WorldWideScience

Sample records for united nations decade

  1. A decade of African Union and European Union trans-national ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The first decade of the new millennium saw the European Union deploy nine security missions to the African continent, quoting the European Security and. Defence Policy. Unlike the numerous United Nations security missions that. European states had previously contributed to, these were part of a grand strategy designed ...

  2. United States of America National Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The United States has produced this report as part of the preparations for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) to be held in Brazil in June 1992. It summarizes this nation's efforts to protect and enhance the quality of the human environment in concert with its efforts to provide economic well-being during the two decades since the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was held in Stockholm. The information presented in this report is primarily and deliberately retrospective. It is an attempt to portray the many human, economic and natural resources of the United States, to describe resource use and the principal national laws and programs established to protect these resources, and to analyze key issues on the agenda of UNCED. This analysis is presented in terms of past and present conditions and trends, measures of progress made in responding to the key issues, and a summary of government activities, underway or pending, to address ongoing or newly emerging national environmental and resource management problems

  3. Multilateral Disarmament and the Special Session: Twelfth Conference on the United Nations of the Next Decade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanley Foundation, Muscatine, IA.

    The report discusses issues relating to multilateral disarmament in the context of the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly to be convened in 1978. Intended as a forum for the exchange of ideas of government leaders from the United States and other nations about the international peace-keeping role of the United Nations, the…

  4. United States National Seismographic Network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buland, R.

    1993-09-01

    The concept of a United States National Seismograph Network (USNSN) dates back nearly 30 years. The idea was revived several times over the decades. but never funded. For, example, a national network was proposed and discussed at great length in the so called Bolt Report (U. S. Earthquake Observatories: Recommendations for a New National Network, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1980, 122 pp). From the beginning, a national network was viewed as augmenting and complementing the relatively dense, predominantly short-period vertical coverage of selected areas provided by the Regional Seismograph Networks (RSN's) with a sparse, well-distributed network of three-component, observatory quality, permanent stations. The opportunity finally to begin developing a national network arose in 1986 with discussions between the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Under the agreement signed in 1987, the NRC has provided $5 M in new funding for capital equipment (over the period 1987-1992) and the USGS has provided personnel and facilities to develop. deploy, and operate the network. Because the NRC funding was earmarked for the eastern United States, new USNSN station deployments are mostly east of 105 degree W longitude while the network in the western United States is mostly made up of cooperating stations (stations meeting USNSN design goals, but deployed and operated by other institutions which provide a logical extension to the USNSN)

  5. The United Nations at 40

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-01-01

    The United Nations adopted a resolution expressing the hope that 1985 would mark the beginning of an era of durable and global peace and justice, social and economic development and progress and independence of all peoples. 1985 is the organization's 40th anniversary year - the United Nations Charter entered into force on 24 October 1945 - and the Assembly has chosen 'United Nations for a better world' as the anniversary theme. It also has decided to hold a brief commemorative session culminating on 24 October this year. Member States of the UN also have been urged to organize appropriate observance of the anniversary, with the widest possible participation, and to consider the creation of national committees to evaluate the contribution of the UN system over the past four decades, its continuing relevance in the current international situation, and ways in which it could be strengthened and made more effective. Among other things, the Assembly in its resolution appealed to the international mass media, both public and private, to contribute more effectively to dissemination of information on UN activities. During the commemorative session planned this October, a final document is expected to be adopted for which the Assembly has asked the Preparatory Committee for the Fortieth Anniversary of the United Nations to compose a suitable text. The Preparatory Committee had been established by the Assembly in 1983, and by December 1984, 98 countries had joined in its work, which relates to various activities

  6. The United Nations at 40

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1985-10-01

    The United Nations adopted a resolution expressing the hope that 1985 would mark the beginning of an era of durable and global peace and justice, social and economic development and progress and independence of all peoples. 1985 is the organization's 40th anniversary year - the United Nations Charter entered into force on 24 October 1945 - and the Assembly has chosen 'United Nations for a better world' as the anniversary theme. It also has decided to hold a brief commemorative session culminating on 24 October this year. Member States of the UN also have been urged to organize appropriate observance of the anniversary, with the widest possible participation, and to consider the creation of national committees to evaluate the contribution of the UN system over the past four decades, its continuing relevance in the current international situation, and ways in which it could be strengthened and made more effective. Among other things, the Assembly in its resolution appealed to the international mass media, both public and private, to contribute more effectively to dissemination of information on UN activities. During the commemorative session planned this October, a final document is expected to be adopted for which the Assembly has asked the Preparatory Committee for the Fortieth Anniversary of the United Nations to compose a suitable text. The Preparatory Committee had been established by the Assembly in 1983, and by December 1984, 98 countries had joined in its work, which relates to various activities.

  7. International boundary experiences by the United Nations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kagawa, A.

    2013-12-01

    Over the last few decades, the United Nations (UN) has been approached by Security Council and Member States on international boundary issues. The United Nations regards the adequate delimitation and demarcation of international boundaries as a very important element for the maintenance of peace and security in fragile post-conflict situations, establishment of friendly relationships and cross-border cooperation between States. This paper will present the main principles and framework the United Nations applies to support the process of international boundary delimitation and demarcation activities. The United Nations is involved in international boundary issues following the principle of impartiality and neutrality and its role as mediator. Since international boundary issues are multi-faceted, a range of expertise is required and the United Nations Secretariat is in a good position to provide diverse expertise within the multiple departments. Expertise in different departments ranging from legal, political, technical, administrative and logistical are mobilised in different ways to provide support to Member States depending on their specific needs. This presentation aims to highlight some of the international boundary projects that the United Nations Cartographic Section has been involved in order to provide the technical support to different boundary requirements as each international boundary issue requires specific focus and attention whether it be in preparation, delimitation, demarcation or management. Increasingly, the United Nations is leveraging geospatial technology to facilitate boundary delimitation and demarcation process between Member States. Through the presentation of the various case studies ranging from Iraq - Kuwait, Israel - Lebanon (Blue Line), Eritrea - Ethiopia, Cyprus (Green Line), Cameroon - Nigeria, Sudan - South Sudan, it will illustrate how geospatial technology is increasingly used to carry out the support. In having applied a range

  8. United Nations Charter, Chapter VII, Article 43: Now or Never.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burkle, Frederick M

    2018-04-25

    For more than 75 years, the United Nations Charter has functioned without the benefit of Chapter VII, Article 43, which commits all United Nations member states "to make available to the Security Council, on its call, armed forces, assistance, facilities, including rights of passage necessary for the purpose of maintaining international peace and security." The consequences imposed by this 1945 decision have had a dramatic negative impact on the United Nation's functional capacity as a global body for peace and security. This article summarizes the struggle to implement Article 43 over the decades from the onset of the Cold War, through diplomatic attempts during the post-Cold War era, to current and often controversial attempts to provide some semblance of conflict containment through peace enforcement missions. The rapid growth of globalization and the capability of many nations to provide democratic protections to their populations are again threatened by superpower hegemony and the development of novel unconventional global threats. The survival of the United Nations requires many long overdue organizational structure and governance power reforms, including implementation of a robust United Nations Standing Task Force under Article 43. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;page 1 of 8).

  9. National Space Weather Program Releases Strategy for the New Decade

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, Samuel P.; Babcock, Michael R.; Bonadonna, Michael F.

    2010-12-01

    The National Space Weather Program (NSWP; http://www.nswp.gov) is a U.S. federal government interagency program established by the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology (OFCM) in 1995 to coordinate, collaborate, and leverage capabilities across stakeholder agencies, including space weather researchers, service providers, users, policy makers, and funding agencies, to improve the performance of the space weather enterprise for the United States and its international partners. Two important documents released in recent months have established a framework and the vision, goals, and strategy to move the enterprise forward in the next decade. The U.S. federal agency members of the NSWP include the departments of Commerce, Defense, Energy, Interior, State, and Transportation, plus NASA, the National Science Foundation, and observers from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The OFCM is also working with the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency to formally join the program.

  10. The United Nations, Peace, and Higher Education: Pedagogic Interventions in Neoliberal Times

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kester, Kevin

    2017-01-01

    Peace and conflict studies (PACS) education in recent decades has become a popular approach to social justice learning in higher education institutions (Harris, Fisk, and Rank 1998; Smith 2007; Carstarphen et al. 2010; Bajaj and Hantzopoulos 2016) and has been provided legitimacy through a number of different United Nations (UN) declarations…

  11. 3 CFR - Waiver of Reimbursement Under the United Nations Participation Act to Support the United Nations...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Participation Act to Support the United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur Presidential Documents Other... the United Nations Participation Act to Support the United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur... the United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur to support the airlift of equipment for...

  12. Nations United: The United Nations, the United States, and the Global Campaign Against Terrorism. A Curriculum Unit & Video for Secondary Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houlihan, Christina; McLeod, Shannon

    This curriculum unit and 1-hour videotape are designed to help students understand the purpose and functions of the United Nations (UN) and explore the relationship between the United Nations and the United States. The UN's role in the global counterterrorism campaign serves as a case study for the unit. The students are asked to develop a basic…

  13. The United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haubold, H. J.

    2006-08-01

    Pursuant to recommendations of the United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III) and deliberations of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS), annual UN/ European Space Agency workshops on basic space science have been held around the world since 1991. These workshops contribute to the development of astrophysics and space science, particularly in developing nations. Following a process of prioritization, the workshops identified the following elements as particularly important for international cooperation in the field: (i) operation of astronomical telescope facilities implementing TRIPOD, (ii) virtual observatories, (iii) astrophysical data systems, (iv) concurrent design capabilities for the development of international space missions, and (v) theoretical astrophysics such as applications of nonextensive statistical mechanics. Beginning in 2005, the workshops focus on preparations for the International Heliophysical Year 2007 (IHY2007). The workshops continue to facilitate the establishment of astronomical telescope facilities as pursued by Japan and the development of low-cost, ground-based, world-wide instrument arrays as lead by the IHY secretariat. Wamsteker, W., Albrecht, R. and Haubold, H.J.: Developing Basic Space Science World-Wide: A Decade of UN/ESA Workshops. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht 2004. http://ihy2007.org http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/SAP/bss/ihy2007/index.html http://www.cbpf.br/GrupPesq/StatisticalPhys/biblio.htm

  14. Adult testicular cancer: Two decades of Saudi national data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abomelha, Mohammed

    2017-01-01

    There is a paucity of data regarding testicular cancer among Saudis as well as the nonexistent of published national data. Furthermore, a substantial increase of the incidence of testicular cancer among Saudis was lately noted. The aim of the study is to determine the trends and patterns of testicular cancer among adult Saudis using national data over a period of 20 years. The national database of the Saudi Cancer Registry (SCR) on testicular cancer over the last two decades was studied including epidemiological and histological patterns. The 1004 cases of testicular cancer among adult Saudis reported by the SCR will be the subject of this study. From 1994 to 2013, 1004 cases of testicular cancer among adult Saudis were reported to the SCR, with a steadily significant increase in incidence rate reaching an annual rate of 94 cases in 2013. Age of the patients ranged 15-93 years with a mean of 34.5 years. The most affected age group was 20-34 years, where 51% of all testicular cancer accumulated. Around 85% of testicular cancer is germ cell tumors, while paratesticular and gonadal stromal tumors represent 15%. Of all testicular cancer, seminomas were seen in 40.7%, nonseminomas in 44.6%. Notably, 70.4% of the cases in the first decade were seminomas, while in the second decade 65.9% of the cases were nonseminomas. The subtypes of the nonseminomas were a mixed tumor in 51.6%, embryonal carcinoma in 19.9%, yolk sac tumor in 12.3%, germinomas in 6.7%, teratomas in 6%, and choriocarcinomas in 3.6%. Lymphomas (34.7%) and rhabdomyosarcomas (23.6%) are on the top of the paratesticular tumor group. The Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results summary stage of seminomas was localized in 61.6%, regional in 19.8%, and distant in 12.6%, while of nonseminomas was 48%, 15.5%, and 28.5%, respectively. Localized and distant status of seminomas improved over the studied period by 12% and 4% respectively, while this trend was not seen in nonseminomas. The incidence rate is on rising

  15. NAS Decadal Review Town Hall

    Science.gov (United States)

    The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is seeking community input for a study on the future of materials research (MR). Frontiers of Materials Research: A Decadal Survey will look at defining the frontiers of materials research ranging from traditional materials science and engineering to condensed matter physics. Please join members of the study committee for a town hall to discuss future directions for materials research in the United States in the context of worldwide efforts. In particular, input on the following topics will be of great value: progress, achievements, and principal changes in the R&D landscape over the past decade; identification of key MR areas that have major scientific gaps or offer promising investment opportunities from 2020-2030; and the challenges that MR may face over the next decade and how those challenges might be addressed. This study was requested by the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. The National Academies will issue a report in 2018 that will offer guidance to federal agencies that support materials research, science policymakers, and researchers in materials research and other adjoining fields. Learn more about the study at http://nas.edu/materials.

  16. What drives political commitment for nutrition? A review and framework synthesis to inform the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Phillip; Hawkes, Corinna; Wingrove, Kate; Demaio, Alessandro Rhyl; Parkhurst, Justin; Thow, Anne Marie; Walls, Helen

    2018-01-01

    Generating country-level political commitment will be critical to driving forward action throughout the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025). In this review of the empirical nutrition policy literature, we ask: what factors generate, sustain and constrain political commitment for nutrition, how and under what circumstances? Our aim is to inform strategic 'commitment-building' actions. We adopted a framework synthesis method and realist review protocol. An initial framework was derived from relevant theory and then populated with empirical evidence to test and modify it. Five steps were undertaken: initial theoretical framework development; search for relevant empirical literature; study selection and quality appraisal; data extraction, analysis and synthesis and framework modification. 75 studies were included. We identified 18 factors that drive commitment, organised into five categories: actors; institutions; political and societal contexts; knowledge, evidence and framing; and, capacities and resources. Irrespective of country-context, effective nutrition actor networks, strong leadership, civil society mobilisation, supportive political administrations, societal change and focusing events, cohesive and resonant framing, and robust data systems and available evidence were commitment drivers. Low-income and middle-income country studies also frequently reported international actors, empowered institutions, vertical coordination and capacities and resources. In upper-middle-income and high-income country studies, private sector interference frequently undermined commitment. Political commitment is not something that simply exists or emerges accidentally; it can be created and strengthened over time through strategic action. Successfully generating commitment will likely require a core set of actions with some context-dependent adaptations. Ultimately, it will necessitate strategic actions by cohesive, resourced and strongly led nutrition actor

  17. United Nations - African Union Cooperation In Conflict Prevention, Peacekeeping and Peacebuildin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liliya Igorevna Romadan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The article addresses the cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, in particular the African Union in the sphere of security and settlement of conflicts. Over the last decade the role of the AU and sub regional organizations has dramatically increased. Through its agencies of ensuring peace and security the African Union is making significant contribution to strengthening stability and promotion of democracy and human rights in Africa. In the beginning of the article authors make a review of the level of security on the African continent and stress the sharpest conflict zones. According to researches one of the most turbulent regions on continent in terms of security is the North-East Africa. Continuing quarter-century war in Somalia, conflict relations between Somalia and Ethiopia, the border crises between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which in the late 20th century turned into the war between the two countries, finally, the number of armed clashes in Sudan attracted the special attention to the region of the entire world community. Authors pay the main attention to the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union in the sphere of settling regional conflicts and holding peacekeeping operations. In the article the main mechanisms and methods that are used by the United Nations and the African Union to hold peacekeeping operations are analyzed in details. The situation in Somalia and efforts of the United Nations and the African Union that are making towards stabilization in this country are also studied. Authors reveal the basic elements and make a review of the mixed multicomponent peacekeeping operation of the United Nations and the African Union in Sudan. In the conclusion authors stress the measures that could strengthen the strategic cooperation between the United Nations and the African union. According to the authors the most important task is to solve problems of financing joint peacekeeping operations

  18. Population Health and Paid Parental Leave: What the United States Can Learn from Two Decades of Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam Burtle

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Over the last two decades, numerous studies have suggested that dedicated time for parents to be with their children in the earliest months of life offers significant benefits to child health. The United States (US is the only wealthy nation without a formalized policy guaranteeing workers paid time off when they become new parents. As individual US states consider enacting parental leave policies, there is a significant opportunity to decrease health inequities and build a healthier American population. This document is intended as a critical review of the present evidence for the association between paid parental leave and population health.

  19. Population Health and Paid Parental Leave: What the United States Can Learn from Two Decades of Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burtle, Adam; Bezruchka, Stephen

    2016-06-01

    Over the last two decades, numerous studies have suggested that dedicated time for parents to be with their children in the earliest months of life offers significant benefits to child health. The United States (US) is the only wealthy nation without a formalized policy guaranteeing workers paid time off when they become new parents. As individual US states consider enacting parental leave policies, there is a significant opportunity to decrease health inequities and build a healthier American population. This document is intended as a critical review of the present evidence for the association between paid parental leave and population health.

  20. United Nations Peacekeeping: Issues for Congress

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Browne, Marjorie A

    2008-01-01

    A major issue facing the United Nations, the United States, and the 110th Congress is the extent to which the United Nations has the capacity to restore or keep the peace in the changing world environment...

  1. United Nations Peacekeeping: Issues for Congress

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Browne, Marjorie A

    2007-01-01

    A major issue facing the United Nations, the United States, and the 110th Congress is the extent to which the United Nations has the capacity to restore or keep the peace in the changing world environment...

  2. United Nations and Multilateralism: Appraising USA's Unilateralism ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DrNneka

    global peace and security, as well as the survival of the United Nations. This is because ... Key Words: United Nations, multilateralism, United States, unilateralism, national interest, UN Charter ..... Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, etc.

  3. Media Coverage of International Women's Decade: Feminism and Conflict.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Anne; Davenport, Lucinda

    A study examined changes in the treatment of women's issues and feminism from 1975 to 1985--the United Nations (UN) designated "Women's Decade"--by two nationally circulated newspapers. The purpose was to find out how much and what kind of news was reported during the three UN World conferences for women held in 1975, 1980, and 1985;…

  4. A Decade of Annual National Land Cover Products - the Cropland Data Layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, R.; Johnson, D. M.; Sandborn, A.; Willis, P.; Ebinger, L.; Yang, Z.; Seffrin, R.; Boryan, C. G.; Hardin, R.

    2017-12-01

    The Cropland Data Layer (CDL) is a national land cover product produced by the US Department of Agriculture/National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to assess planted crop acreage on an annual basis. The 2017 CDL product serves as the decadal anniversary for the mapping of conterminous US agriculture. The CDL is a supervised land cover classification derived from medium resolution Earth observing satellites that capture crop phenology throughout the growing season, leveraging confidentially held ground reference information from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) as training data. The CDL currently uses ancillary geospatial data from the US Geological Survey's National Land Cover Database (NLCD), and Imperviousness and Forest Canopy layers as well as the National Elevation Dataset as training for the non-agricultural domain. Accuracy assessments are documented and released annually with metadata publication. NASS is currently reprocessing the 2008 and 2009 CDL products to 30m resolution. They were originally processed and released at 56m based on the Resourcesat-1 AWiFS sensor. Additionally, best practices learned from processing the FSA ground reference data were applied to the historical training set, providing an enhanced classification at 30m. The release of these reprocessed products in the fall of 2017, along with the 2017 CDL annual product will be discussed and will complete a decade's worth of annual 30m products. Discussions of change and trend analytics as well as partnerships with key industry stakeholders will be displayed on the evolution and improvements made to this decadal geospatial crop specific land cover product.

  5. What drives political commitment for nutrition? A review and framework synthesis to inform the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Phillip; Hawkes, Corinna; Wingrove, Kate; Parkhurst, Justin; Thow, Anne Marie; Walls, Helen

    2018-01-01

    Introduction Generating country-level political commitment will be critical to driving forward action throughout the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016–2025). In this review of the empirical nutrition policy literature, we ask: what factors generate, sustain and constrain political commitment for nutrition, how and under what circumstances? Our aim is to inform strategic ‘commitment-building’ actions. Method We adopted a framework synthesis method and realist review protocol. An initial framework was derived from relevant theory and then populated with empirical evidence to test and modify it. Five steps were undertaken: initial theoretical framework development; search for relevant empirical literature; study selection and quality appraisal; data extraction, analysis and synthesis and framework modification. Results 75 studies were included. We identified 18 factors that drive commitment, organised into five categories: actors; institutions; political and societal contexts; knowledge, evidence and framing; and, capacities and resources. Irrespective of country-context, effective nutrition actor networks, strong leadership, civil society mobilisation, supportive political administrations, societal change and focusing events, cohesive and resonant framing, and robust data systems and available evidence were commitment drivers. Low-income and middle-income country studies also frequently reported international actors, empowered institutions, vertical coordination and capacities and resources. In upper-middle-income and high-income country studies, private sector interference frequently undermined commitment. Conclusion Political commitment is not something that simply exists or emerges accidentally; it can be created and strengthened over time through strategic action. Successfully generating commitment will likely require a core set of actions with some context-dependent adaptations. Ultimately, it will necessitate strategic actions by cohesive

  6. 75 FR 65561 - United Nations Day, 2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-26

    ... A Proclamation Sixty-five years ago, 51 nations came together in the aftermath of one of history's... all peoples. The United Nations has made great advances since it first developed out of ruin and... of nations. The United Nations' humanitarian assistance lifts up countless lives, supporting nations...

  7. Pediatric testicular cancer: Two decades of Saudi national data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed Abomelha

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Pediatric testicular cancer is exceedingly rare. There are no data available touching Saudi children. The aim of the study is to determine the trends and patterns of testicular cancer among Saudi children over a period of 20 years. The national database of the Saudi Cancer Registry (SCR on pediatric testicular cancer over the last two decades was examined including epidemiological and histological patterns. From 1994 to 2013, 82 cases of testicular cancer among Saudi children aged 1–14 years were accumulated at the SCR. The annual percentage change rate was 3.3%. Of all cases, 62% appeared within the first 2 years of life. Seminomas were seen in 39%, nonseminomas in 40.3%, and paratesticular tumors in 20.7%. No gonadal stromal tumors observed. About 91% of the seminomas accrued in the first decade (1994–2003, while all nonseminomas fell in the last decade (2004–2013. The most common subtypes of the nonseminomas were yolk sac tumors and mixed tumors. More than 80% of the paratesticular tumors were rhabdomyosarcomas and lymphomas. The SEER summary stage of seminomas was localized in 56%, regional in 22%, and distant in 16%, while of nonseminomas was 56%, 16%, and 28%, respectively, and no stage improvement over the studied period was noted. No temporal trend in incidence rate was observed. The most affected age group was the first 2 years of life. Noteworthy was the high incidence of seminoma and the low rate of teratomas and stromal tumors, when compared to Western data. Notable was the dominance of the seminomas in the first decade and of the nonseminomas in the second decade. At the time of diagnosis, nonseminomas were more advanced than seminomas. No stage improvement noted over the studied period.

  8. Irish foreign policy in the United Nations and European Union: influence and participation

    OpenAIRE

    Doyle, John; Connolly, Eileen

    2010-01-01

    The United Nations has had a central place in Irish foreign policy from the state’s accession in 1955. Both political discourse and public opinion polls indicate widespread support for the organisation as a source of international legitimacy and as the appropriate forum to make major decisions regarding peace and security; international human rights; and development. The EU has an equally central role in Ireland’s economic and social development in the last three decades, and w...

  9. Decadal analysis of deceased organ donation in Spain and the United States linking an increased donation rate and the utilization of older donors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halldorson, Jeff; Roberts, John Paul

    2013-09-01

    After the foundation of the National Transplant Organization, Spanish rates of deceased donor donation rapidly outpaced US growth over the decade from 1989 to 1999. An analysis of the following decade, 1999-2009, demonstrated a markedly flattened growth curve for Spanish deceased donor organ procurement, which increased only 2.4% from 33.6 to 34.4 donors per million population (pmp). In comparison, over the same decade in the United States, the rate of deceased donation increased from 20.9 to 26.3 donors pmp (25.8%). An age group comparison demonstrated a much higher donation rate among older donors in Spain. For example, the number of donors older than 70 years increased from 3.8 to 8.8 pmp (a 132% increase), and they now constitute 25.4% of all Spanish organ donors. In contrast, the number of US donors older than 70 years increased from 1.0 to 1.3 pmp, and they constitute only 4.4% of total deceased donors. Over the same decade, the number of younger donors (15-30 years old) decreased from 6.6 to 2.5 pmp (a 62% decrease) in Spain, and this contrasted with a slightly increased US donation rate for the same age subgroup (a 15.5% increase from 5.8 to 6.7 pmp). Although older donors were more rarely used in the United States, growth in donation over the 2 decades (1989-2009) was strongly associated with the utilization of donors aged 65 or older (P < 0.01). United Network for Organ Sharing regions demonstrated significant differences in utilization rates for older donors. In conclusion, strategies aimed toward achieving US donation rates equivalent to the Spanish benchmark should target improved utilization rates for older donors in the United States instead of emulating elements of the Spanish organ procurement system. © 2013 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

  10. Oversight Institutions Within the United Nations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pontoppidan, Caroline Aggestam

    2015-01-01

    This article will give a description of the role of internal audit and governance functions within the United Nations system. The United Nations has, during the last 10 years, worked to establish effective oversight services. Oversight, governance and hereunder the internal audit function has been...

  11. The United Nations and Its Critics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menon, Bhaskar P.

    1989-01-01

    Provides a brief history of the development of the United Nations. Identifies achievements of the United Nations in the promotion of human rights, the translation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into binding international covenants, and the establishment of monitoring mechanisms to ensure the protection of human rights. (KO)

  12. 76 FR 66845 - United Nations Day, 2011

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-27

    ... become ever more intertwined, the leadership, staff, and member states of the United Nations continue to... a time of dramatic political transformation, the United Nations can embrace democratic movements and...

  13. United Nations and multilateralism: appraising USA's unilateralism ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Multilateralism as symbolized by the United Nations Organization, seems to have come under threat today, and nowhere is this more evident than in the United States-United Nations relations particularly in the area of military interventions around the world. The aim of this paper is to appraise the practice of the principle of ...

  14. The United Nations: It's More Than You Think.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lord, Juliana G.; Gardner, Janet

    This guide accompanies a 30-minute color video of the same name. Chapters include: (1) "History of the United States" including information on the League of Nations, the birth of the United Nations, and the home of the United Nations; (2) "Structure of the Organization" which discusses each of the sections--General Assembly,…

  15. The Kosovo Education for Sustainable Development's Role in Promoting the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development in Kosovo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beka, Arlinda

    2015-01-01

    The Republic of Kosovo declared its independence in 2008 following almost a decade of administration by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo. During the United Nations administration the first initiatives towards Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) were taken, particularly with the Millennium Development Goals agenda. Following the idea of…

  16. The United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative (UNBSSI): A Historical Introduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haubold, H. J.

    2006-11-01

    Pursuant to recommendations of the Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III) and deliberations of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS), annual UN/European Space Agency workshops on basic space science have been held around the world since 1991. These workshops contributed to the development of astrophysics and space science, particularly in developing nations. Following a process of prioritization, the workshops identified the following elements as particularly important for international cooperation in the field: (i) operation of astronomical telescope facilities implementing TRIPOD, (ii) virtual observatories, (iii) astrophysical data systems, (iv) con-current design capabilities for the development of international space missions, and (v) theoretical astrophysics such as applications of non-extensive statistical mechanics. Beginning in 2005, the workshops are focusing on preparations for the International Heliophysical Year 2007 (IHY2007). The workshops continue to facilitate the establishment of astronomical telescope facilities as pursued by Japan and the development of low-cost, ground-based, world- wide instrument arrays as led by the IHY secretariat. Wamsteker, W., Albrecht, R. and Haubold, H.J.: Developing Basic Space Science World-Wide: A Decade of UN/ESA Workshops: Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht 2004. http://ihy2007.org http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/SAP/bss/ihy2007/index.html http://www.cbpf.br/GrupPesq/StatisticalPhys/biblio.htm

  17. The United Nations disarmament yearbook. V. 19: 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook contains a review of the main developments and negotiations in the field of disarmament taking place each year, together with a brief history of the major issues. The series began with the 1976 edition. The Yearbook makes no claim to present fully the views of Member States of the Organization. For further information on the official positions of States, readers should consult the Official Records of the General Assembly and other sources. General Assembly resolutions and decisions are quoted in The Yearbook in the form in which they were adopted by the General Assembly. For the edited texts of these documents for 1994, readers should consult the Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 49 (A/49/49). For an overview of the work of the United Nations in the field of disarmament, one should consult The United Nations and Disarmament: A short History (UN, 1988). A more detailed account is included in The United Nations and Disarmament: 1945-1970; United Nations and Disarmament: 1970-1975, and previous volumes of The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook

  18. The United Nations and One Health: the International Health Regulations (2005) and global health security.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nuttall, I; Miyagishima, K; Roth, C; de La Rocque, S

    2014-08-01

    The One Health approach encompasses multiple themes and can be understood from many different perspectives. This paper expresses the viewpoint of those in charge of responding to public health events of international concern and, in particular, to outbreaks of zoonotic disease. Several international organisations are involved in responding to such outbreaks, including the United Nations (UN) and its technical agencies; principally, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO); UN funds and programmes, such as the United Nations Development Programme, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund; the UN-linked multilateral banking system (the World Bank and regional development banks); and partner organisations, such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). All of these organisations have benefited from the experiences gained during zoonotic disease outbreaks over the last decade, developing common approaches and mechanisms to foster good governance, promote policies that cut across different sectors, target investment more effectively and strengthen global and national capacities for dealing with emerging crises. Coordination among the various UN agencies and creating partnerships with related organisations have helped to improve disease surveillance in all countries, enabling more efficient detection of disease outbreaks and a faster response, greater transparency and stakeholder engagement and improved public health. The need to build more robust national public human and animal health systems, which are based on good governance and comply with the International Health Regulations (2005) and the international standards set by the OIE, prompted FAO, WHO and the OIE to join forces with the World Bank, to provide practical tools to help countries manage their zoonotic disease risks and develop adequate resources to prevent and control disease

  19. The Texts of the Agency's Agreements with the United Nations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1959-10-30

    The texts of the following agreements and supplementary agreements between the Agency and the United Nations are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency: I. A. Agreement Governing the Relationship Between the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency; B. Protocol Concerning the Entry into Force of the Agreement between the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency; II. Administrative Arrangement Concerning the Use of the United Nations Laissez-Passer by Officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency; and III. Agreement for the Admission of the International Atomic Energy Agency into the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund.

  20. The Texts of the Agency's Agreements with the United Nations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1959-01-01

    The texts of the following agreements and supplementary agreements between the Agency and the United Nations are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency: I. A. Agreement Governing the Relationship Between the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency; B. Protocol Concerning the Entry into Force of the Agreement between the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency; II. Administrative Arrangement Concerning the Use of the United Nations Laissez-Passer by Officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency; and III. Agreement for the Admission of the International Atomic Energy Agency into the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund

  1. The Texts of the Agency's Agreements with the United Nations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1959-01-01

    The texts of the following agreements and supplementary agreements between the Agency and the United Nations are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency: I. A. Agreement Governing the Relationship Between the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency; B. Protocol Concerning the Entry into Force of the Agreement between the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency; II. Administrative Arrangement Concerning the Use of the United Nations Laissez-Passer by Officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency; and III. Agreement for the Admission of the International Atomic Energy Agency into the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund [ru

  2. The Texts of the Agency's Agreements with the United Nations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1959-01-01

    The texts of the following agreements and supplementary agreements between the Agency and the United Nations are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency: I. A. Agreement Governing the Relationship Between the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency; B. Protocol Concerning the Entry into Force of the Agreement between the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency; II. Administrative Arrangement Concerning the Use of the United Nations Laissez-Passer by Officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency; and III. Agreement for the Admission of the International Atomic Energy Agency into the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund [es

  3. Analysis of Serbian Military Riverine Units Capability for Participation in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Slobodan Radojevic

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper analyses required personnel, training capacities and equipment for participation in the United Nations peacekeeping operations with the riverine elements. In order to meet necessary capabilities for engagement in United Nations peacekeeping operations, Serbian military riverine units have to be compatible with the issued UN requirements. Serbian Armed Forces have the potential to reach such requirements with the River Flotilla as a pivot for the participation in UN missions. Serbian Military Academy adopted and developed educational and training program in accordance with the provisions and recommendations of the IMO conventions and IMO model courses. Serbian Military Academy has opportunities for education and training military riverine units for participation in the United Nations peacekeeping operations. Moreover, Serbia has Multinational Operations Training Center and Peacekeeping Operations Center certified to provide selection, training, equipping and preparations of individuals and units to the United Nations multinational operations.

  4. A Review of Children's Rights Literature since the Adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynaert, Didier; Bouverne-de-Bie, Maria; Vandevelde, Stijn

    2009-01-01

    Children's rights have become a significant field of study during the past decades, largely due to the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1989. Today, scholarly work on children's rights is almost inconceivable without considering the Convention as the bearer of the children's rights debate. The goal of…

  5. Dynamic Evaluation of Two Decades of CMAQ Simulations over the Continental United States (book chapter)

    Science.gov (United States)

    This paper focuses on dynamic evaluation of the CMAQ model over the continental United States using multi-decadal simulations for the period from 1990 to 2010 to examine how well the changes in observed ozone air quality induced by variations in meteorology and/or emissions are s...

  6. Solar Energy and the United Nations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broda, E.

    1976-01-01

    Some applications of solar power have an easy technology, and are a matter for the present or immediate future. The methods for the large-scale production of electricity, however, cannot mature before the end of the century, even if determined efforts are begun now. May it be recalled that some 30 years also elapsed between the discovery of nuclear fission and the start of the first economic nuclear power stations. Investments into R and D were thus needed for decades. In nuclear science, it was relatively easy to find the finance because the military was interested. But in view of its tremendous importance for the welfare of mankind it should be at least equally easy to bridge the gap in respect to solar power. May it be underlined that far more money has indeed been found, and is being found, for CERN in Geneva, which is of purely scientific-academic interest and cannot promise much valuable practical 'spin-off'. The United Nations, the countries of the First, Second and Third World, ought to shoulder their responsibility in respect to solar energy. Energetic steps towards the founding of the International Solar Power Institute should be taken right now. (author)

  7. What Happened during the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKeown, Rosalyn

    2015-01-01

    The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) drew to a close at the end of 2014. People ask: What happened? In broad brushstrokes, the author describes activities of the DESD in the formal and nonformal education sector of the education community. The author also identifies some enablers and barriers to advancing…

  8. 31 CFR 515.334 - United States national.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false United States national. 515.334 Section 515.334 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE... of the United States, and which has its principal place of business in the United States. [61 FR...

  9. Perspectives on Inclusive Education with Reference to United Nations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Arvind

    2015-01-01

    This essay explores inclusive education and explains the role of United Nations for imparting it to different nations. Undoubtedly, the UN and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) strive for all children to have equitable access to education as a basic human right. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) combined with the Convention…

  10. Proposal for a United Nations Basic Space Technology Initiative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balogh, Werner

    Putting space technology and its applications to work for sustainable economic and social development is the primary objective of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications, launched in 1971. A specific goal for achieving this objective is to establish a sustainable national space capacity. The traditional line of thinking has supported a logical progression from building capacity in basic space science, to using space applications and finally - possibly - to establishing indigenous space technology capabilities. The experience in some countries suggests that such a strict line of progression does not necessarily hold true and that priority given to the establishment of early indigenous space technology capabilities may contribute to promoting the operational use of space applications in support of sustainable economic and social development. Based on these findings and on the experiences with the United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative (UNBSSI) as well as on a series of United Nations/International Academy of Astronautics Workshops on Small Satellites in the Service of Developing Countries, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is considering the launch of a dedicated United Nations Basic Space Technology Initiative (UNBSTI). The initiative would aim to contribute to capacity building in basic space technology and could include, among other relevant fields, activities related to the space and ground segments of small satellites and their applications. It would also provide an international framework for enhancing cooperation between all interested actors, facilitate the exchange of information on best practices, and contribute to standardization efforts. It is expected that these activities would advance the operational use of space technology and its applications in an increasing number of space-using countries and emerging space nations. The paper reports on these initial considerations and on the potential value-adding role

  11. The Congo crisis, the United Nations, and Zimbabwean nationalism ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    United Nations moved swiftly in response to Lumumba's immediate request for assistance .... of apathy towards the white man in Africa and a strong desire to rid .... such actions would legitimatise the intervention of the Congo government in.

  12. Mapping the world: cartographic and geographic visualization by the United Nations Geospatial Information Section (formerly Cartographic Section)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kagawa, Ayako; Le Sourd, Guillaume

    2018-05-01

    United Nations Secretariat activities, mapping began in 1946, and by 1951, the need for maps increased and an office with a team of cartographers was established. Since then, with the development of technologies including internet, remote sensing, unmanned aerial systems, relationship database management and information systems, geospatial information provides an ever-increasing variation of support to the work of the Organization for planning of operations, decision-making and monitoring of crises. However, the need for maps has remained intact. This presentation aims to highlight some of the cartographic representation styles over the decades by reviewing the evolution of selected maps by the office, and noting the changing cognitive and semiotic aspects of cartographic and geographic visualization required by the United Nations. Through presentation and analysis of these maps, the changing dynamics of the Organization in information management can be reflected, with a reminder of the continuing and expanding deconstructionist role of a cartographer, now geospatial information management experts.

  13. 78 FR 64385 - United Nations Day, 2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-10-28

    ... A Proclamation In 1945, after two world wars that showed the horrific lethality of modern conflict.... We celebrate the organization's challenging and often unheralded work of forging a world in which... children and grandchildren from the ravages of war, the members of the United Nations committed ``to unite...

  14. The United Nations University and Information Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaskovic, Ines Wesley

    1994-01-01

    Describes the role of the United Nations University (UNU) in promoting the effective use of new information technologies in support of science and technology for development. The UNU Information and Decision Systems (INDES) project examines the constraints preventing developing nations from using advances in informatics and from integrating their…

  15. World Concerns and the United Nations: Model Teaching Units for Primary, Secondary, and Teacher Education Based on the Work of Participants in the UN Fellowship Programme for Educators and the UNESCO Associated Schools Project. Second Revised Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arkin, Linda, Ed.

    Today's educators face the daunting challenge of preparing new generations of young people for life in a world undergoing economic, political, and cultural changes on a scale unmatched in history. After five decades, the United Nations remains at the center of the global effort to ensure peace and the equitable enjoyment of the planet's resources.…

  16. Unit: Plants, Inspection Pack, National Trial Print.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Australian Science Education Project, Toorak, Victoria.

    This is a National Trial Print of a unit on plants produced as a part of the Australian Science Education Project. The unit consists of an information booklet for students, a booklet for recording student data, and a teacher's guide. The material, designed for use with students in the upper elementary grades, takes from 15 to 20 forty-minute…

  17. The United Nations disarmament yearbook. V. 29: 2004

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-09-01

    The United Nations Disarmament book is designed to be a concise reference work. As a good amount of background information is condensed, it may be helpful to consult previous editions. Factual information, presented where possible in tabular form, is provided in the appendices. Web sites of United Nations departments and specialized agencies, intergovernmental organizations, research institutes and non-governmental organizations appear as footnotes. The Department for Disarmament Affairs draws your attention to its web site at http://disarmament.un.org where up-to-date information on disarmament issues may be obtained throughout the year

  18. BRICKS, BRANDING, AND THE EVERYDAY: DEFINING GREATNESS AT THE UNITED NATIONS PLAZA IN SAN FRANCISCO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Georgia Lindsay

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available After over a decade of reports, designs, and public outreach, the United Nations Plaza in San Francisco was dedicated in 1976. Using historical documents such as government reports, design guidelines, letters, meeting minutes, and newspaper articles from archives, I argue that while the construction of the UN Plaza has failed to completely transform the social and economic life of the area, it succeeds in creating a genuinely public space. The history of the UN Plaza can serve both as a cautionary tale for those interested in changing property values purely through changing design, and as a standard of success in making a space used by a true cross-section of urban society.

  19. The Origin of the United Nations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Yordan

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Este artículo explica los orígenes de sistema global antiterrorista de las Naciones Unidas. Nosotros argüimos que tres factores determinan las características de un sistema descentralizado y de estados centralizados. El primero es la reacción de la ONU contra los ataques terroristas del 11 de septiembre de 2001. El segundo factor es la cada vez mayor relevancia de las redes de gobierno transnacional. La tercera fuerza son los intereses y los asuntos del Consejo de Seguridad permanente, que últimamente determina la arquitectura del sistema.9/11, United Nations, Security Council, transnacional governance networks,counter-terrorism system.___________________________ABSTRACT:This article explains the origins of the United Nations’ global counter-terrorism system. We argue that three factors shaped the system’s decentralized and state-centered characteristics. The first is the UN’s reactions to terrorism prior to the attacks of 11 September 2001. The second factor is the growing relevance of transnational governance networks. The third force is the interests and concerns of the Security Council’s permanent representative interests, which ultimately shaped the system’s architecture.Keywords: 9/11; United Nations; Security Council; transnacional governance networks; counter-terrorism system

  20. ESRD management in Africa during the last decade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Matri, Aziz

    2015-01-01

    This study was initiated under the auspices of the African Association of Nephrology to evaluate end-stage renal disease (ESRD) development by using data collected in 3 successive surveys performed during the last decade. Questionnaires were sent in 2004, 2006, and 2012 to national renal societies and to leading nephrologists. Data were also collected from dialysis supply companies, personal communication, and by using research on Medline, Pubmed, etc. So data could be obtained from 33 countries. During the last decade the total number of nephrologists increased from 1,022 to 2,500 in 33 countries - i.e., an average growth rate of 15% per year. But there are still few hospital units dedicated to renal healthcare. The number of dialysis units increased from 1,200 to 1,600 and the number of dialysis patients (97% on hemodialysis) grew from 36,000 to 87,400 i.e., an average growth rate of 14% per year. Peritoneal dialysis, which covers less than 3% of RRT, increased from 1,300 to 2,400 with a yearly growth rate of 8% but it is still located in few countries. Renal transplant is implemented mainly in public hospitals in 5 North African and 7 sub. Saharan and South African countries. Only 5 countries have sustained programs that perform more than 100 operations per year. During the last decade, several countries improved the quality and quantity of care offered to ESRD patients. It is hoped that there will be a sustained improvement with a greater emphasis on education and development of kidney transplantation.

  1. The DECADES project - Outline and general overview

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    The environmental and health-related impacts of different energy systems, including those associated with the production of electricity, are emerging as significant issues for the coming decades. This interest is highlighted by the current debate about health effects of pollution, environmental damages due to acidification of forests and lakes, concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants and radioactive waste management, and the potential risks of global climate change induced by increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. All fuel chains within the electricity generation system involve some health risks and lead to some environmental impacts. This fact, together with the emerging needs of many countries to define their energy programmes for the coming decades, has provided the basis for a growing interest in the application of improved data, tools and techniques for comparative assessment of different electricity generating systems, particularly from an environmental and human health viewpoint. The need to design and implement sustainable strategies in the electricity sector has been stressed in many international fora such as the Senior Expert Symposium on Electricity and the Environment (Helsinki, 1991), the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992) and the 15th Conference of the World Energy Council (Madrid, 1992). The essential goal of sustainable strategies is to provide the energy services required for supporting economic growth and improving quality of life, especially in developing countries, while minimising the health and environmental impacts of human activities. The inter-agency joint project on data bases and methodologies for comparative assessment of different energy sources for electricity generation [DECADES] has been established with the objective of enhancing capabilities for incorporating health and environmental issues in the comparative assessment of different

  2. Visit of H.E. Mr. S. Marchi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative for Canada to the Office of the United Nations at Geneva and H.E. Mr. Ch. Westdal, Alternate Permanent Representative, Ambassador to the Office of the United Nations Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations for Disarmament for Canada

    CERN Multimedia

    Patrice Loiez

    2000-01-01

    Visit of H.E. Mr. S. Marchi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative for Canada to the Office of the United Nations at Geneva and H.E. Mr. Ch. Westdal, Alternate Permanent Representative, Ambassador to the Office of the United Nations Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations for Disarmament for Canada

  3. Postdeployment reintegration experiences of female soldiers from national guard and reserve units in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Patricia J; Berkel, LaVerne A; Nilsson, Johanna E

    2014-01-01

    Women are an integral part of Reserve and National Guard units and active duty armed forces of the United States. Deployment to conflict and war zones is a difficult experience for both soldiers and their families. On return from deployment, all soldiers face the challenge of reintegration into family life and society, but those from the National Guard and Reserve units face the additional challenge of reintegration in relative isolation from other soldiers. There is limited research about the reintegration experiences of women and the functioning of the families during reintegration following deployment. The goal was to document postdeployment family reintegration experiences of women in the National Guard. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 42 female members of Midwestern National Guard units. Directed content analysis was used to identify categories of experiences related to women's family reintegration. Five categories of postdeployment experience for female soldiers and their families were identified: Life Is More Complex, Loss of Military Role, Deployment Changes You, Reestablishing Partner Connections, and Being Mom Again. The categories reflected individual and family issues, and both need to be considered when soldiers and their families seek care. Additional research is needed to fully understand the specific impact of gender on women's reintegration.

  4. An Update from the United Nations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Staley, Lynn

    2005-01-01

    On September 8, 9, and 10, the United Nations (UN) Department of Information (DPI) partnered with the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to sponsor the 57th Annual DPI/NGO Conference in New York City. In his welcoming remarks, Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the UN, highlighted the theme of the conference, "Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):…

  5. Report from UNSCEAR to the United Nations General Assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    Over the past few years, the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) has undertaken a broad review of the sources and effects of ionizing radiation. The result of this work has presented for the general reader in the 2000 Report to the General Assembly. This report with the supporting scientific annexes, which are aimed at the general scientific community, was published as 'Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation, United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation 2000 report to the General Assembly, with scientific annexes'

  6. Feminism and the Decade of Behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Jacquelyn W.; Russo, Nancy Felipe; Travis, Cheryl Brown

    2001-01-01

    Asserts that the Decade of Behavior goals to foster a healthier, better educated, more prosperous and democratic nation cannot be achieved without contributions from feminist psychology. Outlines challenges gender poses to achieving Decade goals and discusses principles for research to address them: inclusiveness and diversity, context, power and…

  7. The National Security Strategy Under the United Nations and International Law

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-03-19

    a result of that war." This was addressed in 1951 by Hans Kelsen in a legal analysis of fundamental problems with the UN Charter. He concluded that...www.zmag.org/content/print_article.cfm>; Internet; accessed 31 January 2004. 36 Charter of the United Nations, Article 107. 37 Kearly, 27–28. 38 Hans Kelsen

  8. Denmark's National Inventory Reports. Submitted under the United Nations framework convention on climate change

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boll Illerup, J.; Lyck, E.; Winther, M.; Rasmussen, E.

    2000-01-01

    This report is Denmark's National Inventory Report reported to the Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) due by 15 April 2000. The report contains information on Denmark's inventories for all years from 1990 to 1998 for CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O, NO x , CO, NMVOC, SO 2 , HFCs, PFCs and SF. (au)

  9. United Nations Environment Programme. Annual Review 1981.

    Science.gov (United States)

    United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi (Kenya).

    This edition of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) annual report is structured in three parts. Part 1 focuses on three contemporary problems (ground water, toxic chemicals and human food chains and environmental economics) and attempts to solve them. Also included is a modified extract of "The Annual State of the Environment…

  10. Unit: Petroleum, Inspection Pack, National Trial Print.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Australian Science Education Project, Toorak, Victoria.

    This is a National Trial Print of a unit on petroleum developed for the Australian Science Education Project. The package contains the teacher's edition of the written material and a script for a film entitled "The Extraordinary Experience of Nicholas Nodwell" emphasizing the uses of petroleum and petroleum products in daily life and…

  11. Concert | United Nations Orchestra at CERN | 19 September

    CERN Multimedia

    2014-01-01

    The United Nations Orchestra will give a concert on the occasion of CERN’s 60th anniversary.   Under the baton of conductor and artistic director Antoine Marguier, the Orchestra will have the pleasure to accompany the soloist Maestro Matteo Fedeli, who, under the patronage of the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations, will perform on a Stradivarius violin. The programme for the concert comprises: Jacques Offenbach, Orpheus in the Underworld Overture Franz von Suppé, Poet and Peasant Overture Camille Saint-Saëns, Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso for solo violin and orchestra Georges Bizet, Carmen Suite No. 1 Franz Lehár, Gold and Silver Waltz Gioachino Rossini, William Tell Overture   Doors open at 6 p.m. The concert will take place in a marquee behind the Globe of Science and Innovation, CERN Book your ticket here.

  12. The United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haubold, Hans; Balogh, Werner

    2014-05-01

    The basic space science initiative was a long-term effort for the development of astronomy and space science through regional and international cooperation in this field on a worldwide basis, particularly in developing nations. Basic space science workshops were co-sponsored and co-organized by ESA, JAXA, and NASA. A series of workshops on basic space science was held from 1991 to 2004 (India 1991, Costa Rica and Colombia 1992, Nigeria 1993, Egypt 1994, Sri Lanka 1995, Germany 1996, Honduras 1997, Jordan 1999, France 2000, Mauritius 2001, Argentina 2002, and China 2004; http://neutrino.aquaphoenix.com/un-esa/) and addressed the status of astronomy in Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Western Asia. Through the lead of the National Astronomical Observatory Japan, astronomical telescope facilities were inaugurated in seven developing nations and planetariums were established in twenty developing nations based on the donation of respective equipment by Japan.Pursuant to resolutions of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space of the United Nations (COPUOS) and its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, since 2005, these workshops focused on the preparations for and the follow-ups to the International Heliophysical Year 2007 (UAE 2005, India 2006, Japan 2007, Bulgaria 2008, South Korea 2009; www.unoosa.org/oosa/SAP/bss/ihy2007/index.html). IHY's legacy is the current operation of 16 worldwide instrument arrays with more than 1000 instruments recording data on solar-terrestrial interaction from coronal mass ejections to variations of the total electron content in the ionosphere (http://iswisecretariat.org/). Instruments are provided to hosting institutions by entities of Armenia, Brazil, France, Israel, Japan, Switzerland, and the United States. Starting in 2010, the workshops focused on the International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI) as mandated in a three-year-work plan as part of the deliberations of COPUOS. Workshops on ISWI

  13. Annual Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board. The Report Made In 1974

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1974-11-06

    Pursuant to the requirement in Article 14(a) of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund that the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board present an annual report to the General Assembly of the United Nations and to the member organizations of the Fund, the United Nations has published the report presented by the Board in 1974 as Supplement No. 9 to the Official Records of the General Assembly: Twenty-Ninth Session (A/9609). The report has thus already been communicated to Governments. However, if any Member should require additional copies, the Secretariat is ready to obtain them.

  14. Annual Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board. The Report made in 1975

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1975-11-27

    Pursuant to the requirement in Article 14(a) of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund that the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board present an annual report to the General Assembly of the United Nations and to the member organizations of the Fund, the United Nations has published the report presented by the Board in 1975 as Supplement No. 9 to the Official Records of the General Assembly: Thirtieth Session (A/10009). The report has thus already been communicated to Governments. However, if any Member should require additional copies, the Secretariat is ready to obtain them.

  15. Annual Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board. The Report made in 1972

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1972-01-01

    Pursuant to the requirement in Article 14 of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund that the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board present an annual report to the General Assembly of the United Nations and to the member organizations of the Fund, the United Nations has published the report presented by the Board in 1972 as Supplement No. 9 to the Official Records of the General Assembly: Twenty-Seventh Session (A/8709). The report has thus already been communicated to Governments. However, if any Member should require additional copies, the Secretariat is ready to obtain them

  16. Annual Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board. The Report Made In 1974

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1974-01-01

    Pursuant to the requirement in Article 14(a) of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund that the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board present an annual report to the General Assembly of the United Nations and to the member organizations of the Fund, the United Nations has published the report presented by the Board in 1974 as Supplement No. 9 to the Official Records of the General Assembly: Twenty-Ninth Session (A/9609). The report has thus already been communicated to Governments. However, if any Member should require additional copies, the Secretariat is ready to obtain them

  17. Annual Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board. The Report made in 1975

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1975-01-01

    Pursuant to the requirement in Article 14(a) of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund that the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board present an annual report to the General Assembly of the United Nations and to the member organizations of the Fund, the United Nations has published the report presented by the Board in 1975 as Supplement No. 9 to the Official Records of the General Assembly: Thirtieth Session (A/10009). The report has thus already been communicated to Governments. However, if any Member should require additional copies, the Secretariat is ready to obtain them

  18. Annual Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board. The Report made in 1972

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1972-11-28

    Pursuant to the requirement in Article 14 of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund that the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board present an annual report to the General Assembly of the United Nations and to the member organizations of the Fund, the United Nations has published the report presented by the Board in 1972 as Supplement No. 9 to the Official Records of the General Assembly: Twenty-Seventh Session (A/8709). The report has thus already been communicated to Governments. However, if any Member should require additional copies, the Secretariat is ready to obtain them.

  19. USGS Governmental Unit Boundaries Overlay Map Service from The National Map

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — The USGS Governmental Unit Boundaries service from The National Map (TNM) represents major civil areas for the Nation, including States or Territories, counties (or...

  20. CERN’s new seat at the United Nations

    CERN Multimedia

    Antonella Del Rosso

    2013-01-01

    At the end of December, the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York granted CERN Observer status. As the only science organisation to acquire this prestigious status in the Assembly, CERN hopes to be able to raise awareness about the importance of fundamental science for society more effectively.   “Both CERN and the United Nations are committed to promoting science as a driving element for society. Both organisations promote dialogue between different cultures and can propose concrete models for peaceful cooperation towards objectives that benefit society as a whole,” says Maurizio Bona, CERN's officer in charge of relations with international organisations. Although the basic motivations are clear, obtaining the prestigious status from the UN was a long process that required negotiations and diplomatic work. Following some preliminary contacts with Switzerland starting in spring 2012, the resolution to grant observer status to CERN was jointly submitted...

  1. A comparison of Wisconsin neonatal intensive care units with national data on outcomes and practices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagen, Erika W; Sadek-Badawi, Mona; Albanese, Aggie; Palta, Mari

    2008-11-01

    Improvements in neonatal care over the past 3 decades have increased survival of infants at lower birthweights and gestational ages. However, outcomes and practices vary considerably between hospitals. To describe maternal and infant characteristics, neonatal intensive care units (NICU) practices, morbidity, and mortality in Wisconsin NICUs, and to compare outcomes in Wisconsin to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development network of large academic medical center NICUs. The Newborn Lung Project Statewide Cohort is a prospective observational study of all very low birthweight (< or =1500 grams) infants admitted during 2003 and 2004 to the 16 level III NICUs in Wisconsin. Anonymous data were collected for all admitted infants (N=1463). Major neonatal morbidities, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) were evaluated. The overall incidence of BPD was 24% (8%-56% between NICUs); IVH incidence was 23% (9%-41%); the incidence of NEC was 7% (0%-21%); and the incidence of grade III or higher ROP was 10% (0%-35%). The incidence rates of major neonatal morbidities in Wisconsin were similar to those of a national network of academic NICUs.

  2. Origins of a national seismic system in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filson, John R.; Arabasz, Walter J.

    2016-01-01

    This historical review traces the origins of the current national seismic system in the United States, a cooperative effort that unifies national, regional, and local‐scale seismic monitoring within the structure of the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS). The review covers (1) the history and technological evolution of U.S. seismic networks leading up to the 1990s, (2) factors that made the 1960s and 1970s a watershed period for national attention to seismology, earthquake hazards, and seismic monitoring, (3) genesis of the vision of a national seismic system during 1980–1983, (4) obstacles and breakthroughs during 1984–1989, (5) consensus building and convergence during 1990–1992, and finally (6) the two‐step realization of a national system during 1993–2000. Particular importance is placed on developments during the period between 1980 and 1993 that culminated in the adoption of a charter for the Council of the National Seismic System (CNSS)—the foundation for the later ANSS. Central to this story is how many individuals worked together toward a common goal of a more rational and sustainable approach to national earthquake monitoring in the United States. The review ends with the emergence of ANSS during 1999 and 2000 and its statutory authorization by Congress in November 2000.

  3. Statement to the 54th session of the United Nations General Assembly. United Nations, New York, 4 November 1999

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    ElBaradei, M.

    1999-01-01

    In his Statement to the 54th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (New York, 4 November 1999), the Director General of the IAEA presented some of the major Agency's achievements in fulfilling its mandate as described in the Annual Report of the IAEA for 1998, and also some of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead

  4. National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System: Two Decades of Advancing Public Health Through Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karp, Beth E; Tate, Heather; Plumblee, Jodie R; Dessai, Uday; Whichard, Jean M; Thacker, Eileen L; Hale, Kis Robertson; Wilson, Wanda; Friedman, Cindy R; Griffin, Patricia M; McDermott, Patrick F

    2017-10-01

    Drug-resistant bacterial infections pose a serious and growing public health threat globally. In this review, we describe the role of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) in providing data that help address the resistance problem and show how such a program can have broad positive impacts on public health. NARMS was formed two decades ago to help assess the consequences to human health arising from the use of antimicrobial drugs in food animal production in the United States. A collaboration among the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, and state and local health departments, NARMS uses an integrated "One Health" approach to monitor antimicrobial resistance in enteric bacteria from humans, retail meat, and food animals. NARMS has adapted to changing needs and threats by expanding surveillance catchment areas, examining new isolate sources, adding bacteria, adjusting sampling schemes, and modifying antimicrobial agents tested. NARMS data are not only essential for ensuring that antimicrobial drugs approved for food animals are used in ways that are safe for human health but they also help address broader food safety priorities. NARMS surveillance, applied research studies, and outbreak isolate testing provide data on the emergence of drug-resistant enteric bacteria; genetic mechanisms underlying resistance; movement of bacterial populations among humans, food, and food animals; and sources and outcomes of resistant and susceptible infections. These data can be used to guide and evaluate the impact of science-based policies, regulatory actions, antimicrobial stewardship initiatives, and other public health efforts aimed at preserving drug effectiveness, improving patient outcomes, and preventing infections. Many improvements have been made to NARMS over time and the program will continue to adapt to address emerging resistance threats, changes in

  5. Fast forward for the United Nations. Human security becomes a unifying force

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Annan, Kofi

    2005-01-01

    This paper speaks about the author's vision of a safer world and a better United Nations. The global threats of our age include terrorism, deadly weapons, genocide, infectious disease, poverty, environmental degradation and organized crime. They will not wait for States to sort out their differences. That is why we must act now to strengthen our collective defences. We must unite to master today's threats, and not allow them to divide and master us. And I submit that the only universal instrument that can bring States together in such a global effort is the United Nations. One must acknowledge that the United Nations is not perfect. At times, it shows its age. But our world will not easily find a better instrument for forging a sustained, global response to today's threats. We must use it to unite around common priorities - and act on them. And we must agree on a plan to reform the United Nations - and get on with the job of implementing it. This message lies at the heart of the recent report, A More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility. It is the work of the Panel of 16 men and women from around the world I appointed last year. The report contains a powerful vision of collective security. Whether the threat is terrorism or AIDS, a threat to one is a threat to all. Our defences are only as strong as their weakest link. We will be safest if we work together

  6. A national and international analysis of changing forest density.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aapo Rautiainen

    Full Text Available Like cities, forests grow by spreading out or by growing denser. Both inventories taken steadily by a single nation and other inventories gathered recently from many nations by the United Nations confirm the asynchronous effects of changing area and of density or volume per hectare. United States forests spread little after 1953, while growing density per hectare increased national volume and thus sequestered carbon. The 2010 United Nations appraisal of global forests during the briefer span of two decades after 1990 reveals a similar pattern: A slowing decline of area with growing volume means growing density in 68 nations encompassing 72% of reported global forest land and 68% of reported global carbon mass. To summarize, the nations were placed in 5 regions named for continents. During 1990-2010 national density grew unevenly, but nevertheless grew in all regions. Growing density was responsible for substantially increasing sequestered carbon in the European and North American regions, despite smaller changes in area. Density nudged upward in the African and South American regions as area loss outstripped the loss of carbon. For the Asian region, density grew in the first decade and fell slightly in the second as forest area expanded. The different courses of area and density disqualify area as a proxy for volume and carbon. Applying forestry methods traditionally used to measure timber volumes still offers a necessary route to measuring carbon stocks. With little expansion of forest area, managing for timber growth and density offered a way to increase carbon stocks.

  7. New representative of the Director-General of the IAEA to the United Nations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-01-01

    The document gives information about Mr. Kwaku Aning (Ghana) who was nominated as the Representative of the Director-General of the IAEA to the United Nations and as Director of its Office at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, as of 1 February 2000

  8. Reflective practices at the Security Council: Children and armed conflict and the three United Nations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bode, Ingvild

    2018-06-01

    The United Nations Security Council passed its first resolution on children in armed conflict in 1999, making it one of the oldest examples of Security Council engagement with a thematic mandate and leading to the creation of a dedicated working group in 2005. Existing theoretical accounts of the Security Council cannot account for the developing substance of the children and armed conflict agenda as they are macro-oriented and focus exclusively on states. I argue that Security Council decision-making on thematic mandates is a productive process whose outcomes are created by and through practices of actors across the three United Nations: member states (the first United Nations), United Nations officials (the second United Nations) and non-governmental organizations (the third United Nations). In presenting a practice-based, micro-oriented analysis of the children and armed conflict agenda, the article aims to deliver on the empirical promise of practice theories in International Relations. I make two contributions to practice-based understandings: first, I argue that actors across the three United Nations engage in reflective practices of a strategic or tactical nature to manage, arrange or create space in Security Council decision-making. Portraying practices as reflective rather than as only based on tacit knowledge highlights how actors may creatively adapt their practices to social situations. Second, I argue that particular individuals from the three United Nations are more likely to become recognized as competent performers of practices because of their personality, understood as plural socialization experiences. This adds varied individual agency to practice theories that, despite their micro-level interests, have focused on how agency is relationally constituted.

  9. Seasonal and decadal information towards climate services: EUPORIAS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buontempo, Carlo; Hewitt, Chris

    2013-04-01

    Societies have always faced challenges and opportunities arising from variations in climate, and have often flourished or collapsed depending on their ability to adapt to such changes. Recent advances in our understanding and ability to forecast climate variability and climate change have meant that skilful predictions are beginning to be routinely made on seasonal to decadal (s2d) timescales. Such forecasts have the potential to be of great value to a wide range of decision-making, where outcomes are strongly influenced by variations in the climate. The European Commission have recently commissioned a major four year long project (EUPORIAS) to develop prototype end-to-end climate impact prediction services operating on a seasonal to decadal timescale, and assess their value in informing decision-making. EUPORIAS commenced on 1 November 2012, coordinated by the UK Met Office leading a consortium of 24 organisations representing world-class European climate research and climate service centres, expertise in impacts assessments and seasonal predictions, two United Nations agencies, specialists in new media, and commercial companies in climate-vulnerable sectors such as energy, water and tourism. The paper describes the setup of the project, its main outcome and some of the very preliminary results.

  10. Addressing Child Poverty: How Does the United States Compare With Other Nations?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smeeding, Timothy; Thévenot, Céline

    2016-04-01

    Poverty during childhood raises a number of policy challenges. The earliest years are critical in terms of future cognitive and emotional development and early health outcomes, and have long-lasting consequences on future health. In this article child poverty in the United States is compared with a set of other developed countries. To the surprise of few, results show that child poverty is high in the United States. But why is poverty so much higher in the United States than in other rich nations? Among child poverty drivers, household composition and parent's labor market participation matter a great deal. But these are not insurmountable problems. Many of these disadvantages can be overcome by appropriate public policies. For example, single mothers have a very high probability of poverty in the United States, but this is not the case in other countries where the provision of work support increases mothers' labor earnings and together with strong public cash support effectively reduces child poverty. In this article we focus on the role and design of public expenditure to understand the functioning of the different national systems and highlight ways for improvements to reduce child poverty in the United States. We compare relative child poverty in the United States with poverty in a set of selected countries. The takeaway is that the United States underinvests in its children and their families and in so doing this leads to high child poverty and poor health and educational outcomes. If a nation like the United States wants to decrease poverty and improve health and life chances for poor children, it must support parental employment and incomes, and invest in children's futures as do other similar nations with less child poverty. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. National Agricultural Library | United States Department of Agriculture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skip to main content Home National Agricultural Library United States Department of Agriculture Ag Terms of Service Frequently Asked Questions Policies and Documentation Ag Data Commons Monthly Metrics News Contact Us Search  Log inRegister Home Home About Policies and Documentation Ag Data Commons

  12. The Texts of the Agency's Agreements with the United Nations; Texte Des Accords Conclus Entre L'Agence Et L'Organisation Des Nations Unies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1959-10-30

    The texts of the following agreements and supplementary agreements between the Agency and the United Nations are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency: I. A. Agreement Governing the Relationship Between the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency; B. Protocol Concerning the Entry into Force of the Agreement between the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency; II. Administrative Arrangement Concerning the Use of the United Nations Laissez-Passer by Officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency; and III. Agreement for the Admission of the International Atomic Energy Agency into the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund [French] Le texte des accords et des accords additionnels ci-apres, conclus entre l'Agence et l'Organisation des Nations Unies, est reproduit dans le present document pour l'information de tous les Membres de l'Agence. A.Accord regissant les relations entre l'Organisation des Nations Unies et l'Agence internationale de l'energie atomique; B.Protocole relatif a l'entree en vigueur de l'accord conclu entre l'Organisation des Nations Unies et l'Agence internationale de l'energie atomique; II.Dispositions administratives concernant l'utilisation du laissez-passer de l'Organisation des Nations Unies par les fonctionnaires de l'Agence internationale de l'energie atomique; III.Accord en vue de l'admission de l'Agence internationale de l'energie atomique a la Caisse commune des pensions du personnel des Nations Unies.

  13. Principles and foundation: national standards on quantities and units in nuclear science field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Lishu

    1993-11-01

    The main contents of National Standards on Quantities and units of atomic and nuclear physics (GB 3102.9) and Quantities and Units of nuclear reactions and ionizing radiations (GB 310.10) are presented in which most important quantities with their symbols and definitions in the nuclear scientific field are given. The principles and foundation, including the International System of Units (SI) and its application to the nuclear scientific field, in the setting of the National Standards are explained

  14. Peru Brand: a Nation under Construction?

    OpenAIRE

    Elder Cuevas-Calderón

    2016-01-01

    During the last decade Peru has experienced a euphoric rediscovery –pseudo revaluation as a country– due to its booming gastronomy, tourism and economic growth.In this context, the presentresearch uses semio-psychoanalytic and postcolonial theories to explain Peru’s social outlook regarding the concept of nation, its reunion with a non-existent identity and the construction of the idea of nation based on the marketing campaign titled the Peru Brand. Thus, Peru Brand, far from uniting all Peru...

  15. Global Estimated Net Migration Grids by Decade: 1970-2000

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Global Estimated Net Migration by Decade: 1970-2000 data set provides estimates of net migration over the three decades from 1970 to 2000. Because of the lack of...

  16. United Nations Global Compact as a driver of Sustainable Development through businesses

    OpenAIRE

    Bereng, Reitumetse Esther

    2018-01-01

    The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) was created in 2000 as a global compact between the United Nations and the Corporate Sector to induce businesses to incorporate principles that relate to human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption into their corporate actions in order to contribute to sustainable development. This report reviews the tools used by the UNGC to ensure that its members´ strategies and operations align to the basic principles.

  17. Sustainable Procurement in the United Nations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund-Thomsen, Peter; Costa, Nives

    2011-01-01

    are highly contested among UN procurement officers and member states. However, so far the debate has mostly been based on assumptions about how the implementation of SP might affect developing country stakeholders. In fact, very few academic studies have been made of the economic, social and environmental......This paper deals with the integration of economic, social and environmental criteria into the purchasing practices of the United Nations (UN) system--also known as the UN engagement in sustainable procurement (SP). We argue that the debates about the pros and cons of the UN engaging in SP...

  18. United nations internship programme policy and the need for its amendment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Novaković Marko

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available An internship at the United Nations is an opportunity that young people interested in international law, international relations, and many other fields, perceive as he best possible career starting point - and rightfully so. The United Nations internship is an experience second to none in the world of international organizations and this is why it must be available to the widest range of people, regardless of their status, place of birth and social context. However, the current United Nations internship policy is very controversial and in desperate need of a change. While voices for change of policy are raised more and more, this topic has been very rarely addressed in academic literature across the world and papers and books dealing exclusively with this issue are almost non-existent. In this article, the author will address the main points of the concern regarding unpaid internship and will offer potential solutions for its improvement. This article is a humble contribution that will hopefully instigate wider academic acknowledgment of this problem and eventually contribute to the resolution of this unfortunate practice.

  19. Ethiopia before the United Nations Treaty Monitoring Bodies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Brems

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Among the many human rights conventions adopted by the UN, seven are known — together with their additional protocols — as the core international human rights instruments: - The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; - The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; - The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; - The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women; - The Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; - The Convention on the Rights of the Child;  - The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.  The main international control mechanism under these conventions is what may be considered the standard mechanism in international human rights protection: state reporting before an international committee. An initial report is due usually one year after joining the treaty and afterwards, reports are due periodically (every four or five years. The international committees examine the reports submitted by the state parties. In the course of this examination they include information from other sources, such as the press, other United Nations materials or NGO information. They also hold a meeting with representatives of the state submitting the report. At the end of this process the committee issues 'concluding observations' or 'concluding comments'. This paper focuses on the experience of one state — Ethiopia - with the seven core human rights treaties. This should allow the reader to gain insights both into the human rights situation in Ethiopia and in the functioning of the United Nations human rights protection system. Key Words: United Nations, Human Rights Conventions, State Reporting, Human Rights Situation in Ethiopia

  20. Current National Weather Service Watches, Warnings, or Advisories for the United States

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center uses RSS feeds to disseminate all watches, warnings and advisories for the United States that are...

  1. Looking back to move forward: collaborative planning to revise the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests land and resource management plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michael J. Dockry

    2015-01-01

    The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (Forest Service) manages 154 national forests and 20 grasslands in 44 states and Puerto Rico. National Forest Land and Resource Management Plans (forest plans) form the basis for land and resource management of national forests in the United States. For more than a decade the Forest Service has been attempting...

  2. Denmark's National Inventory Report - Submitted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1990-2001

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Illerup, J. B.; Lyck, E.; Nielsen, M.

    This report is Denmark's National Inventory Report reported to the Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) due by 15 April 2003. The report contains information on Denmark's in-ventories for all years' from 1990 to 2001 for CO2, CH4, N2O......, CO, NMVOC, SO2 , HFCs, PFCs and SF6....

  3. The United Nations Framework Classification for World Petroleum Resources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahlbrandt, T.S.; Blystad, P.; Young, E.D.; Slavov, S.; Heiberg, S.

    2003-01-01

    The United Nations has developed an international framework classification for solid fuels and minerals (UNFC). This is now being extended to petroleum by building on the joint classification of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the World Petroleum Congresses (WPC) and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). The UNFC is a 3-dimansional classification. This: Is necessary in order to migrate accounts of resource quantities that are developed on one or two of the axes to the common basis; Provides for more precise reporting and analysis. This is particularly useful in analyses of contingent resources. The characteristics of the SPE/WPC/AAPG classification has been preserved and enhanced to facilitate improved international and national petroleum resource management, corporate business process management and financial reporting. A UN intergovernmental committee responsible for extending the UNFC to extractive energy resources (coal, petroleum and uranium) will meet in Geneva on October 30th and 31st to review experiences gained and comments received during 2003. A recommended classification will then be delivered for consideration to the United Nations through the Committee on Sustainable Energy of the Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE).

  4. Model United Nations comes to CERN

    CERN Multimedia

    Anaïs Schaeffer

    2012-01-01

    From 20 to 22 January pupils from international schools in Switzerland, France and Turkey came to CERN for three days of "UN-type" conferences.   The MUN organisers, who are all pupils at the Lycée international in Ferney-Voltaire, worked tirelessly for weeks to make the event a real success. The members of the MUN/MFNU association at the Lycée international in Ferney-Voltaire spent several months preparing for their first "Model United Nations" (MUN),  a simulation of a UN session at which young "diplomats" take on the role of delegates representing different nations to discuss a given topic. And as their chosen topic was science, it was only natural that they should hold the event at CERN. For three days, from 20 to 22 January, no fewer than 340 pupils from 12 international schools* in Switzerland, France and Turkey came together to deliberate, consult and debate on the importance of scientific progress fo...

  5. Updated United Nations Framework Classification for reserves and resources of extractive industries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahlbrandt, T.S.; Blaise, J.R.; Blystad, P.; Kelter, D.; Gabrielyants, G.; Heiberg, S.; Martinez, A.; Ross, J.G.; Slavov, S.; Subelj, A.; Young, E.D.

    2004-01-01

    The United Nations have studied how the oil and gas resource classification developed jointly by the SPE, the World Petroleum Congress (WPC) and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) could be harmonized with the United Nations Framework Classification (UNFC) for Solid Fuel and Mineral Resources (1). The United Nations has continued to build on this and other works, with support from many relevant international organizations, with the objective of updating the UNFC to apply to the extractive industries. The result is the United Nations Framework Classification for Energy and Mineral Resources (2) that this paper will present. Reserves and resources are categorized with respect to three sets of criteria: ??? Economic and commercial viability ??? Field project status and feasibility ??? The level of geologic knowledge The field project status criteria are readily recognized as the ones highlighted in the SPE/WPC/AAPG classification system of 2000. The geologic criteria absorb the rich traditions that form the primary basis for the Russian classification system, and the ones used to delimit, in part, proved reserves. Economic and commercial criteria facilitate the use of the classification in general, and reflect the commercial considerations used to delimit proved reserves in particular. The classification system will help to develop a common understanding of reserves and resources for all the extractive industries and will assist: ??? International and national resources management to secure supplies; ??? Industries' management of business processes to achieve efficiency in exploration and production; and ??? An appropriate basis for documenting the value of reserves and resources in financial statements.

  6. United Nations' Concept of Justice and Fairness in The Context of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Perhaps the inability of the United Nations to manage some international conflicts successfully coupled with its passivity on matters that involve some powerful nations on may be responsible for its criticism by some analysts. These critics, in turn, may not have considered holistically, the UN programmes which have ...

  7. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Facility Radionuclide Emissions Units and Sampling Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barnett, J. Matthew; Brown, Jason H.; Walker, Brian A.

    2012-04-01

    Battelle–Pacific Northwest Division operates numerous research and development (R&D) laboratories in Richland, WA, including those associated with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Hanford Site and PNNL Site that have the potential for radionuclide air emissions. The National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP 40 CFR 61, Subparts H and I) requires an assessment of all emission units that have the potential for radionuclide air emissions. Potential emissions are assessed annually by PNNL staff members. Sampling, monitoring, and other regulatory compliance requirements are designated based upon the potential-to-emit dose criteria found in the regulations. The purpose of this document is to describe the facility radionuclide air emission sampling program and provide current and historical facility emission unit system performance, operation, and design information. For sampled systems, a description of the buildings, exhaust units, control technologies, and sample extraction details is provided for each registered emission unit. Additionally, applicable stack sampler configuration drawings, figures, and photographs are provided. Deregistered emission unit details are provided as necessary for up to 5 years post closure.

  8. The Future We Want: Key Issues on Sustainable Development in Higher Education after Rio and the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leal Filho, Walter; Manolas, Evangelos; Pace, Paul

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to provide a description of the achievements of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) with a focus on higher education, and it describes some of the key issues which will guide sustainable development in the coming years. Design/methodology/approach: The paper initially…

  9. EPA's Role in the United Nations Economic and Social Council

    Science.gov (United States)

    The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) considers the world’s economic, social, and environmental challenges. ECOSOC is composed of subsidiary bodies, including the recently concluded Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD).

  10. 4. national communication to the United Nation framework convention on the climatic change

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-01-01

    France, as the other involved participants, has to periodically present its actions in favor of the climatic change fight. This fourth national communication follows a plan defined by the Conference of the Parties to the United Nation Framework Convention on the Climatic Change. This report follows the third national convention published on 2001. It presents in nine chapters the actions realized to reduce and stop the greenhouse effect gases emissions and limit the impacts on the environment and public health: an analytical abstract, the conditions specific to the country, the inventory, the policies and measures, the projections and global effects of the policies and measures, the evaluation of the vulnerability and the climatic changes consequences and the adapted measures, the financial resources and the technology transfer, the research programs, the education formation and awareness of the public. (A.L.B.)

  11. Life Science's Average Publishable Unit (APU Has Increased over the Past Two Decades.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radames J B Cordero

    Full Text Available Quantitative analysis of the scientific literature is important for evaluating the evolution and state of science. To study how the density of biological literature has changed over the past two decades we visually inspected 1464 research articles related only to the biological sciences from ten scholarly journals (with average Impact Factors, IF, ranging from 3.8 to 32.1. By scoring the number of data items (tables and figures, density of composite figures (labeled panels per figure or PPF, as well as the number of authors, pages and references per research publication we calculated an Average Publishable Unit or APU for 1993, 2003, and 2013. The data show an overall increase in the average ± SD number of data items from 1993 to 2013 of approximately 7±3 to 14±11 and PPF ratio of 2±1 to 4±2 per article, suggesting that the APU has doubled in size over the past two decades. As expected, the increase in data items per article is mainly in the form of supplemental material, constituting 0 to 80% of the data items per publication in 2013, depending on the journal. The changes in the average number of pages (approx. 8±3 to 10±3, references (approx. 44±18 to 56±24 and authors (approx. 5±3 to 8±9 per article are also presented and discussed. The average number of data items, figure density and authors per publication are correlated with the journal's average IF. The increasing APU size over time is important when considering the value of research articles for life scientists and publishers, as well as, the implications of these increasing trends in the mechanisms and economics of scientific communication.

  12. Life Science's Average Publishable Unit (APU) Has Increased over the Past Two Decades.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordero, Radames J B; de León-Rodriguez, Carlos M; Alvarado-Torres, John K; Rodriguez, Ana R; Casadevall, Arturo

    2016-01-01

    Quantitative analysis of the scientific literature is important for evaluating the evolution and state of science. To study how the density of biological literature has changed over the past two decades we visually inspected 1464 research articles related only to the biological sciences from ten scholarly journals (with average Impact Factors, IF, ranging from 3.8 to 32.1). By scoring the number of data items (tables and figures), density of composite figures (labeled panels per figure or PPF), as well as the number of authors, pages and references per research publication we calculated an Average Publishable Unit or APU for 1993, 2003, and 2013. The data show an overall increase in the average ± SD number of data items from 1993 to 2013 of approximately 7±3 to 14±11 and PPF ratio of 2±1 to 4±2 per article, suggesting that the APU has doubled in size over the past two decades. As expected, the increase in data items per article is mainly in the form of supplemental material, constituting 0 to 80% of the data items per publication in 2013, depending on the journal. The changes in the average number of pages (approx. 8±3 to 10±3), references (approx. 44±18 to 56±24) and authors (approx. 5±3 to 8±9) per article are also presented and discussed. The average number of data items, figure density and authors per publication are correlated with the journal's average IF. The increasing APU size over time is important when considering the value of research articles for life scientists and publishers, as well as, the implications of these increasing trends in the mechanisms and economics of scientific communication.

  13. The role of the United Nations in the field of verification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    By resolution 43/81 B of 7 December 1988, the General Assembly requested the Secretary General to undertake, with the assistance of a group of qualified governmental experts, an in-depth study of the role of the United Nations in the field of verification. In August 1990, the Secretary-General transmitted to the General Assembly the unanimously approved report of the experts. The report is structured in six chapters and contains a bibliographic appendix on technical aspects of verification. The Introduction provides a brief historical background on the development of the question of verification in the United Nations context, culminating with the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 43/81 B, which requested the study. Chapters II and III address the definition and functions of verification and the various approaches, methods, procedures and techniques used in the process of verification. Chapters IV and V examine the existing activities of the United Nations in the field of verification, possibilities for improvements in those activities as well as possible additional activities, while addressing the organizational, technical, legal, operational and financial implications of each of the possibilities discussed. Chapter VI presents the conclusions and recommendations of the Group

  14. Nigeria and the United States: An Analysis of National Goals

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    McCarthy, John M

    2008-01-01

    Since the beginning of the 21st century, the continent of Africa has regained its importance to the United States and other developed nations, primarily due to its vast amounts of untapped resources...

  15. Education for Sustainable Development at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 2012

    2012-01-01

    The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 20-22 June 2012, marking the twentieth anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and the tenth anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. With more than…

  16. ROTARY DAY AT THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE IN GENEVA

    CERN Multimedia

    Staff Association

    2017-01-01

    We have been informed about the Rotary day at the United Nations office in Geneva. Join us on November 10th & 11th, 2017 at the United Nations office Avenue de la Paix 8-14 1211 Geneva, Switzerland   PEACE: MAKING A DIFFERENCE! Conflict and violence displace millions of people each year. Half of those killed in conflict are children, and 90 percent are civilians. We, Rotarians, refuse conflict as a way of life. But how can we contribute to Peace? And what about you? Are you keen on meeting exceptional individuals and exchanging ideas to move forward? Would you like to network and collaborate with Rotarians, Government Representatives, International Civil Servants, Representatives of Nongovernmental Organizations and Liberal Professions, Businessmen/women, and Students to make a difference in Peace? In November 2017, come to Geneva, get involved, and formulate recommendations to the international community. Together, we’ll celebrate Rotary&a...

  17. United Nations programme for the assistance in Uruguay mining exploration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1976-01-01

    The Uruguay government asked for the United Nations for the development of technical assistance programme in geological considerations of the Valentines iron deposits. This agreement was signed as Mining prospect ion assistance in Uruguay.

  18. Denmark's National Inventory Reports. Submitted under the United Nations framework convention on climate change

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boll Illerup, J.; Lyck, E.; Winther, M. [Danmarks Miljoeundersoegelser, Afd. for Systemanalyse (Denmark); Rasmussen, E. [Energistyrelsen (Denmark)

    2000-05-01

    This report is Denmark's National Inventory Report reported to the Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) due by 15 April 2000. The report contains information on Denmark's inventories for all years from 1990 to 1998 for CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}O, NO{sub x}, CO, NMVOC, SO{sub 2}, HFCs, PFCs and SF. (au)

  19. Decadal-scale climate drivers for glacial dynamics in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pederson, Gregory T.; Fagre, Daniel B.; Gray, Stephen T.; Graumlich, Lisa J.

    2004-06-01

    Little Ice Age (14th-19th centuries A.D.) glacial maxima and 20th century retreat have been well documented in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. However, the influence of regional and Pacific Basin driven climate variability on these events is poorly understood. We use tree-ring reconstructions of North Pacific surface temperature anomalies and summer drought as proxies for winter glacial accumulation and summer ablation, respectively, over the past three centuries. These records show that the 1850's glacial maximum was likely produced by ~70 yrs of cool/wet summers coupled with high snowpack. Post 1850, glacial retreat coincides with an extended period (>50 yr) of summer drought and low snowpack culminating in the exceptional events of 1917 to 1941 when retreat rates for some glaciers exceeded 100 m/yr. This research highlights potential local and ocean-based drivers of glacial dynamics, and difficulties in separating the effects of global climate change from regional expressions of decadal-scale climate variability.

  20. Trends in Daily Cannabis Use Among Cigarette Smokers: United States, 2002-2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodwin, Renee D; Pacek, Lauren R; Copeland, Jan; Moeller, Scott J; Dierker, Lisa; Weinberger, Andrea; Gbedemah, Misato; Zvolensky, Michael J; Wall, Melanie M; Hasin, Deborah S

    2018-01-01

    To estimate changes in the prevalence of daily cannabis use among current, former, and never cigarette smokers from 2002 to 2014 in the United States. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health is a nationally representative cross-sectional study conducted annually among persons aged 12 years and older in the United States. Daily cannabis use occurs nearly exclusively among nondaily and daily cigarette smokers compared with former and never smokers (8.03%, 9.01%, 2.79%, 1.05%, respectively). Daily cannabis use increased over the past decade among both nondaily (8.03% [2014] vs 2.85% [2002]; linear trend P smokers (9.01% [2014]; 4.92% [2002]; linear trend P smokers (2.79% [2014] vs 0.98% [2002]; linear trend P smokers in the United States. Daily cannabis use increased among current, former, and never smokers over the past decade, with particularly rapid increases among youth and female cigarette smokers. Future research is needed to monitor the observed increase in daily cannabis use, especially among youths and adults who smoke cigarettes.

  1. The 2011 United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The 2011 United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non- Communicable Diseases: The Africa agenda calls for a 5-by-5 approach. ... The Political Declaration issued at the meeting focused the attention of world leaders and the global health community on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

  2. The challenges of preventive diplomacy: The United Nations' post ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In Africa, however, where international borders are porous and state organs are sometimes not in .... the media, and information dissemination form part of the options available to the United .... National boundaries are blurred by ..... and arrangements for the free flow of information, including the monitoring of regional arms ...

  3. United Nations Environment Programme. Annual Report of the Executive Director, 1985.

    Science.gov (United States)

    United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi (Kenya).

    This report to the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was prepared to provide the governments of member nations with information on what UNEP had done during 1985, and to serve as a communications mechanism to replace the usual meeting of the Governing Council in 1986. It contains chapters on: (1) the year in…

  4. Forest health monitoring in the United States: focus on national reports

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurt Riitters; Kevin Potter

    2013-01-01

    The health and sustainability of United States forests have been monitored for many years from several different perspectives. The national Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program was established in 1990 by Federal and State agencies to develop a national system for monitoring and reporting on the status and trends of forest ecosystem health. We describe and illustrate...

  5. Comprehensive study on nuclear weapons. Summary of a United Nations study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    In December 1988, by resolution 43/75N, the United Nations General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to carry out a comprehensive update of a 1980 study on nuclear weapons. The study was to take into account recent relevant studies, and consider the political, legal and security aspects of: (a) nuclear arsenals and pertinent technological developments; (b) doctrines concerning nuclear weapons; (c) efforts to reduce nuclear weapons; (d) physical, environmental, medical and other effects of the use of nuclear weapons and of nuclear testing; (e) efforts to achieve a comprehensive nuclear-test ban; (f) efforts to prevent the use of nuclear weapons and their horizontal and vertical proliferation; and (g) the question of verification of compliance with nuclear-arms limitation agreements. The Group's report is presented in nine chapters, eight of which are summarized here; chapter 9, entitled ''Conclusions'', is included in its entirety. In his foreword to the report, the Secretary-General observes that the study represents the most comprehensive review of the relevant developments in the field over the last decade and was carried out during a period of ''far-reaching changes in international relations'' and an ''unprecedented evolution in the relationship between East and West''. This period experienced for the first time the initiation of an effective process of reduction of nuclear weapon stockpiles

  6. Assets, Aliens or Asylum Seekers? Immigration and the United Kingdom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haste, Helen

    2006-01-01

    British attitudes toward immigrants are complex. The United Kingdom has received regular waves of immigrants, both political and economic asylum seekers and, especially in recent decades, recruited labor from the former nations of the British Empire. Throughout its history, ambivalence among the Britons is seen due to these developments. In this…

  7. Goals for United States Higher Education: From Democracy to Globalisation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutcheson, Philo

    2011-01-01

    Although globalisation has been an increasingly important characteristic of United States higher education for over two decades, there has been little historical analysis of the process or its origins. This article argues that beginning in the early 1970s, institutional, national, and international events established a powerful context for the…

  8. SECURITY IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: COMPARING UNITED NATIONS 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WITH MILLENNIUM DECLARATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmet BARBAK

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to compare United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with Millennium Declaration in terms of their security conceptualizations to explore changes in security thinking and policy components (goals, targets, principles, priorities etc. over time. In doing so, it is envisaged that United Nations’ expectations from member states regarding their national security policies and organizations could be revealed. Security thinking has changed since late 1980’s with the introduction of sustainable development approach by the United Nations. This shift in security thinking encompasses human security and security-development nexus. Holding all member states responsible, Millennium Declaration and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development constitute the primary and the most recent outcome documents of United Nations’ sustainable development policy. Both documents have security components. This enables extracting security elements and comparing them with an analytical manner. Consequently, findings are compared and discussed in terms of public policy and organization at national level.

  9. Three Decades Of Environmental Polices In Korea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-01-01

    This book reports three decades of environmental polices in Korea, which deals with development process of environmental polices such as appearance of environment problems, social agenda as national policy on environment problems, overcoming of pollution, ensuring and advancing of environment policies and practice of idea with continuous development, change of propel system on environment administration. It also introduces three decades of environmental polices by fields, related public institution and major similar institution.

  10. "A necessary supplement" : what the United Nations global compact is and is not

    OpenAIRE

    Rasche, Andreas

    2009-01-01

    The United Nations Global Compact is with currently more than 6,000 voluntary participants the world's largest corporate citizenship initiative. This article first analyzes three critical allegations often made against the Compact by looking at the academic and nonacademic literature. (1) The Compact supports the capture of the United Nations by "big business." (2) Its 10 principles are vague and thus hard to implement. (3) The Compact is not accountable due to an absence of verification mech...

  11. Workgroup Report: Implementing a National Occupational Reproductive Research Agenda—Decade One and Beyond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawson, Christina C.; Grajewski, Barbara; Daston, George P.; Frazier, Linda M.; Lynch, Dennis; McDiarmid, Melissa; Murono, Eisuke; Perreault, Sally D.; Robbins, Wendie A.; Ryan, Megan A.K.; Shelby, Michael; Whelan, Elizabeth A.

    2006-01-01

    The initial goal of occupational reproductive health research is to effectively study the many toxicants, physical agents, and biomechanical and psychosocial stressors that may constitute reproductive hazards in the workplace. Although the main objective of occupational reproductive researchers and clinicians is to prevent recognized adverse reproductive outcomes, research has expanded to include a broader spectrum of chronic health outcomes potentially affected by reproductive toxicants. To aid in achieving these goals, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, along with its university, federal, industry, and labor colleagues, formed the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) in 1996. NORA resulted in 21 research teams, including the Reproductive Health Research Team (RHRT). In this report, we describe progress made in the last decade by the RHRT and by others in this field, including prioritizing reproductive toxicants for further study; facilitating collaboration among epidemiologists, biologists, and toxicologists; promoting quality exposure assessment in field studies and surveillance; and encouraging the design and conduct of priority occupational reproductive studies. We also describe new tools for screening reproductive toxicants and for analyzing mode of action. We recommend considering outcomes such as menopause and latent adverse effects for further study, as well as including exposures such as shift work and nanomaterials. We describe a broad domain of scholarship activities where a cohesive system of organized and aligned work activities integrates 10 years of team efforts and provides guidance for future research. PMID:16507468

  12. A National Audit of Smoking Cessation Services in Irish Maternity Units

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    2017-06-01

    There is international consensus that smoking cessation in the first half of pregnancy improves foetal outcomes. We surveyed all 19 maternity units nationally about their antenatal smoking cessation practices. All units recorded details on maternal smoking at the first antenatal visit. Only one unit validated the self-reported smoking status of pregnant women using a carbon monoxide breath test. Twelve units (63%) recorded timing of smoking cessation. In all units women who reported smoking were given verbal cessation advice. This was supported by written advice in 12 units (63%), but only six units (32%) had all midwives trained to provide this advice. Only five units (26%) reported routinely revisiting smoking status later in pregnancy. Although smoking is an important modifiable risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes, smoking cessation services are inadequate in the Irish maternity services and there are variations in practices between hospitals.

  13. The United Nations General Assembly and Disarmament 1987

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-01-01

    The report offers a summary of the proposals made and action taken on disarmament issues by the Assembly at its forty-second regular session. It is published in the framework of the World Disarmament Campaign, which was launched by a unanimous decision of the Assembly in 1982 to inform, to educate and to generate public understanding and support for the objectives of the United Nations in the field of disarmament

  14. The United Nations' endeavour to standardize mineral resource classification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schanz, J.J. Jr.

    1980-01-01

    The United Nations' Economic and Social Council passed a resolution in July 1975 calling for the development of a mineral resources classification system to be used in reporting data to the United Nations. Following preparation of background papers and an agenda by the UN Centre for Natural Resources, Energy and Transport, a panel of experts recommended a classification system to the Council's Committee on Natural Resources. The Committee met in Turkey in June 1979 and has reported favourably to the Council on the proposed system. The classification system is designed to provide maximum capability for requesting and receiving data from the resources data systems already used internally by major mineral producing nations. In addition, the system provides for flexibility in adjusting to the particular needs of individual mineral commodities. The proposed system involves three basic categories of in-situ resources: R-1, reliable estimates of known deposits; R-2, preliminary estimates of the extensions of known deposits; and, R-3, tentative estimates of quantities to be found in undiscovered deposits. As an option for given countries and commodities, the R-1 category can be further sub-divided into: R-1-E, economic; R-1-M, marginal; and R-1-S, sub-economic. Finally, the classification scheme provides for all categories to have a parallel set of estimates of recoverable mineral quantities. (author)

  15. Assessment of National Practice for Palliative Radiation Therapy for Bone Metastases Suggests Marked Underutilization of Single-Fraction Regimens in the United States

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rutter, Charles E., E-mail: charles.rutter@yale.edu [Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (United States); Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut (United States); Yu, James B.; Wilson, Lynn D.; Park, Henry S. [Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (United States); Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut (United States)

    2015-03-01

    Purpose: To characterize temporal trends in the application of various bone metastasis fractionations within the United States during the past decade, using the National Cancer Data Base; the primary aim was to determine whether clinical practice in the United States has changed over time to reflect the published randomized evidence and the growing movement for value-based treatment decisions. Patients and Methods: The National Cancer Data Base was used to identify patients treated to osseous metastases from breast, prostate, and lung cancer. Utilization of single-fraction versus multiple-fraction radiation therapy was compared according to demographic, disease-related, and health care system details. Results: We included 24,992 patients treated during the period 2005-2011 for bone metastases. Among patients treated to non-spinal/vertebral sites (n=9011), 4.7% received 8 Gy in 1 fraction, whereas 95.3% received multiple-fraction treatment. Over time the proportion of patients receiving a single fraction of 8 Gy increased (from 3.4% in 2005 to 7.5% in 2011). Numerous independent predictors of single-fraction treatment were identified, including older age, farther travel distance for treatment, academic treatment facility, and non-private health insurance (P<.05). Conclusions: Single-fraction palliative radiation therapy regimens are significantly underutilized in current practice in the United States. Further efforts are needed to address this issue, such that evidence-based and cost-conscious care becomes more commonplace.

  16. Six decades of educational multilateralism in a globalising world: The history of the UNESCO Institute in Hamburg

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elfert, Maren

    2013-07-01

    Created in 1945 as a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was given, among other mandates, the task of reconstructing education systems devastated during the Second World War. UNESCO, in turn, and after some debate about an engagement in Germany, founded the UNESCO Institute for Education (UIE) in Hamburg in 1952. This paper traces the development of an institute which was founded to contribute to social renewal in war-torn Germany and Europe, functioned as a mediator between Western and Eastern countries during the Cold War and later shifted its geographical focus to developing countries. The institute was instrumental in conceptualising lifelong learning as a global educational paradigm, as well as in shaping the shift from education to learning and the concept of literacy as a "continuum". The author is particularly interested in the nature of the institute's niche which secured its survival in the uncertain domain of educational multilateralism in the past six decades.

  17. Building Human Rights, Peace and Development within the United Nations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Guillermet Fernández

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available War and peace have perpetually alternated in history. Consequently, peace has always been seen as an endless project, even a dream, to be in brotherhood realized by everyone across the earth. Since the XVII century the elimination of war and armed conflict has been a political and humanitarian objective of all nations in the world. Both the League of Nations and the United Nations were conceived with the spirit of eliminating the risk of war through the promotion of peace, cooperation and solidarity among Nations. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the subsequent human rights instruments were drafted with a sincere aspiration of promoting the value of peace and human rights worldwide. International practice shows the close linkage between the disregard of human rights and the existence of war and armed conflict. It follows that the role of human rights in the prevention of war and armed conflict is very important. Since 2008 the Human Rights Council has been working on the ‘Promotion of the Right of Peoples to Peace.’ Pursuant resolutions 20/15 and 23/16 the Council decided firstly to establish, and secondly to extend the mandate of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG aimed at progressively negotiating a draft United Nations declaration on the right to peace. The OEGW welcomed in its second session (July 2014 the approach of the Chairperson-Rapporteur, which is basically based on the relationship between the right to life and human rights, peace and development.

  18. National Lexicography Units: Past, Present, Future Nasionale leksikografiese eenhede: Verlede, hede, toekoms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariëtta Alberts

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available This article deals with the national dictionary offices of the previous bilingual dispensation, the eleven official national dictionary offices in the present multilingual dispensation, and the future prospects of these offices. It discusses the past dispensation in terms of the need and reasons for the establishment of national dictionary offices, i.e. national lexicography units (NLUs. Attention is given to the prescripts of the National Lexicography Units Bill (1996 for the establishment of NLUs, as well as the transfer of these units from the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology to the Pan South African Language Board. The restructuring of dictionary units that existed prior to the multilingual dispensation is considered, together with the establishment of new dictionary units for the official African languages. The present situation is dealt with by describing the status quo at the NLUs in terms of housing, administration, funding, management, training, computerisation, cooperation, production and the like. The article concludes with some questions and reservations about the future of the NLUs, followed by a number of apposite recommendations.Hierdie artikel handel oor die nasionale woordeboekkantore tydens die voormalige tweetalige bedeling, die huidige meertalige bedeling waarin kantore vir die elf amptelike nasionale woordeboeke funksioneer, en die toekoms van hierdie kantore. Aspekte van die vorige bedeling word bespreek ten opsigte van die behoefte aan en redes vir die stigting van nasionale woordeboekkantore oftewel nasionale leksikografiese eenhede (NLEe. Die soeklig val op voorskrifte van die wetsontwerp oor nasionale leksikografiese eenhede (1996 vir die stigting van sodanige eenhede, sowel as op hul oordrag van die Departement van Kuns, Kultuur, Wetenskap en Tegnologie na die Pan-Suid-Afrikaanse Taalraad. Verder fokus die artikel op die herstrukturering van daardie woordeboekeenhede wat voor die meertalige bedeling

  19. An Analytical Review of the United States National Interests in Korea

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Swope, Frederick

    2004-01-01

    ... and interests for continued security on the peninsula and in the region. It will address these new growing tensions and review the United States National interests and policy differences with South Korea...

  20. Denmark's national inventory report. Submitted under the United Nations framework convention on climate change, 1990-2001. Emission inventories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Illerup, J.B.; Lyck, E.; Nielsen, M.; Winther, M.; Hjort Mikkelsen, M.

    2003-01-01

    This report is Denmark's National Inventory Report reported to the Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) due bye 15 April 2003. The report contains information on Denmark's inventories for all years' from 1990 to 2001 for CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O, CO, NMVOC, SO 2 , HFCs, PFCs and SF 6 . (au)

  1. Enhancing Advocacy for Eye Care at National Levels: What Steps to Take for the Next Decade?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabiu, Muhammad Mansur; Al Rajhi, Abdulaziz; Qureshi, Mohammed Babar; Gersbeck, Jennifer

    2012-01-01

    The global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness by the year 2020-(VISION 2020- The Right to Sight), established in 1999, is a partnership of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), governments, bilateral organizations, corporate bodies and the World Health Organization. The goal is to eliminate the major causes of avoidable blindness by the year 2020. Significant progress has been made in the last decade. For example, the adoption of three major World Health Assembly resolutions (WHA 56.26, 59.25 and 62.1) requesting governments to increase support and funding for the prevention of blindness and eye care. Additionally, the approval of the VISION 2020 declaration, development of plans and establishment of prevention of blindness committees and a designation of a coordinator by most participating countries represent other major achievements. Furthermore there has been increased political and professional commitment to the prevention of visual impairment and an increase in the provision of high-quality, sustainable eye care. Most of these achievements have been attributed to the advocacy efforts of VISION 2020 at the international level. The full success of this global initiative will likely depend on the extent to which the WHA resolutions are implemented in each country. However, most ratifying countries have not moved forward with implementation of these resolutions. To date, only few countries have shown consistent government support and funding for eye care pursuant to the resolutions. One of the main reasons for this may be inadequate and inappropriate advocacy for eye care at the national level. As such it is believed that the success of VISION 2020 in the next decade will depend on intense advocacy campaigns at national levels. This review identified some of the countries and health programs that have had fruitful advocacy efforts, to determine the factors that dictated success. The review highlights the factors of successful advocacy in two

  2. DECADE design and testing status

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sincerny, P.; Childers, K.; Goyer, J.; Kortbawi, D.; Roth, I.; Stallings, C.; Dempsey, J.; Schlitt, L.

    1996-01-01

    DECADE is a very high power generator that will be built at Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tullahoma, Tennessee, by the Defense Special Weapons Agency. The full facility consists of 16 modules. Two full power modules (DM1 and DM2) have been built to verify the DECADE design at Physics International. Each module consists of a 570 kJ Marx generator that pulse charges a water transfer capacitor. The transfer capacitor discharges into a water output line through an array of 6 parallel triggered gas switches. The water output line then pulse charges the inductive store/opening switch pulse compression stage. When the opening switch opens, the inductive store discharges into an electron beam bremsstrahlung diode load. The initial testing of the DM1 module has been completed. The electrical design of the module will be presented, including circuit modeling results. The test data from a module will be compared to the modeling results. This test data, including reproducibility and timing accuracy, was used to predict the output from the full system of 16 modules and a subset of 4 unit modules (DECADE Quad). One option under consideration is to deploy a DECADE Quad at the testing center in Tennessee prior to the full 16 module system. The design sketch of the DECADE Quad and the predicted output based on the modeling and the demonstrated module performance is given. (author). 11 figs., 11 refs

  3. DECADE design and testing status

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sincerny, P; Childers, K; Goyer, J; Kortbawi, D; Roth, I; Stallings, C; Dempsey, J [Physics International Company, San Leandro, CA (United States); Schlitt, L [Leland Schlitt Consulting Services, Livermore, CA (United States)

    1997-12-31

    DECADE is a very high power generator that will be built at Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tullahoma, Tennessee, by the Defense Special Weapons Agency. The full facility consists of 16 modules. Two full power modules (DM1 and DM2) have been built to verify the DECADE design at Physics International. Each module consists of a 570 kJ Marx generator that pulse charges a water transfer capacitor. The transfer capacitor discharges into a water output line through an array of 6 parallel triggered gas switches. The water output line then pulse charges the inductive store/opening switch pulse compression stage. When the opening switch opens, the inductive store discharges into an electron beam bremsstrahlung diode load. The initial testing of the DM1 module has been completed. The electrical design of the module will be presented, including circuit modeling results. The test data from a module will be compared to the modeling results. This test data, including reproducibility and timing accuracy, was used to predict the output from the full system of 16 modules and a subset of 4 unit modules (DECADE Quad). One option under consideration is to deploy a DECADE Quad at the testing center in Tennessee prior to the full 16 module system. The design sketch of the DECADE Quad and the predicted output based on the modeling and the demonstrated module performance is given. (author). 11 figs., 11 refs.

  4. EnviroAtlas - National Inventory of Dams for the Conterminous United States

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This EnviroAtlas dataset is a summary of the National Dams Inventory data from 2009 survey. The file contains counts of inventoried dams by 12-digit hydrologic units...

  5. The incompatibility of the United Nations' goals and conventionalist ethical relativism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kopelman, Loretta M

    2005-09-01

    The Universal Draft Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights seeks to provide moral direction to nations and their citizens on a series of bioethical concerns. In articulating principles, it ranks respect for human rights, human dignity and fundamental freedoms ahead of respect for cultural diversity and pluralism. This ranking is controversial because it entails the rejection of the popular theory, conventionalist ethical relativism. If consistently defended, this theory also undercuts other United Nations activities that assume member states and people around the world can reach trans-cultural judgments having moral authority about health, pollution, aggression, rights, slavery, and so on. To illustrate problems with conventionalist ethical relativism and the importance of rejecting it for reasons of health, human rights, human dignity and fundamental freedoms, the widespread practice of female genital circumcision or cutting is discussed. These surgeries are virtually a test case for conventionalist ethical relativism since they are widely supported within these cultures as religious and health practices and widely condemned outside them, including by the United Nations.

  6. The United Nations disarmament yearbook. V. 25: 2000

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    The 2000 edition of The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook provides a descriptive narrative of events at the United Nations in the field of disarmament during the year of the historic Millennium Assembly. Though The Yearbook is now in its 25th edition, its more distant roots date back to the Armaments Year-Books issued by the League of Nations. Then, as now, nation-States and members of the concerned public have found it useful to have in one place a handy shelf reference documenting the triumphs and setbacks of the world community's efforts to reduce and eliminate the deadliest of weapons. The year 2000 marked a crucial juncture in the history of disarmament. During the Millennium Summit, 22 States responded to the Secretary-General's invitation to ratify six key legal instruments in the field of disarmament. Over the course of the year, 86 States chose to advance their security interests by ratifying or acceding to a wide range of disarmament treaties. The solemn 'ends' of disarmament also guided the deliberation of roughly 50 resolutions in the General Assembly as well as the work of many institutions throughout the United Nations disarmament machinery, including the Disarmament Commission, the Department for Disarmament Affairs and its three regional centres, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, and the Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters. Even the Conference on Disarmament, which has been deadlocked for so many years, has persisted in its efforts to forge a new consensus on a multilateral agenda for this difficult field. The Security Council also devoted attention to aspects of disarmament pertaining to peace-keeping and peace-building.With respect to the 'means' of disarmament, the world community reaffirmed its determination to implement agreed disarmament commitments and to work out arrangements in new areas. The States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) after four weeks of

  7. International law and United Nations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Savić Matej

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Along with centuries-lasting open military pretensions of world superpowers, modern diplomacy has developed, as beginning a war, as well as coming to peace demanded political activity which resulted, first in signing, and then coming into effect of international documents, on the basis of which, a foundation for the modern international order has been cast. Further on, by the formation of international organizations, codification has been allowed, as well as a progressive development of international law. Additionally, in the sense of preserving international peace and security, first the League of Nations was formed, and following the ending of World War II, the UN. Generally, the functioning of the United Nation's organs, has been regulated by legal rules, however political goals, tendencies, and mechanisms which the member states are using determine greatly the activity above all of the Security Council, but furthermore of the General Assembly, as a plenary organ. Nevertheless, the achieved results of the Commission for International Law in the meaning of creation of international conventions, as well as state adhering to the same, present unassailable achievements in the sense of development of international law. On the other hand, tendencies of motion of international relationships are aimed at establishing a multi-polar system in the international community. Today, the political scene is assuming a new appearance, by which the nearly built international system is already awaiting further progressive development.

  8. The Origin of the United Nations "Global Counter-Terrorism System"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William B. Messmer

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Este artículo explica los orígenes de sistema global antiterrorista de las Naciones Unidas. Nosotros argüimos que tres factores determinan las características de un sistema descentralizado y de estados centralizados. El primero es la reacción de la ONU contra los ataques terroristas del 11 de septiembre de 2001. El segundo factor es la cada vez mayor relevancia de las redes de gobierno transnacional. La tercera fuerza son los intereses y los asuntos del Consejo de Seguridad permanente, que últimamente determina la arquitectura del sistema.9/11, United Nations, Security Council, transnacional governance networks,counter-terrorism system.___________________________ABSTRACT:This article explains the origins of the United Nations’ global counter-terrorism system. We argue that three factors shaped the system’s decentralized and state-centered characteristics. The first is the UN’s reactions to terrorism prior to the attacks of 11 September 2001. The second factor is the growing relevance of transnational governance networks. The third force is the interests and concerns of the Security Council’s permanent representative interests, which ultimately shaped the system’s architecture.Keywords: 9/11; United Nations; Security Council; transnacional governance networks; counter-terrorism system

  9. A Decade of Change in NO

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    McLinden, Chris A.; Fioletov, Vitali; Krotkov, Nickolay A.; Li, Can; Boersma, Folkert; Adams, Cristen

    2016-01-01

    A decade (2005-2014) of observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) were used to examine trends in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) over a large region of western Canada and the northern United States, with a focus on the Canadian oil sands. In the

  10. United Nations International Drug Control Programme responds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Platzer

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available [First paragraph] We would like to reply to the article written by Axel Klein entitled, "Between the Death Penalty and Decriminalization: New Directions for Drug Control in the Commonwealth Caribbean" published in NWIG 75 (3&4 2001. We have noted a number of factual inaccuracies as well as hostile comments which portray the United Nations International Drug Control Programme in a negative light. This reply is not intended to be a critique of the article, which we find unbalanced and polemical, but rather an alert to the tendentious statements about UNDCP, which we feel should be corrected.

  11. The New Zealand National Eye Bank study: trends in the acquisition and storage of corneal tissue over the decade 2000 to 2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunningham, William J; Moffatt, S Louise; Brookes, Nigel H; Twohill, Helen C; Pendergrast, David G C; Stewart, Joanna M; McGhee, Charles N J

    2012-05-01

    To evaluate trends in the acquisition, storage, and utilization of donated corneal tissue in New Zealand, 2000 to 2009. The New Zealand National Eye Bank records were analyzed for the decade January 2000 to December 2009. Variables analyzed included donor demographics (age, sex, and ethnicity), donor source, donor cause of death, death-to-preservation interval (DPI), corneal storage time, tissue contamination, endothelial assessment, cornea suitability for transplantation, and corneal tissue utilization. A total of 1268 eye donors were identified during the 10-year period. Overall, 36% (n = 457) were female and 64% male (n = 813). Median donor age was 67 years, and 23% of donors were younger than 50 years (range, 5-90 years). There was a decrease in donor age over the decade (P = 0.006). The median DPI was 18.5 hours. No relationship was identified between cornea suitability for transplantation and DPI (P = 0.28) or donor gender (P = 0.54). There was a low microbial contamination rate (1%). Human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C serology was positive in 48 donors (4%). Overall, 90% of corneas were suitable for transplantation with a high utilization rate (88%). A novel association was identified between male sex and lower corneal endothelial cell density (P = 0.03). This New Zealand National Eye Bank analysis identified trends in the acquisition, storage, and utilization of donated corneal tissue throughout New Zealand over the past decade and provides valuable additional information to the international eye bank data.

  12. GESAMP: Two decades of accomplishments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Windom, H.L

    1991-01-01

    Many of the uses of the oceans by society may lead potentially to the degradation of the marine environment. Human activities on land lead to the inadvertent or deliberate input of contaminants to the oceans which also may result in marine environmental degradation on local, regional or global scales. Potential impacts on the marine environment of human activities on land and the potential conflicts of society's utilization of the oceans require ongoing global evaluation from a multidisciplinary scientific perspective. This has been recognized for some time by the community of United Nations organizations, eight of which jointly sponsor an interdisciplinary groups of scientists to provide independent advice on existing and potential marine pollution problems. This Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution (GESAMP) was formed two decades ago to serve as a mechanism for encouraging coordination, collaboration and harmonization of activities related to marine pollution of common interest to the co-sponsoring bodies. More recently, GESAMP has expanded its programme to include consideration of the impacts of other human activities, such as coastal development, on the marine environment. The purpose of this booklet is to briefly describe what GESAMP is, how it operates and what it accomplishes

  13. Is the Human Development Index (HDI) of the United Nations ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Is the Human Development Index (HDI) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) a relevant indicator? Jean Claude Saha. Abstract. No Abstract. African Journal of Economic Policy Vol. 12(1) 2005: 1-27. Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT.

  14. Model United Nations and Deep Learning: Theoretical and Professional Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engel, Susan; Pallas, Josh; Lambert, Sarah

    2017-01-01

    This article demonstrates that the purposeful subject design, incorporating a Model United Nations (MUN), facilitated deep learning and professional skills attainment in the field of International Relations. Deep learning was promoted in subject design by linking learning objectives to Anderson and Krathwohl's (2001) four levels of knowledge or…

  15. Annual Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board. Report for the Year ending on 30 September 1963

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1965-01-01

    Pursuant to the requirement in Article XXXV of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund that the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board (JSPB) present an annual report to the General Assembly of the United Nations and to the member organizations of the Fund, the United Nations has published a report containing statistical data for the year ending on 30 September 1963, as well as an account of the twelfth session of JSPB in July 1964, as Supplement No. 8 to the Official Records of the General Assembly: 19 th Session (A/5808)

  16. Annual Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board. Report for the Year ending on 30 September 1965

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1967-01-01

    Pursuant to the requirement in Article XXXV of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund that the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board (JSPB) present an annual report to the General Assembly of the United Nations and to the member organizations of the Fund, the United Nations has published a report containing statistical data for the year ending on 30 September 1965, as well as an account of the thirteenth session of JSPB in July 1966, as Supplement No. 8 to the Official Records of the General Assembly: Twenty-first Session (A/6308)

  17. United nations Supported principles for Responsible Management Education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Godemann, Jasmin; Moon, Jeremy; Haertle, Jonas

    2014-01-01

    and various ecological system crises. The United Nations supported Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative is an important catalyst for the transformation of management education and a global initiative to change and reform management education in order to meet the increasing......The expectation that management education institutions should be leading thought and action on issues related to corporate responsibility and sustainability has been reinforced in the light of their association with business leaders' failings, including corporate corruption, the financial crisis...

  18. Processing United Nations Documents in the University of Michigan Library.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stolper, Gertrude

    This guide provides detailed instructions for recording documents in the United Nations (UN) card catalog which provides access to the UN depository collection in the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library at the University of Michigan. Procedures for handling documents when they are received include stamping, counting, and sorting into five categories:…

  19. Upaya United Nations World Tourism Organization (Unwto) Menangani Sex Tourism Di Thailand (2009-2013)

    OpenAIRE

    Rani, Faisyal; Oktavia, Raesa

    2015-01-01

    This research explain about the efforts of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in dealing with sex tourism in Thailand. This research focused explaining about the role of UNWTO to fix sex tourism problem in Thailand, because sex tourism is one of the most favorite tourism in the world. UNWTO focused to protect the children because they are the biggest victim on sex tourism. This research intended to show the role of United Nations World Tourism Organization to handle the sex tou...

  20. Identifying and Analyzing Preferences for the Next Decade of Astrophysics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mesmer, Bryan; Weger, Kristin

    2018-06-01

    The Decadal Survey is conducted by the United States National Academies and is a summary of opinions from individuals in the Astronomy community, used to recommend the next decade of prioritized astrophysics missions and activities. From a systems engineering and psychology perspective, the Decadal Survey process is interesting due to the: large and diverse community being sampled, the diverse preferences, and the group interactions that result in a common voice. When preparing input to be reviewed in such a process, it is important to recognize and understand both individual factors, as well as group factors. By understanding these dynamics it is possible to better predict the likely outcome.This research looks to better understand the preferences of the Astronomy community as they relate to the coming decade. Preferences are the desires held by an individual. Along with beliefs and alternatives, preferences are one of three necessary elements to make a decision, according to normative decision analysis. Hence, by understanding preferences, and making assumptions on beliefs and available alternatives, one can determine what decision an individual ought to make through normative decision analysis. Due to the community focus of the Decadal Study, it is important to understand the interactions of individuals that results in a group outcome. This is where game theory is an effective tool, enabling the mathematical analysis of interacting individuals.Before any analysis is performed preferences must be captured and mathematically represented through value models, which is precisely what this research examines. This Iposter is associated with a questionnaire to better understand the preferences of individuals. The questionnaire will be promoted through the Iposter as well as by the authors at the conference. The questionnaire will attempt to gather data to enable the formation of value functions resulting in a better understanding of the community likings. The research

  1. Denmark's national inventory report 2006 - Submitted under the United Nations framework convention on climate change, 1990-2004. Emission inventories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Illerup, J.B.; Lyck, E.; Nielsen, Ole-Kenneth

    2006-08-01

    This report is Denmark's National Inventory Report reported to the Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) due by 15 April 2006. The report contains information on Denmark's inventories for all years' from 1990 to 2004 for CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O, HFCs, PFCs and SF 6 , CO, NMVOC, SO 2 . (au)

  2. Annual Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board. Report for the Year ending on 30 September 1964

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1966-01-01

    Pursuant to the requirement in Article XXXV of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund that the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board (JSPB) present an annual report to the General Assembly of the United Nations and to the member organizations of the Fund, the United Nations has published a report containing statistical data for the year ending on 30 September 1964, as well as a summary of action taken on behalf of JSPB by its Standing Committee since the former's last session in July 1964, as Supplement No. 8 to the Official Records of the General Assembly: 20 th Session (A/6008)

  3. United Nations conference on the human environment, Stockholm, June 5--16, 1972

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1972-07-03

    Recommendations of the working group of the United Nations conference on the preservation and improvement of the human environment are presented. Emphasis was placed on conservation of natural resources. (CH)

  4. Vascular access and infection prevention and control: a national survey of routine practices in Irish haemodialysis units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCann, Margaret; Clarke, Michael; Mellotte, George; Plant, Liam; Fitzpatrick, Fidelma

    2013-04-01

    National and international guidelines recommend the use of effective vascular access (VA) and infection prevention and control practices within the haemodialysis environment. Establishing an arterio-venous fistula (AVF) and preventing central venous catheter (CVC)-related infections are ongoing challenges for all dialysis settings. We surveyed VA and routine infection prevention and control practices in dialysis units, to provide national data on these practices in Ireland. A descriptive survey was emailed to nurse managers at all adult (n = 19) and children (n = 1) outpatient haemodialysis units in the Republic of Ireland. Data collected included AVF formation, CVC insertion and maintenance practices, VA use and surveillance of infection and screening protocols. Nineteen of the 20 units responded to the survey. The AVF prevalence was 49% for 1370 patients in 17 units who provided these data [mean prevalence per unit: 45.7% (SD 16.2)]; the CVC mean prevalence per unit was 52.5% (SD 16.0). Fourteen dialysis units experienced inadequate access to vascular surgical procedures either due to a lack of dedicated theatre time or hospital beds. Six units administered intravenous prophylactic antimicrobials prior to CVC insertion with only two units using a CVC insertion checklist at the time of catheter insertion. In general, dialysis units in Ireland show a strong adherence to national guidelines. Compared with the 12 countries participating in the Dialysis Outcomes Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS 4), in 2010, AVF prevalence in Irish dialysis units is the second lowest. Recommendations include establishing an AVF national prevalence target rate, discontinuing the administration of intravenous prophylactic antimicrobials prior to CVC insertion and promoting the use of CVC insertion checklists.

  5. United States National Waste Terminal Storage argillaceous rock studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brunton, G.D.

    1981-01-01

    The past and present argillaceous rock studies for the US National Waste Terminal Storage Program consist of: (1) evaluation of the geological characteristics of several widespread argillaceous formations in the United States; (2) laboratory studies of the physical and chemical properties of selected argillaceous rock samples; and (3) two full-scale in situ surface heater experiments that simulate the emplacement of heat-generating radioactive waste in argillaceous rock

  6. United States National Waste Terminal Storage argillaceous rock studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brunton, G.D.

    1979-01-01

    The past and present argillaceous rock studies for the US National Waste Terminal Storage Program consist of: (1) evaluation of the geological characteristics of several widespread argillaceous formations in the United States; (2) laboratory studies of the physical and chemical properties of selected argillaceous rock samples; and (3) two full-scale in-situ surface heater experiments that simulate the emplacement of heat-generating radioactive waste in argillaceous rock

  7. 78 FR 56125 - National Days of Prayer and Remembrance, 2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-11

    .... That selflessness shows the best of who we are as a people. And for more than a decade, that same... American beliefs. Years from now, these acts will reveal the true legacy of that day--of a safer world, a stronger Nation, and a country more united than ever before. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of...

  8. The National Legal Framework of the United States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crosland, Martha S.

    2017-01-01

    Ms Crosland presented the United States legal framework regarding public participation. Under the Administrative Procedure Act, the primary way of conducting public participation is through 'notice and comment rulemaking'. A proposed rule is published in the Federal Register and is open to comment by the general public; the final publication of the rule includes the answers to the comments received. The various agencies in the United States make use of several digital tools to expand effective public participation and manage the process. The Atomic Energy Act established an adjudicatory process including 'trial-type' hearings, providing participation opportunities to any individual or group whose interests may be affected by a Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing action. The National Environmental Policy Act requires several levels of review for all actions with potentially significant environmental impacts. An environmental assessment (EA) is conducted, to determine whether there is no significant impact or if a more detailed environmental impact statement (EIS) is needed. The EA requires notification of the host state and/or tribe, and the agency in charge has discretion as to the level of public involvement. The EIS requires public notification, a period for public comments on the draft EIS, and at least one public hearing. Ms Crosland presented stakeholder involvement initiatives carried out beyond the legal requirements, such as Citizen Advisory Boards at certain Department of Energy nuclear sites or the National Transportation Stakeholders Forum

  9. Heroin impurity profiling: trends throughout a decade of experimenting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dams, R; Benijts, T; Lambert, W E; Massart, D L; De Leenheer, A P

    2001-12-01

    Heroin is still one of the most frequently abused drugs of today. All over the world, law enforcement agencies try to eradicate the illicit production and trafficking of this potent and highly addictive narcotic. To this aim, important information is provided by physical and chemical toxicological analysis of confiscated samples, with special attention for the identification and the quantification of minor components, such as the impurities related to the origin and manufacturing. By combining these data complex characterisations, i.e. impurity profiles, chemical signatures or fingerprints, can be obtained and used for comparative analysis. This review focuses on heroin impurity profiling during the 1990s, proclaimed by the United Nations as the 'Decade for Eradicating Drug Abuse'. Special attention will be given to the new trends in analytical techniques as well as in data handling strategies, so called chemometrics, to produce these profiles. The latter can be used in comparative analysis of seized heroin samples for tactical (batch-to-batch comparison) and strategic (origin determination) intelligence purposes.

  10. Teaching about the United Nations through the Hunger Issue in an English as a Foreign Language Class.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iino, Atsushi

    1994-01-01

    Reports on the views of 73 secondary school Japanese students toward the United Nations. Finds that most tend to think of the UN as relevant to conflicts. Describes how the hunger issue was used in an English-as-a-Second-Language class to teach about the United Nations. (CFR)

  11. Child Poverty: The United Kingdom Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansour, Jane G; Curran, Megan A

    2016-04-01

    The United States has long struggled with high levels of child poverty. In 2014, 2 of 5 (42.9%) of all American children lived in economically insecure households and just over 1 in 5 children lived below the official absolute poverty line. These rates are high, but not intractable. Evidence from the US Census Bureau's Supplemental Poverty Measure, among other sources, shows the effect that public investments in cash and noncash transfers can have in reducing child poverty and improving child well-being. However, with significant disparities in services and supports for children across states and the projected decline of current federal spending on children, the United States is an international outlier in terms of public investments in children, particularly compared with other high-income nations. One such country, the United Kingdom (UK), faced similar child poverty challenges in recent decades. At the end of the 20th century, the British Prime Minister pledged to halve child poverty in a decade and eradicate it 'within a generation.' The Labour Government then set targets and dedicated resources in the form of income supplements, employment, child care, and education support. Child poverty levels nearly halved against an absolute measure by the end of the first decade. Subsequent changes in government and the economy slowed progress and have resulted in a very different approach. However, the UK child poverty target experience, 15 years in and spanning multiple changes in government, still offers a useful comparative example for US social policy moving forward. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Aspects of JASIS Authorship through Five Decades.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipetz, Ben-Ami

    1999-01-01

    Presents results of a survey of five volumes of the "Journal of the American Society for Information Science (JASIS)," one for each decade of JASIS's existence. Discusses findings related to growth of JASIS and authorship, national versus international authorship, coauthoring of papers, author productivity, author gender, author…

  13. Decadence in the Wilderness. Will to Transgression or the Strange Bird of Finnish Decadence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pirjo Lyytikäinen

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The decadence that the Decadents identified in their own civilization was recognized through the model of Roman Empire, although they thought that the Romans were, even in their decadence, much more vigorous than the modern "cerebral" decadents. The figures of the late Empire, which fused the over-ripeness of culture with barbarism, were great even in their decline; the ancient uninhibited transgressions and vices fascinated the decadents although even the imagined debaucheries exhausted the modern decadents. Des Esseintes is, of course, a paradigmatic figure, connecting extreme weakness and fragility of the nervous system with wild sadistic dreams. He is capable of producing vigorous mental images, imagining sublimely horrible figures and emblems of disease, which fell on a fertile ground in later decadent writings. At the same time, the idea of the savage and the primitive which had underwent a radical change, when the romantic idea of the noble savage was replaced by the primitive as the lowest order of humanity, became fashionable even among many Decadents. This debauched barbarian or savage (whose representatives or relics the survived "primitive cultures" were marked the beginnings of human culture and was the suppressed foundation of all developed cultures. The danger of the return of this primitive side of man could threaten even the most civilized individuals or nations if the ties and restraints of culture were loosened (Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness represents this perfectly.  For the decadents, who did not see their own civilization in the terms of progress any more, and embraced ideas of entropy, dissolution and return to a state of new barbarism, the idea of the decline of their culture, thus, could become connected with the idea of the primitive "in us", the primitive lurking in the psyche of every individual and the primitive that was built in the culture itself. As the primitive became, increasingly, identified not only

  14. Continued emissions of carbon tetrachloride from the United States nearly two decades after its phaseout for dispersive uses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Lei; Montzka, Stephen A.; Miller, Ben R.; Andrews, Arlyn E.; Miller, John B.; Lehman, Scott J.; Sweeney, Colm; Miller, Scot M.; Thoning, Kirk; Siso, Carolina; Atlas, Elliot L.; Blake, Donald R.; de Gouw, Joost; Gilman, Jessica B.; Dutton, Geoff; Elkins, James W.; Hall, Bradley; Chen, Huilin; Fischer, Marc L.; Mountain, Marikate E.; Nehrkorn, Thomas; Biraud, Sebastien C.; Moore, Fred L.; Tans, Pieter

    2016-03-01

    National-scale emissions of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) are derived based on inverse modeling of atmospheric observations at multiple sites across the United States from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's flask air sampling network. We estimate an annual average US emission of 4.0 (2.0-6.5) Gg CCl4 y-1 during 2008-2012, which is almost two orders of magnitude larger than reported to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) (mean of 0.06 Gg y-1) but only 8% (3-22%) of global CCl4 emissions during these years. Emissive regions identified by the observations and consistently shown in all inversion results include the Gulf Coast states, the San Francisco Bay Area in California, and the Denver area in Colorado. Both the observation-derived emissions and the US EPA TRI identified Texas and Louisiana as the largest contributors, accounting for one- to two-thirds of the US national total CCl4 emission during 2008-2012. These results are qualitatively consistent with multiple aircraft and ship surveys conducted in earlier years, which suggested significant enhancements in atmospheric mole fractions measured near Houston and surrounding areas. Furthermore, the emission distribution derived for CCl4 throughout the United States is more consistent with the distribution of industrial activities included in the TRI than with the distribution of other potential CCl4 sources such as uncapped landfills or activities related to population density (e.g., use of chlorine-containing bleach).

  15. 31 CFR 585.218 - Trade in United Nations Protected Areas of Croatia and those areas of the Republic of Bosnia and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... HERZEGOVINA SANCTIONS REGULATIONS Prohibitions § 585.218 Trade in United Nations Protected Areas of Croatia... importation from, exportation to, or transshipment of goods through the United Nations Protected Areas in the... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Trade in United Nations Protected...

  16. New Nordic Exceptionalism: Jeuno JE Kim and Ewa Einhorn's The United Nations of Norden and other realist utopias

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathias Danbolt

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available At the 2009 Nordic Culture Forum summit in Berlin that centered on the profiling and branding of the Nordic region in a globalized world, one presenter stood out from the crowd. The lobbyist Annika Sigurdardottir delivered a speech that called for the establishment of “The United Nations of Norden”: A Nordic union that would gather the nations and restore Norden's role as the “moral superpower of the world.” Sigurdardottir's presentation generated such a heated debate that the organizers had to intervene and reveal that the speech was a performance made by the artists Jeuno JE Kim and Ewa Einhorn. This article takes Kim and Einhorn's intervention as a starting point for a critical discussion of the history and politics of Nordic image-building. The article suggests that the reason Kim and Einhorn's speech passed as a serious proposal was due to its meticulous mimicking of two discursive formations that have been central to the debates on the branding of Nordicity over the last decades: on the one hand, the discourse of “Nordic exceptionalism,” that since the 1960s has been central to the promotion of a Nordic political, socio-economic, and internationalist “third way” model, and, on the other hand, the discourse on the “New Nordic,” that emerged out of the New Nordic Food-movement in the early 2000s, and which has given art and culture a privileged role in the international re-fashioning of the Nordic brand. Through an analysis of Kim and Einhorn's United Nations of Norden (UNN-performance, the article examines the historical development and ideological underpinnings of the image of Nordic unity at play in the discourses of Nordic exceptionalism and the New Nordic. By focusing on how the UNN-project puts pressure on the role of utopian imaginaries in the construction of Nordic self-images, the article describes the emergence of a discursive framework of New Nordic Exceptionalism.

  17. Denmark's national inventory report 2008 - Submitted under the United Nations framework convention on climate change, 1990-2006. Emission inventories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nielsen, Ole-Kenneth; Lyck, E; Hjorth Mikkelsen, M [and others

    2008-05-15

    This report is Denmark's National Inventory Report reported to the Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) due by 15 April 2008. The report contains information on Denmark's inventories for all years' from 1990 to 2006 for CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}O, HFC{sub s}, PFC{sub s} and SF{sub 6}, CO, NMVOC, SO{sub 2}. (au)

  18. The United Nations Convention against Corruption. A Primer for Development Practitioners

    OpenAIRE

    Schultz, Jessica

    2007-01-01

    The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), adopted in Merida, Mexico in 2003, represents a remarkable achievement for international anti-corruption efforts. With endorsements from more than 140 state signatories representing every region of the world, the UNCAC offers a comprehensive, global framework for combating corruption.

  19. An Assessment of the United States National Security Strategy for Combating Terrorism

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Chambliss, John

    2004-01-01

    .... While terrorism may be simply viewed as a crime against humanity the United States must pursue a comprehensive policy and strategy to deal with such acts anywhere and anytime because they threaten its national security...

  20. Comparative assessment of electricity generation options using DECADES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez Martin, D.; Lopez Lopez, I.; Turtos Carbonell, L.

    1999-01-01

    Cuba is poor in primary energy resources. In 1998, 99.4% of electricity generated by the National Electric System came from fossil fuel with the environment implications that this Situation causes. Cuba joint DECADES project (Databases and methodologies for Comparative Assessment of Different Energy Sources) to support planning and decision making process with Appropriated tools. The paper presents the main work carried out with DECADES. An important Effort was devoted to implement the Country Specific Database, to assess power plants and Chains, to select and evaluate different expansion scenarios taking into consideration its Environment implications. At the same time an effort was dedicated to correct, test and Implement DECADES capabilities. The potential role of nuclear power in the expansion policy of Cuban electric system, the Influence of an Oil Steam Boiler project and control technology installation, were performed. Conclusions of the main task done with DECADES are presented

  1. The Texts of the Agency's Agreements with the United Nations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1963-01-01

    The text of the Special Agreement extending the jurisdiction of the Administrative Tribunal of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency regarding the applications of officials of this organization alleging non-observance of the Regulations of the Pension Fund UN staff, comes into force October 18, 1963, is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency [fr

  2. The Texts of the Agency's Agreements with the United Nations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1963-01-01

    The text of the Special Agreement extending the jurisdiction of the Administrative Tribunal of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency regarding the applications of officials of this organization alleging non-observance of the Regulations of the Pension Fund UN staff, comes into force October 18, 1963, is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency

  3. The Texts of the Agency's Agreements with the United Nations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1963-12-02

    The text of the Special Agreement extending the jurisdiction of the Administrative Tribunal of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency regarding the applications of officials of this organization alleging non-observance of the Regulations of the Pension Fund UN staff, comes into force October 18, 1963, is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency.

  4. Data resource profile: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Colleen; Newby, Holly

    2012-12-01

    The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) plays a leading role in the collection, compilation, analysis and dissemination of data to inform sound policies, legislation and programmes for promoting children's rights and well-being, and for global monitoring of progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. UNICEF maintains a set of global databases representing nearly 200 countries and covering the areas of child mortality, child health, maternal health, nutrition, immunization, water and sanitation, HIV/AIDS, education and child protection. These databases consist of internationally comparable and statistically sound data, and are updated annually through a process that draws on a wealth of data provided by UNICEF's wide network of >150 field offices. The databases are composed primarily of estimates from household surveys, with data from censuses, administrative records, vital registration systems and statistical models contributing to some key indicators as well. The data are assessed for quality based on a set of objective criteria to ensure that only the most reliable nationally representative information is included. For most indicators, data are available at the global, regional and national levels, plus sub-national disaggregation by sex, urban/rural residence and household wealth. The global databases are featured in UNICEF's flagship publications, inter-agency reports, including the Secretary General's Millennium Development Goals Report and Countdown to 2015, sector-specific reports and statistical country profiles. They are also publicly available on www.childinfo.org, together with trend data and equity analyses.

  5. Arms limitation and disarmament in the United Nations: Perspectives and prospects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akashi, Yasushi.

    1991-01-01

    In this paper, the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs of the United Nations presented the main activities and achievements of the UN in the field of multilateral disarmament as well as the next steps to be undertaken by UN and Member States for disarmament and arms limitation

  6. Eleanor Roosevelt, the United Nations and the Role of Radio Communications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Luscombe, Anya

    Eleanor Roosevelt communicated with the public through a variety of media, both before, during and following her time in the White House. In 1946 she became part of the US delegation to the newly formed United Nations and she used newspaper columns, speeches and radio broadcasts to converse with

  7. The State of the World Environment, 1987. United Nations Environment Programme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi (Kenya).

    One of the main activities assigned to the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is to review the world environmental situation to insure that emerging environmental problems of wide international significance receive appropriate and adequate consideration by governments. Accordingly, UNEP has assessed the state of…

  8. The Conventional and Unconventional about Disability Conventions: A Reflective Analysis of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umeasiegbu, Veronica I.; Bishop, Malachy; Mpofu, Elias

    2013-01-01

    This article presents an analysis of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in relation to prior United Nations conventions on disability and U.S. disability policy law with a view to identifying the conventional and also the incremental advances of the CRPD. Previous United Nations conventions related to…

  9. Fact Sheet: National Space Policy. Appendix F-2

    Science.gov (United States)

    1996-01-01

    For over three decades, the United States has led the world in the exploration and use of outer space. Our achievements in space have inspired a generation of Americans and people throughout the world. We will maintain this leadership role by supporting a strong, stable, and balanced national space program that serves our goals in national security, foreign policy, economic growth, environmental stewardship, and scientific and technical excellence. Access to and use of space are central for preserving peace and protecting US national security as well as civil and commercial interests. The United States will pursue greater levels of partnership and cooperation in national and international space activities and work with other nations to ensure the continued exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes. The goals of the US space program are to: (a) Enhance knowledge of the Earth, the solar system, and the universe through human and robotic exploration; (b) Strengthen and maintain the national security of the United States; (c) Enhance the economic competitiveness and scientific and technical capabilities of the United States; (d) Encourage State, local, and private sector investment in, and use of, space technologies; (e) Promote international cooperation to further US domestic, national security, and foreign policies. The United States is committed to the exploration and use of outer space by all nations for peaceful purposes and for the benefit of all humanity. "Peaceful purposes" allow defense and intelligence-related activities in pursuit of national security and other goals. The United States rejects any claims to sovereignty by any nation over outer space or celestial bodies, or any portion thereof, and rejects any limitations on the fundamental right of sovereign nations to acquire data from space. The United States considers the space systems of any nation to be national property with the right of passage through and operations in space without

  10. Reflecting on a decade of religion studies implementation in the FET ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A decade later while Religion Studies has found a familiar footing among students nationally (i.e. with an increase in student participation in the National Senior Certificate ... Keywords: Religion Studies, curriculum transformation, implementation challenges, pedagogy skills, assessment and moderation, religious literacy ...

  11. The United Nations disarmament yearbook. V. 23: 1998

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    The United Nations Disarmament book is a designed to be a concise reference work. As background information is greatly condensed, reader may wish to consult the previous editions. Factual information in tabular form is provided in the appendices with the status of multilateral and regional disarmament agreements. The present volume, 23 years after the first one was published, represents some of the best times and some of the worst times for disarmament. Up to date information on disarmament is also available through the internet home page of the Department of Disarmament Affairs:www.un.org/depts/dda/DDAHome.htm

  12. Progress toward a National Water Census

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Sonya A.

    2015-01-01

    Increasing demand and competition for limited regional water resources make it difficult to ensure adequate water availability for both human and ecological needs now and into the future. Recognizing the need to improve the tools and information that are available to effectively evaluate water-resource availability, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) identified a National Water Census (NWC) as one of its six core science directions for the decade 2007–17. In 2009, the SECURE Water Act (Public Law 111–11) authorized the USGS to develop a national water availability and use assessment program that would update the most recent national assessment of the status of water resources in the United States as well as develop the science to improve forecasts of water availability and quality for future needs.

  13. League of Our Own: Creating a Model United Nations Scrimmage Conference

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ripley, Brian; Carter, Neal; Grove, Andrea K.

    2009-01-01

    Model United Nations (MUN) provides a great forum for students to learn about global issues and political processes, while also practicing communication and negotiation skills that will serve them well for a lifetime. Intercollegiate MUN conferences can be problematic, however, in terms of logistics, budgets, and student participation. In order to…

  14. Continued emissions of carbon tetrachloride from the United States nearly two decades after its phaseout for dispersive uses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Lei; Montzka, Stephen A.; Miller, Ben R.; Andrews, Arlyn E.; Miller, John B.; Lehman, Scott J.; Sweeney, Colm; Miller, Scot M.; Thoning, Kirk; Siso, Carolina; Atlas, Elliot L.; Blake, Donald R.; de Gouw, Joost; Gilman, Jessica B.; Dutton, Geoff; Elkins, James W.; Hall, Bradley; Chen, Huilin; Fischer, Marc L.; Mountain, Marikate E.; Nehrkorn, Thomas; Biraud, Sebastien C.; Moore, Fred L.; Tans, Pieter

    2016-01-01

    National-scale emissions of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) are derived based on inverse modeling of atmospheric observations at multiple sites across the United States from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s flask air sampling network. We estimate an annual average US emission of 4.0 (2.0–6.5) Gg CCl4 y−1 during 2008–2012, which is almost two orders of magnitude larger than reported to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) (mean of 0.06 Gg y−1) but only 8% (3–22%) of global CCl4 emissions during these years. Emissive regions identified by the observations and consistently shown in all inversion results include the Gulf Coast states, the San Francisco Bay Area in California, and the Denver area in Colorado. Both the observation-derived emissions and the US EPA TRI identified Texas and Louisiana as the largest contributors, accounting for one- to two-thirds of the US national total CCl4 emission during 2008–2012. These results are qualitatively consistent with multiple aircraft and ship surveys conducted in earlier years, which suggested significant enhancements in atmospheric mole fractions measured near Houston and surrounding areas. Furthermore, the emission distribution derived for CCl4 throughout the United States is more consistent with the distribution of industrial activities included in the TRI than with the distribution of other potential CCl4 sources such as uncapped landfills or activities related to population density (e.g., use of chlorine-containing bleach). PMID:26929368

  15. 12 CFR 7.4003 - Establishment and operation of a remote service unit by a national bank.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ...(Seventh). An RSU includes an automated teller machine, automated loan machine, and automated device for... a remote service unit by a national bank. A remote service unit (RSU) is an automated facility...

  16. Annual Report to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations for 1958-59

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1959-06-15

    By resolution GC(II)/RES/24 the General Conference decided that a report should be submitted by the Agency to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations each year at its second session on matters within the Council's competence, and authorized the Board of Governors to submit this report in 1959. After approval by the Board at the 126th meeting on 11 April 1959, the report was accordingly transmitted to the United Nations. The text of the report is reproduced in this document for the information of Member States.

  17. Annual Report to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations for 1958-59

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1959-06-01

    By resolution GC(II)/RES/24 the General Conference decided that a report should be submitted by the Agency to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations each year at its second session on matters within the Council's competence, and authorized the Board of Governors to submit this report in 1959. After approval by the Board at the 126th meeting on 11 April 1959, the report was accordingly transmitted to the United Nations. The text of the report is reproduced in this document for the information of Member States.

  18. Is further proliferation of nuclear weapons irrelevant to US national security

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pendley, R.E.

    1985-01-01

    For almost four decades, the United States has insisted that any increase in the number of states possessing nuclear weapons should be discouraged, claiming that nuclear proliferation would undermine international security and stability, and threaten the national security interests of the United States. This view was clearly emphasized by the Reagan administration when the President stated in 1981 that the basis of US nonproliferation policy was to ''establish the prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons as a fundamental national security and foreign policy objective.'' However, actual implementation of this policy, seeking to obviate moves toward increased regional nuclear capabilities, will call for a variety of bilateral security dealings with so-called problem countries in regions important to the United States, relationships that US governments have been largely chary of so far. It will also require discrimination and forcefulness in identifying the security interests of the United States in these key regions, and crafting specific foreign policies to further those interests

  19. Optics and photonics: essential technologies for our nation (technology & engineering)

    CERN Document Server

    Research, Committee on Harnessing Light: Capitalizing on Optical Science Trends and Challenges for Future; Sciences, Division on Engineering and Physical; Council, National Research

    2013-01-01

    Optics and photonics technologies are ubiquitous: they are responsible for the displays on smart phones and computing devices, optical fiber that carries the information in the internet, advanced precision manufacturing, enhanced defense capabilities, and a plethora of medical diagnostics tools. The opportunities arising from optics and photonics offer the potential for even greater societal impact in the next few decades, including solar power generation and new efficient lighting that could transform the nation's energy landscape and new optical capabilities that will be essential to support the continued exponential growth of the Internet. As described in the National Research Council report Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for our Nation, it is critical for the United States to take advantage of these emerging optical technologies for creating new industries and generating job growth. The report assesses the current state of optical science and engineering in the United States and abroad--incl...

  20. Denmark's national inventory report. Submitted under the United Nations framework convention on climate change, 1990-2001. Emission inventories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Illerup, J.B.; Lyck, E.; Nielsen, M.; Winther, M.; Hjort Mikkelsen, M.

    2003-04-01

    This report is Denmark's National Inventory Report reported to the Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) due bye 15 April 2003. The report contains information on Denmark's inventories for all years' from 1990 to 2001 for CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}O, CO, NMVOC, SO{sub 2}, HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6}. (au)

  1. [Multiple pregnancies prevalence: its raise on last decade].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrera, Ricardo Jorge Hernández; Torres, Mauro Ochoa; Santos, Roberto Flores; Flores, Raúl Cortés; Sánchez, Gerardo Forsbasch

    2008-09-01

    Multiple pregnancies prevalence has been increasing in last decade, which have also increased the requirements of neonatal intensive care units and all problems related to premature neonate or low birth weight. Prevalence rate of twin (18 to 26 in 1,000 births), and triple pregnancies (0.37 to 1.74 in 1,000 births) have raised too, perhaps due to assisted reproductive techniques. To know incidence of multiple pregnancies at Unidad Medica de Alta Especialidad no. 23, from Institute Mexicano del Seguro Social. Retrospective and descriptive study. We review the files of multiple pregnancies from 1972 to 2006 to estimate its rate and change every five and ten years. We registered 9,055 twin pregnancies during the period, with a rate of 7.1 to 14.4 in 1,000 (63% of increase in the last decade [12.6 in 1,000 births] compared with the previous decade [7.7 in 1,000 births]; p < 0.005). Pregnancies with three or more fetuses were 202, with 191 triplets, 13 with four, three with five, and one with six products (646 newborns). Incidence of multiple pregnancies with four or more products has also increased in last decade: 230 times higher than two decades before. Multiple pregnancies rate has increased in last decade: 63% in twin pregnancies, 217% in triplets, and 230 times more than expected in four or more products pregnancies.

  2. Suicide in children over two decades: 1993-2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malone, K M; Quinlivani, L; McGuinness, S; McNicholas, F; Kelleher, C

    2012-01-01

    Suicide rates have increased in Ireland's youth over the past two decades. However, no research report has focussed on suicide rates in those aged under 18--the children of Ireland. We retrieved national disaggregated age and sex-specific suicide mortality data from 1993-1998 and compared it with similar suicide mortality data from 2003-2008. Significant age (older vs younger) and sex effects (boys greater risk than girls) are apparent in both decades Suicide rates in both males and females have increased (males: 9.3-13.5/100,000), (females: 2.4-5.1/100,000. Suicide rates in under 15 year olds boys and girls is extremely rare for both time periods studied (1.6/100,000). Results are discussed in light of the rights of children and the obligation of the nation in this regard, as well as more child-specific and transition to adulthood-specific suicide prevention policy implications.

  3. United Nations Environment Programme. Annual Report of the Executive Director, 1983.

    Science.gov (United States)

    United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi (Kenya).

    This report provides a comprehensive overview of the major activities, programs, events, and developments within the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1983. Its purpose is to provide a broad understanding of what UNEP is, how it functions, and what it does with the money it has at its disposal. Chapter I summarizes 1983 in terms of…

  4. The Imposition of the Death Penalty on Mexican Nationals in the United States and the Cultural, Legal and Political Context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Michael Olivero

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper reviews death penalty perspectives from the United States, Mexico and international law. The United States practices the death penalty on not only its citizens, but those of other nations who commit capital crimes. Mexico is a death penalty abolitionist state that takes significant issue with the United States over executing Mexican nationals. The paper analyzes the cultural, legal and political conflict between the two countries surrounding the application of the death penalty on Mexican nationals.

  5. United States Department of Energy radiological emergency response programme - a national capability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gordon-Hagerty, L.E.

    1993-01-01

    In order to respond to a radiological emergency, the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) maintains seven emergency response assets and capabilities in support of a radiological emergency of any proportion within the continental United States and abroad. The seven emergency response assets and capabilities include: Accident Response Group; Aerial Measuring Systems; Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability; Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center; Nuclear Emergency Search Team; Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site; and Radiological Assistance Program. Presently, USDOE maintains the most comprehensive national radiological emergency response assets in the United States, capable of dealing with any type of emergency involving nuclear materials. In all, the Department's assets are available to support any type of accident/incident involving radioactive materials in coordination with other United States Federal agencies, as well as state and local governments, as required. (author)

  6. 77 FR 39459 - Fisheries of the United States; National Standard 1 Guidelines; Extension of Public Comment Period

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-03

    .... 120425420-2420-01] RIN 0648-BB92 Fisheries of the United States; National Standard 1 Guidelines; Extension... adjustments to the National Standard 1 Guidelines, one of 10 national standards for fishery conservation and... National Standard 1 Guidelines. The ANPR provides the public with a formal opportunity to comment on the...

  7. Antimicrobial Resistance Risks of Cholera Prophylaxis for United Nations Peacekeepers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kunkel, Amber; Lewnard, Joseph A; Pitzer, Virginia E; Cohen, Ted

    2017-08-01

    More than 5 years after a United Nations peacekeeping battalion introduced cholera to Haiti, over 150,000 peacekeepers continue to be deployed annually from countries where cholera is endemic. The United Nations has thus far declined to provide antimicrobial chemoprophylaxis to peacekeepers, a policy based largely on concerns that the risks of drug resistance generation and spread would outweigh the potential benefits of preventing future cholera importations. In this study, we sought to better understand the relative benefits and risks of cholera chemoprophylaxis for peacekeepers in terms of antibiotic resistance. Using a stochastic model to quantify the potential impact of chemoprophylaxis on importation and transmission of drug-resistant and drug-sensitive Vibrio cholerae , we found that chemoprophylaxis would decrease the probability of cholera importation but would increase the expected number of drug-resistant infections if an importation event were to occur. Despite this potential increase, we found that at least 10 drug-sensitive infections would likely be averted per excess drug-resistant infection under a wide range of assumptions about the underlying prevalence of drug resistance and risk of acquired resistance. Given these findings, policymakers should reconsider whether the potential resistance risks of providing antimicrobial chemoprophylaxis to peacekeepers are sufficient to outweigh the anticipated benefits. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  8. Low-altitude photographic transects of the Arctic Network of National Park Units and Selawik National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, July 2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcot, Bruce G.; Jorgenson, M. Torre; DeGange, Anthony R.

    2014-01-01

    During July 16–18, 2013, low-level photography flights were conducted (with a Cessna 185 with floats and a Cessna 206 with tundra tires) over the five administrative units of the National Park Service Arctic Network (Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park, and Noatak National Preserve) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Selawik National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Alaska, to provide images of current conditions and prevalence of land-cover types as a baseline for measuring future change, and to complement the existing grid-based sample photography of the region. Total flight time was 17 hours, 46 minutes, and total flight distance was 2,590 kilometers, at a mean altitude of about 300 meters above ground level. A total of 19,167 photographs were taken from five digital camera systems: 1. A Drift® HD-170 (focal length 5.00 mm);

  9. 3 CFR 8441 - Proclamation 8441 of October 19, 2009. United Nations Day, 2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Proclamation The United Nations was created 64 years ago by men and women from every corner of the world. These... foundations of democracy, human rights, and development; and to establish conditions in which people can live...

  10. Comparison of smoking cessation between education groups: findings from 2 US National Surveys over 2 decades.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuang, Yue-Lin; Gamst, Anthony C; Cummins, Sharon E; Wolfson, Tanya; Zhu, Shu-Hong

    2015-02-01

    We examined smoking cessation rate by education and determined how much of the difference can be attributed to the rate of quit attempts and how much to the success of these attempts. We analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS, 1991-2010) and the Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS, 1992-2011). Smokers (≥ 25 years) were divided into lower- and higher-education groups (≤ 12 years and >12 years). A significant difference in cessation rate between the lower- and the higher-education groups persisted over the last 2 decades. On average, the annual cessation rate for the former was about two thirds that of the latter (3.5% vs 5.2%; Peducation group have consistently lagged behind their higher-education counterparts in quitting. In addition to the usual concern about improving their success in quitting, tobacco control programs need to find ways to increase quit attempts in this group.

  11. Housing growth in and near United States protected areas limits their conservation value.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radeloff, Volker C; Stewart, Susan I; Hawbaker, Todd J; Gimmi, Urs; Pidgeon, Anna M; Flather, Curtis H; Hammer, Roger B; Helmers, David P

    2010-01-12

    Protected areas are crucial for biodiversity conservation because they provide safe havens for species threatened by land-use change and resulting habitat loss. However, protected areas are only effective when they stop habitat loss within their boundaries, and are connected via corridors to other wild areas. The effectiveness of protected areas is threatened by development; however, the extent of this threat is unknown. We compiled spatially-detailed housing growth data from 1940 to 2030, and quantified growth for each wilderness area, national park, and national forest in the conterminous United States. Our findings show that housing development in the United States may severely limit the ability of protected areas to function as a modern "Noah's Ark." Between 1940 and 2000, 28 million housing units were built within 50 km of protected areas, and 940,000 were built within national forests. Housing growth rates during the 1990s within 1 km of protected areas (20% per decade) outpaced the national average (13%). If long-term trends continue, another 17 million housing units will be built within 50 km of protected areas by 2030 (1 million within 1 km), greatly diminishing their conservation value. US protected areas are increasingly isolated, housing development in their surroundings is decreasing their effective size, and national forests are even threatened by habitat loss within their administrative boundaries. Protected areas in the United States are thus threatened similarly to those in developing countries. However, housing growth poses the main threat to protected areas in the United States whereas deforestation is the main threat in developing countries.

  12. Two-Way Interpretation about Climate Change: Preliminary Results from a Study in Select Units of the United States National Park System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forist, B. E.; Knapp, D.

    2014-12-01

    Much interpretation in units of the National Park System, conducted by National Park Service (NPS) rangers and partners today is done in a didactic, lecture style. This "one-way" communication runs counter to research suggesting that long-term impacts of park interpretive experiences must be established through direct connections with the visitor. Previous research in interpretation has suggested that interpretive experiences utilizing a "two-way" dialogue approach are more successful at facilitating long-term memories than "one-way" approaches where visitors have few, if any, opportunities to ask questions, offer opinions, or share interests and experiences. Long-term memories are indicators of connections to places and resources. Global anthropogenic change poses critical threats to NPS sites, resources, and visitor experiences. As climate change plays an ever-expanding role in public, political, social, economic, and environmental discourse it stands to reason that park visitors may also be interested in engaging in this discourse. Indeed, NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis stated in the agency's Climate Change Action Plan 2012 - 2014 that, "We now know through social science conducted in parks that our visitors are looking to NPS staff for honest dialogue about this critical issue." Researchers from Indiana University will present preliminary findings from a multiple park study that assessed basic visitor knowledge and the impact of two-way interpretation related to climate change. Observations from park interpretive program addressing climate change will be presented. Basic visitor knowledge of climate change impacts in the select parks as well as immediate and long-term visitor recollections will be presented. Select units of the National Park System in this research included Cape Cod National Seashore, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Cascades National Park, Shenandoah National Park, and Zion National Park.

  13. Adolescent and young adult health in the United States in the past decade: little improvement and young adults remain worse off than adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, M Jane; Scott, Jazmyn T; Adams, Sally H; Brindis, Claire D; Irwin, Charles E

    2014-07-01

    Adolescence and young adulthood are unique developmental periods that present opportunities and challenges for improving health. Health at this age can affect health throughout the lifespan. This review has two aims: (1) to examine trends in key indicators in outcomes, behaviors, and health care over the past decade for U.S. adolescents and young adults; and (2) to compare U.S. adolescents and young adults on these indicators. The review also assesses sociodemographic differences in trends and current indicators. Guided by our aims, previous reviews, and national priorities, the present review identified 21 sources of nationally representative data to examine trends in 53 areas and comparisons of adolescents and young adults in 42 areas. Most health and health care indicators have changed little over the past decade. Encouraging exceptions were found for adolescents and young adults in unintentional injury, assault, and tobacco use, and, for adolescents, in sexual/reproductive health. Trends in violence and chronic disease and related behaviors were mixed. Review of current indicators demonstrates that young adulthood continues to entail greater risk and worse outcomes than adolescence. Young adults fared worse on about two-thirds of the indicators examined. Differences among sociodemographic subgroups persisted for both trends and current indicators. Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Sexual behaviors, relationships, and perceived health among adult men in the United States: results from a national probability sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reece, Michael; Herbenick, Debby; Schick, Vanessa; Sanders, Stephanie A; Dodge, Brian; Fortenberry, J Dennis

    2010-10-01

    To provide a foundation for those who provide sexual health services and programs to men in the United States, the need for population-based data that describes men's sexual behaviors and their correlates remains. The purpose of this study was to, in a national probability survey of men ages 18-94 years, assess the occurrence and frequency of sexual behaviors and their associations with relationship status and health status. A national probability sample of 2,522 men aged 18 to 94 completed a cross-sectional survey about their sexual behaviors, relationship status, and health. Relationship status; health status; experience of solo masturbation, partnered masturbation, giving oral sex, receiving oral sex, vaginal intercourse and anal intercourse, in the past 90 days; frequency of solo masturbation, vaginal intercourse and anal intercourse in the past year. Masturbation, oral intercourse, and vaginal intercourse are prevalent among men throughout most of their adult life, with both occurrence and frequency varying with age and as functions of relationship type and physical health status. Masturbation is prevalent and frequent across various stages of life and for both those with and without a relational partner, with fewer men with fair to poor health reporting recent masturbation. Patterns of giving oral sex to a female partner were similar to those for receiving oral sex. Vaginal intercourse in the past 90 days was more prevalent among men in their late 20s and 30s than in the other age groups, although being reported by approximately 50% of men in the sixth and seventh decades of life. Anal intercourse and sexual interactions with other men were less common than all other sexual behaviors. Contemporary men in the United States engage in diverse solo and partnered sexual activities; however, sexual behavior is less common and more infrequent among older age cohorts. © 2010 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

  15. Global issues- National Policies: Comparing wetland protection polies and perceptions in the Netherlands en the United States

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Owens, K.A.

    2004-01-01

    Wetlands protection is a global goal that requires action on many levels of government, including National, State or Provincial, and municipal. Global plans and programs require a network of national and sub-national policy definition and enforcement. In the United States, for example, global and

  16. Peru Brand: a Nation under Construction?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elder Cuevas-Calderón

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available During the last decade Peru has experienced a euphoric rediscovery –pseudo revaluation as a country– due to its booming gastronomy, tourism and economic growth.In this context, the presentresearch uses semio-psychoanalytic and postcolonial theories to explain Peru’s social outlook regarding the concept of nation, its reunion with a non-existent identity and the construction of the idea of nation based on the marketing campaign titled the Peru Brand. Thus, Peru Brand, far from uniting all Peruvians and bring them together into the wellknown “melting pot”, becomes the resemantization of the old colonial discourse longing for a republic without natives. Therefore, in the Peru Brand advertising discourse, the “primitive natives” are white people brought from Nebraska and speak English.

  17. Denmark's national inventory report 2006 - Submitted under the United Nations framework convention on climate change, 1990-2004. Emission inventories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Illerup, J.B.; Lyck, E.; Nielsen, Ole-Kenneth (and others)

    2006-08-15

    This report is Denmark's National Inventory Report reported to the Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) due by 15 April 2006. The report contains information on Denmark's inventories for all years' from 1990 to 2004 for CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}O, HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6}, CO, NMVOC, SO{sub 2}. (au)

  18. Denmark's national inventory report 2007 - Submitted under the United Nations framework convention on climate change, 1990-2005. Emission inventories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boll Illerup, J.; Lyck, E.; Nielsen, Ole-Kenneth (and others)

    2007-10-15

    This report is Denmark's National Inventory Report reported to the Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) due by 15 April 2007. The report contains information on Denmark's inventories for all years' from 1990 to 2005 for CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}O, HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6}, CO, NMVOC, SO{sub 2}. (au)

  19. Nuclear electricity generation a sustainable energy resource for Romania along the next two decades

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prodea, Iosif; Margeanu, Cristina Alice; Aioanei, Corina; Prisecaru, Ilie; Danila, Nicolae

    2008-01-01

    The main goal of the paper is to evaluate different electricity generation costs inside of the National Romanian energy sector along the next two decades. The IAEA -MESSAGE code (Model for Energy Supply Strategy Alternatives and their General Environmental Impacts) will be used to accomplish these assessments. Due to the natural gas crisis started at the beginning of 2006, Romania has adopted a courageous energy policy based on increasing nuclear electricity share. Since then, the second nuclear Unit was commissioned at Cernavoda in 2007 and the other two CANDU-6 (700 MWe) were scheduled to be operational in 2015. On the other side the European integration of Romania asks for doubling the indigenous gas price during this year, 2008, and also for reducing the atmospheric gaseous emissions from the fossil fuel technologies. Therefore, we evaluated the economical competition between all electricity technologies in the Romanian energy sector in the next two decades for which our MESSAGE model was developed. We focused on coal, gas and, of course, nuclear electricity technologies. Some representative energy scenarios centered on nuclear share electricity growing were considered and MESSAGE results were analyzed from the energetic sustainable point of view. (authors)

  20. Denmark's national inventory report 2005 - submitted under the United Nations frameword convention on climate change. 1990-2003. Emission Inventories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Illerup, J.B.

    2005-01-01

    This report is Denmkark's National Inventory Report (NIR) due by 15 April 2005 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). the report contains information on Denmark's inventories for all years from 1990 to 2003. The structure of the report is in accordance with the UNFCCC Guidelines on reporting and review and the report includes detailed information on the inventories for all years from the base year to the year of the current annual inventory submission, in order to ensure the transparency of the inventory. (au)

  1. 76 FR 44337 - Comments and Information Relevant to Mid Decade Review of NORA

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-25

    ... NIOSH-244] Comments and Information Relevant to Mid Decade Review of NORA AGENCY: Department of Health...) is conducting a review of the processes of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). In 2006, NORA entered its second decade with an industry sector-based structure. In 2011, as NORA reaches the...

  2. Non-native plant invasions of United States National parks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, J.A.; Brown, C.S.; Stohlgren, T.J.

    2009-01-01

    The United States National Park Service was created to protect and make accessible to the public the nation's most precious natural resources and cultural features for present and future generations. However, this heritage is threatened by the invasion of non-native plants, animals, and pathogens. To evaluate the scope of invasions, the USNPS has inventoried non-native plant species in the 216 parks that have significant natural resources, documenting the identity of non-native species. We investigated relationships among non-native plant species richness, the number of threatened and endangered plant species, native species richness, latitude, elevation, park area and park corridors and vectors. Parks with many threatened and endangered plants and high native plant species richness also had high non-native plant species richness. Non-native plant species richness was correlated with number of visitors and kilometers of backcountry trails and rivers. In addition, this work reveals patterns that can be further explored empirically to understand the underlying mechanisms. ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008.

  3. Declines and Plateaux in Smoking Prevalence Over Three Decades in Fiji.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linhart, Christine; Tukana, Isimeli; Lin, Sophia; Taylor, Richard; Morrell, Stephen; Vatucawaqa, Penina; Magliano, Dianna J; Zimmet, Paul

    2017-11-01

    To examine trends from 1980 to 2011 in daily tobacco smoking by sex, ethnicity, age, and urban/rural in Fiji Melanesian (i-Taukei) and Indian adults aged 25-64 years. Unit record data from five population-based surveys (n = 14 528) allowed classification of participants as: (1) never-smoker, ex-smoker, or non-daily smoker; or (2) daily smoker, reporting smoking Fiji in both sexes and ethnicities during the past 30 years, which is consistent with declines in tobacco apparent consumption and household expenditure. However, prevalence remains high in men at around 27% in 2011, with plateau at this level in i-Taukei. This is the first study to show nationally representative population trends in tobacco smoking in a developing country over such a long period (>30 years) based on empirical unit record data (n = 14 528). Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality throughout the Pacific Island region. This is the first study to show evidence of substantial declines over several decades in a cardiovascular disease risk factor in a Pacific Island country, and provides important evidence for further research into the interventions and events which may have facilitated this decline. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.

  4. Data Resource Profile: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Colleen; Newby, Holly

    2012-01-01

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) plays a leading role in the collection, compilation, analysis and dissemination of data to inform sound policies, legislation and programmes for promoting children’s rights and well-being, and for global monitoring of progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. UNICEF maintains a set of global databases representing nearly 200 countries and covering the areas of child mortality, child health, maternal health, nutrition, immunization, water and sanitation, HIV/AIDS, education and child protection. These databases consist of internationally comparable and statistically sound data, and are updated annually through a process that draws on a wealth of data provided by UNICEF’s wide network of >150 field offices. The databases are composed primarily of estimates from household surveys, with data from censuses, administrative records, vital registration systems and statistical models contributing to some key indicators as well. The data are assessed for quality based on a set of objective criteria to ensure that only the most reliable nationally representative information is included. For most indicators, data are available at the global, regional and national levels, plus sub-national disaggregation by sex, urban/rural residence and household wealth. The global databases are featured in UNICEF’s flagship publications, inter-agency reports, including the Secretary General’s Millennium Development Goals Report and Countdown to 2015, sector-specific reports and statistical country profiles. They are also publicly available on www.childinfo.org, together with trend data and equity analyses. PMID:23211414

  5. The Gastroenterology Fellowship Match: A Decade Later.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Robert J; Triadafilopoulos, George; Limsui, David

    2017-06-01

    Following a period of uncertainty and disorganization, the gastroenterology (GI) national leadership decided to reinstitute the fellowship match (the Match) under the auspices of the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) in 2006. Although it has now been a decade since the rebirth of the Match, there have been limited data published regarding progress made. In this piece, we discuss reasons for the original collapse of the GI Match, including most notably a perceived oversupply of GI physicians and a poor job market. We discuss the negative impacts the absence of the Match had on programs and on applicants, as well as the impetus to reorganize the Match under the NRMP. We then utilize data published annually by the NRMP to demonstrate that in the decade since its rebirth, the GI Match has been remarkably successful in terms of attracting the participation of applicants and programs. We show that previous misguided concerns of an oversupply of GI physicians were not realized, and that GI fellowship positions remain highly competitive for internal medicine applicants. Finally, we discuss possible implications of recent changes in the healthcare landscape on the GI Match.

  6. The United Nations and Disarmament. An analysis of the Spanish positions in the UN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Javier Sánchez Cano

    1993-07-01

    Full Text Available In 1953 the Franco regime, internationally isolated, signed the Defence and Economic Assistance Treaties with the USA which allowed it to have access to the organs of the United Nations system. Logically, the implicit subordination in defence aspects brought about a complete misunderstanding of the disarmament issues.The democratic transition, which in the foreign and defence fields lasted until 1988, meant a change in the sense of greater participation through progressive incorporation in various western structures : the EC, NATO, WEU...In this new context, this study analyses the Spanish positions with respect to disarmament in the field of the United Nations, from both its own perspective and that of its adequacy with relation to the conduct of its allies.

  7. Lessons about parks and poverty from a decade of forest loss and economic growth around Kibale National Park, Uganda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naughton-Treves, Lisa; Alix-Garcia, Jennifer; Chapman, Colin A

    2011-08-23

    We use field data linked to satellite image analysis to examine the relationship between biodiversity loss, deforestation, and poverty around Kibale National Park (KNP) in western Uganda, 1996-2006. Over this decade, KNP generally maintained forest cover, tree species, and primate populations, whereas neighboring communal forest patches were reduced by half and showed substantial declines in tree species and primate populations. However, a bad decade for forest outside the park proved a prosperous one for most local residents. Panel data for 252 households show substantial improvement in welfare indicators (e.g., safer water, more durable roof material), with the greatest increases found among those with highest initial assets. A combination of regression analysis and matching estimators shows that although the poor tend to be located on the park perimeter, proximity to the park has no measureable effect on growth of productive assets. The risk for land loss among the poor was inversely correlated with proximity to the park, initial farm size, and decline in adjacent communal forests. We conclude the current disproportionate presence of poor households at the edge of the park does not signal that the park is a poverty trap. Rather, Kibale appears to provide protection against desperation sales and farm loss among those most vulnerable.

  8. Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration in National Parks: Values for the Conterminous United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Leslie A.; Huber, Christopher; Zhu, Zhi-Liang; Koontz, Lynne

    2015-01-01

    Lands managed by the National Park Service (NPS) provide a wide range of beneficial services to the American public. This study quantifies the ecosystem service value of carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems within NPS units in the conterminous United States for which data were available. Combining annual net carbon balance data with spatially explicit NPS land unit boundaries and social cost of carbon estimates, this study calculates the net metric tons of carbon dioxide sequestered annually by park unit under baseline conditions, as well as the associated economic value to society. Results show that, in aggregate, NPS lands in the conterminous United States are a net carbon sink, sequestering more than 14.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. The associated societal value of this service is estimated at approximately $582.5 million per year. While this analysis provides a broad overview of the annual value of carbon sequestration on NPS lands averaged over a five year baseline period, it should be noted that carbon fluxes fluctuate from year to year, and there can be considerable variation in net carbon balance and its associated value within a given park unit. Future research could look in-depth at the spatial heterogeneity of carbon flux within specific NPS land units.

  9. Hydrogeologic Assessment of the East Bear Creek Unit, San LuisNational Wildlife Refuge

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Quinn, Nigel W.T.

    2007-07-15

    San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex to meetReclamation s obligations for Level 4 water supply under the CentralValley Project Improvement Act. Hydrogeological assessment of the EastBear Creek Unit of the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge was conductedusing a combination of field investigations and a survey of availableliterature from past US Geological Survey Reports and reports by localgeological consultants. Conservative safe yield estimates made using theavailable data show that the East Bear Creek Unit may have sufficientgroundwater resources in the shallow groundwater aquifer to meet aboutbetween 25 percent and 52 percent of its current Level II and between 17percent and 35 percent of its level IV water supply needs. The rate ofsurface and lateral recharge to the Unit and the design of the well fieldand the layout and capacity of pumped wells will decide both thepercentage of annual needs that the shallow aquifer can supply andwhether this yield is sustainable without affecting long-term aquiferquality. In order to further investigate the merits of pumping the nearsurface aquifer, which appears to have reasonable water quality for usewithin the East Bear Creek Unit -- monitoring of the potential sources ofaquifer recharge and the installation of a pilot shallow well would bewarranted. Simple monitoring stations could be installed both upstreamand downstream of both the San Joaquin River and Bear Creek and beinstrumented to measureriver stage, flow and electrical conductivity.Ideally this would be done in conjunction with a shallow pilot well,pumped to supply a portion of the Unit's needs for the wetland inundationperiod.

  10. China and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: Operational Challenges

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Vincent, Steven D

    2005-01-01

    ...), and has made maritime claims citing historic waters. China asserts that these actions are consistent with the provisions of the United Nations Convention On The Law Of the Sea (UNCLOS) Treaty...

  11. Denmark's national inventory report 2008 - Submitted under the United Nations framework convention on climate change, 1990-2006. Emission inventories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nielsen, Ole-Kenneth; Lyck, E.; Hjorth Mikkelsen, M. (and others)

    2008-05-15

    This report is Denmark's National Inventory Report reported to the Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) due by 15 April 2008. The report contains information on Denmark's inventories for all years' from 1990 to 2006 for CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}O, HFC{sub s}, PFC{sub s} and SF{sub 6}, CO, NMVOC, SO{sub 2}. (au)

  12. [Evaluating the impact of the United Nations funding act].

    Science.gov (United States)

    1987-01-01

    Representatives of the principal donors supporting population assistance in India are concerned about the impact of the cuts in funds given by the US to the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). The suppression of US aid to the UNFPA will definitely affect the largest programs, including those in South Asia. India is the country receiving the most assistance from the UNFPA. The UNFPA contributed 63 million dollars for the current 5 year plan which began in April 1985. US spokesmen stated that UNFPA funding was cut off because of that organization's support for coercive family planning programs in China.

  13. 77 FR 58086 - Fisheries of the United States; National Standard 1 Guidelines; Reopening of Public Comment Period

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-19

    .... 120425420-2420-01] RIN 0648-BB92 Fisheries of the United States; National Standard 1 Guidelines; Reopening... Rulemaking (ANPR) published on May 3, 2012, on potential adjustments to the National Standard 1 Guidelines... adjustments to the National Standard 1 Guidelines. The ANPR provides the public with a formal opportunity to...

  14. "Out of Fear and into Peace" President Eisenhower's Address of the United Nations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, Jean West; Schamel, Wynell Burroughs

    1990-01-01

    Presents a section of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's, "Atoms for Peace," 1953 address to the United Nations General Assembly. Suggests using the document for classroom discussions of nuclear proliferation, emphasizing that using primary sources develops research skills, activates classroom discussions, citizenship, and creative…

  15. The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook. V. 16

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    Throughout 1991 the end of the cold war continued to have a positive impact on international relations. In the Minsk Declaration, proclaiming the establishment of the CIS, the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine undertook to discharge the international obligations incumbent on them under treaties and agreements entered into by the USSR and in the Alma Ata Declaration, this undertaking was accepted by all the eleven republics constituting the Commonwealth. In the course of 1991 several steps were taken which helped enhance the status of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. France and China had decided to accede. On 10 July, South Africa signed a safeguards agreement with IAEA. By the end of 1991, almost all the front-line States in southern Africa had also acceded to the Treaty. Argentina and Brazil concluded a joint safeguards agreement with IAEA and stated that they were taking measures to permit the full entry into force for them of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (treaty of Tlatelolco). The European Council adopted a Declaration on non-proliferation and arms exports with a view to strengthening the regime of nuclear non-proliferation and, in the light of the Persian Gulf War, further enhancing the effectiveness of ''regimes of non-proliferation''. The heads of State and Government of the seven major industrialized countries reaffirmed their readiness to work in favour of an equitable and stable non-proliferation regime based on balance between nuclear non-proliferation and the development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to achieve a strengthened and improved IAEA safeguards system. The work carried out in Iraq by the Special Commission, established by the Security Council broke new ground for the United Nations in several respects, in particular, those of intrusive on-site inspection and destruction of weapons and mass destruction and associated facilities under

  16. Causes of decadal climate variability over the North Pacific and North America

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Latif, M.; Barnett, T.P.

    1994-01-01

    The cause of decadal climate variability over the North Pacific and North America is investigated by analyzing data from a multi-decadal integration with a state of the art coupled ocean-atmosphere model and observations. About one third of the low-frequency climate variability in the region of interest can be attributed to a cycle involving unstable air-sea interactions between the subtropical gyre circulation in the North Pacific and the Aleutian low pressure system. The existence of this cycle provides a basis for long-range climate forecasting over the western United States at decadal time scales. (orig.)

  17. Efficiency of Edible Agriculture in Canada and the U.S. Over the Past Three and Four Decades

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adrienna Maxwell

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available We examine technological progress in the US and Canada to answer the question: has the efficiency (e.g., the edible energy efficiency, or EEE for producing agricultural products in the US and Canada increased in recent decades? Specifically, we determined the energy efficiency of agriculture at the farm gate in recent decades by dividing the outputs (the total annual crop and animal output in energy units minus the feed used for animal production and the grain used for ethanol production by the energy inputs: all the energy used by the nation to produce food (the energy used to generate and apply the fertilizer, pesticides, seed and to operate machinery minus the energy inputs to produce grain for ethanol. Our data comes primarily from national and international agricultural censuses. Our study found that the energy efficiency of US agriculture has more than doubled from 0.8:1 in 1970 to 2.2:1 by 2000, then increased more slowly to 2.3:1 by 2009. The energy efficiency of the agricultural sector in Canada has not changed appreciably since 1980, and has varied about a mean of 2:1 from 1981 to 2009. Our study found that EEE improvements in the US could be attributable in part to advancements in crop production per hectare, and lower direct fuel consumption, but also a greater proportion of less energy-intensive corn and changes to the diet of livestock (e.g., increased use of meals and other by-products which have increased the availability of grain. Thus increases due to technological progress alone for the last several decades appear small, less than one percent a year.

  18. The Small Area Health Statistics Unit: a national facility for investigating health around point sources of environmental pollution in the United Kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, P; Westlake, A J; Hills, M; Kleinschmidt, I; Rodrigues, L; McGale, P; Marshall, K; Rose, G

    1992-01-01

    STUDY OBJECTIVE--The Small Area Health Statistics Unit (SAHSU) was established at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in response to a recommendation of the enquiry into the increased incidence of childhood leukaemia near Sellafield, the nuclear reprocessing plant in West Cumbria. The aim of this paper was to describe the Unit's methods for the investigation of health around point sources of environmental pollution in the United Kingdom. DESIGN--Routine data currently including deaths and cancer registrations are held in a large national database which uses a post code based retrieval system to locate cases geographically and link them to the underlying census enumeration districts, and hence to their populations at risk. Main outcome measures were comparison of observed/expected ratios (based on national rates) within bands delineated by concentric circles around point sources of environmental pollution located anywhere in Britain. MAIN RESULTS--The system is illustrated by a study of mortality from mesothelioma and asbestosis near the Plymouth naval dockyards during 1981-87. Within a 3 km radius of the docks the mortality rate for mesothelioma was higher than the national rate by a factor of 8.4, and that for asbestosis was higher by a factor of 13.6. CONCLUSIONS--SAHSU is a new national facility which is rapidly able to provide rates of mortality and cancer incidence for arbitrary circles drawn around any point in Britain. The example around Plymouth of mesothelioma and asbestosis demonstrates the ability of the system to detect an unusual excess of disease in a small locality, although in this case the findings are likely to be related to occupational rather than environmental exposure. PMID:1431704

  19. Geomorphic responses to dam removal in the United States – a two-decade perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Major, Jon J.; East, Amy; O'Connor, Jim E.; Grant, Gordon E.; Wilcox, Andrew C.; Magirl, Christopher S.; Collins, Matthias J.; Tullos, Desiree D.; Tsutsumi, Daizo; Laronne, Jonathan B.

    2017-01-01

    Recent decades have seen a marked increase in the number of dams removed in the United States. Investigations following a number of removals are beginning to inform how, and how fast, rivers and their ecosystems respond to released sediment. Though only a few tens of studies detail physical responses to removals, common findings have begun to emerge. They include: (1) Rivers are resilient and respond quickly to dam removals, especially when removals are sudden rather than prolonged. Rivers can swiftly evacuate large fractions of reservoir sediment (≥50% within one year), especially when sediment is coarse grained (sand and gravel). The channel downstream typically takes months to years—not decades—to achieve a degree of stability within its range of natural variability. (2) Modest streamflows (<2-year return interval flows) can erode and transport large amounts of reservoir sediment. Greater streamflows commonly are needed to access remnant reservoir sediment and transport it downstream. (3) Dam height, sediment volume, and sediment caliber strongly influence downstream response to dam removal. Removals of large dams (≥10 m tall) have had longer-lasting and more widespread downstream effects than more common removals of small dams. (4) Downstream valley morphology and position of a dam within a watershed influence the distribution of released sediment. Valley confinement, downstream channel gradient, locations and depths of channel pools, locations and geometries of extant channel bars, and locations of other reservoirs all influence the downstream fate of released sediment.

  20. The first decade of the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, Howard K; Judge, Christine M; Robbins, Harriet; Celebucki, Carolyn Cobb; Walker, Deborah K; Connolly, Gregory N

    2005-01-01

    This article provides a comprehensive overview of the first decade of the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program (MTCP). Born after Massachusetts passed a 1992 ballot initiative raising cigarette excise taxes to fund the program, MTCP greatly reduced statewide cigarette consumption before being reduced to a skeletal state by funding cuts. The article describes the program's components and goals, details outcomes, presents a summary of policy accomplishments, and reviews the present status of MTCP in the current climate of national and state fiscal crises. The first decade of the MTCP offers many lessons learned for the future of tobacco control.

  1. Nothing but the Truth? The United Nations and the Millennium Development Goals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, Shirley

    2014-01-01

    The United Nations established eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000, with the target for achievement set at 2015. On the UN website a special section is devoted to the MDGs. In this article the website as it was presented in late 2013 is examined. Although the website was easy to negotiate, it was difficult to ascertain any…

  2. A national perspective on paleoclimate streamflow and water storage infrastructure in the conterminous United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Michelle; Lall, Upmanu; Sun, Xun; Cook, Edward

    2017-04-01

    Large-scale water storage infrastructure in the Conterminous United States (CONUS) provides a means of regulating the temporal variability in water supply with storage capacities ranging from seasonal storage in the wetter east to multi-annual and decadal-scale storage in the drier west. Regional differences in water availability across the CONUS provides opportunities for optimizing water dependent economic activities, such as food and energy production, through storage and transportation. However, the ability to sufficiently regulate water supplies into the future is compromised by inadequate monitoring of non-federally-owned dams that make up around 97% of all dams. Furthermore, many of these dams are reaching or have exceeded their economic design life. Understanding the role of dams in the current and future landscape of water requirements in the CONUS is needed to prioritize dam safety remediation or identify where redundant dams may be removed. A national water assessment and planning process is needed for addressing water requirements, accounting for regional differences in water supply and demand, and the role of dams in such a landscape. Most dams in the CONUS were designed without knowledge of devastating floods and prolonged droughts detected in multi-centennial paleoclimate records, consideration of projected climate change, nor consideration of optimal operation across large-scale regions. As a step towards informing water supply across the CONUS we present a paleoclimate reconstruction of annual streamflow across the CONUS over the past 555 years using a spatially and temporally complete paleoclimate record of summer drought across the CONUS targeting a set of US Geological Survey streamflow sites. The spatial and temporal structures of national streamflow variability are analyzed using hierarchical clustering, principal component analysis, and wavelet analyses. The reconstructions show signals of contemporary droughts such as the Dust Bowl (1930s

  3. Unit Support Protects Against Sexual Harassment and Assault among National Guard Soldiers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Kate; Galea, Sandro; Cerda, Magdalena; Richards, Catherine; Liberzon, Israel; Tamburrino, Marijo B.; Calabrese, Joseph; Koenen, Karestan C.

    2014-01-01

    Objective Despite concerns about increased sexual harassment and assault following 2013 legislation repealing the ban on women in combat, little research has examined military factors that could prevent sexual harassment and assault during deployment. This study examined whether unit support, which reflects the quality of service members’ relationships within their unit, protects against sexual harassment and assault during deployment. Methods Participants were 1674 Ohio Army National Guard service members who reported at least one deployment during a telephone survey conducted in 2008-2009. Participants completed measures of sexual harassment/assault, unit support, and psychosocial support. Logistic regression was used to model odds of sexual harassment/assault. Results Approximately 13.2% (n=198) of men and 43.5% (n=74) of women reported sexual harassment, and 1.1% (n=17) of men and 18.8% (n=32) of women reported sexual assault during their most recent deployment. Higher unit support was associated with decreased odds of sexual harassment and assault. Conclusions A substantial proportion of men and women reported sexual harassment/assault. Higher unit support was associated with diminished odds of sexual harassment/assault during deployment. Programming designed to improve unit cohesion has potential to reduce sexual harassment and assault. PMID:25442705

  4. Unit support protects against sexual harassment and assault among national guard soldiers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Kate; Galea, Sandro; Cerda, Magdalena; Richards, Catherine; Liberzon, Israel; Tamburrino, Marijo B; Calabrese, Joseph; Koenen, Karestan C

    2014-01-01

    Despite concerns about increased sexual harassment and assault after the 2013 legislation repealing the ban on women in combat, little research has examined military factors that could prevent sexual harassment and assault during deployment. This study examined whether unit support, which reflects the quality of service members' relationships within their unit, protects against sexual harassment and assault during deployment. Participants were 1,674 Ohio Army National Guard service members who reported at least one deployment during a telephone survey conducted in 2008 and 2009. Participants completed measures of sexual harassment/assault, unit support, and psychosocial support. Logistic regression was used to model odds of sexual harassment/assault. Approximately 13.2% of men (n = 198) and 43.5% of women (n = 74) reported sexual harassment, and 1.1% of men (n = 17) and 18.8% of women (n = 32) reported sexual assault during their most recent deployment. Greater unit support was associated with decreased odds of sexual harassment and assault. A substantial proportion of men and women reported sexual harassment/assault. Greater unit support was associated with diminished odds of sexual harassment/assault during deployment. Programming designed to improve unit cohesion has the potential to reduce sexual harassment and assault. Copyright © 2014 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Four Decades of Change in Geographical Education in Finland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaivola, Taina; Rikkinen, Hannele

    2007-01-01

    Geography teaching has been under constant change over the last decades. Innovations from research in geography and higher education have diffused in school practices in various ways. International trends have been applied to national contexts in co-operation among academics, administrators and school teachers depending on policies and educational…

  6. Indigenous Rights in the Making: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

    OpenAIRE

    Gilbert, Jérémie

    2007-01-01

    This article examines to what extent the recently adopted United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples participate to the development of indigenous peoples' international human rights.

  7. Geothermal exploitation activity by the United Nations in Ethiopia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakamura, H. (Geological Survey of Japan)

    1971-01-01

    The Rift Valley in Ethiopia was investigated for geothermal exploitation by the United Nations because it has Quaternary volcanoes which often indicate possible geothermal power generation. Preparations for the project are still being made, and the chemical analysis of hot springs is being conducted. The Rift Valley has high temperature springs and potential mineral deposits. The Danakil basin in Ethiopia which is included in the Northern Afar, has several active volcanoes made up of basalt deposits and has active hot springs. The East Africa Rift Valley, the Red Sea Rift Valley, and the Afar area are also areas suitable for investigation. Seven maps are included.

  8. Conservative care for ESRD in the United Kingdom: a national survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okamoto, Ikumi; Tonkin-Crine, Sarah; Rayner, Hugh; Murtagh, Fliss E M; Farrington, Ken; Caskey, Fergus; Tomson, Charles; Loud, Fiona; Greenwood, Roger; O'Donoghue, Donal J; Roderick, Paul

    2015-01-07

    Conservative kidney management (CKM) has been developed in the United Kingdom (UK) as an alternative to dialysis for older patients with stage 5 CKD (CKD5) and multiple comorbidities. This national survey sought to describe the current scale and pattern of delivery of conservative care in UK renal units and identify their priorities for its future development. A survey on practice patterns of CKM for patients age 75 and older with CKD5 was sent to clinical directors of all 71 adult renal units in the UK in March 2013. Sixty-seven units (94%) responded. All but one unit reported providing CKM for some patients. Terminology varied, although "conservative management" was the most frequently used term (46%). Lack of an agreed-upon definition of when a patient is receiving CKM made it difficult to obtain meaningful data on the numbers of such patients. Fifty-two percent provided the number of CKM patients age ≥ 75 years in 2012; the median was 45 per unit (interquartile range [IQR], 20-83). The median number of symptomatic CKM patients who would otherwise have started dialysis was eight (IQR, 4.5-22). CKM practice patterns varied: 35% had a written guideline, 23% had dedicated CKM clinics, 45% had dedicated staff, and 50% provided staff training on CKM. Most units (88%) provided primary care clinicians with information/advice regarding CKM. Eighty percent identified a need for better evidence comparing outcomes on CKM versus dialysis, and 65% considered it appropriate to enter patients into a randomized trial. CKM is provided in almost all UK renal units, but scale and organization vary widely. Lack of common terminology and definitions hinders the development and assessment of CKM. Many survey respondents expressed support for further research comparing outcomes with conservative care versus dialysis. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Nephrology.

  9. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as policy and strategy for social work action in child welfare in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherrer, James L

    2012-01-01

    The United States and Somalia are the only two countries in the world that have not ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Opposition in the United States stems from the CRC's demand for a cultural change in how a society cares for children and a political hesitancy to become involved in binding international agreements. An earlier analysis for understanding the CRC is reviewed and replaced with one that uses a policy analysis model. This new model provides a basis for uniform child welfare policy and strategy throughout the nation. Although NASW has been supportive, it has not actively studied the consequences of implementation of the CRC, nor has it incorporated the CRC into its policy statements as a fundamental tenet. This article recommends that the NASW use the CRC as a basis for all child welfare policy statements and reference the CRS in future articles on child welfare issues. It also urges social workers to become politically active on behalf of the CRC to achieve ratification. Finally, it recommends a national committee to not only coordinate efforts toward ratification, but also oversee implementation of the CRC once it is ratified.

  10. The Institutional Sustainability in Protected Area Tourism-Case Studies of Jiuzhaigou National Scenic Area, China and New Forest National Park, United Kingdom

    OpenAIRE

    Xu, Feifei; Fox, Dorothy; Zhang, J.; Cheng, S.

    2014-01-01

    This article considers sustainable tourism development in two protected areas, Jiuzhaigou National Scenic Area in China and the New Forest National Park in the United Kingdom. An inductive approach is used to explore the "fourth component" of sustainable tourism development that is institutional sustainability. Primary data from in-depth interviews, together with a range of secondary data sources, are analyzed to understand the governance and management of each area. These reveal that whilst ...

  11. The vaginal microbiota: what have we learned after a decade of molecular characterization?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van de Wijgert, Janneke H. H. M.; Borgdorff, Hanneke; Verhelst, Rita; Crucitti, Tania; Francis, Suzanna; Verstraelen, Hans; Jespers, Vicky

    2014-01-01

    We conducted a systematic review of the Medline database (U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, U.S.A) to determine if consistent molecular vaginal microbiota (VMB) composition patterns can be discerned after a decade of molecular testing, and to evaluate

  12. The United Nations disarmament yearbook. V. 26: 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook is designed to be a concise reference work. As a good amount of background information is condensed, it may be helpful to consult previous editions. Factual information, presented where possible in tabular form, is provided in the appendices, and website addresses of other UN departments and services, intergovernmental organizations, research institutes and non-governmental organizations appear as footnotes. The Department for Disarmament Affairs takes this opportunity to remind you that you can access current information on disarmament issues throughout the year by clicking onto the Department's home page on the Internet: www.un.org/Depts/dda. Among the many electronic resources, you will find updated on a daily basis, the status of multilateral treaties, containing the full texts of the treaties covered in appendix I of The Yearbook

  13. Medical abortion practices : a survey of National Abortion Federation members in the United States

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wiegerinck, Melanie M. J.; Jones, Heidi E.; O'Connell, Katharine; Lichtenberg, E. Steve; Paul, Maureen; Westhoff, Carolyn L.

    2008-01-01

    Background: Little is known about clinical implementation of medical abortion in the United States following approval of mifepristone as an abortifacient by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000. We collected information regarding medical abortion practices of National Abortion Federation

  14. Space strategy for Europe and the International Lunar Decade

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beldavs, VZ

    2017-09-01

    The 2020-2030 decade offers extraordinary opportunity for the European space sector that is largely not recognized in present space strategy which does not recognize commercial space activities beyond communications satellites, launchers, and earth observation and navigation and downstream activities. Lunar and cislunar development can draw on the extensive experience of Europe in mining, clean energy, ecological systems as well as deep experience in managing the development of technologies through TRL1 through commercial sale via Horizon 2020 and previous Framework programs. The EU has unrivalled experience in coordinating research and advanced technology development from research centers, major firms and SMEs across multiple sovereign states. This capacity to coordinate across national boundaries can be a significant contribution to a global cooperative program like the International Lunar Decade. This paper will present a European space strategy for beyond 2020 and how this can mesh with the International Lunar Decade.

  15. Understanding Long-Term Variations in Surface Ozone in United States (U.S. National Parks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deborah McGlynn

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Long-term surface ozone observations at 25 National Park Service sites across the United States were analyzed for processes on varying time scales using a time scale decomposition technique, the Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD. Time scales of interest include the seasonal cycle, large-scale climate oscillations, and long-term (>10 years trends. Emission reductions were found to have a greater impact on sites that are nearest major urban areas. Multidecadal trends in surface ozone were increasing at a rate of 0.07 to 0.37 ppbv year−1 before 2004 and decreasing at a rate of −0.08 to −0.60 ppbv year−1 after 2004 for sites in the East, Southern California, and Northwestern Washington. Sites in the Intermountain West did not experience a reversal of trends from positive to negative until the mid- to late 2000s. The magnitude of the annual amplitude (=annual maximum–minimum decreased at eight sites, two in the West, two in the Intermountain West, and four in the East, by 5–20 ppbv and significantly increased at three sites; one in Alaska, one in the West, and one in the Intermountain West, by 3–4 ppbv. Stronger decreases in the annual amplitude occurred at a greater proportion of sites in the East (4/6 sites than in the West/Intermountain West (4/19 sites. The date of annual maximums and/or minimums has changed at 12 sites, occurring 10–60 days earlier in the year. There appeared to be a link between the timing of the annual maximum and the decrease in the annual amplitude, which was hypothesized to be related to a decrease in ozone titration resulting from NOx emission reductions. Furthermore, it was found that a phase shift of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO, from positive to negative, in 1998–1999 resulted in increased occurrences of La Niña-like conditions. This shift had the effect of directing more polluted air masses from East Asia to higher latitudes over the North American continent. The change in the

  16. Market-Based Approaches toward the Development of Urban Forest Carbon Projects in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neelam C. Poudyal; Jacek P. Siry; J. M. Bowker

    2012-01-01

    The United States has observed unprecedented urban growth over the last few decades. Nowak et al. (2005) noted that between 1990 and 2000, the share of urban land area in the nation increased from 2.5% to 3.1%. Existing urban areas in the U.S. maintain average tree coverage of 27% (Nowak et al. 2001), and consist of millions of trees along streets and in parks,...

  17. H.E. Mr Leonid A.Skotnikov Ambassador,PermanentRepresentative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva

    CERN Multimedia

    Patrice Loïez

    2003-01-01

    Photo 01: H.E. Mr Leonid A. Skotnikov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva (right) with CERN Director-General, L. Maiani. Photo 02: Mr Leonid A. Skotnikov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva. Photo 03: Mr Leonid A. Skotnikov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva (right) with CERN Director-General, L. Maiani.

  18. Food Price Volatility and Decadal Climate Variability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, M. E.

    2013-12-01

    The agriculture system is under pressure to increase production every year as global population expands and more people move from a diet mostly made up of grains, to one with more meat, dairy and processed foods. Weather shocks and large changes in international commodity prices in the last decade have increased pressure on local food prices. This paper will review several studies that link climate variability as measured with satellite remote sensing to food price dynamics in 36 developing countries where local monthly food price data is available. The focus of the research is to understand how weather and climate, as measured by variations in the growing season using satellite remote sensing, has affected agricultural production, food prices and access to food in agricultural societies. Economies are vulnerable to extreme weather at multiple levels. Subsistence small holders who hold livestock and consume much of the food they produce are vulnerable to food production variability. The broader society, however, is also vulnerable to extreme weather because of the secondary effects on market functioning, resource availability, and large-scale impacts on employment in trading, trucking and wage labor that are caused by weather-related shocks. Food price variability captures many of these broad impacts and can be used to diagnose weather-related vulnerability across multiple sectors. The paper will trace these connections using market-level data and analysis. The context of the analysis is the humanitarian aid community, using the guidance of the USAID Famine Early Warning Systems Network and the United Nation's World Food Program in their response to food security crises. These organizations have worked over the past three decades to provide baseline information on food production through satellite remote sensing data and agricultural yield models, as well as assessments of food access through a food price database. Econometric models and spatial analysis are used

  19. A boom in energy technology innovation despite decades of stagnant investment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bettencourt, Luis M [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Trancik, Jessika A [SANTA FE INSTITUTE; Kaur, Jasleen [INDIANA UNIV

    2009-01-01

    Rates of patenting in energy technologies in the United States stagnated during a period of low federal investment in the sector from the mid-1980's through 2000. To analyze the current state of the field, we built a new comprehensive database of energy patents in the USA and worldwide aggregated by nation and technology. We show that innovation in energy technologies, as measured by numbers of new patents, has grown dramatically over the last decade both for renewable and fossil fuel-based technologies, but that traditional investment -government and private support for research and development (R&D) -has not risen commensurately. We also show that while venture capital investment in the sector has increased significantly in the last few years it lags the observed uptick in patenting. We find increasing patenting rates in nations worldwide but also differences in regional priorities, as well as a marked divergence in innovation rates across technologies. Renewable energy technologies - especially solar and wind - currently show the fastest rates of innovation, while patenting levels in nuclear fission have remained low despite relatively high levels of sustained investment. While this sharp increase of innovative activity bodes well for change in the energy sector, the future of emerging technologies may hinge on sustained investment in R&D and favorable incentives for market entry.

  20. Escaping social-ecological traps through tribal stewardship on national forest lands in the Pacific Northwest, United States of America

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jonathan W. Long; Frank K. Lake

    2018-01-01

    Tribal communities in the Pacific Northwest of the United States of America (USA) have long-standing relationships to ancestral lands now managed by federal land management agencies. In recent decades, federal and state governments have increasingly recognized tribal rights to resources on public lands and to participate in their management. In support of a new...

  1. Medical abortion practices: a survey of National Abortion Federation members in the United States

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wiegerinck, Melanie M. J.; Jones, Heidi E.; O'Connell, Katharine; Lichtenberg, E. Steve; Paul, Maureen; Westhoff, Carolyn L.

    2008-01-01

    Little is known about clinical implementation of medical abortion in the United States following approval of mifepristone as an abortifacient by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000. We collected information regarding medical abortion practices of National Abortion Federation (NAF) members

  2. The National Intelligence Strategy of the United States of America: Transformation Through Integration and Innovation

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    2005-01-01

    ... and President Bush's National Security Strategy of the United States of America. The President signed the new law with the expectation that "our vast intelligence enterprise will become more unified, coordinated, and effective...

  3. Denmark's national inventory report 2005 - submitted under the United Nations frameword convention on climate change. 1990-2003. Emission Inventories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Illerup, J.B.

    2005-12-20

    This report is Denmkark's National Inventory Report (NIR) due by 15 April 2005 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). the report contains information on Denmark's inventories for all years from 1990 to 2003. The structure of the report is in accordance with the UNFCCC Guidelines on reporting and review and the report includes detailed information on the inventories for all years from the base year to the year of the current annual inventory submission, in order to ensure the transparency of the inventory. (au)

  4. The first decade: 2004 - 2014. 10 years of renewable energy progress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lins, Christine; Williamson, Laura E.; Leitner, Sarah; Teske, Sven; Hankins, Mark; Sosis, Karin; Kiene, Ansgar; Mali, Thembakazi; Auth, Katie; Musolino, Evan; Iida, Tetsunari; Thornton, Kane; Haugwitz, Frank; Hinrichs-Rahlwes, Rainer; Subramanian, Venkataraman; Bravo, Gonzalo; McQueen, Dane; Sawin, Janet L.; Wiser, Ryan; Schweinfurth, Arne

    2014-01-01

    The evolution of renewable energy over the past decade has surpassed all expectations. Global installed capacity and production from all renewable technologies have increased substantially, and supporting policies have continued to spread to more countries in all regions of the world. Developments in the early 2000's showed upward trends in global renewable energy investment, capacity, and integration across all sectors, yet most mainstream projections did not predict the extraordinary expansion of renewables that was to unfold over the decade ahead. Several factors set the foundation for this rapid growth. The various energy crises-beginning in the 1970's - and the subsequent economic downturns underscored the role of energy for both national and economic security. At the same time, a handful of pioneering countries-such as Germany, Denmark, Spain, and the United States-created critical markets for renewables, which drove early technological advances and economies of scale, setting the stage and helping to fuel the past decade of explosive market expansion. Growing emphasis on mitigating climate change and adapting to its impacts has further contributed to the momentum. Renewable energy's contribution to the global heat, power and transport sectors has increased steadily. While growth in renewable's share of total energy use has been moderated by increases in both population and world energy demand-most notably in developing and emerging economies-renewable energy markets and technology developments have accelerated quickly, even when compared to other rapidly developing technologies such as mobile phones. Although the last decade has seen tremendous advances in the electricity sector, the renewable heating and cooling sector has lagged behind. This is despite the marked growth since 2004 in the use of geothermal, solar thermal, and biomass heating technologies for water and space heating, process heat, and cooling. Given that the share of

  5. United Nations Global Compact as a Corporate Social Responsibility Mechanism: A Case Study of Krüger A/S

    OpenAIRE

    Bereng, Reitumetse Esther

    2017-01-01

    Abstract: Over the years, copious research has been done on variety of voluntary sustainable development initiatives including Corporate Social Responsibility. This research takes a different route to Corporate Social Responsibility, by looking into this voluntary initiative through the spectrum of the United Nations Global Compact. It looks into the United Nations Global Compact as a mechanism for Corporate Social Responsibility in order to find out the true motives behind Krüger A/S engagin...

  6. Health Policy Brief: Global Mental Health and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cratsley, Kelso; Mackey, Tim K

    2018-01-25

    Increased awareness of the importance of mental health for global health has led to a number of new initiatives, including influential policy instruments issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN). This policy brief describes two WHO instruments, the Mental Health Action Plan for 2013-2020 (World Health Organization, 2013) and the Mental Health Atlas (World Health Organization, 2015), and presents a comparative analysis with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations, 2015). The WHO's Action Plan calls for several specific objectives and targets, with a focus on improving global mental health governance and service coverage. In contrast, the UN's Sustainable Development Goals include only one goal specific to mental health, with a single indicator tracking suicide mortality rates. The discrepancy between the WHO and UN frameworks suggests a need for increased policy coherence. Improved global health governance can provide the basis for ensuring and accelerating progress in global mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  7. United States National Grid for New Mexico, UTM 12, (1000m X 1000m polygons )

    Data.gov (United States)

    Earth Data Analysis Center, University of New Mexico — This is a polygon feature data layer of United States National Grid (1000m x 1000m polygons ) constructed by the Center for Interdisciplinary Geospatial Information...

  8. United States National Grid for New Mexico, UTM 13, (1000m X 1000m polygons )

    Data.gov (United States)

    Earth Data Analysis Center, University of New Mexico — This is a polygon feature data layer of United States National Grid (1000m x 1000m polygons ) constructed by the Center for Interdisciplinary Geospatial Information...

  9. Epidemiology of burns undergoing hospitalization to the National Burns Unit in the Sultanate of Oman: a 25-year review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Shaqsi, Sultan; Al-Kashmiri, Ammar; Al-Bulushi, Taimoor

    2013-12-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of burns admitted to the National Burns Unit (NBU) in the Sultanate of Oman between 1987 and 2011. This is a retrospective review of burn patients admitted to Oman's National Burns Unit (NBU) between 1987 and 2011. The data extracted from the national burn registry. The study describes the admission rate by gender and age groups, occupation, causes of burns, time-to-admission, length of stay and in-hospital mortality of burns between 1987 and 2011. During a 25-year from 1987 to 2011, there were 3531 burn patients admitted to the National Burns Unit in Oman. The average admission rate to NBU is 7.02 per 100,000 persons per year. On average, males were more likely to be admitted to the NBU than females during the study period (P value Oman. Children are disproportionately over-represented in this study. Prevention programmes are urgently needed to address this "silent and costly epidemic." Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  10. Design electronic of manual control for cobalt unit Alcyon II of the National Center of Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morraz V, E.; Campos, X.

    2002-01-01

    A manual control for the cobalt unit, of French production, it was designed by the team of electronic of the national center of radiotherapy with materials found in the national trade. The control has the same characteristics that the original one and it is also adapted a switch from which you can control the lights of the room of the cobalt

  11. United Nations negotiations on climate change

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Street, R.B.

    1993-01-01

    Climate change is a global environmental issue which is the subject of intergovernmental negotiations in the United Nations system. The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) recommended to the UN General Assembly a four-track strategy relating to climate change: improved monitoring and assessment; increased research; development of internationally agreed policies to reduce greenhouse gases; and adoption of strategies to minimize impacts of climate change. The UN hosted a Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992 to attempt to find a common basis for action to protect the Earth's future and to secure a sustainable and equitable process of development. The focal point for UNCED efforts related to climate change is the Protection of the Atmosphere chapter of Agenda 21. Program A of this agenda contains responses to the WCED recommendations and Program B includes promotion of sustainable development in energy development, transportation, industry, and resource development. A framework convention on climate change was developed by an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee established in 1990 and adopted by 130-140 countries. This convention includes general and specific obligations such as stabilization and control of greenhouse gas concentrations, development of emission inventories, and provision of financial resources to aid developing countries in responding to the climate change problem. 3 refs

  12. Statement to the fifty-fifth session of the United Nations General Assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    ElBaradei, M.

    2000-01-01

    In his statement to the fifty-fifth session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Director General of the IAEA briefly presented the three fundamental functions of the IAEA, namely: its role as a catalyst for the development and transfer of peaceful nuclear technologies, the efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and move towards nuclear disarmament, and the work to build and maintain a global nuclear safety regime

  13. Decades of nuclear testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miettinen, J.K.

    1995-01-01

    The United States carried out the world's first nuclear test in 1945. The test marked the beginning of an arms race between the great powers that lasted for decades. Innumerable nuclear test explosions were detonated to test and refine the weapons. The arms race picked up speed in the 1950s and culminated in 1958, when the United States detonated 77 and the Soviet Union 35 nuclear explosions. This was followed by the first pause in nuclear testing, brought about through the efforts of the Pugwash organisation consisting of the world's foremost scientists. Finland, too, received its share of the radioactive fallout coming from atmospheric nuclear explosions. Rain water samples have been studied for radioactivity in Finland since the mid-1950s. The first studies to determine the internal radiation doses caused by radioactive substances in man were conducted in the late 1950s by measuring cesium and strontium contents in grass and in milk. The efficiency of research and radiation monitoring improved in the 1960s, which was also a time when training in the sector developed rapidly. In consequence, when the accident in Chernobyl took place Finland had already gained valuable experience needed for rapid determination of unexpected fallout. (orig.) (3 figs.)

  14. Proposal for revisions of the United Nations Moon Treaty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Vera; Abreu, Neyda; Fritz, J.; Knapmeyer, Martin; Smeenk, Lisa; Ten Kate, Inge; Trüninger, Monica

    During this new 2010-decade, it will be imperative to reconsider the effectiveness of the current United Nations (U.N.) Moon Treaty (c.1979). Amendments are necessary to underline the mandatory human stewardship of this fragile planetary body of our Solar System, indispensible to life on Earth. After the very successful Apollo and Luna missions to the Moon (ending in 1976), which brought a wide array of data (samples, surface and orbital experiments), the Moon lost its exploratory attraction in favor of other programs, such as the International Space Station and potential human exploration of Mars. However, since the mid-90's, the enthusiasm for the Moon has been revived, which resulted in several space agencies worldwide (NASA, ESA, ISRO, JAXA, and the Chinese Space Agency) having made great efforts to re-start ex-ploratory and scientific campaigns even though budgetary changes may delay the process. As a result, a wide array of peoples and their interests are put together in each mission planned to reach the Moon (e.g., orbiters and landers). Up to now, mission plans focus on technical requirements and the desires of scientists and engineers, but hardly any other aspects. Field specialists on issues regarding the social, economic, political, cultural, ethical and environmen-tal impacts of Moon exploration and colonization have had little to no involvement in current and past lunar missions. However, these fields would provide different and essential points of view regarding the planning of lunar missions. Moreover, recent documents written by the scientific community, such as "The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon: Final Re-port" Committee on the Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon, National Research Council (2007), or the recent (summer 2009) White Papers for the National Research Council Planetary Science Decadal Survey 2011-2020, do not seem to leave space for a multidisciplinary approach regarding the future lunar exploration either

  15. Building the United States National Vegetation Classification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franklin, S.B.; Faber-Langendoen, D.; Jennings, M.; Keeler-Wolf, T.; Loucks, O.; Peet, R.; Roberts, D.; McKerrow, A.

    2012-01-01

    The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Vegetation Subcommittee, the Ecological Society of America Panel on Vegetation Classification, and NatureServe have worked together to develop the United States National Vegetation Classification (USNVC). The current standard was accepted in 2008 and fosters consistency across Federal agencies and non-federal partners for the description of each vegetation concept and its hierarchical classification. The USNVC is structured as a dynamic standard, where changes to types at any level may be proposed at any time as new information comes in. But, because much information already exists from previous work, the NVC partners first established methods for screening existing types to determine their acceptability with respect to the 2008 standard. Current efforts include a screening process to assign confidence to Association and Group level descriptions, and a review of the upper three levels of the classification. For the upper levels especially, the expectation is that the review process includes international scientists. Immediate future efforts include the review of remaining levels and the development of a proposal review process.

  16. DECADES Tools. User's manual for version 1.0

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-01-01

    Comprehensive comparative assessment studies of electricity options and strategies rely upon methodological approaches integrating technical, economic and human health, environmental and social aspects, and on comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date information covering all relevant characteristics of the energy chains for electricity generation. Often, however, the information available for national or regional studies cannot be directly compared or adapted to new conditions because it has been collected in different formats or is based on different assumptions. Some countries, particularly developing countries, lack sufficient resources to explore the benefits of applying new technologies and to carry out comprehensive comparative assessments of different energy sources. The inter-agency joint project on databases and methodologies for comparative assessment of different energy sources for electricity generation, in short DECADES, was established at the beginning of 1993, when nine international organizations (EC, ESCAP, IAEA, IIASA, IBRD, OECD/NEA, OPEC, UNIDO and WMO) agreed to join their efforts towards a common objective of enhancing the capabilities for comparative assessment of different energy sources in the process of planning and decision making for the electricity sector. One of the major achievements of the project is that an integrated software package for use on personal computers (PCs), called DECADES Tools, was developed to provide senior analysts and energy planners with an easy to use tool for carrying out decision support studies for the power sector. These tools consist of: several databases providing a comprehensive, harmonized set of technical, economic and environmental data for energy chains that use fossil fuels, nuclear power and, renewable energy sources for electricity generation; a data management system which provides user friendly access to the DECADES databases; an analytical software designed to access the information stored in the

  17. A Comparative Review of Music Education in Mainland China and the United States: From Nationalism to Multiculturalism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Wai-Chung

    2016-01-01

    This paper attempts to compare interactions between social changes and the integration of nationalism and multiculturalism in the context of music education by focusing on the ways in which the governmental politics of mainland China and the United States have managed nationalism and diversity in school music education. This paper also explores…

  18. Eleanor Roosevelt, the United Nations and the Role of Radio Communications

    OpenAIRE

    Luscombe, Anya

    2016-01-01

    Eleanor Roosevelt communicated with the public through a variety of media, both before, during and following her time in the White House. In 1946 she became part of the US delegation to the newly formed United Nations and she used newspaper columns, speeches and radio broadcasts to converse with citizens about the importance of the UN. This paper focuses on some of her radio performances of the early 1950s, both in the USA and in Europe. Despite increasing competition from television in the 1...

  19. Application of United Nations Framework Classification – 2009 (UNFC-2009) to nuclear fuel resources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tulsidas, Harikrishnan; Li Shengxiang; Van Gosen, Bradley

    2014-01-01

    United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Fuel and Mineral Reserves and Resources 2009: • Generic, principles-based system: – Applicable to both solid minerals and fluids; • Applications in: – International energy studies; – National resource reporting; – Company project management; – Financial reporting; • 3-D classification of resources on the basis of: – Socio-economic criteria (E); – Project maturity (technical feasibility) (F); – Geological knowledge (G); • A key goal of UNFC-2009 is to provide a tool to facilitate global communications: – Uses a numerical coding system; – Language independent reporting

  20. Relevance of Army National Guard Infantry Units in the Force Structure and Their Role in Combat

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Harris, Brian

    2004-01-01

    ...% of a total force of 346,848 assigned. Such large numbers are staggering considering that National Guard infantry units are not being utilized according to their organization training and equipment...

  1. Cross-National Investigation of Health Indicators among Sexual Minorities in Norway and the United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan J. Watson

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available A cross-national study of young adult sexual minorities was conducted in order to explore the associations between sexual orientation and measures of depression, suicidality, and substance use. Two nationally representative data sets were explored from the United States (N = 14,335 and Norway (N = 2423. Results indicated that sexual minorities experienced multiple health disparities (depression, suicidality, and substance use compared to their heterosexual counterparts. We found similar patterns of depression, suicidality, and substance use for sexual minorities in both the United States and Norway. The highest odds of substance use were among heterosexual-identified Norwegian youth who reported same-sex sexual activity, and the highest odds of suicidality were found for bisexual young adults in Norway. These findings have implications for how we consider culture and social policy as barriers and/or opportunities for sexual minorities.

  2. United Nations: preparing to examine energy and sustainable development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Radka, Mark [United Nations Environment Programme, Paris (France)

    2000-08-01

    This article examines the progress on sustainable development at the international level, and discusses the forthcoming meeting of the Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD-9) and the review of the progress of the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. Details are given of the anticipated Third Assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which is expected to increase pressure to reduce emissions of greenhouses gases, the link between policies of sustainable development and renewable energy, the challenge of the growing demand for energy in the developing countries and the need to mitigate against environmental damage, and the setting up of the Sustainable Energy Advisory Facility (SEAF) by the United Nations Environment Programme to aid developing countries to participate in the CSD-9 process.

  3. United Nations: preparing to examine energy and sustainable development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radka, Mark

    2000-01-01

    This article examines the progress on sustainable development at the international level, and discusses the forthcoming meeting of the Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD-9) and the review of the progress of the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. Details are given of the anticipated Third Assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which is expected to increase pressure to reduce emissions of greenhouses gases, the link between policies of sustainable development and renewable energy, the challenge of the growing demand for energy in the developing countries and the need to mitigate against environmental damage, and the setting up of the Sustainable Energy Advisory Facility (SEAF) by the United Nations Environment Programme to aid developing countries to participate in the CSD-9 process

  4. The United Nations disarmament yearbook. V. 22: 1997

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook contains a review of the main developments and negotiations in the field of disarmament and arms regulation each year. The Centre for Disarmament Affairs has endeavoured to make the publication as concise as possible without diminishing its usefulness as a reference work. Background information is greatly condensed; thus readers may wish to consult previous editions of The Yearbook. Factual information in tabular form is provided in the appendices. The status of multilateral and regional disarmament agreements is presented in appendix 1. With regard to resolutions on disarmament adopted by the General Assembly, texts are consolidated in appendix IV, information on sponsorship and voting is presented in appendix V and voting patterns are reproduced in appendix VI. Appendices II and Ill contain the texts of the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines and the Inter-American Convention on trafficking in firearms, respectively

  5. A decade of nuclear development in France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Renon, G.

    1984-01-01

    After the first energy crisis, in France depended heavily on oil import, the broad lines of strategy were the improvement of efficiency in energy use, the diversification of energy sources and the development of domestic substitute energy sources. The energy conservation policy achieved in 1983 up to 35 million tons of oil equivalent saving. The coal and natural gas output in France decreased during the last ten years, but the national energy production covered 38.7 % of the national needs in 1983. This result is mainly due to the implementation of electro-nuclear program whose contribution to the total energy consumption was more than 17 % in 1983. In 10 reference years, 29 PWR units of 900 MWe and 17 PWR units of 1300 MWe have been launched, and 27 units of 900 MWe each have been commissioned. The power cost per kWh generated by nuclear energy remained about 2/3 of that by coal. The cumulative production of 900 MWe PWRs is already equivalent to 50 reactor-years at full power. The average availability of the units was 68 % in 1983, which showed that the problems have been solved. Also the state of nuclear fuel cycle in France, the trend of reactor improvement and the long term plan are explained. (Kako, I.)

  6. Carbon factors and models for forest carbon estimates for the 2005-2011 National Greenhouse Gas Inventories of the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    James E. Smith; Linda S. Heath; Coeli M. Hoover

    2013-01-01

    Most nations have ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and are mandated to report National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, including the land use, land use change and forestry sector when it is significant. Participating countries commonly use data from national forest inventories as a basis for their forest-related emissions estimates. The...

  7. A Decade of Progress toward Ending the Intensive Confinement of Farm Animals in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shields, Sara; Shapiro, Paul; Rowan, Andrew

    2017-05-15

    In this paper, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) farm animal protection work over the preceding decade is described from the perspective of the organization. Prior to 2002, there were few legal protections for animals on the farm, and in 2005, a new campaign at the HSUS began to advance state ballot initiatives throughout the country, with a decisive advancement in California (Proposition 2) that paved the way for further progress. Combining legislative work with undercover farm and slaughterhouse investigations, litigation and corporate engagement, the HSUS and fellow animal protection organizations have made substantial progress in transitioning the veal, pork and egg industries away from intensive confinement systems that keep the animals in cages and crates. Investigations have become an important tool for demonstrating widespread inhumane practices, building public support and convincing the retail sector to publish meaningful animal welfare policies. While federal legislation protecting animals on the farm stalled, there has been steady state-by-state progress, and this is complemented by major brands such as McDonald's and Walmart pledging to purchase only from suppliers using cage-free and crate-free animal housing systems. The evolution of societal expectations regarding animals has helped propel the recent wave of progress and may also be driven, in part, by the work of animal protection organizations.

  8. A Decade of Progress toward Ending the Intensive Confinement of Farm Animals in the United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Shields

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS farm animal protection work over the preceding decade is described from the perspective of the organization. Prior to 2002, there were few legal protections for animals on the farm, and in 2005, a new campaign at the HSUS began to advance state ballot initiatives throughout the country, with a decisive advancement in California (Proposition 2 that paved the way for further progress. Combining legislative work with undercover farm and slaughterhouse investigations, litigation and corporate engagement, the HSUS and fellow animal protection organizations have made substantial progress in transitioning the veal, pork and egg industries away from intensive confinement systems that keep the animals in cages and crates. Investigations have become an important tool for demonstrating widespread inhumane practices, building public support and convincing the retail sector to publish meaningful animal welfare policies. While federal legislation protecting animals on the farm stalled, there has been steady state-by-state progress, and this is complemented by major brands such as McDonald’s and Walmart pledging to purchase only from suppliers using cage-free and crate-free animal housing systems. The evolution of societal expectations regarding animals has helped propel the recent wave of progress and may also be driven, in part, by the work of animal protection organizations.

  9. The Texts of the Agency's Agreements with the United Nations; Texto de los Acuerdos Concertados Entre el Organismo y las Naciones Unidas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1959-10-30

    The texts of the following agreements and supplementary agreements between the Agency and the United Nations are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency: I. A. Agreement Governing the Relationship Between the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency; B. Protocol Concerning the Entry into Force of the Agreement between the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency; II. Administrative Arrangement Concerning the Use of the United Nations Laissez-Passer by Officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency; and III. Agreement for the Admission of the International Atomic Energy Agency into the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund [Spanish] En este documento se reproduce, para conocimiento de todos los Estados Miembros del Organismo, el texto de los acuerdos que a continuacion se indican, concertados entre el Organismo y las Naciones Unidas, asi como el del protocolo relativo a uno de ellos: A. Acuerdo sobre las Relaciones entre las Naciones Unidas y el Organismo Internacional de Energia Atomica; B. Protocolo relativo a la entrada en vigor del Acuerdo entre las Naciones Unidas y el Organismo Internacional de Energia Atomica; II. Acuerdo administrativo relativo al uso del laissez-passer de las Naciones Unidas por los funcionarios del Organismo Internacional de Energia Atomica; III. Acuerdo sobre la admision del Organismo Internacional de Energia Atomica en la Caja Comun de Pensiones del Personal de las Naciones Unidas.

  10. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Promoting Health and Well-Being through Physical Education Partnerships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, Timothy

    2016-01-01

    This paper shares a health and wellbeing partnership, modelling implementation of physical education (PE) advocated by the United Nations (UN). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) exemplifies global efforts towards equality, specifically Goal 3 and 4 address health and wellbeing. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into cross…

  11. The Role of Ethiopia's Public Universities in Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Keeffe, Paul

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, the Ethiopian government has embarked on an ambitious agriculture development strategy aimed at raising Ethiopia to the status of a middle-income-level country by 2025. Encouraged by the international development push behind the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the rapid expansion of public universities has…

  12. Beyond the Rhetoric: An Historian's View of the "National" Standards for United States History.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stern, Sheldon M.

    1994-01-01

    Suggests there are flaws in the National Standards for United States History that could be detrimental to students. According to the author, in their pervasive present-mindedness and self-censorship, the standard's framers underestimate and ill-serve the students because the standards help develop a smug, superior, and self-righteous attitude…

  13. 75 FR 48986 - Vendor Outreach Workshop for Small Businesses in the National Capitol Region of the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of the Secretary Vendor Outreach Workshop for Small Businesses in the National Capitol Region of the United States AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior. ACTION... Interior are hosting a Vendor Outreach Workshop for small businesses in the National Capitol region of the...

  14. National Land Cover Database 2001 (NLCD01) Imperviousness Layer Tile 3, Southwest United States: IMPV01_3

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaMotte, Andrew E.; Wieczorek, Michael

    2010-01-01

    This 30-meter resolution data set represents the imperviousness layer for the conterminous United States for the 2001 time period. The data have been arranged into four tiles to facilitate timely display and manipulation within a Geographic Information System, browse graphic: nlcd01-partition. The National Land Cover Data Set for 2001 was produced through a cooperative project conducted by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium. The MRLC Consortium is a partnership of Federal agencies (www.mrlc.gov), consisting of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). One of the primary goals of the project is to generate a current, consistent, seamless, and accurate National Land Cover Database (NLCD) circa 2001 for the United States at medium spatial resolution. For a detailed definition and discussion on MRLC and the NLCD 2001 products, refer to Homer and others (2004) and http://www.mrlc.gov/mrlc2k.asp.. The NLCD 2001 was created by partitioning the United States into mapping-zones. A total of 68 mapping-zones browse graphic: nlcd01-mappingzones.jpg were delineated within the conterminous United States based on ecoregion and geographical characteristics, edge-matching features, and the size requirement of Landsat mosaics. Mapping-zones encompass the whole or parts of several states. Questions about the NLCD mapping zones can be directed to the NLCD 2001 Land Cover Mapping Team at the USGS/EROS, Sioux Falls, SD (605) 594-6151 or mrlc@usgs.gov.

  15. National Land Cover Database 2001 (NLCD01) Imperviousness Layer Tile 4, Southeast United States: IMPV01_4

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wieczorek, Michael; LaMotte, Andrew E.

    2010-01-01

    This 30-meter resolution data set represents the imperviousness layer for the conterminous United States for the 2001 time period. The data have been arranged into four tiles to facilitate timely display and manipulation within a Geographic Information System, browse graphic: nlcd01-partition. The National Land Cover Data Set for 2001 was produced through a cooperative project conducted by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium. The MRLC Consortium is a partnership of Federal agencies (www.mrlc.gov), consisting of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). One of the primary goals of the project is to generate a current, consistent, seamless, and accurate National Land Cover Database (NLCD) circa 2001 for the United States at medium spatial resolution. For a detailed definition and discussion on MRLC and the NLCD 2001 products, refer to Homer and others (2004) and http://www.mrlc.gov/mrlc2k.asp.. The NLCD 2001 was created by partitioning the United States into mapping-zones. A total of 68 mapping-zones browse graphic: nlcd01-mappingzones.jpg were delineated within the conterminous United States based on ecoregion and geographical characteristics, edge-matching features, and the size requirement of Landsat mosaics. Mapping-zones encompass the whole or parts of several states. Questions about the NLCD mapping zones can be directed to the NLCD 2001 Land Cover Mapping Team at the USGS/EROS, Sioux Falls, SD (605) 594-6151 or mrlc@usgs.gov.

  16. National Land Cover Database 2001 (NLCD01) Imperviousness Layer Tile 2, Northeast United States: IMPV01_2

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaMotte, Andrew E.; Wieczorek, Michael

    2010-01-01

    This 30-meter resolution data set represents the imperviousness layer for the conterminous United States for the 2001 time period. The data have been arranged into four tiles to facilitate timely display and manipulation within a Geographic Information System, browse graphic: nlcd01-partition. The National Land Cover Data Set for 2001 was produced through a cooperative project conducted by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium. The MRLC Consortium is a partnership of Federal agencies (www.mrlc.gov), consisting of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). One of the primary goals of the project is to generate a current, consistent, seamless, and accurate National Land Cover Database (NLCD) circa 2001 for the United States at medium spatial resolution. For a detailed definition and discussion on MRLC and the NLCD 2001 products, refer to Homer and others (2004) and http://www.mrlc.gov/mrlc2k.asp.. The NLCD 2001 was created by partitioning the United States into mapping-zones. A total of 68 mapping-zones browse graphic: nlcd01-mappingzones.jpg were delineated within the conterminous United States based on ecoregion and geographical characteristics, edge-matching features, and the size requirement of Landsat mosaics. Mapping-zones encompass the whole or parts of several states. Questions about the NLCD mapping zones can be directed to the NLCD 2001 Land Cover Mapping Team at the USGS/EROS, Sioux Falls, SD (605) 594-6151 or mrlc@usgs.gov.

  17. National Land Cover Database 2001 (NLCD01) Imperviousness Layer Tile 1, Northwest United States: IMPV01_1

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaMotte, Andrew E.; Wieczorek, Michael

    2010-01-01

    This 30-meter resolution data set represents the imperviousness layer for the conterminous United States for the 2001 time period. The data have been arranged into four tiles to facilitate timely display and manipulation within a Geographic Information System, browse graphic: nlcd01-partition. The National Land Cover Data Set for 2001 was produced through a cooperative project conducted by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium. The MRLC Consortium is a partnership of Federal agencies (www.mrlc.gov), consisting of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). One of the primary goals of the project is to generate a current, consistent, seamless, and accurate National Land Cover Database (NLCD) circa 2001 for the United States at medium spatial resolution. For a detailed definition and discussion on MRLC and the NLCD 2001 products, refer to Homer and others (2004) and http://www.mrlc.gov/mrlc2k.asp.. The NLCD 2001 was created by partitioning the United States into mapping-zones. A total of 68 mapping-zones browse graphic: nlcd01-mappingzones.jpg were delineated within the conterminous United States based on ecoregion and geographical characteristics, edge-matching features, and the size requirement of Landsat mosaics. Mapping-zones encompass the whole or parts of several states. Questions about the NLCD mapping zones can be directed to the NLCD 2001 Land Cover Mapping Team at the USGS/EROS, Sioux Falls, SD (605) 594-6151 or mrlc@usgs.gov.

  18. Proposals for the Negotiation Process on the United Nations Global Compact for Migration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victor Genina

    2017-09-01

    • builds a cooperation-oriented, peer-review mechanism to review migration policies.    The paper has been conceived as an input for those who will take part in the negotiation of the global compact for migration, as well as those who will closely follow those negotiations. Thus, the paper assumes a level of knowledge on how international migration has been addressed within the United Nations during the last several years and of the complexities of these negotiation processes. The author took part in different UN negotiation processes on international migration from 2004 to 2013. The paper is primarily based on this experience.[4] [1] G.A. Res. 71/1, ¶ 21 (Sept. 19, 2016. [2] G.A. Res. 68/4 (Oct. 3, 2013. [3] A mixed flow, according to UNHCR (n.d., is the migratory flow comprised by both asylum seekers and migrants: “Migrants and refugees increasingly make use of the same routes and means of transport to get to an overseas destination.” [4] During that period, the author was a staff member of the Mexican delegation to the United Nations, both in Geneva and New York.

  19. Indigenous Peoples and Indicators of Well-Being: Australian Perspectives on United Nations Global Frameworks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, John

    2008-01-01

    One of the major tasks of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) following its establishment in 2000 has been to establish statistical profiles of the world's Indigenous peoples. As part of this broad task, it has recommended that the Millennium Development Goals and other global reporting frameworks should be assessed…

  20. United Nations opens gender coordinating unit for Afghanistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, K

    1999-02-06

    The UN has created a gender coordinating unit for Afghanistan in an effort to combat some problems encountered by women and girls in the country. Reports continue to come in of women in Afghanistan being denied the right to work, to be educated, and to have access to medical care. The gap in education between men and women continues to widen as a result of edicts issued by Taliban authorities banning girls from attending formal schools and female teachers from working. The situation has grown worse since the UN and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) withdrew international workers last year due to security concerns. Although a UN mission will travel to the country this week to discuss the return of international staff, the gender coordinating unit will for now have to work out of Islamabad, Pakistan. The unit will create guidelines for gender mainstreaming, a strategy in which mainstream policies and resource allocations are changed to reflect the principle of gender equality. Other goals include setting realistic objectives for gender activities, working with partners on pilot projects, and establishing minimum standards for best practices. MERLIN, a NGO with a primary health care program run by local staff in the Taliban-controlled province of Farah, welcomes the move.

  1. Transmutation: a decade of revival issues, relevant experiments and perspectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salvatores, M.

    2001-01-01

    For more than a decade, transmutation studies have been again a topic of wide interest and have triggered numerous international activities, like bilateral/multilateral collaborations, information exchanges, state-of-the-art reports, conferences, but also some co-ordinated programmes and experiments. It is legitimate to ask at this point, whether transmutation studies are still 'fashionable' and why; what is known, what has been done and what should be done. Since the motivations of national programmes are often different, due to a different context, we will take for granted that transmutation is generally seen as an option for the back-end of the fuel cycle in order to reduce the burden of potential geological storages of radioactive wastes (whatever their nature). Finally, we also acknowledge the fact that some highly respected scientists have at several occasions during this decade expressed their doubts about the value of the transmutation option. A typical example is the position expressed by Pigford and Rasmussen, reporting the results of a study for the US National Research Council. (author)

  2. National legislative and regulatory activities: Armenia, Brazil, Canada, France, Georgia, Greece, India, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2012-01-01

    Armenia: Nuclear safety and radiological protection (Initiation of process relating to the life extension of nuclear power plant unit 2). Brazil: General legislation (Authorisation for the construction of nuclear submarines). Canada: Environmental protection (Changes to the federal environmental assessment law). France: Radioactive waste management (Changes to the National Plan for Management of Radioactive Materials and Waste). Georgia: Nuclear safety and radiological protection (New law on nuclear and radiation safety). Greece: Nuclear safety (Presidential decree on nuclear safety transposing European Council directive into national legislation); Emergency preparedness and response (Establishment of national plan for nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical threats). India: Licensing and regulatory infrastructure (Pending invitation for the IAEA's Integrated Regulatory Review Services to conduct a peer review); Liability and compensation (Committee on Subordinate Legislation Report on the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Rules, 2011). Ireland: Nuclear safety and radiological protection (Adoption of revised regulations regarding radiological protection). Japan: Nuclear Regulation Authority Act (Structure, Functions, New Nuclear Emergency Preparedness System). Lithuania: General legislation (New laws affecting Visaginas nuclear power plant project implementation); Licensing and regulatory infrastructure (Revised rules for issuing licenses and permits); Nuclear security (Revised physical protection requirements, New rules for the preparation of security plans); Radioactive waste management (Revised Rules of Procedure of Submission of Data on Activities Involving Radioactive Waste Disposal to the European Commission). Switzerland: General legislation (Draft energy strategy open for public comment until January 2013). Ukraine: Radioactive waste management (New law on development of a central repository); General legislation (Law providing for the location

  3. National Academy of Sciences Recommends Continued Support of ALMA Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000-05-01

    , will be built at a high-altitude, extremely dry mountain site in Chile's Atacama desert. The array is scheduled to be completed sometime in this decade. Millimeter-wave astronomy studies the universe in the spectral region where most of its energy lies, between the long-wavelength radio waves and the shorter-wavelength infrared waves. In this realm, ALMA will study the structure of the early universe and the evolution of galaxies; gather crucial data on the formation of stars, protoplanetary disks, and planets; and provide new insights on the familiar objects of our own solar system. "Most of the photons in the Universe lie in the millimeter wavelength regime; among existing or planned instruments only ALMA can image the sources of these photons with the crispness required to understand the events of galaxy, star and planet formation which launched them into space," said NRAO's Dr. Alwyn Wootten, U.S. ALMA Project Scientist. ALMA is an international partnership between the United States (National Science Foundation) and Europe. European participants include the European Southern Observatory, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France), the Max-Planck Gesellschaft (Germany), the Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy, the United Kingdom Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, the Oficina de Ciencia Y Tecnologia/Instituto Geografico Nacional (Spain), and the Swedish Natural Science Research Council. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

  4. A Methodology for Building Faculty Support for the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maloni, Michael J.; Smith, Shane D.; Napshin, Stuart

    2012-01-01

    Evidence from extant literature indicates that faculty support is a critical driver for implementing the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), particularly for schools pursuing an advanced, cross-disciplinary level of sustainability integration. However, there is limited existing research offering insight into how…

  5. One voice or different choice?: Vote defection of European Union member states in the United Nations General Assembly

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Burmester, Nicolas; Jankowski, Michael

    2018-01-01

    Existing research suggests that European Union member states are increasingly able to act in concert in the United Nations General Assembly. Based on several hundred co-ordination meetings per year, the European Union ‘speaks with one voice’ on most of the resolutions voted upon in the United...... Nations General Assembly. However, little is known about instances where the European Union member states do not vote coherently. Three questions remain unanswered. First, which aspects affect deviating voting behaviour of European Union member states? Second, who are the most frequent defectors from...... the European Union’s majority position? Third, which voting blocs within the European Union can be identified? The article answers these questions in a quantitative design by controlling for domestic factors, issues of resolutions and the position of the United States. The results suggest that domestic aspects...

  6. American Nightmare: A Decade of Homelessness in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Coalition for the Homeless, Washington, DC.

    A 1989 national survey of the dimensions of homelessness found that at least three million Americans are homeless and that the shortage of affordable housing was cited as the chief cause. Information was gathered from a telephone survey of emergency shelter providers, housing advocacy organizations, and local governments in 26 communities, ranging…

  7. Sexual orientation and future parenthood in a 2011-2013 nationally representative United States sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riskind, Rachel G; Tornello, Samantha L

    2017-09-01

    Previous researchers have found evidence for differences in parenting goals between lesbian and gay people and their heterosexual peers. However, no previous research has quantified the parenting goals of bisexual people or evaluated parenting goals as a function of sexual partner gender. In addition, political and social climates for sexual minority people had improved rapidly since the last representative data on lesbian and gay peoples' plans for parenthood were collected. We analyzed data from 3,941 childless lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual participants from the 2011-2013 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG; United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, 2014), a nationally representative sample of United States residents aged 15 to 44 years. We found that statistically significant, within-gender sexual orientation differences in parenting plans persist, despite social and legal changes. Consistent with hypotheses, bisexual men's parenting desires and intentions were similar to those of their heterosexual male peers and different from those of their gay male peers, while bisexual women's reports were more mixed. Also consistent with hypotheses, the gender of the most recent sexual partner was a strong predictor of parenting goals. We discuss implications for mental and reproductive health-care providers, attorneys, social workers, and others who interact with sexual minority adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. National and state vaccination coverage among children aged 19-35 months--United States, 2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-02

    The National Immunization Survey (NIS) monitors vaccination coverage among children aged 19-35 months using a random-digit-dialed sample of telephone numbers of households to evaluate childhood immunization programs in the United States. This report describes the 2010 NIS coverage estimates for children born during January 2007-July 2009. Nationally, vaccination coverage increased in 2010 compared with 2009 for ≥ 1 dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR), from 90.0% to 91.5%; ≥ 4 doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), from 80.4% to 83.3%; the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine (HepB), from 60.8% to 64.1%; ≥ 2 doses of hepatitis A vaccine (HepA), from 46.6% to 49.7%; rotavirus vaccine, from 43.9% to 59.2%; and the full series of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine, from 54.8% to 66.8%. Coverage for poliovirus vaccine (93.3%), MMR (91.5%), ≥ 3 doses HepB (91.8%), and varicella vaccine (90.4%) continued to be at or above the national health objective targets of 90% for these vaccines.* The percentage of children who had not received any vaccinations remained low (poverty status still exist. Maintaining high vaccination coverage levels is important to reduce the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases and prevent a resurgence of these diseases in the United States, particularly in undervaccinated populations.

  9. Inconsistencies Exist in National Estimates of Eye Care Services Utilization in the United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando A. Wilson

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. There are limited research and substantial uncertainty about the level of eye care utilization in the United States. Objectives. Our study estimated eye care utilization using, to our knowledge, every known nationally representative, publicly available database with information on office-based optometry or ophthalmology services. Research Design. We analyzed the following national databases to estimate eye care utilization: the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS, National Health Interview Survey (NHIS, Joint Canada/US Survey of Health (JCUSH, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS, and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS. Subjects. US adults aged 18 and older. Measures. Self-reported utilization of eye care services. Results. The weighted number of adults seeing or talking with any eye doctor ranges from 87.9 million to 99.5 million, and the number of visits annually ranges from 72.9 million to 142.6 million. There were an estimated 17.2 million optometry visits and 55.8 million ophthalmology visits. Conclusions. The definitions and estimates of eye care services vary widely across national databases, leading to substantial differences in national estimates of eye care utilization.

  10. National space policy of the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-28

    The space age began as a race for security and prestige between two superpowers . The opportunities : were boundless, and the decades that followed have seen a radical transformation in the way we live our : daily lives, in large part due to our use ...

  11. 4. national communication to the United Nation framework convention on the climatic change; 4. communication nationale a la convention cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2006-07-01

    France, as the other involved participants, has to periodically present its actions in favor of the climatic change fight. This fourth national communication follows a plan defined by the Conference of the Parties to the United Nation Framework Convention on the Climatic Change. This report follows the third national convention published on 2001. It presents in nine chapters the actions realized to reduce and stop the greenhouse effect gases emissions and limit the impacts on the environment and public health: an analytical abstract, the conditions specific to the country, the inventory, the policies and measures, the projections and global effects of the policies and measures, the evaluation of the vulnerability and the climatic changes consequences and the adapted measures, the financial resources and the technology transfer, the research programs, the education formation and awareness of the public. (A.L.B.)

  12. Decade of decision

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tolba, M.K. (United Nations Environment Programme, New York, NY (United States))

    1990-05-01

    In this address, Dr. Tolba presents a report of the United Nation Environment Program's Governing Council and comments on some of the environmental issues under consideration by the UN General Assembly. Six areas chosen for priority attention were discussed: climate change and ozone depletion; shared freshwater resources; regional seas and their coastal areas; land degradation (desertification and deforestation); conservation of biological diversity; management of hazardous wastes and toxic chemicals. The address closed with the reminder that there would be no easy solutions; however, easing of tensions between the political power blocs could allow more resources to be used in protecting the environment.

  13. A New Decade of Vaccines

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Murphy, JFA

    2011-09-01

    The call for a new decade of vaccines was made in December 2010. The aims are to secure the further discovery, development and delivery of vaccination. The first challenge is the acquisition of funds for the research and development of 20 new vaccines1. The Gates Foundation has pledged $10 billion for this venture. The other major players are WHO, UNICEF and the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The top priorities are TB, AIDS and Malaria. It is hoped that a Malaria vaccine will available in 3 years. The ambitious target of saving the lives of over 7 million children has been set. The programme must also address the need for vaccines in insulin dependent diabetes, cancers and degenerative diseases2.

  14. The United Nations University: The Concept, History, Structure, Financing, Objectives, Centres and Programmes. Guest Editorial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddy, J.

    2000-01-01

    The United Nations University (UNU) is an international academic organization which brings together leading international scholars to tackle world problems. This article describes for South African scholars, institutions, governments, and their agencies the importance of the work being undertaken by the UNU and encourages their participation. (EV)

  15. Uranium prospecting program: memorandum of request United Nations Assistance Rotatory Fund for Naturals resources in Uranium Prospecting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1976-01-01

    The Uruguayan government required assistance to Unit Nations funds with the aim of studies the Natural resources in Uranium prospecting, their antecedent, actual and projected works, equipment and end considerations

  16. Regional Centres for Space Science and Technology Education Affiliated to the United Nations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aquino, A. J. A.; Haubold, H. J.

    2010-05-01

    Based on resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, Regional Centres for space science and technology education were established in India, Morocco, Nigeria, Brazil and Mexico. Simultaneously, education curricula were developed for the core disciplines of remote sensing, satellite communications, satellite meteorology, and space and atmospheric science. This paper provides a brief report on the status of the operation of the Regional Centres and draws attention to their educational activities.

  17. The case for a United Nations verification agency. Disarmament under effective international control. Working paper 26

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dorn, A.W.

    1990-07-01

    It is now universally recognized that arms control treaties should be effectively verified. The most objective, flexible and cost-effective means to verify the majority of multilateral treaties would be through a new agency under the United Nations. As a cooperative international effort to develop both the technology and the political framework for arms control verification, a United Nations verification agency (UNVA) would speed up and help secure the disarmament process by: verifying a number of existing and future treaties; investigating alleged breaches of treaties; and certifying, upon request, that voluntary arms control and confidence-building measures have been carried out. This paper presents the case for such a proposal, outlines a possible institutional configuration, considers the possibilities for growth and discusses the challenges facing the establishment of such an agency. (author). 16 refs., 1 tab

  18. The case for a United Nations verification agency. Disarmament under effective international control. Working paper 26

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dorn, A W

    1990-07-01

    It is now universally recognized that arms control treaties should be effectively verified. The most objective, flexible and cost-effective means to verify the majority of multilateral treaties would be through a new agency under the United Nations. As a cooperative international effort to develop both the technology and the political framework for arms control verification, a United Nations verification agency (UNVA) would speed up and help secure the disarmament process by: verifying a number of existing and future treaties; investigating alleged breaches of treaties; and certifying, upon request, that voluntary arms control and confidence-building measures have been carried out. This paper presents the case for such a proposal, outlines a possible institutional configuration, considers the possibilities for growth and discusses the challenges facing the establishment of such an agency. (author). 16 refs., 1 tab.

  19. The Need for a United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordinator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Howard Stoffer

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available The case for a high level United Nations (UN Counter-Terrorism Coordinator position within the UN system has become increasingly urgent in 2013. This need has diluted some Member State reticence to creating a new Assistant Secretary-General position that would supervise and manage the existing counter-terrorism structures in the UN system. A Coordinator would have a basic responsibility to keep track of all of the activities of many formal inter-governmental organisations operating at the international, regional and sub-regional level and would also work closely with national counter-terrorism focal points. In this Policy Brief, Dr. Howard Stoffer reviews the debate among Security Council and Fifth Committee members about the efficacy of establishing a senior UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordinator. He argues that the creation of such a position could lead to a restructuring of the UN counter-terrorism architecture as well as its funding within the UN budget and among donors. The position would eventually make the UN overall counter-terrorism effort, under the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, a stronger, more effective and more efficient process with measurable impact on the ground among Member States.

  20. An aerosol optical depth climatology for NOAA's national surface radiation budget network (SURFRAD)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Augustine, John A.; Hodges, Gary B.; Dutton, Ellsworth G.; Michalsky, Joseph J.; Cornwall, Christopher R.

    2008-06-01

    A series of algorithms developed to process spectral solar measurements for aerosol optical depth (AOD) for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) national surface radiation budget network (SURFRAD) is summarized, and decadal results are presented. AOD is a measure of the extinction of the Sun's beam due to aerosols. Daily files of AOD for five spectral measurements in the visible and near-infrared have been produced for 1997-2006. Comparisons of SURFRAD daily AOD averages to NASA's Aerosol Robotic Network product at two of the stations were generally good. An AOD climatology for each SURFRAD station is presented as an annual time series of composite monthly means that represents a typical intra-annual AOD variation. Results are similar to previous U.S. climatologies in that the highest AOD magnitude and greatest variability occur in summer, the lowest AOD levels are in winter, and geographically, the highest-magnitude AOD is in the eastern United States. Springtime Asian dust intrusions show up as a secondary maximum at the western stations. A time series of nationwide annual means shows that 500-nm AOD has decreased over the United States by about 0.02 AOD units over the 10-year period. However, this decline is not statistically significant nor geographically consistent within the country. The eastern U.S. stations and westernmost station at Desert Rock, Nevada, show decreasing AOD, whereas the other two western stations show an increase that is attributed to an upsurge in wildfire activity in the last half of the decade.

  1. Application for assistance to United Nations rotating fund for the study of natural resources, for uranium prospecting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1976-01-01

    This memoranda is a United Nations petition about natural resources study which allow the uranium prospecting. These areas will be studied on sedentary, anomalous and crystal land as well as radiometric rises

  2. "Radical" Feminists and "Bickering" Women: Backlash in U.S. Media Coverage of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danner, Lauren; Walsh, Susan

    1999-01-01

    Analyzes United States' newspaper coverage of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women for themes indicating backlash against feminism. Finds that several backlash themes, such as women in conflict and stereotypical portrayals of women, were present throughout the coverage. (CR)

  3. Towards the Next International Lunar Decade

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beldavs, Vidvuds

    2016-07-01

    The idea of an International Lunar Decade (ILD) germinated in work underway in the International Lunar Working Group (ILEWG) coordinated by ESA starting before 2000. Envisioned was an International Geophysical Year (IGY) inspired global collaborative undertaking to better understand the Moon, its origins and resources as a step towards lunar development and possible human settlement. By 2006 the ILD idea had evolved sufficiently that the ILEWG endorsed it and endorsement was also received from COSPAR [1] The Planetary Society under the leadership of Louis Friedman championed the ILD idea, received a grant from the Secure World Foundation to promote it at various conferences as well as to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). Friedman made a presentation about ILD to COPUOS in February, 2007 [2]. Despite positive interest in the idea no member state of COPUOS chose to promote it. The ILD agenda was adopted by ILEWG and largely fulfilled by the member space agencies in the decade from 2007-2014, but without UN endorsement as a global initiative. In 2013 an idea for an International Lunar Decade took hold among a group of space activists that included ideas for an International Lunar Research Park [3], an International Lunar Geophysical Year and other elements including an article published by V. Beldavs in the Space Review on January 14, 2014 [4]. These various thought streams were brought to focus at the conference "The Next Giant Leap: Leveraging Lunar Assets for Sustainable Pathways to Space", November 9-13, 2014 in Hawaii that resulted in the International Lunar Decade Declaration [3] and the formation of the working group (ILDWG) to promote implementation of ILD. In 2015 numerous organizations and influential persons were approached and informed about the idea of a framework for international collaboration sustained over a decade to gain an understanding of the Moon and its resources and to develop the technologies and

  4. Impediments to the effectiveness of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-01

    Darfur fifteen years later, the Minsiriya murahaliin exterminated adult males, raped women , enslaved children, burned villages, and contaminated...June 19, 2010). 18 Ibid. 19 Security Council Resolution 1590 , S/RES/ 1590 (2005), 24 March 2005, para. 1. 8 immobilization of Fur opposition...Council, by Resolution 1590 , established the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS). 133 Latent terrorist threats, heavily mined areas

  5. National Land Cover Database 2001 (NLCD01) Tree Canopy Layer Tile 4, Southeast United States: CNPY01_4

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaMotte, Andrew E.; Wieczorek, Michael

    2010-01-01

    This 30-meter resolution data set represents the tree canopy layer for the conterminous United States for the 2001 time period. The data have been arranged into four tiles to facilitate timely display and manipulation within a Geographic Information System, browse graphic: nlcd01-partition.jpg The National Land Cover Data Set for 2001 was produced through a cooperative project conducted by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium. The MRLC Consortium is a partnership of Federal agencies (www.mrlc.gov), consisting of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). One of the primary goals of the project is to generate a current, consistent, seamless, and accurate National Land Cover Database (NLCD) circa 2001 for the United States at medium spatial resolution. For a detailed definition and discussion on MRLC and the NLCD 2001 products, refer to Homer and others (2004) and http://www.mrlc.gov/mrlc2k.asp. The NLCD 2001 was created by partitioning the United States into mapping-zones. A total of 68 mapping-zones browse graphic: nlcd01-mappingzones.jpg were delineated within the conterminous United States based on ecoregion and geographical characteristics, edge-matching features, and the size requirement of Landsat mosaics. Mapping-zones encompass the whole or parts of several states. Questions about the NLCD mapping zones can be directed to the NLCD 2001 Land Cover Mapping Team at the USGS/EROS, Sioux Falls, SD (605) 594-6151 or mrlc@usgs.gov.

  6. National Land Cover Database 2001 (NLCD01) Tree Canopy Layer Tile 2, Northeast United States: CNPY01_2

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaMotte, Andrew E.; Wieczorek, Michael

    2010-01-01

    This 30-meter resolution data set represents the tree canopy layer for the conterminous United States for the 2001 time period. The data have been arranged into four tiles to facilitate timely display and manipulation within a Geographic Information System, browse graphic: nlcd01-partition.jpg The National Land Cover Data Set for 2001 was produced through a cooperative project conducted by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium. The MRLC Consortium is a partnership of Federal agencies (www.mrlc.gov), consisting of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). One of the primary goals of the project is to generate a current, consistent, seamless, and accurate National Land Cover Database (NLCD) circa 2001 for the United States at medium spatial resolution. For a detailed definition and discussion on MRLC and the NLCD 2001 products, refer to Homer and others (2004) and http://www.mrlc.gov/mrlc2k.asp. The NLCD 2001 was created by partitioning the United States into mapping-zones. A total of 68 mapping-zones browse graphic: nlcd01-mappingzones.jpg were delineated within the conterminous United States based on ecoregion and geographical characteristics, edge-matching features, and the size requirement of Landsat mosaics. Mapping-zones encompass the whole or parts of several states. Questions about the NLCD mapping zones can be directed to the NLCD 2001 Land Cover Mapping Team at the USGS/EROS, Sioux Falls, SD (605) 594-6151 or mrlc@usgs.gov.

  7. National Land Cover Database 2001 (NLCD01) Tree Canopy Layer Tile 1, Northwest United States: CNPY01_1

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaMotte, Andrew E.; Wieczorek, Michael

    2010-01-01

    This 30-meter resolution data set represents the tree canopy layer for the conterminous United States for the 2001 time period. The data have been arranged into four tiles to facilitate timely display and manipulation within a Geographic Information System, browse graphic: nlcd01-partition.jpg. The National Land Cover Data Set for 2001 was produced through a cooperative project conducted by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium. The MRLC Consortium is a partnership of Federal agencies (www.mrlc.gov), consisting of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). One of the primary goals of the project is to generate a current, consistent, seamless, and accurate National Land Cover Database (NLCD) circa 2001 for the United States at medium spatial resolution. For a detailed definition and discussion on MRLC and the NLCD 2001 products, refer to Homer and others (2004) and http://www.mrlc.gov/mrlc2k.asp. The NLCD 2001 was created by partitioning the United States into mapping-zones. A total of 68 mapping-zones browse graphic: nlcd01-mappingzones.jpg were delineated within the conterminous United States based on ecoregion and geographical characteristics, edge-matching features, and the size requirement of Landsat mosaics. Mapping-zones encompass the whole or parts of several states. Questions about the NLCD mapping zones can be directed to the NLCD 2001 Land Cover Mapping Team at the USGS/EROS, Sioux Falls, SD (605) 594-6151 or mrlc@usgs.gov

  8. National Land Cover Database 2001 (NLCD01) Tree Canopy Layer Tile 3, Southwest United States: CNPY01_3

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaMotte, Andrew E.; Wieczorek, Michael

    2010-01-01

    This 30-meter resolution data set represents the tree canopy layer for the conterminous United States for the 2001 time period. The data have been arranged into four tiles to facilitate timely display and manipulation within a Geographic Information System, browse graphic: nlcd01-partition.jpg The National Land Cover Data Set for 2001 was produced through a cooperative project conducted by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium. The MRLC Consortium is a partnership of Federal agencies (www.mrlc.gov), consisting of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). One of the primary goals of the project is to generate a current, consistent, seamless, and accurate National Land Cover Database (NLCD) circa 2001 for the United States at medium spatial resolution. For a detailed definition and discussion on MRLC and the NLCD 2001 products, refer to Homer and others (2004) and http://www.mrlc.gov/mrlc2k.asp. The NLCD 2001 was created by partitioning the United States into mapping-zones. A total of 68 mapping-zones browse graphic: nlcd01-mappingzones.jpg were delineated within the conterminous United States based on ecoregion and geographical characteristics, edge-matching features, and the size requirement of Landsat mosaics. Mapping-zones encompass the whole or parts of several states. Questions about the NLCD mapping zones can be directed to the NLCD 2001 Land Cover Mapping Team at the USGS/EROS, Sioux Falls, SD (605) 594-6151 or mrlc@usgs.gov.

  9. A Decade of Progress toward Ending the Intensive Confinement of Farm Animals in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shields, Sara; Shapiro, Paul; Rowan, Andrew

    2017-01-01

    Simple Summary Over the past ten years, unprecedented changes in the way farm animals are kept on intensive production facilities have begun to take hold in the U.S. veal, egg and pork industries. Propelled by growing public support for animal welfare, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has successfully led the effort to transition farms from using restrictive cages and crates to more open aviary and group housing systems that offer the animals far more freedom to express natural behavior. This paper describes the background history of the movement, the strategy and approach of the campaign and the challenges that were overcome to enable this major shift in farming practices. The events chronicled are set within the context of the larger societal concern for animals and the important contributions of other animal protection organizations. Abstract In this paper, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) farm animal protection work over the preceding decade is described from the perspective of the organization. Prior to 2002, there were few legal protections for animals on the farm, and in 2005, a new campaign at the HSUS began to advance state ballot initiatives throughout the country, with a decisive advancement in California (Proposition 2) that paved the way for further progress. Combining legislative work with undercover farm and slaughterhouse investigations, litigation and corporate engagement, the HSUS and fellow animal protection organizations have made substantial progress in transitioning the veal, pork and egg industries away from intensive confinement systems that keep the animals in cages and crates. Investigations have become an important tool for demonstrating widespread inhumane practices, building public support and convincing the retail sector to publish meaningful animal welfare policies. While federal legislation protecting animals on the farm stalled, there has been steady state-by-state progress, and this is complemented by

  10. Soil Patterns Associated with the Major Geological Units of the Kruger National Park

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F.J. Venter

    1986-11-01

    Full Text Available The dominant soil types of the Kruger National Park and their interrelationships with parent material, topography and climate are discussed. The geogenetic and topogenetic nature of the soils are manifested in the strong correlations between recurrent soil patterns, major geological units and terrain morphology. The soils are categorised into seven major classes on the basis of the parent material from which they developed. General soil patterns within the major classes are discussed.

  11. National Lexicography Units: Past, Present, Future

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mariëtta Alberts, Research Unit for Languages and Literature in SA Context,. Northwest ..... NLUs were also assisted with the marketing of the units and the obtaining .... each dictionary project, and developing an editorial style guide for each dic- .... The DSAE edited the South African Concise Oxford Dictionary that was.

  12. Thorium fuel cycle development activities in India (a decade of progress: 1981-1990)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basu, T.K.; Srinivasan, M.

    1990-01-01

    The report comprises of 72 papers on various aspects of thorium fuel cycle. These papers report the research work carried out at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay and other units of the Department of Atomic Energy during the decade 1981-1990. figs., tabs

  13. Impacts on South Carolina timber production over the last five decades.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jinglong Mo; Thomas Straka; Richard Harper

    2013-01-01

    Timberland ownership patterns and national forest timber harvesting policy have undergone significant changes in South Carolina over the past five decades. Timber output studies for the state commonly focused on short time frames and seldom addressed timberland ownership patterns in detail. We describe fifty-year timber output for South Carolina, allowing us to address...

  14. Atmospheric and oceanic excitation of decadal-scale Earth orientation variations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gross, Richard S.; Fukumori, Ichiro; Menemenlis, Dimitris

    2005-09-01

    The contribution of atmospheric wind and surface pressure and oceanic current and bottom pressure variations during 1949-2002 to exciting changes in the Earth's orientation on decadal timescales is investigated using an atmospheric angular momentum series computed from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis project and an oceanic angular momentum series computed from a near-global ocean model that was forced by surface fluxes from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis project. Not surprisingly, since decadal-scale variations in the length of day are caused mainly by interactions between the mantle and core, the effect of the atmosphere and oceans is found to be only about 14% of that observed. More surprisingly, it is found that the effect of atmospheric and oceanic processes on decadal-scale changes in polar motion is also only about 20% (x component) and 38% (y component) of that observed. Therefore redistribution of mass within the atmosphere and oceans does not appear to be the main cause of the Markowitz wobble. It is also found that on timescales between 10 days and 4 years the atmospheric and oceanic angular momentum series used here have very little skill in explaining Earth orientation variations before the mid to late 1970s. This is attributed to errors in both the Earth orientation observations prior to 1976 when measurements from the accurate space-geodetic techniques became available and to errors in the modeled atmospheric fields prior to 1979 when the satellite era of global weather observing systems began.

  15. Post Irradiation Capabilities at the Idaho National Laboratory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schulthess, J.L.

    2011-08-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) oversees the research, development, and demonstration activities that ensure nuclear energy remains a viable energy option for the United States. Fuel and material development through fabrication, irradiation, and characterization play a significant role in accomplishing the research needed to support nuclear energy. All fuel and material development requires the understanding of irradiation effects on the fuel performance and relies on irradiation experiments ranging from tests aimed at targeted scientific questions to integral effects under representative and prototypic conditions. The DOE recently emphasized a solution-driven, goal-oriented, science-based approach to nuclear energy development. Nuclear power systems and materials were initially developed during the latter half of the 20th century and greatly facilitated by the United States ability and willingness to conduct large-scale experiments. Fifty-two research and test reactors with associated facilities for performing fabrication and pre and post irradiation examinations were constructed at what is now Idaho National Laboratory (INL), another 14 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and a few more at other national laboratory sites. Building on the scientific advances of the last several decades, our understanding of fundamental nuclear science, improvements in computational platforms, and other tools now enable technological advancements with less reliance on large-scale experimentation.

  16. Post Irradiation Capabilities at the Idaho National Laboratory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schulthess, J.L.; Robert D. Mariani; Rory Kennedy; Doug Toomer

    2011-08-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) oversees the research, development, and demonstration activities that ensure nuclear energy remains a viable energy option for the United States. Fuel and material development through fabrication, irradiation, and characterization play a significant role in accomplishing the research needed to support nuclear energy. All fuel and material development requires the understanding of irradiation effects on the fuel performance and relies on irradiation experiments ranging from tests aimed at targeted scientific questions to integral effects under representative and prototypic conditions. The DOE recently emphasized a solution-driven, goal-oriented, science-based approach to nuclear energy development. Nuclear power systems and materials were initially developed during the latter half of the 20th century and greatly facilitated by the United States’ ability and willingness to conduct large-scale experiments. Fifty-two research and test reactors with associated facilities for performing fabrication and pre and post irradiation examinations were constructed at what is now Idaho National Laboratory (INL), another 14 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and a few more at other national laboratory sites. Building on the scientific advances of the last several decades, our understanding of fundamental nuclear science, improvements in computational platforms, and other tools now enable technological advancements with less reliance on large-scale experimentation.

  17. Decades with four double triodes; Decades a quatre doubles triodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wahl, R [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Lab. du Fort de Chatillon, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1952-07-01

    Decades with four double triodes The described decade consists of four double triodes and four crystals germanium; which has the following characteristics: - Attack in negative impulses. - Sensitivity 12 volts {+-} 40 % for signals of 1 {mu}s about. - Time of resolution 2,5 {mu}s. - Voltage 250 v {+-} 40 %. - heating 6,3 v {+-} 40 %. - Tolerance on the values of the elements of installation 10%. (author) [French] La decade decrite comprend quatre doubles triodes et quatre cristaux germanium; elle a les caracteristiques suivantes: - Attaque en impulsions negatives. - Sensiblite 12 volts {+-} 40 % pour des signaux de 1 {mu}s environ. - Temps de resolution 2,5 {mu}s. - Alimentation 250 v {+-} 40 %. - Chauffage 6,3 v {+-} 40 %. - Tolerance sur les valeurs des elements de montage l0 %. (auteur)

  18. Chernobylsk: a situation less tragic than feared according to United Nations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2005-01-01

    A report of United Nation published at the beginning of September 2005 noticed that the sanitary consequences should be less tragic than it was feared. More than 600 000 persons have been exposed to radiations. Four thousand cases of thyroid cancers occurred especially among children. The report noticed the damage of the sarcophagus, and worries about the radioactive waste storage. A steel sarcophagus should be build for 2008-2009. The experts of I.F.A. (French and German Initiative for Chernobyl) think it is necessary to follow the study of sanitary consequences; the director of I.P.S.N. thinks it is to early to speak about assessment. (N.C.)

  19. Assessment of land use change in the coterminous United States and Alaska for global assessment of forest loss conducted by the food and agricultural organization of the United Nations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanushree Biswas; Mike Walterman; Paul Maus; Kevin A. Megown; Sean P. Healey; Kenneth Brewer

    2012-01-01

    The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations conducted a global assessment for forest change in 2010 using satellite imagery from 1990, 2000, and 2005. The U.S. Forest Service was responsible for assessing forest change in the United States. A polygon-based, stratified sampling design developed by FAO was used to assess change in forest area...

  20. THE ADMISSION OF NEWLY CREATED STATES TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE UNITED NATIONS: THE CASE OF REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milorad Petreski

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The international law which regulates the formation, functioning and legal capacity of international organizations, and also the international law in the United Nations system, are always relevant and subject to progressive development, because the international relations are in constant dynamics. Each newly created state has one major foreign policy goal during its first years of formation or after obtaining independence – admission to the membership of the United Nations. That is because the decision of admission to the membership of the UN guarantees the country’s statehood which can no longer be questioned. The country becomes part of a global community of nations – the international community. Therefore, the present paper is a qualitative research regarding the admission of new states to the international community, and the decision-making process concerning the admission of new Member States to the UN.

  1. Effects of Childhood Adversity on Bullying and Cruelty to Animals in the United States: Findings from a National Sample

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughn, Michael G.; Fu, Qiang; Beaver, Kevin M.; DeLisi, Matt; Perron, Brian E.; Howard, Matthew O.

    2011-01-01

    This study examined effects of type of and cumulative burden of childhood adversities on bullying and cruelty to animals in the United States. Data were derived from Waves I and II of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Structured psychiatric interviews were…

  2. Achievable Steps Toward Building a National Health Information Infrastructure in the United States

    OpenAIRE

    Stead, William W.; Kelly, Brian J.; Kolodner, Robert M.

    2005-01-01

    Consensus is growing that a health care information and communication infrastructure is one key to fixing the crisis in the United States in health care quality, cost, and access. The National Health Information Infrastructure (NHII) is an initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services receiving bipartisan support. There are many possible courses toward its objective. Decision makers need to reflect carefully on which approaches are likely to work on a large enough scale to have th...

  3. The Youth Space Vision for the Decade to Come: The Next Generation Network Looks Back to Look Forward

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cornell, Ariane

    2010-05-01

    The Space Generation Advisory Council in support of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications (SGAC) is a non-governmental organization of 4,000 members in 90+ countries which aims to represent university students and young space professionals to the United Nations, States, and other space agencies and organizations. In 2009, SGAC celebrated its ten year anniversary, and it was this milestone that inspired its 10 Year Anniversary Conference in June 2009, which was attended by members of the SGAC community from six continents and 21 States. The conference aimed to lead the attendees in a review of the past ten years of the politics of space as well as the "spacescape" (i.e., the overview of the organizations conducting space activities such as launching vehicles, owning satellites, or purchasing space-based services). The point of this review was to help analyze how SGAC and the youth it represents should position themselves for the next ten years. What resulted is a decadal vision from the youth (approximately 18-35 year olds) of the direction of global development and challenges, the role of the space sector in this development, and how SGAC and the youth it represents could best contribute to the development. The international community stands at a crossroads in the progress of humans in space. This paper represents a first step the youth are making in taking advantage of this watershed moment to develop an updated, pertinent role for the next ten years.

  4. Evaluating the completeness of the national ALS registry, United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaye, Wendy E; Wagner, Laurie; Wu, Ruoming; Mehta, Paul

    2018-02-01

    Our objective was to evaluate the completeness of the United States National ALS Registry (Registry). We compared persons with ALS who were passively identified by the Registry with those actively identified in the State and Metropolitan Area ALS Surveillance project. Cases in the two projects were matched using a combination of identifiers, including, partial social security number, name, date of birth, and sex. The distributions of cases from the two projects that matched/did not match were compared and Chi-square tests conducted to determine statistical significance. There were 5883 ALS cases identified by the surveillance project. Of these, 1116 died before the Registry started, leaving 4767 cases. We matched 2720 cases from the surveillance project to those in the Registry. The cases identified by the surveillance project that did not match cases in the Registry were more likely to be non-white, Hispanic, less than 65 years of age, and from western states. The methods used by the Registry to identify ALS cases, i.e. national administrative data and self-registration, worked well but missed cases. These findings suggest that developing strategies to identify and promote the Registry to those who were more likely to be missing, e.g. non-white and Hispanic, could be beneficial to improving the completeness of the Registry.

  5. National Offshore Wind Strategy: Facilitating the Development of the Offshore Wind Industry in the United States

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gilman, Patrick [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Maurer, Ben [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Feinberg, Luke [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Duerr, Alana [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Peterson, Lauren [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Musial, Walt [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Beiter, Phillipp [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Golladay, Jennifer [Dept. of the Interior (DOI), Washington DC (United States); Stromberg, Jessica [Dept. of the Interior (DOI), Washington DC (United States); Johnson, Isis [Dept. of the Interior (DOI), Washington DC (United States); Boren, Doug [Dept. of the Interior (DOI), Washington DC (United States); Moore, Annette [Dept. of the Interior (DOI), Washington DC (United States)

    2016-09-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy, through its Wind Energy Technologies Office, and U.S. Department of the Interior, through its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, have jointly produced this updated national strategy to facilitate the responsible development of offshore wind energy in the United States.

  6. National post-market surveillance assessment of veterinary medicines in Korea during the past decade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, JeongWoo; Park, Hae-Chul; Jang, Yang Ho; Hossain, Md Akil; Jeong, Kyunghun; Jeong, Mi Young; Yun, Seon-Jong; Park, Sung-Won; Kim, Dae Gyun; Lee, Kwang-Jick

    2017-05-22

    Veterinary medicines have been widely used for the prevention and treatment of diseases, growth promotion, and to promote feeding efficacy in livestock. As the veterinary medicine industry has steadily grown, it is crucial to set up a baseline for the quality of medicine as well as the insufficiency or excessiveness of the active ingredients in drug products to ensure the compliance, safety and efficacy of these medicines. Thus, the 10 years data of post-marketing quality control study was summarized to determine the rate and extent of non-compliance of these medicines and to establish baseline data for future quality control measures of veterinary medicine. In this study, 1650 drugs for veterinary use were collected per year from each city and province in Korea and analysed for the quantity of active ingredients according to the "national post-market surveillance (NPMS) system" over the past decade. The NPMS assessment was performed using liquid and gas chromatography, titration, UV/Vis spectrophotometry, and bioassays. A total of 358 cases were deemed noncompliant, with the average noncompliance rate for all medicine types being 2.0%. The average noncompliance rates for antibiotics, biologics and other chemical drugs except antibiotics (OCD) were 1.1%, 1.2%, and 3.0%, respectively. The first leading cause for noncompliant products was insufficient quantity of major ingredients (283 cases), and the second leading cause was the existence of excess amount of active ingredients (60 cases). Tylosin, spiramycin, ampicillin, tetracyclines and penicillins were most frequently found to be noncompliant among antibiotics. Among the OCD, the noncompliance was found commonly in vitamin A. The overall trend presented gradually decreasing violation rates, suggesting that the quality of veterinary medicines has improved. Consistent application of the NPMS assessment and the establishment of the Korea Veterinary Good Manufacturing Practice (KVGMP) will help to maintain the good

  7. A qualitative description of successful aging through different decades of older adulthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, Kelly; Weir, Patricia L

    2017-12-01

    To qualitatively examine factors that contribute to successful aging during different decades of older adulthood. Fundamental qualitative description was adopted as the methodological framework. Through purposeful sampling, 42 community dwelling older adults (mean age = 79.6 years, age range = 65-97 years; 19 males) were recruited. Focus groups (6) segmented by decade of life were conducted with participants 65-74 (n = 17) and 75-84 (n = 17) years of age. Semi-structured interviews (16) were conducted with four participants from each decade, as well as participants 85 years of age and older (n = 8). Data analyses were conducted independently for each decade of life and included inductive analysis of textual data through continuous comparisons of meaning units. Three primary themes related to successful aging were identified across all decades of older adulthood: (1) staying healthy (secondary themes: genetics and lifestyle choices), (2) maintaining an active engagement in life (secondary themes: social engagement and cognitive engagement), and (3) keeping a positive outlook on life. Participants in specific decades of older adulthood identified three additional secondary themes related to maintaining an active engagement in life: finances (65-74 and 85+ years), social support (75+ years), and successful marriage (75+ years). Similarly, only adults 65-84 years of age identified a secondary theme for keeping a positive outlook on life: acceptance and adaptation. Primary themes related to successful aging were agreed upon by participants in all decades of older adulthood, while age-based differences existed among secondary themes. Thus, what it means to age successfully may be age-dependent.

  8. International cooperative initiatives and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bakhtiari, Fatemeh

    2017-01-01

    International cooperative initiatives (ICIs) are multi-country, multi-actor non-state actions that have the potential to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The article summarizes the literature on estimates of emission reduction potentials attributed to ICIs. This summary highlights three key ...... efforts under the UNFCCC is uncertain, but believed to be quite large. •The UNFCCC is arguably ill suited to coordinate and strengthen the accountability of international cooperative initiatives.......International cooperative initiatives (ICIs) are multi-country, multi-actor non-state actions that have the potential to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The article summarizes the literature on estimates of emission reduction potentials attributed to ICIs. This summary highlights three key...... transparent performance monitoring and reporting mechanisms. The article concludes with two considerations. Firstly, it advocates for the United Nations Environment Programme as one entity that could bring much-needed coordination among ICIs, and between ICIs and national government-led efforts to mitigate...

  9. 4 September 2015 - Signature of the guest book by Ambassador Oh Joon, Seventy-first President, United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York with Director for Administration and General infrastructure S. Lettow.

    CERN Multimedia

    Gadmer, Jean-Claude Robert

    2015-01-01

    4 September 2015 - Signature of the guest book by Ambassador Oh Joon, Seventy-first President, United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York with Director for Administration and General infrastructure S. Lettow. Also present: Head of IT Department F. Hemmer with E. Bjorgo and F. Pisano visiting the UNITAR’s operational satellite applications programme on CERN site in building 597. The delegation is accompanied throughout by Adviser to the Director-General, in charge of Relations with International Organisations M. Bona.

  10. Arms control is everyone`s business: The United States and the United Nations at the mid-point of the 1990`s

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lehman, R.F. II

    1993-03-01

    This presentation encourages current efforts in arms control, non- proliferation, and peacekeeping. Verification is heralded as a confidence building method to bring about more openness in international relations. It is purported that openness has already enhanced democratic forces around the world. The insistence on strict compliance with the decisions of the United Nations Security Council is a show of support for international law. It is recommended that international norms on human rights, non-proliferation, and non-aggression be strengthened.

  11. A regional assessment of chemicals of concern in surface waters of four Midwestern United States national parks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, Sarah M.; VanderMeulen, David

    2017-01-01

    Anthropogenic chemicals and their potential for adverse biological effects raise concern for aquatic ecosystem health in protected areas. During 2013–15, surface waters of four Midwestern United States national parks were sampled and analyzed for wastewater indicators, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and pesticides. More chemicals and higher concentrations were detected at the two parks with greater urban influences (Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore) than at the two more remote parks (Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Isle Royale National Park). Atrazine (10–15 ng/L) and N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (16–120 ng/L) were the only chemicals detected in inland lakes of a remote island national park (Isle Royale National Park). Bisphenol A and organophosphate flame retardants were commonly detected at the other sampled parks. Gabapentin and simazine had the highest observed concentrations (> 1000 ng/L) in three and two samples, respectively. At the two parks with urban influences, metolachlor and simazine concentrations were similar to those reported for other major urban rivers in the United States. Environmental concentrations of detected chemicals were often orders of magnitude less than standards or reference values with three exceptions: (1) hydrochlorothiazide exceeded a human health-based screening value in seven samples, (2) estrone exceeded a predicted critical environmental concentration for fish pharmacological effects in one sample, and (3) simazine was approaching the 4000 ng/L Maximum Contaminant Level in one sample even though this concentration is not expected to reflect peak pesticide use. Although few environmental concentrations were approaching or exceeded standards or reference values, concentrations were often in ranges reported to elicit effects in aquatic biota. Data from this study will assist in establishing a baseline for chemicals of concern in Midwestern national parks and

  12. The diverse values and motivations of family forest owners in the United States: An analysis of an open-ended question in the National Woodland Owner Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    David N. Bengston; Stanley T. Asah; Brett J. Butler

    2011-01-01

    The number of family forest owners in the USA has increased continuously in recent decades, and the fate of much of US forests lies in the hands of this diverse and dynamic group of people. The National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) is a recurring and comprehensive national survey of US private forest owners, including family forest owners. The NWOS includes an open-...

  13. A decade of changes in nitrogen oxides over regions of oil and natural gas activity in the United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aman Majid

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO2 + NO are a highly regulated species that play a major role in the formation of photochemical smog. While NOx emissions are generally decreasing over the U.S. as a result of more stringent environmental policies and improved emissions control technologies, the shale oil and natural gas industry is reversing this rate of changes in certain regions. We present here a quantitative analysis of NOx levels over the seven main U.S. shale plays (Bakken, Eagle Ford, Permian, Niobrara-Codell, Marcellus-Utica, Haynesville, and Barnett between 2005 and 2015 using measurements of tropospheric NO2 from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI aboard the NASA EOS-Aura aircraft. We develop and apply a methodology that seeks to maximise pollutant signals from oil and gas activities. For reference, we also examine the national trend averaged over the lower 48 states. Consistent with previous studies, we find NOx across the U.S. is generally declining. During the low-production phase of oil and natural gas production (2005–2009, we find declining trends in tropospheric NOx that are similar to the national trend (–4.6% yr–1 in 6 of the 7 study regions (–8 to –2% yr–1. In the high-production phase (2010–15, we find an increasing NOx trend in 5 of the 7 study basins (0.4 to 4.5% yr–1 while the national trend continued to decline (–0.3% yr–1. Over the most intensive oil-producing shale plays (Bakken, Eagle Ford, Permian and Niobrara-Codell, we observe a rapid growth (1–4.5% yr–1, which correlates well (r2 = 0.6–0.9 with their annual oil production rates and/or drilling rigs. In contrast, trends across the mainly gas-producing regions (Haynesville, Barnett, and Marcellus-Utica show decreases (–0.4 to –1.7% yr–1 similar to the national trend, with the exception of the Marcellus-Utica where a slight increase (0.4 ± 0.2% yr–1 may be an indication of a small regional increase. Our study shows the important decadal

  14. Water fluoridation in Brazilian cities at the first decade of the 21st century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Frazão

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To assess the coverage of the fluoridation of the public water supply in Brazilian municipalities at the first decade of the 21st century, according to population size and municipal human development index (MHDI. METHODS We have used data produced by national information agencies and the United Nations Development Programme. Population size was separated into 50,000 inhabitants. The MHDI was classified into 0.799. Absolute and relative inequalities between categories were evaluated using indicators of effect and total impact. RESULTS We have obtained information for 5,558 municipalities. The coverage rate of water fluoridation increased from 67.7% to 76.3%. Approximately 884 (15.9% municipalities and 29,600,000 inhabitants started being benefited by the measure. We have observed a significant expansion in municipalities with < 10,000 inhabitants (increase of 21.0 percentage points and low or very low MHDI (17.7 percentage points. CONCLUSIONS Population coverage of the public policy has increased 8.6%, and we can also see significant reductions in absolute and relative inequality according to population size and MHDI. Regarding municipal coverage rate, there was also a reduction in inequality in all comparisons except for absolute inequality between the categories of MHDI. The public policy has operated as a factor of health protection in the context of the ongoing social protection policies in the country.

  15. Use of Special Operations Forces in United Nations Missions: a Method to Resolve Complexity

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-05-21

    physical stamina and psychological stability, followed by a rigorous training program are the imperatives to create SOF soldiers.42 Mark Bowden in...recommendation is that the United Nations should establish a Special Operations planning cell within the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. As of...now, the cell is nonexistent. This cell should be able to facilitate the integration of SOF into the overall peace operations concept. Finally, the

  16. AN ANALYSIS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACROSS FIVE MAJOR NATIONALITY GROUPS IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

    OpenAIRE

    QINGXIA TONG; DECLAN McCROHAN; MURAT SAKIR EROGUL

    2012-01-01

    The paper investigates differences in entrepreneurial activity, attitudes, aspirations, connectivity and behavior among nascent entrepreneurs across five key nationality groups residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It also seeks to identify key differences between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs' perceptions and attitudes toward entrepreneurship. More than 8000 adult residents were randomly surveyed as part of the GEM UAE studies conducted in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011. The findings ...

  17. The National School Lunch Program: Ideas, proposals, policies, and politics shaping students' experiences with school lunch in the United States, 1946 - present

    OpenAIRE

    Gosliner, Wendi Anne

    2013-01-01

    AbstractThe National School Lunch Program:Ideas, proposals, policies, and politics shaping students' experiences with school lunch in the United States, 1946 - presentBy Wendi Anne GoslinerDoctor of Public HealthUniversity of California, BerkeleyProfessor Ann Keller, ChairOn an average school day in 2012, The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) supported the provision of lunch meals to almost 2/3 of school-age youth in the United States. Recent spikes in childhood obesity rates and the emerg...

  18. Subjects and social order in the educational policy in the XX century’s early decades

    OpenAIRE

    Alexis Vladimir Pinilla Díaz

    2015-01-01

    The interest of this paper is to show some defining features of training strategies and control of subjectivity launched national governments, in schools, in the early decades of the twentieth century. The reflection will show how the political-pedagogical strategies tried to define social order favorable to the interests of national elites and a model of subjectivity according to this social order.

  19. American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons 2006 to 2016: Another Decade of Excellence in Education and Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doumit, Gaby; Totonchi, Ali; Wexler, Andy; Gosain, Arun K

    2017-09-01

    Over the past 10 years, the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS) has continued to advance to meet its mission of being the premier organization to represent maxillofacial and pediatric plastic surgery in the United States. These advances are focused on education of its members, to include the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons basic course, the preconference symposium, the annual meeting, two basic maxillofacial courses per year, advanced maxillofacial courses, a boot camp for craniofacial fellows, a cleft course, quarterly webinars, sponsored fellowships, a visiting professorship, and the ASMS journal. In addition, the ASMS has continued to advance as the premier national organization representing maxillofacial and pediatric plastic surgery in the United States, thereby positioning the organization as a primary advocate for these surgical specialties. Outreach of the ASMS has grown over the past decade and now includes representatives to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons/Plastic Surgery Foundation, the American Board of Plastic Surgeons, the American Medical Association, and most recently a seat as a governor with the American College of Surgeons. The ASMS has also initiated an annual Summer Leadership Seminar to explore topics of relevance in a changing health care environment. The present report outlines the major initiatives of the ASMS over the past 10 years.

  20. 1990 update of the United Nations geothermal activities in developing countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Paola, G.M.; Stefansson, V.

    1990-01-01

    The Department of Technical Co-operation for Development (UN/DTCD), is the United Nations executing agency for technical co-operation projects in developing countries. This paper reports that the UN/DTCD, inter alia, has played an important role for 30 years to promote geothermal resources exploration and development in many developing countries worldwide. During the period 1985-1990 some major geothermal projects have been executed and very successfully completed by the UN/DTCD, thanks to the availability of sufficient funds provided by the international community. New geothermal project proposals in 20 developing countries totaling an estimated financial requirement of $60 million have also been formulated by the UN/DTCD during the last 5 years

  1. Ethnic phrasal units with the component-linguanym in modern national languages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Skorobogatova Taisiya Ivanovna

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This article is devoted to the analysis of phraseological units of the national languages of the world, which include linguanisms (glottonysms, i.e. names of languages. Phrasal units with a component-linguanym designating their own language, symbolize, as a rule, clarity and rationality: comp. fr.enbonfranęais (lit. in good French; descriptor: clear, easy to understand with the component PU-lingvuanym designating other languages, act as a reference of something obscure, difficult, unintelligible, for example, fr. c’estduchinois (lit. Chinese; handle: it is not clear, it is difficult. The authors identified factors that play a significant role in the selection of linguanym functioning as a part of PU, as a symbol of complex language. Among them, first of all: a mark that is different from their native language to be used in a particular community (Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic script, hieroglyphics, and the writing direction from left to right/from right to left, closeness and inaccessibility of scholars community of any language community, historical coexistence of different peoples and countries, exoticism language is perceived with the exoticism of ethnic style in clothing.

  2. The United Nations and disarmament since 1945

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    Since the beginning of the United Nations, the combined efforts of Governments at global, regional and bilateral levels have led to a body of important agreements, treaties and conventions committing their parties to various arms limitation and disarmament measures. The multilateral instruments concluded so far are as follows: The Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Test in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and under Water (partial test-ban Treaty); The Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (outer space Treaty); The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (non-proliferation Treaty); The Treaty on the Prohibition of the Emplacement of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction on the Sea-Bed and the Ocean Floor and in the Subsoil Thereof (sea-bed Treaty); The Antarctic Treaty of 1959, for the demilitarization of Antarctica; The Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco); The South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Rarotonga); The Vienna Document 1990 on confidence- and security-building measures, and a number of bilateral agreements, including: The Treaty on the Limitation of Underground Nuclear-Weapon Tests; The Treaty on Underground Nuclear Explosions for Peaceful Purposes; The Agreement on the Establishment of Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers and the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty

  3. Cyanotoxins in Inland Lakes of the United States: Occurrence and Potential Recreational Health Risks in the EPA National Lakes Assessment 2007

    Science.gov (United States)

    A large nation-wide survey or cyanotoxlns (1161 lakes)in the United States (U.S.) was conducted dunng the EPA National Lakes Assessment 2007. Cyanotoxin data were compared with cyanobacteria abundance- and chlorophyll-based World Health Organization (WHO) thresholds and mouse to...

  4. National Estimates of Marijuana Use and Related Indicators - National Survey on Drug Use and Health, United States, 2002-2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azofeifa, Alejandro; Mattson, Margaret E; Schauer, Gillian; McAfee, Tim; Grant, Althea; Lyerla, Rob

    2016-09-02

    In the United States, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug. In 2013, 7.5% (19.8 million) of the U.S. population aged ≥12 years reported using marijuana during the preceding month. Because of certain state-level policies that have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use, population-based data on marijuana use and other related indicators are needed to help monitor behavioral health changes in the United States. 2002-2014. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is a national- and state-level survey of a representative sample of the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population aged ≥12 years. NSDUH collects information about the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco; initiation of substance use; frequency of substance use; substance dependence and abuse; perception of substance harm risk or no risk; and other related behavioral health indicators. This report describes national trends for selected marijuana use and related indicators, including prevalence of marijuana use; initiation; perception of harm risk, approval, and attitudes; perception of availability and mode of acquisition; dependence and abuse; and perception of legal penalty for marijuana possession. In 2014, a total of 2.5 million persons aged ≥12 years had used marijuana for the first time during the preceding 12 months, an average of approximately 7,000 new users each day. During 2002-2014, the prevalence of marijuana use during the past month, past year, and daily or almost daily increased among persons aged ≥18 years, but not among those aged 12-17 years. Among persons aged ≥12 years, the prevalence of perceived great risk from smoking marijuana once or twice a week and once a month decreased and the prevalence of perceived no risk increased. The prevalence of past year marijuana dependence and abuse decreased, except among persons aged ≥26 years. Among persons aged ≥12 years, the percentage reporting that marijuana was fairly easy or very easy

  5. Data layer integration for the national map of the united states

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usery, E.L.; Finn, M.P.; Starbuck, M.

    2009-01-01

    The integration of geographic data layers in multiple raster and vector formats, from many different organizations and at a variety of resolutions and scales, is a significant problem for The National Map of the United States being developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Our research has examined data integration from a layer-based approach for five of The National Map data layers: digital orthoimages, elevation, land cover, hydrography, and transportation. An empirical approach has included visual assessment by a set of respondents with statistical analysis to establish the meaning of various types of integration. A separate theoretical approach with established hypotheses tested against actual data sets has resulted in an automated procedure for integration of specific layers and is being tested. The empirical analysis has established resolution bounds on meanings of integration with raster datasets and distance bounds for vector data. The theoretical approach has used a combination of theories on cartographic transformation and generalization, such as T??pfer's radical law, and additional research concerning optimum viewing scales for digital images to establish a set of guiding principles for integrating data of different resolutions.

  6. Climate change adaptation for the US National Wildlife Refuge System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffith, Brad; Scott, J. Michael; Adamcik, Robert S.; Ashe, Daniel; Czech, Brian; Fischman, Robert; Gonzalez, Patrick; Lawler, Joshua J.; McGuire, A. David; Pidgorna, Anna

    2009-01-01

    Since its establishment in 1903, the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) has grown to 635 units and 37 Wetland Management Districts in the United States and its territories. These units provide the seasonal habitats necessary for migratory waterfowl and other species to complete their annual life cycles. Habitat conversion and fragmentation, invasive species, pollution, and competition for water have stressed refuges for decades, but the interaction of climate change with these stressors presents the most recent, pervasive, and complex conservation challenge to the NWRS. Geographic isolation and small unit size compound the challenges of climate change, but a combined emphasis on species that refuges were established to conserve and on maintaining biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health provides the NWRS with substantial latitude to respond. Individual symptoms of climate change can be addressed at the refuge level, but the strategic response requires system-wide planning. A dynamic vision of the NWRS in a changing climate, an explicit national strategic plan to implement that vision, and an assessment of representation, redundancy, size, and total number of units in relation to conservation targets are the first steps toward adaptation. This adaptation must begin immediately and be built on more closely integrated research and management. Rigorous projections of possible futures are required to facilitate adaptation to change. Furthermore, the effective conservation footprint of the NWRS must be increased through land acquisition, creative partnerships, and educational programs in order for the NWRS to meet its legal mandate to maintain the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of the system and the species and ecosystems that it supports.

  7. Societal Impacts of Natural Decadal Climate Variability - The Pacemakers of Civilizations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehta, V. M.

    2017-12-01

    Natural decadal climate variability (DCV) is one of the oldest areas of climate research. Building on centuries-long literature, a substantial body of research has emerged in the last two to three decades, focused on understanding causes, mechanisms, and impacts of DCV. Several DCV phenomena - the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) or the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO), tropical Atlantic sea-surface temperature gradient variability (TAG for brevity), West Pacific Warm Pool variability, and decadal variability of El Niño-La Niña events - have been identified in observational records; and are associated with variability of worldwide atmospheric circulations, water vapor transport, precipitation, and temperatures; and oceanic circulations, salinity, and temperatures. Tree-ring based drought index data going back more than 700 years show presence of decadal hydrologic cycles (DHCs) in North America, Europe, and South Asia. Some of these cycles were associated with the rise and fall of civilizations, large-scale famines which killed millions of people, and acted as catalysts for socio-political revolutions. Instrument-measured data confirm presence of such worldwide DHCs associated with DCV phenomena; and show these DCV phenomena's worldwide impacts on river flows, crop productions, inland water-borne transportation, hydro-electricity generation, and agricultural irrigation. Fish catch data also show multiyear to decadal catch variability associated with these DCV phenomena in all oceans. This talk, drawn from my recently-published book (Mehta, V.M., 2017: Natural Decadal Climate Variability: Societal Impacts. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, 326 pp.), will give an overview of worldwide impacts of DCV phenomena, with specific examples of socio-economic-political impacts. This talk will also describe national and international security implications of such societal impacts, and worldwide food security implications. The talk will end with an outline of needed

  8. The International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade in South-East Asia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-01-01

    The International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade, 1981-90, which has a diversity of objectives, takes a different form in each country. What makes this decade different from previous actions for water and sanitation is the way in which the programs, projects, and servces are to be conceived, planned, implemented, managed, operated, and maintained. The urban population to be covered by water and sanitation services, in the developing nations that have prepared plans for the Decade, is roughly between 280-290 million people. In rural areas, some 750 million people are to be provided with drinking water and around 300 million with sanitation facilities. The initial goal of 100% of the population to be provided with water and sanitation by 1990 is proving difficult to realize. Only a small proportion of developing nations have even planned for 100% coverage by 1990. The initial optimism arising from the declaration of the Decade and the expectations of increased aid has given way to realism in the face of the global recession and the scarcity of development capital. The Southeast Asia Region of the World Health Organization (WHO) covers 11 member countries with a combined population of over 1000 million people. Among the countries in Southeast Asia that have prepared Decade plans, the following populations are to be covered by 1990: urban water supply, 126 million; urban sanitation, 156 million; rural water supply, 585 million; and rural sanitation, 212 million. Such a challenge calls for a stock taking of the real issues in order to identify what action can be taken. The lack of up-to-date and comprehensive databases is a serious problem. The information system for the Decade should be and integral part of it, be timed to keep pace with it, and be developed from the lowest level. The annual investment needed during the Decade is estimated at over 4 times that prior to the Decade. The accepted strategy is to meet the minimum needs of the largest number of

  9. 31 CFR 585.524 - Humanitarian aid and trade in United Nations Protected Areas of Croatia and those areas of the...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... Nations Protected Areas of Croatia and those areas of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina controlled by... Humanitarian aid and trade in United Nations Protected Areas of Croatia and those areas of the Republic of... in the Republic of Croatia and those areas of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the...

  10. THREE DECADES OF CONSUMER PROTECTION OF RIGHTS ACT: RURAL INDIA NEEDS FOCUSED ATTENTION

    OpenAIRE

    Dr. Amrit Patel

    2017-01-01

    India has been observing December 24 each year since 1986 as “National Consumer Rights Day”, when the Consumer Protection Act [CPA], 1986 came into force on this day. Despite the implementation of the CPA has completed three decades in the country, the rural India has yet to understand the meaning of consumer’s rights & the procedure to protect the right enshrined in the CPA,1986. This has its significance because according to the National Council of Applied Economic Research survey report th...

  11. Watts Bar Unit 2 Startup Results with VERA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Godfrey, Andrew T. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Collins, Benjamin S. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Gentry, Cole A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Stimpson, Shane G. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Ritchie, John A. [Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Knoxville, TN (United States)

    2017-03-01

    CASL members TVA, Westinghouse, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have successfully completed a detailed simulation of the initial startup of Watts Bar Nuclear Unit 2 (WBN2) using the advanced reactor simulation tools known as VERA. WBN2 is the first commercial power reactor to join the nation’s electrical grid in over two decades, and the modern core design and availability of data make it an excellent benchmark for CASL. Calculations were performed three months prior to the startup, and in the first blind application of VERA to a new reactor, predicted criticality and physics parameters very close to those later measured by TVA. Subsequent calculations with the latest version of VERA and using exact measurement conditions improved the results even further.

  12. The indigenous space and marginalized peoples in the United Nations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dahl, Jens

    For more than 20 years, Jens Dahl has observed and now analyzed how a relatively independent space, the Indigenous Space, has been constructed within the confines of the United Nations. In the UN, indigenous peoples have achieved more than any other group of people, minorities included. The book...... traces this to the ability of indigenous peoples to create consensus among themselves; the establishment of an indigenous caucus; and the construction of a global indigenousness in a continuously developing process in which contentious relationships and symbols have been constructed, reformulated......, negotiated and re-negotiated internally and with the states. In this process 'indigenous peoples' developed as a category and an evolving concept. Dahl looks into the ability of different indigenous representatives to make an impact on the UN processes and use achievements for purposes at home. Combining...

  13. H.E. Mr Leonid A. Skotnikov, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva

    CERN Multimedia

    Patrice Loïez

    2003-01-01

    Photo 01: H.E. Mr Leonid A. Skotnikov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva (centre) with (from left to right) F. Grishaev, Adviser, Mission of the Russian Federation and R. Cashmore. Photo 02: H.E. Mr Leonid A. Skotnikov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva (right) with F. Grishaev, Adviser, Mission of the Russian Federation.

  14. Subjects and social order in the educational policy in the XX century’s early decades

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexis Vladimir Pinilla Díaz

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The interest of this paper is to show some defining features of training strategies and control of subjectivity launched national governments, in schools, in the early decades of the twentieth century. The reflection will show how the political-pedagogical strategies tried to define social order favorable to the interests of national elites and a model of subjectivity according to this social order.

  15. Fire patterns in piñon and juniper land cover types in the Semiarid Western United States from 1984 through 2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    David I. Board; Jeanne C. Chambers; Richard F. Miller; Peter J. Weisberg

    2018-01-01

    Increases in area burned and fire size have been reported across a wide range of forest and shrubland types in the Western United States in recent decades, but little is known about potential changes in fire regimes of piñon and juniper land cover types. We evaluated spatio-temporal patterns of fire in piñon and juniper land cover types from the National Gap Analysis...

  16. Survey for Listeria monocytogenes in and on Ready-to-Eat Foods from Retail Establishments in the United States (2010 through 2013): Assessing Potential Changes of Pathogen Prevalence and Levels in a Decade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luchansky, John B; Chen, Yuhuan; Porto-Fett, Anna C S; Pouillot, Régis; Shoyer, Bradley A; Johnson-DeRycke, Rachel; Eblen, Denise R; Hoelzer, Karin; Shaw, William K; van Doren, Jane M; Catlin, Michelle; Lee, Jeehyun; Tikekar, Rohan; Gallagher, Daniel; Lindsay, James A; Dennis, Sherri

    2017-06-01

    A multiyear interagency Listeria monocytogenes Market Basket Survey was undertaken for selected refrigerated ready-to-eat foods purchased at retail in four FoodNet sites in the United States. Food samples from 16 food categories in six broad groups (seafood, produce, dairy, meat, eggs, and combination foods) were collected weekly at large national chain supermarkets and independent grocery stores in California, Maryland, Connecticut, and Georgia for 100 weeks between December 2010 and March 2013. Of the 27,389 total samples, 116 samples tested positive by the BAX PCR system for L. monocytogenes , and the pathogen was isolated and confirmed for 102 samples. Among the 16 food categories, the proportion of positive samples (i.e., without considering clustering effects) based on recovery of a viable isolate of L. monocytogenes ranged from 0.00% (95% confidence interval: 0.00, 0.18) for the category of soft-ripened and semisoft cheese to 1.07% (0.63, 1.68) for raw cut vegetables. Among the 571 samples that tested positive for Listeria-like organisms, the proportion of positive samples ranged from 0.79% (0.45, 1.28) for soft-ripened and semisoft cheese to 4.76% (2.80, 7.51) for fresh crab meat or sushi. Across all 16 categories, L. monocytogenes contamination was significantly associated with the four states (P < 0.05) but not with the packaging location (prepackaged by the manufacturer versus made and/or packaged in the store), the type of store (national chain versus independent), or the season. Among the 102 samples positive for L. monocytogenes , levels ranged from <0.036 most probable number per g to 6.1 log CFU/g. For delicatessen (deli) meats, smoked seafood, seafood salads, soft-ripened and semisoft cheeses, and deli-type salads without meat, the percentage of positive samples was significantly lower (P < 0.001) in this survey than that reported a decade ago based on comparable surveys in the United States. Use of mixed logistic regression models to address

  17. Achievable steps toward building a National Health Information infrastructure in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stead, William W; Kelly, Brian J; Kolodner, Robert M

    2005-01-01

    Consensus is growing that a health care information and communication infrastructure is one key to fixing the crisis in the United States in health care quality, cost, and access. The National Health Information Infrastructure (NHII) is an initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services receiving bipartisan support. There are many possible courses toward its objective. Decision makers need to reflect carefully on which approaches are likely to work on a large enough scale to have the intended beneficial national impacts and which are better left to smaller projects within the boundaries of health care organizations. This report provides a primer for use by informatics professionals as they explain aspects of that dividing line to policy makers and to health care leaders and front-line providers. It then identifies short-term, intermediate, and long-term steps that might be taken by the NHII initiative.

  18. Evaluation of leakage in cobalt-60 unit in National Cancer Institute (NCI) Wad Medani

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fadlellah, R. A.

    2013-08-01

    This study has been conducted primarily to evaluate the leakages radiation in cobalt-60 unit in National Cancer Institute Wad Medani, which represent the basic risky factor in this unit for the radio therapists who spend much time during patient set up, also they need to stand near the head of the machine to fix some accessories. The measurements which done using survey meter give normal level of occupational exposure compared with IAEA references except one situation that the radio therapist to be close contact to the head of unit for long time which may increase the received dose, in this situation. The radio therapist either not well trained, or there is insufficient accessories to reduce the time inside the room. Radiotherapy department need a special considerations from the beginning of construction till starting of treatment. It is important to contain separate rooms, for planning to determine treatment area, another one for molding to shape lead blocks to protect normal parts and an optimum designed room for treatment to enable workers to apply basic radiation protection principles. (Author)

  19. Annual Report to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations for 1959-60

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1960-05-15

    By resolution GC(III)/RES/41 the General Conference authorized the Board of Governors to submit the Agency's annual report to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations for the year 1959-60 to the Council. The text of that report which was approved by the Board on 30 March 1960, is reproduced in this document for the information of Member States.

  20. United Nations-Led Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-01

    absorb rebel units into the national army failed to deconstruct previous personal and ideological allegiances to the former rebel movement and thus...victors our outside interveners, such as India in Sri Lanka, the U.S. in Somalia and Haiti, and UN interventions in Albania and Haiti.30 Nevertheless...Reconstructing Masculinities : The Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration of Former Combatants in Colombia.” Human Rights Quarterly, Vol.31

  1. Annual Report to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations for 1959-60

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1960-05-01

    By resolution GC(III)/RES/41 the General Conference authorized the Board of Governors to submit the Agency's annual report to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations for the year 1959-60 to the Council. The text of that report which was approved by the Board on 30 March 1960, is reproduced in this document for the information of Member States

  2. Changes in Cannabis Potency Over the Last 2 Decades (1995-2014): Analysis of Current Data in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    ElSohly, Mahmoud A; Mehmedic, Zlatko; Foster, Susan; Gon, Chandrani; Chandra, Suman; Church, James C

    2016-04-01

    Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States and all over the world. Reports indicate that the potency of cannabis preparation has been increasing. This report examines the concentration of cannabinoids in illicit cannabis products seized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration over the last 2 decades, with particular emphasis on Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol. Samples in this report were received over time from materials confiscated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and processed for analysis using a validated gas chromatography with flame ionization detector method. Between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2014, 38,681 samples of cannabis preparations were received and analyzed. The data showed that although the number of marijuana samples seized over the last 4 years has declined, the number of sinsemilla samples has increased. Overall, the potency of illicit cannabis plant material has consistently increased over time since 1995 from ~4% in 1995 to ~12% in 2014. The cannabidiol content has decreased on average from ~.28% in 2001 to cannabis plant material from regular marijuana to sinsemilla. This increase in potency poses higher risk of cannabis use, particularly among adolescents. Copyright © 2016 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Unit roots, nonlinearities and structural breaks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haldrup, Niels; Kruse, Robinson; Teräsvirta, Timo

    One of the most influential research fields in econometrics over the past decades concerns unit root testing in economic time series. In macro-economics much of the interest in the area originate from the fact that when unit roots are present, then shocks to the time series processes have...

  4. High Religiosity and Societal Dysfunction in the United States during the First Decade of the Twenty-First Century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Georges Delamontagne

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available This study provides independent empirical evidence that bears upon the truth or falsity of recently formulated hypotheses regarding reciprocal relationships between levels of religiosity and societal dysfunction. Gregory S. Paul's findings, published in the Journal of Religion and Society (2005, Free Inquiry (2008, and Evolutionary Psychology (2009, have demonstrated that high degrees of theism are associated with high degrees of societal dysfunction among the prosperous democracies. Whereas his research employs numerous scatter diagrams and bivariate correlations involving measures of religiosity and societal dysfunction pertaining to 17 nation states, the current study's units of analysis are the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Additionally, the utilization of multiple regression analysis allows the detection of the effects of other potentially relevant explanatory variables, such as educational attainment, income level, and race. The findings are only minimally supportive of Paul's hypotheses regarding the contributions of high religiosity to societal dysfunction and to the effects of societal dysfunction upon religiosity. Simultaneously, the results of correlational and regression analyses attest to the more substantial explanatory power of the social inequality variables of education, income, and race. Accordingly, it is argued that “American Exceptionalism,” when understood as referring to a society manifesting the coexistence of high levels of theism and high levels of societal dysfunction, is best explained by the United States' high degree of social inequality, compared with other modern industrialized democracies.

  5. Two Decades of SIMCE: An Overview of the National Assessment System in Chile

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meckes, Lorena; Carrasco, Rafael

    2010-01-01

    The Chilean national learning outcome assessment system (Sistema de Medicion de Calidad de la Educacion, SIMCE) has carried out census-based assessments since 1988 and publishes the results at both the national and school levels. During its 20 years of existence, SIMCE has experienced changes in its institutional framework, objectives,…

  6. Verification and process oriented validation of the MiKlip decadal prediction system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frank Kaspar

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Decadal prediction systems are designed to become a valuable tool for decision making in different sectors of economy, administration or politics. Progress in decadal predictions is also expected to improve our scientific understanding of the climate system. The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF therefore funds the German national research project MiKlip (Mittelfristige Klimaprognosen. A network of German research institutions contributes to the development of the system by conducting individual research projects. This special issue presents a collection of papers with results of the evaluation activities within the first phase of MiKlip. They document the improvements of the MiKlip decadal prediction system which were achieved during the first phase. Key aspects are the role of initialization strategies, model resolution or ensemble size. Additional topics are the evaluation of specific weather parameters in selected regions and the use of specific observational datasets for the evaluation.

  7. H.E. Mr Leonid A. Skotnikov, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva

    CERN Multimedia

    Maximilien Brice

    2003-01-01

    Photo 01: H.E. Mr Leonid A. Skotnikov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva (centre) with (from left to right) V. Kaftanov, Ph. Bloch, N. Koulberg, F. Grishaev Photo 02: H.E. Mr Leonid A. Skotnikov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva (centre) with Ph. Bloch (behind the Ambassador, V. Kaftanov) visiting the crystal laboratory in building 27.

  8. Newborn follow-up after discharge from the maternity unit: Compliance with national guidelines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roisné, J; Delattre, M; Rousseau, S; Bourlet, A; Charkaluk, M-L

    2018-02-01

    In the context of shorter hospital stays in maternity units, in 2014 the French health authorities issued guidelines for newborn follow-up after discharge from maternity units. A medical visit is recommended between the 6th and 10th day of life, as are home visits from midwives. This study was designed to evaluate compliance with these guidelines. The study was observational, prospective, multicenter, and was conducted in March and April 2015 in three maternity units in northern France that participate in the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). Follow-up practices (medical visit between the 6th and 10th day, home visits from a midwife) and demographic, social, and medical data were recorded during the stay in the maternity unit, and through a phone interview 1 month later, in singleton term-born infants. The study population included 108 mother-infant pairs. The recommended medical visit was effectively performed by a physician between the 6th and 10th day of life for 20 newborns (19%) (95% CI: [11; 26]). During the 1st month, at least one home visit from a midwife was recorded for 96 mother-infant pairs (89%). The only factor positively correlated with a medical visit between the 6th and 10th day was the mother's choice, made early during the hospital stay and independently of the real length of stay, for early discharge from the maternity unit. Compliance with national guidelines was poor for the recommended medical visit between the 6th and 10th day of life. Information needs to be improved. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  9. Decadal-scale changes of pesticides in ground water of the United States, 1993-2003

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bexfield, L.M.

    2008-01-01

    Pesticide data for ground water sampled across the United States between 1993-1995 and 2001-2003 by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program were evaluated for trends in detection frequency and concentration. The data analysis evaluated samples collected from a total of 362 wells located in 12 local well networks characterizing shallow ground water in agricultural areas and six local well networks characterizing the drinking water resource in areas of variable land use. Each well network was sampled once during 1993-1995 and once during 2001-2003. The networks provide an overview of conditions across a wide range of hydrogeologic settings and in major agricultural areas that vary in dominant crop type and pesticide use. Of about 80 pesticide compounds analyzed, only six compounds were detected in ground water from at least 10 wells during both sampling events. These compounds were the triazine herbicides atrazine, simazine, and prometon; the acetanilide herbicide metolachlor; the urea herbicide tebuthiuron; and an atrazine degradate, deethylatrazine (DEA). Observed concentrations of these compounds generally were spikes. In wells yielding detectable concentrations of atrazine, DEA, and prometon, concentrations were significantly lower (?? = 0.1) in 2001-2003 than in 1993-1995, whereas detection frequency of these compounds did not change significantly. Trends in atrazine concentrations at shallow wells in agricultural areas were found to be consistent overall with recent atrazine use data. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

  10. United Nations Environment Programme Capacity Building Pilot Project - Training on persistent organic pollutant analysis under the Stockholm Convention

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Boer, J.; Leslie, H.A.; van Leeuwen, S.P.J.; Wegener, J.W.M.; van Bavel, B; Lindstrom, G.; Lahoutifard, N.; Fiedler, H.

    2008-01-01

    Within the framework of a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Capacity Building Project for training of laboratory staff in developing countries on persistent organic pollutant (POP) analysis, an interlaboratory study was organised following an initial evaluation of the performance of

  11. The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century: A Case for an International Police Force

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Kersten, Jeffrey

    2002-01-01

    As the United Nations (UN) enters the 21st Century, it is faced with security challenges that were not seen by its creators, The end of the Cold War, globalization, intra-state conflict, and a desire to achieve universal human...

  12. Evolution Dilemma of the United Nations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cuneyt M. Yenigun

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The United Nations (UN, despite some successful stories, has largely failed to safeguard international peace and security, particularly in the Middle East since its establishment. The UN’s inability to effectively resolve international conflicts is due to the Security Council (UNSC’s decision making-process. The power to block any initiatives that do not fit the interest of any of the five permanent members (P5: US, UK, France, Russia, China have impeded the UN’s ability to take effectively take actions where it is needed in safeguarding security in the Middle East. The nature of the veto power no longer reflects the reality of the 21st century; the UN is frozen in the context of the post-Second World War era and has failed to evolve with the international community.  Double standards in the International Court of Justice's decrees and infirmity of purpose of the UNSC overshadow the legitimacy of the organization, jeopardizing its security mission, and clashes with the democratic values in world public opinion. The UN should change to earn legitimacy and efficiency of preserving international peace and security by amending decision making system in the UNSC or changing decision-making organ within the UN. The Secretary General’s diplomatic activism and attempts to fill the gap left by the P5 infightings could not succeed because of the resistance of the UNSC’s permanent members to change and lack of integrity among the other states. To ensure democratic transformation of the UN today, all states, NGOs and think tanks should work together. This study discusses the system's current shortcomings and suggests some alternative paths for the effective transformation of the UN as a supranational security institution.

  13. Tree-ring temperature reconstructions for the northeastern United States from Chamaecyparis thyoides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anchukaitis, K. J.; Pederson, N.; Pearl, J. K.; Donnelly, J. P.

    2014-12-01

    Over the last century, the northeastern United States has warmed by over 1C, with the region of strongest warming found in coastal Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. These states are amongst the fastest warming in the entire country and the region as a whole is also warming faster than the national average. While these records all appear exceptional in the context of the last century, it is not known how these compare on longer time scales, to potential preindustrial late Holocene warm epochs, and in the context of decadal-scale variability in regional climate. Here, we develop a January through August temperature reconstruction using three Chamaecyparis thyoides (Atlantic White Cedar) chronologies in Massachusetts and Maine. The chronologies show a strong winter-spring-summer temperature signal representative of temperature variability from southern New York to northeastern Maine. The reconstruction is skillful and tracks upwards temperature trends since the early 19th century, reproducing decadal scale variability associated with warming from the 1920s through 1940s, cooling in the region from the 1940s until the 1960s, and warming since that time. No year since at least the middle of the 19th century is as warm as the Janaury through August temperatures seen in the exceptionally warm 2012. Recent modeling experiments simulate a range of decadal warming trends for the northeastern United States that is slightly higher than the reconstructed and instrumental trends. Atlantic White Cedar holds the potential to develop multicentury temperature reconstructions from this heavily-populated region.

  14. What rheumatologists in the United States think of complementary and alternative medicine: results of a national survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Curlin Farr A

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We aimed to describe prevailing attitudes and practices of rheumatologists in the United States toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM treatments. We wanted to determine whether rheumatologists' perceptions of the efficacy of CAM therapies and their willingness to recommend them relate to their demographic characteristics, geographic location, or clinical practices. Methods A National Institutes of Health-sponsored cross-sectional survey of internists and rheumatologists was conducted regarding CAM for treatment of chronic back pain or joint pain. In this study we analyzed responses only from rheumatologists. Response items included participant characteristics and experience with 6 common CAM categories, as defined by the National Institutes of Health. Descriptive statistics were used to describe attitudes to CAM overall and to each CAM category. Composite responses were devised for respondents designating 4 or more of the 6 CAM therapies as "very" or "moderately" beneficial or "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to recommend. Results Of 600 rheumatologists who were sent the questionnaire, 345 responded (58%; 80 (23% were women. Body work had the highest perceived benefit, with 70% of respondents indicating benefit. Acupuncture was perceived as beneficial by 54%. Most were willing to recommend most forms of CAM. Women had significantly higher composite benefit and recommend responses than men. Rheumatologists not born in North America were more likely to perceive benefit of select CAM therapies. Conclusions In this national survey of rheumatologists practicing in the United States, we found widespread favorable opinion toward many, but not all, types of CAM. Further research is required to determine to what extent CAM can or should be integrated into the practice of rheumatology in the United States.

  15. Impact of selection of cord blood units from the United States and swiss registries on the cost of banking operations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bart, Thomas; Boo, Michael; Balabanova, Snejana; Fischer, Yvonne; Nicoloso, Grazia; Foeken, Lydia; Oudshoorn, Machteld; Passweg, Jakob; Tichelli, Andre; Kindler, Vincent; Kurtzberg, Joanne; Price, Thomas; Regan, Donna; Shpall, Elizabeth J; Schwabe, Rudolf

    2013-02-01

    Over the last 2 decades, cord blood (CB) has become an important source of blood stem cells. Clinical experience has shown that CB is a viable source for blood stem cells in the field of unrelated hematopoietic blood stem cell transplantation. Studies of CB units (CBUs) stored and ordered from the US (National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and Swiss (Swiss Blood Stem Cells (SBSQ)) CB registries were conducted to assess whether these CBUs met the needs of transplantation patients, as evidenced by units being selected for transplantation. These data were compared to international banking and selection data (Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide (BMDW), World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA)). Further analysis was conducted on whether current CB banking practices were economically viable given the units being selected from the registries for transplant. It should be mentioned that our analysis focused on usage, deliberately omitting any information about clinical outcomes of CB transplantation. A disproportionate number of units with high total nucleated cell (TNC) counts are selected, compared to the distribution of units by TNC available. Therefore, the decision to use a low threshold for banking purposes cannot be supported by economic analysis and may limit the economic viability of future public CB banking. We suggest significantly raising the TNC level used to determine a bankable unit. A level of 125 × 10(7) TNCs, maybe even 150 × 10(7) TNCs, might be a viable banking threshold. This would improve the return on inventory investments while meeting transplantation needs based on current selection criteria.

  16. The data submitted by the United Kingdom to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation for the 1977 report to the General Assembly

    CERN Document Server

    Taylor, F E; Webb, G A M

    1976-01-01

    The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) was established by the General Assembly in 1955 to report on the exposure of man to ionising radiation. In the subsequent twenty years the Committee has covered most aspects of the subject with repeated reviews of the levels of exposure from fallout due to weapons testing. The Committee is currently preparing a further report on doses from all sources and an evaluation of their biological effects. This is expected to be published in 1977. To aid it in compiling this report the Committee requested Member States of the UN to submit national data on a wide range of sources of exposure. The Board was asked by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to collate the information requested from the United Kingdom. Data were available in the scientific literature on some topics, such as medical irradiation and environmental radioactivity. On some other topics, particularly occupational exposure, data have been collected but seldom publishe...

  17. The data submitted by the United Kingdom to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation for the 1977 report to the General Assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, F.E.; Webb, G.A.M.; Simmonds, J.R.

    1976-10-01

    The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) was established by the General Assembly in 1955 to report on the exposure of man to ionising radiation. In the subsequent twenty years the Committee has covered most aspects of the subject with repeated reviews of the levels of exposure from fallout due to weapons testing. The Committee is currently preparing a further report on doses from all sources and an evaluation of their biological effects. This is expected to be published in 1977. To aid it in compiling this report the Committee requested Member States of the UN to submit national data on a wide range of sources of exposure. The Board was asked by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to collate the information requested from the United Kingdom. Data were available in the scientific literature on some topics, such as medical irradiation and environmental radioactivity. On some other topics, particularly occupational exposure, data have been collected but seldom published systematically

  18. Cosmopolitanism versus Nationalism in Israeli Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yemini, Miri; Bar-Nissan, Hed; Yossi, Shavit

    2014-01-01

    Education systems worldwide have served as a nation-building apparatus and national consciousness facilitators since the appearance of the modern nation-state. With the emergence of globalization in recent decades, however, a growing presence of cosmopolitanism and internationalization can be traced in education policy and school curricula.…

  19. Maternal depression in the United States: nationally representative rates and risks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ertel, Karen A; Rich-Edwards, Janet W; Koenen, Karestan C

    2011-11-01

    To examine the public health burden of major depressive disorder (MDD) among mothers: its prevalence and sociodemographic patterns; associated functioning, comorbidities, and adversities; and racial/ethnic disparities. This was a cross-sectional analysis of 8916 mothers in the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions, a nationally representative survey of the civilian U.S. population in 2001?2002. Past-year MDD was assessed with a structured interview protocol. Ten percent of mothers experienced depression in the past year. White and Native American women, those with low education or income, and those not married had high rates of depression. Depression was not strongly patterned by number of or age of children. Depressed mothers experienced more adversities (poverty, separation or divorce, unemployment, financial difficulties) and had worse functioning. Half of depressed mothers received services for their depression. Black and Hispanic depressed mothers were more likely to experience multiple adversities and less likely to receive services than white depressed mothers. Maternal depression is a major public health problem in the United States, with an estimated 1 in 10 children experiencing a depressed mother in any given year. Professionals who work with mothers and children should be aware of its prevalence and its detrimental effects.

  20. An assessment of seismic monitoring in the United States; requirement for an Advanced National Seismic System

    Science.gov (United States)

    ,

    1999-01-01

    This report assesses the status, needs, and associated costs of seismic monitoring in the United States. It sets down the requirement for an effective, national seismic monitoring strategy and an advanced system linking national, regional, and urban monitoring networks. Modernized seismic monitoring can provide alerts of imminent strong earthquake shaking; rapid assessment of distribution and severity of earthquake shaking (for use in emergency response); warnings of a possible tsunami from an offshore earthquake; warnings of volcanic eruptions; information for correctly characterizing earthquake hazards and for improving building codes; and data on response of buildings and structures during earthquakes, for safe, cost-effective design, engineering, and construction practices in earthquake-prone regions.

  1. National inventory report of greenhouse gas sources and sinks in Canada 1990-2004 : submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neitzert, F.; Collas, P.; Matin, A.; Jaques, A. (comps.) [Environment Canada, Gatineau, PQ (Canada). Greenhouse Gas Division

    2006-04-15

    As a member of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Canada must submit an annual national inventory of anthropogenic sources and sinks of greenhouses gases (GHGs) not included in the Montreal Protocol. Climate change refers to changes in long-term weather patterns caused by natural phenomena and human activities that alter the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the build up of GHGs that trap heat and reflect it back to the Earth's surface. Canada has been submitting a complete inventory annually for more than a decade, continuously improving the quality of GHG inventory and updating previous estimates to provide a consistent and comparable trend in emissions and removals of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride, perfluorocarbons, and hydrofluorocarbons. The changes for 2004 include studies in upstream oil and oil refining industries; updates in Statistics Canada's underlying energy data; adoption of improved, country-specific methodologies and factors for agricultural soils nitrous oxide emissions; and, major revision of the estimation model for emissions from landfills. The general impact of these changes is that emission growth over the reporting period, previously reported to be 24.2 per cent, is now estimated to be 25.9 per cent. In terms of GHG emission trends in 2004, the total GHG emissions in Canada, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO{sub 2}e) were 758 Mt which represents a 0.6 per cent increase over the 2003 total and a 26.6 per cent increase over the 1990 total, and 34.6 per cent above the Kyoto target. The increase from 2003 to 2004 was small because of a reduced demand for heating fuel due to warmer weather, and greater emissions reductions from electricity production on the basis of increased nuclear availability and reduced coal generation. In 2004, emissions from most sectors such as industrial process, solvent, agriculture and waste were increased, but emissions from

  2. A Review of Propulsion Industrial Base Studies and an Introduction to the National Institute of Rocket Propulsion Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doreswamy, Rajiv; Fry, Emma K.

    2012-01-01

    Over the past decade there have been over 40 studies that have examined the state of the industrial base and infrastructure that supports propulsion systems development in the United States. This paper offers a comprehensive, systematic review of these studies and develops conclusions and recommendations in the areas of budget, policy, sustainment, infrastructure, workforce retention and development and mission/vision and policy. The National Institute for Rocket Propulsion System (NIRPS) is a coordinated, national organization that is responding to the key issues highlighted in these studies. The paper outlines the case for NIRPS and the specific actions that the Institute is taking to address these issues.

  3. Comparison of intensive care unit medication errors reported to the United States' MedMarx and the United Kingdom's National Reporting and Learning System: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahr, Joyce A; Shore, Andrew D; Harris, Lindsay H; Rogers, Philippa; Panesar, Sukhmeet; Matthew, Linda; Pronovost, Peter J; Cleary, Kevin; Pham, Julius C

    2014-01-01

    The objective was to compare the characteristics of medication errors reported to 2 national error reporting systems by conducting a cross-sectional analysis of errors reported from adult intensive care units to the UK National Reporting and Learning System and the US MedMarx system. Outcome measures were error types, severity of patient harm, stage of medication process, and involved medications. The authors analyzed 2837 UK error reports and 56 368 US reports. Differences were observed between UK and US errors for wrong dose (44% vs 29%), omitted dose (8.6% vs 27%), and stage of medication process (prescribing: 14% vs 49%; administration: 71% vs 42%). Moderate/severe harm or death was reported in 4.9% of UK versus 3.4% of US errors. Gentamicin was cited in 7.4% of the UK versus 0.7% of the US reports (odds ratio = 9.25). There were differences in the types of errors reported and the medications most often involved. These differences warrant further examination.

  4. A decade of illegal fishing in Table Mountain National Park (2000 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Illegal fishing activities are reported to be on the increase in South Africa, including in its marine protected areas (MPAs). Research is presented on the nature and the scale of illegal fishing in Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) by analysing the numbers of abalone Haliotis midae and West Coast rock lobster Jasus ...

  5. United Nations Impact on Child Soldier Use in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: 1999-2007

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-12-12

    remained at large at the time of writing ( Malinowski 2008). Psychological Effects and Indoctrination Some works defined the psychological effect of...imprisonment. Biyoyo subsequently escaped from prison and remained at large at the time of writing ( Malinowski 2008). From a purely judicial...Armed Conflict on Children. Report of the expert of the Secretary General, New York: United Nations. Malinowski , Tom. 2008. Child Soldiers

  6. Title 16 united states code §55 and its implications for management of concession facilities in Yosemite National Park

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemons, John

    1987-08-01

    Yosemite National Park is one of the nation's most scenic and ecologically/geologically important parks. Unfortunately, the park is subject to extensive development of concession facilities and associated high levels of visitor use. Those concerned with preservation of the park's resources have attempted to limit the types and extent of such facilities to reduce adverse impacts. Strictly speaking, resolution of the preservation versus use controversy must be based on whether the National Park Service is adhering to its legislative mandate to regulate development and use in the parks. The common interpretation of legislative mandates for national parks, including Yosemite, is that they call for a difficult balancing between the conflicting goals of preservation and use. Accordingly, although concession developments cause significant impacts, they usually have been interpreted to be within the legal discretion allowed the secretary of the interior. However, the usual interpretations of the meanings of legislative mandates for Yosemite National Park have not considered Title 16 United States Code §55, which is a very restrictive statute limiting concession facilities. Many of the limitations imposed on concession facilities by the plain language of the statute have been exceeded. If it can be shown that 16 United States Code §55 is a valid statute, the policy implications for park management in Yosemite National Park would be considerable — namely, that significant reductions in concession facilities could be required. This article examines whether the statute can reasonably be thought to be valid and encourages others to conduct further examination of this question.

  7. A Closer Look at the Junior Doctor Crisis in the United Kingdom's National Health Services: Is Emigration Justifiable?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teo, Wendy Zi Wei

    2018-07-01

    This article attempts to tackle the ethically and morally troubling issue of emigration of physicians from the United Kingdom, and whether it can be justified. Unlike most research that has already been undertaken in this field, which looks at migration from developing countries to developed countries, this article takes an in-depth look at the migration of physicians between developed countries, in particular from the United Kingdom (UK) to other developed countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States (US). This examination was written in response to a current and critical crisis in the National Health Service (NHS), where impending contract changes may bring about a potential exodus of junior doctors.

  8. Retention Patterns for Army National Guard Units Attending the National Training Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    1988-04-01

    which are more difficult, Table 2.1 NTC ROUNDOUT BATTALION SCHEDULE ARNG UNIT STATE DATES 1-108 AR GA 9-22 September 󈨗 2-136 INF (M) MN 19 April-8 May...1984 1-121 INF (M) GA 3-22 October 󈨘 2-121 INF (M) GA 18 March-6 April 󈨙 2-152 AR AL 1-20 June 󈨙 2-120 INF (M) NC 26 June-15 July 󈨙 3-156 INF...roundout unit to the 24th Infantry Division headquartered at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Elements of the unit are located in Tifton , Valdosta, Fitzgerald and

  9. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Participation in Aotearoa New Zealand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moriarity, L.; Dew, K.

    2011-01-01

    The involvement of persons with disabilities in formal decision-making processes is thought to have a range of benefits. However, research suggests that participatory processes may fail to match normative ideals. This study examines the participation of persons with disabilities in the development of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of…

  10. Statement to the 47th session of the United Nations General Assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blix, H.

    1993-01-01

    IAEA Director General, Hans Blix, in his statement to the 47th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 21 October 1992, reminded that 1992 marks the fiftieth anniversary of controlled nuclear fission and the thirty-fifth anniversary of the IAEA. He specially commented on the various measures taken during the past year to strengthen the IAEA's safeguards system as a part of the challenge to reduce the risk of a further spread of nuclear weapons. He also discussed the role of the IAEA in the fields of nuclear safety, nuclear waste, transfer of technology and assistance to developing countries and the financing and management of the Agency within the UN system

  11. Comparative assessment of nuclear power and other energy sources: the DECADES project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bennett, L.L.

    1996-01-01

    The environmental and health related impacts of different energy systems are emerging as significant issues. To promote international cooperation in this field, the inter-agency project on databases and methodologies for comparative assessment of different energy sources for electricity generation, called DECADES, was established at the end of 1992. In October 1995 was held the International Symposium on ''Electricity, Health and the Environment - Comparative Assessment in Support of Decision Making''. Through its programs and activities, the IAEA plays a leading role, in cooperation with other organizations, in the DECADES project, to examine areas in which international expertise and support can best be applied to assist national policy and decision makers in objectively and comprehensively assessing their energy systems and strategies

  12. Educational inequalities in parental care time: Cross-national evidence from Belgium, Denmark, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gracia, Pablo; Ghysels, Joris

    2017-03-01

    This study uses time-diary data for dual-earner couples from Belgium, Denmark, Spain, and the United Kingdom to analyze educational inequalities in parental care time in different national contexts. For mothers, education is significantly associated with parenting involvement only in Spain and the United Kingdom. In Spain these differences are largely explained by inequalities in mothers' time and monetary resources, but not in the United Kingdom, where less-educated mothers disproportionally work in short part-time jobs. For fathers, education is associated with parenting time in Denmark, and particularly in Spain, while the wife's resources substantially drive these associations. On weekends, the educational gradient in parental care time applies only to Spain and the United Kingdom, two countries with particularly large inequalities in parents' opportunities to engage in parenting. The study shows country variations in educational inequalities in parenting, suggesting that socioeconomic resources, especially from mothers, shape important variations in parenting involvement. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  13. Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack: Critical National Infrastructures

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Foster, Jr., John S; Gjelde, Earl; Graham, William R; Hermann, Robert J; Kluepfel, Henry M; Lawson, Richard L; Soper, Gordon K; Wood, Lowell L; Woodard, Joan B

    2008-01-01

    ...) attack on our critical national infrastructures. An earlier report, Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP), Volume 1: Executive Report (2004...

  14. Children's health retention in South Korea and the United States: a cross-cultural comparison.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDowell, Betsy M; Chang, Nahn Joo; Choi, Sang Soon

    2003-12-01

    In recent decades, great strides have been made globally in decreasing child mortality. However, given that many countries still do not have basic healthcare, additional emphasis is being placed on health promotion activities among industrialized nations. As cultural differences of individual countries impact these health promotion practices, the cultural characteristics influencing children and families in two countries, South Korea and the United States, were compared. Major child health risk factors were examined, and health retention strategies tailored to the cultural characteristics and needs of the populations of each country are proposed, using the Neuman Systems Model as a guideline.

  15. Did Iraq Cheat the United Nations? Underpricing, Bribes, and the Oil for Food Program

    OpenAIRE

    Chang-Tai Hsieh; Enrico Moretti

    2005-01-01

    From 1997 through early 2003, the United Nations Oil for Food Program allowed Iraq to export oil in exchange for humanitarian supplies. We measure the extent to which this program was corrupted by Iraq's attempts to deliberately set the price of its oil below market prices in an effort to solicit bribes, both in the form of direct cash bribes and in the form of political favors, from the buyers of the underpriced oil. We infer the magnitude of the potential bribe by comparing the gap between ...

  16. A REVIEW ON VARIATION OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF TAMIL NADU FOR THE PAST 4 DECADES (1974-2016).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sankaran Pillai, G; Chandrasekaran, S; Sivasubramanian, K; Baskaran, R; Venkatraman, B

    2018-04-01

    This review deals with natural radioactivity variation along the southeast coast of Tamil Nadu for the past four decades (1974-2016). About 40 research works have been conducted along the coast since 1974 in various environmental matrices using a variety of experimental methods. For these measurements researchers are adopted different experimental methods. The measured gamma dose rate ranged from 30 to 8700 nGy/h. The mean specific activity of 238U, 232Th and 40K was found to be 58.8 ± 28.7, 465.2 ± 147.3 and 311.2 ± 27.8 Bq/kg, respectively. The calculated annual exposure rate ranged from 0.29 to 12.8 mSv/y with the mean value of 3.7 mSv/y which is above the global average of 2.4 mSv/y as reported by United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) (Report to General Assembly, Annex B Exposures of the public and workers from various sources of radiation. United Nations, New York (2008)). Plant food items recorded low 210Po activities as compared to seafood organisms. Grain size, season and place of sampling have a decisive bearing on coastal radioactivity. Therefore, it is concluded from the review data that there is an appreciable elevation in background radiation level in the coastal region. This review suggests that new radiological surveys using improved methodology that cover the entire coastal stretch are needed.

  17. Denmark's second national communication on climate change. Submitted under the United Nations framework convention on climate change

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dissing, L.; Torp, U.; Rasmussen, E.

    1997-09-01

    At the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 more than 150 countries signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. According to decisions taken under article 12 of the Convention each developed country Party shall communicate to the Convention secretariat its second national report presenting inter-alia inventories of emissions by sources and removals by sinks of all greenhouse related gases. This report represents the Danish programmes and measures taken to observe the commitments under the Climate Convention. The revised 1996 IPCC guidelines have been applied to N 2 O from agriculture and the pollutants not earlier included (SO 2 , HFCs, CFCs and SF 6 ). Background material and data underlying the calculations in the report are available upon request to the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. A very comprehensive and thorough description is given of the programmes and plans for the energy sector with additional information presented in Annexes F and I. The twofold purpose is to give a detailed documentation of how Denmark will meet the ambitious target to reduce the emission of CO 2 by 20% by the year 2005 compared to 1988 and to inspire other Parties to the Convention in efforts to control their present as well as their future emissions of the most important greenhouse gases. (EG) 16 refs

  18. The RECALCAR Project. Healthcare in the Cardiology Units of the Spanish National Health System, 2011 to 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Íñiguez Romo, Andrés; Bertomeu Martínez, Vicente; Rodríguez Padial, Luis; Anguita Sánchez, Manuel; Ruiz Mateas, Francisco; Hidalgo Urbano, Rafael; Bernal Sobrino, José Luis; Fernández Pérez, Cristina; Macaya de Miguel, Carlos; Elola Somoza, Francisco Javier

    2017-07-01

    The RECALCAR project (Spanish acronym for Resources and Quality in Cardiology Units) uses 2 data sources: a survey of cardiology units and an analysis of the Minimum Basic Data set of all hospital discharges of the Spanish National Health System. From 2011 to 2014, there was marked stability in all indicators of the availability, utilization, and productivity of cardiology units. There was significant variability between units and between the health services of the autonomous communities. There was poor implementation of process management (only 14% of the units) and scarce development of health care networks (17%). Structured cardiology units tended to have better results, in terms of both quality and efficiency. No significant differences were found between the different types of unit in the mean length of stay (5.5±1.1 days) or the ratio between successive and first consultations (2:1). The mean discharge rate was 5/1000 inhabitants/y and the mean rate of initial consultations was 16±4/1000 inhabitants/y. No duty or on-call cardiologist was available in 30% of cardiology units with 24 or more beds; of these, no critical care beds were available in 45%. Our findings support the recommendation to regionalize cardiology care and to promote the development of cardiology unit networks. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  19. Endemic carbapenem-nonsusceptible Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex in intensive care units of the national referral hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Saharman, Y.R. (Yulia Rosa); Karuniawati, A. (Anis); Sedono, R. (Rudyanto); Aditianingsih, D. (Dita); Sudarmono, P. (Pratiwi); W.H.F. Goessens (Wil); Klaassen, C.H.W. (Corné H.W.); H.A. Verbrugh (Henri); J.A. Severin (Juliëtte)

    2018-01-01

    textabstractBackground: Carbapenem-nonsusceptible A. baumannii-calcoaceticus complex have emerged worldwide, but the epidemiology in Indonesian hospitals has not been studied. Methods: A prospective observational study was performed on the intensive care units (ICUs) of the national referral

  20. Mapping the Decadal Spatio-temporal Variation of Social Vulnerability to Hydro-climatic Extremes over India

    Science.gov (United States)

    H, V.; Karmakar, S.; Ghosh, S.

    2015-12-01

    Human induced global warming is unequivocal and observational studies shows that, this has led to increase in the intensity and frequency of hydro-climatic extremes, most importantly precipitation extreme, heat waves and drought; and also is expected to be increased in the future. The occurrence of these extremes have a devastating effects on nation's economy and on societal well-being. Previous studies on India provided the evidences of significant changes in the precipitation extreme from pre- to post-1950, with huge spatial heterogeneity; and projections of heat waves indicated that significant part of India will experience heat stress conditions in the future. Under these circumstance, it is necessary to develop a nation-wide social vulnerability map to scrutinize the adequacy of existing emergency management. Yet there has been no systematic past efforts on mapping social vulnerability to hydro-climatic extremes at nation-wide for India. Therefore, immediate efforts are required to quantify the social vulnerability, particularly developing country like India, where major transformations in demographic characteristics and development patterns are evident during past decades. In the present study, we perform a comprehensive spatio-temporal social vulnerability analysis by considering multiple sensitive indicators for three decades (1990-2010) which identifies the hot-spots, with higher vulnerability to hydro-climatic extremes. The population datasets are procured from Census of India and the meteorological datasets are obtained from India Meteorological Department (IMD). The study derives interesting results on decadal changes of spatial distribution of risk, considering social vulnerability and hazard to extremes.

  1. The United Nations framework classification for fossil energy and mineral reserves and resources 2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacDonald, D.; Lynch-Bell, M.; Ross, J.; Heiberg, S.; Griffiths, C.; Klett, T.

    2011-01-01

    Effective resource management in a globalizing economy requires accurate assessments of fossil energy and minerals resources. The recoverable quantities must be described and categorized in a manner that is consistent with scientific and social/economic information describing the economy as well as with the information describing the projects to recover them. A number of different standards have evolved over time in response to various professional needs Under a mandate given by the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has cooperated with Governments, regulatory agencies, industry, international organizations, and professional organizations (including Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO), the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), and the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers (SPEE)), as well as with outstanding experts, to define a global classification for extractive activities (including oil, gas, heavy oil and bitumen extraction) that reflects the principal concerns of existing petroleum and mineral classifications. The United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral Reserves and Resources-2009 (UNFC-2009) aims to serve the following four principal needs: 1. The needs in international energy and mineral studies to formulate robust and long-sighted policies. 2. The needs of governments in managing their resources accordingly, allowing market prices to be transferred to the wellhead with as little loss as possible. 3. The industries' needs for information while deploying technology, management and finance to secure energy supplies and capture value efficiently within the established frameworks to serve its host countries, shareholders and stakeholders. 4. The financial community's need for information to allocate capital appropriately, providing reduced costs and improved long

  2. Strategy for the International Lunar Decade

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beldavs, V.; Dunlop, D.; Foing, B.

    2015-10-01

    LD is a global event and process for international collaboration in space initiated by the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG), the National Space Society and the National Science Centre FOTONIKA-LV of the University of Latvia. ILD is planned for launch in 2017, the 60th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year that marked the dawn of the space age with the launch of Sputnik. ILD is envisioned as a decade long process of international collaboration with lunar exploration concurrent with development of policies, key enabling technologies and infrastructures on the Moon and in cislunar space leading towards an eventual goal of industrial development of the Moon and economic activity beyond Earth orbit[1]. This second International Lunar Decade will build on the foundations of the ILD first proposed in by the Planetary Society in 2006 at International Conference on Exploration and Utilisation of the Moon (ICEUM), was endorsed by ICEUM participants[3], and then by ILEWG, COSPAR and other organizations. Starting in 2007, the work plan included a series of recommendations for lunar exploration missions coordinated through the ILEWG agencies and COSPAR. Advances in technology such as CubeSats and 3D printing and fundamental changes in mind-set marked by initiatives such as the Google Lunar-X prize and asteroid mining ventures have made industrial development of the Moon a thinkable proposition. The ILD to be launched in 2017 is intended to set the stage for the Moon to become a wealth generating platform for human expansion into the solar system.ILD is being organized to engage existing organizations involved in space collaboration such as COSPAR, COPUOS, ISECG, technical and scientific organizations and others that address space policy, space law, space security, governance and related concerns. Additional organizations will be involved that deal with structures, ecosystems, financing, economic development and health and life support and

  3. The Text of the Executing Agency Agreement between the Agency and the United Nations Special Fund

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1962-02-07

    The text of the Executing Agency Agreement between the Agency and the United Nations Special Fund, which was approved by the General Conference on 5 October 1961 and which entered into force on 29 November 1961 upon signature by the Director General of the Agency and the Managing Director of the Special Fund, is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency.

  4. The Text of the Executing Agency Agreement between the Agency and the United Nations Special Fund

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1962-01-01

    The text of the Executing Agency Agreement between the Agency and the United Nations Special Fund, which was approved by the General Conference on 5 October 1961 and which entered into force on 29 November 1961 upon signature by the Director General of the Agency and the Managing Director of the Special Fund, is reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency

  5. United nations scientific committee on the effects of atomic radiation (UNSCEAR) and its forty-ninth session

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan Ziqiang; Xiu Binglin

    2000-01-01

    The author describes the brief history of United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation and main issues under discussion at the Forty-ninth session of UNSCEAR. During the session UNSCEAR completed its 2000 Report and scientific Annexes to the General Assembly. The report with scientific Annexes will be published in this year. The author discusses noticeable aspects and make a suggestion for future work

  6. Youth tobacco use in the United States--problem, progress, goals, and potential solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glynn, T J; Greenwald, P; Mills, S M; Manley, M W

    1993-07-01

    Efforts to control tobacco use and tobacco-related morbidity and mortality in the United States continue to be generally successful. In the quarter century since the publication of the first Surgeon General's Report on Tobacco and Health, adult smoking rates in the United States have been reduced by nearly 34%. Controlling tobacco use among our nation's youth, however, has not been as successful. Although there was considerable success in reducing adolescent tobacco use in the late 1970s and early 1980s, tobacco use among youth has remained essentially stable for the past decade. The health and economic burden of tobacco use, current knowledge about youth tobacco use, and youth-related national tobacco reduction goals for the Year 2000 are reviewed. Analysis of the research of the past two decades clearly indicates that there is no "magic bullet" in existence or in sight for the reduction of tobacco use, either among youth or among adults. This does not mean that opportunities for significant advances through, for example, pharmacological therapies or the broad application of media or policy strategies should not continue to be explored, but that for the moment no single approach appears to work best. Rather, a comprehensive approach that applies multiple prevention and cessation strategies simultaneously appears to be most effective in tobacco use control. Among youth, the combination of tobacco control strategies that may work best includes those that involve the family, primary care physicians, and other health professionals such as nurses and dentists; programs that are carried out in schools and/or through the media; and societal approaches such as access and advertising restrictions and increased taxes.

  7. Vancomycin resistant enterococci in urine cultures: Antibiotic susceptibility trends over a decade at a tertiary hospital in the United Kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toner, Liam; Papa, Nathan; Aliyu, Sani H; Dev, Harveer; Lawrentschuk, Nathan; Al-Hayek, Samih

    2016-03-01

    Enterococci are a common cause of urinary tract infection and vancomycin-resistant strains are more difficult to treat. The purpose of this surveillance program was to assess the prevalence of and determine the risk factors for vancomycin resistance in adults among urinary isolates of Enterococcus sp. and to detail the antibiotic susceptibility profile, which can be used to guide empirical treatment. From 2005 to 2014 we retrospectively reviewed 5,528 positive Enterococcus sp. urine cultures recorded in a computerized laboratory results database at a tertiary teaching hospital in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Of these cultures, 542 (9.8%) were vancomycin resistant. No longitudinal trend was observed in the proportion of vancomycin-resistant strains over the course of the study. We observed emerging resistance to nitrofurantoin with rates climbing from near zero to 40%. Ampicillin resistance fluctuated between 50% and 90%. Low resistance was observed for linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin. Female sex and inpatient status were identified as risk factors for vancomycin resistance. The incidence of vancomycin resistance among urinary isolates was stable over the last decade. Although resistance to nitrofurantoin has increased, it still serves as an appropriate first choice in uncomplicated urinary tract infection caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus sp.

  8. Vancomycin resistant enterococci in urine cultures: Antibiotic susceptibility trends over a decade at a tertiary hospital in the United Kingdom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liam Toner

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Enterococci are a common cause of urinary tract infection and vancomycin-resistant strains are more difficult to treat. The purpose of this surveillance program was to assess the prevalence of and determine the risk factors for vancomycin resistance in adults among urinary isolates of Enterococcus sp. and to detail the antibiotic susceptibility profile, which can be used to guide empirical treatment. Materials and Methods: From 2005 to 2014 we retrospectively reviewed 5,528 positive Enterococcus sp. urine cultures recorded in a computerized laboratory results database at a tertiary teaching hospital in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Results: Of these cultures, 542 (9.8% were vancomycin resistant. No longitudinal trend was observed in the proportion of vancomycin- resistant strains over the course of the study. We observed emerging resistance to nitrofurantoin with rates climbing from near zero to 40%. Ampicillin resistance fluctuated between 50% and 90%. Low resistance was observed for linezolid and quinupristin/ dalfopristin. Female sex and inpatient status were identified as risk factors for vancomycin resistance. Conclusions: The incidence of vancomycin resistance among urinary isolates was stable over the last decade. Although resistance to nitrofurantoin has increased, it still serves as an appropriate first choice in uncomplicated urinary tract infection caused by vancomycin- resistant Enterococcus sp.

  9. Workshop Summary: Fundamental Neutron Physics in the United States: An Opportunity in Nuclear, Particle, and Astrophysics for the Next Decade

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greene, G.

    2001-01-01

    Low-energy neutrons from reactor and spallation neutron sources have been employed in a wide variety of investigations that shed light on important issues in nuclear, particle, and astrophysics; in the elucidation of quantum mechanics; in the determination of fundamental constants; and in the study of fundamental symmetry violation (Appendix A, Glossary). In many cases, these experiments provide important information that is not otherwise available from accelerator-based nuclear physics facilities or high energy accelerators. An energetic research community in the United States is engaged in ''fundamental'' neutron physics. With exciting recent results, the possibility of new and upgraded sources, and a number of new experimental ideas, there is an important opportunity for outstanding science in the next decade. ''Fundamental'' neutron physics experiments are usually intensity limited. Researchers require the highest flux neutron sources available, which are either high-flux reactors (continuous sources) or spallation neutron sources (pulsed sources). The primary mission of these major facilities is neutron scattering for materials science research. Notwithstanding this condensed matter focus, essentially all neutron scattering facilities have accepted the value of an on-site fundamental physics program and have typically allocated 5 to 10% of their capabilities (i.e., beam lines) toward nuclear and particle physics research activities

  10. Derivation of Nationally Consistent Indices Representing Urban Intensity Within and Across Nine Metropolitan Areas of the Conterminous United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuffney, Thomas F.; Falcone, James A.

    2009-01-01

    Two nationally consistent multimetric indices of urban intensity were developed to support studies of the effects of urbanization on streams in nine metropolitan areas of the conterminous United States: Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; Boston, Massachusetts; Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Milwaukee-Green Bay, Wisconsin; Portland, Oregon; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Salt Lake City, Utah. These studies were conducted as a part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. These urban intensity indices were used to define gradients of urbanization and to interpret biological, physical, and chemical changes along these gradients. Ninety census, land-cover, and infrastructure variables obtained from nationally available databases were evaluated. Only variables that exhibited a strong and consistent linear relation with 2000 population density were considered for use in the indices. Housing-unit density (HUDEN), percentage of basin area in developed land (P_NLCD1_2), and road density (ROADDEN) were selected as the best representatives of census, land-cover, and infrastructure variables. The metropolitan area national urban intensity index (MA-NUII) was scaled to represent urban intensity within each metropolitan area and ranged from 0 (little or no urban) to 100 (maximum urban) for sites within each metropolitan area. The national urban intensity index (NUII) was scaled to represent urban intensity across all nine metropolitan areas and ranged from 0 to 100 for all sites. The rates at which HUDEN, P_NLCD1_2, and ROADDEN changed with changes in population density varied among metropolitan areas. Therefore, these variables were adjusted to obtain a more uniform rate of response across metropolitan areas in the derivation of the NUII. The NUII indicated that maximum levels of urban intensity occurred in the West and Midwest rather than in the East primarily because small inner-city streams in eastern metropolitan areas are

  11. 75 FR 82362 - Nonfederal Oil and Gas Development Within the Boundaries of Units of the National Park System...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-30

    ... regulations that the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), will prepare a programmatic... scoping meetings for this DEIS due to the programmatic nature of the regulations and the widely dispersed... using their normal media and mailing list contacts. At present, 12 park units contain existing...

  12. Finding the Gaps: A Comparative Analysis of Disability Laws in the United States to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Council on Disability, 2008

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to help the National Council on Disability (NCD), and others, better understand how the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, if ratified by the United States, might impact U.S. disability laws by examining the degree to which U.S. law is consistent with the CRPD. The paper endeavors to analyze the…

  13. Implementing the 1989 United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child in sub-Saharan Africa: the overlooked socioeconomic and political dilemmas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulinge, Munyae M

    2002-11-01

    The aim of this article is to identify and profile some often overlooked socioeconomic and political factors that render the protection of the rights of the child, as guaranteed through the 1989 United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child, a distant dream in most African countries. It is argued that, in most African countries, there are other major impediments to the protection of the child's rights in addition to the frequently cited lack of adequate legislation and of political will. The paper is a review essay and utilizes existing literature from varied sources to advance its main arguments. It draws from such documents to profile the socioeconomic and political barriers to the protection of children's rights in Africa both at the family and at the national levels. CORE ARGUMENT: The ratification of the United Nation's 1989 Convention and the passing of supportive legislation by most state governments, has not resulted in major improvements in the well-being of children. This is as a result of prevailing socioeconomic and political conditions such as social transformations within the family unit, poverty, and rampant corruption. The emergence of HIV/AIDS, civil wars and armed conflicts is a major impediment to the protection of children's rights across most of Africa. The effective implementation of the 1989 United Nations' Convention by African governments requires more than the ratification of the Convention. Governments require the political will to implement its prescriptions by passing supportive legislation. To create the necessary enabling environments, equal emphasis should be placed on the eradication of poverty, corruption and disease; and to ending armed conflicts where they exist.

  14. Affinity communities in United Nations voting: Implications for democracy, cooperation, and conflict

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pauls, Scott D.; Cranmer, Skyler J.

    2017-10-01

    A network oriented examination of the co-voting network of the United Nations (UN) provides powerful insights into the international alignment of states, as well as normatively important processes such as democracy, defensive cooperation, and armed conflict. Here, we investigate the UN co-voting network using the tools of community detection and inductively identify "affinity communities" in which states articulate similar policy preferences through their voting patterns. Analysis of these communities reveals that there is more information contained in UN voting and co-voting patterns than has previously been thought. Affinity communities have complex relationships with some of the most normatively important international outcomes: they reflect transitions to democracy, have a feedback loop with the formation of defensive alliances, and actively help states avoid armed conflict.

  15. [Accidental exposure to blood by midwives in French maternity units: results of the national surveillance 2003].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincent, A; Cohen, M; Bernet, C; Parneix, P; L'Hériteau, F; Branger, B; Talon, D; Hommel, C; Abiteboul, D; Coignard, B

    2006-05-01

    Midwives appear to be the health care workers exposed to the highest rates of bloodborne injury. In this paper - based on a national survey - we describe the bloodborne injuries occurring in this profession. During the year 2003, 241 hospitals took part in a national survey of bloodborne injuries. Employees registered anonymous standardized reports of bloodborne events with the Occupational Medicine Unit. The data were processed by the coordination center for the fight against nosocomial infections (C. CLIN) which is in charge of the national analysis of all the events reported in this database. 169 of the 6973 bloodborne events reported during 2003 (2.4%), were signed by midwives or midwife students. The first three most frequent accidents reported were: ocular projections during childbirth, pricks when repairing episiotomy, pricks or cuts when handling soiled instruments. Improving knowledge of risk as well as promotion of protection/prevention measures well adapted to this profession should be helpful in optimizing future attitudes.

  16. Peran United Nations Development Programme (Undp) Dalam Melegalkan Pernikahanlesbian, Gay, Bisexual,transgender( Lgbt ) Di Tiongkok

    OpenAIRE

    Tama, Aira; Yealta, Den

    2017-01-01

    This study attempts to outline anything program-program undp in legalising lgbt marriage in China.And also will explain how program-program undp in legalising lgbt marriage in China.The methodology used is qualitative study.This study focused to talk about the role in the United Nations DeveopmentProgram ( UNDP ) legalising lgbt in the country tiongkok. Second, researchers feel the need to give time limit to phenomena or problem to check such as in 2014-2016This research use a pluralism persp...

  17. Potential for Worldwide Displacement of Fossil-Fuel Electricity by Nuclear Energy in Three Decades Based on Extrapolation of Regional Deployment Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qvist, Staffan A.; Brook, Barry W.

    2015-01-01

    There is an ongoing debate about the deployment rates and composition of alternative energy plans that could feasibly displace fossil fuels globally by mid-century, as required to avoid the more extreme impacts of climate change. Here we demonstrate the potential for a large-scale expansion of global nuclear power to replace fossil-fuel electricity production, based on empirical data from the Swedish and French light water reactor programs of the 1960s to 1990s. Analysis of these historical deployments show that if the world built nuclear power at no more than the per capita rate of these exemplar nations during their national expansion, then coal- and gas-fired electricity could be replaced worldwide in less than a decade. Under more conservative projections that take into account probable constraints and uncertainties such as differing relative economic output across regions, current and past unit construction time and costs, future electricity demand growth forecasts and the retiring of existing aging nuclear plants, our modelling estimates that the global share of fossil-fuel-derived electricity could be replaced within 25–34 years. This would allow the world to meet the most stringent greenhouse-gas mitigation targets. PMID:25970621

  18. Potential for worldwide displacement of fossil-fuel electricity by nuclear energy in three decades based on extrapolation of regional deployment data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qvist, Staffan A; Brook, Barry W

    2015-01-01

    There is an ongoing debate about the deployment rates and composition of alternative energy plans that could feasibly displace fossil fuels globally by mid-century, as required to avoid the more extreme impacts of climate change. Here we demonstrate the potential for a large-scale expansion of global nuclear power to replace fossil-fuel electricity production, based on empirical data from the Swedish and French light water reactor programs of the 1960s to 1990s. Analysis of these historical deployments show that if the world built nuclear power at no more than the per capita rate of these exemplar nations during their national expansion, then coal- and gas-fired electricity could be replaced worldwide in less than a decade. Under more conservative projections that take into account probable constraints and uncertainties such as differing relative economic output across regions, current and past unit construction time and costs, future electricity demand growth forecasts and the retiring of existing aging nuclear plants, our modelling estimates that the global share of fossil-fuel-derived electricity could be replaced within 25-34 years. This would allow the world to meet the most stringent greenhouse-gas mitigation targets.

  19. Potential for worldwide displacement of fossil-fuel electricity by nuclear energy in three decades based on extrapolation of regional deployment data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Staffan A Qvist

    Full Text Available There is an ongoing debate about the deployment rates and composition of alternative energy plans that could feasibly displace fossil fuels globally by mid-century, as required to avoid the more extreme impacts of climate change. Here we demonstrate the potential for a large-scale expansion of global nuclear power to replace fossil-fuel electricity production, based on empirical data from the Swedish and French light water reactor programs of the 1960s to 1990s. Analysis of these historical deployments show that if the world built nuclear power at no more than the per capita rate of these exemplar nations during their national expansion, then coal- and gas-fired electricity could be replaced worldwide in less than a decade. Under more conservative projections that take into account probable constraints and uncertainties such as differing relative economic output across regions, current and past unit construction time and costs, future electricity demand growth forecasts and the retiring of existing aging nuclear plants, our modelling estimates that the global share of fossil-fuel-derived electricity could be replaced within 25-34 years. This would allow the world to meet the most stringent greenhouse-gas mitigation targets.

  20. Valuing setting-based recreation for selected visitors to national forests in the southern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kavita Sardana; John C. Bergstrom; J. M.  Bowker

    2016-01-01

    In this study we estimate selected visitors’ demand and value for recreational trips to settings such as developed vs. undeveloped sites in U.S. national forests in the Southern United States using the travel cost method. The setting-based approach allows for valuation of multi-activity trips to particular settings. The results from an adjusted Poisson lognormal...

  1. Mountain Forests and Sustainable Development: The Potential for Achieving the United Nations' 2030 Agenda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Georg Gratzer

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The world is facing numerous and severe environmental, social, and economic challenges. To address these, in September 2015 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the resolution Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs and their 169 targets are ambitious, broadly encompassing, and indivisible. They are intended to guide nations and communities toward attaining healthy and peaceful livelihoods free of poverty and hunger. Collectively the goals envision sound and safe environments, where global threats like climate change are successfully combated through both mitigation and adaptation. Agenda 2030 envisages sustainable production patterns with inclusive, effective economies and institutions. It is of specific relevance to mountain communities, where the population is predominantly rural and half of the rural inhabitants experience food insecurity and are often highly dependent on forest resources. Mountain forests also contribute to human welfare well beyond the local community: through functions such as climate and hydrological services provided at regional and global scales, and harvested commodities traded at multiple economic scales. In this introductory essay we argue that sustainable forest management in mountain areas disproportionately contributes to achieving the SDGs. We discuss (1 the potential of mountain forests to help achieve SDGs in mountainous regions and beyond, (2 the potential of the SDGs to help solve severe socioeconomic and ecological problems in forested mountain areas, and (3 challenges and opportunities associated with implementing the SDGs. We base our argumentation also on the 8 papers presented in this Focus Issue of Mountain Research and Development. Together, they establish a clear connection between sustainable use and protection of mountain forests and vital ecosystem services upon which many regions depend. We

  2. Decadal climate prediction (project GCEP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haines, Keith; Hermanson, Leon; Liu, Chunlei; Putt, Debbie; Sutton, Rowan; Iwi, Alan; Smith, Doug

    2009-03-13

    Decadal prediction uses climate models forced by changing greenhouse gases, as in the International Panel for Climate Change, but unlike longer range predictions they also require initialization with observations of the current climate. In particular, the upper-ocean heat content and circulation have a critical influence. Decadal prediction is still in its infancy and there is an urgent need to understand the important processes that determine predictability on these timescales. We have taken the first Hadley Centre Decadal Prediction System (DePreSys) and implemented it on several NERC institute compute clusters in order to study a wider range of initial condition impacts on decadal forecasting, eventually including the state of the land and cryosphere. The eScience methods are used to manage submission and output from the many ensemble model runs required to assess predictive skill. Early results suggest initial condition skill may extend for several years, even over land areas, but this depends sensitively on the definition used to measure skill, and alternatives are presented. The Grid for Coupled Ensemble Prediction (GCEP) system will allow the UK academic community to contribute to international experiments being planned to explore decadal climate predictability.

  3. 31 july 2014 - H. WU Ambassador Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations

    CERN Multimedia

    Egli, Laurent

    2014-01-01

    His Excellency Mr Hailong WU Ambassador Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland visiting the ATLAS cavern with ATLAS Spokesperson D. Charlton and the LHC tunnel at Point 1 with Technology Department, Vacuum, Surfaces and Coatings Group P. Cruikshank.

  4. Opportunities in Nuclear Science: A Long-Range Plan for the Next Decade

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None, None

    2002-04-01

    The DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee of the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation is charged with providing advice on a continuing basis regarding the management of the national basic nuclear science research program. In July 2000, the Committee was asked to study the opportunities and priorities for U.S. nuclear physics research, and to develop a long-range plan that will serve as a frame-work for the coordinated advancement of the field for the next decade. The plan contained here is the fifth that has been pre-pared since the Committee was established. Each of the earlier plans has had substantial impact on new directions and initiatives in the field.

  5. Landscape unit based digital elevation model development for the freshwater wetlands within the Arthur C. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Southeastern Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Zhixiao; Liu, Zhongwei; Jones, John W.; Higer, Aaron L.; Telis, Pamela A.

    2011-01-01

    The hydrologic regime is a critical limiting factor in the delicate ecosystem of the greater Everglades freshwater wetlands in south Florida that has been severely altered by management activities in the past several decades. "Getting the water right" is regarded as the key to successful restoration of this unique wetland ecosystem. An essential component to represent and model its hydrologic regime, specifically water depth, is an accurate ground Digital Elevation Model (DEM). The Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) supplies important hydrologic data, and its products (including a ground DEM) have been well received by scientists and resource managers involved in Everglades restoration. This study improves the EDEN DEMs of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, also known as Water Conservation Area 1 (WCA1), by adopting a landscape unit (LU) based interpolation approach. The study first filtered the input elevation data based on newly available vegetation data, and then created a separate geostatistical model (universal kriging) for each LU. The resultant DEMs have encouraging cross-validation and validation results, especially since the validation is based on an independent elevation dataset (derived by subtracting water depth measurements from EDEN water surface elevations). The DEM product of this study will directly benefit hydrologic and ecological studies as well as restoration efforts. The study will also be valuable for a broad range of wetland studies.

  6. Twenty-Third Report of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1959-07-09

    In accordance with Article XI of the Relationship Agreement between the Agency and the United Nations, the Agency is participating in the work of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination (ACC) and of certain of its subsidiary bodies.

  7. United Kingdom national paediatric bilateral cochlear implant audit: preliminary results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cullington, Helen; Bele, Devyanee; Brinton, Julie; Lutman, Mark

    2013-11-01

    Prior to 2009, United Kingdom (UK) public funding was mainly only available for children to receive unilateral cochlear implants. In 2009, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance for cochlear implantation following their review. According to these guidelines, all suitable children are eligible to have simultaneous bilateral cochlear implants or a sequential bilateral cochlear implant if they had received the first before the guidelines were published. Fifteen UK cochlear implant centres formed a consortium to carry out a multi-centre audit. The audit involves collecting data from simultaneously and sequentially implanted children at four intervals: before bilateral cochlear implants or before the sequential implant, 1, 2, and 3 years after bilateral implants. The measures include localization, speech recognition in quiet and background noise, speech production, listening, vocabulary, parental perception, quality of life, and surgical data including complications. The audit has now passed the 2-year point, and data have been received on 850 children. This article provides a first view of some data received up until March 2012.

  8. United Kingdom national report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomkins, B.

    1998-01-01

    Report of the United Kingdom deals with life extension granted to Calder Hall and Chapelcross reactors for further 10 years operation. The two well recognised life-limiting features of Magnox type reactors are graphite core ageing and materials properties of the reactor pressure circuit components. These features have been scrutinised particularly closely and the conclusion has been reached that there are no safety factors which will necessarily limit the plant life to less than 50 years. Two other life-limiting factors are hear exchanger tubes and the heat exchanger tube failures internal to boiler shells and the integrity of the main engineering structures of the plant. It was concluded that appropriate routine ageing monitoring programs are in place in respect to these features to support continuing operation beyond 40 years

  9. Six Decades of Educational Multilateralism in a Globalising World: The History of the UNESCO Institute in Hamburg

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elfert, Maren

    2013-01-01

    Created in 1945 as a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was given, among other mandates, the task of reconstructing education systems devastated during the Second World War. UNESCO, in turn, and after some debate about an engagement in Germany, founded the…

  10. The United States and AfricaLooking Toward the Next Decade: Symposium Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-07-01

    optimism about Africa’s future. Working on Africa is a “team sport .” It is not just a government mission, but a mission for all those committed to...engine of growth in Africa. Tourism is a growing economic boon. However, the services sector in Africa has not yet been transformed through the...United States should seek to harness Africa’s soft power in areas such as music and sports . C. Panel Discussion on “Africa’s Evolving Partnerships

  11. Looking Back to Move Forward: Collaborative Planning to Revise the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests Land and Resource Management Plans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael J Dockry

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (Forest Service manages 154 national forests and 20 grasslands in 44 states and Puerto Rico. National Forest Land and Resource Management Plans (forest plans form the basis for land and resource management of national forests in the United States. For more than a decade the Forest Service has been attempting to incorporate innovative, collaborative public involvement strategies into the process for revising forest plans. In 2012 and 2015 the Forest Service codified new regulations for developing, revising, and amending forest plans. Collaboration and public involvement are explicit goals of the new regulations. This paper briefly reviews the literature on collaborative planning on national forests and explores a successful collaborative planning process used by the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests, located in Vermont and New York respectively, to develop their 2006 forest plans. This paper shows how the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests developed parallel public and internal collaborative processes to build trust, relationships, and partnership, and discusses the implications for process design, capacity building, and facilitating agreements. By looking back at this successful case of collaborative forest planning, key lessons can provide ideas for developing collaborative processes for future planning efforts.

  12. Echoes of Strasbourg in Geneva : The Influence of ECHR Anti-Torture Jurisprudence on the United Nations Human Rights Committee

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buyse, A.C.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/258219327

    2016-01-01

    In this article the influence of the European Court of Human Rights’ case-law on the United Nations Human Rights Committee will be analysed. This particular choice of supervisory bodies enables us to trace such potential influence adequately since both the Court and the Committee supervise treaties

  13. Postsecondary STEM Education for Students with Disabilities: Lessons Learned from a Decade of NSF Funding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thurston, Linda P.; Shuman, Cindy; Middendorf, B. Jan; Johnson, Cassandra

    2017-01-01

    The Research in Disabilities Education Synthesis Project (RDE-SP), a four-year mixed methods research project, assessed a decade of funded projects (2001-2011) under the National Science Foundation's Research in Disabilities Education program which is aimed at increasing participation and retention of students with disabilities (SWD) in Science,…

  14. Nurse prescribing for inpatient pain in the United Kingdom: a national questionnaire survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stenner, Karen L; Courtenay, Molly; Cannons, Karin

    2011-07-01

    Nurses make a valuable contribution to pain services and have the potential to improve the safety and effectiveness of pain management. A recent addition to the role of the specialist pain nurse in the United Kingdom has been the introduction of prescribing rights, however there is a lack of literature about their role in prescribing pain medication. The aim of this study was to develop a profile of the experience, role and prescribing practice of these nurses. A descriptive questionnaire survey. 192 National Health Service public hospital inpatient pain services across the United Kingdom. 161 qualified nurse prescribers were invited to participate, representing 98% of known nurse prescribers contributing to inpatient pain services. The survey was completed in November 2009 by 137 nurses; a response rate of 85%. Compared with nurse prescribers in the United Kingdom in general, participants were highly qualified and experienced pain specialists. Fifty-six percent had qualified as a prescriber in the past 3 years and 22% reported that plans were underway for more nurses to undertake a nurse prescribing qualification. Although all participants worked in inpatient pain services, 35% also covered chronic pain (outpatient) services and 90% treated more than one pain type. A range of pain medications were prescribed, averaging 19.5 items per week. The role contained a strong educational component and contributed to informing organisational policy on pain management. Prescribing was said to improve nurses' ability to promote evidence-based practice but benefits were limited by legislation on prescribing controlled drugs. Findings demonstrate that pain nurses are increasingly adopting prescribing as part of their advanced nurse role. This has implications for the development needs of pain nurses in the United Kingdom and the future role development of nurses in other countries. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Should the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change recognize climate migrants?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibb, Christine; Ford, James

    2012-12-01

    Climate change is expected to increase migration flows, especially from socially and environmentally vulnerable populations. These ‘climate migrants’ do not have any official protection under international law, which has implications for the human security of migrants. This work argues that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) can and should recognize climate migrants, and is the most relevant international framework for doing so. While not legally binding, the acknowledgment of climate displacement, migration and planned relocation issues in the UNFCCC’s Cancun Adaptation Framework indicates a willingness to address the issue through an adaptation lens. Herein, the paper proposes a framework for setting the institutional groundwork for recognizing climate migrants, focusing on the most vulnerable, promoting targeted research and policy agendas, and situating policies within a comprehensive strategy.

  16. Should the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change recognize climate migrants?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gibb, Christine; Ford, James

    2012-01-01

    Climate change is expected to increase migration flows, especially from socially and environmentally vulnerable populations. These ‘climate migrants’ do not have any official protection under international law, which has implications for the human security of migrants. This work argues that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) can and should recognize climate migrants, and is the most relevant international framework for doing so. While not legally binding, the acknowledgment of climate displacement, migration and planned relocation issues in the UNFCCC’s Cancun Adaptation Framework indicates a willingness to address the issue through an adaptation lens. Herein, the paper proposes a framework for setting the institutional groundwork for recognizing climate migrants, focusing on the most vulnerable, promoting targeted research and policy agendas, and situating policies within a comprehensive strategy. (letter)

  17. Study on the role of the United Nations in the field of verification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    The present report has been prepared pursuant to General Assembly resolution 43/81 B. The Group of Governmental Experts, while taking fully into account the mandate of the resolution, that is, to prepare a study that addresses the role of the United Nations in the field of verification of arms limitation and disarmament, has also taken into consideration approaches, methods, procedures and techniques relating to other arrangements in the area of international peace and security which might otherwise be useful to the process of verification of arms limitation and disarmament agreements. A selected bibliography on technical aspects of verification is given. However, materials published in languages other than English are not adequately reflected. Refs

  18. Geographic Information System (GIS) representation of historical seagrass coverage in Perdido Bay from United States Geological Survey/National Wetlands Research Center (USGS/NWRC), 1979 (NODC Accession 0000605)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Historical seagrass coverage in Perdido Bay 1979 from United States Geological Survey/National Wetlands Research Center (USGS/NWRC).

  19. United States Responses to Japanese Wartime Inhuman Experimentation after World War II: National Security and Wartime Exigency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brody, Howard; Leonard, Sarah E.; Nie, Jing-Bao; Weindling, Paul

    2015-01-01

    In 1945-46, representatives of the United States government made similar discoveries in both Germany and Japan, unearthing evidence of unethical experiments on human beings that could be viewed as war crimes. The outcomes in the two defeated nations, however, were strikingly different. In Germany, the U.S., influenced by the Canadian physician John Thompson, played a key role in bringing Nazi physicians to trial and publicizing their misdeeds. In Japan, the U.S. played an equally key role in concealing information about the biological warfare experiments and securing immunity from prosecution for the perpetrators. The greater force of appeals to national security and wartime exigency help to explain these different outcomes. PMID:24534743

  20. Economic stagnation in the United States: underlying causes and global consequences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert A. Blecker

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper analyzes the causes of the slow recovery of the US economy since the financial crisis and Great Recession of 2008-9. Fallen house values and excessive household debts continue to depress consumer spending, while corporations are failing to invest in spite of record profits. The increasingly unequal distribution of income limits demand, while long-term structural transformations continue to erode employment creation. An expansionary monetary policy has been incapable of sparking a more robust recovery and fiscal policy has been shifted to an austerity stance. In this context, Brazil and other emerging market nations cannot count on the United States to continue to be the leading source of global demand as it was in previous decades.

  1. Stochastic Unit Commitment via Progressive Hedging - Extensive Analysis of Solution Methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ordoudis, Christos; Pinson, Pierre; Zugno, Marco

    2015-01-01

    Owing to the massive deployment of renewable power production units over the last couple of decades, the use of stochastic optimization methods to solve the unit commitment problem has gained increasing attention. Solving stochastic unit commitment problems in large-scale power systems requires h...

  2. 76 FR 70480 - Otay River Estuary Restoration Project, South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego Bay National...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-14

    ... River Estuary Restoration Project, South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife...), intend to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Otay River Estuary Restoration... any one of the following methods. Email: [email protected] . Please include ``Otay Estuary NOI'' in the...

  3. Plant collecting program in Southeast Asia under the sponsorship of the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) (1986-1991)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Soejarto, D.D.

    1992-01-01

    Under the funding from the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI)¹, a program was undertaken to collect plant samples in Southeast Asia to be tested for their cancer- and AIDS-arresting properties, for the period of September 1, 1986 through August 31, 1991. The program was implemented with

  4. Decadal changes in summertime reactive oxidized nitrogen and surface ozone over the Southeast United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jingyi; Mao, Jingqiu; Fiore, Arlene M.; Cohen, Ronald C.; Crounse, John D.; Teng, Alex P.; Wennberg, Paul O.; Lee, Ben H.; Lopez-Hilfiker, Felipe D.; Thornton, Joel A.; Peischl, Jeff; Pollack, Ilana B.; Ryerson, Thomas B.; Veres, Patrick; Roberts, James M.; Neuman, J. Andrew; Nowak, John B.; Wolfe, Glenn M.; Hanisco, Thomas F.; Fried, Alan; Singh, Hanwant B.; Dibb, Jack; Paulot, Fabien; Horowitz, Larry W.

    2018-02-01

    Widespread efforts to abate ozone (O3) smog have significantly reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) over the past 2 decades in the Southeast US, a place heavily influenced by both anthropogenic and biogenic emissions. How reactive nitrogen speciation responds to the reduction in NOx emissions in this region remains to be elucidated. Here we exploit aircraft measurements from ICARTT (July-August 2004), SENEX (June-July 2013), and SEAC4RS (August-September 2013) and long-term ground measurement networks alongside a global chemistry-climate model to examine decadal changes in summertime reactive oxidized nitrogen (RON) and ozone over the Southeast US. We show that our model can reproduce the mean vertical profiles of major RON species and the total (NOy) in both 2004 and 2013. Among the major RON species, nitric acid (HNO3) is dominant (˜ 42-45 %), followed by NOx (31 %), total peroxy nitrates (ΣPNs; 14 %), and total alkyl nitrates (ΣANs; 9-12 %) on a regional scale. We find that most RON species, including NOx, ΣPNs, and HNO3, decline proportionally with decreasing NOx emissions in this region, leading to a similar decline in NOy. This linear response might be in part due to the nearly constant summertime supply of biogenic VOC emissions in this region. Our model captures the observed relative change in RON and surface ozone from 2004 to 2013. Model sensitivity tests indicate that further reductions of NOx emissions will lead to a continued decline in surface ozone and less frequent high-ozone events.

  5. Legitimizing Vetoes : A Discourse Analysis of How Vetoes are Motivated in the United Nations Security Council

    OpenAIRE

    Wernersson, Hanna

    2016-01-01

    How is a veto justified? Within the discipline of International Relations, discourse analysis is gaining a higher status. However, there is a surprising lacuna in the literature as a discursive approach to the veto in the United Nations Security Council, is yet to be taken. This is unfortunate, given the Security Council’s prominence. The way in which the council members make meaning through their word choice has profound effects for politics in the international system. There is, nonetheless...

  6. Mobility and volatility: What is behind the rising income inequality in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Huixuan; Li, Yao

    2018-02-01

    Inequality of family incomes in the United States has increased significantly in the past four decades. This is largely interpreted as a result of unequal mobility, e.g., the rich can get richer at a faster pace than the rest of the population. However, using nationally representative data and the Fokker-Planck equation, our study shows that income mobility in the United States has remained stable. Instead, we find another factor - income volatility, which measures the instability of incomes - has increased considerably and caused the surge of income inequality. In addition, the rising volatility is associated with the plummeting of income-growth opportunity, creating the feeling that the American Dream is in decline. Volatility has often been overlooked in previous studies on inequality, partially because mobility and volatility are usually studied separately. By contrast, the Fokker-Planck equation takes both mobility and volatility into consideration, making it a more comprehensive model.

  7. Well-Being of Children of the World: How Are Children Doing Today?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neugebauer, Roger

    2010-01-01

    In September 2000, building upon a decade of major United Nations conferences and summits, world leaders came together at United Nations Headquarters in New York to adopt the United Nations Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and setting out a series of time-bound targets--with a…

  8. Pathway to 2022: The Ongoing Modernization of the United States National Spatial Reference System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stone, W. A.; Caccamise, D.

    2017-12-01

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Geodetic Survey (NGS) mission is "to define, maintain and provide access to the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) to meet our nation's economic, social, and environmental needs." The NSRS is an assemblage of geophysical and geodetic models, tools, and data, with the most-visible components being the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88), which together provide a consistent spatial reference framework for myriad geospatial applications and positioning requirements throughout the United States. The NGS is engaged in an ongoing and comprehensive multi-year project of modernizing the NSRS, a makeover necessitated by technological developments and user accuracy requirements, all with a goal of providing a modern, accurate, accessible, and globally aligned national positioning framework exploiting the substantial power and utility of the Global Navigation Satellite System - of both today and tomorrow. The modernized NSRS will include four new-generation geometric terrestrial reference frames (replacing NAD83) and a technically unprecedented geopotential datum (replacing NAVD88), all to be released in 2022 (anticipated). This poster/presentation will describe the justification for this modernization effort and will update the status and planned evolution of the NSRS as 2022 draws ever closer. Also discussed will be recent developments, including the publication of "blueprint" documents addressing technical details of various facets of the modernized NSRS and a continued series of public Geospatial Summits. Supporting/ancillary projects such as Gravity for the Redefinition of the American Vertical Datum (GRAV-D), which will result in the generation of a highly accurate gravimetric geoid - or definitional reference surface (zero elevation) - for the future geopotential datum, and Geoid Slope Validation Surveys (GSVS), which are exploring the achievable

  9. Energy problems of the United States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pertuzio, A.

    2006-01-01

    The united states are the third world producer of oil which accounts for 440% of world production and 20 million barrels/day of which 60% are imported. That dependence on imports is likely to increase in the next decades. Such supplies and their security are therefore a fundamental factor of the United States foreign policy in combination with their political, economic and strategic objectives in a world both unsure and dangerous

  10. National-level progress on adaptation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lesnikowski, A.; Ford-Robertson, J.; Biesbroek, G.R.; Berrang-Ford, L.; Heymann, S.J.

    2016-01-01

    It is increasingly evident that adaptation will figure prominently in the post-2015 United Nations climate change agreement. As adaptation obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change evolve, more rigorous approaches to measuring adaptation progress among parties will

  11. Inching toward incrementalism: federalism, devolution, and health policy in the United States and the United Kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sparer, Michael S; France, George; Clinton, Chelsea

    2011-02-01

    In the United States, the recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 envisions a significant increase in federal oversight over the nation's health care system. At the same time, however, the legislation requires the states to play key roles in every aspect of the reform agenda (such as expanding Medicaid programs, creating insurance exchanges, and working with providers on delivery system reforms). The complicated intergovernmental partnerships that govern the nation's fragmented and decentralized system are likely to continue, albeit with greater federal oversight and control. But what about intergovernmental relations in the United Kingdom? What impact did the formal devolution of power in 1999 to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have on health policy in those nations, and in the United Kingdom more generally? Has devolution begun a political process in which health policy in the United Kingdom will, over time, become increasingly decentralized and fragmented, or will this "state of unions" retain its long-standing reputation as perhaps the most centralized of the European nations? In this article, we explore the federalist and intergovernmental implications of recent reforms in the United States and the United Kingdom, and we put forward the argument that political fragmentation (long-standing in the United States and just emerging in the United Kingdom) produces new intergovernmental partnerships that, in turn, produce incremental growth in overall government involvement in the health care arena. This is the impact of what can be called catalytic federalism.

  12. His Excellency Mr Ian de Jong, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations Office in Geneva

    CERN Multimedia

    Maximilien Brice

    2003-01-01

    Visit of His Excellency Mr Ian de Jong, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations Office in Geneva, June 2003. From left to right: Dr Albert Ijspeert, Deputy Leader, Magnet and electrical systems Group, Accelerator Technology Division; Mr Maarten Wilbers, Legal Service; Prof. Cecilia Jarlskog, Adviser to the Director-General for Member State Relations; Mr Jan van der Boon, Director of Administration; His Excellency Mr Ian de Jong, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations Office in Geneva; Prof. Frank Linde, NIKHEF; Dr Lucie Linssen Experimental Physics Division, Technical Assistance Group and Mr C. J. van Riel, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Netherlands, Dutch Delegate to Council and Finance Committee.

  13. The Environmental, Social, Governance, and Financial Performance Effects on Companies that Adopt the United Nations Global Compact

    OpenAIRE

    Eduardo Ortas; Igor Álvarez; Ainhoa Garayar

    2015-01-01

    This paper aims to investigate companies’ environmental, social, governance (ESG), and financial implications of their commitment to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). The focus is placed on companies operating in the three countries with the highest number of UNGC participants: Spain, France, and Japan. The results clearly reveal that adoption of the UNGC often requires an organizational change that fosters stakeholder engagement, ultimately resulting in improvements in companies’ ESG...

  14. The reestablishment of radiochemistry academic programs in the United States - 59025

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williamson, Craig

    2012-01-01

    Document available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: Despite its importance in national security, medicine, energy, and in waste management radiochemistry education in the United States has gone through two lost decades. In the 1970's ten to fifteen universities were granting between thirty (30) and forty (40) doctoral degrees a year. By the 1980's those numbers had declined to twenty (20) and thirty (30) a year, by the 1990's the numbers had again decreased to below fifteen (15) Ph.D.s a year. In the year 2000, the data shows that only 5 Ph.D.s in radiochemistry were awarded. The causes for this decline is directly attributed to the lack of federal support for an academic discipline that for the most part depends on federal funding. In 2011, it is expected that over thirty (30) doctoral degrees in radiochemistry will be conferred. The turn around in radiochemistry education in the United States can be directly attributed to the support provided by the U.S. Departments of Energy, Defense and Homeland Security. In addition, support has come from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and from the National Nuclear Security Administration. The form of this support has been extensive from proposed undergraduate research programs, scholarships, graduate fellowships, junior faculty awards, curriculum awards, and grants

  15. Geographic Information System (GIS) characterization of historical seagrass coverage in Perdido Bay from United States Geological Survey/National Wetlands Research Center (USGS/NWRC), 1987 (NODC Accession 0000606)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Graphical representation of historical seagrass coverage in Perdido Bay in 1987 from United States Geological Survey/National Wetlands Research Center (USGS/NWRC).

  16. Netherlands' National Fukushima Stress Test for the Borssele Nuclear Power Plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2011-12-15

    This is the National Report of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on the post-Fukushima 'stress test' of the Borssele (one unit) Nuclear Power Plant, the KCB. This report complies with the guidelines published by ENSREG (European Nuclear Safety Regulator Group) in May (objectives and scope) and October 2011 (structure of report) for National Reports. The operator of the KCB has submitted a Licensee Report to the regulatory body, that addresses all topics prescribed in the ENSREG guidelines for the 'stress test' and meets the prescribed format. The National Report presents conclusions about licensee's compliance with its design basis. The conclusions are based on the Licensee Report as well as on several decades of regulatory oversight, including regulatory inspections, evaluations of various applications for modification of the licences, regulatory control of the special Long-Term Operation programme and the various extensive Periodic Safety Reviews. The National Report presents conclusions on the safety margins identified in the Licensee Report. The National report notes the measures proposed and considered in the Licensee Report. In principle, the regulatory body can endorse various of these measures, but further assessment is needed to establish the effectiveness of these. The regulatory body proposes additional topics suitable for (more detailed) assessment.

  17. National estimates of healthcare utilization by individuals with hepatitis C virus infection in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galbraith, James W; Donnelly, John P; Franco, Ricardo A; Overton, Edgar T; Rodgers, Joel B; Wang, Henry E

    2014-09-15

    Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health problem in the United States. Although prior studies have evaluated the HCV-related healthcare burden, these studies examined a single treatment setting and did not account for the growing "baby boomer" population (individuals born during 1945-1965). Data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample were analyzed. We sought to characterize healthcare utilization by individuals infected with HCV in the United States, examining adult (≥18 years) outpatient, emergency department (ED), and inpatient visits among individuals with HCV diagnosis for the period 2001-2010. Key subgroups included persons born before 1945 (older), between 1945 and 1965 (baby boomer), and after 1965 (younger). Individuals with HCV infection were responsible for >2.3 million outpatient, 73 000 ED, and 475 000 inpatient visits annually. Persons in the baby boomer cohort accounted for 72.5%, 67.6%, and 70.7% of care episodes in these settings, respectively. Whereas the number of outpatient visits remained stable during the study period, inpatient admissions among HCV-infected baby boomers increased by >60%. Inpatient stays totaled 2.8 million days and cost >$15 billion annually. Nonwhites, uninsured individuals, and individuals receiving publicly funded health insurance were disproportionately affected in all healthcare settings. Individuals with HCV infection are large users of outpatient, ED, and inpatient health services. Resource use is highest and increasing in the baby boomer generation. These observations illuminate the public health burden of HCV infection in the United States. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Haematological parameters in different african populations: an experience from united nations level 3 hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iftikhar, R.; Khan, N.U.; Iqbal, Z.; Anwar, M.I.

    2017-01-01

    To evaluate hematological parameters in African population to estimate normal reference intervals for these tests. Study Design: Cross sectional observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pathology, United Nations level 3 hospital, Nyala, Darfur from 1st Mar to 30th Dec 2014. Material and Methods: There were 396 healthy African male and female volunteers selected between 18-65 years of age, belonging to different countries. Fresh whole blood was used to measure haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, haematocrit (Hct), total red blood cell (TRBC) count, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), platelet count, total leucocyte count (TLC) and differential white blood cells count. Data were analysed using SPSS version 19. Results: Mean Hb of study group was 13.81 +- 1.99 g/dl. Mean TLC was 5.50 +- 1.96 x 103/ul. Mean lymphocyte count was 2.58 +- 0.95. Mean platelet count was 234 +- 92 x103 /ul. Mean values for Hb Concentration, TRBC, Hct Ratio, MCV, MCH and MCHC were all higher for African Males than Females; this difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: This multi-national African population based study confirms the variations in haematological parameters previously described in single nation African studies. The commonly observed variations in normal adults are low RBC indices, relative neutropenia and lymphocytosis. (author)

  19. Contribution of United Nations in Serbia to protection of women survivors of violence in family and in intimate partner relationships: From international law to practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jarić Vesna

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents an analyses of engagement of the United Nations in Serbia in the field of the prevention and establishment of protection system for women survivors of violence in family and in intimate partner relationships. The scientific objective is to assess the contribution of the UN interventions in this field in Serbia, while the applicative objective is to use the results of the analysis in the planning of State’s interventions for the effective implementation of the Istanbul convention based upon lessons learnt from the UN interventions in this field. The subject of the paper is the analysis of the approach UN in Serbia has adopted over the past decade in establishment of the institutional response to violence against women, as well as the UN’s contribution to setting horizontal and vertical institutional exchange mechanisms among different sectors with mandate to provide services to survivors/ victims, specifically multi-sectoral co-operation model for protection of victims and support to setting institutional basis for the recognition of specialist support services for women survivors of violence. Both aspects are framed within the obligations deriving from the Istanbul convention with the aim to observe the correlation between the UN’s approach and the requirements of this international treaty.

  20. Molecular image in biomedical research. Molecular imaging unit of the National Cancer Research Center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez Bruzon, J.; Mulero Anhiorte, F.

    2010-01-01

    This article has two basic objectives. firstly, it will review briefly the most important imaging techniques used in biomedical research indicting the most significant aspects related to their application in the preclinical stage. Secondly, it will present a practical application of these techniques in a pure biomedical research centre (not associated to a clinical facility). Practical aspects such as organisation, equipment, work norms, shielding of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) Imaging Unit will be shown. This is a pioneering facility in the application of these techniques in research centres without any dependence or any direct relationship with other hospital Nuclear Medicine services. (Author) 7 refs.

  1. ANALYZING THE MOUNTAIN TOURISM DEMAND IN ROMANIA OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    TIGU GABRIELA

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Mountain tourism demand fluctuated predominantly downward in the last two decades, as a result of some complex economic, social, and political changes. Tourism demand for the Romanian mountain destinations in the last two decades has been analyzed in quantity and evolution, by processing (also graphically and interpreting the specific tourism indicators (tourist arrivals, tourist structure, tourists’ preference for accommodation, overnight stays, average length of stay, accommodation occupancy rate, also making comparisons with the situation at national level. Mountain tourism demand is an important segment of tourism demand (domestic and international in Romania, with shares between 13.19% (minimum in 1994 and 15.63% (maximum in 2013. The mountain area is ranked second most popular for the Romanian tourists and third place for the foreign tourists. Tourist arrivals in the mountain area recorded the following variations: a period of sharp decline (1994-2002 with a minimum in 2002 (700,000 tourists, a period of growth (2003-2008 with values around 1 million tourists in 2007 and 2008, a decrease of 100,000 tourists corresponding to the economic crisis in 2008-2009, followed by a period (2010-2014 of strong revival with the maximum value of the entire analyzed period (nearly 1,3 million tourists in 2014. The fluctuations of overnight stays were directly proportional to those of arrivals. The increasing demand for mountain destinations resulted from a better promotion of winter sports in recent years, a revival ("fashion" of Romanians’ preferences for winter sports practicing; in parallel, a number of ski areas were arranged or redesigned in many traditional 'white' resorts, and several smaller centers for winter sports emerged or were re-launched. Tourists’ preferences for the mountain accommodation units such as boarding houses, villas and chalets reflected the characteristics of the mountain tourism activities and the corresponding

  2. Facing tomorrow's challenges: U.S. Geological Survey science in the decade 2007-2017

    Science.gov (United States)

    ,

    2007-01-01

    In order for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to respond to evolving national and global priorities, it must periodically reflect on, and optimize, its strategic directions. This report is the first comprehensive science strategy since the early 1990s to examine critically major USGS science goals and priorities. The development of this science strategy comes at a time of global trends and rapidly evolving societal needs that pose important natural-science challenges. The emergence of a global economy affects the demand for all resources. The last decade has witnessed the emergence of a new model for managing Federal lands-ecosystem-based management. The U.S. Climate Change Science Program predicts that the next few decades will see rapid changes in the Nation's and the Earth's environment. Finally, the natural environment continues to pose risks to society in the form of volcanoes, earthquakes, wildland fires, floods, droughts, invasive species, variable and changing climate, and natural and anthropogenic toxins, as well as animal-borne diseases that affect humans. The use of, and competition for, natural resources on the global scale, and natural threats to those resources, has the potential to impact the Nation's ability to sustain its economy, national security, quality of life, and natural environment. Responding to these national priorities and global trends requires a science strategy that not only builds on existing USGS strengths and partnerships but also demands the innovation made possible by integrating the full breadth and depth of USGS capabilities. The USGS chooses to go forward in the science directions proposed here because the societal issues addressed by these science directions represent major challenges for the Nation's future and for the stewards of Federal lands, both onshore and offshore. The six science directions proposed in this science strategy are listed as follows. The ecosystems strategy is listed first because it has a dual nature

  3. A National Research Agenda for Virtual Reality: Report by the National Research Council Committee on VR R&D

    OpenAIRE

    Pausch, Randy; Aviles, Walter; Durlach, Nathaniel; Robinett, Warren; Zyda, Michael

    1995-01-01

    In 1992, at the request of a consortium of federal agencies, the National Research Council established a committee to "recommand a national research and development agenda in the area of virtual reality" to set U.S. government R&D funding priorities for virtual reality (VR) for the next decade....

  4. Decadal changes in summertime reactive oxidized nitrogen and surface ozone over the Southeast United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Li

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Widespread efforts to abate ozone (O3 smog have significantly reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx over the past 2 decades in the Southeast US, a place heavily influenced by both anthropogenic and biogenic emissions. How reactive nitrogen speciation responds to the reduction in NOx emissions in this region remains to be elucidated. Here we exploit aircraft measurements from ICARTT (July–August 2004, SENEX (June–July 2013, and SEAC4RS (August–September 2013 and long-term ground measurement networks alongside a global chemistry–climate model to examine decadal changes in summertime reactive oxidized nitrogen (RON and ozone over the Southeast US. We show that our model can reproduce the mean vertical profiles of major RON species and the total (NOy in both 2004 and 2013. Among the major RON species, nitric acid (HNO3 is dominant (∼ 42–45 %, followed by NOx (31 %, total peroxy nitrates (ΣPNs; 14 %, and total alkyl nitrates (ΣANs; 9–12 % on a regional scale. We find that most RON species, including NOx, ΣPNs, and HNO3, decline proportionally with decreasing NOx emissions in this region, leading to a similar decline in NOy. This linear response might be in part due to the nearly constant summertime supply of biogenic VOC emissions in this region. Our model captures the observed relative change in RON and surface ozone from 2004 to 2013. Model sensitivity tests indicate that further reductions of NOx emissions will lead to a continued decline in surface ozone and less frequent high-ozone events.

  5. Vegetation of Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana-Recent plant communities with comparison to a three-decade-old survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, Rebecca J.; Michot, Thomas C.; Allain, Larry

    2011-01-01

    Shifts in plant community composition and structure can affect the quality of habitat for wildlife species. Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Louisiana was established in 1937 with a primary goal of providing habitat for wintering waterfowl species. A large freshwater impoundment constructed on the refuge to improve waterfowl habitat value was completed in 1943. About 10 years after construction was completed, staff at the refuge became concerned that emergent vegetation cover was increasing in the impoundment over time while open water areas, which are critical as foraging and resting areas for waterfowl, were decreasing. To document vegetation change over time, we collected information on plant community species composition for comparison to similar data collected in 1973. A total of 84 sampling plots was established in 2006 within the impoundment to coincide as closely as possible to plots sampled in the earlier study. Plant species composition and cover were recorded at each plot in the summers of 2006 and 2007. Change between sampling events separated by more than three decades was determined by comparing the frequency of occurrence of 20 species identified in 1973 to their frequency in 2006 and 2007. Interannual variation was determined by comparing plot data between 2006 and 2007. In plots dominated by emergent vegetation, it was found that Bacopa caroliniana, Eleocharis equisetoides, Leersia hexandra, Panicum hemitomon, and Sagittaria lancifolia were significantly less frequent in 2006 and 2007 than in 1973. The frequency of Brasenia schreberi, Cabomba caroliniana, Nitella gracilis, and Nymphoides aquatica was significantly lower in 2006 and 2007 than in 1973 in plots dominated by floating-leaved plants, submersed plants, or open water. In 2007, Hydrocotyle sp. and Sacciolepis striata were more frequent than in 1973 in emergent vegetation plots, and Utricularia sp. was more frequent in submersed or open-water plots. We documented

  6. Strengthening national health laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa: a decade of remarkable progress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alemnji, G A; Zeh, C; Yao, K; Fonjungo, P N

    2014-04-01

    Efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic have underscored the fragile and neglected nature of some national health laboratories in Africa. In response, national and international partners and various governments have worked collaboratively over the last several years to build sustainable laboratory capacities within the continent. Key accomplishments reflecting this successful partnership include the establishment of the African-based World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO-AFRO) Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA); development of the Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) training programme; and launching of a Pan African-based institution, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM). These platforms continue to serve as the foundations for national health laboratory infrastructure enhancement, capacity development and overall quality system improvement. Further targeted interventions should encourage countries to aim at integrated tiered referral networks, promote quality system improvement and accreditation, develop laboratory policies and strategic plans, enhance training and laboratory workforce development and a retention strategy, create career paths for laboratory professionals and establish public-private partnerships. Maintaining the gains and ensuring sustainability will require concerted action by all stakeholders with strong leadership and funding from African governments and from the African Union. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the U.S.A.

  7. Progress toward national estimates of police use of force

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garner, Joel H.; Malega, Ronald W.; Maxwell, Christopher D.

    2018-01-01

    This research builds on three decades of effort to produce national estimates of the amount and rate of force used by law enforcement officers in the United States. Prior efforts to produce national estimates have suffered from poor and inconsistent measurements of force, small and unrepresentative samples, low survey and/or item response rates, and disparate reporting of rates of force. The present study employs data from a nationally representative survey of state and local law enforcement agencies that has a high survey response rate as well as a relatively high rate of reporting uses of force. Using data on arrests for violent offenses and the number of sworn officers to impute missing data on uses of force, we estimate a total of 337,590 use of physical force incidents among State and local law enforcement agencies during 2012 with a 95 percent confidence interval of +/- 10,470 incidents or +/- 3.1 percent. This article reports the extent to which the number and rate of force incidents vary by the type and size of law enforcement agencies. Our findings demonstrate the willingness of a large proportion of law enforcement agencies to voluntarily report the amount of force used by their officers and the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) program to produce nationally representative information about police behavior. PMID:29447295

  8. National Environmental Policy Act

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was the first major environmental law in the United States and established national environmental policies for the...

  9. 8 December 1953 - 8 December 1963. Atomic co-operation in the United Nations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1964-01-01

    Full text: Ten years ago, on 8 December 1953, President Eisenhower proposed to the General Assembly of the United Nations measures to build 'a new avenue to peace'. This was the beginning of the idea that international understanding can be fostered through peaceful atomic co-operation in an international organization. Re-reading the President's statement ten years later, one is impressed by the continued urgency of his message. What he said in fact was that the nations of the world were living in the shadow of an overwhelming atomic threat and that steps were necessary, even though modest and untried, to break the impasse between the East and the West in the very field which caused the most profound concern - atomic energy. The International Atomic Energy Agency became an institutional reality in 1957, when the first General Conference met with 56 members. It now has 83 members, and a further five nations will become members as soon as statutory formalities are completed. The activity on the part of the Agency during these six years has gradually expanded, although it has fallen short of earlier hopes in certain areas. Time and patience, however, have been required and 1963 foreshadows further progress. Ten years after the proposal of the idea, scientists and statesmen can look back and be gratified that a contribution has been made to international understanding. Scientists and statesmen can look ahead, hopefully, to a future of increasing activity in this special agency to develop co-operation and agreement in the field of atomic energy. (author)

  10. Thematic procedures of the United Nations Commission on human rights and international law : in search of a sense of community

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gutter, Jeroen

    2006-01-01

    This study investigates the so-called "thematic approach" as a method available to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to take cognizance of and to react upon violations of human rights worldwide. To this end, three different thematic procedures, the Working Group on Enforced or

  11. A Multidisciplinary Approach to Decommissioning Offshore Wells Using Stakeholder Engagement, Risk Identification, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Battalora, L.; Prasad, M.

    2017-12-01

    Context/PurposeThe typical oil and gas project lifecycle includes acquisition, exploration, drilling, production, and decommissioning phases. The oil and gas industry (Industry) has become proactive in identifying and mitigating health, safety, security, environment, and social responsibility risks during these phases as well as designing for sustainable development. With many fields reaching the end stages of the lifecycle, Industry is faced with the challenge of identifying and evaluating risks in the decommissioning phase. The level of challenge is increased when planning for the decommissioning of offshore wells. This paper describes tools that can be applied in the multidisciplinary design of the decommissioning program including use of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). MethodsStakeholder engagement is key to a successful project. Typical stakeholders in an oil and gas project include the community, regulatory agencies, federal, state, and local governments, private investors, academia, and non-governmental organizations. Before engagement begins, stakeholders must be identified as well as their level of influence in the project. Relationships between stakeholders are "mapped" providing a better understanding of priorities and areas of concentration. Project risks are identified and ranked according to likelihood and impact. Mitigations are matched to risks. Sustainable development is implemented through acknowledgement of societal, economic, and environmental impacts in engineering design. InterpretationRecently, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues, partnered to develop the publication, Mapping the oil and gas industry to the Sustainable Development Goals: An Atlas. SDGs have been linked to Industry operations and can serve as a guide for the offshore decommissioning phase Conclusion

  12. The role of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation in relation to medical radiation exposures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shrimpton, P.C.

    2001-01-01

    In 1955, growing global concerns about ionizing radiation led the General Assembly of the United Nations to establish the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). The mandate of this committee, which presently includes 21 Member States, is to assess and report on the levels and effects of exposure to ionizing radiation. Accordingly, UNSCEAR applies scientific judgement in undertaking comprehensive reviews and evaluations concerning radiation and maintains an independent and neutral position in drawing its conclusions. These are published in authoritative reports to the UN General Assembly, with there having been 14 such substantive reports, with technical annexes, since 1958. The information provided by UNSCEAR assists the General Assembly in making recommendations in relation, for example, to international collaboration in the field of health. Governments and organizations all over the world rely on the committee's evaluations as the scientific basis for estimating radiation risk, establishing radiation protection and safety standards, and regulating radiation sources

  13. Delivery Strategies to Enhance the Sustainability of Training: Lessons from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Rosa, Cecilia; Nadeau, Andrew; Hernandez, Emilio; Kafeero, Fred; Zahiga, Jacques

    2016-01-01

    The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) utilizes training as a major component of the support it provides to its member countries in Africa. In the past, stand-alone training events targeting individual actors were the norm. However, an external evaluation indicated that this type of training scores low in terms of…

  14. The Connections among Immigration, Nation Building, and Adult Education English as a Second Language Instruction in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ullman, Char

    2010-01-01

    Since its inception at the turn of the last century, adult education English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction in the United States has been entwined with immigration processes and ideas of the nation. In spite of current uncertainty about the overhauling of federal immigration policy, increasingly anti-immigrant laws in states such as…

  15. Recommendations for Cycle II of National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    ,; Mallard, Gail E.; Armbruster, Jeffrey T.; Broshears, Robert E.; Evenson, Eric J.; Luoma, Samuel N.; Phillips, Patrick J.; Prince, Keith R.

    1999-01-01

    The Planning Team for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program defines a successful NAWQA Program as one that makes a balanced contribution to study-unit issues, national issues, and to the pursuit of scientific knowledge. Using this criterion, NAWQA has been a success. The program has provided important new knowledge and understanding of scientific processes, and insights into the occurrence and distribution of contaminants that have been key to local and national policy decisions. Most of the basic design characteristics of NAWQA's first decade (1991-2000), hereafter called cycle I) remain appropriate as the program enters its second decade (cycle II) in 2001. In cycle II, the program has the opportunity to build on its successful base and to evolve to take advantage of the knowledge generated in cycle I. In addition to this expected evolution, NAWQA must also make some changes to compensate for the fact that program funding has not kept pace with inflation. An important theme for the second cycle of NAWQA will be the integration of knowledge across scales and across disciplines. The question that drove the NAWQA design in the first cycle was "How is water quality related to land use?" Cycle II will build upon what was learned in cycle I and use land-use and water-quality gradients to identify and understand potential sources of various constituents and the processes affecting transport and fate of those constituents and their effects on receptors. The understanding we gain from applying this approach will be relevant to the interests of policymakers, regulatory agencies, and resource managers.

  16. Assessing the Impacts of Decadal Socio-Agro-Hydro Climatic Variations on Agricultural Vulnerability over India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohanty, M. P.; Sharma, T.; Ghosh, S.; Karmakar, S.

    2017-12-01

    Among both rice and wheat producing countries, India holds one of the major global shares in terms of production. However, with rising population, economic variability, and increasing food demand, it has become indispensable to strategically assess the food security of the nation, particularly under changing climatic conditions. This can be achieved by improving knowledge on the impacts of climate change on crop growth and yield through understanding the current status of agricultural vulnerability and quantifying its decadal changes. The present research focuses on assessing the observed decadal changes in agricultural vulnerability over India, at a district-scale. In the study, the deliberation of multiple climatic, hydrologic, agricultural indicators will majorly facilitate evaluating their direct/indirect influence on the crop production. In addition, a set of socio-economic indicators will also be considered to understand the attribution of these factors on the change in agricultural vulnerability. Here, these indicators will be integrated into a multivariate data envelopment analysis (DEA) framework to derive relative efficiency of each unit or district in crop production, which will be further transformed into a well-grounded agricultural vulnerability map. It has become essential to understand the influence of these indicators on agriculture, given that the extended periods of excessive/no rainfall or high/low temperature can alter the water cycle and hence cause stress on the agroecosystem. Likewise, change in the population density, main and marginal cultivators, main and marginal agriculture labours, improvement in management practices, or increase in power supply for agricultural use, can directly affect the food security of the region. Hence, this study will undoubtedly assist the decision-makers/strategists by highlighting the agriculturally vulnerable regions over India. Consequently, it will reassure the farmers to define bottom-up approaches in

  17. Values and motivations of private forest owners in the United States: a framework based on open-ended responses in the national woodland owner survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    David N. Bengston; Brett J. Butler; Stanley T. Asah

    2009-01-01

    The National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) is a recurring and comprehensive national survey of private forest landowners in the United States, and is a social complement to the U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis program's biologic resource inventory. An open-ended question in the NWOS explores private forest owners' motivations and values...

  18. Review of progress in the past decade

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krzywosz, K.J.

    1991-01-01

    The past decade saw tremendous changes in the operation and maintenance of steam generators. Inservice inspection practices were continually upgraded to better maintain the integrity of steam generator pressure boundaries. Even though the number of plants replacing steam generators earlier than expected is increasing, concerted efforts are underway to extend the life of those remaining. Managing the safe and continued operation of steam generators is a complex task and the role of NDE is expanding. The conventional role of NDE for detecting and characterizing both degraded and new damage mechanisms is expanding to other functions such as: monitoring degradation growth rate, verifying the effectiveness of remedial measures, assisting in the establishment of defect-specific plugging limits, and assuring the inspectability of new replacement tube materials. Consequently, NDE plays a major role in improving availability and life extension of steam generators. This paper reviews the current operating conditions of steam generators in the United States, strategies for managing steam generators, and current inservice inspection practices. (author)

  19. The Impact of IT over Five Decades

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjørn-Andersen, Niels; Raymond, Benoit

    2014-01-01

    in the last five decades, identifying a dominating (new) research theme in each decade. A key overall impact of IT in all decades has been a dramatic decrease in transaction costs making it increasingly easier for organizations to source from external providers. A five level taxonomy of sourcing arrangement...

  20. Motorcycle trends in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-05-01

    During the last decade there has been a significant increase in the number of motorcycle sales and registrations in the United States. At the same time there has been a shift in the demographics of motorcycle users and increased focus on motorcycle s...