosis and 190 on overactive bladder (total n=3132, with 96 660 attendees). These events were attended by primary care doctors more often than sponsored events without a focus on these three conditions: relative risk (RR)=3.06 (95% CI 2.81 to 3.32) for depression, RR=1.48 (95% CI 1.41 to 1.55) for osteoporosis and RR=2.59 (95% CI 2.09 to 3.21) for overactive bladder. Servier, which markets agomelatine and AstraZeneca (quetiapine) sponsored 51.2% and 23.0% of depression events, respectively. Amgen and GlaxoSmithKline, which co-market denosumab, sponsored 49.5% of osteoporosis events and Astellas and Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL) (mirabegron and solifenacin) sponsored 80.5% of overactive bladder events. This 4-year overview of industry-sponsored events on three overdiagnosed and overtreated conditions found that primary care clinicians were often targeted, dinner was often provided and that a few companies sponsored most events. In most cases

  20. Medical malpractice reform and employer-sponsored health insurance premiums.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrisey, Michael A; Kilgore, Meredith L; Nelson, Leonard Jack

    2008-12-01

    Tort reform may affect health insurance premiums both by reducing medical malpractice premiums and by reducing the extent of defensive medicine. The objective of this study is to estimate the effects of noneconomic damage caps on the premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance. Employer premium data and plan/establishment characteristics were obtained from the 1999 through 2004 Kaiser/HRET Employer Health Insurance Surveys. Damage caps were obtained and dated based on state annotated codes, statutes, and judicial decisions. Fixed effects regression models were run to estimate the effects of the size of inflation-adjusted damage caps on the weighted average single premiums. State tort reform laws were identified using Westlaw, LEXIS, and statutory compilations. Legislative repeal and amendment of statutes and court decisions resulting in the overturning or repealing state statutes were also identified using LEXIS. Using a variety of empirical specifications, there was no statistically significant evidence that noneconomic damage caps exerted any meaningful influence on the cost of employer-sponsored health insurance. The findings suggest that tort reforms have not translated into insurance savings.

  1. China’s Foreign Aid and Government-Sponsored Investment Activities: Scale, Content, Destinations, and Implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    this document Browse Reports & Bookstore Make a charitable contribution Limited Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s...sponsors. Support RAND—make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving/contribute.html R® is a registered trademark © Copyright 2013...cooperation organizations such as the xvi China’s Foreign Aid and Government-Sponsored Investment Activities Shanghai Cooperation Organisation have

  2. 77 FR 43345 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Sponsor's Notice of Change of Address, Form I-865...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-24

    ...-0076] Agency Information Collection Activities: Sponsor's Notice of Change of Address, Form I-865...: Sponsor's Notice of Change of Address. (3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the.... During this 60-day period, USCIS will be evaluating whether to revise the Form I-865. Should USCIS decide...

  3. 14 CFR 1214.306 - Payload specialist relationship with sponsoring institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Payload specialist relationship with... ADMINISTRATION SPACE FLIGHT Payload Specialists for Space Transportation System (STS) Missions § 1214.306 Payload specialist relationship with sponsoring institutions. Specialists who are not U.S. Government employees must...

  4. 45 CFR 2551.25 - What are a sponsor's administrative responsibilities?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... the sponsor organization and/or project service area. (f) Establish risk management policies and... project and carry out its project management responsibilities. (c) Employ a full-time project director to... responsibility for securing maximum and continuing community financial and in-kind support to operate the project...

  5. A New Typology for State-Sponsored International Terrorism

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-01

    tolerated the stacks of books with “ scary people” on the covers. xiv THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 1 I. INTRODUCTION State sponsorship of...sponsors of terrorism list in August of 1993.133 The explanation of the State Department’s update to the list stated that despite warnings , “the... warning signs, Qaddafi directed his associates to attempt to re- establish communications with the U.S in 1992. At that point, however, the U.S. was not

  6. Budget constraints and optimization in sponsored search auctions

    CERN Document Server

    Yang, Yanwu

    2013-01-01

    The Intelligent Systems Series publishes reference works and handbooks in three core sub-topic areas: Intelligent Automation, Intelligent Transportation Systems, and Intelligent Computing. They include theoretical studies, design methods, and real-world implementations and applications. The series' readership is broad, but focuses on engineering, electronics, and computer science. Budget constraints and optimization in sponsored search auctions takes into account consideration of the entire life cycle of campaigns for researchers and developers working on search systems and ROI maximization

  7. The Effect of Massachusetts' Health Reform on Employer-Sponsored Insurance Premiums.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cogan, John F; Hubbard, R Glenn; Kessler, Daniel

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we use publicly available data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey - Insurance Component (MEPS-IC) to investigate the effect of Massachusetts' health reform plan on employer-sponsored insurance premiums. We tabulate premium growth for private-sector employers in Massachusetts and the United States as a whole for 2004 - 2008. We estimate the effect of the plan as the difference in premium growth between Massachusetts and the United States between 2006 and 2008-that is, before versus after the plan-over and above the difference in premium growth for 2004 to 2006. We find that health reform in Massachusetts increased single-coverage employer-sponsored insurance premiums by about 6 percent, or $262. Although our research design has important limitations, it does suggest that policy makers should be concerned about the consequences of health reform for the cost of private insurance.

  8. 76 FR 48714 - New Animal Drugs; Change of Sponsor; Moxidectin

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR Parts 520, 522, and 524 [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0003] New Animal Drugs; Change of Sponsor; Moxidectin AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the animal...

  9. Media exposure and sponsor recall: Cricket World Cup 2003 | Van ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper reports on a study into the relationship between media exposure and sponsor recall relating to an international event, namely the Cricket World Cup 2003 (CWC 2003). The application of sponsorship as a communication construct and recall as a media vehicle effect is investigated. Recall has been widely ...

  10. Transparency for Sponsored Content : Analysing Codes of Ethics in Public Relations, Marketing, Advertising and Journalism

    OpenAIRE

    Ikonen, Pasi; Luoma-aho, Vilma; Bowen, Shannon A.

    2017-01-01

    As sponsored content is gaining ground globally, the boundaries between strategic communication, advertising and journalism are blurring. As sponsored content becomes more common, it raises novel ethical concerns that no industry alone can answer, such as How much disclosure is needed for transparency? Self-regulation via codes of ethics has been suggested as a remedy to meet the rising transparency expectations, and this article analysed 40 codes of ethics in the fields of communication, adv...

  11. Making renewable energy competitive in India: Reducing financing costs via a government-sponsored hedging facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farooquee, Arsalan Ali; Shrimali, Gireesh

    2016-01-01

    In India, a significant barrier to market-competitiveness of renewable energy is a shortage of attractive debt. Domestic debt has high cost, short tenors, and variable interest rates, adding 30% to the cost of renewable energy compared to renewable energy projects elsewhere. Foreign debt is as expensive as domestic debt because it requires costly market-based currency hedging solutions. We investigate a government-sponsored foreign exchange facility as an alternative to reducing hedging costs. Using the geometric Brownian motion (GBM) as a representative stochastic model of the INR–USD foreign exchange rate, we find that the expected cost of providing a currency hedge via this facility is 3.5 percentage points, 50% lower than market. This leads to an up to 9% reduction in the per unit cost of renewable energy. However, this requires the government to manage the risks related to unexpected currency movements appropriately. One option to manage these risks is via a capital buffer; for the facility to obtain India's sovereign rating, the capital buffer would need to be almost 30% of the underlying loan. Our findings have significant policy implications given that the Indian government can use this facility to make renewable energy more competitive and, therefore, hasten its deployment. - Highlights: • We analyze a government-sponsored foreign exchange facility in India. •We use geometric Brownian motion to represent the INR–USD exchange rate. •This facility can reduce the currency hedging costs by 50%. •This facility can reduce the levelized cost of renewable energy by 9%. •The capital buffer to reach India's sovereign rating is 30% of the original loan.

  12. Gorenstein derived functions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holm, Henrik Granau

    2004-01-01

    Over any associative ring R it is standard to derive HomR(􀀀;􀀀) using projective resolutions in the rst variable, or injective resolutions in the second variable, and doing this, one obtains Extn R(􀀀;􀀀) in both cases. We examine the situation where projective...... and injective modules are replaced by Gorenstein projective and Gorenstein injective ones, respectively. Furthermore, we derive the tensor product 􀀀 R 􀀀 using Gorenstein at modules....

  13. Strategic management of government-sponsored R&D portfolios

    OpenAIRE

    Barry Bozeman; Juan Rogers

    2001-01-01

    Although strategic management of R&D portfolios is common practice in private sector R&D, government R&D management tends to be more discrete and ad hoc, focusing on generating maximum output from individual projects. Often, there is no clear notion of the desired public sector output. Whereas private sector R&D evaluation is generally straightforward, with the function of R&D being measured in terms of a company's internal return on investment, the benefits of public-sponsored R&D tend to be...

  14. 75 FR 54017 - New Animal Drugs; Change of Sponsor; Penicillin G Benzathine and Penicillin G Procaine Suspension...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-03

    ... [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0002] New Animal Drugs; Change of Sponsor; Penicillin G Benzathine and Penicillin G... animal drug regulations to reflect a change of sponsor for two new animal drug applications (NADAs) from..., Syracuse, NY 13201, has informed FDA that it has transferred ownership of, and all rights and interest in...

  15. Measurement of circulating cell-derived microparticles by flow cytometry: sources of variability within the assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayers, Lisa; Kohler, Malcolm; Harrison, Paul; Sargent, Ian; Dragovic, Rebecca; Schaap, Marianne; Nieuwland, Rienk; Brooks, Susan A; Ferry, Berne

    2011-04-01

    Circulating cell-derived microparticles (MPs) have been implicated in several disease processes and elevated levels are found in many pathological conditions. The detection and accurate measurement of MPs, although attracting widespread interest, is hampered by a lack of standardisation. The aim of this study was to establish a reliable flow cytometric assay to measure distinct subtypes of MPs in disease and to identify any significant causes of variability in MP quantification. Circulating MPs within plasma were identified by their phenotype (platelet, endothelial, leukocyte and annexin-V positivity (AnnV+). The influence of key variables (i.e. time between venepuncture and centrifugation, washing steps, the number of centrifugation steps, freezing/long-term storage and temperature of thawing) on MP measurement were investigated. Increasing time between venepuncture and centrifugation leads to increased MP levels. Washing samples results in decreased AnnV+MPs (P=0.002) and platelet-derived MPs (PMPs) (P=0.002). Double centrifugation of MPs prior to freezing decreases numbers of AnnV+MPs (P=0.0004) and PMPs (P=0.0004). A single freeze thaw cycle of samples led to an increase in AnnV+MPs (P=0.0020) and PMPs (P=0.0039). Long-term storage of MP samples at -80° resulted in decreased MP levels. This study found that minor protocol changes significantly affected MP levels. This is one of the first studies attempting to standardise a method for obtaining and measuring circulating MPs. Standardisation will be essential for successful development of MP technologies, allowing direct comparison of results between studies and leading to a greater understanding of MPs in disease. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Solution of heat equation with variable coefficient using derive

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Lebelo, RS

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the method of approximating solutions of partial differential equations with variable coefficients is studied. This is done by considering heat flow through a one-dimensional model with variable cross-sections. Two cases...

  17. Outsourcing ethical obligations: should the revised common rule address the responsibilities of investigators and sponsors?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Seema K

    2013-01-01

    The Common Rule creates a division of moral labor in research. It implies that investigators and sponsors can outsource their ethical obligations to IRBs and participants, thereby fostering a culture of compliance, rather than one of responsibility. The proposed revisions to the Common Rule are likely to exacerbate this problem. To harness the expressive power of the law, I propose the Common Rule be revised to include the ethical responsibilities of investigators and sponsors. © 2013 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

  18. Probability densities and the radon variable transformation theorem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramshaw, J.D.

    1985-01-01

    D. T. Gillespie recently derived a random variable transformation theorem relating to the joint probability densities of functionally dependent sets of random variables. The present author points out that the theorem can be derived as an immediate corollary of a simpler and more fundamental relation. In this relation the probability density is represented as a delta function averaged over an unspecified distribution of unspecified internal random variables. The random variable transformation is derived from this relation

  19. Annotated bibliography of GEND-sponsored TMI-2 reports

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1983-04-01

    In the continuing effort to distribute information about the TMI-2 cleanup and recovery effort, the GEND group has sponsored publication of 70 reports to date on various aspects of the Technical Information and Examination Program. Each report is indicated below by number, title, and date of publication, and followed by a brief description. For the formal reports, the National Technical Information Service price codes are indicated within parentheses following the date of publication (where available). The first code is for printed copy; the second is for microfiche

  20. 45 CFR 2552.24 - What are a sponsor's responsibilities for securing community participation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ...? (a) A sponsor shall secure community participation in local project operation by establishing an Advisory Council or a similar organizational structure with a membership that includes people: (1...

  1. 45 CFR 2551.24 - What are a sponsor's responsibilities for securing community participation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ...? (a) A sponsor shall secure community participation in local project operation by establishing an Advisory Council or a similar organizational structure with a membership that includes people: (1...

  2. Gender and the effect of working hours on firm-sponsored training

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Picchio, Matteo; van Ours, Jan

    Using employees’ longitudinal data, we study the effect of working hours on the propensity of firms to sponsor training of their employees. We show that, whereas male part-time workers are less likely to receive training than male full-timers, part-time working women are as likely to receive

  3. Gender and the Effect of Working Hours on Firm-Sponsored Training

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Picchio, Matteo; van Ours, Jan

    2015-01-01

    Using employees’ longitudinal data, we study the effect of working hours on the propensity of firms to sponsor training of their employees. We show that, whereas male part-time workers are less likely to receive training than male full-timers, parttime working women are as likely to receive training

  4. 45 CFR 2553.24 - What are a sponsor's responsibilities for securing community participation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... community participation? (a) A sponsor shall secure community participation in local project operation by establishing an Advisory Council or a similar organizational structure with a membership that includes people...

  5. Jointly Sponsored Research Program Energy Related Research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Western Research Institute

    2009-03-31

    Cooperative Agreement, DE-FC26-98FT40323, Jointly Sponsored Research (JSR) Program at Western Research Institute (WRI) began in 1998. Over the course of the Program, a total of seventy-seven tasks were proposed utilizing a total of $23,202,579 in USDOE funds. Against this funding, cosponsors committed $26,557,649 in private funds to produce a program valued at $49,760,228. The goal of the Jointly Sponsored Research Program was to develop or assist in the development of innovative technology solutions that will: (1) Increase the production of United States energy resources - coal, natural gas, oil, and renewable energy resources; (2) Enhance the competitiveness of United States energy technologies in international markets and assist in technology transfer; (3) Reduce the nation's dependence on foreign energy supplies and strengthen both the United States and regional economies; and (4) Minimize environmental impacts of energy production and utilization. Under the JSR Program, energy-related tasks emphasized enhanced oil recovery, heavy oil upgrading and characterization, coal beneficiation and upgrading, coal combustion systems development including oxy-combustion, emissions monitoring and abatement, coal gasification technologies including gas clean-up and conditioning, hydrogen and liquid fuels production, coal-bed methane recovery, and the development of technologies for the utilization of renewable energy resources. Environmental-related activities emphasized cleaning contaminated soils and waters, processing of oily wastes, mitigating acid mine drainage, and demonstrating uses for solid waste from clean coal technologies, and other advanced coal-based systems. Technology enhancement activities included resource characterization studies, development of improved methods, monitors and sensors. In general the goals of the tasks proposed were to enhance competitiveness of U.S. technology, increase production of domestic resources, and reduce environmental

  6. NICBR-Sponsored Spring Research Festival Set for May 8 and 9 | Poster

    Science.gov (United States)

    By Ashley DeVine, Staff Writer For the first time, the Spring Research Festival (SRF), scheduled for May 8 and 9, will be sponsored by all of the agencies that are part of the National Interagency Confederation for Biological Research (NICBR).

  7. 47 CFR 68.602 - Sponsor of the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Attachments. (a) The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the Alliance for Telecommunications... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Sponsor of the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments. 68.602 Section 68.602 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED...

  8. Uncertainty and variability in laboratory derived sorption parameters of sediments from a uranium in situ recovery site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dangelmayr, Martin A.; Reimus, Paul W.; Johnson, Raymond H.; Clay, James T.; Stone, James J.

    2018-06-01

    This research assesses the ability of a GC SCM to simulate uranium transport under variable geochemical conditions typically encountered at uranium in-situ recovery (ISR) sites. Sediment was taken from a monitoring well at the SRH site at depths 192 and 193 m below ground and characterized by XRD, XRF, TOC, and BET. Duplicate column studies on the different sediment depths, were flushed with synthesized restoration waters at two different alkalinities (160 mg/l CaCO3 and 360 mg/l CaCO3) to study the effect of alkalinity on uranium mobility. Uranium breakthrough occurred 25% - 30% earlier in columns with 360 mg/l CaCO3 over columns fed with 160 mg/l CaCO3 influent water. A parameter estimation program (PEST) was coupled to PHREEQC to derive site densities from experimental data. Significant parameter fittings were produced for all models, demonstrating that the GC SCM approach can model the impact of carbonate on uranium in flow systems. Derived site densities for the two sediment depths were between 141 and 178 μmol-sites/kg-soil, demonstrating similar sorption capacities despite heterogeneity in sediment mineralogy. Model sensitivity to alkalinity and pH was shown to be moderate compared to fitted site densities, when calcite saturation was allowed to equilibrate. Calcite kinetics emerged as a potential source of error when fitting parameters in flow conditions. Fitted results were compared to data from previous batch and column studies completed on sediments from the Smith-Ranch Highland (SRH) site, to assess variability in derived parameters. Parameters from batch experiments were lower by a factor of 1.1 to 3.4 compared to column studies completed on the same sediments. The difference was attributed to errors in solid-solution ratios and the impact of calcite dissolution in batch experiments. Column studies conducted at two different laboratories showed almost an order of magnitude difference in fitted site densities suggesting that experimental methodology

  9. A hydro-optical model for deriving water quality variables from satellite images (HydroSat): A case study of the Nile River demonstrating the future Sentinel-2 capabilities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Salama, M.; Radwan, M.; van der Velde, R.

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes a hydro-optical model for deriving water quality variables from satellite images, hereafter HydroSat. HydroSat corrects images for atmospheric interferences and simultaneously retrieves water quality variables. An application of HydroSat to Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM)

  10. Safety research programs sponsored by Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weiss, A.J.; Azarm, A.; Baum, J.W.

    1989-07-01

    This progress report describes current activities and technical progress in the programs at Brookhaven National Laboratory sponsored by the Division of Regulatory Applications, Division of Engineering, Division of Safety Issue Resolution, and Division of Systems Research of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research following the reorganization in July 1988. The previous reports have covered the period October 1, 1976 through September 30, 1988

  11. Bibliography of publications related to Nevada-sponsored research of the proposed Yucca Mountain high-level radioactive waste repository site through 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, M.

    1994-12-01

    Since 1985, the State of Nevada has sponsored academic/private sector research into various health, safety, and environmental issues identified with the Yucca Mountain site. This research has been documented in scientific peer-reviewed literature, conferences, and workshops, as well as numerous state-sponsored University thesis and dissertation programs. This document is a bibliography of the scientific articles, manuscripts, theses, dissertations, conference symposium abstracts, and meeting presentations produced as a result of state-sponsored research

  12. 75 FR 66304 - New Animal Drugs; Change of Sponsor; Monensin Blocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-28

    ... [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0002] New Animal Drugs; Change of Sponsor; Monensin Blocks AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the animal... 64116, has informed FDA that it has transferred ownership of, and all rights and interest in, NADA 118...

  13. Undergraduates' Perceptions of Conflict of Interest in Industry-Sponsored Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Heather Brodie

    2018-01-01

    The prevalence of industry-sponsored research has led to significant concerns about financial conflicts of interest and the impact on research findings. This case study sought to examine how students considered conflict of interest when establishing the cognitive authority of a journal article. The case study used a mixed methods pretest and…

  14. Provider-sponsored HMOs: make, buy, or joint venture?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clay, S B

    1997-03-01

    Providers can sponsor their own HMOs in one of three ways: by creating their own HMO, by joint venturing with an existing HMO, or by purchasing an existing HMO. When selecting the best option, providers must consider various market conditions. Managed care penetration in the area, potential competitive responses of existing HMOs, market demand, provider reputation, and provider marketing ability will all influence the feasibility of each option. Providers also must examine their own organizational identity, their ability to raise the necessary capital to start an HMO, their managed care expertise and risk contracting experience, and their information systems capabilities.

  15. 29 CFR 4043.29 - Change in contributing sponsor or controlled group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... assumptions and methodology in § 4010.4(b)(2) of this chapter. (4) Public company/80-percent funded. Notice is... the plan's contributing sponsor before the effective date of the transaction is a public company, 30...” includes, but is not limited to, a legally binding agreement, whether or not written, to transfer ownership...

  16. Wisdom for Building the Project Manager/Project Sponsor Relationship: Partnership for Project Success

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Patton, Nanette; Shechet, Allan

    2007-01-01

    .... This article discusses conventional roles and responsibilities of the project sponsor and then discusses strategies a project manager can employ to define boundaries to reduce role confusion and promote partnership to facilitate project success.

  17. Variability in physical contamination assessment of source segregated biodegradable municipal waste derived composts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Echavarri-Bravo, Virginia; Thygesen, Helene H; Aspray, Thomas J

    2017-01-01

    Physical contaminants (glass, metal, plastic and 'other') and stones were isolated and categorised from three finished commercial composts derived from source segregated biodegradable municipal waste (BMW). A subset of the identified physical contaminant fragments were subsequently reintroduced into the cleaned compost samples and sent to three commercial laboratories for testing in an inter-laboratory trial using the current PAS100:2011 method (AfOR MT PC&S). The trial showed that the 'other' category caused difficulty for all three laboratories with under reporting, particularly of the most common 'other' contaminants (paper and cardboard) and, over-reporting of non-man-made fragments. One laboratory underreported metal contaminant fragments (spiked as silver foil) in three samples. Glass, plastic and stones were variably underreported due to miss-classification or over reported due to contamination with compost (organic) fragments. The results are discussed in the context of global physical contaminant test methods and compost quality assurance schemes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. 42 CFR 403.822 - Reimbursement of transitional assistance and associated sponsor requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Reimbursement of transitional assistance and associated sponsor requirements. 403.822 Section 403.822 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID... Prescription Drug Discount Card and Transitional Assistance Program § 403.822 Reimbursement of transitional...

  19. Gulf Regional Planning Commission scenario planning workshop : sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-01

    This report summarizes noteworthy practices shared during a scenario planning workshop, hosted by the Gulf Regional Planning Commission, on March 15-16, 2016, in Biloxi, Mississippi. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) sponsored this event as p...

  20. "To Teach and To Sell": Irna Phillips and Her Sponsors, 1930-1954.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seiter, Ellen

    1989-01-01

    Examines the relationships between Irna Phillips, the most powerful woman in soap opera production from the 1930s through the 1960s, and the sponsors of her radio soap operas. Explores how Phillips represented women both in her scripts and in her public relations efforts. (MM)

  1. Industrial Sponsor Perspective on Leveraging Capstone Design Projects to Enhance Their Business

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weissbach, Robert S.; Snyder, Joseph W.; Evans, Edward R., Jr.; Carucci, James R., Jr.

    2017-01-01

    Capstone design projects have become commonplace among engineering and engineering technology programs. These projects are valuable tools when assessing students, as they require students to work in teams, communicate effectively, and demonstrate technical competency. The use of industrial sponsors enhances these projects by giving these projects…

  2. Participants in School-Sponsored and Independent Sports: Perceptions of Self and Family.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Browne, Beverly A.; Francis, Sally K.

    1993-01-01

    Examined perceptions of social competence and family dynamics among adolescent participants in school-sponsored and independent sports (baseball and skateboarding). Findings from 271 adolescents revealed that perceptions of social competence were differentially related to degree of sports involvement and perceived skill but were not related to…

  3. Jointly Sponsored Research Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Everett A. Sondreal; John G. Hendrikson; Thomas A. Erickson

    2009-03-31

    U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Cooperative Agreement DE-FC26-98FT40321 funded through the Office of Fossil Energy and administered at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) supported the performance of a Jointly Sponsored Research Program (JSRP) at the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) with a minimum 50% nonfederal cost share to assist industry in commercializing and effectively applying highly efficient, nonpolluting energy systems that meet the nation's requirements for clean fuels, chemicals, and electricity in the 21st century. The EERC in partnership with its nonfederal partners jointly performed 131 JSRP projects for which the total DOE cost share was $22,716,634 (38%) and the nonfederal share was $36,776,573 (62%). Summaries of these projects are presented in this report for six program areas: (1) resource characterization and waste management, (2) air quality assessment and control, (3) advanced power systems, (4) advanced fuel forms, (5) value-added coproducts, and (6) advanced materials. The work performed under this agreement addressed DOE goals for reductions in CO{sub 2} emissions through efficiency, capture, and sequestration; near-zero emissions from highly efficient coal-fired power plants; environmental control capabilities for SO{sub 2}, NO{sub x}, fine respirable particulate (PM{sub 2.5}), and mercury; alternative transportation fuels including liquid synfuels and hydrogen; and synergistic integration of fossil and renewable resources.

  4. 42 CFR 423.2010 - When CMS, the IRE, or Part D plan sponsors may participate in an ALJ hearing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false When CMS, the IRE, or Part D plan sponsors may... PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Reopening, ALJ Hearings, MAC review, and Judicial Review § 423.2010 When CMS, the IRE... require, CMS, the IRE, and/or the Part D plan sponsor to participate in any proceedings before the ALJ...

  5. Uncertainty and variability in laboratory derived sorption parameters of sediments from a uranium in situ recovery site.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dangelmayr, Martin A; Reimus, Paul W; Johnson, Raymond H; Clay, James T; Stone, James J

    2018-06-01

    This research assesses the ability of a GC SCM to simulate uranium transport under variable geochemical conditions typically encountered at uranium in-situ recovery (ISR) sites. Sediment was taken from a monitoring well at the SRH site at depths 192 and 193 m below ground and characterized by XRD, XRF, TOC, and BET. Duplicate column studies on the different sediment depths, were flushed with synthesized restoration waters at two different alkalinities (160 mg/l CaCO 3 and 360 mg/l CaCO 3 ) to study the effect of alkalinity on uranium mobility. Uranium breakthrough occurred 25% - 30% earlier in columns with 360 mg/l CaCO 3 over columns fed with 160 mg/l CaCO 3 influent water. A parameter estimation program (PEST) was coupled to PHREEQC to derive site densities from experimental data. Significant parameter fittings were produced for all models, demonstrating that the GC SCM approach can model the impact of carbonate on uranium in flow systems. Derived site densities for the two sediment depths were between 141 and 178 μmol-sites/kg-soil, demonstrating similar sorption capacities despite heterogeneity in sediment mineralogy. Model sensitivity to alkalinity and pH was shown to be moderate compared to fitted site densities, when calcite saturation was allowed to equilibrate. Calcite kinetics emerged as a potential source of error when fitting parameters in flow conditions. Fitted results were compared to data from previous batch and column studies completed on sediments from the Smith-Ranch Highland (SRH) site, to assess variability in derived parameters. Parameters from batch experiments were lower by a factor of 1.1 to 3.4 compared to column studies completed on the same sediments. The difference was attributed to errors in solid-solution ratios and the impact of calcite dissolution in batch experiments. Column studies conducted at two different laboratories showed almost an order of magnitude difference in fitted site densities suggesting that experimental

  6. The Perceived Influence of Industry-Sponsored Credentials on the Recruitment Process in the Information Technology Industry: Employer and Employee Perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartlett, Kenneth R.; Horwitz, Sujin K.; Ipe, Minu; Liu, Yuwen

    2005-01-01

    The increase in the number of industry-sponsored credential programs raises many questions for career and technical education. This study investigated the perceived influence of industry-sponsored credentials on the recruitment process in the information technology (IT) field. Influence is examined from the perspective of Human Resource (HR)…

  7. The Impact of Repealing the Exclusion for Employer-Sponsored Insurance

    OpenAIRE

    Gillette, Robert; Hunter, Gillian; Lurie, Ithai Z.; Siegel, Jonathan; Silverstein, Gerald

    2010-01-01

    The paper uses a new micro-simulation model to estimate the impact of repealing the employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) exclusion on ESI coverage given two alternative scenarios: a non-group market that is fully underwritten and a modified community-rated market where the low income population receives premium subsidies. When the alternative to ESI is the underwritten market, repeal of the exclusion reduces ESI coverage by 14 percent both overall and for those over 400 percent FPL. In contrast...

  8. Marveling at "The Man Called Nova": Comics as Sponsors of Multimodal Literacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, Dale

    2007-01-01

    This essay theorizes the ways in which comics, and Marvel Comics in particular, acted as sponsors of multimodal literacy for the author. In doing so, the essay demonstrates the possibilities that exist in examining comics more closely and in thinking about how literacy sponsorship happens in multimodal texts. (Contains 1 figure and 13 notes.)

  9. Assessing the Financial Condition of Provider-Sponsored Health Plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCue, Michael J

    2015-06-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the performance of health plans sponsored by provider organizations, with respect to plans generating strong positive cash flow relative to plans generating weaker cash flow. A secondary aim was to assess their capital adequacy. The study identified 24 provider-sponsored health plans (PSHPs) with an average positive cash flow margin from 2011 through 2013 at or above the top 75th percentile, defined as "strong cash flow PSHPs:" This group was compared with 72 PSHPs below the 75th percentile, defined as "weak cash flow PSHPs:" Atlantic Information Services Directory of Health Plans was used to identify the PSHPs. Financial ratios were computed from 2013 National Association of Insurance Commissioners Financial Filings. The study conducted a t test mean comparison between strong and weak cash flow PSHPs across an array of financial performance and capital adequacy measures. In 2013, the strong cash flow PSHPs averaged a cash-flow margin ratio of 6.6%. Weak cash flow PSHPs averaged a cash-flow margin of -0.4%. The net worth capital position of both groups was more than 4.5 times authorized capital. The operational analysis shows that strong cash-flow margin PSHPs are managing their medical costs to achieve this position. Although their medical loss ratio increased by almost 300 basis points from 2011 to 2013, it was still statistically significantly lower than the weaker cash flow PSHP group (P<.001). In terms of capital adequacy, both strong and weak cash-flow margin PSHP groups possessed sufficient capital to ensure the viability of these plans.

  10. Searching for sponsors for four national rugby teams in Finland

    OpenAIRE

    Ylönen, Niina

    2017-01-01

    How to get more sponsors to four national rugby teams in Finland? Finnish Rugby Federation and its four national teams are in the need of new long lasting sponsorship deals to fund the national teams’ tournaments in Finland and abroad. Since rugby is quite unknown sports in Finland it faces challenges in getting new sponsorship deals and also its visibility is currently very low. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the current situation of rugby, sponsorship contracts Finnish rugby F...

  11. A comparison of case volumes among urologic surgeons identified on an industry-sponsored website to an all provider peer group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    See, William A; Jacobson, Kenneth; Derus, Sue; Langenstroer, Peter

    2014-11-01

    Industry-sponsored websites for robotic surgery direct to surgeons listed as performing specific robotic surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to compare average annual, surgeon-specific, case volumes for those procedures for which they were listed as performing on the commercial website with the volumes of all providers performing these same procedures across a defined geographic region. A list of providers within the state of Wisconsin cited as performing specific urologic procedures was obtained through the Intuitive Surgical website 〈http://www.davincisurgery.com/da-vinci-urology/〉. Surgeon-specific annual case volumes from 2009 to 2013 for these same cases were obtained for all Wisconsin providers through DataBay Resources (Warrendale, PA) based on International classification of diseases-9 codes. Procedural activity was rank ordered, and surgeons were placed in "volume deciles" derived from the total annual number of cases performed by all surgeons. The distribution of commercially listed surgeon volumes, both 5-year average and most recent year, was compared with the average and 2013 volumes of all surgeons performing a specific procedure. A total of 35 individual urologic surgeons listed as performing robotic surgery in Wisconsin were identified through a "search" using the Intuitive Surgical website. Specific procedure analysis returned 5, 12, 9, and 15 surgeon names for cystectomy, partial nephrectomy, radical nephrectomy, and prostatectomy, respectively. This compared with the total number of surgeons who had performed the listed procedure in Wisconsin at least 1 time during the prior 5 years of 123, 153, 242, and 165, respectively. When distributed by surgeon-volume deciles, surgeons listed on industry-sponsored sites varied widely in their respective volume decile. More than half of site-listed, procedure-specific surgeons fell below the fifth decile for surgeon volume. Data analysis based solely on 2013 case volumes had no effect on

  12. 7 CFR 226.12 - Administrative payments to sponsoring organizations for day care homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... amount of administrative payments and food service payments for day care home operations. (b) Start-up... for day care homes. 226.12 Section 226.12 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... day care homes. (a) General. Sponsoring organizations for day care homes shall receive payments for...

  13. Strong Decomposition of Random Variables

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoffmann-Jørgensen, Jørgen; Kagan, Abram M.; Pitt, Loren D.

    2007-01-01

    A random variable X is stongly decomposable if X=Y+Z where Y=Φ(X) and Z=X-Φ(X) are independent non-degenerated random variables (called the components). It is shown that at least one of the components is singular, and we derive a necessary and sufficient condition for strong decomposability...... of a discrete random variable....

  14. Should Health Care Organizations Use Information Gleaned from Organization-Sponsored Patient Support Groups in Strategic Planning?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nambisan, Priya

    2017-11-01

    Online forums and partnerships with patients have several benefits, such as the creation of new products and services. However, as with any such initiatives, there are risks as well as benefits. Through analysis of a case of misinformation being spread through a health care provider-sponsored online support group for patients dealing with obesity, this article outlines best practices and strategies to deploy in such organization-sponsored patient support groups. These strategies would enable organizations and patients to use such forums to the fullest extent while preventing or managing their potential risks as best as possible. © 2017 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

  15. Systematic review of employer-sponsored wellness strategies and their economic and health-related outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaspin, Lisa C; Gorman, Kathleen M; Miller, Ross M

    2013-02-01

    This review determines the characteristics and health-related and economic outcomes of employer-sponsored wellness programs and identifies possible reasons for their success. PubMed, ABI/Inform, and Business Source Premier databases, and Corporate Wellness Magazine were searched. English-language articles published from 2005 to 2011 that reported characteristics of employer-sponsored wellness programs and their impact on health-related and economic outcomes among US employees were accepted. Data were abstracted, synthesized, and interpreted. Twenty references were accepted. Wellness interventions were classified into health assessments, lifestyle management, and behavioral health. Improved economic outcomes were reported (health care costs, return on investment, absenteeism, productivity, workers' compensation, utilization) as well as decreased health risks. Programs associated with favorable outcomes had several characteristics in common. First, the corporate culture encouraged wellness to improve employees' lives, not only to reduce costs. Second, employees and leadership were strongly motivated to support the wellness programs and to improve their health in general. Third, employees were motivated by a participation-friendly corporate policy and physical environment. Fourth, successful programs adapted to the changing needs of the employees. Fifth, community health organizations provided support, education, and treatment. Sixth, successful wellness programs utilized technology to facilitate health risk assessments and wellness education. Improved health-related and economic outcomes were associated with employer-sponsored wellness programs. Companies with successful programs tended to include wellness as part of their corporate culture and supported employee participation in several key ways.

  16. Fields of rational constants of cyclic factorizable derivations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janusz Zielinski

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available We describe all rational constants of a large family of four-variable cyclic factorizable derivations. Thus, we determine all rational first integrals of their corresponding systems of differential equations. Moreover, we give a characteristic of all four-variable Lotka-Volterra derivations with a nontrivial rational constant. All considerations are over an arbitrary field of characteristic zero. Our main tool is the investigation of the cofactors of strict Darboux polynomials. Factorizable derivations are important in derivation theory. Namely, we may associate the factorizable derivation with any given derivation of a polynomial ring and that construction helps to determine rational constants of arbitrary derivations. Besides, Lotka-Volterra systems play a significant role in population biology, laser physics and plasma physics.

  17. The Race for Sponsored Links: Bidding Patterns for Search Advertising

    OpenAIRE

    Zsolt Katona; Miklos Sarvary

    2010-01-01

    Paid placements on search engines reached sales of nearly $11 billion in the United States last year and represent the most rapidly growing form of online advertising today. In its classic form, a search engine sets up an auction for each search word in which competing websites bid for their sponsored links to be displayed next to the search results. We model this advertising market, focusing on two of its key characteristics: (1) the interaction between the list of search results and the lis...

  18. Science Innovation Through Industry Partnership: Lessons from AMPERE in Bridging the Federal Sponsor/Private Corporation Divide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, B. J.; Korth, H.; Erlandson, R. E.

    2017-12-01

    The Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE) was made possible by harnessing an fortuitous capability of the Iridium Communications constellation of 70 polar orbiting satellites. In 1996 it was realized that the attitude magnetometers on-board the Iridium satellites, then in fabrication, could potentially be used to obtain the first ever global and continuous measurements of the Birkeland currents with a sufficiently short re-sampling cadence (10 minutes) to track the dynamic evolution of the large-scale currents. The experience of taking this idea from 1996 through various research grant supported efforts, mission of opportunity proposal attempts, and finally through funding and implementation as a National Science Foundation geospace facility, revealed a number of challenges both in proposing innovative solutions to existing sponsor programs and also in working between the federal sponsor community and the private commercial space environment. Implementing AMPERE required a code change to on-board software on the Iridium satellites and it proved necessary to engage NASA to adjust the solicitation language to allow AMPERE. For NASA proposals we also encountered a conflict with respect to federal sponsorship such that the original business configuration of Iridium could not accept the accounting regime implied by a sub-contract derived from a federal contract acquisition. Subsequent mission of opportunity efforts encountered various other challenges including the cancellation of an explorer to fund the exploration initiative in 2001. The facilities proposal to NSF was almost not submitted owing a funding vehicle disparity between the preferred proposer structure (contract) vs NSF's requirement to fund only grants and a final hurdle concerned the structure of the contract with Iridium which was initially a sub-contract but was changed to a fixed-price data purchase due to NSF's limitations on funding fee-bearing engineering

  19. The Rules of Engagement: CTTI Recommendations for Successful Collaborations Between Sponsors and Patient Groups Around Clinical Trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloom, Diane; Beetsch, Joel; Harker, Matthew; Hesterlee, Sharon; Moreira, Paulo; Patrick-Lake, Bray; Selig, Wendy; Sherman, Jeffrey; Smith, Sophia K; Valentine, James E; Roberts, Jamie N

    2018-03-01

    To identify the elements necessary for successful collaboration between patient groups and academic and industry sponsors of clinical trials, in order to develop recommendations for best practices for effective patient group engagement. In-depth interviews, informed by a previously reported survey, were conducted to identify the fundamentals of successful patient group engagement. Thirty-two respondents from 3 sectors participated: patient groups, academic researchers, and industry. The findings were presented to a multistakeholder group of experts in January 2015. The expert group came to consensus on a set of actionable recommendations for best practices for patient groups and research sponsors. Interview respondents acknowledged that not all patient groups are created equal in terms of what they can contribute to a clinical trial. The most important elements for effective patient group engagement include establishing meaningful partnerships, demonstrating mutual benefits, and collaborating as partners from the planning stage forward. Although there is a growing appreciation by sponsors about the benefits of patient group engagement, there remains some resistance and some uncertainty about how best to engage. Barriers include mismatched expectations and a perception that patient groups lack scientific sophistication and that "wishful thinking" may cloud their recommendations. Patient groups are developing diverse skillsets and acquiring assets to leverage in order to become collaborators with industry and academia on clinical trials. Growing numbers of research sponsors across the clinical trials enterprise are recognizing the benefits of continuous and meaningful patient group engagement, but there are still mindsets to change, and stakeholders need further guidance on operationalizing a new model of clinical trial conduct.

  20. The Impact of Employer-Sponsored Educational Assistance Benefits on Community College Student Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Henry; Smith, Douglas

    2017-01-01

    Studies of community college finance often focus on revenue sources from the state and local government, private foundations, and tuition. While these resources are important, an often-neglected source of revenue is employer-sponsored educational assistance benefits for students. Given the dearth of literature on the benefits of this funding…

  1. Why Consumers Misattribute Sponsorships to Non-Sponsor Brands: Differential Roles of Item and Relational Communications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weeks, Clinton S; Humphreys, Michael S; Cornwell, T Bettina

    2018-02-01

    Brands engaged in sponsorship of events commonly have objectives that depend on consumer memory for the sponsor-event relationship (e.g., sponsorship awareness). Consumers however, often misattribute sponsorships to nonsponsor competitor brands, indicating erroneous memory for these relationships. The current research uses an item and relational memory framework to reveal sponsor brands may inadvertently foster this misattribution when they communicate relational linkages to events. Effects can be explained via differential roles of communicating item information (information that supports processing item distinctiveness) versus relational information (information that supports processing relationships among items) in contributing to memory outcomes. Experiment 1 uses event-cued brand recall to show that correct memory retrieval is best supported by communicating relational information when sponsorship relationships are not obvious (low congruence). In contrast, correct retrieval is best supported by communicating item information when relationships are obvious (high congruence). Experiment 2 uses brand-cued event recall to show that, against conventional marketing recommendations, relational information increases misattribution, whereas item information guards against misattribution. Results suggest sponsor brands must distinguish between item and relational communications to enhance correct retrieval and limit misattribution. Methodologically, the work shows that choice of cueing direction is critical in differentially revealing patterns of correct and incorrect retrieval with pair relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. 41 CFR 301-74.14 - Are there any special requirements for sponsoring or funding a conference at a hotel, motel or...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Are there any special requirements for sponsoring or funding a conference at a hotel, motel or other place of public accommodation... Responsibilities § 301-74.14 Are there any special requirements for sponsoring or funding a conference at a hotel...

  3. Employer-sponsored health insurance and the gender wage gap.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowan, Benjamin; Schwab, Benjamin

    2016-01-01

    During prime working years, women have higher expected healthcare expenses than men. However, employees' insurance rates are not gender-rated in the employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) market. Thus, women may experience lower wages in equilibrium from employers who offer health insurance to their employees. We show that female employees suffer a larger wage gap relative to men when they hold ESI: our results suggest this accounts for roughly 10% of the overall gender wage gap. For a full-time worker, this pay gap due to ESI is on the order of the expected difference in healthcare expenses between women and men. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. The cost of unintended pregnancies for employer-sponsored health insurance plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dieguez, Gabriela; Pyenson, Bruce S; Law, Amy W; Lynen, Richard; Trussell, James

    2015-04-01

    Pregnancy is associated with a significant cost for employers providing health insurance benefits to their employees. The latest study on the topic was published in 2002, estimating the unintended pregnancy rate for women covered by employer-sponsored insurance benefits to be approximately 29%. The primary objective of this study was to update the cost of unintended pregnancy to employer-sponsored health insurance plans with current data. The secondary objective was to develop a regression model to identify the factors and associated magnitude that contribute to unintended pregnancies in the employee benefits population. We developed stepwise multinomial logistic regression models using data from a national survey on maternal attitudes about pregnancy before and shortly after giving birth. The survey was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through mail and via telephone interviews between 2009 and 2011 of women who had had a live birth. The regression models were then applied to a large commercial health claims database from the Truven Health MarketScan to retrospectively assign the probability of pregnancy intention to each delivery. Based on the MarketScan database, we estimate that among employer-sponsored health insurance plans, 28.8% of pregnancies are unintended, which is consistent with national findings of 29% in a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These unintended pregnancies account for 27.4% of the annual delivery costs to employers in the United States, or approximately 1% of the typical employer's health benefits spending for 1 year. Using these findings, we present a regression model that employers could apply to their claims data to identify the risk for unintended pregnancies in their health insurance population. The availability of coverage for contraception without employee cost-sharing, as was required by the Affordable Care Act in 2012, combined with the ability to identify women who are at high

  5. Derivation of Hamiltonians for accelerators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Symon, K.R.

    1997-09-12

    In this report various forms of the Hamiltonian for particle motion in an accelerator will be derived. Except where noted, the treatment will apply generally to linear and circular accelerators, storage rings, and beamlines. The generic term accelerator will be used to refer to any of these devices. The author will use the usual accelerator coordinate system, which will be introduced first, along with a list of handy formulas. He then starts from the general Hamiltonian for a particle in an electromagnetic field, using the accelerator coordinate system, with time t as independent variable. He switches to a form more convenient for most purposes using the distance s along the reference orbit as independent variable. In section 2, formulas will be derived for the vector potentials that describe the various lattice components. In sections 3, 4, and 5, special forms of the Hamiltonian will be derived for transverse horizontal and vertical motion, for longitudinal motion, and for synchrobetatron coupling of horizontal and longitudinal motions. Hamiltonians will be expanded to fourth order in the variables.

  6. Operant Variability: Procedures and Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machado, Armando; Tonneau, Francois

    2012-01-01

    Barba's (2012) article deftly weaves three main themes in one argument about operant variability. From general theoretical considerations on operant behavior (Catania, 1973), Barba derives methodological guidelines about response differentiation and applies them to the study of operant variability. In the process, he uncovers unnoticed features of…

  7. India : Note on Public Financial Management and Accountability in Centrally Sponsored Schemes

    OpenAIRE

    World Bank

    2006-01-01

    The budget outlay for Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) for India in 2005-06 is significantly higher as compared to the previous year's level of Rs.395,000 million. This includes increased allocations for rural roads, rural employment, and education and nutritional support for pre-school children. At present there are over 200 such schemes in operation, of which a dozen accounts for more t...

  8. EGS Richardson AGU Chapman NVAG3 Conference: Nonlinear Variability in Geophysics: scaling and multifractal processes

    OpenAIRE

    D. Schertzer; S. Lovejoy; S. Lovejoy

    1994-01-01

    1. The conference The third conference on "Nonlinear VAriability in Geophysics: scaling and multifractal processes" (NVAG 3) was held in Cargese, Corsica, Sept. 10-17, 1993. NVAG3 was joint American Geophysical Union Chapman and European Geophysical Society Richardson Memorial conference, the first specialist conference jointly sponsored by the two organizations. It followed NVAG1 (Montreal, Aug. 1986), NVAG2 (Paris, June 1988; Schertzer and Lovejoy, 1991), five consecutive annual ...

  9. EGS Richardson AGU Chapman NVAG3 Conference: Nonlinear Variability in Geophysics: scaling and multifractal processes

    OpenAIRE

    Schertzer , D; Lovejoy , S.

    1994-01-01

    International audience; 1. The conference The third conference on "Nonlinear VAriability in Geophysics: scaling and multifractal processes" (NVAG 3) was held in Cargese, Corsica, Sept. 10-17, 1993. NVAG3 was joint American Geophysical Union Chapman and European Geophysical Society Richardson Memorial conference, the first specialist conference jointly sponsored by the two organizations. It followed NVAG1 (Montreal, Aug. 1986), NVAG2 (Paris, June 1988; Schertzer and Lovejoy, 1991), five conse...

  10. Heineken in the House: Improving Online Media Reputation through Featuring a Sponsored Brand Community

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vermeer, S.; Remmelswaal, P.; Jacobs, S.

    2017-01-01

    Nowadays, more and more organizations use social media to promote their sponsorships of big events. Heineken has created a major brand community by facilitating the Holland Heineken House during the Olympic Games. This study investigates to what extent featuring a sponsored brand community on social

  11. 75 FR 1790 - Draft Guidance for Institutional Review Boards, Clinical Investigators, and Sponsors: IRB...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2009-D-0605... clinical investigators and sponsors better understand their responsibilities related to continuing review...-463-6332 or 301-796-3400); or the Office of Communication, Outreach and Development (HFM-40), Center...

  12. Televised state-sponsored antitobacco advertising and youth smoking beliefs and behavior in the United States, 1999-2000.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emery, Sherry; Wakefield, Melanie A; Terry-McElrath, Yvonne; Saffer, Henry; Szczypka, Glen; O'Malley, Patrick M; Johnston, Lloyd D; Chaloupka, Frank J; Flay, Brian

    2005-07-01

    Recent state budget crises have dramatically reduced funding for state-sponsored antitobacco media campaigns. If campaigns are associated with reduced smoking, such cuts could result in long-term increases in state health care costs. Commercial ratings data on mean audience exposure to antitobacco advertising that appeared on network and cable television across the largest 75 media markets in the United States for 1999 through 2000 were combined with nationally representative survey data from school-based samples of youth in the contiguous 48 states. Multivariate regression models were used to analyze associations between mean exposure to state antitobacco advertising and youth smoking-related beliefs and behaviors, controlling for individual and environmental factors usually associated with youth smoking and other televised tobacco-related advertising. Mean exposure to at least 1 state-sponsored antitobacco advertisement in the past 4 months was associated with lower perceived rates of friends' smoking (odds ratio [OR], 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.88), greater perceived harm of smoking (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.11-1.42), stronger intentions not to smoke in the future (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.17-1.74), and lower odds of being a smoker (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.63-0.88). To our knowledge, this study is the first to explore the potential impact of state-sponsored antitobacco media campaigns while controlling for other tobacco-related advertising and other tobacco control policies. State-sponsored antitobacco advertising is associated with desired outcomes of greater antitobacco sentiment and reduced smoking among youth. Recent cuts in these campaigns may have future negative health and budgetary consequences.

  13. HIV/AIDS research conducted in the developing world and sponsored by the developed world: reporting of research ethics committee review in two countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chin, Lisa Judy; Rifai-Bashjawish, Hoda; Kleinert, Kelly; Saltman, Alexandra; Leu, Cheng-Shiun; Klitzman, Robert

    2011-09-01

    We explored how often journal articles reporting HIV research sponsored by a developed country, but conducted in a developing country, mention research ethics committee (REC) approval from both countries, and what factors are involved. Of all such 2007 articles on Medline conducted in one of four developing countries (N = 154), only 52% mentioned such dual approval. Mention of dual vs. single approval was more likely among articles with ≥ 50% sponsor country authors, and the United States as the sponsor country. Also, dual approval was more likely among articles that mentioned informed consent and funding, had ≥ 50% sponsor country authors, were biomedical (vs. psychosocial), and appeared in journals adopting International Committee Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines. Dual approval was thus obtained in only half of the articles and was associated with ethical and logistic issues, indicating the need for clearer and more universally accepted guidelines.

  14. Australian consumer responses to DTCA and other pharmaceutical company sponsored advertisements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Danika V; Jones, Sandra C

    2008-10-01

    This study aimed to elicit and compare the responses of Australian consumers towards New Zealand (NZ) direct-to-consumer-advertisements (DTCA) for prescription medicines and matched pharmaceutical company-sponsored advertisements from Australia. A survey questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of residents in a metropolitan area in NSW. Potential participants were randomised to receive one of four different advertisements: two for weight loss and two for Alzheimer's disease. A total of 413 responses were received and analysed. Participants reported that they were not likely to ask for a prescription from their doctor as a result of seeing any of the advertisements in the study. The Australian disease awareness advertisement that did not refer to a medicinal treatment was perceived as more valuable than the NZ DTCA or other Australian advertisement. Overall, participants found it easier to make sense of the more informational advertisements, and felt that there was insufficient information regarding the disease/condition and treatments in the more emotive and transformational advertisements. While there is concern over potential negative effects of pharmaceutical-sponsored disease awareness advertisements, this study found that Australian consumers perceived an informational advertisement with a list of disease symptoms to be valuable. These findings contribute to debate in New Zealand and Australia regarding DTCA and disease awareness advertising, and have the potential to inform guidelines relevant to the advertising of prescription medicine in each country.

  15. The international space station: An opportunity for industry-sponsored global education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shields, Cathleen E.

    1999-01-01

    The International Space Station provides an excellent opportunity for industry sponsorship of international space education. As a highly visible worldwide asset, the space station already commands our interest. It has captured the imagination of the world's researchers and connected the world's governments. Once operational, it can also be used to capture the dreams of the world's children and connect the world's industry through education. The space station's global heritage and ownership; its complex engineering, construction, and operation; its flexible research and technology demonstration capability; and its long duration make it the perfect educational platform. These things also make a space station education program attractive to industry. Such a program will give private industry the opportunity to sponsor space-related activities even though a particular industry may not have a research or technology-driven need for space utilization. Sponsors will benefit through public relations and goodwill, educational promotions and advertising, and the sale and marketing of related products. There is money to be made by supporting, fostering, and enabling education in space through the International Space Station. This paper will explore various ISS education program and sponsorship options and benefits, will examine early industry response to such an opportunity, and will make the case for moving forward with an ISS education program as a private sector initiative.

  16. Gender and the Effect of Working Hours on Firm-Sponsored Training

    OpenAIRE

    Picchio, Matteo; van Ours, Jan C.

    2015-01-01

    Using employees' longitudinal data, we study the effect of working hours on the propensity of firms to sponsor training of their employees. We show that, whereas male part-time workers are less likely to receive training than male full-timers, part-time working women are as likely to receive training as full-time working women. Although we cannot rule out gender-working time specific monopsony power, we speculate that the gender-specific effect of working hours on training has to do with gend...

  17. Intergeneric Derivation: on the Genealogy of an LSP text

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Askehave, Inger; Kastberg, Peter

    2001-01-01

    is derived from another text or to establish what aspects of the text have been derived, one must gain control over external variables that are not easily controllable. In our approach, we suggest a method that - while controlling external variables - is designed to isolate a suitable text corpus. Contrary...

  18. The Effects of Employer-Sponsored Child Care on Employee Absenteeism, Turnover, Productivity, Recruitment or Job Satisfaction: What Is Claimed and What Is Known.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Thomas I.

    1984-01-01

    Evaluates the evidence supporting claims that employer-sponsored child care programs improve employee work behaviors and attitudes. Results indicated that assertions that employer-sponsored child care reduces workers' absenteeism or tardiness, or that it increases workers' productivity or job satisfaction are not supported by credible research.…

  19. A university-sponsored home health nursing program in Karachi, Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smego, Raymond A; Khan, Mohammad Aslam; Khowaja, Khurshid; Rafique, Rozina; Datoo, Farida

    2005-11-01

    This article describes a university-sponsored home health nursing program in a large urban center in Pakistan and details the essential elements needed in implementing such a program in a developing country. Compared to in-hospital treatment, home healthcare reduced hospital stay from 12.8 days to 3.9 days, and resulted in a net savings of Pakistani rupees (PRs) 5,374,135 (USD 89,569). A cost-effective home treatment program in a resource-limited country can be successfully implemented by using the hospital pharmacy as the central point for the preparation and distribution of medications and specialty nursing services.

  20. 4th openlab Board of Sponsors Meeting takes place at CERN on July 6, 2005

    CERN Multimedia

    Patrice Loïez

    2005-01-01

    The 4th openlab Board of Sponsors Meeting is taking place at CERN, room 513, 1-024, the 6th July 2005. The meeting will open with an Executive Session in the presence of Dr. Robert Aymar, Director General of CERN

  1. 76 FR 70722 - Request for Co-Sponsors for the Office of Healthcare Quality's Programs To Strengthen...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-15

    ... as collaborating co- sponsors in the development and implementation of an innovative program that... life. They are among the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. On average, 1 in 3...

  2. 7 CFR 226.13 - Food service payments to sponsoring organizations for day care homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... (breakfasts, lunches, suppers, and snacks) and by category (tier I and tier II), served to children enrolled... eligible for free or reduced price meals submit the number of meals served, by type, to enrolled children... sponsoring organization identify enrolled children who are eligible for free or reduced price meals. In such...

  3. Estimating the Returns to Firm-Sponsored on-the-Job and Classroom Training

    OpenAIRE

    Benoit Dostie

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we estimate returns to classroom and on-the-job firm-sponsored training in terms of value-added per worker using longitudinal linked employee-employer Canadian data from 1999 to 2006. We estimate a standard production function controlling for endogenous training decisions because of perceived net benefits and time-varying market conditions using dynamic panel GMM methods. We find that employees who undertook classroom training are 11 percent more productive than otherwise simil...

  4. Informing consumers about 'hidden' advertising. A literature review of the effects of disclosing sponsored content

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boerman, S.C.; van Reijmersdal, E.A.; De Pelsmacker, P.

    2016-01-01

    This chapter provides an overview of what is currently known in the scientific literature about the effects of disclosures of sponsored content on consumers' responses. Methodology We provide a qualitative literature review of 21 empirical studies. Findings Awareness of disclosures is rather low,

  5. On sponsoring and CSR involvement. Two theories explaining their effects on a company’s attractiveness for candidates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacek Wozniak

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The use of e-recruitment for hiring personnel is constantly expanding. However, the scientific understanding of factors affecting company employer brand during e-recruitment, is still poor. Research into corporate social responsibilities (CSR shows that information about the company’s involvement in these areas makes its image more positive, including its image as an employer. CSR is an umbrella concept, which includes activities similar to traditional sponsoring of sports and cultural events. Two theories explaining the impact of information on attractiveness of the employer’s brand in the e-recruitment process are presented. The aim of the text is to check which of them – cultural fit or signaling theory – more adequately explains the changes in how a candidate perceives a company’s attractiveness, when given information about its’ sports and cultural sponsoring and environment-related activities. The effect of both positive and negative information concerning a company’s activities on its employer image in the e-recruitment situation is analyzed. Data from an questionnaire filled in by 80 young full-time workers shows that positive information about a company’s CSR and sponsoring activities affects candidates according to the cultural fit model, while negative – according to the signaling theory model. The consequences for theory and managerial practice are described.

  6. Good Publication Practice for Communicating Company-Sponsored Medical Research: GPP3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Battisti, Wendy P; Wager, Elizabeth; Baltzer, Lise; Bridges, Dan; Cairns, Angela; Carswell, Christopher I; Citrome, Leslie; Gurr, James A; Mooney, LaVerne A; Moore, B Jane; Peña, Teresa; Sanes-Miller, Carol H; Veitch, Keith; Woolley, Karen L; Yarker, Yvonne E

    2015-09-15

    This updated Good Publication Practice (GPP) guideline, known as GPP3, builds on earlier versions and provides recommendations for individuals and organizations that contribute to the publication of research results sponsored or supported by pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, and biotechnology companies. The recommendations are designed to help individuals and organizations maintain ethical and transparent publication practices and comply with legal and regulatory requirements. These recommendations cover publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations (oral or poster) at scientific congresses. The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals invited more than 3000 professionals worldwide to apply for a position on the steering committee, or as a reviewer, for this guideline. The GPP2 authors reviewed all applications (n = 241) and assembled an 18-member steering committee that represented 7 countries and a diversity of publication professions and institutions. From the 174 selected reviewers, 94 sent comments on the second draft, which steering committee members incorporated after discussion and consensus. The resulting guideline includes new sections (Principles of Good Publication Practice for Company-Sponsored Medical Research, Data Sharing, Studies That Should Be Published, and Plagiarism), expands guidance on the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' authorship criteria and common authorship issues, improves clarity on appropriate author payment and reimbursement, and expands information on the role of medical writers. By following good publication practices (including GPP3), individuals and organizations will show integrity; accountability; and responsibility for accurate, complete, and transparent reporting in their publications and presentations.

  7. Motivations of Government-Sponsored Kurdish Students for Pursuing Postgraduate Studies Abroad; An Exploratory Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Ahmad Bayiz; Hassan, Hemin Ali; Al-Ahmedi, Mustafa Wshyar Abdulla

    2017-01-01

    This study examines the motivations of government-sponsored Kurdish students to study abroad and the reasons for choosing a particular country as their destination choice. Based on data we collected through an online survey and follow-up interviews, we compare demographic differences to explore the diversity among this cohort. The findings of the…

  8. Increase in female faculty in American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy-sponsored programming over time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enestvedt, Brintha K; DeVivo, Rebecca S; Schmitt, Colleen M; Calderwood, Audrey H

    2018-04-01

    Female representation in medicine is increasing across all levels of medical training, yet women hold fewer senior leadership positions than men. National recognition, including participation as faculty in society-sponsored programs, is one component of academic advancement. The aim of this study was to characterize female representation among faculty in courses sponsored by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). We performed a retrospective review of demographic data, including faculty gender and role, year, and program type, from the ASGE database of its sponsored programs between 2009 and 2014. Female faculty rates were compared with the rate of female membership in the ASGE and by faculty role and course type over time. Between 2009 and 2014 there were a total of 2020 ASGE course faculty positions of which women comprised 19%. There was a significant increase in the proportion of women that served as course faculty over time (P < .0005). Female faculty participation exceeded the ASGE female domestic membership rate in all years. Women were more likely to serve as course directors than lecturers (25% vs 18%, P = .004) and to participate in smaller courses (P = .0003). We found an increase in female participation in ASGE programming over time, suggesting that specialty societies are making efforts to improve female representation at the national level. Future work should evaluate whether or not these opportunities translate into leadership roles for women within their own institutions or lead to promotions for women over time. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Summary of the ORNL-sponsored reactor radwaste management workshop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kibbey, A.H.

    1977-01-01

    On January 12 to 14, 1977, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) sponsored a Radwaste Management Workshop in New Orleans, Louisiana, the object of which was to obtain operating data on the uses of evaporation, ion exchange, filtration, and on solid radwaste practices at nuclear power plants. The collected data are being used to update three earlier generic reports done by ORNL on the status of evaporation, ion exchange, and solid radwaste practices at nuclear power plants and to prepare a new one on filtration. All segments of the nuclear power industry were invited to participate, and a total of 188 representatives came. There were four major Workshop groups: volume reduction, solidification, physical and chemical separations, and corrosion. The major findings of each group are reported

  10. The role of corruption and unethical behaviour in precluding the placement of industry sponsored clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa: Stakeholder views.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Egharevba, Efe; Atkinson, Jacqueline

    2016-08-15

    Clinical trials still represent the gold standard in testing the safety and efficacy of new and existing treatments. However, developing regions including sub-Saharan Africa remain underrepresented in pharmaceutical industry sponsored trials for a number of reasons including fear of corruption and unethical behaviour. This fear exists both on the part of pharmaceutical companies, and investigators carrying out research in the region. The objective of this research was to understand the ethical considerations associated with the conduct of pharmaceutical industry sponsored clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa. Corruption was identified as a significant issue by a number of stakeholders who participated in semi-structured interviews and completed questionnaires. Additionally, fear of being perceived as corrupt or unethical even when conducting ethically sound research was raised as a concern. Thus corruption, whether actual or perceived, is one of a number of issues which have precluded the placement of a greater number of pharmaceutical sponsored clinical trials in this region. More discussion around corruption with all relevant stakeholders is required in order for progress to be made and to enable greater involvement of sub-Saharan African countries in the conduct of industry sponsored clinical trials.

  11. On Complex Random Variables

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anwer Khurshid

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE In this paper, it is shown that a complex multivariate random variable  is a complex multivariate normal random variable of dimensionality if and only if all nondegenerate complex linear combinations of  have a complex univariate normal distribution. The characteristic function of  has been derived, and simpler forms of some theorems have been given using this characterization theorem without assuming that the variance-covariance matrix of the vector  is Hermitian positive definite. Marginal distributions of  have been given. In addition, a complex multivariate t-distribution has been defined and the density derived. A characterization of the complex multivariate t-distribution is given. A few possible uses of this distribution have been suggested.

  12. Derivation and application of hydraulic equation for variable-rate ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The variable-rate contour-controlled sprinkler (VRCS) for precision irrigation can throw water on a given shaped area and the flow rate is also varied with the throw distance of the sprinkler for the purpose of high uniformity irrigation. Much of past research work were concentrated on the mechanical availability of ...

  13. Predictors of Weight Loss Maintenance following an Insurance-Sponsored Weight Management Program

    OpenAIRE

    Christiaan G. Abildso; Olivier Schmid; Megan Byrd; Sam Zizzi; Alessandro Quartiroli; Sean J. Fitzpatrick

    2014-01-01

    Intentional weight loss among overweight and obese adults (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2) is associated with numerous health benefits, but weight loss maintenance (WLM) following participation in weight management programming has proven to be elusive. Many individuals attempting to lose weight join formal programs, especially women, but these programs vary widely in focus, as do postprogram weight regain results. We surveyed 2,106 former participants in a community-based, insurance-sponsored wei...

  14. Classic electrocardiogram-based and mobile technology derived approaches to heart rate variability are not equivalent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guzik, Przemyslaw; Piekos, Caroline; Pierog, Olivia; Fenech, Naiman; Krauze, Tomasz; Piskorski, Jaroslaw; Wykretowicz, Andrzej

    2018-05-01

    We compared classic ECG-derived versus a mobile approach to heart rate variability (HRV) measurement. 29 young adult healthy volunteers underwent a simultaneous recording of heart rate using an ECG and a chest heart rate monitor at supine rest, during mental stress and active standing. Mean RR interval, Standard Deviation of Normal-to-Normal (SDNN) of RR intervals, and Root Mean Square of the Successive Differences (RMSSD) between RR intervals were computed in 168 pairs of 5-minute epochs by in-house software on a PC (only sinus beats) and by mobile application "ELITEHRV" on a smartphone (no beat type identification). ECG analysis showed that 33.9% of the recordings contained at least one non-sinus beat or artefact, the mobile app did not report this. The mean RR intervals were significantly longer (p = 0.0378), while SDNN (p = 0.0001) and RMSSD (p = 0.0199) were smaller for the mobile approach. Measures of identical HRV parameters by ECG-based and mobile approaches are not equivalent. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Soil variability in mountain areas

    OpenAIRE

    Zanini, E.; Freppaz, M.; Stanchi, S.; Bonifacio, E.; Egli, M.

    2015-01-01

    The high spatial variability of soils is a relevant issue at local and global scales, and determines the complexity of soil ecosystem functions and services. This variability derives from strong dependencies of soil ecosystems on parent materials, climate, relief and biosphere, including human impact. Although present in all environments, the interactions of soils with these forming factors are particularly striking in mountain areas.

  16. Predictive Modeling of Black Spruce (Picea mariana (Mill. B.S.P. Wood Density Using Stand Structure Variables Derived from Airborne LiDAR Data in Boreal Forests of Ontario

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bharat Pokharel

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Our objective was to model the average wood density in black spruce trees in representative stands across a boreal forest landscape based on relationships with predictor variables extracted from airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR point cloud data. Increment core samples were collected from dominant or co-dominant black spruce trees in a network of 400 m2 plots distributed among forest stands representing the full range of species composition and stand development across a 1,231,707 ha forest management unit in northeastern Ontario, Canada. Wood quality data were generated from optical microscopy, image analysis, X-ray densitometry and diffractometry as employed in SilviScan™. Each increment core was associated with a set of field measurements at the plot level as well as a suite of LiDAR-derived variables calculated on a 20 × 20 m raster from a wall-to-wall coverage at a resolution of ~1 point m−2. We used a multiple linear regression approach to identify important predictor variables and describe relationships between stand structure and wood density for average black spruce trees in the stands we observed. A hierarchical classification model was then fitted using random forests to make spatial predictions of mean wood density for average trees in black spruce stands. The model explained 39 percent of the variance in the response variable, with an estimated root mean square error of 38.8 (kg·m−3. Among the predictor variables, P20 (second decile LiDAR height in m and quadratic mean diameter were most important. Other predictors describing canopy depth and cover were of secondary importance and differed according to the modeling approach. LiDAR-derived variables appear to capture differences in stand structure that reflect different constraints on growth rates, determining the proportion of thin-walled earlywood cells in black spruce stems, and ultimately influencing the pattern of variation in important wood quality attributes

  17. Development, implementation and critique of a bioethics framework for pharmaceutical sponsors of human biomedical research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Campen, Luann E; Therasse, Donald G; Klopfenstein, Mitchell; Levine, Robert J

    2015-11-01

    Pharmaceutical human biomedical research is a multi-dimensional endeavor that requires collaboration among many parties, including those who sponsor, conduct, participate in, or stand to benefit from the research. Human subjects' protections have been promulgated to ensure that the benefits of such research are accomplished with respect for and minimal risk to individual research participants, and with an overall sense of fairness. Although these protections are foundational to clinical research, most ethics guidance primarily highlights the responsibilities of investigators and ethics review boards. Currently, there is no published resource that comprehensively addresses bioethical responsibilities of industry sponsors; including their responsibilities to parties who are not research participants, but are, nevertheless key stakeholders in the endeavor. To fill this void, in 2010 Eli Lilly and Company instituted a Bioethics Framework for Human Biomedical Research. This paper describes how the framework was developed and implemented and provides a critique based on four years of experience. A companion article provides the actual document used by Eli Lilly and Company to guide ethical decisions regarding all phases of human clinical trials. While many of the concepts presented in this framework are not novel, compiling them in a manner that articulates the ethical responsibilities of a sponsor is novel. By utilizing this type of bioethics framework, we have been able to develop bioethics positions on various topics, provide research ethics consultations, and integrate bioethics into the daily operations of our human biomedical research. We hope that by sharing these companion papers we will stimulate discussion within and outside the biopharmaceutical industry for the benefit of the multiple parties involved in pharmaceutical human biomedical research.

  18. Project-based fieldwork: perspectives of graduate entry students and project sponsors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fortune, Tracy; McKinstry, Carol

    2012-08-01

    This article builds on an earlier viewpoint regarding the need for project-focussed fieldwork. It presents the findings of an evaluative study into the value of project placements undertaken by final year graduate entry master's students as part of a capstone subject. The authors argue that provision of project placements enable impending graduates to develop and implement macro level strategies to develop prevention, resource and service development skills often required of contemporary occupational therapy practitioners. A qualitative approach is adopted. Student cohorts from 2005 and 2006 completed open-ended, written questionnaires, and agency project sponsors were interviewed to obtain their perspectives of the project placement experience. Despite some concern that project placements might be undertaken at the expense of 'clinical' placements these findings reveal that projects managed by students were perceived by services to add great value enabling them to advance important priorities. Students and sponsors highlighted a range of positive learning outcomes, including the ability to work collaboratively with supervisors and develop advanced communication skills and political acumen. The success of such placements depends on supportive supervision from academic staff. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: The findings promote project placements as a highly authentic aspect of work integrated learning enabling learners to draw together a range of attributes that support the ability to manage complex issues that have occupational relevance at a macro level. In addition, such experiences help learners to develop agency and political acumen both increasingly important capabilities for the contemporary workplace. © 2012 The Authors Australian Occupational Therapy Journal © 2012 Occupational Therapy Australia.

  19. Ethical considerations in industry-sponsored multiregional clinical trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibia, Ekopimo; Binkowitz, Bruce; Saillot, Jean-Louis; Talerico, Steven; Koerner, Chin; Ferreira, Irene; Agarwal, Anupam; Metz, Craig; Maman, Marianne

    2010-01-01

    During the last several decades, the scientific and ethics communities have addressed important ethical issues in medical research, resulting in the elaboration and adoption of concepts, guidelines, and codes. Ethical issues in the conduct of Multiregional Clinical Trials have attracted significant attention mainly in the last two decades. With the globalization of clinical research and the rapid expansion to countries with a limited tradition of biomedical research, sponsors must proactively address local ethical issues, the adequacy of oversight as well as the applicability and validity of data, and scientific conclusions drawn from diverse patient populations. This paper highlights some core ethical principles and milestones in medical research, and, from an industry perspective, it discusses ethical issues that the clinical trial team may face when conducting Multiregional Clinical Trials (MRCT, clinical trials conducted at sites located across multiple geographic regions of the world). This paper further highlights the areas of consensus and controversies and proposes points to consider. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Economic Statistical Design of Variable Sampling Interval X¯$\\overline X $ Control Chart Based on Surrogate Variable Using Genetic Algorithms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee Tae-Hoon

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available In many cases, a X¯$\\overline X $ control chart based on a performance variable is used in industrial fields. Typically, the control chart monitors the measurements of a performance variable itself. However, if the performance variable is too costly or impossible to measure, and a less expensive surrogate variable is available, the process may be more efficiently controlled using surrogate variables. In this paper, we present a model for the economic statistical design of a VSI (Variable Sampling Interval X¯$\\overline X $ control chart using a surrogate variable that is linearly correlated with the performance variable. We derive the total average profit model from an economic viewpoint and apply the model to a Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR nuclear fuel measurement system and derive the optimal result using genetic algorithms. Compared with the control chart based on a performance variable, the proposed model gives a larger expected net income per unit of time in the long-run if the correlation between the performance variable and the surrogate variable is relatively high. The proposed model was confined to the sample mean control chart under the assumption that a single assignable cause occurs according to the Poisson process. However, the model may also be extended to other types of control charts using a single or multiple assignable cause assumptions such as VSS (Variable Sample Size X¯$\\overline X $ control chart, EWMA, CUSUM charts and so on.

  1. Investigating Reliabilities of Intraindividual Variability Indicators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lijuan; Grimm, Kevin J.

    2012-01-01

    Reliabilities of the two most widely used intraindividual variability indicators, "ISD[superscript 2]" and "ISD", are derived analytically. Both are functions of the sizes of the first and second moments of true intraindividual variability, the size of the measurement error variance, and the number of assessments within a burst. For comparison,…

  2. HMO market penetration and costs of employer-sponsored health plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, L C; Cantor, J C; Long, S H; Marquis, M S

    2000-01-01

    Using two employer surveys, we evaluate the role of increased health maintenance organization (HMO) market share in containing costs of employer-sponsored coverage. Total costs for employer health plans are about 10 percent lower in markets in which HMOs' market share is above 45 percent than they are in markets with HMO enrollments of below 25 percent. This is the result of lower premiums for HMOs than for non-HMO plans, as well as the competitive effect of HMOs that leads to lower non-HMO premiums for employers that continue to offer these benefits. Slower growth in premiums in areas with high HMO enrollments suggests that expanded HMO market share may also lower the long-run growth in costs.

  3. Microcontroller Based Proportional Derivative Plus Conditional Integral Controller for Electro-Mechanical Dual Acting Pulley Continuously Variable Transmission Ratio Control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budianto, A; Tawi, K B; Hussein, M; Supriyo, B; Kob, M S Che; Zulkifli, Mohd Ezlamy; Khairuldean A K; Daraoh, Aishah; Ariyono, S

    2012-01-01

    Electro-Mechanical Dual Acting Pulley (EMDAP) Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) is a transmission utilized by electro-mechanical actuated system. It has a potential to reduce energy consumption because it only needs power during changing CVT ratio and no power is needed to maintain CVT ratio due to self lock mechanism design. This paper proposed simple proportional derivative plus conditional integral (PDCI) controller to control EMDAP CVT ratio which can be simply implemented on a microcontroller. This proposed controller used Astrom-Hagglund method and Ziegler-Nichols formula to tune PDCI gain. The Proportional Derivative controller is directly activated from the start but Integral controller is only activated when the error value reaches error value setting point. Simulation using Matlab/Simulink software was conducted to evaluate PDCI system performance. The simulation results showed PDCI controller has ability to perform maximum overshoot 0.1%, 0.001 steady state error and 0.5s settling time. For clamping condition, settling time is about 11.46s during changing ratio from 2.0 to 0.7, while for release condition, settling time is about 8.33s during changing ratio from 0.7 to 2.0.

  4. Career, Family, and Institutional Variables in the Work Lives of Academic Women in the Chemical Sciences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fassinger, Ruth E.; Scantlebury, Kathryn; Richmond, Geraldine

    This article presents quantitative results of a study of 139 academic women in the chemical sciences who participated in a professional development program sponsored by the Committee on the Advancement of Women Chemists. The study investigated variables frequently examined in the vocational psychology of women: approaches to achievement, coping strategies, career advancement, the home-work interface, workplace climate, and mentoring. The article presents and discusses results in the context of unique issues faced by women in scientific careers.

  5. Seasonal and nonseasonal variability of satellite-derived chlorophyll and colored dissolved organic matter concentration in the California Current

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kahru, Mati; Mitchell, B. Greg

    2001-02-01

    Time series of surface chlorophyll a concentration (Chl) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) derived from the Ocean Color and Temperature Sensor and Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor were evaluated for the California Current area using regional algorithms. Satellite data composited for 8-day periods provide the ability to describe large-scale changes in surface parameters. These changes are difficult to detect based on in situ observations alone that suffer from undersampling the large temporal and spatial variability, especially in Chl. We detected no significant bias in satellite Chl estimates compared with ship-based measurements. The variability in CDOM concentration was significantly smaller than that in Chl, both spatially and temporally. While being subject to large interannual and short-term variations, offshore waters (100-1000 km from the shore) have an annual cycle of Chl and CDOM with a maximum in winter-spring (December-March) and a minimum in late summer. For inshore waters the maximum is more likely in spring (April-May). We detect significant increase in both Chl and CDOM off central and southern California during the La Niña year of 1999. The trend of increasing Chl and CDOM from October 1996 to June 2000 is statistically significant in many areas.

  6. Geotechnical aspects of the UK DOE-sponsored radioactive waste disposal research programme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooling, C.M.; Hudson, J.A.

    1987-01-01

    One of the crucial factors for underground repository design is understanding the engineering properties and behaviour of the host rock. To develop this understanding, the Department of the Environment has sponsored a continuing programme of geotechnical research from 1979 to the present day. The authors describe the structure of the research programme, highlight some of the individual projects, indicate the most important conclusions and provide an overview of both the current state of knowledge and 'the way ahead'. 9 refs.; 9 figs.; 1 table

  7. Does Sport Event Involvement Influence Brand Recognition of Official Sponsors and Ambush Marketers?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piątkowska Monika

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The main aim of the study is to verify how event involvement in the UEFA Euro 2012 influenced the recognition of both sponsors’ and ambushers’ brands. Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews were conducted on a representative sample of the Polish society (N = 1,000. On the basis of five groups of consumers regarding involvement in the event, authors examined brand recognition, using Top of Mind Awareness (TOMA tests of official sponsors and ambushers.

  8. The Politics of Health as a School-Sponsored Ethic: Foucault, Neoliberalism, and the Unhealthy Employee

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vander Schee, Carolyn

    2008-01-01

    This article describes the emergence of health policies targeted at the unhealthy school employee by examining how these are manifest in a Nevada school district. The analysis draws on the work of Foucault, specifically his writings on governmentality. The purpose of this critical appraisal is to problematize school-sponsored health policies by…

  9. General hybrid projective complete dislocated synchronization with non-derivative and derivative coupling based on parameter identification in several chaotic and hyperchaotic systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Jun-Wei; Shen Yi; Zhang Guo-Dong; Wang Yan-Feng; Cui Guang-Zhao

    2013-01-01

    According to the Lyapunov stability theorem, a new general hybrid projective complete dislocated synchronization scheme with non-derivative and derivative coupling based on parameter identification is proposed under the framework of drive-response systems. Every state variable of the response system equals the summation of the hybrid drive systems in the previous hybrid synchronization. However, every state variable of the drive system equals the summation of the hybrid response systems while evolving with time in our method. Complete synchronization, hybrid dislocated synchronization, projective synchronization, non-derivative and derivative coupling, and parameter identification are included as its special item. The Lorenz chaotic system, Rössler chaotic system, memristor chaotic oscillator system, and hyperchaotic Lü system are discussed to show the effectiveness of the proposed methods. (general)

  10. Calculus of one variable

    CERN Document Server

    Grossman, Stanley I

    1986-01-01

    Calculus of One Variable, Second Edition presents the essential topics in the study of the techniques and theorems of calculus.The book provides a comprehensive introduction to calculus. It contains examples, exercises, the history and development of calculus, and various applications. Some of the topics discussed in the text include the concept of limits, one-variable theory, the derivatives of all six trigonometric functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, and infinite series.This textbook is intended for use by college students.

  11. Modelling spatio-temporal variability of Mytilus edulis (L.) growth by forcing a dynamic energy budget model with satellite-derived environmental data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Yoann; Mazurié, Joseph; Alunno-Bruscia, Marianne; Bacher, Cédric; Bouget, Jean-François; Gohin, Francis; Pouvreau, Stéphane; Struski, Caroline

    2011-11-01

    In order to assess the potential of various marine ecosystems for shellfish aquaculture and to evaluate their carrying capacities, there is a need to clarify the response of exploited species to environmental variations using robust ecophysiological models and available environmental data. For a large range of applications and comparison purposes, a non-specific approach based on 'generic' individual growth models offers many advantages. In this context, we simulated the response of blue mussel ( Mytilus edulis L.) to the spatio-temporal fluctuations of the environment in Mont Saint-Michel Bay (North Brittany) by forcing a generic growth model based on Dynamic Energy Budgets with satellite-derived environmental data (i.e. temperature and food). After a calibration step based on data from mussel growth surveys, the model was applied over nine years on a large area covering the entire bay. These simulations provide an evaluation of the spatio-temporal variability in mussel growth and also show the ability of the DEB model to integrate satellite-derived data and to predict spatial and temporal growth variability of mussels. Observed seasonal, inter-annual and spatial growth variations are well simulated. The large-scale application highlights the strong link between food and mussel growth. The methodology described in this study may be considered as a suitable approach to account for environmental effects (food and temperature variations) on physiological responses (growth and reproduction) of filter feeders in varying environments. Such physiological responses may then be useful for evaluating the suitability of coastal ecosystems for shellfish aquaculture.

  12. Internal Interdecadal Variability in CMIP5 Control Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, A. H.; Mann, M. E.; Frankcombe, L. M.; England, M. H.; Steinman, B. A.; Miller, S. K.

    2015-12-01

    Here we make use of control simulations from the CMIP5 models to quantify the amplitude of the interdecadal internal variability component in Atlantic, Pacific, and Northern Hemisphere mean surface temperature. We compare against estimates derived from observations using a semi-empirical approach wherein the forced component as estimated using CMIP5 historical simulations is removed to yield an estimate of the residual, internal variability. While the observational estimates are largely consistent with those derived from the control simulations for both basins and the Northern Hemisphere, they lie in the upper range of the model distributions, suggesting the possibility of differences between the amplitudes of observed and modeled variability. We comment on some possible reasons for the disparity.

  13. Directory of Indochinese Health Education Materials for Southeast Asian Refugees, Refugee Sponsors and Refugee Health Providers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minnesota State Dept. of Health, St. Paul. Refugee Education Resource Center.

    This is a directory of (print) health education materials for Indochinese refugees, refugee sponsors, and refugee health providers. Materials listed for refugees cover dental health, diseases, family planning, infant and child health, maternal care and pregnancy, legal systems, nutrition, patient instruction, and education. The directory also…

  14. Information risk in emerging utility markets: The role of commission- sponsored audits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wirick, D.W.; Lawton, R.W.; Burns, R.E.; Lee, S.

    1996-03-01

    As public utilities and regulators begin to define their new relationship under various forms of regulations, some have questioned the continuing need for commission-sponsored audits. This study evaluates the role of such audits by examining their core purpose: the reduction of information risk (risk that a commission might make a wrong decision because of reliance on faulty information). It identifies five generic types of information that will be needed by commissions in the future and describes a cost-benefit analysis for identifying the appropriate method for mitigating information risk for state regulatory commissions.

  15. Derivatives in South Africa – an empirical investigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Schwegler

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper, which is the second of a two-part series, presents the empirical findings of testing a number of variables influencing investors’ decisions to use derivatives in their portfolios. Five variables were deemed very important by a sample of 21 experts in the financial services industry in South Africa. These were: the level of information available (including the transparency of price determination; investor’s knowledge of different derivative instruments; investor’s level of risk tolerance; the level of liquidity in the market; and investor’s knowledge of and familiarity with financial markets. Education is required to change negative sentiments regarding derivatives and more regulation is called for, especially in over-the-counter markets.

  16. Variable-coefficient nonisospectral Toda lattice hierarchy and its ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    In this paper, a hierarchy of nonisospectral equations with variable coefficients is derived from the ..... from the definitions of Lax integrability and Lax pairs [26] that the variable-coefficient ..... studying which will be the topic for our future study.

  17. Board of Director Configurations in Mutual Funds Sponsors: A Board-Level Analysis of Director Performance and Ownership

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Fraser, Steven

    2003-01-01

    ... (or a cluster of funds); referred to as a Multiple Board Configuration (MBC). In a sample of the largest open-end mutual fund sponsors, I find MBC boards have significantly higher board-level objective-adjusted excess returns than SBC boards...

  18. Effects of Disclosing Sponsored Content in Blogs: How the Use of Resistance Strategies Mediates Effects on Persuasion

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    E.A. van Reijmersdal (Eva); M.L. Fransen (Marieke); G. van Noort (Guda); S.J. Opree (Suzanna); L. Vandeberg (Lisa); Reusch, S. (Sanne); van Lieshout, F. (Floor); Boerman, S.C. (Sophie C.)

    2016-01-01

    textabstractThis article presents two studies examining the effects of disclosing online native advertising (i.e., sponsored content in blogs) on people’s brand attitude and purchase intentions. To investigate the mechanisms underlying these effects, we integrated resistance theories with the

  19. Effects of disclosing sponsored content in blogs : how the use of resistance strategies mediates effects on persuasion

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Reijmersdal, E.A.; Fransen, M.L.; van Noort, G.; Opree, S.J.; Vandeberg, L.; Reusch, S.; van Lieshout, F.; Boerman, S.C.

    2016-01-01

    This article presents two studies examining the effects of disclosing online native advertising (i.e., sponsored content in blogs) on people’s brand attitude and purchase intentions. To investigate the mechanisms underlying these effects, we integrated resistance theories with the persuasion

  20. How Student Written Communication Skills Benefit during Participation in an Industry-Sponsored Civil Engineering Capstone Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fries, Ryan; Cross, Brad; Zhou, Jianpeng; Verbais, Chad

    2017-01-01

    Because many engineering programs use capstone design courses and value strong communication abilities, authors sought to identify how student written communication skills changed because of industry-sponsored capstone design projects. A student exit survey was collected at the end of the capstone design course during faculty-led projects and…

  1. A fractional derivative approach to full creep regions in salt rock

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhou, H. W.; Wang, C. P.; Mishnaevsky, Leon

    2013-01-01

    Based on the definition of the constant-viscosity Abel dashpot, a new creep element, referred to as the variable-viscosity Abel dashpot, is proposed to characterize damage growth in salt rock samples during creep tests. Ultrasonic testing is employed to determine a formula of the variable viscosity...... coefficient, indicating that the change of the variable viscosity coefficient with the time meets a negative exponent law. In addition, by replacing the Newtonian dashpot in the classical Nishihara model with the variable-viscosity Abel dashpot, a damage-mechanism-based creep constitutive model is proposed...... on the basis of time-based fractional derivative. The analytic solution for the fractional-derivative creep constitutive model is presented. The parameters of the fractional derivative creep model are determined by the Levenberg–Marquardt method on the basis of the experimental results of creep tests on salt...

  2. Government-sponsored microfinance program: Joint liability vs. individual liability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arghya Kusum Mukherjee

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY is a government-sponsored microfinance program. The scheme is based on four features: group lending with joint liability, progressive lending, back-ended subsidy, and social capital. We propose a new model of SGSY having these features: group lending with individual liability, progressive lending, back-ended subsidy, and social capital. “Joint liability” clause of the existing model is replaced with individual liability in the new model. The paper shows that problem of adverse selection is removed in both models, i.e. in “SGSY with group lending and joint liability” and “SGSY with group lending and individual liability.” The problem of “moral hazard” is more severe in the existing model of SGSY compared with the proposed model of SGSY. Borrowers are also benefitted from participation in the proposed scheme of SGSY than that in the existing model of SGSY.

  3. 78 FR 25909 - Minimum Value of Eligible Employer-Sponsored Plans and Other Rules Regarding the Health Insurance...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-03

    ... Minimum Value of Eligible Employer-Sponsored Plans and Other Rules Regarding the Health Insurance Premium.... SUMMARY: This document contains proposed regulations relating to the health insurance premium tax credit... who enroll in qualified health plans through Affordable Insurance Exchanges (Exchanges) and claim the...

  4. Quantitative Analysis of Variability and Uncertainty in Environmental Data and Models. Volume 1. Theory and Methodology Based Upon Bootstrap Simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Frey, H. Christopher [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States); Rhodes, David S. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States)

    1999-04-30

    This is Volume 1 of a two-volume set of reports describing work conducted at North Carolina State University sponsored by Grant Number DE-FG05-95ER30250 by the U.S. Department of Energy. The title of the project is “Quantitative Analysis of Variability and Uncertainty in Acid Rain Assessments.” The work conducted under sponsorship of this grant pertains primarily to two main topics: (1) development of new methods for quantitative analysis of variability and uncertainty applicable to any type of model; and (2) analysis of variability and uncertainty in the performance, emissions, and cost of electric power plant combustion-based NOx control technologies. These two main topics are reported separately in Volumes 1 and 2.

  5. Flickering of the symbiotic variable CH Cygni during outburst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Slovak, M H [Texas Univ., Austin (USA). Dept. of Astronomy; Africano, J

    1978-11-01

    High-speed and conventional BVRI photometry are reported for the bright symbiotic variable CH Cygni (M6 IIIe), obtained during the course of a recent outburst. Unlike the quiescent symbiotic stars, the presence of flickering similar in nature to that seen in the cataclysmic variables has been confirmed during this active phase. The BVRI photometry for a sample of stars in the field is used to derive the reddening and the distance to CH Cyg. A composite energy distribution is derived from 0.35 to 11.0 ..mu..m which clearly establishes the existence of a variable, blue continuum. The lack of variability in the near infrared suggests that the blue continuum arises from a hot companion. A binary model including a subluminous hot companion accreting material from the stellar wind of an SRa variable is discussed to account for the observed photometric properties.

  6. RESPONSABILIDAD DEL PATROCINADOR DESPUÉS DE UN ENSAYO CLÍNICO RESPONSABILIDADE DO PATROCINADOR APÓS A REALIZAÇÃO DE UM ENSAIO CLÍNICO RESPONSABILITY OF SPONSORS AFTER CLINICAL TRIALS ARE FINISHED

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth Benites Estupiñán

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Este artículo describe algunos problemas éticos derivados de los estudios multicéntricos en países en desarrollo, particularmente los referidos al rol de los patrocinadores luego de concluido un ensayo clínico. Luego de pasar revista a algunas normativas internacionales, propone un conjunto de obligaciones éticas para los patrocinadores de estos ensayos. Las evidencias mostradas hacia el final sugieren más bien pesimismo respecto de su cumplimientoEste artigo descreve alguns problemas éticos derivados dos estudos muticêntricos nos países em desenvolvimento, particularmente os relacionados com o papel dos patrocinadores logo após a conclusão de um ensaio clínico. Após análise de algumas normas interaccionáis, propõe um conjunto de obrigações éticas para os patrocinadores destes ensaios. As evidências indicam um certo pessimismo quanto ao seu cumprimentoThis paper describes some ethical problems derived from multi center studies in developing countries, specifically those referred to the role of sponsors after the clinical trial is concluded. After reviewing some international norms, it proposes several ethical obligations fro sponsors of these trials. Finally, the evidence shows pessimism with respect to fulfilling them

  7. E-survey with researchers, members of ethics committees and sponsors of clinical research in Brazil: an emerging methodology for scientific research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dainesi, Sonia Mansoldo; Goldbaum, Moisés

    2012-12-01

    The growth of Internet users enables epidemiological studies to be conducted electronically, representing a promising methodology for data collection. Members of Ethics Committees, Clinical Researchers and Sponsors were interviewed using questionnaires sent over the Internet. Along with the questionnaire, participants received a message explaining the survey and also the informed consent. Returning the questionnaire meant the consent of the participant was given. No incentive was offered; two reminders were sent. The response rate was 21% (124/599), 20% (58/290) and 45% (24/53) respectively for Ethics Committees, Researchers and Sponsors. The percentage of return before the two reminders was about 62%. Reasons for non-response: participant not found, refusal to participate, lack of experience in clinical research or in the therapeutic field. Characteristics of participants: 45% of Ethics Committee participants, 64% of Researchers and 63% of Sponsors were male; mean age (range), respectively: 47 (28-74), 53 (24-72) and 40 (29-65) years. Among Researchers and Sponsors, all respondents had at least a university degree and, in the Ethics Committees group, only two (1.7%) did not have one. Most of the questionnaires in all groups came from the Southeast Region of Brazil, probably reflecting the highest number of clinical trials and research professionals in this region. Despite the potential limitations of a survey done through the Internet, this study led to a response rate similar to what has been observed with other models, efficiency in obtaining responses (speed and quality), convenience for respondents and low cost.

  8. Sponsoring surgeons; an investigation on the influence of the da Vinci robot.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Criss, Cory N; Gadepalli, Samir K

    2017-08-26

    The integrity of the medical literature about robotic surgery remains unclear despite wide-spread adoption. We sought to determine if payment from Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (ISI) affected quality of the research produced by surgeons. Publicly available financial data from the CMS website regarding the top-20 earners from ISI for 2015 was gathered. Studies conducted by these surgeons were identified using PubMed. Inclusion criteria consisted of publications about the da Vinci ® robot on patient outcomes. The primary outcome of our study was if the study conclusion was positive/equivocal/negative towards the robot. Secondary outcomes included authorship, sponsorship, study controls, and disclosure. The top earners received $3,296,844 in 2015, with a median of $141,959. Sub-specialties included general surgery (55%), colorectal (20%), thoracic (15%), and obstetrics/gynecology (10%). Of the 37 studies, there was 1 RCT, with observational studies comprising the rest. The majority of the studies (n = 16, 43%) had no control population, with 11 (30%) comparing to same institution/surgeon, Though ISI sponsored only 6 (16%) studies, all with positive conclusions, 27 (73%) studies had positive conclusions for robot use, 9 (24%) equivocal, and only 1 (3%) negative. Overall, 13 earners had lead authorship and 11 senior. This initial pilot study highlights a potential bias as current literature published by benefactors demonstrates low quality and highly positive conclusions towards approval of the robot. This substantiates the need for a large, systematic review of the potential influence of sponsoring surgeons on medical literature. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Time-variable gravity fields derived from GPS tracking of Swarm

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bezděk, Aleš; Sebera, Josef; da Encarnacao, J.T.; Klokočník, Jaroslav

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 205, č. 3 (2016), s. 1665-1669 ISSN 0956-540X R&D Projects: GA MŠk LG14026; GA ČR GA13-36843S Institutional support: RVO:67985815 Keywords : satellite geodesy * time variable gravity * global change from geodesy Subject RIV: DD - Geochemistry Impact factor: 2.414, year: 2016

  10. An Analysis of Collaborative Problem-Solving Mechanisms in Sponsored Projects: Applying the 5-Day Sprint Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raubenolt, Amy

    2016-01-01

    In May 2016, the office of Finance and Sponsored Projects at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital conducted a 5-day design sprint session to re-evaluate and redesign a flawed final reporting process within the department. The department sprint was modeled after the design sprint sessions that occur routinely in software…

  11. Are results from pharmaceutical-company-sponsored studies available to the public?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dal-Ré, Rafael; Pedromingo, Alejandro; García-Losa, Manuel; Lahuerta, Juan; Ortega, Rafael

    2010-11-01

    Only 53% and 63% of studies and clinical trials results presented at congresses are published. Company-sponsored trial results are being posted on publicly accessible Web sites. We analyzed the public availability (publication or posting on a Web site) rate, time to publication, and factors predicting public availability of results of studies sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. This was a retrospective cohort study analyzing all studies conducted by GlaxoSmithKline in Spain between 2001 and 2006. Initiation and completion were defined as first participant/first visit and last participant/last visit (or their equivalents). Papers published up to 31 March 2009 were considered. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors predicting public availability of results. The cohort comprised 143 studies (94 clinical trials; of these, 87 were included in international products clinical development plans). Public availability rate was 80% (114/143) for all studies and 78% (73/94) for clinical trials; publication rates were 68% and 61%, respectively. The median time to publication for all studies and trials was 27.3 and 28.4 months, respectively. Study associated to a cancelled project was the only significant factor associated with lower publication rate for all studies [odds ratio (OR) 0.069; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02-024; p public availability rate (OR 0.052; 95% CI 0.007-0.382; p = 0.004) for trial results. Therapy area, sample size, positive trial results, duration of experimental phase, and being a clinical trial did not predict publication or public availability. Eighty percent of studies included in this analysis are publicly available. Web site posting increases public availability rate of clinical trial results from 61% to 78%. Cancellation of projects is the single factor negatively influencing publication and public availability rates.

  12. Temporal variability in SeaWiFS derived apparent optical properties in European seas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vantrepotte, V.; Mélin, F.

    2010-02-01

    The 10-year record of ocean color data provided by the SeaWiFS mission is an important asset for monitoring and research activities conducted on the optically complex European seas. This study makes use of the SeaWiFS data set of normalized water leaving radiances LWN to study the major characteristics of temporal variability associated with optical properties across the entire European domain. Specifically, the time series of LWN and associated band ratios are decomposed into terms representing a fixed seasonal cycle, irregular variations and trends, and the contribution of these components to the total variance is described for the various basins. The diversity of the European waters is fully reflected by the range of results varying with regions and wavelengths. Generally, the Mediterranean and Baltic seas appear as two end-members with, respectively, high and low contributions of the seasonal component to the total variance. The existence of linear trends affecting the satellite products is also explored for each basin. By focusing the analysis on LWN and band ratios, the validity of the results is not limited by the varying levels of uncertainty that characterize derived products such as the concentration of chlorophyll a in optically complex waters. Statistically significant, and in some cases large, trends are detected in the Atlantic Ocean west of the European western shelf, the central North Sea, the English Channel, the Black Sea, the northern Adriatic, and various regions of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern Baltic Sea, revealing changes in the concentrations of optically significant constituents in these regions.

  13. 75 FR 16125 - Call for Co-Sponsors for Office of Healthcare Quality's Programs to Strengthen Coordination and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-31

    ... collaborating co-sponsors in the development and implementation of an innovative program that advances the goals... preventable death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000... to the substantial human suffering caused by healthcare- associated infections, the financial burden...

  14. The generalizability of NCI-sponsored clinical trials accrual among women with gynecologic malignancies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishkin, Grace; Minasian, Lori M; Kohn, Elise C; Noone, Anne-Michelle; Temkin, Sarah M

    2016-12-01

    Enrollment of a representative population to cancer clinical trials ensures scientific reliability and generalizability of results. This study evaluated the similarity of patients enrolled in NCI-supported group gynecologic cancer trials to the incident US population. Accrual to NCI-sponsored ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancer treatment trials between 2003 and 2012 were examined. Race, ethnicity, age, and insurance status were compared to the analogous US patient population estimated using adjusted SEER incidence data. There were 18,913 accruals to 156 NCI-sponsored gynecologic cancer treatment trials, ovarian (56%), uterine (32%), and cervical cancers (12%). Ovarian cancer trials included the least racial, ethnic and age diversity. Black women were notably underrepresented in ovarian trials (4% versus 11%). Hispanic patients were underrepresented in ovarian and uterine trials (4% and 5% versus 18% and 19%, respectively), but not in cervical cancer trials (14 versus 11%). Elderly patients were underrepresented in each disease area, with the greatest underrepresentation seen in ovarian cancer patients over the age of 75 (7% versus 29%). Privately insured women were overrepresented among accrued ovarian cancer patients (87% versus 76%), and the uninsured were overrepresented among women with uterine or cervical cancers. These patterns did not change over time. Several notable differences were observed between the patients accrued to NCI funded trials and the incident population. Improving representation of racial and ethnic minorities and elderly patients on cancer clinical trials continues to be a challenge and priority. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. 41 CFR 301-74.8 - Who may authorize reimbursement of the conference lodging allowance for a Government sponsored...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ....8 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System TEMPORARY DUTY (TDY) TRAVEL ALLOWANCES AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES 74-CONFERENCE PLANNING Agency Responsibilities § 301-74.8 Who...? The approval authority for the conference lodging allowance is the Government agency sponsoring the...

  16. Variable-coefficient nonisospectral Toda lattice hierarchy and its

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    In this paper, a hierarchy of nonisospectral equations with variable coefficients is derived from the compatibility condition of Toda spectral problem and its time evolution. In order to solve the derived Toda lattice hierarchy, the inverse scattering transformation is utilized. As a result, new and more general exact solutions are ...

  17. Coping with change: a challenge for sponsors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGuire, T P; McGowan, K

    1987-04-01

    In the past 25 years a trend away from lifetime commitment in religious institutes, a rising number of retired religious,, and the Second Vatican Council's call for greater lay involvement in all aspects of ministry have led to many changes in Catholic-sponsored health care facilities. The development process of religious institutes parallels that of individuals as they mature from infancy to late adulthood. After Vatican II, religious institutes underwent an "intimacy versus isolation" stage similar to that experienced by people in their twenties, in which interpersonal relationships became more important. Now institutes are in a stage of "ego integrity versus despair," where they must consider changes--closing facilities, mergers, affiliations,, or divestiture of sponsorship--and how they can keep their mission alive afterward. Religious leaders must be energetic in creating programs that allow laypersons who share the institute's mission, charism, and philosophy to carry out its ministry. But in the midst of these changes, religious members also will experience grief at the loss of their sponsorship or control over their facility. They pass through the same stages people experience after the death of a loved one: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Only by confronting and accepting their grief can institute members go on to either new ministries or reaffirmed commitment to their current work.

  18. Participants in school-sponsored and independent sports: perceptions of self and family.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Browne, B A; Francis, S K

    1993-01-01

    Sports are believed to contribute to physical well-being, social adjustment, and self-esteem. In this study, perceptions of social competence and family dynamics were examined among adolescent participants in school-sponsored and independent sports (baseball and skateboarding). Subjects, aged 12 to 19 years, completed a questionnaire consisting of FACES III, a social competence scale, and miscellaneous items concerning school performance, sports commitment, and perceptions of adult attitudes. Perceptions of social competence were differentially related to degree of sports involvement and perceived skill but were not related to the social acceptability of the sport. Adolescents in both groups depicted their families as demonstrating low levels of cohesion but high adaptability.

  19. Direct evidence for the ring opening of monosaccharide anions in the gas phase: photodissociation of aldohexoses and aldohexoses derived from disaccharides using variable-wavelength infrared irradiation in the carbonyl stretch region

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brown, D. J.; Stefan, S. E.; Berden, G.; Steill, J.D.; Oomens, J.; Eyler, J.R.; Bendiak, B.

    2011-01-01

    All eight d-aldohexoses and aldohexoses derived from the non-reducing end of disaccharides were investigated by variable-wavelength infrared multiple-photon dissociation (IRMPD) as anions in the negative-ion mode. Spectroscopic evidence supports the existence of a relatively abundant open-chain

  20. Direct evidence for the ring opening of monosaccharide anions in the gas phase: photodissociation of aldohexoses and aldohexoses derived from disaccharides using variable-wavelength infrared irradiation in the carbonyl stretch region

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brown, D. J.; Stefan, S. E.; G. Berden,; Steill, J. D.; Oomens, J.; Eyler, J. R.; Bendiak, B.

    2011-01-01

    All eight D-aldohexoses and aldohexoses derived from the non-reducing end of disaccharides were investigated by variable-wavelength infrared multiple-photon dissociation (IRMPD) as anions in the negative-ion mode. Spectroscopic evidence supports the existence of a relatively abundant open-chain

  1. SU-C-BRA-07: Variability of Patient-Specific Motion Models Derived Using Different Deformable Image Registration Algorithms for Lung Cancer Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) Patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dhou, S; Williams, C [Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States); Ionascu, D [William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI (United States); Lewis, J [University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To study the variability of patient-specific motion models derived from 4-dimensional CT (4DCT) images using different deformable image registration (DIR) algorithms for lung cancer stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) patients. Methods: Motion models are derived by 1) applying DIR between each 4DCT image and a reference image, resulting in a set of displacement vector fields (DVFs), and 2) performing principal component analysis (PCA) on the DVFs, resulting in a motion model (a set of eigenvectors capturing the variations in the DVFs). Three DIR algorithms were used: 1) Demons, 2) Horn-Schunck, and 3) iterative optical flow. The motion models derived were compared using patient 4DCT scans. Results: Motion models were derived and the variations were evaluated according to three criteria: 1) the average root mean square (RMS) difference which measures the absolute difference between the components of the eigenvectors, 2) the dot product between the eigenvectors which measures the angular difference between the eigenvectors in space, and 3) the Euclidean Model Norm (EMN), which is calculated by summing the dot products of an eigenvector with the first three eigenvectors from the reference motion model in quadrature. EMN measures how well an eigenvector can be reconstructed using another motion model derived using a different DIR algorithm. Results showed that comparing to a reference motion model (derived using the Demons algorithm), the eigenvectors of the motion model derived using the iterative optical flow algorithm has smaller RMS, larger dot product, and larger EMN values than those of the motion model derived using Horn-Schunck algorithm. Conclusion: The study showed that motion models vary depending on which DIR algorithms were used to derive them. The choice of a DIR algorithm may affect the accuracy of the resulting model, and it is important to assess the suitability of the algorithm chosen for a particular application. This project was supported

  2. SU-C-BRA-07: Variability of Patient-Specific Motion Models Derived Using Different Deformable Image Registration Algorithms for Lung Cancer Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dhou, S; Williams, C; Ionascu, D; Lewis, J

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To study the variability of patient-specific motion models derived from 4-dimensional CT (4DCT) images using different deformable image registration (DIR) algorithms for lung cancer stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) patients. Methods: Motion models are derived by 1) applying DIR between each 4DCT image and a reference image, resulting in a set of displacement vector fields (DVFs), and 2) performing principal component analysis (PCA) on the DVFs, resulting in a motion model (a set of eigenvectors capturing the variations in the DVFs). Three DIR algorithms were used: 1) Demons, 2) Horn-Schunck, and 3) iterative optical flow. The motion models derived were compared using patient 4DCT scans. Results: Motion models were derived and the variations were evaluated according to three criteria: 1) the average root mean square (RMS) difference which measures the absolute difference between the components of the eigenvectors, 2) the dot product between the eigenvectors which measures the angular difference between the eigenvectors in space, and 3) the Euclidean Model Norm (EMN), which is calculated by summing the dot products of an eigenvector with the first three eigenvectors from the reference motion model in quadrature. EMN measures how well an eigenvector can be reconstructed using another motion model derived using a different DIR algorithm. Results showed that comparing to a reference motion model (derived using the Demons algorithm), the eigenvectors of the motion model derived using the iterative optical flow algorithm has smaller RMS, larger dot product, and larger EMN values than those of the motion model derived using Horn-Schunck algorithm. Conclusion: The study showed that motion models vary depending on which DIR algorithms were used to derive them. The choice of a DIR algorithm may affect the accuracy of the resulting model, and it is important to assess the suitability of the algorithm chosen for a particular application. This project was supported

  3. Composition variability in soy-derived dietary supplements designated for menopausal symptom prevention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hubert Jane

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available An increasing number of soy isoflavone supplements are commercialized and many investigations are conducted to define their real impact on human health. The presence of other compounds (soyasaponins, phytosterols, polyunsaturated fatty acids… is rarely considered when discussing the bioactivity of an isoflavone-enriched product. Moreover, the process used can modify the phytochemical content and composition of the final product. This report evaluated the variability in content and composition of isoflavones as well as soyasaponins, proteins, fatty acids and α-galactooligosaccharides of 25 soy based dietary supplements. For isoflavones and soyasaponins, analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with an ultraviolet detector (HPLC/UV, the ‘intra product’variability was investigated by analyzing two different lots of five of these 25 dietary supplements. Proteins were determined through the quantification of total nitrogen by an elementar analyzer, fatty acids by gaz chromatography, and α-galactooligosaccharides were analyzed using a refractive index detector. These components showed a high variability: the total isoflavone contents, expressed as aglycone equivalents, varied from 4.4 mg/g (16.7 lmol/g to 95.3 mg/g (365.6 lmol/g, and the isoflavones/ soyasaponins ratio varied from 0.9 (more saponins than isoflavones to 12.9. In the same way, the protein contents ranged from 0.4 to 42.9%, and the lipid contents from 1.6 to 20%. A high variability was also observed in the profiles of these metabolites. All these differences allowed us to distinguish two main classes of dietary supplements; the whole seed based products, with genistein occurring as the major isoflavone, and the soy germ based products, with a low genistein but high glycitein content. Soy germ and whole seed based products displayed also very contrasted profiles for the other components. An additional variability, more related to the process used, was detected

  4. Seasonal Climatologies and Variability of Eastern Tropical Pacific Surface Waters

    OpenAIRE

    Fiedler, Paul C.

    1992-01-01

    Interannual variability caused by the El Nino-Southern Oscillation in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) is analogous to seasonal variability of comparable magnitude. Climatological spatial patterns and seasonal variability of physical variables that may affect the ETP ecosystem are presented and discussed. Surface temperature, surface salinity, mixed layer depth, thermocline depth, thermocline strength, and surface dynamic height were derived from bathythermograph, hydrocast, and...

  5. Comedy Stages, Poets Projects, Sports Columns, and Kinesiology 341: Illuminating the Importance of Basic Writers' Self-Sponsored Literacies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roozen, Kevin

    2012-01-01

    Dominant perspectives of basic writers' self-sponsored literacies tend to overlook the important roles such activities can play in literate development. Drawn from texts, interviews, and participant-observations collected during a five-year study, this article continues the examination of the relationship between one writer's curricular and…

  6. The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Olympic—Intelligence Centre: Lessons Learned from Working with the Olympic Sponsors and the Private Sector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sue Wilkinson

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper is a reflective discussion that critically describes the role of the Olympic Intelligence Centre (OIC played in the delivery of a safe and secure London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In particular, it examines how the OIC worked with the Olympic Sponsors and the wider private sector to provide them with the classified intelligence and information they needed to play their role in the safety and security operation effectively. Issues discussed include the cultural, statutory and systemic challenges that had to be overcome; how relationships were built to allay concerns and build trust and confidence; and the process that was put into place to allow the exchange of classified intelligence that supported the Sponsors and private sector in their operation. It details how the OIC worked with Sponsors to allow them in turn to exchange intelligence they held in their systems with the OIC, thus completing the intelligence cycle, enhancing the security operation. The article concludes with an outline of the lessons learned that were deduced through a reflective process and are offered to practitioners for consideration in future intelligence work involving the private sector.

  7. Effects of variable transformations on errors in FORM results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qin Quan; Lin Daojin; Mei Gang; Chen Hao

    2006-01-01

    On the basis of studies on second partial derivatives of the variable transformation functions for nine different non-normal variables the paper comprehensively discusses the effects of the transformation on FORM results and shows that senses and values of the errors in FORM results depend on distributions of the basic variables, whether resistances or actions basic variables represent, and the design point locations in the standard normal space. The transformations of the exponential or Gamma resistance variables can generate +24% errors in the FORM failure probability, and the transformation of Frechet action variables could generate -31% errors

  8. Bye-laws and partnership agreements of the members of the Association of Government-Sponsored Research Organizations (AGF)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    There are currently thirteen members of the AGF, government-sponsored research organizations who together employ more than 22.000 people and an annual budget of about DM 2.5 billions, thus representing the largest, compact research potential of the Federal Republic of Germany and building one of the most essential elements of the German scientific research system. The research organizations are financed from Federal Government funds and by contributions from the Federal Land the organization is domiciled, each at a ratio of 90 to 10. Influence and control by the Federal Government is exerted by way of Government representatives having a seat and a vote in the executive bodies of the organization, and by way of budgetary powers. Ever since their establishment, the government-sponsored research organizations have to find a balance between the two poles of scientific and legal independence on the one hand, and governmental influence on the other. Their wish for more effectively safeguarding their common interests have induced the research organizations to establish the AGF on January 30, 1970. (orig./HSCH) [de

  9. Using Derivative Estimates to Describe Intraindividual Variability at Multiple Time Scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deboeck, Pascal R.; Montpetit, Mignon A.; Bergeman, C. S.; Boker, Steven M.

    2009-01-01

    The study of intraindividual variability is central to the study of individuals in psychology. Previous research has related the variance observed in repeated measurements (time series) of individuals to traitlike measures that are logically related. Intraindividual measures, such as intraindividual standard deviation or the coefficient of…

  10. 2-variable Laguerre matrix polynomials and Lie-algebraic techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, Subuhi; Hassan, Nader Ali Makboul

    2010-01-01

    The authors introduce 2-variable forms of Laguerre and modified Laguerre matrix polynomials and derive their special properties. Further, the representations of the special linear Lie algebra sl(2) and the harmonic oscillator Lie algebra G(0,1) are used to derive certain results involving these polynomials. Furthermore, the generating relations for the ordinary as well as matrix polynomials related to these matrix polynomials are derived as applications.

  11. New Estimates of Offer and Take-Up of Employer-Sponsored Insurance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abramowitz, Joelle; O'Hara, Brett

    2017-10-01

    This analysis uses new questions in the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement to examine rates of offer and take-up of employer-sponsored health insurance over early 2014 and early 2015, as well as reasons reported for why individuals did not enroll. We find increases in offer and eligible rates of 0.5 and 0.9 percentage points, respectively, and a decrease in the take-up rate of 1.5 percentage points, while the coverage rate remained stable. We further find an increase in the proportion of workers covered by another plan and decreases in the proportions eligible for coverage but having a preexisting condition, employed as contract or temporary employees not allowed in the plan, and who have not yet worked for an employer long enough.

  12. Statistical variability comparison in MODIS and AERONET derived aerosol optical depth over Indo-Gangetic Plains using time series modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soni, Kirti; Parmar, Kulwinder Singh; Kapoor, Sangeeta; Kumar, Nishant

    2016-05-15

    A lot of studies in the literature of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) done by using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) derived data, but the accuracy of satellite data in comparison to ground data derived from ARrosol Robotic NETwork (AERONET) has been always questionable. So to overcome from this situation, comparative study of a comprehensive ground based and satellite data for the period of 2001-2012 is modeled. The time series model is used for the accurate prediction of AOD and statistical variability is compared to assess the performance of the model in both cases. Root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), stationary R-squared, R-squared, maximum absolute percentage error (MAPE), normalized Bayesian information criterion (NBIC) and Ljung-Box methods are used to check the applicability and validity of the developed ARIMA models revealing significant precision in the model performance. It was found that, it is possible to predict the AOD by statistical modeling using time series obtained from past data of MODIS and AERONET as input data. Moreover, the result shows that MODIS data can be formed from AERONET data by adding 0.251627 ± 0.133589 and vice-versa by subtracting. From the forecast available for AODs for the next four years (2013-2017) by using the developed ARIMA model, it is concluded that the forecasted ground AOD has increased trend. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Conducting clinical trials in emerging markets of sub-Saharan Africa: review of guidelines and resources for foreign sponsors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Puppalwar G

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Gaurav Puppalwar, Meenakshi Mourya, Ganesh Kadhe, Amey Mane Medical Affairs, Wockhardt Limited, Wockhardt Towers, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, India Abstract: Clinical trials provide a foundation for new drug development processes, as well as for product license extensions for existing therapies. The reduction in the amount of time and cost to conduct a clinical trial becomes important, as competition to bring a new drug to the market is increasing, and so is the search for new markets. Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia offer a diverse patient population, as well as a comparatively research-friendly and ambitious government to develop these countries as pharmaceutical and health sectors of excellence. All these countries have their own guidelines to conduct clinical trials that feature some similarities and some subtle differences. Over the last decade, the guidelines have been evolving to provide a good ground to foreign sponsors, which carry out clinical trials while keeping the interest of patients as a priority. In the advent of these evolving guidelines, it becomes important for a foreign sponsor to understand and be aware of these guidelines before carrying out clinical trials. The present paper attempts to collect and compile all information available regarding the guidelines on the conduct of trials by a foreign sponsor in these five countries, which are available at government websites and search engines. The information gathered was organized into simplified flowcharts for easy understanding and usage. A clear understanding of the guidelines can effectively reduce the challenges faced for conducting clinical trials in these countries. Keywords: informed consent, ethics, drug development, emerging markets

  14. Strategic Bidding Behaviors in Nondecreasing Sponsored Search Auctions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen-Kun Tsung

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available To realize the specific results in the sponsored search auctions, most advertisers submit particular bid prices. The bidding behaviors with specific purposes are called as the strategic bidding. However, some strategic bidding behaviors will result in negative effects, such as the elimination of the equilibrium and the payment increase for some advertisers. The bidding behaviors with negative results are termed as the vindictive bidding. We survey four strategic bidding behaviors which include a rational bidding and three vindictive bidding strategies. In this paper, we study the relationship between the effects resulted by the vindictive bidding and the valuations of the vindictive advertisers. In our experiments, the search engine provider (SEP is benefited by all vindictive bidding behaviors, and the increment of the SEP's revenue is proportional to the degree of the vindictiveness. Bidding vindictively without sacrificing the own utility improves the advertiser's utility with high probability. Moreover, we observe that the SEP's revenue is improved by the following situations. First, the vindictive advertiser with low valuation in the keywords with high market value results in more SEP's revenue than that in the keywords with low market value. The second case is to raise the bidding competition between advertisers.

  15. Reports on research programs in the field of reactor safety sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-11-01

    Investigations on the safety of Light Water Reactors (LWR) being performed in the framework of the research program on reactor safety (RS-projects) are sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology (BMFT). Objective of this program is to investigate in greater detail the safety margins of nuclear power plants and their systems and the further development of safety technology. Besides the investigations of LWR tasks also projects on the safety of advanced reactors are sponsored by the BMFT. The individual reports are classified according to the research program on the safety of LWRs 1977-1980 of the BMFT. Another table of contents uses the same classification system as applied in the nuclear safety index of the CEC (Commission of the European Communities) and the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). The reports are arranged in the sequence of their project numbers. (orig./HP) [de

  16. Reports of research programs in the field of reactor safety sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-06-01

    Investigations on the safety of Light Water Reactors (LWR) being performed in the framework of his research program on reactor safety (RS-projects) are sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology (BMFT). Objective of this program is to investigate in greater detail the safety margins of nuclear power plants and their systems and the further development of safety technology. Besides the investigations of LWR tasks also projects on the safety of advanced reactors are sponsored by the BMFT. The individual reports are classified according to the research program on the safety of LWRs 1977-1980 of the BMFT. Another table of contents uses the same classification system as applied in the nuclear safety index of the CEC (Commission of the European Communities) and the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). The reports are arranged in the sequence of their project numbers. (orig./HP) [de

  17. Low rank approach to computing first and higher order derivatives using automatic differentiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reed, J. A.; Abdel-Khalik, H. S.; Utke, J.

    2012-01-01

    This manuscript outlines a new approach for increasing the efficiency of applying automatic differentiation (AD) to large scale computational models. By using the principles of the Efficient Subspace Method (ESM), low rank approximations of the derivatives for first and higher orders can be calculated using minimized computational resources. The output obtained from nuclear reactor calculations typically has a much smaller numerical rank compared to the number of inputs and outputs. This rank deficiency can be exploited to reduce the number of derivatives that need to be calculated using AD. The effective rank can be determined according to ESM by computing derivatives with AD at random inputs. Reduced or pseudo variables are then defined and new derivatives are calculated with respect to the pseudo variables. Two different AD packages are used: OpenAD and Rapsodia. OpenAD is used to determine the effective rank and the subspace that contains the derivatives. Rapsodia is then used to calculate derivatives with respect to the pseudo variables for the desired order. The overall approach is applied to two simple problems and to MATWS, a safety code for sodium cooled reactors. (authors)

  18. Small employers and the challenge of sponsoring a retirement plan: results of the 1998 Small Employer Retirement Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yakoboski, P; Ostuw, P

    1998-10-01

    Forty-two million individuals work for small employers; 9 million are participating in an employment-based retirement plan, while 33 million are not participating in a plan. This Issue Brief examines the barriers that prevent small employers from sponsoring a retirement plan, their level of knowledge about plans, and changes that might lead to plan sponsorship. It also examines the motivations of small employers that sponsor retirement plans. Small employers identify three main reasons for not offering a plan: employees' preferences for wages and/or other benefits, administrative costs, and uncertain revenue that makes it difficult to commit to a plan. Small employers without plans report being familiar with 401(k) and profit-sharing plans, but little else. Forty-seven percent report never having heard of the savings incentive match plan for employees (SIMPLE), and 55 percent report never having heard of simplified employee pensions (SEPs). There is apparent misunderstanding about retirement plans among small employers that do not sponsor one, especially with regard to costs. For example, 35 percent do not know that a plan can be set up for less than $2,000. What changes would lead to serious consideration of retirement plan sponsorship? In order of reported importance: increased company profits (66 percent), a business tax credit (64 percent), reduced administrative requirements (50 percent), demand from employees (49 percent), allowing key executives to save more in the plan (49 percent), and easing, i.e., lengthening, of vesting requirements (40 percent). Many small employers that sponsor a retirement plan cite business reasons among their motivations. Sixty-eight percent cite a "positive effect on employee attitude and performance" as a major reason for offering a plan. Fifty-six percent cite a "competitive advantage in employee recruitment and retention" as a major reason. Small employers with a retirement plan report direct benefits from sponsorship, but many

  19. Designing neural networks that process mean values of random variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barber, Michael J.; Clark, John W.

    2014-01-01

    We develop a class of neural networks derived from probabilistic models posed in the form of Bayesian networks. Making biologically and technically plausible assumptions about the nature of the probabilistic models to be represented in the networks, we derive neural networks exhibiting standard dynamics that require no training to determine the synaptic weights, that perform accurate calculation of the mean values of the relevant random variables, that can pool multiple sources of evidence, and that deal appropriately with ambivalent, inconsistent, or contradictory evidence. - Highlights: • High-level neural computations are specified by Bayesian belief networks of random variables. • Probability densities of random variables are encoded in activities of populations of neurons. • Top-down algorithm generates specific neural network implementation of given computation. • Resulting “neural belief networks” process mean values of random variables. • Such networks pool multiple sources of evidence and deal properly with inconsistent evidence

  20. Designing neural networks that process mean values of random variables

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barber, Michael J. [AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Innovation Systems Department, 1220 Vienna (Austria); Clark, John W. [Department of Physics and McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130 (United States); Centro de Ciências Matemáticas, Universidade de Madeira, 9000-390 Funchal (Portugal)

    2014-06-13

    We develop a class of neural networks derived from probabilistic models posed in the form of Bayesian networks. Making biologically and technically plausible assumptions about the nature of the probabilistic models to be represented in the networks, we derive neural networks exhibiting standard dynamics that require no training to determine the synaptic weights, that perform accurate calculation of the mean values of the relevant random variables, that can pool multiple sources of evidence, and that deal appropriately with ambivalent, inconsistent, or contradictory evidence. - Highlights: • High-level neural computations are specified by Bayesian belief networks of random variables. • Probability densities of random variables are encoded in activities of populations of neurons. • Top-down algorithm generates specific neural network implementation of given computation. • Resulting “neural belief networks” process mean values of random variables. • Such networks pool multiple sources of evidence and deal properly with inconsistent evidence.

  1. [Non-commercial clinical trials--who will be the legal sponsor? Sponsorship of investigator-initiated clinical trials according to the German Drug Law].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benninger-Döring, G; Boos, J

    2006-07-01

    Non-commercial clinical trials may be of great benefit to the patients concerned. The 12th amendment to the German Drug Law (AMG) changed legal liability of the initiators of investigator-initiated clinical trials with extensive consequences for traditional project leaders. The central point under discussion is the sponsor's responsibility according to the AMG. Presently leading management divisions of university hospitals and universities are developing proceedings to assume sponsor responsibility by institutions (institutional sponsorship), which should enable investigator-initiated clinical trials to be conducted according to legal requirements in the future. Detailed problems and special questions can only be resolved in a single-minded fashion, and if necessary political processes should be catalyzed.

  2. The Effects of Korean Medical Service Quality and Satisfaction on Revisit Intention of the United Arab Emirates Government Sponsored Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seoyoung; Kim, Eun-Kyung

    2017-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate medical service quality, satisfaction and to examine factors influencing hospital revisit intention of the United Arab Emirates government sponsored patients in Korea. A total of 152 UAE government sponsored patients who visited Korean hospitals participated in the questionnaire survey from August to November 2016. Stepwise multiple regression was used to identify the factors that affected the revisit intention of the participants. The mean scores of medical service quality, satisfaction, and revisit intention were 5.72 out of 7, 88.88 out of 100, 4.59 out of 5, respectively. Medical service quality and satisfaction, Medical service quality and revisit intention, satisfaction and revisit intention were positively correlated. Medical service of physician, visiting routes and responsiveness of medical service quality explained about 23.8% of revisit intention. There are needs for physicians to communicate with patients while ensuring sufficient consultation time based on excellent medical skills and nurses to respond immediately for the patients' needs through an empathic encounter in order to improve medical service quality and patient satisfaction so that to increase the revisit intention of the United Arab Emirates government sponsored patients. Further, it is necessary for the hospitals to have support plans for providing country specialized services in consideration of the UAE culture to ensure that physicians' and nurses' competencies are not undervalued by non-medical service elements such as interpreters and meals. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  3. Weather Derivatives – Origin, Types and Application

    OpenAIRE

    Piotr Binkowski

    2008-01-01

    The number of companies that are exposed to the revenues loss risk caused by weather variability is still increasing. The businesses that are mostly exposed to weather risk are following: energy, agriculture, constructions and transport. That situation has initiated dynamic growth of weather derivatives markets as well as the awareness of the weather risk among the market participants. Presently, the weather derivatives markets evaluate rapidly in all the mature economies: USA, Asia and Europ...

  4. Additive measures of travel time variability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Engelson, Leonid; Fosgerau, Mogens

    2011-01-01

    This paper derives a measure of travel time variability for travellers equipped with scheduling preferences defined in terms of time-varying utility rates, and who choose departure time optimally. The corresponding value of travel time variability is a constant that depends only on preference...... parameters. The measure is unique in being additive with respect to independent parts of a trip. It has the variance of travel time as a special case. Extension is provided to the case of travellers who use a scheduled service with fixed headway....

  5. Yes. No. Maybe. That's about as firm as the guidance gets over launching a provider-sponsored health plan. Strategy roundtable.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crews, J; Ehlen, K J; Goodwin, P; Guy, A; Morrison, G; Parker, S; Peddie, E

    Few participants in our roundtable on provider-sponsored health plans see them the same way. Some are gearing up new products, others are scaling back or getting out. Yet they agreed on one thing: The financial risks are tremendous.

  6. Computational Equipment for Support of Air Force Sponsored Programs for the Design of Advanced and Miniaturized Explosive and Advanced Propellant Systems

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Stewart, D. S; Buckmaster, John D; Jackson, Thomas L

    2008-01-01

    This grant funded the acquisition of a 128 node/256 processor cluster computer that now supports the computational needs of the combined, Air Force-sponsored research groups of Prof. D. Scott Stewart (PI...

  7. Longitudinal variability in Jupiter's zonal winds derived from multi-wavelength HST observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Perianne E.; Morales-Juberías, Raúl; Simon, Amy; Gaulme, Patrick; Wong, Michael H.; Cosentino, Richard G.

    2018-06-01

    Multi-wavelength Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of Jupiter from the Outer Planets Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) and Wide Field Coverage for Juno (WFCJ) programs in 2015, 2016, and 2017 are used to derive wind profiles as a function of latitude and longitude. Wind profiles are typically zonally averaged to reduce measurement uncertainties. However, doing this destroys any variations of the zonal-component of winds in the longitudinal direction. Here, we present the results derived from using a "sliding-window" correlation method. This method adds longitudinal specificity, and allows for the detection of spatial variations in the zonal winds. Spatial variations are identified in two jets: 1 at 17 ° N, the location of a prominent westward jet, and the other at 7 ° S, the location of the chevrons. Temporal and spatial variations at the 24°N jet and the 5-μm hot spots are also examined.

  8. Pressure and pressure derivative analysis for injection tests with variable temperature without type-curve matching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Escobar, Freddy Humberto; Martinez, Javier Andres; Montealegre Matilde

    2008-01-01

    The analysis of injection tests under nonisothermic conditions is important for the accurate estimation of the reservoir permeability and the well's skin factor; since previously an isothermical system was assumed without taking into account a moving temperature front which expands with time plus the consequent changes in both viscosity and mobility between the cold and the hot zone of the reservoir which leads to unreliable estimation of the reservoir and well parameters. To construct the solution an analytical approach presented by Boughrara and Peres (2007) was used. That solution was initially introduced for the calculation of the injection pressure in an isothermic system. It was later modified by Boughrara and Reynolds (2007) to consider a system with variable temperature in vertical wells. In this work, the pressure response was obtained by numerical solution of the anisothermical model using the Gauss Quadrature method to solve the integrals, and assuming that both injection and reservoir temperatures were kept constant during the injection process and the water saturation is uniform throughout the reservoir. For interpretation purposes, a technique based upon the unique features of the pressure and pressure derivative curves were used without employing type-curve matching (TDS technique). The formulation was verified by its application to field and synthetic examples. As expected, increasing reservoir temperature causes a decrement in the mobility ratio, then estimation of reservoir permeability is some less accurate from the second radial flow, especially, as the mobility ratio increases

  9. Intraseasonal sea surface temperature variability in Indonesian seas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Napitu, A. M.; Gordon, A. L.; Yuan, X.

    2012-12-01

    The satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) data, 1998-mid 2012, are used to examine intraseasonal variability (ISV; 20-90 days) across the Indonesian seas. The most energetic ISV is observed in the Banda Sea and across the Indo-Australia basin with an The satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) data, 1998-mid 2012, are used to examine intraseasonal variability (ISV; 20-90 days) across the Indonesian seas. The most energetic ISV is observed in the Banda Sea and across the Indo-Australia basin with an average SST standard deviation (STD) between 0.4-0.5°C, with strongest signature during boreal winter. What physical processes force the SST ISV variability within the Indonesian seas? Ocean process, sea-air interaction, or both? To help identify the main forcing, the satellite derived outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and wind stress data in the region are examined. The OLR shows robust intraseasonal variations and is significantly correlated with the SST, particularly for variability with periods of 30-60 days, with OLR accounting for ~60-70% of the SST variance. The OLR is also maximum during boreal winter. Conversely, the surface wind may play insignificant role in perturbing the SST at intraseasonal timescales as shown by weak correlation between wind stress and SST. We thus suspect that the surface solar flux (suggested by the OLR) is likely more dominant than the surface turbulent heat flux (indicated by the surface wind) as the main source for the ISV in the SST in Indonesian seas. Furthermore the maximum OLR phase, coupled with a period of minimum mixed layer depth, may explain the strong SST variation during boreal winter in Indonesian seas. The influence of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) on the OLR and SST variability is currently being evaluated.

  10. Federally Sponsored Research at Educational Institutions: A Need for Improved Accountability. Report by the U.S. General Accounting Office.

    Science.gov (United States)

    General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

    This report discusses federally sponsored research at educational institutions and suggests ways to improve accountability for these funds. The following suggestions are made for minimizing problems presented in this report: (1) development of more definitive cost principles for both the institutions and the Federal auditors to follow; (2) more…

  11. Army Corps of Engineers: Better Guidance Could Improve Corps’ Information on Water Resources Projects Undertaken by Nonfederal Sponsors

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-12-01

    2Section 2003(b) of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007 amended the definition of a nonfederal interest to include federally...commerce and tourism from deeper-draft ships having the ability to enter ports that have been deepened, according to one nonfederal sponsor.26 In 2013

  12. Safety research programs sponsored by Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research: Progress report, January 1--June 30, 1988

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baum, J W; Boccio, J L; Diamond, D; Fitzpatrick, R; Ginsberg, T; Greene, G A; Guppy, J G; Hall, R E; Higgins, J C; Weiss, A J [comp.

    1988-12-01

    This progress report describes current activities and technical progress in the programs at Brookhaven National Laboratory sponsored by the Division of Regulatory Applications, Division of Engineering, Division of Safety Issue Resolution, and Division of Systems Research of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research following the reorganization in July 1988. The previous reports have covered the period October 1, 1976 through December 31, 1987.

  13. Safety research programs sponsored by Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research: Progress report, October 1--December 31, 1988

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weiss, A J; Azarm, A; Baum, J W; Boccio, J L; Carew, J; Diamond, D J; Fitzpatrick, R; Ginsberg, T; Greene, G A; Guppy, J G; Haber, S B

    1989-07-01

    This progress report describes current activities and technical progress in the programs at Brookhaven National Laboratory sponsored by the Division of Regulatory Applications, Division of Engineering, Division of Safety Issue Resolution, and Division of Systems Research of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research following the reorganization in July 1988. The previous reports have covered the period October 1, 1976 through September 30, 1988.

  14. Safety research programs sponsored by Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research: Progress report, January 1--June 30, 1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baum, J.W.; Boccio, J.L.; Diamond, D.

    1988-12-01

    This progress report describes current activities and technical progress in the programs at Brookhaven National Laboratory sponsored by the Division of Regulatory Applications, Division of Engineering, Division of Safety Issue Resolution, and Division of Systems Research of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research following the reorganization in July 1988. The previous reports have covered the period October 1, 1976 through December 31, 1987

  15. Variable stiffness and damping MR isolator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, X Z; Wang, X Y; Li, W H; Kostidis, K [University of Wollongong, School of Mechanical, Materials and Mechatronic Engineering, NSW 2522 (Australia)], E-mail: weihuali@uow.edu.au

    2009-02-01

    This paper presents the development of a magnetorheological (MR) fluid-based variable stiffness and damping isolator for vibration suppressions. The MR fluid isolator used a sole MR control unit to achieve the variable stiffness and damping in stepless and relative large scope. A mathematical model of the isolator was derived, and a prototype of the MR fluid isolator was fabricated and its dynamic behavior was measured in vibration under various applied magnetic fields. The parameters of the model under various magnetic fields were identified and the dynamic performances of isolator were evaluated.

  16. Discrete-time BAM neural networks with variable delays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xin-Ge; Tang, Mei-Lan; Martin, Ralph; Liu, Xin-Bi

    2007-07-01

    This Letter deals with the global exponential stability of discrete-time bidirectional associative memory (BAM) neural networks with variable delays. Using a Lyapunov functional, and linear matrix inequality techniques (LMI), we derive a new delay-dependent exponential stability criterion for BAM neural networks with variable delays. As this criterion has no extra constraints on the variable delay functions, it can be applied to quite general BAM neural networks with a broad range of time delay functions. It is also easy to use in practice. An example is provided to illustrate the theoretical development.

  17. Discrete-time BAM neural networks with variable delays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xinge; Tang Meilan; Martin, Ralph; Liu Xinbi

    2007-01-01

    This Letter deals with the global exponential stability of discrete-time bidirectional associative memory (BAM) neural networks with variable delays. Using a Lyapunov functional, and linear matrix inequality techniques (LMI), we derive a new delay-dependent exponential stability criterion for BAM neural networks with variable delays. As this criterion has no extra constraints on the variable delay functions, it can be applied to quite general BAM neural networks with a broad range of time delay functions. It is also easy to use in practice. An example is provided to illustrate the theoretical development

  18. Weather Derivatives – Origin, Types and Application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piotr Binkowski

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The number of companies that are exposed to the revenues loss risk caused by weather variability is still increasing. The businesses that are mostly exposed to weather risk are following: energy, agriculture, constructions and transport. That situation has initiated dynamic growth of weather derivatives markets as well as the awareness of the weather risk among the market participants. Presently, the weather derivatives markets evaluate rapidly in all the mature economies: USA, Asia and Europe. Constructing weather derivatives relies on qu- antifying climate factors in the form of indexes, what is quite simple task, more difficultly can be gathering precise historical data of required climate factors. Taking into consideration so far development of derivatives especially the financial derivatives based on different types of indexes financial market has at disposal wide range of different types of proved derivatives (futures, forward, options, swaps, which can be successfully utilised on the weather-driven markets both for hedging weather risk and speculating.

  19. Glycemic control and sponsor rank of military dependents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paz, Rachael; Rouhanian, Minoo; Vogt, Karen

    2016-09-01

    Disparities in glycemic control are reported in children with type 1 diabetes related to differences in access to health care and socioeconomic status. In the US military, rank is an indicator of socioeconomic status, but all have complete health care access without cost. We sought to determine if glycemic control in children with type 1 diabetes differs if their sponsor (parent) is an officer vs. enlisted military service member. We performed a cross-sectional retrospective chart review of children with type 1 diabetes >1 yr duration whose parent is a military service member. A total of 281 subjects met study criteria, 136 (48.4%) having an enlisted and 145 (51.6%) having an officer sponsor. The groups differed by race with 38.2% black in the enlisted and 9% black in the officer group (p 1). The median enlisted average hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) over the most recent year of available data was significantly higher than the officer group (9.2 vs. 8.4%, p 1). The difference remained significant when controlled for age and race. Diabetes-related hospitalizations were greater in the enlisted group (39.0 vs. 19.3%, p 1). More subjects in the officer group were on insulin pumps (54.5 vs. 28.7%, p 1). Dependent children of enlisted service members with type 1 diabetes have higher HbA1c levels, more diabetes-related hospitalizations, and are less likely to use insulin pumps than children of officers. These differences are likely linked to socioeconomic status and education levels given the universal access to health care within the military system. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  20. Overview of the projects sponsored within th EU-R and D framework programme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zurita, A.; Goethem, G. van; Bermejo, J.M.

    1999-01-01

    Assuming that preventive measures to avoid reactor pressure vessel (RPV) failure under core degradation scenarios have failed, the stabilisation of the core melts after its release from the RPV is a key issue. Adequate cooling of the ex-vessel corium and the control of its interactions with the coolant and structures are the main challenges to mitigate and stabilise the situation preserving the containment integrity. In this regard, the on-going Fourth Euratom Framework Programme (4 th EFP) contributes with experimental and theoretical research activities aimed at responding to the main challenges mentioned, by satisfying three objectives: - To improve the understanding of the basic physics related to ex-vessel corium behaviour from the phenomenological and technological viewpoints, as well as to provide a methodology for investigating it and setting up joint multi-partner projects to be co-sponsored and co-ordinated by the EC; - to quantify and reduce the uncertainties associated with the risk issues by conducting experimental and numerical investigations and eventually to achieve a European consensus on the phenomenology and on accident mitigation strategies; - to provide a technological response to the risk issues by developing engineered safety systems (e.g. core-catchers) and severe accident management strategies (e.g. guidelines), and to discuss such a technological response with the end users of these technologies, i.e. designers and licensers. To fulfil these objectives, the 4 th EFP co-sponsors a total of five projects within the cluster 'Ex-Vessel Corium Behaviour and Coolability' of the Nuclear Fission Safety Programme. The research undertaken addresses the main different aspects such as the determination of the composition and thermodynamic data of the melt; experiments on spreading behaviour on various types of surfaces, as well as on corium coolability by flooding or water injection; investigation of corium stratification, crust and heat transfer

  1. Coordinated Analysis 101: A Joint Training Session Sponsored by LPI and ARES/JSC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Draper, D. S.; Treiman, A. H.

    2017-01-01

    The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) and the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division, part of the Exploration Integration and Science Directorate at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), co-sponsored a training session in November 2016 for four early-career scientists in the techniques of coordinated analysis. Coordinated analysis refers to the approach of systematically performing high-resolution and -precision analytical studies on astromaterials, particularly the very small particles typical of recent and near-future sample return missions such as Stardust, Hayabusa, Hayabusa2, and OSIRIS-REx. A series of successive analytical steps is chosen to be performed on the same particle, as opposed to separate subsections of a sample, in such a way that the initial steps do not compromise the results from later steps in the sequence. The data from the entire series can then be integrated for these individual specimens, revealing important in-sights obtainable no other way. ARES/JSC scientists have played a leading role in the development and application of this approach for many years. Because the coming years will bring new sample collections from these and other planned NASA and international exploration missions, it is timely to begin disseminating specialized techniques for the study of small and precious astromaterial samples. As part of the Cooperative Agreement between NASA and the LPI, this training workshop was intended as the first in a series of similar training exercises that the two organizations will jointly sponsor in the coming years. These workshops will span the range of analytical capabilities and sample types available at ARES/JSC in the Astromaterials Research and Astro-materials Acquisition and Curation Offices. Here we summarize the activities and participants in this initial training.

  2. Legal and ethical obligations to conduct a clinical drug trial in Australia as an investigator initiated and sponsored study for an overseas pharmaceutical company.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beran, Roy G

    2004-01-01

    Most multi-centre trials are both financed and sponsored by the pharmaceutical company involved. What follows will map the path adopted for an investigator initiated and sponsored study for a new indication of an established medication. The chief investigators of a company-sponsored, investigator-initiated, multi-centre, placebo-controlled study of an established medication, Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) listed for treatment of one condition but trialled in the management of another condition (trial of off-label use), were approached to submit a protocol to repeat the type of study with a different compound. The new study would test a different agent, also PBS listed, for the same condition as in the initial study and with the same off-licence application. The company would finance the study, provide the medication and matched placebo but only review the investigator-initiated protocol which would be sponsored by the principal investigator. This required the investigator to implement the trial, as would normally be done by the pharmaceutical company, yet also act as its principal investigator. The principal investigator, with colleagues and a Clinical Research Organisation (CRO), developed a protocol, adapted for the new agent, and submitted it for approval. Upon acceptance a contract was negotiated with the pharmaceutical company which had to overcome jurisdictional conflicts between common law and civil law legal systems. A CRO was contracted to undertake administrative functions which dictated special contractual agreements to overcome possible conflicts of interest for a sponsor/investigator to protect patient interests. There was need to find indemnification insurance with jurisdictional problems, co-investigators, ethics committee approvals and finance management as just some of the difficulties encountered. The paper will outline how these obstacles were overcome and how ethical and legal issues were respected through compromise. The ethical and legal

  3. Actuarial risk measures for financial derivative pricing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Goovaerts, M.J.; Laeven, R.J.A.

    2008-01-01

    We present an axiomatic characterization of price measures that are superadditive and comonotonic additive for normally distributed random variables. The price representation derived involves a probability measure transform that is closely related to the Esscher transform, and we call it the

  4. Phenotypic variability in LQT3 human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and their response to antiarrhythmic pharmacologic therapy: An in silico approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paci, Michelangelo; Passini, Elisa; Severi, Stefano; Hyttinen, Jari; Rodriguez, Blanca

    2017-11-01

    Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are in vitro models with the clear advantages of their human origin and suitability for human disease investigations. However, limitations include their incomplete characterization and variability reported in different cell lines and laboratories. The purpose of this study was to investigate in silico ionic mechanisms potentially explaining the phenotypic variability of hiPSC-CMs in long QT syndrome type 3 (LQT3) and their response to antiarrhythmic drugs. Populations of in silico hiPSC-CM models were constructed and calibrated for control (n = 1,463 models) and LQT3 caused by I NaL channelopathy (n = 1,401 models), using experimental recordings for late sodium current (I NaL ) and action potentials (APs). Antiarrhythmic drug therapy was evaluated by simulating mexiletine and ranolazine multichannel effects. As in experiments, LQT3 hiPSC-CMs yield prolonged action potential duration at 90% repolarization (APD 90 ) (+34.3% than controls) and large electrophysiological variability. LQT3 hiPSC-CMs with symptomatic APs showed overexpression of I CaL , I K1 , and I NaL , underexpression of I Kr , and increased sensitivity to both drugs compared to asymptomatic LQT3 models. Simulations showed that both mexiletine and ranolazine corrected APD prolongation in the LQT3 population but also highlighted differences in drug response. Mexiletine stops spontaneous APs in more LQT3 hiPSC-CMs models than ranolazine (784/1,401 vs 53/1,401) due to its stronger action on I Na . In silico simulations demonstrate our ability to recapitulate variability in LQT3 and control hiPSC-CM phenotypes, and the ability of mexiletine and ranolazine to reduce APD prolongation, in agreement with experiments. The in silico models also identify potential ionic mechanisms of phenotypic variability in LQT3 hiPSC-CMs, explaining APD prolongation in symptomatic vs asymptomatic LQT3 hiPSC-CMs. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by

  5. Generating relations of multi-variable Tricomi functions of two indices using Lie algebra representation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nader Ali Makboul Hassan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper is an attempt to stress the usefulness of the multi-variable special functions. In this paper, we derive certain generating relations involving 2-indices 5-variables 5-parameters Tricomi functions (2I5V5PTF by using a Lie-algebraic method. Further, we derive certain new and known generating relations involving other forms of Tricomi and Bessel functions as applications.

  6. On the product and ratio of Bessel random variables

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saralees Nadarajah

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The distributions of products and ratios of random variables are of interest in many areas of the sciences. In this paper, the exact distributions of the product |XY| and the ratio |X/Y| are derived when X and Y are independent Bessel function random variables. An application of the results is provided by tabulating the associated percentage points.

  7. Safety research programs sponsored by Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research: Progress report, July 1--September 30, 1988

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weiss, A J [comp.

    1989-02-01

    This progress report describes current activities and technical progress in the programs at Brookhaven National Laboratory sponsored by the Division of Regulatory Applications, Division of Engineering, Division of Safety Issue Resolution, and Division of Systems of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research following the reorganization in July 1988. The previous reports have covered the period October 1, 1976 through June 30, 1988. 71 figs., 24 tabs.

  8. Safety research programs sponsored by Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research: Progress report, July 1--September 30, 1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weiss, A.J.

    1989-02-01

    This progress report describes current activities and technical progress in the programs at Brookhaven National Laboratory sponsored by the Division of Regulatory Applications, Division of Engineering, Division of Safety Issue Resolution, and Division of Systems of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research following the reorganization in July 1988. The previous reports have covered the period October 1, 1976 through June 30, 1988. 71 figs., 24 tabs

  9. Backprojection filtering for variable orbit fan-beam tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gullberg, G.T.; Zeng, G.L.

    1995-01-01

    Backprojection filtering algorithms are presented for three variable Orbit fan-beam geometries. Expressions for the fan beam projection and backprojection operators are given for a flat detector fan-beam geometry with fixed focal length, with variable focal length, and with fixed focal length and off-center focusing. Backprojection operators are derived for each geometry using transformation of coordinates to transform from a parallel geometry backprojector to a fan-beam backprojector for the appropriate geometry. The backprojection operator includes a factor which is a function of the coordinates of the projection ray and the coordinates of the pixel in the backprojected image. The backprojection filtering algorithm first backprojects the variable orbit fan-beam projection data using the appropriately derived backprojector to obtain a 1/r blurring of the original image then takes the two-dimensional (2D) Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of the backprojected image, then multiples the transformed image by the 2D ramp filter function, and finally takes the inverse 2D FFT to obtain the reconstructed image. Computer simulations verify that backprojectors with appropriate weighting give artifact free reconstructions of simulated line integral projections. Also, it is shown that it is not necessary to assume a projection model of line integrals, but the projector and backprojector can be defined to model the physics of the imaging detection process. A backprojector for variable orbit fan-beam tomography with fixed focal length is derived which includes an additional factor which is a function of the flux density along the flat detector. It is shown that the impulse response for the composite of the projection and backprojection operations is equal to 1/r

  10. Cartesian integration of Grassmann variables over invariant functions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kieburg, Mario; Kohler, Heiner; Guhr, Thomas [Universitaet Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg (Germany)

    2009-07-01

    Supersymmetry plays an important role in field theory as well as in random matrix theory and mesoscopic physics. Anticommuting variables are the fundamental objects of supersymmetry. The integration over these variables is equivalent to the derivative. Recently[arxiv:0809.2674v1[math-ph] (2008)], we constructed a differential operator which only acts on the ordinary part of the superspace consisting of ordinary and anticommuting variables. This operator is equivalent to the integration over all anticommuting variables of an invariant function. We present this operator and its applications for functions which are rotation invariant under the supergroups U(k{sub 1}/k{sub 2}) and UOSp(k{sub 1}/k{sub 2}).

  11. Liouville equation with boundary conditions derived from classical strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marnelius, R.

    1983-01-01

    It is shown in terms of the classical string theory that a breaking of the Weyl invariance necessarily requires the Liouville equation for the variable phi=1n rho, where rho is the variable that appears in the conformal gauge gsub(α#betta#)=rhoetasub(α#betta#). Appropriate boundary conditions on phi for open and closed strings are then derived. (orig.)

  12. Generation of a Highly Reactive Chicken-Derived Single-Chain Variable Fragment against Fusarium verticillioides by Phage Display

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zu-Quan Hu

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Fusarium verticillioides is the primary causal agent of Fusarium ear and kernel rot in maize, producing fumonisin mycotoxins that are toxic to humans and domestic animals. Rapid detection and monitoring of fumonisin-producing fungi are pivotally important for the prevention of mycotoxins from entering into food/feed products. Chicken-derived single-chain variable fragments (scFvs against cell wall-bound proteins from F. verticillioides were isolated from an immunocompetent phage display library. Comparative phage enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays (ELISAs and sequencing analyses identified four different scFv antibodies with high sensitivity. Soluble antibody ELISAs identified two highly sensitive scFv antibodies, FvCA3 and FvCA4, with the latter being slightly more sensitive. Three-dimensional modeling revealed that the FvCA4 may hold a better overall structure with CDRH3, CDRL1 and CDRL3 centered in the core region of antibody surface compared with that of other scFvs. Immunofluorescence labeling revealed that the binding of FvCA4 antibody was localized to the cell walls of conidiospores and hyphae of F. verticillioides, confirming the specificity of this antibody for a surface target. This scFv antibody was able to detect the fungal mycelium as low as 10−2 μg/mL and contaminating mycelium at a quantity of 10−2 mg/g maize. This is the first report that scFv antibodies derived from phage display have a wide application for rapid and accurate detection and monitoring of fumonisin-producing pathogens in agricultural samples.

  13. The role of corruption and unethical behaviour in precluding the placement of industry sponsored clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa: Stakeholder views

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Efe Egharevba

    2016-08-01

    More discussion around corruption with all relevant stakeholders is required in order for progress to be made and to enable greater involvement of sub-Saharan African countries in the conduct of industry sponsored clinical trials.

  14. Gene Variants Associated with Antisocial Behaviour: A Latent Variable Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bentley, Mary Jane; Lin, Haiqun; Fernandez, Thomas V.; Lee, Maria; Yrigollen, Carolyn M.; Pakstis, Andrew J.; Katsovich, Liliya; Olds, David L.; Grigorenko, Elena L.; Leckman, James F.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if a latent variable approach might be useful in identifying shared variance across genetic risk alleles that is associated with antisocial behaviour at age 15 years. Methods: Using a conventional latent variable approach, we derived an antisocial phenotype in 328 adolescents utilizing data from a…

  15. "Doping, Fair Play, and the Dilemmas of Government Sponsored Sport Institutions"

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christiansen, Ask Vest

    2005-01-01

    The article inquires into the moral dilemmas public sport institutions are facing when they on the one hand officially argue that the important thing in sport is fair play and sportsmanship while their raison d'etre on the other hand is to help the athletes to achieve the best possible results....... The article demonstrates that a public institution like Team Danmark in its relations with the public as well as with the athletes runs a high risk for exposing hypocrisy and double standards when they ignore that it is the will to victory and not the virtues of the English gentleman sport that is the driving...... on the international arenas. The problems of the governement sponsored elite sport institution Team Danmark', is not only seen in their moral panic following doping cases that hardly can be surprising, but also in the institutions ambiguous handling of and advisory to athletes about the use of grey area products...

  16. Health benefits in 2013: moderate premium increases in employer-sponsored plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Claxton, Gary; Rae, Matthew; Panchal, Nirmita; Damico, Anthony; Whitmore, Heidi; Bostick, Nathan; Kenward, Kevin

    2013-09-01

    Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums rose moderately in 2013, the annual Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research and Educational Trust (Kaiser/HRET) Employer Health Benefits Survey found. In 2013 single coverage premiums rose 5 percent to $5,884, and family coverage premiums rose 4 percent to $16,351. The percentage of firms offering health benefits (57 percent) was similar to that in 2012, as was the percentage of workers at offering firms who were covered by their firm's health benefits (62 percent). The share of workers with a deductible for single coverage increased significantly from 2012, as did the share of workers in small firms with annual deductibles of $1,000 or more. Most firms (77 percent), including nearly all large employers, continued to offer wellness programs, but relatively few used incentives to encourage employees to participate. More than half of large employers offering health risk appraisals to workers offered financial incentives for completing the appraisal.

  17. Policy uncertainty and corporate performance in government-sponsored voluntary environmental programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ning; Tang, Shui-Yan; Zhan, Xueyong; Lo, Carlos Wing-Hung

    2018-08-01

    This study combines insights from the policy uncertainty literature and neo-institutional theory to examine corporate performance in implementing a government-sponsored voluntary environmental program (VEP) during 2004-2012 in Guangzhou, China. In this regulatory context, characterized by rapid policy changes, corporate performance in VEPs is affected by government surveillance, policy uncertainty, and peer pressures. Specifically, if VEP participants have experienced more government surveillance, they tend to perform better in program implementation. Such positive influence of government surveillance is particularly evident among those joining under high and low, rather than moderate uncertainty. Participants also perform better if they belong to an industry with more certified VEP firms, but worse if they are located in a regulatory jurisdiction with more certified VEP firms. At a moderate level of policy uncertainty, within-industry imitation is most likely to occur but within-jurisdiction imitation is least likely to occur. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Health risk reduction programs in employer-sponsored health plans: Part II-law and ethics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothstein, Mark A; Harrell, Heather L

    2009-08-01

    We sought to examine the legal and ethical implications of workplace health risk reduction programs (HRRPs) using health risk assessments, individually focused risk reduction, and financial incentives to promote compliance. We conducted a literature review, analyzed relevant statutes and regulations, and considered the effects of these programs on employee health privacy. A variety of laws regulate HRRPs, and there is little evidence that employer-sponsored HRRPs violate these provisions; infringement on individual health privacy is more difficult to assess. Although current laws permit a wide range of employer health promotion activities, HRRPs also may entail largely unquantifiable costs to employee privacy and related interests.

  19. Health Risk Reduction Programs in Employer-Sponsored Health Plans: Part II—Law and Ethics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothstein, Mark A.; Harrell, Heather L.

    2011-01-01

    Objective We sought to examine the legal and ethical implications of workplace health risk reduction programs (HRRPs) using health risk assessments, individually focused risk reduction, and financial incentives to promote compliance. Methods We conducted a literature review, analyzed relevant statutes and regulations, and considered the effects of these programs on employee health privacy. Results A variety of laws regulate HRRPs, and there is little evidence that employer-sponsored HRRPs violate these provisions; infringement on individual health privacy is more difficult to assess. Conclusion Although current laws permit a wide range of employer health promotion activities, HRRPs also may entail largely unquantifiable costs to employee privacy and related interests. PMID:19625971

  20. Provider-Sponsored Health Plans: Lessons Learned over Three Decades.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breon, Richard C

    2016-01-01

    Healthcare's movement to value-based care is causing health systems across the country to consider whether owning or partnering with a health plan could benefit their organizations. Although organizations have different reasons for wanting to enter the insurance business, potential benefits include improving care quality, lowering costs, managing population health, expanding geographic reach, and diversifying the organization's revenue stream. However, the challenges and risks of owning a health plan are formidable: Assuming 100 percent financial risk for a patient population requires considerable financial resources, as well as competencies that are wholly different from those needed to run a hospital or physician group. For Spectrum Health, an integrated, not-for-profit health system based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, owning a health plan has been vital to fulfilling its mission of improving the health of the communities it serves, as well as its value proposition of providing highquality care at lower costs. This article weighs the pros and cons of operating a health plan; explores key business factors and required competencies that organizations need to consider when deciding whether to buy, build, or partner; examines the current environment for provider-sponsored health plans; and shares some of the lessons Spectrum Health has learned over three decades of running its health plan, Priority Health.

  1. Who foregoes survivor protection in employer-sponsored pension annuities?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Richard W; Uccello, Cori E; Goldwyn, Joshua H

    2005-02-01

    Retirees in traditional pension plans must generally choose between single life annuities, which provide regular payments until death, and joint and survivor annuities, which pay less each month but continue to make payments to the spouse after the death of the retired worker. This article examines the payout decision and measures the share of married retirees with pension annuities who forego survivor protection. The analysis consists of a probit model of the pension payout decision, based on data from the 1992-2000 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. More than one quarter (28%) of married men and two thirds of married women receiving employer-sponsored retirement annuities declined survivor protection. Men with small pensions and limited household wealth, men in better health than their spouses, and men whose spouses have pension coverage from their own employers are more likely than other men to reject survivor protection. Most workers appear to make payout decisions by rationally balancing the costs and benefits of each type of annuity, suggesting that existing measures to encourage joint and survivor annuities are adequate. However, the growth in 401(k) plans, which are generally not covered by existing laws protecting spousal pension rights, may leave widows vulnerable.

  2. Interpretation of biological-rate coefficients derived from radionuclide content, radionuclide concentration and specific activity experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vanderploeg, H.A.; Booth, R.S.

    1976-01-01

    Rigorous expressions are derived for the biological-rate coefficients (BRCs) determined from time-dependent measurements of three different dependent variables of radionuclide tracer experiments. These variables, which apply to a single organism, are radionuclide content, radionuclide concentration and specific activity. The BRCs derived from these variables have different mathematical expressions and, for high growth rates, their numerical values can be quite different. The precise mathematical expressions for the BRCs are presented here to aid modelers in selecting the correct parameters for their models and to aid experiments in interpreting their results. The usefulness of these three variables in quantifying elemental uptakes and losses by organisms is discussed. (U.K.)

  3. Temporal relationship between climate variability, Prosopis juliflora ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data derived from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250 m satellite imageries for 2000 to 2014 were used to determine the temporal dynamics of P. juliflora invasion in the study area. Both temperature and rainfall trends showed marked variability over ...

  4. Biological research work within the Association of the Government-Sponsored Research Institutions (AGF)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    Six of the thirteen government-sponsored research institutions in the Federal Republic of Germany carry out research work for the protection of the population against the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. Their activities in this field concentrate on the following four points of main interest: analysis of radiation-induced processes resulting in biological radiation injury; description and analysis of complex radiation effects on man; medical applications of ionizing radiation for diagnosis and therapy; concepts and methods for radiological protection. The work reported reviews the main problems encountered in the above-mentioned subject fields and presents examples of significant results, with illustrations. The original research papers and their authors are listed separately under the four points of main interest. (orig./MG) [de

  5. Sea level variability in the Arctic Ocean observed by satellite altimetry

    OpenAIRE

    Prandi, P.; Ablain, M.; Cazenave, A.; Picot, N.

    2012-01-01

    We investigate sea level variability in the Arctic Ocean from observations. Variability estimates are derived both at the basin scale and on smaller local spatial scales. The periods of the signals studied vary from high frequency (intra-annual) to long term trends. We also investigate the mechanisms responsible for the observed variability. Different data types are used, the main one being a recent reprocessing of satellite altimetry data...

  6. Case Study: Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior as Interventions to Increase Sponsored Project Proposal Submissions from Liberal Arts Faculty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartmann, Anita

    2011-01-01

    In the current economic climate, many colleges and universities face similar challenges: the need to increase external sponsorship for research activities and the need to benefit from additional indirect cost recovery. Preparing funding proposals for submission to sponsors is a faculty behavior that can be modified by applying behavioral theory to…

  7. Analysis of Design Variables of Annular Linear Induction Electromagnetic Pump using an MHD Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kwak, Jae Sik; Kim, Hee Reyoung [Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-05-15

    The generated force is affected by lots of factors including electrical input, hydrodynamic flow, geometrical shape, and so on. These factors, which are the design variables of an ALIP, should be suitably analyzed to optimally design an ALIP. Analysis on the developed pressure and efficiency of the ALIP according to the change of design variables is required for the ALIP satisfying requirements. In this study, the design variables of the ALIP are analyzed by using ideal MHD analysis model. Electromagnetic force and efficiency are derived by analyzing the main design variables such as pump core length, inner core diameter, flow gap and turns of coils. The developed pressure and efficiency of the ALIP were derived and analyzed on the change of the main variables such as pump core length, inner core diameter, flow gap, and turns of coils of the ALIP.

  8. Long-term phenology and variability of Southern Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Steenkamp, K

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available and classification of vegetation, (ii) studying the impact of climate change, and influence of rainfall variability (iii) monitoring Satellite-derived phenology and (iv) detecting changes in land use/ land cover. This study analyzed vegetation phenology across...

  9. Variability in perceived satisfaction of reservoir management objectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owen, W.J.; Gates, T.K.; Flug, M.

    1997-01-01

    Fuzzy set theory provides a useful model to address imprecision in interpreting linguistically described objectives for reservoir management. Fuzzy membership functions can be used to represent degrees of objective satisfaction for different values of management variables. However, lack of background information, differing experiences and qualifications, and complex interactions of influencing factors can contribute to significant variability among membership functions derived from surveys of multiple experts. In the present study, probabilistic membership functions are used to model variability in experts' perceptions of satisfaction of objectives for hydropower generation, fish habitat, kayaking, rafting, and scenery preservation on the Green River through operations of Flaming Gorge Dam. Degree of variability in experts' perceptions differed among objectives but resulted in substantial uncertainty in estimation of optimal reservoir releases.

  10. Addendum to Final Audit Report on Contracting Practices for the Use and Operations of DoD-Sponsored Federally Funded Research and Development Centers

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    1995-01-01

    Inspector General, DoD, Report No. 95-048, "Contracting Practices for the Use and Operations of DoD-Sponsored Federally Funded Research and Development Centers," December 2, 1994, was published without management comments...

  11. Investigating the Relationship between the Inter-Annual Variability of Satellite-Derived Vegetation Phenology and a Proxy of Biomass Production in the Sahel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michele Meroni

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available In the Sahel region, moderate to coarse spatial resolution remote sensing time series are used in early warning monitoring systems with the aim of detecting unfavorable crop and pasture conditions and informing stakeholders about impending food security risks. Despite growing evidence that vegetation productivity is directly related to phenology, most approaches to estimate such risks do not explicitly take into account the actual timing of vegetation growth and development. The date of the start of the season (SOS or of the peak canopy density can be assessed by remote sensing techniques in a timely manner during the growing season. However, there is limited knowledge about the relationship between vegetation biomass production and these variables at the regional scale. This study describes the first attempt to increase our understanding of such a relationship through the analysis of phenological variables retrieved from SPOT-VEGETATION time series of the Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR. Two key phenological variables (growing season length (GSL; timing of SOS and the maximum value of FAPAR attained during the growing season (Peak are analyzed as potentially related to a proxy of biomass production (CFAPAR, the cumulative value of FAPAR during the growing season. GSL, SOS and Peak all show different spatial patterns of correlation with CFAPAR. In particular, GSL shows a high and positive correlation with CFAPAR over the whole Sahel (mean r = 0.78. The negative correlation between delays in SOS and CFAPAR is stronger (mean r = −0.71 in the southern agricultural band of the Sahel, while the positive correlation between Peak FAPAR and CFAPAR is higher in the northern and more arid grassland region (mean r = 0.75. The consistency of the results and the actual link between remote sensing-derived phenological parameters and biomass production were evaluated using field measurements of aboveground herbaceous biomass

  12. Defining Hepatocellular Carcinoma Subtypes and Treatment Responses in Patient-Derived Tumorgrafts

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    October 2017 TYPE OF REPORT: Annual PREPARED FOR: U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702-5012 DISTRIBUTION...SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Fort Detrick... lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in the MYC transgenic liver cancer model (IV injection), peritoneal ovarian cancer PDXs (IP injection), orthotopic patient

  13. EU-sponsored photovoltaic systems for rural electrification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riesch, Gerhard [Joint Research Centre of the European Union, JRC, Ispra (Italy)

    1995-12-31

    Development and proliferation of renewable energies are sponsored since 1983 by the European Union, normally up to 40% of the cost. (Programme THERMIE and predecessors). In the frame of this programme for more than one hundred projects of all kinds with thousands of photovoltaic energy supply systems have been implemented in Europe, 29 of these projects with 939 single pv-systems concern electrification of rural sites (e.g. agriculture) or isolated sites (e.g. mountain huts). Most of the single systems are of small size, 50 to 1000 Wp. A few of the systems are larger, up to 25 kWp, and supply local isolated mini-grids. In this paper the main features of the systems in six european countries are presented: The technical, economical and social results as well as the contributions of the Electric Power Utility (EPU`s) to these electrification are discussed. [Espanol] Desde 1983 la Union Europea ha auspiciado normalmente hasta el 40% del costo del desarrollo y proliferacion de las energias renovables. (Programa THERMIE y predecesores). En el marco de este programa con mas de cien proyectos de todos tipos, con miles de sistemas fotovoltaicos de suministro de energia, han sido implantados en Europa, 29 de estos proyectos con 929 sistemas fotovoltaicos sencillos se relacionan con la electrificacion de sitios rurales (por ejemplo agricultura) o de sitios aislados (por ejemplo cabanas en la montana). La mayoria de los sistemas sencillos son de pequeno tamano, 50 a 1000 Wp. Unos pocos de los sistemas son mas grandes, hasta de 25 kWp y alimentan mini-redes locales aisladas. En este articulo se presentan las caracteristicas principales de los sistemas en seis paises europeos: se analizan los resultados tecnicos, economicos y sociales, asi como las contribuciones de las empresas electricas.

  14. EU-sponsored photovoltaic systems for rural electrification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riesch, Gerhard [Joint Research Centre of the European Union, JRC, Ispra (Italy)

    1996-12-31

    Development and proliferation of renewable energies are sponsored since 1983 by the European Union, normally up to 40% of the cost. (Programme THERMIE and predecessors). In the frame of this programme for more than one hundred projects of all kinds with thousands of photovoltaic energy supply systems have been implemented in Europe, 29 of these projects with 939 single pv-systems concern electrification of rural sites (e.g. agriculture) or isolated sites (e.g. mountain huts). Most of the single systems are of small size, 50 to 1000 Wp. A few of the systems are larger, up to 25 kWp, and supply local isolated mini-grids. In this paper the main features of the systems in six european countries are presented: The technical, economical and social results as well as the contributions of the Electric Power Utility (EPU`s) to these electrification are discussed. [Espanol] Desde 1983 la Union Europea ha auspiciado normalmente hasta el 40% del costo del desarrollo y proliferacion de las energias renovables. (Programa THERMIE y predecesores). En el marco de este programa con mas de cien proyectos de todos tipos, con miles de sistemas fotovoltaicos de suministro de energia, han sido implantados en Europa, 29 de estos proyectos con 929 sistemas fotovoltaicos sencillos se relacionan con la electrificacion de sitios rurales (por ejemplo agricultura) o de sitios aislados (por ejemplo cabanas en la montana). La mayoria de los sistemas sencillos son de pequeno tamano, 50 a 1000 Wp. Unos pocos de los sistemas son mas grandes, hasta de 25 kWp y alimentan mini-redes locales aisladas. En este articulo se presentan las caracteristicas principales de los sistemas en seis paises europeos: se analizan los resultados tecnicos, economicos y sociales, asi como las contribuciones de las empresas electricas.

  15. Analysis of spatio-temporal variability of C-factor derived from remote sensing data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pechanec, Vilem; Benc, Antonin; Purkyt, Jan; Cudlin, Pavel

    2016-04-01

    In some risk areas water erosion as the present task has got the strong influence on agriculture and can threaten inhabitants. In our country combination of USLE and RUSLE models has been used for water erosion assessment (Krása et al., 2013). Role of vegetation cover is characterized by the help of vegetation protection factor, so-called C- factor. Value of C-factor is given by the ratio of washing-off on a plot with arable crops to standard plot which is kept as fallow regularly spud after any rain (Janeček et al., 2012). Under conditions we cannot identify crop structure and its turn, determination of C-factor can be problem in large areas. In such case we only determine C-factor according to the average crop representation. New technologies open possibilities for acceleration and specification of the approach. Present-day approach for the C-factor determination is based on the analysis of multispectral image data. Red and infrared spectrum is extracted and these parts of image are used for computation of vegetation index series (NDVI, TSAVI). Acquired values for fractional time sections (during vegetation period) are averaged out. At the same time values of vegetation indices for a forest and cleared area are determined. Also regressive coefficients are computed. Final calculation is done by the help of regressive equations expressing relation between values of NDVI and C-factor (De Jong, 1994; Van der Knijff, 1999; Karaburun, 2010). Up-to-date land use layer is used for the determination of erosion threatened areas on the base of selection of individual landscape segments of erosion susceptible categories of land use. By means of Landsat 7 data C-factor has been determined for the whole area of the Czech Republic in every month of the year of 2014. At the model area in a small watershed C-factor has been determined by the conventional (tabular) procedure. Analysis was focused on: i) variability assessment of C-factor values while using the conventional

  16. Liquidity effects and FFA returns in the international shipping derivatives market

    OpenAIRE

    Alizadeh, Amir H.; Kappou, K; Tsouknidis, Dimitris; Visvikis, Ilias

    2015-01-01

    The study examines the impact of liquidity risk on freight derivatives returns. The Amihud liquidity ratio and bid–ask spreads are utilized to assess the existence of liquidity risk in the freight derivatives market. Other macroeconomic variables are used to control for market risk. Results indicate that liquidity risk is priced and both liquidity measures have a significant role in determining freight derivatives returns. Consistent with expectations, both liquidity measures are found to hav...

  17. Automatic classification of time-variable X-ray sources

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lo, Kitty K.; Farrell, Sean; Murphy, Tara; Gaensler, B. M. [Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia)

    2014-05-01

    To maximize the discovery potential of future synoptic surveys, especially in the field of transient science, it will be necessary to use automatic classification to identify some of the astronomical sources. The data mining technique of supervised classification is suitable for this problem. Here, we present a supervised learning method to automatically classify variable X-ray sources in the Second XMM-Newton Serendipitous Source Catalog (2XMMi-DR2). Random Forest is our classifier of choice since it is one of the most accurate learning algorithms available. Our training set consists of 873 variable sources and their features are derived from time series, spectra, and other multi-wavelength contextual information. The 10 fold cross validation accuracy of the training data is ∼97% on a 7 class data set. We applied the trained classification model to 411 unknown variable 2XMM sources to produce a probabilistically classified catalog. Using the classification margin and the Random Forest derived outlier measure, we identified 12 anomalous sources, of which 2XMM J180658.7–500250 appears to be the most unusual source in the sample. Its X-ray spectra is suggestive of a ultraluminous X-ray source but its variability makes it highly unusual. Machine-learned classification and anomaly detection will facilitate scientific discoveries in the era of all-sky surveys.

  18. Automatic classification of time-variable X-ray sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lo, Kitty K.; Farrell, Sean; Murphy, Tara; Gaensler, B. M.

    2014-01-01

    To maximize the discovery potential of future synoptic surveys, especially in the field of transient science, it will be necessary to use automatic classification to identify some of the astronomical sources. The data mining technique of supervised classification is suitable for this problem. Here, we present a supervised learning method to automatically classify variable X-ray sources in the Second XMM-Newton Serendipitous Source Catalog (2XMMi-DR2). Random Forest is our classifier of choice since it is one of the most accurate learning algorithms available. Our training set consists of 873 variable sources and their features are derived from time series, spectra, and other multi-wavelength contextual information. The 10 fold cross validation accuracy of the training data is ∼97% on a 7 class data set. We applied the trained classification model to 411 unknown variable 2XMM sources to produce a probabilistically classified catalog. Using the classification margin and the Random Forest derived outlier measure, we identified 12 anomalous sources, of which 2XMM J180658.7–500250 appears to be the most unusual source in the sample. Its X-ray spectra is suggestive of a ultraluminous X-ray source but its variability makes it highly unusual. Machine-learned classification and anomaly detection will facilitate scientific discoveries in the era of all-sky surveys.

  19. Explicit solutions of two nonlinear dispersive equations with variable coefficients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lai Shaoyong; Lv Xiumei; Wu Yonghong

    2008-01-01

    A mathematical technique based on an auxiliary equation and the symbolic computation system Matlab is developed to construct the exact solutions for a generalized Camassa-Holm equation and a nonlinear dispersive equation with variable coefficients. It is shown that the variable coefficients of the derivative terms in the equations cause the qualitative change in the physical structures of the solutions

  20. Variable screening and ranking using sampling-based sensitivity measures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Y-T.; Mohanty, Sitakanta

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents a methodology for screening insignificant random variables and ranking significant important random variables using sensitivity measures including two cumulative distribution function (CDF)-based and two mean-response based measures. The methodology features (1) using random samples to compute sensitivities and (2) using acceptance limits, derived from the test-of-hypothesis, to classify significant and insignificant random variables. Because no approximation is needed in either the form of the performance functions or the type of continuous distribution functions representing input variables, the sampling-based approach can handle highly nonlinear functions with non-normal variables. The main characteristics and effectiveness of the sampling-based sensitivity measures are investigated using both simple and complex examples. Because the number of samples needed does not depend on the number of variables, the methodology appears to be particularly suitable for problems with large, complex models that have large numbers of random variables but relatively few numbers of significant random variables

  1. Using Field Data and GIS-Derived Variables to Model Occurrence of Williamson's Sapsucker Nesting Habitat at Multiple Spatial Scales.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark C Drever

    Full Text Available Williamson's sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus is a migratory woodpecker that breeds in mixed coniferous forests in western North America. In Canada, the range of this woodpecker is restricted to three small populations in southern British Columbia, precipitating a national listing as 'Endangered' in 2005, and the need to characterize critical habitat for its survival and recovery. We compared habitat attributes between Williamson's sapsucker nest territories and random points without nests or detections of this sapsucker as part of a resource selection analysis to identify the habitat features that best explain the probability of nest occurrence in two separate geographic regions in British Columbia. We compared the relative explanatory power of generalized linear models based on field-derived and Geographic Information System (GIS data within both a 225 m and 800 m radius of a nest or random point. The model based on field-derived variables explained the most variation in nest occurrence in the Okanagan-East Kootenay Region, whereas nest occurrence was best explained by GIS information at the 800 m scale in the Western Region. Probability of nest occurrence was strongly tied to densities of potential nest trees, which included open forests with very large (diameter at breast height, DBH, ≥57.5 cm western larch (Larix occidentalis trees in the Okanagan-East Kootenay Region, and very large ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa and large (DBH 17.5-57.5 cm trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides trees in the Western Region. Our results have the potential to guide identification and protection of critical habitat as required by the Species at Risk Act in Canada, and to better manage Williamson's sapsucker habitat overall in North America. In particular, management should focus on the maintenance and recruitment of very large western larch and ponderosa pine trees.

  2. Using Field Data and GIS-Derived Variables to Model Occurrence of Williamson's Sapsucker Nesting Habitat at Multiple Spatial Scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drever, Mark C; Gyug, Les W; Nielsen, Jennifer; Stuart-Smith, A Kari; Ohanjanian, I Penny; Martin, Kathy

    2015-01-01

    Williamson's sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) is a migratory woodpecker that breeds in mixed coniferous forests in western North America. In Canada, the range of this woodpecker is restricted to three small populations in southern British Columbia, precipitating a national listing as 'Endangered' in 2005, and the need to characterize critical habitat for its survival and recovery. We compared habitat attributes between Williamson's sapsucker nest territories and random points without nests or detections of this sapsucker as part of a resource selection analysis to identify the habitat features that best explain the probability of nest occurrence in two separate geographic regions in British Columbia. We compared the relative explanatory power of generalized linear models based on field-derived and Geographic Information System (GIS) data within both a 225 m and 800 m radius of a nest or random point. The model based on field-derived variables explained the most variation in nest occurrence in the Okanagan-East Kootenay Region, whereas nest occurrence was best explained by GIS information at the 800 m scale in the Western Region. Probability of nest occurrence was strongly tied to densities of potential nest trees, which included open forests with very large (diameter at breast height, DBH, ≥57.5 cm) western larch (Larix occidentalis) trees in the Okanagan-East Kootenay Region, and very large ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and large (DBH 17.5-57.5 cm) trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) trees in the Western Region. Our results have the potential to guide identification and protection of critical habitat as required by the Species at Risk Act in Canada, and to better manage Williamson's sapsucker habitat overall in North America. In particular, management should focus on the maintenance and recruitment of very large western larch and ponderosa pine trees.

  3. Natural language processing: state of the art and prospects for significant progress, a workshop sponsored by the National Library of Medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, Carol; Rindflesch, Thomas C; Corn, Milton

    2013-10-01

    Natural language processing (NLP) is crucial for advancing healthcare because it is needed to transform relevant information locked in text into structured data that can be used by computer processes aimed at improving patient care and advancing medicine. In light of the importance of NLP to health, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) recently sponsored a workshop to review the state of the art in NLP focusing on text in English, both in biomedicine and in the general language domain. Specific goals of the NLM-sponsored workshop were to identify the current state of the art, grand challenges and specific roadblocks, and to identify effective use and best practices. This paper reports on the main outcomes of the workshop, including an overview of the state of the art, strategies for advancing the field, and obstacles that need to be addressed, resulting in recommendations for a research agenda intended to advance the field. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Reflecting on the Postgraduate Experience: Teaching Research Methods and Statistics: Review of the DART-P Sponsored Workshop at PsyPAG 2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Emma J.; Davies, Emma. L.

    2014-01-01

    Following the success of last year's teaching and career development workshop, this year's DART-P sponsored workshop at the Psychology Postgraduate Affairs Group (PsyPAG) Annual Conference held at Lancaster University focused on postgraduate's experiences of teaching research methods. This article provides a review of the invited speakers…

  5. Parallel Aircraft Trajectory Optimization with Analytic Derivatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falck, Robert D.; Gray, Justin S.; Naylor, Bret

    2016-01-01

    Trajectory optimization is an integral component for the design of aerospace vehicles, but emerging aircraft technologies have introduced new demands on trajectory analysis that current tools are not well suited to address. Designing aircraft with technologies such as hybrid electric propulsion and morphing wings requires consideration of the operational behavior as well as the physical design characteristics of the aircraft. The addition of operational variables can dramatically increase the number of design variables which motivates the use of gradient based optimization with analytic derivatives to solve the larger optimization problems. In this work we develop an aircraft trajectory analysis tool using a Legendre-Gauss-Lobatto based collocation scheme, providing analytic derivatives via the OpenMDAO multidisciplinary optimization framework. This collocation method uses an implicit time integration scheme that provides a high degree of sparsity and thus several potential options for parallelization. The performance of the new implementation was investigated via a series of single and multi-trajectory optimizations using a combination of parallel computing and constraint aggregation. The computational performance results show that in order to take full advantage of the sparsity in the problem it is vital to parallelize both the non-linear analysis evaluations and the derivative computations themselves. The constraint aggregation results showed a significant numerical challenge due to difficulty in achieving tight convergence tolerances. Overall, the results demonstrate the value of applying analytic derivatives to trajectory optimization problems and lay the foundation for future application of this collocation based method to the design of aircraft with where operational scheduling of technologies is key to achieving good performance.

  6. Value distribution and the Lemma of the logarithmic derivative on polydiscs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wilhelm Stoll

    1983-01-01

    Full Text Available Value distribution is developed on polydiscs with the special emphasis that the value distribution function depend on a vector variable. A Lemma of the logarithmic derivative for meromorphic functions on polydiscs is derived. Here the Bergman boundary of the polydiscs is approached along cones of any dimension and exceptional sets for such an approach are defined.

  7. Prions in Variably Protease-Sensitive Prionopathy: An Update

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zou, W.Q.; Gambetti, P.; Xiao, X.; Yuan, J.; Langeveld, J.P.M.; Pirisinu, L.

    2013-01-01

    Human prion diseases, including sporadic, familial, and acquired forms such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), are caused by prions in which an abnormal prion protein (PrPSc) derived from its normal cellular isoform (PrPC) is the only known component. The recently-identified variably

  8. The pulsation mode and period-luminosity relationship of cool variables in globular clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitelock, P.A.

    1986-01-01

    The period-luminosity-temperature relationship for globular cluster red and yellow variables is examined. The results suggest that the higher temperature, more metal-deficient cluster variables pulsate in the fundamental mode, while the lower temperature more metal-rich variables pulsate in the first overtone. On the assumption that this is correct, a relationship between fundamental period and bolometric magnitude is derived for cluster variables with observed periods of between 1 and 300 days. (author)

  9. Determinants of Revenue Derived from Pineapple Marketing in Edo ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Determinants of Revenue Derived from Pineapple Marketing in Edo State, Nigeria. ... The results showed that an average pineapple marketer has a mean volume of 98 dozens and incurred a variable ... EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT

  10. Global chaos synchronization of electro-mechanical gyrostat systems via variable substitution control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Yun; Wu Xiaofeng; Liu Zhong

    2009-01-01

    This paper studies global synchronization of non-autonomous chaotic electro-mechanical gyrostat systems via variable substitution control. A master-slave non-autonomous synchronization scheme with variable substitution control is mathematically presented. Based on the scheme, some sufficient algebraic criteria for global chaos synchronization of master and slave electro-mechanical gyrostat systems via various single-variable coupling are derived. The effectiveness of the obtained criteria is numerically illustrated by the examples.

  11. On a higher order multi-term time-fractional partial differential equation involving Caputo-Fabrizio derivative

    OpenAIRE

    Pirnapasov, Sardor; Karimov, Erkinjon

    2017-01-01

    In the present work we discuss higher order multi-term partial differential equation (PDE) with the Caputo-Fabrizio fractional derivative in time. We investigate a boundary value problem for fractional heat equation involving higher order Caputo-Fabrizio derivatives in time-variable. Using method of separation of variables and integration by parts, we reduce fractional order PDE to the integer order. We represent explicit solution of formulated problem in particular case by Fourier series.

  12. Defining Hepatocellular Carcinoma Subtypes and Treatment Responses in Patient Derived Tumorgrafts

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    October 2017 TYPE OF REPORT: Annual PREPARED FOR: U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702-5012 DISTRIBUTION...Dallas, TX 75390-9020 9. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel...optimize custom dendritic nanoparticle delivery to PDX tumors This has been completed We have experience using 5A2-SC8 lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in the

  13. Exact statistical results for binary mixing and reaction in variable density turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ristorcelli, J. R.

    2017-02-01

    We report a number of rigorous statistical results on binary active scalar mixing in variable density turbulence. The study is motivated by mixing between pure fluids with very different densities and whose density intensity is of order unity. Our primary focus is the derivation of exact mathematical results for mixing in variable density turbulence and we do point out the potential fields of application of the results. A binary one step reaction is invoked to derive a metric to asses the state of mixing. The mean reaction rate in variable density turbulent mixing can be expressed, in closed form, using the first order Favre mean variables and the Reynolds averaged density variance, ⟨ρ2⟩ . We show that the normalized density variance, ⟨ρ2⟩ , reflects the reduction of the reaction due to mixing and is a mix metric. The result is mathematically rigorous. The result is the variable density analog, the normalized mass fraction variance ⟨c2⟩ used in constant density turbulent mixing. As a consequence, we demonstrate that use of the analogous normalized Favre variance of the mass fraction, c″ ⁣2˜ , as a mix metric is not theoretically justified in variable density turbulence. We additionally derive expressions relating various second order moments of the mass fraction, specific volume, and density fields. The central role of the density specific volume covariance ⟨ρ v ⟩ is highlighted; it is a key quantity with considerable dynamical significance linking various second order statistics. For laboratory experiments, we have developed exact relations between the Reynolds scalar variance ⟨c2⟩ its Favre analog c″ ⁣2˜ , and various second moments including ⟨ρ v ⟩ . For moment closure models that evolve ⟨ρ v ⟩ and not ⟨ρ2⟩ , we provide a novel expression for ⟨ρ2⟩ in terms of a rational function of ⟨ρ v ⟩ that avoids recourse to Taylor series methods (which do not converge for large density differences). We have derived

  14. Photometry of red variables in 47 Tucanae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fox, M.W.

    1982-01-01

    BVRI observations of known and suspected variables in the globular cluster 47 Tuc are described. Twelve period determinations were made, seven of which are new. The non-Mira stars are found to vary in a semi-regular manner, regardless of period. Values of Tsub(eff), Msub(bol) and Q, the pulsation constant, are derived by combining the BVRI with JHKL observations made near the same epoch. The results strongly favour pulsation in an overtone mode for both the Mira and semi-regular variables in 47 Tuc. There is also evidence of mode 'switching' for V4. (author)

  15. Noise Reduction with Optimal Variable Span Linear Filters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Jesper Rindom; Benesty, Jacob; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, the problem of noise reduction is addressed as a linear filtering problem in a novel way by using concepts from subspace-based enhancement methods, resulting in variable span linear filters. This is done by forming the filter coefficients as linear combinations of a number...... included in forming the filter. Using these concepts, a number of different filter designs are considered, like minimum distortion, Wiener, maximum SNR, and tradeoff filters. Interestingly, all these can be expressed as special cases of variable span filters. We also derive expressions for the speech...... demonstrate the advantages and properties of the variable span filter designs, and their potential performance gain compared to widely used speech enhancement methods....

  16. Exponential Inequalities for Positively Associated Random Variables and Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Shanchao

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We establish some exponential inequalities for positively associated random variables without the boundedness assumption. These inequalities improve the corresponding results obtained by Oliveira (2005. By one of the inequalities, we obtain the convergence rate for the case of geometrically decreasing covariances, which closes to the optimal achievable convergence rate for independent random variables under the Hartman-Wintner law of the iterated logarithm and improves the convergence rate derived by Oliveira (2005 for the above case.

  17. Analyst-to-Analyst Variability in Simulation-Based Prediction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glickman, Matthew R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Romero, Vicente J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-02-01

    This report describes findings from the culminating experiment of the LDRD project entitled, "Analyst-to-Analyst Variability in Simulation-Based Prediction". For this experiment, volunteer participants solving a given test problem in engineering and statistics were interviewed at different points in their solution process. These interviews are used to trace differing solutions to differing solution processes, and differing processes to differences in reasoning, assumptions, and judgments. The issue that the experiment was designed to illuminate -- our paucity of understanding of the ways in which humans themselves have an impact on predictions derived from complex computational simulations -- is a challenging and open one. Although solution of the test problem by analyst participants in this experiment has taken much more time than originally anticipated, and is continuing past the end of this LDRD, this project has provided a rare opportunity to explore analyst-to-analyst variability in significant depth, from which we derive evidence-based insights to guide further explorations in this important area.

  18. Provider-based Medicare risk contracting and subcontracting: opportunities and risks for provider sponsored organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levin, H A; Zenner, P A; Kipp, R A; Whitney, E L

    1997-01-01

    Provider sponsored organizations (PSOs) are increasingly acquiring the risk for the management of Medicare Risk patients by accepting capitation directly from the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) or through contracts with HMOs or other organizations contracting with HCFA. The Medicare population and the requirements that the federal administration has put into place with respect to risk contracting are unique and demand specific responses on the part of the PSO for a contract to be successful. The PSO is cautioned to understand the actuarial risk, the clinical uniqueness of the Medicare beneficiary, Medicare reimbursement regulatory requirements, utilization management needs, and necessary reporting before entering into a contractual arrangement. This article attempts to describe some of the more common issues a provider organization must consider.

  19. 5S rRNA-derived and tRNA-derived SINEs in fruit bats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gogolevsky, Konstantin P; Vassetzky, Nikita S; Kramerov, Dmitri A

    2009-05-01

    Most short retroposons (SINEs) descend from cellular tRNA of 7SL RNA. Here, four new SINEs were found in megabats (Megachiroptera) but neither in microbats nor in other mammals. Two of them, MEG-RS and MEG-RL, descend from another cellular RNA, 5S rRNA; one (MEG-T2) is a tRNA-derived SINE; and MEG-TR is a hybrid tRNA/5S rRNA SINE. Insertion locus analysis suggests that these SINEs were active in the recent fruit bat evolution. Analysis of MEG-RS and MEG-RL in comparison with other few 5S rRNA-derived SINEs demonstrates that the internal RNA polymerase III promoter is their most invariant region, while the secondary structure is more variable. The mechanisms underlying the modular structure of these and other SINEs as well as their variation are discussed. The scenario of evolution of MEG SINEs is proposed.

  20. Tropical intraseasonal rainfall variability in the CFSR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jiande [I.M. System Group Inc. at NOAA/NCEP/EMC, Camp Springs, MD (United States); Wang, Wanqiu [NOAA/NCEP/CPC, Camp Springs, MD (United States); Fu, Xiouhua [University of Hawaii at Manoa, IPRC, SOEST, Honolulu, HI (United States); Seo, Kyong-Hwan [Pusan National University, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-06-15

    While large-scale circulation fields from atmospheric reanalyses have been widely used to study the tropical intraseasonal variability, rainfall variations from the reanalyses are less focused. Because of the sparseness of in situ observations available in the tropics and strong coupling between convection and large-scale circulation, the accuracy of tropical rainfall from the reanalyses not only measures the quality of reanalysis rainfall but is also to some extent indicative of the accuracy of the circulations fields. This study analyzes tropical intraseasonal rainfall variability in the recently completed NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) and its comparison with the widely used NCEP/NCAR reanalysis (R1) and NCEP/DOE reanalysis (R2). The R1 produces too weak rainfall variability while the R2 generates too strong westward propagation. Compared with the R1 and R2, the CFSR produces greatly improved tropical intraseasonal rainfall variability with the dominance of eastward propagation and more realistic amplitude. An analysis of the relationship between rainfall and large-scale fields using composites based on Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) events shows that, in all three NCEP reanalyses, the moisture convergence leading the rainfall maximum is near the surface in the western Pacific but is above 925 hPa in the eastern Indian Ocean. However, the CFSR produces the strongest large-scale convergence and the rainfall from CFSR lags the column integrated precipitable water by 1 or 2 days while R1 and R2 rainfall tends to lead the respective precipitable water. Diabatic heating related to the MJO variability in the CFSR is analyzed and compared with that derived from large-scale fields. It is found that the amplitude of CFSR-produced total heating anomalies is smaller than that of the derived. Rainfall variability from the other two recently produced reanalyses, the ECMWF Re-Analysis Interim (ERAI), and the Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and

  1. Seasonal and interannual variability in phytoplankton biomass on ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The most probable causative mechanism is suggested to be anomalous advective fluxes of warm surface water into areas typically of high biomass deriving from the Agulhas Current retroflection in the south. Studying variability in phytoplankton biomass on the continental shelf in the context of large-scale oceanic ...

  2. A Christian faith-based recovery theory: understanding God as sponsor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timmons, Shirley M

    2012-12-01

    This article reports the development of a substantive theory to explain an evangelical Christian-based process of recovery from addiction. Faith-based, 12-step, mutual aid programs can improve drug abstinence by offering: (a) an intervention option alone and/or in conjunction with secular programs and (b) an opportunity for religious involvement. Although literature on religion, spirituality, and addiction is voluminous, traditional 12-step programs fail to explain the mechanism that underpins the process of Christian-based recovery (CR). This pilot study used grounded theory to explore and describe the essence of recovery of 10 former crack cocaine-addicted persons voluntarily enrolled in a CR program. Data were collected from in-depth interviews during 4 months of 2008. Audiotapes were transcribed verbatim, and the constant comparative method was used to analyze data resulting in the basic social process theory, understanding God as sponsor. The theory was determined through writing theoretical memos that generated key elements that allow persons to recover: acknowledging God-centered crises, communicating with God, and planning for the future. Findings from this preliminary study identifies important factors that can help persons in recovery to sustain sobriety and program administrators to benefit from theory that guides the development of evidence-based addiction interventions.

  3. Complexity Variability Assessment of Nonlinear Time-Varying Cardiovascular Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valenza, Gaetano; Citi, Luca; Garcia, Ronald G.; Taylor, Jessica Noggle; Toschi, Nicola; Barbieri, Riccardo

    2017-02-01

    The application of complex systems theory to physiology and medicine has provided meaningful information about the nonlinear aspects underlying the dynamics of a wide range of biological processes and their disease-related aberrations. However, no studies have investigated whether meaningful information can be extracted by quantifying second-order moments of time-varying cardiovascular complexity. To this extent, we introduce a novel mathematical framework termed complexity variability, in which the variance of instantaneous Lyapunov spectra estimated over time serves as a reference quantifier. We apply the proposed methodology to four exemplary studies involving disorders which stem from cardiology, neurology and psychiatry: Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Major Depression Disorder (MDD), Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) patients with insomnia under a yoga training regime. We show that complexity assessments derived from simple time-averaging are not able to discern pathology-related changes in autonomic control, and we demonstrate that between-group differences in measures of complexity variability are consistent across pathologies. Pathological states such as CHF, MDD, and PD are associated with an increased complexity variability when compared to healthy controls, whereas wellbeing derived from yoga in PTSD is associated with lower time-variance of complexity.

  4. Uncertainty importance measure for models with correlated normal variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hao, Wenrui; Lu, Zhenzhou; Wei, Pengfei

    2013-01-01

    In order to explore the contributions by correlated input variables to the variance of the model output, the contribution decomposition of the correlated input variables based on Mara's definition is investigated in detail. By taking the quadratic polynomial output without cross term as an illustration, the solution of the contribution decomposition is derived analytically using the statistical inference theory. After the correction of the analytical solution is validated by the numerical examples, they are employed to two engineering examples to show their wide application. The derived analytical solutions can directly be used to recognize the contributions by the correlated input variables in case of the quadratic or linear polynomial output without cross term, and the analytical inference method can be extended to the case of higher order polynomial output. Additionally, the origins of the interaction contribution of the correlated inputs are analyzed, and the comparisons of the existing contribution indices are completed, on which the engineer can select the suitable indices to know the necessary information. At last, the degeneration of the correlated inputs to the uncorrelated ones and some computational issues are discussed in concept

  5. Evaluating variability and uncertainty in radiological impact assessment using SYMBIOSE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simon-Cornu, M.; Beaugelin-Seiller, K.; Boyer, P.; Calmon, P.; Garcia-Sanchez, L.; Mourlon, C.; Nicoulaud, V.; Sy, M.; Gonze, M.A.

    2015-01-01

    SYMBIOSE is a modelling platform that accounts for variability and uncertainty in radiological impact assessments, when simulating the environmental fate of radionuclides and assessing doses to human populations. The default database of SYMBIOSE is partly based on parameter values that are summarized within International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) documents. To characterize uncertainty on the transfer parameters, 331 Probability Distribution Functions (PDFs) were defined from the summary statistics provided within the IAEA documents (i.e. sample size, minimal and maximum values, arithmetic and geometric means, standard and geometric standard deviations) and are made available as spreadsheet files. The methods used to derive the PDFs without complete data sets, but merely the summary statistics, are presented. Then, a simple case-study illustrates the use of the database in a second-order Monte Carlo calculation, separating parametric uncertainty and inter-individual variability. - Highlights: • Parametric uncertainty in radioecology was derived from IAEA documents. • 331 Probability Distribution Functions were defined for transfer parameters. • Parametric uncertainty and inter-individual variability were propagated

  6. The bolometric, infrared and visual absolute magnitudes of Mira variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robertson, B.S.C.; Feast, M.W.

    1981-01-01

    Statistical parallaxes, as well as stars with individually known distances are used to derive bolometric and infrared absolute magnitudes of Mira (Me) variables. The derived bolometric magnitudes are in the mean about 0.75 mag fainter than recent estimates. The problem of determining the pulsation constant is discussed. Miras with periods greater than 150 days probably pulsate in the first overtone. Those of shorter periods are anomalous and may be fundamental pulsators. It is shown that the absolute visual magnitudes at mean light of Miras with individually determined distances are consistent with values derived by Clayton and Feast from statistical parallaxes. (author)

  7. BROAD ABSORPTION LINE VARIABILITY ON MULTI-YEAR TIMESCALES IN A LARGE QUASAR SAMPLE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Filiz Ak, N.; Brandt, W. N.; Schneider, D. P. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Hall, P. B. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3 (Canada); Anderson, S. F. [Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Hamann, F. [Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-2055 (United States); Lundgren, B. F. [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Myers, Adam D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 (United States); Pâris, I. [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santiago (Chile); Petitjean, P. [Universite Paris 6, Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, 75014, Paris (France); Ross, Nicholas P. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 92420 (United States); Shen, Yue [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., MS-51, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); York, Don, E-mail: nfilizak@astro.psu.edu [The University of Chicago, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States)

    2013-11-10

    We present a detailed investigation of the variability of 428 C IV and 235 Si IV broad absorption line (BAL) troughs identified in multi-epoch observations of 291 quasars by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-I/II/III. These observations primarily sample rest-frame timescales of 1-3.7 yr over which significant rearrangement of the BAL wind is expected. We derive a number of observational results on, e.g., the frequency of BAL variability, the velocity range over which BAL variability occurs, the primary observed form of BAL-trough variability, the dependence of BAL variability upon timescale, the frequency of BAL strengthening versus weakening, correlations between BAL variability and BAL-trough profiles, relations between C IV and Si IV BAL variability, coordinated multi-trough variability, and BAL variations as a function of quasar properties. We assess implications of these observational results for quasar winds. Our results support models where most BAL absorption is formed within an order-of-magnitude of the wind-launching radius, although a significant minority of BAL troughs may arise on larger scales. We estimate an average lifetime for a BAL trough along our line-of-sight of a few thousand years. BAL disappearance and emergence events appear to be extremes of general BAL variability, rather than being qualitatively distinct phenomena. We derive the parameters of a random-walk model for BAL EW variability, finding that this model can acceptably describe some key aspects of EW variability. The coordinated trough variability of BAL quasars with multiple troughs suggests that changes in 'shielding gas' may play a significant role in driving general BAL variability.

  8. Duration of breast milk expression among working mothers enrolled in an employer-sponsored lactation program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortiz, Joan; McGilligan, Kathryn; Kelly, Patricia

    2004-01-01

    Maternal employment has been one of the greatest barriers to breastfeeding. Women are increasingly solving this problem by expressing milk at work and taking it home to their infants. The objective was to determine duration of breast milk expression among working mothers enrolled in an employer-sponsored lactation program. Retrospective reviews were conducted on the lactation records of 462 women employed by 5 corporations in order to describe and characterize their experiences. The lactation program included the employees' choice of (a) a class on the benefits of breastfeeding; (b) services of a certified lactation consultant (CLC); and (c) private room in the workplace with equipment for pumping. Breastfeeding was initiated by 97.5% of the participants, with 57.8% continuing for at least 6 months. Of the 435 (94.2%) who returned to work after giving birth, 343 (78.9%) attempted pumping milk at work, and 336 (98%) were successful. They expressed milk in the workplace for a mean of 6.3 months (SD = 3.9, range 2 weeks to 21 months). The mean age of infants when the mothers stopped pumping at work was 9.1 months (SD = 4.1, range 1.9 to 25 months). Most of the women who pumped their milk at work were working full time (84.2%). The mean postnatal maternity leave was 2.8 months. The proportion of women who chose to pump at work was higher among women who were salaried than among those who were paid hourly wages (p < 0.01). Company-sponsored lactation programs can enable employed mothers to provide breast milk for their infants as long as they wish, thus helping the nation attain the Healthy People 2010 goals of 50% of mothers breastfeeding until their infants are 6-months-old.

  9. Evaluation of the Wind Flow Variability Using Scanning Doppler Lidar Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sand, S. C.; Pichugina, Y. L.; Brewer, A.

    2016-12-01

    Better understanding of the wind flow variability at the heights of the modern turbines is essential to accurately assess of generated wind power and efficient turbine operations. Nowadays the wind energy industry often utilizes scanning Doppler lidar to measure wind-speed profiles at high spatial and temporal resolution.The study presents wind flow features captured by scanning Doppler lidars during the second Wind Forecast and Improvement Project (WFIP 2) sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This 18-month long experiment in the Columbia River Basin aims to improve model wind forecasts complicated by mountain terrain, coastal effects, and numerous wind farms.To provide a comprehensive dataset to use for characterizing and predicting meteorological phenomena important to Wind Energy, NOAA deployed scanning, pulsed Doppler lidars to two sites in Oregon, one at Wasco, located upstream of all wind farms relative to the predominant westerly flow in the region, and one at Arlington, located in the middle of several wind farms.In this presentation we will describe lidar scanning patterns capable of providing data in conical, or vertical-slice modes. These individual scans were processed to obtain 15-min averaged profiles of wind speed and direction in real time. Visualization of these profiles as time-height cross sections allows us to analyze variability of these parameters with height, time and location, and reveal periods of rapid changes (ramp events). Examples of wind flow variability between two sites of lidar measurements along with examples of reduced wind velocity downwind of operating turbines (wakes) will be presented.

  10. Reports on research projects sponsored by the Federal Minister for Research and Technology in the field of reactor safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1979-03-01

    Investigations on the safety of Light Water Reactors (LWR) being performed in the framework of the Research Program Reactor Safety (RS - Projects) are sponsored by the BMFT (Federal Minister for Research and Technology), Bundesminister fuer Forschung und Technologie. Objective of this program is to investigate in greater detail the safety margins of nuclear power plants and their systems and the further development of safety technology. Besides the investigations of LWR tasks first projects on the safety of FBR type reactors are sponsored by the BMFT. The GRS (Reactor Safety Association), Gesellschaft fuer Reaktorsicherheit mbH, by order of the BMFT, informs continuously of the status of such investigations by means of quarterly and annually publication of progress reports within the series GRS - F - Fortschrittsberichte (GRS - F - Progress Reports). Each progress report represents a compilation of individual reports about objectives, the work performed, the results, the next steps of the work etc. The individual reports are prepared in a standard form by the contractors themselves as a documentation of their progress in work. The individual reports are arranged according to the amended LWR Safety Research Program of the BMFT. Another table contents uses the same classification system as applied in the Nuclear Safety Index of the CEC European Communities and the OECD. (orig./HP) [de

  11. Optimal variable-grid finite-difference modeling for porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Xinxin; Yin, Xingyao; Li, Haishan

    2014-01-01

    Numerical modeling of poroelastic waves by the finite-difference (FD) method is more expensive than that of acoustic or elastic waves. To improve the accuracy and computational efficiency of seismic modeling, variable-grid FD methods have been developed. In this paper, we derived optimal staggered-grid finite difference schemes with variable grid-spacing and time-step for seismic modeling in porous media. FD operators with small grid-spacing and time-step are adopted for low-velocity or small-scale geological bodies, while FD operators with big grid-spacing and time-step are adopted for high-velocity or large-scale regions. The dispersion relations of FD schemes were derived based on the plane wave theory, then the FD coefficients were obtained using the Taylor expansion. Dispersion analysis and modeling results demonstrated that the proposed method has higher accuracy with lower computational cost for poroelastic wave simulation in heterogeneous reservoirs. (paper)

  12. Effective Analysis of C Programs by Rewriting Variability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iosif-Lazar, Alexandru Florin; Melo, Jean; Dimovski, Aleksandar

    2017-01-01

    and effective analysis and verification of real-world C program families. Importance. We report some interesting variability-related bugs that we discovered using various state-of-the-art single-program C verification tools, such as Frama-C, Clang, LLBMC.......Context. Variability-intensive programs (program families) appear in many application areas and for many reasons today. Different family members, called variants, are derived by switching statically configurable options (features) on and off, while reuse of the common code is maximized. Inquiry....... Verification of program families is challenging since the number of variants is exponential in the number of features. Existing single-program analysis and verification tools cannot be applied directly to program families, and designing and implementing the corresponding variability-aware versions is tedious...

  13. Describing the interannual variability of precipitation with the derived distribution approach: effects of record length and resolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. I. Meier

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Interannual variability of precipitation is traditionally described by fitting a probability model to yearly precipitation totals. There are three potential problems with this approach: a long record (at least 25–30 years is required in order to fit the model, years with missing rainfall data cannot be used, and the data need to be homogeneous, i.e., one has to assume stationarity. To overcome some of these limitations, we test an alternative methodology proposed by Eagleson (1978, based on the derived distribution (DD approach. It allows estimation of the probability density function (pdf of annual rainfall without requiring long records, provided that continuously gauged precipitation data are available to derive external storm properties. The DD approach combines marginal pdfs for storm depths and inter-arrival times to obtain an analytical formulation of the distribution of annual precipitation, under the simplifying assumptions of independence between events and independence between storm depth and time to the next storm. Because it is based on information about storms and not on annual totals, the DD can make use of information from years with incomplete data; more importantly, only a few years of rainfall measurements should suffice to estimate the parameters of the marginal pdfs, at least at locations where it rains with some regularity. For two temperate locations in different climates (Concepción, Chile, and Lugano, Switzerland, we randomly resample shortened time series to evaluate in detail the effects of record length on the DD, comparing the results with the traditional approach of fitting a normal (or lognormal distribution. Then, at the same two stations, we assess the biases introduced in the DD when using daily totalized rainfall, instead of continuously gauged data. Finally, for randomly selected periods between 3 and 15 years in length, we conduct full blind tests at 52 high-quality gauging stations in Switzerland

  14. 15 year's summary report on blanket technology and materials of mixed fuel reactor research sponsored by national '863' projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Zengyu; Chen Jiming; Liu Xiang

    2001-01-01

    15 year's achievements of Southwestern Institute of Physics, China, in fusion technology and materials research sponsored by National '863' Engineering Projects are summarized. Many scientific and technical achievements are obtained in the researches on tritium production and recovery, doped carbon basic materials, V-alloys, 316L SS irradiation performance, B 4 C and TiC coatings, etc. Some facilities were built and some were improved for materials research. 108 references are annexed

  15. Llama-derived single variable domains (nanobodies) directed against chemokine receptor CXCR7 reduce head and neck cancer cell growth in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maussang, David; Mujić-Delić, Azra; Descamps, Francis J; Stortelers, Catelijne; Vanlandschoot, Peter; Stigter-van Walsum, Marijke; Vischer, Henry F; van Roy, Maarten; Vosjan, Maria; Gonzalez-Pajuelo, Maria; van Dongen, Guus A M S; Merchiers, Pascal; van Rompaey, Philippe; Smit, Martine J

    2013-10-11

    The chemokine receptor CXCR7, belonging to the membrane-bound G protein-coupled receptor superfamily, is expressed in several tumor types. Inhibition of CXCR7 with either small molecules or small interference (si)RNA has shown promising therapeutic benefits in several tumor models. With the increased interest and effectiveness of biologicals inhibiting membrane-bound receptors we made use of the "Nanobody platform" to target CXCR7. Previously we showed that Nanobodies, i.e. immunoglobulin single variable domains derived from naturally occurring heavy chain-only camelids antibodies, represent new biological tools to efficiently tackle difficult drug targets such as G protein-coupled receptors. In this study we developed and characterized highly selective and potent Nanobodies against CXCR7. Interestingly, the CXCR7-targeting Nanobodies displayed antagonistic properties in contrast with previously reported CXCR7-targeting agents. Several high affinity CXCR7-specific Nanobodies potently inhibited CXCL12-induced β-arrestin2 recruitment in vitro. A wide variety of tumor biopsies was profiled, showing for the first time high expression of CXCR7 in head and neck cancer. Using a patient-derived CXCR7-expressing head and neck cancer xenograft model in nude mice, tumor growth was inhibited by CXCR7-targeting Nanobody therapy. Mechanistically, CXCR7-targeting Nanobodies did not inhibit cell cycle progression but instead reduced secretion of the angiogenic chemokine CXCL1 from head and neck cancer cells in vitro, thus acting here as inverse agonists, and subsequent angiogenesis in vivo. Hence, with this novel class of CXCR7 inhibitors, we further substantiate the therapeutic relevance of targeting CXCR7 in head and neck cancer.

  16. Tracer responses and control of vessels with variable flow and volume

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niemi, A.J.

    1990-01-01

    Continuous flow vessels which are subject to variation of flow and volume are characterized by time-variable parameters. It is shown that their residence time distributions and weighting functions obtained by tracer testing are made invariant with regard to the integrated flow variables which are introduced. Under variable flow but constant volume, one such integrated variable is sufficient. Under variable volume, two different variables are suggested for the residence time distribution and weighting function, while the appropriate variable of the perfect mixer differs distinctly from that of vessels with a distinct velocity profile. It is shown through a number of example cases, that an agreement with their mathematical models is reached. The approach is extended to include also arbitrary, non-analytic response functions obtained by tracer measurements. Applications of the derived models and their incorporation in automatic control algorithms is discussed. (orig.) [de

  17. On the significance of bell's inequality for hidden-variable theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Baere, W.

    1984-01-01

    It is explicitly shown that Bell's derivation of the generalized Bell inequality and its subsequent interpretation depend on an implicit hypothesis concerning the reproducibility of some set of hidden variables in different runs of the same experiment

  18. Portfolio theory of optimal isometric force production: Variability predictions and nonequilibrium fluctuation-dissipation theorem

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frank, T.D.; Patanarapeelert, K.; Beek, P.J.

    2008-01-01

    We derive a fundamental relationship between the mean and the variability of isometric force. The relationship arises from an optimal collection of active motor units such that the force variability assumes a minimum (optimal isometric force). The relationship is shown to be independent of the

  19. Cosmic ray muon charge ratio derived from the new scaling variable model

    CERN Document Server

    Bhattacharya, D P

    1980-01-01

    The charge ratio of sea level muons has been estimated from the new scaling variable model and the CERN Intersecting Storage Ring data of Capiluppi et al. (1974) for pp to pi /sup +or-/X and pp to K/sup +or- /X inclusive reactions. The estimated muon charge ratio is found to be 1.21 and the result has been compared with the experimental data of Parker et al. (1969), Burnet et al. (1973), Ashley et al., and Muraki et al. (1979). (20 refs).

  20. Search for variable stars in the young open cluster Stock 18

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sinha Tirthendu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We have carried out multi-epoch deep I band photometry of the open cluster Stock 18 to search for variable stars in star forming regions. In the present study, we report identification of 28 periodic and 165 non-periodic variables stars. The periods of most of the periodic variables are in between 2 to 20 hours and their magnitude varies between 0.05 to 0.6 mag. We have derived spectral energy distributions for 48 probable pre-main sequence variables and the average age and mass is found to be 2.7 ± 0.3 Myrs and 2.7 ± 0.2 M⊙, respectively.

  1. Boosting healthy heart employer-sponsored health dissemination efforts: identification and information-sharing intentions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephens, Keri K; Pastorek, Angie; Crook, Brittani; Mackert, Michael; Donovan, Erin E; Shalev, Heidi

    2015-01-01

    Health information dissemination options have expanded to include workplaces and employer-sponsored efforts. This study focuses on a core relational concept found in workplaces, organizational identification-the feeling of belongingness-and the impact of partnering with employers and health clinics in health information dissemination. We use social-identity theory and multiple identification to test our predictions from a sample of working adults representing more than 100 different employers. We found that when people strongly identify with their employer, they have increased health behavioral intentions and they intend to talk about the health information with coworkers. The significant models explain more than 50% and 30% of the variance in these two outcomes. The experimental results examining single and multiple organizational sources revealed no differences on any outcomes. These findings offer a contribution to health information dissemination research by articulating how identification with an employer functions to affect behavioral intentions.

  2. Proposal to establish a Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics

    CERN Document Server

    CERN. Geneva

    2007-01-01

    In the present proposal, the publishers' subscription income from multiple institutions is replaced by an "author-side" funding. Journals are paid through contracts between publishers and a single financial partner, the "Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics" (SCOAP3). SCOAP3 is envisioned as a global network of funding agencies, research laboratories, and libraries that will contribute the necessary funding; each SCOAP3 partner will recover its contribution from the cancellation of journal subscriptions. This model avoids the obvious disadvantage of authors being directly charged for the OA publication of their articles, which is perceived as an even higher barrier than subscription charges, in particular for theoretical physicists from small institutions who account for the vast majority of HEP papers. The financing and governance of SCOAP3 will follow as much as possible the example of the memoranda of understanding governing large research collaborations. Its partners will c...

  3. Vioxx redux - or how I learned to worry about industry-sponsored clinical trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brophy, James M

    2016-01-01

    I read with interest Mark Wilson's recent article, "The New England Journal of Medicine: commercial conflict of interest and revisiting the Vioxx scandal". I believe this is an important contribution that underlines the aphorism "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it." As Vioxx is a seminal example, it is important to place it in its proper context, examining if this malfeasance extends beyond the VIGOR study. While the epicentre of this conflict of interest surely begins with the sponsor, I believe the following essay demonstrates that this wave of egregiously unethical behaviour can exist and be propagated only with the complicity of academic investigators, medical journals, a flawed peer-review system and an uncritical medical readership. Perhaps the most troubling is that the factors that coalesced into the Vioxx scandal are, if anything, more ubiquitous today, mandating increased vigilance to decrease the probability of "getting fooled" again.

  4. Laboratory incubation experiments assessing the factor interactions affecting urine-derived nitrous oxide emissions from spatially and temporally variable upland pastures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charteris, Alice; Loick, Nadine; Marsden, Karina; Chadwick, Dave; Whelan, Mick; Rao Ravella, Sreenivas; Mead, Andrew; Cardenas, Laura

    2017-04-01

    Urine patches deposited to soils by grazing animals represent hot-spots of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (Hargreaves et al., 2015), a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG) and precursor of ozone depletion in the stratosphere. Urine N2O emissions are produced via nitrification of ureolysis-derived ammonium (NH4+) and/or subsequent nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-) denitrification (Kool et al., 2006). The dominant process and the N2O fluxes generated depend on interactions between urine characteristics (e.g. nitrogen [N] concentration and volume), soil characteristics (e.g. carbon [C] availability and pH) and preceding and prevailing environmental conditions (e.g. soil moisture and temperature; Bergstermann et al., 2011; Butterbach-Bahl et al., 2013; Dijkstra et al., 2013). The spatial and temporal variability of these interactions in grazing systems is potentially large and greatly increases the uncertainty associated with N2O emission estimates from such systems. In particular, the contribution of extensively managed upland agroecosystems, which occupy ca. 5.5 million hectares in the UK and provide the bulk of land for sheep farming (Pollott & Stone, 2004), to UK GHG emissions is poorly defined. Improving understanding of the interactions between the wide range of factors affecting urine-derived N2O production and emission from pasture soils and considering this in the context of the spatial and temporal variability of the grazing environment could therefore be extremely valuable in improving the accuracy of N2O emission estimates from such systems. The factorial laboratory incubation experiments presented have been designed to assess the interactive effects of factors such as urine N concentration, volume and soil moisture affecting soil N2O (and nitric oxide [NO], nitrogen gas [N2] and carbon dioxide [CO2]) production and emissions (García-Marco et al., 2014) using the state-of-the-art Denitrification Incubation System (DENIS). This work forms part of a wider project

  5. Determination of continuous variable entanglement by purity measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adesso, Gerardo; Serafini, Alessio; Illuminati, Fabrizio

    2004-02-27

    We classify the entanglement of two-mode Gaussian states according to their degree of total and partial mixedness. We derive exact bounds that determine maximally and minimally entangled states for fixed global and marginal purities. This characterization allows for an experimentally reliable estimate of continuous variable entanglement based on measurements of purity.

  6. Stationary two-variable gravitational vortex fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koppel, A.

    1974-01-01

    Some properties of stationary two-variable solutions of the Einstein equations were studied on the basis of rigorous analysis of the nonrelativistic limit of the relativistic gravitation theory. For this case a particular method was developed of determining so-called vortex gravitational fields described by vortex solutions, which in the nonrelativistic limit transform from → infinity to the nonnewtonian type solutions. The main formulae for such fields are derived and a scheme for their calculation is presented. It is shown that under certain conditions the exact stationary solutions of the Papapetrou type for vacuum relativistic equations are vortical. From this fact, first, the presence of particular exact vortical solutions for the Einstein equations is proved, and secondly, a new possibility of a physical interpretation is proposed for the Papapetrou solutions. It is also shown that the nonrelativistic limit of this class of solutions strongly depends on the structure of solution parameters (under certain conditions these solutions may also have the Newtonian limit). 'Multipole' and 'one-variable' partial solutions of the Papapetrou class solution are derived as particular examples of vortical solutions. It is shown that for a specific parameter structure the known NUT solution is also vortical, since it belongs to the Papapetrou class [ru

  7. A suite of global, cross-scale topographic variables for environmental and biodiversity modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amatulli, Giuseppe; Domisch, Sami; Tuanmu, Mao-Ning; Parmentier, Benoit; Ranipeta, Ajay; Malczyk, Jeremy; Jetz, Walter

    2018-03-01

    Topographic variation underpins a myriad of patterns and processes in hydrology, climatology, geography and ecology and is key to understanding the variation of life on the planet. A fully standardized and global multivariate product of different terrain features has the potential to support many large-scale research applications, however to date, such datasets are unavailable. Here we used the digital elevation model products of global 250 m GMTED2010 and near-global 90 m SRTM4.1dev to derive a suite of topographic variables: elevation, slope, aspect, eastness, northness, roughness, terrain roughness index, topographic position index, vector ruggedness measure, profile/tangential curvature, first/second order partial derivative, and 10 geomorphological landform classes. We aggregated each variable to 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 km spatial grains using several aggregation approaches. While a cross-correlation underlines the high similarity of many variables, a more detailed view in four mountain regions reveals local differences, as well as scale variations in the aggregated variables at different spatial grains. All newly-developed variables are available for download at Data Citation 1 and for download and visualization at http://www.earthenv.org/topography.

  8. Corporate sponsored education initiatives on board the ISS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durham, Ian T.; Durham, Alyson S.; Pawelczyk, James A.; Brod, Lawrence B.; Durham, Thomas F.

    1999-01-01

    This paper proposes the creation of a corporate sponsored ``Lecture from Space'' program on board the International Space Station (ISS) with funding coming from a host of new technology and marketing spin-offs. This program would meld existing education initiatives in NASA with new corporate marketing techniques. Astronauts in residence on board the ISS would conduct short ten to fifteen minute live presentations and/or conduct interactive discussions carried out by a teacher in the classroom. This concept is similar to a program already carried out during the Neurolab mission on Shuttle flight STS-90. Building on that concept, the interactive simulcasts would be broadcast over the Internet and linked directly to computers and televisions in classrooms worldwide. In addition to the live broadcasts, educational programs and demonstrations can be recorded in space, and marketed and sold for inclusion in television programs, computer software, and other forms of media. Programs can be distributed directly into classrooms as an additional presentation supplement, as well as over the Internet or through cable and broadcast television, similar to the Canadian Discovery Channel's broadcasts of the Neurolab mission. Successful marketing and advertisement can eventually lead to the creation of an entirely new, privately run cottage industry involving the distribution and sale of educationally related material associated with the ISS that would have the potential to become truly global in scope. By targeting areas of expertise and research interest in microgravity, a large curriculum could be developed using space exploration as a unifying theme. Expansion of this concept could enhance objectives already initiated through the International Space University to include elementary and secondary school students. The ultimate goal would be to stimulate interest in space and space related sciences in today's youth through creative educational marketing initiatives while at the

  9. Trends and Variability of North Pacific Polar Lows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Chen

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The 6-hourly 1948–2010 NCEP 1 reanalyses have been dynamically downscaled for the region of the North Pacific. With a detecting-and-tracking algorithm, the climatology of North Pacific Polar Lows has been constructed. This derived climatology is consistent with the limited observational evidence in terms of frequency and spatial distribution. The climatology exhibits strong year-to-year variability but weak decadal variability and a small positive trend. A canonical correlation analysis describes the conditioning of the formation of Polar Lows by characteristic seasonal mean flow regimes, which favor, or limit, cold air outbreaks and upper air troughs.

  10. Variability of the total ozone trend over Europe for the period 1950─2004 derived from reconstructed data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. L. Borkowski

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available The total ozone data over Europe are available for only few ground-based stations in the pre-satellite era disallowing examination of the spatial trend variability over the whole continent. A need of having gridded ozone data for a trend analysis and input to radiative transfer models stimulated a reconstruction of the daily ozone values since January 1950. Description of the reconstruction model and its validation were a subject of our previous paper. The data base used was built within the objectives of the COST action 726 "Long-term changes and climatology of UV radiation over Europe". Here we focus on trend analyses. The long-term variability of total ozone is discussed using results of a flexible trend model applied to the reconstructed total ozone data for the period 1950–2004. The trend pattern, which comprises both anthropogenic and "natural" component, is not a priori assumed but it comes from a smooth curve fit to the zonal monthly means and monthly grid values. The ozone long-term changes are calculated separately for cold (October–next year April and warm (May–September seasons. The confidence intervals for the estimated ozone changes are derived by the block bootstrapping. The statistically significant negative trends are found almost over the whole Europe only in the period 1985–1994. Negative trends up to −3% per decade appeared over small areas in earlier periods when the anthropogenic forcing on the ozone layer was weak . The statistically positive trends are found only during warm seasons 1995–2004 over Svalbard archipelago. The reduction of ozone level in 2004 relative to that before the satellite era is not dramatic, i.e., up to ~−5% and ~−3.5% in the cold and warm subperiod, respectively. Present ozone level is still depleted over many popular resorts in southern Europe and northern Africa. For high latitude regions the trend overturning could be inferred in last decade (1995–2004 as the ozone depleted

  11. Electricity derivative markets: Investment valuation, production planning and hedging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naesaekkaelae, E.

    2005-01-01

    This thesis studies electricity derivative markets from a view point of an electricity producer. The traditionally used asset pricing methods, based on the no arbitrage principle, are extended to take into account electricity specific features: the non storability of electricity and the variability in the load process. The sources of uncertainty include electricity forward curve, prices of resources used to generate electricity, and the size of the future production. Also the effects of competitors' actions are considered. The thesis illustrates how the information in the derivative prices can be used in investment and production planning. In addition, the use of derivatives as a tool to stabilize electricity dependent cash flows is considered. The results indicate that the information about future electricity prices and their uncertainty, obtained from derivative markets, is important in investment analysis and production planning. (orig.)

  12. Electricity derivative markets: Investment valuation, production planning and hedging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naesaekkaelae, E.

    2005-07-01

    This thesis studies electricity derivative markets from a view point of an electricity producer. The traditionally used asset pricing methods, based on the no arbitrage principle, are extended to take into account electricity specific features: the non storability of electricity and the variability in the load process. The sources of uncertainty include electricity forward curve, prices of resources used to generate electricity, and the size of the future production. Also the effects of competitors' actions are considered. The thesis illustrates how the information in the derivative prices can be used in investment and production planning. In addition, the use of derivatives as a tool to stabilize electricity dependent cash flows is considered. The results indicate that the information about future electricity prices and their uncertainty, obtained from derivative markets, is important in investment analysis and production planning. (orig.)

  13. Sources of variability and systematic error in mouse timing behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallistel, C R; King, Adam; McDonald, Robert

    2004-01-01

    In the peak procedure, starts and stops in responding bracket the target time at which food is expected. The variability in start and stop times is proportional to the target time (scalar variability), as is the systematic error in the mean center (scalar error). The authors investigated the source of the error and the variability, using head poking in the mouse, with target intervals of 5 s, 15 s, and 45 s, in the standard procedure, and in a variant with 3 different target intervals at 3 different locations in a single trial. The authors conclude that the systematic error is due to the asymmetric location of start and stop decision criteria, and the scalar variability derives primarily from sources other than memory.

  14. An integrated multi-study analysis of intra-subject variability in cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-β concentrations collected by lumbar puncture and indwelling lumbar catheter

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lucey, Brendan P; Gonzales, Celedon; Das, Ujjwas

    2015-01-01

    unknown what effect differences in CSF collection methodology have on Aβ variability. In this study, we sought to determine the effect of different collection methodologies on the stability of CSF Aβ concentrations over time. METHODS: Grouped analysis of CSF Aβ levels from multiple industry and academic...... by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Data from all sponsors was converted to percent of the mean for Aβ40 and Aβ42 for comparison. Repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to assess for factors affecting the linear rise of Aβ concentrations over time. RESULTS: Analysis of studies collecting CSF...

  15. Temperature variability over the tropical middle atmosphere

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Mohanakumar

    1994-04-01

    Full Text Available A study on the variability of temperature in the tropical middle atmosphere over Thumba (8 32' N, 76 52' E, located at the southern part of India, has been carried out based on rocket observations for a period of 20 years, extending from 1970 to 1990. The rocketsonde-derived mean temperatures over Thumba are corrected prior to 1978 and then compared with the middle atmospheric reference model developed from satellite observations and Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME satellite data. Temperature variability at every 1 km interval in the 25-75 km region was analysed. The tropical stratosphere is found to be highly stable, whereas considerable variability is noted in the middle mesosphere. The effect of seasonal cycle is least in the lower stratosphere. Annual and semi-annual oscillations in temperature are the primary oscillations in the tropical middle atmosphere. Annual temperature oscillations are dominant in the mesosphere and semi-annual oscillations are strong in the stratosphere. The stratopause region is noted to be the part of the middle atmosphere least sensitive to the changes in solar activity and long-term variability.

  16. Variable Eddington factors and flux-limiting diffusion coefficients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whalen, P.P.

    1982-01-01

    Variable Eddington factors and flux limiting diffusion coefficients arise in two common techniques of closing the moment equations of transport. The first two moment equations of the full transport equation are still frequently used to solve many problems of radiative or particle transport. An approximate analysis, developed by Levermore, exhibits the relation between the coefficients of the two different techniques. This analysis is described and then used to test the validity of several commonly used flux limiters and Eddington factors. All of the ad-hoc flux limiters have limited validity. All of the variable Eddington factors derived from some underlying description of the angular distribution function are generally valid. The use of coefficients from Minerbo's elegant maximum entropy Eddington factor analysis is suggested for use in either flux limited diffusion or variable Eddington factor equations

  17. Removing Unnecessary Variables from Horn Clause Verification Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emanuele De Angelis

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Verification conditions (VCs are logical formulas whose satisfiability guarantees program correctness. We consider VCs in the form of constrained Horn clauses (CHC which are automatically generated from the encoding of (an interpreter of the operational semantics of the programming language. VCs are derived through program specialization based on the unfold/fold transformation rules and, as it often happens when specializing interpreters, they contain unnecessary variables, that is, variables which are not required for the correctness proofs of the programs under verification. In this paper we adapt to the CHC setting some of the techniques that were developed for removing unnecessary variables from logic programs, and we show that, in some cases, the application of these techniques increases the effectiveness of Horn clause solvers when proving program correctness.

  18. Economic perspectives on the impact of climate variability and change: A summary report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Timmerman, P.; Grima, A.P.

    1988-01-01

    A summary is presented of a collection of papers on the economic methodologies applicable to studies of the impact of global climate variability and change. The research was sponsored by the Canadian Climate program and was conducted as part of a project investigating the potential impacts on various sectors of the Canadian economy of climate warming due to the greenhouse effect. Topics of the papers include microeconomic analysis, benefit/cost analysis, input-output analysis, policy options regarding water levels in the Great Lakes, the scenario approach to assessing socio-economic sensitivities to climate change in the agri-food sector, and analysis of weather impacts. Several analytical tools are seen to be readily applicable to economic analyses of the effects of climate change, and issues of future water supply and demand are seen as central to climate impact assessment, and of particular concern to Canada

  19. Calculus of One and More Variables with Maple

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samkova, Libuse

    2012-01-01

    This is a guide to using Maple in teaching fundamental calculus of one, two and three variables (limits, derivatives, integrals, etc.), also suitable for Maple beginners. It outlines one of the ways to effective use of computers in the teaching process. It scans advantages and disadvantages of using Maple in relation to students and teacher. The…

  20. A Qualitative Study of the Relationship between a Banking IT Troubled Project and the Executive Project Sponsor's Project Management Maturity Level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Northcraft, Terry G.

    2017-01-01

    This qualitative study examined the effect the level of project management maturity a banking IT project sponsor has on project success. Project management maturity is gauged by the amount of modern project management training, knowledge and organizational skills an individual or organization has and applies to their project lifecycle experiences.…

  1. KEELE, Minimization of Nonlinear Function with Linear Constraints, Variable Metric Method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Westley, G.W.

    1975-01-01

    1 - Description of problem or function: KEELE is a linearly constrained nonlinear programming algorithm for locating a local minimum of a function of n variables with the variables subject to linear equality and/or inequality constraints. 2 - Method of solution: A variable metric procedure is used where the direction of search at each iteration is obtained by multiplying the negative of the gradient vector by a positive definite matrix which approximates the inverse of the matrix of second partial derivatives associated with the function. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Array dimensions limit the number of variables to 20 and the number of constraints to 50. These can be changed by the user

  2. Reports on research projects in the field of reactor safety sponsored by the Federal Minister for Research and Technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-09-01

    Investigations on the safety of Light Water Reactors (LWR) being performed in the framework of the Research Program Reactor Safety (RS - Projects) are sponsored by the BMFT (Federal Minister for Research and Technology), der Bundesminister fuer Forschung und Technologie. Objective of this program is to investigate in greater detail the safety margins of nuclear power plants and their systems and the further development of safety technology. Besides the investigations of LWR tasks first projects on the safety of FBR type reactors are sponsored by the BMFT. The GRS (Reactor Safety Association), Gesellschaft fuer Reaktorsicherheit mbH, by order of the BMFT, informs continuously of the status of such investigations by means of quarterly and annually publication of progress reports within the series GRS - F Fortschrittsberichte (GRS - F - Progress Reports). Each progress report represents a compilation of individual reports about objectives, the work performed, the results, the next steps of the work etc. The individual reports are prepared in a standard form by the contractors themselves as a documentation of their progress in work. The individual reports are arranged according to the amended LWR Safety Research Program of the BMFT. Another table contents uses the same classification system as applied in the Nuclear Safety Index of the CEC Communities and the OECD. (orig./HP) 891 HP [de

  3. Reports on research projects in the field of reactor safety sponsored by the Federal Ministry for research and technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1979-09-01

    Investigations on the safety of Light Water Reactors (LWR) being performed in the framework of the Research Program Reactor Safety (RS - Projects) are sponsored by the BMFT (Federal Minister for Research and Technology), Bundesminister fuer Forschung und Technologie. Objective of this program is to investigate in greater detail the safety margins of nuclear power-plants and their systems and the further development of safety technology. Besides the investigations of LWR tasks first projects on the safety of FBR type reactors are sponsored by the BMFT. The GRS (Reactor Safety Association), Gesellschaft fuer Reaktorsicherheit mbH, by order of the BMFT, informs continuously of the status of such investigations by means of quarterly and annually publication of progress reports within the series GRS - F - Fortschrittsberichte (GRS - F - Progress Reports). Each progress report represents a compilation of individual reports about objectives, the work performed, the results, the next steps of the work etc. The individual reports are prepared in a standard form by the contractors themselves as a documentation of their progress in work. The individual reports are arranged according to the amended LWR Safety Research Program of the BMFT in the near future. Another table contents uses the same classification system as applied in the Nuclear Safety Index of the CEC Communities and the OECD. (orig.) [de

  4. Report on the research projects in the field of reactor safety sponsored by the Federal Minister for Research and Technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-09-01

    Investigations on the safety of Light Water Reactors (LWR) being performed in the framework of the Research Program Reactor Safety (RS - Projects) are sponsored by the BMFT (Federal Minister for Research and Technology), Bundesminister fuer Forschung und Technologie. Objective of this program is to investigate in greater detail the safety margins of nuclear power plants and their systems and the further development of safety technology. Besides the investigations of LWR tasks first projects on the safety of FBR type reactors are sponsored by the BMFT. The GRS (Reactor Safety Association), Gesellschaft fuer Reaktorsicherheit mbH, by order of the BMFT, informs continuously of the status of such investigations by means of quarterly and annually publication of progress reports within the series GRS - F -Fortschrittsberichte (GRS - F - Progress Reports). Each progress report represents a compilation of individual reports about objectives, the work performed, the results, the next steps of the work etc. The individual reports are prepared in a standard form by the contractors themselves as a documentation of their progress in work, The individual reports are arranged according to the amended LWR Safety Research Program of the BMFT. Another table contents uses the same classification system as applied in the Nuclear Safety Index of the CEC Communities and the OECD. (orig./HP) 891 HP [de

  5. Lifting Term Rewriting Derivations in Constructor Systems by Using Generators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adrián Riesco

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Narrowing is a procedure that was first studied in the context of equational E-unification and that has been used in a wide range of applications. The classic completeness result due to Hullot states that any term rewriting derivation starting from an instance of an expression can be "lifted" to a narrowing derivation, whenever the substitution employed is normalized. In this paper we adapt the generator- based extra-variables-elimination transformation used in functional-logic programming to overcome that limitation, so we are able to lift term rewriting derivations starting from arbitrary instances of expressions. The proposed technique is limited to left-linear constructor systems and to derivations reaching a ground expression. We also present a Maude-based implementation of the technique, using natural rewriting for the on-demand evaluation strategy.

  6. Achievable data rate in spectrum-sharing channels with variable-rate variable-power primary users

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Yuli

    2012-08-01

    In this work, we propose a transmission strategy for secondary users (SUs) within a cognitive radio network where primary users (PUs) exploit variable-rate variable-power modulation. By monitoring the PU\\'s transmissions, the SU adjusts its transmit power based on the gap between the PU\\'s received effective signal-to-noise power ratio (SNR) and the lower SNR boundary for the modulation mode that is being used in the primary link. Thus, at the SU\\'s presence, the PU\\'s quality of service (QoS) is guaranteed without increasing its processing complexity thanks to no interference cancellation required in the PU\\'s operation. To demonstrate the advantage of our proposed transmission strategy, we analyze the secondary user\\'s achievable data rate by taking into account different transmission capabilities for the secondary transmitter. The corresponding numerical results not only prove the validity of our derivations but also provide a convenient tool for the network design with the proposed transmission strategy. © 2012 IEEE.

  7. Impulsive synchronization and parameter mismatch of the three-variable autocatalator model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Yang; Liao, Xiaofeng; Li, Chuandong; Huang, Tingwen; Yang, Degang

    2007-01-01

    The synchronization problems of the three-variable autocatalator model via impulsive control approach are investigated; several theorems on the stability of impulsive control systems are also investigated. These theorems are then used to find the conditions under which the three-variable autocatalator model can be asymptotically controlled to the equilibrium point. This Letter derives some sufficient conditions for the stabilization and synchronization of a three-variable autocatalator model via impulsive control with varying impulsive intervals. Furthermore, we address the chaos quasi-synchronization in the presence of single-parameter mismatch. To illustrate the effectiveness of the new scheme, several numerical examples are given

  8. Inferring time derivatives including cell growth rates using Gaussian processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swain, Peter S.; Stevenson, Keiran; Leary, Allen; Montano-Gutierrez, Luis F.; Clark, Ivan B. N.; Vogel, Jackie; Pilizota, Teuta

    2016-12-01

    Often the time derivative of a measured variable is of as much interest as the variable itself. For a growing population of biological cells, for example, the population's growth rate is typically more important than its size. Here we introduce a non-parametric method to infer first and second time derivatives as a function of time from time-series data. Our approach is based on Gaussian processes and applies to a wide range of data. In tests, the method is at least as accurate as others, but has several advantages: it estimates errors both in the inference and in any summary statistics, such as lag times, and allows interpolation with the corresponding error estimation. As illustrations, we infer growth rates of microbial cells, the rate of assembly of an amyloid fibril and both the speed and acceleration of two separating spindle pole bodies. Our algorithm should thus be broadly applicable.

  9. Observatory Sponsoring Astronomical Image Contest

    Science.gov (United States)

    2005-05-01

    Forget the headphones you saw in the Warner Brothers thriller Contact, as well as the guttural throbs emanating from loudspeakers at the Very Large Array in that 1997 movie. In real life, radio telescopes aren't used for "listening" to anything - just like visible-light telescopes, they are used primarily to make images of astronomical objects. Now, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) wants to encourage astronomers to use radio-telescope data to make truly compelling images, and is offering cash prizes to winners of a new image contest. Radio Galaxy Fornax A Radio Galaxy Fornax A Radio-optical composite image of giant elliptical galaxy NGC 1316, showing the galaxy (center), a smaller companion galaxy being cannibalized by NGC 1316, and the resulting "lobes" (orange) of radio emission caused by jets of particles spewed from the core of the giant galaxy Click on image for more detail and images CREDIT: Fomalont et al., NRAO/AUI/NSF "Astronomy is a very visual science, and our radio telescopes are capable of producing excellent images. We're sponsoring this contest to encourage astronomers to make the extra effort to turn good images into truly spectacular ones," said NRAO Director Fred K.Y. Lo. The contest, offering a grand prize of $1,000, was announced at the American Astronomical Society's meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The image contest is part of a broader NRAO effort to make radio astronomical data and images easily accessible and widely available to scientists, students, teachers, the general public, news media and science-education professionals. That effort includes an expanded image gallery on the observatory's Web site. "We're not only adding new radio-astronomy images to our online gallery, but we're also improving the organization and accessibility of the images," said Mark Adams, head of education and public outreach (EPO) at NRAO. "Our long-term goal is to make the NRAO Image Gallery an international resource for radio astronomy imagery

  10. Measured spatial variability of beach erosion due to aeolian processes.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Vries, S.; Verheijen, A.H.; Hoonhout, B.M.; Vos, S.E.; Cohn, Nicholas; Ruggiero, P; Aagaard, T.; Deigaard, R.; Fuhrman, D.

    2017-01-01

    This paper shows the first results of measured spatial variability of beach erosion due to aeolian processes during the recently conducted SEDEX2 field experiment at Long Beach, Washington, U.S.A.. Beach erosion and sedimentation were derived using series of detailed terrestrial LIDAR measurements

  11. Degenerate odd Poisson bracket on Grassmann variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soroka, V.A.

    2000-01-01

    A linear degenerate odd Poisson bracket (antibracket) realized solely on Grassmann variables is proposed. It is revealed that this bracket has at once three Grassmann-odd nilpotent Δ-like differential operators of the first, second and third orders with respect to the Grassmann derivatives. It is shown that these Δ-like operators, together with the Grassmann-odd nilpotent Casimir function of this bracket, form a finite-dimensional Lie superalgebra

  12. Dynamics of mechanical systems with variable mass

    CERN Document Server

    Belyaev, Alexander

    2014-01-01

    The book presents up-to-date and unifying formulations for treating dynamics of different types of mechanical systems with variable mass. The starting point is overview of the continuum mechanics relations of balance and jump for open systems from which extended Lagrange and Hamiltonian formulations are derived. Corresponding approaches are stated at the level of analytical mechanics with emphasis on systems with a position-dependent mass and at the level of structural mechanics. Special emphasis is laid upon axially moving structures like belts and chains, and on pipes with an axial flow of fluid. Constitutive relations in the dynamics of systems with variable mass are studied with particular reference to modeling of multi-component mixtures. The dynamics of machines with a variable mass are treated in detail and conservation laws and the stability of motion will be analyzed. Novel finite element formulations for open systems in coupled fluid and structural dynamics are presented.

  13. Distribution and Variability of Satellite-Derived Signals of Isolated Convection Initiation Events Over Central Eastern China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yipeng; Meng, Zhiyong; Li, Jing; Li, Wanbiao; Bai, Lanqiang; Zhang, Murong; Wang, Xi

    2017-11-01

    This study combined measurements from the Chinese operational geostationary satellite Fengyun-2E (FY-2E) and ground-based weather radars to conduct a statistical survey of isolated convection initiation (CI) over central eastern China (CEC). The convective environment in CEC is modulated by the complex topography and monsoon climate. From May to August 2010, a total of 1,630 isolated CI signals were derived from FY-2E using a semiautomated method. The formation of these satellite-derived CI signals peaks in the early afternoon and occurs with high frequency in areas with remarkable terrain inhomogeneity (e.g., mountain, water, and mountain-water areas). The high signal frequency areas shift from northwest CEC (dry, high altitude) in early summer to southeast CEC (humid, low altitude) in midsummer along with an increasing monthly mean frequency. The satellite-derived CI signals tend to have longer lead times (the time difference between satellite-derived signal formation and radar-based CI) in the late morning and afternoon than in the early morning and night. During the early morning and night, the distinction between cloud top signatures and background terrestrial radiation becomes less apparent, resulting in delayed identification of the signals and thus short and even negative lead times. A decline in the lead time is observed from May to August, likely due to the increasing cloud growth rate and warm-rain processes. Results show increasing lead times with increasing landscape elevation, likely due to more warm-rain processes over the coastal sea and plain, along with a decreasing cloud growth rate from hill and mountain to the plateau.

  14. Wronskian and Grammian Determinant Solutions for a Variable-Coefficient Kadomtsev-Petviashvili Equation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao Zhenzhi; Zhu Hongwu; Meng Xianghua; Lue Xing; Shan Wenrui; Tian Bo; Zhang Chunyi

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, we derive the bilinear form for a variable-coefficient Kadomtsev-Petviashvili-typed equation. Based on the bilinear form, we obtain the Wronskian determinant solution, which is proved to be indeed an exact solution of this equation through the Wronskian technique. In addition, we testify that this equation can be reduced to a Jacobi identity by considering its solution as a Grammian determinant by means of Pfaffian derivative formulae

  15. Does company-sponsored egg freezing promote or confine women's reproductive autonomy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mertes, Heidi

    2015-08-01

    A critical ethical analysis of the initiative of several companies to cover the costs of oocyte cryopreservation for their healthy employees. The main research question is whether such policies promote or confine women's reproductive autonomy. A distinction needs to be made between the ethics of AGE banking in itself and the ethics of employers offering it to their employees. Although the utility of the former is expected to be low, there are few persuasive arguments to deny access to oocyte cryopreservation to women who are well informed about the procedure and the success rates. However, it does not automatically follow that it would be ethically unproblematic for employers to offer egg banking to their employees. For these policies to be truly 'liberating', a substantial number of conditions need to be fulfilled, which can be reduced to three categories: (1) women should understand the benefits, risks and limitations, (2) women should feel no pressure to take up the offer; (3) the offer should have no negative effect on other family-friendly policies and should in fact be accompanied by such policies. Fulfilling these conditions may turn out to be impossible. Thus, regardless of companies' possible good intentions, women's reproductive autonomy is not well served by offering them company-sponsored AGE banking.

  16. Integrable discretization s of derivative nonlinear Schroedinger equations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsuchida, Takayuki

    2002-01-01

    We propose integrable discretizations of derivative nonlinear Schroedinger (DNLS) equations such as the Kaup-Newell equation, the Chen-Lee-Liu equation and the Gerdjikov-Ivanov equation by constructing Lax pairs. The discrete DNLS systems admit the reduction of complex conjugation between two dependent variables and possess bi-Hamiltonian structure. Through transformations of variables and reductions, we obtain novel integrable discretizations of the nonlinear Schroedinger (NLS), modified KdV (mKdV), mixed NLS, matrix NLS, matrix KdV, matrix mKdV, coupled NLS, coupled Hirota, coupled Sasa-Satsuma and Burgers equations. We also discuss integrable discretizations of the sine-Gordon equation, the massive Thirring model and their generalizations. (author)

  17. Enabling quaternion derivatives: the generalized HR calculus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Dongpo; Jahanchahi, Cyrus; Took, Clive C.; Mandic, Danilo P.

    2015-01-01

    Quaternion derivatives exist only for a very restricted class of analytic (regular) functions; however, in many applications, functions of interest are real-valued and hence not analytic, a typical case being the standard real mean square error objective function. The recent HR calculus is a step forward and provides a way to calculate derivatives and gradients of both analytic and non-analytic functions of quaternion variables; however, the HR calculus can become cumbersome in complex optimization problems due to the lack of rigorous product and chain rules, a consequence of the non-commutativity of quaternion algebra. To address this issue, we introduce the generalized HR (GHR) derivatives which employ quaternion rotations in a general orthogonal system and provide the left- and right-hand versions of the quaternion derivative of general functions. The GHR calculus also solves the long-standing problems of product and chain rules, mean-value theorem and Taylor's theorem in the quaternion field. At the core of the proposed GHR calculus is quaternion rotation, which makes it possible to extend the principle to other functional calculi in non-commutative settings. Examples in statistical learning theory and adaptive signal processing support the analysis. PMID:26361555

  18. Omitted Variable Sensitivity Analysis with the Annotated Love Plot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Ben B.; Fredrickson, Mark M.

    2014-01-01

    The goal of this research is to make sensitivity analysis accessible not only to empirical researchers but also to the various stakeholders for whom educational evaluations are conducted. To do this it derives anchors for the omitted variable (OV)-program participation association intrinsically, using the Love plot to present a wide range of…

  19. The incompatibility between local hidden variable theories and the ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    I discuss in detail the result that the Bell's inequalities derived in the context of local hidden variable theories for discrete quantized observables can be satisfied only if a fundamental conservation law is violated on the average. This result shows that such theories are physically nonviable, and makes the demarcating criteria ...

  20. Stochastic variables in N=1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lechtenfeld, O.

    1984-06-01

    The stochastic structure of N=1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory is rederived by using a previously developed method for the construction of the (nonlocal) Nicolai map. The stochastic variables correspond to the fixed points of this mapping. The relations are derived in a light cone gauge and in general covariant gauges. (orig.)

  1. Lie-theoretic generating relations of two variable Laguerre polynomials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, Subuhi; Yasmin, Ghazala

    2002-07-01

    Generating relations involving two variable Lagneire polynonuals L n (x, y) are derived. The process involves the construction of a three dimensional Lie algebra isomorphic to special linear algebra sl(2) with the help of Weisner's method by giving suitable interpretations to the index n of the polynomials L n (x, y). (author)

  2. Environmental Variability in the Florida Keys: Impacts on Coral Reef Resilience and Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soto, I. M.; Muller-Karger, F. E.

    2005-12-01

    Environmental variability contributes to both mass mortality and resilience in tropical coral reef communities. We assess variations in sea surface temperature (SST) and ocean color in the Florida Keys using satellite imagery, and provide insight into how this variability is associated with locations of resilient coral communities (those unaffected by or able to recover from major events). The project tests the hypothesis that areas with historically low environmental variability promote lower levels of coral reef resilience. Time series of SST from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensors and ocean color derived quantities (e.g., turbidity and chlorophyll) from the Sea-viewing Wide Field of View Sensor (SeaWiFS) are being constructed over the entire Florida Keys region for a period of twelve and nine years, respectively. These data will be compared with historical coral cover data derived from Landsat imagery (1984-2002). Improved understanding of the causes of coral reef decline or resilience will help protect and manage these natural treasures.

  3. A Longitudinal Study of Academic Progress Rate as a Result of Team and Institutional Variables at NCAA Division I Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hale, Jimmie Edwin

    2014-01-01

    This study explained Academic Progress Rate (APR) levels and differences in APR (DAPR) with team and institutional variables. Team variables included team gender, sport profile, and squad size. Institutional variables included individual variables aggregated to the institutional level. The data analyzed in this study was derived from the National…

  4. Synthesis and antitumor evaluation of arctigenin derivatives based on antiausterity strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kudou, Naoki; Taniguchi, Akira; Sugimoto, Kenji; Matsuya, Yuji; Kawasaki, Masashi; Toyooka, Naoki; Miyoshi, Chika; Awale, Suresh; Dibwe, Dya Fita; Esumi, Hiroyasu; Kadota, Shigetoshi; Tezuka, Yasuhiro

    2013-02-01

    A series of new (-)-arctigenin derivatives with variably modified O-alkyl groups were synthesized and their preferential cytotoxicity was evaluated against human pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1 under nutrient-deprived conditions. The results showed that monoethoxy derivative 4i (PC(50), 0.49 μM), diethoxy derivative 4h (PC(50), 0.66 μM), and triethoxy derivative 4m (PC(50), 0.78 μM) showed the preferential cytotoxicities under nutrient-deprived conditions, which were identical to or more potent than (-)-arctigenin (1) (PC(50), 0.80 μM). Among them, we selected the triethoxy derivative 4m and examined its in vivo antitumor activity using a mouse xenograft model. Triethoxy derivative 4m exhibited also in vivo antitumor activity with the potency identical to or slightly more than (-)-arctigenin (1). These results would suggest that a modification of (-)-arctigenin structure could lead to a new drug based on the antiausterity strategy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  5. Using routine meteorological data to derive sky conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Pagès

    2003-03-01

    Full Text Available Sky condition is a matter of interest for public and weather predictors as part of weather analyses. In this study, we apply a method that uses total solar radiation and other meteorological data recorded by an automatic station for deriving an estimation of the sky condition. The impetus of this work is the intention of the Catalan Meteorological Service (SMC to provide the public with real-time information about the sky condition. The methodology for deriving sky conditions from meteorological records is based on a supervised classification technique called maximum likelihood method. In this technique we first need to define features which are derived from measured variables. Second, we must decide which sky conditions are intended to be distinguished. Some analyses have led us to use four sky conditions: (a cloudless or almost cloudless sky, (b scattered clouds, (c mostly cloudy – high clouds, (d overcast – low clouds. An additional case, which may be treated separately, corresponds to precipitation (rain or snow. The main features for estimating sky conditions are, as expected, solar radiation and its temporal variability. The accuracy of this method of guessing sky conditions compared with human observations is around 70% when applied to four sites in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula. The agreement increases if we take into account the uncertainty both in the automatic classifier and in visual observations.Key words. Meteorological and atmospheric dynamics (instruments and techniques; radiative processes – Atmospheric composition and structure (cloud physics and chemistry

  6. Cooperative Research Projects in the Microgravity Combustion Science Programs Sponsored by NASA and NEDO

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, Howard (Compiler)

    2000-01-01

    This document contains the results of a collection of selected cooperative research projects between principal investigators in the microgravity combustion science programs, sponsored by NASA and NEDO. Cooperation involved the use of drop towers in Japan and the United States, and the sharing of subsequent research data and findings. The topical areas include: (1) Interacting droplet arrays, (2) high pressure binary fuel sprays, (3) sooting droplet combustion, (4) flammability limits and dynamics of spherical, premixed gaseous flames and, (5) ignition and transition of flame spread across thin solid fuel samples. All of the investigators view this collaboration as a success. Novel flame behaviors were found and later published in archival journals. In some cases the experiments provided verification of the design and behavior in subsequent experiments performed on the Space Shuttle. In other cases, the experiments provided guidance to experiments that are expected to be performed on the International Space Station.

  7. Upper and lower solutions for BVPs on the half-line with variable coefficient and derivative depending nonlinearity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Djebali

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper is concerned with a second-order nonlinear boundary value problem with a derivative depending nonlinearity and posed on the positive half-line. The derivative operator is time dependent. Upon a priori estimates and under a Nagumo growth condition, the Schauder's fixed point theorem combined with the method of upper and lower solutions on unbounded domains are used to prove existence of solutions. A uniqueness theorem is also obtained and some examples of application illustrate the obtained results.

  8. Review of Variable Generation Integration Charges

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Porter, K.; Fink, S.; Buckley, M.; Rogers, J.; Hodge, B. M.

    2013-03-01

    The growth of wind and solar generation in the United States, and the expectation of continued growth of these technologies, dictates that the future power system will be operated in a somewhat different manner because of increased variability and uncertainty. A small number of balancing authorities have attempted to determine an 'integration cost' to account for these changes to their current operating practices. Some balancing authorities directly charge wind and solar generators for integration charges, whereas others add integration charges to projected costs of wind and solar in integrated resource plans or in competitive solicitations for generation. This report reviews the balancing authorities that have calculated variable generation integration charges and broadly compares and contrasts the methodologies they used to determine their specific integration charges. The report also profiles each balancing authority and how they derived wind and solar integration charges.

  9. Eliminating Survivor Bias in Two-stage Instrumental Variable Estimators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vansteelandt, Stijn; Walter, Stefan; Tchetgen Tchetgen, Eric

    2018-07-01

    Mendelian randomization studies commonly focus on elderly populations. This makes the instrumental variables analysis of such studies sensitive to survivor bias, a type of selection bias. A particular concern is that the instrumental variable conditions, even when valid for the source population, may be violated for the selective population of individuals who survive the onset of the study. This is potentially very damaging because Mendelian randomization studies are known to be sensitive to bias due to even minor violations of the instrumental variable conditions. Interestingly, the instrumental variable conditions continue to hold within certain risk sets of individuals who are still alive at a given age when the instrument and unmeasured confounders exert additive effects on the exposure, and moreover, the exposure and unmeasured confounders exert additive effects on the hazard of death. In this article, we will exploit this property to derive a two-stage instrumental variable estimator for the effect of exposure on mortality, which is insulated against the above described selection bias under these additivity assumptions.

  10. Periodicity and stability for variable-time impulsive neural networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Hongfei; Li, Chuandong; Huang, Tingwen

    2017-10-01

    The paper considers a general neural networks model with variable-time impulses. It is shown that each solution of the system intersects with every discontinuous surface exactly once via several new well-proposed assumptions. Moreover, based on the comparison principle, this paper shows that neural networks with variable-time impulse can be reduced to the corresponding neural network with fixed-time impulses under well-selected conditions. Meanwhile, the fixed-time impulsive systems can be regarded as the comparison system of the variable-time impulsive neural networks. Furthermore, a series of sufficient criteria are derived to ensure the existence and global exponential stability of periodic solution of variable-time impulsive neural networks, and to illustrate the same stability properties between variable-time impulsive neural networks and the fixed-time ones. The new criteria are established by applying Schaefer's fixed point theorem combined with the use of inequality technique. Finally, a numerical example is presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. A Design-Adaptive Local Polynomial Estimator for the Errors-in-Variables Problem

    KAUST Repository

    Delaigle, Aurore

    2009-03-01

    Local polynomial estimators are popular techniques for nonparametric regression estimation and have received great attention in the literature. Their simplest version, the local constant estimator, can be easily extended to the errors-in-variables context by exploiting its similarity with the deconvolution kernel density estimator. The generalization of the higher order versions of the estimator, however, is not straightforward and has remained an open problem for the last 15 years. We propose an innovative local polynomial estimator of any order in the errors-in-variables context, derive its design-adaptive asymptotic properties and study its finite sample performance on simulated examples. We provide not only a solution to a long-standing open problem, but also provide methodological contributions to error-invariable regression, including local polynomial estimation of derivative functions.

  12. Spatial variability of oceanic phycoerythrin spectral types derived from airborne laser-induced fluorescence emissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoge, Frank E.; Wright, C. Wayne; Kana, Todd M.; Swift, Robert N.; Yungel, James K.

    1998-07-01

    We report spatial variability of oceanic phycoerythrin spectral types detected by means of a blue spectral shift in airborne laser-induced fluorescence emission. The blue shift of the phycoerythrobilin fluorescence is known from laboratory studies to be induced by phycourobilin chromophore substitution at phycoerythrobilin chromophore sites in some strains of phycoerythrin-containing marine cyanobacteria. The airborne 532-nm laser-induced phycoerythrin fluorescence of the upper oceanic volume showed distinct segregation of cyanobacterial chromophore types in a flight transect from coastal water to the Sargasso Sea in the western North Atlantic. High phycourobilin levels were restricted to the oceanic (oligotrophic) end of the flight transect, in agreement with historical ship findings. These remotely observed phycoerythrin spectral fluorescence shifts have the potential to permit rapid, wide-area studies of the spatial variability of spectrally distinct cyanobacteria, especially across interfacial regions of coastal and oceanic water masses. Airborne laser-induced phytoplankton spectral fluorescence observations also further the development of satellite algorithms for passive detection of phytoplankton pigments. Optical modifications to the NASA Airborne Oceanographic Lidar are briefly described that permitted observation of the fluorescence spectral shifts.

  13. On mean square displacement behaviors of anomalous diffusions with variable and random orders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Hongguang; Chen Wen; Sheng Hu; Chen Yangquan

    2010-01-01

    Mean square displacement (MSD) is used to characterize anomalous diffusion. Recently, models of anomalous diffusion with variable-order and random-order were proposed, but no MSD analysis has been given so far. The purpose of this Letter is to offer a concise derivation of MSD functions for the variable-order model and the random-order model. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the analytical results. In addition, we show how to establish a variable-random-order model for a given MSD function which has clear application potentials.

  14. The 2-dimensional O(4) symmetric Heisenberg ferromagnet in terms of rotation invariant variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holtkamp, A.

    1981-09-01

    After introduction of rotation invariant auxiliary variables, the integration over all rotation variant variables (spins) in the 0(4) symmetric two-dimensional Heisenberg ferromagnet can be performed. The resulting new Hamiltonian involves a sum over closed loops. It is complex and invariant under U(1) gauge transformations. Ruehl's boson representation is used to derive the result. (orig.)

  15. Asymptotic functions of many variables and singular operations with Schwartz distributions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damyanov, B.P.

    1987-11-01

    A theory of the asymptotic functions for the case of many variables is presented. It is shown that the class F(R N ) of these generalized functions is closed in respect to the linear algebraic and analytic operations, multiplication as well as a set of linear and polynomial changes of the variables. The existence in F(R N ) of analogues (consistent with the linear operations) of the Schwartz distributions with point support is proved. In terms of these analogues, some formulae for singular products and changes of variables of the Dirac δ-function and its derivatives δ (i) (x), x is an element of R N , are given. (author). 14 refs

  16. Formulation and solutions of fractional continuously variable order mass–spring–damper systems controlled by viscoelastic and viscous–viscoelastic dampers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Saha Ray

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available This article presents the formulation and a new approach to find analytic solutions for fractional continuously variable order dynamic models, namely, fractional continuously variable order mass–spring–damper systems. Here, we use the viscoelastic and viscous–viscoelastic dampers for describing the damping nature of the oscillating systems, where the order of fractional derivative varies continuously. Here, we handle the continuous changing nature of fractional order derivative for dynamic systems, which has not been studied yet. By successive recursive method, here we find the solution of fractional continuously variable order mass–spring–damper systems and then obtain closed-form solutions. We then present and discuss the solutions obtained in the cases with continuously variable order of damping for oscillator through graphical plots.

  17. Photometric Variability of the Be Star Population

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Labadie-Bartz, Jonathan; Pepper, Joshua; McSwain, M. Virginia; Bjorkman, J. E.; Bjorkman, K. S.; Lund, Michael B.; Rodriguez, Joseph E.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Stevens, Daniel J.; James, David J.; Kuhn, Rudolf B.; Siverd, Robert J.; Beatty, Thomas G.

    2017-01-01

    Be stars have generally been characterized by the emission lines in their spectra, and especially the time variability of those spectroscopic features. They are known to also exhibit photometric variability at multiple timescales, but have not been broadly compared and analyzed by that behavior. We have taken advantage of the advent of wide-field, long-baseline, and high-cadence photometric surveys that search for transiting exoplanets to perform a comprehensive analysis of brightness variations among a large number of known Be stars. The photometric data comes from the KELT transit survey, with a typical cadence of 30 minutes, a baseline of up to 10 years, photometric precision of about 1%, and coverage of about 60% of the sky. We analyze KELT light curves of 610 known Be stars in both the northern and southern hemispheres in an effort to study their variability. Consistent with other studies of Be star variability, we find most of the stars to be photometrically variable. We derive lower limits on the fraction of stars in our sample that exhibit features consistent with non-radial pulsations (25%), outbursts (36%), and long-term trends in the circumstellar disk (37%), and show how these are correlated with spectral sub-types. Other types of variability, such as those owing to binarity, are also explored. Simultaneous spectroscopy for some of these systems from the Be Star Spectra database allow us to better understand the physical causes for the observed variability, especially in cases of outbursts and changes in the disk.

  18. Photometric Variability of the Be Star Population

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Labadie-Bartz, Jonathan; Pepper, Joshua; McSwain, M. Virginia [Department of Physics, Lehigh University, 16 Memorial Drive East, Bethlehem, PA 18015 (United States); Bjorkman, J. E.; Bjorkman, K. S. [Ritter Observatory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, 2801 W. Bancroft, Toledo, OH 43606-3390 (United States); Lund, Michael B.; Rodriguez, Joseph E.; Stassun, Keivan G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States); Stevens, Daniel J. [Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, 140 W. 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); James, David J. [Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Casilla 603 La Serena (Chile); Kuhn, Rudolf B. [Southern African Large Telescope, P.O. Box 9, Observatory 7935, Cape Town (South Africa); Siverd, Robert J. [Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, 6740 Cortona Drive, Suite 102, Santa Barbara, CA 93117 (United States); Beatty, Thomas G. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

    2017-06-01

    Be stars have generally been characterized by the emission lines in their spectra, and especially the time variability of those spectroscopic features. They are known to also exhibit photometric variability at multiple timescales, but have not been broadly compared and analyzed by that behavior. We have taken advantage of the advent of wide-field, long-baseline, and high-cadence photometric surveys that search for transiting exoplanets to perform a comprehensive analysis of brightness variations among a large number of known Be stars. The photometric data comes from the KELT transit survey, with a typical cadence of 30 minutes, a baseline of up to 10 years, photometric precision of about 1%, and coverage of about 60% of the sky. We analyze KELT light curves of 610 known Be stars in both the northern and southern hemispheres in an effort to study their variability. Consistent with other studies of Be star variability, we find most of the stars to be photometrically variable. We derive lower limits on the fraction of stars in our sample that exhibit features consistent with non-radial pulsations (25%), outbursts (36%), and long-term trends in the circumstellar disk (37%), and show how these are correlated with spectral sub-types. Other types of variability, such as those owing to binarity, are also explored. Simultaneous spectroscopy for some of these systems from the Be Star Spectra database allow us to better understand the physical causes for the observed variability, especially in cases of outbursts and changes in the disk.

  19. The impact of a state-sponsored mass media campaign on use of telephone quitline and web-based cessation services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duke, Jennifer C; Mann, Nathan; Davis, Kevin C; MacMonegle, Anna; Allen, Jane; Porter, Lauren

    2014-12-24

    Most US smokers do not use evidence-based interventions as part of their quit attempts. Quitlines and Web-based treatments may contribute to reductions in population-level tobacco use if successfully promoted. Currently, few states implement sustained media campaigns to promote services and increase adult smoking cessation. This study examines the effects of Florida's tobacco cessation media campaign and a nationally funded media campaign on telephone quitline and Web-based registrations for cessation services from November 2010 through September 2013. We conducted multivariable analyses of weekly media-market-level target rating points (TRPs) and weekly registrations for cessation services through the Florida Quitline (1-877-U-CAN-NOW) or its Web-based cessation service, Web Coach (www.quitnow.net/florida). During 35 months, 141,221 tobacco users registered for cessation services through the Florida Quitline, and 53,513 registered through Web Coach. An increase in 100 weekly TRPs was associated with an increase of 7 weekly Florida Quitline registrants (β = 6.8, P Web Coach registrants (β = 1.7, P = .003) in an average media market. An increase in TRPs affected registrants from multiple demographic subgroups similarly. When state and national media campaigns aired simultaneously, approximately one-fifth of Florida's Quitline registrants came from the nationally advertised portal (1-800-QUIT-NOW). Sustained, state-sponsored media can increase the number of registrants to telephone quitlines and Web-based cessation services. Federally funded media campaigns can further increase the reach of state-sponsored cessation services.

  20. Report on the projects in the field of reactor safety sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-12-01

    Investigations on the safety of Light Water Reactors (LWR) being performed in the framework of the Research Program Reactor Safety (RS - Projects) are sponsored by the BMFT (Federal Minister for Research and Technology), Bundesminister fuer Forschung und Technologie. Objective of this program is to investigate in greater detail the safety margins of nuclear power-plants and their systems and the further development of safety technology. Besides the investigations of LWR tasks first projects on the safety of advanced reactors are sponsored by the BMFT. The GRS (Reactor Safety Association), Gesellschaft fuer Reaktorsicherheit mbH, by order of the BMFT, informs continuously of the status of such investigations by means of quarterly and annually publication of progress reports within the series GRS - F - Fortschrittsberichte (GRS - F - Progress Reports). Each progress report represents a compilation of individual reports about objectives, the work performed, the results, the next steps of the work etc. The individual reports are prepared in a standard form by the contractors themselves as a documentation of their progress in work and published by the FB (Research Coordination Department), Forschungsbetreuung at the GRS, within the framework of general information of the progress in reactor safety research. The individual reports are arranged according to the amended LWR Safety Research Program of the BMFT which will appear in the near future. Another table contents uses the same classification system as applied in the Nuclear Safety Index of the CEC and the OECD. (orig./HP) [de

  1. Using small area estimation and Lidar-derived variables for multivariate prediction of forest attributes

    Science.gov (United States)

    F. Mauro; Vicente Monleon; H. Temesgen

    2015-01-01

    Small area estimation (SAE) techniques have been successfully applied in forest inventories to provide reliable estimates for domains where the sample size is small (i.e. small areas). Previous studies have explored the use of either Area Level or Unit Level Empirical Best Linear Unbiased Predictors (EBLUPs) in a univariate framework, modeling each variable of interest...

  2. Statistical screening of input variables in a complex computer code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krieger, T.J.

    1982-01-01

    A method is presented for ''statistical screening'' of input variables in a complex computer code. The object is to determine the ''effective'' or important input variables by estimating the relative magnitudes of their associated sensitivity coefficients. This is accomplished by performing a numerical experiment consisting of a relatively small number of computer runs with the code followed by a statistical analysis of the results. A formula for estimating the sensitivity coefficients is derived. Reference is made to an earlier work in which the method was applied to a complex reactor code with good results

  3. Detection and variability of the Congo River plume from satellite derived sea surface temperature, salinity, ocean colour and sea level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopkins, Jo; Lucas, Marc; Dufau, Claire; Sutton, Marion; Lauret, Olivier

    2013-04-01

    The Congo River in Africa has the world's second highest annual mean daily freshwater discharge and is the second largest exporter of terrestrial organic carbon into the oceans. It annually discharges an average of 1,250 × 109 m3 of freshwater into the southeast Atlantic producing a vast fresh water plume, whose signature can be traced hundreds of kilometres from the river mouth. Large river plumes such as this play important roles in the ocean carbon cycle, often functioning as carbon sinks. An understanding of their extent and seasonality is therefore essential if they are to be realistically accounted for in global assessments of the carbon cycle. Despite its size, the variability and dynamics of the Congo plume are minimally documented. In this paper we analyse satellite derived sea surface temperature, salinity, ocean colour and sea level anomaly to describe and quantify the extent, strength and variability of the far-field plume and to explain its behaviour in relation to winds, ocean currents and fresh water discharge. Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis reveals strong seasonal and coastal upwelling signals, potential bimodal seasonality of the Angola Current and responses to fresh water discharge peaks in all data sets. The strongest plume-like signatures however were found in the salinity and ocean colour where the dominant sources of variability come from the Congo River itself, rather than from the wider atmosphere and ocean. These two data sets are then analysed using a statistically based water mass detection technique to isolate the behaviour of the plume. The Congo's close proximity to the equator means that the influence of the earth's rotation on the fresh water inflow is relatively small and the plume tends not to form a distinct coastal current. Instead, its behaviour is determined by wind and surface circulation patterns. The main axis of the plume between November and February, following peak river discharge, is oriented northwest, driven

  4. Human Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes: An Alternative ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chemical spills and associated deaths in the US has increased 2.6-fold and 16-fold from 1983 to 2012, respectfully. In addition, the number of chemicals to which humans are exposed to in the environment has increased almost 10-fold from 2001 to 2013 within the US. Internationally, a WHO report on the global composite impact of chemicals on health reported that 16% of the total burden of cardiovascular disease was attributed to environmental chemical exposure with 2.5 million deaths per year. Clearly, the cardiovascular system, at all its various developmental and life stages, represents a critical target organ system that can be adversely affected by existing and emerging chemicals (e.g., engineered nanomaterials) in a variety of environmental media. The ability to assess chemical cardiac risk and safety is critically needed but extremely challenging due to the number and categories of chemicals in commerce, as indicated. This presentation\\session will evaluate the use of adult human stem cell derived cardiomyocytes, and existing platforms, as an alternative model to evaluate environmental chemical cardiac toxicity as well as provide key information for the development of predictive adverse outcomes pathways associated with environmental chemical exposures. (This abstract does not represent EPA policy) Rapid and translatable chemical safety screening models for cardiotoxicity current status for informing regulatory decisions, a workshop sponsored by the Society

  5. Reports on the research projects in the field of nuclear safety sponsored by the Federal Minister for Research and Technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1979-12-01

    Investigations on the safety of Light Water Reactors (LWR) being performed in the framework of the Research Program Reactor Safety (RS - Projects) are sponsored by the BMFT (Federal Minister for Research and Technology), Bundesminister fuer Forschung und Technologie. Objective of this program is to investigate in greater detail the safety margins of nuclear power plants and their systems and the further development of safety technology. Besides the investigations of LWR tasks first projects on the safety of FBR type reactors are sponsored by the BMFT. The CRS (Reactor Safety Association), Gesellschaft fuer Reaktorsicherheit mbH, by order of the BMFT, informs continuously of the status of such investigations by means of quarterly and annually publication of progress reports within the series GRS - F - Fortschrittsberichte (GRS - F - Progress Reports). Each progress report represents a compilation of individual reports about objectives, the work performed, the results, the next steps of the work etc. The individual reports are prepared in a standard form by the contractors themselves as a documentation of their progress in work. The individual reports are arranged according to the amended LWR Safety Research Program of the BMFT in the near future. Another table contents uses the same classification system as applied in the Nuclear Safety Index of the CEC Communities and the OECD.(orig./HP) [de

  6. Reports on the research projects in the field of nuclear safety sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-06-01

    Investigations on the safety of Light Water Reactors (LWR) being performed in the framework of the Research Program Reactor Safety (RS-Projects) are sponsored by the BMFT (Federal Minister for Research and Technology), Bundesminister fuer Forschung und Technologie. Objective of this program is to investigate in greater detail the safety margins of nuclear power plants and their systems and the further development of safety technology. Besides the investigations of LWR tasks first projects on the safety of FBR type reactors are sponsored by the BMFT. The GRS (Reactor Safety Association), Gesellschaft fuer Reaktorsicherheit mbH, by order of the BMFT, informs continuously of the status of such investigations by means of quarterly and annually publication of progress reports within the series GRS-F-Fortschrittsberichte (GRS-F-progress reports). Each progress report represents a compilation of individual reports about objectives, the work performed, the results, the next steps of the work etc. The individual reports are prepared in a standard form by the contractors themselves as a documentation of their progress in work. The individual reports are arranged according to the amended LWR Safety Research Program of the BMFT, which will appear in the near future. Another table contents uses the same classification system as applied in the Nuclear Safety Index of the CEC and the OECD. (orig./HP) [de

  7. Dynamics of Variable Mass Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eke, Fidelis O.

    1998-01-01

    This report presents the results of an investigation of the effects of mass loss on the attitude behavior of spinning bodies in flight. The principal goal is to determine whether there are circumstances under which the motion of variable mass systems can become unstable in the sense that their transverse angular velocities become unbounded. Obviously, results from a study of this kind would find immediate application in the aerospace field. The first part of this study features a complete and mathematically rigorous derivation of a set of equations that govern both the translational and rotational motions of general variable mass systems. The remainder of the study is then devoted to the application of the equations obtained to a systematic investigation of the effect of various mass loss scenarios on the dynamics of increasingly complex models of variable mass systems. It is found that mass loss can have a major impact on the dynamics of mechanical systems, including a possible change in the systems stability picture. Factors such as nozzle geometry, combustion chamber geometry, propellant's initial shape, size and relative mass, and propellant location can all have important influences on the system's dynamic behavior. The relative importance of these parameters on-system motion are quantified in a way that is useful for design purposes.

  8. Smoking behavior and use of tobacco industry sponsored websites among medical students and young physicians in Argentina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salgado, M Victoria; Mejia, Raul; Kaplan, Celia P; Perez-Stable, Eliseo J

    2014-02-06

    Internet-based marketing has become an attractive option for promoting tobacco products due to its potential to avoid advertising restrictions. In Argentina, several cigarette brands have designed websites for the local market, which promote user participation. The intent of the study was to report on the use of tobacco company-sponsored websites by medical students and recently graduated physicians. An online self-administered survey was conducted among eligible medical students and recent graduates from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). Sampling was from lists of email addresses of students enrolled in two required courses. Eligibility criteria were ages 18-30 years and reporting on smoking status. Questions on Internet use included accessing a tobacco brand website at least once during their lifetime and any use of tobacco promotional materials. The response rate was 35.08% (1743/4969). The final sample included 1659 participants: 73.06% (1212/1659) were women and mean age was 26.6 years (SD 1.9). The majority were current medical students (55.70%, 924/1659) and 27.31% (453/1659) were current smokers. Men were more likely to report having seen a tobacco advertisement on the Internet (P=.001), to have received a tobacco promotion personally addressed to them (P=.03), to have used that promotion (P=.02), and to have accessed a tobacco-sponsored website (P=.01). Among respondents, 19.35% (321/1659) reported having accessed a tobacco-sponsored website at least once in their lifetime and almost all of them (93.8%, 301/321) accessed these sites only when it was necessary for participating in a marketing promotion. Most people logging on for promotions reported entering once a month or less (58.9%, 189/321), while 25.5% (82/321) reported accessing the tobacco industry Internet sites once a week or more. In adjusted logistic regression models, participants were more likely to have accessed a tobacco brand website if they were former smokers (OR 2.45, 95% CI 1

  9. The functional variable method for finding exact solutions of some ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Abstract. In this paper, we implemented the functional variable method and the modified. Riemann–Liouville derivative for the exact solitary wave solutions and periodic wave solutions of the time-fractional Klein–Gordon equation, and the time-fractional Hirota–Satsuma coupled. KdV system. This method is extremely simple ...

  10. Mei Symmetry and New Conserved Quantities of Tzénoff Equations for the Variable Mass Higher-Order Nonholonomic System

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZHENG Shi-Wang; WANG Jian-Bo; CHEN Xiang-Wei; XIE Jia-Fang

    2012-01-01

    Operational systems of spacecraft are general variable mass mechanics systems,and their symmetries and conserved quantities imply profound physical rules of the space system.We study the Mei symmetry of Tzénoff equations for a variable mass nonholonomic system and the new conserved quantities derived.The function expression of the new conserved quantities and the criterion equation which deduces these conserved quantities are presented.This result has some theoretical values in further research of conservation laws obeyed by the variable mass system.%Operational systems of spacecraft are general variable mass mechanics systems, and their symmetries and conserved quantities imply profound physical rules of the space system. We study the Mei symmetry of Tzenoff equations for a variable mass nonholonomic system and the new conserved quantities derived. The function expression of the new conserved quantities and the criterion equation which deduces these conserved quantities are presented. This result has some theoretical values in further research of conservation laws obeyed by the variable mass system.

  11. BHR equations re-derived with immiscible particle effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schwarzkopf, John Dennis [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Horwitz, Jeremy A. [Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

    2015-05-01

    Compressible and variable density turbulent flows with dispersed phase effects are found in many applications ranging from combustion to cloud formation. These types of flows are among the most challenging to simulate. While the exact equations governing a system of particles and fluid are known, computational resources limit the scale and detail that can be simulated in this type of problem. Therefore, a common method is to simulate averaged versions of the flow equations, which still capture salient physics and is relatively less computationally expensive. Besnard developed such a model for variable density miscible turbulence, where ensemble-averaging was applied to the flow equations to yield a set of filtered equations. Besnard further derived transport equations for the Reynolds stresses, the turbulent mass flux, and the density-specific volume covariance, to help close the filtered momentum and continuity equations. We re-derive the exact BHR closure equations which include integral terms owing to immiscible effects. Physical interpretations of the additional terms are proposed along with simple models. The goal of this work is to extend the BHR model to allow for the simulation of turbulent flows where an immiscible dispersed phase is non-trivially coupled with the carrier phase.

  12. The masses of cataclysmic variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robinson, E.L.

    1976-01-01

    Masses are derived for the individual components of six cataclysmic variables. There is a considerable spread in the masses of the white dwarf components, which range from 0.73 M/sub sun/ in EM Cyg to 1.26 M/sub sun/ in Z Cam. All of the white dwarfs have masses greater than 0.70 M/sub sun/, but there is no evidence that there is any preferred mass. It is found that the morphology of the eruptions (i.e., nova versus dwarf nova) is independent of the mass of both the white dwarf and the late-type star

  13. ROTSE All-Sky Surveys for Variable Stars. I. Test Fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akerlof, C.; Amrose, S.; Balsano, R.; Bloch, J.; Casperson, D.; Fletcher, S.; Gisler, G.; Hills, J.; Kehoe, R.; Lee, B.

    2000-01-01

    The Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment I (ROTSE-I) experiment has generated CCD photometry for the entire northern sky in two epochs nightly since 1998 March. These sky patrol data are a powerful resource for studies of astrophysical transients. As a demonstration project, we present first results of a search for periodic variable stars derived from ROTSE-I observations. Variable identification, period determination, and type classification are conducted via automatic algorithms. In a set of nine ROTSE-I sky patrol fields covering roughly 2000 deg2, we identify 1781 periodic variable stars with mean magnitudes between m v = 10.0 and m v = 15.5. About 90% of these objects are newly identified as variable. Examples of many familiar types are presented. All classifications for this study have been manually confirmed. The selection criteria for this analysis have been conservatively defined and are known to be biased against some variable classes. This preliminary study includes only 5.6% of the total ROTSE-I sky coverage, suggesting that the full ROTSE-I variable catalog will include more than 32,000 periodic variable stars. (c) (c) 2000. The American Astronomical Society

  14. Market segment derivation and profiling via a finite mixture model framework

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wedel, M; Desarbo, WS

    The Marketing literature has shown how difficult it is to profile market segments derived with finite mixture models. especially using traditional descriptor variables (e.g., demographics). Such profiling is critical for the proper implementation of segmentation strategy. we propose a new finite

  15. NASA's Planetary Data System: Support for the Delivery of Derived Data Sets at the Atmospheres Node

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chanover, Nancy J.; Beebe, Reta; Neakrase, Lynn; Huber, Lyle; Rees, Shannon; Hornung, Danae

    2015-11-01

    NASA’s Planetary Data System is charged with archiving electronic data products from NASA planetary missions that are sponsored by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. This archive, currently organized by science disciplines, uses standards for describing and storing data that are designed to enable future scientists who are unfamiliar with the original experiments to analyze the data, and to do this using a variety of computer platforms, with no additional support. These standards address the data structure, description contents, and media design. The new requirement in the NASA ROSES-2015 Research Announcement to include a Data Management Plan will result in an increase in the number of derived data sets that are being delivered to the PDS. These data sets may come from the Planetary Data Archiving, Restoration and Tools (PDART) program, other Data Analysis Programs (DAPs) or be volunteered by individuals who are publishing the results of their analysis. In response to this increase, the PDS Atmospheres Node is developing a set of guidelines and user tools to make the process of archiving these derived data products more efficient. Here we provide a description of Atmospheres Node resources, including a letter of support for the proposal stage, a communication schedule for the planned archive effort, product label samples and templates in extensible markup language (XML), documentation templates, and validation tools necessary for producing a PDS4-compliant derived data bundle(s) efficiently and accurately.

  16. Derivation of integral energy balance for the manotea facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pollman, Anthony, E-mail: pollman@nps.edu [Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Department, United States Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA 93943 (United States); Marzo, Marino di [Fire Protection Engineering Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States)

    2013-12-15

    Highlights: • An integral energy balance was derived for the MANOTEA facility. • A second equation was derived which frames transients in terms of inventory alone. • Both equations were implemented and showed good agreement with experimental data. • The equations capture the physical mechanisms behind MANOTEA transients. • Physical understanding is required in order to properly model these transients with TRACE. - Abstract: Rapid-condensation-induced fluid motion occurs in several nuclear reactor accident sequences, as well as during normal operation. Modeling these events is central to our ability to regulate and ensure safe reactor operations. The UMD-USNA Near One-dimensional Transient Experimental Apparatus (MANOTEA) was constructed in order to create a rapid-condensation dataset for subsequent comparison to TRACE output. This paper outlines a derivation of the energy balance for the facility. A path integral based on mass and energy, rather than fluid mechanical, considerations is derived in order to characterize the physical mechanisms governing MANOTEA transients. This equation is further simplified to obtain an expression that frames transients in term of liquid inventory alone. Using data obtained from an actual transient, the path integral is implemented using three variables (change in liquid inventory, liquid inventory as a function of time, and change in metal temperature) to predict the outcome of a fourth independently measured variable (condenser pressure as a function of time). The implementation yields a very good approximation of the actual data. The inventory equation is also implemented and shows reasonable agreement. These equations, and the physical intuition that they yield, are key to properly characterizing MANOTEA transients and any subsequent modeling efforts.

  17. Balancing Work and Family. A Working Curriculum To Assist Vocational Parent and Family Educators in Designing and Delivering Employer-Sponsored Work and Family Seminars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Mary Dooley; And Others

    This curriculum guide was developed to help vocational teachers and family educators to design and deliver employer-sponsored seminars for employees as well as community-based adult education programs. The curriculum is intended to help working parents improve their ability to meet their personal wants and needs as well as the demands of their…

  18. The Nature and Variability of Automated Practice Alerts Derived from Electronic Health Records in a U.S. Nationwide Critical Care Research Network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benthin, Cody; Pannu, Sonal; Khan, Akram; Gong, Michelle

    2016-10-01

    The nature, variability, and extent of early warning clinical practice alerts derived from automated query of electronic health records (e-alerts) currently used in acute care settings for clinical care or research is unknown. To describe e-alerts in current use in acute care settings at medical centers participating in a nationwide critical care research network. We surveyed investigators at 38 institutions involved in the National Institutes of Health-funded Clinical Trials Network for the Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury (PETAL) for quantitative and qualitative analysis. Thirty sites completed the survey (79% response rate). All sites used electronic health record systems. Epic Systems was used at 56% of sites; the others used alternate commercially available vendors or homegrown systems. Respondents at 57% of sites represented in this survey used e-alerts. All but 1 of these 17 sites used an e-alert for early detection of sepsis-related syndromes, and 35% used an e-alert for pneumonia. E-alerts were triggered by abnormal laboratory values (37%), vital signs (37%), or radiology reports (15%) and were used about equally for clinical decision support and research. Only 59% of sites with e-alerts have evaluated them either for accuracy or for validity. A majority of the research network sites participating in this survey use e-alerts for early notification of potential threats to hospitalized patients; however, there was significant variability in the nature of e-alerts between institutions. Use of one common electronic health record vendor at more than half of the participating sites suggests that it may be possible to standardize e-alerts across multiple sites in research networks, particularly among sites using the same medical record platform.

  19. A period-luminosity relation for supergiant red variables in the Large Magellanic Cloud

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feast, M.W.; Catchpole, R.M.; Carter, B.S.; Roberts, G.

    1980-01-01

    Infrared photometry for 24 red supergiant variables in the LMC is used to derive bolometric magnitudes. The existence of a period-luminosity relation for these stars is demonstrated and compared with theory. (author)

  20. Application of a chlorophyll index derived from satellite data to ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Application of a chlorophyll index derived from satellite data to investigate the variability of phytoplankton in the Benguela ecosystem. H Demarcq, R Barlow, L Hutchings. Abstract. No Abstract. African Journal of Marine Science Vol.29(2) 2007: pp. 271-282. Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD ...

  1. New Soliton-like Solutions and Multi-soliton Structures for Broer-Kaup System with Variable Coefficients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ji Mingjun; Lue Zhuosheng

    2005-01-01

    By using the further extended tanh method [Phys. Lett. A 307 (2003) 269; Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 17 (2003) 669] to the Broer-Kaup system with variable coefficients, abundant new soliton-like solutions and multi-soliton-like solutions are derived. Based on the derived multi-soliton-like solutions which contain arbitrary functions, some interesting multi-soliton structures are revealed.

  2. Mass transfer and the period gap of cataclysmic variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verbunt, F.

    1984-01-01

    Three different explanations for the period gap of cataclysmic variables are investigated in some detail, and compared with the observations. The static picture is ruled out; strong continued magnetic braking is shown to be unlikely; disrupted magnetic braking is shown to provide a good explanation. A simple derivation is given for the magnetic braking of a star as a function of the magnetic-field strength and the wind mass flux. A field strength of >= 100 gauss and a wind of 10 -10 Msub(solar mass) yr -1 are needed for the secondary of a cataclysmic variable to explain the braking. These values are rather high, but perhaps not unfeasible. (author)

  3. Modeling Turbulent Combustion for Variable Prandtl and Schmidt Number

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassan, H. A.

    2004-01-01

    This report consists of two abstracts submitted for possible presentation at the AIAA Aerospace Science Meeting to be held in January 2005. Since the submittal of these abstracts we are continuing refinement of the model coefficients derived for the case of a variable Turbulent Prandtl number. The test cases being investigated are a Mach 9.2 flow over a degree ramp and a Mach 8.2 3-D calculation of crossing shocks. We have developed an axisymmetric code for treating axisymmetric flows. In addition the variable Schmidt number formulation was incorporated in the code and we are in the process of determining the model constants.

  4. Quantitative 2- and 3-dimensional analysis of pharmacokinetic model-derived variables for breast lesions in dynamic, contrast-enhanced MR mammography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hauth, E.A.M.; Jaeger, H.J.; Maderwald, S.; Muehler, A.; Kimmig, R.; Forsting, M.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: 2- and 3-dimensional evaluation of quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters derived from the Tofts model modeling dynamic contrast enhancement of lesions in MR mammography. Materials and methods: In 95 patients, MR mammography revealed 127 suspicious lesions. The initial rate of enhancement was coded by color intensity, the post-initial enhancement change is coded by color hue. 2D and 3D analysis of distribution of color hue and intensity, vascular permeability and extracellular volume were performed. Results: In 2D, malignant lesions showed significant higher number of bright red, medium red, dark red, bright green, medium green, dark green and bright blue pixels than benign lesions. In 3D, statistical significant differences between malignant and benign lesions was found for all this parameters. Vascular permeability was significant higher in malignant lesions than in benign lesions. Regression model using the 3D data found that the best discriminator between malignant and benign lesions was combined number of voxels and medium green pixels, with a sensitivity of 79.4% and a specificity of 83.1%. Conclusions: Quantitative analysis of pharmacokinetic variables of contrast kinetics showed significant differences between malignant and benign lesions. 3D analysis showed superior diagnostic differentiation between malignant and benign lesions than 2D analysis. The parametric analysis using a pharmacokinetic model allows objective analysis of contrast enhancement in breast lesions

  5. Space and time evolution of two nonlinearly coupled variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Obayashi, H.; Totsuji, H.; Wilhelmsson, H.

    1976-12-01

    The system of two coupled linear differential equations are studied assuming that the coupling terms are proportional to the product of the dependent variables, representing e.g. intensities or populations. It is furthermore assumed that these variables experience different linear dissipation or growth. The derivations account for space as well as time dependence of the variables. It is found that certain particular solutions can be obtained to this system, whereas a full solution in space and time as an initial value problem is outside the scope of the present paper. The system has a nonlinear equilibrium solution for which the nonlinear coupling terms balance the terms of linear dissipation. The case of space and time evolution of a small perturbation of the nonlinear equilibrium state, given the initial one-dimensional spatial distribution of the perturbation, is also considered in some detail. (auth.)

  6. Timing of product introduction in network economies under heterogeneous demand

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winther, Christian Dahl

    This paper studies the introduction of a new and incompatible technology in a spatial market with network externalities. In competition with an established network, the entrant chooses how long to do research and a level of product differentiation, which determine the adoption patterns of consumers...... level of product differentiation that should be chosen by the sponsor of the new technology in equilibrium. Third, the formal relationship between these variables are derived under compatibility.  Fourth, the entering firm's problem is solved by numerical methods to gain insight into the optimal linkage...... between research time and product design....

  7. Using routine meteorological data to derive sky conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Pagès

    Full Text Available Sky condition is a matter of interest for public and weather predictors as part of weather analyses. In this study, we apply a method that uses total solar radiation and other meteorological data recorded by an automatic station for deriving an estimation of the sky condition. The impetus of this work is the intention of the Catalan Meteorological Service (SMC to provide the public with real-time information about the sky condition. The methodology for deriving sky conditions from meteorological records is based on a supervised classification technique called maximum likelihood method. In this technique we first need to define features which are derived from measured variables. Second, we must decide which sky conditions are intended to be distinguished. Some analyses have led us to use four sky conditions: (a cloudless or almost cloudless sky, (b scattered clouds, (c mostly cloudy – high clouds, (d overcast – low clouds. An additional case, which may be treated separately, corresponds to precipitation (rain or snow. The main features for estimating sky conditions are, as expected, solar radiation and its temporal variability. The accuracy of this method of guessing sky conditions compared with human observations is around 70% when applied to four sites in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula. The agreement increases if we take into account the uncertainty both in the automatic classifier and in visual observations.

    Key words. Meteorological and atmospheric dynamics (instruments and techniques; radiative processes – Atmospheric composition and structure (cloud physics and chemistry

  8. Needed Research on Child Socialization. A Special Report of the USOE-Sponsored Grant Study: Critical Appraisal of Research in the Personality-Emotions-Motivation Domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorsuch, Richard L.; And Others

    The task group report presented in this publication is one of a series prepared by eminent psychologists who have served as consultants in the U.S. Office of Education-sponsored grant study to conduct a Critical Appraisal of the Personality-Emotions-Motivation Domain. In order to achieve the goal of identifying important problems and areas for new…

  9. Reactor safety research program. A description of current and planned reactor safety research sponsored by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Division of Reactor Safety Research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1975-06-01

    The reactor safety research program, sponsored by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Division of Reactor Safety Research, is described in terms of its program objectives, current status, and future plans. Elements of safety research work applicable to water reactors, fast reactors, and gas cooled reactors are presented together with brief descriptions of current and planned test facilities. (U.S.)

  10. The GRB variability/peak luminosity correlation: new results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guidorzi, C.; Rossi, F.; Hurley, K.; Mundell, C.G.

    2005-01-01

    We test the correlation between time variability and isotropic-equivalent peak luminosity found by Reichart et al. (ApJ, 552 (2001) 57) using a set of 26 Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) with known redshift. We confirm the correlation, thought with a larger spread around the best-fit power-law obtained by Reichart et al. which in turn does not provide an acceptable description any longer. In addiction, we find no evidence for correlation between variability and beaming-corrected peak luminosity for a subset of 14 GRBs whose beaming angles have been taken from Ghirlanda et al. (ApJ, 616 (2004) 331). Finally, we investigate the possible connection for some GRBs between the location in the variability/peak luminosity space and some afterglow properties, such as the detectability in the optical band, by adding some GRBs whose redshifts, unknown from direct measurements, have been derived assuming the Amati at al. (AeA, 390 (2002) 81) relationship

  11. Derivation of ozone flux-yield relationships for lettuce: A key horticultural crop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goumenaki, Eleni; Fernandez, Ignacio Gonzalez; Papanikolaou, Antigoni; Papadopoulou, Despoina; Askianakis, Christos; Kouvarakis, George; Barnes, Jeremy

    2007-01-01

    Ozone flux-response relationships were derived for lettuce, employing a multiplicative approach to model the manner in which stomatal conductance is influenced by key environmental variables, using a dataset collected during field experimentation in Crete and yield-response relationships derived from parallel open-top chamber experiments. Regional agronomic practices were adopted throughout. Computed versus measured data revealed that the derived model explained 51% (P -2 s -1 . Regressions employing very low or zero flux thresholds resulted in the strongest yield-flux relationships (explaining ∼80% (P < 0.05) of the variation in the dataset). - Establishment of ozone flux-yield relationships for a commercially-important horticultural crop grown widely in the Mediterranean

  12. Optimizing Multireservoir System Operating Policies Using Exogenous Hydrologic Variables

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pina, Jasson; Tilmant, Amaury; Côté, Pascal

    2017-11-01

    Stochastic dual dynamic programming (SDDP) is one of the few available algorithms to optimize the operating policies of large-scale hydropower systems. This paper presents a variant, called SDDPX, in which exogenous hydrologic variables, such as snow water equivalent and/or sea surface temperature, are included in the state space vector together with the traditional (endogenous) variables, i.e., past inflows. A reoptimization procedure is also proposed in which SDDPX-derived benefit-to-go functions are employed within a simulation carried out over the historical record of both the endogenous and exogenous hydrologic variables. In SDDPX, release policies are now a function of storages, past inflows, and relevant exogenous variables that potentially capture more complex hydrological processes than those found in traditional SDDP formulations. To illustrate the potential gain associated with the use of exogenous variables when operating a multireservoir system, the 3,137 MW hydropower system of Rio Tinto (RT) located in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean River Basin in Quebec (Canada) is used as a case study. The performance of the system is assessed for various combinations of hydrologic state variables, ranging from the simple lag-one autoregressive model to more complex formulations involving past inflows, snow water equivalent, and winter precipitation.

  13. Measuring the surgical 'learning curve': methods, variables and competency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Nuzhath; Abboudi, Hamid; Khan, Mohammed Shamim; Dasgupta, Prokar; Ahmed, Kamran

    2014-03-01

    To describe how learning curves are measured and what procedural variables are used to establish a 'learning curve' (LC). To assess whether LCs are a valuable measure of competency. A review of the surgical literature pertaining to LCs was conducted using the Medline and OVID databases. Variables should be fully defined and when possible, patient-specific variables should be used. Trainee's prior experience and level of supervision should be quantified; the case mix and complexity should ideally be constant. Logistic regression may be used to control for confounding variables. Ideally, a learning plateau should reach a predefined/expert-derived competency level, which should be fully defined. When the group splitting method is used, smaller cohorts should be used in order to narrow the range of the LC. Simulation technology and competence-based objective assessments may be used in training and assessment in LC studies. Measuring the surgical LC has potential benefits for patient safety and surgical education. However, standardisation in the methods and variables used to measure LCs is required. Confounding variables, such as participant's prior experience, case mix, difficulty of procedures and level of supervision, should be controlled. Competency and expert performance should be fully defined. © 2013 The Authors. BJU International © 2013 BJU International.

  14. Comparison of random forests and support vector machine for real-time radar-derived rainfall forecasting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Pao-Shan; Yang, Tao-Chang; Chen, Szu-Yin; Kuo, Chen-Min; Tseng, Hung-Wei

    2017-09-01

    This study aims to compare two machine learning techniques, random forests (RF) and support vector machine (SVM), for real-time radar-derived rainfall forecasting. The real-time radar-derived rainfall forecasting models use the present grid-based radar-derived rainfall as the output variable and use antecedent grid-based radar-derived rainfall, grid position (longitude and latitude) and elevation as the input variables to forecast 1- to 3-h ahead rainfalls for all grids in a catchment. Grid-based radar-derived rainfalls of six typhoon events during 2012-2015 in three reservoir catchments of Taiwan are collected for model training and verifying. Two kinds of forecasting models are constructed and compared, which are single-mode forecasting model (SMFM) and multiple-mode forecasting model (MMFM) based on RF and SVM. The SMFM uses the same model for 1- to 3-h ahead rainfall forecasting; the MMFM uses three different models for 1- to 3-h ahead forecasting. According to forecasting performances, it reveals that the SMFMs give better performances than MMFMs and both SVM-based and RF-based SMFMs show satisfactory performances for 1-h ahead forecasting. However, for 2- and 3-h ahead forecasting, it is found that the RF-based SMFM underestimates the observed radar-derived rainfalls in most cases and the SVM-based SMFM can give better performances than RF-based SMFM.

  15. Modeling marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) habitat using LiDAR-derived canopy data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagar, Joan C.; Eskelson, Bianca N.I.; Haggerty, Patricia K.; Nelson, S. Kim; Vesely, David G.

    2014-01-01

    LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) is an emerging remote-sensing tool that can provide fine-scale data describing vertical complexity of vegetation relevant to species that are responsive to forest structure. We used LiDAR data to estimate occupancy probability for the federally threatened marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in the Oregon Coast Range of the United States. Our goal was to address the need identified in the Recovery Plan for a more accurate estimate of the availability of nesting habitat by developing occupancy maps based on refined measures of nest-strand structure. We used murrelet occupancy data collected by the Bureau of Land Management Coos Bay District, and canopy metrics calculated from discrete return airborne LiDAR data, to fit a logistic regression model predicting the probability of occupancy. Our final model for stand-level occupancy included distance to coast, and 5 LiDAR-derived variables describing canopy structure. With an area under the curve value (AUC) of 0.74, this model had acceptable discrimination and fair agreement (Cohen's κ = 0.24), especially considering that all sites in our sample were regarded by managers as potential habitat. The LiDAR model provided better discrimination between occupied and unoccupied sites than did a model using variables derived from Gradient Nearest Neighbor maps that were previously reported as important predictors of murrelet occupancy (AUC = 0.64, κ = 0.12). We also evaluated LiDAR metrics at 11 known murrelet nest sites. Two LiDAR-derived variables accurately discriminated nest sites from random sites (average AUC = 0.91). LiDAR provided a means of quantifying 3-dimensional canopy structure with variables that are ecologically relevant to murrelet nesting habitat, and have not been as accurately quantified by other mensuration methods.

  16. Adaptive Synchronization of Fractional Order Complex-Variable Dynamical Networks via Pinning Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Da-Wei; Yan, Jie; Wang, Nian; Liang, Dong

    2017-09-01

    In this paper, the synchronization of fractional order complex-variable dynamical networks is studied using an adaptive pinning control strategy based on close center degree. Some effective criteria for global synchronization of fractional order complex-variable dynamical networks are derived based on the Lyapunov stability theory. From the theoretical analysis, one concludes that under appropriate conditions, the complex-variable dynamical networks can realize the global synchronization by using the proper adaptive pinning control method. Meanwhile, we succeed in solving the problem about how much coupling strength should be applied to ensure the synchronization of the fractional order complex networks. Therefore, compared with the existing results, the synchronization method in this paper is more general and convenient. This result extends the synchronization condition of the real-variable dynamical networks to the complex-valued field, which makes our research more practical. Finally, two simulation examples show that the derived theoretical results are valid and the proposed adaptive pinning method is effective. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 61201227, National Natural Science Foundation of China Guangdong Joint Fund under Grant No. U1201255, the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province under Grant No. 1208085MF93, 211 Innovation Team of Anhui University under Grant Nos. KJTD007A and KJTD001B, and also supported by Chinese Scholarship Council

  17. Confirming Variability in the Secondary Eclipse Depth of the Super-Earth 55 Cancri e

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamburo, P.; Mandell, A.; Deming, D.; Garhart, E.

    2018-05-01

    We present a reanalysis of five transit and eight eclipse observations of the ultrashort-period super-Earth 55 Cancri e observed using the Spitzer Space Telescope during 2011–2013. We use pixel-level decorrelation to derive accurate transit and eclipse depths from the Spitzer data, and we perform an extensive error analysis. We focus on determining possible variability in the eclipse data, as was reported in Demory et al. From the transit data, we determine updated orbital parameters, yielding T 0 = 2,455,733.0037 ± 0.0002, P = 0.7365454 ± 0.0000003 days, i = 83.5 ± 1.°3, and R p = 1.89 ± 0.05 R ⊕. Our transit results are consistent with a constant depth, and we conclude that they are not variable. We find a significant amount of variability between the eight eclipse observations and confirm agreement with Demory et al. through a correlation analysis. We convert the eclipse measurements to brightness temperatures, and generate and discuss several heuristic models that explain the evolution of the planet’s eclipse depth versus time. The eclipses are best modeled by a year-to-year variability model, but variability on shorter timescales cannot be ruled out. The derived range of brightness temperatures can be achieved by a dark planet with inefficient heat redistribution intermittently covered over a large fraction of the substellar hemisphere by reflective grains, possibly indicating volcanic activity or cloud variability. This time-variable system should be observable with future space missions, both planned (JWST) and proposed (i.e., ARIEL).

  18. Gene expression variability in human hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lun Yang

    Full Text Available Interindividual variability in the expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters (DMETs in human liver may contribute to interindividual differences in drug efficacy and adverse reactions. Published studies that analyzed variability in the expression of DMET genes were limited by sample sizes and the number of genes profiled. We systematically analyzed the expression of 374 DMETs from a microarray data set consisting of gene expression profiles derived from 427 human liver samples. The standard deviation of interindividual expression for DMET genes was much higher than that for non-DMET genes. The 20 DMET genes with the largest variability in the expression provided examples of the interindividual variation. Gene expression data were also analyzed using network analysis methods, which delineates the similarities of biological functionalities and regulation mechanisms for these highly variable DMET genes. Expression variability of human hepatic DMET genes may affect drug-gene interactions and disease susceptibility, with concomitant clinical implications.

  19. Optimal Design of a Push-Pull-Forward Half-Bridge (PPFHB) Bidirectional DC–DC Converter With Variable Input Voltage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Zhe; Thomsen, Ole Cornelius; Andersen, Michael A. E.

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents a low-cost bidirectional isolated dc–dc converte, derived from dual-active-bridge converter for the power sources with variable output voltage like supercapacitors. The proposed converter consists of push-pull-forward circuit half-bridge circuit (PPFHB) and a high-frequency tr......This paper presents a low-cost bidirectional isolated dc–dc converte, derived from dual-active-bridge converter for the power sources with variable output voltage like supercapacitors. The proposed converter consists of push-pull-forward circuit half-bridge circuit (PPFHB) and a high...

  20. Statistical validity of using ratio variables in human kinetics research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yuanlong; Schutz, Robert W

    2003-09-01

    The purposes of this study were to investigate the validity of the simple ratio and three alternative deflation models and examine how the variation of the numerator and denominator variables affects the reliability of a ratio variable. A simple ratio and three alternative deflation models were fitted to four empirical data sets, and common criteria were applied to determine the best model for deflation. Intraclass correlation was used to examine the component effect on the reliability of a ratio variable. The results indicate that the validity, of a deflation model depends on the statistical characteristics of the particular component variables used, and an optimal deflation model for all ratio variables may not exist. Therefore, it is recommended that different models be fitted to each empirical data set to determine the best deflation model. It was found that the reliability of a simple ratio is affected by the coefficients of variation and the within- and between-trial correlations between the numerator and denominator variables. It was recommended that researchers should compute the reliability of the derived ratio scores and not assume that strong reliabilities in the numerator and denominator measures automatically lead to high reliability in the ratio measures.

  1. Continuous-variable protocol for oblivious transfer in the noisy-storage model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Furrer, Fabian; Gehring, Tobias; Schaffner, Christian

    2018-01-01

    for oblivious transfer for optical continuous-variable systems, and prove its security in the noisy-storage model. This model allows us to establish security by sending more quantum signals than an attacker can reliably store during the protocol. The security proof is based on uncertainty relations which we...... derive for continuous-variable systems, that differ from the ones used in quantum key distribution. We experimentally demonstrate in a proof-of-principle experiment the proposed oblivious transfer protocol for various channel losses by using entangled two-mode squeezed states measured with balanced...

  2. VARIABLE STARS IN LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD GLOBULAR CLUSTERS. II. NGC 1786

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuehn, Charles A.; Smith, Horace A.; De Lee, Nathan; Catelan, Márcio; Pritzl, Barton J.; Borissova, Jura

    2012-01-01

    This is the second in a series of papers studying the variable stars in Large Magellanic Cloud globular clusters. The primary goal of this series is to study how RR Lyrae stars in Oosterhoff-intermediate systems compare to their counterparts in Oosterhoff I/II systems. In this paper, we present the results of our new time-series B–V photometric study of the globular cluster NGC 1786. A total of 65 variable stars were identified in our field of view. These variables include 53 RR Lyraes (27 RRab, 18 RRc, and 8 RRd), 3 classical Cepheids, 1 Type II Cepheid, 1 Anomalous Cepheid, 2 eclipsing binaries, 3 Delta Scuti/SX Phoenicis variables, and 2 variables of undetermined type. Photometric parameters for these variables are presented. We present physical properties for some of the RR Lyrae stars, derived from Fourier analysis of their light curves. We discuss several different indicators of Oosterhoff type which indicate that the Oosterhoff classification of NGC 1786 is not as clear cut as what is seen in most globular clusters.

  3. A CATASTROPHIC-CUM-RESTORATIVE QUEUING SYSTEM WITH CORRELATED BATCH ARRIVALS AND VARIABLE CAPACITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rakesh Kumar

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we study a catastrophic-cum-restorative queuing system with correlated batch arrivals and service in batches of variable sizes. We perform the transient analysis of the queuing model. We obtain the Laplace Transform of the probability generating function of system size. Finally, some particular cases of the model have been derived and discussed. Keywords: Queue length, Catastrophes, Correlated batch arrivals, Broadband services, Variable service capacity, and Restoration.

  4. NRC sponsored rotating equipment vibration research: a program description and progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nitzel, M.E.

    1986-01-01

    The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) is currently involved in a research project sponsored by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regarding operational vibration in rotating equipment. The object of this program is to assess the nature of vibrational failures and the effect that improved qualification standards may have in reducing the incidence of failure. In order to limit the scope of the initial effort, safety injection (SI) pumps were chosen as the component group for concentrated study. The task has been oriented to addressing the issues of whether certain SI pumps experience more failures than others, examining the dynamic environments in operation, examining the adequacy of current qualification standards, and examining what performance parameters could be used more efficiently to predict degradation or failure. Results of a literature search performed to survey SI pump failures indicate that failures are due to a diversity of causes, many of which may not be influenced by qualification criteria. Cooperative efforts have been undertaken with a limited number of nuclear utilities to describe the variety of possible operating environments and to analyze available data. The results of this analysis as they apply to the research issues are presented and possibilities for the future direction of the program are discussed

  5. Estimation of Airborne Lidar-Derived Tropical Forest Canopy Height Using Landsat Time Series in Cambodia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tetsuji Ota

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we test and demonstrate the utility of disturbance and recovery information derived from annual Landsat time series to predict current forest vertical structure (as compared to the more common approaches, that consider a sample of airborne Lidar and single-date Landsat derived variables. Mean Canopy Height (MCH was estimated separately using single date, time series, and the combination of single date and time series variables in multiple regression and random forest (RF models. The combination of single date and time series variables, which integrate disturbance history over the entire time series, overall provided better MCH prediction than using either of the two sets of variables separately. In general, the RF models resulted in improved performance in all estimates over those using multiple regression. The lowest validation error was obtained using Landsat time series variables in a RF model (R2 = 0.75 and RMSE = 2.81 m. Combining single date and time series data was more effective when the RF model was used (opposed to multiple regression. The RMSE for RF mean canopy height prediction was reduced by 13.5% when combining the two sets of variables as compared to the 3.6% RMSE decline presented by multiple regression. This study demonstrates the value of airborne Lidar and long term Landsat observations to generate estimates of forest canopy height using the random forest algorithm.

  6. A method to standardize gait and balance variables for gait velocity.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Iersel, M.B. van; Olde Rikkert, M.G.M.; Borm, G.F.

    2007-01-01

    Many gait and balance variables depend on gait velocity, which seriously hinders the interpretation of gait and balance data derived from walks at different velocities. However, as far as we know there is no widely accepted method to correct for effects of gait velocity on other gait and balance

  7. Climate variability from isotope records in precipitation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grassl, H.; Latif, M.; Schotterer, U.; Gourcy, L.

    2002-01-01

    Selected time series from the Global Network for Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP) revealed a close relationship to climate variability phenomena like El Nino - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) or the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) although the precipitation anomaly in the case studies of Manaus (Brazil) and Groningen (The Netherlands) is rather weak. For a sound understanding of this relationship especially in the case of Manaus, the data should include major events like the 1997/98 El Nino, however, the time series are interrupted frequently or important stations are even closed. Improvements are only possible if existing key stations and new ones (placed at 'hot spots' derived from model experiments) are supported continuously. A close link of GNIP to important scientific programmes like CLIVAR, the Climate Variability and Predictability Programme seems to be indispensable for a successful continuation. (author)

  8. Binary Bell polynomial application in generalized (2+1)-dimensional KdV equation with variable coefficients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Yi; Wei Wei-Wei; Cheng Teng-Fei; Song Yang

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, we apply the binary Bell polynomial approach to high-dimensional variable-coefficient nonlinear evolution equations. Taking the generalized (2+1)-dimensional KdV equation with variable coefficients as an illustrative example, the bilinear formulism, the bilinear Bäcklund transformation and the Lax pair are obtained in a quick and natural manner. Moreover, the infinite conservation laws are also derived. (general)

  9. Northern South China Sea Surface Circulation and its Variability Derived by Combining Satellite Altimetry and Surface Drifter Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Peter Benny

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The present study analyses the mean and seasonal mesoscale surface circulation of the Northern South China Sea (NSCS and determines the influence of El Niño/SouthernNiño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO. High resolution Eulerian velocity field is derived by combining the available satellite tracked surface drifter data with satellite altimetry during 1993 - 2012. The wind driven current is computed employing the weekly ocean surface mean wind fields derived from the scatterometers on board ERS 1/2, QuikSCAT and ASCAT. The derived mean velocity field exhibits strong boundary currents and broad zonal flow across NSCS. The anomalous field is quite strong in the southern part and the Seasonal circulation clearly depicts the monsoonal forcing. Eddy Kinetic Energy (EKE distribution and its spatial and temporal structures are determined employing Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF analysis. The ENSO influence on NSCS surface circulation has been analyzed using monthly absolute geostrophic velocity fields during 1996 - 1999.

  10. Detecting Scareware by Mining Variable Length Instruction Sequences

    OpenAIRE

    Shahzad, Raja Khurram; Lavesson, Niklas

    2011-01-01

    Scareware is a recent type of malicious software that may pose financial and privacy-related threats to novice users. Traditional countermeasures, such as anti-virus software, require regular updates and often lack the capability of detecting novel (unseen) instances. This paper presents a scareware detection method that is based on the application of machine learning algorithms to learn patterns in extracted variable length opcode sequences derived from instruction sequences of binary files....

  11. Critical assessment of precracked specimen configuration and experimental test variables for stress corrosion testing of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy plate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domack, M. S.

    1985-01-01

    A research program was conducted to critically assess the effects of precracked specimen configuration, stress intensity solutions, compliance relationships and other experimental test variables for stress corrosion testing of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy plate. Modified compact and double beam wedge-loaded specimens were tested and analyzed to determine the threshold stress intensity factor and stress corrosion crack growth rate. Stress intensity solutions and experimentally determined compliance relationships were developed and compared with other solutions available in the literature. Crack growth data suggests that more effective crack length measurement techniques are necessary to better characterize stress corrosion crack growth. Final load determined by specimen reloading and by compliance did not correlate well, and was considered a major source of interlaboratory variability. Test duration must be determined systematically, accounting for crack length measurement resolution, time for crack arrest, and experimental interferences. This work was conducted as part of a round robin program sponsored by ASTM committees G1.06 and E24.04 to develop a standard test method for stress corrosion testing using precracked specimens.

  12. (KP) equation in warm dusty plasma with variable dust charge, two ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    In this work, the propagation of nonlinear waves in warm dusty plasmas with variable dust charge, two-temperature ion and nonthermal electron is studied. By using the reductive perturbation theory, the Kadomstev–Petviashvili (KP) equation is derived. The energy of the soliton and the linear dispersion relation are obtained ...

  13. Satellite Derived Water Quality Observations Are Related to River Discharge and Nitrogen Loads in Pensacola Bay, Florida

    OpenAIRE

    John C. Lehrter; John C. Lehrter; Chengfeng Le

    2017-01-01

    Relationships between satellite-derived water quality variables and river discharges, concentrations and loads of nutrients, organic carbon, and sediments were investigated over a 9-year period (2003–2011) in Pensacola Bay, Florida, USA. These analyses were conducted to better understand which river forcing factors were the primary drivers of estuarine variability in several water quality variables. Remote sensing reflectance time-series data were retrieved from the MEdium Resolution Imaging ...

  14. Awareness and enforcement of guidelines for publishing industry-sponsored medical research among publication professionals: the Global Publication Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wager, Elizabeth; Woolley, Karen; Adshead, Viv; Cairns, Angela; Fullam, Josh; Gonzalez, John; Grant, Tom; Tortell, Stephanie

    2014-04-19

    To gather information about current practices and implementation of publication guidelines among publication professionals working in or for the pharmaceutical industry. Web-based survey publicised via email and social media to members of the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) and other organisations from November 2012 to February 2013. 469 individuals involved in publishing industry-sponsored research in peer-reviewed journals, mainly working in pharmaceutical or device companies ('industry', n=144), communication agencies ('agency', n=238), contract research organisations (CRO, n=15) or as freelancers (n=34). Most respondents (78%) had worked on medical publications for ≥5 years and 62% had a PhD/MD. Over 90% of industry, agency and CRO respondents routinely refer to Good Publication Practice (GPP2) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' Uniform Requirements. Most respondents (78% industry, 79% agency) received mandatory training on ethical publication practices. Over 90% of respondents' companies had publication guidelines or policies and required medical writing support to be acknowledged in publications (96% industry, 99% agency). Many industry respondents used publication management tools to monitor compliance with company guidelines and about half (46%) stated that their company had formal publication audits. Fewer agencies audited adherence to guidelines but 20% of agency respondents reported audits of employees and 6% audits of freelancers. Of concern, 37% of agency respondents reported requests from authors or sponsors that they believed were unethical, although 93% of these requests were withdrawn after respondents explained the need for compliance with guidelines. Most respondents' departments (63% industry, 58% agency, 60% CRO) had been involved in publishing studies with negative or inconclusive results. Within this sample, most publication professionals working in or for industry were aware of

  15. The impact of monetary policy on New Zealand business cycles and inflation variability

    OpenAIRE

    Nathan McLellan; Robert A Buckle; Kunhong Kim

    2004-01-01

    This paper uses the open economy structural VAR model developed in Buckle, Kim, Kirkham, McLellan and Sharma (2002) to evaluate the impact of monetary policy on New Zealand business cycles and inflation variability and the output/inflation variability trade-off. The model includes a forward-looking Taylor Rule to identify monetary policy and the impact of monetary policy is evaluated by deriving a monetary policy index using a procedure suggested by Dungey and Pagan (2000). Monetary policy ha...

  16. Drug utilization study from a government sponsored pharmacy in a tertiary care teaching hospital of rural West Bengal: A cross-sectional study

    OpenAIRE

    Tanmoy Gangopadhyay; Ananya Mandal; Sonai Mandal; Bishan Basu; Tamoghna Maiti; Abhijit Das; Soumitra Mandal; Sekhar Mandal

    2016-01-01

    Context: Newly started government sponsored pharmacies providing discounts have been available to the public at the medical college hospitals in West Bengal. Aims: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the drug prescribing trends from the prescriptions at such a pharmacy at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: The study was a prospective cross-sectional study that spanned for a period of 1-month from 1 to 31 August 2015. Prescriptions were reviewed and analyzed using the World Health Org...

  17. How avatar customizability affects children's arousal and subjective presence during junk food-sponsored online video games.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, Rachel; Wise, Kevin; Bolls, Paul

    2009-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine how children cognitively and emotionally process interactive marketing of snack food products in advergames. Children (N = 30) aged 10 to 12 were asked to play advergames with (a) avatars that were assigned to them, (b) avatars chosen from a pool, and (c) self-designed avatars. The children's skin conductance levels were collected during play. After gameplay, at each customization level, self-reported presence was collected. The results of this study indicate that customization of game avatars can affect both subjective feelings of presence and psychophysiological indicators of emotion during gameplay, which may make the gameplay experience more enjoyable. This may have implications for game sponsors and producers. Self-reported presence had no effect on psychophysiological indicators of emotion during gameplay. Implications of this finding and limitations of this study are discussed.

  18. Progressive or regressive? A second look at the tax exemption for employer-sponsored health insurance premiums.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoen, Cathy; Stremikis, Kristof; Collins, Sara; Davis, Karen

    2009-05-01

    The major argument for capping the exemption of health insurance benefits from income tax is that doing so will generate significant revenue that can be used to finance an expansion of health coverage. This analysis finds that given the state of insurance markets and current variations in premiums, limiting the current exemption could adversely affect individuals who are already at high risk of losing their health coverage. Evidence suggests that capping the exemption for employment-based health insurance could disproportionately affect workers in small firms, older workers, and wage-earners in industries with high expected claims costs. To avoid putting many families at increased health and financial risk, and to avoid undermining employer-sponsored group coverage, any consideration of a cap would have to be combined with coverage for all, changes in insurance market rules, and shared responsibility for financing.

  19. Potential of on-line visible and near infrared spectroscopy for measurement of pH for deriving variable rate lime recommendations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tekin, Yücel; Kuang, Boyan; Mouazen, Abdul M

    2013-08-08

    This paper aims at exploring the potential of visible and near infrared (vis-NIR) spectroscopy for on-line measurement of soil pH, with the intention to produce variable rate lime recommendation maps. An on-line vis-NIR soil sensor set up to a frame was used in this study. Lime application maps, based on pH predicted by vis-NIR techniques, were compared with maps based on traditional lab-measured pH. The validation of the calibration model using off-line spectra provided excellent prediction accuracy of pH (R2 = 0.85, RMSEP = 0.18 and RPD = 2.52), as compared to very good accuracy obtained with the on-line measured spectra (R2 = 0.81, RMSEP = 0.20 and RPD = 2.14). On-line predicted pH of all points (e.g., 2,160) resulted in the largest overall field virtual lime requirement (1.404 t), as compared to those obtained with 16 validation points off-line prediction (0.28 t), on-line prediction (0.14 t) and laboratory reference measurement (0.48 t). The conclusion is that the vis-NIR spectroscopy can be successfully used for the prediction of soil pH and for deriving lime recommendations. The advantage of the on-line sensor over sampling with limited number of samples is that more detailed information about pH can be obtained, which is the reason for a higher but precise calculated lime recommendation rate.

  20. Potential of On-Line Visible and Near Infrared Spectroscopy for Measurement of pH for Deriving Variable Rate Lime Recommendations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yücel Tekin

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims at exploring the potential of visible and near infrared (vis-NIR spectroscopy for on-line measurement of soil pH, with the intention to produce variable rate lime recommendation maps. An on-line vis-NIR soil sensor set up to a frame was used in this study. Lime application maps, based on pH predicted by vis-NIR techniques, were compared with maps based on traditional lab-measured pH. The validation of the calibration model using off-line spectra provided excellent prediction accuracy of pH (R2 = 0.85, RMSEP = 0.18 and RPD = 2.52, as compared to very good accuracy obtained with the on-line measured spectra (R2 = 0.81, RMSEP = 0.20 and RPD = 2.14. On-line predicted pH of all points (e.g., 2,160 resulted in the largest overall field virtual lime requirement (1.404 t, as compared to those obtained with 16 validation points off-line prediction (0.28 t, on-line prediction (0.14 t and laboratory reference measurement (0.48 t. The conclusion is that the vis-NIR spectroscopy can be successfully used for the prediction of soil pH and for deriving lime recommendations. The advantage of the on-line sensor over sampling with limited number of samples is that more detailed information about pH can be obtained, which is the reason for a higher but precise calculated lime recommendation rate.