WorldWideScience

Sample records for started existing usaid

  1. Pakistan/USAID to start CSM project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-01-01

    Pakistan, with the assistance of funds for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), is about to start its novel approach to contraceptive social marketing (CSM). This new effort suggests a marked policy shift on the part of the Pakistan government toward intensifying its family planning activities. The program will be government-operated and supported by AID over the next 5 years with $20 million, more than double the cost of similar CSM projects elswhere. Distribution of a condom on a pilot project basis is expected to begin by December 1984. Sales of a low-dose oral contraceptive (OC) could begin in test market areas by mid-1985, with national launching of both products tentatively scheduled for January 1986. The Pakistan/USAID agreement represents the 1st time since the formation of India's Nirodh project in the late 1960s that a CSM program is being established without the involvement of either an international social marketing contractor or a country's family planning association. The Pakistan CSM program will be managed by a policy board composed of representatives from the government's Ministries of Planning, Health and Education; a resident advisor from USAID; and a local company responsible for product marketing and distribution. The approach has received a skeptical response among international social marketing experts about the program's chances for success. Their doubts extend to 2 other aspects of the proposed design: an official of the Ministry of Planning's Population and Welfare Division expects the CSM program to generate sufficient revenues to cover all operating costs following the 5-year subsidy period, while also providing attractive profit margins for the marketing/distribution company; and the government prohibits mass media advertising of contraceptives. According to AID, the issue of mass media contraceptive advertising has not yet been resolved, and a national survey will be conducted to determine what communication needs are

  2. USAID University

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — USAID University is USAID's learning management system. Features include 1) Access online courses 2) Register for instructor-led courses 3)Access your student...

  3. USAID Forward

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — The USAID Forward reform initiative ran from 2010-2016. USAID Forward improved the way that the Agency delivers foreign assistance by embracing new partnerships,...

  4. USAID Construction Assessment

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — The USAID construction assessment is a survey of the character, scope, value and management of construction activities supported by USAID during the period from June...

  5. USAID Activity Locations

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — The USAID Activities dataset is a snapshot of activities supported by USAID including their geographical locations within countries at the time of the snapshot. The...

  6. 77 FR 8166 - Partner Vetting in USAID Acquisitions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-14

    ... individuals or entities that are terrorists, supporters of terrorists or affiliated with terrorists, while also minimizing the impact on USAID programs and its implementing partners. We are amending the USAID... implement PVS on a world-wide basis, USAID is launching a PVS pilot program to determine the costs and...

  7. USAID Anticorruption Projects Database

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — The Anticorruption Projects Database (Database) includes information about USAID projects with anticorruption interventions implemented worldwide between 2007 and...

  8. Philippines: Population: USAID loan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Philippines and the United States Agency for International Development signed an agreement on Christmas Day for a US $5.7 million loan and a US $6 million grant for the country's population program. The loan, which matures in 40 years, carries a 2% interest per year for the first 10 years, and 3% thereafter. A 10-year grace period is provided. The US $11.7 million loan and grant package is the first part of USAID's pledge of US $26.9 million in loan and US $29.8 million in grants for the population project. The agreement was signed by Finance Minister Cesar Virata and USAID director Anthony Schwarzwalder. The total loan package of US $57.7 million will be given in the next 5 years.

  9. USAID steps up anti-AIDS program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1991-01-01

    This article considers the epidemic proportion of AIDS in developing countries, and discusses the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) reworked and intensified strategy for HIV infection and AIDS prevention and control over the next 5 years. Developing and launching over 650 HIV and AIDS activities in 74 developing countries since 1986, USAID is the world's largest supporter of anti-AIDS programs. Over $91 million in bilateral assistance for HIV and AIDS prevention and control have been committed. USAID has also been the largest supporter of the World Health Organization's Global Program on AIDS since 1986. Interventions have included training peer educators, working to change the norms of sex behavior, and condom promotion. Recognizing that the developing world will increasingly account for an ever larger share of the world's HIV-infected population, USAID announced an intensified program of estimated investment increasing to approximately $400 million over a 5-year period. Strategy include funding for long-term, intensive interventions in 10-15 priority countries, emphasizing the treatment of other sexually transmitted diseases which facilitate the spread of HIV, making AIDS-related policy dialogue an explicit component of the Agency's AIDS program, and augmenting funding to community-based programs aimed at reducing high-risk sexual behaviors. The effect of AIDS upon child survival, adult mortality, urban populations, and socioeconomic development in developing countries is discussed. Program examples are also presented.

  10. USAID Public-Private Partnerships Database

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — This dataset brings together information collected since 2001 on PPPs that have been supported by USAID. For the purposes of this dataset a Public-Private...

  11. 22 CFR 213.22 - Salary offset when USAID is the creditor agency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Salary offset when USAID is the creditor agency... Administrative Offset § 213.22 Salary offset when USAID is the creditor agency. (a) Due process requirements... through salary offset, USAID will first provide the employee with the opportunity to pay in full the...

  12. 48 CFR 752.219-70 - USAID Mentor-Protégé Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false USAID Mentor-ProtégÃ....219-70 USAID Mentor-Protégé Program. As prescribed in 719.273-11(a), insert the following provision: USAID Mentor-Protégé Program (July 13, 2007) (a) Large and small business are encouraged to participate...

  13. 76 FR 16712 - Participation by Religious Organizations in USAID Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-25

    ... AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 22 CFR Part 205 RIN 0412 AA-69 Participation by Religious Organizations in USAID Programs AGENCY: United States Agency for International Development (USAID). ACTION... Establishment Clause jurisprudence with respect to the use of Federal funds for inherently religious activities...

  14. 48 CFR 752.245-70 - Government property-USAID reporting requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Government property-USAID reporting requirements. 752.245-70 Section 752.245-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations System AGENCY FOR... recommendation, USAID contracts, except for those for commercial items, must contain the following preface and...

  15. 22 CFR 201.83 - No waiver of alternative rights or remedies by USAID.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... country or political subdivision thereof, nor shall any right or remedy herein reserved to USAID against a... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false No waiver of alternative rights or remedies by... APPLICABLE TO COMMODITY TRANSACTIONS FINANCED BY USAID Rights and Remedies of USAID, and Waiver Authority...

  16. USAID Dollars Obligated and Dollars Spent

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — Displays obligations and disbursements by operating unit (OU) and sector, beginning with Fiscal Years 2009. The data was pulled from USAID's financial accounting...

  17. Teachers as Human Capital or Human Beings? USAID's Perspective on Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ginsburg, Mark

    2017-01-01

    This article analyzes three USAID education strategy documents (1998, 2005, and 2011) as well as USAID's requests for proposals for three projects to assess how teachers are represented. The main findings indicate that USAID education strategy documents a) treat teachers as human capital, a human resource input, rather than as human beings and b)…

  18. 22 CFR 213.23 - Salary offset when USAID is not the creditor agency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Salary offset when USAID is not the creditor... Administrative Offset § 213.23 Salary offset when USAID is not the creditor agency. (a) USAID will use salary... installment, if a date other than the next established pay period. (b) Requests for salary offset must be sent...

  19. Intermediate evaluation of USAID/Cairo energy policy planning project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilbanks, T.J.; Wright, S.B. (Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)); Barron, W.F. (Hong Kong Univ. (Hong Kong)); Kamel, A.M. (Ain Shams Univ., Cairo (Egypt)); Santiago, H.T. (USDOE, Washington, DC (United States))

    1992-01-01

    Three years ago, a team from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Oak Ridge Associated Universities, supplemented by an expert from the US Department of Energy and a senior Egyptian energy professional, carried out what was termed an intermediate evaluation'' of a major energy policy project in Egypt. Supported by USAID/Cairo, the project had concentrated on developing and strengthening an Organization for Energy Planning (OEP) within the Government of India, and it was actually scheduled to end less than a year after this evaluation. The evaluation was submitted to USAID/Cairo and circulated elsewhere in the US Agency for International Development and the Government of Egypt as an internal report. Over the next several years, the USAID energy planning project ended and the functions performed by OEP were merged with planning capabilities in the electric power sector. Now that the major issues addressed by the evaluation report have been resolved, we are making it available to a broader audience as a contribution to the general literature on development project evaluation and institution-building.

  20. Intermediate evaluation of USAID/Cairo energy policy planning project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilbanks, T.J.; Wright, S.B. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Barron, W.F. [Hong Kong Univ. (Hong Kong); Kamel, A.M. [Ain Shams Univ., Cairo (Egypt); Santiago, H.T. [USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)

    1992-09-01

    Three years ago, a team from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Oak Ridge Associated Universities, supplemented by an expert from the US Department of Energy and a senior Egyptian energy professional, carried out what was termed an ``intermediate evaluation`` of a major energy policy project in Egypt. Supported by USAID/Cairo, the project had concentrated on developing and strengthening an Organization for Energy Planning (OEP) within the Government of India, and it was actually scheduled to end less than a year after this evaluation. The evaluation was submitted to USAID/Cairo and circulated elsewhere in the US Agency for International Development and the Government of Egypt as an internal report. Over the next several years, the USAID energy planning project ended and the functions performed by OEP were merged with planning capabilities in the electric power sector. Now that the major issues addressed by the evaluation report have been resolved, we are making it available to a broader audience as a contribution to the general literature on development project evaluation and institution-building.

  1. USAID Adolescent Girl Strategy Implementation Plan

    Science.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development, 2016

    2016-01-01

    USAID's commitment to empowering adolescent girls to reach their full potential is reflected in the Agency's larger efforts to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment. The Agency holds decades of experience leading advances for greater gender equality and empowerment that benefit adolescent girls; however, these activities have not been…

  2. Forty years of USAID health cooperation in Bolivia. A lose-lose game?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tejerina, Herland; Closon, Marie-Christine; Paepe, Pierre De; Darras, Christian; Dessel, Patrick Van; Unger, Jean-Pierre

    2014-01-01

    The present article proposes an analysis of the USA-Bolivia relationships in the health sector between 1971 and 2010 based on a grey and scientific literature review and on interviews. We examined United States Agency for International Development (USAID) interventions, objectives, consistency with Bolivian needs, and impact on health system integration. USAID operational objectives--decentralization, fertility and disease control, and maternal and child health--may have worked against each other while competing for limited Ministry of Health resources. They largely contributed to the segmentation and fragmentation of the Bolivian health system. US cooperation in health did not significantly improve health status while the USAID failed to properly tackle anti-drugs, political, and economic US interests in Bolivia. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. 48 CFR 719.273 - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mentor-Protégé Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... International Development (USAID) Mentor-Protégé Program. 719.273 Section 719.273 Federal Acquisition.... Agency for International Development (USAID) Mentor-Protégé Program 719.273 The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mentor-Protégé Program. ...

  4. 22 CFR 231.11 - Subrogation of USAID.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Subrogation of USAID. 231.11 Section 231.11 Foreign Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT LOAN GUARANTEES ISSUED UNDER THE EMERGENCY WARTIME SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 2003, PUBLIC LAW 108-11-STANDARD TERMS AND...

  5. 77 FR 1396 - Procurement of Commodities and Services Financed by USAID Federal Program Funds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-10

    ... to reflect the change in statutory procurement authorities, but instead self-imposed a policy to... respects, obsolete. The costs of compliance with the complex regulation, and of the self-imposed and... approve waivers to USAID senior field staff, as is done with waivers for USAID branding and marking...

  6. Reconciling Good Intentions: The University-USAID Partnership

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maletzke, Gretchen C.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this case study was to understand the relationship between USAID and U.S. universities in the context of evolving foreign assistance policy. The formation of the partnership and the characteristics of how the partnership functions beyond the political call for this alliance was studied. My interest was to identify and study what…

  7. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Renewable Energy Opportunity Assessment for USAID Mexico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Watson, Andrea [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bracho, Ricardo [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Romero, Rachel [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Mercer, Megan [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2015-11-13

    The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Enhancing Capacity for Low Emission Development Strategies (EC-LEDS) program is designing its second phase of assistance to the Government of Mexico (GOM). In preparation for program design, USAID has asked the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to assist in identifying options for enabling renewable energy in Mexico and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the energy sector. The NREL team conducted a literature review and consulted with over 20 Mexican agencies and organizations during a two-week temporary duty assignment (TDY) to Mexico to identify gaps, opportunities, and program theme areas for Mexico.

  8. Cost-effectiveness of USAID's regional program for family planning in West Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shepard, Donald S; Bail, Richard N; Merritt, C Gary

    2003-06-01

    Between 1994 and 1996, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) closed 23 country missions worldwide, of which eight were in West and Central Africa. To preserve United States support for family planning and reproductive health in four countries in that region, USAID created a subregional program through a consortium of US-based groups that hired mainly African managers and African organizations. This study assesses cost-effectiveness of the program through an interrupted time-series design spanning the 1990s and compares cost-effectiveness in four similar countries in which mission-based programs continued. Key indicators include costs, contraceptive prevalence rates, and imputed "women-years of protection." The study found that, taking into account all external financing for population and family planning, the USAID West Africa regional approach generated women-years of protection at one-third the cost of the mission-based programs. This regional approach delivered family planning assistance in West Africa cost-effectively, and the findings suggest that regional models may work well for many health and population services in small countries.

  9. Applying lessons learned from the USAID family planning graduation experience to the GAVI graduation process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Angela K; Farrell, Marguerite M; Vandenbroucke, Mary F; Fox, Elizabeth; Pablos-Mendez, Ariel

    2015-07-01

    As low income countries experience economic transition, characterized by rapid economic growth and increased government spending potential in health, they have increased fiscal space to support and sustain more of their own health programmes, decreasing need for donor development assistance. Phase out of external funds should be systematic and efforts towards this end should concentrate on government commitments towards country ownership and self-sustainability. The 2006 US Agency for International Development (USAID) family planning (FP) graduation strategy is one such example of a systematic phase-out approach. Triggers for graduation were based on pre-determined criteria and programme indicators. In 2011 the GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations) which primarily supports financing of new vaccines, established a graduation policy process. Countries whose gross national income per capita exceeds $1570 incrementally increase their co-financing of new vaccines over a 5-year period until they are no longer eligible to apply for new GAVI funding, although previously awarded support will continue. This article compares and contrasts the USAID and GAVI processes to apply lessons learned from the USAID FP graduation experience to the GAVI process. The findings of the review are 3-fold: (1) FP graduation plans served an important purpose by focusing on strategic needs across six graduation plan foci, facilitating graduation with pre-determined financial and technical benchmarks, (2) USAID sought to assure contraceptive security prior to graduation, phasing out of contraceptive donations first before phasing out from technical assistance in other programme areas and (3) USAID sought to sustain political support to assure financing of products and programmes continue after graduation. Improving sustainability more broadly beyond vaccine financing provides a more comprehensive approach to graduation. The USAID FP experience provides a

  10. Integrating gender into natural resources management projects: USAID lessons learned.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-01-01

    This article discusses USAID's lessons learned about integrating gender into natural resource management (NRM) projects in Peru, the Philippines, and Kenya. In Peru, USAID integrated women into a solid waste management project by lending money to invest in trash collection supplies. The loans allowed women to collect household waste, transfer it to a landfill, and provide additional sanitary disposal. The women were paid through direct fees from households and through service contracts with municipalities. In Mindanao, the Philippines, women were taught about the health impact of clean water and how to monitor water quality, including the monitoring of E. coli bacteria. Both men and women were taught soil conservation techniques for reducing the amount of silt running into the lake, which interferes with the generation of electricity and affects the health of everyone. The education helped women realize the importance of reducing silt and capitalized on their interest in protecting the health of their families. The women were thus willing to monitor the lake's water quality to determine if the conservation efforts were effective. In Kenya, USAID evaluated its Ecology, Community Organization, and Gender project in the Rift Valley, which helped resettle a landless community and helped with sustainable NRM. The evaluation revealed that women's relative bargaining power was less than men's. Organized capacity building that strengthened women's networks and improved their capacity to push issues onto the community agenda assured women a voice in setting the local NRM agenda.

  11. 76 FR 51916 - Procurement of Commodities and Services Financed by USAID

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-19

    ... procurements with donated funds received under USAID's gift authority, Section 635(d), Foreign Assistance Act... AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 22 CFR Part 228 [Aid Reg. 228] RIN 0412-AA70 Procurement of... of 1961, as amended (FAA), be used for procurement in the United States (U.S.), the recipient country...

  12. 48 CFR 752.7018 - Health and accident coverage for USAID participant trainees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... contractors prior to the initiation of travel by the participant. USAID has developed an Agency-wide database... AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CLAUSES AND FORMS SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts... all reasonable and necessary medical reimbursement charges not otherwise covered by student health...

  13. The USAID and the Brazilian agricultural teaching: the case of the Universidade Rural do Estado de Minas Gerais

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria das Graças Marcelo Ribeiro

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available The Universidade Rural do Estado de Minas Gerais (UREMG was created in 1948, becoming later the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV. This institution has been involved in some agreements of technical assistance that were signed between Brazil and United States, which were mediated in the 1960’s decade by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID. The aim of this work is to analyze the action of the USAID in UREMG basing on the exam of primaries sources from the Central and Historical Archive of UFV. Under the supervision of USAID, the UREMG has performed a significant role in the modernization of Brazilian agriculture as well it served to the strategy of the North-American government of guarantee the control over the production of food in Brazil. As the same way, UREMG has contributed for mitigating social tensions in rural areas.

  14. CONTINGENCY CONTRACTING: DOD, State, and USAID Contracts and Contractor Personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Hutton, John; Ayers, Johana R; Berkholtz, Jessica M; Brandon, E; Culley, Brendan S; James, Jr., Art; McMillen, Lisa A; McSween, Jean; Thornton, Karen

    2008-01-01

    DOD, State, and USAID reported that they obligated at least $33.9 billion during fiscal year 2007 and the first half of fiscal year 2008 on 56,925 contracts with performance in either Iraq or Afghanistan...

  15. Lessons Learned from the USAID Girls' Education Activity in Guatemala, Morocco, and Peru.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rugh, Andrea; Brush, Lorelei

    The Girls' Education Activity (GEA) is a project of the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID's) Office of Women in Development (WID) in the Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade. This report summarizes the experiences and lessons learned from 12 project initiatives in the 3 participating countries (Guatemala,…

  16. Jordan's 2002 to 2012 Fertility Stall and Parallel USAID Investments in Family Planning: Lessons From an Assessment to Guide Future Programming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spindler, Esther; Bitar, Nisreen; Solo, Julie; Menstell, Elizabeth; Shattuck, Dominick

    2017-12-28

    Health practitioners, researchers, and donors are stumped about Jordan's stalled fertility rate, which has stagnated between 3.7 and 3.5 children per woman from 2002 to 2012, above the national replacement level of 2.1. This stall paralleled United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding investments in family planning in Jordan, triggering an assessment of USAID family planning programming in Jordan. This article describes the methods, results, and implications of the programmatic assessment. Methods included an extensive desk review of USAID programs in Jordan and 69 interviews with reproductive health stakeholders. We explored reasons for fertility stagnation in Jordan's total fertility rate (TFR) and assessed the effects of USAID programming on family planning outcomes over the same time period. The assessment results suggest that the increased use of less effective methods, in particular withdrawal and condoms, are contributing to Jordan's TFR stall. Jordan's limited method mix, combined with strong sociocultural determinants around reproduction and fertility desires, have contributed to low contraceptive effectiveness in Jordan. Over the same time period, USAID contributions toward increasing family planning access and use, largely focused on service delivery programs, were extensive. Examples of effective initiatives, among others, include task shifting of IUD insertion services to midwives due to a shortage of female physicians. However, key challenges to improved use of family planning services include limited government investments in family planning programs, influential service provider behaviors and biases that limit informed counseling and choice, pervasive strong social norms of family size and fertility, and limited availability of different contraceptive methods. In contexts where sociocultural norms and a limited method mix are the dominant barriers toward improved family planning use, increased national government investments

  17. 48 CFR 731.770 - OMB Circular A-122, cost principles for nonprofit organizations; USAID implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false OMB Circular A-122, cost principles for nonprofit organizations; USAID implementation. 731.770 Section 731.770 Federal Acquisition Regulations System AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GENERAL CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS CONTRACT COST...

  18. Advancements and results of the program of energy cooperation of the agency for the international development (USAID-MEXICO) in Mexico; Avances y resultados del programa de cooperacin energetica de la agencia para el desarrollo internacional (USAID-MEXICO) en Mexico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Landa Bonilla, J. [Agencia para el Desarrollo Internacional, Embajada de los Estados Unidos de Norte Amrica, (Mexico)

    1997-12-31

    This paper presents the cooperation programs and their results in energy efficiency, renewable energies and pollution prevention between Mexico an the United States through the Agency for the International Development, USAID-Mexico and various specialized institutions of the sector. The main programs of the USAID-Mexico in this area are centered in Pilot Projects: With CONAE as well as with FIDE, programs have been implemented centered in the replacement of standard motors for high efficiency motors, in the optimization of distribution systems and in the steam generation, in the study of motor rewinding practices; Evaluation and Monitoring: Technical assistance is being given for the financial assessment and monitoring of the on line programs of CONAE, FIDE and PAESE, as well as the utilization of the results of the pilot programs for possible large scale programs on incentives, discounts and technology promotion; Standardization: Support has been provided to CONAE for the development of various norms on energy efficiency and programs will be designed for the assessment of the impact of these norms on the productive sector of the country; Renewable Energies: Since 1993 a cooperation program has been implemented on alternate sources of energy with productive applications in rural areas with various institutions of the rural productive sector such as FIRCO and some state governments; Pollution Prevention: Jointly with the Energy Efficiency Program of the USAID in Washington, the EPA and the Centro Mexicano para la Produccion mas Limpia, various energy efficient pilot projects and pollution prevention in industries such as the maquiladora of galvanoplasty and smelting have been developed; Institutional Strengthening: During the last fourth years support has been given to the main institutions, mentioned earlier in terms of training for the internal strengthening of their technical staff. [Espanol] Se presentan los programas de cooperacion y resultados en eficiencia

  19. Advancements and results of the program of energy cooperation of the agency for the international development (USAID-MEXICO) in Mexico; Avances y resultados del programa de cooperacin energetica de la agencia para el desarrollo internacional (USAID-MEXICO) en Mexico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Landa Bonilla, J [Agencia para el Desarrollo Internacional, Embajada de los Estados Unidos de Norte Amrica, (Mexico)

    1998-12-31

    This paper presents the cooperation programs and their results in energy efficiency, renewable energies and pollution prevention between Mexico an the United States through the Agency for the International Development, USAID-Mexico and various specialized institutions of the sector. The main programs of the USAID-Mexico in this area are centered in Pilot Projects: With CONAE as well as with FIDE, programs have been implemented centered in the replacement of standard motors for high efficiency motors, in the optimization of distribution systems and in the steam generation, in the study of motor rewinding practices; Evaluation and Monitoring: Technical assistance is being given for the financial assessment and monitoring of the on line programs of CONAE, FIDE and PAESE, as well as the utilization of the results of the pilot programs for possible large scale programs on incentives, discounts and technology promotion; Standardization: Support has been provided to CONAE for the development of various norms on energy efficiency and programs will be designed for the assessment of the impact of these norms on the productive sector of the country; Renewable Energies: Since 1993 a cooperation program has been implemented on alternate sources of energy with productive applications in rural areas with various institutions of the rural productive sector such as FIRCO and some state governments; Pollution Prevention: Jointly with the Energy Efficiency Program of the USAID in Washington, the EPA and the Centro Mexicano para la Produccion mas Limpia, various energy efficient pilot projects and pollution prevention in industries such as the maquiladora of galvanoplasty and smelting have been developed; Institutional Strengthening: During the last fourth years support has been given to the main institutions, mentioned earlier in terms of training for the internal strengthening of their technical staff. [Espanol] Se presentan los programas de cooperacion y resultados en eficiencia

  20. ASEAN-USAID buildings energy conservation project. Volume 1, Energy standards: Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Levine, M.D.; Busch, J.F. [eds.][Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States); Deringer, J.J. [Deringer Group, Riva, MD (United States)

    1992-06-01

    Mandatory or voluntary energy-efficiency standards for new or existing buildings can play an important role in a national program aimed at promoting energy conservation. Building codes and standards can provide a degree of control over design and building practices throughout the construction process, and encourage awareness of energy-conscious design. Studies in developed countries indicate that efficiency standards can produce energy reductions on the order of 20 to 40% or more. Within ASEAN, analyses of the savings potential from the proposed standards suggest that if implemented, these standards would produce savings over current new design practice of 19% to 24%. In this volume we provide an overview of the ASEAN-USAID project aimed at promulgating standards for energy efficiency in commercial buildings. The process of developing and implementing energy-efficiency standards for buildings can be subdivided into two key components: policy development; and technical and economic analysis. Each of these involves a number of steps and processes, as outlined in Figure 1-1. This volume describes the technical and economic analyses used to develop the proposed energy efficiency standards for four countries (Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia), and to refine an energy standard existing in Singapore since 1979. Though oriented toward the ASEAN region, the analysis methods described here are applicable in a range of settings, provided appropriate modifications are made for local building construction, climatic, economic, and political conditions. Implementation issues are not specifically addressed here; rather this volume is oriented towards the analytical work needed to establish or revise an energy standard for buildings.

  1. Starting a business through a franchise

    OpenAIRE

    Dubravka Mahaček; Maja Martinko Lihtar

    2013-01-01

    A business can be launched by establishing a new entity, purchasing an existing entity or through a franc - hise. There are certain prerequisites for starting a business, the most important ones being a quality idea and start-up capital. Potential start-up difficulties are inadequate financing, existing competition as well as the process of building your own market position. By purchasing an existing business some risks may be avoided and the opportunity for gaining profit may ...

  2. Positive impacts in soil and water conservation in an Andean region of South America: Case scenarios from a USAID multidisciplinary cooperative project

    Science.gov (United States)

    The USAID-SANREM-Virginia Polytechnic Institute project has made and continues to make an excellent impact, specifically showcasing the positive results of soil and water conservation (Barrera et al. 2010a; 2010b). This project has strong international cooperation between the USA, Ecuador and Bolivi...

  3. From START to NEW START. The dilemma and future of nuclear disarmament; Von START zu NEW START. Das Dilemma und die Zukunft der Nuklearen Abruestung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Plettenberg, Lars

    2012-07-01

    The report describes the existing four agreements on nuclear disarmament: START I (1991). START II (1993), SORT (2002) and NEW START (2010). The chapter on the dependence between nuclear disarmament and strategic stability covers the issues mutual assured destruction (MAD), credibility, overkill capacity; the role of nuclear weapons in the national strategies of the USA and NATO, Russia, Great Britain, France, China and the other nuclear states. Ways out of MAD include disarmament, de-alerting and mutual assured protection (MAP).

  4. From START to NEW START. The dilemma and future of nuclear disarmament

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plettenberg, Lars

    2012-01-01

    The report describes the existing four agreements on nuclear disarmament: START I (1991). START II (1993), SORT (2002) and NEW START (2010). The chapter on the dependence between nuclear disarmament and strategic stability covers the issues mutual assured destruction (MAD), credibility, overkill capacity; the role of nuclear weapons in the national strategies of the USA and NATO, Russia, Great Britain, France, China and the other nuclear states. Ways out of MAD include disarmament, de-alerting and mutual assured protection (MAP).

  5. Modernizando a repressão: a Usaid e a polícia brasileira

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo Patto Sá Motta

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Analisa-se aspecto importante, mas pouco conhecido, da atuação da United States Agency for International Development (Usaid no Brasil: a assessoria para treinamento e modernização técnica das corporações policiais. Embora já existisse antes, o programa de assessoria policial foi intensificado após a Revolução Cubana, e reinterpretado à luz das teorias de modernização em voga na década de 1960, que prometiam aos países pobres alternativa de desenvolvimento melhor do que a via revolucionária. O texto procura sintetizar os aspectos mais importantes do funcionamento desse programa - que no Brasil esteve em vigor entre 1960 e 1972 -, buscando compreender os objetivos de ambos os lados envolvidos, com o propósito de evitar apreensões simplificadas.

  6. Why START?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendelsohn, J.

    1991-01-01

    Barring some major unexpected downturn in US-Soviet relations, it seems likely that the long-awaited Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) treaty will be signed sometime in 1991. Under negotiation for the past nine years, public acceptance and Senate approval of a START treaty will be facilitated by the generally less confrontational East-West relationship which has evolved over that time, by the growing constraints on the US defense budget, and by the obvious merits of the treaty itself. Not only will the nearly complete START treaty be an extremely useful and powerful arms control agreement, it is also decidedly advantageous to US security interests. First and foremost, a START treaty will cap and reduce the steady buildup of nuclear weapons that has characterized the last 30 years of the US-Soviet strategic relationship. As a result of the basic outline originally agreed to at the Reykjavik summit, START will take a 25 to 35 percent bite out of existing nuclear arsenals, impose approximately a 50 percent cut in overall Soviet ballistic missile warheads and throw-weight (lifting power or payload capacity), and produce an exact 50 percent cut in Soviet SS-18 missiles

  7. Starting a business through a franchise

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dubravka Mahaček

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available A business can be launched by establishing a new entity, purchasing an existing entity or through a franc - hise. There are certain prerequisites for starting a business, the most important ones being a quality idea and start-up capital. Potential start-up difficulties are inadequate financing, existing competition as well as the process of building your own market position. By purchasing an existing business some risks may be avoided and the opportunity for gaining profit may arise. Profitable operation is possible only if this business has up-to-date products and no outstanding liabilities. This paper discusses franchising business opportunities and the requisite investments and costs, which will bring success if they are accompanied by franchisee’s efforts. The paper aims to present the main characteristics of a franchise business, the necessary investment and the costs which arise in the process, as well as advantages, disadvantages and experiences with this kind of business

  8. GOFC-GOLD/LCLUC/START Regional Networking: building capacity for science and decision-making.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Justice, C. O.; Vadrevu, K.; Gutman, G.

    2016-12-01

    Over the past 20 years, the international GOFC-GOLD Program and START, with core funding from the NASA LCLUC program and ESA have been developing regional networks of scientists and data users for scientific capacity building and sharing experience in the use and application of Earth Observation data. Regional networks connect scientists from countries with similar environmental and social issues and often with shared water and airsheds. Through periodic regional workshops, regional and national projects are showcased and national priorities and policy drivers are articulated. The workshops encourage both north-south and south-south exchange and collaboration. The workshops are multi-sponsored and each include a training component, targeting early career scientists and data users from the region. The workshops provide an opportunity for regional scientists to publish in peer-reviewed special editions focused on regional issues. Currently, the NASA LCLUC program funded "South and Southeast Asia Regional Initiative (SARI)" team is working closely with the USAID/NASA SERVIR program to implement some capacity building and training activities jointly in south/southeast Asian countries to achieve maximum benefit.

  9. Do Specific Growth Drivers Exist for Firms? A Regional Analysis of Start-ups and Industrial Growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    PAUL I. OJEAGA

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The study of start-ups, have remained largely a micro economic issue. Firms are the key drivers of industrial sector GDP (or enterprise growth in countries across regions. Few studies have tried to examine the consequence of start-ups in the broad macroeconomics terms on enterprise growth in general with special emphasis on industrial sector output. This study provides a macroeconomic study of the effect of start- ups on industrial sector growth for countries in some specific geographical regions of the world. Panel data is utilized due to it obvious advantages such its ability to utilize a panel of short time frames and its suitability for controlling for omitted variable bias and unobservable heterogeneity across regions. The results show that start-ups remain an intrinsic variable for enterprise growth and industrial sector output discussion in general.

  10. USAID Expands eMODIS Coverage for Famine Early Warning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkerson, C.; Meyer, D. J.; Evenson, K.; Merritt, M.

    2011-12-01

    Food security in countries at risk is monitored by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) using many methods including Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data processed by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) into eMODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) products. Near-real time production is used comparatively with trends derived from the eMODIS archive to operationally monitor vegetation anomalies indicating threatened cropland and rangeland conditions. eMODIS production over Central America and the Caribbean (CAMCAR) began in 2009, and processes 10-day NDVI composites every 5 days from surface reflectance inputs produced using predicted spacecraft and climatology information at Land and Atmosphere Near real time Capability for Earth Observing Systems (EOS) (LANCE). These expedited eMODIS composites are backed by a parallel archive of precision-based NDVI calculated from surface reflectance data ordered through Level 1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS). Success in the CAMCAR region led to the recent expansion of eMODIS production to include Africa in 2010, and Central Asia in 2011. Near-real time 250-meter products are available for each region on the last day of an acquisition interval (generally before midnight) from an anonymous file transfer protocol (FTP) distribution site (ftp://emodisftp.cr.usgs.gov/eMODIS). The FTP site concurrently hosts the regional historical collections (2000 to present) which are also searchable using the USGS Earth Explorer (http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/NewEarthExplorer). As eMODIS coverage continues to grow, these geographically gridded, georeferenced tagged image file format (GeoTIFF) NDVI composites increase their utility as effective tools for operational monitoring of near-real time vegetation data against historical trends.

  11. Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Teams: Flawed from the Start, How Perverse Incentives and Unintended Outcomes Impacted Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-17

    developmental aid system, as currently constructed, was not successful. An excellent example of this type of study focused on Sida , the Swedish...counterpart to USAID. In their systematic exploration of Sida , Clark C. Gibson and his associates discovered that much of the failure of Sida’s...

  12. Analysis of automobile’s automatic control systems for the hill climbing start

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeriy I. Klimenko

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available To improve road safety while driving on the rise, facilitating the driver’s activity the automobile industry leaders are introducing automatic hill-hold control systems into the car design. This study purpose relates to the existing automatic start control systems’ design analysis. Analyzed are the existing design developments of automatic hill start assist control systems applied for driving at the start of the climbing. The effected research allows to select the scheme for further development of start driving automatic control systems. Further improvement of driving control systems and primarily the driver assistance hill-hold control systems is necessary to increase both the driving comfort and the traffic safety.

  13. Linking Environmental Orientation to Start-ups’ Networking Activities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dickel, Petra; Ritter, Thomas

    Besides for-profit start-ups, an increasing number of firms start their existence with the purpose to “do good” for society – mirrored in an increasing academic discussion of sustainable firms. Yet, there is little research on the networking activities of start-ups that do not have profit...... generation as their primary focus. Addressing this research gap, we develop hypotheses on the different networking activities of environmentally oriented start-ups arguing that their societal focus has a positive impact on the frequency of their networking and the size of their network. For empirically...... investigating such networking differences, we use data from 179 technology-based start-ups and show that start-ups with a strong external environmental orientation have significantly higher networking frequency and build larger networks. On the contrary, strong internal environmental orientation is linked...

  14. Practical Considerations of the Start-up Procedure for an Active Capacitor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Haoran; Wang, Qian; Geng, Tao

    2017-01-01

    Capacitive DC links provide the only low-impedance current path connected with an input source during the start-up of many voltage source converters. A soft-start circuit is usually implemented to limit the inrush current. A two-terminal active capacitor is recently proposed which can directly...... replace conventional passive capacitors in DC links, with reduced cost or size for a given application. The active capacitor has the same level of convenience with two power terminals only as a passive capacitor. This paper proposes two start-up schemes for the active capacitor to overcome the drawbacks...... of existing methods previously widely used for passive capacitors. One scheme is based on a trade-off design between the start-up performance and the component sizing of the active capacitor. The other scheme is based on either an additional bypass switch together with the existing soft-start circuit...

  15. ASEAN-USAID Buildings Energy Conservation Project. Final report, Volume 3: Audits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Loewen, J.M.; Levine, M.D.; Busch, J.F. [eds.

    1992-06-01

    The auditing subproject of the ASEAN-USAID Buildings Energy Conservation Project has generated a great deal of auditing activity throughout the ASEAN region. Basic building characterisfic and energy consumption data were gathered for over 200 buildings and are presented in this volume. A large number of buildings were given more detailed audits and were modeled with either the ASEAM-2 computer program or the more complex DOE-2 program. These models were used to calculate the savings to be generated by conservabon measures. Specially audits were also conducted, including lighting and thermal comfort surveys. Many researchers in the ASEAN region were trained to perform energy audits in a series of training courses and seminars. The electricity intensifies of various types of ASEAN buildings have been calculated. A comparison to the electricity intensity of the US building stock tentatively concludes that ASEAN office buildings are comparable, first class hotels and retail stores are more ewctricity intensive than their US counterparts, and hospitals are less intensive. Philippine and Singapore lighting surveys indicate that illuminance levels in offices tend to be below the minimum accepted standard. Computer simulations of the energy use in various building types generally agree that for most ASEAN buildings, electricity consumption for air-conditioning (including fan power) consumes approximately 60% of total building electricity. A review of the many studies made during the Project to calculate the savings from energy conservation opportunities (ECOS) shows a median potential savings of approximately 10%, with some buildings saving as much as 50%. Singapore buildings, apparently as a result of previously implemented efficient energy-use practices, shows a lower potential for savings than the other ASEAN nations. Air-conditioning ECOs hold the greatest potential for savings.

  16. NEW VENTURE CREATION: HOW START-UPS GROW?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    AIDIN SALAMZADEH

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Start-ups, often seen as sources of innovation and change, are prone to failure and accordingly they are attracting considerable attention not least from policy makers and Government officials. However, the various new venture creation studies that have emerged since the early 1980s lack cohesiveness, and the domain remains controversial. This article not only exposes the limitations of the existing body of understanding on the topic but attempts to develop a more comprehensive and comprehendible framework for start up (new venture creation. To do so it uses the frameworks proposed by Whetten, and March and Smith to develop 11 propositions. The resultant model suggests that the creation of a start up involves the identification of an idea or opportunity by an entrepreneur who subsequently organizes a series of activities, mobilizes resources and creates competence using his/her networks in an environment in order to create value. It sheds light on the start-up (new venture creation process and has relevance for entrepreneurs, policy makers and researchers.

  17. New Start of “Psychological Thought”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stanislava Stoyanova

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available The history and the mission of Psychological Thought are presented. The scientific journal “Psychological Thought” started its existence as an idea of the colleagues at the Department of Psychology at South-West University “Neofit Rilski” in 2006. Seven print issues were published from 2006 to 2009 (2 issues per year. Each issue included average ten articles published in Bulgarian or in English.

  18. Marines in the Interagency: Are We in the Right Places?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-01

    Fellowship billets at USAID, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and realign the associated billet responsibilities that existed in 2006 to meet current Marine...economic development agencies along with a state labor department.36 Outside of government agencies, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its state and local...U.S. Chamber of Commerce Center for Security Policy Exxon Mobil IBM Office of Foreign Disaster (USAID) Sears Holdings Corporation The Home Depot

  19. High Time Resolution Measurements of VOCs from Vehicle Cold Starts: The Air Toxic Cold Start Pulse

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jobson, B. T.; Huangfu, Y.; Vanderschelden, G. S.

    2017-12-01

    Pollutants emitted during motor vehicle cold starts, especially in winter in some climates, is a significant source of winter time air pollution. While data exist for CO, NO, and total hydrocarbon emissions from federal testing procedures for vehicle emission certification, little is known about the emission rates of individual volatile organic compounds, in particular the air toxics benzene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde. Little is known about the VOC speciation and temperature dependence for cold starts. The US EPA vehicle emission model MOVES assumes that cold start emissions have the same speciation profile as running emissions. We examined this assumption by measuring cold start exhaust composition for 4 vehicles fueled with E10 gasoline over a temperature range of -4°C to 10°C in winter of 2015. The extra cold start emissions were determined by comparison with emissions during engine idling. In addition to CO and NOx measurements a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer was used to measure formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and C2-alkylbenzenes at high time resolution to compare with the cold start emission speciation profiles used in the EPA MOVES2014 model. The results show that after the vehicle was started, CO mixing ratios can reach a few percent of the exhaust and then drop to several ppmv within 2 minutes of idling, while NOx showed different temporal behaviors among the four vehicles. VOCs displayed elevated levels during cold start and the peak mixing ratios can be two orders higher than idling phase levels. Molar emission ratios relative to toluene were used to compare with the emission ratio used in MOVES2014 and we found the formaldehyde-to-toluene emission ratio was about 0.19, which is 5 times higher than the emission ratio used in MOVES2014 and the acetaldehyde-to-toluene emission ratios were 0.86-0.89, which is 8 times higher than the ones in MOVES2014. The C2-alkylbenzene-to-toluene ratio agreed well with moves. Our results

  20. Anakinra as a diagnostic challenge and treatment option for systemic autoinflammatory disorders of undefined etiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, Stephanie R; McGonagle, Dennis; Nizam, Sharmin; Jarrett, Stephen; van der Hilst, Jeroen; McDermott, Michael F; Savic, Sinisa

    2016-05-05

    Some adult patients presenting with unexplained pyrexia, serositis, skin rashes, arthralgia, myalgia, and other symptoms commonly found in autoinflammatory disorders may not fit a specific diagnosis, either because their clinical phenotype is nondiagnostic or genetic tests are negative. We used the term undifferentiated systemic autoinflammatory disorder (uSAID) to describe such cases. Given that well-defined autoinflammatory diseases show responses to IL-1 blockade, we evaluated whether anakinra was useful for both diagnosing and treating uSAID patients. We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients presenting with uSAID between 2012-2015 who were treated with the recombinant IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra. uSAID was diagnosed after excluding malignancy, infection, and pathogenic mutations in known hereditary fever syndromes (HFS) genes and where clinical criteria for adult onset Still's disease (AOSD) were not met. A total of 11 patients presented with uSAID (5 males and 6 females), with a mean time to diagnosis of 3.5 years (1-8 years). Patients were unresponsive or only partially controlled on disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)/steroid treatment. Anakinra controlled symptoms within 4-6 weeks of starting treatment in 9 of 11 cases. Two patients discontinued therapy - one due to incomplete response and another due to severe injection-site reactions. This retrospective case series demonstrates that the spectrum of poorly defined autoinflammatory disorders that show responsiveness to anakinra is considerable. Anakinra seems a viable treatment option for these patients, who are unresponsive to standard steroid/DMARD treatments. Moreover, given the mechanisms of action, response to anakinra implicates underlying IL-1 dysregulation in the disease pathogenesis of responding uSAIDs patients.

  1. Start-Up Funding Intentions Among Nascent Nonprofit Entrepreneurs: An Exploratory Investigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fredrik O. Andersson

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the start-up funding intentions of nascent nonprofit entrepreneurs, i.e., individuals in the process of creating a new formal nonprofit organization. The main questions being examined are from which sources nascent nonprofit entrepreneurs anticipate to obtain start-up funding from, how much start-up funding nascent nonprofit entrepreneurs anticipate they will need to formally launch their new nonprofit, and if there are any differences in funding intentions among nascent nonprofit entrepreneurs with and without previous start-up experience. The results from a survey of 103 nascent nonprofit entrepreneurs in Kansas City are presented and contrasted with existing research on funding of new nonprofit organizations. The results show an apparent preference for start-up funding from philanthropic grants and private donations, along with personal contributions of the founder(s.

  2. Secondary Circuit Start Up Chemistry Optimisation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fontan, Guillaume; Morel, Pascal

    2012-09-01

    In a context of investment and renewal of equipment, Electricite De France (EDF) put enhanced efforts on operating practices during start-up of the secondary circuit, in order to improve operational performance and materials lifetime. This article focuses on the objective of optimizing the filling, the chemical conditioning and the thermal conditioning of the secondary fluid, while taking into account the following issues: - Limiting the time required to obtain a proper chemistry, - Limiting the amount of water and steam used, - Limiting the amount of effluent generated. The scope is all start-up conditions of secondary circuit, both after refuelling outage or fortuitous shutdowns of the plant. The recommendations produced are based on existing local procedures and good practices, which were collected and developed in order to propose a generic methodology understandable and useful both for operators, chemists and managers. (authors)

  3. Business Models for Start up Business

    OpenAIRE

    Boban, Nitin

    2010-01-01

    Gamingdom is a new start up venture that provides online gaming service utilising the latest cloud computing technology. The high demand, popularity and exponential growth in the number of gaming enthusiasts and the market have brought about this innovative idea. This new venture aims to provide an easy method of gaming through the internet without heavy expenses on hardware and software and also minimising the existing high rate of piracy. A business model is an essential tool for buildin...

  4. Business incubator as a support measure for start-ups in Russia and Sweden. : Comparative analysis.

    OpenAIRE

    Kiseleva, Maria

    2017-01-01

    Growth and developing of start-ups plays an important role as starting new business is one of the indicator that shows the economy level of each country. At that time start-ups need support and one of such support institutions is business incubator who can provide all resources that start-ups need. Different studies exist about business incubator as a support measure and the role of them for start- ups, but there is a lack of studies in analyzing this topic in different business environments....

  5. Climate Scenarios for the NASA / USAID SERVIR Project: Challenges for Multiple Planning Horizons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, Franklin R.; Roberts, J. B.; Lyon, B.; Funk, C.; Bosilovich, M. G.

    2014-01-01

    SERVIR, an acronym meaning "to serve" in Spanish, is a joint venture between NASA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) which provides satellite-based Earth observation data, modeling, and science applications to help developing nations in Central America, East Africa and the Himalayas improve environmental decision making. Anticipating climate variability / climate change impacts has now become an important component of the SERVIR efforts to build capacity in these regions. Uncertainty in hydrometeorological components of climate variations and exposure to extreme events across scales from weather to climate are of particular concern. We report here on work to construct scenarios or outlooks that are being developed as input drivers for decision support systems (DSSs) in a variety of settings. These DSSs are being developed jointly by a broad array NASA Applied Science Team (AST) Investigations and user communities in the three SERVIR Hub Regions, Central America, East Africa and the Himalayas. Issues span hydrologic / water resources modeling, agricultural productivity, and forest carbon reserves. The scenarios needed for these efforts encompass seasonal forecasts, interannual outlooks, and likely decadal / multi-decadal trends. Providing these scenarios across the different AST efforts enables some level of integration in considering regional responses to climate events. We will discuss a number of challenges in developing this continuum of scenarios including the identification and "mining" of predictability, addressing multiple continental regions, issues of downscaling global model integrations to regional / local applications (i.e. hydrologic and crop modeling). We compare / contrast the role of the U.S. National Multi- Model Experiment initiative in seasonal forecasts and the CMIP-5 climate model experiments in supporting these efforts. Examples of these scenarios, their use, and an assessment of their utility as well as limitations will

  6. Starting a nursing consultation practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulmeister, L

    1999-03-01

    Because the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) role has been changed or eliminated in many hospital organizations, many CNSs in career transition are considering establishing collaborative or independent nursing consultation practices. Opportunities for consultants exist in diverse practice settings and specialties. Before starting a consultation practice, the CNS should carefully examine goals, identify resources, and begin contacting potential referral sources. He or she must also decide what form of business organization to establish and write a business plan to solidify ideas and prepare for the unexpected. Most CNS consultants rely on personal savings to cover initial business and personal expenses, and many continue working as a CNS until the consultation practice is established. Fees can be set based on community standards, what the market will bear, desired projected income, or a third-party payor's fee schedule. The consultation practice can be marketed by word of mouth, inexpensive advertising techniques such as distributing flyers and business cards, direct mall, and media advertising. In today's healthcare marketplace, opportunities abound for the CNS risk-taker interested in starting a nursing consultation practice.

  7. Streamlining Research by Using Existing Tools

    OpenAIRE

    Greene, Sarah M.; Baldwin, Laura-Mae; Dolor, Rowena J.; Thompson, Ella; Neale, Anne Victoria

    2011-01-01

    Over the past two decades, the health research enterprise has matured rapidly, and many recognize an urgent need to translate pertinent research results into practice, to help improve the quality, accessibility, and affordability of U.S. health care. Streamlining research operations would speed translation, particularly for multi-site collaborations. However, the culture of research discourages reusing or adapting existing resources or study materials. Too often, researchers start studies and...

  8. Priors & prejudice : using existing knowledge in social science research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Wesel, F.

    2011-01-01

    Researchers in the social sciences usually start their research with the formulation of research goals and questions, which, together with studying the existing literature, lead to the formulation of hypotheses. Next, data is collected using experiments or questionnaires and is subsequently

  9. Evaluating the Use of Remote Sensing Data in the USAID Famine Early Warning Systems Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Molly E.; Brickley, Elizabeth B.

    2011-01-01

    The US Agency for International Development (USAID) s Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) provides monitoring and early warning support to decision makers responsible for responding to food insecurity emergencies on three continents. FEWS NET uses satellite remote sensing and ground observations of rainfall and vegetation in order to provide information on drought, floods and other extreme weather events to decision makers. Previous research has presented results from a professional review questionnaire with FEWS NET expert end-users whose focus was to elicit Earth observation requirements. The review provided FEWS NET operational requirements and assessed the usefulness of additional remote sensing data. Here we analyzed 1342 food security update reports from FEWS NET. The reports consider the biophysical, socioeconomic, and contextual influences on the food security in 17 countries in Africa from 2000-2009. The objective was to evaluate the use of remote sensing information in comparison with other important factors in the evaluation of food security crises. The results show that all 17 countries use rainfall information, agricultural production statistics, food prices and food access parameters in their analysis of food security problems. The reports display large scale patterns that are strongly related to history of the FEWS NET program in each country. We found that rainfall data was used 84% of the time, remote sensing of vegetation 28% of the time, and gridded crop models 10%, reflecting the length of use of each product in the regions. More investment is needed in training personnel on remote sensing products to improve use of data products throughout the FEWS NET system.

  10. The impact of FinTech start-ups on incumbent retail banks' share prices

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Yinqiao; Spigt, Renée; Swinkels, Laurens

    2017-01-01

    Background: This study aims to clarify the role of FinTech digital banking start-ups in the financial industry. We examine the impact of the funding of such start-ups on the stock returns of 47 incumbent US retail banks for 2010 to 2016. Methods: To capture the importance of FinTech start-ups, we use data on both the dollar-volume of funding and number of deals. We relate these to the stock returns with panel data regression methods. Results: Our results indicate a positive relationship exist...

  11. TrustRank: a Cold-Start tolerant recommender system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Haitao; Gong, Zhiguo; Zhang, Nan; Zhao, Wei; Guo, Jingzhi

    2015-02-01

    The explosive growth of the World Wide Web leads to the fast advancing development of e-commerce techniques. Recommender systems, which use personalised information filtering techniques to generate a set of items suitable to a given user, have received considerable attention. User- and item-based algorithms are two popular techniques for the design of recommender systems. These two algorithms are known to have Cold-Start problems, i.e., they are unable to effectively handle Cold-Start users who have an extremely limited number of purchase records. In this paper, we develop TrustRank, a novel recommender system which handles the Cold-Start problem by leveraging the user-trust networks which are commonly available for e-commerce applications. A user-trust network is formed by friendships or trust relationships that users specify among them. While it is straightforward to conjecture that a user-trust network is helpful for improving the accuracy of recommendations, a key challenge for using user-trust network to facilitate Cold-Start users is that these users also tend to have a very limited number of trust relationships. To address this challenge, we propose a pre-processing propagation of the Cold-Start users' trust network. In particular, by applying the personalised PageRank algorithm, we expand the friends of a given user to include others with similar purchase records to his/her original friends. To make this propagation algorithm scalable to a large amount of users, as required by real-world recommender systems, we devise an iterative computation algorithm of the original personalised TrustRank which can incrementally compute trust vectors for Cold-Start users. We conduct extensive experiments to demonstrate the consistently improvement provided by our proposed algorithm over the existing recommender algorithms on the accuracy of recommendations for Cold-Start users.

  12. Beleaguered Egypt project running out of funds and time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-01-01

    Started in 1979 as part of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the Family of the Future (FOF) social marketing project accounts for 35% of all contraceptives used in Egypt. FOF left the IPPF in 1981 to work as a nonprofit, semiprivate organization under the supervision of Egypt's Ministry of Health and has become the third largest social marketing project in the world. FOF has, however, gone through 5 executive directors in the last 6 years, prompting critics to think that the Board of Directors is hand-picked by the Egyptian Ministry of Health. additional allegations of financial mismanagement have caused the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to cancel over $1.5 million in annual funding and product support for the program. Until recently, FOF has benefited from products and operations and technical assistance totalling near $20 million as part of a USAID 10-year, $118-million Egyptian effort. FOF has responded to the funding cut by downsizing its staff and preparing to raise contraceptive prices. Even though USAID has solicited proposals for competitive replacement programs, the new executive director is optimistic that funding cuts leading to organizational change and price increases will ultimately help FOF become self-sufficient. Once USAID-provided supplies have been depleted, FOF will most likely turn to IPPF for assistance.

  13. The amazing vitality of things that don’t exist

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tarp, Sven

    2016-01-01

    This contribution moves in the grey zone between lexicographical reality and fiction. It starts three hundred years ago and presents some dictionaries that do not exist. It then follows the historical development and shows how these dictionaries recently have got company by lexicographical theories...

  14. From Head Start to Sure Start: Reflections on Policy Transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welshman, John

    2010-01-01

    This article uses the history of debates over the US Head Start programme (1965), Early Head Start (1994) and the UK Sure Start initiative (1998), as a window on to policy transfer. In all the three, the aim was that early intervention could offer a means of boosting children's educational attainment and of countering the wider effects of poverty…

  15. Priority setting for existing chemicals : automated data selection routine

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haelst, A.G. van; Hansen, B.G.

    2000-01-01

    One of the four steps within Council Regulation 793/93/EEC on the evaluation and control of existing chemicals is the priority setting step. The priority setting step is concerned with selecting high-priority substances from a large number of substances, initially starting with 2,474

  16. Mathematical modeling and analysis of heat pipe start-up from the frozen state

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jang, J.H.; Faghri, A.; Chang, W.S.; Mahefkey, E.T.

    1989-08-01

    The start-up process of a frozen heat pipe is described and a complete mathematical model for the start-up of the frozen heat pipe is developed based on the existing experimental data, which is simplified and solved numerically. The two-dimensional transient model for the wall and wick is coupled with the one-dimensional transient model for the vapor flow when vaporization and condensation occur at the interface. A parametric study is performed to examine the effect of the boundary specification at the surface of the outer wall on the successful start-up from the frozen state. For successful start-up, the boundary specification at the outer wall surface must melt the working substance in the condenser before dry-out takes place in the evaporator

  17. The value of business incubation services for early stage start-ups

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Brian; Tanev, Stoyan; Jensen, Søren

    2017-01-01

    of the needs of early stage start-ups since they: i) do not have a well-articulated business model but work towards establishing one; ii) operate under conditions of significantly high risks and uncertainties; and iii) have not developed the minimum viable set of partners that would enable them to demonstrate...... in specific incubation programs. The findings should contribute to existing literature within the topic of business-incubation, as well as provide managers of both incubators and start-ups with actionable insights about the ways of maximizing the value of incubation services.......The paper focuses on conceptualizing the value of business incubation services for early stage start-ups that are typical of university-based entrepreneurial ecosystems. The challenge of such conceptualization consists in two main issues. The first issue is taking into account the specificity...

  18. Lean start-up

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Erik Stavnsager; Tanev, Stoyan

    2016-01-01

    The risk of launching new products and starting new firms is known to be extremely high. The Lean Start-up approach is a way of reducing these risks and enhancing the chances for success by validating the products and services in the market with customers before launching it in full scale. The ma...... and the final business model. In other words: The start-up must first nail the problem together with the customers, then develop the solution and test, and then in the end scale it to a full-grown business model.......The risk of launching new products and starting new firms is known to be extremely high. The Lean Start-up approach is a way of reducing these risks and enhancing the chances for success by validating the products and services in the market with customers before launching it in full scale. The main...

  19. Existing sustainable renovation concepts for single-family houses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tommerup, Henrik M.; Vanhoutteghem, Lies; Svendsen, Svend

    2010-01-01

    In the Nordic Innovation Centre Project, SuccessFamilies, the main objective is to change the business environment in order to speed up the implementation of sustainable renovation of single-family houses – proposing new service concepts that will combine both the technical solutions, financing...... with individual solutions, traditional warehouses ”do-it-yourself-shops” and some actors marketing single products. To speed up the implementation of sustainable renovation of single-family houses there is a great need for full-service packages. Existing technical renovation concepts, typically focusing...... services as well as other promoting issues to overcome the behavioural, organizational, legal and social barriers that exist in sustainable renovation. A starting point for such a change has been to get an overview of the existing sustainable renovation concepts, i.e. full-service concepts and technical...

  20. Key parameters of the swimming start and their relationship to start performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tor, Elaine; Pease, David L; Ball, Kevin A

    2015-01-01

    The swimming start is typically broken into three sub-phases; on-block, flight, and underwater phases. While overall start performance is highly important to elite swimming, the contribution of each phase and important technical components within each phase, particularly with the new kick-start technique, has not been established. The aim of this study was to identify technical factors associated with overall start performance, with a particular focus on the underwater phase. A number of parameters were calculated from 52 starts performed by elite freestyle and butterfly swimmers. These parameters were split into above-water and underwater groupings, before factor analysis was used to reduce parameter numbers for multiple regression. For the above-water phases, 81% of variance in start performance was accounted for by take-off horizontal velocity. For the underwater water phase, 96% of variance was accounted for with time underwater in descent, time underwater in ascent and time to 10 m. Therefore, developing greater take-off horizontal velocity and focussing on the underwater phase by finding the ideal trajectory will lead to improved start performance.

  1. Fast Thorium Molten Salt Reactors Started with Plutonium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merle-Lucotte, E.; Heuer, D.; Le Brun, C.; Brissot, R.; Liatard, E.; Meplan, O.; Nuttin, A.; Mathieu, L.

    2006-01-01

    One of the pending questions concerning Molten Salt Reactors based on the 232 Th/ 233 U fuel cycle is the supply of the fissile matter, and as a consequence the deployment possibilities of a fleet of Molten Salt Reactors, since 233 U does not exist on earth and is not yet produced in the current operating reactors. A solution may consist in producing 233 U in special devices containing Thorium, in Pressurized Water or Fast Neutrons Reactors. Two alternatives to produce 233 U are examined here: directly in standard Molten Salt Reactors started with Plutonium as fissile matter and then operated in the Th/ 233 U cycle; or in dedicated Molten Salt Reactors started and fed with Plutonium as fissile matter and Thorium as fertile matter. The idea is to design a critical reactor able to burn the Plutonium and the minor actinides presently produced in PWRs, and consequently to convert this Plutonium into 233 U. A particular reactor configuration is used, called 'unique channel' configuration in which there is no moderator in the core, leading to a quasi fast neutron spectrum, allowing Plutonium to be used as fissile matter. The conversion capacities of such Molten Salt Reactors are excellent. For Molten Salt Reactors only started with Plutonium, the assets of the Thorium fuel cycle turn out to be quickly recovered and the reactor's characteristics turn out to be equivalent to Molten Salt Reactors operated with 233 U only. Using a combination of Molten Salt Reactors started or operated with Plutonium and of Molten Salt Reactors started with 233 U, the deployment capabilities of these reactors fully satisfy the condition of sustainability. (authors)

  2. EXISTS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE?

    OpenAIRE

    Anca-Ioana MUNTEANU

    2015-01-01

    This paper is purely theoretical, having as starting points both existing information in the literature and their correlations. The text does not have a generalized, but represent personal opinions and conclusions. Critically analyzing the definitions given in the literature the term "strategic human resource management ", we found that most of them referred to the involvement he has it in obtaining competitive advantage of an organization. Also, starting from the study of different approache...

  3. Law-based arguments and messages to advocate for later school start time policies in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Clark J; Nolan, Dennis M; Lockley, Steven W; Pattison, Brent

    2017-12-01

    The increasing scientific evidence that early school start times are harmful to the health and safety of teenagers has generated much recent debate about changing school start times policies for adolescent students. Although efforts to promote and implement such changes have proliferated in the United States in recent years, they have rarely been supported by law-based arguments and messages that leverage the existing legal infrastructure regulating public education and child welfare in the United States. Furthermore, the legal bases to support or resist such changes have not been explored in detail to date. This article provides an overview of how law-based arguments and messages can be constructed and applied to advocate for later school start time policies in US public secondary schools. The legal infrastructure impacting school start time policies in the United States is briefly reviewed, including descriptions of how government regulates education, what legal obligations school officials have concerning their students' welfare, and what laws and public policies currently exist that address adolescent sleep health and safety. On the basis of this legal infrastructure, some hypothetical examples of law-based arguments and messages that could be applied to various types of advocacy activities (eg, litigation, legislative and administrative advocacy, media and public outreach) to promote later school start times are discussed. Particular consideration is given to hypothetical arguments and messages aimed at emphasizing the consistency of later school start time policies with existing child welfare law and practices, legal responsibilities of school officials and governmental authorities, and societal values and norms. Copyright © 2017 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Applying Geospatial Technologies for International Development and Public Health: The USAID/NASA SERVIR Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hemmings, Sarah; Limaye, Ashutosh; Irwin, Dan

    2011-01-01

    Background: SERVIR -- the Regional Visualization and Monitoring System -- helps people use Earth observations and predictive models based on data from orbiting satellites to make timely decisions that benefit society. SERVIR operates through a network of regional hubs in Mesoamerica, East Africa, and the Hindu Kush-Himalayas. USAID and NASA support SERVIR, with the long-term goal of transferring SERVIR capabilities to the host countries. Objective/Purpose: The purpose of this presentation is to describe how the SERVIR system helps the SERVIR regions cope with eight areas of societal benefit identified by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO): health, disasters, ecosystems, biodiversity, weather, water, climate, and agriculture. This presentation will describe environmental health applications of data in the SERVIR system, as well as ongoing and future efforts to incorporate additional health applications into the SERVIR system. Methods: This presentation will discuss how the SERVIR Program makes environmental data available for use in environmental health applications. SERVIR accomplishes its mission by providing member nations with access to geospatial data and predictive models, information visualization, training and capacity building, and partnership development. SERVIR conducts needs assessments in partner regions, develops custom applications of Earth observation data, and makes NASA and partner data available through an online geospatial data portal at SERVIRglobal.net. Results: Decision makers use SERVIR to improve their ability to monitor air quality, extreme weather, biodiversity, and changes in land cover. In past several years, the system has been used over 50 times to respond to environmental threats such as wildfires, floods, landslides, and harmful algal blooms. Given that the SERVIR regions are experiencing increased stress under larger climate variability than historic observations, SERVIR provides information to support the development of

  5. Local existence of N=1 supersymmetric gauge theory in four Dimensions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akbar, Fiki T. [Theoretical Physics Laboratory, Theoretical High Energy Physics and Instrumentation Research Group, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung Jl. Ganesha no. 10 Bandung, 40132 (Indonesia); Gunara, Bobby E.; Zen, Freddy P.; Triyanta [Theoretical Physics Laboratory, Theoretical High Energy Physics and Instrumentation Research Group, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung Jl. Ganesha no. 10 Bandung, 40132 (Indonesia); Indonesian Center of Theoretical and Mathematical Physics (ICTMP) (Indonesia)

    2015-04-16

    In this paper, we shall prove the local existence of N=1 supersymmetry gauge theory in 4 dimension. We start from the Lagrangian for coupling chiral and vector multiplets with constant gauge kinetic function and only considering a bosonic part by setting all fermionic field to be zero at level equation of motion. We consider a U(n) model as isometry for scalar field internal geometry. And we use a nonlinear semigroup method to prove the local existence.

  6. Spin Start Line Effects on the J2X Gas Generator Chamber Acoustics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenny, R. Jeremy

    2011-01-01

    The J2X Gas Generator engine design has a spin start line connected near to the turbine inlet vanes. This line provides helium during engine startup to begin turbomachinery operation. The spin start line also acts as an acoustic side branch which alters the chamber's acoustic modes. The side branch effectively creates 'split modes' in the chamber longitudinal modes, in particular below the first longitudinal mode and within the frequency range associated with the injection-coupled response of the Gas Generator. Interaction between the spin start-modified chamber acoustics and the injection-driven response can create a higher system response than without the spin start attached to the chamber. This work reviews the acoustic effects of the spin start line as seen throughout the workhorse gas generator test program. A simple impedance model of the spin start line is reviewed. Tests were run with no initial spin start gas existing in the line, as well as being initially filled with nitrogen gas. Tests were also run with varying spin start line lengths from 0" to 40". Acoustic impedance changes due to different spin start gas constituents and line lengths are shown. Collected thermocouple and static pressure data in the spin start line was used to help estimate the fluid properties along the line length. The side branch impedance model was coupled to a chamber impedance model to show the effects on the overall chamber response. Predictions of the spin start acoustic behavior for helium operation are shown and compared against available data.

  7. Later Start, Longer Sleep: Implications of Middle School Start Times

    Science.gov (United States)

    Temkin, Deborah A.; Princiotta, Daniel; Ryberg, Renee; Lewin, Daniel S.

    2018-01-01

    Background: Although adolescents generally get less than the recommended 9 hours of sleep per night, research and effort to delay school start times have generally focused on high schools. This study assesses the relation between school start times and sleep in middle school students while accounting for potentially confounding demographic…

  8. Seismic qualification of existing nuclear installations in India - a proposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basu, P.C.

    2001-01-01

    In India, the work toward seismic qualification of existing nuclear facilities has been started. Preliminary work is being undertaken with respect to identifying the facilities which would be taken up for seismic qualification, approach and methodology for re-evaluation for seismic safety, acceptance criteria, etc. Work has also been started for framing up the criteria and methodology of the seismic qualification of these facilities. Present paper contains the proposal in this respect. This proposal is on similar lines of the present practice of seismic qualification of NPP, as summarized in the Appendix, but has been modified to suit the special requirements of Indian nuclear installations. (author)

  9. 76 FR 37174 - Capital Investment Program-New Starts and Small Starts Program Funds

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-24

    ... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Program--New Starts... apportionment of the FY 2011 Capital Investment (New Starts and Small Starts) program funds. The funds will be... FY 2011, $1,596,800,000 was appropriated for the Capital Investments Grant Account, which includes...

  10. Study of structural reliability of existing concrete structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Druķis, P.; Gaile, L.; Valtere, K.; Pakrastiņš, L.; Goremikins, V.

    2017-10-01

    Structural reliability of buildings has become an important issue after the collapse of a shopping center in Riga 21.11.2013, caused the death of 54 people. The reliability of a building is the practice of designing, constructing, operating, maintaining and removing buildings in ways that ensure maintained health, ward suffered injuries or death due to use of the building. Evaluation and improvement of existing buildings is becoming more and more important. For a large part of existing buildings, the design life has been reached or will be reached in the near future. The structures of these buildings need to be reassessed in order to find out whether the safety requirements are met. The safety requirements provided by the Eurocodes are a starting point for the assessment of safety. However, it would be uneconomical to require all existing buildings and structures to comply fully with these new codes and corresponding safety levels, therefore the assessment of existing buildings differs with each design situation. This case study describes the simple and practical procedure of determination of minimal reliability index β of existing concrete structures designed by different codes than Eurocodes and allows to reassess the actual reliability level of different structural elements of existing buildings under design load.

  11. Early Head Start and African American Families: Impacts and Mechanisms of Child Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harden, Brenda Jones; Sandstrom, Heather; Chazan-Cohen, Rachel

    2012-01-01

    Persistent disparities exist between African American children and their European American counterparts across developmental domains. Early childhood intervention may serve to promote more positive outcomes among African American children. The current study examined whether and how the Early Head Start (EHS) program benefited African American…

  12. STARTing Again: What Happens After START I Expires?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mladineo, Stephen V.; Durbin, Karyn R.; Eastman, Christina M.

    2007-01-01

    The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), a seminal arms control agreement that substantially reduced the levels of deployed strategic nuclear arms in the United States and Russia, will expire in December 2009. At this time, it is unclear what - if anything - will replace it. While the treaty remains relevant, more than a simple extension is appropriate. Instead the authors advocate for a successor regime that builds on the START I legacy but does not rely on the traditional tools of arms control. This paper examines the strategic context in which a successor regime would be developed and proposes several recommendations for future action

  13. Business Training and Female Enterprise Start-up, Growth, and Dynamics : Experimental Evidence from Sri Lanka

    OpenAIRE

    de Mel, Suresh; McKenzie, David; Woodruff, Christopher

    2012-01-01

    We conduct a randomized experiment in Sri Lanka to measure the impact of the most commonly used business training course in developing countries, the Start-and-Improve Your Business (SIYB) program. In contrast to existing business training evaluations which are restricted to microfinance clients, we consider two more representative groups: a random sample of women operating subsistence enterprises, and a random sample of women who are out of the labor force but interested in starting a busine...

  14. START: an advanced radiation therapy information system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cocco, A; Valentini, V; Balducci, M; Mantello, G

    1996-01-01

    START is an advanced radiation therapy information system (RTIS) which connects direct information technology present in the devices with indirect information technology for clinical, administrative, information management integrated with the hospital information system (HIS). The following objectives are pursued: to support decision making in treatment planning and functional and information integration with the rest of the hospital; to enhance organizational efficiency of a Radiation Therapy Department; to facilitate the statistical evaluation of clinical data and managerial performance assessment; to ensure the safety and confidentiality of used data. For its development a working method based on the involvement of all operators of the Radiation Therapy Department, was applied. Its introduction in the work activity was gradual, trying to reuse and integrate the existing information applications. The START information flow identifies four major phases: admission, visit of admission, planning, therapy. The system main functionalities available to the radiotherapist are: clinical history/medical report linking function; folder function; planning function; tracking function; electronic mail and banner function; statistical function; management function. Functions available to the radiotherapy technician are: the room daily list function; management function: to the nurse the following functions are available: patient directing function; management function. START is a departmental client (pc-windows)-server (unix) developed on an integrated database of all information of interest (clinical, organizational and administrative) coherent with the standard and with a modular architecture which can evolve with additional functionalities in subsequent times. For a more thorough evaluation of its impact on the daily activity of a radiation therapy facility, a prolonged clinical validation is in progress.

  15. The impact of dry-land sprint start training on the short track speed skating start.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haug, William B; Drinkwater, Eric J; Cicero, Nicholas J; Barthell, J Anthony; Chapman, Dale W

    2017-05-05

    This investigation sought to determine the effects of dry-land sprint start training on short track speed skating (STSS) start performance. Nine highly trained short track athletes completed a control period of normal STSS training followed by a four-week training intervention. Before and after the control and intervention periods, athletes performed three electronically timed dry-land and on-ice 14.43 m maximal sprint start efforts. The intervention consisted of two sprint sessions per week consisting of nine electronically timed 14.43 m dry-land sprint starts in addition to normal STSS training. The control period resulted in no substantial change in on-ice start performance (Mean Δ: -0.01 s, 95% Confidence Limits (CL): -0.08 to 0.05 s; Effect Size (ES): -0.05; Trivial) however, a small change was observed in dry-land start performance (Mean Δ: -0.07 s, 95% CL: -0.13 to -0.02 s; ES: -0.49). Following brief specific dry-land sprint start training a small improvement was observed in both on-ice (Mean Δ: -0.07 s, 95% CL: -0.13 to -0.01 s; ES: -0.33) and dry-land (Mean Δ: -0.04 s, 95% CL: -0.09 to 0.00 s; ES: -0.29) start performance. This investigation suggests STSS start performance can be improved through a brief dry-land sprint start training program.

  16. School Starting Age and Crime

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Landersø, Rasmus; Nielsen, Helena Skyt; Simonsen, Marianne

    This paper investigates the effects of school starting age on crime while relying on variation in school starting age induced by administrative rules; we exploit that Danish children typically start first grade in the calendar year they turn seven, which gives rise to a discontinuity in children......’s school starting age. Analyses are carried out using register-based Danish data. We find that higher age at school start lowers the propensity to commit crime, but that this reduction is caused by incapacitation while human capital accumulation is unaffected. Importantly, we also find that the individuals...

  17. CROWDFUNDING AS A WAY OF FINANCING START-UPS IN POLAND

    OpenAIRE

    Niznik-Klocek, Monika

    2012-01-01

    There is a capital gap existing in Poland which particularly affects the limited opportunities for establishment and development of new ventures. The relatively fresh concept of crowdfunding could be a solution to this problem. The purpose of the thesis was to contribute to the scarce literature on crowdfunding in Poland. The main objective of the research was the creation of some suggestions for Polish start-ups on how to use crowdfunding in the most effective way. Firstly, the literatur...

  18. Pre-commissioning, commissioning, start-up and operation of a major extension to an LNG manufacturing facility in Bintulu, Sarawak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, T.

    1997-01-01

    In 1989, a decision was taken by the Shareholders of Malaysia LNG Sdn Bhd (MLNG) to expand their existing LNG manufacturing facility of some 8.0 million tonnes per annum, and to minimise the capital investment by maximizing the use of available off-plot facilities and utilities, together with the introduction of proven technological enhancements. Accordingly a new Company (MLNG Dua) was set up to own and manage this project and joint venture between existing shareholders. This paper describes the organisation, planning, and execution of the precommissioning, commissioning, start-up, and operation of the off-plot facilities, integrated utilities, and the first new process module, such that on-grade LNG rundown into MLNG's existing storage capacity was achieved within 26 days of the process module being signed off as Ready for Start-up (RFSU). (au)

  19. Effect of zero-valent iron and trivalent iron on UASB rapid start-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jie; Fang, Hongyan; Jia, Hui; Yang, Guang; Gao, Fei; Liu, Wenbin

    2018-01-01

    In order to realize the rapid start-up of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, the iron ion in different valence state was added to UASB. The results indicated that the start-up time of R3 (FeCl 3 ) was 48 h faster than that of R2 (zero-valent iron (ZVI)). It was because the FeCl 3 could rapidly promote granulation of sludge as a flocculant. However, ZVI released Fe 2+ through corrosion slowly, and then the Fe 2+ increased start-up speed by enhancing enzyme activity and enriching methanogens. In addition, the ZVI and FeCl 3 could promote hydrolysis acidification and strengthen the decomposition of long-chain fatty acids. The detection of iron ions showed that iron ions mainly existed in the sludge. Because the high concentration of Fe 2+ could inhibit anaerobic bacteria activity, excess Fe 3+ could be changed into iron hydroxide precipitation to hinder the mass transfer process of anaerobic bacteria under the alkaline condition. The FeCl 3 was suitable to be added at the initial stage of UASB start-up, and the ZVI was more fitted to be used in the middle stage of reactor start-up to improve the redox ability.

  20. Starting an aphasia center?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elman, Roberta J

    2011-08-01

    Starting an aphasia center can be an enormous challenge. This article provides initial issues to review and consider when deciding whether starting a new organization is right for you. Determining the need for the program in your community, the best size and possible affiliation for the organization, and available resources, as well as developing a business plan, marketing the program, and building awareness in the community, are some of the factors that are discussed. Specific examples related to starting the Aphasia Center of California are provided. © Thieme Medical Publishers.

  1. 30 CFR 75.1913 - Starting aids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Starting aids. 75.1913 Section 75.1913 Mineral... SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Diesel-Powered Equipment § 75.1913 Starting aids. (a) Volatile fuel starting aids shall be used in accordance with recommendations provided by the starting aid...

  2. 77 FR 64095 - Privacy Act of 1974, System of Records

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-18

    ... the existence and character of record systems maintained by the agency (5 U.S.C. 522a(e)(4)). DATES... would also include electronic business card applications. USAID Offices, Bureaus, Missions, or Teams....gov and information collected on Agency Telework forms. This would also include electronic business...

  3. Press Start

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harteveld, Casper

    This level sets the stage for the design philosophy called “Triadic Game Design” (TGD). This design philosophy can be summarized with the following sentence: it takes two to tango, but it takes three to design a meaningful game or a game with a purpose. Before the philosophy is further explained, this level will first delve into what is meant by a meaningful game or a game with a purpose. Many terms and definitions have seen the light and in this book I will specifically orient at digital games that aim to have an effect beyond the context of the game itself. Subsequently, a historical overview is given of the usage of games with a serious purpose which starts from the moment we human beings started to walk on our feet till our contemporary society. It turns out that we have been using games for all kinds of non-entertainment purposes for already quite a long time. With this introductory material in the back of our minds, I will explain the concept of TGD by means of a puzzle. After that, the protagonist of this book, the game Levee Patroller, is introduced. Based on the development of this game, the idea of TGD, which stresses to balance three different worlds, the worlds of Reality, Meaning, and Play, came into being. Interested? Then I suggest to quickly “press start!”

  4. Jump Starting Entrepreneurship

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Burcharth, Ana; Smith, Pernille; Frederiksen, Lars

    How do laid-off employees become entrepreneurs after receiving a dream start into self-employment? This question is relevant for policy makers and entrepreneurship researchers alike since it raises the possibility of a reverse entrepreneurial opportunity, in which the chance of becoming an entrep......How do laid-off employees become entrepreneurs after receiving a dream start into self-employment? This question is relevant for policy makers and entrepreneurship researchers alike since it raises the possibility of a reverse entrepreneurial opportunity, in which the chance of becoming...... an entrepreneur emerges before the discovery of a profitable opportunity. We empirically examine this question on the unique setting of a corporate entrepreneurship program. In the midst of a corporate crisis, Nokia supported laid-off employees to start their own ventures under favorable conditions. We...... persevered in their endeavors and eventually became comfortable with their new career prospects. We discuss the psychological factors that impact career transition after organizational closure and theorize weather they encourage or discourage entrepreneurship....

  5. Association between Duration of Predialysis Care and Mortality after Dialysis Start.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ping; Quinn, Robert R; Oliver, Matthew J; Ronksley, Paul E; Hemmelgarn, Brenda R; Quan, Hude; Hiremath, Swapnil; Bello, Aminu K; Blake, Peter G; Garg, Amit X; Johnson, John; Verrelli, Mauro; Zacharias, James M; Abd ElHafeez, Samar; Tonelli, Marcello; Ravani, Pietro

    2018-03-05

    Early nephrology referral is recommended for people with CKD on the basis of observational studies showing that longer nephrology care before dialysis start (predialysis care) is associated with lower mortality after dialysis start. This association may be observed because predialysis care truly reduces mortality or because healthier people with an uncomplicated course of disease will have both longer predialysis care and lower risk for death. We examined whether the survival benefit of longer predialysis care exists after accounting for the potential confounding effect of disease course that may also be affected by predialysis care. We performed a retrospective cohort study and used data from 3152 adults with end stage kidney failure starting dialysis between 2004 and 2014 in five Canadian dialysis programs. We obtained duration of predialysis care from the earliest nephrology outpatient visit to dialysis start; markers of disease course, including inpatient or outpatient dialysis start and residual kidney function around dialysis start; and all-cause mortality after dialysis start. The percentages of participants with 0, 1-119, 120-364, and ≥365 days of predialysis care were 23%, 8%, 10%, and 59%, respectively. When we ignored markers of disease course as in previous studies, longer predialysis care was associated with lower mortality (hazard ratio 120-364 versus 0-119 days , 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.46 to 0.78]; hazard ratio ≥365 versus 0-119 days , 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.51 to 0.71; standard Cox model adjusted for demographics and laboratory and clinical characteristics). When we additionally accounted for markers of disease course using the inverse probability of treatment weighted Cox model, this association was weaker and no longer significant (hazard ratio 120-364 versus 0-119 days , 0.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.60 to 1.18; hazard ratio ≥365 versus 0-119 days , 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.69 to 1.13). The association between

  6. 76 FR 50813 - Major Capital Investment Projects; Guidance on News Starts/Small Starts Policies and Procedures

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-16

    ... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration Major Capital Investment Projects; Guidance on News Starts/Small Starts Policies and Procedures AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA... Administration (FTA) to publish policy guidance on the New and Small Starts capital project review and evaluation...

  7. 45 CFR 1308.21 - Parent participation and transition of children into Head Start and from Head Start to public...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... into Head Start and from Head Start to public school. 1308.21 Section 1308.21 Public Welfare... AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, HEAD START PROGRAM HEAD START... Standards § 1308.21 Parent participation and transition of children into Head Start and from Head Start to...

  8. Frequency Control Strategy for Black Starts via PMSG-Based Wind Power Generation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Tang

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The use of wind power generation (WPG as a source for black starts will significantly enhance the resiliency of power systems and shorten their recovery time from blackouts. Given that frequency stability is the most serious issue during the initial recovery period, virtual inertia control can enable wind turbines to provide frequency support to an external system. In this study, a general procedure of WPG participating in black starts is presented, and the key issues are discussed. The adaptability of existing virtual inertia control strategies is analyzed, and improvement work is performed. A new coordinated frequency control strategy is proposed based on the presented improvement work. A local power network with a permanent-magnet synchronous generator (PMSG-based wind farm is modeled and used to verify the effectiveness of the strategy.

  9. Lean and Global Technology Start-ups: Linking the Two Research Streams

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lemminger, Roy; Svendsen, Lars Limkilde; Zijdemans, Erik

    2014-01-01

    stream is well established focuses on International New Ventures (INVs) or Born Global (BG) firms (Oviatt & McDougall, 1994; Knight and Cavusgil, 1996); the second one is in the process of emerging and deals with lean start-ups (Ries, 2011; Blank, 2013). It is our intention to show that the problems...... these two groups of firms face during the early stages of their existence are to a large extent identical and could, from a theoretical point of view, be analyzed in a unified way. Integrating the two research perspectives above gives rise to a number of interesting research questions that could...... be summarized as follows: a) How do new technology start-ups narrow down the scope of their business activities by effectuating the global dimensions of their businesses? What are the reasons for such firms to look for global resources, partnerships or markets right from inception? b) What makes it possible...

  10. Pre-start timing information is used to set final linear speed in a C-start manoeuvre.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reinel, Caroline; Schuster, Stefan

    2014-08-15

    In their unique hunting behaviour, archerfish use a complex motor decision to secure their prey: based solely on how dislodged prey initially falls, they select an adapted C-start manoeuvre that turns the fish right towards the point on the water surface where their prey will later land. Furthermore, they take off at a speed that is set so as to arrive in time. We show here that the C-start manoeuvre and not subsequent tail beating is necessary and sufficient for setting this adaptive level of speed. Furthermore, the C-start pattern is adjusted to independently determine both the turning angle and the take-off speed. The selection of both aspects requires no a priori information and is done based on information sampled from the onset of target motion until the C-start is launched. Fin strokes can occur right after the C-start manoeuvre but are not required to fine-tune take-off speed, but rather to maintain it. By probing the way in which the fish set their take-off speed in a wide range of conditions in which distance from the later catching point and time until impact varied widely and unpredictably, we found that the C-start manoeuvre is programmed based on pre-C-start estimates of distance and time until impact. Our study hence provides the first evidence for a C-start that is fine-tuned to produce an adaptive speed level. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  11. Preschool Facilities - MDC_HeadStart

    Data.gov (United States)

    NSGIC Local Govt | GIS Inventory — A label (point) feature class of Head Start / Early Head Start/ Delegate Agencies/ Child Care Partnership & Family Day Care Homes Programs location in Miami-Dade...

  12. Getting started with Unity

    CERN Document Server

    Felicia, Patrick

    2013-01-01

    Getting Started with Unity is written in an easy-to-follow tutorial format.""Getting Started with Unity"" is for[ 3D game developers[/color] who would like to learn how to use Unity3D and become familiar with its core features. This book is also suitable for intermediate users who would like to improve their skills. No prior knowledge of Unity3D is required.

  13. Strategies for the optimal timing to start renal replacement therapy in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bagshaw, Sean M; Wald, Ron

    2017-05-01

    Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is increasingly utilized to support critically ill patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI). The question of whether and when to start RRT for a critically ill patient with AKI has long troubled clinicians. When severe complications of AKI develop, the need to commence RRT is unambiguous. In the absence of such complications but in the presence of severe AKI, the optimal time and thresholds for starting RRT are uncertain. The majority of existing data have largely been derived from observational studies. These have been limited due to confounding by indication, considerable heterogeneity in case mix and illness severity, and variably applied definitions for both AKI and for how "timing" was anchored relative to starting RRT. It is unclear whether a preemptive or earlier strategy of RRT initiation aimed largely at avoiding complications related to AKI or a more conservative strategy where RRT is started in response to developing complications leads to better patient-centered outcomes and health services use. This question has been the focus of 2 recently completed randomized trials. In this review, we provide an appraisal of available evidence, discuss existing knowledge gaps, and provide perspective on future research that will better inform the optimal timing of RRT initiation in AKI. Copyright © 2016 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. EXISTS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ANCA-IOANA MUNTEANU

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper is purely theoretical, having as starting points both existing information in the literature and their correlations. The text does not have a generalized, but represent personal opinions and conclusions. Critically analyzing the definitions given in the literature the term "strategic human resource management ", we found that most of them referred to the involvement he has it in obtaining competitive advantage of an organization. Also, starting from the study of different approaches to strategic management of human resources, we can see that besides the role that obtain competitive advantage, it supports innovative activity of a company. So we can talk about a link between strategic management of human resources, innovation and achieving competitive advantage. By presenting how strategic human resource management can be implemented in an organization, its high performance practices for human resources, it demonstrates that they support employee creativity through free expression of ideas, involvement in decision making, resulting in the way to innovation and thus to obtain competitive advantage. This work, theoretical, was completed by a presentation that show the interdependencies that exist between the three think elements: strategic human resources management, innovation, competitive advantage.

  15. Starting out

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ans Merens; Freek Bucx

    2018-01-01

    Original title: Werken aan de start Women in the Netherlands have been outperforming men in education for many years now. However, this superior educational achievement does not translate into a better position on the labour market. More women work today than in the past, but still fewer than men.

  16. Physics of energetic particle-driven instabilities in the START spherical tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McClements, K.G.; Gryaznevich, M.P.; Akers, R.J.; Appel, L.C.; Counsell, G.F.; Roach, C.M.; Sharapov, S.E.; Majeski, R.

    1999-01-01

    The recent use of neutral beam injection (NBI) in the UKAEA small tight aspect ratio tokamak (START) has provided the first opportunity to study experimentally the physics of energetic ions in spherical tokamak (ST) plasmas. In such devices the ratio of major radius to minor radius R 0 /a is of order unity. Several distinct classes of NBI-driven instability have been observed at frequencies up to 1 MHz during START discharges. These observations are described, and possible interpretations are given. Equilibrium data, corresponding to times of beam-driven wave activity, are used to compute continuous shear Alfven spectra: toroidicity and high plasma beta give rise to wide spectral gaps, extending up to frequencies of several times the Alfven gap frequency. In each of these gaps Alfvenic instabilities could, in principle, be driven by energetic ions. Chirping modes observed at high beta in this frequency range have bandwidths comparable to or greater than the gap widths. Instability drive in START is provided by beam ion pressure gradients (as in conventional tokamaks), and also by positive gradients in beam ion velocity distributions, which arise from velocity-dependent charge exchange losses. It is shown that fishbone-like bursts observed at a few tens of kHz can be attributed to internal kink mode excitation by passing beam ions, while narrow-band emission at several hundred kHz may be due to excitation of fast Alfven (magnetosonic) eigenmodes. In the light of our understanding of energetic particle-driven instabilities in START, the possible existence of such instabilities in larger STs is discussed. (author)

  17. Start 2: Thinking one move ahead

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gaines, L.L.

    1991-11-01

    At their summit meeting in the spring of 1990, Presidents Bush and Gorbachev issued a joint statement expressing their intentions to continue the process of strategic arms control beyond the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which was eventually signed in July 1991, toward agreement on further reductions. They set general goals for negotiation of a follow-on treaty to START, which has been called START II. President Bush`s historic speech on September 27, 1991, reinforced those goals and specified several actions the US would take. It is the purpose of this report to examine possible provisions of START II and the implications of those provisions for achievement of the goals set at the 1990 summit, for verifiability, and for US force planning. This look ahead will contribute to advance planning of appropriate negotiating positions, verification research and development (R&D), and force modernization and restructuring. This report describes the goals for a START II treaty and possible means for achieving them. It postulates one set of provisions for such a treaty, while it examines force structures for the US that could result from adoption of a treaty with these provisions. The adequacy of methods for verifying START II are examined and the implications of a START II treaty are postulated.

  18. Start 2: Thinking one move ahead

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gaines, L.L.

    1991-11-01

    At their summit meeting in the spring of 1990, Presidents Bush and Gorbachev issued a joint statement expressing their intentions to continue the process of strategic arms control beyond the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which was eventually signed in July 1991, toward agreement on further reductions. They set general goals for negotiation of a follow-on treaty to START, which has been called START II. President Bush's historic speech on September 27, 1991, reinforced those goals and specified several actions the US would take. It is the purpose of this report to examine possible provisions of START II and the implications of those provisions for achievement of the goals set at the 1990 summit, for verifiability, and for US force planning. This look ahead will contribute to advance planning of appropriate negotiating positions, verification research and development (R D), and force modernization and restructuring. This report describes the goals for a START II treaty and possible means for achieving them. It postulates one set of provisions for such a treaty, while it examines force structures for the US that could result from adoption of a treaty with these provisions. The adequacy of methods for verifying START II are examined and the implications of a START II treaty are postulated.

  19. Teaching iSTART to Understand Spanish

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dascalu, Mihai; Jacovina, Matthew E.; Soto, Christian M.; Allen, Laura K.; Dai, Jianmin; Guerrero, Tricia A.; McNamara, Danielle S.

    2017-01-01

    iSTART is a web-based reading comprehension tutor. A recent translation of iSTART from English to Spanish has made the system available to a new audience. In this paper, we outline several challenges that arose during the development process, specifically focusing on the algorithms that drive the feedback. Several iSTART activities encourage…

  20. Monitoring Forest Carbon Stocks and Fluxes in the Congo Basin

    OpenAIRE

    2010-01-01

    The Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) and its partners (OFAC, USAID, EC-JRC, OSFAC, WWF, WRI, WCS, GOFC-GOLD, START, UN-FAO) organized an international conference on "Monitoring of Carbon stocks and fluxes in the Congo Basin" in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, 2-4 February 2010. The conference brought together leading international specialists to discuss approaches for quantifying stocks and flows of carbon in tropical forests of the Congo Basin. The conference provided a unique op...

  1. Soft-Starting Power-Factor Motor Controller

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nola, F. J.

    1983-01-01

    Three-phase power-factor controller with soft start is based on earlier version that does not control starting transients. Additional components serve to turn off "run" command signal and substitute gradual startup command signal during preset startup interval. Improved controller reduces large current surge that usually accompanies starting. Controller applies power smoothly, without causing motor vibrations.

  2. What Happens at the Lesson Start?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saloviita, Timo

    2016-01-01

    Transitional periods, such as lesson starts, are necessary steps from one activity to another, but they also compete with time for actual learning. The aim of the present study was to replicate a previous pilot study on lesson starts and explore possible disturbances. In total, 130 lesson starts in Finnish basic education in grades 1-9 were…

  3. 46 CFR 112.50-3 - Hydraulic starting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... POWER SYSTEMS Emergency Diesel and Gas Turbine Engine Driven Generator Sets § 112.50-3 Hydraulic starting. A hydraulic starting system must meet the following: (a) The hydraulic starting system must be a... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hydraulic starting. 112.50-3 Section 112.50-3 Shipping...

  4. Chinese Preschoolers' Resource Allocation in the Face of Existing Inequality under Collaborative and Noncollaborative Contexts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chai, Qiao; He, Jie

    2017-01-01

    The current study investigated the stage at which Chinese preschoolers started considering recipients' material welfare and minimizing existing inequalities under both noncollaborative and collaborative contexts. Also, it analyzed how they behaved when recipients' material welfare was in conflict with merit or equality rule. Experiment 1 found…

  5. Scheduling with target start times

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoogeveen, J.A.; Velde, van de S.L.; Klein Haneveld, W.K.; Vrieze, O.J.; Kallenberg, L.C.M.

    1997-01-01

    We address the single-machine problem of scheduling n independent jobs subject to target start times. Target start times are essentially release times that may be violated at a certain cost. The goal is to minimize an objective function that is composed of total completion time and maximum

  6. Application of intelligent soft start in asynchronous motor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Xue; Ye, Ying; Wang, Yuelong; Peng, Lei; Zhang, Suying

    2018-05-01

    The starting way of three phase asynchronous motor has full voltage start and step-down start. Direct starting brings large current impact, causing excessive local temperature to the power grid and larger starting torque will also impact the motor equipment and affect the service life of the motor. Aim at the problem of large current and torque caused by start-up, an intelligent soft starter is proposed. Through the application of intelligent soft start on asynchronous motor, highlights its application advantage in motor control.

  7. Start To End Simulation for the SPARX Project

    CERN Document Server

    Vaccarezza, Cristina; Boscolo, Manuela; Ferrario, Massimo; Fusco, Valeria; Giannessi, Luca; Migliorati, Mauro; Palumbo, Luigi; Quattromini, Marcello; Ronsivalle, Concetta; Serafini, Luca; Spataro, Bruno; Vescovi, Mario

    2005-01-01

    The first phase of the SPARX project now funded by Government Agencies, is an R&D activity focused on developing techniques and critical components for future X-ray facilities. The aim is the generation of electron beams with the ultra-high peak brightness required to drive FEL experiments. The FEL source realization will develop along two lines: (a) the use of the SPARC high brightness photoinjector to test RF compression techniques and the emittance degradation in magnetic compressors due to CSR, (b) the production of radiation in the range of 3-5 nm, both in SASE and SEEDED FEL configurations, in the so called SPARXINO test facility, upgrading the existing Frascati 800 MeV LINAC. In this paper we present and discuss the preliminary start to end simulations results.

  8. Existence of solutions for Hamiltonian field theories by the Hamilton-Jacobi technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruno, Danilo

    2011-01-01

    The paper is devoted to prove the existence of a local solution of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation in field theory, whence the general solution of the field equations can be obtained. The solution is adapted to the choice of the submanifold where the initial data of the field equations are assigned. Finally, a technique to obtain the general solution of the field equations, starting from the given initial manifold, is deduced.

  9. Start-up and bacterial community compositions of partial nitrification in moving bed biofilm reactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Tao; Mao, Yan-Jun; Shi, Yan-Ping; Quan, Xie

    2017-03-01

    Partial nitrification (PN) has been considered as one of the promising processes for pretreatment of ammonium-rich wastewater. In this study, a kind of novel carriers with enhanced hydrophilicity and electrophilicity was implemented in a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) to start up PN process. Results indicated that biofilm formation rate was higher on modified carriers. In comparison with the reactor filled with traditional carriers (start-up period of 21 days), it took only 14 days to start up PN successfully with ammonia removal efficiency and nitrite accumulation rate of 90 and 91%, respectively, in the reactor filled with modified carriers. Evident changes of spatial distributions and community structures had been detected during the start-up. Free-floating cells existed in planktonic sludge, while these microorganisms trended to form flocs in the biofilm. High-throughput pyrosequencing results indicated that Nitrosomonas was the predominant ammonia-oxidizing bacterium (AOB) in the PN system, while Comamonas might also play a vital role for nitrogen oxidation. Additionally, some other bacteria such as Ferruginibacter, Ottowia, Saprospiraceae, and Rhizobacter were selected to establish stable footholds. This study would be potentially significant for better understanding the microbial features and developing efficient strategies accordingly for MBBR-based PN operation.

  10. Skating start propulsion: three-dimensional kinematic analysis of elite male and female ice hockey players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shell, Jaymee R; Robbins, Shawn M K; Dixon, Philippe C; Renaud, Philippe J; Turcotte, René A; Wu, Tom; Pearsall, David J

    2017-09-01

    The forward skating start is a fundamental skill for male and female ice hockey players. However, performance differences by athlete's sex cannot be fully explained by physiological variables; hence, other factors such as skating technique warrant examination. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the body movement kinematics of ice hockey skating starts between elite male and female ice hockey participants. Male (n = 9) and female (n = 10) elite ice hockey players performed five forward skating start accelerations. An 18-camera motion capture system placed on the arena ice surface captured full-body kinematics during the first seven skating start steps within 15 meters. Males' maximum skating speeds were greater than females. Skating technique sex differences were noted: in particular, females presented ~10° lower hip abduction throughout skating stance as well as ~10° greater knee extension at initial ice stance contact, conspicuously followed by a brief cessation in knee extension at the moment of ice contact, not evident in male skaters. Further study is warranted to explain why these skating technique differences exist in relation to factors such as differences in training, equipment, performance level, and anthropometrics.

  11. De-escalatory confidence-building measures after START

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stockton, P.N.

    1992-01-01

    The very notion of examining de-escalatory CBMs in the context of the START negotiations appears odd. Given the immense progress in US-Soviet relations, of which the proposed START agreement is emblematic, the risk of the two nations stumbling to the brink of war seems increasingly remote. Why bother analyzing CBMs designed to help resolve such an improbable event? The obvious answer is that relations between the US and the Soviet Union - or whatever array of nations succeed it - could take an unforeseeable turn for the worse. Once ratified, the START agreement is supposed to remain in force for seven years, more than enough time for political tensions to return with a vengeance. This suggests a more prudent question: if our two nations do stumble to the brink of war, will the START agreement affect the prospect of de-escalatory CBMs? And if the US and Soviet Union pursue deeper force-reductions in a follow-on START II agreement, could that agreement be designed to facilitate more effective de-escalatory measures? This paper sets the stage for addressing such questions by outlining the START agreement and offering a brief overview of how START might affect the prospects for CBMs. Then, after examining some specific CBM proposals in light of START, an analysis will be made of the de-escalatory problems and opportunities that a Start II treaty might create

  12. Starting Up a Company in a Mature Market: Wise or Foolish ?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biberger, Maximilian

    SDCmaterials, Inc. (SDC) is a venture backed, mature start up in the automotive sector. Moreover: Catalytic Converters for vehicles and stationary applications. The company has invented and developed environmentally friendly, novel materials as well as material integration techniques for catalytic converters based on a proprietary and patented nanotechnology. Traditionally catalysts require large amounts of PGMs (Platinum Group Metals), more than USD 10B per year, in order to treat vehicle emissions. Due to that, the catalytic converter is the single most expensive piece part in a vehicle. The currently used technologies have served the industry well. However, as emission standards dramatically tighten, particularly in China, the demand for more fuel efficient and Hybrid vehicles increases, this technology begins to start showing limitations as it can meet the aforementioned demands only by increasing the PGM amount per vehicle. This in turn will increase the cost per vehicle and / or reduce margins for the automotive industry, and in addition to that impact the environment negatively. In contrast to existing technologies, the SDC based technology can meet future emission goals by maintaining, or even reducing, the PGM amount required to treat exhaust emissions. This results in tremendous savings for the consumer and the automotive industry, as well as a significantly better stewardship of natural resources and clean manufacturing. In the present paper the pros and cons of starting a nanotechnology company in a mature market are presented. Both from a business & economics, as well as from a technology point of view. The case is made that it is possible to start a company in a mature market and that novel technologies can compete economically with 40+ old year technologies.

  13. 46 CFR 112.50-7 - Compressed air starting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Compressed air starting. 112.50-7 Section 112.50-7... air starting. A compressed air starting system must meet the following: (a) The starting, charging... air compressors addressed in paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section. (b) The compressed air starting...

  14. Technological start of T-15 tokamak. The start-up diagnostic complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Notkin, G.E.

    1989-01-01

    The T-15 tokamak with superconducting toroidal winding reached the technological start-up phase. The results of the first operating tests of the main tokamak components are reported. Due to improper function of both the vacuum and the cryogenic system, the nominal parameters of the vacuum and of the toroidal magnetic field have not been achieved. The non-optimum vacuum conditions made the discharge start-up difficult even when a pre-ionizing electron beam and a gyrotron generator were used. The pre-discharge plasma parametes were studied by means of a limited set of plasma diagnostic apparatus. Due to substantially deteriorated vacuum conditions, it was not possible to repeat the only one successful discharge with a current of 100 kA, lasting for 50 ms. (J.U.)

  15. Fusion reactor start-up without an external tritium source

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zheng, S., E-mail: Shanliang.Zheng@ccfe.ac.uk; King, D.B.; Garzotti, L.; Surrey, E.; Todd, T.N.

    2016-02-15

    Highlights: • Investigated the feasibility (including plasma physics, neutronics and economics) of starting a fusion reactor from running pure D–D fusion reactor to gradually move towards the D–T operation. • Proposed building up tritium from making use of neutrons generated by D–D fusion reactions. • Studied plasma physics feasibility for pure D–D operation and provided consistent fusion power and neutron yield in the plasma with different mixture of deuterium and tritium. • Discussed the economics aspect for operating a pure D–D fusion reactor towards a full-power D–T fusion reactor. - Abstract: It has long been recognised that the shortage of external tritium sources for fusion reactors using D–T, the most promising fusion fuel, requires all such fusion power plants (FPP) to breed their own tritium. It is also recognised that the initial start-up of a fusion reactor will require several kilograms of tritium within a scenario in which radioactive decay, ITER and subsequent demonstrator reactors are expected to have consumed most of the known tritium stockpile. To circumvent this tritium fuel shortage and ultimately achieve steady-state operation for a FPP, it is essential to first accumulate sufficient tritium to compensate for loss due to decay and significant retention in the materials in order to start a new FPP. In this work, we propose to accumulate tritium starting from D–D fusion reactions, since D exists naturally in water, and to gradually build up the D–T plasma targeted in fusion reactor designs. There are two likely D–D fusion reaction channels, (1) D + D → T + p, and (2) D + D → He3 + n. The tritium can be generated via the reaction channel ‘(1)’ and the 2.45 MeV neutrons from ‘(2)’ react with lithium-6 in the breeding blanket to produce more tritium to be fed back into plasma fuel. Quantitative evaluations are conducted for two blanket concepts to assess the feasibility and suitability of this approach to FPP

  16. Start Later, Sleep Later: School Start Times and Adolescent Sleep in Homeschool vs. Public/Private School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meltzer, Lisa J.; Shaheed, Keisha; Ambler, Devon

    2014-01-01

    Homeschool students provide a naturalistic comparison group for later/flexible school start times. This study compared sleep patterns and sleep hygiene for homeschool students and public/private school students (grades 6-12). Public/private school students (n=245) and homeschool students (n=162) completed a survey about sleep patterns and sleep hygiene. Significant school group differences were found for weekday bedtime, wake time, and total sleep time, with homeschool students waking later and obtaining more sleep. Homeschool students had later school start times, waking at the same time that public/private school students were starting school. Public/private school students had poorer sleep hygiene practices, reporting more homework and use of technology in the hour before bed. Regardless of school type, technology in the bedroom was associated with shorter sleep duration. Later school start times may be a potential countermeasure for insufficient sleep in adolescents. Future studies should further examine the relationship between school start times and daytime outcomes, including academic performance, mood, and health. PMID:25315902

  17. Start-up of commercial high level waste vitrification facilities at La Hague

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sombret, C.; Jouan, A.; Fournier, W.; Alexandre, D.; Leroy, L.

    1991-01-01

    The paper describes industial experience gained in France for vitrification of fission products generated by spent fuel reprocessing. The continuous vitrification process developed by CEA, SGN and COGEMA is outlined and Marcoule Vitrification Facility (AVM), with output results since start-up of hot operation in June 1978, briefly presented. Vitrification of high-level liquid waste has now entered an industrial phase at La Hague with R7 and T7 facilities. R7 and T7 have each been designed to process FP solutions generated by reprocessing LWR fuel with an initial enrichment of 3.5% and a discharge burn-up of 33,000 MWd/t. R7 active operations began on June, 1989. This facility is now vitrifying the backlog of fission products resulting from the existing UP2 reprocessing plant, which is being currently extended. Scheduled to start early in 1992, T7 will vitrify the fission products, dissolution fines and sodium-rich solutions issuing from UP3 plant

  18. The Analysis and suggested marketing communication for CleanMySpace start-up company

    OpenAIRE

    Tolstykh, Anastasiia

    2016-01-01

    This bachelor thesis is focused on the proposal of marketing communication for new start-up company CleanMyPlace, the winner of VŠE Exports 2015, aimed at increase of its brand awareness and improvement of existing marketing strategies and tactics. The theoretical part is devoted to marketing tools, most improtantly to marketing online communication, as soon as this brand provides its services via internet. In the practical part are defined and analysed the current marketing communication. Th...

  19. Conformal Haag-Kastler nets, pointlike localized fields and the existence of operator product expansions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fredenhagen, K.; Joerss, M.

    1994-10-01

    Starting from a chiral conformal Haag-Kastler net on 2 dimensional Minkowski space we construct associated pointlike localized fields. This amounts to a proof of the existence of operator product expansions. We derive the result in two ways. One is based on the geometrical identification of the modular structure, the other depends on a ''conformal cluster theorem'' of the conformal two-point-functions in algebraic quantum field theory. The existence of the fields then implies important structural properties of the theory, as PCT-invariance, the Bisognano-Wichmann identification of modular operators, Haag duality and additivity. (orig.)

  20. Comparison of outcomes between emergent-start and planned-start peritoneal dialysis in incident ESRD patients: a prospective observational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wen-Yi; Wang, Yi-Cheng; Hwang, Shang-Jyh; Lin, Shih-Hua; Wu, Kwan-Dun; Chen, Yung-Ming

    2017-12-11

    The clinical consequences of starting chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) after emergent dialysis via a temporary hemodialysis (HD) catheter has rarely been evaluated within a full spectrum of treated end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We investigated the longer-term outcomes of patients undergoing emergent-start PD in comparison with that of other practices of PD or HD in a prospective cohort of new-onset ESRD. This was a 2-year prospective observational study. We enrolled 507 incident ESRD patients, among them 111 chose PD (43 planned-start, 68 emergent-start) and 396 chose HD (116 planned-start, 280 emergent-start) as the long-term dialysis modality. The logistic regression model was used to identify variables associated with emergent-start dialysis. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to determine patient survival and technique failure. The propensity score-adjusted Cox regression model was used to identify factors associated with patient outcomes. During the 2-year follow-up, we observed 5 (4.5%) deaths, 15 (13.5%) death-censored technique failures (transfer to HD) and 3 (2.7%) renal transplantations occurring in the PD population. Lack of predialysis education, lower predialysis estimated glomerular filtration rate and serum albumin were predictors of being assigned to emergent dialysis initiation. The emergent starters of PD displayed similar risks of patient survival, technique failure and overall hospitalization, compared with the planned-start counterparts. By contrast, the concurrent planned-start and emergent-start HD patients with an arteriovenous fistula or graft were protected from early overall death and access infection-related mortality, compared with the emergent HD starters using a central venous catheter. In late-referred chronic kidney disease patients who have initiated emergent dialysis via a temporary HD catheter, post-initiation PD can be a safe and effective long-term treatment option. Nevertheless, due to the potential complications

  1. Lean Start-up in Established Companies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Goduscheit, René Chester

    2018-01-01

    Lean start-up is an emergent perspective on how entrepreneurs can bring new products and services to the market. This approach challenges the dominant role of lengthy business plans, linear product development processes, and seeking complete overview of the potential of the new products....../services before market launch. Instead it suggests that start-ups could benefit from a ‘minimum-viable product’ approach where products and services are launched when they contain critical features. The emphasis in the lean start-up approach is on business models rather than the elaborate business plan...... at the companies (strategy meetings, development workshops etc.). The aim is to shed light on the implications for companies that seek to employ lean start-up. These implications will be aimed at aspects like innovation management, organizational structure, customer relations etc....

  2. 22 CFR 212.11 - Materials to be published.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Materials to be published. 212.11 Section 212... Federal Register § 212.11 Materials to be published. (a) USAID separately states and currently publishes... section. (b) USAID Public Notice No. 1 and the USAID Regulations published in chapter II of Title 22 and...

  3. Multi-country assessment of residual bio-efficacy of insecticides used for indoor residual spraying in malaria control on different surface types: results from program monitoring in 17 PMI/USAID-supported IRS countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dengela, Dereje; Seyoum, Aklilu; Lucas, Bradford; Johns, Benjamin; George, Kristen; Belemvire, Allison; Caranci, Angela; Norris, Laura C; Fornadel, Christen M

    2018-01-30

    Indoor residual spraying (IRS) is the application of insecticide to the interior walls of household structures that often serve as resting sites for mosquito vectors of malaria. Human exposure to malaria vectors is reduced when IRS involves proper application of pre-determined concentrations of the active ingredient specific to the insecticide formulation of choice. The impact of IRS can be affected by the dosage of insecticide, spray coverage, vector behavior, vector susceptibility to insecticides, and the residual efficacy of the insecticide applied. This report compiles data on the residual efficacy of insecticides used in IRS campaigns implemented by the United States President's Malaria Initiative (PMI)/United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in 17 African countries and compares observed length of efficacy to ranges proposed in World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Additionally, this study provides initial analysis on variation of mosquito mortality depending on the surface material of sprayed structures, country spray program, year of implementation, source of tested mosquitoes, and type of insecticide. Residual efficacy of the insecticides used for PMI/USAID-supported IRS campaigns was measured in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The WHO cone bioassay tests were used to assess the mortality rate of mosquitoes exposed to insecticide-treated mud, wood, cement, and other commonly used housing materials. Baseline tests were performed within weeks of IRS application and follow-up tests were continued until the mortality of exposed mosquitoes dropped below 80% or the program monitoring period ended. Residual efficacy in months was then evaluated with respect to WHO guidelines that provide suggested ranges of residual efficacy for insecticide formulations recommended for use in IRS. Where the data allowed, direct

  4. Getting started with Spring Framework a hands-on guide to begin developing applications using Spring Framework

    CERN Document Server

    Sharma, J

    2016-01-01

    Getting started with Spring Framework is a hands-on guide to begin developing applications using Spring Framework. The examples (consisting of 74 sample projects) that accompany this book are based on Spring 4.3 and Java 8. You can download the examples described in this book from the following GitHub project:github.com/getting-started-with-spring/3rdEdition This book is meant for Java developers with little or no knowledge of Spring Framework. Getting started with Spring Framework, Third Edition has been updated to reflect changes in Spring 4.3 and also includes new chapters on Java-based configuration and Spring Data (covers Spring Data JPA and Spring Data MongoDB projects). The existing chapters have been revised to include information on Java-based configuration. The book also includes some new information on bean definition profiles, importing application context XML files, lazy autowiring, creating custom qualifier annotations, JSR 349 annotations, spring-messaging module, Java 8's Optional type, and s...

  5. Drug Abuse Prevention Starts with Parents

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Stages Listen Español Text Size Email Print Share Drug Abuse Prevention Starts with Parents Page Content Article Body ... for a time when drugs may be offered. Drug abuse prevention starts with parents learning how to talk ...

  6. Low-level waste cement solidification design, installation, and start-up

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jezek, G.R.

    1988-08-01

    This report describes the design, installation, and start-up activities of the Cement Solidification System (CSS) at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP), West Valley, New York. The CSS, designed to operate within an existing process cell, automatically and remotely solidifies low-level nuclear waste by mixing it with Portland Type I cement. The qualified waste form mixture is placed into square, 270-litre (71-gallon) metal drums. The drums have an integral polyethylene liner to protect the carbon-steel material from potential corrosion. The CSS produces drums at a continuous operation rate of four drums per hour. All system processing data is monitored by a computerized Data Acquisition System (DAS). 6 figs

  7. Dampak Mentoring Pada Keberhasilan Start-Up Business: Studi Kasus Pada Start-Up Business di Indonesia [Mentoring the Impact of Success of a Start-Up Business: A Case Study of a Start-Up Business in Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina Yanita Setyawati

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Entrepreneurship is a highly developed science today, as well as in the world of education in Indonesia. Teaching entrepreneurship at the university level, especially at some universities in Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia, shows the positive impact that there were 74.03% of start-up businesses that survived and thrived in 2014. Based on the previous observation, some business start-ups are accompanied by a mentor. Mentoring is a process of forming and maintaining lasting relationships that develop intensively among seniors with juniors. The mentoring function includes career and psychosocial functions. The main purpose of this research is to study the relationship between mentoring and the success of a start-up business. This study is a quantitative descriptive study using a random sampling method to obtain 100 samples. The tool used to collect data was a questionnaire. The methodology used to analyze the quantitative description to test the hypothesis. The results of this study indicate that mentoring influences the success of a start-up business that was owned by university students in Surabaya, Indonesia by 32% and 78% was influenced by other variables.

  8. Health Coordination Manual. Head Start Health Services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (DHHS), Washington, DC. Head Start Bureau.

    Part 1 of this manual on coordinating health care services for Head Start children provides an overview of what Head Start health staff should do to meet the medical, mental health, nutritional, and/or dental needs of Head Start children, staff, and family members. Offering examples, lists, action steps, and charts for clarification, part 2…

  9. Starting a Medical Technology Venture as a Young Academic Innovator or Student Entrepreneur.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manbachi, Amir; Kreamer-Tonin, Katlin; Walch, Philipp; Gamo, Nao J; Khoshakhlagh, Parastoo; Zhang, Yu Shrike; Montague, Charles; Acharya, Soumyadipta; Logsdon, Elizabeth A; Allen, Robert H; Durr, Nicholas J; Luciano, Mark G; Theodore, Nicholas; Brem, Henry; Yazdi, Youseph

    2018-01-01

    Following the footprints of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg, there has been a misconception that students are better off quitting their studies to bring to life their ideas, create jobs and monetize their inventions. Having historically transitioned from manpower to mind power, we live in one of the most rapidly changing times in human history. As a result, academic institutions that are supposed to be pioneers and educators of the next generations have started to realize that they need to adapt to a new system, and change their policies to be more flexible towards patent ownership and commercialization. There is an infrastructure being developed towards students starting their own businesses while continuing with their studies. This paper aims to provide an overview of the existing landscape, the exciting rewards as well as risks awaiting a student entrepreneur, the challenges of the present ecosystem, and questions to consider prior to embarking on such a journey. Various entities influencing the start-up environment are considered, specifically for the medical technology sector. These parties include but are not limited to: scientists, clinicians, investors, academic institutions and governments. A special focus will be set on the seemingly unbridgeable gap between founding a company and a scientific career.

  10. The physics of tokamak start-up

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, D.

    2013-01-01

    Tokamak start-up on present-day devices usually relies on inductively induced voltage from a central solenoid. In some cases, inductive startup is assisted with auxiliary power from electron cyclotron radio frequency heating. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade and JT60, now under construction, will make use of the understanding gained from present-day devices to ensure successful start-up. Design of a spherical tokamak (ST) with DT capability for nuclear component testing would require an alternative to a central solenoid because the small central column in an ST has insufficient space to provide shielding for the insulators in the solenoid. Alternative start-up techniques such as induction using outer poloidal field coils, electron Bernstein wave start-up, coaxial helicity injection, and point source helicity injection have been used with success, but require demonstration of scaling to higher plasma current

  11. Ontological Proofs of Existence and Non-Existence

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hájek, Petr

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 90, č. 2 (2008), s. 257-262 ISSN 0039-3215 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100300503 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : ontological proofs * existence * non-existence * Gödel * Caramuel Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics

  12. University Knowledge Spillovers & Regional Start-up Rates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hellerstedt, Karin; Wennberg, Karl; Frederiksen, Lars

    2014-01-01

    how characteristics of the economic and political milieu within each region influence the ratio of firm births. We find that knowledge spillovers from universities and firm-based R&D strongly affect the start-up rates for both high-tech firms and knowledge-intensive services firms. Further, the start......This chapter investigates how regional start-up rates in the knowledge-intensive services and high-tech industries are influenced by knowledge spillovers from both universities and firm-based R&D activities. Integrating insights from economic geography and organizational ecology into the literature......-up rate of knowledge-intensive service firms is tied more strongly to the supply of university educated individuals and the political regulatory regime within the municipality than start-ups in high-tech industries. This suggests that knowledge-intensive service-start-ups are more susceptible to both...

  13. US agency for international development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pumfrey, R.

    1997-12-01

    The author addresses the following questions in his presentation: what is USAID; where does the money go and who makes the decisions; where does USAID fund energy programs, and especially renewable energy; who are their `partners`; what is the approach to renewable energy; what in summary, has USAID funded that is relevant to village power. USAID is the foreign aid agency of the US Government. Approximately 75 countries receive regular assistance. The fiscal year 97 budget for the agency is approximately $5.8 billion. About half of the total budget goes to Israel, Egypt, and the countries of the former Soviet Union. These budgeting decisions are geopolitical. Congress earmarks total budgets for a few sectors or subjects, such as family planning. The goal of USAID`s renewable energy programs is simple: They are interested in accelerating the market penetration of commercial technologies. They do not engage in technology R&D. Developing countries have energy needs now, and commercial technologies are available now. USAID has taken note of the interest taken by subsidiaries of US utilities in the past couple of years in bringing their expertise and resources to bear on meeting the challenge of rural energy needs in developing countries. They believe that the entry into the market of these players could be one of the most important catalysts for making the rural energy revolution happen.

  14. Making a Simple Self-Starting Electric Motor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Seok-In; Choi, Jung-In; Hong, Seok-Cheol

    2009-01-01

    A simple electric motor has a problem in that the current applied to the motor per se can rarely trigger its rotation. Usually such motors begin to rotate after the rotor is slightly turned by hand (i.e., manual starting). In a "self-starting" motor, the rotor starts to rotate spontaneously as soon as the current is applied. This paper describes…

  15. Modelling ohmic confinement experiments on the START tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roach, C.M.

    1996-05-01

    Ohmic confinement data from the tight aspect ratio tokamak START has been analysed using the ASTRA transport simulation code. Neoclassical expressions have been modified to describe tight aspect ratio configurations, and the comparison between START data and models of anomalous transport has been made quantitative using the standard χ 2 test from statistics. Four confinement models (T11, Rebut-Lallia-Watkins, Lackner-Gottardi, and Taroni et al's Bohm model) have been compared with the START data. Three of the models are found to simulate START's electron temperature data moderately well, while Taroni et al's Bohm model overestimates electron temperatures in START by an order of magnitude. Thus comparison with START data tends to discriminate against Bohm models; these models are pessimistic or ITER. (author)

  16. University Start-ups: A Better Business Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dehn, J.; Webley, P. W.

    2015-12-01

    Many universities look to start-up companies as a way to attract faculty, supporting research and students as traditional federal sources become harder to come by. University affiliated start-up companies can apply for a broader suite of grants, as well as market their services to a broad customer base. Often university administrators see this as a potential panacea, but national statistics show this is not the case. Rarely do universities profit significantly from their start-ups. With a success rates of around 20%, most start-ups end up costing the university money as well as faculty-time. For the faculty, assuming they want to continue in academia, a start-up is often unattractive because it commonly leads out of academia. Running a successful business as well as maintaining a strong teaching and research load is almost impossible to do at the same time. Most business models and business professionals work outside of academia, and the models taught in business schools do not merge well in a university environment. To mitigate this a new business model is proposed where university start-ups are aligned with the academic and research missions of the university. A university start-up must work within the university, directly support research and students, and the work done maintaining the business be recognized as part of the faculty member's university obligations. This requires a complex conflict of interest management plan and for the companies to be non-profit in order to not jeopardize the university's status. This approach may not work well for all universities, but would be ideal for many to conserve resources and ensure a harmonious relationship with their start-ups and faculty.

  17. Biomechanical Analysis of the Swim-Start: A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julien Vantorre, Didier Chollet, Ludovic Seifert

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This review updates the swim-start state of the art from a biomechanical standpoint. We review the contribution of the swim-start to overall swimming performance, the effects of various swim-start strategies, and skill effects across the range of swim-start strategies identified in the literature. The main objective is to determine the techniques to focus on in swimming training in the contemporary context of the sport. The phases leading to key temporal events of the swim-start, like water entry, require adaptations to the swimmer’s chosen technique over the course of a performance; we thus define the swim-start as the moment when preparation for take-off begins to the moment when the swimming pattern begins. A secondary objective is to determine the role of adaptive variability as it emerges during the swim-start. Variability is contextualized as having a functional role and operating across multiple levels of analysis: inter-subject (expert versus non-expert, inter-trial or intra-subject (through repetitions of the same movement, and inter-preference (preferred versus non-preferred technique. Regarding skill effects, we assume that swim-start expertise is distinct from swim stroke expertise. Highly skilled swim-starts are distinguished in terms of several factors: reaction time from the start signal to the impulse on the block, including the control and regulation of foot force and foot orientation during take-off; appropriate amount of glide time before leg kicking commences; effective transition from leg kicking to break-out of full swimming with arm stroking; overall maximal leg and arm propulsion and minimal water resistance; and minimized energy expenditure through streamlined body position. Swimmers who are less expert at the swim-start spend more time in this phase and would benefit from training designed to reduce: (i the time between reaction to the start signal and impulse on the block, and (ii the time in transition (i

  18. ECRH-assisted start-up in ITER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lloyd, B.; Carolan, P.G.; Warrick, C.D.

    1996-07-01

    In ITER, the electric field applied for ionisation and to ramp up the plasma current may be limited to ∼ 0.3 V/m. In this case, based on established theories of the avalanche process, it is shown that ohmic breakdown in ITER is only possible over a narrow range of pressure and magnetic error field. Therefore, ECRH may be necessary to provide robust and reliable start-up. ECRH can ensure prompt breakdown over a wide range of prefill pressure and error field and can also give control over the initial time and location of breakdown. For ECRH-assisted start-up in ITER, the power and pulse length requirements are essentially determined by the need to ensure burnthrough, i.e. complete ionisation of hydrogen and the transition to high ionisation states of impurities. A 0-D code (with inclusion of some 1-D effects) has been developed to analyse burnthrough in ITER. The 0-D simulations indicate that control of the deuterium density is the key factor for ensuring successful start-up in ITER, where the effects of neutral screening and dynamic fuelling by the ex-plasma volume are also crucial. It is concluded that without ECRH, successful start-up will only be possible over a very restricted range of parameters but 3MW of absorbed ECRH power will ensure reasonably robust start-up for a broad range of conditions with beryllium impurity. In the case of carbon impurity, even with an absorbed ECRH power of 5MW one may be restricted to low prefill pressure and/or low carbon concentration for successful start-up. (Author)

  19. Two-Man Bobsled Push Start Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lopes Alexandre Dias

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The importance of push start times on bobsled performance was evidenced by some studies, but at this moment there is no article to the authors’ knowledge that describes the bobsled push start. Thus, the objectives of this study were to describe the two-man bobsled push start, analyze the differences between teams, and estimate the most important variable analyzed. We hypothesized that the pilot and brakeman athletes’ movement patterns during a bobsled pushing start can be described. The images used in this study were obtained during the men’s two-man XIV World Championship of Bobsled (2004. Fifteen best teams participating in the championship were recorded, and four start runs for each team were analyzed. The videos were captured by two digital video cameras. The pilot athletes were analyzed during the moment that they touched the lateral push bar of the sled, and the brakemen were analyzed during the first take-off and first landing. The teams were pooled in three groups of five teams using the final ranking of pushing time. We concluded that there was a distinct pattern movement for pilots and brakemen. The initial position of the majority of the pilots was localized slightly behind the bar. After touching the lateral bar, the pilots remained in a semi-squat position, pushing the sled forward in a pattern of marching movement. All brakemen used the board attached to the track as a support for both feet at the start. The brakeman gave the greatest contribution to break the inertia of the sled. There was no significant difference of movement between the three groups analyzed for the pilot and the brakeman.

  20. Research nuclear reactor start-up simulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sofo Haro, M.; Cantero, P.

    2009-01-01

    This work presents the design and FPGA implementation of a research nuclear reactor start-up simulator. Its aim is to generate a set of signals that allow replacing the neutron detector for stimulated signals, to feed the measurement electronic of the start-up channels, to check its operation, together with the start-up security logic. The simulator presented can be configured on three independent channels and adjust the shape of the output pulses. Furthermore, each channel can be configured in 'rate' mode, where you can specify the growth rate of the pulse frequency in %/s. Result and details of the implementation on FPGA of the different functional blocks are given. (author)

  1. Security for 4G and 5G Cellular Networks: A Survey of Existing Authentication and Privacy-preserving Schemes

    OpenAIRE

    Ferrag, Mohamed Amine; Maglaras, Leandros; Argyriou, Antonios; Kosmanos, Dimitrios; Janicke, Helge

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a comprehensive survey of existing authentication and privacy-preserving schemes for 4G and 5G cellular networks. We start by providing an overview of existing surveys that deal with 4G and 5G communications, applications, standardization, and security. Then, we give a classification of threat models in 4G and 5G cellular networks in four categories, including, attacks against privacy, attacks against integrity, attacks against availability, and attacks against authenticat...

  2. Enhancing start performance in the sport of skeleton

    OpenAIRE

    Colyer, Steffi

    2015-01-01

    A fast start is considered to be crucial in skeleton with marginal gains in start performance perceived to make meaningful improvements to overall chances of success. Currently, knowledge surrounding the underlying determinants of start performance is sparse and training practices are based on limited scientific evidence. A series of investigations were conducted to advance this understanding.Initial observations revealed similarities between dry-land push-starts and those on ice tracks. Howe...

  3. FEMA DFIRM Station Start

    Data.gov (United States)

    Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — This table contains information about station starting locations. These locations indicate the reference point that was used as the origin for distance measurements...

  4. Head Start Impact Study

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Nationally representative, longitudinal information from an evaluation where children were randomly assigned to Head Start or community services as usual;direct...

  5. Dampak Mentoring Pada Keberhasilan Start-Up Business: Studi Kasus Pada Start-Up Business di Indonesia [Mentoring the Impact of Success of a Start-Up Business: A Case Study of a Start-Up Business in Indonesia

    OpenAIRE

    Christina Yanita Setyawati

    2016-01-01

    Entrepreneurship is a highly developed science today, as well as in the world of education in Indonesia. Teaching entrepreneurship at the university level, especially at some universities in Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia, shows the positive impact that there were 74.03% of start-up businesses that survived and thrived in 2014. Based on the previous observation, some business start-ups are accompanied by a mentor. Mentoring is a process of forming and maintaining lasting relat...

  6. Early Head Start Evaluation

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Longitudinal information from an evaluation where children were randomly assigned to Early Head Start or community services as usual;direct assessments and...

  7. Lean principles optimize on-time vascular surgery operating room starts and decrease resident work hours.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warner, Courtney J; Walsh, Daniel B; Horvath, Alexander J; Walsh, Teri R; Herrick, Daniel P; Prentiss, Steven J; Powell, Richard J

    2013-11-01

    Lean process improvement techniques are used in industry to improve efficiency and quality while controlling costs. These techniques are less commonly applied in health care. This study assessed the effectiveness of Lean principles on first case on-time operating room starts and quantified effects on resident work hours. Standard process improvement techniques (DMAIC methodology: define, measure, analyze, improve, control) were used to identify causes of delayed vascular surgery first case starts. Value stream maps and process flow diagrams were created. Process data were analyzed with Pareto and control charts. High-yield changes were identified and simulated in computer and live settings prior to implementation. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of on-time first case starts; secondary outcomes included hospital costs, resident rounding time, and work hours. Data were compared with existing benchmarks. Prior to implementation, 39% of first cases started on time. Process mapping identified late resident arrival in preoperative holding as a cause of delayed first case starts. Resident rounding process inefficiencies were identified and changed through the use of checklists, standardization, and elimination of nonvalue-added activity. Following implementation of process improvements, first case on-time starts improved to 71% at 6 weeks (P = .002). Improvement was sustained with an 86% on-time rate at 1 year (P < .001). Resident rounding time was reduced by 33% (from 70 to 47 minutes). At 9 weeks following implementation, these changes generated an opportunity cost potential of $12,582. Use of Lean principles allowed rapid identification and implementation of perioperative process changes that improved efficiency and resulted in significant cost savings. This improvement was sustained at 1 year. Downstream effects included improved resident efficiency with decreased work hours. Copyright © 2013 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All

  8. Head Start Impact Study. Technical Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puma, Michael; Bell, Stephen; Cook, Ronna; Heid, Camilla; Shapiro, Gary; Broene, Pam; Jenkins, Frank; Fletcher, Philip; Quinn, Liz; Friedman, Janet; Ciarico, Janet; Rohacek, Monica; Adams, Gina; Spier, Elizabeth

    2010-01-01

    This Technical Report is designed to provide technical detail to support the analysis and findings presented in the "Head Start Impact Study Final Report" (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, January 2010). Chapter 1 provides an overview of the Head Start Impact Study and its findings. Chapter 2 provides technical information on the…

  9. Understanding start-up problems in yeast glycolysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Overal, Gosse B; Teusink, Bas; Bruggeman, Frank J; Hulshof, Josephus; Planqué, Robert

    2018-05-01

    Yeast glycolysis has been the focus of research for decades, yet a number of dynamical aspects of yeast glycolysis remain poorly understood at present. If nutrients are scarce, yeast will provide its catabolic and energetic needs with other pathways, but the enzymes catalysing upper glycolytic fluxes are still expressed. We conjecture that this overexpression facilitates the rapid transition to glycolysis in case of a sudden increase in nutrient concentration. However, if starved yeast is presented with abundant glucose, it can enter into an imbalanced state where glycolytic intermediates keep accumulating, leading to arrested growth and cell death. The bistability between regularly functioning and imbalanced phenotypes has been shown to depend on redox balance. We shed new light on these phenomena with a mathematical analysis of an ordinary differential equation model, including NADH to account for the redox balance. In order to gain qualitative insight, most of the analysis is parameter-free, i.e., without assigning a numerical value to any of the parameters. The model has a subtle bifurcation at the switch between an inviable equilibrium state and stable flux through glycolysis. This switch occurs if the ratio between the flux through upper glycolysis and ATP consumption rate of the cell exceeds a fixed threshold. If the enzymes of upper glycolysis would be barely expressed, our model predicts that there will be no glycolytic flux, even if external glucose would be at growth-permissable levels. The existence of the imbalanced state can be found for certain parameter conditions independent of the mentioned bifurcation. The parameter-free analysis proved too complex to directly gain insight into the imbalanced states, but the starting point of a branch of imbalanced states can be shown to exist in detail. Moreover, the analysis offers the key ingredients necessary for successful numerical continuation, which highlight the existence of this bistability and the

  10. Starting electronics

    CERN Document Server

    Brindley, Keith

    2005-01-01

    Starting Electronics is unrivalled as a highly practical introduction for hobbyists, students and technicians. Keith Brindley introduces readers to the functions of the main component types, their uses, and the basic principles of building and designing electronic circuits. Breadboard layouts make this very much a ready-to-run book for the experimenter; and the use of multimeter, but not oscilloscopes, puts this practical exploration of electronics within reach of every home enthusiast's pocket. The third edition has kept the simplicity and clarity of the original. New material

  11. From BookStart to BookSmart : about the importance of an early start with parent-child reading

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Berg, Heleen van den

    2015-01-01

    BookStart has been developed to enhance parent-child verbal interactions in early childhood by promoting book sharing. Parents receive a voucher for a baby book and free access to baby books in the library. In a large-scale research, we found that if parents complied with the BookStart suggestion to

  12. Start-up analysis for marketing strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffith, M J; Baloff, N

    1984-01-01

    The complex start-up effect on utilization of health care services is too often overlooked or underestimated by marketing planners, leading to a range of negative consequences for both the users of services and the provider organization. Start-up analysis allows accurate estimation of these utilization effects for coordinated strategic planning among marketing finance, and operations.

  13. Experience in the Kola NPP start-up works

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zakharov, S.I.; Omel'chuk, V.V.; Bodrukhin, Yu.M.

    1984-01-01

    Main stages and peculiar features of maintenance and start-up works at WWER-440 type reactor NPPs described. Remarks revealed during complex equipment testing, physical and power start-up will be useful for arrangement of maintenance and start-up works at newly built NPPs

  14. Start II, red ink, and Boris Yeltsin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arbatov, A.

    1993-01-01

    Apart from the vulnerability implied by the START II treaty, it will bear the burden of the general political opposition to the Yeltsin administration. START II will be seen as part of an overall Yeltsin-Andrei Kozyrev foreign policy that is under fire for selling out Russian national interests in Yugoslavia, the Persian Gulf, and elsewhere. This article discusses public opinion concerning START II, the cost of its implementation, and the general purpose of the treaty

  15. School Starting Age and the Crime-Age Profile

    OpenAIRE

    Landerso, Rasmus; Nielsen, Helena Skyt; Simonsen, Marianne

    2015-01-01

    This paper uses register-based data to investigate the effects of school starting age on crime. Through this, we provide insights into the determinants of crime-age profiles. We exploit that Danish children typically start first grade in the calendar year they turn seven, which gives rise to a discontinuity in school starting age for children born around New Year. Our analysis speaks against a simple invariant crime-age profile as is popular in criminology: we find that higher school starting...

  16. Security Investigation Database (SID)

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — Security Investigation & Personnel Security Clearance - COTS personnel security application in a USAID virtualized environement that can support USAID's business...

  17. Head Start Instructional Professionals' Inclusion Perceptions and Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muccio, Leah S.; Kidd, Julie K.; White, C. Stephen; Burns, M. Susan

    2014-01-01

    This study considered the facilitators and barriers of successful inclusion in Head Start classrooms by examining the perspectives and practices of instructional professionals. A cross-sectional survey design was combined with direct observation in inclusive Head Start classrooms. Survey data were collected from 71 Head Start instructional…

  18. Does the StartReact Effect Apply to First-Trial Reactive Movements?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katrin Sutter

    Full Text Available StartReact is the acceleration of reaction time by a startling acoustic stimulus (SAS. The SAS is thought to release a pre-prepared motor program. Here, we investigated whether the StartReact effect is applicable to the very first trial in a series of repeated unpractised single-joint movements.Twenty healthy young subjects were instructed to perform a rapid ankle dorsiflexion movement in response to an imperative stimulus. Participants were divided in two groups of ten. Both groups performed 17 trials. In one group a SAS (116 dB was given in the first trial, whereas the other group received a non-startling sound (70 dB as the first imperative stimulus. In the remaining 16 trials, the SAS was given as the imperative stimulus in 25% of the trials in both groups. The same measurement was repeated one week later, but with the first-trial stimuli counterbalanced between groups.When a SAS was given in the very first trial, participants had significantly shorter onset latencies compared to first-trial responses to a non-startling stimulus. Succeeding trials were significantly faster compared to the first trial, both for trials with and without a SAS. However, the difference between the first and succeeding trials was significantly larger for responses to a non-startling stimulus compared to responses triggered by a SAS. SAS-induced acceleration in the first trial of the second session was similar to that in succeeding trials of session 1.The present results confirm that the StartReact phenomenon also applies to movements that have not yet been practiced in the experimental context. The excessive SAS-induced acceleration in the very first trial may be due to the absence of integration of novel context-specific information with the existing motor memory for movement execution. Our findings demonstrate that StartReact enables a rapid release of motor programs in the very first trial also without previous practice, which might provide a behavioural

  19. Predicting start-up success with machine learning

    OpenAIRE

    Bento, Francisco Ramadas da Silva Ribeiro

    2018-01-01

    Start-ups are becoming the motor that moves our economy. Google, Apple, or more recently Airbnb and Uber are companies with tremendous impact in worldwide economy, social interactions and government. Over the past decade, both in the US and Europe, there has been an exponential growth in start-up formation. Thus, it seems a relevant challenge understanding what makes this type of high-risk ventures successful and as such, attractive to investors and entrepreneurs. Success for a start-up is de...

  20. Getting started with SBT for Scala

    CERN Document Server

    Saxena, Shiti

    2013-01-01

    A practical and fast-paced guide, Getting Started with SBT for Scala walks you through the setup of Scala projects in SBT with sample code for common as well as critical scenarios.Getting Started with SBT for Scala is for developers working on Scala projects who are interested in learning and utilizing Simple Build Tool to manage the build process.

  1. Head Start at ages 3 and 4 versus Head Start followed by state pre-k: Which is more effective?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins, Jade Marcus; Farkas, George; Duncan, Greg J.; Burchinal, Margaret; Vandell, Deborah Lowe

    2016-01-01

    As policy-makers contemplate expanding preschool opportunities for low-income children, one possibility is to fund two, rather than one year of Head Start for children at ages 3 and 4. Another option is to offer one year of Head Start followed by one year of pre-k. We ask which of these options is more effective. We use data from the Oklahoma pre-k study to examine these two ‘pathways’ into kindergarten using regression discontinuity to estimate the effects of each age-4 program, and propensity score weighting to address selection. We find that children attending Head Start at age 3 develop stronger pre-reading skills in a high quality pre-kindergarten at age 4 compared with attending Head Start at age 4. Pre-k and Head Start were not differentially linked to improvements in children’s pre-writing skills or pre-math skills. This suggests that some impacts of early learning programs may be related to the sequencing of learning experiences to more academic programming. PMID:27076692

  2. Fiscal Year 2011 Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund Projects Are Behind Schedule and Lack Adequate Sustainment Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-30

    International Security Assistance Force Dr . S. Ken Yamashita USAID Mission Director for Afghanistan This report discusses the results of the Office...committees, in addition to AIF, Congress noted that State planned to fund AIP projects by reprogramming existing foreign assistance resources to...availability by up to 25-27 megawatts (MW)22 and extended availability to two previously underserved areas of Kandahar City in the west and southeast

  3. Photoemission starting of induction rf-driven multicusp ion sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pickard, D.S.; Leung, K.N.; Perkins, L.T.; Ponce, D.M.; Young, A.T.

    1996-01-01

    It has been demonstrated that pulsed and continuous wave, rf-driven hydrogen discharges can be started with photoemission. The extracted H - current from a photoemission-started plasma has been investigated and does not differ significantly from that of a filament-started plasma. The minimum pressure for photoemissive starting was found to be higher than that of filament starting, 17 mTorr compared to 7 mTorr, respectively, in this particular configuration. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

  4. Start-up simulations of the PULSAR pulsed tokamak reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Werley, K.A.; Bathke, C.G.

    1993-01-01

    Start-up conditions are examined for a pulsed tokamak reactor that uses only inductively driven plasma current (and bootstrap current). A zero-dimensional (profile-averaged) model containing plasma power and particle balance equations is used to study several aspects of plasma start-up, including: (1) optimization of the start-up pathway; (2) tradeoffs of auxiliary start-up heating power versus start-up time; (3) volt-second consumption; (4) thermal stability of the operating point; (5) estimates of the diverter heat flux and temperature during the start-up transient; (6) the sensitivity of the available operating space to allowed values of the H confinement factor; and (7) partial-power operations

  5. Do Head Start Impacts Vary by Neighborhood Context?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Pamela A.; Connors, Maia C.; McCoy, Dana Charles; Gomez, Celia J.; Yoshikawa, Hiro; Aber, J. Lawrence

    2014-01-01

    This paper capitalizes on the addition of geocodes for Head Start centers in which children were randomly assigned to address questions about the role of neighborhood characteristics in moderating impacts of assignment to the Head Start program. Researchers explore the extent to which impacts of assignment to Head Start on outcomes for children…

  6. Start-up Costs, Taxes and Innovative Entrepreneurship

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    P. Darnihamedani (Pourya); J.H. Block (Jörn); S.J.A. Hessels (Jolanda); A. Simonyan (Aram)

    2015-01-01

    markdownabstract__Abstract__ Prior research suggests that start-up costs and taxes negatively influence entry into entrepreneurship. Yet, no distinction is made regarding the type of entrepreneurship, particularly innovative versus non-innovative entrepreneurship. Start-up costs, being one-off

  7. The Impact of Head Start on Children, Families and Communities. Final Report of the Head Start Evaluation, Synthesis and Utilization Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKey, Ruth Hubbell; And Others

    Including all Head Start research (both published and unpublished) and using, when possible, the statistical technique of meta-analysis, this final report of the Head Start Evaluation, Synthesis, and Utilization Project presents findings on the impact of Head Start on children's cognitive and socioemotional development, on child health and health…

  8. Optimization and implementation study of plutonium disposition using existing CANDU Reactors. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-09-01

    Since early 1994, the Department of Energy has been sponsoring studies aimed at evaluating the merits of disposing of surplus US weapons plutonium as Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel in existing commercial Canadian Pressurized Heavy Water reactors, known as CANDU's. The first report, submitted to DOE in July, 1994 (the 1994 Executive Summary is attached), identified practical and safe options for the consumption of 50 to 100 tons of plutonium in 25 years in some of the existing CANDU reactors operating the Bruce A generating station, on Lake Huron, about 300 km north east of Detroit. By designing the fuel and nuclear performance to operate within existing experience and operating/performance envelope, and by utilizing existing fuel fabrication and transportation facilities and methods, a low cost, low risk method for long term plutonium disposition was developed. In December, 1995, in response to evolving Mission Requirements, the DOE requested a further study of the CANDU option with emphasis on more rapid disposition of the plutonium, and retaining the early start and low risk features of the earlier work. This report is the result of that additional work

  9. Tokamak start-up with electron-cyclotron heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holly, D.J.; Prager, S.C.; Shepard, D.A.; Sprott, J.C.

    1981-01-01

    Experiments are described in which the start-up voltage in a tokamak is reduced by about a factor of two by the use of a modest amount of electron cyclotron resonance heating power for pre-ionization. The solution of the zero-dimensional start-up equations indicates that the effect is due to the high initial density which increases the rate at which the conductivity increases in the neutral-dominated initial plasma. The effect extrapolates favourably to larger tokamaks. A 50% reduction in the start-up volt-second requirement and impurity reflux is also observed. (author)

  10. Tokamak start-up with electron-cyclotron heating

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holly, D J; Prager, S C; Shepard, D A; Sprott, J C [Wisconsin Univ., Madison (USA)

    1981-11-01

    Experiments are described in which the start-up voltage in a tokamak is reduced by about a factor of two by the use of a modest amount of electron cyclotron resonance heating power for pre-ionization. The solution of the zero-dimensional start-up equations indicates that the effect is due to the high initial density which increases the rate at which the conductivity increases in the neutral-dominated initial plasma. The effect extrapolates favourably to larger tokamaks. A 50% reduction in the start-up volt-second requirement and impurity reflux is also observed.

  11. School Starting Age and the Crime-Age Profile

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Landersø, Rasmus; Nielsen, Helena Skyt; Simonsen, Marianne

    2017-01-01

    This paper uses register-based data to investigate the effects of school starting age on crime. Through this, we provide insights into the determinants of crime-age profiles. We exploit that Danish children typically start first grade in the calendar year they turn seven, which gives rise...... to a discontinuity in school starting age for children born around New Year. Our analysis speaks against a simple invariant crime-age profile as is popular in criminology: we find that higher school starting age lowers the propensity to commit crime at young ages. We also find effects on the number of crimes...

  12. Multigenerational Head Start Participation: An Unexpected Marker of Progress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chor, Elise

    2018-01-01

    One-quarter of the Head Start population has a mother who participated in the program as a child. This study uses experimental Head Start Impact Study (HSIS) data on 3- and 4-year-olds (N = 2,849) to describe multigenerational Head Start families and their program experiences. In sharp contrast to full-sample HSIS findings, Head Start has large,…

  13. Audit Information Management System

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — USAID/OIG has initiated its new Audit Information Management System (AIMS) to track OIG's audit recommendations and USAID's management decisions. OIG's in-house...

  14. to start

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Click here to start. Table of contents. Slide 1 · Slide 2 · Slide 3 · Slide 4 · Slide 5 · Slide 6 · Slide 7 · Slide 8 · Slide 9 · Slide 10 · Slide 11 · Slide 12 · Slide 13 · Slide 14 · Slide 15 · Slide 16 · Slide 17 · Slide 18 · Slide 19 · Slide 20 · Slide 21 · Slide 22 · Slide 23 · Slide 24 · Slide 25 · Slide 26 · Slide 27 · Slide 28 · Slide 29 · Slide 30.

  15. Density and starting-energy dependent effective interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamaguchi, Norio; Nagata, Sinobu; Kasuga, Teruo

    1979-01-01

    A new effective potential constructed from the reaction matrix calculation of nuclear matters is proposed, taking three-body effects into account. Starting from the two-body scattering equation for nuclear matters, an equation with averaged momentum is introduced as the definition of effective interaction. The parameters in the equation are the Fermi momentum and the starting energy. The nuclear density dependence and the starting energy dependence are independently treated in the potential. The effective interactions including three-body effects were calculated. The dependence on the starting energy is large. The effective interaction is more attractive in the triplet E state, and assures overall saturation without any artificial renormalization. The reaction matrix calculation can be well reproduced by the calculation with this effective potential. The results of calculation for the binding energy of He-4 and O-16 and the shell model matrix elements of O-16 are represented. (Kato, T.)

  16. Investigations on self-starting and performance characteristics of simple H and hybrid H-Savonius vertical axis wind rotors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhuyan, S.; Biswas, A.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Hybrid H-Savonius vertical axis wind rotor for built-in environmental wind speeds. • Self-starting characteristics of unsymmetrical H-rotor and Hybrid H-Savonius rotor. • Comparisons between unsymmetrical H-rotor and Hybrid rotor at same experimental conditions. • Insight of the performances of optimum hybrid H-Savonius rotor. • Higher power performance of the optimum rotor compared with some existing VAWT rotors. - Abstract: With recent surge in fossil fuel prices and demands for renewable energy sources, vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) technologies have emerged out as one of the prime growing sector for small-scale power generation in the built environment. In such an environment, self-starting and high performances are of utmost importance. Amongst all VAWT designs, H-rotor, being a lift-driven device, exhibits a high power coefficient. However, it suffers from poor starting behavior due to its conventional symmetrical NACA airfoil blades. The objective of the present study is to design a VAWT rotor that possesses both self-starting and high power coefficient simultaneously. For this, a three bladed H-rotor with unsymmetrical cambered S818 airfoil blades is investigated, which shows self-starting characteristics at many of the azimuthal angles. However to make the rotor completely self-starting, the same H-rotor is incorporated in a hybrid system with Savonius rotor as its starter. It is found that the hybrid design fully exhibits self-starting capability at all azimuthal positions, signified by the positive static torque coefficient values. For improving power performance of the hybrid rotor, the same is subjected to rigorous experimentations on the wind tunnel at different Reynolds numbers (Re) between 1.44 × 10 5 and 2.31 × 10 5 for five different overlap conditions in the Savonius rotor part. The performance coefficients of the hybrid rotor are compared with the simple H-rotor. Out of all the designs investigated, the maximum Cp

  17. Fragment library design: using cheminformatics and expert chemists to fill gaps in existing fragment libraries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kutchukian, Peter S; So, Sung-Sau; Fischer, Christian; Waller, Chris L

    2015-01-01

    Fragment based screening (FBS) has emerged as a mainstream lead discovery strategy in academia, biotechnology start-ups, and large pharma. As a prerequisite of FBS, a structurally diverse library of fragments is desirable in order to identify chemical matter that will interact with the range of diverse target classes that are prosecuted in contemporary screening campaigns. In addition, it is also desirable to offer synthetically amenable starting points to increase the probability of a successful fragment evolution through medicinal chemistry. Herein we describe a method to identify biologically relevant chemical substructures that are missing from an existing fragment library (chemical gaps), and organize these chemical gaps hierarchically so that medicinal chemists can efficiently navigate the prioritized chemical space and subsequently select purchasable fragments for inclusion in an enhanced fragment library.

  18. Emergency Notification System

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — The USAID ENS provides quick and effective notification messages during any emergency affecting the Ronald Reagan Building, SA-44, Potomac Yards and USAID Washington...

  19. A Fast-Starting Robotic Fish

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modarres-Sadeghi, Yahya; Watts, Matthew; Conte, Joe; Hover, Franz; Triantafyllou, Michael

    2009-11-01

    We have built a simple mechanical system to emulate the fast-start performance of fish. The system consisted of a thin metal beam covered by a urethane rubber fish body. The body form of the mechanical fish in this work was modeled from a pike species, which is the most successfully studied fast-start specialist species. The mechanical fish was held in curvature and hung in water by two restraining lines, which were simultaneously released by pneumatic cutting mechanisms. The potential energy in the beam was transferred into the fluid, thereby accelerating the fish, similar to a pike. We measured the resulting velocity and acceleration, as well as the efficiency of propulsion for the mechanical fish model and also ran a series of flow visualization tests to observe the resulting flow pattern. We also studied the influence of stiffness and geometry of the tail on the efficiency of propulsion and flow pattern. The hydrodynamic efficiency of the fish, calculated by the transfer of energy, was around 10%. Flow visualization of the mechanical fast-start wake was also analyzed, showing that the acceleration is associated with the fast movement of an intense vortex in a near-lateral direction.

  20. Smart or Diverse Start-up Teams?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoogendoorn, Sander; Parker, Simon C.; Van Praag, Mirjam

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores the relationship between cognitive abilities and team performance in a start-up setting. We argue that performance in this setting hinges on three tasks: opportunity recognition, problem solving, and implementation. We theorize that cognitive ability at the individual level has...... others can be assigned to tasks that impose a greater cognitive load (problem solving or opportunity recognition). We present the results of a field experiment in which 573 students in 49 teams started up and managed real companies. We ensured exogenous variation in—otherwise random—team composition...... by assigning students to teams based on their measured cognitive abilities. Each team performed a variety of tasks, often involving complex decision making. The key result of the experiment is that the performance of start-up teams first increases and then decreases with ability dispersion. Strikingly, average...

  1. Gas Turbine Engine Starting Applicated on TV2-117 Turboshaft

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. M. Catana

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the examination of two different types of engine starting configurations, applicated on TV2-117A turboshaft, running into the test bench. The first type of starting configuration is a normal starting, with the engine connected to the dynamometer which controls the free turbine speed by the dynamometer load. The second type of starting is a different one, the engine is not connected with the dynamometer, therefore it results that there is no control of the free turbine speed from the dynamometer, only from the engine but in particular conditions. To achieve the starting phase an instrumentation scheme is created, to control and monitor the engine, and a starting sequence with all the parameters, confirmations and commands that are involved into the starting phase. The engine starting is performed by the test bench operating system, composed of an acquisition system and a programmable controller, wherewith is running the starting sequence.

  2. Cold starting characteristics analysis of hydraulic free piston engine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Shuanlu; Zhao, Zhenfeng; Zhao, Changlu; Zhang, Fujun; Wang, Shan

    2017-01-01

    The cold start characteristic of hydraulic free piston diesel engine may affect its stable operation. Therefore the specific cold start characteristics, such as BDC or TDC positions, pressure in-cylinder, heat release rate, should be investigated in detail. These parameters fluctuate in some regularity in the cod start process. With the development of the free piston engine prototype and the establishment of test bench, the results are obtained. For the dynamic results, the fluctuation range of TDC and BDC positions is 8 mm and decreases with time. The thermodynamic results show that the combustion process is not stable and the pressure in-cylinder fluctuates largely in the cold start process. In addition, the combustion is rapid and knock happens inevitably. In order to investigate the reasons, a CFD model is established for temperature analysis in-cylinder and heat transfer conditions. It is found that higher start wall temperature will lead to more uniform temperature distribution. The delay period may decreases and heat release will move forward. This reason is analyzed by thermodynamic derivation based on the first law of thermodynamics. Finally, the improvement suggestions of cold start strategy are proposed. - Highlights: • The cold start behaviors of HFPE are investigated in detail. • CFD method is used for simulating temperature distribution in start process. • Thermodynamic derivation uncovers the compression temperature distribution. • The improvement suggestions of cold start strategy are proposed.

  3. Tips for Starting Physical Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Legislative Information Advisory & Coordinating Committees Strategic Plans & Reports Research Areas FAQs ... Starting Physical Activity Related Topics Section Navigation Tips to Help You Get Active ...

  4. 46 CFR 112.50-5 - Electric starting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Electric starting. 112.50-5 Section 112.50-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING EMERGENCY LIGHTING AND POWER SYSTEMS Emergency Diesel and Gas Turbine Engine Driven Generator Sets § 112.50-5 Electric starting...

  5. Sleep, sleepiness and school start times: a preliminary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dexter, Donn; Bijwadia, Jagdeep; Schilling, Dana; Applebaugh, Gwendolyn

    2003-01-01

    High school students are reported to be excessively sleepy, resulting in decreased academic performance, increased psycho-social problems and increased risk of morbidity and mortality from accidents. Early school start times have been noted to contribute to this problem. This report attempts to confirm the relationship of early school start times with decreased sleep and increased sleepiness. We examined sophomore and junior students in 2 local high schools with different start times and measured the amount of time slept and sleepiness. We found that students at the early start school reported reduced sleep time and more sleepiness than their counterparts at the later starting school. Early school start times are associated with student reports of less sleep and increased sleepiness. Further studies in larger groups are recommended in view of the potential significant impact of sleep deprivation in this age group.

  6. How to Start Growing Beef Calves on Feed

    OpenAIRE

    ZoBell, Dale R

    2003-01-01

    Starting calves on feed takes time and effort because of the stress young calves are susceptible to at this point in their lives. The reduction of stress will result in calves consuming more feed, thus remaining healthier. To successfully start calves on feed, dry matter intake must be maximized while minimizing health problems. The following is a 5-step applied method for starting calves on a silage-based ration.

  7. West Bank Gaza Geo-MIS System

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — The Geo-MIS System is USAID/West Bank and Gaza's primary system for capturing and managing projectrelated information. Its purpose is to assist USAID and its...

  8. [Summary of the existing knowledge about electronic cigarettes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cselkó, Zsuzsa; Pénzes, Melinda

    2016-06-19

    The decreasing proportion of smokers due to smoking restrictions have led producers to invent and disseminate electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) worldwide as a new form of nicotine enjoyment. This review summarizes the existing knowledge about e-cigarettes based on publications of PubMed, and on reviews and research data published by national and international scientific institutions. Present knowledge about the composition of e-cigarettes confirms that they are harmful products since their vapor is equally detrimental to the health of users and bystanders. Their benefits in smoking cessation still have not been justified by adequate scientific evidence, however, it has been proven that e-cigarettes uphold nicotine addiction and may increase the risk of starting conventional cigarette use by youth. In order to ensure the results of tobacco control policy and to assist smoking cessation, the same regulations are to be applied to e-cigarettes as to conventional tobacco products.

  9. Families & the North Carolina Smart Start Initiative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowman, Betsy; Bryant, Donna; Zolotor, Adam

    Smart Start is North Carolina's partnership between state government and local leaders, service providers, and families to better serve children under 6 years and their families. This study examined characteristics of families participating in Smart Start, their child care arrangements and family activities, and their need for and use of community…

  10. En god start

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sievertsen, Hans Henrik

    I Danmark er det muligt at afvige fra reglen om, at barnet skal starte i skole det kalenderår, hvor barnet fylder 6 år. Det gør 10-15 procent af en årgang, mens 80-90 procent af børnene følger normen, og 2-3 procent starter i skole et år tidligere end normen, viser en analyse baseret på børn født i...

  11. Automated start-up of EBR-II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kisner, R.A.

    1989-01-01

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) are undertaking a joint project to develop control philosophies, strategies, and algorithms for computer control of the start-up mode of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II). The major objective of this project is to show that advanced liquid-metal reactor (LMR) plants can be operated from low power to full power using computer control. Development of an automated control system with this objective in view will help resolve specific issues and provide proof through demonstration that automatic control for plant start-up is feasible. This paper describes the approach that will be used to develop such a system and some of the features it is expected to have. Structured, rule-based methods, which will provide start-up capability from a variety of initial plant conditions and degrees of equipment operability, will be used for accomplishing mode changes during plant start-up. Several innovative features will be incorporated such as signal, command, and strategy validation to maximize reliability, flexibility to accommodate a wide range of plant conditions, and overall utility. Continuous control design will utilize figures of merit to evaluate how well the controller meets the mission requirements. The operator interface will have unique ''look ahead'' features to let the operator see what will happen next. 15 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab

  12. Skyline Reservation System

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — Flight reservation application used for in-country flights by USAID and DoS staff in Afghanistan. The application is managed and maintained by the vendor and USAID...

  13. Liberia PIDS

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — PIDS is the web-based system designed to allow data input and consultative sessions by USAID/Liberia's IPs and USAID personnel. It is established and maintained by...

  14. CIM [computer-integrated manufacturing]: It all starts with product definition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stephens, A.E.

    1986-01-01

    The logical starting place for computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is at the front end of the production process - product definition. It consists of the part/assembly drawings, material lists, specifications, and procedures. Product definition starts at the design agencies: two nuclear design laboratories (Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) and a non-nuclear design laboratory (Sandia National Laboratories with two site locations). These laboratories perform the basic part design which is then transferred over a secure communications network to the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, where weapon components are produced by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., under contract with the Department of Energy (DOE). Initial Graphics Exchange Specifications (IGES) and DOE Data Exchange Format (DOEDEF) translation software is used to transfer part designs between dissimilar graphics systems. Product-definition data flow is examined both external and internal to the Y-12 Plant. Software developed specifically to computerize product definition is covered as follows: Electronic File Manager (EFM), Manage Design Documents, Distribute Product Definition, Manage Manufacturing Procedures and Product Specifications. Trident II is the first program to beneficially use CIM technologies plant-wide. Prototype software was written to add a layer of user friendliness through multilayer menu selects to enable access to a number of existing application software packages. Additional software was developed and purchased that enables a single personal computer to meet many needs. These product-definition needs include procedures generation, graphics viewing, and office automation. 3 figs

  15. ATLAS starts moving in

    CERN Multimedia

    2004-01-01

    The first large active detector component was lowered into the ATLAS cavern on 1 March. It consisted of the 8 modules forming the lower part of the central barrel of the tile hadronic calorimeter. The work of assembling the barrel, which comprises 64 modules, started the following day.

  16. Product innovation and commercialization in lean global start-ups

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tanev, Stoyan; Rasmussen, Erik Stavnsager; Zijdemans, Erik

    2015-01-01

    The paper examines the distinctive characteristics of product innovation and commercialization in Lean Global Start-up (LGS) – new technology firms which have adopted a lean and global path from or near to their inception. It suggests an uncertainty vs risk framework which allows integrating two...... research streams – Born Global (BG) firms and lean start-ups. In addition to its integrative theoretical value, the paper offers insights for lean start-up managers dealing with the challenges of a global start....

  17. 22 CFR 228.23 - Eligibility of marine insurance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ...-Related Services for USAID Financing § 228.23 Eligibility of marine insurance. The eligibility of marine... commodities procured with USAID funds be insured in the United States against marine loss. The decision of any...

  18. Guidelines for starting today's private practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schmitz ED

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. Starting a new practice may seem like a daunting task. The purpose of this article is to demystify the process of creating a new practice from the beginning. The cardinal rule is to keep costs low and not to outsource work that can easily be performed by any competent physician and staff. You do not need a manager, lawyer, business partner, coder or biller individually; you may be able to perform many of these services yourself. What you do need is a commitment to making your practice a success. Do not spend too much on your office space, furnishings or equipment. Start with the bare essentials. Immediately start applying to all insurance companies especially Medicare. Request an employer identification number. Set up a basic business banking account and submit the account number to the insurance companies you plan to work with. You can purchase an entire electronic healthcare record (EHR …

  19. Spreading continents kick-started plate tectonics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rey, Patrice F; Coltice, Nicolas; Flament, Nicolas

    2014-09-18

    Stresses acting on cold, thick and negatively buoyant oceanic lithosphere are thought to be crucial to the initiation of subduction and the operation of plate tectonics, which characterizes the present-day geodynamics of the Earth. Because the Earth's interior was hotter in the Archaean eon, the oceanic crust may have been thicker, thereby making the oceanic lithosphere more buoyant than at present, and whether subduction and plate tectonics occurred during this time is ambiguous, both in the geological record and in geodynamic models. Here we show that because the oceanic crust was thick and buoyant, early continents may have produced intra-lithospheric gravitational stresses large enough to drive their gravitational spreading, to initiate subduction at their margins and to trigger episodes of subduction. Our model predicts the co-occurrence of deep to progressively shallower mafic volcanics and arc magmatism within continents in a self-consistent geodynamic framework, explaining the enigmatic multimodal volcanism and tectonic record of Archaean cratons. Moreover, our model predicts a petrological stratification and tectonic structure of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle, two predictions that are consistent with xenolith and seismic studies, respectively, and consistent with the existence of a mid-lithospheric seismic discontinuity. The slow gravitational collapse of early continents could have kick-started transient episodes of plate tectonics until, as the Earth's interior cooled and oceanic lithosphere became heavier, plate tectonics became self-sustaining.

  20. 40 CFR 86.536-78 - Engine starting and restarting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... equipped with automatic chokes shall be operated according to the instructions in the manufacturer's... transmission shall be placed in gear 15 seconds after the engine is started. If necessary, braking may be... starting procedure, the engine (automatic and manual choke engines) shall be started by opening the...

  1. 34 CFR 200.80 - Migrant Education Even Start Program definition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Migrant Education Even Start Program definition. 200.80... DISADVANTAGED Even Start Family Literacy Program § 200.80 Migrant Education Even Start Program definition. Eligible participants under the Migrant Education Even Start Program (MEES) must meet the definitions of a...

  2. Start-up Funding via Equity Crowdfunding in Germany

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Angerer, Martin; Brem, Alexander; Kraus, Sascha

    2017-01-01

    Entrepreneurs often struggle to find sufficient funding for their start-ups. A relatively new way for companies to attract capital is via an internet platform, locating investors who in return receive something in return for their ventures. Equity crowdfunding is one of several types of crowdfund......Entrepreneurs often struggle to find sufficient funding for their start-ups. A relatively new way for companies to attract capital is via an internet platform, locating investors who in return receive something in return for their ventures. Equity crowdfunding is one of several types...... of crowdfunding, and is also known as crowdinvesting in the German-speaking realm. This article predominantly advances the scientific knowledge regarding the success factors of equity crowdfunding for German start-ups. The study conducted nine qualitative interviews with start-ups and crowdinvesting platforms....... Its first result is that German start-ups select crowdinvesting because (1) it is a funding opportunity and (2) it has an expected marketing effect. To organize the results of relevant success factors, the Crowdinvesting Success Model was designed by the researchers. This supports German entrepreneurs...

  3. Start-up procedure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marchl, A.; Krebs, W.D.; Aleite, W.

    1975-01-01

    The start-up procedure will be shown on a pressurized water reactor, although most of the activities will occur similarly in other reactor types. The commissioning time can be divided into 5 sections, the phases A to E together lasting 26 months. Subsequently there are a test run of one month and the handling-over of the plant to the operator. A survey of the commissioning sections with several important main events is shown. (orig./TK) [de

  4. The backstroke swimming start: state of the art.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jesus, Karla; de Jesus, Kelly; Fernandes, Ricardo J; Vilas-Boas, João Paulo; Sanders, Ross

    2014-09-29

    As sprint swimming events can be decided by margins as small as .01 s, thus, an effective start is essential. This study reviews and discusses the 'state of the art' literature regarding backstroke start biomechanics from 23 documents. These included two swimming specific publications, eight peer-reviewed journal articles, three from the Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming Congress series, eight from the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports Conference Proceedings, one from a Biomechanics Congress and one academic (PhD) thesis. The studies had diverse aims, including swimmers' proficiency levels and data collection settings. There was no single consensus for defining phase descriptions; and kinematics, kinetics and EMG approaches were implemented in laboratory settings. However, researchers face great challenges in improving methods of quantifying valid, reliable and accurate data between laboratory and competition conditions. For example, starting time was defined from the starting signal to distances as disparate as ∼5 m to 22.86 m in several studies. Due to recent rule changes, some of the research outcomes now refer to obsolete backstroke start techniques, and only a few studies considered the actual international rules. This literature review indicated that further research is required, in both laboratory and competition settings focusing on the combined influences of the current rules and block configuration on backstroke starting performances.

  5. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA)

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — The NICRA Database is a Web-based tool located on the USAID internal network which provides USAID personnel access to PDF copies of NICRAs issued out of the Office...

  6. START: An essential step in a new era

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lockwood, D.

    1991-01-01

    After more than nine years of negotiations, the US and the Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in Moscow on July 31, 1991. While the world has changed dramatically since 1982 when the START negotiations began, the treaty remains very much in the US interest. START exacts deep cuts in the most destabilizing and dangerous US and Soviet strategic weapons, and will lead to substantial overall reductions in the strategic nuclear forces of both sides. Moreover, the agreement will create a formal, structured, and predictable strategic environment. It will also impose on the Soviet Union or its successors a legally binding set of obligations that will be in effect for many years, regardless of changes in leadership or form of government. START, with its extensive series of intrusive, cooperative, and technical verification measures, will greatly enhance US knowledge about Soviet strategic nuclear forces and activities. The force reductions, predictability, and transparency that START will lock in will be especially valuable if the Soviet Union breaks into independent states or if there is a resurgence of hard-line political forces in Moscow. In addition, START will provide a framework for deeper reductions that could further reduce the risk of nuclear war, stimulate an increasingly cooperative relationship between the US and the Soviet Union or its successors, and save tens of billions of dollars. Finally, by demonstrating a US and Soviet commitment to reversing the arms race, START should reinforce efforts to stem the proliferation of nuclear weapons among both newly independent Soviet republics and nuclear threshold states, and to ensure success at the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) extension conference in 1995

  7. 20 CFR 404.241 - 1977 simplified old-start method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false 1977 simplified old-start method. 404.241... DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Computing Primary Insurance Amounts Old-Start Method of Computing Primary Insurance Amounts § 404.241 1977 simplified old-start method. (a) Who is qualified. To qualify for the old...

  8. The influence of value judgments about the existence of free will in prostitution on shaping criminal justice response to human trafficking

    OpenAIRE

    Ristivojević, Branislav

    2015-01-01

    Starting from the unbreakable bond that exists between human trafficking and prostitution, the author explores in the paper the issue of the influence of value judgments about the existence of free will in prostitution on shaping criminal justice responses to human trafficking. Two possible answers to this question also create two models of criminal-political responses to human trafficking. The author criticizes the first one, which does not recognize the freedom of will, because besides the ...

  9. 1-D hybrid code for FRM start-up

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stark, R.A.; Miley, G.H.

    1982-01-01

    A one-D hybrid has been developed to study the start-up of the FRM via neutral-beam injection. The code uses a multi-group numerical model originally developed by J. Willenberg to describe fusion product dynamics in a solenoidal plasma. Earlier we described such a model for use in determining self-consistent ion currents and magnetic fields in FRM start-up. However, consideration of electron dynamics during start-up indicate that the electron current will oppose the injected ion current and may even foil the attempt to achieve reversal. For this reason, we have combined the multi-group ion (model) with a fluid treatment for electron dynamics to form the hybrid code FROST (Field Reversed One-dimensional STart-up). The details of this merger, along with sample results of operation of FROST, are given

  10. Open-Start Mathematics Problems: An Approach to Assessing Problem Solving

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monaghan, John; Pool, Peter; Roper, Tom; Threlfall, John

    2009-01-01

    This article describes one type of mathematical problem, open-start problems, and discusses their potential for use in assessment. In open-start problems how one starts to address the problem can vary but they have a correct answer. We argue that the use of open-start problems in assessment could positively influence classroom mathematics…

  11. Smart Start Evaluation Plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryant, Donna; Burchinal, Margaret; Buysse, Virginia; Kotch, Jonathan; Maxwell, Kelly; Neenan, Peter; Noblit, George; Orthner, Dennis; Peisner-Feinberg, Ellen; Telfair, Joseph

    Smart Start is North Carolina's partnership between state government and local leaders, service providers, and families to better serve children under 6 years of age and their families. This report describes the comprehensive plan to evaluate the state and local goals and objectives of the program, focusing on the components addressing the…

  12. Aloittelevan start-up yrittäjän opas rahoitukseen

    OpenAIRE

    Lamminsalo, Matti

    2015-01-01

    Opinnäytetyö käsittelee start-up rahoitusta ja siihen liittyviä toimintamalleja. Opinnäytetyön tuloksena on syntynyt opaskirja: Aloittelevan start-up yrittäjän opas rahoitukseen. Research about start-up ecosystem with investment aspect. As a result guidebook for start-up investment and how to raise a fund was writen.

  13. Personal and Public Start Pages in a library setting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kieft-Wondergem, Dorine

    Personal and Public Start Pages are web-based resources. With these kind of tools it is possible to make your own free start page. A Start Page allows you to put all your web resources into one page, including blogs, email, podcasts, RSSfeeds. It is possible to share the content of the page with

  14. Head Start Participants, Programs, Families and Staff in 2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Christina

    2014-01-01

    Head Start programs provide poor children and their families with comprehensive early education and support services. Each year, programs are required to submit a Program Information Report (PIR) to the Office of Head Start on participating children, pregnant women, and families, as well as the staff serving the Head Start population. In 2013, the…

  15. School start times for adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-09-01

    The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes insufficient sleep in adolescents as an important public health issue that significantly affects the health and safety, as well as the academic success, of our nation's middle and high school students. Although a number of factors, including biological changes in sleep associated with puberty, lifestyle choices, and academic demands, negatively affect middle and high school students' ability to obtain sufficient sleep, the evidence strongly implicates earlier school start times (ie, before 8:30 am) as a key modifiable contributor to insufficient sleep, as well as circadian rhythm disruption, in this population. Furthermore, a substantial body of research has now demonstrated that delaying school start times is an effective countermeasure to chronic sleep loss and has a wide range of potential benefits to students with regard to physical and mental health, safety, and academic achievement. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly supports the efforts of school districts to optimize sleep in students and urges high schools and middle schools to aim for start times that allow students the opportunity to achieve optimal levels of sleep (8.5-9.5 hours) and to improve physical (eg, reduced obesity risk) and mental (eg, lower rates of depression) health, safety (eg, drowsy driving crashes), academic performance, and quality of life. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  16. Sudan PIMS

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — The development of this system was awarded to MSI in May 2013 to design and help USAID/South Sudan manage a web-based PIMS that is customized to USAID/South Sudan's...

  17. Getting started with Go

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2015-01-01

    No, not the Chinese boardgame, the programming language that ironically Google made difficult to google for. You may have heard of Golang, and are wondering whether you should learn it. The answer is that of course you should, and this talk should explain why and point you at the best resources to get started.

  18. Getting started with UDOO

    CERN Document Server

    Palazzetti, Emanuele

    2015-01-01

    If you are an Android developer who wants to learn how to use UDOO to build Android applications that are capable of interacting with their surrounding environment, then this book is ideal for you. Learning UDOO is the next great step to start building your first real-world prototypes powered by the Android operating system.

  19. Sure start: voices of the 'hard-to-reach'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coe, C; Gibson, A; Spencer, N; Stuttaford, M

    2008-07-01

    This research aimed to look in depth at the factors affecting the ability of four Sure Start local programmes, based in a multicultural Midlands city, to engage with 'hard-to-reach' populations. A variety of research strategies and methods were employed. Geographical information systems, participatory research methods and interviews were used in order to understand the extent of the challenge, and hear first hand, why parents may not get involved with Sure Start. The mapping exercise involved collation and mapping of postcode data with respect to boundaries and potential and actual users of Sure Start services. This made possible the identification of any geographical patterning in the distribution of service users and non-users. Participatory research methods were used with parents, enabling them to conduct short interviews within their own communities and make sense of the data collected. Interviews were also conducted with 70 parents across the city, recruited through local schools. The results indicate that parental decisions regarding Sure Start are the product of a complex interaction between numerous factors which may act as either barriers or facilitators to service utilization. The results suggest that a multi-method approach to data collection is useful and appropriate in gaining access to those parents who are non-users of the Sure Start services and enabling their voices to be heard. These findings offer some explanations and insight into the apparent ambivalent attitudes of some families toward Sure Start services. Implications for future practice are discussed.

  20. Quality of Business, Entrepreneurship Education and Business Start-up Intentions among Students in Serbia: Research Results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dragan Živko Ćoćkalo

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper will present findings of a research conducted among students in the Republic of Serbia dealing with quality of business, entrepreneurship and business start-ups. Throughout a three year period the research has included 1990 examinees. The population is built on students from four universities and business schools directed towards business and management. The research has been conducted using a structured questionnaire. Among other, the research has shown that a number of examinees were not informed of the existence of financial incentives for starting a business. Interviewed students reported that they lack the knowledge of: the basics of entrepreneurship and small business, basic finance and accounting and foreign languages. In the opinion of students, the Republic of Serbia is currently no suitable environment that encourages youth to start their own businesses. The results of this research point out the fact that the state must have the key role in this sphere of Serbian market through a creation of certain documents whose aim is promoting the concept of the young as entrepreneurs. A research of this scope has so far not been conducted on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge not even in the West Balkans region.

  1. Are the new starting block facilities beneficial for backstroke start performance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jesus, Karla; de Jesus, Kelly; Abraldes, J Arturo; Medeiros, Alexandre Igor Araripe; Fernandes, Ricardo J; Vilas-Boas, João Paulo

    2016-01-01

    We aimed to analyse the handgrip positioning and the wedge effects on the backstroke start performance and technique. Ten swimmers completed randomly eight 15 m backstroke starts (four with hands on highest horizontal and four on vertical handgrip) performed with and without wedge. One surface and one underwater camera recorded kinematic data. Standardised mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used. Handgrip positioning did not affect kinematics with and without wedge use. Handgrips horizontally positioned and feet over wedge displayed greater knee angular velocity than without it (SMD = -0.82; 95% CI: -1.56, -0.08). Hands vertically positioned and feet over wedge presented greater take-off angle (SMD = -0.81; 95% CI: -1.55, -0.07), centre of mass (CM) vertical positioning at first water contact (SMD = -0.97; 95% CI: -1.87, -0.07) and CM vertical velocity at CM immersion (SMD = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.08, 1.98) when comparing without wedge use. Swimmers extended the hip previous to the knee and ankle joints, except for the variant with hands vertically positioned without wedge (SMD = 0.75; 95% CI: -0.03, 1.53). Swimmers should preserve biomechanical advantages achieved during flight with variant with hands vertically positioned and wedge throughout entry and underwater phase.

  2. Head Start at Ages 3 and 4 versus Head Start Followed by State Pre-K: Which Is More Effective?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins, Jade Marcus; Farkas, George; Duncan, Greg J.; Burchinal, Margaret; Vandell, Deborah Lowe

    2016-01-01

    As policy-makers contemplate expanding preschool opportunities for low-income children, one possibility is to fund two, rather than one year of Head Start for children at ages 3 and 4. Another option is to offer one year of Head Start followed by one year of pre-k. We ask which of these options is more effective. We use data from the Oklahoma…

  3. Dynamic usage of transcription start sites within core promoters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kawaji, Hideya; Frith, Martin C; Katayama, Shintaro

    2006-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Mammalian promoters do not initiate transcription at single, well defined base pairs, but rather at multiple, alternative start sites spread across a region. We previously characterized the static structures of transcription start site usage within promoters at the base pair level......, based on large-scale sequencing of transcript 5' ends. RESULTS: In the present study we begin to explore the internal dynamics of mammalian promoters, and demonstrate that start site selection within many mouse core promoters varies among tissues. We also show that this dynamic usage of start sites...... is associated with CpG islands, broad and multimodal promoter structures, and imprinting. CONCLUSION: Our results reveal a new level of biologic complexity within promoters--fine-scale regulation of transcription starting events at the base pair level. These events are likely to be related to epigenetic...

  4. Starting lithium prophylaxis early v. late in bipolar disorder

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kessing, Lars Vedel; Vradi, Eleni; Andersen, Per Kragh

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: No study has investigated when preventive treatment with lithium should be initiated in bipolar disorder. AIMS: To compare response rates among patients with bipolar disorder starting treatment with lithium early v. late. METHOD: Nationwide registers were used to identify all patients...... with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in psychiatric hospital settings who were prescribed lithium during the period 1995-2012 in Denmark (n = 4714). Lithium responders were defined as patients who, following a stabilisation lithium start-up period of 6 months, continued lithium monotherapy without being admitted...... to hospital. Early v. late intervention was defined in two ways: (a) start of lithium following first contact; and (b) start of lithium following a diagnosis of a single manic/mixed episode. RESULTS: Regardless of the definition used, patients who started lithium early had significantly decreased rates of non...

  5. Psychiatric Advance Directives: Getting Started

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... News Legal Issues Search for: About PADs A psychiatric advance directive (PAD) is a legal document that ... decisions during a mental health crisis. Getting Started Psychiatric advance directives (PADs) are relatively new legal instruments ...

  6. Corpos elétricos: do assujeitamento à estética da existência Electric bodies: from subjection to the aesthetics of existence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard Miskolci

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available A busca da adequação aos padrões de identidade socialmente impostos tem justificado e instituído as mais variadas formas de controle corporal. Há cerca de dois séculos vivemos um processo de contínuo disciplinamento e normalização dos corpos que também tem conseqüências subjetivas, pois a subjetividade está diretamente associada à materialidade do corpo. Assim, a história da criação de corpos e identidades sociais é também uma história dos modos de produção da subjetividade. O texto parte dessa constatação para discutir uma forma de resistência ao assujeitamento: a proposta foucaultiana de uma estética da existência.The search to comply with socially imposed standards of identity has justified and instituted a number of ways of body control. During the last two centuries we have lived under an ongoing process of discipline and normalization of our bodies. This process has subjective consequences because subjectivity is directly connected to the materiality of the body. Therefore, a history of creation of bodies and social identities is also a history of ways of producing subjectivity. This paper starts with this history to discuss a form of resistance: Michel Foucault's proposal of an aesthetics of existence.

  7. Starting up the upstarts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greene, J

    1997-12-20

    Venture capitalists pour $1 billion a year into health care--and that investment may be the most overlooked indicator of new business opportunities. Signs show that companies focused on consolidation and cost-cutting are off the A list for risk capital. Instead, venture capitalists are targeting start-ups that save money on the front lines by truly managing care.

  8. The Lean and Global Start-up

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tanev, Stoyan; Rasmussen, Erik Stavnsager

    For several decades researchers have studied start-up companies with a focus on international markets, suppliers and networks from their inception and on companies that are establishing new, agile business models. This has resulted in two streams of research: The Born Global and International New...... Ventures research and research with a focus on the Lean Start-up company. It is our intention in this paper to give a short presentation of the two research streams and show how they can be merged into one with a focus on newly established technology oriented firms that are lean and global from...

  9. 22 CFR 226.2 - Definitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ..., such as vaccinations given, schools built, microenterprise loans issued, or policies changed... Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION OF ASSISTANCE AWARDS TO U.S. NON-GOVERNMENTAL... negotiated indirect cost rate. USAID means the United States Agency for International Development. USAID...

  10. 75 FR 39204 - Notice of Public Information Collections Being Reviewed by the U.S. Agency for International...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-08

    ... Emergency Relief Information. Type of Review: Renewal of Information Collection. Purpose: The purpose of... AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Notice of Public Information Collections Being Reviewed by... International Development (USAID) is making efforts to reduce the paperwork burden. USAID invites the general...

  11. Nutrition Education Resources in North Carolina-Based Head Start Preschool Programs: Administrator and Teacher Perceptions of Availability and Use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lisson, Sarah; Goodell, L Suzanne; Dev, Dipti; Wilkerson, Kristi; Hegde, Archana V; Stage, Virginia C

    2016-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to provide new insight into common barriers to the availability and use of nutrition education (NE) resources in Head Start preschool programs based on administrator and teacher perceptions. In-depth, semistructured phone interviews (n = 63) were conducted with administrators (n = 31) and teachers (n = 32) from North Carolina-based Head Start programs. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed qualitatively using content analysis to identify common themes. Five emergent themes were identified within the areas of NE resource availability and use and barriers to NE resource availability and use. Participants expressed desire for greater organization of existing NE material resources, increased community support, and professional development opportunities for teachers specific to NE. Funding and time constraints were reported as affecting NE resources. Creative strategies for addressing NE resource availability and use and barriers (eg, NE integration with educational standards) in Head Start are needed. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Start-up emissions from residential down-draught wood log boilers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pettersson, E. (Luleaa Univ. of Technology (Sweden). Energy Technology Centre in Piteaa), Email: esbjorn.pettersson@ltu.se

    2009-07-01

    Start-up emissions can be substantial and even dominating in real use. There are few published investigations regarding the relative importance of different parameters on the start-up emissions. It has though recently been stated that for down-draught boilers, best results are achieved if the wood charge is ignited fairly close to the secondary chamber. The objective of the experimental work was to evaluate the effect of different fuel and design parameters on the start-up emissions, using experimental design which enables a direct comparison between different parameters, using three levels of preheating of secondary air, electric preheating of primary air, different moisture and size of the start wood as well as different amounts of birch bark, which was used to spread the fire during the start. The boiler did not use a bypass damper and the full fuel charge was added before igniting the start wood through an ignition door situated slightly above the grate. The only significant results for the four parameters were that smaller and drier start wood gave lower start-up emissions. Extra amount of birch bark gave the same result. The most important parameters are the fuel parameters, which mean that the result is generally applicable. (orig.)

  13. STAR Online Meta-Data Collection Framework: Integration with the Pre-existing Controls Infrastructure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arkhipkin, D.; Lauret, J.

    2017-10-01

    One of the STAR experiment’s modular Messaging Interface and Reliable Architecture framework (MIRA) integration goals is to provide seamless and automatic connections with the existing control systems. After an initial proof of concept and operation of the MIRA system as a parallel data collection system for online use and real-time monitoring, the STAR Software and Computing group is now working on the integration of Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) with MIRA’s interfaces. This integration goals are to allow functional interoperability and, later on, to replace the existing/legacy Detector Control System components at the service level. In this report, we describe the evolutionary integration process and, as an example, will discuss the EPICS Alarm Handler conversion. We review the complete upgrade procedure starting with the integration of EPICS-originated alarm signals propagation into MIRA, followed by the replacement of the existing operator interface based on Motif Editor and Display Manager (MEDM) with modern portable web-based Alarm Handler interface. To achieve this aim, we have built an EPICS-to-MQTT [8] bridging service, and recreated the functionality of the original Alarm Handler using low-latency web messaging technologies. The integration of EPICS alarm handling into our messaging framework allowed STAR to improve the DCS alarm awareness of existing STAR DAQ and RTS services, which use MIRA as a primary source of experiment control information.

  14. Start-up of Rapsodie

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pontier, R.

    1967-01-01

    After giving a general description of Rapsodie this report presents the conditions in which the start-up occurred and in which the tests were carried out. A chronological account is given of the operations and of the main events which occurred. The modifications made to the reactor during this period are described and a synthesis of the results obtained is presented. (author) [fr

  15. The renaissance starts here

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nedderman, John.

    1997-01-01

    The Asian Pacific Basin region has the highest rate of growth of anywhere in the world and its need for electricity is staggering. This is leading, noted a senior Korean official speaking at the 10th Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference, to a ''renaissance of nuclear power'' in Asia. Judging by the optimism in evidence at the conference, perhaps it has already started. (Author)

  16. Control device for start-up of reactor depressurization system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Hiroshi; Saito, Minoru; Oda, Shingo; Miura, Satoshi; Hashimoto, Koji; Tate, Hitoshi; Fujii, Kazunobu

    1998-01-01

    The present invention concerns are emergency reactor core cooling system (ECCS) of a BWR type reactor and provides a control device for start-up of an automatic depressurization system. Namely, the device has an object of preventing erroneous opening of a main steam escape safety value when testing a start-up signal circuit of an automatic depressurization system for testing the automatic depressurization system. A start-up signal circuit receives both signals of a reactor container pressure high signal and a reactor pressure vessel water level low signal and outputs an automatic start-up signal for compulsorily opening a main steam escape safety valve automatically. A test switch having a self-holding circuit is disposed to a central control chamber. A test signal circuit is disposed for preventing transfer of an erroneous start-up signal to the main steam escape safety valve due to a simulation signal during output test signals by the test switch. (I.S.)

  17. When to Start Antiretroviral Therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... illnesses and coinfections Recent HIV infection Pregnancy All pregnant women with HIV should take HIV medicines to prevent mother-to- ... protect the health of the pregnant woman. All pregnant women with HIV should start taking HIV medicines as soon as ...

  18. 77 FR 70136 - Privacy Act of 1974, System of Records

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-23

    .... It is USAID's core financial management system and accounting system of record. Phoenix enables USAID..., which are required to perform necessary accounting operations. Phoenix falls under strict regulatory...: name, social security number, details of payroll transactions and work phone numbers. Phoenix imports...

  19. Engine-start Control Strategy of P2 Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiangyang, Xu; Siqi, Zhao; Peng, Dong

    2017-12-01

    A smooth and fast engine-start process is important to parallel hybrid electric vehicles with an electric motor mounted in front of the transmission. However, there are some challenges during the engine-start control. Firstly, the electric motor must simultaneously provide a stable driving torque to ensure the drivability and a compensative torque to drag the engine before ignition. Secondly, engine-start time is a trade-off control objective because both fast start and smooth start have to be considered. To solve these problems, this paper first analyzed the resistance of the engine start process, and established a physic model in MATLAB/Simulink. Then a model-based coordinated control strategy among engine, motor and clutch was developed. Two basic control strategy during fast start and smooth start process were studied. Simulation results showed that the control objectives were realized by applying given control strategies, which can meet different requirement from the driver.

  20. Start up testing for the secure automated fabrication line

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerber, E.W.; Benson, E.M.; Dahl, R.E.

    1987-01-01

    The secure automated fabrication (SAF) line is a remotely operated, liquid metal reactor fuel fabrication process being built by Westinghouse Hanford Company for the Department of Energy. All process and control equipment is installed and start up testing has been initiated. Start up testing is comprised of five phases, each incorporating higher degrees of equipment integration, automation, and remote control. Testing methodology for SAF line start up is described in this report

  1. Getting started with Hazelcast

    CERN Document Server

    Johns, Mat

    2013-01-01

    Written as a step-by-step guide, Getting Started with Hazelcast will teach you all you need to know to make your application data scalable.This book is a great introduction for Java developers, software architects, or developers looking to enable scalable and agile data within their applications. You should have programming knowledge of Java and a general familiarity with concepts like data caching and clustering.

  2. Life expectancies of South African adults starting antiretroviral treatment: collaborative analysis of cohort studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Leigh F; Mossong, Joel; Dorrington, Rob E; Schomaker, Michael; Hoffmann, Christopher J; Keiser, Olivia; Fox, Matthew P; Wood, Robin; Prozesky, Hans; Giddy, Janet; Garone, Daniela Belen; Cornell, Morna; Egger, Matthias; Boulle, Andrew

    2013-01-01

    Few estimates exist of the life expectancy of HIV-positive adults receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to estimate the life expectancy of patients starting ART in South Africa and compare it with that of HIV-negative adults. Data were collected from six South African ART cohorts. Analysis was restricted to 37,740 HIV-positive adults starting ART for the first time. Estimates of mortality were obtained by linking patient records to the national population register. Relative survival models were used to estimate the excess mortality attributable to HIV by age, for different baseline CD4 categories and different durations. Non-HIV mortality was estimated using a South African demographic model. The average life expectancy of men starting ART varied between 27.6 y (95% CI: 25.2-30.2) at age 20 y and 10.1 y (95% CI: 9.3-10.8) at age 60 y, while estimates for women at the same ages were substantially higher, at 36.8 y (95% CI: 34.0-39.7) and 14.4 y (95% CI: 13.3-15.3), respectively. The life expectancy of a 20-y-old woman was 43.1 y (95% CI: 40.1-46.0) if her baseline CD4 count was ≥ 200 cells/µl, compared to 29.5 y (95% CI: 26.2-33.0) if her baseline CD4 count was <50 cells/µl. Life expectancies of patients with baseline CD4 counts ≥ 200 cells/µl were between 70% and 86% of those in HIV-negative adults of the same age and sex, and life expectancies were increased by 15%-20% in patients who had survived 2 y after starting ART. However, the analysis was limited by a lack of mortality data at longer durations. South African HIV-positive adults can have a near-normal life expectancy, provided that they start ART before their CD4 count drops below 200 cells/µl. These findings demonstrate that the near-normal life expectancies of HIV-positive individuals receiving ART in high-income countries can apply to low- and middle-income countries as well. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

  3. Life expectancies of South African adults starting antiretroviral treatment: collaborative analysis of cohort studies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leigh F Johnson

    Full Text Available Few estimates exist of the life expectancy of HIV-positive adults receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to estimate the life expectancy of patients starting ART in South Africa and compare it with that of HIV-negative adults.Data were collected from six South African ART cohorts. Analysis was restricted to 37,740 HIV-positive adults starting ART for the first time. Estimates of mortality were obtained by linking patient records to the national population register. Relative survival models were used to estimate the excess mortality attributable to HIV by age, for different baseline CD4 categories and different durations. Non-HIV mortality was estimated using a South African demographic model. The average life expectancy of men starting ART varied between 27.6 y (95% CI: 25.2-30.2 at age 20 y and 10.1 y (95% CI: 9.3-10.8 at age 60 y, while estimates for women at the same ages were substantially higher, at 36.8 y (95% CI: 34.0-39.7 and 14.4 y (95% CI: 13.3-15.3, respectively. The life expectancy of a 20-y-old woman was 43.1 y (95% CI: 40.1-46.0 if her baseline CD4 count was ≥ 200 cells/µl, compared to 29.5 y (95% CI: 26.2-33.0 if her baseline CD4 count was <50 cells/µl. Life expectancies of patients with baseline CD4 counts ≥ 200 cells/µl were between 70% and 86% of those in HIV-negative adults of the same age and sex, and life expectancies were increased by 15%-20% in patients who had survived 2 y after starting ART. However, the analysis was limited by a lack of mortality data at longer durations.South African HIV-positive adults can have a near-normal life expectancy, provided that they start ART before their CD4 count drops below 200 cells/µl. These findings demonstrate that the near-normal life expectancies of HIV-positive individuals receiving ART in high-income countries can apply to low- and middle-income countries as well. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

  4. Local government influence on energy conservation ambitions in existing housing sites-Plucking the low-hanging fruit?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoppe, T.; Bressers, J.Th.A.; Lulofs, K.R.D.

    2011-01-01

    Greater energy efficiency can be achieved in existing dwellings thanks to longer lifecycles, slow replacement rates, and technical innovations. Many such dwellings are located in dense urban neighbourhoods, where urban renewal projects are undertaken. Local government can encourage the setting of ambitious goals as a stepping stone to realizing energy efficiency goals that achieve high levels of energy efficiency. The research question which this paper addresses is: to what degree do local governments influence ambitions to conserve energy in existing housing sites? To examine this issue, thirty-three sites in the Netherlands were studied using a quantitative analysis. The results show that collaboration between local authorities and local actors increases the level of ambition to conserve energy. However, local authorities intentionally selected sites with poor energy efficiency, so it would be easy to meet ambitious energy conservation targets. Collaboration between local authorities and local actors turns out to be the key factor in selecting those sites. Moreover, there is little sign of genuine ambition. This article contributes to the debate on energy conservation policies in local housing sites. The study provides starting points for systematic, empirical research into the realisation of energy conservation in existing housing, especially in large-scale refurbishment projects. - Research Highlights: → Local governments encourage the setting of goals to realize energy efficiency goals. → Local authorities intentionally select sites with poor initial energy efficiency performance. → Collaboration with local actors turns out to be a key factor in selecting those sites. →There is little sign of genuine ambition. → Starting points for empirical research into the realisation of energy conservation in housing.

  5. START: the creation of a spherical tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sykes, Alan

    1992-01-01

    The START (Small Tight Aspect Ratio Tokamak) plasma fusion experiment is now operational at AEA Fusion's Culham Laboratory. It is the world's first experiment to explore an extreme limit of the tokamak - the Spherical Tokamak - which theoretical studies predict may have substantial advantages in the search for economic fusion power. The Head of the START project, describes the concept, some of the initial experimental results and the possibility of developing a spherical tokamak power reactor. (author)

  6. A novel induction motor starting method using superconduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, F.B.B.; Orlando, M.T.D.; Fardin, J.F.; Simonetti, D.S.; Baldan, C.A.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Alternative method for starting up induction motor. • Based on using a high-temperature superconductor. • A prototype of the limiter was constructed with a 2G-YBCO tape. • Prototype was tested with a 55-kW industrial induction motor in a 440-V/60-Hz. • Offers reduced current waveform distortion compared to the soft starter method. - Abstract: In this paper, an alternative method for starting up induction motors is proposed, taking into account experimental measurements. The new starting current limitation method is based on using a high-temperature superconductor. A prototype of the superconducting starting current limiter was constructed with a commercially available second-generation high-temperature superconductor YBCO tape, and this was tested with a 55-kW industrial induction motor in a 440-V/60-Hz three-phase power grid. Performance evaluations of the superconducting limiter method (applied to startup of the induction motor) were performed and were compared with a direct-on-line starter and an electronic soft starter. In addition, a computational model was developed and used for electromagnetic torque analysis of the system. As significant characteristics, our method offers the ability to limit the starting current of the induction motor with greater electromagnetic torque, reduced current waveform distortion and therefore lower harmonic pollution during startup when compared to the soft starter method

  7. A novel induction motor starting method using superconduction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, F.B.B., E-mail: flaviobarcelos@ifes.edu.br [Ifes – Federal Institute of Espírito Santo, Dept. of Industrial Automation, Serra, ES 29173087 (Brazil); UFES – Federal University of Espírito Santo, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Vitória, ES (Brazil); Orlando, M.T.D. [UFES – Federal University of Espírito Santo, Dept. of Physics, Vitória, ES (Brazil); Fardin, J.F.; Simonetti, D.S. [UFES – Federal University of Espírito Santo, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Vitória, ES (Brazil); Baldan, C.A. [EEL/USP – Engineering School from Lorena/University of São Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2014-12-15

    Highlights: • Alternative method for starting up induction motor. • Based on using a high-temperature superconductor. • A prototype of the limiter was constructed with a 2G-YBCO tape. • Prototype was tested with a 55-kW industrial induction motor in a 440-V/60-Hz. • Offers reduced current waveform distortion compared to the soft starter method. - Abstract: In this paper, an alternative method for starting up induction motors is proposed, taking into account experimental measurements. The new starting current limitation method is based on using a high-temperature superconductor. A prototype of the superconducting starting current limiter was constructed with a commercially available second-generation high-temperature superconductor YBCO tape, and this was tested with a 55-kW industrial induction motor in a 440-V/60-Hz three-phase power grid. Performance evaluations of the superconducting limiter method (applied to startup of the induction motor) were performed and were compared with a direct-on-line starter and an electronic soft starter. In addition, a computational model was developed and used for electromagnetic torque analysis of the system. As significant characteristics, our method offers the ability to limit the starting current of the induction motor with greater electromagnetic torque, reduced current waveform distortion and therefore lower harmonic pollution during startup when compared to the soft starter method.

  8. Early Start DENVER Model: A Meta - analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jane P. Canoy

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Each child with Autism Spectrum Disorder has different symptoms, skills and types of impairment or disorder with other children. This is why the word “spectrum” is included in this disorder. Eapen, Crncec, and Walter, 2013 claimed that there was an emerging evidence that early interventions gives the greatest capacity of child’s development during their first years of life as “brain plasticity” are high during this period. With this, the only intervention program model for children as young as 18 months that has been validated in a randomized clinical trial is “Early Start Denver Model” (ESDM. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the outcome of “Early Start Denver Model” (ESDM towards young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. This study made use of meta-analysis method. In this study, the researcher utilized studies related to “Early Start Denver Model (ESDM” which is published in a refereed journal which are all available online. There were five studies included which totals 149 children exposed to ESDM. To examine the “pooled effects” of ESDM in a variety of outcomes, a meta-analytic procedure was performed after the extraction of data of the concrete outcomes. Comprehensive Meta Analysis Version 3.3.070 was used to analyze the data.  The effectiveness of the outcome of “Early Start Denver Model” towards young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD highly depends on the intensity of intervention and the younger child age. This study would provide the basis in effectively implementing an early intervention to children with autism such as the “Early Start Denver Model” (ESDM that would show great outcome effects to those children that has “Autism Spectrum Disorder”.

  9. Start-up and ramp-up of the PLT tokamak by lower hybrid waves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jobes, F.C.; Bernabei, S.; Chu, T.K.

    1985-08-01

    Lower hybrid waves have been used on the PLT tokamak both to start the plasma current and to ramp it up from pre-existing levels. The waves, at 800 MHz, were launched from a 6-waveguide grill. The phasing between adjacent guides could be selected electronically, and thus the launched spectrum could be set and changed at will. For start-up, the waveguide phase difference was initially set at 0 0 in order to create a plasma, then switched to 90 0 to drive the current. Over 100 kA of plasma current, at a density of 0.5 to 1 x 10 12 cm -3 , was generated in this manner. Ramp-up experiments were performed under a wide variety of conditions. The most efficient ramp-up was found at the lowest plasma densities and with the fastest launched spectrum (n/sub e/ approx. 2 x 10 12 cm -3 , N/sub parallel/ approx. 1.6 peak); approx.20% of the launched RF power was converted to (increased) poloidal field energy. All of the ramp-up results are in excellent agreement with a theory which determines the efficiency of ramp-up from the consideration of the relative energy losses of the superthermal current-carrying electrons to collisions and to the opposing inductive E-field

  10. Restrictive educational placements increase adolescent risks for students with early-starting conduct problems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powers, Christopher J; Bierman, Karen L; Coffman, Donna L

    2016-08-01

    Students with early-starting conduct problems often do poorly in school; they are disproportionately placed in restrictive educational placements outside of mainstream classrooms. Although intended to benefit students, research suggests that restrictive placements may exacerbate the maladjustment of youth with conduct problems. Mixed findings, small samples, and flawed designs limit the utility of existing research. This study examined the impact of restrictive educational placements on three adolescent outcomes (high school noncompletion, conduct disorder, depressive symptoms) in a sample of 861 students with early-starting conduct problems followed longitudinally from kindergarten (age 5-6). Causal modeling with propensity scores was used to adjust for confounding factors associated with restrictive placements. Analyses explored the timing of placement (elementary vs. secondary school) and moderation of impact by initial problem severity. Restrictive educational placement in secondary school (but not in elementary school) was iatrogenic, increasing the risk of high school noncompletion and the severity of adolescent conduct disorder. Negative effects were amplified for students with conduct problem behavior with less cognitive impairment. To avoid harm to students and to society, schools must find alternatives to restrictive placements for students with conduct problems in secondary school, particularly when these students do not have cognitive impairments that might warrant specialized educational supports. © 2015 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

  11. Proofs concerning the existence, in the blood of hypertensive patients, of some serum factors influencing the vascular smooth muscle and the myocardium physiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mocanu, M; Botea, S; Dragomir, C T

    1991-01-01

    Starting from the existence of some autoimmune diseases (i.e. bronchial asthma or miastenia gravis) we asked ourselves if some plasmatic factors do exist, influencing the receptor--mediator relations in cardiovascular system during some illnesses having unknown etiology, as arterial hypertension. For this reason, in this work was tested the hypothesis that, in some chronic cardiovascular diseases would exist factors circulating and affecting the functions of the cellular membranes of the arterial wall, particularly of the smooth muscle cells and myocardial cells. Our results show a significant modification of the calcium fluxes and of some neuromediators uptake at the hypertensive patients.

  12. Head Start, 4 years After Completing the Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Young-Joo

    2013-01-01

    This paper studies the effect of the Head Start program on children's achievements in reading and math tests during their first 4 years of schooling after completing the program. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, I found large measurement error in the parental reports of Head Start attendance, which…

  13. An analysis of the sliding pressure start-up of SCWR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, F.; Yang, J.; Li, H.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, J.; Shan, J.; Gou, J.; Zhang, B.; Chen, C.

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, the preliminary sliding pressure start-up system and scheme of supercritical water-cooled reactor in CGNPC (CGN-SCWR) were proposed. Thermal-hydraulic behavior in start-up procedures was analyzed in detail by employing advanced reactor subchannel analysis software ATHAS. The maximum cladding temperature (MCT for short) and core power of fuel assembly during the whole start-up process were investigated comparatively. The results show that the recommended start-up scheme meets the design requirements from the perspective of thermal-hydraulic. (authors)

  14. 22 CFR 226.91 - Marking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION OF ASSISTANCE AWARDS TO U.S. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS Miscellaneous § 226.91 Marking. (a) USAID policy is that all programs, projects, activities... support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The...

  15. 77 FR 66432 - Privacy Act of 1974, System of Records

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-05

    ...;and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, #0;delegations of authority..., the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is deleting the AID-15 Employee Payroll..., USAID is deleting the AID-15 Employee Payroll Records system of records because it is now covered under...

  16. Applying behavioral insights to delay school start times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohl Malone, Susan; Ziporyn, Terra; Buttenheim, Alison M

    2017-12-01

    Healthy People 2020 established a national objective to increase the proportion of 9th-to-12th-grade students reporting sufficient sleep. A salient approach for achieving this objective is to delay middle and high school start times. Despite decades of research supporting the benefits of delayed school start times on adolescent sleep, health, and well-being, progress has been slow. Accelerating progress will require new approaches incorporating strategies that influence how school policy decisions are made. In this commentary, we introduce four strategies that influence decision-making processes and demonstrate how they can be applied to efforts aimed at changing school start time policies. Copyright © 2017 National Sleep Foundation. All rights reserved.

  17. Random-start ovarian stimulation in women desiring elective cryopreservation of oocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, Nigel; Voskuilen-Gonzalez, Anna; Hancock, Kolbe; Lekovich, Jovana P; Schattman, Glenn L; Rosenwaks, Zev

    2017-10-01

    The current study investigates the utility of random-start ovarian stimulation in women desiring elective oocyte cryopreservation. Women in the study cohort underwent random-start ovarian stimulation, and were subdivided based on the phase of the menstrual cycle that ovarian stimulation began, i.e. early follicular, late follicular or luteal phase. Women undergoing conventional cycle day (CD) 2/3 ovarian stimulation start were controls. A total of 1302 women were included - 859 (66.0%) conventional CD 2/3, 342 (26.3%) early follicular, 42 (3.2%) late follicular and 59 (4.5%) luteal ovarian stimulation starts. There was no difference in the demographics or baseline ovarian stimulation characteristics. The duration of ovarian stimulation (11 versus 9 days; P start group. The number of total and MII oocytes in the control and random-start groups was similar. A non-significant trend towards increased cycle cancellation was noted in the late follicular start group (7.1%). Study findings indicate the number of total and MII oocytes derived from random-start protocols initiated during any phase of the menstrual cycle is similar to conventional CD 2/3 ovarian stimulation start protocols in women desiring elective oocyte cryopreservation. Copyright © 2017 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Backstroke start kinematic and kinetic changes due to different feet positioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jesus, Karla; de Jesus, Kelly; Figueiredo, Pedro; Gonçalves, Pedro; Pereira, Suzana Matheus; Vilas-Boas, João Paulo; Fernandes, Ricardo Jorge

    2013-01-01

    The backstroke swimming start international rules changed in 2005. This study compared two backstroke start variants, both with feet parallel to each other but in complete immersion and emersion. Six elite swimmers performed two sets of 4 maximal 15 m bouts, each set using one of the variants. The starts were videotaped in the sagittal plane with two cameras, providing bi-dimensional dual-media kinematic evaluation, and an underwater force plate and a handgrip instrumented with a load cell collected kinetic data. Backstroke start with feet immerged displayed greater centre-of-mass horizontal starting position, centre-of-mass horizontal velocity at hands-off and take-off angle. Backstroke start with feet emerged showed greater wall contact time, centre-of-mass horizontal and downward vertical velocity at take-off, lower limbs horizontal impulse, and centre-of-mass downward vertical velocity during flight phase. Backstroke start with feet immerged and emerged displayed similar centre-of-mass horizontal water reach, back arc angle and 5 m starting time. Irrespective of the swimmer's feet positioning, coaches should emphasise each variant's mechanical advantages during the wall contact phases. Furthermore, the maintenance of those advantages throughout the flight should be stressed for better backstroke start performance.

  19. North Carolina's Smart Start Initiative: 1994-95 Annual Evaluation Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    North Carolina Univ., Chapel Hill. Frank Porter Graham Center.

    Smart Start is North Carolina's partnership between state government and local leaders, service providers, and families to better serve children under six years and their families to ensure that all children start school healthy and prepared to succeed. Local Smart Start partnerships spent much of their first year formulating long-term plans,…

  20. Later School Start Times: What Informs Parent Support or Opposition?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunietz, Galit Levi; Matos-Moreno, Amilcar; Singer, Dianne C; Davis, Matthew M; O'Brien, Louise M; Chervin, Ronald D

    2017-07-15

    To investigate parental knowledge about adolescent sleep needs, and other beliefs that may inform their support for or objection to later school start times. In 2014, we conducted a cross-sectional, Internet-based survey of a nationally representative sample of parents as part of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. Parents with teens aged 13-17 years reported their children's sleep patterns and school schedules, and whether the parents supported later school start times (8:30 am or later). Responses associated with parental support of later school start times were examined with logistic regression analysis. Overall, 88% of parents reported school start times before 8:30 am, and served as the analysis sample (n = 554). In this group, 51% expressed support for later school start times. Support was associated with current school start times before 7:30 am (odds ratio [OR] = 3.1 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2, 8.4]); parental opinion that their teen's current school start time was "too early" (OR = 3.8 [1.8, 7.8]); and agreement with American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations about school start times (OR = 4.7 [2.2, 10.1]). Support also was associated with anticipation of improved school performance (OR = 3.0 [1.5, 5.9]) or increased sleep duration (OR = 4.0 [1.8, 8.9]) with later school start times. Conversely, parents who anticipated too little time for after-school activities (OR = 0.5 [0.3, 0.9]) and need for different transportation plans (OR = 0.5 [0.2, 0.9]) were often less supportive. Parental education about healthy sleep needs and anticipated health benefits may increase their support for later school start times. Educational efforts should also publicize the positive experiences of communities that have made this transition, with regard to limited adverse effect on after-school activity schedules and transportation. © 2017 American Academy of Sleep Medicine

  1. Start-up Characteristics of Swallow-tailed Axial-grooved Heat Pipe under the conditions of Multiple Heat Sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Renping

    2017-12-01

    A mathematical model was developed for predicting start-up characteristics of Swallow-tailed Axial-grooved Heat Pipe under the conditions of Multiple Heat Sources. The effects of heat capacitance of heat source, liquid-vapour interfacial evaporation-condensation heat transfer, shear stress at the interface was considered in current model. The interfacial evaporating mass flow rate is based on the kinetic analysis. Time variations of evaporating mass rate, wall temperature and liquid velocity are studied from the start-up to steady state. The calculated results show that wall temperature demonstrates step transition at the junction between the heat source and non-existent heat source on the evaporator. The liquid velocity changes drastically at the evaporator section, however, it has slight variation at the evaporator section without heat source. When the effect of heat source is ignored, the numerical temperature demonstrates a quicker response. With the consideration of capacitance of the heat source, the data obtained from the proposed model agree well with the experimental results.

  2. Head Start Impact Study. Final Report. Executive Summary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puma, Michael; Bell, Stephen; Cook, Ronna; Heid, Camilla; Shapiro, Gary; Broene, Pam; Jenkins, Frank; Fletcher, Philip; Quinn, Liz; Friedman, Janet; Ciarico, Janet; Rohacek, Monica; Adams, Gina; Spier, Elizabeth

    2010-01-01

    This report summarizes the findings from a study on the impacts of Head Start on children and families during the children's preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade years. Its study goals were to: (1) Determine the impact of Head Start on children's school readiness, and on parental practices that support children's development; and to (2)…

  3. Life assessment and emissions monitoring of Indian coal-fired power plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-07-01

    At the request of the Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC) of the United States Department of Energy (USDOE), the traveler, along with Dr. R. P. Krishnan, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, Tennessee spent three weeks in India planning and performing emissions monitoring at the coal-fired Vijayawada Thermal Power Station (VTPS). The coordination for the Indian participants was provided by BHEL, Trichy and CPRI, Bangalore. The trip was sponsored by the PETC under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Government of India (GOI)P Alternate Energy Resources Development (AERD) Project. The AERD Project is managed by PETC, and ORNL is providing the technical coordination and support for four coal projects that are being implemented with BHEL, Trichy. The traveler, after briefing the USAID mission in New Delhi visited BHEL, Trichy and CPRI, Bangalore to coordinate and plan the emissions test program. The site selection was made by BHEL, CPRI, TVA, and PETC. Monitoring was performed for 4 days on one of the 4 existing 210 MW coal-fired boilers at the VTPS, 400 km north of Madras, India.

  4. Life assessment and emissions monitoring of Indian coal-fired power plants. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-07-01

    At the request of the Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC) of the United States Department of Energy (USDOE), the traveler, along with Dr. R. P. Krishnan, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, Tennessee spent three weeks in India planning and performing emissions monitoring at the coal-fired Vijayawada Thermal Power Station (VTPS). The coordination for the Indian participants was provided by BHEL, Trichy and CPRI, Bangalore. The trip was sponsored by the PETC under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Government of India (GOI)P Alternate Energy Resources Development (AERD) Project. The AERD Project is managed by PETC, and ORNL is providing the technical coordination and support for four coal projects that are being implemented with BHEL, Trichy. The traveler, after briefing the USAID mission in New Delhi visited BHEL, Trichy and CPRI, Bangalore to coordinate and plan the emissions test program. The site selection was made by BHEL, CPRI, TVA, and PETC. Monitoring was performed for 4 days on one of the 4 existing 210 MW coal-fired boilers at the VTPS, 400 km north of Madras, India.

  5. Supporting Optimal Child Development through Early Head Start and Head Start Programs: Reflections on Secondary Data Analyses of FACES and EHSREP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chazan-Cohen, Rachel; Halle, Tamara G.; Barton, Lauren R.; Winsler, Adam

    2012-01-01

    We are delighted to reflect on the 10 papers highlighted in this important special issue of "Early Childhood Research Quarterly" devoted to recent secondary data analyses of the FACES and EHSREP datasets. First, we provide some background on Head Start research and give an overview of the large-scale Head Start and Early Head Start…

  6. The start of the harvest

    CERN Multimedia

    2011-01-01

    The first major particle physics summer conference has just started this week in Grenoble. After the Quark-Matter conference, the Europhysics Conference on High-Energy Physics marks the start of a promising harvest for the LHC experiments.   For the first time, the collaborations will be presenting their latest results based on all luminosity taken until end of June, which will provide more precise measurements in many areas. Thanks to the excellent performance of the LHC, the experiments have already accumulated a substantial quantity of data allowing them to push back the known limits and refine measurements in many fields ranging from b physics to the search for the Higgs boson and for dark matter. At the time of writing, the LHC collaborations are about to present these new results in an energy range which has never previously been explored. I have congratulated all the teams involved in getting the LHC into operation in record time with great efficiency. Today I would like to acknowledge the...

  7. The Role of Classroom Quality in Explaining Head Start Impacts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connors, Maia C.; Friedman-Krauss, Allison H.; Morris, Pamela A.; Page, Lindsay C.; Feller, Avi

    2014-01-01

    This study seeks to answer the following question: Are impacts on Head Start classroom quality associated with impacts of Head Start on children's learning and development? This study employs a variety of descriptive and quasi-experimental methods to explore the role of classroom quality as a mediator or mechanism of Head Start impacts. This…

  8. Enhancing Early Childhood Outcomes: Connecting Child Welfare and Head Start

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCrae, Julie S.; Brown, Samantha M.; Yang, Jessica; Groneman, Sheila

    2016-01-01

    Head Start is a preschool program for families with low incomes and nearly 85% of child welfare-involved families are low-income, yet little is known about Head Start and child welfare collaboration. This study uses data from 28 Head Start directors to describe collaboration facilitators and barriers, and collaborative mechanisms in place. The…

  9. Spanish Instruction in Head Start and Dual Language Learners' Academic Achievement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Elizabeth B

    2017-09-01

    Data from the Head Start Impact Study ( N = 1,141) and the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey, 2009 Cohort ( N = 825) were used to investigate whether Spanish instruction in Head Start differentially increased Spanish-speaking Dual Language Learners' (DLLs) academic achievement. Although hypothesized that Spanish instruction would be beneficial for DLLs' early literacy and math skills, results from residualized growth models showed there were no such positive associations. Somewhat surprisingly, DLL children instructed in Spanish had higher English receptive vocabulary skills at the end of the Head Start year than those not instructed, with children randomly assigned to Head Start and instructed in Spanish having the highest scores. Policy implications for Head Start-eligible Spanish-speaking DLLs are discussed.

  10. 22 CFR 228.13 - Special source rules requiring procurement from the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Special source rules requiring procurement from... ON SOURCE, ORIGIN AND NATIONALITY FOR COMMODITIES AND SERVICES FINANCED BY USAID Conditions Governing Source and Nationality of Commodity Procurement Transactions for USAID Financing § 228.13 Special source...

  11. 48 CFR 731.205-6 - Compensation for personal services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Organizations 731.205-6 Compensation for personal services. (a) General. When establishing the workweek for... base salary plus overseas recruitment incentive, if any (see AIDAR 731.205-70) exceeds the USAID... such approval after internal Agency procedures for review/approval of salaries in excess of the USAID...

  12. Start-up of NPP Krsko; Pokusno obratovanje NE Krsko

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Spiler, J; Aralica, J [Nuklearna elektrana Krsko, Krsko (Yugoslavia)

    1984-07-01

    The report describes a review of start-up program and its realisation. There are also described some more significant start-up results with their evaluation. The most significant operation criteria are compared between NPP Krsko and other similar plants in the world. The comparison shows that after the first contractors and operation personnel efforts have been accomplished, our first nuclear power plant is a safe and reliable source of electric power. At the end there are listed NPP Krsko start-up recommendations and experience. (author)

  13. Start-up analysis of INET-5 MW district heating prototype reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Tianshu

    1991-09-01

    The main features and thermohydraulic design parameters of the INET-5 MW reactor (INET: Institute of Nuclear Technology of Tsinghua University, Beijing) are presented. The start-up process and the effect of thermohydraulic instability on start-up process have been analyzed. The main obstacle of start-up process of INET-5 MW reactor is to pass the instability region from 1 atm to normal operation condition. For avoiding instability, the start-up process should be divided into two steps. The results of three different start-up proposals calculated by DACOL code are given and compared. The possibility of instabilities for each proposal has been checked. The checked results show that there is no instability during start-up of the three proposals. So, it is supposed that the INET-5 MW reactor can safely and stably reach the operation conditions. Finally, some conclusions about the effect of instability on start-up in boiling mode of INET-5MW reactor are given

  14. Parameters matching requirements for diesel free piston linear alternator start-up

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan-xiao Li

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available It is important to identify the relationship between the starting requirements and the structure parameters of the diesel free piston linear alternator on the structural design stage. In this article, the forces applied on the moving part during the starting process are analyzed, and an oscillation model is established. The numerical simulation results of the oscillation model are presented, and the energy-transfer mechanism is analyzed. Then, the oscillation model is simplified by utilizing the energy balance theory. Expressions of the achieved starting frequency and required starting force are derived and the effects of different design variables on them are investigated. The results show that the achieved compression ratio is determined by the energy balance between the friction consumption and the energy supplied by the starting force. The starting frequency achieved and starting force required are associated with the cylinder bore, the moving mass, and effective stroke of the engine, which can be applied to the matching design and optimization of the prototype.

  15. From Jam to Start-up

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bering Kjæhr, Emil; Lyngbye Hvid Jensen, Jane; Schoenau-Fog, Henrik

    2015-01-01

    the foundation for new start-up companies. There are, however, an even larger group of very creative and innovative games and artifacts with great potential that go unpublished. This potentially leads to a loss of entrepreneurial opportunities and ultimately the jobs and careers such games could have fostered...

  16. Head Start Center Design Guide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (DHHS), Washington, DC. Head Start Bureau.

    This guide contains suggested criteria for planning, designing, and renovating Head Start centers so that they are safe, child-oriented, developmentally appropriate, beautiful, environmentally sensitive, and functional. The content is based on the U.S. General Services Administration's Child Care Center Design Guide, PBS-P140, which was intended…

  17. Selection on start codons in prokaryotes and potential compensatory nucleotide substitutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belinky, Frida; Rogozin, Igor B; Koonin, Eugene V

    2017-09-29

    Reconstruction of the evolution of start codons in 36 groups of closely related bacterial and archaeal genomes reveals purifying selection affecting AUG codons. The AUG starts are replaced by GUG and especially UUG significantly less frequently than expected under the neutral expectation derived from the frequencies of the respective nucleotide triplet substitutions in non-coding regions and in 4-fold degenerate sites. Thus, AUG is the optimal start codon that is actively maintained by purifying selection. However, purifying selection on start codons is significantly weaker than the selection on the same codons in coding sequences, although the switches between the codons result in conservative amino acid substitutions. The only exception is the AUG to UUG switch that is strongly selected against among start codons. Selection on start codons is most pronounced in evolutionarily conserved, highly expressed genes. Mutation of the start codon to a sub-optimal form (GUG or UUG) tends to be compensated by mutations in the Shine-Dalgarno sequence towards a stronger translation initiation signal. Together, all these findings indicate that in prokaryotes, translation start signals are subject to weak but significant selection for maximization of initiation rate and, consequently, protein production.

  18. School start times and teenage driver motor vehicle crashes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foss, Robert D; Smith, Richard L; O'Brien, Natalie P

    2018-04-26

    Shifting school start times to 8:30 am or later has been found to improve academic performance and reduce behavior problems. Limited research suggests this may also reduce adolescent driver motor vehicle crashes. A change in the school start time from 7:30 am to 8:45 am for all public high schools in one North Carolina county presented the opportunity to address this question with greater methodologic rigor. We conducted ARIMA interrupted time-series analyses to examine motor vehicle crash rates of high school age drivers in the intervention county and 3 similar comparison counties with comparable urban-rural population distribution. To focus on crashes most likely to be affected, we limited analysis to crashes involving 16- & 17-year-old drivers occurring on days when school was in session. In the intervention county, there was a 14% downward shift in the time-series following the 75 min delay in school start times (p = .076). There was no change approaching statistical significance in any of the other three counties. Further analysis indicated marked, statistically significant shifts in hourly crash rates in the intervention county, reflecting effects of the change in school start time on young driver exposure. Crashes from 7 to 7:59 am decreased sharply (-25%, p = .008), but increased similarly from 8 to 8:59 am (21%, p = .004). Crashes from 2 to 2:59 pm declined dramatically (-48%, p = .000), then increased to a lesser degree from 3 to 3:59 pm (32%, p = .024) and non-significantly from 4 to 4:59 (19%, p = .102). There was no meaningful change in early morning or nighttime crashes, when drowsiness-induced crashes might have been expected to be most common. The small decrease in crashes among high school age drivers following the shift in school start time is consistent with the findings of other studies of teen driver crashes and school start times. All these studies, including the present one, have limitations, but the similar

  19. Getting started with Simulink

    CERN Document Server

    Zamboni, Luca

    2013-01-01

    This practical and easy-to-understand learning tutorial is one big exciting exercise for students and engineers that are always short on their schedules and want to regain some lost time with the help of Simulink.This book is aimed at students and engineers who need a quick start with Simulink. Though it's not required in order to understand how Simulink works, knowledge of physics will help the reader to understand the exercises described.

  20. Getting started with JUCE

    CERN Document Server

    Robinson, Martin

    2013-01-01

    his book is a fast-paced, practical guide full of step-by-step examples which are easy to follow and implement.This book is for programmers with a basic grasp of C++. The examples start at a basic level, making few assumptions beyond fundamental C++ concepts. Those without any experience with C++ should be able to follow and construct the examples, although you may need further support to understand the fundamental concepts.

  1. Starting infants on antiretroviral therapy | Clayden | Southern African ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    5 years or more, that most start at a late stage of the disease, and that mortality in the first few months of treatment remains high.5,6 A recent study shows that starting treatment in early infancy can be lifesaving, and this has informed revisions in World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines7,8 (see WHO 'Dear Health Care ...

  2. Equipment and obtention process of 131I by dry distillation starting from TeO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alanis M, J.

    2000-08-01

    The present invention refers to an equipment and process for the obtaining of 131 I by dry distillation starting from TeO 2 that has three interconnected systems, the manipulation system, the electric system and the distillation system, the combination of these systems, allows to improve the yield and the separation of the 131 I during the distillation process, since inside the electric system it is an oven that has a special design based on a temperature gradient. The more relevant aspects of the equipment its are the design of each one of its components that give as result the effectiveness of the production of 131 I in routinary form (industrial) whose final product can end up reaching a radiochemical purity up to 99% and a radionuclide purity of approximately 100%. The object of this invention is to provide a distillation equipment different to those that at the moment exist, thanks to its novel internal construction whose main characteristics already gather advantages on those existent. The reaction of obtaining of the TeO 2 , the development of the technique and studies of TeO 2 sintering and the irradiation experiments, its contributed to characterize with more precision the 'new process of obtaining of 131 I by dry via starting from the Te' developed in the ININ, and in this way it was achieved a more pure product, more economic, with less risks, from a point of view of Radiological Safety and mainly that it avoids the import to the country and it makes to self-sufficient Mexico in the production of 131 I. (Author)

  3. Self-starting aerodynamics analysis of vertical axis wind turbine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianyang Zhu

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Vertical axis wind turbine is a special type of wind-force electric generator which is capable of working in the complicated wind environment. The self-starting aerodynamics is one of the most important considerations for this kind of turbine. This article aims at providing a systematic synthesis on the self-starting aerodynamic characteristics of vertical axis wind turbine based on the numerical analysis approach. First, the physical model of vertical axis wind turbine and its parameter definitions are presented. Secondary, the interaction model between the vertical axis wind turbine and fluid is developed by using the weak coupling approach; the numerical data of this model are then compared with the wind tunnel experimental data to show its feasibility. Third, the effects of solidity and fixed pitch angle on the self-starting aerodynamic characteristics of the vertical axis wind turbine are analyzed systematically. Finally, the quantification effects of the solidity and fixed pitch angle on the self-starting performance of the turbine can be obtained. The analysis in this study will provide straightforward physical insight into the self-starting aerodynamic characteristics of vertical axis wind turbine.

  4. Study on biodiesel heat transfer through self-temperature limit injector during vehicle cold start

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Jun

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A type of Self-Temperature Limit-Injector (STL- injector is proposed to reduce the biodiesel consumption and emission in vehicle cold start process. The STL-injector is capable of fast raising fuel temperature, which helps improve the quality of diesel spray and its combustion efficiency. A STL-injector model is established with consideration of electro-mechanic coupling and fluid-structure interaction. A transient simulation is conducted using dynamic grid technology. The results show that STL-injector can effectively raise biodiesel temperature to 350K from 300K in 32 seconds. That is to say, adding STL-injector to existing biodiesel combustion system is an environment-friendly solution due to improving atomization and spray quality quickly.

  5. Soft start technique for diesel generator sets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fredlund, Lars

    1986-01-01

    A diesel motor in a nuclear power plant should be of a well-proven design. It is designed for long periods of trouble-free duty, but not for the frequent and rapid test starts called for by the technical specifications. In order to decrease the dynamic forces and thermal stresses, a soft-start scheme has been implemented. By limiting the fuel injection the diesel generator will reach full speed in appr. 30 seconds. The fuel limiter is a pneumatic cylinder which mechanically limits the travel of the terminal shaft of the governor. (author)

  6. Soft start technique for diesel generator sets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fredlund, Lars [Swedish State Power Board, Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant, S-430 22, Vaeroebacka (Sweden)

    1986-02-15

    A diesel motor in a nuclear power plant should be of a well-proven design. It is designed for long periods of trouble-free duty, but not for the frequent and rapid test starts called for by the technical specifications. In order to decrease the dynamic forces and thermal stresses, a soft-start scheme has been implemented. By limiting the fuel injection the diesel generator will reach full speed in appr. 30 seconds. The fuel limiter is a pneumatic cylinder which mechanically limits the travel of the terminal shaft of the governor. (author)

  7. Software for physical start-up console

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arbet, L.; Suchy, R.

    1991-01-01

    The physical start-up console comprises an PC AT-based control unit equipped with an 80386 processor, and information input/output units. The basic functions to be fulfilled by the control unit software include data acquisition related to the following parameters: neutron physics properties of the reactor core (neutron fluxes recorded by ionization chambers and reactivity recorded by a digital reactimeter), positions of the reactor core control elements (by the digital position meter) and reactor core control measurements, and technological quantities requisite for evaluating physical start-up tests. The measured and calculated data are shown on the control unit display. The setup of the data acquisition system and of user programs is dealt with, and characteristics of the user processes are briefly described. (Z.S.)

  8. Starting apparatus for internal combustion engines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyches, Gregory M.; Dudar, Aed M.

    1997-01-01

    An internal combustion engine starting apparatus uses a signal from a curt sensor to determine when the engine is energized and the starter motor should be de-energized. One embodiment comprises a transmitter, receiver, computer processing unit, current sensor and relays to energize a starter motor and subsequently de-energize the same when the engine is running. Another embodiment comprises a switch, current transducer, low-pass filter, gain/comparator, relay and a plurality of switches to energize and de-energize a starter motor. Both embodiments contain an indicator lamp or speaker which alerts an operator as to whether a successful engine start has been achieved. Both embodiments also contain circuitry to protect the starter and to de-energize the engine.

  9. Comparative structural analysis of lipid binding START domains.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ann-Gerd Thorsell

    Full Text Available Steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR protein related lipid transfer (START domains are small globular modules that form a cavity where lipids and lipid hormones bind. These domains can transport ligands to facilitate lipid exchange between biological membranes, and they have been postulated to modulate the activity of other domains of the protein in response to ligand binding. More than a dozen human genes encode START domains, and several of them are implicated in a disease.We report crystal structures of the human STARD1, STARD5, STARD13 and STARD14 lipid transfer domains. These represent four of the six functional classes of START domains.Sequence alignments based on these and previously reported crystal structures define the structural determinants of human START domains, both those related to structural framework and those involved in ligand specificity.This article can also be viewed as an enhanced version in which the text of the article is integrated with interactive 3D representations and animated transitions. Please note that a web plugin is required to access this enhanced functionality. Instructions for the installation and use of the web plugin are available in Text S1.

  10. Viability of Existing INL Facilities for Dry Storage Cask Handling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bohachek, Randy; Wallace, Bruce; Winston, Phil; Marschman, Steve

    2013-04-30

    This report evaluates existing capabilities at the INL to determine if a practical and cost effective method could be developed for opening and handling full-sized dry storage casks. The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) CPP-603, Irradiated Spent Fuel Storage Facility, provides the infrastructure to support handling and examining casks and their contents. Based on a reasonable set of assumptions, it is possible to receive, open, inspect, remove samples, close, and reseal large bolted-lid dry storage casks at the INL. The capability can also be used to open and inspect casks that were last examined at the TAN Hot Shop over ten years ago. The Castor V/21 and REA-2023 casks can provide additional confirmatory information regarding the extended performance of low-burnup (<45 GWD/MTU) used nuclear fuel. Once a dry storage cask is opened inside CPP-603, used fuel retrieved from the cask can be packaged in a shipping cask, and sent to a laboratory for testing. Testing at the INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) can occur starting with shipment of samples from CPP-603 over an on-site road, avoiding the need to use public highways. This reduces cost and reduces the risk to the public. The full suite of characterization methods needed to establish the condition of the fuel exists and MFC. Many other testing capabilities also exist at MFC, but when those capabilities are not adequate, samples can be prepared and shipped to other laboratories for testing. This report discusses how the casks would be handled, what work needs to be done to ready the facilities/capabilities, and what the work will cost.

  11. Viability of Existing INL Facilities for Dry Storage Cask Handling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Randy Bohachek; Charles Park; Bruce Wallace; Phil Winston; Steve Marschman

    2013-04-01

    This report evaluates existing capabilities at the INL to determine if a practical and cost effective method could be developed for opening and handling full-sized dry storage casks. The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) CPP-603, Irradiated Spent Fuel Storage Facility, provides the infrastructure to support handling and examining casks and their contents. Based on a reasonable set of assumptions, it is possible to receive, open, inspect, remove samples, close, and reseal large bolted-lid dry storage casks at the INL. The capability can also be used to open and inspect casks that were last examined at the TAN Hot Shop over ten years ago. The Castor V/21 and REA-2023 casks can provide additional confirmatory information regarding the extended performance of low-burnup (<45 GWD/MTU) used nuclear fuel. Once a dry storage cask is opened inside CPP-603, used fuel retrieved from the cask can be packaged in a shipping cask, and sent to a laboratory for testing. Testing at the INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) can occur starting with shipment of samples from CPP-603 over an on-site road, avoiding the need to use public highways. This reduces cost and reduces the risk to the public. The full suite of characterization methods needed to establish the condition of the fuel exists and MFC. Many other testing capabilities also exist at MFC, but when those capabilities are not adequate, samples can be prepared and shipped to other laboratories for testing. This report discusses how the casks would be handled, what work needs to be done to ready the facilities/capabilities, and what the work will cost.

  12. Mortality According to CD4 Count at Start of Combination Antiretroviral Therapy Among HIV-infected Patients Followed for up to 15 Years After Start of Treatment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    May, Margaret T; Vehreschild, Jorg-Janne; Trickey, Adam

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: CD4 count at start of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) is strongly associated with short-term survival, but its association with longer-term survival is less well characterized. METHODS: We estimated mortality rates (MRs) by time since start of ART (...-4.9, 5-9.9, and ≥10 years) among patients from 18 European and North American cohorts who started ART during 1996-2001. Piecewise exponential models stratified by cohort were used to estimate crude and adjusted (for sex, age, transmission risk, period of starting ART [1996-1997, 1998-1999, 2000......-2001], and AIDS and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA at baseline) mortality rate ratios (MRRs) by CD4 count at start of ART (0-49, 50-99, 100-199, 200-349, 350-499, ≥500 cells/µL) overall and separately according to time since start of ART. RESULTS: A total of 6344 of 37 496 patients died during 359 219...

  13. Start Where Your Students Are

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Robyn R.

    2010-01-01

    Starting where your students are means understanding how currencies are negotiated and traded in the classroom. Any behavior that students use to acquire the knowledge and skills needed in the classroom functions as currency. Teachers communicate the kinds of currencies they accept in their classrooms, such as getting good grades; students do…

  14. Getting started with Oracle WebLogic Server 12c developer's guide

    CERN Document Server

    Nunes, Fabio Mazanatti

    2013-01-01

    Getting Started with Oracle WebLogic Server 12c is a fast-paced and feature-packed book, designed to get you working with Java EE 6, JDK 7 and Oracle WebLogic Server 12c straight away, so start developing your own applications.Getting Started with Oracle WebLogic Server 12c: Developer's Guide is written for developers who are just getting started, or who have some experience, with Java EE who want to learn how to develop for and use Oracle WebLogic Server. Getting Started with Oracle WebLogic Server 12c: Developer's Guide also provides a great overview of the updated features of the 12c releas

  15. HF-START: A Regional Radio Propagation Simulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hozumi, K.; Maruyama, T.; Saito, S.; Nakata, H.; Rougerie, S.; Yokoyama, T.; Jin, H.; Tsugawa, T.; Ishii, M.

    2017-12-01

    HF-START (HF Simulator Targeting for All-users' Regional Telecommunications) is a user-friendly simulator developed to meet the needs of space weather users. Prediction of communications failure due to space weather disturbances is of high priority. Space weather users from various backgrounds with high economic impact, i.e. airlines, telecommunication companies, GPS-related companies, insurance companies, international amateur radio union, etc., recently increase. Space weather information provided by Space Weather Information Center of NICT is, however, too professional to be understood and effectively used by the users. To overcome this issue, I try to translate the research level data to the user level data based on users' needs and provide an immediate usable data. HF-START is positioned to be a space weather product out of laboratory based truly on users' needs. It is originally for radio waves in HF band (3-30 MHz) but higher frequencies up to L band are planned to be covered. Regional ionospheric data in Japan and southeast Asia are employed as a reflector of skywave mode propagation. GAIA (Ground-to-topside model of Atmosphere and Ionosphere for Aeronomy) model will be used as ionospheric input for global simulation. To evaluate HF-START, an evaluation campaign for Japan region will be launched in coming months. If the campaign successes, it will be expanded to southeast Asia region as well. The final goal of HF-START is to provide the near-realtime necessary radio parameters as well as the warning message of radio communications failure to the radio and space weather users.

  16. The Rationality and Irrationality of Financing Green Start-Ups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda Bergset

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Green start-ups contribute towards a transition to a more sustainable economy by developing sustainable and environmentally friendly innovation and bringing it to the market. Due to specific product/service characteristics, entrepreneurial motivation and company strategies that might differ from that of other start-ups, these companies might struggle even more than usual with access to finance in the early stages. This conceptual paper seeks to explain these challenges through the theoretical lenses of entrepreneurial finance and behavioural finance. While entrepreneurial finance theory contributes to a partial understanding of green start-up finance, behavioural finance is able to solve a remaining explanatory deficit produced by entrepreneurial finance theory. Although some behavioural finance theorists are suggesting that the current understanding of economic rationality underlying behavioural finance research is inadequate, most scholars have not yet challenged these assumptions, which constrict a comprehensive and realistic description of the reality of entrepreneurial finance in green start-ups. The aim of the paper is thus, first, to explore the specifics of entrepreneurial finance in green start-ups and, second, to demonstrate the need for a more up-to-date conception of rationality in behavioural finance theory in order to enable realistic empirical research in this field.

  17. Cold start-up condition model for heat recovery steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sindareh-Esfahani, Peyman; Habibi-Siyahposh, Ehsan; Saffar-Avval, Majid; Ghaffari, Ali; Bakhtiari-Nejad, Firooz

    2014-01-01

    A dynamic modeling of Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) during cold start-up operation in Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) is introduced. In order to characterize the essential dynamic behavior of the HRSG during cold start-up; Dynamic equations of all HRSG's components are developed based on energy and mass balances. To describe precisely the operation of HRSG; a method based on nonlinear estimated functions for thermodynamic properties is applied to estimate the model parameters. Model parameters are evaluated by a designed algorithm based on Genetic Algorithm (GA). A wide set of experimental data is used to validate HRSG model during cold start-up operation. The simulation results show the reliability and validity of the developed model for cold start-up operation. - Highlights: •Presenting a mathematical model for HRSGs cold start-up based on energy and mass balances. •A designed parameter identification algorithm based on GA is presented. •Application of experimental data in order to model and validate simulation results

  18. 22 CFR 228.37 - Nationality of employees under contracts or subcontracts for services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... the Nationality of Suppliers of Services for USAID Financing § 228.37 Nationality of employees under... the United States. (b) When the contractor on a USAID-financed construction project is a United States firm, at least half of the supervisors and other specified key personnel working at the project site...

  19. Adoption of Rice Technologies Introduced by the United States ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study determined the levels of adoption of improved rice technologies introduced by USAID MARKETS project phase one in Anambra and Ebonyi States, Nigeria. The population of the study included all project participant rice farmers of USAID MARKETS project in both Anambra and Ebonyi States. A total sample of 80 ...

  20. 22 CFR 201.67 - Maximum freight charges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ..., commodity rate classification, quantity, vessel flag category (U.S.-or foreign-flag), choice of ports, and... the United States. (2) Maximum charter rates. (i) USAID will not finance ocean freight under any... owner(s). (4) Maximum liner rates. USAID will not finance ocean freight for a cargo liner shipment at a...

  1. A critical analysis of the influence of start-up factors in small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures in SA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. J. Van Vuuren

    2007-12-01

    , education and training are given in South Africa, policy makers and educational institutions should take note of the various differences in needs and make provision in their support and training for these differences. It is also recommended that existing small business owners and entrepreneurs must create their own support structure specifically when they move from the start-up stage to the new firm stage, as this is a stage where support and advice is much needed.

  2. LHC Report: Rocky re-start

    CERN Multimedia

    Barbara Holzer for the LHC Team

    2012-01-01

    A rocky re-start with beam followed a successful machine development period and the first technical stop of 2012. Today, Friday 11 May, the machine began running again with 1380 bunches.   A short, two-day machine development period was successfully completed on 21-22 April. It focused on topics relevant for the 2012 physics beam operation. This was then followed by a five-day technical stop, the first of the year. The technical stop finished on time on Friday 26 April. The re-start with beam was somewhat tortuous and hampered by an unlucky succession of technical faults leading to extended periods of downtime. The planned intensity increase was put on hold for three days with the machine operating with 1092 bunches and a moderate bunch intensity of 1.3x1011 protons. This delivered a reasonable peak luminosity of 3.6x1033 cm-2s-1 to ATLAS and CMS. Higher than usual beam losses were observed in the ramp and squeeze, and time was required to investigate the causes and to implement mitigati...

  3. Getting started with Microsoft Lync server 2013

    CERN Document Server

    Volpe, Fabrizio

    2013-01-01

    This book has a practical approach with a lot of step-by-step guides and explanations as to where and why we're doing the various operations.Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013 is a starting point for system administrators, IT pros, unified communication technicians, and decision makers in companies or in the consultancy business. For people who have never managed Lync (or a U.C. product), the book will guide you through the basic concepts and mistakes. If you are already managing a Lync deployment you will find important explanations and ideas put together in a single text. If you

  4. Entrepreneur How to Start an Online Business

    CERN Document Server

    Tobin, Lucy

    2012-01-01

    The secrets of the UK’s biggest online entrepreneurs revealed   Thinking of starting a business? Already have a business online and looking to take it to the next level? The wonderful world wide web has made creating a start-up that much easier. Thousands of people are out there reaping the rewards the web can bring. If you want to join them, you’ve come to the right place.  Profiling today’s foremost web entrepreneurs, Lucy Tobin - who meets successful business founders every week writing an enterprise column for The Evening Standard – takes us throug

  5. 13 CFR 305.11 - Contract awards; early construction start.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Contract awards; early construction start. 305.11 Section 305.11 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION... § 305.11 Contract awards; early construction start. EDA must determine that the award of all contracts...

  6. Method of starting internal pumps of a nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumagami, Shoji.

    1985-01-01

    Purpose: To reduce the noise effects by decreasing the invading current into the main line upon starting an internal pump type nuclear reactor adapted to forcively recycle the reactor water by a plurality of internal pumps. Method: A plurality of internal pumps are divided into several groups and, upon starting pumps belonging to the individual unit group, the starting instances for the respective pumps are deviated to reduce the surges applied to the main line and suppress the invading current lower to reduce the earth noises. As a result, effects caused to other devices or equipments can be moderated to improve the reliability. Furthermore, by actuating the respective pumps on every group units in a starting pattern along the orthogonal line, flow rate distribution in the reactor can be balanced. Then, the instability region during low rotation of pumps, that is, instability of the flow rate near the resonance frequency can be decreased. (Kawakami, Y.)

  7. Dynamic factors and electromyographic activity in a sprint start

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Čoh

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to establish the major dynamic parameters as well as the EMG activation of muscles in a sprint start as the first derivative of sprint velocity. The subject of the analysis was block velocity, the production of force in the front and rear starting blocks, the block acceleration in the first two steps and the electromyographic activity (EMG of the following muscles: the erector spinae muscle, gluteus maximus muscle, rectus femoris muscle, vastus medialis muscle, vastus lateralis muscle, biceps femoris muscle and gastrocnemius–medialis muscle. One international-class female sprinter participated in the experiment. She performed eight starts in constant laboratory conditions. The 3-D kinematic analysis was made using a system of nine Smart-e 600 cameras operating at a frame rate of 60 Hz. Dynamic parameters were established by means of two separate force platforms to which the starting blocks were fixed. A 16-channel electromyograph was used to analyse electromyographic activity (EMG. It was established that the block velocity depended on the absolute force produced in the front and rear starting blocks and that it was 2.84±0.21 m.s-1. The maximal force on the rear and front blocks was 628±34 N and 1023±30 N, respectively. In view of the total impulse (210±11 Ns the force production/time ratio in the rear and front blocks was 34%:66%. The erector spinae muscle, vastus lateralis muscle and gastrocnemius–medialis muscle generate the efficiency of the start. The block acceleration in the first two steps primarily depends on the activation of the gluteus maximus muscle, rectus femoris muscle, biceps femoris muscle and gastrocnemius–medialis muscle. A sprint start is a complex motor stereotype requiring a high degree of integration of the processes of central movement regulation and an optimal level of biomotor abilities.

  8. USAID Colombia - Clearinghouse Monitor

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Clearinghouse-Monitor is a web-based Information System that provides the Mission with information about the status and...

  9. Getting started with OrientDB

    CERN Document Server

    Tesoriero, Claudio

    2013-01-01

    A standard tutorial aimed at making you an OrientDB expert, through the use of practical examples, explained in a step-by-step format.Getting Started with OrientDB 1.3.0 is great for database designers, developers, and systems engineers. It is assumed that you are familiar with NoSQL concepts, Java, and networking principles.

  10. Decision Enhancement Services for Small and Medium Enterprise Start-Ups in Uganda

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sol, H G; Basaza, Habinka; Sprague, Ralph H.

    2012-01-01

    While start-up firms create a substantial economic impact on most economies, the failure rate of start-up firms seems to remain high due to inadequate agile decision services. Deciding to start-up mining Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) is a challenging task in Uganda. Research on SME start-up

  11. New start-up channels and multichannel analyzer at the RB reactor; Novi start-up kanali i videkanalni analizator na reaktoru Rb

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sotic, O; Markovic, H; Vranic, S; Dimitrijevic, Z; Pesic, M [Boris Kidric Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca, Beograd (Yugoslavia)

    1978-01-15

    New start-up channels and a multichannel analyzer were purchased in 1977 for the RB reactor. Both start-up channels contain BF{sub 3} neutron detectors, preamplifier, amplifier, single-channel analyzer, scaler, ratemeter, control unit, recording instrument. This document contains detailed technical description of these devices as well as characteristics of the multichannel analyzer which is being tested and will be used for measuring irradiation in the vicinity of the reactor.

  12. 40 CFR 86.136-90 - Engine starting and restarting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... automatic chokes shall be operated according to the manufacturer's operating instructions in the owner's...) The transmission shall be placed in gear 15 seconds after the engine is started. If necessary, braking... instructions in the owner's manual do not specify a warm engine starting procedure, the engine (automatic and...

  13. 46 CFR 62.35-35 - Starting systems for internal-combustion engines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Starting systems for internal-combustion engines. 62.35-35 Section 62.35-35 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) MARINE... Starting systems for internal-combustion engines. The starting systems for propulsion engines and for prime...

  14. Experience from start-ups of the first ANITA Mox plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensson, M; Ekström, S; Andersson Chan, A; Le Vaillant, E; Lemaire, R

    2013-01-01

    ANITA™ Mox is a new one-stage deammonification Moving-Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) developed for partial nitrification to nitrite and autotrophic N-removal from N-rich effluents. This deammonification process offers many advantages such as dramatically reduced oxygen requirements, no chemical oxygen demand requirement, lower sludge production, no pre-treatment or requirement of chemicals and thereby being an energy and cost efficient nitrogen removal process. An innovative seeding strategy, the 'BioFarm concept', has been developed in order to decrease the start-up time of new ANITA Mox installations. New ANITA Mox installations are started with typically 3-15% of the added carriers being from the 'BioFarm', with already established anammox biofilm, the rest being new carriers. The first ANITA Mox plant, started up in 2010 at Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Malmö, Sweden, proved this seeding concept, reaching an ammonium removal rate of 1.2 kgN/m³ d and approximately 90% ammonia removal within 4 months from start-up. This first ANITA Mox plant is also the BioFarm used for forthcoming installations. Typical features of this first installation were low energy consumption, 1.5 kW/NH4-N-removed, low N₂O emissions, started up at Sundets WWTP in Växjö, Sweden, reached full capacity with more than 90% ammonia removal within 2 months from start-up. By applying a nitrogen loading strategy to the reactor that matches the capacity of the seeding carriers, more than 80% nitrogen removal could be obtained throughout the start-up period.

  15. Stop and Restart Effects on Modern Vehicle Starting System Components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Windover, Paul R. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Owens, Russell J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Levinson, Terry M. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Laughlin, Michael [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Gaines, Linda [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Many drivers of personal and commercial vehicles believe that turning the vehicle off and on frequently instead of idling will cause premature wear of the starter system (starter motor and starter battery). As a result, they are concerned that the replacement cost of the starter motor and/or battery due to increased manual engine cycling would be more than the cumulative cost of the fuel saved by not idling unnecessarily. A number of variables play a role in addressing this complex concern, including the number of starting cycles per day, the time between starting cycles, the intended design life of the starting system, the amount of fuel used to restart an engine, and the cumulative cost of the saved fuel. Qualitative and quantitative information from a variety of sources was used to develop a life-cycle economic model to evaluate the cost and quantify the realistic factors that are related to the permissible frequency of starter motor cycles for the average vehicle to economically minimize engine idle time. Annual cost savings can be calculated depending on shutdown duration and the number of shutdown cycles per day. Analysis shows that cost savings are realized by eliminating idling exceeding one minute by shutting down the engine and restarting it. For a typical motorist, the damage to starting system components resulting from additional daily start cycles will be negligible. Overall, it was found that starter life is mostly dependent on the total number of start cycles, while battery life is more dependent on ensuring a full charge between start events.

  16. An Ultra Low Noise Self-Starting Pulse Generator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lasri, J.; Bilenca, A.; Dahan, D.

    2002-01-01

    We describe a self-starting optical pulse source generating 10 GHz, 15 ps pulses with an average jitter of 43 fs and a o.15% amplitude noise over a frequency range of 500 Hz - 1 MHz.......We describe a self-starting optical pulse source generating 10 GHz, 15 ps pulses with an average jitter of 43 fs and a o.15% amplitude noise over a frequency range of 500 Hz - 1 MHz....

  17. Start-Up Size Strategy and Risk Management: Impact on New Venture Performance

    OpenAIRE

    André van Stel; Andrew Burke; José Maria Millán; Concepcion Roman

    2013-01-01

    Start-up size is a key strategic decision for entrepreneurs. Should entrepreneurs start up close to minimum efficient scale or should they take less risks and start-up on a smaller scale? Previously, this strategic decision appeared to be one of simply making a choice between a higher risk/reward larger start-up versus a lower risk/reward smaller scale start-up. However, recent research on the relationship between risk management and performance (Burke, 2009) indicates that in situations of g...

  18. The later investment starts, the more expensive it will be

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marcan, P.; Slovak, K.

    2007-01-01

    In this paper the interview with Martin Roman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Czech Energy Group, CEZ is published. Most important parts of this interview is there presented. M. Roman considers windmills and other renewable energy sources are viable, but they will not save the energy sector. According to the director of one of the largest Central European companies, concerns about a shortage of electricity are unreasonable. Nevertheless, the later the investment starts, the more expensive it will be. CEZ continues to look to the Balkans and Russia, but in addition to a power plant to be built in cooperation with Slovnaft, it can also see room for investment in Slovakia? You are preparing the upgrading? of your coal burning plants in the Czech Republic. In terms of emissions, coal is the worst alternative. Do you expect the cancellation of the EU emissions trading scheme after 2012? We believe that emissions trading will also exist after 2012. The scheme may be even stricter that today. We believe that in the future it may be even more finance-consuming for the companies. We have the advantage that the power plants being upgraded are located directly at the source of high quality black coal. The calculations are satisfactory and therefore it will be profitable for us. Wouldn't gas be a cleaner and cheaper alternative? We deal with gas as well, but coal came first as it is simpler for us. The power plants already exist and we don't need any extra permission. To put it simply, it is easier to renew an existing power plant than to build a completely new one? Is the strict attitude of the Slovak government towards Slovenske elektrarne helpful to you and other competitors? Certainly, each government exerts tough pressure on the company that controls the major part of the market? CEZ is a similar giant that even controls the distribution? But in the Czech Republic we do not have such a share of production as Slovenske elektrarne in Slovakia

  19. Start-up of spherical tokamak without a center solenoid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maekawa, Takashi; Nagata, Masayoshi

    2012-01-01

    For low-aspect tokamak reactors, spherical tokamak reactors, ST-type FESF/CTFs, it is essential to remove or minimize a central solenoid (CS). Even with the minimized CS, non-inductive start up of the plasma current is required. Rapid increase in the spontaneous plasma current at the final stage of current start-up drives ignition. At the initial stage, formation of plasma and magnetic surfaces are required. As non-inductive plasma start-up scenarios, ECH/ECCD, LHCD, HHFW, DC HELICITY injection, plasma merging and NBI have been studied. In the present article, the present status and future prospect of experimental and theoretical works on these subjects. (author)

  20. Head Start FACES: Longitudinal Findings on Program Performance. Third Progress Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zill, Nicholas; Resnick, Gary; Kim, Kwang; McKey, Ruth Hubbell; Clark, Cheryl; Pai-Samant, Shefali; Connell, David; Vaden-Kiernan, Michael; O'Brien, Robert; D'Elio, Mary Ann

    The Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) is an ongoing, national, longitudinal study of the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of Head Start children; the characteristics, well-being, and accomplishments of families; the observed quality of Head Start classrooms; and the characteristics and opinions of Head…

  1. Bootstrap finance: the art of start-ups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhide, A

    1992-01-01

    Entrepreneurship is more popular than ever: courses are full, policymakers emphasize new ventures, managers yearn to go off on their own. Would-be founders often misplace their energies, however. Believing in a "big money" model of entrepreneurship, they spend a lot of time trying to attract investors instead of using wits and hustle to get their ideas off the ground. A study of 100 of the 1989 Inc. "500" list of fastest growing U.S. start-ups attests to the value of bootstrapping. In fact, what it takes to start a business often conflicts with what venture capitalists require. Investors prefer solid plans, well-defined markets, and track records. Entrepreneurs are heavy on energy and enthusiasm but may be short on credentials. They thrive in rapidly changing environments where uncertain prospects may scare off established companies. Rolling with the punches is often more important than formal plans. Striving to adhere to investors' criteria can diminish the flexibility--the try-it, fix-it approach--an entrepreneur needs to make a new venture work. Seven principles are basic for successful start-ups: get operational fast; look for quick break-even, cash-generating projects; offer high-value products or services that can sustain direct personal selling; don't try to hire the crack team; keep growth in check; focus on cash; and cultivate banks early. Growth and change are the start-up's natural environment. But change is also the reward for success: just as ventures grow, their founders usually have to take a fresh look at everything again: roles, organization, even the very policies that got the business up and running.

  2. Agile metodologies use for software development in Slovenian start-ups

    OpenAIRE

    Kašnik, Matic

    2014-01-01

    The thesis presents and describes the use of agile methodologies which are being used by Slovenian tech start-up companies. It describes the basic features, advantages and disadvantages of various agile methodologies such as Scrum, extreme programming, lean start-up and method Kanban. We made a review of the most used agile methodologies in Slovenian technology start-up companies. In particular, we focus on variety of tools, technics and approaches used by the development teams and where do t...

  3. Single start multiple stop time digitizer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deshpande, P.A.; Mukhopadhyay, P.K.; Gopalakrishnan, K.R.

    1997-01-01

    A single start multiple stop time digitizer has been developed which can digitize the time between a start pulse and multiple stop pulses. The system has been designed as a PC add on card. The resolution of the instrument is 10 nSecs and the maximum length of time that it can measure is 1.28 milliseconds. Apart from time digitization, it can also resolve the height of the incoming pulses into 64 levels. After each input pulse the system dead time is less than 300 nSecs. The driver software for this card has been developed on DOS platform. It uses graphical user interface to provide a user friendly environment. The system is intended to be used in time of flight mass spectroscopy experiments. It can also be used for time of flight experiments in nuclear physics. (author). 2 figs

  4. Lean and global technology start-ups

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tanev, Stoyan; Rasmussen, Erik Stavnsager; Zijdemans, Erik

    2015-01-01

    In this paper the authors introduce the concept of Lean Global Start-up (LGS) as a way of emphasizing the impossibility for new technology start-ups to deal separately with business development, innovation and early internationalization. For a newly established technology firm the task of being...... global and innovative at the same time should be seen as one process. The paper has two components – an introductory conceptual part and an empirical part that should be considered as basis for the preliminary validation of the conceptual insights. The research sample includes six firms – three from...... Canada and three from Denmark. The firms have had significant problems with the complexity, uncertainties and risks of being innovative on a global scale. They have however found ways of addressing these problems by a disciplined knowledge sharing and IP protection strategy and the efficient use...

  5. Dynamics and Control During Start-Up of Energy Integrated Distillation Column

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    of the inherent effects of process integration upon a start-up procedure. In particular the effect of energy recycle upon the possible start-up sequence, and the effect of using an actuator for control purposes, i.e. the heat pump, which in itself requires significant start-up time. The experimental application...

  6. Guide to Improving Parenting Education in Even Start Family Literacy Programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, Douglas R.; D'Angelo, Diane

    This guide provides a framework and suggestions for strengthening the quality and impact of parenting education services in Even Start. It is aimed at Even Start state coordinators and local program administrators responsible for supporting and monitoring the quality of parenting education services in Even Start, and at local program staff…

  7. RA-6 reactor's probabilistic safety evaluation. Identification and selection of starting events

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kay, J.; Chiossi, C.; Felizia, E.; Vallerga, H.; Kalejman, G.; Navarro, R.; Caruso, G.J.

    1987-01-01

    A summary of the 'Identification and selection of starting events' stage of the previous probabilistic safety evaluation of RA-6 reactor is presented. This evaluation was performed to verify if the safety criteria required for the licensing of RA-6 are met and to promote the diffusion of its meaning and usefulness with educational purposes. At this stage the starting events of RA-6 are determined and the probability that such events occur is calculated. The identification and selection of starting events is performed in two steps: determination of proposed starting events and determination of postulated starting events. The proposed starting events are determined by means of the master logic diagram (MLD) method, while the postulated starting events are obtained by grouping the proposed starting events. The simplifying hypothesis required for the application of MLD to the reactor are also formulated. The probability that the proposed and postulated starting events occur is afterwards calculated, adopting different fault models, in accordance with the nature of events that are considered. Conservative hypothesis on the characteristics of these events and the uncertainty of parameter values of those models are also formulated. The numerical values of the above mentioned probabilities are obtained by giving the parameters suitable values that are extracted from specialized publications. (Author)

  8. Method of starting up PWR type reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kadokami, Akira; Ueno, Ryuji; Tsuge, Ayao; Onimura, Kichiro; Ochi, Tatsuya.

    1988-01-01

    Purpose: To start-up a PWR type reactor so as to effectively impregnate and concentrate corrosion inhibitors in intergranular corrosive faces. Method: Upon reactor start-up, after transferring from the warm zero output state to thermal power loaded state and injecting corrosion inhibitors, thermal power is returned to zero and, subsequently, increased up to a rated power. By selecting the thermal power upon injecting the corrosion inhibitors to a steam generator body, that is, by selecting a thermal power load that starts to boil in heat conduction tubes, feedwater in the clavis portion can be formed into an appropriate boiling convection and, accordingly, the corrosion inhibitors can be penetrated to the clevis portion at a higher rate and in a greater amount as compared with those under zero power condition. Subsequently, when the thermal power is reduced, a sub-cooled state is attained in the clevis portion, in which steams present in the intergranular corrosion faces in the heat conduction tubes are condensated. As a result, the corrosion inhibitors at high concentration are impregnated into the intergranular corrosive faces to provide excellent effects. (Kamimura, M.)

  9. Beyond Intentions--What Makes a Student Start a Firm?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joensuu-Salo, Sanna; Varamäki, Elina; Viljamaa, Anmari

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Entrepreneurial intentions have been extensively studied in student populations, with results suggesting that higher education does not promote formation of entrepreneurial intentions (e.g. Varamäki et al., 2013). However, the gap between intending to start a business and actually doing something to start one remains. The purpose of this…

  10. A Healthy Start Can Begin Now

    Science.gov (United States)

    A healthy pregnancy begins before you ever become pregnant. Give yourself the best chance for a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby before you start down the road to motherhood. If you smoke, now’s a great time to quit.

  11. An eigenexpansion technique for modelling plasma start-up

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pillsbury, R.D.

    1989-01-01

    An algorithm has been developed and implemented in a computer program that allows the estimation of PF coil voltages required to start-up an axisymmetric plasma in a tokamak in the presence of eddy currents in toroidally continuous conducting structures. The algorithm makes use of an eigen-expansion technique to solve the lumped parameter circuit loop voltage equations associated with the PF coils and passive (conducting) structures. An example of start-up for CIT (Compact Ignition Tokamak) is included

  12. The study of transient processes in the asynchronous starting of the synchronous motor

    OpenAIRE

    Alexandru Bârlea; Olivian Chiver

    2012-01-01

    Starting synchronous motors can be achieved by several ethods: starting with an auxiliary motor launch, starting in asynchronous regim, by feeding from a variable frequency source, auto-synchronization with the network.. In our case we study the transient processes in a asynchronous regim . In this case the synchronous motor is started like a squirrel cage induction motor . To start, the synchronous motor is equipped with a starting winding cage placed in the pole pieces of polar inducers; la...

  13. Start time delays in operating room: Different perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Babita Gupta

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Healthcare expenditure is a serious concern, with escalating costs failing to meet the expectations of quality care. The treatment capacities are limited in a hospital setting and the operating rooms (ORs. Their optimal utilization is vital in efficient hospital management. Starting late means considerable wait time for staff, patients and waste of resources. We planned an audit to assess different perspectives of the residents in surgical specialities and anesthesia and OR staff nurses so as to know the causative factors of operative delay. This can help develop a practical model to decrease start time delays in operating room (ORs. Aims: An audit to assess different perspectives of the Operating room (OR staff with respect to the varied causative factors of operative delay in the OR. To aid in the development of a practical model to decrease start time delays in ORs and facilitate on-time starts at Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma centre (JPNATC, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS, New Delhi. Methods: We prepared a questionnaire seeking the five main reasons of delay as per their perspective. Results: The available data was analysed. Analysis of the data demonstrated the common causative factors in start time operative delays as: a lack of proper planning, deficiencies in team work, communication gap and limited availability of trained supporting staff. Conclusions: The preparation of the equipment and required material for the OR cases must be done well in advance. Utilization of newer technology enables timely booking and scheduling of cases. Improved inter-departmental coordination and compliance with preanesthetic instructions needs to be ensured. It is essential that the anesthesiologists perform their work promptly, well in time . and supervise the proceedings as the OR manager. This audit is a step forward in defining the need of effective OR planning for continuous quality improvement.

  14. Dynamics and Control During Start-up of Energy Integrated Distillation Column

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eden, Mario Richard; Koggersbøl, Arne; Hallager, L.

    2000-01-01

    of the inherent effects of process integration upon a start-up procedure. In particular the effect of energy recycle upon the possible start-up sequence, and the effect of using an actuator f or control purposes, i.e. the heat pump, which in itself requires significant start-up time. The experimental application...

  15. 78 FR 73753 - Partnerships; Start-Up Expenditures; Organization and Syndication Fees

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-09

    ... deduct start-up expenditures in the taxable year in which the active trade or business begins. The amount... begins. All start-up expenditures that relate to the active trade or business are considered in...(b) to amortize start-up expenditures for the taxable year in which the active trade or business to...

  16. Working together for global health goals: The United States Agency for International Development and faith-based organizations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clydette L Powell

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available For many years, and before the term “FBO” was used for faith-based organizations, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID has supported the work of FBOs in global health and development. The Agency has long recognized the impact of FBOs within that development space, because these organizations are often well positioned to reach the hard-to-reach and to go the last mile because of their strong ties to the community. Moreover, FBOs deliver a substantial percentage of the health services in some developing countries. Faith partners, whether Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, or other, have an important role to play as implementers in global health and to support global efforts towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs in health. In addition, partnerships at national and international levels are key to the success of US Presidential Initiatives in the developing world, such as President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR and President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI. FBOs also have an important voice in policy and strategy formulation. Among other international donors, USAID support has been of great importance to the work of FBOs, thereby helping host nations to achieve goals in ending preventable child and maternal deaths, improving communicable disease control and prevention, and by supporting the construction and renovation of hospitals and health facilities where service delivery is most needed. The development literature is replete with examples of the work of FBOs made possible through access to resources. This paper focuses on some of the work supported by USAID in global health initiatives in order to reach complementary goals and achieve significant public health advances. Given the vastness of the topic, not all the global health initiatives involving FBOs supported by USAID are included here; the reader is encouraged to access the USAID website and USAID implementing partners for

  17. Sprint Start Kinetics of Amputee and Non-Amputee Sprinters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willwacher, Steffen; Herrmann, Volker; Heinrich, Kai; Funken, Johannes; Strutzenberger, Gerda; Goldmann, Jan-Peter; Braunstein, Björn; Brazil, Adam; Irwin, Gareth; Potthast, Wolfgang; Brüggemann, Gert-Peter

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the forces applied to the starting blocks and the start performances (SPs) of amputee sprinters (ASs) and non-amputee sprinters (NASs). SPs of 154 male and female NASs (100-m personal records [PRs], 9.58–14.00 s) and 7 male ASs (3 unilateral above knee, 3 unilateral below knee, 1 bilateral below knee; 100 m PRs, 11.70–12.70 s) with running specific prostheses (RSPs) were analysed during full-effort sprint starts using instrumented starting blocks that measured the applied forces in 3D. Using the NAS dataset and a combination of factor analysis and multiple regression techniques, we explored the relationship between force characteristics and SP (quantified by normalized average horizontal block power). Start kinetics were subsequently compared between ASs and NASs who were matched based on their absolute 100 m PR and their 100 m PR relative to the world record in their starting class. In NASs, 86% of the variance in SP was shared with five latent factors on which measured parameters related to force application to the rear and front blocks and the respective push-off directions in the sagittal plane of motion were loaded. Mediolateral force application had little influence on SP. The SP of ASs was significantly reduced compared to that of NASs matched on the basis of relative 100-m PR (−33.8%; d = 2.11, p < 0.001), while a non-significant performance reduction was observed when absolute 100-m PRs were used (−17.7%; d = 0.79, p = 0.09). These results are at least partially explained by the fact that force application to the rear block was clearly impaired in the affected legs of ASs. PMID:27846241

  18. Sprint Start Kinetics of Amputee and Non-Amputee Sprinters.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steffen Willwacher

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the forces applied to the starting blocks and the start performances (SPs of amputee sprinters (ASs and non-amputee sprinters (NASs. SPs of 154 male and female NASs (100-m personal records [PRs], 9.58-14.00 s and 7 male ASs (3 unilateral above knee, 3 unilateral below knee, 1 bilateral below knee; 100 m PRs, 11.70-12.70 s with running specific prostheses (RSPs were analysed during full-effort sprint starts using instrumented starting blocks that measured the applied forces in 3D. Using the NAS dataset and a combination of factor analysis and multiple regression techniques, we explored the relationship between force characteristics and SP (quantified by normalized average horizontal block power. Start kinetics were subsequently compared between ASs and NASs who were matched based on their absolute 100 m PR and their 100 m PR relative to the world record in their starting class. In NASs, 86% of the variance in SP was shared with five latent factors on which measured parameters related to force application to the rear and front blocks and the respective push-off directions in the sagittal plane of motion were loaded. Mediolateral force application had little influence on SP. The SP of ASs was significantly reduced compared to that of NASs matched on the basis of relative 100-m PR (-33.8%; d = 2.11, p < 0.001, while a non-significant performance reduction was observed when absolute 100-m PRs were used (-17.7%; d = 0.79, p = 0.09. These results are at least partially explained by the fact that force application to the rear block was clearly impaired in the affected legs of ASs.

  19. Producing an Assistant Guide for Haaga-Helia StartUp School

    OpenAIRE

    Averina, Maria

    2016-01-01

    This product-oriented thesis was commissioned by the StartUp School (SUS), a program of Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences that supports Haaga-Helia students to become entrepreneurs. The StartUp School offers Haaga-Helia students a six-month assistant trainee position. Consequently, every half a year there is a new assistant at the StartUp School. The commissioning party was lacking an essential tool to introduce work tasks to new assistant interns. The objective of the thesis was...

  20. Automatic start-up system of nuclear reactor based on sequence control technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Yao; Zhang Dafa; Peng Huaqing

    2009-01-01

    A conceptive design of an automatic start-up system based on the sequence control for the nuclear reactors is given in this paper, so as to solve the problems during the start-up process, such as the long operation time, low automatic control level and high accident rate. The start-up process and its requirements are analyzed in detail at first. Then,the principle, the architecture, the key technologies of the automatic start-up system of nuclear reactors are designed and discussed. With the designed system, the automatic start-up of the nuclear reactor can be realized,the work load of the operator can be reduced,and the safety and efficiency of the nuclear power plant during its start-up can be improved. (authors)

  1. Emerging Themes and Lessons Learned: The First Year of Smart Start.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maxwell, Kelly; Bryant, Donna; Adkins, Amee; McCadden, Brian; Noblit, George

    Smart Start is North Carolina's partnership between state government and local leaders, service providers, and families to better serve children under 6 years of age and their families. A formative evaluation of the Smart Start process, to inform the current state-level decision-making processes for future Smart Start efforts, was devised from a…

  2. Critical Incidents of Growth in Nordic eHealth Service Start-Ups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martti Saarela

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Digitalisation can revolutionise healthcare delivery and provide new business opportunities for innovative start-ups. Start-up businesses in the healthcare service sector are a promising source of new employment and innovations. The start-up stage is the most critical period for the survival of a business, as decisions made during the early stages have a definitive influence on success. This study seeks to clarify the early development of eHealth service start-ups. To summarise the research problem, the authors ask the following question: What are the critical incidents related to the early development of eHealth service start-ups? The units of analysis in this study are 14 Nordic eHealth service start-ups located in Sweden and Finland. The Critical Incident Technique (CIT and semi-structured interviews were applied for data collection. The results are of interest to the public sector, which plays an essential role in healthcare as a service producer, but also as a creator of the business conditions of and opportunities for small businesses.

  3. Quantifying Variation in Head Start Effects on Young Children's Cognitive and Socio-Emotional Skills Using Data from the National Head Start Impact Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloom, Howard S.; Weiland, Christina

    2015-01-01

    This paper uses data from the Head Start Impact Study (HSIS), a nationally representative multisite randomized trial, to quantify variation in effects of Head Start during 2002-2003 on children's cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes relative to the effects of other local alternatives, including parent care. We find that (1) treatment and control…

  4. The Impact of Head Start on Children, Families and Communities. Final Report of the Head Start Evaluation, Synthesis and Utilization Project. Executive Summary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKey, Ruth Hubbell; And Others

    This report summarizes the results of a study on the impact of Head Start on children's cognitive and socioemotional development, on child health and health institutions in the community, on enrollees' families, and on communities where Head Start programs operate. After discussing the background and methodology of the study, the report concludes…

  5. Small Vertical Axis Wind Turbines: aerodynamics and starting behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Horia DUMITRESCU

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available In urban areas the wind is very turbulent and unstable with fast changes in direction andvelocity. In these environments, the use of small vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT becomesincreasingly attractive due to several advantages over horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT.However, such designs have received much less attention than the more common propeller-typedesigns and the understanding of same aspects of their operation remains, to this day, incomplete.This is particularly true of their starting characteristics. Indeed, same authors heuristically maintainthat they cannot start without external assistance. This paper reviews the cause of the inability of thelow solidity fixed pitch vertical axis wind turbines to self-start, and investigates the way ofovercoming this draw back.

  6. Getting started with Arduino

    CERN Document Server

    Banzi, Massimo

    2011-01-01

    Arduino is the open-source electronics prototyping platform that's taken the design and hobbyist world by storm. This thorough introduction, updated for Arduino 1.0, gives you lots of ideas for projects and helps you work with them right away. From getting organized to putting the final touches on your prototype, all the information you need is here! Inside, you'll learn about: Interaction design and physical computingThe Arduino hardware and software development environmentBasics of electricity and electronicsPrototyping on a solderless breadboardDrawing a schematic diagram Getting started

  7. Getting Started with Netduino

    CERN Document Server

    Walker, Chris

    2012-01-01

    Start building electronics projects with Netduino, the popular open source hardware platform that's captured the imagination of makers and hobbyists worldwide. This easy-to-follow book provides the step-by-step guidance you need to experiment with Netduino and the .NET Micro Framework. Through a set of simple projects, you'll learn how to create electronic gadgets-including networked devices that communicate over TCP/IP. Along the way, hobbyists will pick up the basics of .NET programming, and programmers will discover how to work with electronics and microcontrollers. Follow the projects in

  8. Start-up processes’ efficiency of turbine jet engines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jankowski Antoni

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents diagnoses of example start-up processes of drive units built in military aircraft operated in the Dęblin's “School of Eaglets” during the flight. The significance of this process is very important, especially from the point of view of flight safety, especially as it concerns the training aircraft, on which officer cadets-candidates for pilots are trained. The diagnosis of the start-up process was conducted using data from on-board flight recorders recorded during a flight training, whose aim was an emergency launch of particular drive units, and with the help of the so-called phase mapping of the selected operating parameters of the particular flight drive systems. The standard diagram of typical start-up systems was shown, while presenting their base subassemblies. At the end, the obtained results and the main problems that need intervention were commented, as well as further preventive activities were proposed.

  9. Getting started with MariaDB

    CERN Document Server

    Bartholomew, Daniel

    2013-01-01

    A practical, hands-on, beginner-friendly guide to installing and using MariaDB.Getting Started with MariaDB is for anyone who wants to learn more about databases in general or MariaDB in particular. No prior database experience is required. It is assumed that you have basic knowledge of software installation, editing files with a text editor, and using the command line and terminal.

  10. Multi-Objective Optimization of Start-up Strategy for Pumped Storage Units

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinjiao Hou

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a multi-objective optimization method for the start-up strategy of pumped storage units (PSU for the first time. In the multi-objective optimization method, the speed rise time and the overshoot during the process of the start-up are taken as the objectives. A precise simulation platform is built for simulating the transient process of start-up, and for calculating the objectives based on the process. The Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (MOPSO is adopted to optimize the widely applied start-up strategies based on one-stage direct guide vane control (DGVC, and two-stage DGVC. Based on the Pareto Front obtained, a multi-objective decision-making method based on the relative objective proximity is used to sort the solutions in the Pareto Front. Start-up strategy optimization for a PSU of a pumped storage power station in Jiangxi Province in China is conducted in experiments. The results show that: (1 compared with the single objective optimization, the proposed multi-objective optimization of start-up strategy not only greatly shortens the speed rise time and the speed overshoot, but also makes the speed curve quickly stabilize; (2 multi-objective optimization of strategy based on two-stage DGVC achieves better solution for a quick and smooth start-up of PSU than that of the strategy based on one-stage DGVC.

  11. Start-up test of the prototype heavy water reactor 'FUGEN', (1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ando, Hideki; Kawahara, Toshio

    1982-01-01

    The advanced thermal prototype reactor ''Fugen'' is a heavy water-moderated, boiling light water-cooled power reactor with electric output of 165 MW, which has been developed since 1966 as a national project. The start-up test was begun in March, 1978, being scheduled for about one year, and in March, 1979, it passed the final pre-use inspection and began the full scale operation. In this paper, the result of the start-up test of Fugen is reported. From the experience of the start-up test of Fugen, the following matters are important for the execution of start-up test. 1) Exact testing plan and work schedule, 2) the organization to perform the test, 3) the rapid evaluation of test results and the reflection to next testing plan, and 4) the reflection of test results to rated operation, regular inspection and so on. In the testing plan, the core characteristics peculiar to Fugen, and the features of heavy water-helium system, control system and other equipment were added to the contents of the start-up test of BWRs. The items of the start-up test were reactor physics test, plant equipment performance test, plant dynamic characteristic test, chemical and radiation measurement, and combined test. The organization to perform the start-up test, and the progress and the results of the test are reported. (Kako, I.)

  12. Greening Existing Tribal Buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guidance about improving sustainability in existing tribal casinos and manufactured homes. Many steps can be taken to make existing buildings greener and healthier. They may also reduce utility and medical costs.

  13. 22 CFR 201.52 - Required documents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... by an endorsement on or attachment to the invoice that payment has been made in the amount shown on... by USAID, the supplier has airmailed to the USAID Mission in the capital city of the cooperating... attachment to a copy of the invoice, a copy of the bill of lading (bearing a notation of the freight cost...

  14. Established Companies meet Start-ups : Case: A service to research developing business models in start-up hot spots around the globe

    OpenAIRE

    Eisenblätter, Simon

    2016-01-01

    This thesis presents a business model with the aim to improve conversation between traditional companies and newly established start-ups. The assumption that such conversation can be facilitated by scouting for innovation in start-up hot spots around the world, will be discussed throughout the paper. The purpose of this work is to lay out a plan which can be presented to a first range of possible customers, with the goal of negotiating a trial cooperation. Before introducing the busi...

  15. Requirements for existing buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Kirsten Engelund; Wittchen, Kim Bjarne

    This report collects energy performance requirements for existing buildings in European member states by June 2012.......This report collects energy performance requirements for existing buildings in European member states by June 2012....

  16. Getting started with SQL Server 2012 cube development

    CERN Document Server

    Lidberg, Simon

    2013-01-01

    As a practical tutorial for Analysis Services, get started with developing cubes. ""Getting Started with SQL Server 2012 Cube Development"" walks you through the basics, working with SSAS to build cubes and get them up and running.Written for SQL Server developers who have not previously worked with Analysis Services. It is assumed that you have experience with relational databases, but no prior knowledge of cube development is required. You need SQL Server 2012 in order to follow along with the exercises in this book.

  17. Starting-up sequence of the AWEC-60 wind turbine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avia, F.; Cruz, M. de la.

    1991-01-01

    One of the most critical status of the wind turbines operation is the starting-up sequence and the connection to the grid, due to the actuating loads that could be several times the loads during operation at rated conditions. Due to this fact, the control strategy is very important during the starting-up sequence in order to minimize the loads on the machine. For this purpose it is necessary to analyze the behaviour of the wind turbine during that sequence in different wind conditions and machine conditions. This report shows the graphic information about fifty starting-up sequences of the AWEC-60 wind turbine of 60 m. diameter and 1200 kW of rated power, recorded in April 1991 and cut-out wind speed. (author)

  18. Comparison of crossover and jab step start techniques for base stealing in baseball.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyanishi, Tomohisa; Endo, So; Nagahara, Ryu

    2017-11-01

    Base stealing is an important tactic for increasing the chance of scoring in baseball. This study aimed to compare the crossover step (CS) and jab step (JS) starts for base stealing start performance and to clarify the differences between CS and JS starts in terms of three-dimensional lower extremity joint kinetics. Twelve male baseball players performed CS and JS starts, during which their motion and the force they applied to the ground were simultaneously recorded using a motion-capture system and two force platforms. The results showed that the normalised average forward external power, the average forward-backward force exerted by the left leg, and the forward velocities of the whole body centre of gravity generated by both legs and the left leg were significantly higher for the JS start than for the CS start. Moreover, the positive work done by hip extension during the left leg push-off was two-times greater for the JS start than the CS start. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that the jab step start may be the better technique for a base stealing start and that greater positive work produced by left hip extension is probably responsible for producing its larger forward ground reaction force.

  19. School Start Time and Teen Sleep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahlstrom, Kyla L.

    2000-01-01

    Sleep studies have shown that teenagers' internal clocks are incompatible with most high schools' early hours. Research in two Minnesota districts indicates that later school starting times can benefit teens and everyone dealing with them. Student participation in sports and other afterschool activities remained high. (MLH)

  20. Getting started with Magento module development

    CERN Document Server

    Ajzele, Branko

    2013-01-01

    This project-based tutorial gives you a strong foundation and guides you through practical, real-world examples.This book contains valuable insights for both newbies and already established Magento developers. This book is targeted at new and intermediate PHP developers starting afresh with Magento module development.

  1. Giving start-ups a helping hand

    CERN Multimedia

    2008-01-01

    The French-Swiss foundation for research and technology (FFSRT) joined forces with CERN to organise an information day on setting up new businesses, at the Globe of Science and Innovation. The participants heard talks by entrepreneurs who started out at CERN, sharing their experiences and difficulties.CERN is a hot-bed of high-tech skills and know-how, and the Organization works actively to transfer this expertise to society. Some such innovations can lead to new business start-ups, but it can be extremely difficult to obtain the information and support you need to find your way through the inevitable administrative labyrinth. By opening its doors to the Fondation franco-suisse pour la recherche et la technologie (FFSRT) and hosting this "Entrepreneurial Day" on 7 March, CERN has clearly flagged its desire to assist budding entrepreneurs. The day was jointly kicked off by Olga Hooft, General Manager of the FFSRT, and Maximilian Metzger, CERN’s Se...

  2. Getting started with nopCommerce

    CERN Document Server

    Atkinson, Brandon

    2013-01-01

    A friendly, tutorial style book, which will help you learn your way through creating a live storefront with nopCommerce in a step-by-step manner.Getting Started with nopCommerce is for anyone who wants to sell products online using nopCommerce. If you are a non-technical person and are discouraged by the complexity of this powerful e-commerce application, then this book is for you.

  3. Getting started with Twitter Flight

    CERN Document Server

    Hamshere, Tom

    2013-01-01

    Getting Started with Twitter Flight is written with the intention to educate the readers, helping them learn how to build modular powerful applications with Flight, Twitter's cutting-edge JavaScript framework.This book is for anyone with a foundation in JavaScript who wants to build web applications. Flight is quick and easy to learn, built on technologies you already understand such as the DOM, events, and jQuery.

  4. High-inertia drive motors and their starting characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1980-01-01

    The motor for a large reactor coolant pump failed while starting. The motor-application and the motor-failure are discussed in detail. A review of applications of motors for high-inertia drives shows that a motor designed and built to today's industry-standards might be overstressed while experiencing abnormal starting conditions, even though its protection is in accord with accepted practice. The inter-relationship between motor characteristics and characteristics of various types of protection are discussed, briefly. The review concludes that motor specifications and motor standards should be augmented. 1 ref

  5. Cost of Incremental Expansion of an Existing Family Medicine Residency Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashkin, Evan A; Newton, Warren P; Toomey, Brian; Lingley, Ronald; Page, Cristen P

    2017-07-01

    Expanding residency training programs to address shortages in the primary care workforce is challenged by the present graduate medical education (GME) environment. The Medicare funding cap on new GME positions and reductions in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Teaching Health Center (THC) GME program require innovative solutions to support primary care residency expansion. Sparse literature exists to assist in predicting the actual cost of incremental expansion of a family medicine residency program without federal or state GME support. In 2011 a collaboration to develop a community health center (CHC) academic medical partnership (CHAMP), was formed and created a THC as a training site for expansion of an existing family medicine residency program. The cost of expansion was a critical factor as no Federal GME funding or HRSA THC GME program support was available. Initial start-up costs were supported by a federal grant and local foundations. Careful financial analysis of the expansion has provided actual costs per resident of the incremental expansion of the residencyRESULTS: The CHAMP created a new THC and expanded the residency from eight to ten residents per year. The cost of expansion was approximately $72,000 per resident per year. The cost of incremental expansion of our residency program in the CHAMP model was more than 50% less than that of the recently reported cost of training in the HRSA THC GME program.

  6. Getting Started with Processing

    CERN Document Server

    Reas, Casey

    2010-01-01

    Learn computer programming the easy way with Processing, a simple language that lets you use code to create drawings, animation, and interactive graphics. Programming courses usually start with theory, but this book lets you jump right into creative and fun projects. It's ideal for anyone who wants to learn basic programming, and serves as a simple introduction to graphics for people with some programming skills. Written by the founders of Processing, this book takes you through the learning process one step at a time to help you grasp core programming concepts. You'll learn how to sketch wi

  7. EDUCATION, WORK AND THEIR RELATIONS THROUGHOUT HISTORY OF HUMANITY IN DIFFERENT MODES OF PRODUCTION OF EXISTENCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Denize Cristina Kaminski Ferreira

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The present article has as objective to analyze the relation between education and work throughout the history of the humanity, for in such a way, the starting point is the conceptualization of the related categories, as well as the exposition of its variations and relation in the different ways of material production of the existence human being (primitive community, slavery society, feudal system and capitalism, aiming at to apprehend the multiple influences that both exert between itself, in order to make possible a bigger understanding of the historical and social evolution of the man

  8. START to Get Ready for Breastfeeding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breastfeeding is a great way to give your baby the nutrients he or she needs to grow and develop. Breastfeeding also can help you and your baby form a special bond. Breastfeeding can be good for both of you if you know where to S-T-A-R-T.

  9. The use of high altitude remote sensing in determining existing vegetation and monitoring ecological stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, K.; Garcia, A.

    1972-01-01

    High altitude color and multispectral black and white photography was used to survey existing vegetation and soil conditions on the Empire Ranch where large scale development will soon begin. Utilizing stereo pairs of the high altitude color photography, four vegetation classifications were discernable as a function of topography and foliage characteristics. In contrast to the undeveloped Ranch, the same photography was used to detect environmental changes in the Tucson metropolitan area as a result of rapid urbanization. The most prevalent change related to development is the removal of vegetation in high density areas to allow for housing starts. Erosion then occurs where vegetation has been removed.

  10. Caregivers' attitudes regarding portion size served to Head Start children

    Science.gov (United States)

    The purpose of this study was to identify caregivers' attitudes regarding amounts and types of foods served to Head Start preschoolers using qualitative methods. Researchers conducted 8 focus groups (4 African American; 4 Hispanic) with 33 African American and 29 Hispanic Head Start caregivers. Mode...

  11. Improving NPT safeguards. Particularly at the natural uranium starting point

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harry, J.; Klerk, P. de

    1996-03-01

    According to the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) all nuclear material is subject to safeguards, but according to INFCIRC/153 the full range of safeguards is only applied beyond the 'starting point of safeguards', that is: The point at which nuclear material has reached a composition and purity suitable for fuel fabrication or enrichment. This paper addresses the two questions: (a) is the starting point adequately defined, and (b) what mesures could be applied to nuclear material before the starting point? Those questions have been asked before, some of the answers in this paper are new. (orig.)

  12. Improving NPT safeguards. Particularly at the natural uranium starting point

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harry, J. [Netherlands Energy Research Foundation (ECN), Petten (Netherlands); Klerk, P. de [Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague (Netherlands)

    1996-03-01

    According to the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) all nuclear material is subject to safeguards, but according to INFCIRC/153 the full range of safeguards is only applied beyond the `starting point of safeguards`, that is: The point at which nuclear material has reached a composition and purity suitable for fuel fabrication or enrichment. This paper addresses the two questions: (a) is the starting point adequately defined, and (b) what mesures could be applied to nuclear material before the starting point? Those questions have been asked before, some of the answers in this paper are new. (orig.).

  13. Influence of light-induced conical intersection on the photodissociation dynamics of D2(+) starting from individual vibrational levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halász, Gábor J; Csehi, András; Vibók, Ágnes; Cederbaum, Lorenz S

    2014-12-26

    Previous works have shown that dressing of diatomic molecules by standing or by running laser waves gives rise to the appearance of so-called light-induced conical intersections (LICIs). Because of the strong nonadiabatic couplings, the existence of such LICIs may significantly change the dynamical properties of a molecular system. In our former paper (J. Phys. Chem. A 2013, 117, 8528), the photodissociation dynamics of the D(2)(+) molecule were studied in the LICI framework starting the initial vibrational nuclear wave packet from the superposition of all the vibrational states initially produced by ionizing D(2). The present work complements our previous investigation by letting the initial nuclear wave packets start from different individual vibrational levels of D(2)(+), in particular, above the energy of the LICI. The kinetic energy release spectra, the total dissociation probabilities, and the angular distributions of the photofragments are calculated and discussed. An interesting phenomenon has been found in the spectra of the photofragments. Applying the light-induced adiabatic picture supported by LICI, explanations are given for the unexpected structure of the spectra.

  14. Planning and Reviewing for Success. Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aspen Systems Corp., Rockville, MD.

    This guide offers Head Start staff a blueprint for developing the skills and methods necessary for a Head Start program's planning and review process. The guide stresses the need for Head Start administrative and managerial leadership to maintain a holistic, integrated approach; use the strength and resources of Head Start team members; identify…

  15. Flow Behavior Around a Fast-Starting Robotic Fish

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Ganzhong; Currier, Todd; Modarres-Sadeghi, Yahya

    2017-11-01

    A robotic fish is used to study the flow behavior around the body of a fast-starting fish as it experiences a fast-start. The robotic fish is designed and built emulating a Northern Pike, Esox Lucius, which can accelerate at up to 245 m/s2. In previous studies, we had focused on the flow around the tail during the fast-start, by using a tail which acted flexibly in the preparatory stage and rigidly in the propulsive stage. We have extended that study by including the fish body in the experimental setup, where the body can bend into a C-shape, so that the influence of the body motion on the resulting flow around the structure can be understood as well. In the tests, the fish can rotate about a vertical axis, where a multi-axis force sensor measures flow forces acting on the body. Synchronized with the force measurement, flow visualizations using bubble image velocimetry are conducted, and the observed shed vortices are related to the peak forces observed during the maneuver.

  16. A method for starting up the gas isolating section of a benzine pyrolysis installation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruskin, Yu.A.; Gorokhov, V.V.; Kotler, L.D.; Shevchenko, K.N.; Zeldin, V.Ye.

    1982-01-01

    In the method for starting up a gas isolation section of a benzine pyrolysis unit, which includes starting the demethanizer in a steaming mode, starting the ethane and ethylene and propane and propylene towers, filling the ethylene cooling system with a hydrocarbon fraction, starting the ethylene cooling system, switching to a mode of the demethanization unit, starting the subassemblies for hydration and isolation of the ethylene and propylene fractions, in order to reduce the length of the start up period and to reduce the ejection of gas to the burner, after starting the demethanizer in the steaming mode, starting the ethane and ethylene and propane and propylene towers, the ethane and ethylene and propane and propylene fractions are mixed before the hydration subassemblies with an H2 bearing gas for catalytic reforming and then the other units and subassemblies are started.

  17. Starting an Actuarial Science Major at a Liberal Arts College

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Mark A.

    2014-01-01

    The article provides details of the process of starting an actuarial science major at a small, liberal arts college. Some critique of the major is included, as well as some challenges that may be faced by others wanting to start such a major at their institution.

  18. University Start-up Companies as a Response to Changing Federal Funding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dehn, J.; Webley, P.

    2013-12-01

    In challenging financial times, science funding is often one of the first casualties in a federal budget. In some cases the unfunded research has market potential and many universities are adopting policies to allow faculty and staff to form companies to support continuing research. Though this is clearly not a replacement for federal support for basic science, it can augment science funding and support the university missions of education, research and service. When federal support for volcano remote sensing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute as part of the Alaska Volcano Observatory after 25 years, the PIs started a company called V-ADAPT (Volcanic-Ash Detection, Avoidance and Preparedness for Transportation). This presented a variety of challenges and changing relationships within the volcanic monitoring community. It also raised a series of important questions: (1) What is the role of a private company in providing something that was once publically available? (2) How will the marketplace influence the directions of the research at a university? (3) How can the restrictions placed on federal employees allow effective collaboration? (4) Can the Bayh-Dole and Stafford Acts exist in harmony in this environment? There are many successful examples of start-up companies working well within this environment, but much of this is dependent on the laws and regulations in each state, that vary widely. In addition, many universities have policies in place that are not always compatible with model. A flexible approach is needed to ensure that university missions are not compromised and that an effective business model can support research. Few scientists are not business-savvy, so utilizing the other expertise at a university in schools of business, finance, management and political science is recommended.

  19. Scientists and Public: Is the Information Flow Direction Starting to Change?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diaz-Doce, D.; Bee, E. J.; Bell, P. D.; Marchant, A. P.; Reay, S.; Richardson, S. L.; Shelley, W. A.

    2014-12-01

    Over half of the population of the UK own a smartphone, and about the same number of people uses social media such as Twitter. For the British Geological Survey (BGS) this means millions of potential reporters of real-time events and in-the-field data capturers, creating a new source of scientific information that could help to better understand and predict natural processes. BGS first started collecting citizen data, using crowd-sourcing, through websites and smartphone apps focused on gathering geological related information (e.g. mySoil and myVolcano). These tools ask volunteers to follow a guided form where they can upload data related to geology and geological events; including location, description, measurements, photos, videos, or even instructions on sending physical samples. This information is used to augment existing data collections. Social media provides a different channel for gathering useful scientific information from the public. BGS is starting to explore this route with the release of GeoSocial-Aurora , a web mapping tool that searches for tweets related to aurora sightings and locates them as markers on a map. Users are actively encouraged to contribute by sending tweets about aurora sightings in a specific format, which contains the #BGSaurora hashtag, the location of the sighting, and any comments or pictures. The tool harvests these tweets through the Twitter REST API and places them on the map, enabling the user to generate clusters and heatmaps. GeoSocial-Aurora provides scientists with a potential tool for gathering useful data for scientific analysis. It collects actual aurora sighting locations, enabling users to check where the aurora is taking place in real time. This may, in time, help scientists to improve future predictions of when and where auroras are visible.

  20. Evaluation of Hawaii's Healthy Start Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duggan, Anne K.; McFarlane, Elizabeth C.; Windham, Amy M.; Rohde, Charles A.; Salkever, David S.; Fuddy, Loretta; Rosenberg, Leon A.; Buchbinder, Sharon B.; Sia, Calvin C. J.

    1999-01-01

    Describes Hawaii's Healthy Start Program (HST), its ongoing evaluation study, and evaluation findings at the end of two of a planned three years of family-program participation and follow-up. HST uses home visitors to help prevent abusive and neglectful parenting. Found significant differences in program implementation among the three…

  1. School Readiness in Children Living in Non-Parental Care: Impacts of Head Start

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipscomb, Shannon T.; Pratt, Megan E.; Schmitt, Sara A.; Pears, Katherine C.; Kim, Hyoun K.

    2013-01-01

    The current study examines the effects of Head Start on the development of school readiness outcomes for children living in non-parental care. Data were obtained from the Head Start Impact Study, a randomized controlled trial of Head Start conducted with a nationally representative sample of Head Start programs and families. The sample included…

  2. Start-up test of Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station Unit No.3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inomata, Toshio; Umezu, Akira; Kajikawa, Makoto; Koibuchi, Hiroshi; Netsu, Nobuhiko.

    1986-01-01

    In Unit 3 of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station II (daini), a BWR power plant of output 1,100 MW, commercial operation was started in June 1985. Its start-up test was finished successfully in about nine months. That is, new equipments introduced were demonstration tested. Though the items of testing are increased, the start-up test took short time, resulting in construction period only 54.7 months of the Unit 3, the shortest in the world. During the test, there was no scramming other than the planned. Described are the following: an outline of the Unit 3, the items of its improvement and standardization, including the new equipments, preparations for the start-up test, the start-up test and its evaluation. (Mori, K.)

  3. Start-Up of FEL Oscillator from Shot Noise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, V.; Krishnagopal, S.; Fawley, W.M.

    2007-01-01

    In free-electron laser (FEL) oscillators, as in self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) FELs, the buildup of cavity power starts from shot noise resulting from the discreteness of electronic charge. It is important to do the start-up analysis for the build-up of cavity power in order to fix the macropulse width from the electron accelerator such that the system reaches saturation. In this paper, we use the time-dependent simulation code GINGER [1]to perform this analysis. We present results of this analysis for the parameters of the Compact Ultrafast TErahertz FEL (CUTE-FEL) [2] being built at RRCAT

  4. Starting Up after 50. CELCEE Digest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seymour, Nicole

    Researchers are finding that older entrepreneurs are an increasing population in many Western countries. It is important to distinguish between entrepreneurs who have simply reached the age of 50 versus those who start up businesses after this age. The latter group is of particular interest because these people have presumably never faced the…

  5. 76 FR 70009 - Head Start Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-09

    ... importance of the early years of a child's growth and development. On December 12, 2007, the Improving Head... education, serving nearly one million of our nation's most vulnerable young children and their families. It... Administration for Children and Families 45 CFR Part 1307 Head Start Program; Final Rule #0;#0;Federal Register...

  6. Start small and build toward business intelligence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirby, Sean; Robertson, Brian

    2009-01-01

    To use business intelligence effectively, healthcare organizations should start small, align organizationally, and leverage success. Organizations should determine which measures they need and how to present them. Organizations should reinvest savings to continually improve.

  7. Revised emission factors for gas engines including start/stop emissions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nielsen, Malene; Boll Illerup, J.; Birr-Petersen, K.

    2008-06-15

    Liberalisation of the electricity market has led to Danish gas engine plants increasingly converting to the spot and regulating power markets. In order to offer regulating power, plants need to be able to start and stop the engines at the plants quickly. The liberalisation causes a considerable change of operation practice of the engines e.g. less full load operation hours /year. The project provides an inventory determining the scale of the emissions during the start and stop sequence as well as proposals for engine modifications aimed at reducing start/stop emissions. This report includes calculation of emission factors as well as an inventory of total emissions and reduction potentials. (au)

  8. Power start up of the Dalat nuclear research reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pham Duy Hien; Ngo Quang Huy; Vu Hai Long; Tran Khanh Mai

    1994-01-01

    After accomplishing the physical start-up of the reactor, the power start-up was carried out in February 1984. The power of the reactor has reached: 10 KW on 6/2/1984, 100 KW on 7/2/1984, 200 KW and 300 KW on 8/2/1984; 400 KW and nominal power 500 KW on 9/2/1984. The reactivity temperature coefficient and the xenon poisoning were determined. 3 figs., 12 tabs

  9. Head Start's Impact Is Contingent on Alternative Type of Care in Comparison Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, Fuhua; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Waldfogel, Jane

    2014-01-01

    Using data ("n" = 3,790 with 2,119 in the 3-year-old cohort and 1,671 in the 4-year-old cohort) from 353 Head Start centers in the Head Start Impact Study, the only large-scale randomized experiment in Head Start history, this article examined the impact of Head Start on children's cognitive and parent-reported social-behavioral outcomes…

  10. 76 FR 50887 - Elections Regarding Start-Up Expenditures, Corporation Organizational Expenditures, and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-17

    ... begins an active trade or business, an amount equal to the lesser of (1) the amount of the start-up... begins. All start-up expenditures that relate to the active trade or business are considered in... active trade or business to which the expenditures relate begins. The election either to amortize start...

  11. Urgent-Start Peritoneal Dialysis Complications: Prevalence and Risk Factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Damin; Liu, Tianjiao; Dong, Jie

    2017-07-01

    Mechanical complications are of particular concern in urgent-start peritoneal dialysis (PD) because of the shorter break-in period. However, risk factors have been reported inconsistently and data in urgent-start PD populations are limited. Observational cohort study. All patients treated with urgent-start PD, defined as PD therapy initiated within 1 week after catheter insertion, January 2003 to May 2013. Age, sex, abdominal surgery history, body mass index, hemoglobin level, albumin level, C-reactive protein level, break-in period (period between catheter insertion and PD therapy initiation), dialysate exchange volume, and use of overnight dwell. The presence of mechanical complications related to abdominal wall or catheter, including hernia, hydrothorax, hydrocele, subcutaneous leak, pericatheter leak, catheter malposition, omental wrap, and obstruction. 922 patients on urgent-start PD therapy were enrolled (mean age, 59.1±15.0 [SD] years). Prevalences of abdominal wall and catheter complications were 4.8% and 9.5%, respectively. The most common abdominal wall complication was hernia (55%), followed by hydrothorax (25%). On adjustment, male sex (HR, 5.41; 95% CI, 2.15-13.59; Pstart PD and conventional PD. Urgent-start PD is a safe and practicable approach. Male sex and history of abdominal surgery could contribute to the development of abdominal wall complications. Copyright © 2017 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Does peritoneal dialysis have a role in urgent-start end-stage kidney disease?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McQuillan, Rory F; Lok, Charmaine E

    2018-04-19

    Despite its many positive attributes, peritoneal dialysis remains underutilized, particularly in the United States. Urgent-start peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been proposed as a method of increasing PD prevalence. Urgent-start PD has been shown to be safe, feasible, and effective. However, urgent-start PD is also accompanied by several multidimensional challenges. This article is intended to equip the reader with a practical sense of whether an urgent-start PD program would be appropriate in his or her own clinical context and if appropriate, what factors would be necessary for such a program to flourish. As such, we summarize latent factors, which are necessary to consider before instituting an urgent-start PD. Then, using a series of clinical vignettes, highlight the component parts of a successful urgent-start PD program and the patient population who stand to benefit most from this strategy. The discussion is then balanced by presenting limitations to consider in the urgent-start PD approach. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Split-phase motor running as capacitor starts motor and as capacitor run motor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yahaya Asizehi ENESI

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the input parameters of a single phase split-phase induction motor is taken to investigate and to study the output performance characteristics of capacitor start and capacitor run induction motor. The value of these input parameters are used in the design characteristics of capacitor run and capacitor start motor with each motor connected to rated or standard capacitor in series with auxiliary winding or starting winding respectively for the normal operational condition. The magnitude of capacitor that will develop maximum torque in capacitor start motor and capacitor run motor are investigated and determined by simulation. Each of these capacitors is connected to the auxiliary winding of split-phase motor thereby transforming it into capacitor start or capacitor run motor. The starting current and starting torque of the split-phase motor (SPM, capacitor run motor (CRM and capacitor star motor (CSM are compared for their suitability in their operational performance and applications.

  14. Realizing a desired family size: when should couples start?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habbema, J Dik F; Eijkemans, Marinus J C; Leridon, Henri; te Velde, Egbert R

    2015-09-01

    Until what age can couples wait to start a family without compromising their chances of realizing the desired number of children? The latest female age at which a couple should start trying to become pregnant strongly depends on the importance attached to achieving a desired family size and on whether or not IVF is an acceptable option in case no natural pregnancy occurs. It is well established that the treatment-independent and treatment-dependent chances of pregnancy decline with female age. However, research on the effect of age has focused on the chance of a first pregnancy and not on realizing more than one child. An established computer simulation model of fertility, updated with recent IVF success rates, was used to simulate a cohort of 10 000 couples in order to assess the chances of realizing a one-, two- or three-child family, for different female ages at which the couple starts trying to conceive. The model uses treatment-independent pregnancy chances and pregnancy chances after IVF/ICSI. In order to focus the discussion, we single out three levels of importance that couples could attach to realizing a desired family size: (i) Very important (equated with aiming for at least a 90% success chance). (ii) Important but not at all costs (equated with a 75% success chance) (iii) Good to have children, but a life without children is also fine (equated with a 50% success chance). In order to have a chance of at least 90% to realize a one-child family, couples should start trying to conceive when the female partner is 35 years of age or younger, in case IVF is an acceptable option. For two children, the latest starting age is 31 years, and for three children 28 years. Without IVF, couples should start no later than age 32 years for a one-child family, at 27 years for a two-child family, and at 23 years for three children. When couples accept 75% or lower chances of family completion, they can start 4-11 years later. The results appeared to be robust for

  15. Exhaust Emission Characteristics of Heavy Duty Diesel Engine During Cold and Warm Start

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    YANG Rong

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Through experiment conducted on a six cylinder direct injection diesel engine with SCR catalyst, effects of coolant temperature on rail pressure, injection quantity, excess air coefficient and emissions characteristics during cold and warm start were investigated. The results showed that, the maximum injection quantity during a starting event was several times higher than idling operation mode, so was the maximal opacity in the cold and warm starting process. When coolant temperature rose up to above 20℃, NOX emissions in the starting process exhibited peculiar rise which was times higher than idling mode. Compared with engine warm start, rail pressure, cycle fuel quantity, opacity, CO and HC emissions during engine cold start were higher in the course from their transient maximal values towards stabilized idling status. NOX in the same transient course, however, were lower in cold start. As coolant temperature rose, the maximal and the idling value of rail pressure and cycle fuel injection quantity during diesel engine starting process decreased gradually, the excess air coefficient increased to a certain degree, and the maximal and idling values of NOX increased gradually.

  16. Danish Ophthalmology - from start to 1865.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norn, Mogens

    2016-03-01

    This short paper mentioned the medical treatment using the 'holy' springs, the first 'eye doctor' in Denmark, the first picture of spectacles which was found in Viborg Cathedral of the high priest before he performs circumcisio praeputii on Jesus Christ, further cataract reclination in Denmark from around year zero and cataract extraction in 1667 in Denmark on a goose by Francisco Borri and on humans by the Danish Georg Heuermann in 1755. Epidemic military eye diseases in 1807, 1856 and 1865 are also described in this study. From 1856, a new ophthalmological period started in Denmark with the first eye hospital (lazaret only for eye diseases), and in 1864, patients with eye diseases were transported from the few beds in the surgical departments in the municipal hospital to the first civil eye department in Denmark, the eye hospital Sct. Annae in Copenhagen. The new scientific period started with Jacob Christian Bentz (ophthalmia granulosa, joint editor of the Danish Medical Journal) and Heinrich Lehmann. © 2016 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Ukraine stalls on START I vote; presses US on aid, security issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lockwood, D.

    1993-01-01

    In early January, a Ukrainian delegation came to Washington to discuss issues related to Ukrainian ratification of START I and accession to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The issues discussed at the meeting (US security assurances and economic aid), which were not resolved, have serious implications for START I, the NPT, and the flow-on START II agreement

  18. Optimal relations of the parameters ensuring safety during reactor start-up

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yurkevich, G.P.

    2004-01-01

    Procedure and equations for the determination of optimal ratio between parameters allowing safe removal of reactor in critical state are suggested. Initial pulse frequency of pulsed start-up channel and power of neutron source are decreased by reduced rate of changing reactivity during automatic start-up, disposition of pulsed neutron detector in the range with neutron flux density to 5·10 12 s -1 cm -2 at standard power, separate signal of period for the use in chains of automatic start-up and emergency protection, reduction of pulses frequency of the start-up channel (the frequency is equal to 4000 c -1 ). Procedure and equations for the determination of optimal parameters are effected with the account of statistic character of pulsed detector frequency and false outlet signal [ru

  19. Self-starting aerodynamics analysis of vertical axis wind turbine

    OpenAIRE

    Jianyang Zhu; Hailin Huang; Hao Shen

    2015-01-01

    Vertical axis wind turbine is a special type of wind-force electric generator which is capable of working in the complicated wind environment. The self-starting aerodynamics is one of the most important considerations for this kind of turbine. This article aims at providing a systematic synthesis on the self-starting aerodynamic characteristics of vertical axis wind turbine based on the numerical analysis approach. First, the physical model of vertical axis wind turbine and its parameter defi...

  20. Strategic Management: Business Model Canvas for Start-Up Company

    OpenAIRE

    Sonninen, Anna

    2016-01-01

    Thesis is written about development of Kakunpala as a Start-Up Company, because development processes and ideas are the key factors for future success of the company. The aim of this thesis is to understand Strategic Management of the Company and Development processes,by using the SWOT analysis before and after development and by applying Business Model Canvas template to the Start-Up Company, and by describing Customer Journey: what relations Kakunpala has with clients and its processes...

  1. Is 8:30 a.m. Still Too Early to Start School? A 10:00 a.m. School Start Time Improves Health and Performance of Students Aged 13–16

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul Kelley

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available While many studies have shown the benefits of later school starts, including better student attendance, higher test scores, and improved sleep duration, few have used starting times later than 9:00 a.m. Here we report on the implementation and impact of a 10 a.m. school start time for 13 to 16-year-old students. A 4-year observational study using a before-after-before (A-B-A design was carried out in an English state-funded high school. School start times were changed from 8:50 a.m. in study year 0, to 10 a.m. in years 1–2, and then back to 8:50 a.m. in year 3. Measures of student health (absence due to illness and academic performance (national examination results were used for all students. Implementing a 10 a.m. start saw a decrease in student illness after 2 years of over 50% (p < 0.0005 and effect size: Cohen's d = 1.07, and reverting to an 8:50 a.m. start reversed this improvement, leading to an increase of 30% in student illness (p < 0.0005 and Cohen's d = 0.47. The 10:00 a.m. start was associated with a 12% increase in the value-added number of students making good academic progress (in standard national examinations that was significant (<0.0005 and equivalent to 20% of the national benchmark. These results show that changing to a 10:00 a.m. high school start time can greatly reduce illness and improve academic performance. Implementing school start times later than 8:30 a.m., which may address the circadian delay in adolescents' sleep rhythms more effectively for evening chronotypes, appears to have few costs and substantial benefits.

  2. FUMEX-III Cases by START-3. Final Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Novikov, Vladimir; Bogatyr, Sergey; Kuznetsov, Vladimir; Chulkin, Dmitriy

    2013-01-01

    This document covers ''SUPER-RAMP'' and ''AREVA High-Burnup Idealised case'', cases of FUMEX-III project that were calculated by means of START-3 code. SUPER-RAMP PK-2 rodlets were chosen for calculation because they were subjected to strong power ramp and did not fail, because the main objective of the present calculations was to check the models of fission gas release and gaseous swelling of START-3 in the conditions of the power ramps (we did not intend to get the limit stresses for Zry-4 fuel rods). AREVA high burnup (PRIORITY CASE) case was chosen to check the applicability of the START-3 code to high-burnup PWR fuel rods behavior. Also, in order to check the stability and quality of the changes made into the code during the course of FUMEX-III participation, several simplified cases of FUMEX-II were recalculated. FUMEX-III SUPER-RAMP exercise included up to 49 kW/m power ramps of fuel rods with burnup up to 45 MWd/kgU. START-3 calculations of this exercise are in reasonable agreement with the experiment. AREVA high burnup priority case (∼81.5 MWd/kgU) was calculated and overprediction of the FGR was found. This overprediction is related with the conservative overestimation of rim-structure capability to retain fission gas and can be adjusted implementing a simple correction of this property. To verify the changes made into the code (oxide layer growth model and Zry-4 radiation growth), the corrected version of the code was used to recalculate the FUMEX-II simplified cases 27.2 and satisfactory results were obtained. (author)

  3. Novel start-up circuit with enhanced power-up characteristic for bandgap references

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tuan Vu, Cao; Wisland, Dag T.; Lande, Tor Sverre

    This paper presents a new start-up circuit for low-power bandgap reference (BGR) voltage generators. The BGR is designed for providing a stable 0.3 V power supply for application in low power wireless sensor nodes. The BGR has an enhanced power-up characteristic and demonstrates a reduction...... of the total stand-by current. Simulated results confirm that the proposed start-up circuit does not affect the performance of the BGR even though the supply voltage (VDD) is higher and has more stable power-up characteristic than the conventional start-up circuits. The new start-up circuit is designed with 65...

  4. Eleven Tribes Jump START Clean Energy Projects, Summer 2012 (Newsletter)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2012-06-01

    This newsletter describes key activities of the DOE Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs for Summer 2012. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (DOE-IE) has selected 11 Tribes - five in Alaska and six in the contiguous United States - to receive on-the-ground technical support for community-based energy efficiency and renewable energy projects as part of DOE-IE's Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) Program. START finalists were selected based on the clarity of their requests for technical assistance and the ability of START to successfully work with their projects or community. Technical experts from DOE and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will work directly with community-based project teams to analyze local energy issues and assist the Tribes in moving their projects forward. In Alaska, the effort will be bolstered by DOE-IE's partnership with the Denali Commission, which will provide additional assistance and expertise, as well as funding to fuel the Alaska START initiative.

  5. The Start of a Tech Revolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyrli, Kurt O.

    2009-01-01

    We are at the start of a revolution in the use of computers, one that analysts predict will rival the development of the PC in its significance. Companies such as Google, HP, Amazon, Sun Microsystems, Sony, IBM, and Apple are orienting their entire business models toward this change, and software maker SAS has announced plans for a $70 million…

  6. Gender Dimensions Framework Application

    OpenAIRE

    Rubin, D.

    2011-01-01

    This is a presentation of the The Gender Dimensions Framework (GDF). The GDF was developed to provide guidance to USAID staff and partner organizations for working with USAID projects looking at promoting equitable opportunities in agricultural value chains. The GDF contemplates four dimensions: access to and control over key productive assets (tangible and intangible); beliefs and perceptions; practices and participation, and legal frameworks. CCRA-7 (Gendered Knowledge)

  7. Exercise starts and ends in the brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kayser, Bengt

    2003-10-01

    Classically the limit to endurance of exercise is explained in terms of metabolic capacity. Cardio-respiratory capacity and muscle fatigue are thought to set the limit and the majority of studies on factors limiting endurance exercise discuss issues such as maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), aerobic enzyme capacity, cardiac output, glycogen stores, etc. However, this paradigm does not explain the limitation to endurance exercise with large muscle groups at altitude, when at exhaustion exercise is ended without limb locomotor muscle fatigue and with sub-maximal cardiac output. A simple fact provides a basis for an explanation. Voluntary exercise starts and ends in the brain. It starts with spatial and temporal recruitment of motor units and ends with their de-recruitment. A conscious decision precedes a voluntary effort. The end of effort is again volitional and a forced conscious decision to stop precedes it, but it is unknown what forces the off-switch of recruitment at exhaustion although sensation of exertion certainly plays a role. An alternative model explaining the limitation of exercise endurance thus proposes that the central nervous system integrates input from various sources all related to the exercise and limits the intensity and duration of recruitment of limb skeletal muscle to prevent jeopardizing the integrity of the organism. This model acknowledges the cardio-respiratory and muscle metabolic capacities as prime actors on the performance scene, while crediting the central nervous system for its pivotal role as the ultimate site where exercise starts and ends.

  8. Influence of decrease of the amount of starting salary of radiological technologists

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shibuya, Koichi; Kato, Hirokazu

    2010-01-01

    This paper analyzes differences and changes within and between the occupation of nurses, radiological technologists, and medical technologists concerning starting salary from April 2005 to March 2009. This paper also investigates the percentage of difference in the amount of starting salary of nurses, radiological technologists, and medical technologists according to their educational attainments. The research-target used was the full-time-job-opening data provided to Okayama University within the given period of time, which specifies the amount of starting salary. The result shows that one's educational background has a crucial influence on the amount of one's starting salary. In fact, the percentage of the amount of starting salary base on one's educational attainment all increased in nurses, radiological technologists, and medical technologists from April 2007 to March 2009. However, this percentage for radiological technologists remains only 50% of increase, which was less significant than other two professional occupations. Moreover, the result indicates a crucial change in the amount of basic starting salary: while the amount of basic starting salary of nurses in 2008 has increased since 2005, that of radiological technologists has dropped remarkably. If this situation is not improved in the near future, the health-service sector may experience a decrease in the number of skilled practitioners which, in turn, will result in a decline in quality of medical care. (author)

  9. How Types of Organisational Culture Shapes Successful Start-ups within Malaysia

    OpenAIRE

    Kuah, Shen Yang

    2016-01-01

    Start-ups is the new wave of firms which are now mushrooming around Malaysia. However, as this wave is still at its infancy the success rate of start-ups in Malaysia is extremely low. It has been long established that organisational culture does indeed effect the performance of a firm, however there haven’t been any reports on the effect of organisational culture on the success of start-ups. The objective of this report is to investigate how different types of organisational cultures contribu...

  10. Pseudo one-dimensional analysis of polymer electrolyte fuel cell cold-start

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mukherjee, Partha P [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Mukundan, Rangachary [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Borup, Rodney L [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Wang, Yun [NON LANL; Mishlera, Jeff [NON LANL

    2009-01-01

    This paper investigates the electrochemical kinetics, oxygen transport, and solid water formation in polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) during cold start. Following [Yo Wang, J. Electrochem. Soc., 154 (2007) B1041-B1048], we develop a pseudo one-dimensional analysis, which enables the evaluation of the impact of ice volume fraction and temperature variations on cell performance during cold-start. The oxygen profile, starvation ice volume fraction, and relevant overpotentials are obtained. This study is valuable for studying the characteristics of PEFC cold-start.

  11. Spring 
start-up for the LHC

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    A new schedule for the commissioning of the LHC was presented to the Council at its Session in June. The start-up of the accelerator is scheduled for May 2008, to allow all technical problems to be resolved.

  12. Getting started With Amazon Redshift

    CERN Document Server

    Bauer, Stefan

    2013-01-01

    Getting Started With Amazon Redshift is a step-by-step, practical guide to the world of Redshift. Learn to load, manage, and query data on Redshift.This book is for CIOs, enterprise architects, developers, and anyone else who needs to get familiar with RedShift. The CIO will gain an understanding of what their technical staff is working on; the technical implementation personnel will get an in-depth view of the technology, and what it will take to implement their own solutions.

  13. Getting started with Drupal commerce

    CERN Document Server

    Jones, Richard

    2013-01-01

    A simple yet concise step-by-step tutorial that starts from scratch and builds up your knowledge with focused examples that will enable you to set up and run an e-commerce website.This book is for beginners and will take you through the installation and configuration of Drupal Commerce from scratch, but some familiarity with Drupal 7 will be an advantage. All examples are based on development on a local computer - you do not need a hosted Drupal environment.

  14. Early Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, and Staff in 2014

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohan, Anitha; Walker, Christina

    2016-01-01

    In 1994, the federal Early Head Start (EHS) program was created to address the comprehensive needs of low-income pregnant women and children under age 3. EHS was launched almost 30 years after Head Start was established in 1965 to serve low-income 3- and 4-year-old children and their families with comprehensive early education and support…

  15. Head Start Teacher Well-Being: Implications for Policy and Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bullough, Robert V., Jr.; Hall-Kenyon, Kendra M.; MacKay, Kathryn Lake

    2012-01-01

    Surprisingly little is known about Head Start teachers; who teaches, why they teach, and how they think and feel about their work. To begin to address these issues, a survey was developed and distributed to Head Start teachers, assistant teachers, and aides in one three-county program to examine their motivation and well-being. Follow-up…

  16. Fast-starting for a breath: Air breathing in Hoplosternum littorale

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Domenici, Paolo; Norin, Tommy; Bushnell, Peter G.

    by the fall of a prey item on the water surface, and in tapping motions of goldfish, a behaviour that was interpreted to be food-related. Little is known about C-starts being used outside the context of escaping or feeding. Here, we test the hypothesis that air-breathing fish may use C-starts when gulping air...

  17. Does Head Start differentially benefit children with risks targeted by the program's service model?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Elizabeth B; Farkas, George; Duncan, Greg J

    Data from the Head Start Impact Study ( N = 3540) were used to test for differential benefits of Head Start after one program year and after kindergarten on pre-academic and behavior outcomes for children at risk in the domains targeted by the program's comprehensive services. Although random assignment to Head Start produced positive treatment main effects on children's pre-academic skills and behavior problems, residualized growth models showed that random assignment to Head Start did not differentially benefit the pre-academic skills of children with risk factors targeted by the Head Start service model. The models showed detrimental impacts of Head Start for maternal-reported behavior problems of high-risk children, but slightly more positive impacts for teacher-reported behavior. Policy implications for Head Start are discussed.

  18. Treatment strategies for multiple sclerosis: When to start, when to change, when to stop?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gajofatto, Alberto; Benedetti, Maria Donata

    2015-01-01

    Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the central nervous system determined by a presumed autoimmune process mainly directed against myelin components but also involving axons and neurons. Acute demyelination shows as clinical relapses that may fully or partially resolve, while chronic demyelination and neuroaxonal injury lead to persistent and irreversible neurological symptoms, often progressing over time. Currently approved disease-modifying therapies are immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive drugs that significantly although variably reduce the frequency of attacks of the relapsing forms of the disease. However, they have limited efficacy in preventing the transition to the progressive phase of MS and are of no benefit after it has started. It is therefore likely that the potential advantage of a given treatment is condensed in a relatively limited window of opportunity for each patient, depending on individual characteristics and disease stage, most frequently but not necessarily in the early phase of the disease. In addition, a sizable proportion of patients with MS may have a very mild clinical course not requiring a disease-modifying therapy. Finally, individual response to existing therapies for MS varies significantly across subjects and the risk of serious adverse events remains an issue, particularly for the newest agents. The present review is aimed at critically describing current treatment strategies for MS with a particular focus on the decision of starting, switching and stopping commercially available immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive therapies. PMID:26244148

  19. Cost of enlarged operating zone for an existing Francis runner

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monette, Christine; Marmont, Hugues; Chamberland-Lauzon, Joël; Skagerstrand, Anders; Coutu, André; Carlevi, Jens

    2016-11-01

    Traditionally, hydro power plants have been operated close to best efficiency point, the more stable operating condition for which they have been designed. However, because of changes in the electricity market, many hydro power plants operators wish to operate their machines differently to fulfil those new market needs. New operating conditions can include whole range operation, many start/stops, extensive low load operation, synchronous condenser mode and power/frequency regulation. Many of these new operating conditions may impose more severe fatigue damage than the traditional base load operation close to best efficiency point. Under these conditions, the fatigue life of the runner may be significantly reduced and reparation or replacement cost might occur sooner than expected. In order to design reliable Francis runners for those new challenging operating scenarios, Andritz Hydro has developed various proprietary tools and design rules. These are used within Andritz Hydro to design mechanically robust Francis runners for the operating scenarios fulfilling customer's specifications. To estimate residual life under different operating scenarios of an existing runner designed years ago for best efficiency base load operation, Andritz Hydro's design rules and tools would necessarily lead to conservative results. While the geometry of a new runner can be modified to fulfil all conservative mechanical design rules, the predicted fatigue life of an existing runner under off-design operating conditions may appear rather short because of the conservative safety factor included in the calculations. The most precise and reliable way to calculate residual life of an existing runner under different operating scenarios is to perform a strain gauge measurement campaign on the runner. This paper presents the runner strain gage measurement campaign of a mid-head Francis turbine over all the operating conditions available during the test, the analysis of the measurement signals

  20. The Rise of the Spirit of National Interest and the Existence of World Trade Organization Agreement: A Case Study of Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I Gusti Ngurah Parikesit

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available There has been an anxiety over the rise of the spirit of national interest on the existence of World Trade Organization. This spirit that has been reflected from domestic trade policy, to some extent, has undermined trade negotiation process under the WTO as shown by the failure of the Doha Round to conclude significant trade deals. Countries also started concluding bilateral and regional trade agreements instead of the WTO. This article aimed to analyze whether the rise of the spirit of national interest has threaten the existence of the WTO agreements, putting Indonesia as a case study. This article is a normative research, analyzing the dynamics development of the national interest under the WTO, especially Indonesia, and how the judicial body has responded the rise of this spirit in its decisions. This article argues that the spirit of national interest will not threaten the existence of WTO as this spirit has been exist from the early establishment of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1947 to the latest WTO negotiation. Moreover, the existence of the WTO judicial body will secure the existence of the WTO, especially because it has successfully controlled the overwhelming spirit of national interest of its members through its decisions.

  1. Application of the STOPP/START criteria to a medical record database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nauta, Katinka J; Groenhof, Feikje; Schuling, Jan; Hugtenburg, Jacqueline G; van Hout, Hein P J; Haaijer-Ruskamp, Flora M; Denig, Petra

    2017-10-01

    The STOPP/START criteria are increasingly used to assess prescribing quality in elderly patients at practice level. Our aim was to test computerized algorithms for applying these criteria to a medical record database. STOPP/START criteria-based computerized algorithms were defined using Anatomical-Therapeutic-Chemical (ATC) codes for medication and International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) codes for diagnoses. The algorithms were applied to a Dutch primary care database, including patients aged ≥65 years using ≥5 chronic drugs. We tested for associations with patient characteristics that have previously shown a relationship with the original STOPP/START criteria, using multivariate logistic regression models. Included were 1187 patients with a median age of 75 years. In total, 39 of the 62 STOPP and 18 of the 26 START criteria could be converted to a computerized algorithm. The main reasons for inapplicability were lack of information on the severity of a condition and insufficient covering of ICPC-codes. We confirmed a positive association between the occurrence of both the STOPP and the START criteria and the number of chronic drugs (adjusted OR ranging from 1.37, 95% CI 1.04-1.82 to 3.19, 95% CI 2.33-4.36) as well as the patient's age (adjusted OR for STOPP 1.30, 95% CI 1.01-1.67; for START 1.73, 95% CI 1.35-2.21), and also between female gender and the occurrence of STOPP criteria (adjusted OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.09-1.82). Sixty-five percent of the STOPP/START criteria could be applied with computerized algorithms to a medical record database with ATC-coded medication and ICPC-coded diagnoses. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Time program using in automatization of steam turbines start-up

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lejzerovich, A.Sh.; Melamed, A.D.

    Examples and arguments for developing time programs of changing basic parameters of automated start-up of TPP and NPP high-power steam turbines are considered. Basic parameters subject to controlled changing at automatization of turbine start-up are rotation frequency, loading and temperature of steam supplied to the turbine. Principle facility schemes of program regulation of steam temperature at the start-up are presented. The facility scheme of loading the NPP wet steam turbine is given. The principles of developing time programs, of changing basic parameters of automated start-up enable realizing transient processes close to theoretically optimum processes at arbitrary prestart-up state of the turbine by means of rather simple autatic facilities. In particular, for automated temperature increase of steam supplied to the turbine of TES power units and AES turbine loading, it is advisable to use programs in the form of linear dependence of velocity of changing the controlled parameter on the given value, the initial level, from which the parameter increase with a regulated velocity is realized, is given in the form of analogue dependence on the turbine prestart-up state. The programs described and the schemes of their realization have been approved at the automatization of 300 MW power unit starts up with the K-300-240 turbine and K-220-44 turbine as well as used when creating control system for turbines of 500 MW and higher for designed TPP and NPP power units

  3. The New START Treaty: Central Limits and Key Provisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-08-27

    article-by-article analysis can be found at http://www.state.gov/t/ avc /newstart/c44126.htm. 2 For a brief summary of the original START Treaty, as...2014, http://www.state.gov/t/ avc /rls/224236.htm . The fact sheet does not display warhead subtotals for each delivery system; it only includes an...of Strategic Offensive Forces, Fact Sheet, Washington, DC, April 1, 2014, http://www.state.gov/t/ avc /rls/228652.htm. The New START Treaty: Central

  4. A Review on Cold Start of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhongmin Wan

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Successful and rapid startup of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs at subfreezing temperatures (also called cold start is of great importance for their commercialization in automotive and portable devices. In order to maintain good proton conductivity, the water content in the membrane must be kept at a certain level to ensure that the membrane remains fully hydrated. However, the water in the pores of the catalyst layer (CL, gas diffusion layer (GDL and the membrane may freeze once the cell temperature decreases below the freezing point (Tf. Thus, methods which could enable the fuel cell startup without or with slight performance degradation at subfreezing temperature need to be studied. This paper presents an extensive review on cold start of PEMFCs, including the state and phase changes of water in PEMFCs, impacts of water freezing on PEMFCs, numerical and experimental studies on PEMFCs, and cold start strategies. The impacts on each component of the fuel cell are discussed in detail. Related numerical and experimental work is also discussed. It should be mentioned that the cold start strategies, especially the enumerated patents, are of great reference value on the practical cold start process.

  5. STOPP/START criteria for potentially inappropriate prescribing in older people: version 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Mahony, Denis; O'Sullivan, David; Byrne, Stephen; O'Connor, Marie Noelle; Ryan, Cristin; Gallagher, Paul

    2015-03-01

    Screening tool of older people's prescriptions (STOPP) and screening tool to alert to right treatment (START) criteria were first published in 2008. Due to an expanding therapeutics evidence base, updating of the criteria was required. We reviewed the 2008 STOPP/START criteria to add new evidence-based criteria and remove any obsolete criteria. A thorough literature review was performed to reassess the evidence base of the 2008 criteria and the proposed new criteria. Nineteen experts from 13 European countries reviewed a new draft of STOPP & START criteria including proposed new criteria. These experts were also asked to propose additional criteria they considered important to include in the revised STOPP & START criteria and to highlight any criteria from the 2008 list they considered less important or lacking an evidence base. The revised list of criteria was then validated using the Delphi consensus methodology. The expert panel agreed a final list of 114 criteria after two Delphi validation rounds, i.e. 80 STOPP criteria and 34 START criteria. This represents an overall 31% increase in STOPP/START criteria compared with version 1. Several new STOPP categories were created in version 2, namely antiplatelet/anticoagulant drugs, drugs affecting, or affected by, renal function and drugs that increase anticholinergic burden; new START categories include urogenital system drugs, analgesics and vaccines. STOPP/START version 2 criteria have been expanded and updated for the purpose of minimizing inappropriate prescribing in older people. These criteria are based on an up-to-date literature review and consensus validation among a European panel of experts. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.

  6. Start-up of anaerobic digestion of source-sorted organic municipal solid waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maroun, Rania

    2004-01-01

    Municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal is a major environmental concern worldwide. Among the environmentally sound technologies for the treatment of MSW, composting in the form of anaerobic digestion (AD) appears as a suitable alternative that offers the advantage of rapid stabilization of organic matter, reduction in waste volume, production of methane, and minimal environmental impacts in comparison to land filling and incineration. Yet, although outstanding advances in anaerobic digestion of solid substrate have been made in the last 10 years, some development areas are lagging, including the fast and reliable process start-up in terms of type of inocula and overall start-up strategies. The present study investigates the start-up and operation of bench-scale anaerobic digesters treating the source-sorted organic fraction of municipal solid waste. The experimental program consisted of starting up two digesters in parallel. Three consecutive interventions in the start-up program were implemented to achieve steady state. Start-up was relatively slow indicating the seed obtained from an operating anaerobic wastewater treatment plant was not suitable. The use of cattle manure together with effluent dilution reduced the acclimation period (Author.)

  7. Social Capital in Knowledge Intensive Start-Ups

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Neergaard, Helle; Madsen, Henning

    This paper addresses social capital in biotechnology, medico and information communication start-ups using both quantitative and qualitative data. It shows that founding teams are primarily composed of 'trusted alters' and that networking patterns are highly influenced by the entrepreneur...

  8. University–industry collaboration: Jump-starting innovation | IDRC ...

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

    2010-10-06

    Oct 6, 2010 ... In Costa Rica, researchers and business have found innovative ways to ... To jump-start these collaborations, IDRC is supporting research teams in 12 ... steel company recently tried to license a type of steel easy to mould into ...

  9. The Educational Toolbox: Kick Start Your Educational Program in Quality Improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Rebecca L; Medbery, Rachel L; Vandermeer, Thomas J; Morris, Jon B; Kelz, Rachel R

    2015-01-01

    To disseminate materials and learning from the proceedings of the Association of Program Directors 2014 Annual Meeting workshop on the integration of quality improvement (QI) education into the existing educational infrastructure. Modern surgical practice demands an understanding of QI methodology. Yet, today׳s surgeons are not formally educated in QI methodology. Therefore, it is hard to follow the historical mantra of "see one, do one, teach one" in the quality realm. Participants were given a brief introduction to QI approaches. A number of concrete examples of how to incorporate QI education into training programs were presented, followed by a small group session focused on the identification of barriers to incorporation. Participants were provided with a worksheet to help navigate the initial incorporation of QI education in 3 steps. Participants were representative of all types of training programs, with differing levels of existing QI integration. Barriers to QI education included lack of resident interest/buy-in, concerns over the availability of educational resources (i.e., limited time to devote to QI), and a limited QI knowledge among surgical educators. The 3 steps to kick starting the educational process included (1) choosing a specific method of QI education, (2) incorporation via barrier, infrastructure, and stakeholder identification, and (3) implementation and ongoing assessment. Recent changes in the delivery of surgical care along with the new accreditation system have necessitated the development of QI education programs for use in surgical education. To continue to make surgery safer and ensure optimal patient outcomes, surgical educators must teach each resident to adopt quality science methodology in a meaningful way. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Existence theory in optimal control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olech, C.

    1976-01-01

    This paper treats the existence problem in two main cases. One case is that of linear systems when existence is based on closedness or compactness of the reachable set and the other, non-linear case refers to a situation where for the existence of optimal solutions closedness of the set of admissible solutions is needed. Some results from convex analysis are included in the paper. (author)

  11. >venture>: Support for Early Stage Start-ups and Potential Entrepreneurs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kauz, Lukas

    2014-12-01

    >venture>, the leading Swiss-wide business plan competition, is an ideal partner for young start-ups and entrepreneurs. For the upcoming tenth anniversary edition the competition will receive an update. Building upon a successful base of the past nine editions and equipped with contemporary networking events and more know-how transferring seminars, >venture> will fit even better into the Swiss start-up ecosystem.

  12. Parental Book Reading and Social-Emotional Outcomes for Head Start Children in Foster Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kyunghee; Lee, Jung-Sook

    2016-01-01

    This study examines the associations between parental book reading and social-emotional outcomes for Head Start children in foster care. Despite no main Head Start impact on parental book reading, subgroup effects were found. Foster parents in Head Start provided more book reading for children with disabilities but less for children with low preacademic scores. Head Start enhanced social-emotional outcomes for children in foster care. The positive impacts of Head Start on children's social-emotional outcomes were greater when parents read books frequently. Head Start should include more foster families and provided parenting skills to enhance social-emotional outcomes for children in foster care.

  13. Start-up of plasma current by electron Bernstein wave

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maekawa, Takashi; Tanaka, Hitoshi; Uehide, Masaki

    2009-01-01

    Electron cyclotron current drive by electron Bernstein (EB) waves for the start-up and ramp-up of toroidal plasma current with no central solenoid in tokamaks is discussed. It is shown that high N// EB waves have ability to ramp-up the current against the counter voltage from self-induction, where N// is the parallel refractive index to the magnetic field, and they are especially suitable for initial current start-up phase where the bulk electron temperature is low enough to ensure high N// EB waves. (author)

  14. Female Hires and the Success of Start-up Firms

    OpenAIRE

    Weber, Andrea; Zulehner, Christine

    2009-01-01

    In this paper we investigate the relationship between females among the first hires of start-up companies and business success. Our results show that firms with female first hires have a higher share of female workers at the end of the first year after entry. Further, we find that firms with female first hires are more successful and stay longer in the market. We conclude that our results support the hypothesis that gender-diversity in leading positions is an advantage for start-up firms.

  15. 10 CFR 4.127 - Existing facilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Existing facilities. 4.127 Section 4.127 Energy NUCLEAR... 1973, as Amended Discriminatory Practices § 4.127 Existing facilities. (a) Accessibility. A recipient... make each of its existing facilities or every part of an existing facility accessible to and usable by...

  16. Caregivers' attitudes regarding portion sizes served to children at Head Start

    Science.gov (United States)

    Head Start caregivers are responsible for educating and feeding preschoolers enrolled in the Head Start program. Amongst pre-school aged children, portion size served is positively associated with intake of those foods. Researchers conducted eight focus groups with Hispanic and African American Head...

  17. Model citizens. Outsourcing helps start-up Medicare HMO.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slavic, B; Adami, S

    1999-04-01

    Health Plans of Pennsylvania (HPP), the managed care arm of Crozer-Keystone Health System, in Media, Pa. Selecting the information systems and building the infrastructure to support the start-up of a new Medicare HMO product. HPP chose to outsource the information systems needed to integrate all the components of managed care administration into a cost-effective and cohesive program. Because of its aggressive programming and start-up of the MedCarePlus product offering, HPP became the first plan in the country to submit Medicare claims data electronically for encounter reporting to the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). "Through an integrated team approach, an organization truly can benefit from the economies of scale gained through outsourcing."

  18. Organising a conference? Think about what you can do for start-ups!

    CERN Multimedia

    David Mazur

    2016-01-01

    ICTR-PHE 2016 welcomed 16 exhibitors and sponsors as part of its industrial exhibition. If you have ever (co-)organised a large scientific conference, you almost certainly have your own list of major industrial actors who could be interested in becoming exhibitors or sponsors.   The six start-ups present at ICTR-PHE 2016 – Oncoradiomics, Colnec Health, Dixit Solutions, e-Learning4Health, I-See Computing and SmART Scientific Solutions (not pictured). (Image: Salvatore Fiore) ICTR-PHE has shown that scientific conferences can have a catalysing role in transforming young start-ups and spin-off companies into the key industrial players of tomorrow. A special start-up corner was provided in the industrial exhibition, where small stands were made available for a modest fee to start-ups and spin-off companies in fields relevant to the conference theme, together with a 5-minute timeslot for a pitch to the audience. Six start-ups, from the Netherlands, Italy and France...

  19. Improvement in motor performance during high pressure pump starting at NDDP, Kalpakkam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagaraj, R.; Murugan, V.; Thalor, K.L.; Saxena, A.K.; Dangore, A.Y.; Prabhakar, S.; Tiwari, P.K.

    2007-01-01

    The major energy requirement required for a Sea Water Reverse Osmosis is in the form of Electrical Energy. The primary energy requirement in the process is the electrical energy fed to High Pressure Pumps to pressurize the feed sea water to membranes. This High pressure pump being a high inertia load requires very high torque at the time of starting. This high starting torque requirement results in increased acceleration time of the motor which subsequently increases the strain on the upstream electrical system from motor feeder to transformer. Such starting characteristic necessitates provision of special starting scheme for the high pressure pump motors. Sea water reverse osmosis (SWRO) plant of Nuclear Desalination Demonstration Project (NDDP) was commissioned in October 2002 at Kalpakkam, India. This paper presents the experiences of problems faced due to the typical starting characteristics of High Pressure pumps and provision of series reactor type motor starter for the same. (author)

  20. Model based analysis of the time scales associated to pump start-ups

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dazin, Antoine, E-mail: antoine.dazin@lille.ensam.fr [Arts et métiers ParisTech/LML Laboratory UMR CNRS 8107, 8 bld Louis XIV, 59046 Lille cedex (France); Caignaert, Guy [Arts et métiers ParisTech/LML Laboratory UMR CNRS 8107, 8 bld Louis XIV, 59046 Lille cedex (France); Dauphin-Tanguy, Geneviève, E-mail: genevieve.dauphin-tanguy@ec-lille.fr [Univ Lille Nord de France, Ecole Centrale de Lille/CRISTAL UMR CNRS 9189, BP 48, 59651, Villeneuve d’Ascq cedex F 59000 (France)

    2015-11-15

    Highlights: • A dynamic model of a hydraulic system has been built. • Three periods in a pump start-up have been identified. • The time scales of each period have been estimated. • The parameters affecting the rapidity of a pump start-up have been explored. - Abstract: The paper refers to a non dimensional analysis of the behaviour of a hydraulic system during pump fast start-ups. The system is composed of a radial flow pump and its suction and delivery pipes. It is modelled using the bond graph methodology. The prediction of the model is validated by comparison to experimental results. An analysis of the time evolution of the terms acting on the total pump pressure is proposed. It allows for a decomposition of the start-up into three consecutive periods. The time scales associated with these periods are estimated. The effects of parameters (angular acceleration, final rotation speed, pipe length and resistance) affecting the start-up rapidity are then explored.

  1. Does Glocal Political Power Already Exist?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorenzo Ornaghi

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Large periods of history are usually characterized by equally important moments of change in scientific knowledge and, in particular, in the understanding of political power. We still need to study in depth whether the former provokes (almost of out necessity the latter, or whether they are “great” because they are favored by the innovation of the paradigms of knowledge. The passage from medieval universalism to the particularism of the modern age represents an extremely interesting analogy when compared to the transformations that are now underway. The example of John of Salisbury’s Policratus, the starting point of this article, is illuminating in our comprehension of the relevance of the interweaving between the persistence of the ancient forms of recognition of power and the search for new forms. The existence of glocal realities is already a fact. Even if it is relatively easy to recognize these realities (a business, a university, a humanitarian association, not a few of the same “parts” which constitute the traditional organization of the State, it is more difficult to define the specific characteristics of the power at their disposal. Moving from the widening gap between “actual” power and “potential” power, the article examines the motives for which the classical definitions of power are always becoming more insufficient in understanding the role now emerging from glocal realities. And, in particular, by looking at how the “command-obedience” relationship is changing also as a consequence of communication networks and information technology, the article analyzes that specific “contamination” within global elements and local elements, which seems to be the main base of glocal political power.

  2. Long Pulse EBW Start-up Experiments in MAST

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shevchenko V.F.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Start-up technique reported here relies on a double mode conversion (MC for electron Bernstein wave (EBW excitation. It consists of MC of the ordinary (O mode, entering the plasma from the low field side of the tokamak, into the extraordinary (X mode at a mirror-polarizer located at the high field side. The X mode propagates back to the plasma, passes through electron cyclotron resonance (ECR and experiences a subsequent X to EBW MC near the upper hybrid resonance (UHR. Finally the excited EBW mode is totally absorbed at the Doppler shifted ECR. The absorption of EBW remains high even in cold rarefied plasmas. Furthermore, EBW can generate significant plasma current giving the prospect of a fully solenoid-free plasma start-up. First experiments using this scheme were carried out on MAST [1]. Plasma currents up to 33 kA have been achieved using 28 GHz 100kW 90ms RF pulses. Recently experimental results were extended to longer RF pulses showing further increase of plasma currents generated by RF power alone. A record current of 73kA has been achieved with 450ms RF pulse of similar power. The current drive enhancement was mainly achieved due to RF pulse extension and further optimisation of the start-up scenario.

  3. Patient perspectives on the optimal start of renal replacement therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henry, Shayna L; Munoz-Plaza, Corrine; Garcia Delgadillo, Jazmine; Mihara, Nichole K; Rutkowski, Mark P

    2017-09-01

    Healthcare systems and providers are encouraged to prepare their patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) for a planned start to renal replacement therapies (RRT). Less well understood are the socioemotional experiences surrounding the optimal start of RRT versus suboptimal haemodialysis (HD) starts with a central catheter. To characterise the experiences of patients beginning RRT. Qualitative, semi-structured phone interviews. A total of 168 patients with stage 5 CKD initiating RRT in an integrated, capitated learning healthcare system. Qualitative data from patients were collected as part of a quality improvement initiative to better understand patient-reported themes concerning preparation for RRT, patients' perceptions of their transition to dialysis and why sub-optimal starts for RRT occur within our healthcare system. Dual review and verification was used to identify key phrases and themes within and across each domain, using both deductive a priori codes generated by the interview guide and grounded discovery of emergent themes. From the patient perspective, preparing for RRT is an experience rooted in deep feelings of fear. In addition, a number of key factors contributed to patients' preparation (or failure to prepare) for RRT. While the education provided by our system was viewed as adequate overall, patients often felt that their emotional and psychosocial needs went unmet, regardless of whether or not, they experienced an optimal dialysis start. Future efforts should incorporate additional strategies for helping patients with advanced CKD achieve emotional and psychological safety while preparing for RRT. © 2017 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.

  4. Head Start Program Performance Standards on Services for Children with Disabilities (45-CFR 1308) [and] Normas de Ejecucion del Programa Head Start Sobre Servicios para Ninos con Discapacidades (45-CFR 1308).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (DHHS), Washington, DC. Head Start Bureau.

    This document consolidates, clarifies, and updates federal regulations on Head Start services for children with disabilities. The regulations are designed to complement the Head Start Program Performance Standards governing services to all enrolled children. Specifically, these regulations require Head Start programs to: (1) design comprehensive…

  5. Later Start Time for Teens Improves Grades, Mood, and Safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahlstrom, Kyla L.

    2017-01-01

    A recent study by the University of Minnesota looked at eight high schools across the U.S. that chose later start times, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. The study found significant decreases in absences and tardiness as well as greater academic benefits for schools with the latest start times. Among the 9,395 students in the study, those who slept…

  6. Shari’a Compliant Finance: The Overlooked Element for Developing an Effective Financial System in Afghanistan

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-08

    Increasing Role," 1. 13 Hafa Furqani and Ratna Mulyany, "Islamic Banking and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Malaysia ," Journal ofEconomic...oversight, retail banking, small and medium enterprise finance, and microfinance. USAID also provided advice on how to implement on-site examinations of... retail banking and small and medium enterprise finance, USAID assisted in the enactment of financial laws and regulations. To facilitate growth of small

  7. Public-Private Collaboration in the Department of Defense

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-01

    University of Hawaii, US Chamber of Commerce , PACOM, USAID, NOAA, FEMA, Rockefeller & Ford Foundations – Enhanced by PACOM’s program of engagement with...US Chamber of Commerce , FEMA, NOAA, USAID and others in connection with the conference on disaster risk reduction • PACOM’s partnership staff was... of Commerce , and multiple federal agencies. Its inaugural event included the US Secretary of State and a cross section of emerging leaders from

  8. CwicStart - a proof-of-concept client for the CEOSWGISS Integrated Catalog (CWIC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, D. J.; Mitchell, A. E.

    2012-12-01

    Keywords - Earth Science, data discovery, agile development, ruby on rails, catalog, OGC Audience - Earth Science application developers What is CwicStart CwicStart is a prototypical earth science data discovery web application designed, developed and hosted by NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) Clearinghouse (ECHO). CwicStart searches the CEOS WGISS Integrated Catalog (CWIC) to provide users with dataset and granule level metadata from sources as diverse as NASA, NOAA, INPE and AOE. CwicStart demonstrates the ease of which it is possible to stand up a functioning client against the CWIC. From start to finish, CwicStart was designed, developed and deployed in one month. Built from OGC getCapabilities document of CWIC The CwicStart application takes the OGC getCapabilities (http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/is) document describing CWIC, as it's starting point for providing a user interface suitable for interrogating CWIC. Consequently, it can allow the user to constrain their search by the following criteria, - Generic search terms - Spatial bounding box - Start date/time and end date/time - ISO-queryable key-value pairs User Interface inspired by Reverb ECHO's state-of-the-art earth science discovery tool, Reverb (http://reverb.echo.nasa.gov) was used as a guideline for the user interface components of CwicStart. It incorporates OpenLayers to provide point-and-click spatial constraint specification and calendar input for temporal constraints. Discovery involves two phases: dataset discovery and granule discovery with full pagination support for large results sets. CwicStart supports 'graceful degradation' of support for multiple browsers and accessibility requirements. Implemented in Ruby on Rails for Agile Development CwicStart is implemented in Ruby on Rails, a dynamic, rapid development language and environment that facilitates Agile development and is resilient to changing requirements. Using an Agile development methodology ECHO was able to stand up the

  9. Getting started in ZBrush an introduction to digital sculpting and illustration

    CERN Document Server

    Johnson, Greg

    2014-01-01

    Getting Started in ZBrush is a gentle introduction to ZBrush, today's premier digital sculpting program. Beginning with the fundamentals of digital sculpting as well as a thorough introduction to the user interface, Getting Started in ZBrush will have you creating a variety of professional-level 3D models in no-time. More than just another button-pushing manual, this comprehensive guide is packed with start-to-finish projects that ease you into the workflow of the program, while at the same time providing tips and tricks that will allow you to achieve certain tasks much more quickly. After pro

  10. The Challenge for Arms Control Verification in the Post-New START World

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wuest, C R

    2012-05-24

    the prospects for maintaining U.S. security and minimizing the chances of nuclear war, while deliberately reducing stockpiles to a few hundred weapons, is possible but not without risk. While the question of the appropriate level of cuts to U.S. nuclear forces is being actively debated, a key issue continues to be whether verification procedures are strong enough to ensure that both the U.S. and Russia are fulfilling their obligations under the current New Start treaty and any future arms reduction treaties. A recent opinion piece by Henry Kissinger and Brent Scowcroft (2012) raised a number of issues with respect to governing a policy to enhance strategic stability, including: in deciding on force levels and lower numbers, verification is crucial. Particularly important is a determination of what level of uncertainty threatens the calculation of stability. At present, that level is well within the capabilities of the existing verification systems. We must be certain that projected levels maintain - and when possible, reinforce - that confidence. The strengths and weaknesses of the New START verification regime should inform and give rise to stronger regimes for future arms control agreements. These future arms control agreements will likely need to include other nuclear weapons states and so any verification regime will need to be acceptable to all parties. Currently, China is considered the most challenging party to include in any future arms control agreement and China's willingness to enter into verification regimes such as those implemented in New START may only be possible when it feels it has reached nuclear parity with the U.S. and Russia. Similarly, in keeping with its goals of reaching peer status with the U.S. and Russia, Frieman (2004) suggests that China would be more willing to accept internationally accepted and applied verification regimes rather than bilateral ones. The current verification protocols specified in the New START treaty are

  11. Effects of entrepreneurial orientation on start-up success: A gender perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daisy Mui Hung Kee

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the extent to which gender influences on the practice of Entrepreneurial Orien-tation (EO on Start-up Success. This study was conducted among Spin-off and Symbiosis Com-pany (SSC from all sectors in Peninsular Malaysia. Despite the remarkable research on EO and Start-up firms, there is a missing link on how gender provides different perspectives of EO practic-es among SSC, especially in Malaysia. A total of 120 SSC was chosen and the results show that EO was statistically related to Start-up Success and unveiled the magnitude of change that gender possesses in improving the relationship between EO practice and Start-up Success. The major implication of this study presents the unique contribution of gender in motivating SSC owners to engage in EO. Also, the difference of gender perceptions in business provides a variety of untapped opportunities in terms of entrepreneurial-related practices as different gender perceived different needs and capabilities. Future research is suggested to explore this phenomenon more extensively and develop a comprehensive model for the gender analysis. In brief, the discussion in this paper would help to strengthen the body of knowledge on Entrepreneurship and act as a future reference on SSC, EO, and Start-up Success.

  12. The Sydney Triage to Admission Risk Tool (START): A prospective validation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebker-White, Anja A; Bein, Kendall J; Dinh, Michael M

    2018-02-08

    The present study aims to prospectively validate the Sydney Triage to Admission Risk Tool (START) to predict ED disposition. This was a prospective validation study at two metropolitan EDs in Sydney, Australia. Consecutive triage encounters were observed by a trained researcher and START scores calculated. The primary outcome was patient disposition (discharge or inpatient admission) from the ED. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate area under curve of receiver operator characteristic (AUC ROC) for START scores as well as START score in combination with other variables such as frailty, general practitioner referral, overcrowding and major medical comorbidities. There were 894 patients analysed during the study period. The START score when applied to the data had AUC ROC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.77-0.83). The inclusion of other clinical variables identified at triage did not improve the overall performance of the model with an AUC ROC of 0.81 (95% CI 0.78-0.84) in the present study. The overall performance of the START tool with respect to model discrimination and accuracy has been prospectively validated. Further clinical trials are required to test the clinical effectiveness of the tool in improving patient flow and overall ED performance. © 2018 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

  13. Starting Small, Thinking Big - Continuum Magazine | NREL

    Science.gov (United States)

    , Thinking Big Stories NREL Helps Agencies Target New Federal Sustainability Goals Student Engagements Help solar power in the territory. Photo by Don Buchanan, VIEO Starting Small, Thinking Big NREL helps have used these actions to optimize that energy use.'" NREL's cross-organizational work supports

  14. Start-up of a drinking water biofilter

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ramsay, Loren; Søborg, Ditte; Breda, Inês Lousinha Ribeiro

    When virgin filter media is placed in drinking water biofilters, a start-up period of some months typically ensues. During this period, the necessary inorganic coating and bacterial community are established on the filter medium, after which the treated water complies with drinking water criteria...

  15. Initiation of growth hormone therapy in idiopathic short stature: do gender differences exist?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Ari, Tal; Lebenthal, Yael; Phillip, Moshe; Lazar, Liora

    2015-01-01

    Growth hormone (GH) registries indicate that boys receive preferential GH treatment for idiopathic short stature (ISS). The aim was to determine whether age, auxological parameters, pubertal status, and target height differ between genders at GH initiation. Review of the computerized files of the endocrine department of a tertiary pediatric medical center identified 184 patients who started GH therapy for ISS between 2003-2011. Data on auxologic parameters, predicted height, parental height, and pubertal status were collected and compared between boys and girls. Boys accounted for a significantly higher percentage of the study group (65.8%, pdeficit, and pubertal status at onset of GH treatment in boys and girls suggests that gender differences do not exist. Male predominance may stem from family preferences to treat boys. Future studies are warranted to assess the psychosocial aspects in the decision to initiate therapy.

  16. Starting of nuclear power stations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotyza, V.

    1988-01-01

    The procedure is briefly characterized of jobs in nuclear power plant start-up and the differences are pointed out from those used in conventional power generation. Pressure tests are described oriented to tightness, tests of the secondary circuit and of the individual nodes and facilities. The possibility is shown of increased efficiency of such jobs on an example of the hydraulic tests of the second unit of the Dukovany nuclear power plant where the second and the third stages were combined in the so-colled integrated hydraulic test. (Z.M.). 5 figs

  17. Start-up tests of NSRR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1976-12-01

    Start up tests of the Nuclear Safety Research Reactor (NSRR) were carried out from June 25 to August 15, 1975. The course of tests is in three stage, i.e. critical approach and zero power, power-up and pulse operation. Performance of the reactor was shown to be in good agreement with the design specifications in both steady-state and pulse operations. Test procedures and the results are presented in four parts: (I) general, (II) zero-power tests, (III) power-up tests, and (IV) pulse operation tests. (auth.)

  18. 22 CFR 208.600 - How do suspension and debarment actions start?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How do suspension and debarment actions start? 208.600 Section 208.600 Foreign Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOVERNMENTWIDE... § 208.600 How do suspension and debarment actions start? When we receive information from any source...

  19. 5 CFR 919.600 - How do suspension and debarment actions start?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false How do suspension and debarment actions start? 919.600 Section 919.600 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL... start? When we receive information from any source concerning a cause for suspension or debarment, we...

  20. 2 CFR 180.600 - How do suspension and debarment actions start?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false How do suspension and debarment actions start? 180.600 Section 180.600 Grants and Agreements OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET GOVERNMENTWIDE... suspension and debarment actions start? When Federal agency officials receive information from any source...

  1. 22 CFR 1006.600 - How do suspension and debarment actions start?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true How do suspension and debarment actions start? 1006.600 Section 1006.600 Foreign Relations INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION GOVERNMENTWIDE DEBARMENT AND... suspension and debarment actions start? When we receive information from any source concerning a cause for...

  2. 22 CFR 1508.600 - How do suspension and debarment actions start?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true How do suspension and debarment actions start? 1508.600 Section 1508.600 Foreign Relations AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION GOVERNMENTWIDE DEBARMENT AND... suspension and debarment actions start? When we receive information from any source concerning a cause for...

  3. Renewing Head Start's Promise: Invest in What Works for Disadvantaged Preschoolers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mead, Sara

    2014-01-01

    Since Head Start's last reauthorization in 2007, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Head Start, has implemented significant reforms that are improving the program. In "Renewing Head Start's Promise: Invest in What Works for Disadvantaged Preschoolers," Sara Mead offers several recommendations to enable…

  4. Process parameters for high quality on-contour starting of laser cutting of steel

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meijer, C.Z.; Meijer, C.Z.; Meijer, J.; Bakkers, E.P.M.

    1997-01-01

    Laser cut initiation in full material usually results in a start hole with bad quality. Starting strategies have been developed to avoid these crater-like holes. Start areas were obtained showing almost the same quality as the rest of the cut. As a result of the experiments and literature research

  5. Starting up microbial enhanced oil recovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegert, Michael; Sitte, Jana; Galushko, Alexander; Krüger, Martin

    2014-01-01

    This chapter gives the reader a practical introduction into microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) including the microbial production of natural gas from oil. Decision makers who consider the use of one of these technologies are provided with the required scientific background as well as with practical advice for upgrading an existing laboratory in order to conduct microbiological experiments. We believe that the conversion of residual oil into natural gas (methane) and the in situ production of biosurfactants are the most promising approaches for MEOR and therefore focus on these topics. Moreover, we give an introduction to the microbiology of oilfields and demonstrate that in situ microorganisms as well as injected cultures can help displace unrecoverable oil in place (OIP). After an initial research phase, the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) manager must decide whether MEOR would be economical. MEOR generally improves oil production but the increment may not justify the investment. Therefore, we provide a brief economical assessment at the end of this chapter. We describe the necessary state-of-the-art scientific equipment to guide EOR managers towards an appropriate MEOR strategy. Because it is inevitable to characterize the microbial community of an oilfield that should be treated using MEOR techniques, we describe three complementary start-up approaches. These are: (i) culturing methods, (ii) the characterization of microbial communities and possible bio-geochemical pathways by using molecular biology methods, and (iii) interfacial tension measurements. In conclusion, we hope that this chapter will facilitate a decision on whether to launch MEOR activities. We also provide an update on relevant literature for experienced MEOR researchers and oilfield operators. Microbiologists will learn about basic principles of interface physics needed to study the impact of microorganisms living on oil droplets. Last but not least, students and technicians trying to understand

  6. Application of STOPP and START criteria: interrater reliability among pharmacists.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Ryan, Cristin

    2009-07-01

    Inappropriate prescribing is a well-documented problem in older people. The new screening tools, STOPP (Screening Tool of Older Peoples\\' Prescriptions) and START (Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment) have been formulated to identify potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential errors of omissions (PEOs) in older patients. Consistent, reliable application of STOPP and START is essential for the screening tools to be used effectively by pharmacists.

  7. Whi7 is an unstable cell-cycle repressor of the Start transcriptional program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomar-Alba, Mercè; Méndez, Ester; Quilis, Inma; Bañó, M Carmen; Igual, J Carlos

    2017-08-24

    Start is the main decision point in eukaryotic cell cycle in which cells commit to a new round of cell division. It involves the irreversible activation of a transcriptional program by G1 CDK-cyclin complexes through the inactivation of Start transcriptional repressors, Whi5 in yeast or Rb in mammals. Here we provide novel keys of how Whi7, a protein related at sequence level to Whi5, represses Start. Whi7 is an unstable protein, degraded by the SCF Grr1 ubiquitin-ligase, whose stability is cell cycle regulated by CDK1 phosphorylation. Importantly, Whi7 associates to G1/S gene promoters in late G1 acting as a repressor of SBF-dependent transcription. Our results demonstrate that Whi7 is a genuine paralog of Whi5. In fact, both proteins collaborate in Start repression bringing to light that yeast cells, as occurs in mammalian cells, rely on the combined action of multiple transcriptional repressors to block Start transition.The commitment of cells to a new cycle of division involves inactivation of the Start transcriptional repressor Whi5. Here the authors show that the sequence related protein Whi7 associates to G1/S gene promoters in late G1 and collaborates with Whi5 in Start repression.

  8. 29 CFR 1471.600 - How do suspension and debarment actions start?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How do suspension and debarment actions start? 1471.600 Section 1471.600 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION... and Debarment Actions § 1471.600 How do suspension and debarment actions start? When we receive...

  9. 7 CFR 3017.600 - How do suspension and debarment actions start?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false How do suspension and debarment actions start? 3017.600 Section 3017.600 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) OFFICE OF... debarment actions start? When we receive information from any source concerning a cause for suspension or...

  10. 29 CFR 98.600 - How do suspension and debarment actions start?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true How do suspension and debarment actions start? 98.600 Section 98.600 Labor Office of the Secretary of Labor GOVERNMENTWIDE DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION... debarment actions start? When we receive information from any source concerning a cause for suspension or...

  11. 34 CFR 85.600 - How do suspension and debarment actions start?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How do suspension and debarment actions start? 85.600 Section 85.600 Education Office of the Secretary, Department of Education GOVERNMENTWIDE DEBARMENT AND... suspension and debarment actions start? When we receive information from any source concerning a cause for...

  12. Start up of the Tandem Accelerator in the Ezeiza Atomic Center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bianchini, R.; Consorti, S.; Roldan, M.; Llovera, R.; Arenilla, P.; Alvarez, D.E.; Ugarte, R.

    2010-01-01

    A High Voltage tandem electrostatic accelerator FN model was installed and started up by the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN) on the campus of Ezeiza Atomic Center. Subsequently, the facility was transferred to the National Atomic Energy Commission for a new start up, re-engineering, maintenance, and operation [es

  13. Projecting housing starts and softwood lumber consumption in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeffrey P. Prestemon; David N. Wear; Karen L. Abt; Robert C. Abt

    2018-01-01

    New residential construction is a primary user of wood products in the United States; therefore, wood products projections require understanding the determinants of housing starts. We model quarterly US total, single-family, and multifamily housing starts with several model specifications, using data from 1979 to 2008, and evaluate their...

  14. Consideration of a non-baked start-up of a synchrotron light source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hori, Y.; Kobayashi, M.

    1996-01-01

    Vacuum baking of large complex uhv devices, such as synchrotron light sources, requires both careful design and consideration of potential problems regarding the operation and maintenance of the device. Intense synchrotron irradiation can be utilized for degassing; it is indeed necessary to achieve the required operating pressure in most light sources. To examine a non-baked start-up, the outgassing of non-baked chambers by SR irradiation was measured. Also, a non-baked start-up was carried out at the Photon Factory ring. Both results demonstrate the feasibility of a non-baked start-up of a light source. The experiments and results are described, together with several other problems which must be solved for a non-baked start-up. (Author)

  15. 26 CFR 1.195-1T - Election to amortize start-up expenditures (temporary).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... business, or $5,000 (reduced (but not below zero) by the amount by which the start-up expenditures exceed... beginning with the month in which the active trade or business begins. All start-up expenditures that relate to the active trade or business are considered in determining whether the start-up expenditures...

  16. The hundredth Gentner Doctoral Student has started at CERN

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN Bulletin

    2016-01-01

    Almost ten years after the start of the programme in 2007, the hundredth Gentner Doctoral Student started his PhD at CERN.   The hundredth Gentner Doctoral Student, Christian Zimmer, in front of the AEgIS detector in the AD hall, where he will spend a significant portion of the next 3 years. In 2007, the German Gentner Doctoral Student Programme was established at CERN, named in honour of the celebrated nuclear physicist Wolfgang Gentner, President of the CERN Council from 1972-74. On 1 July 2016, the 100th Gentner Doctoral Student, Christian Zimmer, started his PhD at CERN, where he will work on setting up the sympathetic laser cooling of antiprotons at the AEgIS experiment. CERN’s Doctoral Student Programme has been running for many years, with 200 students currently enrolled. The Gentner programme is fully integrated into the general CERN Doctoral Student Programme, but is entirely funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The programme sponsors 30 to 40...

  17. The New START Treaty: a necessary or obsolete treaty?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ekovich, Steven

    2012-01-01

    In a first part, the author evokes the discussions between the Republicans and the Democrats about the fact that President Obama said to President Medvedev he would have more flexibility to negotiate with Russia after the elections of 2012, whereas there is some controversy about the importance of US antimissile defence in terms of national security when Russia keeps on supporting dangerous states like Syria, North Korea and Iran. In a second part, he briefly recalls the objectives and content of the previous START treaties, outlines that START II is already obsolete, that which lead to a new approach called New START by the White House. Then, while noticing critics and evoking other treaties, he discusses the arguments for or against such a new treaty which is perceived as either only cosmetic or decisive. He comments ambiguities, ulterior motives, perceptions and strategic approaches of the different actors whether they are Russians or Americans. He finally outlines some measures of this New Treaty which may jeopardize positive expectations regarding the reduction of strategic weapons and the antimissile defence

  18. Storage evaporator for vehicles with start-stop technology; Speicherverdampfer fuer Fahrzeuge mit Start-Stopp-Funktion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wawzyniak, Markus; Link, Joachim [Behr GmbH und Co. KG, Stuttgart (Germany)

    2013-04-15

    Today, the use of engine start-stop technology - a system designed to cut fuel consumption when the vehicle stops or, in future applications, when vehicles are in coasting or ''sailing'' mode - is gaining ground in more and more vehicle classes. Shutting off the internal combustion engine, though, detrimentally affects cabin air conditioning because the belt-driven A/C compressor is likewise deactivated, thus bringing the vapor compression process to a standstill. As a result, during extended stop periods and in warm weather vent temperatures and air humidity rapidly increase.

  19. The role of relationships in start-up development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mattsson, Jan; Helmersson, Helge; Standing, Craig

    2017-01-01

    Relationships are important in the business start-up phase for a variety of reasons. Internal relationships can support knowledge exchange that determines the business model development and external relationships can facilitate a wide range of opportunities, support and insights. The paper explains...... the key relationships experienced by the founding team of a recently formed Swedish digital trading platform. Data were gathered through a self-reporting diary approach based on the Critical Incident Technique format and texts were analysed by the Pertex text-analytic software. The findings explain how...... important relationships were formed during the initial start-up period targeting international expansion. Interaction with early adopters enabled a rapid evolution of the business platform with the aim to build a community of users to support development....

  20. Analysis of canned-motor pump jamming failure in start hot standby mode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mo Zhengyu; Liu Hua; Wu Chao; Li Haifeng; Yu Zhongbin

    2009-01-01

    The reason of a canned-motor pump start failure is deduced in this paper. It is shown that the undersized gap of the lower guide bearing causes the start failure. By the stripping inspection data, the design value of the guide bearing gap, the cumulative departure of manufacturing assembly and the preloading of the bearing liner lead to the undersized gap. The test result shows that the improved canned-motor pump can start up successfully. (authors)