Engineering, maintenance, and initiatives to improve LAMPF beam availability and system reliability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, H.W.; DeHaven, R.A.; Hart, V.E.; Parsons, W.M.; Sturrock, J.C.

1992-01-01

Two different requirements are driving engineering studies and hardware development to improve LAMPF. The first is concerned with component and system improvements to increase beam availability during the LAMPF production cycle. Hardware changes in RF, power supplies, and magnets are being implemented to increase mean time between failure and reduce time to replace or repair failed units. A joint LAMPF-Industry project is on-going to improve reliability of RF components. A component test stand is being refurbished to include significant development capability. The second approach includes several changes that will increase the duty factor of the existing accelerator. Major changes are being evaluated for replacing the front end of the accelerator. Other changes improving the high brightness capability could result in a new performance plateau for LAMPF. 2 refs., 2 figs

Operational availability improvement through online monitoring and advice for emergency diesel generator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jong Beom; Kim, Han Gon; Kim, Byong Sup [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Golay, M; Kang, C W; Sui, Y [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts (United States)

1999-12-31

This research broadens the prime concern of nuclear power plant operations from safe performance to both economic and safe performance. First, emergency diesel generator is identified as one of main contributors for the lost plant availability through the review of plant forced outage records. The framework of an integrated architecture of performing modern on-line condition for operational availability improvement is configured in this work. For the development of the comprehensive sensor networks for complex target systems, and integrated methodology incorporating a structural hierarchy, a functional hierarchy, and a fault-symptom matrix is formulated. The second part of our research is development of intelligent diagnosis and maintenance advisory system, which employs Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) as a high level reasoning tool for incorporating inherent uncertainty for use in probabilistic inference. Our prototype diagnosis algorithms are represented explicitly through topological symbols and links between them in a causal direction. As new evidence from sensor network developed is entered into the model especially, our advisory system provides operational advice concerning both availability and safety, so that the operator is able to determine the likely failure modes, diagnose the system state, locate root causes, and take the most advantageous action. Thereby, this advice improves operational availability. 6 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab. (Author)

Operational availability improvement through online monitoring and advice for emergency diesel generator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jong Beom; Kim, Han Gon; Kim, Byong Sup [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Golay, M.; Kang, C. W.; Sui, Y. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts (United States)

1998-12-31

This research broadens the prime concern of nuclear power plant operations from safe performance to both economic and safe performance. First, emergency diesel generator is identified as one of main contributors for the lost plant availability through the review of plant forced outage records. The framework of an integrated architecture of performing modern on-line condition for operational availability improvement is configured in this work. For the development of the comprehensive sensor networks for complex target systems, and integrated methodology incorporating a structural hierarchy, a functional hierarchy, and a fault-symptom matrix is formulated. The second part of our research is development of intelligent diagnosis and maintenance advisory system, which employs Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) as a high level reasoning tool for incorporating inherent uncertainty for use in probabilistic inference. Our prototype diagnosis algorithms are represented explicitly through topological symbols and links between them in a causal direction. As new evidence from sensor network developed is entered into the model especially, our advisory system provides operational advice concerning both availability and safety, so that the operator is able to determine the likely failure modes, diagnose the system state, locate root causes, and take the most advantageous action. Thereby, this advice improves operational availability. 6 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab. (Author)

Water quality audits can improve availability and reduce costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dvorin, R.S.; Schlesinger, H.A.

1984-01-01

The Water Quality Audit (WQA) is an independent, detailed review and thorough analysis of an operating plant's water technology control systems and operator education (as distinguished from operator training). The need for such an audit and its role in improving the reliability and availability of both nuclear and fossil-fueled power plants is discussed. Instances of how the failure of either system hardware or operational control has caused injection of seawater, acid, caustic, or ion exchange resin into the condensate-feedwater system and steam generator are revealed. The systems to be audited are described, and the stage-wise nature of the audit explained. The potential savings of an audit are outlined and the timing and range of costs of a WQA are given

Engineering, maintenance, and new initiatives to improve LAMPF beam availability and system reliability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, H.W.; DeHaven, R.A.; Hart, V.E.; Parsons, W.M.; Sturrock, J.C.

1992-01-01

Two different requirements are driving engineering studies and hardware development to improve LAMPF. The first is concerned with component and system improvements to increase beam availability during the LAMPF production cycle. Hardware changes in RF, power supplies, and magnets are being implemented to increase mean time between failure and reduce time to replace or repair failed units. A joint LAMPF-Industry project is on-going to improve reliability of RF components. A component test stand is being refurbished to include significant development capability. The second approach includes several changes that will increase the duty factor of the existing accelerator. Major changes are being evaluated for replacing the front end of the accelerator. Other changes improving high brightness capability could result in a new performance plateau for LAMPF

METHODS FOR IMPROVING AVAILABILITY AND EFFICIENCY OF COMPUTER INFRASTRUCTURE IN SMART CITIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jerzy Balicki

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses methods for increasing the availability and efficiency of information infrastructure in smart cities. Two criteria have been formulated to assign some key resources in smart city system. The process of finding some compromise solutions from Pareto-optimal solutions has been illustrated. Metaheuristics of collective intelligence, including particle swarm optimization PSO, ant colony optimization ACO, algorithm of bee colony ABC, and differential evolution DE have been described due to smart city infrastructure improving. Other application of above metaheuristics in smart city have been also presented.

Management systems, patient quality improvement, resource availability, and substance abuse treatment quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Fields, Dail; Roman, Paul M; Blum, Terry C

2012-06-01

To examine the relationships among general management systems, patient-focused quality management/continuous process improvement (TQM/CPI) processes, resource availability, and multiple dimensions of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Data are from a nationally representative sample of 221 SUD treatment centers through the National Treatment Center Study (NTCS). The design was a cross-sectional field study using latent variable structural equation models. The key variables are management practices, TQM/continuous quality improvement (CQI) practices, resource availability, and treatment center performance. Interviews and questionnaires provided data from treatment center administrative directors and clinical directors in 2007-2008. Patient-focused TQM/CQI practices fully mediated the relationship between internal management practices and performance. The effects of TQM/CQI on performance are significantly larger for treatment centers with higher levels of staff per patient. Internal management practices may create a setting that supports implementation of specific patient-focused practices and protocols inherent to TQM/CQI processes. However, the positive effects of internal management practices on treatment center performance occur through use of specific patient-focused TQM/CPI practices and have more impact when greater amounts of supporting resources are present. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Electricity and generator availability in LMIC hospitals: improving access to safe surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Chawla, Sagar; Kurani, Shaheen; Wren, Sherry M; Stewart, Barclay; Burnham, Gilbert; Kushner, Adam; McIntyre, Thomas

2018-03-01

Access to reliable energy has been identified as a global priority and codified within United Nations Sustainable Goal 7 and the Electrify Africa Act of 2015. Reliable hospital access to electricity is necessary to provide safe surgical care. The current state of electrical availability in hospitals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) throughout the world is not well known. This study aimed to review the surgical capacity literature and document the availability of electricity and generators. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic search for surgical capacity assessments in LMICs in MEDLINE, PubMed, and World Health Organization Global Health Library was performed. Data regarding electricity and generator availability were extracted. Estimated percentages for individual countries were calculated. Of 76 articles identified, 21 reported electricity availability, totaling 528 hospitals. Continuous electricity availability at hospitals providing surgical care was 312/528 (59.1%). Generator availability was 309/427 (72.4%). Estimated continuous electricity availability ranged from 0% (Sierra Leone and Malawi) to 100% (Iran); estimated generator availability was 14% (Somalia) to 97.6% (Iran). Less than two-thirds of hospitals providing surgical care in 21 LMICs have a continuous electricity source or have an available generator. Efforts are needed to improve electricity infrastructure at hospitals to assure safe surgical care. Future research should look at the effect of energy availability on surgical care and patient outcomes and novel methods of powering surgical equipment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Availability improvement factors at Taipower's nuclear power plant system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, J.H.

1985-01-01

Sufficient electricity to meet the needs of a growing industrial economy, is one of the most important factors in the total economic development of a nation. Currently, nuclear power is considered one of the most economical and available sources of energy. To keep pace with Taiwan's rapid economic development, while also observing our government's policy of diversifying the requirements for imported forms of energy, Taiwan Power Company has embarked upon an ambitious of nuclear power plant construction. This paper discusses the improvement of Taiwan's nuclear power plants. At the present time, Taipower has completed three nuclear power plants. Two of these are located in northern Taiwan, along the East China Sea, while the third is on the southern tip of Taiwan, bordering the South China Sea. These three plants, each with two nuclear generating units, comprise a total nuclear generating capacity of 5144 MWe

Using Participatory Approach to Improve Availability of Spatial Data for Local Government

Science.gov (United States)

Kliment, T.; Cetl, V.; Tomič, H.; Lisiak, J.; Kliment, M.

2016-09-01

Nowadays, the availability of authoritative geospatial features of various data themes is becoming wider on global, regional and national levels. The reason is existence of legislative frameworks for public sector information and related spatial data infrastructure implementations, emergence of support for initiatives as open data, big data ensuring that online geospatial information are made available to digital single market, entrepreneurs and public bodies on both national and local level. However, the availability of authoritative reference spatial data linking the geographic representation of the properties and their owners are still missing in an appropriate quantity and quality level, even though this data represent fundamental input for local governments regarding the register of buildings used for property tax calculations, identification of illegal buildings, etc. We propose a methodology to improve this situation by applying the principles of participatory GIS and VGI used to collect observations, update authoritative datasets and verify the newly developed datasets of areas of buildings used to calculate property tax rates issued to their owners. The case study was performed within the district of the City of Požega in eastern Croatia in the summer 2015 and resulted in a total number of 16072 updated and newly identified objects made available online for quality verification by citizens using open source geospatial technologies.

Availability improvement of layer 2 seamless networks using OpenFlow.

Science.gov (United States)

Molina, Elias; Jacob, Eduardo; Matias, Jon; Moreira, Naiara; Astarloa, Armando

2015-01-01

The network robustness and reliability are strongly influenced by the implementation of redundancy and its ability of reacting to changes. In situations where packet loss or maximum latency requirements are critical, replication of resources and information may become the optimal technique. To this end, the IEC 62439-3 Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP) provides seamless recovery in layer 2 networks by delegating the redundancy management to the end-nodes. In this paper, we present a combination of the Software-Defined Networking (SDN) approach and PRP topologies to establish a higher level of redundancy and thereby, through several active paths provisioned via the OpenFlow protocol, the global reliability is increased, as well as data flows are managed efficiently. Hence, the experiments with multiple failure scenarios, which have been run over the Mininet network emulator, show the improvement in the availability and responsiveness over other traditional technologies based on a single active path.

Use of Biofungicides for Controlling Plant Diseases to Improve Food Availability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paloma Melgarejo

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Biological control of fungal plant pathogens can improve global food availability, one of the three pillars of food security, by reducing crop losses, particularly for low-income farmers. However, the interrelationships of many environmental variables can result in multiple interactions among the organisms and their environment, several of which might contribute to effective biological control. Here, we present an advanced survey of the nature and practice of biological control when it is used to control brown rot in stone fruit. Specifically, we describe the population dynamics of Penicillium frequentans and Epicoccum nigrum and their efficacy as biocontrol agents against brown rot disease under field conditions. The size of P. frequentans population after an application of a P. frequentans conidial formulation during the crop season is bigger than that of E. nigrum following the application of an E. nigrum conidial formulation. Moreover, applications of a P. frequentans conidial formulation during the crop season also caused a higher reduction in the number of Monilinia spp. conidia on the fruit surface than that found after applications of an E. nigrum formulation during the growing season.

Availability of Additional Mediolateral Implant Option During Total Knee Arthroplasty Improves Femoral Component Fit Across Ethnicities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gaurav Sharma, MS(Orth

2017-06-01

Conclusions:. The shape of the distal part of the femur varies not only among ethnicities but also within ethnic groups, leading to a high prevalence of overhang when only standard prostheses are available. The additional availability of a femoral component with a reduced mediolateral dimension for the same anteroposterior size can reduce overhang and improve component fit across ethnicities.

Optimizing available water capacity using microwave satellite data for improving irrigation management

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Manika; Bolten, John; Lakshmi, Venkat

2015-04-01

This work addresses the improvement of available water capacity by developing a technique for estimating soil hydraulic parameters through the utilization of satellite-retrieved near surface soil moisture. The prototype involves the usage of Monte Carlo analysis to assimilate historical remote sensing soil moisture data available from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) within the hydrological model. The main hypothesis used in this study is that near-surface soil moisture data contain useful information that can describe the effective hydrological conditions of the basin such that when appropriately In the method followed in this study the hydraulic parameters are derived directly from information on the soil moisture state at the AMSR-E footprint scale and the available water capacity is derived for the root zone by coupling of AMSR-E soil moisture with the physically-based hydrological model. The available capacity water, which refers to difference between the field capacity and wilting point of the soil and represent the soil moisture content at 0.33 bar and 15 bar respectively is estimated from the soil hydraulic parameters using the van Genuchten equation. The initial ranges of soil hydraulic parameters are taken in correspondence with the values available from the literature based on Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database within the particular AMSR-E footprint. Using the Monte Carlo simulation, the ranges are narrowed in the region where simulation shows a good match between predicted and near-surface soil moisture from AMSR-E. In this study, the uncertainties in accurately determining the parameters of the nonlinear soil water retention function for large-scale hydrological modeling is the focus of the development of the Bayesian framework. Thus, the model forecasting has been combined with the observational information to optimize the model state and the soil hydraulic parameters simultaneously. The optimization process is divided into

Improving Phosphorus Availability in an Acid Soil Using Organic Amendments Produced from Agroindustrial Wastes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huck Ywih Ch’ng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In acid soils, soluble inorganic phosphorus is fixed by aluminium and iron. To overcome this problem, acid soils are limed to fix aluminium and iron but this practice is not economical. The practice is also not environmentally friendly. This study was conducted to improve phosphorus availability using organic amendments (biochar and compost produced from chicken litter and pineapple leaves, resp. to fix aluminium and iron instead of phosphorus. Amending soil with biochar or compost or a mixture of biochar and compost increased total phosphorus, available phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus fractions (soluble inorganic phosphorus, aluminium bound inorganic phosphorus, iron bound inorganic phosphorus, redundant soluble inorganic phosphorus, and calcium bound phosphorus, and organic phosphorus. This was possible because the organic amendments increased soil pH and reduced exchangeable acidity, exchangeable aluminium, and exchangeable iron. The findings suggest that the organic amendments altered soil chemical properties in a way that enhanced the availability of phosphorus in this study. The amendments effectively fixed aluminium and iron instead of phosphorus, thus rendering phosphorus available by keeping the inorganic phosphorus in a bioavailable labile phosphorus pool for a longer period compared with application of Triple Superphosphate without organic amendments.

Technologies for improving the availability and reliability of current and future water cooled nuclear power plants. Proceedings of a technical committee meeting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-11-01

One of the activities of the IAEA is to provide all Member States with an international source of balanced, objective information on advanced in technology for water cooled reactors. Since the global nuclear industry has a common interest in improving plant availability and reliability to assure specific individual plant and country perspective as well as to have an image of well managed competitive industry, the IAEA held a Technical Committee Meeting on Technologies for Improving the Availability and Reliability of Current and Future Water Cooled Nuclear Power Plants in September 1997. The basic aim to was to identify, review and exchange information on international developments in technologies for achieving high availability and reliability and to suggest areas where further technical advances could contribute to improvement of performance. Designs for future plants were presented in the context of how they can accommodate both the organizational and technical means for reaching even higher levels of performance. This proceedings contains the contributed papers presented at this Meeting each with a separate abstract. Four sessions were concerned with: policies, practices and procedures for achieving high reliability and availability; improving availability and reliability through better use of today`s technologies; recent advances in technologies for improving availability and reliability; achieving high availability for new plants Refs, figs, tabs

Technologies for improving the availability and reliability of current and future water cooled nuclear power plants. Proceedings of a technical committee meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-11-01

One of the activities of the IAEA is to provide all Member States with an international source of balanced, objective information on advanced in technology for water cooled reactors. Since the global nuclear industry has a common interest in improving plant availability and reliability to assure specific individual plant and country perspective as well as to have an image of well managed competitive industry, the IAEA held a Technical Committee Meeting on Technologies for Improving the Availability and Reliability of Current and Future Water Cooled Nuclear Power Plants in September 1997. The basic aim to was to identify, review and exchange information on international developments in technologies for achieving high availability and reliability and to suggest areas where further technical advances could contribute to improvement of performance. Designs for future plants were presented in the context of how they can accommodate both the organizational and technical means for reaching even higher levels of performance. This proceedings contains the contributed papers presented at this Meeting each with a separate abstract. Four sessions were concerned with: policies, practices and procedures for achieving high reliability and availability; improving availability and reliability through better use of today's technologies; recent advances in technologies for improving availability and reliability; achieving high availability for new plants

Policy approaches to improve availability and affordability of medicines in Mexico - an example of a middle income country.

Science.gov (United States)

Moye-Holz, Daniela; van Dijk, Jitse P; Reijneveld, Sijmen A; Hogerzeil, Hans V

2017-08-01

The World Health Organization recommends establishing and implementing a national pharmaceutical policy (NPP) to guarantee effective and equitable access to medicines. Mexico has implemented several policy approaches to regulate the pharmaceutical sector, but it has no formal NPP. This article describes the approach that the Mexican government has taken to improve availability and affordability of essential medicines. Descriptive policy analysis of public pharmaceutical policy proposals and health action plans on the basis of publicly available data and health progress reports, with a focus on availability and affordability of medicines. The government has implemented pooled procurement, price negotiations, and an information platform in the public sector to improve affordability and availability. The government mainly reports on the savings that these strategies have generated in the public expenditure but their full impact on availability and affordability has not been assessed. To increase availability and affordability of medicines in the public sector, the Mexican government has resorted on isolated strategies. In addition to efficient procurement, price negotiations and price information, other policy components and pricing interventions are needed. All these strategies should be included in a comprehensive NPP.

Improving Phosphorus Availability in an Acid Soil Using Organic Amendments Produced from Agroindustrial Wastes

OpenAIRE

Ch’ng, Huck Ywih; Ahmed, Osumanu Haruna; Majid, Nik Muhamad Ab.

2014-01-01

In acid soils, soluble inorganic phosphorus is fixed by aluminium and iron. To overcome this problem, acid soils are limed to fix aluminium and iron but this practice is not economical. The practice is also not environmentally friendly. This study was conducted to improve phosphorus availability using organic amendments (biochar and compost produced from chicken litter and pineapple leaves, resp.) to fix aluminium and iron instead of phosphorus. Amending soil with biochar or compost or a mixt...

Improving phosphorus availability in an acid soil using organic amendments produced from agroindustrial wastes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ch'ng, Huck Ywih; Ahmed, Osumanu Haruna; Majid, Nik Muhamad Ab

2014-01-01

In acid soils, soluble inorganic phosphorus is fixed by aluminium and iron. To overcome this problem, acid soils are limed to fix aluminium and iron but this practice is not economical. The practice is also not environmentally friendly. This study was conducted to improve phosphorus availability using organic amendments (biochar and compost produced from chicken litter and pineapple leaves, resp.) to fix aluminium and iron instead of phosphorus. Amending soil with biochar or compost or a mixture of biochar and compost increased total phosphorus, available phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus fractions (soluble inorganic phosphorus, aluminium bound inorganic phosphorus, iron bound inorganic phosphorus, redundant soluble inorganic phosphorus, and calcium bound phosphorus), and organic phosphorus. This was possible because the organic amendments increased soil pH and reduced exchangeable acidity, exchangeable aluminium, and exchangeable iron. The findings suggest that the organic amendments altered soil chemical properties in a way that enhanced the availability of phosphorus in this study. The amendments effectively fixed aluminium and iron instead of phosphorus, thus rendering phosphorus available by keeping the inorganic phosphorus in a bioavailable labile phosphorus pool for a longer period compared with application of Triple Superphosphate without organic amendments.

Feasibility studies to improve plant availability and reduce total installed cost in IGCC plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, Kevin [General Electric Company, Houston, TX (United States); Anasti, William [General Electric Company, Houston, TX (United States); Fang, Yichuan [General Electric Company, Houston, TX (United States); Subramanyan, Karthik [General Electric Company, Houston, TX (United States); Leininger, Tom [General Electric Company, Houston, TX (United States); Zemsky, Christine [General Electric Company, Houston, TX (United States)

2015-03-30

The main purpose of this project is to look at technologies and philosophies that would help reduce the costs of an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plant, increase its availability or do both. GE’s approach to this problem is to consider options in three different areas: 1) technology evaluations and development; 2) constructability approaches; and 3) design and operation methodologies. Five separate tasks were identified that fall under the three areas: Task 2 – Integrated Operations Philosophy; Task 3 – Slip Forming of IGCC Components; Task 4 – Modularization of IGCC Components; Task 5 – Fouling Removal; and Task 6 – Improved Slag Handling. Overall, this project produced results on many fronts. Some of the ideas could be utilized immediately by those seeking to build an IGCC plant in the near future. These include the considerations from the Integrated Operations Philosophy task and the different construction techniques of Slip Forming and Modularization (especially if the proposed site is in a remote location or has a lack of a skilled workforce). Other results include ideas for promising technologies that require further development and testing to realize their full potential and be available for commercial operation. In both areas GE considers this project to be a success in identifying areas outside the core IGCC plant systems that are ripe for cost reduction and ity improvement opportunities.

Methodology development for availability improvement of standby equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Sung Min; Jeon, In Seop; Kang, Hyun Gook

2014-01-01

The core damage frequency (CDF) of operating and constructing pressurized nuclear plants are ranging on the order of 10 -5 and 10 -6 per year. The target CDF of new NPP design has been set at 10 -7 . In this context, although various systems are currently studied, availability improvement of standby equipment will be more efficient than the additional application of safety systems. It is obvious in every aspect, such as management and cost efficiency. Here, soundness can affect equipment unavailability, and the soundness degrades because of aging. However, some studies did not consider aging when calculating the unavailability. Standby equipment can age because of two important factors: standby stress which accumulates over time, and test stress which accumulates with the number of tests (or operations). Both factors should be considered together when aging is considered. However, some studies only considered standby stress or test stress. There are some previous studies which considered both factors. Besides equipment soundness related to aging effect, some process like bypass during test also can affect equipment unavailability because the original function of equipment cannot be performed immediately during this process. However, there are seldom studies dealing with above factors as a whole problem. This study investigated a general approach to calculate the unavailability of standby equipment which considers aging caused by standby and test stresses and bypass process. Based on this general approach, we propose two maintenance strategies which aim to reduce standby equipment unavailability. In section 2, the general approach is presented. As one of the strategies, the changing test interval method (CIM) is introduced in section 3, and its effectiveness is also analyzed. The online monitoring method (OMM) is investigated in section 4 as another method to reduce equipment unavailability. In section 5, a combination of these two methods is analyzed. A general

Biochar Improves Soil Aggregate Stability and Water Availability in a Mollisol after Three Years of Field Application.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ningning Ma

Full Text Available A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of organic amendments on soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, bulk density, aggregate stability, field capacity and plant available water in a representative Chinese Mollisol. Four treatments were as follows: no fertilization (CK, application of inorganic fertilizer (NPK, combined application of inorganic fertilizer with maize straw (NPK+S and addition of biochar with inorganic fertilizer (NPK+B. Our results showed that after three consecutive years of application, the values of soil bulk density were significantly lower in both organic amendment-treated plots than in unamended (CK and NPK plots. Compared with NPK, NPK+B more effectively increased the contents of soil organic carbon, improved the relative proportion of soil macro-aggregates and mean weight diameter, and enhanced field capacity as well as plant available water. Organic amendments had no obvious effect on soil C/N ratio or wilting coefficient. The results of linear regression indicated that the improvement in soil water retention could be attributed to the increases in soil organic carbon and aggregate stability.

Improvement of availability of PWR nuclear plants through the reduction of the time required for refueling/maintenance outages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayers, J.B.; Soth, L.G.

1978-04-01

The objective of the project, conducted by Commonwealth Research Corporation and Westinghouse Electric Corporation, is to identify improvements in procedures and equipment which will reduce the time required for refueling/maintenance outages at PWR nuclear power plants. The outage of Commonwealth Edison Zion Station Unit 1 in March through May of 1976 was evaluated to identify those items which caused delays and those work activities that offer the potential for significant improvements that could reduce the overall duration of the outage and achieve an improvement in the plant's availability for power production. Modifications in procedures have been developed and were evaluated during one or more outages in 1977. Conceptual designs have been developed for equipment modifications to the refueling system that could reduce the time required for the refueling portion of the outage. The purpose of the interim report is to describe those conceptual designs and to assess their impact upon future outages. Recommendations are included for the implementation of these equipment improvements in a continuation of this program as a demonstration of plant availability benefits that can be realized in PWR nuclear plants already in operation or under construction

Benthic Light Availability Improves Predictions of Riverine Primary Production

Science.gov (United States)

Kirk, L.; Cohen, M. J.

2017-12-01

Light is a fundamental control on photosynthesis, and often the only control strongly correlated with gross primary production (GPP) in streams and rivers; yet it has received far less attention than nutrients. Because benthic light is difficult to measure in situ, surrogates such as open sky irradiance are often used. Several studies have now refined methods to quantify canopy and water column attenuation of open sky light in order to estimate the amount of light that actually reaches the benthos. Given the additional effort that measuring benthic light requires, we should ask if benthic light always improves our predictions of GPP compared to just open sky irradiance. We use long-term, high-resolution dissolved oxygen, turbidity, dissolved organic matter (fDOM), and irradiance data from streams and rivers in north-central Florida, US across gradients of size and color to build statistical models of benthic light that predict GPP. Preliminary results on a large, clear river show only modest model improvements over open sky irradiance, even in heavily canopied reaches with pulses of tannic water. However, in another spring-fed river with greater connectivity to adjacent wetlands - and hence larger, more frequent pulses of tannic water - the model improved dramatically with the inclusion of fDOM (model R2 improved from 0.28 to 0.68). River shade modeling efforts also suggest that knowing benthic light will greatly enhance our ability to predict GPP in narrower, forested streams flowing in particular directions. Our objective is to outline conditions where an assessment of benthic light conditions would be necessary for riverine metabolism studies or management strategies.

Improvement of the availability of nuclear power station maintenance teleprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badellon, D.; Bloton, Y.; Bres, J.P.; Cuche, A.; Trabaud, C.

1993-11-01

The Data processing department at the DEPT manages a centralized maintenance application for the nineteen power plants in France. This application performs fourteen million CICS transactions every month, passing through the Electricite de France national teleprocessing network. Operation is split among two IBM 9021 computer partitions located one hundred kilometres apart for backup and security reasons in the two computer centres of the STI (EDF Data Processing Department) and the R and DD (EDF Research and Development Department). The CICS are stopped each night at 10.30 so that the data bases can be backed up onto cassettes and so that the work from the plants can be processed in batches. The plants update the number of bases and extract subsets intended for the plants. From the outset, considerable resources were assigned to this operation: cassette insertion robots, a high-power batch processing scheduling and planning tool optimizing parallel step work, high-power computers: two IBM 3090-40J computers were dedicated to this application as early as 1989. However, the buildup and evolution of this application led to ever greater basic volumes and increasingly voluminous and complex batch processing, leading to reduced transactional availability by pushing back the startup times. To combat this trend, the Data Processing Department at the DEPT, together with the Departments operating the computers, took a number of steps to speed up batch processing and thus improve teleprocessing availability. In particular, on the partition operated by the computer Centre in the Applied Mathematics and Data Processing Service of the Research and Development Department at EDF, a number of studies were conducted, as described in the following text. This description comprises three parts: - report on the studies and steps taken, both from the hardware and the software viewpoint; - an evaluation of their effectiveness and the results obtained; - the new areas for study selected

Improvement of Ka-band satellite link availability for real-time IP-based video contribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Berretta

2017-09-01

Full Text Available New High Throughput Satellite (HTS systems allow high throughput IP uplinks/contribution at Ka-band frequencies for relatively lower costs when compared to broadcasting satellite uplinks at Ku band. This technology offers an advantage for live video contribution from remote areas, where the terrestrial infrastructure may not be adequate. On the other hand, the Ka-band is more subject to impairments due to rain or bad weather. This paper addresses the target system specification and provides an optimized approach for the transmission of IP-based video flows through HTS commercial services operating at Ka-band frequencies. In particular, the focus of this study is on the service requirements and the propagation analysis that provide a reference architecture to improve the overall link availability. The approach proposed herein leads to the introduction of a new concept of live service contribution using pairs of small satellite antennas and cheap satellite terminals.

Randomized Trial of the Availability, Responsiveness and Continuity (ARC) Organizational Intervention for Improving Youth Outcomes in Community Mental Health Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Glisson, Charles; Hemmelgarn, Anthony; Green, Philip; Williams, Nathaniel J.

2013-01-01

Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to assess whether the Availability, Responsiveness and Continuity (ARC) organizational intervention improved youth outcomes in community based mental health programs. The second objective was to assess whether programs with more improved organizational social contexts following the 18-month ARC…

Biochar Improves Soil Aggregate Stability and Water Availability in a Mollisol after Three Years of Field Application

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yulan; Yang, Lijie; Yu, Chunxiao; Yin, Guanghua; Doane, Timothy A.; Wu, Zhijie; Zhu, Ping; Ma, Xingzhu

2016-01-01

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of organic amendments on soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, bulk density, aggregate stability, field capacity and plant available water in a representative Chinese Mollisol. Four treatments were as follows: no fertilization (CK), application of inorganic fertilizer (NPK), combined application of inorganic fertilizer with maize straw (NPK+S) and addition of biochar with inorganic fertilizer (NPK+B). Our results showed that after three consecutive years of application, the values of soil bulk density were significantly lower in both organic amendment-treated plots than in unamended (CK and NPK) plots. Compared with NPK, NPK+B more effectively increased the contents of soil organic carbon, improved the relative proportion of soil macro-aggregates and mean weight diameter, and enhanced field capacity as well as plant available water. Organic amendments had no obvious effect on soil C/N ratio or wilting coefficient. The results of linear regression indicated that the improvement in soil water retention could be attributed to the increases in soil organic carbon and aggregate stability. PMID:27191160

Biochar Improves Soil Aggregate Stability and Water Availability in a Mollisol after Three Years of Field Application.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Ningning; Zhang, Lili; Zhang, Yulan; Yang, Lijie; Yu, Chunxiao; Yin, Guanghua; Doane, Timothy A; Wu, Zhijie; Zhu, Ping; Ma, Xingzhu

2016-01-01

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of organic amendments on soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, bulk density, aggregate stability, field capacity and plant available water in a representative Chinese Mollisol. Four treatments were as follows: no fertilization (CK), application of inorganic fertilizer (NPK), combined application of inorganic fertilizer with maize straw (NPK+S) and addition of biochar with inorganic fertilizer (NPK+B). Our results showed that after three consecutive years of application, the values of soil bulk density were significantly lower in both organic amendment-treated plots than in unamended (CK and NPK) plots. Compared with NPK, NPK+B more effectively increased the contents of soil organic carbon, improved the relative proportion of soil macro-aggregates and mean weight diameter, and enhanced field capacity as well as plant available water. Organic amendments had no obvious effect on soil C/N ratio or wilting coefficient. The results of linear regression indicated that the improvement in soil water retention could be attributed to the increases in soil organic carbon and aggregate stability.

DUV light source availability improvement via further enhancement of gas management technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Riggs, Daniel J.; O'Brien, Kevin; Brown, Daniel J. W.

2011-04-01

The continuous evolution of the semiconductor market necessitates ever-increasing improvements in DUV light source uptime as defined in the SEMI E10 standard. Cymer is developing technologies to exceed current and projected light source availability requirements via significant reduction in light source downtime. As an example, consider discharge chamber gas management functions which comprise a sizable portion of DUV light source downtime. Cymer's recent introduction of Gas Lifetime Extension (GLXTM) as a productivity improvement technology for its DUV lithography light sources has demonstrated noteworthy reduction in downtime. This has been achieved by reducing the frequency of full gas replenishment events from once per 100 million pulses to as low as once per 2 billion pulses. Cymer has continued to develop relevant technologies that target further reduction in downtime associated with light source gas management functions. Cymer's current subject is the development of technologies to reduce downtime associated with gas state optimization (e.g. total chamber gas pressure) and gas life duration. Current gas state optimization involves execution of a manual procedure at regular intervals throughout the lifetime of light source core components. Cymer aims to introduce a product enhancement - iGLXTM - that eliminates the need for the manual procedure and, further, achieves 4 billion pulse gas lives. Projections of uptime on DUV light sources indicate that downtime associated with gas management will be reduced by 70% when compared with GLX2. In addition to reducing downtime, iGLX reduces DUV light source cost of operation by constraining gas usage. Usage of fluorine rich Halogen gas mix has been reduced by 20% over GLX2.

A concept for fault tolerant design and improved availability of active composite elastic structures

Science.gov (United States)

Soeffker, D.; Wolters, K.; Krajcin, I.

2005-05-01

New functionalities, higher comfort and increasing performance requirements are often be solved by adding new technologies to existing (passive) solutions. Monitoring and control approaches uses additional sensors and actuators, new materials, microprocessors and new devices realizing new and improved functionalities. Two effects are becoming more and more interesting: (1) the lifetime of new actuators/materials strongly depends on the usage-history, (2) the functionality of the new composed systems depends on the fully functionality of all elements. In the consequence, the availability of such new systems is decreased by the number of elements and depends strongly on the use. These effects are known and act against new developments improving performance behavior also in mechanical engineering, automotive systems etc. This will be also the case for multifunctional composite or compound systems such as piezomaterials, magnetostrictive alloys or smart memory alloys (SMA) and is actually within the focus of the Structural-Health-Monitoring (SHM)-community. This contribution explains a new and systematically structured methodological approach to avoid and eliminate failures in mechatronical systems in an integrated and intelligent way to achieve a desirable or required amount of utilization in compliance with a defined failure rate. The result is an enhancement of the dependability of such a system.

Inoculating chlamydospores of Trichoderma asperellum SM-12F1 changes arsenic availability and enzyme activity in soils and improves water spinach growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Shiming; Zeng, Xibai; Bai, Lingyu; Williams, Paul N; Wang, Yanan; Zhang, Lili; Wu, Cuixia

2017-05-01

Arsenic (As)-contaminated agricultural soils threaten crop yields and pose a human health risk. Augmentation of exogenous microorganisms exhibiting plant-growth promoting and As speciation changing shows potential to improve crop growth and change soil As availability. Trichoderma asperellum SM-12F1 exhibiting both traits was developed into chlamydospores to improve its persistence in contaminated soils. After inoculation, As availability and enzyme activity in two types of soils and the growth as well as As uptake of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatic Forsk.) were investigated. The results indicated that inoculation significantly improved water spinach growth in both soils. Inoculating chlamydospores at 5% significantly increased As concentration (139%), bioconcentration factor (150%), and translocation factor (150%) in water spinach grown in Chenzhou (CZ) soils, while no significant change for these in Shimen (SM) soils. Inoculating chlamydospores at 5% caused a significant increase (16%) of available As content in CZ soils, while a significant decrease (13%) in SM soils. Inoculation significantly caused As methylation in both soils, while significant As reduction merely observed in CZ soils. The differential changes in available As contents in both soils were attributed to the soil pH, As fractionations and speciation characteristics. Furthermore, Inoculating chlamydospores at 5% significantly improved the activities of β-glucosidase (155%), chitinase (211%), and phosphatase (108%) in SM soils, while significant decreases in β-glucosidase (81%), phosphatase (54%), aminopeptidase (60%), and catalase (67%) in CZ soils. Bioaugmentation and As availability change were responsible for this result. These observations will be helpful for the application of fungal chlamydospores in the future bioremediation. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Improved modelling of thermal energy savings potential in the existing residential stock using a newly available data source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dineen, D.; Rogan, F.; Ó Gallachóir, B.P.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a novel bottom up approach to modelling the energy savings potential of energy efficiency improvement measures to be applied through retrofit of the existing dwelling stock. It takes advantage of a newly available, rich dataset on the construction characteristics of the 2011 housing stock in Ireland. The methodological innovation centres on the use of wall construction type in the modelling and analysis. While Ireland is the focus, this approach is applicable to any EU member state for which data on dwelling characteristics exists from surveys carried as part of Energy Performance Certificate calculations. The model is calibrated to the national energy balance for 2011 by varying the internal temperature assumptions. Sensitivity analysis is performed on the effects of internal temperature and rebound. The paper also highlights some limitations posed by data availability on the accuracy and sophistication of models that can currently be developed, specifically in the Irish case. - Highlights: • Archetype model of energy savings potential from retrofit of existing dwelling stock. • Takes advantage of rich dataset on the construction characteristics of the Irish housing stock. • Innovative use of wall construction types in archetype definition possible due to improved data. • Results calibrated to top down estimate of heating demand by adjusting internal temperature. • Highlights limitations on the accuracy and sophistication of models posed by data availability.

LOCATION TRANSPARENT SERVICE WITH IMPROVED AVAILABILITY [LTSIA] FOR GRID

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Suthan

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Grid Computing provide ample opportunities in many areas. A authorized user should be able to access any data that has been created by him, in the Grid, considering all the factor for security and other vital criteria such as reliability, availability, secure reading and writing of data. The proposed service helps the authorized user to create, modify, view the data that has been created by him or his group, irrespective of whether he is inside the grid environment or he is outside the grid. This service is maintained and moderated by a co-ordinator which takes care of factors of security, other vital criteria and properties of distributed and grid environment. In order to increase the availability of data LTSIA uses a replication algorithm that decides the number of replicas that has to be created and where to store the replicated data. The decisions are made from the information stored in the service table linked with co-ordinator. Elliptic curve crypto Algorithm is used to encrypt data while being transmitted outside the grid. The authorized user can use a unique id assigned to him to decrypt the data or shall use a digital certificate system as a tool to decrypt it.

POWER-GEN '90 conference papers: Volume 7 (Fossil plant performance availability and improvement) and Volume 8 (Nuclear power issues)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1990-01-01

This is book 4 of papers presented at the Third International Exhibition and Conference for the Power Generation Industries, December 4-6, 1990. This book contains Volume 7, Fossil Plant Performance Availability and Improvement, and Volume 8, Nuclear Power Issues. The topics of the papers include computer applications in plant operations and maintenance, managing aging plants, plant improvements, plant operations and maintenance, the future of nuclear power, achieving cost effective plant operation, managing nuclear plant aging and license renewal, and the factors affecting a decision to build a new nuclear plant

ASSESSING REFERRALS AND IMPROVING INFORMATION AVAILABILITY FOR CONSULTATIONS IN AN ACADEMIC ENDOCRINOLOGY CLINIC.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrickson, Chase D; Saini, Saumya; Pothuloori, Avin; Mecchella, John N

2017-02-01

Outpatient specialty consultations rely on the timeliness and completeness of referral information to facilitate a valuable patient-specialist interaction. This project aimed to increase essential diagnostic information availability at the initial consultation for patients referred for common endocrine conditions frequently lacking such data-diabetes mellitus, thyroid nodule, thyrotoxicosis, and hypercalcemia. At an endocrinology clinic at an academic medical center in rural New England, providers see several thousand new patients annually, the majority of whom are referred by providers external to the clinic's healthcare system. Through consensus, endocrinology clinic providers agreed on the two or three data elements essential for a meaningful initial consultation for each. A quality improvement team employed a planned series of interventions based on previously published methods and an innovative approach: dissemination of a referral guideline, an assessment of referral adequacy in the endocrinology clinic workflow, coupled with focused requests for missing items, and a pre-visit lab appointment. Between April 2015 and March 2016, 762 referrals were reviewed. At baseline for the four conditions, referrals contained all essential elements only 27.5% (22 of 80) of the time. Over a 7-month period, the team implemented the interventions, with subsequent referrals containing all essential elements increasing to 75.5% (P<.0001), largely attributable to the pre-visit lab appointment. Incoming referrals that lack essential information are a significant problem in specialty care and may adversely affect patient experience, provider satisfaction, and clinic efficiency. Improvement may require innovative approaches, such as the potentially transferable and generalizable ones employed here. DHMC = Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center EHR = electronic health record PDSA = Plan-Do-Study-Act.

Availability and Quality of Family Planning Services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: High Potential for Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Mpunga, Dieudonné; Lumbayi, J P; Dikamba, Nelly; Mwembo, Albert; Ali Mapatano, Mala; Wembodinga, Gilbert

2017-06-27

contraceptive pills, and progestin-only injectable contraceptives. Availability and quality of family planning services in health facilities in the DRC remain low, with inequitable distribution of services throughout the country. To improve access to and use of family planning, efforts should focus on improving availability and quality at lower health system levels and in rural areas where the majority of the population lives. © Mpunga et al.

The effect of availability improvement of a nuclear power plant on the cost of generating electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nejat, S.M.R.

1980-01-01

The objective of this investigation is to study the economic benefits in operating a nuclear power plant as a result of improving the availabilitty of the secondary (steam) loop of the plant. A new method has been developed to obtain availability, frequency of failure, probability and frequency of operation, cycle time, and uptime for different capacity states of a parallel-series system having components with failure and repair rates distributed exponentially. The method has been applied to different subsystems, systems, and the seconary loop as a whole. The effect of having spare parts for several components, as measured by savings in the generation of electricity, is also studied. The Kettelle algorithm was applied to determine optimal spare part allocation in order to achieve maximum availability or minimum cost of electricity, subject to a fixed spare parts budget. It has been shown that the optimum spare parts allocation and the budget level which gives optimum availability, do not necessarily give minimum electricity cost. The savings per year for optimal spare parts allocation and different spare parts budgets were obtained. The results show that the utilty will save its customers a large amount of money if spare parts are purchased, especially at the beginning of the plant operation, and are allocated judiciously

The potential of legume tree prunings as organic matters for improving phosphorus availability in an acid soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I Wahyudi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A study that was aimed to elucidate roles of Gliricidia sepium and Tithonia diversifolia prunings and their extracted humic and fulvic acids on improving phosphorus availability and decreasing aluminum concentration in an Ultisol was conducted in a glasshouse. Thirteen treatments consisting of two prunings, six rates of pruning application (5, 7.5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 t/ha and one control (no added prunings were arranged in a randomized block design with four replicates. Each mixture of prunings and soil was placed in a pot containing 8 kg of soil and maize of Srikandi cultivar was grown on it for 45 days. At harvest, soil pH, P content and aluminium concentration were measured. Results of the glasshouse experiment showed that application of Gliricidia and Tithonia prunings significantly increased soil pH, reduced Alo concentration, increased Alp content, increased P availability, and increased P taken up by maize grown for 45 days. The optimum rate of both Gliricidia and Tithonia pruning should be 40 t/ha. However, at the same rate, optimum production gained by Tithonia would be higher than that of Gliricidia.

Outreach nurses in Harm Reduction projects: improving acceptability and availability of medical care to drug users

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dvinskykh, Natalya

2012-07-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Injection drug users (IDU remain one of the most vulnerable population segments in Ukraine, with HIV prevalence up to 22% among this group. At the same time, drug users lack access to basic health care and reportedly face stigma and discrimination from medical workers. Harm reduction projects in Ukraine partially address this problem by providing regular HIV and STI testing for their clients, and by referring them to medical institutions, where IDU can get free treatment for STI, TB, and ARV therapy for HIV. However, issues of acceptability and availability of medical care for drug users are far from being resolved. METHODS: During 2011, the new approach of ‘outreach nurses’ was piloted by All Ukrainian Harm Reduction Association (UHRA with support from ICF “International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine”. The aim of the project was to bring medical services closer to IDU by integrating work of medical professionals into a comprehensive package of Harm Reduction project services. The project employed fifteen nurses from five regions of Ukraine. During the project, nurses provided basic medical services, consultations on health improvement issues and referrals. The services were provided at the places convenient for clients: syringe exchange points, community centers, mobile clinics, and at home. RESULTS: The services of the project were well accepted by the clients. From June till December 2011 the project reached 1703 unique clients, with a total of 4525 visits (300 visits per nurse on average. For comparison, in the HR projects that employed surgeons, on average there were 58 visits per doctor (from 30 to 93 during the same period of time. CONCLUSIONS: To improve access to medical care for the drug using population Harm Reduction projects should consider including work of ‘outreach nurses’ to the package of services they provide.

RBMK nuclear reactors: Proposals for instrumentation and control improvements to enhanced safety and availability. IEC technical report of type 3. Working material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

The present material presents a CD+V draft report ''RBMK nuclear reactors: Proposals for instrumentation and control improvements to enhance safety and availability'' prepared by the Joint IEC/IAEA team during 1993-1995. Experience has demonstrated the need to improve the safety instrumentation of the RBMK type reactors using well proven modern technology. The working group identified the upgrades and changes of the highest priority based on the evaluation of the RBMK systems and the events where the instrumentation was found to be inadequate for safe operation. The subjects discussed in this document were not selected on a systematic basis but were selected by the IEC and IAEA experts as considered to be appropriate to the activities of the IEC and for which technical experience was available. The items identified therefore do not reflect any ranking of the safety issues or any priority or impact on safety of any of the measures were they to be implemented. Many important safety issued and areas where physical measures are required to improve safety have been omitted and indeed not even acknowledged in this document. The recommendations presented in the document differ from those normally produced by the IEC in the form of standards as they are of a transitory nature and some have already been overtaken by the continuing process of improvements to plant safety. Figs and tabs

Improvement of lifetime availability through design, inspection, repair and replacement of coolant channels of Indian Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rupani, B.B.; Sinha, R.K.

1998-01-01

This paper covers an overview of the work carried out for the life management of the coolant channels of Indian Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors. In order to improve maintainability of the coolant channels and reduce down time needed for periodical creep adjustment, improved design of channel hardware were developed. The modular insulation panel, designed as a substitute for the jig saw panels, reduces the time needed for accessing the space around the end-fitting significantly. A compact mechanical snubber has been developed to totally eliminate the need for periodic creep adjustment. In addition, the paper also describes the technologies developed for performing some special inspection, repair and replacement tasks for the coolant channels. These include systems for garter spring repositioning by Mechanical Flexing Technique for fresh reactors and Integrated Garter Spring Repositioning System for operating reactors. A tooling system, developed for in-situ retrieval of sliver scrape samples from pressure tubes, is also described. These samples can be analysed in laboratories to yield valuable information on hydrogen concentration in pressure tube material. The current and planned activities towards development of technologies for improvement of the life time availability of the power plants are addressed. (author)

Accelerator Availability and Reliability Issues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steve Suhring

2003-05-01

Maintaining reliable machine operations for existing machines as well as planning for future machines' operability present significant challenges to those responsible for system performance and improvement. Changes to machine requirements and beam specifications often reduce overall machine availability in an effort to meet user needs. Accelerator reliability issues from around the world will be presented, followed by a discussion of the major factors influencing machine availability.

Equipment available for automating rig operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNair, W.L.

1990-01-01

Several manufacturers are producing automated rig equipment, from complete systems to individual functions for existing drilling rigs. Significant improvements in well site time, costs of operations, and improved drilling performance have led drilling contractors to install this equipment on their rigs. This paper details some of the equipment available for automating rigs

Hardware availability calculations and results of the IFMIF accelerator facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bargalló, Enric; Arroyo, Jose Manuel; Abal, Javier; Beauvais, Pierre-Yves; Gobin, Raphael; Orsini, Fabienne; Weber, Moisés; Podadera, Ivan; Grespan, Francesco; Fagotti, Enrico; De Blas, Alfredo; Dies, Javier; Tapia, Carlos; Mollá, Joaquín; Ibarra, Ángel

2014-01-01

Highlights: • IFMIF accelerator facility hardware availability analyses methodology is described. • Results of the individual hardware availability analyses are shown for the reference design. • Accelerator design improvements are proposed for each system. • Availability results are evaluated and compared with the requirements. - Abstract: Hardware availability calculations have been done individually for each system of the deuteron accelerators of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF). The principal goal of these analyses is to estimate the availability of the systems, compare it with the challenging IFMIF requirements and find new paths to improve availability performances. Major unavailability contributors are highlighted and possible design changes are proposed in order to achieve the hardware availability requirements established for each system. In this paper, such possible improvements are implemented in fault tree models and the availability results are evaluated. The parallel activity on the design and construction of the linear IFMIF prototype accelerator (LIPAc) provides detailed design information for the RAMI (reliability, availability, maintainability and inspectability) analyses and allows finding out the improvements that the final accelerator could have. Because of the R and D behavior of the LIPAc, RAMI improvements could be the major differences between the prototype and the IFMIF accelerator design

Hardware availability calculations and results of the IFMIF accelerator facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bargalló, Enric, E-mail: enric.bargallo-font@upc.edu [Fusion Energy Engineering Laboratory (FEEL), Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Barcelona (Spain); Arroyo, Jose Manuel [Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión por Confinamiento Magnético – CIEMAT, Madrid (Spain); Abal, Javier [Fusion Energy Engineering Laboratory (FEEL), Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Barcelona (Spain); Beauvais, Pierre-Yves; Gobin, Raphael; Orsini, Fabienne [Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, Saclay (France); Weber, Moisés; Podadera, Ivan [Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión por Confinamiento Magnético – CIEMAT, Madrid (Spain); Grespan, Francesco; Fagotti, Enrico [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Legnaro (Italy); De Blas, Alfredo; Dies, Javier; Tapia, Carlos [Fusion Energy Engineering Laboratory (FEEL), Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Barcelona (Spain); Mollá, Joaquín; Ibarra, Ángel [Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión por Confinamiento Magnético – CIEMAT, Madrid (Spain)

2014-10-15

Highlights: • IFMIF accelerator facility hardware availability analyses methodology is described. • Results of the individual hardware availability analyses are shown for the reference design. • Accelerator design improvements are proposed for each system. • Availability results are evaluated and compared with the requirements. - Abstract: Hardware availability calculations have been done individually for each system of the deuteron accelerators of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF). The principal goal of these analyses is to estimate the availability of the systems, compare it with the challenging IFMIF requirements and find new paths to improve availability performances. Major unavailability contributors are highlighted and possible design changes are proposed in order to achieve the hardware availability requirements established for each system. In this paper, such possible improvements are implemented in fault tree models and the availability results are evaluated. The parallel activity on the design and construction of the linear IFMIF prototype accelerator (LIPAc) provides detailed design information for the RAMI (reliability, availability, maintainability and inspectability) analyses and allows finding out the improvements that the final accelerator could have. Because of the R and D behavior of the LIPAc, RAMI improvements could be the major differences between the prototype and the IFMIF accelerator design.

Colonoscopy resource availability and colonoscopy utilization in Ontario, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colleen Webber

2017-04-01

The availability of colonoscopy resources improved in Ontario between 2007 and 2013. However, the geographic variation in resource availability and findings that higher colonoscopy resource availability is associated with higher colonoscopy utilization suggest that certain areas of the province may be under-resourced. These areas may be appropriate targets for efforts to improve colonoscopy capacity in Ontario.

Understanding Existing Salmonid Habitat Availability and Connectivity to Improve River Management

Science.gov (United States)

Duffin, J.; Yager, E.; Tonina, D.; Benjankar, R. M.

2017-12-01

In the Pacific Northwest river restoration is common for salmon conservation. Mangers need methods to help target restoration to problem areas in rivers to create habitat that meets a species' needs. Hydraulic models and habitat suitability curves provide basic information on habitat availability and overall quality, but these analyses need to be expanded to address habitat quality based on the accessibility of habitats required for multiple life stages. Scientists are starting to use connectivity measurements to understand the longitudinal proximity of habitat patches, which can be used to address the habitat variability of a reach. By evaluating the availability and quality of habitat and calculating the connectivity between complementary habitats, such as spawning and rearing habitats, we aim to identify areas that should be targeted for restoration. To meet these goals, we assessed Chinook salmon habitat on the Lemhi River in Idaho. The depth and velocity outputs from a 2D hydraulic model are used in conjunction with locally created habitat suitability curves to evaluate the availability and quality of habitat for multiple Chinook salmon life stages. To assess the variability of the habitat, connectivity between habitat patches necessary for different life stages is calculated with a proximity index. A spatial representation of existing habitat quality and connectivity between complimentary habitats can be linked to river morphology by the evaluation of local geomorphic characteristics, including sinuosity and channel units. The understanding of the current habitat availability for multiple life stage needs, the connectivity between these habitat patches, and their relationship with channel morphology can help managers better identify restoration needs and direct their limited resources.

The Potential of Mobile Apps for Improving Asthma Self-Management: A Review of Publicly Available and Well-Adopted Asthma Apps

Science.gov (United States)

Tinschert, Peter; Jakob, Robert; Barata, Filipe; Kramer, Jan-Niklas

2017-01-01

Background Effective disease self-management lowers asthma’s burden of disease for both individual patients and health care systems. In principle, mobile health (mHealth) apps could enable effective asthma self-management interventions that improve a patient’s quality of life while simultaneously reducing the overall treatment costs for health care systems. However, prior reviews in this field have found that mHealth apps for asthma lack clinical evaluation and are often not based on medical guidelines. Yet, beyond the missing evidence for clinical efficacy, little is known about the potential apps might have for improving asthma self-management. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the potential of publicly available and well-adopted mHealth apps for improving asthma self-management. Methods The Apple App store and Google Play store were systematically searched for asthma apps. In total, 523 apps were identified, of which 38 apps matched the selection criteria to be included in the review. Four requirements of app potential were investigated: app functions, potential to change behavior (by means of a behavior change technique taxonomy), potential to promote app use (by means of a gamification components taxonomy), and app quality (by means of the Mobile Application Rating Scale [MARS]). Results The most commonly implemented functions in the 38 reviewed asthma apps were tracking (30/38, 79%) and information (26/38, 68%) functions, followed by assessment (20/38, 53%) and notification (18/38, 47%) functions. On average, the reviewed apps applied 7.12 of 26 available behavior change techniques (standard deviation [SD]=4.46) and 4.89 of 31 available gamification components (SD=4.21). Average app quality was acceptable (mean=3.17/5, SD=0.58), whereas subjective app quality lied between poor and acceptable (mean=2.65/5, SD=0.87). Additionally, the sum scores of all review frameworks were significantly correlated (lowest correlation: r36=.33, P=.04 between

Options to Improve the Quality of Wind Generation Output Forecasting with the Use of Available Information as Explanatory Variables

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafał Magulski

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Development of wind generation, besides its positive aspects related to the use of renewable energy, is a challenge from the point of view of power systems’ operational security and economy. The uncertain and variable nature of wind generation sources entails the need for the for the TSO to provide adequate reserves of power, necessary to maintain the grid’s stable operation, and the actors involved in the trading of energy from these sources incur additional of balancing unplanned output deviations. The paper presents the results of analyses concerning the options to forecast a selected wind farm’s output exercised by means of different methods of prediction, using a different range of measurement and forecasting data available on the farm and its surroundings. The analyses focused on the evaluation of forecast errors, and selection of input data for forecasting models and assessment of their impact on prediction quality improvement.

[Currently available skin substitutes].

Science.gov (United States)

Oravcová, Darina; Koller, Ján

2014-01-01

The current trend of burn wound care has shifted to more holistic approach of improvement in the long-term form and function of the healed burn wounds and quality of life. Autologous split or full-thickness skin graft are the best definitive burn wound coverage, but it is constrained by the limited available sources, especially in major burns. Donor site morbidities in term of additional wounds and scarring are also of concern of the autograft application. This has demanded the emergence of various skin substitutes in the management of acute burn injury as well as post burn reconstructions. This paper reviews currently available skin substitutes, produced in not for-profit skin banks as well as commercially available. They are divided according to type of material included, as biological, biosynthetic and synthetic and named respectively.

Role of Facilities Available and Un-Available in Attracting of Tourist in Swat Valley Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akbar Jalaluddin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Natural landscape is an important resource for mountainous regions and play crucial role in tourism development. Tourism play a key role in economic development of a country. Developing tourist areas is the key to meet the expectations of mountain inhabitants, tourists, and the general public outside of mountainous areas. In order to know tourist perception, problems, and role of landscape & horticulture plants in the field of tourism. A research study entitled “Role of facilities available and un-available in attracting of tourist in swat valley Pakistan “The data was collected from the respondents through a questionnaire survey and analyzed using percentages, frequencies and Chi-square test (where applicable. The analyzed data revealed that most of the respondent (55 % considered natural green environment as a reason for their visit and 67 % respondents wanted to visit with their friends and were satisfied with the tourist area, respectively. Most of the respondent (39 % observed throwing of surplus food as major waste materials which turned the beautiful green environment into unattractive environment. Most of the visitors (52 % dislike un-cleanliness of the locality, 74% respondents felt ill effect due to deforestation.53 % tourist disagree with the current maintenance of the locality by tourism department. The most missed facilities were non availability of dustbins and children playing areas. 75 % respondents agreed with the fact that most of the people (local inhabitants as well as tourist were unaware with regard to maintenance activities of the area 15.7 % respondent agreed that road system should be improved to access most of the greenery in the locality, respectively to aware local people and tourist regarding maintenance of the locality will improve tourism in Swat valley. The studies need to be develop for the improvement of existing as well as artificial landscape of the tourist area (Kalam and Malamjabba of Swat valley.

Offshore wind turbines reliability, availability and maintenance

CERN Document Server

Tavner, Peter

2012-01-01

The first book to specifically focus on offshore wind turbine technology and which addresses practically wind turbine reliability and availability. The book draws on the author's experience of power generation reliability and availability and the condition monitoring of that plant to describe the problems facing the developers of offshore wind farms and the solutions available to them to raise availability, reduce cost of energy and improve through life cost.

Availability analysis of the ITER blanket remote handling system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maruyama, Takahito; Noguchi, Yuto; Takeda, Nobukazu; Kakudate, Satoshi

2015-01-01

The ITER blanket remote handling system (BRHS) is required to replace 440 blanket first wall panels in a two-year maintenance period. To investigate this capability, an availability analysis of the system was carried out. Following the analysis procedure defined by the ITER organization, the availability analysis consists of a functional analysis and a reliability block diagram analysis. In addition, three measures to improve availability were implemented: procurement of spare parts, in-vessel replacement of cameras, and simultaneous replacement of umbilical cables. The availability analysis confirmed those measures improve the availability and capability of the BRHS to replace 440 blanket first wall panels in two years. (author)

Improving state-of-the-art power plant availability using bayesian networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luyk, J.; Rouvroye, J.L.

2009-01-01

The integrated gasification combined cycle technology in combination with coal as a natural resource is claimed to be one of the leading power generation alternatives for the near future. One of the main challenges facing this technology today is plant availability. Due to the specific

The Potential of Mobile Apps for Improving Asthma Self-Management: A Review of Publicly Available and Well-Adopted Asthma Apps.

Science.gov (United States)

Tinschert, Peter; Jakob, Robert; Barata, Filipe; Kramer, Jan-Niklas; Kowatsch, Tobias

2017-08-02

Effective disease self-management lowers asthma's burden of disease for both individual patients and health care systems. In principle, mobile health (mHealth) apps could enable effective asthma self-management interventions that improve a patient's quality of life while simultaneously reducing the overall treatment costs for health care systems. However, prior reviews in this field have found that mHealth apps for asthma lack clinical evaluation and are often not based on medical guidelines. Yet, beyond the missing evidence for clinical efficacy, little is known about the potential apps might have for improving asthma self-management. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of publicly available and well-adopted mHealth apps for improving asthma self-management. The Apple App store and Google Play store were systematically searched for asthma apps. In total, 523 apps were identified, of which 38 apps matched the selection criteria to be included in the review. Four requirements of app potential were investigated: app functions, potential to change behavior (by means of a behavior change technique taxonomy), potential to promote app use (by means of a gamification components taxonomy), and app quality (by means of the Mobile Application Rating Scale [MARS]). The most commonly implemented functions in the 38 reviewed asthma apps were tracking (30/38, 79%) and information (26/38, 68%) functions, followed by assessment (20/38, 53%) and notification (18/38, 47%) functions. On average, the reviewed apps applied 7.12 of 26 available behavior change techniques (standard deviation [SD]=4.46) and 4.89 of 31 available gamification components (SD=4.21). Average app quality was acceptable (mean=3.17/5, SD=0.58), whereas subjective app quality lied between poor and acceptable (mean=2.65/5, SD=0.87). Additionally, the sum scores of all review frameworks were significantly correlated (lowest correlation: r 36 =.33, P=.04 between number of functions and gamification

The application of availability analysis to nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brooks, A.C.

1984-01-01

The use of probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) to assess the risks from nuclear power plants is now well established. Considerably less attention has been given so far to the use of availability analysis techniques. The economics of power generation are now such that with nuclear power currently supplying a substantial fraction of power in many countries, increasing attention is being paid to improving plant availability. This paper presents a technique for systematically identifying the areas in which measures to improve plant availability will be most effective. (author)

A Multidisciplinary Quality Improvement Approach Increases Breastmilk Availability at Discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for the Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infant.

Science.gov (United States)

Bixby, Christine; Baker-Fox, Cindy; Deming, Crystal; Dhar, Vijay; Steele, Caroline

2016-03-01

Mothers of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants often struggle to establish and maintain a milk supply. Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC Children's) data from 2005 to 2011 showed that while the total percentage of all neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) babies being discharged on breastmilk had remained stable, the percentage of VLBW babies with breastmilk at discharge had declined. This information resulted in a quality improvement initiative to remove barriers and implement programs shown to have the greatest impact on initiating and sustaining lactation in this patient subset. The objective of this initiative was to increase breastmilk availability at discharge for the VLBW population. A multidisciplinary program was initiated, which included NICU parent and staff education, clarification of roles, and improved access to pumping supplies. Physicians and nurses completed online education. An algorithm defining roles in lactation support was developed, and a resource team of trained bedside nurses was formed. Lactation consultant time was then refocused on the VLBW population. In addition, "Lactation Support" was added to the physician daily documentation to bring the topic to daily bedside rounds. Twice weekly lactation rounds between the lactation consultant and neonatologist addressed lactation concerns for each dyad. To address pumping issues, the loaner pump program was enhanced. To assess the effectiveness of the initiative, breastmilk availability at discharge for the VLBW population at CHOC Children's was compared from baseline (2011) to the end of June 2015. VLBW breastmilk availability at discharge upon project initiation was 58.7% and increased by 36% to a final rate of 80% by 2013--a rate sustained through the first 6 months of 2015. The results of this initiative suggest that a multidisciplinary approach, including education, changes in workflow, and redefinition of roles, is effective in improving breastmilk rates at discharge in the VLBW

Improvement of availability of PWR nuclear plants through the reduction of the time required for refueling/maintenance outages, Phase 1. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, C.A.

1978-08-01

The objective of this project is to identify improvements in procedures and equipment which will reduce the time required for refueling/maintenance outages at PWR nuclear power plants. The outage of Commonwealth Edison Zion Station Unit 1 in March through May of 1976 was evaluated to identify those items which caused delays and those work activities that offer the potential for significant improvements toward reducing its overall duration. Thus, the plant's availability for power production would be increased. Revisions in procedures and some equipment modifications were implemented and evaluated during the Zion Unit 2 refueling/maintenance outage beginning in January 1977. Analysis of the observed data has identified benefits available through improved refueling equipment and also areas where additional new, innovative refueling, or refueling-related equipment should be beneficial. A number of specific design concepts are recommended as a result of Phase 1. In addition, a new master planning mechanism is described for implementation during subsequent planned outages at Zion Station. This final report describes the recommended conceptual designs and planning mechanism and assesses their impact upon future outages. Their effect on savings in refueling time, labor, and radiation exposure is discussed. The estimated economic payoff for these concepts was found to be of such significance that an additional phase of the program is warranted. During this extended phase, a more detailed engineering study should be undertaken to determine the cost of implementation along with more specific estimates of the benefits for PWR plants already in operation or under construction

Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Improves Substrate Hydraulic Conductivity in the Plant Available Moisture Range Under Root Growth Exclusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Bitterlich, Michael; Franken, Philipp; Graefe, Jan

2018-01-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) proliferate in soils and are known to affect soil structure. Although their contribution to structure is extensively investigated, the consequences of those processes for soil water extractability and transport has, so far, gained surprisingly little attention. Therefore we asked, whether AMF can affect water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity under exclusion of root ingrowth, in order to minimize plant driven effects. We carried out experiments with tomato inoculated with Rhizoglomus irregulare in a soil substrate with sand and vermiculite that created variation in colonization by mixed pots with wild type (WT) plants and mycorrhiza resistant (RMC) mutants. Sampling cores were introduced and used to assess substrate moisture retention dynamics and modeling of substrate water retention and hydraulic conductivity. AMF reduced the saturated water content and total porosity, but maintained air filled porosity in soil spheres that excluded root ingrowth. The water content between field capacity and the permanent wilting point (6-1500 kPa) was only reduced in mycorrhizal substrates that contained at least one RMC mutant. Plant available water contents correlated positively with soil protein contents. Soil protein contents were highest in pots that possessed the strongest hyphal colonization, but not significantly affected. Substrate conductivity increased up to 50% in colonized substrates in the physiologically important water potential range between 6 and 10 kPa. The improvements in hydraulic conductivity are restricted to substrates where at least one WT plant was available for the fungus, indicating a necessity of a functional symbiosis for this effect. We conclude that functional mycorrhiza alleviates the resistance to water movement through the substrate in substrate areas outside of the root zone.

Availability of periodically tested systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Signoret, J.P.

1979-01-01

There is at the present time a need in accurate models to asess the availability of periodically tested stand-by systems. This paper shows how to improve the well known 'saw-tooth curve' model in order to take into account various reliability parameters. A model is developed to assess the pointwise and the mean availabilities of periodically tested stand-by systems. Exact and approxination formulae are given. In addition, the model developed herein leads to optimize the test interval in order to minimize the mean unavailability. A safety diesel in a nuclear power plant is given as an example

48 CFR 31.002 - Availability of accounting guide.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Availability of accounting... GENERAL CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS CONTRACT COST PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES 31.002 Availability of accounting guide. Contractors needing assistance in developing or improving their accounting systems and procedures...

Advanced Direct-Drive Generator for Improved Availability of Oscillating Wave Surge Converter Power Generation Systems Final Technical Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Englebretson, Steven [ABB Inc., Cary, NC (United States); Ouyang, Wen [ABB Inc., Cary, NC (United States); Tschida, Colin [ABB Inc., Cary, NC (United States); Carr, Joseph [ABB Inc., Cary, NC (United States); Ramanan, V.R. [ABB Inc., Cary, NC (United States); Johnson, Matthew [Texas A& M Univ., College Station, TX (United States); Gardner, Matthew [Texas A& M Univ., College Station, TX (United States); Toliyat, Hamid [Texas A& M Univ., College Station, TX (United States); Staby, Bill [Resolute Marine Energy, Inc., Boston, MA (United States); Chertok, Allan [Resolute Marine Energy, Inc., Boston, MA (United States); Hazra, Samir [ABB Inc., Cary, NC (United States); Bhattacharya, Subhashish [ABB Inc., Cary, NC (United States)

2017-05-13

This report summarizes the activities conducted under the DOE-EERE funded project DE-EE0006400, where ABB Inc. (ABB), in collaboration with Texas A&M’s Advanced Electric Machines & Power Electronics (EMPE) Lab and Resolute Marine Energy (RME) designed, derisked, developed, and demonstrated a novel magnetically geared electrical generator for direct-drive, low-speed, high torque MHK applications The project objective was to investigate a novel and compact direct-drive electric generator and its system aspects that would enable elimination of hydraulic components in the Power Take-Off (PTO) of a Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) system with an oscillating wave surge converter (OWSC), thereby improving the availability of the MHK system. The scope of this project was limited to the development and dry lab demonstration of a low speed generator to enable future direct drive MHK systems.

Technologies for improving the availability of current and future light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pedersen, T.

2000-01-01

Construction of nuclear power plants involves large investments, much larger than for most alternatives for large-scale energy production. This is in particular valid when compared with the capital needed for building gas-fired power plants in areas or countries with an established infrastructure for distribution of natural gas. On the other hand, the fuel costs for a nuclear power plant are very low compared to the costs for natural gas and other alternatives, which means that the generation costs per kWhe of well performing nuclear power plants can be fully competitive. To this end, nuclear power plant owners and operators have been looking carefully at ways and means to achieve improvements with respect to power generation reliability and costs by equipment modernisation and/or modified procedures. In some countries, this has resulted in significant re-investments of revenues for modernisation programmes. In recent years, many such programmes have slowed down or been postponed due to reduced revenues in the wake of dramatic drop in electricity prices following deregulation. Typical areas of modernisation range from replacement of components or equipment to modification of system arrangements and structures, as well as introduction of new I and C systems and technology, for single functions or systems, or for the whole plant. Operating experience from well performing plants is compiled by utility organisations such as WANO (World Association of Nuclear Operators), EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) and the EUR (European Utility Requirements) group, and also by the different nuclear vendors to serve as input for modifications and improvements in operating plants, and also as guidance for the design of new plants. A number of measures taken to overcome observed deficiencies and difficulties, suggestions for future improvements, and also implementation of specific design features were presented at the IAEA Technical Committee Meeting at Argonne National

Manipulating Carbohydrate Availability Between Twice-Daily Sessions of High-Intensity Interval Training Over 2 Weeks Improves Time-Trial Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Cochran, Andrew J; Myslik, Frank; MacInnis, Martin J; Percival, Michael E; Bishop, David; Tarnopolsky, Mark A; Gibala, Martin J

2015-10-01

Commencing some training sessions with reduced carbohydrate (CHO) availability has been shown to enhance skeletal muscle adaptations, but the effect on exercise performance is less clear. We examined whether restricting CHO intake between twice daily sessions of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) augments improvements in exercise performance and mitochondrial content. Eighteen active but not highly trained subjects (peak oxygen uptake [VO2peak] = 44 ± 9 ml/kg/min), matched for age, sex, and fitness, were randomly allocated to two groups. On each of 6 days over 2 weeks, subjects completed two training sessions, each consisting of 5 × 4-min cycling intervals (60% of peak power), interspersed by 2 min of recovery. Subjects ingested either 195 g of CHO (HI-HI group: ~2.3 g/kg) or 17 g of CHO (HI-LO group: ~0.3 g/kg) during the 3-hr period between sessions. The training-induced improvement in 250-kJ time trial performance was greater (p = .02) in the HI-LO group (211 ± 66 W to 244 ± 75 W) compared with the HI-HI group (203 ± 53 W to 219 ± 60 W); however, the increases in mitochondrial content was similar between groups, as reflected by similar increases in citrate synthase maximal activity, citrate synthase protein content and cytochrome c oxidase subunit IV protein content (p > .05 for interaction terms). This is the first study to show that a short-term "train low, compete high" intervention can improve whole-body exercise capacity. Further research is needed to determine whether this type of manipulation can also enhance performance in highly-trained subjects.

Anesthetic equipment, facilities and services available for pediatric ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Facilities and equipment are known to contribute to improved patient care and outcome. Hospitals for sub‑specialized pediatric anesthetic service are routinely available worldwide. In Nigeria, such hospitals now exist. It is therefore relevant to study the facilities and equipment available for pediatric anesthetic ...

Regulating mineralization rates of Tithonia diversifolia and Lantana camara prunings to improve phosphorus availability in calcareous soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Nuraini

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of mixing of Tithonia diversifolia and Lantana camara prunings to improve synchronization between P released from the prunings with crop demand for P was studied in a laboratory and in a glasshouse. Tithonia diversifolia prunings (Td, Lantana camara prunings (Lc, and farmyard manure (Pk were thoroughly mixed with the proportion (% of dry weight of; 25Td +75 Lc ; 50Td +50 Lc ; 75Td +25 Lc ; 90Lc +10 Pk ; 45Td +45 +10 Lc Pk ; 100Td and 100Lc, and then mixed with 100 g of air-dried soil with a rate equivalent to 100 kg P / ha. Results of the study showed that the pruning mixtures decomposed and mineralized faster than that of Lantana camara pruning only, but slower than that of Tithonia diversifolia pruning only. The amount of P released from the pruning mixtures increased with increasing proportion of Tithonia diversifolia pruning in the mixtures. Increasing proportion of Tithonia diversifolia pruning in the mixture applied to the soil increased the amount of P taken up by maize.

Family based dispatching with batch availability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Zee, D.J.

2013-01-01

Family based dispatching rules seek to lower set-up frequencies by grouping (batching) similar types of jobs for joint processing. Hence shop flow times may be improved, as less time is spent on set-ups. Motivated by an industrial project we study the control of machines with batch availability,

Improving availability, promotion and purchase of fruit and vegetable and non sugar-sweetened drink products at community sporting clubs: a randomised trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfenden, Luke; Kingsland, Melanie; Rowland, Bosco C; Dodds, Pennie; Gillham, Karen; Yoong, Sze Lin; Sidey, Maree; Wiggers, John

2015-03-10

Amateur sporting clubs represent an attractive setting for health promotion. This study assesses the impact of a multi-component intervention on the availability, promotion and purchase of fruit and vegetable and non sugar -sweetened drink products from community sporting club canteens. We also assessed the impact the intervention on sporting club revenue from the sale of food and beverages. A repeat cross-sectional, parallel group, cluster randomized controlled trial was undertaken with amateur community football clubs in New South Wales, Australia. The intervention was conducted over 2.5 winter sporting seasons and sought to improve the availability and promotion of fruit and vegetables and non sugar-sweetened drinks in sporting club canteens. Trial outcomes were assessed via telephone surveys of sporting club representatives and members. Eighty five sporting clubs and 1143 club members participated in the study. Relative to the control group, at follow-up, clubs allocated to the intervention were significantly more likely to have fruit and vegetable products available at the club canteen (OR = 5.13; 95% CI 1.70-15.38), were more likely to promote fruit and vegetable selection using reduced pricing and meal deals (OR = 34.48; 95% CI 4.18-250.00) and members of intervention clubs were more likely to report purchase of fruit and vegetable (OR = 2.58 95% CI; 1.08-6.18) and non sugar -sweetened drink (OR = 1.56; 95% CI 1.09-2.25) products. There was no significant difference between groups in the annual club revenue from food and non-alcoholic beverage sales. The findings demonstrate that the intervention can improve the nutrition environment of sporting clubs and the purchasing behaviour of members. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12609000224224 .

75 FR 33323 - Notice of Availability: Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Notice of Funding Availability...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-11

... Fair Housing; (4) Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing; (5) Using Housing as a Platform for Improving Other Outcomes; and (6) Expanding Cross-Cutting Policy Knowledge. Detailed information on HUD's Strategic Plan for FY2010-2015 is available at: http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/program_offices...

Availability Analysis of the Ventilation Stack CAM Interlock System

CERN Document Server

Young, J

2000-01-01

Ventilation Stack Continuous Air Monitor (CAM) Interlock System failure modes, failure frequencies, and system availability have been evaluated for the RPP. The evaluation concludes that CAM availability is as high as assumed in the safety analysis and that the current routine system surveillance is adequate to maintain this availability credited in the safety analysis, nor is such an arrangement predicted to significantly improve system availability.

Auction-Based Cloud Service Pricing and Penalty with Availability on Demand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaohong Wu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Availability is one of the main concerns of cloud users, and cloud providers always try to provide higher availability to improve user satisfaction. However, higher availability results in higher provider costs and lower social welfare. In this paper, taking into account both the users’ valuation and desired availability, we design resource allocation, pricing and penalty mechanisms with availability on demand. Considering two scenarios: public availability in which the desired availabilities of all users are public information, and private availability in which the desired availabilities are private information of users, and, analyzing the possible behaviours of users, we design a truthful deterministic mechanism with 2-approximation in public availability scenario and a universal truthful mechanism with 1 1 + γ approximation in private availability scenario, where γ is the backup ratio of resources with the highest availability. The experiment results show that our mechanisms significantly improve the social welfare compared to the mechanism without considering availability demand of users.

Inservice inspection a preventative measure for a utility to improve availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hausermann, R.

1985-01-01

The wish of an everlasting good performance of a machine is as old as the dream to invent the perpetum mobile. The real technical world is different in that the material in use for a structure or a machine depends greatly on the fabrication process, the environment and the loads within the period of use of the equipment. In this paper a method is discussed how, by applying a well balanced maintenance strategy coupled with NDT (Non Destructive Testing), the utility goal, to reach a high work availability, and the authority goal to keep a high safety readiness, can be achieved. The aspect of the NDT is discussed in more detail

Cidem approach for improving availability and operating costs of future nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cordier, R.; Degrave, C.; Martin-Onraet, M.

1996-01-01

EDF decided to implement an analytical and systematic process for study of the new projects to optimize the design by integration of the maintenance (duration, costs), availability and radiation exposure goals from the related operating experience. This approach, called CIDEM (French acronym for Design Integrating Availability, operating Experience and Maintenance) aims at a single goal: to optimize the operating and maintenance costs. The first CIDEM application is centred on the future French nuclear unit construction program, known as the REP 2000 program and in the REP 2000/EPR project. This approach is conducted with the co-operation of the German at least for the EPR design. The studies results have shown that the availability aims are reached for a running campaign of 12 months and this availability can even reach 90% for cycles of 18 months. The stopping duration for fuel reloading is estimated at 19 days and is widely inferior to the initial aim (25 days). The studies have been completed by the analysis of the back end experiment as well as of the establishment of policies and maintenance methodologies. At last, the definition of an integration methodology of the maintenance logistics to the design, aiming more particularly to define the structure of a logistic data base has been carried out. This CIDEM process is a new approach of nuclear power plants design studies for EDF. In the design studies, the of the maintenance and of its associated logistic support must allow a best mastership of the running expenses. The nuclear energy competitiveness depends on the result of such an approach. (O.M.)

Design for availability : creating value for manufacturers and customers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smets, L.P.M.; Houtum, van G.J.J.A.N.; Langerak, F.

2010-01-01

This research introduces a newly developed continuous improvement methodology called Design for Availability that uses principles of Lean Sigma and Design for X to cost-effectively optimize the availability of capital goods, i.e. systems used in the production of other end-products or -services,

Do changes to supply chains and procurement processes yield cost savings and improve availability of pharmaceuticals, vaccines or health products? A systematic review of evidence from low-income and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Seidman, Gabriel; Atun, Rifat

2017-01-01

Improving health systems performance, especially in low-resource settings facing complex disease burdens, can improve population health. Specifically, the efficiency and effectiveness of supply chains and procurement processes for pharmaceuticals, vaccines and other health products has important implications for health system performance. Pharmaceuticals, vaccines and other health products make up a large share of total health expenditure in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), and they are critical for delivering health services. Therefore, programmes which achieve cost savings on these expenditures may help improve a health system's efficiency, whereas programmes that increase availability of health products may improve a health system's effectiveness. This systematic review investigates whether changes to supply chains and procurement processes can achieve cost savings and/or improve the availability of drugs in LMICs. Using the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, we searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and the Health Economic Evaluation Database to identify. We identified 1264 articles, of which 38 were included in our study. We found evidence that centralised procurement and tendering can achieve direct cost savings, while supply chain management programmes can reduce drug stock outs and increase drug availability for populations. This research identifies a broad set of programmes which can improve the ways that health systems purchase and delivery health products. On the basis of this evidence, policymakers and programme managers should examine the root causes of inefficiencies in pharmaceutical supply chain and procurement processes in order to determine how best to improve health systems performance in their specific contexts.

The Virtual Genetics Lab II: Improvements to a Freely Available Software Simulation of Genetics

Science.gov (United States)

White, Brian T.

2012-01-01

The Virtual Genetics Lab II (VGLII) is an improved version of the highly successful genetics simulation software, the Virtual Genetics Lab (VGL). The software allows students to use the techniques of genetic analysis to design crosses and interpret data to solve realistic genetics problems involving a hypothetical diploid insect. This is a brief…

ADVANCED MONITORING TO IMPROVE COMBUSTION TURBINE/COMBINED CYCLE CT/(CC) RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY AND MAINTAINABILITY (RAM)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leonard Angello

2003-09-30

Power generators are concerned with the maintenance costs associated with the advanced turbines that they are purchasing. Since these machines do not have fully established operation and maintenance (O&M) track records, power generators face financial risk due to uncertain future maintenance costs. This risk is of particular concern, as the electricity industry transitions to a competitive business environment in which unexpected O&M costs cannot be passed through to consumers. These concerns have accelerated the need for intelligent software-based diagnostic systems that can monitor the health of a combustion turbine in real time and provide valuable information on the machine's performance to its owner/operators. Such systems would interpret sensor and instrument outputs, correlate them to the machine's condition, provide interpretative analyses, forward projections of servicing intervals, estimate remaining component life, and identify faults. EPRI, Impact Technologies, Boyce Engineering, and Progress Energy have teamed to develop a suite of intelligent software tools integrated with a diagnostic monitoring platform that will, in real time, interpret data to assess the ''total health'' of combustion turbines. The Combustion Turbine Health Management System (CTHM) will consist of a series of dynamic link library (DLL) programs residing on a diagnostic monitoring platform that accepts turbine health data from existing monitoring instrumentation. The CTHM system will be a significant improvement over currently available techniques for turbine monitoring and diagnostics. CTHM will interpret sensor and instrument outputs, correlate them to a machine's condition, provide interpretative analyses, project servicing intervals, and estimate remaining component life. In addition, it will enable real-time anomaly detection and diagnostics of performance and mechanical faults, enabling power producers to more accurately predict critical

Reliability, availability, and quality assurance considerations for fusion components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buende, R.

1995-01-01

The complexity of magnetic confinement machines has been a matter of concern in developing fusion power plants as electricity generating stations because it might reduce plant availability. A comprehensive reliability and availability (R and A) programme to determine the availability of a next step fusion machine was performed during definition and conceptual design of the Next European Torus. In addition to giving an overview of the expected contributions to unavailability of the various components, this activity identified the basic approach to be taken to specify and to achieve necessary improvements. This paper, after giving some basic definitions, describes the essentials of the R and A programme, its results, and the guidelines derived for further work towards a sufficiently reliable fusion plant. These guidelines refer to improvement of the reliability database and the quality assurance to be performed at the design stage of a next step machine. (orig.)

Twelfth biennial conference on reactor operating experience maintenance and modifications for availability and efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

Separate abstracts were prepared for the papers presented in the following topical sessions: (1) Formal Availability Improvement Programs; (2) Maintenance Aids and Diagnostics; (3) Nuclear Plant Inspection and Testing; (4) Secondary Cycle Improvement to Programs; (5) Recent Plant Experiences; (6) Training, Research, and Test Reactors; (7) Impact of Plant Maintenance on Availability; (8) Intragranular Stress Corrosion Cracking: Repair, Inspection, and Mitigating Techniques; (9) Availability Improvement - Recent Development and Trends; (10) Water Chemistry and Corrosion Control; and (11) ALARA: Experiences with Dose Reduction

International Atomic Energy Agency specialists meeting on experience in ageing, maintenance, and modernization of instrumentation and control systems for improving nuclear power plant availability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-10-01

This report presents the proceedings of the Specialist`s Meeting on Experience in Aging, Maintenance and Modernization of Instrumentation and Control Systems for Improving Nuclear Power Plant Availability that was held at the Ramada Inn in Rockville, Maryland on May 5--7, 1993. The Meeting was presented in cooperation with the Electric Power Research Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the International Atomic Energy Agency. There were approximately 65 participants from 13 countries at the Meeting. Individual reports have been cataloged separately.

International Atomic Energy Agency specialists meeting on experience in ageing, maintenance, and modernization of instrumentation and control systems for improving nuclear power plant availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-10-01

This report presents the proceedings of the Specialist's Meeting on Experience in Aging, Maintenance and Modernization of Instrumentation and Control Systems for Improving Nuclear Power Plant Availability that was held at the Ramada Inn in Rockville, Maryland on May 5--7, 1993. The Meeting was presented in cooperation with the Electric Power Research Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the International Atomic Energy Agency. There were approximately 65 participants from 13 countries at the Meeting. Individual reports have been cataloged separately

ANALYSIS OF AVAILABILITY AND RELIABILITY IN RHIC OPERATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

PILAT, F.; INGRASSIA, P.; MICHNOFF, R.

2006-01-01

RHIC has been successfully operated for 5 years as a collider for different species, ranging from heavy ions including gold and copper, to polarized protons. We present a critical analysis of reliability data for RHIC that not only identifies the principal factors limiting availability but also evaluates critical choices at design times and assess their impact on present machine performance. RHIC availability data are typical when compared to similar high-energy colliders. The critical analysis of operations data is the basis for studies and plans to improve RHIC machine availability beyond the 50-60% typical of high-energy colliders

A study on the mineral elements available in aquaponics, their impact on lettuce productivity and the potential improvement of their availability.

OpenAIRE

Delaide, Boris

2017-01-01

Aquaponics is an integrated farming concept that combines fish and hydroponic plant production in a recirculating water system. This innovative technique has the potential to reduce the impact of fish and plant production on the environment by namely closing the nutrient loop. Indeed, the nutrients leaving the fish part are used to grow hydroponic plants. This thesis focused on the mineral elements available in aquaponics to grow plants. The thesis started by deepening the aquaponic conce...

Improved core monitoring for improved plant operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, N.P.

1987-01-01

Westinghouse has recently installed a core on-line surveillance, monitoring and operations systems (COSMOS), which uses only currently available core and plant data to accurately reconstruct the core average axial and radial power distributions. This information is provided to the operator in an immediately usable, human-engineered format and is accumulated for use in application programs that provide improved core performance predictive tools and a data base for improved fuel management. Dynamic on-line real-time axial and radial core monitoring supports a variety of plant operations to provide a favorable cost/benefit ratio for such a system. Benefits include: (1) relaxation or elimination of certain technical specifications to reduce surveillance and reporting requirements and allow higher availability factors, (2) improved information displays, predictive tools, and control strategies to support more efficient core control and reduce effluent production, and (3) expanded burnup data base for improved fuel management. Such systems can be backfit into operating plants without changing the existing instrumentation and control system and can frequently be implemented on existing plant computer capacity

Improving care at cystic fibrosis centers through quality improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Kraynack, Nathan C; McBride, John T

2009-10-01

Quality improvement (QI) using a clinical microsystems approach provides cystic fibrosis (CF) centers the opportunity to make a significant positive impact on the health of their patients. The availability of center-specific outcomes data and the support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation are important advantages for these quality improvement efforts. This article illustrates how the clinical microsystems methodology can improve care delivery and outcomes by describing the gradual application of quality improvement principles over the past 5 years by the CF team at the Lewis Walker Cystic Fibrosis Center at Akron Children's Hospital in Akron, Ohio. Using the example of a project to improve the pulmonary function of the pediatric patients at our center as a framework, we describe the QI process from the initial team-building phase, through the assessment of care processes, standardization of care, and developing a culture of continuous improvement. We outline how enthusiastic commitment from physician leadership, clinical managers and central administration, the availability of coaches, and an appreciation of the importance of measurement, patient involvement, communication, and standardization are critical components for successful process improvement. Copyright Thieme Medical Publishers.

76 FR 55069 - Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-06

... invention relates to an improved system for measuring bone mineral density (BMD). BMD measurement is an... vivo data available (animal) Inventors: Geraldo Kaplan (FDA), Krishnamurthy Konduru (FDA), et al...

The availability of German nuclear power plants and possible further improvements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hennies, H.H.

1985-01-01

West Germany's 19 nuclear power plants with a capacity of 17,000 MW are actually producing about 30% of the public electricity generation. In 1984 they produced 93 billion kWh; three plants produced more than 10 billion kWh each. Most of the plants are Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR), some are Boiling Water reactors (BWR), of which the largest units went into operation recently. Considering the availability of German nuclear power plants meanwhile achieved no major systems modifications or changes in materials used are required for the time being. Instead, plant standardization is the target to be pursued. This paper discusses that the standardization of the plants allows to set up a spare part pool not just for one unit but for a parc of units. With experience of operation, maintenance and repair accumulating it is possible to have tool and repair procedures prepared well in advance for all foreseeable incidents. More optimized and automated equipment for refueling is under development to reduce even further the present annual refueling time of 30 days

Material resources availability, parent subject perception and school ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Students' poor performance in the Yoruba language is being considered a serious problem by researchers and education stakeholders. Despite their efforts, no appreciable improvement is noticeable for hardly are enough researches on the extent to which school material resources availability, parental subject perception ...

Oil coastal tanker maintenance and availability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldsztejn, Eduardo; Gomez Haedo, Juan Carlos [Government' s Oil Company of Uruguay (ANCAP), Montivideo (Uruguay)

2008-07-01

ANCAP (Government's Oil Company of Uruguay) owns a 4000 DWT oil coastal tanker which is mainly used for oil transport in the River Plate, Uruguay and Parana rivers. Availability of the ship is critical because of shortage of available vessels in the region. Full maximum draught of the vessel is 4m , so it can navigate in very shallow waters as it is the case of some places in the Uruguay and Parana rivers. Although the ship was built in 1979, it is a complete double hull, powered by two twin main engines and propellers. Since 1994, several changes in maintenance management have been introduced, in order to increase the availability, thus increasing the total oil volume yearly transported. These changes affected several maintenance items and they also included a modification in the design of part of the cargo tank floors of the ship. As a result of these changes, an increase of 60% of the oil derivatives volume transported yearly was achieved. In this paper, some of the important improvements on maintenance practises and management are described, together with a quantification of their influence on vessel's availability and overall maintenance costs. (author)

Public awareness of Pharmaceutical care availability in community ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Furthermore, the awareness of availability of pharmaceutical care services in community pharmacies was 3% while 75% of the respondents believed a community pharmacy was just a place drugs can be obtained. As the profession and pharmacists endeavour to improve knowledge and skill to deliver pharmaceutical care ...

Compost biofortification with diazotrophic and P-solubilizing bacteria improves maturation process and P availability.

Science.gov (United States)

Busato, Jader G; Zandonadi, Daniel B; Mól, Alan R; Souza, Rafaela S; Aguiar, Kamilla P; Júnior, Fábio B Reis; Olivares, Fábio L

2017-02-01

Phosphorus-containing fertilizers play an important role in tropical agriculture owing to the well documented shortage of plant-available P in soils. Traditional P fertilizer production is based on chemical processing of insoluble rock phosphate (RP), which includes an acid treatment at high temperature. Processing the RP increases fertilizer costs, making it unavailable for undercapitalized and typically family-based farmers. Biotechnological methods have been proposed as an alternative to increase phosphate availability in RP. In this study, Burkholderia silvatlantica and Herbaspirillum seropedicae were co-inoculated into an RP-enriched compost with the aim of determining the effects of this technology on the levels of phosphatase activities and release of plant-available P. Inoculation of both microorganisms resulted in higher organic matter decomposition and higher humic acid formation in composting. Herbaspirillum seropedicae was the most promising microorganism for the production of acid and alkaline phosphatase enzymes. Both microorganisms presented potential to increase the supply of P from poorly soluble sources owing to increased levels of water-soluble P and citric acid P. Burkholderia silvatlantica and H. seropedicae in RP-enriched compost may represent an important biotechnological tool to reduce the overall time required for composting and increase the supply of P from poorly soluble sources. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Fruit and vegetable availability and selection: federal food package revisions, 2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Zenk, Shannon N; Odoms-Young, Angela; Powell, Lisa M; Campbell, Richard T; Block, Daniel; Chavez, Noel; Krauss, Ramona C; Strode, Steven; Armbruster, James

2012-10-01

With nearly 49,000 authorized retailers nationwide, a policy change that added fruits and vegetables (FV) to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food packages in 2009 had the potential to expand neighborhood FV availability. This study examined changes in availability and selection of commonly consumed and culturally specific FV at authorized retailers (WIC vendors) before and after implementation of the revised WIC food packages. Quasi-experimental, one-group design with two pre-policy observations and one post-policy observation. Trained observers assessed a list of fresh, frozen, and canned FV at each vendor in seven northern Illinois counties. Eight indices of FV availability and selection were derived. Multiple regression estimated relationships. Data were collected in 2008-2010 and analyzed in 2011. Overall, availability and selection of commonly consumed fresh FV and availability of African-American culturally specific fresh FV improved after implementation of the new policy. Modest improvements in the overall availability of canned low-sodium vegetables and frozen FV were observed. Changes differed by vendor type (large vendor, small vendor, and pharmacy). Changes in availability or selection did not differ by neighborhood characteristics (population density, median household income, racial/ethnic composition). Expansion of WIC foods was associated with small positive externalities on the food environment. Larger subsidies to create more demand and more-substantial stocking requirements for retailers may yield significantly larger improvements and thus warrant further investigation. Approaches targeting rural, low-income, and racial/ethnic minority neighborhoods also may be needed. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

77 FR 64810 - Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-23

... of improving the activity of topical antibiotics. Currently available topical antibiotic formulations... contact John Hewes, Ph.D. at [email protected] . Antimalarial Inhibitors That Target the Plasmodial... against malaria. Potential Commercial Applications: Antimalarial Drugs. Malaria Vaccine. Competitive...

Google Scholar and 100 Percent Availability of Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey Pomerantz

2006-06-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses Google Scholar as an extension of Kilgour’s goal to improve the availability of information. Kilgour was instrumental in the early development of the online library catalog, and he proposed passage retrieval to aid in information seeking. Google Scholar is a direct descendent of these technologies foreseen by Kilgour. Google Scholar holds promise as a means for libraries to expand their reach to new user communities, and to enable libraries to provide quality resources to users during their online search process.

Making products available among community health workers: Evidence for improving community health supply chains from Ethiopia, Malawi, and Rwanda.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandani, Yasmin; Andersson, Sarah; Heaton, Alexis; Noel, Megan; Shieshia, Mildred; Mwirotsi, Amanda; Krudwig, Kirstin; Nsona, Humphreys; Felling, Barbara

2014-12-01

flow, and effective people) are deliberately included as an integral part of the system design. Although these elements may be designed differently in different settings, streamlining and synchronizing them while ensuring inclusion of all components for each element improves supply chain performance and promotes product availability at the community level.

Making products available among community health workers: Evidence for improving community health supply chains from Ethiopia, Malawi, and Rwanda

Science.gov (United States)

Chandani, Yasmin; Andersson, Sarah; Heaton, Alexis; Noel, Megan; Shieshia, Mildred; Mwirotsi, Amanda; Krudwig, Kirstin; Nsona, Humphreys; Felling, Barbara

2014-01-01

best when three key elements (product flow, data flow, and effective people) are deliberately included as an integral part of the system design. Although these elements may be designed differently in different settings, streamlining and synchronizing them while ensuring inclusion of all components for each element improves supply chain performance and promotes product availability at the community level. PMID:25520795

Improved Automated Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy on a Publicly Available Dataset Through Integration of Deep Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Abràmoff, Michael David; Lou, Yiyue; Erginay, Ali; Clarida, Warren; Amelon, Ryan; Folk, James C; Niemeijer, Meindert

2016-10-01

To compare performance of a deep-learning enhanced algorithm for automated detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR), to the previously published performance of that algorithm, the Iowa Detection Program (IDP)-without deep learning components-on the same publicly available set of fundus images and previously reported consensus reference standard set, by three US Board certified retinal specialists. We used the previously reported consensus reference standard of referable DR (rDR), defined as International Clinical Classification of Diabetic Retinopathy moderate, severe nonproliferative (NPDR), proliferative DR, and/or macular edema (ME). Neither Messidor-2 images, nor the three retinal specialists setting the Messidor-2 reference standard were used for training IDx-DR version X2.1. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, area under the curve (AUC), and their confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Sensitivity was 96.8% (95% CI: 93.3%-98.8%), specificity was 87.0% (95% CI: 84.2%-89.4%), with 6/874 false negatives, resulting in a negative predictive value of 99.0% (95% CI: 97.8%-99.6%). No cases of severe NPDR, PDR, or ME were missed. The AUC was 0.980 (95% CI: 0.968-0.992). Sensitivity was not statistically different from published IDP sensitivity, which had a CI of 94.4% to 99.3%, but specificity was significantly better than the published IDP specificity CI of 55.7% to 63.0%. A deep-learning enhanced algorithm for the automated detection of DR, achieves significantly better performance than a previously reported, otherwise essentially identical, algorithm that does not employ deep learning. Deep learning enhanced algorithms have the potential to improve the efficiency of DR screening, and thereby to prevent visual loss and blindness from this devastating disease.

Availability Analysis of the Ventilation Stack CAM Interlock System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

YOUNG, J.

2000-01-01

Ventilation Stack Continuous Air Monitor (CAM) Interlock System failure modes, failure frequencies and system availability have been evaluated for the RPP. The evaluation concludes that CAM availability is as high as assumed in the safety analysis and that the current routine system surveillance is adequate to maintain this availability. Further, requiring an alarm to actuate upon CAM failure is not necessary to maintain the availability credited in the safety analysis, nor is such an arrangement predicted to significantly improve system availability. However, if CAM failures were only detected by the 92-day functional tests required in the Authorization Basis (AB), CAM availability would be much less than that credited in the safety analysis. Therefore it is recommended that the current surveillance practice of daily simple system checks, 30-day source checks and 92-day functional tests be continued in order to maintain CAM availability

Availability and Utilization of Information Resources and Service by ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper recommends improvement in library budgetary allocation, more community sensitization on library services, urgent completion of the library complex at the main campus and commissioning of the e-library project. Key Words: Availability, utilization, information, resources, sources, academic, staff, university.

Ground-Water Availability in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Reilly, Thomas E.; Dennehy, Kevin F.; Alley, William M.; Cunningham, William L.

2008-01-01

Ground water is among the Nation's most important natural resources. It provides half our drinking water and is essential to the vitality of agriculture and industry, as well as to the health of rivers, wetlands, and estuaries throughout the country. Large-scale development of ground-water resources with accompanying declines in ground-water levels and other effects of pumping has led to concerns about the future availability of ground water to meet domestic, agricultural, industrial, and environmental needs. The challenges in determining ground-water availability are many. This report examines what is known about the Nation's ground-water availability and outlines a program of study by the U.S. Geological Survey Ground-Water Resources Program to improve our understanding of ground-water availability in major aquifers across the Nation. The approach is designed to provide useful regional information for State and local agencies who manage ground-water resources, while providing the building blocks for a national assessment. The report is written for a wide audience interested or involved in the management, protection, and sustainable use of the Nation's water resources.

The Principle of Hiring the Best Available Academics

Science.gov (United States)

Dilger, Alexander

2009-01-01

Purpose: Higher education, including research, depends crucially on the people involved, their talents and human capital. Therefore, a university can improve or at least maintain its standing by hiring only the best available academics. Hiring the absolute best may be too expensive for most and is impossible for all. However, it is not too…

Beyond redundancy how geographic redundancy can improve service availability and reliability of computer-based systems

CERN Document Server

Bauer, Eric; Eustace, Dan

2012-01-01

"While geographic redundancy can obviously be a huge benefit for disaster recovery, it is far less obvious what benefit is feasible and likely for more typical non-catastrophic hardware, software, and human failures. Georedundancy and Service Availability provides both a theoretical and practical treatment of the feasible and likely benefits of geographic redundancy for both service availability and service reliability. The text provides network/system planners, IS/IT operations folks, system architects, system engineers, developers, testers, and other industry practitioners with a general discussion about the capital expense/operating expense tradeoff that frames system redundancy and georedundancy"--

Availability simulation software adaptation to the IFMIF accelerator facility RAMI analyses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bargalló, Enric, E-mail: enric.bargallo-font@upc.edu [Fusion Energy Engineering Laboratory (FEEL), Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) Barcelona-Tech, Barcelona (Spain); Sureda, Pere Joan [Fusion Energy Engineering Laboratory (FEEL), Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) Barcelona-Tech, Barcelona (Spain); Arroyo, Jose Manuel [Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión por Confinamiento Magnético – CIEMAT, Madrid (Spain); Abal, Javier; De Blas, Alfredo; Dies, Javier; Tapia, Carlos [Fusion Energy Engineering Laboratory (FEEL), Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) Barcelona-Tech, Barcelona (Spain); Mollá, Joaquín; Ibarra, Ángel [Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión por Confinamiento Magnético – CIEMAT, Madrid (Spain)

2014-10-15

Highlights: • The reason why IFMIF RAMI analyses needs a simulation is explained. • Changes, modifications and software validations done to AvailSim are described. • First IFMIF RAMI results obtained with AvailSim 2.0 are shown. • Implications of AvailSim 2.0 in IFMIF RAMI analyses are evaluated. - Abstract: Several problems were found when using generic reliability tools to perform RAMI (Reliability Availability Maintainability Inspectability) studies for the IFMIF (International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility) accelerator. A dedicated simulation tool was necessary to model properly the complexity of the accelerator facility. AvailSim, the availability simulation software used for the International Linear Collider (ILC) became an excellent option to fulfill RAMI analyses needs. Nevertheless, this software needed to be adapted and modified to simulate the IFMIF accelerator facility in a useful way for the RAMI analyses in the current design phase. Furthermore, some improvements and new features have been added to the software. This software has become a great tool to simulate the peculiarities of the IFMIF accelerator facility allowing obtaining a realistic availability simulation. Degraded operation simulation and maintenance strategies are the main relevant features. In this paper, the necessity of this software, main modifications to improve it and its adaptation to IFMIF RAMI analysis are described. Moreover, first results obtained with AvailSim 2.0 and a comparison with previous results is shown.

Availability simulation software adaptation to the IFMIF accelerator facility RAMI analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bargalló, Enric; Sureda, Pere Joan; Arroyo, Jose Manuel; Abal, Javier; De Blas, Alfredo; Dies, Javier; Tapia, Carlos; Mollá, Joaquín; Ibarra, Ángel

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The reason why IFMIF RAMI analyses needs a simulation is explained. • Changes, modifications and software validations done to AvailSim are described. • First IFMIF RAMI results obtained with AvailSim 2.0 are shown. • Implications of AvailSim 2.0 in IFMIF RAMI analyses are evaluated. - Abstract: Several problems were found when using generic reliability tools to perform RAMI (Reliability Availability Maintainability Inspectability) studies for the IFMIF (International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility) accelerator. A dedicated simulation tool was necessary to model properly the complexity of the accelerator facility. AvailSim, the availability simulation software used for the International Linear Collider (ILC) became an excellent option to fulfill RAMI analyses needs. Nevertheless, this software needed to be adapted and modified to simulate the IFMIF accelerator facility in a useful way for the RAMI analyses in the current design phase. Furthermore, some improvements and new features have been added to the software. This software has become a great tool to simulate the peculiarities of the IFMIF accelerator facility allowing obtaining a realistic availability simulation. Degraded operation simulation and maintenance strategies are the main relevant features. In this paper, the necessity of this software, main modifications to improve it and its adaptation to IFMIF RAMI analysis are described. Moreover, first results obtained with AvailSim 2.0 and a comparison with previous results is shown

Optimizing the availability of a buffered industrial process

Science.gov (United States)

Martz, Jr., Harry F.; Hamada, Michael S.; Koehler, Arthur J.; Berg, Eric C.

2004-08-24

A computer-implemented process determines optimum configuration parameters for a buffered industrial process. A population size is initialized by randomly selecting a first set of design and operation values associated with subsystems and buffers of the buffered industrial process to form a set of operating parameters for each member of the population. An availability discrete event simulation (ADES) is performed on each member of the population to determine the product-based availability of each member. A new population is formed having members with a second set of design and operation values related to the first set of design and operation values through a genetic algorithm and the product-based availability determined by the ADES. Subsequent population members are then determined by iterating the genetic algorithm with product-based availability determined by ADES to form improved design and operation values from which the configuration parameters are selected for the buffered industrial process.

77 FR 53198 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-31

... Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www... Water Gap National Recreation Area, Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River, Susquehanna..., Construction of Improvements, from La Jolla Village Drive in San Diego to Harbor Drive in [[Page 53199...

Improving plant availability by predicting reactor trips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank, M.V.; Epstein, S.A.

1986-01-01

Management Ahnalysis Company (MAC) has developed and applied two complementary software packages called RiTSE and RAMSES. Together they provide an mini-computer workstation for maintenance and operations personnel to dramatically reduce inadvertent reactor trips. They are intended to be used by those responsible at the plant for authorizing work during operation (such as a clearance coordinator or shift foreman in U.S. plants). They discover and represent all components, processes, and their interactions that could case a trip. They predict if future activities at the plant would cause a reactor trip, provide a reactor trip warning system and aid in post-trip cause analysis. RAMSES is a general reliability engineering software package that uses concepts of artificial intelligence to provide unique capabilities on personal and mini-computers

Rotary Mode Core Sample System availability improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, W.W.; Bennett, K.L.; Potter, J.D.; Cross, B.T.; Burkes, J.M.; Rogers, A.C.

1995-01-01

The Rotary Mode Core Sample System (RMCSS) is used to obtain stratified samples of the waste deposits in single-shell and double-shell waste tanks at the Hanford Site. The samples are used to characterize the waste in support of ongoing and future waste remediation efforts. Four sampling trucks have been developed to obtain these samples. Truck I was the first in operation and is currently being used to obtain samples where the push mode is appropriate (i.e., no rotation of drill). Truck 2 is similar to truck 1, except for added safety features, and is in operation to obtain samples using either a push mode or rotary drill mode. Trucks 3 and 4 are now being fabricated to be essentially identical to truck 2

Biochar from sugarcane filtercake reduces soil CO2 emissions relative to raw residue and improves water retention and nutrient availability in a highly-weathered tropical soil.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela Joy Eykelbosh

Full Text Available In Brazil, the degradation of nutrient-poor Ferralsols limits productivity and drives agricultural expansion into pristine areas. However, returning agricultural residues to the soil in a stabilized form may offer opportunities for maintaining or improving soil quality, even under conditions that typically promote carbon loss. We examined the use of biochar made from filtercake (a byproduct of sugarcane processing on the physicochemical properties of a cultivated tropical soil. Filtercake was pyrolyzed at 575°C for 3 h yielding a biochar with increased surface area and porosity compared to the raw filtercake. Filtercake biochar was primarily composed of aromatic carbon, with some residual cellulose and hemicellulose. In a three-week laboratory incubation, CO2 effluxes from a highly weathered Ferralsol soil amended with 5% biochar (dry weight, d.w. were roughly four-fold higher than the soil-only control, but 23-fold lower than CO2 effluxes from soil amended with 5% (d.w. raw filtercake. We also applied vinasse, a carbon-rich liquid waste from bioethanol production typically utilized as a fertilizer on sugarcane soils, to filtercake- and biochar-amended soils. Total CO2 efflux from the biochar-amended soil in response to vinasse application was only 5% of the efflux when vinasse was applied to soil amended with raw filtercake. Furthermore, mixtures of 5 or 10% biochar (d.w. in this highly weathered tropical soil significantly increased water retention within the plant-available range and also improved nutrient availability. Accordingly, application of sugarcane filtercake as biochar, with or without vinasse application, may better satisfy soil management objectives than filtercake applied to soils in its raw form, and may help to build soil carbon stocks in sugarcane-cultivating regions.

Refining estimates of availability bias to improve assessments of the conservation status of an endangered dolphin.

Science.gov (United States)

Sucunza, Federico; Danilewicz, Daniel; Cremer, Marta; Andriolo, Artur; Zerbini, Alexandre N

2018-01-01

Estimation of visibility bias is critical to accurately compute abundance of wild populations. The franciscana, Pontoporia blainvillei, is considered the most threatened small cetacean in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Aerial surveys are considered the most effective method to estimate abundance of this species, but many existing estimates have been considered unreliable because they lack proper estimation of correction factors for visibility bias. In this study, helicopter surveys were conducted to determine surfacing-diving intervals of franciscanas and to estimate availability for aerial platforms. Fifteen hours were flown and 101 groups of 1 to 7 franciscanas were monitored, resulting in a sample of 248 surface-dive cycles. The mean surfacing interval and diving interval times were 16.10 seconds (SE = 9.74) and 39.77 seconds (SE = 29.06), respectively. Availability was estimated at 0.39 (SE = 0.01), a value 16-46% greater than estimates computed from diving parameters obtained from boats or from land. Generalized mixed-effects models were used to investigate the influence of biological and environmental predictors on the proportion of time franciscana groups are visually available to be seen from an aerial platform. These models revealed that group size was the main factor influencing the proportion at surface. The use of negatively biased estimates of availability results in overestimation of abundance, leads to overly optimistic assessments of extinction probabilities and to potentially ineffective management actions. This study demonstrates that estimates of availability must be computed from suitable platforms to ensure proper conservation decisions are implemented to protect threatened species such as the franciscana.

Drug availability and health facility usage in a Bamako Initiative and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The availability of drugs on a continuous basis is paramount to the success of any health care system. The Bamako Initiative (BI) had provision of essential drugs as one of its key thrusts in order to improve the utilization of health facilities. This study compared the perceived availability of essential drugs and ...

Availability and improvement of a vacuum-type immobilization device in pediatric CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tani, Shoji; Mizuno, Naoto; Abe, Syuji

2002-01-01

The essential factors for an immobilization device in pediatric CT are absence of artifacts, safety, no disturbance of the patient's sedation, and ease of handling. We evaluated the suitability of a commercially available vacuum-type immobilization device designed for radiation therapy (Vac-Lok) that meets these requisites. There were no artifacts in scans of the water phantom. The device easily immobilized the patient, was quick to release, and was superior to previous immobilization systems, according to replies to a questionnaire administered to physicians, technologists, and nurses. Schedule delays were reduced by using this device to examine sedated patients (up to 1 year of age). Despite these advantages, the device was too small to immobilize both extremities together when examining older patients. In order to overcome this problem, we invented a special immobilization device for pediatric CT. The new device could be applied to taller patients, up to 85 cm in height (the average height of 2-year-old infants), and was able to contribute to efficient utilization of the examination room. (author)

78 FR 69700 - Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-20

... receptor Improved bioavailability Development Stage: Early-stage. Inventors: Amy H. Newman, Ashwini Banala...: Early-stage Pre-clinical In vitro data available Inventors: Stephen M. Feinstone, Hongying Duan, Pei... recognition profiles. Vaccine. 2011 Dec 9;30(1):69-77. [PMID 22041300] 2. Duan H, et al. Amino acid residue...

Heuristic and probabilistic wind power availability estimation procedures: Improved tools for technology and site selection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nigim, K.A. [University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont. (Canada). Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Parker, Paul [University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont. (Canada). Department of Geography, Environmental Studies

2007-04-15

The paper describes two investigative procedures to estimate wind power from measured wind velocities. Wind velocity data are manipulated to visualize the site potential by investigating the probable wind power availability and its capacity to meet a targeted demand. The first procedure is an availability procedure that looks at the wind characteristics and its probable energy capturing profile. This profile of wind enables the probable maximum operating wind velocity profile for a selected wind turbine design to be predicted. The structured procedures allow for a consequent adjustment, sorting and grouping of the measured wind velocity data taken at different time intervals and hub heights. The second procedure is the adequacy procedure that investigates the probable degree of availability and the application consequences. Both procedures are programmed using MathCAD symbolic mathematical software. The math tool is used to generate a visual interpolation of the data as well as numerical results from extensive data sets that exceed the capacity of conventional spreadsheet tools. Two sites located in Southern Ontario, Canada are investigated using the procedures. Successful implementation of the procedures supports informed decision making where a hill site is shown to have much higher wind potential than that measured at the local airport. The process is suitable for a wide spectrum of users who are considering the energy potential for either a grid-tied or off-grid wind energy system. (author)

Availability analysis of selected mining machinery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brodny Jarosław

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Underground extraction of coal is characterized by high variability of mining and geological conditions in which it is conducted. Despite ever more effective methods and tools, used to identify the factors influencing this process, mining machinery, used in mining underground, work in difficult and not always foreseeable conditions, which means that these machines should be very universal and reliable. Additionally, a big competition, occurring on the coal market, causes that it is necessary to take action in order to reduce the cost of its production, e.g. by increasing the efficiency of utilization machines. To meet this objective it should be pro-ceed with analysis presented in this paper. The analysis concerns to availability of utilization selected mining machinery, conducted using the model of OEE, which is a tool for quantitative estimate strategy TPM. In this article we considered the machines being part of the mechanized longwall complex and the basis of analysis was the data recording by the industrial automation system. Using this data set we evaluated the availability of studied machines and the structure of registered breaks in their work. The results should be an important source of information for maintenance staff and management of mining plants, needed to improve the economic efficiency of underground mining.

Improving risk assessments for manufactured gas plant soils by measuring PAH availability.

Science.gov (United States)

Stroo, Hans F; Nakles, David V; Kreitinger, Joseph P; Loehr, Raymond C; Hawthorne, Steven B; Luthy, Richard G; Holman, Hoi-Ying; LaPierre, Adrienne

2005-07-01

Remediation of soils at oil-gas manufactured gas plant (MGP) sites is driven primarily by the human health risks posed by the carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), particularly benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), that are associated with lampblack residues. Although PAHs on lampblack are tightly sorbed, risk assessments do not account for this reduced availability. A multi-investigator study of 7 oil-gas MGP site soil samples demonstrated that the dermal and ingestion absorption factors are far lower than current default assumptions used in risk assessments. Using these sample-specific absorption factors in standard risk assessment equations increased risk-based cleanup levels by a factor of 72 on average (with a range from 23 to 142 times the default level). The rapidly released fraction of the BaP in each sample, as measured by supercritical fluid extraction, was closely correlated (r2 = 0.96) to these calculated cleanup levels. The weight of evidence developed during this research indicates that the risks posed by PAHs on lampblack are far less than assumed when using default absorption factors and that a tiered evaluation protocol employing chemical analyses, chemical release data, and in vitro bioassays can be used to establish more realistic site-specific criteria.

vSDC: a method to improve early recognition in virtual screening when limited experimental resources are available.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaput, Ludovic; Martinez-Sanz, Juan; Quiniou, Eric; Rigolet, Pascal; Saettel, Nicolas; Mouawad, Liliane

2016-01-01

In drug design, one may be confronted to the problem of finding hits for targets for which no small inhibiting molecules are known and only low-throughput experiments are available (like ITC or NMR studies), two common difficulties encountered in a typical academic setting. Using a virtual screening strategy like docking can alleviate some of the problems and save a considerable amount of time by selecting only top-ranking molecules, but only if the method is very efficient, i.e. when a good proportion of actives are found in the 1-10 % best ranked molecules. The use of several programs (in our study, Gold, Surflex, FlexX and Glide were considered) shows a divergence of the results, which presents a difficulty in guiding the experiments. To overcome this divergence and increase the yield of the virtual screening, we created the standard deviation consensus (SDC) and variable SDC (vSDC) methods, consisting of the intersection of molecule sets from several virtual screening programs, based on the standard deviations of their ranking distributions. SDC allowed us to find hits for two new protein targets by testing only 9 and 11 small molecules from a chemical library of circa 15,000 compounds. Furthermore, vSDC, when applied to the 102 proteins of the DUD-E benchmarking database, succeeded in finding more hits than any of the four isolated programs for 13-60 % of the targets. In addition, when only 10 molecules of each of the 102 chemical libraries were considered, vSDC performed better in the number of hits found, with an improvement of 6-24 % over the 10 best-ranked molecules given by the individual docking programs.Graphical abstractIn drug design, for a given target and a given chemical library, the results obtained with different virtual screening programs are divergent. So how to rationally guide the experimental tests, especially when only a few number of experiments can be made? The variable Standard Deviation Consensus (vSDC) method was developed to

75 FR 2109 - Notice of Availability of Final Contracting Policy

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-14

...-sector companies available to State and local government entities that have a need for the services... will continue to examine ways to improve its contracting processes, including minimizing the turnover frequency of contracting personnel and reducing the length of time required to award contracts and task...

[Not Available].

Science.gov (United States)

Abril, Encarnación; Gómez-Conesa, Antonia; Gutiérrez-Santos, Manuel

2008-05-01

To assess the quality of physiotherapeutic care in patients treated for low back pain in a Primary Health Care physiotherapy unit, and to improve the quality of the care provided to these patients. The first assessment includes all patients treated in 2002 (n=83). Five criteria corresponding to the initial physiotherapeutic assessment were chosen: C1, pain; C2, disability; C3, mobility, muscle examination, and C5, palpation. In order to detect non-compliance, the Ishikawa Fishbone diagram was used. Corrective measures were established in November 2003: publication of an Oswestry questionnaire model for assessing disability and reflecting on the results obtained. The second assessment includes the period of time from 1st November 2003 to 6th April 2004 (n=32). In the initial assessment, compliances observed were: C1: 21.69%; C2: 0; C3: 69.87%; C4: 78.31%, and C5: 84.33%. After implementing corrective measures a significant improvement was observed in the compliance of C1, C2, and C3. In C4 there was an improvement, and in C5 there was a decrease in compliance, both of them without statistical significance. The carrying out of an improvement cycle has enabled non-compliances in the application of this protocol to be detected and corrected. The corrective measures implemented have led to a reduction of the variability in the records. It is advisable to ensure that compliance does not decrease in the areas that initially showed a high level of compliance. Copyright © 2008 Sociedad Española de Calidad Asistencial. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Upgrading Supply Chain Management Systems to Improve Availability of Medicines in Tanzania: Evaluation of Performance and Cost Effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Mwencha, Marasi; Rosen, James E; Spisak, Cary; Watson, Noel; Kisoka, Noela; Mberesero, Happiness

2017-09-27

To address challenges in public health supply chain performance, Tanzania invested in a national logistics management unit (LMU) and a national electronic logistics management information system (eLMIS). This evaluation examined the impact of those 2 key management upgrades approximately 1 year after they were introduced. We used a nonexperimental pre-post study design to compare the previous system with the upgraded management system. We collected baseline data from August to November 2013. We conducted round 1 of post-implementation data collection during April and May 2015, about 1 year after implementation of the upgrades. We evaluated key indicators of data use and reporting; supply chain management practices such as storage and supervision; supply chain performance including stock-out and expiry rates; and supply chain cost and savings. We analyzed the data using a range of techniques including statistical testing of baseline and round-1 results, and cost, cost-effectiveness, and return on investment analysis. The upgrades were associated with improvements in data use, accessibility, visibility, and transparency; planning, control, and monitoring; support for quantification; stock-out rates; stock-out duration; commodity expiry; and forecast error. The upgraded system was more costly, but it was also more efficient, particularly when adjusting for the performance improvements. The upgrades also generated substantial savings that defrayed some, but not all, of the investment costs. Upgrades to Tanzania's supply chain management systems created multiple and complex pathways to impact. One year after implementation, the LMU and eLMIS brought about performance improvements through better data use and through improvements in some, but not all, management practices. Furthermore, the upgrades-while not inexpensive-contributed to greater system efficiency and modest savings. © Mwencha et al.

ROS mediated selection for increased NADPH availability in Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Thomas S; Courtney, Colleen M; Erickson, Keesha E; Wolfe, Lisa M; Chatterjee, Anushree; Nagpal, Prashant; Gill, Ryan T

2017-11-01

The economical production of chemicals and fuels by microbial processes remains an intense area of interest in biotechnology. A key limitation in such efforts concerns the availability of key co-factors, in this case NADPH, required for target pathways. Many of the strategies pursued for increasing NADPH availability in Escherichia coli involve manipulations to the central metabolism, which can create redox imbalances and overall growth defects. In this study we used a reactive oxygen species based selection to search for novel methods of increasing NADPH availability. We report a loss of function mutation in the gene hdfR appears to increase NADPH availability in E. coli. Additionally, we show this excess NADPH can be used to improve the production of 3HP in E. coli. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

How valid are commercially available medical simulators?

Science.gov (United States)

Stunt, JJ; Wulms, PH; Kerkhoffs, GM; Dankelman, J; van Dijk, CN; Tuijthof, GJM

2014-01-01

Background Since simulators offer important advantages, they are increasingly used in medical education and medical skills training that require physical actions. A wide variety of simulators have become commercially available. It is of high importance that evidence is provided that training on these simulators can actually improve clinical performance on live patients. Therefore, the aim of this review is to determine the availability of different types of simulators and the evidence of their validation, to offer insight regarding which simulators are suitable to use in the clinical setting as a training modality. Summary Four hundred and thirty-three commercially available simulators were found, from which 405 (94%) were physical models. One hundred and thirty validation studies evaluated 35 (8%) commercially available medical simulators for levels of validity ranging from face to predictive validity. Solely simulators that are used for surgical skills training were validated for the highest validity level (predictive validity). Twenty-four (37%) simulators that give objective feedback had been validated. Studies that tested more powerful levels of validity (concurrent and predictive validity) were methodologically stronger than studies that tested more elementary levels of validity (face, content, and construct validity). Conclusion Ninety-three point five percent of the commercially available simulators are not known to be tested for validity. Although the importance of (a high level of) validation depends on the difficulty level of skills training and possible consequences when skills are insufficient, it is advisable for medical professionals, trainees, medical educators, and companies who manufacture medical simulators to critically judge the available medical simulators for proper validation. This way adequate, safe, and affordable medical psychomotor skills training can be achieved. PMID:25342926

Places available

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. Places available The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses : Introduction à Outlook : 19.8.2004 (1 journée) Outlook (short course I) : E-mail : 31.8.2004 (2 hours, morning) Outlook (short course II) : Calendar, Tasks and Notes : 31.8.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Instructor-led WBTechT Study or Follow-up for Microsoft Applications : 7.9.2004 (morning) Outlook (short course III) : Meetings and Delegation : 7.9.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Introduction ...

Leveraging Available Technologies for Improved Interoperability and Visualization of Remote Sensing and In-situ Oceanographic data at the PO.DAAC

Science.gov (United States)

Tsontos, V. M.; Arms, S. C.; Thompson, C. K.; Quach, N.; Lam, T.

2016-12-01

Earth science applications increasingly rely on the integration of multivariate data from diverse observational platforms. Whether for satellite mission cal/val, science or decision support, the coupling of remote sensing and in-situ field data is integral also to oceanographic workflows. This has prompted archives such as the PO.DAAC, NASA's physical oceanographic data archive, that historically has had a remote sensing focus, to adapt to better accommodate complex field campaign datasets. However, the inherent heterogeneity of in-situ datasets and their variable adherence to meta/data standards poses a significant impediment to interoperability, a problem originating early in the data lifecycle and significantly impacting stewardship and usability of these data long-term. Here we introduce a new initiative underway at PO.DAAC that seeks to catalyze efforts to address these challenges. It involves the enhancement and integration of available high TRL (Technology Readiness level) components for improved interoperability and support of in-situ data with a focus on a novel yet representative class of oceanographic field data: data from electronic tags deployed on a variety of marine species as biological sampling platforms in support of fisheries management and ocean observation efforts. This project seeks to demonstrate, deliver and ultimately sustain operationally a reusable and accessible set of tools to: 1) mediate reconciliation of heterogeneous source data into a tractable number of standardized formats consistent with earth science data standards; 2) harmonize existing metadata models for satellite and field datasets; 3) demonstrate the value added of integrated data access via a range of available tools and services hosted at the PO.DAAC, including a web-based visualization tool for comprehensive mapping of satellite and in-situ data. An innovative part of our project plan involves partnering with the leading electronic tag manufacturer to promote the

Improvement of the availability of nuclear power station maintenance teleprocessing; Amelioration de la disponibilite des teletraitements de maintenance des centrales nucleaires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badellon, D; Bloton, Y; Bres, J P; Cuche, A; Trabaud, C

1993-11-01

The Data processing department at the DEPT manages a centralized maintenance application for the nineteen power plants in France. This application performs fourteen million CICS transactions every month, passing through the Electricite de France national teleprocessing network. Operation is split among two IBM 9021 computer partitions located one hundred kilometres apart for backup and security reasons in the two computer centres of the STI (EDF Data Processing Department) and the R and DD (EDF Research and Development Department). The CICS are stopped each night at 10.30 so that the data bases can be backed up onto cassettes and so that the work from the plants can be processed in batches. The plants update the number of bases and extract subsets intended for the plants. From the outset, considerable resources were assigned to this operation: cassette insertion robots, a high-power batch processing scheduling and planning tool optimizing parallel step work, high-power computers: two IBM 3090-40J computers were dedicated to this application as early as 1989. However, the buildup and evolution of this application led to ever greater basic volumes and increasingly voluminous and complex batch processing, leading to reduced transactional availability by pushing back the startup times. To combat this trend, the Data Processing Department at the DEPT, together with the Departments operating the computers, took a number of steps to speed up batch processing and thus improve teleprocessing availability. In particular, on the partition operated by the computer Centre in the Applied Mathematics and Data Processing Service of the Research and Development Department at EDF, a number of studies were conducted, as described in the following text. This description comprises three parts: - report on the studies and steps taken, both from the hardware and the software viewpoint; - an evaluation of their effectiveness and the results obtained; - the new areas for study selected.

Condom availability in high risk places and condom use

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandøy, Ingvild Fossgard; Blystad, Astrid; Shayo, Elizabeth H.

2012-01-01

study findings indicate that substantial further efforts should be made to secure that condoms are easily accessible in places where sexual relationships are initiated. Although condom distribution in drinking places has been pinpointed in the HIV/AIDS prevention strategies of all the three countries......Background A number of studies from countries with severe HIV epidemics have found gaps in condom availability, even in places where there is a substantial potential for HIV transmission. Although reported condom use has increased in many African countries, there are often big differences...... in the availability of condoms in places where people meet new sexual partners in these three African districts. Considering that previous studies have found that improved condom availability and accessibility in high risk places have a potential to increase condom use among people with multiple partners, the present...

Challenges and strategies to improve the availability and geographic accessibility of physicians in Portugal.

Science.gov (United States)

de Oliveira, Ana Paula Cavalcante; Dussault, Gilles; Craveiro, Isabel

2017-03-23

Shortages of physicians in remote, rural and other underserved areas and lack of general practitioners limit access to health services. The aims of this article are to identify the challenges faced by policy and decision-makers in Portugal to guarantee the availability and geographic accessibility to physicians in the National Health Service and to describe and analyse their causes, the strategies to tackle them and their results. We also raise the issue of whether research evidence was used or not in the process of policy development. We analysed policy and technical documents, peer-reviewed papers and newspaper articles from 1995 to 2015 through a structured search of government websites, Portuguese online newspapers and PubMed and Virtual Health Library (Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS)) databases; key informants were consulted to validate and complement the documentary search. The challenges faced by decision-makers to ensure access to physicians were identified as a forecasted shortage of physicians, geographical imbalances and maldistribution of physicians by level of care. To date, no human resources for health policy has been formulated, in spite of most documents reviewed stating that it is needed. On the other hand, various isolated and ad hoc strategies have been adopted, such as incentives to choose family health as a specialty or to work in an underserved region and recruitment of foreign physicians through bilateral agreements. Health workforce research in Portugal is scarce, and therefore, policy decisions regarding the availability and accessibility of physicians are not based on evidence. The policy interventions described in this paper should be evaluated, which would be a good starting point to inform health workforce policy development.

Corn Stover Availability for Biomass Conversion: Situation Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hess, J. Richard; Kenney, Kevin L.; Wright, Christopher T.; Perlack, Robert; Turhollow, Anthony

2009-01-01

As biorefining conversion technologies become commercial, feedstock availability, supply system logistics, and biomass material attributes are emerging as major barriers to the availability of corn stover for biorefining. While systems do exist to supply corn stover as feedstock to biorefining facilities, stover material attributes affecting physical deconstruction, such as densification and post-harvest material stability, challenge the cost-effectiveness of present-day feedstock logistics systems. In addition, the material characteristics of corn stover create barriers with any supply system design in terms of equipment capacity/efficiency, dry matter loss, and capital use efficiency. However, this study of a large, square-bale corn stover feedstock supply system concludes that (1) where other agronomic factors are not limiting, corn stover can be accessed and supplied to a biorefinery using existing bale-based technologies, (2) technologies and new supply system designs are necessary to overcome biomass bulk density and moisture material property challenges, and (3) major opportunities to improve conventional-bale biomass feedstock supply systems include improvements in equipment efficiency and capacity and reducing biomass losses in harvesting and collection and storage. Finally, the backbone of an effective stover supply system design is the optimization of intended and minimization of unintended material property changes as the corn stover passes through the individual supply system processes from the field to the biorefinery conversion processes

DOD Service Acquisition: Improved Use of Available Data Needed to Better Manage and Forecast Service Contract Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

2016-02-01

Requirements Report to Congressional Committees February 2016 GAO-16-119 United States Government Accountability Office United States...Government Accountability Office Highlights of GAO-16-119, a report to congressional committees February 2016 DOD SERVICE ACQUISITION Improved...attention on government operations that it identifies as high risk due to their greater vulnerabilities to fraud , waste, abuse, and mismanagement or

Experience in monitoring ageing phenomena for improving nuclear power plant availability. Proceedings of a specialists' meeting. Working material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1992-07-01

For more than thirty years nuclear power plants have been supplying electricity to national grids. Today, the nuclear power community is facing great challenges. The safe, reliable operation of existing nuclear power plants (NPPs) must continue to be ensured. From an economic viewpoint, because of the long lead times associated with bringing new plants into service, securing the continued operation of existing plants for their planned lifetimes and possible life extension will be very important in the near term for meeting electrical power demands. The IAEA programmes in nuclear power plant ageing and life extension and in control and instrumentation promote technical information exchange between Member States with new programmes, offers assistance to Member States with an interest in reliability of NPP components, in-service inspection methods and programmes using on-line techniques, component monitoring and special technological topics of nuclear reactors. Significant experience already exists in the nuclear industry in developing and applying the monitoring techniques for different nuclear power plant applications, especially in monitoring of ageing phenomena for improving NPP availability. The purpose of this Specialists' Meeting was to bring together experts from operations, design, research and development and licensing to share their experience in: ageing mechanics of key structural components, methods of monitoring such ageing, tools for cost-effective implementation of the methods and methodologies, life management approaches and examples from current reactors, future direction for monitoring of key structural components in nuclear power plants. The meeting was organized by the IAEA International Working Groups on Life Management of Nuclear Power Plants (IWG-LMNPP) and Nuclear Power Plant Control and Instrumentation (TWG-NPPCI) in co-operation with the Czechoslovak Atomic Energy Commission and Skoda concern. Around 40 participants from 10 countries.

Experience in monitoring ageing phenomena for improving nuclear power plant availability. Proceedings of a specialists' meeting. Working material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

For more than thirty years nuclear power plants have been supplying electricity to national grids. Today, the nuclear power community is facing great challenges. The safe, reliable operation of existing nuclear power plants (NPPs) must continue to be ensured. From an economic viewpoint, because of the long lead times associated with bringing new plants into service, securing the continued operation of existing plants for their planned lifetimes and possible life extension will be very important in the near term for meeting electrical power demands. The IAEA programmes in nuclear power plant ageing and life extension and in control and instrumentation promote technical information exchange between Member States with new programmes, offers assistance to Member States with an interest in reliability of NPP components, in-service inspection methods and programmes using on-line techniques, component monitoring and special technological topics of nuclear reactors. Significant experience already exists in the nuclear industry in developing and applying the monitoring techniques for different nuclear power plant applications, especially in monitoring of ageing phenomena for improving NPP availability. The purpose of this Specialists' Meeting was to bring together experts from operations, design, research and development and licensing to share their experience in: ageing mechanics of key structural components, methods of monitoring such ageing, tools for cost-effective implementation of the methods and methodologies, life management approaches and examples from current reactors, future direction for monitoring of key structural components in nuclear power plants. The meeting was organized by the IAEA International Working Groups on Life Management of Nuclear Power Plants (IWG-LMNPP) and Nuclear Power Plant Control and Instrumentation (TWG-NPPCI) in co-operation with the Czechoslovak Atomic Energy Commission and Skoda concern. Around 40 participants from 10 countries

Leveraging Cloud Computing to Improve Storage Durability, Availability, and Cost for MER Maestro

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, George W.; Powell, Mark W.; Callas, John L.; Torres, Recaredo J.; Shams, Khawaja S.

2012-01-01

The Maestro for MER (Mars Exploration Rover) software is the premiere operation and activity planning software for the Mars rovers, and it is required to deliver all of the processed image products to scientists on demand. These data span multiple storage arrays sized at 2 TB, and a backup scheme ensures data is not lost. In a catastrophe, these data would currently recover at 20 GB/hour, taking several days for a restoration. A seamless solution provides access to highly durable, highly available, scalable, and cost-effective storage capabilities. This approach also employs a novel technique that enables storage of the majority of data on the cloud and some data locally. This feature is used to store the most recent data locally in order to guarantee utmost reliability in case of an outage or disconnect from the Internet. This also obviates any changes to the software that generates the most recent data set as it still has the same interface to the file system as it did before updates

Characteristics, availability and uses of vital registration and other mortality data sources in post-democracy South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Joubert, Jané; Rao, Chalapati; Bradshaw, Debbie; Dorrington, Rob E.; Vos, Theo; Lopez, Alan D.

2012-01-01

The value of good-quality mortality data for public health is widely acknowledged. While effective civil registration systems remains the ‘gold standard’ source for continuous mortality measurement, less than 25% of deaths are registered in most African countries. Alternative data collection systems can provide mortality data to complement those from civil registration, given an understanding of data source characteristics and data quality. We aim to document mortality data sources in post-democracy South Africa; to report on availability, limitations, strengths, and possible complementary uses of the data; and to make recommendations for improved data for mortality measurement. Civil registration and alternative mortality data collection systems, data availability, and complementary uses were assessed by reviewing blank questionnaires, death notification forms, death data capture sheets, and patient cards; legislation; electronic data archives and databases; and related information in scientific journals, research reports, statistical releases, government reports and books. Recent transformation has enhanced civil registration and official mortality data availability. Additionally, a range of mortality data items are available in three population censuses, three demographic surveillance systems, and a number of national surveys, mortality audits, and disease notification programmes. Child and adult mortality items were found in all national data sources, and maternal mortality items in most. Detailed cause-of-death data are available from civil registration and demographic surveillance. In a continent often reported as lacking the basic data to infer levels, patterns and trends of mortality, there is evidence of substantial improvement in South Africa in the availability of data for mortality assessment. Mortality data sources are many and varied, providing opportunity for comparing results and improved public health planning. However, more can and must be

Reliability and availability of high power proton accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Y.

1999-01-01

It has become increasingly important to address the issues of operational reliability and availability of an accelerator complex early in its design and construction phases. In this context, reliability addresses the mean time between failures and the failure rate, and availability takes into account the failure rate as well as the length of time required to repair the failure. Methods to reduce failure rates include reduction of the number of components and over-design of certain key components. Reduction of the on-line repair time can be achieved by judiciously designed hardware, quick-service spare systems and redundancy. In addition, provisions for easy inspection and maintainability are important for both reduction of the failure rate as well as reduction of the time to repair. The radiation safety exposure principle of ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) is easier to comply with when easy inspection capability and easy maintainability are incorporated into the design. Discussions of past experience in improving accelerator availability, some recent developments, and potential R and D items are presented. (author)

Estimating Nitrogen Availability of Heat-Dried Bio solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cogger, C.G.; Bary, A.I.; Myhre, E.A.

2011-01-01

As heat-dried bio solids become more widely produced and marketed, it is important to improve estimates of N availability from these materials. Objectives were to compare plant-available N among three different heat-dried bio solids and determine if current guidelines were adequate for estimating application rates. Heat-dried bio solids were surface applied to tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) in Washington State, USA, and forage yield and N uptake measured for two growing seasons following application. Three rates of urea and a zero-N control were used to calculate N fertilizer efficiency regressions. Application year plant-available N (estimated as urea N equivalent) for two bio solids exceeded 60% of total N applied, while urea N equivalent for the third bio solids was 45%. Residual (second-year) urea N equivalent ranged from 5 to 10%. Guidelines for the Pacific Northwest USA recommend mineralization estimates of 35 to 40% for heat-dried bio solids, but this research shows that some heat-dried materials fall well above that range.

Rhizosphere organic anions play a minor role in improving crop species’ ability to take up residual phosphorus (P in agricultural soils low in P availability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanliang Wang

2016-11-01

improving P availability and uptake.

Biochar from sugarcane filtercake reduces soil CO2 emissions relative to raw residue and improves water retention and nutrient availability in a highly-weathered tropical soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Eykelbosh, Angela Joy; Johnson, Mark S; Santos de Queiroz, Edmar; Dalmagro, Higo José; Guimarães Couto, Eduardo

2014-01-01

In Brazil, the degradation of nutrient-poor Ferralsols limits productivity and drives agricultural expansion into pristine areas. However, returning agricultural residues to the soil in a stabilized form may offer opportunities for maintaining or improving soil quality, even under conditions that typically promote carbon loss. We examined the use of biochar made from filtercake (a byproduct of sugarcane processing) on the physicochemical properties of a cultivated tropical soil. Filtercake was pyrolyzed at 575°C for 3 h yielding a biochar with increased surface area and porosity compared to the raw filtercake. Filtercake biochar was primarily composed of aromatic carbon, with some residual cellulose and hemicellulose. In a three-week laboratory incubation, CO2 effluxes from a highly weathered Ferralsol soil amended with 5% biochar (dry weight, d.w.) were roughly four-fold higher than the soil-only control, but 23-fold lower than CO2 effluxes from soil amended with 5% (d.w.) raw filtercake. We also applied vinasse, a carbon-rich liquid waste from bioethanol production typically utilized as a fertilizer on sugarcane soils, to filtercake- and biochar-amended soils. Total CO2 efflux from the biochar-amended soil in response to vinasse application was only 5% of the efflux when vinasse was applied to soil amended with raw filtercake. Furthermore, mixtures of 5 or 10% biochar (d.w.) in this highly weathered tropical soil significantly increased water retention within the plant-available range and also improved nutrient availability. Accordingly, application of sugarcane filtercake as biochar, with or without vinasse application, may better satisfy soil management objectives than filtercake applied to soils in its raw form, and may help to build soil carbon stocks in sugarcane-cultivating regions.

Biochar from Sugarcane Filtercake Reduces Soil CO2 Emissions Relative to Raw Residue and Improves Water Retention and Nutrient Availability in a Highly-Weathered Tropical Soil

Science.gov (United States)

Eykelbosh, Angela Joy; Johnson, Mark S.; Santos de Queiroz, Edmar; Dalmagro, Higo José; Guimarães Couto, Eduardo

2014-01-01

In Brazil, the degradation of nutrient-poor Ferralsols limits productivity and drives agricultural expansion into pristine areas. However, returning agricultural residues to the soil in a stabilized form may offer opportunities for maintaining or improving soil quality, even under conditions that typically promote carbon loss. We examined the use of biochar made from filtercake (a byproduct of sugarcane processing) on the physicochemical properties of a cultivated tropical soil. Filtercake was pyrolyzed at 575°C for 3 h yielding a biochar with increased surface area and porosity compared to the raw filtercake. Filtercake biochar was primarily composed of aromatic carbon, with some residual cellulose and hemicellulose. In a three-week laboratory incubation, CO2 effluxes from a highly weathered Ferralsol soil amended with 5% biochar (dry weight, d.w.) were roughly four-fold higher than the soil-only control, but 23-fold lower than CO2 effluxes from soil amended with 5% (d.w.) raw filtercake. We also applied vinasse, a carbon-rich liquid waste from bioethanol production typically utilized as a fertilizer on sugarcane soils, to filtercake- and biochar-amended soils. Total CO2 efflux from the biochar-amended soil in response to vinasse application was only 5% of the efflux when vinasse was applied to soil amended with raw filtercake. Furthermore, mixtures of 5 or 10% biochar (d.w.) in this highly weathered tropical soil significantly increased water retention within the plant-available range and also improved nutrient availability. Accordingly, application of sugarcane filtercake as biochar, with or without vinasse application, may better satisfy soil management objectives than filtercake applied to soils in its raw form, and may help to build soil carbon stocks in sugarcane-cultivating regions. PMID:24897522

Improving requirements engineering by artefact orientation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Méndez Fernández, Daniel; Wieringa, Roelf J.

2013-01-01

The importance of continuously improving requirements engineering (RE) has been recognised for many years. Similar to available software process improvement approaches, most RE improvement approaches focus on a normative and solution-driven assessment of companies rather than on a problem-driven RE

Availability of resources for emergency care at a second-level hospital in Ghana: A mixed methods assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kennedy B. Japiong

2016-03-01

Conclusion: This study identified opportunities to improve the care of patients with emergency conditions at the Police Hospital in Ghana. Low-cost improvements in training, organization and planning could improve item and service availability, such as: developing a continuing education curriculum for staff in all areas of the emergency centre; holding in-service training on existing protocols for triage and emergency care; adding checklists to guide appropriate triage and safe transfer of patients; and perform a root cause analysis of item non-availability to develop targeted interventions.

How valid are commercially available medical simulators?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stunt JJ

2014-10-01

Full Text Available JJ Stunt,1 PH Wulms,2 GM Kerkhoffs,1 J Dankelman,2 CN van Dijk,1 GJM Tuijthof1,2 1Orthopedic Research Center Amsterdam, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; 2Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Materials and Maritime Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands Background: Since simulators offer important advantages, they are increasingly used in medical education and medical skills training that require physical actions. A wide variety of simulators have become commercially available. It is of high importance that evidence is provided that training on these simulators can actually improve clinical performance on live patients. Therefore, the aim of this review is to determine the availability of different types of simulators and the evidence of their validation, to offer insight regarding which simulators are suitable to use in the clinical setting as a training modality. Summary: Four hundred and thirty-three commercially available simulators were found, from which 405 (94% were physical models. One hundred and thirty validation studies evaluated 35 (8% commercially available medical simulators for levels of validity ranging from face to predictive validity. Solely simulators that are used for surgical skills training were validated for the highest validity level (predictive validity. Twenty-four (37% simulators that give objective feedback had been validated. Studies that tested more powerful levels of validity (concurrent and predictive validity were methodologically stronger than studies that tested more elementary levels of validity (face, content, and construct validity. Conclusion: Ninety-three point five percent of the commercially available simulators are not known to be tested for validity. Although the importance of (a high level of validation depends on the difficulty level of skills training and possible consequences when skills are

Programs to improve plant performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Felmus, N.L.

1987-01-01

Looking toward the 1990's, we see a period in which our industry will face the challenge of improving the performance of the nuclear plants which are built and operating. The skills and technology are at hand to make good plant performance a reality and we believe the time has come to use them to achieve that end. As reserve margins decline, utilities and their regulators will increasingly seek to tap the unexploited capacity tied up in plants operating below their optimum availability. This paper describes a number of the programs, plant improvements and operations improvements which can yield a significant increase in nuclear plant availability and capacity factor now and into the 1990's. (author)

75 FR 36091 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Improvements to the...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-24

... Environmental Quality Advisor, Portfolio Management Division, Capital Investment Branch (9P2PTC), U.S. General...://www.gsa.gov/nepalibrary . Other matters regarding this environmental review should be referred to Greg... GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement...

Data Availability in Appliance Standards and Labeling Program Development and Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romankiewicz, John [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Khanna, Nina [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Vine, Edward [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Zhou, Nan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-05-01

In this report, we describe the necessary data inputs for both standards development and program evaluation and perform an initial assessment of the availability and uncertainty of those data inputs in China. For standards development, we find that China and its standards and labeling program administrators currently has access to the basic market and technical data needed for conducting market and technology assessment and technological and economic analyses. Some data, such as shipments data, is readily available from the China Energy Label product registration database while the availability of other data, including average unit energy consumption, prices and design options, needs improvement. Unlike some other countries such as the United States, most of the necessary data for conducting standards development analyses are not publicly available or compiled in a consolidated data source. In addition, improved data on design and efficiency options as well as cost data (e.g., manufacturing costs, mark-ups, production and product use-phase costs) – key inputs to several technoeconomic analyses – are particularly in need given China’s unconsolidated manufacturing industry. For program evaluation, we find that while China can conduct simple savings evaluations on its incentive programs with the data it currently has available from the Ministry of Finance – the program administrator, the savings estimates produced by such an evaluation will carry high uncertainty. As such, China could benefit from an increase in surveying and metering in the next one to three years to decrease the uncertainty surrounding key data points such as unit energy savings and free ridership.

Application of artificial intelligence to improve plant availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank, M.V.; Epstein, S.A.

1986-01-01

Using artificial intelligence software techniques, Management Analysis Company (MAC) has developed two complementary software packages that together provide a workstation environment for maintenance and operations personnel to dramatically reduce inadvertent reactor trips. They are called the Reactor Trip Simulation Environment (RTSE) and the Key Component Generation Environment (KCGE). They are not proposed or being designed. They are in use today. The plants component and process interdependencies are modeled within RTSE - using modeling practices and notations familiar to engineers which accelerated the acceptance of the software. KCGE provides the groups of key components that would cause a reactor trip

Improving UXS Network Availability with Asymmetric Polarized MIMO

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-01

time video within line of sight (LOS) of a GCS [4]. Another type of UXS is an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). UGVs are mostly wheeled or tracked and...formation. In graph theory, this corresponds to the maximum of the eccentricity of all vertices in G . For Figure 49(a-c) the minimum hop metric is

Improving Health Care Provider Availability through Information Technology

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Lasell, Jon R

2005-01-01

.... This study identifies the need for change in collecting data on patient care time, reviews different methods/systems for gathering data, documents the implementation of the selected system (eUCAPERS...

Places available**

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Project Planning with MS-Project : 15 & 22.1.2004 (2 days) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework Course : 2 sessions : 2 - 6.2.2004 and 16 - 20-2-2004 (5 days) Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming : 16 - 18.2.2004 (3 days - free of charge) C++ for Particle Physicists : 8 - 12.3.2004 ( 6 X 4-hour sessions)

Places available**

CERN Document Server

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: The JAVA Programming Language Level 1 :9 & 10.1.2004 (2 days) The JAVA Programming Language Level 2 : 11 to 13.1.2004 (3 days) Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming : 16 - 18.2.2004 (3 days - free of charge) CLEAN-2002 : Working in a Cleanroom : 10.3.2004 (afternoon - free of charge) C++ for Particle Physicists : 8 - 12.3.2004...

Places available**

CERN Document Server

2003-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval Tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition - Part 1 : WEB Applications : 20 & 21.11.03(2 days) FrontPage 2000 - niveau 1 : 20 & 21.11.03 (2 jours) Oracle 8i : SQL : 3 - 5.12.03 (3 days) Oracle 8i : Programming with PL/SQL : 8 - 10.12.03 (3 days) The JAVA Programming Language - leve...

Places available**

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: MATLAB Fundamentals and Programming Techniques (ML01) :2 & 3.12.03 (2 days) Oracle 8i : SQL : 3 - 5.12.03 (3 days) The EDMS MTF in practice : 5.12.03 (afternoon, free of charge) Modeling Dynamic Systems with Simulink (SL01) : 8 & 9.12.03 (2 days) Signal Processing with MATLAB (SG01) : 11 & ...

Places available**

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: ACCESS 2000 - niveau 1 : 13 & 14.11.03 (2 jours) C++ for Particle Physicists : 17 – 21.11.03 (6 X 3-hour lectures) Programmation automate Schneider TSX Premium – niveau 2 : 18 – 21.11.03 (4 jours) JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition – Part 1 : WEB Applications : 20 & ...

Effect of the surfactant on the availability of piroxicam as a poorly hydrosoluble drug from suppositories.

Science.gov (United States)

Dal Zorro, M; Franceschinis, E; Punchina, A; Realdon, N

2012-01-01

The use of surfactants in suppository formulations has been suggested to improve availability of poorly soluble drugs. In the present study, different kinds of surfactants have been investigated to clarify the influence on piroxicam release from suppositories formulated with both lipophilic and hydrophilic bases. Two hydrophilic glucose-derivate surfactants, and a polyoxylglyceride amphiphilic surfactant, all with high HLB values, were investigated for their use in improving drug availability. The two glucose derivate surfactants reduced drug availability from both lipophilic suppositories and hydrophilic formulations, according to longer disintegration times and drug micellization. The more complex surfactant, a lauroyl macrogolglyceride, showed an increase in piroxicam availability from lipophilic suppositories at the higher tested concentrations (15% and 20%). Otherwise, when used in hydrophilic formulations, it was less effective in promoting drug release and even reduced drug availability.

Unit availability not affected by extending outage cycles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, D.J.

2003-03-01

To improve their economic dispatch position, more and more plant owners are extending the intervals between major outages for boilers from one year to 18-24 months and for steam turbine up to 12 years. In many instances, extended outage cycles have resulted in no loss in availability or increases in forced outages. The article discusses outage scheduling at Tucson Electric Power's Springville coal-fired plant, the Panther Creek Energy Facility in Pennsylvania, and at Tennessee Valley Authority's coal-fired power plants. 1 fig.

Operational Issues: What Science in Available?

Science.gov (United States)

Rosekind, Mark R.; Neri, David F.

1997-01-01

Flight/duty/rest considerations involve two highly complex factors: the diverse demands of aviation operations and human physiology (especially sleep and circadian rhythms). Several core operational issues related to fatigue have been identified, such as minimum rest requirements, duty length, flight time considerations, crossing multiple time zones, and night flying. Operations also can involve on-call reserve status and callout, delays due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g., weather, mechanical), and on-demand flights. Over 40 years of scientific research is now available to apply to these complex issues of flight/duty/rest requirements. This research involves controlled 'laboratory studies, simulations, and data collected during regular flight operations. When flight/duty/rest requirements are determined they are typically based on a variety of considerations, such as operational demand, safety, economic, etc. Rarely has the available, state-of-the-art science been a consideration along with these other factors when determining flight/duty/rest requirements. While the complexity of the operational demand and human physiology precludes an absolute solution, there is an opportunity to take full advantage of the current scientific data. Incorporating these data in a rational operational manner into flight/duty/rest requirements can improve flight crew performance, alertness, and ultimately, aviation safety.

Places available**

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of these courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses : EXCEL 2000 - niveau 1 : 20 & 22.10.03 (2 jours) CLEAN-2002 : Working in a Cleanroom (free of charge) : 23.10.03 (half day) The EDMS-MTF in practice (free of charge) :  28 -  30.10.03 (6 half-day sessions) AutoCAD 2002 - Level 1 : 3, 4, 12, 13.11.03 (4 days) LabVIEW TestStand ver. 3 : 4 & 5.11.03 (2 days) Introduction to Pspice : 4.11.03 p.m. (half-day) Hands-on Introduction to Python Programm...

Places available**

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt.TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: The JAVA Programming Language Level 1 : 9 & 10.1.2004 (2 days) The JAVA Programming Language Level 2 : 11 to 13.1.2004 (3 days) LabVIEW base 1 : 25 - 27.2.2004 (3 jours) CLEAN-2002 : Working in a Cleanroom : 10.3.2004 (afternoon - free of charge) C++ for Particle Physicists : 8 - 12.3.2004 ( 6 X 4-hour sessions) LabVIEW Basics 1 : 22 - 24.3.20...

Places available**

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval Tel. 74924technical.training@cern.ch ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: MATLAB Fundamentals and Programming Techniques (ML01) : 2 & 3.12.03 (2 days) Oracle 8i : SQL : 3 - 5.12.03 (3 days) The EDMS MTF in practice : 5.12.03 (afternoon, free of charge) Modeling Dynamic Systems with Simulink (SL01) : 8 & 9.12.03 (2 days) Signal Processing with MATLAB (SG01) : 11 & 12.12.03 (2 days) The JAVA Programming Language - l...

Availability, reliability and logistic support studies of the RF power system design options for the IFMIF accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bargallo, E., E-mail: enric.bargallo-font@upc.edu [Fusion Energy Engineering Laboratory (FEEL), Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) Barcelona-Tech, Barcelona (Spain); Giralt, A.; Martinez, G. [Fusion Energy Engineering Laboratory (FEEL), Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) Barcelona-Tech, Barcelona (Spain); Weber, M.; Regidor, D.; Arroyo, J.M. [Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, Madrid (Spain); Abal, J.; Dies, J.; Tapia, C.; De Blas, A. [Fusion Energy Engineering Laboratory (FEEL), Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) Barcelona-Tech, Barcelona (Spain); Mendez, P.; Ibarra, A.; Molla, J. [Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, Madrid (Spain)

2013-10-15

Highlights: ► Current RF system design based on tetrodes chains is evaluated. ► Alternative solid state power amplifiers RF system design is analyzed. ► Both designs are compared in terms of availability, logistics and cost. ► It is concluded that solid state option presents relevant improvements. -- Abstract: The current design of the radio frequency (RF) power system for the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) is based upon tetrodes technology. Due to the improvement in the solid state amplifiers technology, the possibility of using this option for IFMIF RF system is becoming a very competitive alternative presenting from the beginning several advantages in terms of availability, reliability and logistics. The current design based on RF tetrodes chains leads no room for substantial improvements in terms of availability being the requirement for the RF system hard to achieve. The principal goals of this paper are to use RAMI (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Inspectionability) analysis in the solid state amplifier design, and to compare the availability, reliability and logistic performances for both alternatives.

Availability, reliability and logistic support studies of the RF power system design options for the IFMIF accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bargallo, E.; Giralt, A.; Martinez, G.; Weber, M.; Regidor, D.; Arroyo, J.M.; Abal, J.; Dies, J.; Tapia, C.; De Blas, A.; Mendez, P.; Ibarra, A.; Molla, J.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Current RF system design based on tetrodes chains is evaluated. ► Alternative solid state power amplifiers RF system design is analyzed. ► Both designs are compared in terms of availability, logistics and cost. ► It is concluded that solid state option presents relevant improvements. -- Abstract: The current design of the radio frequency (RF) power system for the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) is based upon tetrodes technology. Due to the improvement in the solid state amplifiers technology, the possibility of using this option for IFMIF RF system is becoming a very competitive alternative presenting from the beginning several advantages in terms of availability, reliability and logistics. The current design based on RF tetrodes chains leads no room for substantial improvements in terms of availability being the requirement for the RF system hard to achieve. The principal goals of this paper are to use RAMI (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Inspectionability) analysis in the solid state amplifier design, and to compare the availability, reliability and logistic performances for both alternatives

Mechanical Behavior of Fully Expanded Commercially Available Endovascular Coronary Stents

OpenAIRE

Tambaca, Josip; Canic, Suncica; Kosor, Mate; Fish, R. David; Paniagua, David

2011-01-01

The mechanical behavior of endovascular coronary stents influences their therapeutic efficacy. Through computational studies, researchers can analyze device performance and improve designs. We developed a 1-dimensional finite element method, net-based algorithm and used it to analyze the effects of radial loading and bending in commercially available stents. Our computational study included designs modeled on the Express, Cypher, Xience, and Palmaz stents.

Phytase inclusion in pig diets improves zinc status but its effect on copper availability is inconsistent

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bikker, P.; Diepen, van J.T.M.; Binnendijk, G.P.; Jongbloed, A.W.

2012-01-01

Complexation of dietary phytate with cations is a major cause of reduced bioavailability of Zn and possibly Cu in pig diets. We conducted 2 studies with 2 treatments in young growing pigs (8 to 40 kg) to estimate potential contributions of phytase to availability and supply of Zn and Cu,

Integrating ILI data with publicly available mapping solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coleman, Grant A.; Miller, Scott J. [BJ Pipeline Inspection Services, Calgary, AB (Canada)], email: gcoleman@bjservices.ca, email: smiller@bjservices.ca

2010-07-01

With the improvement of the technology, in line inspection tools now incorporate accurate Inertial Mapping Units (IMU) which provide spatial coordinates for the features comprised within a pipeline. Geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to display the data, however some companies do not have such systems and novices cannot navigate easily within the application. The aim of this paper is to present the use of universally available packages to display GIS style data. Case studies are presented in which Google Earth imagery is used to display IMU data. This study showed that universally available packages such as Google Earth do not match the accuracy and functionality of GIS systems but they can be a convenient and easy to use way to display data in a portable format. Organizations that do not have a GIS system could thus benefit from the use of those packages.

Availability of thermal power plants 1980-1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitsch, D.; Schmitz, H.

1990-01-01

The evaluation submitted here is the 19th annual evaluation since 1970. It covers the period from 1980 to 1989 and contains availability data of 324 power stations (domestic and international) with roundabout 94000 MW and 3800 plant years. Data relate to fossil-fuelled cogeneration plants, combined cycle plants (gas-steam combined process), nuclear power stations and gas turbines. The fossil-fuelled blocks are broken down by size, time of operation, fuel, type of combustion (dry, melt) and type mono-, duoblocks, subcritical and supercritical systems, nuclear power stations are organised by type of reactor heavy-water/pressurized water reactor and type of operation. Combined cycle power plants are listed separately due to their different technical concept. Gas turbines are sub-divided by type of operation (time). Apart from availability and utilisation values of gas turbines there are data on reliability and the number of successful and unsuccessful starts. In general the values are first given for all plants of one particular type and then for the German plants in particular. Performance values are gross values measured at generator and like the number of plants they are end-of-the-year figures. In order to increase the usefulness of the VGB-availability studies various items in the recording and evaluation were improved and extended as of 1987. (orig./HS) [de

Heat pumps for geothermal applications: availability and performance. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reistad, G.M.; Means, P.

1980-05-01

A study of the performance and availability of water-source heat pumps was carried out. The primary purposes were to obtain the necessary basic information required for proper evaluation of the role of water-source heat pumps in geothermal energy utilization and/or to identify the research needed to provide this information. The Search of Relevant Literature considers the historical background, applications, achieved and projected performance evaluations and performance improvement techniques. The commercial water-source heat pump industry is considered in regard to both the present and projected availability and performance of units. Performance evaluations are made for units that use standard components but are redesigned for use in geothermal heating.

Sustainable food security in India-Domestic production and macronutrient availability.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchie, Hannah; Reay, David; Higgins, Peter

2018-01-01

India has been perceived as a development enigma: Recent rates of economic growth have not been matched by similar rates in health and nutritional improvements. To meet the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG2) of achieving zero hunger by 2030, India faces a substantial challenge in meeting basic nutritional needs in addition to addressing population, environmental and dietary pressures. Here we have mapped-for the first time-the Indian food system from crop production to household-level availability across three key macronutrients categories of 'calories', 'digestible protein' and 'fat'. To better understand the potential of reduced food chain losses and improved crop yields to close future food deficits, scenario analysis was conducted to 2030 and 2050. Under India's current self-sufficiency model, our analysis indicates severe shortfalls in availability of all macronutrients across a large proportion (>60%) of the Indian population. The extent of projected shortfalls continues to grow such that, even in ambitious waste reduction and yield scenarios, enhanced domestic production alone will be inadequate in closing the nutrition supply gap. We suggest that to meet SDG2 India will need to take a combined approach of optimising domestic production and increasing its participation in global trade.

Food availability/convenience and obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon-Larsen, Penny

2014-11-01

Neighborhood environments have received considerable attention in recent local, state, and national obesity prevention initiatives, with a particular focus on food deserts, or areas with poor access to healthy foods. Yet, there are inconsistencies in the evidence base, suggesting a nuanced association between neighborhood environment, food availability, diet behaviors, and obesity. There is heterogeneity in associations between environmental exposures and health outcomes across race/ethnicity, gender, region, and urbanicity, which results in complexity in the interpretation of findings. There are several limitations in the literature, including a predominance of cross-sectional studies, reliance on commercial business listings, lack of attention to the process by which diet resources are established and expanded within neighborhoods and the potential for individuals to selectively migrate to locate near such facilities, a predominant focus on residential neighborhoods, and lack of information about the decision-making process underlying purchasing patterns. More research is needed to address the complexity of individual-level residential decision making as well as the purposeful placement of food environment resources across social and geographic space using longitudinal data and complex statistical approaches. In addition, improvements in data quality and depth related to food access and availability are needed, including behavioral data on purchase patterns and interactions with the food environment, and greater attention to heterogeneity across subpopulations. As policy changes to the food environment move forward, it is critical that there is rigorous and scientific evaluation of environmental changes and their impact on individual-level diet choices and behaviors, and their further influence on body weight. © 2014 American Society for Nutrition.

Rhizosphere Organic Anions Play a Minor Role in Improving Crop Species' Ability to Take Up Residual Phosphorus (P) in Agricultural Soils Low in P Availability.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yanliang; Krogstad, Tore; Clarke, Jihong L; Hallama, Moritz; Øgaard, Anne F; Eich-Greatorex, Susanne; Kandeler, Ellen; Clarke, Nicholas

2016-01-01

improving P availability and uptake.

LHC availability and performance in 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macpherson, A.L.

2012-01-01

In 2011, the LHC had an excellent year, with delivered luminosity for proton-proton running at 3.5 TeV per beam well in excess of the target of 1 fb -1 set prior to the 2011 run. Indeed, with both record totals for delivered luminosities in both proton-proton and lead-lead running, several special optics runs and a vigorous machine development program, 2011 exceeded all expectations in terms of machine performance. Stable beam availability of about 32 %, which corresponds to a Hubner factor of 0.22 and 0.24 for proton and Ions runs respectively. While fault tracking was not fully complete, successful mitigations against downtime due to radiation induced single event upsets, have already been observed, and further improvements are expected in 2012. This should help reduce the number of non-programmed beam dumps in 2012

A Simulation-Based Quality Improvement Initiative Improves Pediatric Readiness in Community Hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitfill, Travis; Gawel, Marcie; Auerbach, Marc

2017-07-17

The National Pediatric Readiness Project Pediatric Readiness Survey (PRS) measured pediatric readiness in 4149 US emergency departments (EDs) and noted an average score of 69 on a 100-point scale. This readiness score consists of 6 domains: coordination of pediatric patient care (19/100), physician/nurse staffing and training (10/100), quality improvement activities (7/100), patient safety initiatives (14/100), policies and procedures (17/100), and availability of pediatric equipment (33/100). We aimed to assess and improve pediatric emergency readiness scores across Connecticut's hospitals. The aim of this study was to compare the National Pediatric Readiness Project readiness score before and after an in situ simulation-based assessment and quality improvement program in Connecticut hospitals. We leveraged in situ simulations to measure the quality of resuscitative care provided by interprofessional teams to 3 simulated patients (infant septic shock, infant seizure, and child cardiac arrest) presenting to their ED resuscitation bay. Assessments of EDs were made based on a composite quality score that was measured as the sum of 4 distinct domains: (1) adherence to sepsis guidelines, (2) adherence to cardiac arrest guidelines, (3) performance on seizure resuscitation, and (4) teamwork. After the simulation, a detailed report with scores, comparisons to other EDs, and a gap analysis were provided to sites. Based on this report, a regional children's hospital team worked collaboratively with each ED to develop action items and a timeline for improvements. The National Pediatric Readiness Project PRS scores, the primary outcome of this study, were measured before and after participation. Twelve community EDs in Connecticut participated in this project. The PRS scores were assessed before and after the intervention (simulation-based assessment and gap analysis/report-out). The average time between PRS assessments was 21 months. The PRS scores significantly improved 12

Introducing high availability to non high available designed applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zelnicek, Pierre; Kebschull, Udo [Kirchhoff Institute of Physics, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg (Germany); Haaland, Oystein Senneset [Physic Institut, University of Bergen, Bergen (Norway); Lindenstruth, Volker [Frankfurt Institut fuer Advanced Studies, University Frankfurt (Germany)

2010-07-01

A common problem in scientific computing environments and compute clusters today, is how to apply high availability to legacy applications. These applications are becoming more and more a problem in increasingly complex environments and with business grade availability constraints that requires 24 x 7 x 365 hours of operation. For a majority of applications, redesign is not an option. Either because of being closed source or the effort involved would be just as great as re-writing the application from scratch. Neither is letting normal operators restart and reconfigure the applications on backup nodes a solution. In addition to the possibility of mistakes from non-experts and the cost of keeping personnel at work 24/7, these kind of operations would require administrator privileges within the compute environment and would therefore be a security risk. Therefore, these legacy applications have to be monitored and if a failure occurs autonomously migrated to a working node. The pacemaker framework is designed for both tasks and ensures the availability of the legacy applications. Distributed redundant block devices are used for fault tolerant distributed data storage. The result is an Availability Environment Classification 2 (AEC-2).

Capital Improvements Business Line

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-08

NAVFAC Southwest Dan Waid Program & Business Mgmt NAVFAC SW Capital Improvements Business Line NAVFAC SW 8 August 2012 1 Report...REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2012 to 00-00-2012 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Capital Improvements Business Line 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT...AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release; distribution unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES Presented at the 2012 Navy Gold Coast Small Business

Army Reserve Components: Improvements Needed to Data Quality and Management Procedures to Better Report Soldier Availability

Science.gov (United States)

2015-07-01

the advantages and disadvantages of using the different assignment approaches. In order to better understand how initial military training policies...account. We did not evaluate the advantages or disadvantages of either accounting practice. Page 31 GAO-15-626 Army Reserve Components...coordinate on a mutually agreeable time. The Army Reserve and Army National Guard provided us individual soldier availability data from the five main

Evaluation of FSO System Availability in Haze Condition

Science.gov (United States)

Anis, A. A.; Rashidi, C. B. M.; Aljunid, S. A.; Rahman, A. K.

2018-03-01

In this paper, we proposed the evaluation of FSO system availability in haze condition. The atmospheric attenuation by weather conditions in the atmosphere as the most challenging problem of FSO system as the system performance is severely degraded and causing the signal optic to be transmitted poorly. The effects of haze condition on the performance of FSO system is stressed out and focused in this paper. From the evaluation of the analysis, designs of FSO system are proposed to obtain a system with improved link performance in haze conditions. The scattering coefficient and the atmospheric attenuation are determined using Beer’s Lambert equation. From the research, the link performance of the system is greatly improved using Design 2 with minimum BER of 10-127127 and maximu m Q Factor of 23.98. The FSO system using Design 2 has better performance compared to Design 1 in haze condition as the optical signals could penetrate the dense haze better without losing much optical power during the transmission to the scattering.

Ensuring the Availability of Funds (Germany)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warnecke, Ernst; Paul, Michael

2006-01-01

1 - Legislation and regulation pertinent to funding: no site / facility specific legislation / regulation (Decommissioning Guideline); the obligation for D+D results from the Atomic Energy Act; the AtG requires a license for D + D of a nuclear facility; the Commercial Code requires reserves for liabilities; the Income Tax Law (EStG) is relevant for the taxation of reserves; the 'Ordinance on Advance Payments' is relevant for the construction of RW disposal facilities; the AtG is relevant for the payment of RW disposal costs. 2 - Financing system: Basic Principle: Polluter pays; Publicly funded facilities (mainly Federal Government): payment from annual budget; Privately owned facilities: collection of 'reserves' during operation / linear accumulation over 25 years, coverage: processing, storage and disposal of radioactive waste/spent fuel, D + D of nuclear facilities, reserves are in the portfolio of industry, financial risk lies with the operator; Availability of private funds: annual review / revision of the cost calculations by the operator, review of cost calculations by tax authorities. 3 - Costs: Cost calculation by the operator are based on detailed planning, need to be assessed conservatively. D + D cost calculation (as of 1999): ca. 300 x 10 6 Euro (1200 MW PWR, excl. disposal), ca. 350 x 10 6 Euro (800 MW BWR excl. disposal), ca. 700 x 10 6 Euro (incl. disposal of non-heat generating waste), immediate dismantling is slightly cheaper than deferred dismantling. Review and decision on adequacy of cost calculation by tax authorities. 4 - Experience: A lot of experience (public and private) has been gained, Experience is good, funds were available. 5 - Changing conditions - new challenges: Termination of nuclear energy generation, New approach to waste disposal, Privatisation of utilities, Liberalisation of energy market. Does the existing funding system need improvement?: Reconsideration of the existing situation, Exploration of potential improvements

Pain and Policy Studies Group: Two Decades of Working to Address Regulatory Barriers to Improve Opioid Availability and Accessibility Around the World.

Science.gov (United States)

Cleary, James F; Maurer, Martha A

2018-02-01

For two decades, the Pain & Policy Studies Group (PPSG), a global research program at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, has worked passionately to fulfill its mission of improving pain relief by achieving balanced access to opioids worldwide. PPSG's early work highlighted the conceptual framework of balance leading to the development of the seminal guidelines and criteria for evaluating opioid policy. It has collaborated at the global level with United Nations agencies to promote access to opioids and has developed a unique model of technical assistance to help national governments assess regulatory barriers to essential medicines for pain relief and amend existing or develop new legislation that facilitates appropriate and adequate opioid prescribing according to international standards. This model was initially applied in regional workshops and individual country projects and then adapted for PPSG's International Pain Policy Fellowship, which provides long-term mentoring and support for several countries simultaneously. The PPSG disseminates its work online in several ways, including an extensive Web site, news alerts, and through several social media outlets. PPSG has become the focal point for expertise on policy governing drug control and medicine and pharmacy practice related to opioid availability and pain relief. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Availability of the electric drive systems containing flux switching permanent magnet machines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, L.; Sfakianakis, G.; Paulides, J.J.H.; Lomonova, E.A.

2016-01-01

This paper investigates how to improve availability of an electrical drive containing a 3-phase 12/10 (12 stator tooth/10 rotor poles) flux switching permanent magnet machine. In this respect, Field-Oriented Control and Space-Vector Pulse-Width-Modulation strategies will be applied with 3-phase

Double-observer line transect surveys with Markov-modulated Poisson process models for animal availability.

Science.gov (United States)

Borchers, D L; Langrock, R

2015-12-01

We develop maximum likelihood methods for line transect surveys in which animals go undetected at distance zero, either because they are stochastically unavailable while within view or because they are missed when they are available. These incorporate a Markov-modulated Poisson process model for animal availability, allowing more clustered availability events than is possible with Poisson availability models. They include a mark-recapture component arising from the independent-observer survey, leading to more accurate estimation of detection probability given availability. We develop models for situations in which (a) multiple detections of the same individual are possible and (b) some or all of the availability process parameters are estimated from the line transect survey itself, rather than from independent data. We investigate estimator performance by simulation, and compare the multiple-detection estimators with estimators that use only initial detections of individuals, and with a single-observer estimator. Simultaneous estimation of detection function parameters and availability model parameters is shown to be feasible from the line transect survey alone with multiple detections and double-observer data but not with single-observer data. Recording multiple detections of individuals improves estimator precision substantially when estimating the availability model parameters from survey data, and we recommend that these data be gathered. We apply the methods to estimate detection probability from a double-observer survey of North Atlantic minke whales, and find that double-observer data greatly improve estimator precision here too. © 2015 The Authors Biometrics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Biometric Society.

Research on high availability architecture of SQL and NoSQL

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhiguo; Wei, Zhiqiang; Liu, Hao

2017-03-01

With the advent of the era of big data, amount and importance of data have increased dramatically. SQL database develops in performance and scalability, but more and more companies tend to use NoSQL database as their databases, because NoSQL database has simpler data model and stronger extension capacity than SQL database. Almost all database designers including SQL database and NoSQL database aim to improve performance and ensure availability by reasonable architecture which can reduce the effects of software failures and hardware failures, so that they can provide better experiences for their customers. In this paper, I mainly discuss the architectures of MySQL, MongoDB, and Redis, which are high available and have been deployed in practical application environment, and design a hybrid architecture.

Reactor limitation system improves the safety and availability of the Angra 2 nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza Mendes, J.E. de

1987-01-01

Beyond the classic Reactor Protection System and Reactor Control System, nuclear plant Angra 2 has a third system called Reactor Limitation System which combines the intelligence features of the control systems with the high reliability of the protection systems. In determined events, which are not controlled by the control system (e.g.: load rejection, failure of one main reactor coolant pump), the Reactor Limitation System actuates automatically in order to lead the plant to a safe operating condition and so it avoids the actuation of the Reactor Protection System and consequently the reactor trip. This increases safety and availability of the plant and reduces component stresses. After the safe operating condition is reached, the process guidance automatically returns to the control systems. (Author) [pt

Can cycling safety be improved by opening all unidirectional cycle paths for cycle traffic in both directions? A theoretical examination of available literature and data.

Science.gov (United States)

Methorst, Rob; Schepers, Paul; Kamminga, Jaap; Zeegers, Theo; Fishman, Elliot

2017-08-01

Many studies have found bicycle-motor vehicle crashes to be more likely on bidirectional cycle paths than on unidirectional cycle paths because drivers do not expect cyclists riding at the right side of the road. In this paper we discuss the hypothesis that opening all unidirectional cycle paths for cycle traffic in both directions prevent this lack of expectancy and accordingly improves cycling safety. A new national standard requires careful consideration because a reversal is difficult once cyclists are used to their new freedom of route choice. We therefore explored the hypothesis using available data, research, and theories. The results show that of the length of cycle paths along distributor roads in the Netherlands, 72% is bidirectional. If drivers would become used to cyclists riding at the left side of the road, this result raises the question of why bidirectional cycle paths in the Netherlands still have a poor safety record compared to unidirectional cycle paths. Moreover, our exploration suggested that bidirectional cycle paths have additional safety problems. It increases the complexity of unsignalized intersections because drivers have to scan more directions in a short period of time. Moreover, there are some indications that the likelihood of frontal crashes between cyclists increases. We reject the hypothesis that opening all unidirectional cycle paths for cycle traffic in both directions will improve cycle safety. We recommend more attention for mitigating measures given the widespread application of bidirectional cycle paths in the Netherlands. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 69497 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Funding Availability for OneCPD...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-19

... Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Funding Availability for OneCPD Technical Assistance and Capacity..., prevent and reduce homelessness, improve data collection and reporting, and use coordinated neighborhood... increase the supply of affordable housing units, prevent and reduce homelessness, improve data collection...

Availability of school health services for young children.

Science.gov (United States)

Heneghan, A M; Malakoff, M E

1997-10-01

A survey to assess availability of school health services was distributed to 221 directors of Schools of the 21st Century, an educational model that provides integrated services to children and families. Of this distribution, 126 (57%) surveys were returned; 88% of respondents reported they provided some type of school health services for their students; 75% of schools had access to school nursing services, yet only 33% had a school nurse on-site; 50% had less than daily access to a school nurse. Despite a high reported prevalence of physical and mental health problems, other services such as acute care, nutrition counseling, dental screenings, or mental health services were provided less frequently. Barriers perceived as problematic for schools providing health services included inadequate funding, limited parental awareness, and opposition by school or community members. Respondents believed transportation, limited financial resources, and inadequate health insurance were barriers to care for children and families. Among this sample of schools, school health services varied in availability and comprehensiveness. Educators, health providers, and parents must work together to provide improved school health services for children.

GOES-16 Space Weather Data Availability and Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Tilton, M.; Rowland, W. F.; Codrescu, S.; Seaton, D. B.; Redmon, R. J.; Hsu, V.

2017-12-01

In November 2016, NOAA launched the first in the "R" series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, GOES-16. Compared to its GOES predecessors, the GOES-R series satellites provide improved in situ measurements of charged particles, higher cadence magnetic field measurements, and enhanced remote sensing of the sun through ultraviolet (UV) imagery and X-ray/UV irradiance. GOES-16 space weather instruments will nominally reach provisional status near the beginning of 2018. After this milestone has been achieved, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) will provide archive access to GOES-16 space weather data. This presentation will describe the status of the space weather instruments, including available products and their applicability for forecasters, modelers, academics, spacecraft operators, and other users. It will discuss the available access systems for all levels of data-raw telemetry (Level 0), science measurements in high resolution (L1b), and higher-level (L2+) products developed by NCEI scientists. Finally, it will cover NCEI's efforts to promote space weather awareness through data visualization tools and image dissemination via the Helioviewer project.

[Effects of combined application of biochar and inorganic fertilizers on the available phosphorus content of upland red soil].

Science.gov (United States)

Jing, Yan; Chen, Xiao-min; Liu, Zu-xiang; Huang, Qian-ru; LiI, Qiu-xia; Chen, Chen; Lu, Shao-shan

2013-04-01

Aiming at the low content of available phosphorus in upland red soil of Southern China, this paper studied the effects of combined application of biochar and inorganic fertilizers on the available phosphorus and organic carbon contents and the pH of this soil. With the combined application of biochar and inorganic fertilizers, the soil physical and chemical properties improved to different degrees. As compared with the control, the soil pH and the soil organic carbon and available phosphorus contents at different growth stages of oil rape after the combined application of biochar and inorganic fertilizers all had an improvement, with the increments at bolting stage, flowering stage, and ripening stage being 16%, 24% and 26%, 23%, 34% and 38%, and 100%, 191% and 317% , respectively. The soil pH and the soil organic carbon and available phosphorus contents were increased with the increasing amount of applied biochar. Under-the application of biochar, the soil available phosphorus had a significant correlation with the soil pH and soil organic carbon content. This study could provide scientific basis to improve the phosphorus deficiency and the physical and chemical properties of upland red soil.

Prices and availability of locally produced and imported medicines in Ethiopia and Tanzania

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ewen, M.; Kaplan, W.; Gedif, T.; Justin-Temu, M.; Vialle-Valentin, C.; Mirza, Z.; Regeer, B.; Zweekhorst, M.; Laing, Richard

2017-01-01

Background: To assess the effect of policies supporting local medicine production to improve access to medicines. Methods: We adapted the WHO/HAI instruments measuring medicines availability and prices to differentiate local from imported products, then pilot tested in Ethiopia and Tanzania. In each

Availability analysis of subsea blowout preventer using Markov model considering demand rate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sunghee Kim

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Availabilities of subsea Blowout Preventers (BOP in the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (GoM OCS is investigated using a Markov method. An updated β factor model by SINTEF is used for common-cause failures in multiple redundant systems. Coefficient values of failure rates for the Markov model are derived using the β factor model of the PDS (reliability of computer-based safety systems, Norwegian acronym method. The blind shear ram preventer system of the subsea BOP components considers a demand rate to reflect reality more. Markov models considering the demand rate for one or two components are introduced. Two data sets are compared at the GoM OCS. The results show that three or four pipe ram preventers give similar availabilities, but redundant blind shear ram preventers or annular preventers enhance the availability of the subsea BOP. Also control systems (PODs and connectors are contributable components to improve the availability of the subsea BOPs based on sensitivity analysis.

Places available**

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

Places are available in the following courses: Conception de PCB rapides dans le flot Cadence : 11.6.03 (matin) EXCEL 2000 - level 1 : 12 & 13.6.03 (2 days) Introduction to PVSS : 16.6.03 (p.m.) Basic PVSS : 17 - 19.6.03 (3 days) Réalisation de PCB rapides dans le flot Cadence : 17.6.03 (matin) PVSS - JCOP Framework Tutorial : 20.6.03 (1 day) Programmation automate Schneider : Programmation automate Schneider TSX Premium - 2ème niveau : 24 - 27.6.03 (4 jours) - audience : toute personne qui veux maitriser la mise en uvre et la programmation des fonctions spécialisées d'un automate TSX Premium - objectifs : maitriser la mise en uvre et la programmation des fonctions spécialisées d'un automate TSX Premium Cours de sécurité : Etre TSO au CERN : Prochaines sessions : 24, 25 & 27.6.03 - 4, 5 & 7.11.03 (session de 3 jours) ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. If you wish to participate in one of these courses, pl...

PLACES AVAILABLE

CERN Multimedia

Enseignement Technique; Tél. 74924; Technical Training; Monique Duval; Tel. 74924

2000-01-01

Places available Places are available in the following courses:   LabView hands-on 13.11.00 4 hours LabView Basics 1 14 - 16.11.00 3 days Nouveautés de WORD 19 et 20.10.00 2 jours ACCESS 1er niveau 30 - 31.10.00 2 jours Advanced aspects of the C language 2 - 3.11.00 2 days Introduction to Oracle SQL and PL/SQL 13 - 17.11.00 5 days C++ for Particle Physicists 20 - 24.11.00 6 lectures Develop PL/SQL Program Units 20 - 22.11.00 3 days Oracle Application Server Develop Web-Based Applications with PL/SQL 27 - 28.11.00 2 days Programmation TSX Premium 1 28.11 - 1.12.00 4 jours Programmation TSX Premium 2 12 - 15.12.00 4 jours If you wish to participate in one of these courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at : http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an “application for training” form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Offi...

Dark exposure of petunia cuttings strongly improves adventitious root formation and enhances carbohydrate availability during rooting in the light.

Science.gov (United States)

Klopotek, Yvonne; Haensch, Klaus-Thomas; Hause, Bettina; Hajirezaei, Mohammad-Reza; Druege, Uwe

2010-05-01

The effect of temporary dark exposure on adventitious root formation (ARF) in Petuniaxhybrida 'Mitchell' cuttings was investigated. Histological and metabolic changes in the cuttings during the dark treatment and subsequent rooting in the light were recorded. Excised cuttings were exposed to the dark for seven days at 10 degrees C followed by a nine-day rooting period in perlite or were rooted immediately for 16 days in a climate chamber at 22/20 degrees C (day/night) and a photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 100micromolm(-2)s(-1). Dark exposure prior to rooting increased, accelerated and synchronized ARF. The rooting period was reduced from 16 days (non-treated cuttings) to 9 days (treated cuttings). Under optimum conditions, despite the reduced rooting period, dark-exposed cuttings produced a higher number and length of roots than non-treated cuttings. An increase in temperature to 20 degrees C during the dark treatment or extending the cold dark exposure to 14 days caused a similar enhancement of root development compared to non-treated cuttings. Root meristem formation had already started during the dark treatment and was enhanced during the subsequent rooting period. Levels of soluble sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) and starch in leaf and basal stem tissues significantly decreased during the seven days of dark exposure. This depletion was, however, compensated during rooting after 6 and 24h for soluble sugars in leaves and the basal stem, respectively, whereas the sucrose level in the basal stem was already increased at 6h. The association of higher carbohydrate levels with improved rooting in previously dark-exposed versus non-treated cuttings indicates that increased post-darkness carbohydrate availability and allocation towards the stem base contribute to ARF under the influence of dark treatment and provide energy for cell growth subject to a rising sink intensity in the base of the cutting. Copyright 2009 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

[Availability of physicians in Chile at the year 2004].

Science.gov (United States)

Román, Oscar; Acuña, Miguel; Señoret, Miriam

2006-08-01

The number of physicians available in a given country, their efficiency, quality and specialization is of utmost epidemiological importance. To evaluate the availability of physicians in Chile. The information about the number of physicians in Chile up to the year 2004, was obtained from the Ministry of Health, national universities and the register of immigrant physicians since 1950. The total number of physicians licensed to practice was 25,542, of whom 2,700 are immigrants. The physician/inhabitant ratio increased from 1/921 in 1998 to 1/612 in 2004. The greater impact in the increment of available physicians was given by the immigration of professionals and by the increase in the number of physicians graduated from national universities, mainly from the new private universities. Forty two percent of physicians work at public services and 61% of these are certified specialists. The regional distribution of general practitioners and basic specialists is adequate. Along the country, the mean physician/beneficiary ratio is 8.45/10,000, the specialist/beneficiary ratio is 4.9/10,000 and the general practitioner/beneficiary ratio is 2.3/10,000. The national information of available physicians, especially in the private sector, should be improved. Immigration of physicians should be regulated, maintaining validation examinations and a National Medical Test to assess medical proficiency should be instituted.

Improvability of assembly systems II: Improvability indicators and case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.-Y. Chiang

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Based on the performance analysis technique developed in Part I, this paper presents improvability indicators for assembly lines with unreliable machines. In particular, it shows that assembly lines are unimprovable with respect to workforce re-distribution if each buffer is, on the average, close to being half full. These lines are unimprovable with respect to buffer capacity re-distribution if each machine is starved and blocked with almost equal frequency. In addition, the paper provides indicators for identification of bottleneck machines and bottleneck buffers. Finally, the paper reports on an application of these improvability indicators in a case study at an automotive components plant.

Preventive maintenance and the interval availability distribution of an unreliable production system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dijkhuizen, G. van; Heijden, M. van der

1999-01-01

Traditionally, the optimal preventive maintenance interval for an unreliable production system has been determined by maximizing its limiting availability. Nowadays, it is widely recognized that this performance measure does not always provide relevant information for practical purposes. This is particularly true for order-driven manufacturing systems, in which due date performance has become a more important, and even a competitive factor. Under these circumstances, the so-called interval availability distribution is often seen as a more appropriate performance measure. Surprisingly enough, the relation between preventive maintenance and interval availability has received little attention in the existing literature. In this article, a series of mathematical models and optimization techniques is presented, with which the optimal preventive maintenance interval can be determined from an interval availability point of view, rather than from a limiting availability perspective. Computational results for a class of representative test problems indicate that significant improvements of up to 30% in the guaranteed interval availability can be obtained, by increasing preventive maintenance frequencies somewhere between 10 and 70%

Drivers of household food availability in sub-Saharan Africa based on big data from small farms

Science.gov (United States)

Frelat, Romain; Lopez-Ridaura, Santiago; Herrero, Mario; Douxchamps, Sabine; Djurfeldt, Agnes Andersson; Erenstein, Olaf; Henderson, Ben; Kassie, Menale; Paul, Birthe K.; Rigolot, Cyrille; Ritzema, Randall S.; Rodriguez, Daniel; van Asten, Piet J. A.; van Wijk, Mark T.

2016-01-01

We calculated a simple indicator of food availability using data from 93 sites in 17 countries across contrasted agroecologies in sub-Saharan Africa (>13,000 farm households) and analyzed the drivers of variations in food availability. Crop production was the major source of energy, contributing 60% of food availability. The off-farm income contribution to food availability ranged from 12% for households without enough food available (18% of the total sample) to 27% for the 58% of households with sufficient food available. Using only three explanatory variables (household size, number of livestock, and land area), we were able to predict correctly the agricultural determined status of food availability for 72% of the households, but the relationships were strongly influenced by the degree of market access. Our analyses suggest that targeting poverty through improving market access and off-farm opportunities is a better strategy to increase food security than focusing on agricultural production and closing yield gaps. This calls for multisectoral policy harmonization, incentives, and diversification of employment sources rather than a singular focus on agricultural development. Recognizing and understanding diversity among smallholder farm households in sub-Saharan Africa is key for the design of policies that aim to improve food security. PMID:26712016

Drivers of household food availability in sub-Saharan Africa based on big data from small farms.

Science.gov (United States)

Frelat, Romain; Lopez-Ridaura, Santiago; Giller, Ken E; Herrero, Mario; Douxchamps, Sabine; Andersson Djurfeldt, Agnes; Erenstein, Olaf; Henderson, Ben; Kassie, Menale; Paul, Birthe K; Rigolot, Cyrille; Ritzema, Randall S; Rodriguez, Daniel; van Asten, Piet J A; van Wijk, Mark T

2016-01-12

We calculated a simple indicator of food availability using data from 93 sites in 17 countries across contrasted agroecologies in sub-Saharan Africa (>13,000 farm households) and analyzed the drivers of variations in food availability. Crop production was the major source of energy, contributing 60% of food availability. The off-farm income contribution to food availability ranged from 12% for households without enough food available (18% of the total sample) to 27% for the 58% of households with sufficient food available. Using only three explanatory variables (household size, number of livestock, and land area), we were able to predict correctly the agricultural determined status of food availability for 72% of the households, but the relationships were strongly influenced by the degree of market access. Our analyses suggest that targeting poverty through improving market access and off-farm opportunities is a better strategy to increase food security than focusing on agricultural production and closing yield gaps. This calls for multisectoral policy harmonization, incentives, and diversification of employment sources rather than a singular focus on agricultural development. Recognizing and understanding diversity among smallholder farm households in sub-Saharan Africa is key for the design of policies that aim to improve food security.

Healthful Nutrition of Foods in Navajo Nation Stores: Availability and Pricing.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Gayathri; Jim-Martin, Sonlatsa; Piltch, Emily; Onufrak, Stephen; McNeil, Carrie; Adams, Laura; Williams, Nancy; Blanck, Heidi M; Curley, Larry

2016-09-01

Low availability and affordability of healthier foods in food stores on the Navajo Nation (NN) may be a community-level risk factor for the high prevalence of obesity among the Navajo people. This study assessed the availability and pricing of foods and beverages in supermarkets and convenience stores throughout the NN. Descriptive study design using the Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey in Stores audit tool. Supermarkets (n = 13) and convenience stores (n = 50) on NN and border-town supermarkets (n = 9). Not applicable. Availability and pricing of healthy and less-healthy foods. Descriptive and χ(2) analyses. Navajo convenience stores offered fewer healthier food options compared to Navajo supermarkets. In Navajo convenience stores, 100% whole grain products, reduced-fat cheese, lean meats, reduced-fat chips, and fat-free or light hot dogs were available in fewer stores than their corresponding less-healthy versions (all with p foods are not as readily available in Navajo convenience stores as they are in Navajo supermarkets. Improving access to and affordability of healthier foods in reservation stores of all sizes may support healthy eating among Navajo residents. © 2016 by American Journal of Health Promotion, Inc.

ROLE OF ETHYLENE IN RESPONSES OF PLANTS TO NITROGEN AVAILABILITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Iqbal R Khan

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Ethylene is a plant hormone involved in several physiological processes and regulates the plant development during the whole life. Stressful conditions usually activate ethylene biosynthesis and signalling in plants. The availability of nutrients, shortage or excess, influences plant metabolism and ethylene plays an important role in plant adaptation under suboptimal conditions. Among the plant nutrients, the nitrogen (N is one the most important mineral element required for plant growth and development. The availability of N significantly influences plant metabolism, including ethylene biology. The interaction between ethylene and N affects several physiological process such as leaf gas exchanges, roots architecture, leaf, fruits and flowers development. Low plant N use efficiency leads to N loss and N deprivation, which affect ethylene biosynthesis and tissues sensitivity, inducing cell damage and ultimately lysis. Plants may respond differently to N availability balancing ethylene production through its signalling network. This review discusses the recent advances in the interaction between N availability and ethylene at whole plant and different organ levels, and explores how N availability induces ethylene biology and plant responses. Exogenously applied ethylene seems to cope the stress conditions and improves plant physiological performance. This can be explained considering the expression of ethylene biosynthesis and signalling genes under different N availability. A greater understanding of the regulation of N by means of ethylene modulation may help to increase N use efficiency and directly influence crop productivity under conditions of limited N availability, leading to positive effects on the environment. Moreover, efforts should be focused on the effect of N deficiency or excess in fruit trees, where ethylene can have detrimental effects especially during postharvest.

Equipment improvements for performance enhancement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaestel, P.; Guesnon, H.; Sauze, G.

1994-01-01

In order to enhance the reactor availability, several improvements on reactor equipment have been developed: design optimization for stator maintenance replacement in the main alternator; adjustment modification of stator coils in the main alternator for an easier maintenance; improvement of the fuel handling line (pole crane, transfer equipment, loading machine); development of a loose part trapping system in the steam generator secondary circuit. 1 tab

Improvement of radioisotope production technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Yongjian

1987-01-01

The widespreading and deepgoing applications of radioisotopes results the increasing demands on both quality and quantity. This in turn stimulating the production technology to be improved unceasingly to meet the different requirements on availability, variety, facility, purity, specific activity and specificity. The major approaches of achieving these improvements including: optimizing mode of production; enhancing irradiation conditions; amelioration target arrangement; adapting nuclear process and inventing chemical processing. (author)

[Not Available].

Science.gov (United States)

Gutiérrez Avendaño, Jairo

2016-01-01

To analyse sociodemographic characteristics, descriptive psychopathology and therapy in the first decade of service of the Hospital Psiquiátrico San Isidro del Valle del Cauca, 1958-1968. Retrospective descriptive study of a series of case histories of the studied period, and by qualitative analysis and conceptual networks. Sociodemographic variables were analysed, and it was observed that, although the patient population increased, hospitalisation was reduced due to the implementation of a "Day Hospital" and outpatient services. The majority of patients were young adults, women engaged in housework, and several lower-middle income patients, primarily referred by their families. Hospital stay was short, with a high frequency of readmissions. The main reason for discharge was improvement, and the predominant diagnosis and symptomatology was schizophrenia, with the treatment being antipsychotic neuroleptics. The correlation of the short time of hospitalisation, more outpatient clinics, the large number of readmissions, and improvement as the reason for discharge, is consistent with the results of the International Pilot Study of Schizophrenia 1968, which included a sample of 100 patients from Hospital psychiatric San Isidro del Valle del Cauca, in which it was concluded that the disorder did not cause a progressive deterioration in patients and that, on the contrary, showed a significant percentage recovery. Copyright © 2015 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Incorporating operational experience and design changes in availability forecasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norman, D.

1988-01-01

Reliability or availability forecasts which are based solely on past operating experience will be precise if the sample is large enough, and unbiased if nothing in the future design, environment, operating region or anything else changes. Unfortunately, life is never like that. This paper considers the methodology and philosophy of modifying forecasts based on past experience to take account also of changes in design, construction methods, operating philosophy, environments, operator training and so on, between the plants which provided the operating experience and the plant for which the forecast is being made. This emphasises the importance of collecting, assessing, and learning from past data and of a thorough knowledge of future designs, and procurement, operation, and maintenance policies. The difference between targets and central estimates is also discussed. The paper concludes that improvements in future availability can be made by learning from past experience, but that certain conditions must be fulfilled in order to do so. (author)

Medicine prices, availability, and affordability in the Shaanxi Province in China: implications for the future.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Minghuan; Zhou, Zhongliang; Wu, Lina; Shen, Qian; Lv, Bing; Wang, Xiao; Yang, Shimin; Fang, Yu

2015-02-01

In 2009, China implemented the National Essential Medicines System (NEMS) to improve access to high-quality low-cost essential medicines. To measure the prices, availability and affordability of medicines in China following the implementation of the NEMS. 120 public hospitals and 120 private pharmacies in ten cities in Shaanxi Province, Western China. The standardized methodology developed by the World Health Organization and Health Action International was used to collect data on prices and availability of 49 medicines. Median price ratio; availability as a percentage; cost of course of treatment in days' wages of the lowest-paid government workers. In the public hospitals, originator brands (OBs) were procured at 8.89 times the international reference price, more than seven times higher than the lowest-priced generics (LPGs). Patients paid 11.83 and 1.69 times the international reference prices for OBs and generics respectively. A similar result was observed in the private pharmacies. The mean availabilities of OBs and LPGs were 7.1 and 20.0 % in the public hospitals, and 12.6 and 29.2 % in the private pharmacies. Treatment with OBs is therefore largely unaffordable, but the affordability of the LPGs is generally good. High prices and low availability of survey medicines were observed. The affordability of generics, but not OBs, is reasonable. Effective measures should be taken to reduce medicine prices and improve availability and affordability in Shaanxi Province.

Availability of fusion plants employing a Monte Carlo simulation computer code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musicki, Z.

1984-01-01

The fusion facilities being built or designed will have availability problems due to their complexity and employment of not yet fully developed technologies. Low availability of test facilities will have an adverse impact on the learning time and will therefore push back the commercialization date of fusion. Low availability of commercial electric power plants will increase the cost of electricity and make fusion a less-attractive power source. Thus, the time to study the availability problems of fusion plants and suggest improvements is now, before costly mistakes are committed. This study is an initial effort in the area and is an attempt to develop methods for calculation of system's performance, specifically its availability, start collecting necessary data and identify the areas where data are lacking, as well as to point out the subsystems where resources need to be applied in order to bring about an acceptable system performance. The method used to study availability is a simulation computer code based on the Monte Carlo process and developed by the author. The fusion systems analyzed were TASKA (a tandem mirror test facility design) and MARS (a tandem mirror power plant design). The model and available data were employed to find that the most critical subsystems needing further work are the neutral beams, RF heating subsystems, direct convertor, and certain magnets

Ensuring the security and availability of a hospital wireless LAN system.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanada, Eisuke; Kudou, Takato; Tsumoto, Shusaku

2013-01-01

Wireless technologies as part of the data communication infrastructure of modern hospitals are being rapidly introduced. Even though there are concerns about problems associated with wireless communication security, the demand is remarkably large. Herein we discuss security countermeasures that must be taken and issues concerning availability that must be considered to ensure safe hospital/business use of wireless LAN systems, referring to the procedures introduced at a university hospital. Security countermeasures differ according to their purpose, such as preventing illegal use or ensuring availability, both of which are discussed. The main focus of the availability discussion is on signal reach, electromagnetic noise elimination, and maintaining power supply to the network apparatus. It is our hope that this information will assist others in their efforts to ensure safe implementation of wireless LAN systems, especially in hospitals where they have the potential to greatly improve information sharing and patient safety.

A predictive maintenance approach for improved nuclear plant availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verma, R.M.P.; Pandya, M.B.; Kini, M.P.

1979-01-01

Predictive maintenance programme as against preventive maintenance programme aims at diagnosing, inspecting, monitoring, and objective condition-checking of equipment. It helps in forecasting failures, and scheduling the optimal frequencies for overhauls, replacements, lubrication etc. It also helps in establishing work load, manpower, resource planning and inventory control. Various stages of predictive maintenance programme for a nuclear power plant are outlined. A partial list of instruments for predictive maintenance is given. (M.G.B.)

Improving operating room safety

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Garrett Jill

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Despite the introduction of the Universal Protocol, patient safety in surgery remains a daily challenge in the operating room. This present study describes one community health system's efforts to improve operating room safety through human factors training and ultimately the development of a surgical checklist. Using a combination of formal training, local studies documenting operating room safety issues and peer to peer mentoring we were able to substantially change the culture of our operating room. Our efforts have prepared us for successfully implementing a standardized checklist to improve operating room safety throughout our entire system. Based on these findings we recommend a multimodal approach to improving operating room safety.

Improving outcomes for people in mental health crisis: a rapid synthesis of the evidence for available models of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Paton, Fiona; Wright, Kath; Ayre, Nigel; Dare, Ceri; Johnson, Sonia; Lloyd-Evans, Brynmor; Simpson, Alan; Webber, Martin; Meader, Nick

2016-01-01

Crisis Concordat was established to improve outcomes for people experiencing a mental health crisis. The Crisis Concordat sets out four stages of the crisis care pathway: (1) access to support before crisis point; (2) urgent and emergency access to crisis care; (3) quality treatment and care in crisis; and (4) promoting recovery. To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the models of care for improving outcomes at each stage of the care pathway. Electronic databases were searched for guidelines, reviews and, where necessary, primary studies. The searches were performed on 25 and 26 June 2014 for NHS Evidence, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, NHS Economic Evaluation Database, and the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and PROSPERO databases, and on 11 November 2014 for MEDLINE, PsycINFO and the Criminal Justice Abstracts databases. Relevant reports and reference lists of retrieved articles were scanned to identify additional studies. When guidelines covered a topic comprehensively, further literature was not assessed; however, where there were gaps, systematic reviews and then primary studies were assessed in order of priority. Systematic reviews were critically appraised using the Risk Of Bias In Systematic reviews assessment tool, trials were assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, studies without a control group were assessed using the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) prognostic studies tool and qualitative studies were assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme quality assessment tool. A narrative synthesis was conducted for each stage of the care pathway structured according to the type of care model assessed. The type and range of evidence identified precluded the use of meta-analysis. One review of reviews, six systematic reviews, nine guidelines and 15 primary studies were included. There was very limited evidence for access to support

Automatic systems for assistance in improving pronunciations

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Badenhorst, JAC

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Improving the pronunciations of non-native language learners is an important task in a multilingual society. We focus on segmental aspects of pronunciation, and investigate the design of automated assistants that can be used to improve (1...

Proxmox high availability

CERN Document Server

Cheng, Simon MC

2014-01-01

If you want to know the secrets of virtualization and how to implement high availability on your services, this is the book for you. For those of you who are already using Proxmox, this book offers you the chance to build a high availability cluster with a distributed filesystem to further protect your system from failure.

Parameters Investigation of Mathematical Model of Productivity for Automated Line with Availability by DMAIC Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tan Chan Sin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Automated line is widely applied in industry especially for mass production with less variety product. Productivity is one of the important criteria in automated line as well as industry which directly present the outputs and profits. Forecast of productivity in industry accurately in order to achieve the customer demand and the forecast result is calculated by using mathematical model. Mathematical model of productivity with availability for automated line has been introduced to express the productivity in terms of single level of reliability for stations and mechanisms. Since this mathematical model of productivity with availability cannot achieve close enough productivity compared to actual one due to lack of parameters consideration, the enhancement of mathematical model is required to consider and add the loss parameters that is not considered in current model. This paper presents the investigation parameters of productivity losses investigated by using DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control concept and PACE Prioritization Matrix (Priority, Action, Consider, and Eliminate. The investigated parameters are important for further improvement of mathematical model of productivity with availability to develop robust mathematical model of productivity in automated line.

Feasibility and availability of 68Ga-labelled peptides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Decristoforo, Clemens; Pickett, Roger D.; Verbruggen, Alfons

2012-01-01

68 Ga has attracted tremendous interest as a radionuclide for PET based on its suitable half-life of 68 min, high positron emission yield and ready availability from 68 Ge/ 68 Ga generators, making it independent of cyclotron production. 68 Ga-labelled DOTA-conjugated somatostatin analogues, including DOTA-TOC, DOTA-TATE and DOTA-NOC, have driven the development of technologies to provide such radiopharmaceuticals for clinical applications mainly in the diagnosis of somatostatin receptor-expressing tumours. We summarize the issues determining the feasibility and availability of 68 Ga-labelled peptides, including generator technology, 68 Ga generator eluate postprocessing methods, radiolabelling, automation and peptide developments, and also quality assurance and regulatory aspects. 68 Ge/ 68 Ga generators based on SnO 2 , TiO 2 or organic matrices are today routinely supplied to nuclear medicine departments, and a variety of automated systems for postprocessing and radiolabelling have been developed. New developments include improved chelators for 68 Ga that could open new ways to utilize this technology. Challenges and limitations in the on-site preparation and use of 68 Ga-labelled peptides outside the marketing authorization track are also discussed. (orig.)

PLACES AVAILABLE

CERN Multimedia

Technical Training; Tel. 74924

2001-01-01

Places are available in the following courses: Introduction to Databases :  3 - 4.7.01 (2 days) The JAVA programming language Level 2 : 4 - 6.7.01 (3 days) Enterprise JavaBeans :  9 - 11.7.01 (3 days) Design Patterns :  10 - 12.7.01 (3 days) C++ for Particle Physicists :  23 - 27.7.01 (6 3-hour lectures) If you wish to participate in one of these courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at : http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt.

PLACES AVAILABLE

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2002-01-01

Places are available in the following courses: CLEAN-2002 : Travailler en salle blanche (cours gratuit) : 13.08.2002 (matin) Introduction to the CERN Enginnering Data Management System :  27.8.02  (1 day) The CERN Engineering Data Management System for Advanced Users :  28.8.02  (1 day) If you wish to participate in one of these courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at : Technical Training or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. Technical Training Monique Duval Tel.74924 monique.duval@cern.ch    

PLACES AVAILABLE

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2002-01-01

Places are available in the following courses: C++ Programming Level 2 - Traps & Pitfalls:  16 - 19.7.02 (4 days) Frontpage 2000 - level 1 :  22 - 23.7.02  (2 days) Introduction à Windows 2000 au CERN : 24.7.02 (après-midi) CLEAN-2002 : Travailler en salle blanche (cours gratuit) : 13.08.2002 (matin) If you wish to participate in one of these courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at : Technical Training or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. Technical Training Monique Duval Tel.74924 monique.duval@cern.ch

Improving the workplace environment

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Gledhill, Irvy MA

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Research has shown that companies with more diversity and a better workplace perform better. So what makes a good workplace in physics, where women and men can work to their full potential? In the Improving the Workplace Environment workshop...

78 FR 27416 - Notice of Availability of the Final Record of Decision for the Programmatic Environmental Impact...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-10

... improved personal radiation detectors (PRD), RIDs, and NII tools, such as high-energy container scanners... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection Notice of Availability of the... Border Activities AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border, Protection, DHS. ACTION: Notice of availability...

Ocular pharmacoscintigraphic and aqueous humoral drug availability of ganciclovir-loaded mucoadhesive nanoparticles in rabbits

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akhter, Sohail; Ramazani, Farshad; Ahmad, Mohammad Zaki; Ahmad, Farjam Jalees; Rahman, Ziyaur; Bhatnagar, Aseem; Storm, Gerrit

2013-01-01

The present report describes the improved ocular retention and aqueous humoral drug availability of ganciclovir (GCV) when administered via topical instillation of different kind of nanoparticles onto the rabbit eye. GCV was loaded into PLGA nanoparticles, chitosan-coated nanoparticles and

The gap between available knowledge and its use in clinical psychiatry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munk-Jørgensen, P; Blanner Kristiansen, C; Uwawke, R

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The time span between knowledge becoming available and its integration into daily clinical routine is lengthy. This phenomenon is explored in this study. METHOD: We used the outcomes of our activities for investigating and strengthening the research-based activities to improve physical...... health in the routines of clinical psychiatric wards as examples for our analyses. RESULTS: The time span between new knowledge becoming available and its implementation into general clinical treatment is very long. However, a shortening of this time span is seen through active leadership backup...... is needed in all professions to increase evidence-based practice. Leaders must take responsibility for implementing new knowledge into the routines of the department and must support staff in these activities on a daily basis....

Are essential medicines in Malaysia accessible, affordable and available?

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh, Kamaruzaman; Ibrahim, Mohamed I M

2005-12-01

To assess the pharmaceutical sector to know whether people have access to essential medicines. The study was conducted in 20 public health clinics, five public district drug stores and 20 private retail pharmacies selected randomly in five different areas randomly selected (four states and a federal territory). The methodology used was adopted from the World Health Organization study protocol. The degree of attainment of the strategic pharmaceutical objectives of improved access is measured by a list of tested indicators. Access is measured in terms of the availability and affordability of essential medicines, especially to the poor and in the public sector. The first survey in the public health clinics and public district drug stores gathered information about current availability of essential medicines, prevalence of stock-outs and affordability of treatment (except drug stores). The second survey assessed affordability of treatment in public health clinics and private retail pharmacies. Availability, stock-out duration, percent of medicines dispensed, accessibility and affordability of key medicines. The average availability of key medicines in the public health clinics for the country was 95.4%. The average stock-out duration of key medicines was 6.5 days. However, average availability of key medicines in the public district drug stores was 89.2%; with an average stock-out duration of 32.4 days. Medicines prescribed were 100% dispensed to the patients. Average affordability for public health clinics was 1.5 weeks salary and for the private pharmacies, 3.7 weeks salary. The present pharmaceutical situation in the context of essential medicines list implementation reflected that the majority of the population in Malaysia had access to affordable essential medicines. If medicines need to be obtained from the private sector, they are hardly affordable. Although the average availability of essential medicines in Malaysia was high being more than 95.0%, in certain

PLACES AVAILABLE

CERN Multimedia

Technical Training; Tel. 74924

2001-01-01

Places are available in the following courses: Introduction to Perl 5 : 2 - 3.7.01 (2 days) Introduction to Databases :  3 - 4.7.01 (2 days) JAVA programming language Level 2 : 4 - 6.7.01 (3 days) Enterprise JavaBeans :  9 - 11.7.01 (3 days) Design Patterns :  10 - 12.7.01 (3 days) C++ for Particle Physicists :  23 - 27.7.01 (6 3-hour lectures) If you wish to participate in one of these courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at : http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt.

PLACES AVAILABLE

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2002-01-01

Places are available in the following courses: December 2002   PCAD Schémas - Débutants :  5 & 6.12.02  (2 jours) PCAD PCB - Débutants :  9 - 11.12.02  (3 jours) FrontPage 2000 - level 1:  9 & 10.12.02  (2 days) Introduction à la CAO Cadence (cours gratuit) :  10 & 11.12.02  (2 jours) If you wish to participate in one of these courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at : Technical Training or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. Technical Training Monique Duval Tel.74924 monique.duval@cern.ch

Technical training: places available

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2007-01-01

CERN Technical Training: Open Courses (April - June 2007) The following course sessions are currently scheduled in the framework of the CERN Technical Training Programme 2007:   AutoCAD 2006 - niveau 1 (course in French): 25.4.- 26.4.2007 & 2.5. - 3.5.2007 (4 days in 2 modules, 5 places available) AutoCAD 2006 - niveau 1 (course in French): 27.6.- 28.6.2007 & 3.7. - 4.7.2007 (4 days in 2 modules, 5 places available) AutoCAD Mechanical 2006 (course in French) 21.6.-22.6.2007 (2 days, 8 places available) * NEW COURSE* Automate de securite S7 (course in French) 14.5.-16.5.2007 (3 days, 4 places available) * NEW COURSE* Automate de securite S7 (course in French): 9.5.-11.5.2007 (3 days, 4 places available) JCOP - Joint PVSS-JCOP Frameswork (course in English): 21.5.-25.5.2007 (5 days, 12 places available) JCOP - Finite State Machines in the JCOP Frameswork (course in English): 12.6.-14.6.2007 (3 days, 12 places available) LabVIEW Basics 1 (in English): 2.-4.5.2007 (3 days, 7 places ...

Technical training - places available

CERN Multimedia

2012-01-01

If you would like more information on a course, or for any other inquiry/suggestions, please contact Technical.Training@cern.ch Valeria Perez Reale, Learning Specialist, Technical Programme Coordinator (Tel.: 62424) Eva Stern and Elise Romero, Technical Training Administration (Tel.: 74924) HR Department »Electronics design Next Session Duration Language Availability Comprehensive VHDL for FPGA Design 08-Oct-12 to 12-Oct-12 5 days English 3 places available Foundations of Electromagnetism and Magnet Design (EMAG) 14-Nov-12 to 27-Nov-12 6 days English 20 places available Impacts de la suppression du plomb (RoHS) en électronique 26-Oct-12 to 26-Oct-12 8 hours French 15 places available Introduction to VHDL 10-Oct-12 to 11-Oct-12 2 days English 7 places available LabVIEW Real Time and FPGA 13-Nov-12 to 16-Nov-12 5 days French 5 places available »Mechanical design Next Se...

Improving the Availability and Delivery of Critical Information for Tight Gas Resource Development in the Appalachian Basin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mary Behling; Susan Pool; Douglas Patchen; John Harper

2008-12-31

To encourage, facilitate and accelerate the development of tight gas reservoirs in the Appalachian basin, the geological surveys in Pennsylvania and West Virginia collected widely dispersed data on five gas plays and formatted these data into a large database that can be accessed by individual well or by play. The database and delivery system that were developed can be applied to any of the 30 gas plays that have been defined in the basin, but for this project, data compilation was restricted to the following: the Mississippian-Devonian Berea/Murrysville sandstone play and the Upper Devonian Venango, Bradford and Elk sandstone plays in Pennsylvania and West Virginia; and the 'Clinton'/Medina sandstone play in northwestern Pennsylvania. In addition, some data were collected on the Tuscarora Sandstone play in West Virginia, which is the lateral equivalent of the Medina Sandstone in Pennsylvania. Modern geophysical logs are the most common and cost-effective tools for evaluating reservoirs. Therefore, all of the well logs in the libraries of the two surveys from wells that had penetrated the key plays were scanned, generating nearly 75,000 scanned e-log files from more than 40,000 wells. A standard file-naming convention for scanned logs was developed, which includes the well API number, log curve type(s) scanned, and the availability of log analyses or half-scale logs. In addition to well logs, other types of documents were scanned, including core data (descriptions, analyses, porosity-permeability cross-plots), figures from relevant chapters of the Atlas of Major Appalachian Gas Plays, selected figures from survey publications, and information from unpublished reports and student theses and dissertations. Monthly and annual production data from 1979 to 2007 for West Virginia wells in these plays are available as well. The final database also includes digitized logs from more than 800 wells, sample descriptions from more than 550 wells, more than 600

Open Contents Modules Available for E-Learning Multimedia Cartography and Location Based Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nedjeljko Frančula

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Swiss Virtual Campus (SVC is a federal program, which began in 2000th and was completed in 2008th. Its goal was to improve Internet-based learning in Swiss higher education institutions. One of the projects within the SVC was dedicated to cartography: CartouCHe (Cartography for Swiss Higher Education.

An improved Hough transform-based fingerprint alignment approach

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mlambo, CS

2014-11-01

Full Text Available An improved Hough Transform based fingerprint alignment approach is presented, which improves computing time and memory usage with accurate alignment parameter (rotation and translation) results. This is achieved by studying the strengths...

The availability and affordability of orphan drugs for rare diseases in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Shiwei; Wang, Yingxiao; Pan, Xiaoyun; Zhang, Liang; Huang, Rui; Chen, Xin; Hu, Juanjuan; Xu, Yi; Jin, Si

2016-02-27

Orphan drugs are intended to treat, prevent or diagnose rare diseases. In recent years, China healthcare policy makers and patients have become increasingly concerned about orphan drug issues. However, very few studies have assessed the availability and affordability of orphan drugs for rare diseases in China. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the availability and affordability of orphan drugs in China and to make suggestions to improve patient access to orphan drugs. Two components of the availability of orphan drugs were examined. Market availability was assessed by the extent to which orphan drugs were marketed in China with a comparison to orphan drugs in international markets, such as the U.S., EU and Japan. We conducted surveys and collected data from 24 tertiary public hospitals in China to measure hospital-level availability of orphan drugs. The affordability of orphan drugs was calculated using hospital dispensary prices and was expressed as days of average daily income required for the cost of a course of treatment. Affordability was also analyzed under the Chinese basic medical insurance system. Orphan drugs approved in the U.S., EU and Japan had 37.8%, 24.6% and 52.4% market availability in China, respectively. Median availability of 31 orphan drugs surveyed at the 24 tertiary public hospitals was 20.8% (very low). Within a periodic treatment course, the average treatment cost of 23 orphan drugs is approximately 4, 843. 5 USD, which equates to 505.6 days of per capita net income for an urban resident with a middle income (187.4 days for a high-income urban resident) or 1,582.8 days's income for a rural resident with a middle income (657.2 days for a high-income rural resident). Except for homoharringtonine, 22 orphan drugs for 14 rare diseases were unaffordable for the most of residents in China. With 5% out-of-pocket expenses, only three generics could be afforded by middle-income residents, whereas seven drugs for high-income urban

Control/interlock/display system for EBT-P using commercially-available hardware and firmware

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitt, R.J.

1983-01-01

For the EBT-P project, alternative commercially-available hardware, software and firmware have been employed for control, interlock and data display functions. This paper describes the criteria and rationale used to select that commercial equipment and discusses the important features of the equipment chosen, especially programmable controllers. Additional discussion is centered on interface problems which are encountered upon attempts to integrate equipment from several vendors. Some solutions to these problems are discussed. Details of software and hardware performance during tests are presented. The extent to which the EBT-P hardware and software configuration addresses and resolves various issues is discussed. Several areas have been uncovered in which relatively slight improvements/modifications of commercial programmable controller firmware would significantly improve the capability of this type of hardware in fusion control applications. These improvements are discussed in detail

Quantifying Heuristic Bias: Anchoring, Availability, and Representativeness.

Science.gov (United States)

Richie, Megan; Josephson, S Andrew

2018-01-01

Construct: Authors examined whether a new vignette-based instrument could isolate and quantify heuristic bias. Heuristics are cognitive shortcuts that may introduce bias and contribute to error. There is no standardized instrument available to quantify heuristic bias in clinical decision making, limiting future study of educational interventions designed to improve calibration of medical decisions. This study presents validity data to support a vignette-based instrument quantifying bias due to the anchoring, availability, and representativeness heuristics. Participants completed questionnaires requiring assignment of probabilities to potential outcomes of medical and nonmedical scenarios. The instrument randomly presented scenarios in one of two versions: Version A, encouraging heuristic bias, and Version B, worded neutrally. The primary outcome was the difference in probability judgments for Version A versus Version B scenario options. Of 167 participants recruited, 139 enrolled. Participants assigned significantly higher mean probability values to Version A scenario options (M = 9.56, SD = 3.75) than Version B (M = 8.98, SD = 3.76), t(1801) = 3.27, p = .001. This result remained significant analyzing medical scenarios alone (Version A, M = 9.41, SD = 3.92; Version B, M = 8.86, SD = 4.09), t(1204) = 2.36, p = .02. Analyzing medical scenarios by heuristic revealed a significant difference between Version A and B for availability (Version A, M = 6.52, SD = 3.32; Version B, M = 5.52, SD = 3.05), t(404) = 3.04, p = .003, and representativeness (Version A, M = 11.45, SD = 3.12; Version B, M = 10.67, SD = 3.71), t(396) = 2.28, p = .02, but not anchoring. Stratifying by training level, students maintained a significant difference between Version A and B medical scenarios (Version A, M = 9.83, SD = 3.75; Version B, M = 9.00, SD = 3.98), t(465) = 2.29, p = .02, but not residents or attendings. Stratifying by heuristic and training level, availability maintained

Methodological approach to organizational performance improvement process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marin Buble

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Organizational performance improvement is one of the fundamental enterprise tasks. This especially applies to the case when the term “performance improvement” implies efficiency improvement measured by indicators, such as ROI, ROE, ROA, or ROVA/ROI. Such tasks are very complex, requiring implementation by means of project management. In this paper, the authors propose a methodological approach to improving the organizational performance of a large enterprise.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT AS A BASIS OF HIGH AVAILABILITY LEVEL AND IT SYSTEM SERVICE QUALITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dejan Vidojevic

2007-06-01

Full Text Available This work presents the development and implementation methodology of technical support in IT1system operation. Methodology is developed and applied in realistic system (Information system of the Tax administration - DIS 2003, which is technically very complex and highly distributed. The results of IT system availability assessment and identification of the critical components are input parameters in the process of establishing of the technical support. The importance of technical support for achieving optimal IT system availability and IT service quality is assessed according to its operation during one year. The history of technical support system operation is a basis for further continuous improvement.

Has Chiranjeevi Yojana changed the geographic availability of free comprehensive emergency obstetric care services in Gujarat, India?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kranti Suresh Vora

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: The high rate of maternal mortality in India is of grave concern. Poor rural Indian women are most vulnerable to preventable maternal deaths primarily because they have limited availability of affordable emergency obstetric care (EmOC within reasonable geographic proximity. Scarcity of obstetricians in the public sector combined with financial barriers to accessing private sector obstetrician services preclude this underserved population from availing lifesaving functions of comprehensive EmOC such as C-section. In order to overcome this limitation, Government of Gujarat initiated a unique public–private partnership program called Chiranjeevi Yojana (CY in 2005. The program envisaged leveraging private sector providers to increase availability and thereby accessibility of EmOC care for vulnerable sections of society. Under CY, private sector providers render obstetric care services to poor women at no cost to patients. This paper examines the CY's effectiveness in improving availability of CEmOC services between 2006 and 2012 in three districts of Gujarat, India. Methods: Primary data on facility locations, EmOC functionality, and obstetric bed availability were collected in the years 2012 and 2013 in three study districts. Secondary data from Census 2001 and 2011 were used along with required geographic information from Topo sheets and Google Earth maps. ArcGIS version 10 was used to analyze the availability of services using two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA method. Results: Our analysis suggests that the availability of CEmOC services within reasonable travel distance has greatly improved in all three study districts as a result of CY. We also show that the declining participation of the private sector did not result in an increase in distance to the nearest facility, but the extent of availability of providers for several villages was reduced. Spatial and temporal analyses in this paper provide a comprehensive

Technical training - Places available

CERN Document Server

2012-01-01

If you would like more information on a course, or for any other inquiry/suggestions, please contact Technical.Training@cern.ch Valeria Perez Reale, Learning Specialist, Technical Programme Coordinator (Tel.: 62424) Eva Stern and Elise Romero, Technical Training Administration (Tel.: 74924)   Electronics design Next Session Duration Language Availability Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer (CLAD) 06-Dec-12 to 06-Dec-12 1 hour English One more place available Compatibilité électromagnetique (CEM): Applications 23-Nov-12 to 23-Nov-12 3.5 hours English 3 places available Compatibilité électromagnétique (CEM): Introduction 23-Nov-12 to 23-Nov-12 3 hours English 43 places available Effets des Radiations sur les composants et systèmes électroniques 11-Dec-12 to 12-Dec-12 1 day 4 hours French 9 places available LabVIEW for beginners ...

Genotype and ancestry modulate brain's DAT availability in healthy humans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shumay, E.; Chen, J.; Fowler, J.S.; Volkow, N.D.

2011-01-01

The dopamine transporter (DAT) is a principal regulator of dopaminergic neurotransmission and its gene (the SLC6A3) is a strong biological candidate gene for various behavioral- and neurological disorders. Intense investigation of the link between the SLC6A3 polymorphisms and behavioral phenotypes yielded inconsistent and even contradictory results. Reliance on objective brain phenotype measures, for example, those afforded by brain imaging, might critically improve detection of DAT genotype-phenotype association. Here, we tested the relationship between the DAT brain availability and the SLC6A3 genotypes using an aggregate sample of 95 healthy participants of several imaging studies. These studies employed positron emission tomography (PET) with [ 11 C] cocaine wherein the DAT availability was estimated as Bmax/Kd; while the genotype values were obtained on two repeat polymorphisms - 3-UTR- and intron 8- VNTRs. The main findings are the following: (1) both polymorphisms analyzed as single genetic markers and in combination (haplotype) modulate DAT density in midbrain; (2) ethnic background and age influence the strength of these associations; and (3) age-related changes in DAT availability differ in the 3-UTR and intron8 - genotype groups.

PLACES AVAILABLE

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2002-01-01

Places are available in the following courses: November 2002   Hands-on Object-Oriented Design and Programming with C++:  19 - 21.11.02  (3 days)  December 2002   LabVIEW - DSC (English) :  2 - 3.12.02  (2 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 2 :  2 & 3.12.02  (2 jours) FileMaker (Français) :  2 - 5.12.02  (4 jours) PCAD Schémas - Débutants :  5 & 6.12.02  (2 jours) PCAD PCB - Débutants :  9 - 11.12.02  (3 jours) FrontPage 2000 - level 1:  9 & 10.12.02  (2 days) If you wish to participate in one of these courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at : Technical Training or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisiona...

PLACES AVAILABLE

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2002-01-01

Places are available in the following courses: November 2002   Java Programming Language level 1 :  28 & 29.11.02  (2 days) December 2002   LabVIEW - DSC (English) :  2 - 3.12.02  (2 days) FileMaker (Français) :  2 - 5.12.02  (4 jours) PCAD Schémas - Débutants :  5 & 6.12.02  (2 jours) PCAD PCB - Débutants :  9 - 11.12.02  (3 jours) FrontPage 2000 - level 1:  9 & 10.12.02  (2 days) If you wish to participate in one of these courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at : Technical Training or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. Technical Training M...

Brunswick improvement program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howe, P.W.

1985-01-01

The performance of the twin 790-MW Mark-4 boiling water reactors located at the Brunswick steam electric plant has historically been well below average. The plant experienced low availability, low capacity factors, high US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) violations, excessive radioactive waste generation, excessive licensee event reports (LERs), an unacceptable industrial safety record, poor SALP ratings, and numerous other deficiencies leading to unacceptable performance. In June 1982 it was determined that certain periodic tests (PT) had never been performed. While one unit was down for a refueling/modification outage, Carolina Power and Light (CP and L) elected to bring the other unit off line and perform an extensive self-examination. As a result, a number of needed improvements covering a wide range of plant activities were identified. CP and L elected to consolidate all the elements of the improvement into a single, plant-wide program. The consolidated program, called the Brunswick Improvement Program (BIP), was established. Major objectives of the BIP and measurable results are presented

Improvement of water and light availability after thinning at a xeric site: which matters more? A dual isotope approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Giuggiola, Arnaud; Ogée, Jérôme; Rigling, Andreas; Gessler, Arthur; Bugmann, Harald; Treydte, Kerstin

2016-04-01

Thinning fosters individual tree growth by increasing the availability of water, light and nutrients. At sites where water rather than light is limiting, thinning also enhances soil evaporation and might not be beneficial. Detailed knowledge of the short- to long-term physiological response underlying the growth responses to thinning is crucial for the management of forests already suffering from recurrent drought-induced dieback. We applied a dual isotope approach together with mechanistic isotope models to study the physiological processes underlying long-term growth enhancement of heavily thinned Pinus sylvestris in a xeric forest in Switzerland. This approach allowed us to identify and disentangle thinning-induced changes in stomatal conductance and assimilation rate. At our xeric study site, the increase in stomatal conductance far outweighed the increase in assimilation, implying that growth release in heavily thinned trees is primarily driven by enhanced water availability rather than increased light availability. We conclude that in forests with relatively isohydric species (drought avoiders) that are growing close to their physiological limits, thinning is recommended to maintain a less negative water balance and thus foster tree growth, and ultimately the survival of forest trees under drought. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Route activity tracking and management using available technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sam Yousef Khoury

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Small organizations that maintain their own fleet and make their own deliveries are responsible for ensuring their drivers are utilizing the most efficient routes while delivering products to their customers. Furthermore, efficient delivery requires that drivers spend as little time as possible dropping off and picking up products, since these activities are referred to as “non-value added activities,” although they are necessary tasks in the order cycle process. To aid in reducing order cycle times, large organizations that can afford it have employed transportation management systems. Unfortunately, small organizations with limited resources are less likely to adopt transportation management systems, despite the need for such automation. One solution is to use available productivity software to track and manage driver route activity in an effort to improve and maintain driver productivity by reducing non-value time and identifying optimal routes. This paper will outline how office productivity software such as Microsoft® Access can meet the needs of small organizations with limited resources by describing the development and use of a route activity database that employs an easy-to-use multi-user interface. This paper also includes the details of the underlying infrastructure and the user interface.

Advanced technologies available for future solid propellant grains

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thepenier, J. [SNPE Propulsion, St Medard en Jalles (France); Fonblanc, G. [SNPE Propulsion, Vert le Petit (France). Centre de Recherche de Bouchet

2001-06-01

Significant advances have been made during the last decade in several fields of solid propulsion: the advances have enabled new savings in the motor development phase and in recurring costs, because they help limit the number of prototypes and tests. The purpose of the paper is to describe the improvements achieved by SNPE in solid grain technologies, making these technologies available for new developments in more efficient and reliable future SRMs: new energetic molecules, new solid propellants, new processes for grain manufacturing, quick response grain design tools associated with advanced models for grain performance predictions. Using its expertise in chemical synthesis, SNPE develops new molecules to fit new energetic material requirements. Tests based on new propellant formulations have produced good results in the propellant performance/safety behavior ratio. New processes have been developed simultaneously to reduce the manufacturing costs of the new propellants. In addition, the grain design has been optimized by using the latest generation of predictive theoretical tools supported by a large data bank of experimental parameters resulting from over 30 years' experience in solid propulsion: computer-aided method for the preliminary grain design; advanced models for SRM operating and performance predictions. All these technologies are available for industrial applications in future developments of solid propellant grains. (author)

Leading quality improvement in primary care: recommendations for success.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Hoof, Thomas J; Bisognano, Maureen; Reinertsen, James L; Meehan, Thomas P

2012-09-01

Leadership is increasingly recognized as a potential factor in the success of primary care quality improvement efforts, yet little is definitively known about which specific leadership behaviors are most important. Until more research is available, the authors suggest that primary care clinicians who are committed to developing their leadership skills should commit to a series of actions. These actions include embracing a theory of leadership, modeling the approach for others, focusing on the goal of improving patient outcomes, encouraging teamwork, utilizing available sources of power, and reflecting on one's approach in order to improve it. Primary care clinicians who commit themselves to such actions will be more effective leaders and will be more prepared as new research becomes available on this important factor. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improving Indicators in a Brazilian Hospital Through Quality-Improvement Programs Based on STS Database Reports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Gabriel Melo de Barros e Silva

2015-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To report the initial changes after quality-improvement programs based on STS-database in a Brazilian hospital. METHODS: Since 2011 a Brazilian hospital has joined STS-Database and in 2012 multifaceted actions based on STS reports were implemented aiming reductions in the time of mechanical ventilation and in the intensive care stay and also improvements in evidence-based perioperative therapies among patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgeries. RESULTS: All the 947 patients submitted to coronary artery bypass graft surgeries from July 2011 to June 2014 were analyzed and there was an improvement in all the three target endpoints after the implementation of the quality-improvement program but the reduction in time on mechanical ventilation was not statistically significant after adjusting for prognostic characteristics. CONCLUSION: The initial experience with STS registry in a Brazilian hospital was associated with improvement in most of targeted quality-indicators.

Instant availability of patient records, but diminished availability of patient information: A multi-method study of GP's use of electronic patient records

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grimsmo Anders

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In spite of succesful adoption of electronic patient records (EPR by Norwegian GPs, what constitutes the actual benefits and effects of the use of EPRs in the perspective of the GPs and patients has not been fully characterized. We wanted to study primary care physicians' use of electronic patient record (EPR systems in terms of use of different EPR functions and the time spent on using the records, as well as the potential effects of EPR systems on the clinician-patient relationship. Methods A combined qualitative and quantitative study that uses data collected from focus groups, observations of primary care encounters and a questionnaire survey of a random sample of general practitioners to describe their use of EPR in primary care. Results The overall availability of individual patient records had improved, but the availability of the information within each EPR was not satisfactory. GPs' use of EPRs were efficient and comprehensive, but have resulted in transfer of administrative work from secretaries to physicians. We found no indications of disturbance of the clinician-patient relationship by use of computers in this study. Conclusion Although GPs are generally satisfied with their EPRs systems, there are still unmet needs and functionality to be covered. It is urgent to find methods that can make a better representation of information in large patient records as well as prevent EPRs from contributing to increased administrative workload of physicians.

Application of goal trees to evaluation of the impact of information upon plant availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roush, M.L.; Modarres, M.; Hunt, R.N.

1985-01-01

Development of a comprehensive risk management program for a nuclear plant owner requires that an integrating framework be devised to provide not only identification of all the discrete contributors to risk, but also an understanding of the ways in which they contribute. It is this understanding which enables the owner to effectively evaluate all potentially feasible schemes to be employed in maintaining overall risk at an acceptable or optimal level. The authors describe how a goal tree can prove useful in providing this required degree of understanding. The results of numerous risk assessments would seem to indicate that improvement in human performance provides better potential for risk reduction than does improvement in hardware performance. The focus here is on a process to evaluate the benefits which accrue from improvements in informational systems. In this report a rigorous and quantitative approach is described for information and its worth in improving equipment availability, particularly in the area of equipment protection

Operational experience, availability and reliability of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kueffer, K.

1980-01-01

This lecture - presents a survey on nuclear power production and plant performance in the Western World covering all reactor types and light-water reactors in particular and discusses key parameters such as load factors and non-availability analysis. - outlines the main reasons for the reliable performance of Swiss nuclear power plants - quality equipment - operator qualification and training - engineering know how on site - maintenance philosophy and outage planning - information system and feedback of experience - explains the management functions as applied at the Beznau Nuclear Power Station to ensure high power productivity and reliability - improvement - a feedback control system - analysis of production losses - optimization in shut-down planning - minimizing disturbances during plant operation - optimizing personnel qualification and efficiency. (orig.)

System 80+ Design and Licensing : Improving Plant Reliability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newman, Robert E.

1989-01-01

The U. S. nuclear industry is striving to improve plant reliability and availability through improved plant design, component designs and plant maintenance. In an effort to improve safety and to demonstrate that commercial nuclear power is economically competitive with other energy sources, the utilities, nuclear vendors, architect engineers and constructors, and component suppliers are all participating in an industry-wide effort to develop improved Light Water Reactor (LWR) designs that are based upon the many years of successful LWR operation. In an age when the world faces the environmental pressures of the greenhouse effect and acid rain, electricity generated from nuclear energy must play an increasing role in the energy picture of Korea, the United States and the rest of the world. This paper discusses the plant availability requirement that has been established by the industry-wide effort mentioned above. After briefly describing Combustion Engineering's program for development of the System 80 Plus standard design and the participation of the Korea Advanced Energy Research Institute (KAERI) in the program, the paper then describes the design features that are being incorporated into System 80+. The industry ALRR Program has established a very ambitious criterion of 87% for the plant availability of future nuclear units. To satisfy such a requirement, the next generation of nuclear plants will include a great many design improvements that reflect the hundreds of years of operating experience that we have accrued. C-ESA's System 80+ will include a number of design changes that improve operating margins and make the plant easier to operate and maintain. Not surprisingly, there is a great deal of overlap between improved safety and improved reliability. In the end, our design will satisfy the future needs of the utilities, the regulators, and the public. C-E is very pleased that KAERI is working with US to achieve these important goals

Effect of pre-heating on the chemical oxidation efficiency: implications for the PAH availability measurement in contaminated soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Biache, Coralie; Lorgeoux, Catherine; Andriatsihoarana, Sitraka; Colombano, Stéfan; Faure, Pierre

2015-04-09

Three chemical oxidation treatments (KMnO4, H2O2 and Fenton-like) were applied on three PAH-contaminated soils presenting different properties to determine the potential use of these treatments to evaluate the available PAH fraction. In order to increase the available fraction, a pre-heating (100 °C under N2 for one week) was also applied on the samples prior oxidant addition. PAH and extractable organic matter contents were determined before and after treatment applications. KMnO4 was efficient to degrade PAHs in all the soil samples and the pre-heating slightly improved its efficiency. H2O2 and Fenton-like treatments presented low efficiency to degrade PAH in the soil presenting poor PAH availability, however, the PAH degradation rates were improved with the pre-heating. Consequently H2O2-based treatments (including Fenton-like) are highly sensitive to contaminant availability and seem to be valid methods to estimate the available PAH fraction in contaminated soils. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reducing the impact of irrigated crops on freshwater availability: the case of Brazilian yellow melons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brito de Figueirêdo, M.C.; Boer, de I.J.M.; Kroeze, C.; Silva Barros, da V.; Sousa, de J.A.; Souza de Aragão, F.A.; Sonsol Gondim, R.; Potting, J.

2014-01-01

Purpose This study quantifies freshwater consumption throughout the life cycle of Brazilian exported yellow melons and assesses the resulting impact on freshwater availability. Results are used to identify improvement options. Moreover, the study explores the further impact of variations in

Perceptions about availability and adequacy of drinking water in a large California school district.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Anisha I; Bogart, Laura M; Uyeda, Kimberly E; Rabin, Alexa; Schuster, Mark A

2010-03-01

Concerns about the influence of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption on obesity have led experts to recommend that water be freely available in schools. We explored perceptions about the adequacy of drinking water provision in a large California school district to develop policies and programs to encourage student water consumption. From March to September 2007, we used semistructured interviews to ask 26 California key stakeholders - including school administrators and staff, health and nutrition agency representatives, and families - about school drinking water accessibility; attitudes about, facilitators of, and barriers to drinking water provision; and ideas for increasing water consumption. Interviews were analyzed to determine common themes. Although stakeholders said that water was available from school drinking fountains, they expressed concerns about the appeal, taste, appearance, and safety of fountain water and worried about the affordability and environmental effect of bottled water sold in schools. Stakeholders supported efforts to improve free drinking water availability in schools, but perceived barriers (eg, cost) and mistaken beliefs that regulations and beverage contracts prohibit serving free water may prevent schools from doing so. Some schools provide water through cold-filtered water dispensers and self-serve water coolers. This is the first study to explore stakeholder perceptions about the adequacy of drinking water in US schools. Although limited in scope, our study suggests that water available in at least some schools may be inadequate. Collaborative efforts among schools, communities, and policy makers are needed to improve school drinking water provision.

PLACES AVAILABLE

CERN Multimedia

TECHNICAL TRAINING; Tel. 74460

2001-01-01

Places are available in the following courses: MS-Project 1er niveau : 20 - 23.2.01 (4 matins) Architecture d'automatisme : 20 - 21.2.01 (2 jours) Introduction à PowerPoint : 26.2.01 (1 journée) Programmation TSX Premium 1 (Schneider) : 26.2 - 2.3.01 (5 jours) Premiers pas avec votre PC : 27.2 - 2.3.01 (4 matins) C++ for Particle Physicists : 5 - 9.3.01 (6*3 hour lectures) EXCEL : 6, 7 et 13, 14.3.01 (4 jours) The JAVA programming language level 2 :  12 - 14.3.01 (3 days) Nouveautés de FileMaker :  20 - 23.03.01 (4 matins) If you wish to participate in one of these courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at : http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt.

PLACES AVAILABLE

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2002-01-01

Places are available in the following courses: Habilitation électrique : recyclage HT/BT : 11 - 15.3.2002  (2 * 2 heures) PVSS Basics :  8 - 12.4.02  (5 days) ELEC-2002 : Spring Term :  9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30.4.02 (7 * 2.5 hours) LabVIEW base 1 : 22 - 24.4.02 (3 jours) LabVIEW DSC (F) 25 & 26.4.02 (2 jours) LabVIEW Basics 2 : 13 & 14.5.02 (2 days) LabVIEW DAQ (F) : 15 & 16.5.02 (2 jours) Cours sur la migration AutoCAD :   AutoCAD : Mise à jour AutoCAD r-14 vers 2002 (2 jours) AutoCAD Mechanical PowerPack 6 basé sur AutoCAD 2002 (5 jours) If you wish to participate in one of these courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at : Technical Training or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applica...

JUNOS High Availability

CERN Document Server

Sonderegger, James; Milne, Kieran; Palislamovic, Senad

2009-01-01

Whether your network is a complex carrier or just a few machines supporting a small enterprise, JUNOS High Availability will help you build reliable and resilient networks that include Juniper Networks devices. With this book's valuable advice on software upgrades, scalability, remote network monitoring and management, high-availability protocols such as VRRP, and more, you'll have your network uptime at the five, six, or even seven nines -- or 99.99999% of the time. Rather than focus on "greenfield" designs, the authors explain how to intelligently modify multi-vendor networks. You'll learn

Water Resources Availability in Kabul, Afghanistan

Science.gov (United States)

Akbari, A. M.; Chornack, M. P.; Coplen, T. B.; Emerson, D. G.; Litke, D. W.; Mack, T. J.; Plummer, N.; Verdin, J. P.; Verstraeten, I. M.

2008-12-01

The availability of water resources is vital to the rebuilding of Kabul, Afghanistan. In recent years, droughts and increased water use for drinking water and agriculture have resulted in widespread drying of wells. Increasing numbers of returning refugees, rapid population growth, and potential climate change have led to heightened concerns for future water availability. The U.S. Geological Survey, with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development, began collaboration with the Afghanistan Geological Survey and Ministry of Energy and Water on water-resource investigations in the Kabul Basin in 2004. This has led to the compilation of historic and recent water- resources data, creation of monitoring networks, analyses of geologic, geophysical, and remotely sensed data. The study presented herein provides an assessment of ground-water availability through the use of multidisciplinary hydrogeologic data analysis. Data elements include population density, climate, snowpack, geology, mineralogy, surface water, ground water, water quality, isotopic information, and water use. Data were integrated through the use of conceptual ground-water-flow model analysis and provide information necessary to make improved water-resource planning and management decisions in the Kabul Basin. Ground water is currently obtained from a shallow, less than 100-m thick, highly productive aquifer. CFC, tritium, and stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic analyses indicate that most water in the shallow aquifer appears to be recharged post 1970 by snowmelt-supplied river leakage and secondarily by late winter precipitation. Analyses indicate that increasing withdrawals are likely to result in declining water levels and may cause more than 50 percent of shallow supply wells to become dry or inoperative particularly in urbanized areas. The water quality in the shallow aquifer is deteriorated in urban areas by poor sanitation and water availability concerns may be compounded by poor well

Surfing the web during pandemic flu: availability of World Health Organization recommendations on prevention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ravà Lucilla

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background People often search for information on influenza A(H1N1v prevention on the web. The extent to which information found on the Internet is consistent with recommendations issued by the World Health Organization is unknown. Methods We conducted a search for "swine flu" accessing 3 of the most popular search engines through different proxy servers located in 4 English-speaking countries (Australia, Canada, UK, USA. We explored each site resulting from the searches, up to 4 clicks starting from the search engine page, analyzing availability of World Health Organization recommendations for swine flu prevention. Results Information on hand cleaning was reported on 79% of the 147 websites analyzed; staying home when sick was reported on 77.5% of the websites; disposing tissues after sneezing on 75.5% of the websites. Availability of other recommendations was lower. The probability of finding preventative recommendations consistent with World Health Organization varied by country, type of website, and search engine. Conclusions Despite media coverage on H1N1 influenza, relevant information for prevention is not easily found on the web. Strategies to improve information delivery to the general public through this channel should be improved.

Review of Commercially Available Microfluidic Materials and Fabricating Techniques for Point of Care Testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luck EREKU

2016-07-01

Full Text Available During the last two decades silicon and MEMs technology had been the mainstay of early microfluidic devices. However, recent times have brought into focus the need for low cost and readily available materials capable of achieving the expected microfluidics physical and chemical requirements. Also what mentioning is the rapid improvement in microfabrication technology over the years, which has significantly aided new and cheaper ways to produce microfluidic Point-Of-Care-Testing devices commercially or for research purposes. This review article discusses the usefulness of a wide range of available materials and their unique properties suitability in microfluidic applications. Likewise, advantages and drawbacks of manufacturing procedures and outputs of different fabrication methods are also brought into focus.

Condom Availability in Schools: A Practical Approach to the Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infection/HIV and Unintended Pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

Adolescents and young adults are highly impacted by sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancy in the United States and globally. Consistent and correct use of male latex condoms is associated with protection against both STIs and pregnancy. Providing adolescents and young adults with access to free condoms in schools may increase the use of condoms by improving condom availability, eliminating cost, and decreasing embarrassment associated with purchasing condoms. Studies demonstrate that condom availability in schools is associated with the increased use of condoms and improved overall sexual health. The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine encourages schools to make condoms available to students as part of efforts to decrease rates of STIs and unplanned pregnancy in adolescents and young adults. The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine also encourages health care providers to advocate for and support the availability of condoms in local schools. Copyright © 2017 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Technical training - Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2006-01-01

Places available as of 16.5.2006 (May-November course sessions) Technical Training: Places available The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Title Hours Date Language ACROBAT 7.0 : Utilisation de fichiers PDF 8 8.05.06 F WORD 2003 - niveau 2 : ECDL 16 22-23.05.06 23-24.05.06 F Comprehensive VHDL for FPGA Design 40 29.05-2.06.06 E C++ Programming Part 2 - Advanced C++ and its Traps and Pitfalls 32 30.05-2.06.06 E ACROBAT 7.0 : Utilisation de fichiers PDF 24 7-9.06.06 E AutoCAD Mechanical 2006 16 13-14.06.06 F CERN EDMS for Local Administrators 16 13-14.06.06 E LabVIEW Base 2 32 27.06-5.07.06 F C++ Programming Part 3 - Templates and the STL (Standard Template Library) 16 27-28.06.06 E C++ Programming Part 4 - Exceptions 8 29.06.06 E FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 16 29-...

Using Data to Improve Educational Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthijs Koopmans

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Review of the book “Action Research in the Classroom: Helping Teachers Assess and Improve their Work” by Sr. Mary Ann Jacobs and Bruce S. Cooper There are many ways in which research can contribute to the improvement of educational practice, and action research is one of them. Action research bridges the gap that typically separates research from practice by having practitioners conduct specific projects to address their own questions and improve their effectiveness based on the answers they obtain. One of the advantages of this type of research is that results are often immediately accessible and have actionable implications. Thus, action research is a good tool for making improvements to the field based on evidence.

The Potential of Improved Fallows to Improve and Conserve the Fertility of Nutrients-Depleted Soils of Western Kenya

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jama, B.; Amandou, I.; Niang; Amadalo, B.; Wolf, J.; Rao, M.R.; Buresh, R.J.

1999-01-01

Maize yields are low low and declining in the densely populated highlands of Western Kenya where soils are deficient mainly in nitrogen, phosphrous and, in some areas potassium. Over the last seven years, a team of scientists from several agricultural institutions, national and international has been developing and testing on-farm soil fertility improving technologies. Improved fallows of fast-growing leguminous species appear to be one such technology that could be a more productive alternative to the commonly practiced natural fallows. Sesbania session, Crotolaria grahamiana and Tephrosia vogelii are some the promising species. In six to eight months, fallows of these species can root to N rich subsoil (0.5-2 m) below the soil surface and recycle it to the surface soil through leaf and root litter. Within this period, N sufficient for the requirements of moderate maize yields (3-4 t ha -1 ) can be recycled particular y in sites not limited by available soil P. Such fallows can also recycle sufficient K in K deficient sites. Unfortunately soils in most areas of Western Kenya are P deficient and although improved fallows can enhance the availability of soil P less available to crops, they cannot increase its supply. Under these conditions, P inputs from external sources is necessary to improve crop yields meaningfully and economically. Agronomic evaluations of inorganic P sources for maize suggests Minjingu phosphates rock can be alternative to more expensive water-soluble P sources, e.g., triple superphosphate. The need for P input and the benefits of integrating it with improved fallows in order to overcome deficiencies of other nutrients, particularly N and K is highlighted in this paper

Markov approach to evaluate the availability simulation model for power generation system in a thermal power plant ,

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Avdhesh Kr. Sharma

2012-10-01

Full Text Available In recent years, the availability of power plants has become increasingly important issue in most developed and developing countries. This paper aims to propose a methodology based on Markov approach to evaluate the availability simulation model for power generation system (Turbine in a thermal power plant under realistic working environment. The effects of occurrence of failure/course of actions and availability of repair facilities on system performance have been investigated. Higher availability of the components/equipments is inherently associated with their higher reliability and maintainability. The power generation system consists of five subsystems with four possible states: full working, reduced capacity, reduced efficiency and failed state. So, its availability should be carefully evaluated in order to foresee the performance of the power plant. The availability simulation model (Av. has been developed with the help of mathematical formulation based on Markov Birth-Death process using probabilistic approach. For this purpose, first differential equations have been generated. These equations are then solved using normalizing condition so as to determine the steady state availability of power generation system. In fact, availability analysis is very much effective in finding critical subsystems and deciding their preventive maintenance program for improving availability of the power plant as well as the power supply. From the graphs illustrated, the optimum values of failure/repair rates for maximum availability, of each subsystem is analyzed and then maintenance priorities are decided for all subsystems.The present paper highlights that in this system, Turbine governing subsystem is most sensitive demands more improvement in maintainability as compared to the other subsystems. While Turbine lubrication subsystem is least sensitive.

Availability measurement of grid services from the perspective of a scientific computing centre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marten, H; Koenig, T

2011-01-01

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is the merger of Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe and the Technical University Karlsruhe. The Steinbuch Centre for Computing (SCC) was one of the first new organizational units of KIT, combining the former Institute for Scientific Computing of Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe and the Computing Centre of the University. IT service management according to the worldwide de-facto-standard 'IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)' was chosen by SCC as a strategic element to support the merging of the two existing computing centres located at a distance of about 10 km. The availability and reliability of IT services directly influence the customer satisfaction as well as the reputation of the service provider, and unscheduled loss of availability due to hardware or software failures may even result in severe consequences like data loss. Fault tolerant and error correcting design features are reducing the risk of IT component failures and help to improve the delivered availability. The ITIL process controlling the respective design is called Availability Management. This paper discusses Availability Management regarding grid services delivered to WLCG and provides a few elementary guidelines for availability measurements and calculations of services consisting of arbitrary numbers of components.

Improvement of CBR and compaction characteristics of bauxite rich dispersive soils available in pakistan: a case study of khushab soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batool, S.

2016-01-01

Dispersion of dispersive soil occurs when it comes in contact with water and clay particles deflocculate and disperse away from each other. Thus dispersive soils undergo erosion under low seepage velocity leading to instability problems of slopes and earth retaining structures. The amount of dispersion depends upon the mineralogy and geochemistry of clayey soil as well as the dissolved salts of the pore fluid. The dispersivity of the soil mainly depends on the amount of exchangeable sodium present in its formation. Under saturated conditions, the attractive forces are less than the repulsive forces and this will help the particles to disperse and go into colloidal suspension. The use of chemical stabilizers such as lime and cement to bind the clay particles and reduce the dispersivity of soil and to improve the compaction and CBR characteristics of bauxite rich dispersive soil present in Khushab district have been studied in this research. Soil behavior was studied after addition of 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% Lime and Cement, at optimum level of 6% for Lime and Cement; it has been observed that the CBR and compaction characteristics of Khushab soil have been improved. (author)

A REVIEW OF ORDER PICKING IMPROVEMENT METHODS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johan Oscar Ong

2014-09-01

Full Text Available As a crucial and one of the most important parts of warehousing, order picking often raises discussion between warehousing professionals, resulting in various studies aiming to analyze how order picking activity can be improved from various perspective. This paper reviews various past researches on order picking improvement, and the various methods those studies analyzed or developed. This literature review is based on twenty research articles on order picking improvement viewed from four different perspectives: Automation (specifically, stock-to-picker system, storage assignment policy, order batching, and order picking sequencing. By reviewing these studies, we try to identify the most prevalent order picking improvement approach to order picking improvement. Keywords: warehousing; stock-to-picker; storage assignment; order batching; order picking sequencing; improvement

PROCESS VARIABILITY REDUCTION THROUGH STATISTICAL PROCESS CONTROL FOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B.P. Mahesh

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Quality has become one of the most important customer decision factors in the selection among the competing product and services. Consequently, understanding and improving quality is a key factor leading to business success, growth and an enhanced competitive position. Hence quality improvement program should be an integral part of the overall business strategy. According to TQM, the effective way to improve the Quality of the product or service is to improve the process used to build the product. Hence, TQM focuses on process, rather than results as the results are driven by the processes. Many techniques are available for quality improvement. Statistical Process Control (SPC is one such TQM technique which is widely accepted for analyzing quality problems and improving the performance of the production process. This article illustrates the step by step procedure adopted at a soap manufacturing company to improve the Quality by reducing process variability using Statistical Process Control.

Two suggestions to improve the utilization of ISABELLE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thorndike, A.

1976-01-01

Two suggestions are outlined which are aimed at improving the efficiency of work in experimental areas by improving the information available to experimenters. The ideas relate to: (1) communications between the experimental hall and the data acquisition room; and (2) beam information via computer

Advancing our thinking in presence-only and used-available analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Warton, David; Aarts, Geert

2013-11-01

1. The problems of analysing used-available data and presence-only data are equivalent, and this paper uses this equivalence as a platform for exploring opportunities for advancing analysis methodology. 2. We suggest some potential methodological advances in used-available analysis, made possible via lessons learnt in the presence-only literature, for example, using modern methods to improve predictive performance. We also consider the converse - potential advances in presence-only analysis inspired by used-available methodology. 3. Notwithstanding these potential advances in methodology, perhaps a greater opportunity is in advancing our thinking about how to apply a given method to a particular data set. 4. It is shown by example that strikingly different results can be achieved for a single data set by applying a given method of analysis in different ways - hence having chosen a method of analysis, the next step of working out how to apply it is critical to performance. 5. We review some key issues to consider in deciding how to apply an analysis method: apply the method in a manner that reflects the study design; consider data properties; and use diagnostic tools to assess how reasonable a given analysis is for the data at hand. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2013 British Ecological Society.

Estimations of actual availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molan, M.; Molan, G.

2001-01-01

Adaptation of working environment (social, organizational, physical and physical) should assure higher level of workers' availability and consequently higher level of workers' performance. A special theoretical model for description of connections between environmental factors, human availability and performance was developed and validated. The central part of the model is evaluations of human actual availability in the real working situation or fitness for duties self-estimation. The model was tested in different working environments. On the numerous (2000) workers, standardized values and critical limits for an availability questionnaire were defined. Standardized method was used in identification of the most important impact of environmental factors. Identified problems were eliminated by investments in the organization in modification of selection and training procedures in humanization of working .environment. For workers with behavioural and health problems individual consultancy was offered. The described method is a tool for identification of impacts. In combination with behavioural analyses and mathematical analyses of connections, it offers possibilities to keep adequate level of human availability and fitness for duty in each real working situation. The model should be a tool for achieving adequate level of nuclear safety by keeping the adequate level of workers' availability and fitness for duty. For each individual worker possibility for estimation of level of actual fitness for duty is possible. Effects of prolonged work and additional tasks should be evaluated. Evaluations of health status effects and ageing are possible on the individual level. (author)

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: The Joint PVSS JCOP Framework: 14 - 18.6.2004 (5 days) EXCEL 2003 - niveau 2 : 17 & 18.6.2004 (2 jours) MAGNE-04 : Magnétisme pour l'électrotechnique : 6 au 8.7.2004 (3 jours) Technical Training Monique Duval - Tel.74924 technical.training@cern.ch

Continuous Improvement in State Funded Preschool Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Sarah L.

2012-01-01

State funded preschool programs were constantly faced with the need to change in order to address internal and external demands. As programs engaged in efforts towards change, minimal research was available on how to support continuous improvement efforts within the context unique to state funded preschool programs. Guidance available had…

High availability IT services

CERN Document Server

Critchley, Terry

2014-01-01

This book starts with the basic premise that a service is comprised of the 3Ps-products, processes, and people. Moreover, these entities and their sub-entities interlink to support the services that end users require to run and support a business. This widens the scope of any availability design far beyond hardware and software. It also increases the potential for service failure for reasons beyond just hardware and software; the concept of logical outages. High Availability IT Services details the considerations for designing and running highly available ""services"" and not just the systems

Feasibility and availability of ⁶⁸Ga-labelled peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

Decristoforo, Clemens; Pickett, Roger D; Verbruggen, Alfons

2012-02-01

(68)Ga has attracted tremendous interest as a radionuclide for PET based on its suitable half-life of 68 min, high positron emission yield and ready availability from (68)Ge/(68)Ga generators, making it independent of cyclotron production. (68)Ga-labelled DOTA-conjugated somatostatin analogues, including DOTA-TOC, DOTA-TATE and DOTA-NOC, have driven the development of technologies to provide such radiopharmaceuticals for clinical applications mainly in the diagnosis of somatostatin receptor-expressing tumours. We summarize the issues determining the feasibility and availability of (68)Ga-labelled peptides, including generator technology, (68)Ga generator eluate postprocessing methods, radiolabelling, automation and peptide developments, and also quality assurance and regulatory aspects. (68)Ge/(68)Ga generators based on SnO(2), TiO(2) or organic matrices are today routinely supplied to nuclear medicine departments, and a variety of automated systems for postprocessing and radiolabelling have been developed. New developments include improved chelators for (68)Ga that could open new ways to utilize this technology. Challenges and limitations in the on-site preparation and use of (68)Ga-labelled peptides outside the marketing authorization track are also discussed.

PLACES AVAILABLE

CERN Multimedia

Technical Training; Tel 74924

2002-01-01

Places are available in the following courses: LabView hands-on : 21.01.02 (1/2 journée) LabView DAQ hands-on : 21.01.02 (1/2 journée) FileMaker Pro : 22 - 25.1.02 (4 jours) MS-Project 2000 : 24 & 25.01.02 (2 jours) Introduction au PC et à Windows 2000 au CERN : 29 - 30.1.02 (2 jours) LabView Base 1 : 4 - 6.2.02 (3 jours) LabView DAQ (E) : 7 & 8.02.02 (2 days) Hands-on Object-Oriented Design & Programming with Java : 11 - 13.02.02 (3 days) C++ for Particle Physicists : 11 - 15.3.2002 (6 * 3 hour lectures) Cours sur la migration AutoCAD : AutoCAD : Mise à jour AutoCAD r-14 vers 2002 (2 jours) AutoCAD Mechanical PowerPack 6 basé sur AutoCAD 2002 (5 jours) If you wish to participate in one of these courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at : Technical Training or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO ...

Places available**

CERN Multimedia

Places are available in the following courses: Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming: 11-13.08.2003 (3 days) Introduction to the CERN Engineering Data Management System (EDMS): 26.08.2003 (1 day) The CERN Engineering Data Management System (EDMS) for Engineers: 27.08.2003 (1 day) CLEAN-2002 : Travailler en salle blanche : 4.09.2003 (une demi-journée) AutoCAD 2002 - Level 1: 4, 5, 15, 16.09.2003 (2 x 2 days) AutoCAD Mechanical 6 PowerPack : 17, 18, 25, 26.09.2003 et 2, 3.10.2003 (3 x 2 journées, français) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 23, 24, 30.09.2003 et 1.10.2003 (2 x 2 journées) Introduction to the CERN Engineering Data Management System (EDMS): 23.09.2003 (1 day) The CERN Engineering Data Management System (EDMS) for Local Administrators: 24-25.09.2003 (2 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 2 : 8 et 10.10.2003 (2 journées) CLEAN-2002: Working in a Cleanroom: 23.10.2003 (half day, p.m.) ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availabili...

Places available**

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

Places are available in the following courses: Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming: 11-13.08.2003(3 days) Introduction to the CERN Engineering Data Management System (EDMS): 26.08.2003 (1 day) The CERN Engineering Data Management System (EDMS) for Engineers: 27.08.2003 (1 day) CLEAN-2002 : Travailler en salle blanche : 4.09.2003 (une demi-journée) AutoCAD 2002 - Level 1: 4, 5, 15, 16.09.2003 (2 x 2 days) AutoCAD Mechanical 6 PowerPack : 17, 18, 25, 26.09.2003 et 2, 3.10.2003 (3 x 2 journées, français) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 23, 24, 30.09.2003 et 1.10.2003 (2 x 2 journées) Introduction to the CERN Engineering Data Management System (EDMS): 23.09.2003 (1 day) The CERN Engineering Data Management System (EDMS) for Local Administrators: 24-25.09.2003 (2 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 2 : 8 et 10.10.2003 (2 journées) CLEAN-2002: Working in a Cleanroom: 23.10.2003 (half day, p.m.) ** The number of places available may vary. Please ch...

PLACES AVAILABLE

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2002-01-01

Places are available in the following courses: LabView Hands-on (bilingue/bilingual - gratuit/free of charge) : 13.9.02 (a.m.) LabView DAQ Hands-on (bilingue/bilingual - gratuit/free of charge) : 13.9.02 (p.m.) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 19, 20, 26, 27.9.02 (4 jours) LabView Base 1 : 23 - 25.9.02 (3 jours) LabView DAQ (E) : 26 - 27.9.02 (2 days) AutoCAD Mechanical 6 PowerPack (F) : 30.9, 1, 2, 9, 10, 11.10.02 (6 jours) CLEAN-2002 : Working in a Cleanroom (free of charge) : 10.10.02 (half-day, p.m.) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 2 : 14 - 15.10.02 (2 jours) AutoCAD 2002 - Level 1 : 17, 18, 24, 25.10.02 (4 days) If you wish to participate in one of these courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at : Technical Training or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Of...

Proteomics: A Biotechnology Tool for Crop Improvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moustafa eEldakak

2013-02-01

Full Text Available A sharp decline in the availability of arable land and sufficient supply of irrigation water along with a continuous steep increase in food demands have exerted a pressure on farmers to produce more with fewer resources. A viable solution to release this pressure is to speed up the plant breeding process by employing biotechnology in breeding programs. The majority of biotechnological applications rely on information generated from various -omic technologies. The latest outstanding improvements in proteomic platforms and many other but related advances in plant biotechnology techniques offer various new ways to encourage the usage of these technologies by plant scientists for crop improvement programs. A combinatorial approach of accelerated gene discovery through genomics, proteomics, and other associated -omic branches of biotechnology, as an applied approach, is proving to be an effective way to speed up the crop improvement programs worldwide. In the near future, swift improvements in -omic databases are becoming critical and demand immediate attention for the effective utilization of these techniques to produce next-generation crops for the progressive farmers. Here, we have reviewed the recent advances in proteomics, as tools of biotechnology, which are offering great promise and leading the path towards crop improvement for sustainable agriculture.

SSC accelerator availability allocation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, K.T.; Franciscovich, J.

1991-03-01

Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) operational availability is an area of major concern, judged by the Central Design Group to present such risk that use of modern engineering tools would be essential to program success. Experience has shown that as accelerator beam availability falls below about 80%, efficiency of physics experiments degrades rapidly due to inability to maintain adequate coincident accelerator and detector operation. For this reason, the SSC availability goal has been set at 80%, even though the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory accelerator, with a fraction of the SSC's complexity, has only recently approached that level. This paper describes the allocation of the top-level goal to part-level reliability and maintainability requirements, and it gives the results of parameter sensitivity studies designed to help identify the best approach to achieve the needed system availability within funding and schedule constraints. 1 ref., 12 figs., 4 tabs

Availability of herbal medicines and medicinal plants in the primary health facilities of the state of São Paulo, Southeast Brazil: results from the National Program for Access and Quality Improvement in Primary Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Caccia-Bava, Maria do Carmo Gullaci Guimarães; Bertoni, Bianca Waléria; Pereira, Ana Maria Soares; Martinez, Edson Zangiacomi

2017-05-01

This study aims to describe the availability of herbal medicines and medicinal plants in the primary care facilities in the state of São Paulo, Southeast Brazil, from the results of the first cycle of the National Program for Access and Quality Improvement in Primary Care (PMAQ). The PMAQ uses a national cross-sectional multicenter design, with data from 4,249 health facilities distributed among 645 municipalities of the state of São Paulo. Of these facilities, 467 (11%) had herbal medicines and/or medicinal plants. Among the 645 municipalities, 104 (16.1%) had at least one health facility that provided these drugs. We observed that the availability of herbal medicines is greater in larger cities with better social and economic conditions. Furthermore, we found that use of industrialized herbal medicines prevailed over that of vegetal drugs or compounded herbal medicines.

New raw materials improve packing sealing efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igel, B.; McKeague, L.

2012-01-01

End-users and OEM's using or manufacturing on/off and control valves expect a permanent and effective increase in service life together with an increased sealing capability while at the same time minimizing maintenance concerns. Developing materials which provide consistency and repeatability are essential characteristics to optimizing valve performance. “New Generation” materials and yarn allow us to meet this growing demand while complying with the requirements related to chemical purity and an increased level of safety to both plant workers and equipment in the nuclear environment. Through R&D initiatives and developments in new and improved raw materials; a new mechanical packing generation which optimizes friction coefficients and extended life cycle has been introduced to the industry. Lower friction values drastically optimize actuator effort and size improving efficiency for stem operation with significant improvements in flow control of fluids. Combined with new and improved procedures (installation, torque levels and consolidation recommendations), this new packing generation has provided significant improvement in the mechanical behavior of packing materials (independent tests carried out in collaboration with AECL and CETIM) this has provided the opportunity to develop successful Valve Enhancement Programs which offer improved efficiency, valve operation and repeatability. These NEW generation yarns are available with or without wire reinforcement depending on specific operating parameters and conditions. The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate that new generation material(s). Which are available to the industry for AOV, MOV and Manual valves? - To highlight the steps taken in R&D and manufacturing contributing to the much improved yarns and finished packing products. - Comply and are designed to meet the stringent requirements in the nuclear industry - Simplify valve maintenance without risk to safety or performance - Increase service

Research on improving animal nutrition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranjhan, S.K.

1977-01-01

With a view to improve animal nutrition, studies have been carried out on the utilization of animal feeds using radioisotopes. Improvement of the nutritive value of straws, digestibility and VFA production by alkali treatment and other treatments has been studied by injecting VFA labelled with C 14 and H 3 . Microbial protein synthesis rates in ruminants were studied using C 14 and S 35 labelled mixed culture of bacterial protozca. Results obtained are helpful in understanding the metabolism in rumens and the microbial proteins available to the host animals on various dietary regimen. (A.K.)

Join the club: a modest proposal to increase availability of donor organs.

OpenAIRE

Jarvis, R

1995-01-01

The shortage of suitable donor organs is the most significant single limiting factor in transplant programmes. More lives could be saved or immeasurably improved if more organs were available. I look at two traditional solutions to the shortfall, and suggest that they are ineffective and/or offensive, and consider the features common to any answer to the problem. I then suggest a third solution: that admission to future transplant lists be conditional on registration as a potential organ dono...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Outlook (short course I) : E-mail : 31.8.2004 (2 hours, morning) Introduction à Outlook : Outlook (short course II) : Calendar, Tasks and Notes : 31.8.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Instructor-led WBTechT Study or Follow-up for Microsoft Applications : 7.9.2004 (morning) Outlook (short course III) : Meetings and Delegation : 7.9.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Introduction au VHDL et utilisation du simulateur ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 9 - 13.8.2004 (5 days) Introduction à Outlook : 19.8.2004 (1 jour) Outlook (Short Course I): E-mail: 31.8.2004 (2 hours, morning) Outlook (Short Course II): Calendar, Tasks and Notes: 31.8.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Instructor-led WBTechT Study or Follow-up for Microsoft Applications: 7.9.2004 (morning) Outlook (Short Course III): Meetings and Delegation: 7.9.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) I...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 9 - 13.8.2004 (5 days) Introduction à Outlook : 19.8.2004 (1 jour) Outlook (Short Course I): E-mail: 31.8.2004 (2 hours, morning) Outlook (Short Course II): Calendar, Tasks and Notes: 31.8.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming: 1 - 3.9.2004 (3 days - free course) Instructor-led WBTechT Study or Follow-up for Microsoft Applications: 7.9.20...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 13, 14, 23, 24.09.2004 (4 jours) Introduction to the CERN EDMS : 22.6.2004 (1 day) The CERN EDMS for local administrators : 23 & 24.6.2004 (2 days) MAGNE-04 : Magnétisme pour l'électrotechnique : 6 - 8.7.2004 (3 jours) Introduction au VHDL et utilisation du simulateur NCVHDL de CADENCE : 7 & 8.9.2004 (2 jours) ENSEIGNEMENT TECHNIQUE TECHNICAL TRAINING...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Introduction to the CERN EDMS : 22.6.2004 (1 day) The CERN EDMS for local administrators : 23 & 24.6.2004 (2 days) Compatibilité électromagnétique (CEM) - Introduction / Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) - Introduction: 7.7.2004 (morning) Introduction au VHDL et utilisation du simulateur NCVHDL de CADENCE : 7 & 8.9.2004 (2 jours) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 13, 14, 23, 24.9.2004 (4 jours) Programmation STEP...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: FrontPage XP - niveau 2 : 26 & 27.4.2004 (2 jours) The Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 26 - 30.4.2004 (5 days) Computational Electromagnetics with the ELEKTRA Module of OPERA-3D : 27 & 28.4.2004 (2 days) Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming : 3 - 5.5.2004 (3 days) LabVIEW Base 2 : 6 & 7.5.2004 (2 jours) Project Pla...

TECHNICAL TRAINING: Places available**

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming : 12 - 14.11.03(3 days) ACCESS 2000 - niveau 1 : 13 & 14.11.03 (2 jours) C++ for Particle Physicists : 17 - 21.11.03 (6 X 3-hour lectures) Programmation automate Schneider TSX Premium - niveau 2 : 18 - 21.11.03 (4 jours) Project Planning with MS-Project  (free of charg...

Managerial implications for improving continuous production processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Capaci, Francesca; Vanhatalo, Erik; Bergquist, Bjarne

2017-01-01

. In this article we highlight SPC and DoE implementation challenges described in the literature for managers, researchers and practitioners interested in continuous production process improvement. The results may help managers support the implementation of these methods and make researchers and practitioners aware......Data analytics remains essential for process improvement and optimization. Statistical process control and design of experiments are among the most powerful process and product improvement methods available. However, continuous process environments challenge the application of these methods...... of methodological challenges in continuous process environments...

Object learning improves feature extraction but does not improve feature selection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linus Holm

Full Text Available A single glance at your crowded desk is enough to locate your favorite cup. But finding an unfamiliar object requires more effort. This superiority in recognition performance for learned objects has at least two possible sources. For familiar objects observers might: 1 select more informative image locations upon which to fixate their eyes, or 2 extract more information from a given eye fixation. To test these possibilities, we had observers localize fragmented objects embedded in dense displays of random contour fragments. Eight participants searched for objects in 600 images while their eye movements were recorded in three daily sessions. Performance improved as subjects trained with the objects: The number of fixations required to find an object decreased by 64% across the 3 sessions. An ideal observer model that included measures of fragment confusability was used to calculate the information available from a single fixation. Comparing human performance to the model suggested that across sessions information extraction at each eye fixation increased markedly, by an amount roughly equal to the extra information that would be extracted following a 100% increase in functional field of view. Selection of fixation locations, on the other hand, did not improve with practice.

Available phosphorus levels for 95 to 120 kg barrows genetically selected for lean gain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cláudio Luís Corrêa Arouca

2012-06-01

Full Text Available With the objective of evaluating available phosphorus (aP levels in diets for barrows selected for lean meat deposition, eighty commercial hybrid pigs with initial weight of 94.05±1.05 kg were used in this experiment. Pigs were allotted in a completely randomized block design, with five treatments (0.092, 0.156, 0.220, 0,284, and 0.348% of aP, eight replicates and two pigs per experimental unit. The average daily weight gain of pigs increased and the feed conversion improved quadratically with increasing aP in the diets up to the estimated levels of 0.21 and 0.20%, respectively. There was no effect of the dietary aP on average daily feed intake. However, aP intake, bone strength and concentration of phosphorus in the bones increased linearly with increasing aP in the diets. The levels of aP did not affect carcass traits; however, the alkaline phosphatase activity was improved and the values of serum inorganic phosphorus increased quadratically up to the estimated levels of 0.26 and 0.27% of aP, respectively. The available phosphorus levels of 0.21, 0.27, and 0.35%, corresponding to daily aP intakes of 6.34, 8.13, and 10.44 g result, respectively, in greatest performance, blood and bone parameters of 95 to 120 kg barrows selected for lean gain.

A Best Practice for Developing Availability Guarantee Language in Photovoltaic (PV) O&M Agreements.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klise, Geoffrey Taylor [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Balfour, John [High Performance PV, Phoenix, AZ (United States)

2015-11-01

This document outlines the foundation for developing language that can be utilized in an Equipment Availability Guarantee, typically included in an O&M services agreement between a PV system or plant owner and an O&M services provider, or operator. Many of the current PV O&M service agreement Availability Guarantees are based on contracts used for traditional power generation, which create challenges for owners and operators due to the variable nature of grid-tied photovoltaic generating technologies. This report documents language used in early PV availability guarantees and presents best practices and equations that can be used to more openly communicate how the reliability of the PV system and plant equipment can be expressed in an availability guarantee. This work will improve the bankability of PV systems by providing greater transparency into the equipment reliability state to all parties involved in an O&M services contract.

Improving living conditions in Bossaso, Somalia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filiep Decorte

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Involving IDPs, host communities and international agenciesin thinking about the city, the quality of life and economicopportunities in Bossaso has led to significant improvements insettlement organisation and shelter provision for displaced people.

Proposing water balance method for water availability estimation in Indonesian regional spatial planning

Science.gov (United States)

Juniati, A. T.; Sutjiningsih, D.; Soeryantono, H.; Kusratmoko, E.

2018-01-01

The water availability (WA) of a region is one of important consideration in both the formulation of spatial plans and the evaluation of the effectiveness of actual land use in providing sustainable water resources. Information on land-water needs vis-a-vis their availability in a region determines the state of the surplus or deficit to inform effective land use utilization. How to calculate water availability have been described in the Guideline in Determining the Carrying Capacity of the Environment in Regional Spatial Planning. However, the method of determining the supply and demand of water on these guidelines is debatable since the determination of WA in this guideline used a rational method. The rational method is developed the basis for storm drain design practice and it is essentially a peak discharge method peak discharge calculation method. This paper review the literature in methods of water availability estimation which is described descriptively, and present arguments to claim that water balance method is a more fundamental and appropriate tool in water availability estimation. A better water availability estimation method would serve to improve the practice in preparing formulations of Regional Spatial Plan (RSP) as well as evaluating land use capacity in providing sustainable water resources.

Balance-of-plant outage availability study. Phase I. Extension report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomasson, F.R.

1978-09-01

After completion of the Phase 1 Refueling Outage Availability Study, Babcock and Wilcox and the U.S. Department of Energy entered into a supplemental agreement to perform a balance-of-plant maintenance, inspection, and test study with the cooperation of Duke Power Company and Arkansas Power and Light Company. The objectives were (1) to expand the Phase 1 data base, including balance-of-plant activities, to reduce outage time and increase plant availability and (2) to conduct an onsite review of plant maintenance, practices to complement the utility efforts in reducing outage time and increasing on-line operational time. Data were obtained from (1) observations during the 1977 refueling outage at Oconee 3, (2) review of maintenance practices during the Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 1, operational cycle in 1977, and (3) selected observations of the 1978 refueling outage at ANO-1. Accumulated data were then reviewed and analyzed to produce a list of improvement recommendations for Oconee 3 and ANO-1 that can be generically applied to plants of similar design and construction

Striatal dopamine D2/3 receptor availability in treatment resistant depression.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bart P de Kwaasteniet

Full Text Available Several studies demonstrated improvement of depressive symptoms in treatment resistant depression (TRD after administering dopamine agonists which suggest abnormal dopaminergic neurotransmission in TRD. However, the role of dopaminergic signaling through measurement of striatal dopamine D(2/3 receptor (D2/3R binding has not been investigated in TRD subjects. We used [(123I]IBZM single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT to investigate striatal D2/3R binding in TRD. We included 6 severe TRD patients, 11 severe TRD patients on antipsychotics (TRD AP group and 15 matched healthy controls. Results showed no significant difference (p = 0.75 in striatal D2/3R availability was found between TRD patients and healthy controls. In the TRD AP group D2/3R availability was significantly decreased (reflecting occupancy of D2/3Rs by antipsychotics relative to TRD patients and healthy controls (p<0.001 but there were no differences in clinical symptoms between TRD AP and TRD patients. This preliminary study therefore does not provide evidence for large differences in D2/3 availability in severe TRD patients and suggests this TRD subgroup is not characterized by altered dopaminergic transmission. Atypical antipsychotics appear to have no clinical benefit in severe TRD patients who remain depressed, despite their strong occupancy of D2/3Rs.

Halloysite reinforced epoxy composites with improved mechanical properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saif Muhammad Jawwad

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs reinforced epoxy composites with improved mechanical properties were prepared. The prepared HNTs reinforced epoxy composites demonstrated improved mechanical properties especially the fracture toughness and flexural strength. The flexural modulus of nanocomposite with 6% mHNTs loading was 11.8% higher than that of neat epoxy resin. In addition, the nanocomposites showed improved dimensional stability. The prepared halloysite reinforced epoxy composites were characterized by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA. The improved properties are attributed to the unique characteristics of HNTs, uniform dispersion of reinforcement and interfacial coupling.

Optimization and Improvement of Test Processes on a Production Line

Science.gov (United States)

Sujová, Erika; Čierna, Helena

2018-06-01

The paper deals with increasing processes efficiency at a production line of cylinder heads of engines in a production company operating in the automotive industry. The goal is to achieve improvement and optimization of test processes on a production line. It analyzes options for improving capacity, availability and productivity of processes of an output test by using modern technology available on the market. We have focused on analysis of operation times before and after optimization of test processes at specific production sections. By analyzing measured results we have determined differences in time before and after improvement of the process. We have determined a coefficient of efficiency OEE and by comparing outputs we have confirmed real improvement of the process of the output test of cylinder heads.

Availability program: Phase I report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomson, S.L.; Dabiri, A.; Keeton, D.C.; Riemer, B.W.; Waganer, L.M.

1985-05-01

An Availability Working Group was formed within the Office of Fusion Energy in March 1984 to consider the establishment of an availability program for magnetic fusion. The scope of this program is defined to include the development of (1) a comprehensive data base, (2) empirical correlations, and (3) analytical methods for application to fusion facilities and devices. The long-term goal of the availability program is to develop a validated, integrated methodology that will provide (1) projections of plant availability and (2) input to design decisions on maintainability and system reliability requirements. The Phase I study group was commissioned to assess the status of work in progress that is relevant to the availability program. The scope of Phase I included surveys of existing data and data collection programs at operating fusion research facilities, the assessment of existing computer models to calculate system availability, and the review of methods to predict and correlate data on component failure and maintenance. The results of these investigations are reported to the Availability Working Group in this document

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Project Planning with MS-Project :6 & 13.5.2004 (2 days) Word 2003 - niveau 1 : 10 & 11.5.2004 (2 jours) Oracle 9i : SQL : 17 - 19.5.2004 (3 days) Word 2003 - niveau 2 : 24 & 25.5.2004 (2 jours) EXCEL 2003 - niveau 1: 27 & 28.5.2004 (2 jours) STEP7 Programming Level 1 : 1 - 4.6.2004 (4 days) Oracle 9i : Programming with PL/SQL : 2 - 4.6.2...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: C++ for Particle Physicists : 8 - 12.3.2004 (6 X 4-hour sessions) Introduction to the CERN EDMS : 9.3.2004 (1 day, free of charge) The EDMS MTF in Practice : 10.3.2004 (morning, free of charge) CLEAN-2002: Working in a Cleanroom : 10.3.2004 (afternoon, free of charge) The CERN EDMS for Engineers : 11.3.2004 (1 day, free of charge) LabVIEW hands-on (E):...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: LabVIEW base 1 : 25 - 27.2.2004(3 jours) Instructor-led WBTechT study or follow-up for Microsoft applications : 26.2.2004 (morning) CLEAN-2002 : Working in a Cleanroom : 10.3.2004 (afternoon - free of charge) C++ for Particle Physicists : 8 - 12.3.2004 (6 X 4-hour sessions) LabVIEW hands-on (E) : 16.3.2004 (afternoon) LabVIEW Basics 1 : 22 - 24.3.2004 ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Instructor-led WBTechT study for Microsoft applications :12.2.2004 (morning) Instructor-led WBTechT study or follow-up for Microsoft applications : 19.2.2004 (morning) LabVIEW TestStand I (E) : 23 & 24.2.2004 (2 days) LabVIEW base 1 : 25 - 27.2.2004 (3 jours) Instructor-led WBTechT study or follow-up for Microsoft applications : 19.2.2004 (morning) CLEAN-2002 ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Instructor-led WBTechT study or follow-up for Microsoft applications : 19.2.2004 (morning) LabVIEW TestStand I (E) : 23 & 24.2.2004 (2 days) LabVIEW base 1 : 25 - 27.2.2004 (3 jours) Instructor-led WBTechT study or follow-up for Microsoft applications : 26.2.2004 (morning) CLEAN-2002 : Working in a Cleanroom : 10.3.2004 (afternoon - free of charge) C++ for Pa...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2006-01-01

Places available as of 30.5.2006 (June-November course sessions) The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Titre Heure Date Langue ACROBAT 7.0 : Utilisation de fichiers PDF 8 6.06.06 F Introduction à InDesign 16 7-8.06.06 F Python: Hands-on Introduction 24 7-9.06.06 E LabVIEW Base 2 16 22-23.06.06 F FileMaker - niveau 1 16 26-27.06.06 F C++ Programming Part 3 - Templates and the STL (Standard Template Library) 16 27-28.06.06 E C++ Programming Part 4 - Exceptions 8 29.06.06 E FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 16 29-30.06.06 F Manipulation des images 4 6.07.06 F Introduction to Databases and Database Design 16 11-12.07.06 E ACCESS 2003 - Level 1: ECDL 16 13-14.07.06 E-F Design Patterns 16 25-26.07.06 E Introduction à Dreamweaver MX 16 ...

Technical training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2006-01-01

Places available as of 13.6.2006 (June-December course sessions) The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Titre Heure Date Langue LabVIEW Base 2 16 22-23.06.06 F FileMaker - niveau 1 16 26-27.06.06 F C++ Programming Part 3 - Templates and the STL (Standard Template Library) 16 27-28.06.06 E C++ Programming Part 4 - Exceptions 8 29.06.06 E FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 16 29-30.06.06 F Manipulation des images 4 6.07.06 F Introduction to Databases and Database Design 16 11-12.07.06 E ACCESS 2003 - Level 1: ECDL 16 13-14.07.06 E-F Design Patterns 16 25-26.07.06 E Introduction à Dreamweaver MX 16 26-27.07.06 F ANSYS DesignModeler 16 29-30.08.06 F LabVIEW Basics 1 24 4-6.09.06 E ANSYS Workbench 32 12-15.09.06 F AutoCAD Mechanical 20...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2006-01-01

Places available as of 9.5.2006 (May-October course sessions) The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: find out the curren Hours Date Language LabVIEW Application Development 24 15-17.05.06 E LabVIEW Advanced Programming 16 18-19.05.06 E PERL 5: Advanced Aspects 8 18.05.06 E Technique du vide 16 18-19.05.06 F FileMaker - niveau 2 16 11-12.05.06 F WORD 2003 - niveau 2 : ECDL 16 22-23.05.06 F Introduction au VHDL et utilisation du simulateur NCVHDL de CADENCE 16 23-24.05.06 F Comprehensive VHDL for FPGA Design 40 29.05-2.06.06 E C++ Programming Part 2 - Advanced C++ and its Traps and Pitfalls 32 30.05-2.06.06 E Python: Hands-on Introduction 24 7-9.06.06 E AutoCAD Mechanical 2006 16 13-14.06.06 F CERN EDMS for Local Administrators 16 13-14.06.06...

Technical Training: Places Available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. Technical Training Monique Duval - Tel.74924 technical.training@cern.ch The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Oracle 9i: SQL: 17 - 19.5.2004 (3 days) Word 2003 - niveau 2 : 24 & 25.5.2004 (2 jours) EXCEL 2003 - niveau 1 : 27 & 28.5.2004 (2 jours) STEP7 Programming Level 1: 1 - 4.6.2004 (4 days) Oracle 9i : Programming with PL/SQL: 2 - 4.6.2004 (3 days) CST Microwave Studio: 3 & 4.6.2004 (2 days) Oracle 9i : New f...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. Technical Training Monique Duval - Tel.74924 technical.training@cern.ch The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Word 2003 - niveau 2 : 24 & 25.5.2004 (2 jours) VisualEliteHDL : 25 & 26.5.2004 (2 days) EXCEL 2003 - niveau 1 : 27 & 28.5.2004 (2 jours) STEP7 Programming Level 1: 1 - 4.6.2004 (4 days) Oracle 9i : Programming with PL/SQL: 2 - 4.6.2004 (3 days) CST Microwave Studio: 3 & 4.6.2004 (2 days) Oracle 9...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Oracle 9i : New features for developers : 14 - 16.6.2004 (3 days) The Joint PVSS JCOP Framework: 14 - 18.6.2004 (5 days) Introduction au VHDL et utilisation du simulateur NCVHDL de CADENCE : 15 & 16.6.2004 (2 jours) EXCEL 2003 - niveau 2 : 17 & 18.6.2004 (2 jours) MAGNE-04 : Magnétisme pour l'électrotechnique : 6 au 8.7.2004 (3 jours) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 13, 14, 23, 24.09.2004 (4 jours) ENSEIGNEMEN...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: C++ for Particle Physicists : 8 - 12.3.2004 (6 X 4-hour sessions) Introduction to the CERN EDMS : 9.3.2004 (1 day, free of charge) The EDMS MTF in Practice : 10.3.2004 (morning, free of charge) CLEAN-2002 : Working in a Cleanroom : 10.3.2004 (afternoon, free of charge) The CERN EDMS for Engineers : 11.3.2004 (1 day, free of charge) LabVIEW...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Document Server

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Joint PVSS JCOP Programming : 9 - 13.8.2004 (5 days) Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming: 1 - 3.9.2004 (3 days - free course) Introduction au VHDL et utilisation du simulateur NCVHDL de CADENCE : 7 & 8.9.2004 (2 jours) Joint PVSS JCOP Programming : 13 - 17.9.2004 (5 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 13, 14, 23, 24.9.2004 (4 jours) Programmation STEP7 niveau 1 : 14-17.9.2004 (4...

Technical Training: Places available**

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: The JAVA Programming Language Level 1 : 9 & 10.1.2004 (2 days) LabVIEW TestStand I (E) : 23 & 24.2.2004 (2 days) LabVIEW base 1 : 25 - 27.2.2004 (3 jours) CLEAN-2002 : Working in a Cleanroom : 10.3.2004 (afternoon - free of charge) C++ for Particle Physicists : 8 - 12.3.2004 ( 6 X 4-hour sessions) LabVIEW hands-on (E) 16.3...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an 'application for training' form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming: 1 - 3.9.2004 (3 days - free course) Introduction au VHDL et utilisation du simulateur NCVHDL de CADENCE : 7 & 8.9.2004 (2 jours) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 13, 14, 23, 24.9.2004 (4 jours) Programmation STEP7 niveau 1 : 14-17.9.2004 (4 jours) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 20 & 21.9.2004 (2 jours) Word 2003 - niveau 2 : 27 & 28.9.2004 (2 jours) Introduction à Wind...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Instructor-led WBTechT study or follow-up for Microsoft applications : 1.4.2004 (morning) FrontPage XP - niveau 1 : 5 & 6.4.2004 (2 jours) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 19, 20.4 et 3, 4.5.2004 (4 jours) Oracle 8i/9i - Develop Web-based Applications with PL/SQL : 19 & 20.4.2004 (2 days) Introduction to ANSYS : 20 - 23.4.2004 (4 day...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Computational Electromagnetics with the ELEKTRA Module of OPERA-3D : 27 & 28.4.2004 (2 days) Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming : 3 - 5.5.2004 (3 days) LabVIEW Base 2 : 6 & 7.5.2004 (2 jours) Project Planning with MS-Project : 6 & 13.5.2004 (2 days) Word 2003 - niveau 1 : 10 & 11.5.2004 (2 jours) Oracle 9i : SQL : 10 - 12.5.2004 (3...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 19, 20.4 et 3, 4.5.2004 (4 jours) Oracle 8i/9i - Develop Web-based Applications with PL/SQL : 19 & 20.4.2004 (2 days) Introduction to ANSYS : 20 - 23.4.2004 (4 days) LabVIEW Hands-on : 20.4.2004 (half-day, p.m.) FrontPage XP - niveau 2 : 26 & 27.4.2004 (2 jours) The Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 26 -...

TECHNICAL TRAINING: Places available**

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

If you wish to participate in one of the following courses, please discuss with your supervisor and apply electronically directly from the course description pages that can be found on the Web at: http://www.cern.ch/Training/ or fill in an "application for training" form available from your Divisional Secretariat or from your DTO (Divisional Training Officer). Applications will be accepted in the order of their receipt. TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval Tel. 74924 technical.training@cern.ch ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: The EDMS-MTF in practice (free of charge) : 28 -  30.10.03 (6 half-day sessions) AutoCAD 2002 – Level 1 : 3, 4, 12, 13.11.03 (4 days) LabVIEW TestStand ver. 3 : 4 & 5.11.03 (2 days) Introduction to PSpice : 4.11.03 p.m. (half-day) Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming : 12 – 14.11.03 (3 days) ACCESS ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

DAvide Vitè

2006-01-01

Places available as of 25.7.2006 (August-December course sessions) The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Titre Heure Date Langue CERN EDMS for Local Administrators 16 1-2.08.06 E ANSYS DesignModeler 16 29-30.08.06 F EXCEL 2003 - niveau 1 : ECDL 16 30-31.08.06 F OUTLOOK 2003 (Short Course I) - E-mail 3 1.09.06 E/F OUTLOOK 2003 (Short Course II) - Calendar, Tasks and Notes 3 1.09.06 E/F CERN EDMS - Introduction 8 5.09.06 E CERN EDMS MTF en pratique 4 6.09.06 F ANSYS Workbench 32 12-15.09.06 F CERN EDMS for Engineers 8 12.09.06 E Software Engineering in the Small and the Large 16 12-13.09.06 E LabVIEW Basics 2 16 14-15.09.06 E WORD 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Work with long documents 3 15.09.06 E/F EXCEL 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Wor...

Nitrogen availability from residues-based biochar at two pyrolisis temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Coscione, Aline Renee; Silveira Bibar, Maria Paula; de Andrade, Cristiano Alberto

2014-05-01

Biochar has been studied for several applications, such as soil quality improvement, heavy metals remediation and N2O mitigation. Considering the soil quality improvement aspect it is desirable to evaluate if the nitrogen content in biochar samples obtained from several residues used as the biomass sources could be available for plants. Samples of sewage sludge (SS), coffee grounds (CG), chicken manure (CM) and fungi mycelia (FM) were pyrolyzed at two temperatures, 400 and 700 oC (indicated by the number 4 and 7 in this abstract, respectively), in order to obtain the biochar samples. The Kjeldahl nitrogen of biochar was (% m/m): 3.0 (CM4, CG7, FM7 and CG4); 2.0 (CM7 e SS4); 3.4 (FM7); 1.4 (SS7), with organic carbon (potassium dichromate method) ranging from 2.0 to 3.0% for all but CG4 (6%). The C/N ratio of biochar samples was: 9 (CM4, SS4 and CG7); 11 (CM7); 15 (SS7); 7 (FM4 and FM7); 21 (CG4). The eight soil + biochar resulting mixtures, prepared using the equivalent to 60 t/ha of biochar (about 3% w/w), and one additional control treatment (no biochar added) were incubated for 90 days, with four replications of each treatment per time evaluated. Inorganic nitrogen and soil pH measurements were performed for all treatments at 0, 5, 15, 30, 60 and 90 days of incubation. Soil moisture was kept at 40% soil water holding capacity, by weighting, during the experiment. The data was submitted to ANOVA with Tukey's average comparison test (p organic residues with C/N ratios lower than 20 applied to the soil a fast degradation, with the corresponding increase in inorganic nitrogen availability is expect. Although all the biochar samples tested had C/N ratios below that cutting point, just 2 of 8 presented inorganic nitrogen available in the soil+biochar mixtures. These results show that soil incubation tests are ultimate for the evaluation of the nitrogen potential release to the soil. Low temperature SS based biochar may offer additional nitrogen release to soil besides

Modelling farmers’ decisions on adoption and intensification of improved cowpea seeds in Niger

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.H. Issoufou

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In Niger, global change leads farmers increasingly to intensify their agricultural production. That is one of the reason improved seeds have been diffused among farmers since decades. The study uses Logit and Tobit software for modeling farmers’ decision on adoption and intensification of improved cowpea seeds. The sample consisted of 612 agricultural households selected by random sampling without replacement in 16 villages. Data was collected in 2015 to 2016 through individual survey and focus group. The results show that the rate of improved cowpea seed adoption is 39.7% after three years of introduction. The accessibility of village, age and availability, accessibility of seeds determine at the same time decisions of adoption and intensification of improved cowpea seeds. The probability of improved seeds adoption is determined by education, access to agricultural extension and adaptability, productivity of seeds. Crops Risk perception and preference, precocity of seeds only affect the intensification probability. The analysis of marginal effects shows that adoption probability increases for accessibility of village, education, access to agricultural extension and adaptability, availability and productivity of improved seeds. On the other hand, the probability decreases for age and the availability of seed. Looking at also the marginal effects on seed intensification, it was observed that the probability increases for accessibility of village, perception of production risk and preference, availability and precocity of improved seeds. However, this probability decreases for age and seeds accessibility. These determinants of adoption and intensification are essential for improved seeds dissemination action to enhance the rate of adoption, intensity of seeds use, impact and sustainability for producers.

Monitoring of patient's opinion on the quality and availability of rehabilitation organization in modern conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shapovalenko Т.V.

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: to study the patients opinion of the center of restorative medicine and rehabilitation of «Medical rehabilitation center» of MOH of Russia: the organization and availability of rehabilitation and restorative treatment. Material and Methods. Anonymous survey of 490 patients using the specially designed questionnaire. Results. The most of the respondents, almost 3A (76,1% gave the «good» and «excellent» marks, 19,8% — «satisfactory», 4,1% — «unsatisfactory». Conclusion. Results of this research can be used by health care regulatory bodies when developing the administrative decisions directed on improvement of availability and quality of rendering this specialized medical care.

IMPROVING STRUCTURE-LINKED ACCESS TO PUBLICLY AVAILABLE CHEMICAL TOXICITY INFORMATION

Science.gov (United States)

Hepatotoxicity of the Herbicide Alachlor Associated with Glutathione Depletion, Oxidative Damage and Protein S-Cysteinyl Adduction.Toxicity of the herbicide alachlor (2-chloro-2',6'-diethtl-N-[methoxtmethtl]-acetanilide) has been attributed to cytochrome P450-dependent me...

Increasing the availability and quality of caesarean section in Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyamtema, A; Mwakatundu, N; Dominico, S; Mohamed, H; Shayo, A; Rumanyika, R; Kairuki, C; Nzabuhakwa, C; Issa, O; Lyimo, C; Kasiga, I; van Roosmalen, J

2016-09-01

To describe the results of increasing availability and quality of caesarean deliveries and anaesthesia in rural Tanzania. Before-after intervention study design. Rural Tanzania. Ten health centres located in rural areas were upgraded to provide comprehensive emergency obstetric care (CEmOC) and the four related district hospitals were supported. Upgrading entailed constructing and equipping maternity blocks, operation rooms and laboratories; installing solar systems, backup generators and water supply systems. Associate clinicians were trained in anaesthesia and in CEmOC. Mentoring and audit of reasons for caesarean section (CS) and maternal deaths were carried out. Measures of interest were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical tests. Trends in CS rates, proportion of unjustified CS, use of spinal anaesthesia, and the risk of death from complications related to CS and anaesthesia. During the audit period (2012-2014), 5868 of 58 751 deliveries were by CS (10%). The proportion of CS considered to be unjustified decreased from 30 to 17% in health centres (P = 0.02) and from 37 to 20% in hospitals (P availability and quality of CS by improving infrastructure, training and audit of reasons for CS is feasible, acceptable and required in low resource settings. Increasing availability and quality of CS in rural Africa is feasible. © 2016 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Reliability and availability assessments for the next European Torus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunde, R.

1988-01-01

To achieve its targets in reasonable time, the Next European Torus (NET) must be operated with considerable reliability and availability (R and A). Therefore, failure modes, effects, and criticality analysis (FMECA) of the overall plant and of its major components is already being performed as the design evolves. The present status of the R and A work is described in four steps: First, the R and A targets envisaged for the NET operation are discussed. Then an FMECA covering the overall plant is described, and a more detailed FMECA of major components is presented concerning the toroidal field coil systeml plasma heating systems; protection, instrumentation, and control systems; first wall and blanket, as well as the cooling system. Finally, the R and A results are compared with the targets, and measures for improvements are given

Examining possible relationship between carbon finance availability and growth of wind energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Collins C Ngwakwe

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper evaluates the possible relationship between carbon fund availability and the growth of wind energy. This has become apposite considering global quest for renewable energies as a veritable option for carbon reduction and sustainable development. Whilst some extant literature blames delay in climate policy as an obstacle to green energy, others regard carbon finance availability as a booster to renewable energy. Raging argument is that similar to any other investment, renewable energy finance availability may mar or catalyse growth in renewable energy. Consequently, in this paper, a conceptual overview of carbon finance and renewable energy is undertaken and a test of the relationship between the World Bank carbon finance availability and wind energy growth is conducted. The result indicates a significant positive relationship between World Bank carbon financing and global growth in wind energy. The paper thus concludes that aside from policy options, renewable energy financing seems to be a contributory catalyst that may spur improvement in global renewable energy. The paper highlights that achieving green economic development in developing countries would depend, not only on climate policies alone, but also on sustainable financing. Hence government and private sources of funding is very desirable in achieving global green economic development, most importantly, for developing economies. The paper thus offers a research agenda on awareness creating for local and international sources of green energy for developing countries.

Modeling and estimating system availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaver, D.P.; Chu, B.B.

1976-11-01

Mathematical models to infer the availability of various types of more or less complicated systems are described. The analyses presented are probabilistic in nature and consist of three parts: a presentation of various analytic models for availability; a means of deriving approximate probability limits on system availability; and a means of statistical inference of system availability from sparse data, using a jackknife procedure. Various low-order redundant systems are used as examples, but extension to more complex systems is not difficult

Software Engineering Improvement Activities/Plan

Science.gov (United States)

2003-01-01

bd Systems personnel accomplished the technical responsibilities for this reporting period, as planned. A close working relationship was maintained with personnel of the MSFC Avionics Department Software Group (ED14). Work accomplishments included development, evaluation, and enhancement of a software cost model, performing literature search and evaluation of software tools available for code analysis and requirements analysis, and participating in other relevant software engineering activities. Monthly reports were submitted. This support was provided to the Flight Software Group/ED 1 4 in accomplishing the software engineering improvement engineering activities of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Software Engineering Improvement Plan.

Feasibility and availability of {sup 68}Ga-labelled peptides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Decristoforo, Clemens [Innsbruck Medical University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Innsbruck (Austria); European Directorate of Quality of Medicines, Group 14, Radioactive Compounds, The European Pharmacopeia, Strasbourg (France); Pickett, Roger D. [GE Healthcare, Little Chalfont (United Kingdom); European Directorate of Quality of Medicines, Group 14, Radioactive Compounds, The European Pharmacopeia, Strasbourg (France); Verbruggen, Alfons [University of Leuven, Laboratory of Radiopharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leuven (Belgium); European Directorate of Quality of Medicines, Group 14, Radioactive Compounds, The European Pharmacopeia, Strasbourg (France)

2012-02-15

{sup 68}Ga has attracted tremendous interest as a radionuclide for PET based on its suitable half-life of 68 min, high positron emission yield and ready availability from {sup 68}Ge/{sup 68}Ga generators, making it independent of cyclotron production. {sup 68}Ga-labelled DOTA-conjugated somatostatin analogues, including DOTA-TOC, DOTA-TATE and DOTA-NOC, have driven the development of technologies to provide such radiopharmaceuticals for clinical applications mainly in the diagnosis of somatostatin receptor-expressing tumours. We summarize the issues determining the feasibility and availability of {sup 68}Ga-labelled peptides, including generator technology, {sup 68}Ga generator eluate postprocessing methods, radiolabelling, automation and peptide developments, and also quality assurance and regulatory aspects. {sup 68}Ge/{sup 68}Ga generators based on SnO{sub 2}, TiO{sub 2} or organic matrices are today routinely supplied to nuclear medicine departments, and a variety of automated systems for postprocessing and radiolabelling have been developed. New developments include improved chelators for {sup 68}Ga that could open new ways to utilize this technology. Challenges and limitations in the on-site preparation and use of {sup 68}Ga-labelled peptides outside the marketing authorization track are also discussed. (orig.)

High availability using virtualization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calzolari, Federico; Arezzini, Silvia; Ciampa, Alberto; Mazzoni, Enrico; Domenici, Andrea; Vaglini, Gigliola

2010-01-01

High availability has always been one of the main problems for a data center. Till now high availability was achieved by host per host redundancy, a highly expensive method in terms of hardware and human costs. A new approach to the problem can be offered by virtualization. Using virtualization, it is possible to achieve a redundancy system for all the services running on a data center. This new approach to high availability allows the running virtual machines to be distributed over a small number of servers, by exploiting the features of the virtualization layer: start, stop and move virtual machines between physical hosts. The 3RC system is based on a finite state machine, providing the possibility to restart each virtual machine over any physical host, or reinstall it from scratch. A complete infrastructure has been developed to install operating system and middleware in a few minutes. To virtualize the main servers of a data center, a new procedure has been developed to migrate physical to virtual hosts. The whole Grid data center SNS-PISA is running at the moment in virtual environment under the high availability system.

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2006-01-01

Places available as of 27.6.2006 (July-December course sessions) The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Titre Heure Date Langue Manipulation des images 4 6.07.06 F Introduction to Databases and Database Design 16 11-12.07.06 E ACCESS 2003 - Level 1: ECDL 16 13-14.07.06 E-F Design Patterns 16 25-26.07.06 E CERN EDMS for Local Administrators 16 1-2.08.06 E ANSYS DesignModeler 16 29-30.08.06 F CERN EDMS - Introduction 8 5.09.06 E CERN EDMS MTF en pratique 4 6.09.06 F LabVIEW Basics 1 24 4-6.09.06 E ANSYS Workbench 32 12-15.09.06 F AutoCAD Mechanical 2006 16 12-13.09.06 F CERN EDMS for Engineers 8 12.09.06 E Software Engineering in the Small and the Large 16 12-13.09.06 E AutoCAD 2006 - niveau 1 32 14-21.09.06 F LabVIEW Basics 2 ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2006-01-01

Places available as of 11.7.2006 (July-December course sessions) The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Titre Heure Date Langue Design Patterns 16 25-26.07.06 E CERN EDMS for Local Administrators 16 1-2.08.06 E ANSYS DesignModeler 16 29-30.08.06 F CERN EDMS – Introduction 8 5.09.06 E CERN EDMS MTF en pratique 4 6.09.06 F LabVIEW Basics 1 24 4-6.09.06 E ANSYS Workbench 32 12-15.09.06 F AutoCAD Mechanical 2006 16 12-13.09.06 F CERN EDMS for Engineers 8 12.09.06 E Software Engineering in the Small and the Large 16 12-13.09.06 E LabVIEW Basics 2 16 14-15.09.06 E LabVIEW: Working efficiently with LabWIEW 8 8 18.09.06 E PCAD Schémas ? Introduction 16 21-22.09.06 F PCAD PCB - Introduction  24 27-29.09.06 F C++ for Particle Physicists ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

2006-01-01

Places available as of 21.3.2006 (March-October course sessions) The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: find out the curren Hours Date Language ACROBAT 7.0 : Utilisation de fichiers PDF 8 8.05.06 F Project Planning with MS-Project 16 9.05-6.06.06 E STEP7: niveau 1 32 9-12.05.06 E-F Oracle: Programming with PL/SQL 24 10-12.05.06 E FileMaker - niveau 2 16 11-12.05.06 F LabVIEW Application Development 24 15-17.05.06 E LabVIEW Advanced Programming 16 18-19.05.06 E PERL 5: Advanced Aspects 8 18.05.06 E Technique du vide 16 18-19.05.06 F WORD 2003 - niveau 2 : ECDL 16 22-23.05.06 F Introduction au VHDL et utilisation du simulateur NCVHDL de CADENCE 16 23-24.05.06 F Comprehensive VHDL for FPGA Design 40 29.05-2.06.06 E C++ Programming Part 2 - Advanced C++ and its T...

Technical Training: Places available

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Davide Vitè

2006-01-01

Places available as of 19.7.2006 (August-December course sessions) The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Titre Heure Date Langue CERN EDMS for Local Administrators 16 1-2.08.06 E ANSYS DesignModeler 16 29-30.08.06 F OUTLOOK 2003 (Short Course I) - E-mail 3 1.09.06 E/F OUTLOOK 2003 (Short Course II) - Calendar, Tasks and Notes 3 1.09.06 E/F CERN EDMS - Introduction 8 5.09.06 E CERN EDMS MTF en pratique 4 6.09.06 F LabVIEW Basics 1 24 11-13.09.06 E ANSYS Workbench 32 12-15.09.06 F CERN EDMS for Engineers 8 12.09.06 E Software Engineering in the Small and the Large 16 12-13.09.06 E LabVIEW Basics 2 16 14-15.09.06 E EXCEL 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Work with formulae 3 15.09.06 E/F WORD 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Work with long docu...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2006-01-01

Places available as of 21.3.2006 (March-October course sessions) The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Title Hours Date Language FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 16 27-28.03.06 F Oracle Forms Developer 10g: Move to the Web 16 27-28.03.06 E ACCESS 2003 - Level 2: ECDL AM5 16 3-4.03.06 E-F JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition - Part 1: Web Applications 16 3-4.04.06 E JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition - Part 2: Enterprise JavaBeans 24 5-7.04.06 E AutoCAD Mechanical 2006 16 11-12.04.06 F FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 16 24-25.04.06 F C++ Programming Part 1 - Introduction to Object-Oriented Design and Programming 24 25-27.04.06 E AutoCAD 2006 - niveau 1 32 27.04-4.05.06 F Oracle: SQL 24 3-5.05.06 E EXCEL 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Work with formulae 3 4.05.06 (am) E-F EXCEL 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Format your worksheet for printing 3 4...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2006-01-01

Places available as of 7.2.2006 (February-May course sessions) The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Title Hours Date Language WORD 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Mail merge 3 13.03.06 E-F EXCEL 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Pivot tables 3 20.03.06 E-F EXCEL 2003 (Short Course IV) - HowTo....Link cells, worksheets and workbooks 3 20.03.06 E-F Object-Oriented Analysis and Design using UML 24 21-23.03.06 E EXCEL 2003 - niveau 1 16 22-23.03.06 F FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 16 27-28.03.06 F Oracle Forms Developer 10g: Move to the Web 16 27-28.03.06 E Oracle JDeveloper 10g: Build Applications with ADF 24 29-31.03.06 E ACCESS 2003 - Level 2: ECDL AM5 16 3-4.03.06 E-F JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition - Part 1: Web Applications 16 3-4.04.06 E JCOP: Control System Integration using JCOP Tools 24 4-6.04.06 E JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2006-01-01

Places available as of 7.2.2006 (February-May course sessions) The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Title Hours Date Language WORD 2003 (Short Course IV) - HowTo... Work with master document 3 27.02.06 E-F JAVA: Level 2 32 28.02-3.03.06 E Manipulation des images 4 28.02.06 F ACCESS 2003 - Level 2: ECDL AM5 16 2-3.03.06 E-F C++ for Particle Physicists 20 6-10.03.06 E PowerPoint 2003 8 9.03.06 F JCOP: Control System Integration using JCOP Tools 24 14-16.03.06 E EXCEL 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Pivot tables 3 20.03.06 E-F EXCEL 2003 (Short Course IV) - HowTo....Link cells, worksheets and workbooks 3 20.03.06 E-F JCOP: Finite State Machines in the JCOP Framework 24 21-23.03.06 E Object-Oriented Analysis and Design using UML 24 21-23.03.06 E FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 16 27-28.03.06 F JCOP: Joint PVSS-JCOP Fram...

Leveraging management information in improving call centre productivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manthisana Mosese

2016-04-01

Objectives: This research explored the use of management information and its impact on two fundamental functions namely, improving productivity without compromising the quality of service, in the call centre of a well-known South African fashion retailer, Edcon. Following the implementation of the call centre technology project the research set out to determine how Edcon can transform their call centre to improve productivity and customer service through effective utilisation of their management information. Method: Internal documents and reports were analysed to provide the basis of evaluation between the measures of productivity prior to and post the implementation of a technology project at Edcon’s call centre. Semi-structured in-depth and group interviews were conducted to establish the importance and use of management information in improving productivity and customer service. Results: The results indicated that the availability of management information has indeed contributed to improved efficiency at the Edcon call centre. Although literature claims that there is a correlation between a call centre technology upgrade and improvement in performance, evident in the return on investment being realised within a year or two of implementation, it fell beyond the scope of this study to investigate the return on investment for Edcon’s call centre. Conclusion: Although Edcon has begun realising benefits in improved productivity in their call centre from their available management information, information will continue to play a crucial role in supporting management with informed decisions that will improve the call centre operations. [pdf to follow

High Availability in Optical Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Grover, Wayne D.; Wosinska, Lena; Fumagalli, Andrea

2005-09-01

Call for Papers: High Availability in Optical Networks Submission Deadline: 1 January 2006 The Journal of Optical Networking (JON) is soliciting papers for a feature Issue pertaining to all aspects of reliable components and systems for optical networks and concepts, techniques, and experience leading to high availability of services provided by optical networks. Most nations now recognize that telecommunications in all its forms -- including voice, Internet, video, and so on -- are "critical infrastructure" for the society, commerce, government, and education. Yet all these services and applications are almost completely dependent on optical networks for their realization. "Always on" or apparently unbreakable communications connectivity is the expectation from most users and for some services is the actual requirement as well. Achieving the desired level of availability of services, and doing so with some elegance and efficiency, is a meritorious goal for current researchers. This requires development and use of high-reliability components and subsystems, but also concepts for active reconfiguration and capacity planning leading to high availability of service through unseen fast-acting survivability mechanisms. The feature issue is also intended to reflect some of the most important current directions and objectives in optical networking research, which include the aspects of integrated design and operation of multilevel survivability and realization of multiple Quality-of-Protection service classes. Dynamic survivable service provisioning, or batch re-provisioning is an important current theme, as well as methods that achieve high availability at far less investment in spare capacity than required by brute force service path duplication or 100% redundant rings, which is still the surprisingly prevalent practice. Papers of several types are envisioned in the feature issue, including outlook and forecasting types of treatments, optimization and analysis, new

Belt drive construction improvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.Yu. Khomenko

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The possibility of the traction capacity increase of the belt drive TRK is examined. This was done for the purpose of air conditioning system of passenger car with double-generator system energy supplying. Belts XPC (made by the German firm «Continental ContiTech» testing were conducted. The results confirmed the possibility of their usage in order to improve belt drive TRK characteristics.

Assessment and Optimization of Lidar Measurement Availability for Wind Turbine Control: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davoust, S.; Jehu, A.; Bouillet, M.; Bardon, M.; Vercherin, B.; Scholbrock, A.; Fleming, P.; Wright, A.

2014-05-01

Turbine-mounted lidars provide preview measurements of the incoming wind field. By reducing loads on critical components and increasing the potential power extracted from the wind, the performance of wind turbine controllers can be improved [2]. As a result, integrating a light detection and ranging (lidar) system has the potential to lower the cost of wind energy. This paper presents an evaluation of turbine-mounted lidar availability. Availability is a metric which measures the proportion of time the lidar is producing controller-usable data, and is essential when a wind turbine controller relies on a lidar. To accomplish this, researchers from Avent Lidar Technology and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory first assessed and modeled the effect of extreme atmospheric events. This shows how a multirange lidar delivers measurements for a wide variety of conditions. Second, by using a theoretical approach and conducting an analysis of field feedback, we investigated the effects of the lidar setup on the wind turbine. This helps determine the optimal lidar mounting position at the back of the nacelle, and establishes a relationship between availability, turbine rpm, and lidar sampling time. Lastly, we considered the role of the wind field reconstruction strategies and the turbine controller on the definition and performance of a lidar's measurement availability.

Available phosphorus for 15- to 30-kg pigs kept in hot environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leandro Alebrante

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This experiment was conducted to determine the requirement of available phosphorus (aP for pigs kept in hot environment. Seventy-two pigs (36 castrated males and 36 females with initial weight of 15.10±0.31 kg were allotted in a completely randomized block design with six treatments (0.107, 0.214, 0.321, 0.428, 0.535, and 0.642% of aP, six replicates and two pigs (1 castrated male and 1 female per experimental unit. Pigs were kept in a hot environment with temperature of 34.1±0.8 ºC. The levels of aP influenced the daily weight gain, which increased quadratically up to the estimated level of 0.477%, and feed conversion, which improved quadratically up to the estimated level of 0.457%. The levels of aP also influenced the content of phosphorus in the bone, which increased quadratically up to the estimated level of 0.529%. The available phosphorus requirement of 15- to 30-kg pigs kept in a hot environment, for the best results of daily weight gain, feed conversion and bone parameters are 0.477, 0.457, and 0.529%, corresponding to the estimated daily available phosphorus intakes of 4.75; 4.55 and 5.27 g, respectively.

No English translation available of title

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quinones Gonzalez, Jose A.; Puerto Rico U., Mayaguez

2005-01-01

The purpose of this work is to improve the reconstruction techniques of the decays of the particles that contain charm in the quark composition using the information of the Target Silicon Detector of the experiment E831 (FOCUS). That experiment runs during 1997 to 1998 in Fermilab National Laboratory. The objective of the experiment was improving the understanding of the particles that contain charm. Adding the Target Silicon Detector information in the reconstruction process of the primary vertex the position error. This reduction produces an improvement in the mass signal and the knowledge of the charm particles properties. This ad to the possibility's that in other analysis will use the techniques developed in this work

Studying and improving blast furnace cast iron quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Т. К. Balgabekov

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In the article there are presented the results of studies to improve the quality of blast furnace cast iron. It was established that using fire clay suspension for increasing the mould covering heat conductivity improves significantly pig iron salable condition and filtration refining method decreases iron contamination by nonmetallic inclusions by 50 – 70 %.

MongoDB high availability

CERN Document Server

Mehrabani, Afshin

2014-01-01

This book has a perfect balance of concepts and their practical implementation along with solutions to make a highly available MongoDB server with clear instructions and guidance. If you are using MongoDB in a production environment and need a solution to make a highly available MongoDB server, this book is ideal for you. Familiarity with MongoDB is expected so that you understand the content of this book.

Surfing the web during pandemic flu: availability of World Health Organization recommendations on prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Gesualdo, Francesco; Romano, Mariateresa; Pandolfi, Elisabetta; Rizzo, Caterina; Ravà, Lucilla; Lucente, Daniela; Tozzi, Alberto E

2010-09-20

People often search for information on influenza A(H1N1)v prevention on the web. The extent to which information found on the Internet is consistent with recommendations issued by the World Health Organization is unknown. We conducted a search for "swine flu" accessing 3 of the most popular search engines through different proxy servers located in 4 English-speaking countries (Australia, Canada, UK, USA). We explored each site resulting from the searches, up to 4 clicks starting from the search engine page, analyzing availability of World Health Organization recommendations for swine flu prevention. Information on hand cleaning was reported on 79% of the 147 websites analyzed; staying home when sick was reported on 77.5% of the websites; disposing tissues after sneezing on 75.5% of the websites. Availability of other recommendations was lower. The probability of finding preventative recommendations consistent with World Health Organization varied by country, type of website, and search engine. Despite media coverage on H1N1 influenza, relevant information for prevention is not easily found on the web. Strategies to improve information delivery to the general public through this channel should be improved.

Phospholipase Dε enhances Braasca napus growth and seed production in response to nitrogen availability.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Shaoping; Yao, Shuaibing; Wang, Geliang; Guo, Liang; Zhou, Yongming; Hong, Yueyun; Wang, Xuemin

2016-03-01

Phospholipase D (PLD), which hydrolyses phospholipids to produce phosphatidic acid, has been implicated in plant response to macronutrient availability in Arabidopsis. This study investigated the effect of increased PLDε expression on nitrogen utilization in Brassica napus to explore the application of PLDε manipulation to crop improvement. In addition, changes in membrane lipid species in response to nitrogen availability were determined in the oil seed crop. Multiple PLDε over expression (PLDε-OE) lines displayed enhanced biomass accumulation under nitrogen-deficient and nitrogen-replete conditions. PLDε-OE plants in the field produced more seeds than wild-type plants but have no impact on seed oil content. Compared with wild-type plants, PLDε-OE plants were enhanced in nitrate transporter expression, uptake and reduction, whereas the activity of nitrite reductase was higher under nitrogen-depleted, but not at nitrogen-replete conditions. The level of nitrogen altered membrane glycerolipid metabolism, with greater impacts on young than mature leaves. The data indicate increased expression of PLDε has the potential to improve crop plant growth and production under nitrogen-depleted and nitrogen-replete conditions. © 2015 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Integration of quality improvement and cost-efficiency through industrial improvement techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vink JP

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Jasper P Vink,1 Maxime T Rigaudy,1,2 Karl O Elmqvist11Imperial College Business School, Imperial College London, London, 2Hull York Medical School, York, UKIn this journal, Crema and Verbano1 discussed the importance of defining quality of health care and how quality can be improved through various industrial instruments and techniques. Quality of health care is a heavily debated topic that requires a wide scope of considerations across the many stakeholders of the health system. We acknowledge Crema and Verbano’s arguments that patient safety is a basic pillar of quality, upon which we would like to expand by highlighting the clinical effectiveness and patient-reported outcomes, which are the two further crucial components of quality. The arguments made regarding quality improvement techniques and cost efficiency in health care provision are insightful, yet appear to make a distinction between efforts to improve quality, eliminate waste from processes, and cut costs in health care provision. We would argue that in fact these achievements are all closely related and can be achieved simultaneously, if the industrial techniques of quality management are applied adequately.View the original paper by Crema and Verbano.

Demand for and availability of online support to stop smoking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatriz Helena Carlini

2012-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Estimate the frequency of online searches on the topic of smoking and analyze the quality of online resources available to smokers interested in giving up smoking. METHODS: Search engines were used to revise searches and online resources related to stopping smoking in Brazil in 2010. The number of searches was determined using analytical tools available on Google Ads; the number and type of sites were determined by replicating the search patterns of internet users. The sites were classified according to content (advertising, library of articles and other. The quality of the sites was analyzed using the Smoking Treatment Scale- Content (STS-C and the Smoking Treatment Scale - Rating (STS-R. RESULTS: A total of 642,446 searches was carried out. Around a third of the 113 sites encountered were of the 'library' type, i.e. they only contained articles, followed by sites containing clinical advertising (18.6 and professional education (10.6. Thirteen of the sites offered advice on quitting directed at smokers. The majority of the sites did not contain evidence-based information, were not interactive and did not have the possibility of communicating with users after the first contact. Other limitations we came across were a lack of financial disclosure as well as no guarantee of privacy concerning information obtained and no distinction made between editorial content and advertisements. CONCLUSIONS: There is a disparity between the high demand for online support in giving up smoking and the scarcity of quality online resources for smokers. It is necessary to develop interactive, customized online resources based on evidence and random clinical testing in order to improve the support available to Brazilian smokers.

Dental Workforce Availability and Dental Services Utilization in Appalachia: A Geospatial Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Xue; Sambamoorthi, Usha; Wiener, R. Constance

2016-01-01

that program and policy efforts to improve dental services utilization need to focus on factors other than increasing the dental workforce availability for many counties in Appalachia. PMID:27957773

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2006-01-01

Places available as of 7.2.2006 (February-May course sessions) The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Title Hours Date Language WORD 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Mail merge 3 09-02-06 E-F ACCESS 2003 - Level 1: ECDL M5 16 13 to 14-02-06 E-F OUTLOOK 2003 (Short Course II) - Calendar, Tasks and Notes 3 16-02-06 E-F WORD 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Work with long documents 3 16-02-06 E-F CERN EDMS - Introduction 8 21.02.06 E OUTLOOK 2003 (Short Course III) - Meetings and Delegation 3 27-02-06 E-F WORD 2003 (Short Course IV) - HowTo... Work with master document 3 27-02-06 E-F JAVA: Level 2 32 28-02-06 to 03-03-06 E Manipulation des images 4 28.02.06 F ACCESS 2003 - Level 2: ECDL AM5 16 02 to 03-03-06 E-F FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 16 02 to 03-03-06 F C++ for Particle Physicists 20 06 to 10-03-06 E FileMaker - niv...

Improvements in geomagnetic observatory data quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reda, Jan; Fouassier, Danielle; Isac, Anca

2011-01-01

between observatories and the establishment of observatory networks has harmonized standards and practices across the world; improving the quality of the data product available to the user. Nonetheless, operating a highquality geomagnetic observatory is non-trivial. This article gives a record...... of the current state of observatory instrumentation and methods, citing some of the general problems in the complex operation of geomagnetic observatories. It further gives an overview of recent improvements of observatory data quality based on presentation during 11th IAGA Assembly at Sopron and INTERMAGNET...

Improved voltage gradient control system for electrostatic accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, N.L.; Dittner, P.F.

1993-01-01

An improved voltage gradient control system has been designed and installed in the EN tandem at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. An improved design was sought due to high failure rates, increasing replacement parts and labor costs, and decreasing availability of the original carbon film resistor systems supplied for the EN-12 at ORNL. The resulting system utilizes two inexpensive, readily available, metal oxide resistors in series between each plane. They are protected by coaxial stainless steel shielding tubes, and spark gaps across individual resistors and adjacent pairs. The new resistors mount atop the column bridge in a compact configuration. This permits easy access both to the resistors and to the interior column components such as the belt. Well controlled gradients now provide improved machine performance. Both initial capital outlay and future maintenance result in reduced costs. Design, installation, performance, and cost details are reported. (orig.)

Quality improvement teaching at medical school: a student perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nair P

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Pooja Nair, Ishani Barai, Sunila Prasad, Karishma Gadhvi Department of Medicine, Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK Abstract: Guidelines in the UK require all doctors to actively take part in quality improvement. To ease future doctors into the process, formal quality improvement teaching can be delivered during medical school. Keywords: quality improvement, medical school, patient safety, patient satisfaction, medical student, clinical audit

A cross-sectional study of the availability and pharmacist's knowledge of nano-pharmaceutical drugs in Palestinian hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Assali, Mohyeddin; Shakaa, Ali; Abu-Hejleh, Sabaa; Abu-Omar, Reham; Karajeh, Nareman; Ajory, Nawal; Zyoud, Saed; Sweileh, Waleed

2018-04-05

Nanomedicine is the medical application of nanomaterials that may have an infinite size with the range less than 100 nm. This science has provided solutions to many of the current limitations in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Therefore, the pharmacist's knowledge and awareness of nano-pharmaceutical drugs will increase their availability in the market, and will improve the patient's compliance to their drug therapy. This study aimed to determine the availability of nano-pharmaceutical drugs in Palestinian hospitals and evaluate the extent of pharmacist's knowledge about them. A cross-sectional study design questionnaire was used to determine the availability of nano-pharmaceutical drugs based on the database of the ministry of health in the Palestinian hospitals (governmental, private and non- governmental organizations). Moreover, the knowledge of these nano-pharmaceutical drugs among pharmacists working in Palestinian hospitals was assessed based on developed questionnaire from the literature of the pharmaceutical formulations and nano-formulations. The variables were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 22). Fifty six pharmacists from 27 hospitals in the West bank completed the survey. The results regarding the availability of nano-pharmaceutical drugs indicated only eight available in hospitals with a frequency range 0-39.3%. Moreover, pharmacist's knowledge in the pharmaceutical formulations was better than that in nano-formulations. The availability of nano-pharmaceutical drugs in Palestinian hospitals was not adequate due to the lack of various nano-pharmaceutical drugs. The knowledge among pharmacists regarding nano-pharmaceutical drugs should be improved by providing courses in nanomedicine during the undergraduate pharmacy programs.

Analysis of Availability of Longwall-Shearer Based On Its Working Cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Brodny, Jaroslaw; Tutak, Magdalena

2017-12-01

-shearer’s availability enables to obtain information which may be used for optimization of mining process. Knowledge of particular phases of longwall-shearer’s operation, in which reduced availability occurs, allows to direct the repairing actions exactly to these regions. Developed methodology and obtained results create great opportunities for practical application and improvement of effectiveness of underground exploitation.

Improving northbound interface communication in SDWSN

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Pritchard, SW

2017-10-01

Full Text Available that it may allow for a better degree of network programmability. In order to achieve network programmability and automation, there is a need for a metadata based Application Programming Interface (API). The work done in this paper seeks to improve...

Transport: improving traffic flows in Stellenbosch

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Sinclair, M

2012-07-01

Full Text Available locally to achieve desired long term improvements. In this chapter the status quo of transport in Stellenbosch will be discussed, as well as specific problems and challenges that transport issues present for the town and the way forward towards...

Improved transition models for cepstral trajectories

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Badenhorst, J

2012-11-01

Full Text Available We improve on a piece-wise linear model of the trajectories of Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients, which are commonly used as features in Automatic Speech Recognition. For this purpose, we have created a very clean single-speaker corpus, which...

Improving sales management of agricultural enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Balko S. V.

2016-07-01

Full Text Available the article discusses the effective sales of agricultural products. The authors recommend the directions of improving sales management system. Moreover, the research proves that sales and production activity should be based on complex analysis and monitoring of the market conditions.

The Air Force Needs to Improve Cost-Effectiveness and Availability of the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Redacted)

Science.gov (United States)

2016-11-01

Resolution Process,” establishes procedures for resolving any issue, disagreement , or dispute due to an interpretation of the TSSR contract, or...Protection U.S. Department of Defense The Whistleblower Protection Ombudsman’s role is to educate agency employees about prohibitions on retaliation...and employees ’ rights and remedies available for reprisal. The DoD Hotline Director is the designated ombudsman. For more information, please

NASA Land Information System (LIS) Water Availability to Support Reclamation ET Estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Toll, David; Arsenault, Kristi; Pinheiro, Ana; Peters-Lidard, Christa; Houser, Paul; Kumar, Sujay; Engman, Ted; Nigro, Joe; Triggs, Jonathan

2005-01-01

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation identified the remote sensing of evapotranspiration (ET) as an important water flux for study and designated a test site in the Lower Colorado River basin. A consortium of groups will work together with the goal to develop more accurate and cost effective techniques using the enhanced spatial and temporal coverage afforded by remote sensing. ET is a critical water loss flux where improved estimation should lead to better management of Reclamation responsibilities. There are several areas where NASA satellite and modeling data may be useful to meet Reclamation's objectives for improved ET estimation. In this paper we outline one possible contribution to use NASA's data integration capability of the Land Information System (LIS) to provide a merger of observational (in situ and satellite) with physical process models to provide estimates of ET and other water availability outputs (e.g., runoff, soil moisture) retrospectively, in near real-time, and also providing short-term predictions.

Improvability of assembly systems I: Problem formulation and performance evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.-Y. Chiang

2000-01-01

Full Text Available This work develops improvability theory for assembly systems. It consists of two parts. Part I includes the problem formulation and the analysis technique. Part II presents the so-called improvability indicators and a case study.

Rational Design of Improved Pharmabiotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roy D. Sleator

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Herein we review the most recent advances in probiotic research and applications with particular emphasis on the novel concept of patho-biotechnology: the application of pathogen-derived (ex vivo and in vivo stress survival strategies for the design of more technologically robust and effective probiotic cultures with improved biotechnological and clinical applications.

Growth of mature boreal Norway spruce was not affected by elevated [CO(2)] and/or air temperature unless nutrient availability was improved.

Science.gov (United States)

Sigurdsson, Bjarni D; Medhurst, Jane L; Wallin, Göran; Eggertsson, Olafur; Linder, Sune

2013-11-01

The growth responses of mature Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trees exposed to elevated [CO(2)] (CE; 670-700 ppm) and long-term optimized nutrient availability or elevated air temperature (TE; ±3.9 °C) were studied in situ in northern Sweden in two 3 year field experiments using 12 whole-tree chambers in ca. 40-year-old forest. The first experiment (Exp. I) studied the interactions between CE and nutrient availability and the second (Exp. II) between CE and TE. It should be noted that only air temperature was elevated in Exp. II, while soil temperature was maintained close to ambient. In Exp. I, CE significantly increased the mean annual height increment, stem volume and biomass increment during the treatment period (25, 28, and 22%, respectively) when nutrients were supplied. There was, however, no significant positive CE effect found at the low natural nutrient availability. In Exp. II, which was conducted at the natural site fertility, neither CE nor TE significantly affected height or stem increment. It is concluded that the low nutrient availability (mainly nitrogen) in the boreal forests is likely to restrict their response to the continuous rise in [CO(2)] and/or TE.

Asynchronous Amazon forest canopy phenology indicates adaptation to both water and light availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, Matthew O; Kimball, John S; Nemani, Ramakrishna R

2014-01-01

Amazon forests represent nearly half of all tropical vegetation biomass and, through photosynthesis and respiration, annually process more than twice the amount of estimated carbon (CO 2 ) from fossil fuel emissions. Yet the seasonality of Amazon canopy cover, and the extent to which seasonal fluctuations in water availability and photosynthetically available radiation influence these processes, is still poorly understood. Implementing six remotely sensed data sets spanning nine years (2003–2011), with reported field and flux tower data, we show that southern equatorial Amazon forests exhibit a distinctive seasonal signal. Seasonal timing of water availability, canopy biomass growth and net leaf flush are asynchronous in regions with short dry seasons and become more synchronous across a west-to-east longitudinal moisture gradient of increasing dry season. Forest cover is responsive to seasonal disparities in both water and solar radiation availability, temporally adjusting net leaf flush to maximize use of these generally abundant resources, while reducing drought susceptibility. An accurate characterization of this asynchronous behavior allows for improved understanding of canopy phenology across contiguous tropical forests and their sensitivity to climate variability and drought. (letter)

Improving designer productivity. [artificial intelligence

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Gary C.

1992-01-01

Designer and design team productivity improves with skill, experience, and the tools available. The design process involves numerous trials and errors, analyses, refinements, and addition of details. Computerized tools have greatly speeded the analysis, and now new theories and methods, emerging under the label Artificial Intelligence (AI), are being used to automate skill and experience. These tools improve designer productivity by capturing experience, emulating recognized skillful designers, and making the essence of complex programs easier to grasp. This paper outlines the aircraft design process in today's technology and business climate, presenting some of the challenges ahead and some of the promising AI methods for meeting these challenges.

Consumer Empowerment in the Digital Economy: Availing Sustainable Purchasing Decisions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrizia Gazzola

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The advent of the digital economy and, implicitly, of competition in the online marketplace has triggered new challenges in terms of consumer protection approaches. Online, consumer skills are expected to be improved and the level of consumer awareness and engagement increased. These are the baseline prerequisites of the sustainable purchasing decision and, thus, should be considered as pillars of responsible online consumption. Consistent with the novel consumption challenges, the current paper is intended to advance and test a research model integrating five main constructs, namely, competition in the online marketplace, online consumer skills, online consumer awareness, online consumer engagement and sustainable purchasing decision. A total of 318 college students—a representative population of the new Millennials generation—accepted the invitation to participate in a questionnaire-based survey. In order to pertinently analyze the collected data, a structural equation modeling technique based on partial least squares was employed for the assessment of the measurement and the structural model. The findings indicated that the model explained 24.4 percent of the variance of sustainable purchasing decisions, while the highest influence was exerted by the improvement of online consumer skills. This implies that online providers should revisit their products sustainability standards on purpose to preserve a competitive advantage.

Plant improvement by known-function genes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesús Quiroz Chávez

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Plant molecular improvement by recombinant DNA technology represents an advantage to obtain new varieties or traits. This technique is promised for genetic improvement of crop plants. Lines with increased yield, quality, disease resistance, or tolerant to abiotic stress have been obtained, with clear advantages for producers, marketers and consumers. However, they have several limitations in its application to agriculture because of its risk and hazards. The aim of the document is to show the advantages and disadvantages of GM crop plant, to develop represent an opportunity to have new exotic traits.

Session 2: Availability

CERN Document Server

Uythoven, J

2012-01-01

This session concentrated on the main players affecting the availability of the LHC: the Quench Protection System (QPS), the cryogenics system, the regularly foreseen technical stops and the effect of radiation on equipment failures. A forecast for operation in 2012 was made for all these items.

Biomass availability, energy consumption and biochar production in rural households of Western Kenya

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres-Rojas, Dorisel; Lehmann, Johannes; Hobbs, Peter; Joseph, Stephen; Neufeldt, Henry

2011-01-01

Pyrolytic cook stoves in smallholder farms may require different biomass supply than traditional bioenergy approaches. Therefore, we carried out an on-farm assessment of the energy consumption for food preparation, the biomass availability relevant to conventional and pyrolytic cook stoves, and the potential biochar generation in rural households of western Kenya. Biomass availability for pyrolysis varied widely from 0.7 to 12.4 Mg ha -1 y -1 with an average of 4.3 Mg ha -1 y -1 , across all 50 studied farms. Farms with high soil fertility that were recently converted to agriculture from forest had the highest variability (CV = 83%), which was a result of the wide range of farm sizes and feedstock types in the farms. Biomass variability was two times lower for farms with low than high soil fertility (CV = 37%). The reduction in variability is a direct consequence of the soil quality, coupled with farm size and feedstock type. The total wood energy available in the farms (5.3 GJ capita -1 y -1 ) was not sufficient to meet the current cooking energy needs using conventional combustion stoves, but may be sufficient for improved combustion stoves depending on their energy efficiency. However, the biomass that is usable in pyrolytic cook stoves including crop residues, shrub and tree litter can provide 17.2 GJ capita -1 y -1 of energy for cooking, which is well above the current average cooking energy consumption of 10.5 GJ capita -1 y -1 . The introduction of a first-generation pyrolytic cook stove reduced wood energy consumption by 27% while producing an average of 0.46 Mg ha -1 y -1 of biochar. -- Highlights: → Total energy from wood fuel available on smallholder farms in Western Kenya was not sufficient to meet current cooking energy needs using conventional combustion stoves, but may be sufficient for improved combustion stoves. → Feedstock options acceptable to pyrolysis cook stoves which includes crop residues, exceeded the energy needs required for daily

Will availability of inhaled human insulin (Exubera® improve management of type 2 diabetes? The design of the Real World trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Freemantle Nick

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Common deterrents to insulin therapy for both physicians and patients are the complexity and burden of daily injections. In January 2006, the first inhaled human insulin (INH, Exubera® (insulinhuman [rDNA origin]InhalationPowder was approved for use in adult patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM in the United States and European Union. Results from the INH clinical trial program have shown comparable efficacy of INH to subcutaneous (SC insulin and superior efficacy versus oral antidiabetic agents; thus providing effective glycemic control in adult patients with T2DM without the requirement for preprandial injections. However, because subjects in those trials were randomized to either INH or an alternative, the studies could not estimate the effect of INH on patient acceptance of insulin therapy. Therefore, traditional study designs cannot provide answers to important and practical questions regarding real world effectiveness, which is influenced by psychological and other access barriers. Methods To overcome these limitations, the Real World Trial was designed to estimate the effect of the availability of INH as a treatment option for glycemic control. A total of approximately 700 patients from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States with T2DM poorly controlled by oral agent therapy will be randomized to two different treatment settings. Patients and clinicians in both groups (A & B may choose from all licensed therapies for diabetes including SC insulin delivered by pens; INH will be an additional treatment option only available in Group A. The Real World Trial (Protocol A2171018 has been registered with ClincalTrials.gov, registration id NCT00134147. Results The primary outcome for the trial will be the difference in mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c at 6 months between groups. The design was based on a preceding feasibility study examining the

Evidence-based care: an innovation to improve nursing practice ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Evidence-based care: an innovation to improve nursing practice globally. ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... best available evidence from research findings, expert ideas from specialists in the various health ... need to be addressed to enhance utilization of the best available evidence in nursing practice.

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: LabVIEW Intermediate I : 8 - 10.11.2004 (3 days) Instructor-led WTechT Study or Follow-up for Microsoft Applications : 9.11.2004 (morning) Hands-On Object Oriented Design and Programming with C++ : 9 - 11.11.2004 (3 days) Outlook (Short Course III) : Meetings and Delegation : 9.11.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) LabVIEW Intermediate II : 11 & 12.11.2004 (2 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 11, 12, 18, 19.11.2004 (4 jours) C++ for Particle Physicists : 15 - 19.11.2004 (6 X 3 hours sessions) Word 2003 - niveau 1 : 22 & 23.11.2004 (2 jours) Introduction à ANSYS : 23 - 26.11.2004 (4 jours) CLEAN-2002 - Travailler en salle propre : 23.11.2004 (après-midi, cours gratuit) Project Planning with MS-Project : 25.11 & 2.12.2004 (2 days) ENSEIGNEMENT ...

Technical training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: LabVIEW Intermediate I : 8 - 10.11.2004 (3 days) Instructor-led WTechT Study or Follow-up for Microsoft Applications : 9.11.2004 (morning) Outlook (Short Course III) : Meetings and Delegation : 9.11.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) LabVIEW Intermediate II : 11 & 12.11.2004 (2 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 11, 12, 18, 19.11.2004 (4 jours) C++ for Particle Physicists : 15 - 19.11.2004 (6 X 3 hours sessions) Word 2003 - niveau 1 : 22 & 23.11.2004 (2 jours) Introduction à ANSYS : 23 - 26.11.2004 (4 jours) Project Planning with MS-Project : 25.11 & 2.12.2004 (2 days) Introduction to PERL 5 : 8 & 9.12.2004 (2 days) Advanced aspects of PERL 5 : 10.12.2004 (1 day) The JAVA Programming Language Level 1 : 11 & 12.1.2005 (2 days) Introduction...

Resources available in society

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berg, S.E.

1997-01-01

A decontamination operation will only be successful if cost-efficient methods are used. The cost-effectiveness depends, among many other factors, including the qualifications and training of the personnel and the capability of the equipment. The personnel must be able to handle the equipment in a professional way and should also know how to protect themselves. To fulfil these requirements they need courses in radiation protection. The equipment must be suitable for the selected countermeasure. Societies planning and preparedness for reclamation should meet realistic demands for early actions and outline a cost-effective strategy that implies reasonable use of personnel and equipment resources. Planning for early cleanup actions is different from that of long term planning with respect to the available time and quantity and quality of available information on which to base decisions. Available resources vary, of course, between the Nordic countries, but in all countries there are organisations with both knowledgeable staff and suitable equipment accessible for decontamination operations. (EG)

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: LabVIEW Intermediate I : 8 - 10.11.2004 (3 days) Instructor-led WTechT Study or Follow-up for Microsoft Applications : 9.11.2004 (morning) Hands-On Object Oriented Design and Programming with C++ : 9 - 11.11.2004 (3 days) Outlook (Short Course III) : Meetings and Delegation : 9.11.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) LabVIEW Intermediate II : 11 & 12.11.2004 (2 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 11, 12, 18, 19.11.2004 (4 jours) C++ for Particle Physicists : 15 - 19.11.2004 (6 X 3 hours sessions) Word 2003 - niveau 1 : 22 & 23.11.2004 (2 jours) Introduction à ANSYS : 23 - 26.11.2004 (4 jours) CLEAN-2002 - Travailler en salle propre : 23.11.2004 (après-midi, cours gratuit) Project Planning with MS-Project : 25.11 & 2.12.2004 (2 days) PCAD Sch&eac...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: The JAVA Programming Language Level 1: 11 & 12.1.2005 (2 days) Introduction to XML : 13 & 14.1.2005 (2 days) ELEC-2005.:Winter term: Introduction to electronics in HEP: 18, 20, 25, 27.1, 1 & 3.2.2005 (6 x 2h lectures) The CERN EDMS for Local Administrators: 19 & 20.1.2005 (2 days - free course) Programmation Unity-Pro pour utilisateurs de Schneider PL7-Pro : 24 - 28.1.2005 (8 demi-journées) CLEAN-2002 : Travailler en salle propre : 25.1.2005 (après-midi, cours gratuit) Compatibilité électromagnétique (CEM) : installation et remèdes : 25 - 27.1.2005 (3 jours) Finite State Machines in the JCOP Framework: 1 - 3.2.2005 (3 days - free course) The JAVA Programming Language Level 2: 7 - 9...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Introduction à ANSYS : 23 - 26.11.2004 (4 jours) FileMaker - niveau 1 : 23 - 26.11.2004 (4 jours) Project Planning with MS-Project : 25.11 & 2.12.2004 (2 days) Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-Dyna : 7 - 9.12.2004 (3 days) Introduction to PERL 5 : 8 & 9.12.2004 (2 days) PCAD Schémas - Débutants : 9 & 10.12.2004 (2 jours) The JAVA Programming Language Level 1 : 11 & 12.1.2005 (2 days) Introduction to XML : 13 & 14.1.2005 (2 days) Introduction to the CERN EDMS : 18.1.2005 (1 day - free course) The CERN EDMS for Local Administrators : 19 & 20.1.2005 (2 days - free course) Programmation Unity-Pro pour utilisateurs de Schneider PL7-Pro : 24 - 28.1.2005 (8 demi-journées) CLEAN-2002 : Travaill...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-Dyna : 7 - 9.12.2004 (3 days) Introduction to PERL 5 : 8 & 9.12.2004 (2 days) PCAD Schémas - Débutants : 9 & 10.12.2004 (2 jours) Advanced aspects of PERL 5: 10.12.2004 (1 day) PCAD PCB – Débutants : 13 - 15.12.2004 (3 jours) The JAVA Programming Language Level 1 : 11 & 12.1.2005 (2 days) Introduction to XML : 13 & 14.1.2005 (2 days) Introduction to the CERN EDMS : 18.1.2005 (1 day - free course) The CERN EDMS for Local Administrators : 19 & 20.1.2005 (2 days - free course) Programmation Unity-Pro pour utilisateurs de Schneider PL7-Pro : 24 - 28.1.2005 (8 demi-journées) CLEAN-2002 : Travailler en salle propre : 25.1.2005 (après-midi, cours gratuit) Compatibilit&eac...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: FileMaker - niveau 1 : 23 - 26.11.2004 (4 jours) Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-Dyna : 7 - 9.12.2004 (3 days) Introduction to PERL 5 : 8 & 9.12.2004 (2 days) PCAD Schémas - Débutants : 9 & 10.12.2004 (2 jours) Advanced aspects of PERL 5: 10.12.2004 (1 day) PCAD PCB – Débutants : 13 - 15.12.2004 (3 jours) The JAVA Programming Language Level 1 : 11 & 12.1.2005 (2 days) Introduction to XML : 13 & 14.1.2005 (2 days) Introduction to the CERN EDMS : 18.1.2005 (1 day - free course) The CERN EDMS for Local Administrators : 19 & 20.1.2005 (2 days - free course) Programmation Unity-Pro pour utilisateurs de Schneider PL7-Pro : 24 - 28.1.2005 (8 demi-journées) CLEAN-2002 : Travailler en salle propre : 25.1.2005 ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: C++ for Particle Physicists : 15 - 19.11.2004 (6 X 3 hours sessions) Word 2003 - niveau 1 : 22 & 23.11.2004 (2 jours) Introduction à ANSYS : 23 - 26.11.2004 (4 jours) Project Planning with MS-Project : 25.11 & 2.12.2004 (2 days) Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-Dyna : 7 - 9.12.2004 (2 days) PCAD Schémas - Débutants : 9 & 10.12.2004 (2 jours) The JAVA Programming Language Level 1 : 11 & 12.1.2005 (2 days) Introduction to XML : 13 & 14.1.2005 (2 days) CLEAN-2002 : Travailler en salle propre : 25.1.2005 (après-midi, cours gratuit) Compatibilité électromagnétique (CEM) : installation et remèdes : 25 - 27.1.2005 (3 jours) Finite State Machines in the JCOP Fr ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Joint PVSS JCOP Framework: 8 - 12.8.2005 (5 days) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 1 - 2.9.2005 (2 jours) Utilisation des fichiers PDF avec ACROBAT 7.0 : 5.9.2005 (1 jour) LabVIEW Basics 1 : 5 - 7.9.2005 (3 days, dates to be confirmed) Introduction à Windows XP au CERN : 12.9.2005 (1 demi-journée) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 15 - 16.9.2005 (2 jours) AutoCAD 2005 - niveau 1 : 22, 23, 28, 29.9.2005 (4 jours) MAGNE-05 - Magnétisme pour l'électrotechnique : 27 - 29.9.2005 (3 jours) LabVIEW Application Development (Intermediate I): 5 - 7.12.2005 (3 days) LabVIEW Advanced Programming (Intermediate 2): 8 - 9.12.2005 (2 days) ENSEIGNEMENT TECHNIQUE TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval 74924 technical.training@cern.ch

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: LabVIEW - Basics 2 : 30.9 & 1.10.2004 (2 days) Introduction à Windows XP au CERN : 4.10.2004 (matin) The EDMS MTF in practice : 4.10.2004 (afternoon) The CERN EDMS for Engineers : 6.10.2004 (1 day) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 7 & 8.10.04 (2 jours) Hands-On Object Oriented Design and Programming with C++ : 9 - 12.11.2004 (3 days) FileMaker - niveau 1 : 18 & 19.10.2004 (2 jours) Outlook (short course I) : E-mail : 22.10.2004 (2 hours, morning) Outlook (short course II) : Calendar, Tasks and Notes: 22.10.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Excel 2003 - niveau 1 : 4 & 5.11.2004 (2 jours) Instructor-led WTechT Study or Follow-up for Microsoft Applications : 9.11.2004 (morning) Outlook (Short Course III) : Meetings and Delegation : 9.11...

Technical training - Places available

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

* Etant donné le délai d'impression du Bulletin, ces places peuvent ne plus être disponibles au moment de sa parution. Veuillez consulter notre site Web pour avoir la dernière mise à jour. ** The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Des places sont disponibles dans les cours suivants : Places are available in the following courses: Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming 12 – 14.11.03 (3 days) ACCESS 2000 – niveau 1 13 & 14.11.03 (2 jours) C++ for Particle Physicists 17 – 21.11.03 (6 x 3-hour lectures) Programmation automate Schneider TSX Premium – niveau 2  18 – 21.11.03 (4 jours) Planification de projet avec MS-Project/Project Planning with MS-Project (gratuit/free of charge – langue à définir/language to be defined) : 18 & 25.11.03 (2 jours/2 days) JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition – Part 1 : WEB...

Improvement of Educational Equity & Teacher Training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María J. Rodríguez

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Educational improvement for equity and professional teacher development are crucial issues concerning the essential right all students have of a good education. Firstly the article proposes a contextual reflection on improvement, some considerations related to well known traditions in the field and particularly the social justice and its relationships and implication for educational politics, curriculum, teaching, teacher and community. Secondly, it claims for the coherence of teacher professional development to educational equity. Different analysis and proposals are outlined related to policies and tasks the public administration should undertake and some dimensions of teacher education are considered attending educational equity criteria. Professional learning communities are described and valued as a hypothetical framework in order to improve equity and teacher education relationships.

Improving of enterprise consumer service system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yа.М. Laguta

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The problems of consumer services at domestic enterprises are showed. The shortcomings in the service of enterprise operation are analyzed. The basic features of the functioning of the service system forming medium are determined. The authors develop the measures to improve the quality of services which can contribute to their development, expansion of the customer base, increase in sales volume (goods and services as well as improving efficiency and profitability. Taking into account the current environment of enterprises the proposed measures are formed. The article proves the expediency of the use of the client-oriented approach to a customer, the use of software programs and the improvement of the CRM-system at enterprises, the introduction of «7P» concept.

Speech recognition: impact on workflow and report availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glaser, C.; Trumm, C.; Nissen-Meyer, S.; Francke, M.; Kuettner, B.; Reiser, M.

2005-01-01

With ongoing technical refinements speech recognition systems (SRS) are becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to traditional methods of preparing and transcribing medical reports. The two main components of any SRS are the acoustic model and the language model. Features of modern SRS with continuous speech recognition are macros with individually definable texts and report templates as well as the option to navigate in a text or to control SRS or RIS functions by speech recognition. The best benefit from SRS can be obtained if it is integrated into a RIS/RIS-PACS installation. Report availability and time efficiency of the reporting process (related to recognition rate, time expenditure for editing and correcting a report) are the principal determinants of the clinical performance of any SRS. For practical purposes the recognition rate is estimated by the error rate (unit ''word''). Error rates range from 4 to 28%. Roughly 20% of them are errors in the vocabulary which may result in clinically relevant misinterpretation. It is thus mandatory to thoroughly correct any transcribed text as well as to continuously train and adapt the SRS vocabulary. The implementation of SRS dramatically improves report availability. This is most pronounced for CT and CR. However, the individual time expenditure for (SRS-based) reporting increased by 20-25% (CR) and according to literature data there is an increase by 30% for CT and MRI. The extent to which the transcription staff profits from SRS depends largely on its qualification. Online dictation implies a workload shift from the transcription staff to the reporting radiologist. (orig.) [de

78 FR 63491 - Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-24

... Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: The following Water Management Plans are available for review: Westside... project contractors using best available cost-effective technology and best management practices.'' These...

Solutions for improving data extraction from virtual data warehouses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adela BARA

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The data warehousing project’s team is always confronted with low performance in data extraction. In a Business Intelligence environment this problem can be critical because the data displayed are no longer available for taking decisions, so the project can be compromised. In this case there are several techniques that can be applied to reduce queries’ execution time and to improve the performance of the BI analyses and reports. Some of the techniques that can be applied to reduce the cost of execution for improving query performance in BI systems will be presented in this paper.

Estimating ionospheric delay using kriging: 2. Impact on satellite-based augmentation system availability

Science.gov (United States)

Sparks, Lawrence; Blanch, Juan; Pandya, Nitin

2011-12-01

An augmentation of the Global Positioning System, the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) broadcasts, at each node of an ionospheric grid, an estimate of the vertical ionospheric delay and an integrity bound on the vertical delay error. To date, these quantities have been determined from a planar fit of slant delay measurements, projected to vertical using an obliquity factor specified by the standard thin shell model of the ionosphere. In a future WAAS upgrade (WAAS Follow-On Release 3), however, they will be calculated using an established, geo-statistical estimation technique known as kriging that generally provides higher estimate accuracy than planar fit estimation. This paper analyzes the impact of kriging on system availability. In a preliminary assessment, kriging is found to produce improvements in availability of up to 15%.

Genotype and ancestry modulate brain's DAT availability in healthy humans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shumay, E.; Shumay, E.; Chen, J.; Fowler, J.S.; Volkow, N.D.

2011-08-01

The dopamine transporter (DAT) is a principal regulator of dopaminergic neurotransmission and its gene (the SLC6A3) is a strong biological candidate gene for various behavioral- and neurological disorders. Intense investigation of the link between the SLC6A3 polymorphisms and behavioral phenotypes yielded inconsistent and even contradictory results. Reliance on objective brain phenotype measures, for example, those afforded by brain imaging, might critically improve detection of DAT genotype-phenotype association. Here, we tested the relationship between the DAT brain availability and the SLC6A3 genotypes using an aggregate sample of 95 healthy participants of several imaging studies. These studies employed positron emission tomography (PET) with [{sup 11}C] cocaine wherein the DAT availability was estimated as Bmax/Kd; while the genotype values were obtained on two repeat polymorphisms - 3-UTR- and intron 8- VNTRs. The main findings are the following: (1) both polymorphisms analyzed as single genetic markers and in combination (haplotype) modulate DAT density in midbrain; (2) ethnic background and age influence the strength of these associations; and (3) age-related changes in DAT availability differ in the 3-UTR and intron8 - genotype groups.

Tune-Up Your Fan Systems for Improved Performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2018-04-03

Fans are used extensively in commercial buildings and represent approximately 6% of total energy consumed by commercial buildings. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that fans in commercial buildings consume 158 billion kWh of electricity annually. Maintaining fan systems in proper condition provides energy savings and ensures a comfortable and healthy environment. While many fan systems have significant energy savings opportunities available through improvements in fan selection, system design, and operational practices, it is not always apparent when a fan system needs maintenance or what opportunities are available for improvements. This resource is designed for facility managers and maintenance staff to provide easy-to-implement actionable guidance on fan efficiency measures for existing ducted air systems.

Fuel and heavy water availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The general guidelines for the Working Group's evaluation of the availability of nuclear fuel and heavy water were set at the Organizing Conference of the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation (INFCE), which was held in Washington, United States of America, 19-21 October 1977. The agreed technical and economic scope for the evaluation was to: (1) Estimate needs for nuclear energy and correlated needs for uranium and heavy water according to different fuel cycle strategies; (2) Review uranium availability with specific regard to: Assessment of resources and production capacities; policies and incentives for encouraging exploration and production including joint ventures; marketing policies and/or guarantees of sales for companies investing in exploration and production; marketing policies and/or guarantees of supply for utilities; technical development of exploration, mining and milling methods; (3) Review heavy water availability; (4) Review thorium availability; (5) Consider special needs of developing countries. The illustrations of availability and requirements developed in this report do provide a useful framework for considering future options and alternatives for the development of nuclear power

Multimodal Perioperative Analgesia Regimen to Improve Patient Outcomes After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Multidisciplinary Quality Improvement Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Donahue, Rebecca E; Bradbury, George R; Zychowicz, Michael E; Muckler, Virginia C

2018-04-01

The primary aim of this quality improvement project was to improve mobilization for patients after total knee arthroscopy by developing and implementing a standardized, evidence-based, multimodal analgesia regimen and patient-educational video. Secondary outcomes included opioid consumption, pain, and length of stay. A pre-post implementation design was used to compare two independent samples. Patients were screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria 1-2 weeks before surgery. The anesthesia provider made the final determination for inclusion. Data were collected by retrospective chart review. Following implementation, patients displayed significantly improved mobilization, reduced opioid consumption, and reduced length of stay. Patient-reported pain scores were similar or significantly lower in the postimplementation group. Variability of patient outcomes was reduced, and quality of care was improved by standardizing care and incorporating the best available evidence, consistent with organization's resources in the nonacademic-affiliated, community hospital setting. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Improving surgical outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tony Walia

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Outcomes of cataract surgery are worse than we would like them to be. Community-based studies show that up to 40% of eyes have a postoperative presenting vision of < 6/60. Eyes with intraocular lenses (IOLs do better; however, it has been shown that even in prosperous middle-income countries, such as Venezuela, in 20% of pseudophakic eyes presenting vision was < 6/60 and in 15% best corrected vision was worse than 6/60.Poor outcomes matter. Patients deserve improved vision whenever possible and poor outcomes deter prospective patients from coming for surgery and probably reduce their willingness to pay for their treatment – particularly if they have to pay in advance!In this article, we offer some suggestions for improving the quality of cataract surgery. We admit that there is little evidence base for most of these suggestions and that some of them are controversial. However, we hope to stimulate debate.

Improved core protection calculator system algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Tae Young; Park, Young Ho; In, Wang Kee; Bae, Jong Sik; Baeg, Seung Yeob

2009-01-01

Core Protection Calculator System (CPCS) is a digitized core protection system which provides core protection functions based on two reactor core operation parameters, Departure from Nucleate Boiling Ratio (DNBR) and Local Power Density (LPD). It generates a reactor trip signal when the core condition exceeds the DNBR or LPD design limit. It consists of four independent channels which adapted a two out of four trip logic. CPCS algorithm improvement for the newly designed core protection calculator system, RCOPS (Reactor COre Protection System), is described in this paper. New features include the improvement of DNBR algorithm for thermal margin, the addition of pre trip alarm generation for auxiliary trip function, VOPT (Variable Over Power Trip) prevention during RPCS (Reactor Power Cutback System) actuation and the improvement of CEA (Control Element Assembly) signal checking algorithm. To verify the improved CPCS algorithm, CPCS algorithm verification tests, 'Module Test' and 'Unit Test', would be performed on RCOPS single channel facility. It is expected that the improved CPCS algorithm will increase DNBR margin and enhance the plant availability by reducing unnecessary reactor trips

APFO Historical Availability of Imagery

Data.gov (United States)

Farm Service Agency, Department of Agriculture — The APFO Historical Availability ArcGIS Online web map provides an easy to use reference of what historical imagery is available by county from the Aerial...

WAYS OF IMPROVEMENT RAILWAY TRANSPORT IN OVERPASS ECONOMIC CRISIS CONDITIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. H. Deineka

2010-05-01

Full Text Available In the article a problem of adapting the railway transport to market requirements is presented and the ways of improving its competitiveness are investigated. Some measures and reserves of improving the operation efficiency for the railway transport are offered.

An ethnographic study of barriers to cancer pain management and opioid availability in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Lebaron, Virginia; Beck, Susan L; Maurer, Martha; Black, Fraser; Palat, Gayatri

2014-05-01

The world's global cancer burden disproportionally affects lower income countries, where 80% of patients present with late-stage disease and have limited access to palliative care and effective pain-relieving medications, such as morphine. Consequently, millions die each year with unrelieved pain. Objective. The objective of this study was to examine barriers to opioid availability and cancer pain management in India, with an emphasis on the experiences of nurses, who are often the front-line providers of palliative care. Methods. Fifty-nine participants were recruited using a purposive, snowball sampling strategy. Ethnographic data collection included in-depth, semistructured interviews (n = 54), 400+ hours of participant observation, and review of documents over 9 months at a government cancer hospital in South India. Systematic qualitative analysis led to identification of key barriers that are exemplified by representative quotes. Results. Morphine is more available at this study site than in most of India, but access is limited to patients seen by the palliative care service, and significant gaps in supply still occur. Systems to measure and improve pain outcomes are largely absent. Key barriers related to pain management include the role of nursing, opioid misperceptions, bureaucratic hurdles, and sociocultural/infrastructure challenges. Implications. Interventions must streamline process details of morphine procurement, work within the existing sociocultural infrastructure to ensure opioids reach patients most in need, target unexpected audiences for symptom management education, and account for role expectations of health care providers. Conclusion. Macro- and micro-level policy and practice changes are needed to improve opioid availability and cancer pain management in India.

The gap between available knowledge and its use in clinical psychiatry.

Science.gov (United States)

Munk-Jørgensen, P; Blanner Kristiansen, C; Uwawke, R; Larsen, J I; Okkels, N; Christiansen, B; Hjorth, P

2015-12-01

The time span between knowledge becoming available and its integration into daily clinical routine is lengthy. This phenomenon is explored in this study. We used the outcomes of our activities for investigating and strengthening the research-based activities to improve physical health in the routines of clinical psychiatric wards as examples for our analyses. The time span between new knowledge becoming available and its implementation into general clinical treatment is very long. However, a shortening of this time span is seen through active leadership backup and clinical research experience among psychiatrists and staff in the wards. In particular, the involvement of medical students interested in clinical research activities seems to have a positive impact. Academia needs to be re-implemented into clinical psychiatry. Staff with research experience is needed in all professions to increase evidence-based practice. Leaders must take responsibility for implementing new knowledge into the routines of the department and must support staff in these activities on a daily basis. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Balance-of-plant outage availability study. Phase I. Extension report. [PWR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomasson, F.R.

1978-09-01

After completion of the Phase 1 Refueling Outage Availability Study, Babcock and Wilcox and the U.S. Department of Energy entered into a supplemental agreement to perform a balance-of-plant maintenance, inspection, and test study with the cooperation of Duke Power Company and Arkansas Power and Light Company. The objectives were (1) to expand the Phase 1 data base, including balance-of-plant activities, to reduce outage time and increase plant availability and (2) to conduct an onsite review of plant maintenance, practices to complement the utility efforts in reducing outage time and increasing on-line operational time. Data were obtained from (1) observations during the 1977 refueling outage at Oconee 3, (2) review of maintenance practices during the Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 1, operational cycle in 1977, and (3) selected observations of the 1978 refueling outage at ANO-1. Accumulated data were then reviewed and analyzed to produce a list of improvement recommendations for Oconee 3 and ANO-1 that can be generically applied to plants of similar design and construction.

Characterization and handling solutions through development and adaptation of available technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michel, W.S.; Frazee, C.

1998-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) faces unique challenges in characterizing and handling its mixed wastes. Mixed waste is low-level or transuranic (TRU) contaminated wastes containing Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous materials. Characterization and material handling technologies will be required to solve pretreatment and disposal needs, and to meet transportation requirements. The Mixed Waste Focus Area (MWFA) will fund the development and demonstration of characterization and material handling technologies to ensure the availability to support the DOE mixed waste needs. The MWFA will be evaluating commercially available and laboratory developed technologies for applicability in meeting these needs. Improved systems will be developed, on the commercial or laboratory side, as needed to address unmet needs. Studies/demonstrations are taking place this year to evaluate the capabilities of existing systems and identify technology gaps. Calls for proposals will be made to both industry and laboratory to identify work to address those gaps. Prioritization of applicable proposals will take place and activities funded appropriately to address characterization and material handling needs

[Not Available].

Science.gov (United States)

Valença, Mariana Soares; Possuelo, Lia Gonçalves; Cezar-Vaz, Marta Regina; Silva, Pedro Eduardo Almeida da

2016-06-01

The scope of this study was to organize the knowledge produced on tuberculosis in Brazilian prisons in a systematic manner. A comprehensive review was conducted in the Medline and Lilacs databases and the SciELO electronic library using the key words: "Tuberculosis," "Prisons" and "Brazil." Of the 61 records found, 33 were evaluated (28 duplicated records) and 21 included in the review (12 excluded according to the criteria adopted). These studies contribute effectively to improve the knowledge regarding the scale of the disease among inmates, as well as to the choice of screening and diagnostic methods most appropriate to the prison setting. The incidence rates and prevalence of active and latent tuberculosis are presented, in addition to data on the profile of drug and genotype susceptibility of the clinical results. Awareness of the data presented highlights the need to adopt measures aimed at case detection, treatment and follow-up. It is suggested that the new challenges for scientific research should be linked to the development of specific knowledge about dealing with the problem in an environment full of specificities such as a prison.

Energy availability in athletes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Loucks, Anne B; Kiens, Bente; Wright, Hattie H

2011-01-01

Abstract This review updates and complements the review of energy balance and body composition in the Proceedings of the 2003 IOC Consensus Conference on Sports Nutrition. It argues that the concept of energy availability is more useful than the concept of energy balance for managing the diets...... of athletes. It then summarizes recent reports of the existence, aetiologies, and clinical consequences of low energy availability in athletes. This is followed by a review of recent research on the failure of appetite to increase ad libitum energy intake in compensation for exercise energy expenditure...

Simulation bounds for system availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tietjen, G.L.; Waller, R.A.

1976-01-01

System availability is a dominant factor in the practicality of nuclear power electrical generating plants. A proposed model for obtaining either lower bounds or interval estimates on availability uses observed data on ''n'' failure-to-repair cycles of the system to estimate the parameters in the time-to-failure and time-to-repair models. These estimates are then used in simulating failure/repair cycles of the system. The availability estimate is obtained for each of 5000 samples of ''n'' failure/repair cycles to form a distribution of estimates. Specific percentile points of those simulated distributions are selected as lower simulation bounds or simulation interval bounds for the system availability. The method is illustrated with operational data from two nuclear plants for which an exponential time-to-failure and a lognormal time-to-repair are assumed

Method for the direct determination of available carbohydrates in low-carbohydrate products using high-performance anion exchange chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellingson, David; Potts, Brian; Anderson, Phillip; Burkhardt, Greg; Ellefson, Wayne; Sullivan, Darryl; Jacobs, Wesley; Ragan, Robert

2010-01-01

An improved method for direct determination of available carbohydrates in low-level products has been developed and validated for a low-carbohydrate soy infant formula. The method involves modification of an existing direct determination method to improve specificity, accuracy, detection levels, and run times through a more extensive enzymatic digestion to capture all available (or potentially available) carbohydrates. The digestion hydrolyzes all common sugars, starch, and starch derivatives down to their monosaccharide components, glucose, fructose, and galactose, which are then quantitated by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with photodiode array detection. Method validation consisted of specificity testing and 10 days of analyzing various spike levels of mixed sugars, maltodextrin, and corn starch. The overall RSD was 4.0% across all sample types, which contained within-day and day-to-day components of 3.6 and 3.4%, respectively. Overall average recovery was 99.4% (n = 10). Average recovery for individual spiked samples ranged from 94.1 to 106% (n = 10). It is expected that the method could be applied to a variety of low-carbohydrate foods and beverages.

Public Availability to ECS Collected Datasets

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, J. F.; Warnken, R.; McLean, S. J.; Lim, E.; Varner, J. D.

2013-12-01

Coastal nations have spent considerable resources exploring the limits of their extended continental shelf (ECS) beyond 200 nm. Although these studies are funded to fulfill requirements of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the investments are producing new data sets in frontier areas of Earth's oceans that will be used to understand, explore, and manage the seafloor and sub-seafloor for decades to come. Although many of these datasets are considered proprietary until a nation's potential ECS has become 'final and binding' an increasing amount of data are being released and utilized by the public. Data sets include multibeam, seismic reflection/refraction, bottom sampling, and geophysical data. The U.S. ECS Project, a multi-agency collaboration whose mission is to establish the full extent of the continental shelf of the United States consistent with international law, relies heavily on data and accurate, standard metadata. The United States has made it a priority to make available to the public all data collected with ECS-funding as quickly as possible. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) supports this objective by partnering with academia and other federal government mapping agencies to archive, inventory, and deliver marine mapping data in a coordinated, consistent manner. This includes ensuring quality, standard metadata and developing and maintaining data delivery capabilities built on modern digital data archives. Other countries, such as Ireland, have submitted their ECS data for public availability and many others have made pledges to participate in the future. The data services provided by NGDC support the U.S. ECS effort as well as many developing nation's ECS effort through the U.N. Environmental Program. Modern discovery, visualization, and delivery of scientific data and derived products that span national and international sources of data ensure the greatest re-use of data and

75 FR 33324 - Notice of Availability: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-11

... requirements established by HUD's Fiscal Year 2009 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) Policy Requirements... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5419-N-01] Notice of Availability: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009; Brownfields Economic Development...

The availability of pharmacies in the United States: 2007-2015.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dima Mazen Qato

variation by pharmacy type and across counties. For example, the provision of home-delivery services ranged from less than <1% of mass retailers to 67% of independent stores and was not associated with county demographics, including ambulatory disability population and percent of the population aged ≥65 years.Despite modest growth of pharmacies in the U.S., the availability of pharmacies, and pharmacy characteristics associated with access to prescription medications, vary substantially across local areas. Policy efforts aimed at improving access to prescription medications should ensure the availability of pharmacies and their accommodations align with local population needs.

Improving the quality of care for patients with hypertension in Moshupa District, Botswana: Quality improvement cycle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cathy Kande

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Although there are no prevalence studies on hypertension in Botswana, this condition is thought to be common and the quality of care to be poor.Aim: The aim of this project was to assess and improve the quality of primary care forhypertension.Setting: Moshupa clinic and catchment area, Botswana.Methods: Quality improvement cycle.Results: Two hundred participants were included in the audit. Sixty-eight per cent were women with a mean age of 55 years. In the baseline audit none of the target standards were met. During the re-audit six months later, six out of nine structural target standards, five out of 11 process target standards and one out of two outcome target standards were achieved. Statistically-significant improvement in performance (p < 0.05 was shown in 10 criteria although the target standard was not always met. In the re-audit, the target of achieving blood pressure control (< 140/90 in 70% of patients was achieved.Conclusion: The quality of care for hypertension was suboptimal in our setting. Simple interventions were designed and implemented to improve the quality of care. These interventions led to significant improvement in structural and process criteria. A corresponding significant improvement in the control of blood pressure was also seen.

Upgrading and efficiency improvement in coal-fired power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-08-01

Improving the efficiencies of the large number of older coal-fired power plants operating around the world would give major savings in CO2 emissions together with significant other benefits. This report begins with a summary of the ways efficiency can become degraded and of the means available to combat the decrease in performance. These include improvements to operating and maintenance practices and more major techniques that are available, including boiler and turbine retrofits. There is also an update on fuel drying developments as a route to higher efficiency in plants firing high moisture lignites. The largest chapter of the report contains a number of descriptions of case study improvement projects, to illustrate measures that have been applied, benefits that have been achieved and identify best practices, which are summarised. Major national and international upgrading programmes are described.

Improving health promotion using quality improvement techniques in Australian Indigenous primary health care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikki ePercival

2016-03-01

Full Text Available While some areas of clinical health care are becoming adept at implementing continuous quality improvement (CQI projects, there has been limited experimentation of CQI in health promotion. In this study, we examined the impact of a CQI intervention on health promotion in four Australian Indigenous primary health care centres. Our study objectives were to: (a describe the scope and quality of health promotion activities; (b describe the status of health centre system support for health promotion activities; and (c introduce a CQI intervention and examine the impact on health promotion activities and health centres systems over two years. Baseline assessments showed sub-optimal health centre systems support for health promotion and significant evidence-practice gaps. After two annual CQI cycles, there were improvements in staff understanding of health promotion and systems for planning and documenting health promotion activities had been introduced. Actions to improve best practice health promotion, such as community engagement and intersectoral partnerships, were inhibited by the way health centre systems were organized, predominately to support clinical and curative services. These findings suggest that CQI can improve the delivery of evidence based health promotion by engaging front line health practitioners in decision making processes about the design/redesign of health centre systems to support the delivery of best practice health promotion. However, further and sustained improvements in health promotion will require broader engagement of management, senior staff and members of the local community to address organisational and policy level barriers.

Optimal Plant Carbon Allocation Implies a Biological Control on Nitrogen Availability

Science.gov (United States)

Prentice, I. C.; Stocker, B. D.

2015-12-01

The degree to which nitrogen availability limits the terrestrial C sink under rising CO2 is a key uncertainty in carbon cycle and climate change projections. Results from ecosystem manipulation studies and meta-analyses suggest that plant C allocation to roots adjusts dynamically under varying degrees of nitrogen availability and other soil fertility parameters. In addition, the ratio of biomass production to GPP appears to decline under nutrient scarcity. This reflects increasing plant C exudation into the soil (Cex) with decreasing nutrient availability. Cex is consumed by an array of soil organisms and may imply an improvement of nutrient availability to the plant. Thus, N availability is under biological control, but incurs a C cost. In spite of clear observational support, this concept is left unaccounted for in Earth system models. We develop a model for the coupled cycles of C and N in terrestrial ecosystems to explore optimal plant C allocation under rising CO2 and its implications for the ecosystem C balance. The model follows a balanced growth approach, accounting for the trade-offs between leaf versus root growth and Cex in balancing C fixation and N uptake. We assume that Cex is proportional to root mass, and that the ratio of N uptake (Nup) to Cex is proportional to inorganic N concentration in the soil solution. We further assume that Cex is consumed by N2-fixing processes if the ratio of Nup:Cex falls below the inverse of the C cost of N2-fixation. Our analysis thereby accounts for the feedbacks between ecosystem C and N cycling and stoichiometry. We address the question of how the plant C economy will adjust under rising atmospheric CO2 and what this implies for the ecosystem C balance and the degree of N limitation.

Organisational learning: A tool for continuous improvement of the organization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, J. L.; Esteban, M. J.

2013-01-01

We are used to hear a success company in today's world is not possible unless a continuous improvement is developed. How can we be successful in the nuclear plant? We have to achieve safety for workers, people and environment in the first step, and for the second step availability and reliability for systems and components to avoid failure of components that could reduce availability. The aim is to search for new measures to reach this way. One of the improvements implemented in the plants to improve continuously was mainly Operating Experience activities, which was based in event analysis in the plants, causes identification, and to implement corrective actions. For External Operating Experience the aim was to learn from others to avoid occurrence of events in our plants. This was the lessons learned from Three Mile Island event. This was the learning process implemented so far, to get a continuous improvement. So far, the developed capabilities for process improvement follow the Operating Experience process that could be considered classical and will be revitalized nowadays. (Author)

Persistence and availability of Web services in computational biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Schultheiss, Sebastian J; Münch, Marc-Christian; Andreeva, Gergana D; Rätsch, Gunnar

2011-01-01

We have conducted a study on the long-term availability of bioinformatics Web services: an observation of 927 Web services published in the annual Nucleic Acids Research Web Server Issues between 2003 and 2009. We found that 72% of Web sites are still available at the published addresses, only 9% of services are completely unavailable. Older addresses often redirect to new pages. We checked the functionality of all available services: for 33%, we could not test functionality because there was no example data or a related problem; 13% were truly no longer working as expected; we could positively confirm functionality only for 45% of all services. Additionally, we conducted a survey among 872 Web Server Issue corresponding authors; 274 replied. 78% of all respondents indicate their services have been developed solely by students and researchers without a permanent position. Consequently, these services are in danger of falling into disrepair after the original developers move to another institution, and indeed, for 24% of services, there is no plan for maintenance, according to the respondents. We introduce a Web service quality scoring system that correlates with the number of citations: services with a high score are cited 1.8 times more often than low-scoring services. We have identified key characteristics that are predictive of a service's survival, providing reviewers, editors, and Web service developers with the means to assess or improve Web services. A Web service conforming to these criteria receives more citations and provides more reliable service for its users. The most effective way of ensuring continued access to a service is a persistent Web address, offered either by the publishing journal, or created on the authors' own initiative, for example at http://bioweb.me. The community would benefit the most from a policy requiring any source code needed to reproduce results to be deposited in a public repository.

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Joint PVSS JCOP Framework: 8 - 12.8.2005 (5 days) WORD 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Work with AutoTasks (AutoText, AutoFormat, AutoCorrect, Lists, Find/Replace): 25.8.2005 (morning) WORD 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Mail merge: 25.8.2005 (afternoon) EXCEL 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Work with formulae: 26.8.2005 (morning) WORD 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Work with long documents: 26.8.2005 (afternoon) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 1 - 2.9.2005 (2 jours) Utilisation des fichiers PDF avec ACROBAT 7.0 : 5.9.2005 (1 jour) LabVIEW Basics 1 : 5 - 7.9.2005 (3 days, dates to be confirmed) Introduction à Windows XP au CERN : 12.9.2005 (1 demi-journée) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 15 - 16.9.2005 (2 jours) AutoCAD 2005 - niveau 1 : 22, 23, 28, 29.9.2005 (4 jours) MAGNE-05 - Magn&...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Hands-on Object-Oriented Design and Programming with C++ : 22 - 24.3.2005 (3 days) FileMaker - niveau 2 : 4 & 5.4.2005 (2 jours) EMAG-2004 - Electromagnetic Design and Mathematical Optimization in Magnet Technology: 4- 14.4.2005 (8 x 3h) EXCEL 2003 - niveau 2 : 11 & 12.4.2005 (2 jours) LabVIEW Intermediate 1: 11 - 13.4.2005 (3 days) ACCESS 2003 - Level 2 - ECDL AM5: 13 & 14.4.2005 (2 days) LabVIEW Intermediate 2: 14 & 15.4.2005 (2 days) PowerPoint 2003 (F) : 18.4.2005 (1 jour) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 25 - 29.4.2005 (5 days) WORD 2003 - niveau 1 : 2 & 3.5.2005 (2 jours) ELEC-2005 - Summer Term: System electronics for physics - Issues : 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26 & 31.5.2005 (7 x 2h lectures) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 11, 12, 18 & 19.5.2005 (4 jour...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: The Java Programming Language Level 1: 21 - 23.11.2005 (3 days) OUTLOOK (Short Course III) - Meetings and Delegation: 30.11.2005 (morning) WORD 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Work with long documents : 30.11.2005 (afternoon) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 5 - 6.12.2005 (2 jours) Introduction à ANSYS Classique : 6 - 9.12.2005 (4 jours) EXCEL 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Format your worksheet for printing: 7.12.2005 (morning) PCAD Schémas - Introduction : 8 - 9.12.2005 (2 jours) ACCESS 2003 - Level 2 - ECDL AM5: 14 - 15.12.2005 (2 days) LabVIEW Basics I:  23 - 25.1.2006 (3 days) C++ Programming Advanced - Traps and Pitfalls: 24 - 27.1.2006 (4 days) LabVIEW Basics II:  26 - 27.1.2006 (2 days) Joint PVSS-JCOP Framework: 30.1 - 3.2.2006 (5 days, free of charge) Finite State Machines in the JCOP Framework : ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: ACCESS 2003 - Level 1 - ECDL M5: 24 - 25.10.2005 (2 days) Finite State Machines in the JCOP Framework : 25 - 27.10.2005 (3 days) EXCEL 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Pivot tables: 26.10.2005 (morning) Introduction to the CERN EDMS: 2.11.2005 (1 day, free of charge) OUTLOOK (Short Course I) - E-mail: 2.11.2005 (morning) WORD 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Mail merge: 2.11.2005 (afternoon) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 :  3 - 4.11.2005 (2 jours) AutoCAD 2006 - niveau 1 : 3, 4, 9, 10.11.2005 (4 jours) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 7 - 11.11.2005 (5 days) The CERN EDMS for Engineers: 8.11.2005 (1 day, free of charge) The EDMS-MTF in practice: 9.11.2005 (morning, free of charge) The CERN EDMS for Local Administrators: 15-16.11.2005 (2 days, free of charge) OUTLOOK (Short Course II) - Calendar, Tasks and Notes: ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: OUTLOOK (Short Course III) - Meetings and Delegation: 30.11.2005 (morning) WORD 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Work with long documents: 30.11.2005 (afternoon) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 5 - 6.12.2005 (2 jours) Introduction à ANSYS Classique : 6 - 9.12.2005 (4 jours) EXCEL 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Format your worksheet for printing: 7.12.2005 (morning) AutoCAD - mise à jour d’AutoCAD 2002 à AutoCAD 2006 : 8.12.2005 (1 journée - pour les utilisateurs d’AutoCAD 2002) PCAD Schémas - Introduction : 8 - 9.12.2005 (2 jours) Finite State Machines in the JCOP Framework: 13 - 15.12.2005 (3 days) PCAD PCB - Introduction : 14 - 16.12.2005 (3 jours) ACCESS 2003 - Level 2 - ECDL AM5: 14 - 15.12.2005 (2 days) AutoCAD 2006 - niveau 1 : 19, 20, 24 & 25.1.2006 (4 jours) LabVIEW Basics I:  23 - 25.1.2006...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Utilisation des fichiers PDF avec ACROBAT 6.0 : 1.3.2005 (1 journée) ELEC-2005 - Spring Term: Integrated circuits and VLSI technology for physics: 1 - 17.3.2005 (6 x 2.5-hour lectures) C++ for Particle Physicists: 7 - 11.3.2005 (6 x 3-hour lectures) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 14 - 18.3.2005 (5 days) AXEL-2005; Introduction to Particle Accelerators : 14- 18.3.2005 (10 x 1 h lectures) ACCESS 2003 - Level 1: ECDL M5: 15 - 16.3.2005 (2 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 15, 16, 21& 22.3.2005 (4 jours) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 21 & 22.3.2005 (2 jours) Hands-on Object-Oriented Design and Programming with C++ : 22 - 24.3.2005 (3 days) FileMaker - niveau 2 : 4 & 5.4.2005 (2 jours) EXCEL 2003 - niveau 2 : 11 & 12.4.2005 (2 jours) LabVIEW Intermediate 1: 11 - 13.4.2005...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition - Part 1: WEB Applications: 21 & 22.2.2005 (2 days) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 21 & 22.2.2005 (2 jours) JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition - Part 2: Enterprise JavaBeans: 23 - 25.2.2005 (3 days) Utilisation des fichiers PDF avec ACROBAT 6.0 : 1.3.2005 (1 journée) Hands-on Object-Oriented Design and Programming with C++ : 1 - 3.3.2005 (3 days) ELEC-2005 - Spring Term: Integrated circuits and VLSI technology for physics: 1 - 17.3.2005 (6 x 2.5-hour lectures) C++ for Particle Physicists: 7 - 11.3.2005 (6 x 3-hour lectures) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 14 - 18.3.2005 (5 days) ACCESS 2003 - Level 1 : 15 - 16.3.2005 (2 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 15, 16, 21& 22.3.2005 (4 jours) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 21 & 22.3.2005 (2 jours) FileMaker - ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 9 & 10.5.2005 (2 jours) ELEC-2005 - Summer Term: System electronics for physics - Issues : 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26 & 31.5.2005 (7 x 2h lectures) AutoCAD 2005 - niveau 1 : 11, 12, 18, 19.5.2005 (4 jours) Object-Oriented Analysis and Design using UML: 17 - 19.5.2005 (3 days) Synplify Pro Training: 18.5.2005 (1 day) Finite State Machines in the JCOP Framework: 24 - 26.5.2005 (3 days) The Joint PVSS JCOP Framework: 30.5 - 3.6.2005 (5 days) Introduction à la CAO CADENCE : 31.5 - 1.6.2005 (2 jours) LabVIEW Real-Time (F) : 7 - 9.6.2005 (3 jours) LabVIEW Migration 6 to 7: 14.6.2005 (1 day) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 16 & 17.6.2005 (2 jours) Utilisation de fichiers PDF avec ACROBAT 6.0 : 20.6.2005 (1journée) Introductio...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: The JAVA Programming Language Level 1: 11 & 12.1.2005 (2 days) Introduction to XML : 13 & 14.1.2005 (2 days) The CERN EDMS for Local Administrators: 19 & 20.1.2005 (2 days - free course) Programmation Unity-Pro pour utilisateurs de Schneider PL7-Pro : 24 - 28.1.2005 (8 demi-journées) LabVIEW base 1/basics 1 : 31.1 - 1.2.2005 (2 j size="2">LabVIEW base 2/basics 2 : 3 & 4.2.2005 (2 jours/2 days - langue à décider/language to be decided) Finite State Machines in the JCOP Framework: 1 - 3.2.2005 (3 days - free course) The JAVA Programming Language Level 2: 7 - 9.2.2005 (3 days) C++ Programming Advanced -Traps and Pitfalls: 8 - 11.2.2005 (4 days) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework: 14 - 18.2.2005 (5 days) JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition - Part 1: ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: FileMaker - niveau 1 :  20 - 21.10.2005 (2 jours) ACCESS 2003 - Level 1 - ECDL M5: 24 - 25.10.2005 (2 days) Finite State Machines in the JCOP Framework : 25 - 27.10.2005 (3 days) EXCEL 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Pivot tables: 26.10.2005 (morning) WORD 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Work with AutoTasks: 26.10.2005 (afternoon) OUTLOOK (Short Course I) - E-mail: 2.11.2005 (morning) WORD 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Mail merge: 2.11.2005 (afternoon) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 :  3 - 4.11.2005 (2 jours) AutoCAD 2006 - niveau 1 : 3, 4, 9, 10.11.2005 (4 jours) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 7 - 11.11.2005 (5 days) OUTLOOK (Short Course II) - Calendar, Tasks and Notes: 16.11.2005 (morning) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 21 - 25.11.2005 (5 days) OUTLOOK (Short Course III) - Meetings and Delegation: 30.11....

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: FileMaker - niveau 1 :  20 - 21.10.2005 (2 jours) ACCESS 2003 - Level 1 - ECDL M5: 24 - 25.10.2005 (2 days) Finite State Machines in the JCOP Framework : 25 - 27.10.2005 (3 days) EXCEL 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Pivot tables: 26.10.2005 (morning) OUTLOOK (Short Course I) - E-mail: 2.11.2005 (morning) WORD 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Mail merge: 2.11.2005 (afternoon) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 :  3 - 4.11.2005 (2 jours) AutoCAD 2006 - niveau 1 : 3, 4, 9, 10.11.2005 (4 jours) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 7 - 11.11.2005 (5 days) OUTLOOK (Short Course II) - Calendar, Tasks and Notes: 16.11.2005 (morning) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 21 - 25.11.2005 (5 days) OUTLOOK (Short Course III) - Meetings and Delegation: 30.11.2005 (morning) WORD 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Work with long documents : ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: LabVIEW base 1/basics 1 : 31.1 - 2.2.2005 (3 jours/3 days - langue à décider/language to be decided) LabVIEW base 2/basics 2 : 3 & 4.2.2005 (2 jours/2 days - langue à décider/language to be decided) Finite State Machines in the JCOP Framework: 1 - 3.2.2005 (3 days - free course) The JAVA Programming Language Level 2: 7 - 9.2.2005 (3 days) C++ Programming Advanced -Traps and Pitfalls: 8 - 11.2.2005 (4 days) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework: 14 - 18.2.2005 (5 days) JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition - Part 1: WEB Applications: 21 & 22.2.2005 (2 days) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 21 & 22.2.2005 (2 jours) JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition - Part 2: Enterprise JavaBeans: 23 - 25.2.2005 (3 days) ELEC-2005 - Spring Term: Integrated circuits and VLSI technology...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 9 - 13.8.2004 (5 days) Outlook (I): E-mail : 31.8.2004 (2 hours, morning) Outlook (II): Calendar, Tasks and Notes : 31.8.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming : 1 - 3.9.2004 (3 days - free course) Instructor-led WBTechT Study or Follow-up for Microsoft Applications : 7.9.2004 (morning) Outlook (III): Meetings and Delegation : 7.9.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Introduction au VHDL et utilisation du simulateur NCVHDL de CADENCE : 7 & 8.9.2004 (2 jours) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 13 - 17.9.2004 (5 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 13, 14, 23, 24.9.2004 (4 jours) Programmation STEP7 niveau 1 : 14 - 17.9.2004 (4 jours) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 20 & 21.9.2004 (2 jours) ANSYS: Thermal Analysis : 22 - 24.9.2004 (3 days) ANSYS: Advanced Topics : 27.9...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Document Server

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Instructor-led WBTechT Study or Follow-up for Microsoft Applications : 7.9.2004 7.9.2004 Outlook (short course III) : Meetings and Delegation : 7.9.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Introduction au VHDL et utilisation du simulateur NCVHDL de CADENCE : 7 & 8.9.2004 (2 jours) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 13 - 17.9.2004 (5 days) Programmation STEP7 niveau 1 : 14-17.9.2004 (4 jours) ANSYS : Thermal Analysis : 22 - 24.9.2004 (3 days) LabVIEW Migration 6 à 7 : 23.9.2004 (one day) ANSYS : Advanced Topics : 27.9 - 1.10.2004 (5 days) Word 2003 - niveau 2 : 27 & 28.9.2004 (2 jours) LabVIEW - Basics 1 : 27 - 29.9.2004 (3 days) MAGNE-04 : Magnétisme pour l'électrotechnique : 28 - 30.9.2004 (3 jours) LabVIEW - Basics 2 : 30.9 & 1.10.2004 (2 days) Introduction à Windows XP au CERN : 4.10.2004 (matin) ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Programmation STEP7 niveau 1 : 14-17.9.2004 (4 jours) ANSYS : Thermal Analysis : 22 - 24.9.2004 (3 days) LabVIEW Migration 6 à 7 : 23.9.2004 (one day) ANSYS : Advanced Topics : 27.9 - 1.10.2004 (5 days) Word 2003 - niveau 2 : 27 & 28.9.2004 (2 jours) LabVIEW - Basics 1 : 27 - 29.9.2004 (3 days) MAGNE-04 : Magnétisme pour l'électrotechnique : 28 - 30.9.2004 (3 jours) LabVIEW - Basics 2 : 30.9 & 1.10.2004 (2 days) Introduction à Windows XP au CERN : 4.10.2004 (matin) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 7 & 8.10.04 (2 jours) Outlook (short course I) : E-mail : 22.10.2004 (2 hours, morning) Outlook (short course II) : Calendar, Tasks and Notes: 22.10.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Introduction à ANSYS : 23 - 26.11.2004 (4 jours) ENSEIGNEMENT TECHNIQUE TECHNICAL TRAINING Monique Duval 74924...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming: 28 - 30.6.2005 (3 days) Introduction to ANSYS: 21 - 24.6.2005 (4 days) IT3T/3 - Working remotely with Windows XP: 28.6.2005 (IT Technical Training Tutorial, free of charge) IT3T/4 - Editing Websites with Frontpage 2003: 30.6.2005 (IT Technical Training Tutorial, free of charge) Utilisation des fichiers PDF avec ACROBAT 7.0 : 5.7.2005 (1 jour) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 6-7.7.2005 (2 jours) LabVIEW base 1 : 4 - 6.7.2005 (3 jours) LabVIEW Basics 2: 7 - 8.7.2005 (2 days) WORD 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Work with repetitive tasks /AutoText, AutoFormat, AutoCorrect, Find/Replace) : 4.7.2005 (afternoon) WORD 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Mail merge: 5.7.2005 (afternoon) WORD 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo (4 mornings) EXCEL 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Work ...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: LabVIEW Real-Time (F) : 7 - 9.6.2005 (3 jours) LabVIEW Migration 6 to 7: 14.6.2005 (1 day) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 16 & 17.6.2005 (2 jours) Utilisation de fichiers PDF avec ACROBAT 6.0 : 20.6.2005 (1journée) Introduction to ANSYS: 21 - 24.6.2005 (4 days) WORD 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Work with repetitive tasks /AutoText, AutoFormat, AutoCorrect, Find/Replace) : 4.7.2005 (afternoon) WORD 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Mail merge: 5.7.2005 (afternoon) WORD 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Work with long documents : 6.7.2005 (afternoon) ACCESS 2003 - Level 2 - ECDL AM5: 5 - 8.7.2005 (4 mornings) EXCEL 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Work with formulae: 7.7.2005 (afternoon) EXCEL 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Format your worksheet for printing: 8.7.2005 (aftern...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: LabVIEW base 1 : 4 - 6.7.2005 (3 jours) LabVIEW Basics 2: 7 - 8.7.2005 (2 days) Utilisation des fichiers PDF avec ACROBAT 7.0 : 5.7.2005 (1 jour) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 6-7.7.2005 (2 jours) WORD 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Work with repetitive tasks /AutoText, AutoFormat, AutoCorrect, Find/Replace) : 4.7.2005 (afternoon) WORD 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Mail merge: 5.7.2005 (afternoon) WORD 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Work with long documents : 6.7.2005 (afternoon) OUTLOOK (Short Course I) - E-mail: 6.7.2005 (morning) OUTLOOK (Short Course II) - Calendar, Tasks and Notes: 7.7.2005 (morning) OUTLOOK (Short Course III) - Meetings and Delegation: 8.7.2005 (morning) EXCEL 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Work with formulae: 7.7.2005 (afternoon) EXCEL 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Format y...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: LabVIEW Real-Time (F) : 7 - 9.6.2005 (3 jours) LabVIEW Migration 6 to 7: 14.6.2005 (1 day) IT3T/1 - Read your mail and more with Outlook 2003 : 14.6.2005 (IT Technical Training Tutorial, free of charge) IT3T/2 - Creating, managing and using distribution lists with Simba2 : 16.6.2005 (IT Technical Training Tutorial, free of charge) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 16 & 17.6.2005 (2 jours) Utilisation de fichiers PDF avec ACROBAT 6.0 : 20.6.2005 (1journée) Introduction to ANSYS: 21 - 24.6.2005 (4 days) IT3T/3 - Working remotely with Windows XP : 28.6.2005 (IT Technical Training Tutorial, free of charge) IT3T/4 - Editing Websites with Frontpage 2003 : 30.6.2005 (IT Technical Training Tutorial, free of charge) WORD 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Work with repetitive tasks /AutoText, AutoFormat, AutoC...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming: 28 - 30.6.2005 (3 days) Introduction to ANSYS: 28.6 - 1.7.2005 (4 days) IT3T/3 - Working remotely with Windows XP: 28.6.2005 (IT Technical Training Tutorial, free of charge) IT3T/4 - Editing Websites with Frontpage 2003: 30.6.2005 (IT Technical Training Tutorial, free of charge) LabVIEW base 1 : 4 - 6.7.2005 (3 jours) LabVIEW Basics 2: 7 - 8.7.2005 (2 days) Utilisation des fichiers PDF avec ACROBAT 7.0 : 5.7.2005 (1 jour) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 6-7.7.2005 (2 jours) WORD 2003 (Short Course I) - HowTo... Work with repetitive tasks /AutoText, AutoFormat, AutoCorrect, Find/Replace) : 4.7.2005 (afternoon) WORD 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Mail merge: 5.7.2005 (afternoon) WORD 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Work with long documents : 6.7.2005 (afternoon) ACCES...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition - Part 1: WEB Applications: 21 & 22.2.2005 (2 days) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 21 & 22.2.2005 (2 jours) JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition - Part 2: Enterprise JavaBeans: 23 - 25.2.2005 (3 days) Utilisation des fichiers PDF avec ACROBAT 6.0 : 1.3.2005 (1 journée) ELEC-2005 - Spring Term: Integrated circuits and VLSI technology for physics: 1 - 17.3.2005 (6 X 2.30-hours lectures) C++ for Particle Physicists: 7 - 11.3.2005 (6 X 3-hour lectures) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 14 - 18.3.2005 (5 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 15, 16, 21& 22.3.2005 (4 jours) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 21 & 22.3.2005 (2 jours) FileMaker - niveau 2 : 4 & 5.4.2005 (2 jours) EXCEL 2003 - niveau 2 : 11 & 12.4.2005 (2 jours) LabVIEW intermediate 1: 11 - 13....

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: LabVIEW base 2/basics 2 : 3 & 4.2.2005 (2 jours/2 days - langue à décider/language to be decided) Finite State Machines in the JCOP Framework: 1 - 3.2.2005 (3 days - free course) The JAVA Programming Language Level 2: 7 - 9.2.2005 (3 days) JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition - Part 1: WEB Applications: 21 & 22.2.2005 (2 days) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 : 21 & 22.2.2005 (2 jours) JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition - Part 2: Enterprise JavaBeans: 23 - 25.2.2005 (3 days) ELEC-2005 - Spring Term: Integrated circuits and VLSI technology for physics: 1 - 17.3.2005 (6 X 2.30-hours lectures) C++ for Particle Physicists: 7 - 11.3.2005 (6 X 3-hour lectures) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 14 - 18.3.2005 (5 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 15, 16, 21& 22.3.2005 (4 jours) FrontPage 20...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: ELEC-2005 - Spring Term: Integrated circuits and VLSI technology for physics: 1 - 17.3.2005 (6 x 2.5-hour lectures) C++ for Particle Physicists: 7 - 11.3.2005 (6 x 3-hour lectures) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 14 - 18.3.2005 (5 days) Oracle 9i: SQL: 14 -16.3.2005 (3 days) AXEL-2005; Introduction to Particle Accelerators : 14- 18.3.2005 (10 x 1 h lectures) ACCESS 2003 - Level 1: ECDL M5: 15 - 16.3.2005 (2 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 15, 16, 21& 22.3.2005 (4 jours) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 21 & 22.3.2005 (2 jours) Hands-on Object-Oriented Design and Programming with C++ : 22 - 24.3.2005 (3 days) FileMaker - niveau 2 : 4 & 5.4.2005 (2 jours) Oracle 9i: Programming with PL/SQL: 4 - 6.4.2005 (3 days) EXCEL 2003 - niveau 2 : 11 & 12.4.2005 (2 jours) LabVIEW Intermedia...

TECHNICAL TRAINING: PLACES AVAILABLE

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: LabVIEW Basics 1 : 22 - 24.3.2004 (3 days) Oracle 9i : New Features for Developers : 22 - 24.3.2004 (3 days) Instructor-led WBTechT study or follow-up for Microsoft applications : 1.4.2004 (morning) FrontPage XP - niveau 1 : 5 & 6.4.2004 (2 jours) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 19, 20.4 et 3, 4.5.2004 (4 jours) Oracle 8i/9i - Develop Web-based Applications with PL/SQL : 19 & 20.4.2004 (2 days) Introduction to ANSYS : 20 - 23.4.2004 (4 days) LabVIEW hands-on (E) : 20.4.2004 (afternoon, free of charge) FrontPage XP - niveau 2 : 26 & 27.4.2004 (2 jours) LabVIEW Base 2 : 6 & 7.5.2004 (2 jours) Word XP - niveau 1 : 10 & 11.5.2004 (2 jours) Word XP - niveau 2 : 24 & 25.5.2004 (2 jours) If you wish to participate in one of these courses, pleas...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: The CERN EDMS for Engineers : 6.10.2004 (1 day) FileMaker - niveau 1 : 18 & 19.10.2004 (2 jours) Outlook (short course I) : E-mail : 22.10.2004 (2 hours, morning) Outlook (short course II) : Calendar, Tasks and Notes: 22.10.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Excel 2003 - niveau 1 : 4 & 5.11.2004 (2 jours) LabVIEW Intermediate I : 8 - 10.11.2004 (3 days) Instructor-led WTechT Study or Follow-up for Microsoft Applications : 9.11.2004 (morning) Hands-On Object Oriented Design and Programming with C++ : 9 - 11.11.2004 (3 days) Outlook (Short Course III) : Meetings and Delegation : 9.11.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) LabVIEW Intermediate II : 11 & 12.11.2004 (2 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 11, 12, 18, 19.11.2004 (4 jours) C++ for Particle Physicists : 15 - 19.11.2004 (6 X 3 hours sessions...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: FileMaker - niveau 1 : 18 & 19.10.2004 (2 jours) Outlook (short course I) : E-mail : 22.10.2004 (2 hours, morning) Outlook (short course II) : Calendar, Tasks and Notes: 22.10.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Excel 2003 - niveau 1 : 4 & 5.11.2004 (2 jours) LabVIEW Intermediate I : 8 - 10.11.2004 (3 days) Instructor-led WTechT Study or Follow-up for Microsoft Applications : 9.11.2004 (morning) Hands-On Object Oriented Design and Programming with C++ : 9 - 11.11.2004 (3 days) Outlook (Short Course III) : Meetings and Delegation : 9.11.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) LabVIEW Intermediate II : 11 & 12.11.2004 (2 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 11, 12, 18, 19.11.2004 (4 jours) C++ for Particle Physicists : 15 - 19.11.2004 (6 X 3 hours sessions) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 18 &a...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available in the following courses: Outlook (short course I) : E-mail : 22.10.2004 (2 hours, morning) Outlook (short course II) : Calendar, Tasks and Notes: 22.10.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) Excel 2003 - niveau 1 : 4 & 5.11.2004 (2 jours) LabVIEW Intermediate I : 8 - 10.11.2004 (3 days) Instructor-led WTechT Study or Follow-up for Microsoft Applications : 9.11.2004 (morning) Hands-On Object Oriented Design and Programming with C++ : 9 - 11.11.2004 (3 days) Outlook (Short Course III) : Meetings and Delegation : 9.11.2004 (2 hours, afternoon) LabVIEW Intermediate II : 11 & 12.11.2004 (2 days) AutoCAD 2002 - niveau 1 : 11, 12, 18, 19.11.2004 (4 jours) C++ for Particle Physicists : 15 - 19.11.2004 (6 X 3 hours sessions) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 18 & 19.11.2004 (2 jours) Word 2003 - niveau 1 : 22 &a...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: ELEC-2005 Autumn Term - Electronics applications in HEP experiments: 8.11 - 8.12.2005 (10 x 2h lectures) The CERN EDMS for Local Administrators: 15-16.11.2005 (2 days, free of charge) OUTLOOK (Short Course II) - Calendar, Tasks and Notes: 16.11.2005 (morning) Hands-On Object Oriented Design and Programming with C++ : 16 - 18.11.2005 (3 days) The CERN EDMS for Engineers: 17.11.2005 (1 day, free of charge) The Java Programming Language Level 1: 21 - 23.11.2005 (3 days) Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming: 28 - 30.11.2005 (3 days) OUTLOOK (Short Course III) - Meetings and Delegation: 30.11.2005 (morning) WORD 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Work with long documents : 30.11.2005 (afternoon) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 2 : 5 - 6.12.2005 (2 jours) LabVIEW Application Development (Intermediate 1): 5 - 7.12.2005 (3 d...

Technical Training: Places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 7 - 11.11.2005 (5 days) ELEC-2005 Autumn Term - Electronics applications in HEP experiments: 8.11 - 8.12.2005 (10 x 2h lectures) The EDMS-MTF in practice: 9.11.2005 (morning, free of charge) The CERN EDMS for Local Administrators: 15-16.11.2005 (2 days, free of charge) OUTLOOK (Short Course II) - Calendar, Tasks and Notes: 16.11.2005 (morning) Hands-On Object Oriented Design and Programming with C++ : 16 - 18.11.2005 (3 days) The CERN EDMS for Engineers: 17.11.2005 (1 day, free of charge) The Java Programming Language Level 1: 21 - 23.11.2005 (3 days) Hands-on Introduction to Python Programming: 28 - 30.11.2005 (3 days) OUTLOOK (Short Course III) - Meetings and Delegation: 30.11.2005 (morning) WORD 2003 (Short Course III) - HowTo... Work with long documents : 30.11.2005 (afternoon) Fron...

Technical training: places available

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2005-01-01

The number of places available may vary. Please check our Web site to find out the current availability. Places are available on the following courses: Introduction to the CERN EDMS: 2.11.2005 (1 day, free of charge) OUTLOOK (Short Course I) - E-mail: 2.11.2005 (morning) WORD 2003 (Short Course II) - HowTo... Mail merge: 2.11.2005 (afternoon) FrontPage 2003 - niveau 1 :  3 - 4.11.2005 (2 jours) AutoCAD 2006 - niveau 1 : 3, 4, 9, 10.11.2005 (4 jours) Joint PVSS JCOP Framework : 7 - 11.11.2005 (5 days) The CERN EDMS for Engineers: 8.11.2005 (1 day, free of charge) The EDMS-MTF in practice: 9.11.2005 (morning, free of charge) The CERN EDMS for Local Administrators: 15-16.11.2005 (2 days, free of charge) OUTLOOK (Short Course II) - Calendar, Tasks and Notes: 16.11.2005 (morning) Hands-On Object Oriented Design and Programming with C++ : 16 - 18.11.2005 (3 days) The Java Programming Language Level 1: 21 - 23.11.2005 (3 days) Hands-on Introduction to Python Prog...

Equitable availability of social facilities

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Green, Cheri A

2008-11-01

Full Text Available and promote development. Part of the prerequisite of basic services is the provision of social facilities, for example primary health care, parks, sports fields and community halls. The CSIR research investigates the sufficient and equitable availability...

Practical Approaches to Quality Improvement for Radiologists.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Aine Marie; Cronin, Paul

2015-10-01

Continuous quality improvement is a fundamental attribute of high-performing health care systems. Quality improvement is an essential component of health care, with the current emphasis on adding value. It is also a regulatory requirement, with reimbursements increasingly being linked to practice performance metrics. Practice quality improvement efforts must be demonstrated for credentialing purposes and for certification of radiologists in practice. Continuous quality improvement must occur for radiologists to remain competitive in an increasingly diverse health care market. This review provides an introduction to the main approaches available to undertake practice quality improvement, which will be useful for busy radiologists. Quality improvement plays multiple roles in radiology services, including ensuring and improving patient safety, providing a framework for implementing and improving processes to increase efficiency and reduce waste, analyzing and depicting performance data, monitoring performance and implementing change, enabling personnel assessment and development through continued education, and optimizing customer service and patient outcomes. The quality improvement approaches and underlying principles overlap, which is not surprising given that they all align with good patient care. The application of these principles to radiology practices not only benefits patients but also enhances practice performance through promotion of teamwork and achievement of goals. © RSNA, 2015.

Alginate Biosynthesis in Azotobacter vinelandii: Overview of Molecular Mechanisms in Connection with the Oxygen Availability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivette Pacheco-Leyva

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The Gram-negative bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii can synthetize the biopolymer alginate that has material properties appropriate for plenty of applications in industry as well as in medicine. In order to settle the foundation for improving alginate production without compromising its quality, a better understanding of the polymer biosynthesis and the mechanism of regulation during fermentation processes is necessary. This knowledge is crucial for the development of novel production strategies. Here, we highlight the key aspects of alginate biosynthesis that can lead to producing an alginate with specific material properties with particular focus on the role of oxygen availability linked with the molecular mechanisms involved in the alginate production.

IMPROVING OF ANION EXCHANGERES REGENERATION

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Muzher M. Ibrahim

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Inthis study, Different basis [NaOH and KOH] of variable concentration are usedto reactivate Anion exchangers employing different schemes .The Laboratoryresults showed large improvement in efficiency of these exchangers ( i.eoperating time was increased from 12 to 42 hours .The results of this work showed that the environmentalload (waste water can be reduced greatly when using the proposed regenerationscheme .

On Improvements of Cyclic MUSIC

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H. Howard Fan

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Many man-made signals encountered in communications exhibit cyclostationarity. By exploiting cyclostationarity, cyclic MUSIC has been shown to be able to separate signals with different cycle frequencies, thus, to be able to perform signal selective direction of-arrival (DOA estimation. However, as will be shown in this paper, the DOA estimation of cyclic MUSIC is actually biased. We show in this paper that by properly choosing the frequency for evaluating the steering vector, the bias of DOA estimation can be substantially reduced and the performance can be improved. Furthermore, we propose another algorithm exploiting cyclic conjugate correlation to further improve the performance of DOA estimation. Simulation results show the effectiveness of both of our methods.

Quality Improvement in Hospitals: Identifying and Understanding Behaviors

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Lukasz M. Mazur

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Improving operational performance in hospitals is complicated, particularly if process improvement requires complex behavioral changes. Using single-loop and double-loop learning theory as a foundation, the purpose of this research is to empirically uncover key improvement behaviors and the factors that may be associated with such behaviors in hospitals. A two-phased approach was taken to collect data regarding improvement behaviors and associated factors, and data analysis was conducted using methods proposed by grounded theorists. The contributions of this research are twofold. First, five key behaviors related to process improvement are identified, namely Quick Fixing, Initiating, Conforming, Expediting, and Enhancing. Second, based on these observed behaviors, a set of force field diagrams is developed to structure and organize possible factors that are important to consider when attempting to change improvement behaviors. This begins to fill the gap in the knowledge about what factors drive effective improvement efforts in hospital settings.

Improving Employee Satisfaction Priority through Performance Control Matrix

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Shun-Hsing Chen

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The study addresses Performance Control Matrix (PCM to determine service quality items of priority for improvement. Most businesses focus on customer satisfaction when undertaking surveys of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, while generally neglecting employee satisfaction. Therefore, this study develops an integrated model to improve service quality in Taiwanese finance industry employees. A questionnaire is designed to determine the priority of improvement objectives derived from certain questionnaire items that fall into the improvement zone of the PCM. Ten items are found to fall into the improvement zone of the PCM. The present results show that the finance industry employees surveyed in Taiwan were dissatisfied with their job security, salaries, annual bonus, and fair distribution of operational profits. The ten improvement items mostly belong to two dimensions - ‘Pay and Benefits’ and ‘Motivation’. The managers of the financial institutions should seek to improve these quality attributes by devoting more resources to these items, thus promoting employee satisfaction.

Three success factors for continual improvement in healthcare: an analysis of the reports of improvement team members.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandrud, Aleidis Skard; Schreiner, Ada; Hjortdahl, Per; Helljesen, Gro Sævil; Nyen, Bjørnar; Nelson, Eugene C

2011-03-01

The objectives of the Breakthrough Series Collaborative are to close the gap between what we know and what we do, and to contribute to continuous quality improvement (CQI) of healthcare through collaborative learning. The improvement efforts are guided by a systematic approach, combining professional and improvement knowledge. To explore what the improvement teams have learnt from participating in the collaborative and from dealing with promoting and inhibiting factors encountered. Qualitative interviews with 19 team members were conducted in four focus groups, using the Critical Incident Technique. A critical incident is one that makes significant contributions, either positively or negatively, to an activity. The elements of a culture of improvement are revealed by the critical incidents, and reflect the eight domains of knowledge, as a product of collaborative learning. The improvement knowledge and skills of individuals are important elements, but not enough to achieve sustainable changes. 90% of the material reflects the need for a system of CQI to solve the problems that organisations experience in trying to make lasting improvements. A pattern of three success factors for CQI emerges: (1) continuous and reliable information, including measurement, about best and current practice; (2) engagement of everybody in all phases of the improvement work: the patient and family, the leadership, the professional environment and the staff; and (3) an infrastructure based on improvement knowledge, with multidisciplinary teams, available coaching, learning systems and sustainability systems.

Nuclear power operating experience and technical improvement in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toyota, M.

1983-01-01

LWR technology in Japan, originally introduced from the United States of America, is now almost entirely supplied domestically. During the initial stage of plant operation, electric power companies experienced various troubles such as intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) in the piping in BWRs and steam generator (S/G) tube leaks in PWRs, which once reduced the capacity factor to about 40%. As a result of efforts to investigate the causes of the troubles and to establish countermeasures, which were applied to the plants in operation and under construction for improvement, as well as to shorten the period of regular inspection and to extend the operation cycle, the capacity factor has been improved to 60% since 1980. In 1975 an LWR improvement and standardization programme was launched to aim at improvement of reliability and availability factor and reduction of occupational radiation exposure with the development of domestic technology based on construction and operating experience. The First Phase Programme, which ran from 1975 to 1977, established countermeasures to preclude these troubles and improved workability by enlargement of the containment vessel. The Second Phase Programme followed and ran until 1981. The major steps taken during this period include the adoption of new IGSCC-resistant material and improved core design for BWRs and the improvement of fuels and S/Gs for PWRs. With these improvements, the capacity factor is now expected to reach a 75% level and occupational radiation exposure should be reduced by 50%. A Third Phase Programme will centre on the test and development programme for advanced BWRs and PWRs now under way to further improve the availability factor and reliability while also minimizing radiation exposure. (author)

An Improved 6LoWPAN Hierarchical Routing Protocol

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Xue Li

2015-10-01

Full Text Available IETF 6LoWPAN working group is engaged in the IPv6 protocol stack research work based on IEEE802.15.4 standard. In this working group, the routing protocol is one of the important research contents. In the 6LoWPAN, HiLow is a well-known layered routing protocol. This paper puts forward an improved hierarchical routing protocol GHiLow by improving HiLow parent node selection and path restoration strategy. GHiLow improves the parent node selection by increasing the choice of parameters. Simutaneously, it also improves path recovery by analysing different situations to recovery path. Therefore, GHiLow contributes to the ehancement of network performance and the decrease of network energy consumption.

Availability, Sales, and Affordability of Tobacco Cessation Medicines in Kerala, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarma, Smitha; Harikrishnan, Sivadasanpillai; Baldridge, Abigail S; Devarajan, Raji; Mehta, Aashna; Selvaraj, Sakhtivel; Ali, Mohammed K; Mohanan, Padinhare P; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj; Huffman, Mark D

2017-11-01

India is the world's second largest consumer of tobacco, but tobacco cessation remains uncommon due, at least in part, to underutilization of cessation pharmacotherapy. We evaluated the availability, sales, and affordability of nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion, and varenicline in the South Indian state of Kerala to understand potential reasons for underutilization. From November 2016 to April 2017, we collected data on availability, inventory, and pricing of cessation medication through a cross-sectional survey of 199 public, semiprivate (Karunya), and private pharmacies across 5 districts in Kerala using World Health Organization/Health Action International methodology. Revenue and sales data were obtained from the latest Pharmatrac medication database. We assessed affordability using individual- and household-level income and expenditure data collected from November 2014 to November 2016 through the Acute Coronary Syndrome Quality Improvement in Kerala randomized trial. Cessation medications were not available in public hospitals (0%, n=58) nor in public specialty centers (0%, n=10) including those designated to provide cessation services. At least 1 cessation medicine was available at 63% of private pharmacies (n=109) and 27% of Karunya (semiprivate) pharmacies (n=22). Among the 75 pharmacies that stocked cessation medications, 96% had nicotine replacement therapy, 28% had bupropion, and 1% had varenicline. No outlets had sufficient inventory for a patient to purchase a 12-week treatment regimen. There were an estimated 253 270 treatment regimens sold throughout India and 14 092 in Kerala in 2013 to 2014. Treatment regimens cost 1.9 to 13.0× the median amount spent on smoked tobacco and between 8% and 52% of nonsubsistence income. Tobacco cessation medications are unavailable in the Kerala public sector and have limited availability in the private and semiprivate sectors. When available, medications are unaffordable for most patients. Addition of tobacco

Decision - making of Direct Customers Based on Available Transfer Capability

Science.gov (United States)

Quan, Tang; Zhaohang, Lin; Huaqiang, Li

2017-05-01

Large customer direct-power-purchasing is a hot spot in the electricity market reform. In this paper, the author established an Available Transfer Capability (ATC) model which takes uncertain factors into account, applied the model into large customer direct-power-purchasing transactions and improved the reliability of power supply during direct-power-purchasing by introducing insurance theory. The author also considered the customers loss suffered from power interruption when building ATC model, established large customer decision model, took purchasing quantity of power from different power plants and reserved capacity insurance as variables, targeted minimum power interruption loss as optimization goal and best solution by means of particle swarm algorithm to produce optimal power purchasing decision of large consumers. Simulation was made through IEEE57 system finally and proved that such method is effective.

Computer software program for monitoring the availability of systems and components of electric power generating systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petersen, T.A.; Hilsmeier, T.A.; Kapinus, D.M.

1994-01-01

As availabilities of electric power generating stations systems and components become more and more important from a financial, personnel safety, and regulatory requirements standpoint, it is evident that a comprehensive, yet simple and user-friendly program for system and component tracking and monitoring is needed to assist in effectively managing the large volume of systems and components with their large numbers of associated maintenance/availability records. A user-friendly computer software program for system and component availability monitoring has been developed that calculates, displays and monitors selected component and system availabilities. This is a Windows trademark based (Graphical User Interface) program that utilizes a system flow diagram for the data input screen which also provides a visual representation of availability values and limits for the individual components and associated systems. This program can be customized to the user's plant-specific system and component selections and configurations. As will be discussed herein, this software program is well suited for availability monitoring and ultimately providing valuable information for improving plant performance and reducing operating costs

Selection of Green Manure Species for Efficient Absorbtion of Poorly-Available Forms of Soil Phosphorus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Franzini, V. I.; Mendes, F. L. [Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, EMBRAPA-Amazonia Oriental, Belem, PA, (Brazil); Muraoka, T.; Da Silva, E. C. [Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, SP (Brazil); Adu-Gyamfi, J. J. [Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition Laboratory, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

2013-11-15

Green manuring is an agronomic practice in which plants or their residues are added to the soil, improving of the soil physical, chemical and biological attributes, and increasing organic matter and fertility levels through nutrient cycling. It is estimated that green manures can increase P bioavailability. The integration of plant species in crop rotations to immobilize P is one of the most promising agronomic measures to improve the availability of P for the main crop. This study aimed to assess 21 species of green manure and a standard plant species (Lupinus albus) on their ability to absorb the available forms of P by the {sup 32}P isotopic dilution technique. It also aimed to determine if the isotopically exchangeable P, the L-values, differed when calculated with or without taking seed N into account. The results were statistically correlated and analyzed by hierarchical clustering (HCA) in order to group similar plant species. Jack bean was the most efficient species in P utilization while the Stylosanthes spp. were the most efficient in P uptake. The seed-derived P affected the P uptake efficiency evaluated by L-value technique. (author)

Availability and Primary Health Care Orientation of Dementia-Related Services in Rural Saskatchewan, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Debra G; Kosteniuk, Julie G; Stewart, Norma J; O'Connell, Megan E; Kirk, Andrew; Crossley, Margaret; Dal Bello-Haas, Vanina; Forbes, Dorothy; Innes, Anthea

2015-01-01

Community-based services are important for improving outcomes for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. This study examined: (a) availability of rural dementia-related services in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, and (b) orientation of services toward six key attributes of primary health care (i.e., information/education, accessibility, population orientation, coordinated care, comprehensiveness, quality of care). Data were collected from 71 rural Home Care Assessors via cross-sectional survey. Basic health services were available in most communities (e.g., pharmacists, family physicians, palliative care, adult day programs, home care, long-term care facilities). Dementia-specific services typically were unavailable (e.g., health promotion, counseling, caregiver support groups, transportation, week-end/night respite). Mean scores on the primary health care orientation scales were low (range 12.4 to 17.5/25). Specific services to address needs of rural individuals with dementia and their caregivers are limited in availability and fit with primary health care attributes.

Active Ground Optical Remote Sensing for Improved Monitoring of Seedling Stress in Nurseries

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Jan U. H. Eitel

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Active ground optical remote sensing (AGORS devices mounted on overhead irrigation booms could help to improve seedling quality by autonomously monitoring seedling stress. In contrast to traditionally used passive optical sensors, AGORS devices operate independently of ambient light conditions and do not require spectral reference readings. Besides measuring red (590–670 nm and near-infrared (>760 nm reflectance AGORS devices have recently become available that also measure red-edge (730 nm reflectance. We tested the hypothesis that the additional availability of red-edge reflectance information would improve AGORS of plant stress induced chlorophyll breakdown in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris. Our results showed that the availability of red-edge reflectance information improved AGORS estimates of stress induced variation in chlorophyll concentration (r2 > 0.73, RMSE < 1.69 when compared to those without (r2 = 0.57, RMSE = 2.11.

Evaluating and Improving Online Intelligence Courses

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Dr. Alexandra Luce

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Civilian, military and government institutions offer a wide range of courses on intelligence and are increasingly doing so online. While evaluation and improvement are critical to ensuring quality training and education, there is little research about how to evaluate and improve online intelligence courses. Based on the author’s experience developing and teaching such courses, this article offers four suggestions to those involved in online intelligence training and education: (1 conduct a key assumptions check; (2 ensure the course presentation embodies the principles of intelligence communication; (3 encourage creative freedom; and (4 build in mechanisms for feedback throughout the course.

Improving access to transport in developing countries

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Savill, T

2003-06-01

Full Text Available Improving access and mobility of people with disabilities is an essential component of the alleviation of poverty in developing countries. Disabled people are among the most socially excluded members of society and poorly designed and inaccessible...

Climate Change Impacts on Water Availability and Use in the Limpopo River Basin

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Tingju Zhu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the effects of climate change on water availability and use in the Limpopo River Basin of Southern Africa, using a linked modeling system consisting of a semi-distributed global hydrological model and the Water Simulation Module (WSM of the International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT. Although the WSM simulates all major water use sectors, the focus of this study is to evaluate the implications of climate change on irrigation water supply in the catchments of the Limpopo River Basin within the four riparian countries: Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The analysis found that water resources of the Limpopo River Basin are already stressed under today’s climate conditions. Projected water infrastructure and management interventions are expected to improve the situation by 2050 if current climate conditions continue into the future. However, under the climate change scenarios studied here, water supply availability is expected to worsen considerably by 2050. Assessing hydrological impacts of climate change is crucial given that expansion of irrigated areas has been postulated as a key adaptation strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa. Such expansion will need to take into account future changes in water availability in African river basins.

Calculating Puerto Rico’s Ecological Footprint (1970–2010 Using Freely Available Data

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Matthew E. Hopton

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Ecological Footprint Analysis (EFA is appealing as a metric of sustainability because it is straightforward in theory and easy to conceptualize. However, EFA is difficult to implement because it requires extensive data. A simplified approach to EFA that requires fewer data can serve as a perfunctory analysis allowing researchers to examine a system with relatively little cost and effort. We examined whether a simplified approach using freely available data could be applied to Puerto Rico, a densely populated island with limited land resources. Forty-one years of data were assembled to compute the ecological footprint from 1970 to 2010. According to EFA, individuals in Puerto Rico were moving toward sustainability over time, as the per capita ecological footprint decreased from 3.69 ha per capita (ha/ca in 1970 to 3.05 ha/ca in 2010. However, due to population growth, the population’s footprint rose from 1.00 × 107 ha in 1970 to 1.14 × 107 ha in 2010, indicating Puerto Rico as a whole was moving away from sustainability. Our findings demonstrate the promise for conducting EFA using a simplified approach with freely available data, and we discuss potential limitations on data quality and availability that should be addressed to further improve the science.

Modeling of scroll compressors - Improvements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duprez, Marie-Eve; Dumont, Eric; Frere, Marc [Thermodynamics Department, Universite de Mons - Faculte Polytechnique, 31 bd Dolez, 7000 Mons (Belgium)

2010-06-15

This paper presents an improvement of the scroll compressors model previously published by. This improved model allows the calculation of refrigerant mass flow rate, power consumption and heat flow rate that would be released at the condenser of a heat pump equipped with the compressor, from the knowledge of operating conditions and parameters. Both basic and improved models have been tested on scroll compressors using different refrigerants. This study has been limited to compressors with a maximum electrical power of 14 kW and for evaporation temperatures ranging from -40 to 15 C and condensation temperatures from 10 to 75 C. The average discrepancies on mass flow rate, power consumption and heat flow rate are respectively 0.50%, 0.93% and 3.49%. Using a global parameter determination (based on several refrigerants data), this model can predict the behavior of a compressor with another fluid for which no manufacturer data are available. (author)

Improving Indonesian Construction Consulting Services

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Rizal Z. Tamin

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Indonesian construction consulting services are facing a complex problem in fulfilling the nation’s expectations regarding high quality infrastructure development and the construction industry’s competitiveness. A study of this problem and a formulation of solutions to improve the situation are presented in this paper. A survey was carried out in Jakarta, West Java, East Java, and North Sumatra provinces to collect data related to this problem. A focus group discussion and a workshop with all stakeholders were conducted to formulate improvement actions that need to be taken. It was revealed that the problems faced include, among others, the limited number of professional engineers compared to the number of national consultancy companies, the uneven distribution of engineers in Indonesian regions, an imperfect procurement system, and low-quality work output in general. Recommended actions include improvement of the government’s role in consulting services nurturing and facilitation, development of partnerships, and amelioration of the professional engineer and consultant certification system.

76 FR 59122 - Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement in Cooperation With the North...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-23

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement in Cooperation With the North Carolina Department of Transportation for Improvements to the US 17 and Market Street (US 17 Business) Corridor in Northern New Hanover and Southern...

Water-scarcity patterns : spatiotemporal interdependencies between water use and water availability in a semi-arid river basin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Oel, P.R.

2009-01-01

This thesis addresses the interdependencies between water use and water availability and describes a model that has been developed to improve understanding of the processes that drive changes and variations in the spatial and temporal distribution of water resources in a semi-arid river basin. These

Local Strategy Improvement for Parity Game Solving

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