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Opportunity Cost: A Reexamination
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Parkin, Michael
Is opportunity cost an ambiguous and arbitrary concept or a simple, straightforward, and fruitful one? This reexamination of opportunity cost addresses this question, and shows that opportunity cost is an ambiguous concept because "two" definitions are in widespread use. One of the definitions is indeed simple, fruitful, and one that…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Parkin, Michael
The author's objective for this reply in reexamining opportunity cost was to draw attention to two conflicting definitions of the concept in current use and to argue the case for dropping one of them. The comments of Daniel Arce, Rod O'Donnell, and Daniel Stone might be read as demonstration that the author has failed on both counts. Such a…
Opportunity Cost of Distance Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Turkoglu, Recep
In this study, opportunity cost (OC) of distance education (DE) has been examined. In addition, factors which affect OC of DE have been investigated. (Contains 1 table.) [Abstract modified to meet ERIC guidelines.
Complexities in the Examination of Opportunity Cost
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
O'Donnell, Rod
Rod O'Donnell writes here that there is a wide and deep confusion in contemporary economics about the concept and role of opportunity cost (OC). O'Donnell states that his main grounds for making this claim are the muddled, variable, and sometimes conflicting treatments of OC in modern textbooks; the disturbing empirical results in surveys of both…
The hidden opportunity cost of time effect on intertemporal choice.
Zhao, Cui-Xia; Jiang, Cheng-Ming; Zhou, Lei; Li, Shu; Rao, Li-Lin; Zheng, Rui
An interesting phenomenon called "hidden opportunity cost of time effect" was detected in intertemporal choices. The majority of our participants preferred the smaller but sooner (SS) option to the larger but later (LL) option if opportunity cost was explicit. However, a higher proportion of participants preferred the LL to SS option if opportunity cost was hidden. This shift violates the invariance principle and opens a new way to encourage future-oriented behavior. By simply mentioning the "obvious" opportunity cost of alternatives, decision makers can be more informed in prioritizing their long-term goals rather than short-term goals. PMID:25870570
Opportunity Cost Neglect Attenuates the Effect of Choices on Preferences.
Greenberg, Adam Eric; Spiller, Stephen A
The idea that choices alter preferences has been widely studied in psychology, yet prior research has focused primarily on choices for which all alternatives were salient at the time of choice. Opportunity costs capture the value of the best forgone alternative and should be considered as part of any decision process, yet people often neglect them. How does the salience of opportunity costs at the time of choice influence subsequent evaluations of chosen and forgone options? In three experiments, we found that there was a larger postchoice spread between evaluations of focal options and opportunity costs when opportunity costs were explicit at the time of choice than when they remained implicit. PMID:26573905
The hidden opportunity cost of time effect on intertemporal choice
Zhao, Cui-Xia; Jiang, Cheng-Ming; Zhou, Lei; Li, Shu; Rao, Li-Lin; Zheng, Rui
An interesting phenomenon called "hidden opportunity cost of time effect" was detected in intertemporal choices. The majority of our participants preferred the smaller but sooner (SS) option to the larger but later (LL) option if opportunity cost was explicit. However, a higher proportion of participants preferred the LL to SS option if opportunity cost was hidden. This shift violates the invariance principle and opens a new way to encourage future-oriented behavior. By simply mentioning the "obvious" opportunity cost of alternatives, decision makers can be more informed in prioritizing their long-term goals rather than short-term goals. PMID:25870570
Opportunity Cost and the Intelligence of Economists: A Comment
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Arce, Daniel G.
In "Opportunity Cost: A Reexamination," Professor Parkin contrasts forgone physical quantities with forgone values as measures of the opportunity cost of basic economic decisions. The impetus for his study stems from an experiment conducted by Ferraro and Taylor (2005), in which professional economists could not reach a consensus over…
Opportunities and costs for preventing vertebrate extinctions.
Conde, Dalia A; Colchero, Fernando; Güneralp, Burak; Gusset, Markus; Skolnik, Ben; Parr, Michael; Byers, Onnie; Johnson, Kevin; Young, Glyn; Flesness, Nate; Possingham, Hugh; Fa, John E
Despite an increase in policy and management responses to the global biodiversity crisis, implementation of the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets still shows insufficient progress [1]. These targets, strategic goals defined by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), address major causes of biodiversity loss in part by establishing protected areas (Target 11) and preventing species extinctions (Target 12). To achieve this, increased interventions will be required for a large number of sites and species. The Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) [2], a consortium of conservation-oriented organisations that aims to protect Critically Endangered and Endangered species restricted to single sites, has identified 920 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, conifers and reef-building corals in 588 'trigger' sites [3]. These are arguably the most irreplaceable category of important biodiversity conservation sites. Protected area coverage of AZE sites is a key indicator of progress towards Target 11 [1]. Moreover, effective conservation of AZE sites is essential to achieve Target 12, as the loss of any of these sites would certainly result in the global extinction of at least one species [2]. However, averting human-induced species extinctions within AZE sites requires enhanced planning tools to increase the chances of success [3]. Here, we assess the potential for ensuring the long-term conservation of AZE vertebrate species (157 mammals, 165 birds, 17 reptiles and 502 amphibians) by calculating a conservation opportunity index (COI) for each species. The COI encompasses a set of measurable indicators that quantify the possibility of achieving successful conservation of a species in its natural habitat (COIh) and by establishing insurance populations in zoos (COIc). PMID:25784036
The opportunity cost of capital: development of new pharmaceuticals.
Chit, Ayman; Chit, Ahmad; Papadimitropoulos, Manny; Krahn, Murray; Parker, Jayson; Grootendorst, Paul
The opportunity cost of the capital invested in pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) to bring a new drug to market makes up as much as half the total cost. However, the literature on the cost of pharmaceutical R&D is mixed on how, exactly, one should calculate this "hidden" cost. Some authors attempt to adopt models from the field of finance, whereas other prominent authors dismiss this practice as biased, arguing that it artificially inflates the R&D cost to justify higher prices for pharmaceuticals. In this article, we examine the arguments made by both sides of the debate and then explain the cost of capital concept and describe in detail how this value is calculated. Given the significant contribution of the cost of capital to the overall cost of new drug R&D, a clear understanding of the concept is critical for policy makers, investors, and those involved directly in the R&D. PMID:25933615
Modeling opportunity costs of conservation in transitional landscapes.
Naidoo, Robin; Adamowicz, Wiktor L
Conservation scientists recognize the urgency of incorporating opportunity costs into conservation planning. Despite this, applications to date have been limited, perhaps partly because of the difficulty in determining costs in regions with limited data on land prices and ownership. We present methods for estimating opportunity costs of land preservation in landscapes or ecoregions that are a changing mix of agriculture and natural habitat. Our approach derives from the literature on estimating land values as opportunity costs of alternate land uses and takes advantage of general availability of necessary data, even in relatively data-poor regions. The methods integrate probabilities of habitat conversion with region-wide estimates of economic benefits from agricultural land uses and estimate land values with a discount rate to convert annual values into net present values. We applied our method in a landscape undergoing agricultural conversion in Paraguay. Our model of opportunity costs predicted an independent data set of land values and was consistent with implicit discount rates of 15-25%. Model-generated land values were strongly correlated with actual land values even after correcting for the effect of property size and proportion of property that was forested. We used the model to produce a map of opportunity costs and to estimate the costs of conserving forest within two proposed corridors in the landscape. This method can be applied to conservation planning in situations where natural habitat is currently being converted to market-oriented land uses. Incorporating not only biological attributes but also socioeconomic data can help in the design of efficient networks of protected areas that represent biodiversity at minimum costs. PMID:16903110
An opportunity cost model of subjective effort and task performance
Kurzban, Robert; Duckworth, Angela; Kable, Joseph W.; Myers, Justus
Why does performing certain tasks cause the aversive experience of mental effort and concomitant deterioration in task performance? One explanation posits a physical resource that is depleted over time. We propose an alternate explanation that centers on mental representations of the costs and benefits associated with task performance. Specifically, certain computational mechanisms, especially those associated with executive function, can be deployed for only a limited number of simultaneous tasks at any given moment. Consequently, the deployment of these computational mechanisms carries an opportunity cost – that is, the next-best use to which these systems might be put. We argue that the phenomenology of effort can be understood as the felt output of these cost/benefit computations. In turn, the subjective experience of effort motivates reduced deployment of these computational mechanisms in the service of the present task. These opportunity cost representations, then, together with other cost/benefit calculations, determine effort expended and, everything else equal, result in performance reductions. In making our case for this position, we review alternate explanations both for the phenomenology of effort associated with these tasks and for performance reductions over time. Likewise, we review the broad range of relevant empirical results from across subdisciplines, especially psychology and neuroscience. We hope that our proposal will help to build links among the diverse fields that have been addressing similar questions from different perspectives, and we emphasize ways in which alternate models might be empirically distinguished. PMID:24304775
Energy efficiency improvement and cost saving opportunities forpetroleum refineries
Worrell, Ernst; Galitsky, Christina
The petroleum refining industry in the United States is the largest in the world, providing inputs to virtually any economic sector,including the transport sector and the chemical industry. The industry operates 146 refineries (as of January 2004) around the country,employing over 65,000 employees. The refining industry produces a mix of products with a total value exceeding $151 billion. Refineries spend typically 50 percent of cash operating costs (i.e., excluding capital costs and depreciation) on energy, making energy a major cost factor and also an important opportunity for cost reduction. Energy use is also a major source of emissions in the refinery industry making energy efficiency improvement an attractive opportunity to reduce emissions and operating costs. Voluntary government programs aim to assist industry to improve competitiveness through increased energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact. ENERGY STAR (R), a voluntary program managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, stresses the need for strong and strategic corporate energy management programs. ENERGY STAR provides energy management tools and strategies for successful corporate energy management programs. This Energy Guide describes research conducted to support ENERGY STAR and its work with the petroleum refining industry.This research provides information on potential energy efficiency opportunities for petroleum refineries. This Energy Guide introduces energy efficiency opportunities available for petroleum refineries. It begins with descriptions of the trends, structure, and production of the refining industry and the energy used in the refining and conversion processes. Specific energy savings for each energy efficiency measure based on case studies of plants and references to technical literature are provided. If available, typical payback periods are also listed. The Energy Guide draws upon the experiences with energy efficiency measures of petroleum refineries worldwide
Sexual selection and the opportunity cost of free mate choice.
Apostolou, Menelaos
The model of sexual selection under parental choice has been proposed to account for the control that parents exercise over their children's mating decisions. The present paper attempts to formalize and advance this model with the purpose of providing a better understanding of how parental choice mandates the course of sexual selection. In particular, in the proposed formulation, free mate choice involves an opportunity cost which motivates parents to place their children's mate choices under their control. When they succeed in doing so, they become a significant sexual selection force, as traits that appeal to parents in an in-law are selected and increase in frequency in the population. The degree of parental control over mating, and thus the strength of sexual selection under parental choice, is positively predicted by the size of the opportunity cost of free mate choice. The primary factors that affect the level of opportunity cost vary between society types, affecting the strength of parental choice as a sexual selection force. PMID:26921247
Potential Cost-Effective Opportunities for Methane Emission Abatement
Warner, Ethan; Steinberg, Daniel; Hodson, Elke; Heath, Garvin
The energy sector was responsible for approximately 84% of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S. in 2012 (EPA 2014a). Methane is the second most important GHG, contributing 9% of total U.S. CO2e emissions. A large portion of those methane emissions result from energy production and use; the natural gas, coal, and oil industries produce approximately 39% of anthropogenic methane emissions in the U.S. As a result, fossil-fuel systems have been consistently identified as high priority sectors to contribute to U.S. GHG reduction goals (White House 2015). Only two studies have recently attempted to quantify the abatement potential and cost associated with the breadth of opportunities to reduce GHG emissions within natural gas, oil, and coal supply chains in the United States, namely the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2013a) and ICF (2014). EPA, in its 2013 analysis, estimated the marginal cost of abatement for non-CO2 GHG emissions from the natural gas, oil, and coal supply chains for multiple regions globally, including the United States. Building on this work, ICF International (ICF) (2014) provided an update and re-analysis of the potential opportunities in U.S. natural gas and oil systems. In this report we synthesize these previously published estimates as well as incorporate additional data provided by ICF to provide a comprehensive national analysis of methane abatement opportunities and their associated costs across the natural gas, oil, and coal supply chains. Results are presented as a suite of marginal abatement cost curves (MACCs), which depict the total potential and cost of reducing emissions through different abatement measures. We report results by sector (natural gas, oil, and coal) and by supply chain segment - production, gathering and boosting, processing, transmission and storage, or distribution - to facilitate identification of which sectors and supply chain
Limitations and opportunities for the social cost of carbon (Invited)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rose, S. K.
Estimates of the marginal value of carbon dioxide-the social cost of carbon (SCC)-were recently adopted by the U.S. Government in order to satisfy requirements to value estimated GHG changes of new federal regulations. However, the development and use of SCC estimates of avoided climate change impacts comes with significant challenges and controversial decisions. Fortunately, economics can provide some guidance for conceptually appropriate estimates. At the same time, economics defaults to a benefit-cost decision framework to identify socially optimal policies. However, not all current policy decisions are benefit-cost based, nor depend on monetized information, or even have the same threshold for information. While a conceptually appropriate SCC is a useful metric, how far can we take it? This talk discusses potential applications of the SCC, limitations based on the state of research and methods, as well as opportunities for among other things consistency with climate risk management and research and decision-making tools.
The opt-in program: Creating opportunities for cost savings
Klinger, A.
The final regulation implementing the opt-in program for combustion sources will be published within the next month. This regulation will allow combustion sources (i.e., non-affected boilers, turbines, and internal combustion engines) the opportunity to enter the Acid Rain Program on a voluntary basis. Although anyone can buy and sell allowances, opt-in sources will receive their own allowance allocation and profit from the sale of excess allowances. Excess allowances can only be generated, though, through emission reductions at the opt-in source. This presentation provides an overview of the opt-in program and focuses on the program`s motivation to lower the cost of acid rain control. The opt-in program will not reduce emissions in the aggregate, but instead offers incentives for emissions reductions at non-affected sources. By creating excess allowances, an opt-in source has a means for recouping the market value of those reductions through Acid Rain allowances. Lower cost opportunities for reducing sulfur dioxide at opt-in sources can, through allowance trading, reduce the costs of compliance for affected utility units.
Opportunity Cost of Surgical Management of Craniomaxillofacial Trauma.
Moses, Helen; Powers, David; Keeler, Jarrod; Erdmann, Detlev; Marcus, Jeff; Puscas, Liana; Woodard, Charles
The provision of trauma care is a financial burden, continually associated with low reimbursement, and shifts the economic burden to major trauma centers and providers. Meanwhile, the volume of craniomaxillofacial (CMF) trauma and the number of surgically managed facial fractures are unchanged. Past financial analyses of cost and reimbursement for facial trauma are limited to mandibular and midface injuries, consistently revealing low reimbursement. The incurred financial burden also coincides with the changing landscape of health insurance. The goal of this study is to determine the opportunity cost of operative management of facial trauma at our institution. From our CMF database of greater than 3,000 facial fractures, the physician charges, collections, and relative value units (RVUs) for CMF trauma per year from 2007 to 2013 were compared with a general plastic surgery and otolaryngology population undergoing operative management during this same period. Collection rates were analyzed to assess if a significant difference exists between reimbursement for CMF and non-CMF cases. Results revealed a significant difference between the professional collection rate for operative CMF trauma and that for other operative procedures (17.25 vs. 29.61%, respectively; p < 0.0001). The average number of RVUs billed per provider for CMF trauma declines significantly, from greater than 700 RVUs to 300 over the study period, despite a stable volume. Surgical management of CMF trauma generates an unfavorable financial environment. The large opportunity cost associated with offering this service is a potential threat to the sustainability of providing care for this population. PMID:26889352
Indirect cost in economic evaluation: the opportunity cost of unpaid inputs.
Posnett, J; Jan, S
Unpaid time represents a potentially significant input into the health production function. The paper sets out the basis for valuation of time inputs consistent with the notion of opportunity cost. Such analysis requires consideration of whether time displaced in the production of health involves lost work or lost leisure. Furthermore, because valuation of opportunity cost requires the consistent treatment of costs and benefits, the study also considers the valuation of outputs. The basis for valuing the shadow price of work time is examined by firstly assuming perfect competition. The analysis then considers the presence of monopoly and monopsony in product markets and income and sales taxes. The basis for valuing the shadow price of leisure ("leisure' being all uses of time except paid employment) is restricted to an examination of methods previously used to value unpaid housework. The two methods examined are the replacement cost and the opportunity cost method. As the methods are not equivalent, the circumstances where each is appropriate vary depending on whether the output lost in producing health is replaced. Although not set out as the primary focus of the paper, the issues surrounding the valuation of outputs generated by non-market and quasi-market activity are examined. In particular, where activities such as informal care result in indirect utility to the carers (and patients) themselves, it is likely the full market wage provides a lower bound estimate of the value of marginal benefit. Finally the paper provides a practical approach to examining opportunity cost of unpaid inputs consistent with the concepts set out in preceding sections. PMID:8653189
Valuing Human Leptospirosis Prevention Using the Opportunity Cost of Labor
Arbiol, Joseph; Borja, Maridel; Yabe, Mitsuyasu; Nomura, Hisako; Gloriani, Nina; Yoshida, Shinichi
Leptospirosis is a serious public health concern in the Philippines, not only because of its increasing incidence rate, but also because of its significant health and economic impacts. Despite its relatively high seroprevalence, knowledge on the economic burden of disease, particularly on the value that the society places on disease prevention remains limited. Obtaining such information is important within the context of public health policy. This study was conducted in Metro Manila to determine the economic burden of leptospirosis, by asking respondents about their willingness to contribute to labor (WTCL) for the prevention of leptospirosis. The respondents pledged an average labor contribution of 10.66 h/month. The average WTCL corresponded to a monetary value of US$4.01 per month when valued using the opportunity cost of labor (leisure rate of time). From the monetized labor contribution, the total economic value of preventing leptospirosis was estimated at US$124.97 million per annum, which represents 1.13% of Metro Manila's gross domestic product (GDP). Estimates from a Tobit regression model identified the respondents' knowledge regarding leptospirosis, the susceptibility of their homes to flooding, and the proximity of their homes to sewers as significant factors to consider when developing resource contribution programs for leptospirosis prevention. More efforts need to be made in developing community level preventive programs, and in improving public's knowledge and awareness about leptospirosis. PMID:23644831
Valuing human leptospirosis prevention using the opportunity cost of labor.
Arbiol, Joseph; Borja, Maridel; Yabe, Mitsuyasu; Nomura, Hisako; Gloriani, Nina; Yoshida, Shin-ichi
Leptospirosis is a serious public health concern in the Philippines, not only because of its increasing incidence rate, but also because of its significant health and economic impacts. Despite its relatively high seroprevalence, knowledge on the economic burden of disease, particularly on the value that the society places on disease prevention remains limited. Obtaining such information is important within the context of public health policy. This study was conducted in Metro Manila to determine the economic burden of leptospirosis, by asking respondents about their willingness to contribute to labor (WTCL) for the prevention of leptospirosis. The respondents pledged an average labor contribution of 10.66 h/month. The average WTCL corresponded to a monetary value of US$4.01 per month when valued using the opportunity cost of labor (leisure rate of time). From the monetized labor contribution, the total economic value of preventing leptospirosis was estimated at US$124.97 million per annum, which represents 1.13% of Metro Manila's gross domestic product (GDP). Estimates from a Tobit regression model identified the respondents' knowledge regarding leptospirosis, the susceptibility of their homes to flooding, and the proximity of their homes to sewers as significant factors to consider when developing resource contribution programs for leptospirosis prevention. More efforts need to be made in developing community level preventive programs, and in improving public's knowledge and awareness about leptospirosis. PMID:23644831
Opportunity costs associated with caring for older Mexican-Americans
Brown, H. Shelton; Herrera, Angelica P.; Angel, Jacqueline L.
Long-term care use among older Mexican-Americans is poorly understood, despite the adverse effects on health and economic disadvantage in this vulnerable population. This study examines gender-based risk of long-term care use in 628 women and 391 men, age 70 and over in the 2000-01 and 2004-05 waves of the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly. Logistic regression models are employed to assess the impact of the opportunity cost implications of family support (kin availability and co-residence) relative to health care needs (quality-adjusted life years (QALY) weighted scores and functional limitations) on women's risk of entry into a nursing home. A small percentage (∼5%) of men and women had entered a long-term care facility. Women had lower weights for QALY weights and greater disability than men, but on average were more likely to live with or in closer proximity to an adult child. Higher disability rates (p < .01) increased the risk of institutionalization regardless of gender because disability increases time burdens. Families with fewer adult children faced higher time burdens per child in caring for elderly parents; particularly for elderly mothers. Demographic trends suggest that the number of adult children available to share the caregiving load may decrease long-term care use. PMID:23979263
Introduction to Cost Analysis in IR: Challenges and Opportunities.
Roudsari, Bahman; McWilliams, Justin; Bresnahan, Brian; Padia, Siddharth A
Demonstration of value has become increasingly important in the current health care system. This review summarizes four of the most commonly used cost analysis methods relevant to IR that could be adopted to demonstrate the value of IR interventions: the cost minimization study, cost-effectiveness assessment, cost-utility analysis, and cost-benefit analysis. In addition, the issues of true cost versus hospital charges, modeling in cost studies, and sensitivity analysis are discussed. PMID:26922978
The Influence of School Factors on Racial Opportunity Cost for High-Achieving Students of Color
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Venzant Chambers, Terah T.; Huggins, Kristin Shawn
Previous work on racial opportunity cost--that is, the price that students of color pay in their pursuit of academic success--is extended here using organizational culture literature to more closely explore the interplay of school culture with the racial opportunity cost experienced by the study participants. Eighteen African American and Latina/o…
Political economy of marine reserves: Understanding the role of opportunity costs
Smith, Martin D.; Lynham, John; Sanchirico, James N.; Wilson, James A.
The creation of marine reserves is often controversial. For decisionmakers, trying to find compromises, an understanding of the timing, magnitude, and incidence of the costs of a reserve is critical. Understanding the costs, in turn, requires consideration of not just the direct financial costs but also the opportunity costs associated with reserves. We use a discrete choice model of commercial fishermen's behavior to examine both the short-run and long-run opportunity costs of marine reserves. Our results can help policymakers recognize the factors influencing commercial fishermen's responses to reserve proposals. More generally, we highlight the potential drivers behind the political economy of marine reserves. PMID:20133732
Opportunity Cost for Early Treatment of Chagas Disease in Mexico
Ramsey, Janine M.; Elizondo-Cano, Miguel; Sanchez-González, Gilberto; Peña-Nieves, Adriana; Figueroa-Lara, Alejandro
Background Given current neglect for Chagas disease in public health programs in Mexico, future healthcare and economic development policies will need a more robust model to analyze costs and impacts of timely clinical attention of infected populations. Methodology/Principal Findings A Markov decision model was constructed to simulate the natural history of a Chagas disease cohort in Mexico and to project the associated short and long-term clinical outcomes and corresponding costs. The lifetime cost for a timely diagnosed and treated Chagas disease patient is US$ 10,160, while the cost for an undiagnosed individual is US$ 11,877. The cost of a diagnosed and treated case increases 24-fold from early acute to indeterminate stage. The major cost component for lifetime cost was working days lost, between 44% and 75%, depending on the program scenario for timely diagnosis and treatment. Conclusions/Significance In the long term, it is cheaper to diagnose and treat chagasic patients early, instead of doing nothing. This finding by itself argues for the need to shift current policy, in order to prioritize and attend this neglected disease for the benefit of social and economic development, which implies including treatment drugs in the national formularies. Present results are even more relevant, if one considers that timely diagnosis and treatment can arrest clinical progression and enhance a chronic patient's quality of life. PMID:24743112
Cooperative vehicle routing problem: an opportunity for cost saving
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zibaei, Sedighe; Hafezalkotob, Ashkan; Ghashami, Seyed Sajad
In this paper, a novel methodology is proposed to solve a cooperative multi-depot vehicle routing problem. We establish a mathematical model for multi-owner VRP in which each owner (i.e. player) manages single or multiple depots. The basic idea consists of offering an option that owners cooperatively manage the VRP to save their costs. We present cooperative game theory techniques for cost saving allocations which are obtained from various coalitions of owners. The methodology is illustrated with a numerical example in which different coalitions of the players are evaluated along with the results of cooperation and cost saving allocation methods.
Estimating the Costs of Torture: Challenges and Opportunities.
Mpinga, Emmanuel Kabengele; Kandala, Ngianga-Bakwin; Hasselgård-Rowe, Jennifer; Tshimungu Kandolo, Félicien; Verloo, Henk; Bukonda, Ngoyi K Zacharie; Chastonay, Philippe
Due to its nature, extent and consequences, torture is considered a major public health problem and a serious violation of human rights. Our study aims to set the foundation for a theoretical framework of the costs related to torture. It examines existing challenges and proposes some solutions. Our proposed framework targets policy makers, human rights activists, professionals working in programmes, centres and rehabilitation projects, judges and lawyers, survivors of torture and their families and anyone involved in the prevention and fight against this practice and its consequences. We adopted a methodology previously used in studies investigating the challenges in measuring and valuing productivity costs in health disorders. We identify and discuss conceptual, methodological, political and ethical challenges that studies on the economic and social costs of torture pose and propose alternatives in terms of possible solutions to these challenges. The economic dimension of torture is rarely debated and integrated in research, policies and programmes. Several challenges such as epistemological, methodological, ethical or political ones have often been presented as obstacles to cost studies of torture and as an excuse for not investigating this dimension. In identifying, analysing and proposing solutions to these challenges, we intend to stimulate the integration of the economic dimension in research and prevention of torture strategies. PMID:26385586
The opportunity cost model: automaticity, individual differences, and self-control resources.
Hagger, Martin S
I contend that Kurzban et al.'s model is silent on three issues. First, the extent to which opportunity-cost computations are automatic or deliberative is unclear. Second, the role of individual differences in biasing opportunity-cost computations needs elucidating. Third, in the absence of "next-best" tasks, task persistence will be indefinite, which seems unfeasible, so perhaps integration with a limited-resource account is necessary. PMID:24304785
Using Linked Electronic Health Records to Estimate Healthcare Costs: Key Challenges and Opportunities.
Asaria, Miqdad; Grasic, Katja; Walker, Simon
This paper discusses key challenges and opportunities that arise when using linked electronic health records (EHR) in health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), with a particular focus on estimating healthcare costs. These challenges and opportunities are framed in the context of a case study modelling the costs of stable coronary artery disease in England. The challenges and opportunities discussed fall broadly into the categories of (1) handling and organising data of this size and sensitivity; (2) extracting clinical endpoints from datasets that have not been designed and collected with such endpoints in mind; and (3) the principles and practice of costing resource use from routinely collected data. We find that there are a number of new challenges and opportunities that arise when working with EHR compared with more traditional sources of data for HEOR. These call for greater clinician involvement and intelligent use of sensitivity analysis. PMID:26645571
Implementation and opportunity costs of reducing deforestation and forest degradation in Tanzania
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fisher, Brendan; Lewis, Simon L.; Burgess, Neil D.; Malimbwi, Rogers E.; Munishi, Panteleo K.; Swetnam, Ruth D.; Kerry Turner, R.; Willcock, Simon; Balmford, Andrew
The Cancún Agreements provide strong backing for a REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) mechanism whereby developed countries pay developing ones for forest conservation. REDD+ has potential to simultaneously deliver cost-effective climate change mitigation and human development. However, most REDD+ analysis has used coarse-scale data, overlooked important opportunity costs to tropical forest users and failed to consider how to best invest funds to limit leakage, that is, merely displacing deforestation. Here we examine these issues for Tanzania, a REDD+ country, by comparing district-scale carbon losses from deforestation with the opportunity costs of carbon conservation. Opportunity costs are estimated as rents from both agriculture and charcoal production (the most important proximate causes of regional forest conversion). As an alternative we also calculate the implementation costs of alleviating the demand for forest conversion--thereby addressing the problem of leakage--by raising agricultural yields on existing cropland and increasing charcoal fuel-use efficiency. The implementation costs exceed the opportunity costs of carbon conservation (medians of US$6.50 versus US$3.90 per Mg CO2), so effective REDD+ policies may cost more than simpler estimates suggest. However, even if agricultural yields are doubled, implementation is possible at the competitive price of ~US$12 per Mg CO2.
Cost and Energy Savings Opportunities with Heating, Air Conditioning and Lighting Systems in Schools.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Electric Energy Association, New York, NY.
Great potential exists for saving energy and operating costs with a wide variety of heat conservation systems. Two major electric services--space conditioning and lighting--afford cost and energy savings opportunities. These services are detailed in checklist fashion in this brochure, with the suggestions included under space conditioning…
Mating opportunities in Sangalopsis veliterna females: Costs and benefits.
Hernández Duran, Linda C; Fajardo Medina, Gonzalo E; Fuentes Quinter, Luz S; Martin, Oliver
In nature, females of several animal taxa exhibit considerable variation in their mating system, and this variation involves different balances of costs (e.g., energetic, reproductive) and benefits (e.g., increased net reproductive rate of the female, increased longevity). Many studies have focused on discovering the potential advantages and disadvantages that females could have when increasing their mating rate and the possible evolutionary consequences that may result. Butterflies and moths are an ideal study system because it is easy to determine and to manipulate experimentally their mating frequency. In this study, the effect of continuous availability of different numbers of males (1, 2, 4, 8) on female mating rate and fitness components was estimated by comparing the number of spermatophores in the corpus bursa (an estimate of the number of copulations, but not of the number males involved in these copulations), female longevity, lifetime number of laid eggs (fecundity), and proportion of hatching eggs (fertility) in the moth Sangalopsis veliterna Druce (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). The results showed that there were no significant differences in either fertility or fecundity when treatments were compared, but longevity and in some cases fecundity increased when females had several matings. PMID:25368058
Mating Opportunities in Sangalopsis veliterna Females: Costs and Benefits
Duran, Linda C. Hernández; Quintero, Luz S. Fuentes
In nature, females of several animal taxa exhibit considerable variation in their mating system, and this variation involves different balances of costs (e.g., energetic, reproductive) and benefits (e.g., increased net reproductive rate of the female, increased longevity). Many studies have focused on discovering the potential advantages and disadvantages that females could have when increasing their mating rate and the possible evolutionary consequences that may result. Butterflies and moths are an ideal study system because it is easy to determine and to manipulate experimentally their mating frequency. In this study, the effect of continuous availability of different numbers of males (1, 2, 4, 8) on female mating rate and fitness components was estimated by comparing the number of spermatophores in the corpus bursa (an estimate of the number of copulations, but not of the number males involved in these copulations), female longevity, lifetime number of laid eggs (fecundity), and proportion of hatching eggs (fertility) in the moth Sangalopsis veliterna Druce (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). The results showed that there were no significant differences in either fertility or fecundity when treatments were compared, but longevity and in some cases fecundity increased when females had several matings. PMID:25205137
Kinky thresholds revisited: opportunity costs differ in the NE and SW quadrants.
Eckermann, Simon
Historically, a kinked threshold line on the cost-effectiveness plane at the origin was suggested due to differences in willingness to pay (WTP) for health gain with trade-offs in the north-east (NE) quadrant versus willingness to accept (WTA) cost reductions for health loss with trade-offs in the south-west (SW) quadrant. Empirically, WTA is greater than WTP for equivalent units of health, a finding supported by loss aversion under prospect theory. More recently, appropriate threshold values for health effects have been shown to require an endogenous consideration of the opportunity cost of alternative actions in budget-constrained health systems, but also allocative and displacement inefficiency observed in health system practice. Allocative and displacement inefficiency arise in health systems where the least cost-effective program in contraction has a higher incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER = m) than the most cost-effective program in expansion (ICER = n) and displaced services (ICER = d), respectively. The health shadow price derived by Pekarsky, [Formula: see text] reflects the opportunity cost of best alternative adoption and financing actions in reimbursing new technology with expected incremental costs and net effect allowing for allocative (n < m), and displacement, inefficiency (d < m). This provides an appropriate threshold value for the NE quadrant. In this paper, I show that for trade-offs in the SW quadrant, where new strategies have lower expected net cost while lower expected net effect than current practice, the opportunity cost is contraction of the least cost-effective program, with threshold ICER m. That is, in the SW quadrant, the cost reduction per unit of decreased effect should be compared with the appropriate opportunity cost, best alternative generation of funding. Consequently, appropriate consideration of opportunity cost produces a kink in the threshold at the origin, with the health shadow price in the NE quadrant
Efficiency and concordance of alternative methods for minimizing opportunity costs in conservation planning.
Cameron, Susan E; Williams, Kristen J; Mitchell, David K
Scarce resources and competing land-use goals necessitate efficient biodiversity conservation. Combining multicriteria analysis with conservation decision-support tools improves efficiency of conservation planning by maximizing outcomes for biodiversity while minimizing opportunity costs to society. An opportunity cost is the benefit that could have been received by taking an alternative course of action (i.e., costs to society of protecting an area for biodiversity rather than developing it for some other use). Although different ways of integrating multiple opportunity costs into conservation planning have been suggested, there have been no tests as to which method is most efficient. We compared the relative efficiency of 3 such procedures(Faith & Walker [1996], Sarkar et al. [2004], and a procedure of our own design) in a systematic conservation-planning framework for the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. We devised 14 opportunity costs and assigned these to 3 scenarios representing different conservation planning concerns: food security, macro-economic development, and biodiversity persistence. For each scenario, we compared the efficiency of the 3 methods in terms of amount of biodiversity protected relative to total expenditure for each opportunity cost. All 3 methods captured similar amounts of biodiversity, but differed in total cost. Our method had the least overall cost and was therefore most efficient. Nevertheless, there was a high correlation and geographical concordance among all 3 methods, indicating a high degree of spatial overlap. This suggests that choosing an appropriate approach may often depend on contextual factors related to the design of the planning question, rather than efficiency alone. PMID:18637906
Timing with opportunity cost: Concurrent schedules of reinforcement improve peak timing
Sanabria, Federico; Thrailkill, Eric A.; Killeen, Peter R.
The temporal generalization gradient produced by the peak-interval (PI) procedure reflects behavior under the control of positive reinforcement for responding after the criterial time, but shows negligible discouragement for early responses. The lack of consequences for premature responding may affect estimates of timing accuracy and precision in the PI procedure. In two experiments, we sought to encourage more accurate timing in pigeons by establishing an opportunity cost for such responding. Concurrent ratio and interval schedules of reinforcement reduced the dispersion of keypecking around the target time. A sequence of three response-rate states (low-high-low) characterized performance in individual trials. Opportunity cost substantially reduced the mean and standard deviation of the duration of the middle-high state that typically enveloped the target time, indicating improved temporal acuity. We suggest a model as a first-order approximation to timing with opportunity cost. PMID:19542089
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Estkowski, Terri
In life, each person is offered opportunities, one after the other, until life ceases. For the author, one of those opportunities was to attend the Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center (KAMSC), an NCSSSMST school. While attending KAMSC as a member of its inaugural class required a bit of imagination regarding the opportunity at hand, and…
Ecosystem Services and Opportunity Costs Shift Spatial Priorities for Conserving Forest Biodiversity
Schröter, Matthias; Rusch, Graciela M.; Barton, David N.; Blumentrath, Stefan; Nordén, Björn
Inclusion of spatially explicit information on ecosystem services in conservation planning is a fairly new practice. This study analyses how the incorporation of ecosystem services as conservation features can affect conservation of forest biodiversity and how different opportunity cost constraints can change spatial priorities for conservation. We created spatially explicit cost-effective conservation scenarios for 59 forest biodiversity features and five ecosystem services in the county of Telemark (Norway) with the help of the heuristic optimisation planning software, Marxan with Zones. We combined a mix of conservation instruments where forestry is either completely (non-use zone) or partially restricted (partial use zone). Opportunity costs were measured in terms of foregone timber harvest, an important provisioning service in Telemark. Including a number of ecosystem services shifted priority conservation sites compared to a case where only biodiversity was considered, and increased the area of both the partial (+36.2%) and the non-use zone (+3.2%). Furthermore, opportunity costs increased (+6.6%), which suggests that ecosystem services may not be a side-benefit of biodiversity conservation in this area. Opportunity cost levels were systematically changed to analyse their effect on spatial conservation priorities. Conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services trades off against timber harvest. Currently designated nature reserves and landscape protection areas achieve a very low proportion (9.1%) of the conservation targets we set in our scenario, which illustrates the high importance given to timber production at present. A trade-off curve indicated that large marginal increases in conservation target achievement are possible when the budget for conservation is increased. Forty percent of the maximum hypothetical opportunity costs would yield an average conservation target achievement of 79%. PMID:25393951
Comments on "Opportunity Cost: A Reexamination": A Case in Point of No Free Lunch
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stone, Daniel F.
Ferraro and Taylor (2005) and Potter and Sanders (2012) have sparked a debate about the definition of opportunity cost (OC). This is, of course, ostensibly a very basic term, but Ferraro and Taylor said that most economists do not readily know its correct definition, and Potter and Sanders argued that this can be explained by the fact that there…
National HRD and Investment in Human Capital: Opportunity Costs of U.S. Postsecondary Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cornachione, Edgard; Daugherty, Jenny
This study explores opportunity costs of postsecondary education in the U.S. in the past three decades. Based on human capital theory, data from the U.S. Census, along with parameters for high education achievement (involving bachelors and advanced degrees), were fed into a forecasting model developed for this purpose. Beyond descriptive…
Opportunity Analysis and Selection: 50 or More Ways To Reduce Costs. Mendip Papers.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kedney, Bob; Davies, Trefor
This paper discusses activity analysis and the identification of options as the first two stages of a structured approach to achieving budget savings at postsecondary institutions, focusing on schools and practices in the United Kingdom. It presents five checklists of opportunities for reducing spending and controlling costs. The checklists cover:…
"That "Fuego," That Fire in Their Stomach": Academically Successful Latinas/os and "Racial Opportunity Cost"
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Venzant Chambers, Terah T.; Locke, Leslie A.; Tagarao, Annel M.
This article discusses the racial opportunity cost of academic achievement for Latina/o students who graduated from urban high schools and participated in a larger study of 18 high-achieving students of color. The article focuses on the ways the school context influenced their success. Interviews with the seven Latina/o participants reveal that…
Crowdsourcing healthcare costs: Opportunities and challenges for patient centered price transparency.
Meisel, Zachary F; VonHoltz, Lauren A Houdek; Merchant, Raina M
Efforts to improve health care price transparency have garnered significant attention from patients, policy makers, and health insurers. In response to increasing consumer demand, state governments, insurance plans, and health care providers are reporting health care prices. However, such data often do not provide consumers with the most salient information: their own actual out-of-pocket cost for medical care. Although untested, crowdsourcing, a mechanism for the public to help answer complex questions, represents a potential solution to the problem of opaque hospital costs. This article explores, the challenges and potential opportunities for crowdsourcing out-of-pocket costs for healthcare consumers. PMID:27001090
Identifying Cost-Effective Residential Energy Efficiency Opportunities for the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative
Busche, S.; Hockett, S.
This analysis is an update to the 2005 Energy Efficiency Potential Study completed by KEMA for the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) and identifies potential energy efficiency opportunities in the residential sector on Kauai (KEMA 2005). The Total Resource Cost (TRC) test is used to determine which of the energy efficiency measures analyzed in the KEMA report are cost effective for KIUC to include in a residential energy efficiency program. This report finds that there remains potential energy efficiency savings that could be cost-effectively incentivized through a utility residential demand-side management program on Kauai if implemented in such a way that the program costs per measure are consistent with the current residential program costs.
Using time-driven activity-based costing to identify value improvement opportunities in healthcare.
Kaplan, Robert S; Witkowski, Mary; Abbott, Megan; Guzman, Alexis Barboza; Higgins, Laurence D; Meara, John G; Padden, Erin; Shah, Apurva S; Waters, Peter; Weidemeier, Marco; Wertheimer, Sam; Feeley, Thomas W
As healthcare providers cope with pricing pressures and increased accountability for performance, they should be rededicating themselves to improving the value they deliver to their patients: better outcomes and lower costs. Time-driven activity-based costing offers the potential for clinicians to redesign their care processes toward that end. This costing approach, however, is new to healthcare and has not yet been systematically implemented and evaluated. This article describes early time-driven activity-based costing work at several leading healthcare organizations in the United States and Europe. It identifies the opportunities they found to improve value for patients and demonstrates how this costing method can serve as the foundation for new bundled payment reimbursement approaches. PMID:25647962
Opportunities for Reducing Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) compliance costs: lessons from the Chesapeake Bay.
Wainger, Lisa A
The Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program is an unprecedented opportunity to restore the Chesapeake Bay, yet program costs threaten to undermine its complete implementation. Analyses of Bay TMDL program design and implementation were used to relate program cost-effectiveness to choices in (1) compliance definitions, (2) geographic load allocations, and (3) approaches to engaging unregulated sources. A key finding was that many design choices require choosing an acceptable level of risk of achieving water quality outcomes, and a lack of data can lead to precautionary choices, which increase compliance costs. Furthermore, although some choices managed costs, others decisions may have reduced the potential for cost savings from water quality trading and payment programs. In particular, the choice by some states to distribute the portion of load reductions that improve water quality in the Bay mainstem to many small basins is likely to diminish the potential for market development or reduce funding for the most cost-effective nutrient and sediment reduction practices. Strategies for reducing costs of future TMDLs include considering diminishing marginal returns early in the TMDL design to balance costs and risks in regulatory goal setting and to design rules and incentives that promote innovation and cost-effective compliance strategies. PMID:22891870
The Effect of Tuition and Opportunity Cost on the Pursuit and Completion of a Graduate Management Degree
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Montgomery, Mark; Powell, Irene
In this study, the authors used multivariate statistical analysis to examine the impact of cost on the likelihood that a person will both enroll in and complete a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. They considered both the "explicit" cost of paying tuition and the "implicit" cost, or opportunity cost, of earnings foregone while in…
Estimating the opportunity costs of biodiversity protection in the Brigalow Belt, New South Wales.
Sinden, J A
The New South Wales Government recently introduced the Native Vegetation Conservation Act to protect the native grassland and woodland of the state. The Act protects biodiversity by preventing farmers from clearing such vegetation on their properties but, as a consequence, reduces farm incomes and land values. An economic model of the relationship between land value and percentage of farm in native vegetation is integrated with an ecological model of the relationship between species lost and percentage of the farms in native vegetation. The integrated framework is applied to estimate the opportunity costs of the Act for one important agricultural area of the state, the northern part of the Brigalow Belt South Bio-Region. If all the vegetation were protected, the reduction in land value would be at least 14.3%, which is an opportunity cost of at least 148.5 dollars m for the area. Both the benefits and costs of biodiversity protection must be accounted for, so risk simulations are then combined with benefit-cost analysis to compare the benefits of biodiversity protection to these costs. PMID:15016443
Opportunities and challenges for implementing cost accounting systems in the Kenyan health system
Kihuba, Elesban; Gheorghe, Adrian; Bozzani, Fiammetta; English, Mike; Griffiths, Ulla K.
Background Low- and middle-income countries need to sustain efficiency and equity in health financing on their way to universal health care coverage. However, systems meant to generate quality economic information are often deficient in such settings. We assessed the feasibility of streamlining cost accounting systems within the Kenyan health sector to illustrate the pragmatic challenges and opportunities. Design We reviewed policy documents, and conducted field observations and semi-structured interviews with key informants in the health sector. We used an adapted Human, Organization and Technology fit (HOT-fit) framework to analyze the components and standards of a cost accounting system. Results Among the opportunities for a viable cost accounting system, we identified a supportive broad policy environment, political will, presence of a national data reporting architecture, good implementation experience with electronic medical records systems, and the availability of patient clinical and resource use data. However, several practical issues need to be considered in the design of the system, including the lack of a framework to guide the costing process, the lack of long-term investment, the lack of appropriate incentives for ground-level staff, and a risk of overburdening the current health management information system. Conclusion To facilitate the implementation of cost accounting into the health sector, the design of any proposed system needs to remain simple and attuned to the local context. PMID:27357072
Johnson, Patrick S.; Herrmann, Evan S.; Johnson, Matthew W.
Humans are reported to discount delayed rewards at lower rates than nonhumans. However, nonhumans are studied in tasks that restrict reinforcement during delays, whereas humans are typically studied in tasks that do not restrict reinforcement during delays. In nonhuman tasks, the opportunity cost of restricted reinforcement during delays may increase delay discounting rates. The present within-subjects study used online crowdsourcing (Amazon Mechanical Turk, or MTurk) to assess the discounting of hypothetical delayed money (and cigarettes in smokers) under four hypothetical framing conditions differing in the availability of reinforcement during delays. At one extreme, participants were free to leave their computer without returning, and engage in any behavior during reward delays (modeling typical human tasks). At the opposite extreme, participants were required to stay at their computer and engage in little other behavior during reward delays (modeling typical nonhuman tasks). Discounting rates increased as an orderly function of opportunity cost. Results also indicated predominantly hyperbolic discounting, the "magnitude effect," steeper discounting of cigarettes than money, and positive correlations between discounting rates of these commodities. This is the first study to test the effects of opportunity costs on discounting, and suggests that procedural differences may partially account for observed species differences in discounting. PMID:25388973
Opportunity costs of reward delays and the discounting of hypothetical money and cigarettes.
Johnson, Patrick S; Herrmann, Evan S; Johnson, Matthew W
Humans are reported to discount delayed rewards at lower rates than nonhumans. However, nonhumans are studied in tasks that restrict reinforcement during delays, whereas humans are typically studied in tasks that do not restrict reinforcement during delays. In nonhuman tasks, the opportunity cost of restricted reinforcement during delays may increase delay discounting rates. The present within-subjects study used online crowdsourcing (Amazon Mechanical Turk, or MTurk) to assess the discounting of hypothetical delayed money (and cigarettes in smokers) under four hypothetical framing conditions differing in the availability of reinforcement during delays. At one extreme, participants were free to leave their computer without returning, and engage in any behavior during reward delays (modeling typical human tasks). At the opposite extreme, participants were required to stay at their computer and engage in little other behavior during reward delays (modeling typical nonhuman tasks). Discounting rates increased as an orderly function of opportunity cost. Results also indicated predominantly hyperbolic discounting, the "magnitude effect," steeper discounting of cigarettes than money, and positive correlations between discounting rates of these commodities. This is the first study to test the effects of opportunity costs on discounting, and suggests that procedural differences may partially account for observed species differences in discounting. PMID:25388973
Analyzing and minimizing the impact of opportunity cost in QoS-aware job scheduling.
Islam, M.; Balaji, P.; Sabin, G.; Sadayappan, P.
Quality of service (QoS) mechanisms allowing users to request for turn-around time guarantees for their jobs have recently generated much interest. In our previous work we had designed a framework, QoPS, to allow for such QoS. This framework provides an admission control mechanism that only accepts jobs whose requested deadlines can be met and, once accepted, guarantees these deadlines. However, the framework is completely blind to the revenue these jobs can fetch for the supercomputer center. By accepting a job, the supercomputer center might relinquish its capability to accept some future arriving (and potentially more expensive) jobs. In other words, while each job pays an explicit price to the system for running it, the system may also be viewed as paying an implicit opportunity cost by accepting the job. Thus, accepting a job is profitable only when the job's price is higher than its opportunity cost. In this paper we analyze the impact such opportunity cost can have on the overall revenue of the supercomputer center and attempt to minimize it through predictive techniques. Specifically, we propose two extensions to QoPS, Value-aware QoPS (VQoPS) and Dynamic Value-aware QoPS (DVQoPS), to provide such capabilities. We present detailed analysis of these schemes and demonstrate using simulation that they not only achieve several factors improvement in system revenue, but also good service differentiation as a much desired side-effect.
The cost of prospecting for dispersal opportunities in a social bird
Komdeur, Jan; Hammers, Martijn; Richardson, David S.
Understanding why individuals delay dispersal and become subordinates within a group is central to studying the evolution of sociality. Hypotheses predict that dispersal decisions are influenced by costs of extra-territorial prospecting that are often required to find a breeding vacancy. Little is known about such costs, partly because it is complicated to demonstrate them empirically. For example, prospecting individuals may be of inferior quality already before prospecting and/or have been evicted. Moreover, costs of prospecting are mainly studied in species where prospectors suffer from predation risk, so how costly prospecting is when predators are absent remains unclear. Here, we determine a cost of prospecting for subordinate Seychelles warblers, Acrocephalus sechellensis, in a population where predators are absent and individuals return to their resident territory after prospecting. Prospecting individuals had 5.2% lower body mass than non-prospecting individuals. Our evidence suggests this may be owing to frequent attacks by resident conspecifics, likely leading to reduced food intake by prospectors. These results support the hypothesis that energetic costs associated with dispersal opportunities are one factor influencing dispersal decisions and shaping the evolution of delayed dispersal in social animals. PMID:27330175
Gender Equity, Opportunity Costs of Parenthood, and Educational Differences in Unintended First Births: Insights from Japan
Raymo, James M.; Musick, Kelly; Iwasawa, Miho
We examine educational differences in the intendedness of first births in Japan using data from a nationally representative survey of married women (N = 2,373). We begin by describing plausible scenarios for a negative, null, and positive educational gradient in unintended first births. In contrast to well-established results from the U.S., we find evidence of a positive educational gradient in Japan. Net of basic demographic controls, university graduates are more likely than less-educated women to report first births as unintended. This pattern is consistent with a scenario emphasizing the high opportunity costs of motherhood in countries such as Japan where growing opportunities for women in employment and other domains of public life have not been accompanied by changes in the highly asymmetric roles of men and women within the family. We discuss potential implications of this suggestive finding for other low-fertility settings. PMID:25914433
The Importance of Predation Risk and Missed Opportunity Costs for Context-Dependent Foraging Patterns
Eccard, Jana A.; Liesenjohann, Thilo
Correct assessment of risks and costs of foraging is vital for the fitness of foragers. Foragers should avoid predation risk and balance missed opportunities. In risk-heterogeneous landscapes animals prefer safer locations over riskier, constituting a landscape of fear. Risk-uniform landscapes do not offer this choice, all locations are equally risky. Here we investigate the effects of predation risk in patches, travelling risk between patches, and missed social opportunities on foraging decisions in risk-uniform and risk-heterogeous landscapes. We investigated patch leaving decisions of 20 common voles (M. arvalis) in three experimental landscapes: safe risk-uniform, risky risk-uniform and risk-heterogeneous. We varied both the predation risk level and the predation risk distribution between two patches experimentally and in steps, assuming that our manipulation consequently yield different distributions and levels of risk while foraging, risk while travelling, and costs of missed, social opportunities (MSOCs). We measured mean GUDs (giving-up density of food left in the patch) for both patches as a measure of foraging gain, and delta GUD, the differences among patches, as a measure of the spatial distribution of foraging effort over a period of six hours. Distribution of foraging effort was most even in the safe risk-uniform landscapes and least even in the risk-heterogeneous landscape, with risky risk-uniform landscapes in between. Foraging gain was higher in the safe than in the two riskier landscapes (both uniform and heterogeneous). Results supported predictions for the effects of risk in foraging patches and while travelling between patches, however predictions for the effects of missed social opportunities were not met in this short term experiment. Thus, both travelling and foraging risk contribute to distinct patterns observable high risk, risk-uniform landscapes. PMID:24809666
Natural gas cost for evaluating energy resource opportunities at Fort Stewart
Stucky, D.J.; Shankle, S.A.
Ft. Stewart, a United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) installation located near Hinesville, Georgia, is currently undergoing an evaluation of its energy usage, which is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory. In order to examine the energy resource opportunities (EROs) at Ft. Stewart, marginal fuel costs must be calculated. The marginal, or avoided, cost of gas service is used in conjunction with the estimated energy savings of an ERO to calculate the dollar value of those savings. In the case of natural gas, the costing becomes more complicated due to the installation of a propane-air mixing station. The propane-air station is being built under a shared energy savings (SES) contract. The building of a propane-air station allows Ft. Stewart to purchase natural gas from their local utility at an interruptible rate, which is lower than the rate for contracting natural gas on a firm basis. The propane-air station will also provide Ft. Stewart with fuel in the event that the natural gas supply is curtailed. While the propane-air station does not affect the actual cost of natural gas, it does affect the cost of services provided by gas. Because the propane-air station and the SES contract affect the cost of gas service, they must be included in the analysis. Our analysis indicates a marginal cost of gas service of 30.0 cents per therm, assuming a total propane usage by the mixing station of 42,278 gallons (38,600 therms) annually. Because the amount of propane that may be required in the event of a curtailment is small relative to the total service requirement, variations in the actual amount should not significantly affect the cost per therm.
Learning the opportunity cost of time in a patch-foraging task.
Constantino, Sara M; Daw, Nathaniel D
Although most decision research concerns choice between simultaneously presented options, in many situations options are encountered serially, and the decision is whether to exploit an option or search for a better one. Such problems have a rich history in animal foraging, but we know little about the psychological processes involved. In particular, it is unknown whether learning in these problems is supported by the well-studied neurocomputational mechanisms involved in more conventional tasks. We investigated how humans learn in a foraging task, which requires deciding whether to harvest a depleting resource or switch to a replenished one. The optimal choice (given by the marginal value theorem; MVT) requires comparing the immediate return from harvesting to the opportunity cost of time, which is given by the long-run average reward. In two experiments, we varied opportunity cost across blocks, and subjects adjusted their behavior to blockwise changes in environmental characteristics. We examined how subjects learned their choice strategies by comparing choice adjustments to a learning rule suggested by the MVT (in which the opportunity cost threshold is estimated as an average over previous rewards) and to the predominant incremental-learning theory in neuroscience, temporal-difference learning (TD). Trial-by-trial decisions were explained better by the MVT threshold-learning rule. These findings expand on the foraging literature, which has focused on steady-state behavior, by elucidating a computational mechanism for learning in switching tasks that is distinct from those used in traditional tasks, and suggest connections to research on average reward rates in other domains of neuroscience. PMID:25917000
20 Years Experience with using Low Cost Launch Opportunities for 20 Small Satellite Missions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Meerman, Maarten; Sweeting, Martin, , Sir
To realise the full potential of modern low cost mini-micro-nano-satellite missions, regular and affordable launch opportunities are required. It is simply not economic to launch individual satellites of 5-300kg on single dedicated launchers costing typically 15-20M per launch. Whilst there have been periodic 'piggy-back' launches of small satellites on US launchers since the 1960's, these have been infrequent and often experienced significant delays due the vagaries of the main (paying!) payload. In 1989, Arianespace provided a critical catalyst to the microsatellite community when it imaginatively developed the ASAP platform on Ariane-4 providing, for the first time, a standard interface and affordable launch contracts for small payloads up to 50kg. During the 1990's, some 20 small satellites have been successfully launched on the Ariane-4 ASAP ring for international customers carrying out a range of operational, technology demonstration and training missions. However, most of these microsatellite missions seek low Earth orbit and especially sun-synchronous orbits, but the number of primary missions into these orbit has declined since 1996 and with it the availability of useful low cost launch opportunities for microsatellites. Whilst Ariane-5 has an enhanced capacity ASAP, it has yet to be widely used due both to the infrequent launches, higher costs, and the GTO orbit required by the majority of customers. China, Japan and India have also provided occasional secondary launches for small payloads, but not yet on a regular basis. Fortunately, the growing interest and demand for microsatellite missions coincided with the emergence of regular, low cost launch opportunities from the former Soviet Union (FSU) - both as secondary 'piggy-back' missions or as multiple microsatellite payloads on converted military ICBMs. Indeed, the FSU now supplies the only affordable means of launching minisatellites (200-500kg) into LEO as dedicated missions on converted missiles as
Guide to resource conservation and cost savings opportunities in the soap, detergents and related products sector
This guide was prepared to help those involved in the manufacturing of soap, detergent, and related products to identify potential process improvements that will reduce production costs and conserve resources. The guide offers a series of generic process descriptions and checklists of improvement opportunities specific to each of five major processes used in the industry: Soap production, surfactant production, solid cake product formulation, liquid product formulation, and granulated powdered product formulation. The checklists identify thermal, electrical, environmental, water use, and low- or no-cost measures that can be implemented, as well as retrofit technology options. A variety of new technologies that may exhibit future potential are also described. Appendices include a glossary, background information on the Ontario soap/detergent industry, and description of the four major categories of ingredients used in the industry.
Can the real opportunity cost stand up: displaced services, the straw man outside the room.
Eckermann, Simon; Pekarsky, Brita
In current literature, displaced services have been suggested to provide a basis for determining a threshold value for the effects of a new technology as part of a reimbursement process when budgets are fixed. We critically examine the conditions under which displaced services would represent an economically meaningful threshold value. We first show that if we assume that the least cost-effective services are displaced to finance a new technology, then the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of the displaced services (d) only coincides with that related to the opportunity cost of adopting that new technology, the ICER of the most cost-effective service in expansion (n), under highly restrictive conditions-namely, complete allocative efficiency in existing provision of health care interventions. More generally, reimbursement of new technology with a fixed budget comprises two actions; adoption and financing through displacement and the effect of reimbursement is the net effect of these two actions. In order for the reimbursement process to be a pathway to allocative efficiency within a fixed budget, the net effect of the strategy of reimbursement is compared with the most cost-effective alternative strategy for reimbursement: optimal reallocation, the health gain maximizing expansion of existing services financed by the health loss minimizing contraction. The shadow price of the health effects of a new technology, βc = (1/n + 1/d - 1/m)(-1), accounts for both imperfect displacement (the ICER of the displaced service, d < m, the ICER of the least cost-effective of the existing services in contraction) and the allocative inefficiency (n < m) characteristic of health systems. PMID:24515251
Building Commissioning: A Golden Opportunity for Reducing Energy Costs and Greenhouse-gas Emissions
Mills, Evan
The aim of commissioning new buildings is to ensure that they deliver, if not exceed, the performance and energy savings promised by their design. When applied to existing buildings, commissioning identifies the almost inevitable 'drift' from where things should be and puts the building back on course. In both contexts, commissioning is a systematic, forensic approach to quality assurance, rather than a technology per se. Although commissioning has earned increased recognition in recent years - even a toehold in Wikipedia - it remains an enigmatic practice whose visibility severely lags its potential. Over the past decade, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has built the world's largest compilation and meta-analysis of commissioning experience in commercial buildings. Since our last report (Mills et al. 2004) the database has grown from 224 to 643 buildings (all located in the United States, and spanning 26 states), from 30 to 100 million square feet of floorspace, and from $17 million to $43 million in commissioning expenditures. The recorded cases of new-construction commissioning took place in buildings representing $2.2 billion in total construction costs (up from 1.5 billion). The work of many more commissioning providers (18 versus 37) is represented in this study, as is more evidence of energy and peak-power savings as well as cost-effectiveness. We now translate these impacts into avoided greenhouse gases and provide new indicators of cost-effectiveness. We also draw attention to the specific challenges and opportunities for high-tech facilities such as labs, cleanrooms, data centers, and healthcare facilities. The results are compelling. We developed an array of benchmarks for characterizing project performance and cost-effectiveness. The median normalized cost to deliver commissioning was $0.30/ft2 for existing buildings and $1.16/ft2 for new construction (or 0.4% of the overall construction cost). The commissioning projects for which data are
Sharing the opportunity cost among power companies to support hydropower-to-environment water transfers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tilmant, Amaury; Marques, Guilherme
Among the environmental impacts caused by dams, the alteration of flow regimes is one of the most critical to river ecosystems given its influence in long river reaches and its continuous pattern. Provided it is technically feasible, the reoperation of hydroelectric reservoir systems can, in principle, mitigate the impacts on degraded freshwater ecosystems by recovering some of the natural flow regime. The typical approach to implement hydropower-to-environment water transfers focuses on the reoperation of the dam located immediately upstream of the environmentally sensitive area, meaning that only one power station will bear the brunt of the benefits forgone for the power sector. By ignoring the contribution of upstream infrastructures to the alteration of the flow regime, the opportunity cost associated with the restoration of a flow regime is not equitably distributed among the power companies in the river basin, therefore slowing the establishment of environmental flow programs. Yet, there is no criterion, nor institutional mechanisms, to ensure a fair distribution of the opportunity cost among power stations. This paper addresses this issue by comparing four rules to redistribute the costs faced by the power sector when environmental flows must be implemented in a multireservoir system. The rules are based on the the installed capacity of the power plants, the live storage capacity of the reservoirs, the ratio between the incremental flows and the live storage capacity, and the extent of the storage services; that is, the volume of water effectively transferred by each reservoir. The analysis is carried out using the Parana River Basin (Brazil) as a case study.
Intraguild Interactions between Egg Parasitoids: Window of Opportunity and Fitness Costs for a Facultative Hyperparasitoid
Cusumano, Antonino; Peri, Ezio; Amodeo, Valentina; McNeil, Jeremy N.; Colazza, Stefano
We investigated intraguild interactions between two egg parasitoids of Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), Ooencyrtus telenomicida (Vassiliev) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), as the former has the potential to be a facultative hyperparasitoid of the latter. We assessed the suitability of N. viridula eggs for the development of O. telenomicida as a function of egg age when they were unparasitized, or had been attacked by T. basalis at different times prior to exposure to O. telenomicida females. Ooencyrtus telenomicida can exploit healthy N. viridula host eggs up to 5 days of age, just prior to the emergence of N. viridula. This window of opportunity can be extended for an additional 6–7 days through interspecific competition or facultative hyperparasitism. While there are minor fitness costs for O. telenomicida as the result of interspecific larval competition, those costs are greater with facultative hyperparasitism. In choice assays O. telenomicida females discriminated between different quality N. viridula eggs, avoiding those where their progeny would have to develop as facultative hyperparasitoids of T. basalis. Results are discussed with respect to the possible effects that the costs of intraguild parasitism might have on biological control programmes. PMID:23705009
20 Years Experience with using Low Cost Launch Opportunities for 20 Small Satellite Missions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Meerman, Maarten; Sweeting, Martin, , Sir
To realise the full potential of modern low cost mini-micro-nano-satellite missions, regular and affordable launch opportunities are required. It is simply not economic to launch individual satellites of 5-300kg on single dedicated launchers costing typically 15-20M per launch. Whilst there have been periodic 'piggy-back' launches of small satellites on US launchers since the 1960's, these have been infrequent and often experienced significant delays due the vagaries of the main (paying!) payload. In 1989, Arianespace provided a critical catalyst to the microsatellite community when it imaginatively developed the ASAP platform on Ariane-4 providing, for the first time, a standard interface and affordable launch contracts for small payloads up to 50kg. During the 1990's, some 20 small satellites have been successfully launched on the Ariane-4 ASAP ring for international customers carrying out a range of operational, technology demonstration and training missions. However, most of these microsatellite missions seek low Earth orbit and especially sun-synchronous orbits, but the number of primary missions into these orbit has declined since 1996 and with it the availability of useful low cost launch opportunities for microsatellites. Whilst Ariane-5 has an enhanced capacity ASAP, it has yet to be widely used due both to the infrequent launches, higher costs, and the GTO orbit required by the majority of customers. China, Japan and India have also provided occasional secondary launches for small payloads, but not yet on a regular basis. Fortunately, the growing interest and demand for microsatellite missions coincided with the emergence of regular, low cost launch opportunities from the former Soviet Union (FSU) - both as secondary 'piggy-back' missions or as multiple microsatellite payloads on converted military ICBMs. Indeed, the FSU now supplies the only affordable means of launching minisatellites (200-500kg) into LEO as dedicated missions on converted missiles as
An Exploration of the Relationships among Size, Cost, and Selected Educational Opportunities in Certain Texas Public Junior Colleges.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jordan, Thomas Earl
For 31 Texas public junior colleges, this study analyzed revenues, expenditures, and ability to support a stratified program according to enrollment, and explored the relationships among size, cost, and selected educational opportunities. Data were collected from questionnaires, professional literature, documents of the Texas Education Agency, and…
Trends in Opportunity Costs of U.S. Postsecondary Education: A National HRD and Human Capital Theory Analysis
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cornacchione, Edgard; Daugherty, Jenny L.
The purpose of this study was to explore opportunity costs of postsecondary education in the U.S. in the past three decades (1975-2005), as a measure to support investment decisions at national levels and as experienced by individuals deciding on pursuing further education. Based on human capital theory and inspired by a set of studies aiming at…
Beyond simple utility in predicting self-control fatigue: a proximate alternative to the opportunity cost model.
Inzlicht, Michael; Schmeichel, Brandon J
The opportunity cost model offers an ultimate explanation of ego depletion that helps to move the field beyond biologically improbable resource accounts. The model's more proximate explanation, however, falls short of accounting for much data and is based on an outdated view of human rationality. We suggest that our own process model offers a better proximate account of self-control fatigue. PMID:24304793
Between Too Little and Too Late: Political Opportunity Costs in Climate Policy Analysis
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gilligan, J. M.; Vandenbergh, M. P.
Discussion of climate policy has focused almost exclusively on comprehensive regulatory instruments to price emissions with tradeable permits or emissions taxes. More recently, a number of proposals have been advanced to abandon comprehensive emissions pricing in favor of focusing exclusively on clean-energy innovation. Neither approach adequately accounts for the combination of timing and scale. Advocates of emissions pricing are persuasive that this is the most likely way to reduce emissions sufficiently to stabilize greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations at desirable levels. However, as innovation advocates point out, the political climate is inhospitable to such sweeping regulations and it is unlikely that comprehensive carbon pricing can be enacted and implemented in the next decade. However, clean-energy innovation by itself is a high-stakes gamble that may fail to reduce emissions sufficiently to stabilize GHG concentrations, and may reduce support for the kind of comprehensive pricing measures that could stabilize GHG concentrations.We propose that analysis of climate policies take account of the opportunity costs associated with the process of enacting a proposed policy: If one measure is much more controversial than another, how does the difference in time necessary to persuade the public and legislators to adopt them affect their ultimate impact? As General Patton is reputed to have said, "A good solution applied with vigor now is better than a perfect solution applied ten minutes later." Similarly, it is important to consider whether adopting one measure would build or erode support for complementary ones. As an example, we consider the largely neglected role of nonregulatory measures, such as private governance and household-level behavior change, as examples of actions that could buy time by producing rapid, although modest, impacts without eroding support for more comprehensive measures later on.
Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for Breweries: An ENERGY STAR(R) Guide for Energy and Plant Managers
Galitsky, Christina; Martin, Nathan; Worrell, Ernst; Lehman, Bryan
Annually, breweries in the United States spend over $200 million on energy. Energy consumption is equal to 38 percent of the production costs of beer, making energy efficiency improvement an important way to reduce costs, especially in times of high energy price volatility. After a summary of the beer making process and energy use, we examine energy efficiency opportunities available for breweries. We provide specific primary energy savings for each energy efficiency measure based on case studies that have implemented the measures, as well as references to technical literature. If available, we have also listed typical payback periods. Our findings suggest that given available technology, there are still opportunities to reduce energy consumption cost-effectively in the brewing industry. Brewers value highly the quality, taste and drinkability of their beer. Brewing companies have and are expected to continue to spend capital on cost-effective energy conservation measures that meet these quality, taste and drinkability requirements. For individual plants, further research on the economics of the measures, as well as their applicability to different brewing practices, is needed to assess implementation of selected technologies.
The Opportunity Cost of Study Abroad Programs: An Economics-Based Analysis
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Heitmann, George
Most colleges and universities offer study abroad programs, and an increasing number of students participate in such programs. The cost of offering and promoting study abroad programs is often misunderstood and incorrectly assessed. This paper provides an analysis of study abroad costs that will be of general interest, but will be especially…
Modeling the cost effectiveness of injury interventions in lower and middle income countries: opportunities and challenges
Bishai, David M; Hyder, Adnan A
Background This paper estimates the cost-effectiveness of five interventions that could counter injuries in lower and middle income countries(LMICs): better traffic enforcement, erecting speed bumps, promoting helmets for bicycles, promoting helmets for motorcycles, and storing kerosene in child proof containers. Methods We adopt an ingredients based approach to form models of what each intervention would cost in 6 world regions over a 10 year period discounted at both 3% and 6% from both the governmental and societal perspectives. Costs are expressed in local currency converted into US $2001. Each of these interventions has been assessed for effectiveness in a LMIC in limited region, these effectiveness estimates have been used to form models of disability adjusted life years (DALYs) averted for various regions, taking account of regional differences in the baseline burden of injury. Results The interventions modeled in this paper have cost effectiveness ratios ranging from US $5 to $ 556 per DALY averted depending on region. Depending on local acceptability thresholds many of them could be judged cost-effective relative to interventions that are already adopted. Enhanced enforcement of traffic regulations is the most cost-effective interventions with an average cost per DALY of $64 Conclusion Injury counter measures appear to be cost-effective based on models. More evaluations of real interventions will help to strengthen the evidence basis. PMID:16423285
Daily variation in natural disaster casualties: information flows, safety, and opportunity costs in tornado versus hurricane strikes.
Zahran, Sammy; Tavani, Daniele; Weiler, Stephan
Casualties from natural disasters may depend on the day of the week they strike. With data from the Spatial Hazard Events and Losses Database for the United States (SHELDUS), daily variation in hurricane and tornado casualties from 5,043 tornado and 2,455 hurricane time/place events is analyzed. Hurricane forecasts provide at-risk populations with considerable lead time. Such lead time allows strategic behavior in choosing protective measures under hurricane threat; opportunity costs in terms of lost income are higher during weekdays than during weekends. On the other hand, the lead time provided by tornadoes is near zero; hence tornados generate no opportunity costs. Tornado casualties are related to risk information flows, which are higher during workdays than during leisure periods, and are related to sheltering-in-place opportunities, which are better in permanent buildings like businesses and schools. Consistent with theoretical expectations, random effects negative binomial regression results indicate that tornado events occurring on the workdays of Monday through Thursday are significantly less lethal than tornados that occur on weekends. In direct contrast, and also consistent with theory, the expected count of hurricane casualties increases significantly with weekday occurrences. The policy implications of observed daily variation in tornado and hurricane events are considered. PMID:23126406
Examining Health Care Costs: Opportunities to Provide Value in the Intensive Care Unit.
Chang, Beverly; Lorenzo, Javier; Macario, Alex
As health care costs threaten the economic stability of American society, increasing pressures to focus on value-based health care have led to the development of protocols for fast-track cardiac surgery and for delirium management. Critical care services can be led by anesthesiologists with the goal of improving ICU outcomes and at the same time decreasing the rising cost of ICU medicine. PMID:26610628
Technological opportunities in energy management controls systems: ways of lowering installation costs
Rosen, J.; Silberglitt, R.
Installation costs comprise the principal economic obstacle to the diffusion of energy management control systems (EMCS) into more plants and buildings. This paper examines ways of lowering these costs. Four alternatives to traditional dedicated wiring are considered--power line carrier (PLC), FM radio frequency equipment (RF), telephone lines and local area networks (LANs). Major benefits and limitations of these options are discussed, as well as areas for technical improvement.
Early discharge of infectious disease patients: an opportunity or extra cost for the Italian Healthcare System?
Palmieri, Fabrizio; Alberici, Francesco; Deales, Alberto; Furneri, Gianluca; Menichetti, Francesco; Orchi, Nicoletta; Quesada-Rodriguez, Carolina; Pilli, Stefano; Rapisarda, Franco; Tassielli, Domenica; Tringali, Michele; Esposito, Silvano; Ippolito, Giuseppe
In order to assess the economic benefits of an early discharge (ED) programme for patients with complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs) in terms of hospital and regional authority costs, an economic analysis was conducted comparing two possible alternatives: standard hospital management vs. an ED strategy followed by a period of outpatient management. Utilization of resources and costs were derived from the literature and expert panel evaluation. Patients were classified into four groups: low-intensity non-walking (LINW), low-intensity walking (LIW), high-intensity non-walking (HINW) and high-intensity walking (HIW). The overall costs (inpatient/outpatient) of hospitalization with ED for cSSTIs range from Euros 2,079 for LIW to Euros 2,193 for HINW, with the most expensive regimen (HINW) being 50% lower than the costs for 12.6 days of hospitalization alone (Euros 4,619). The weighted average Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) reimbursement for cSSTIs (Euros 2,042) does not cover the costs of such hospitalization. In conclusion, when a patient's conditions allow for early discharge there is an economic advantage for the hospital with an outpatient management plan, especially for patients requiring low-intensity care. However, this could be disadvantageous in terms of regional costs if outpatient management has to be paid in addition to payment by the DRG. PMID:24335457
[Opportunity for the integration of the gender perspective in health research and innovation in Europe: COST Network genderSTE].
Sánchez de Madariaga, Inés; Ruiz Cantero, María Teresa
The European Commission supports several routes for incorporating the gender perspective. The Commission currently supports the new Horizon 2020 program, and also funds projects such as "gendered innovations", which show how gender innovations increase the quality of research and professional practice for health and welfare. One of the policy instruments is the Recommendation on Gender, Science and Innovation. Against this background, the international European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) network genderSTE (Gender, Science, Technology and Environment) was created, which seeks to: 1) promote structural changes in institutions to increase the number of women researchers; 2) identify the gender dimensions relevant to the environment; and 3) improve the integration of a gender perspective in research and technology. COST GenderSTE supports networking and the dissemination of knowledge with a gender perspective. All these tools provide an opportunity to incorporate a gender perspective in research in Europe. PMID:24852090
Generation of low cost sugars from wheat straw: Progress, opportunities, and challenges
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Wheat straw (WS) is a low cost feedstock for production of fuel ethanol. It contains about 35-45% cellulose, 20-30% hemicelluloses, and 8-15% lignin. Generation of sugars from WS involves pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification. Pretreatment is crucial as native WS is very resistant to enzymatic...
Opportunities for cost-sharing in conservation: variation in volunteering effort across protected areas.
Armsworth, Paul R; Cantú-Salazar, Lisette; Parnell, Mark; Booth, Josephine E; Stoneman, Rob; Davies, Zoe G
Efforts to expand protected area networks are limited by the costs of managing protected sites. Volunteers who donate labor to help manage protected areas can help defray these costs. However, volunteers may be willing to donate more labor to some protected areas than others. Understanding variation in volunteering effort would enable conservation organizations to account for volunteer labor in their strategic planning. We examined variation in volunteering effort across 59 small protected areas managed by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, a regional conservation nonprofit in the United Kingdom. Three surveys of volunteering effort reveal consistent patterns of variation across protected areas. Using the most detailed of these sources, a survey of site managers, we estimate that volunteers provided 3200 days of labor per year across the 59 sites with a total value exceeding that of paid staff time spent managing the sites. The median percentage by which volunteer labor supplements management costs on the sites was 36%. Volunteering effort and paid management costs are positively correlated, after controlling for the effect of site area. We examined how well a range of characteristics of the protected areas and surrounding communities explain variation in volunteering effort. Protected areas that are larger have been protected for longer and that are located near to denser conurbations experience greater volunteering effort. Together these factors explain 38% of the observed variation in volunteering effort across protected areas. PMID:23383176
Cost Reduction in University Information Systems: The Opportunities and the Pitfalls.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Aherne, Michael P.; Navarro, Joseph J.
Computerized information systems are often installed to reduce costs of: (1) system maintenance by requiring fewer man-hours, (2) system enhancement by requiring less manpower, (3) mechanical efficiency by doing more per clock-hour of time, (4) personnel by substituting machine expenditures, (5) supplies and support services by using microforms or…
Opportunities for Cost-Sharing in Conservation: Variation in Volunteering Effort across Protected Areas
Armsworth, Paul R.; Cantú-Salazar, Lisette; Parnell, Mark; Booth, Josephine E.; Stoneman, Rob; Davies, Zoe G.
Efforts to expand protected area networks are limited by the costs of managing protected sites. Volunteers who donate labor to help manage protected areas can help defray these costs. However, volunteers may be willing to donate more labor to some protected areas than others. Understanding variation in volunteering effort would enable conservation organizations to account for volunteer labor in their strategic planning. We examined variation in volunteering effort across 59 small protected areas managed by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, a regional conservation nonprofit in the United Kingdom. Three surveys of volunteering effort reveal consistent patterns of variation across protected areas. Using the most detailed of these sources, a survey of site managers, we estimate that volunteers provided 3200 days of labor per year across the 59 sites with a total value exceeding that of paid staff time spent managing the sites. The median percentage by which volunteer labor supplements management costs on the sites was 36%. Volunteering effort and paid management costs are positively correlated, after controlling for the effect of site area. We examined how well a range of characteristics of the protected areas and surrounding communities explain variation in volunteering effort. Protected areas that are larger have been protected for longer and that are located near to denser conurbations experience greater volunteering effort. Together these factors explain 38% of the observed variation in volunteering effort across protected areas. PMID:23383176
A cost-benefit analysis of produced water management opportunities in selected unconventional oil and gas plays
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Marsters, P.; Macknick, J.; Bazilian, M.; Newmark, R. L.
fracturing and produced water issues relate to the larger water-energy nexus. Specifically, this study develops a play-specific model to compare the decision factors and costs involved in managing produced water. For example, when transport distances to a wastewater disposal site are far enough, options for recycling water become more favorable, depending on the characteristics of each play. This model can provide policymakers and other interested parties with cost estimates of different water management options, including a better understanding of the costs and opportunities associated with recycling produced water. This work provides a cross-play assessment of produced water management options and costs and could serve as the foundation for more detailed analyses of opportunities to minimize hydraulic fracturing's impacts on freshwater resources.
Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the Pharmaceutical Industry. An ENERGY STAR Guide for Energy and Plant Managers
Galitsky, Christina; Galitsky, Christina; Chang, Sheng-chieh; Worrell, Ernst; Masanet, Eric
The U.S. pharmaceutical industry consumes almost $1 billion in energy annually. Energy efficiency improvement is an important way to reduce these costs and to increase predictable earnings, especially in times of high energy price volatility. There are a variety of opportunities available at individual plants in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry to reduce energy consumption in a cost-effective manner. This Energy Guide discusses energy efficiency practices and energy efficient technologies that can be implemented at the component, process, system, and organizational levels. A discussion of the trends, structure, and energy consumption characteristics of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry is provided along with a description of the major process steps in the pharmaceutical manufacturing process. Expected savings in energy and energy-related costs are given for many energy efficiency measures, based on case study data from real-world applications in pharmaceutical and related facilities worldwide. Typical measure payback periods and references to further information in the technical literature are also provided, when available. The information in this Energy Guide is intended to help energy and plant managers reduce energy consumption in a cost-effective manner while meeting regulatory requirements and maintaining the quality of products manufactured. At individual plants, further research on the economics of the measures?as well as their applicability to different production practices?is needed to assess potential implementation of selected technologies.
Opportunities for Low Cost Processing of Erbium 8-Quinolinolates for Active Integrated Photonic Applications.
Penna, Stefano; Mattiello, Leonardo; Di Bartolo, Silvia; Pizzoleo, Angelo; Attanasio, Vincenzo; Beleffi, Giorgio Maria Tosi; Otomo, Akira
Erbium-doped organic emitters are promising active materials for Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) due to their emission shown at 1550 nm combined to the potential low cost processing. In particular, Erbium Quinoline (ErQ) gained a strong interest in the last decade for the good emission efficiency. This contribution reports the results derived from the application of ErQ as active core material within a buried optical waveguide, following the development of a purposed optical process to control the refractive index of ErQ and then to define a patterned structure from a single thin film deposition step. The reported results show the potential of Er-doped organic materials for low cost processing and application to planar PICs. PMID:27451632
Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the Glass Industry. An ENERGY STAR Guide for Energy and Plant Managers
Galitsky, Christina; Worrell, Ernst; Galitsky, Christina; Masanet, Eric; Graus, Wina
The U.S. glass industry is comprised of four primary industry segments--flat glass, container glass, specialty glass, and fiberglass--which together consume $1.6 billion in energy annually. On average, energy costs in the U.S. glass industry account for around 14 percent of total glass production costs. Energy efficiency improvement is an important way to reduce these costs and to increase predictable earnings, especially in times of high energy price volatility. There is a variety of opportunities available at individual plants in the U.S. glass industry to reduce energy consumption in a cost-effective manner. This Energy Guide discusses energy efficiency practices and energy-efficient technologies that can be implemented at the component, process, system, and organizational levels. A discussion of the trends, structure, and energy consumption characteristics of the U.S. glass industry is provided along with a description of the major process steps in glass manufacturing. Expected savings in energy and energy-related costs are given for many energy efficiency measures, based on case study data from real-world applications in glass production facilities and related industries worldwide. Typical measure payback periods and references to further information in the technical literature are also provided, when available. The information in this Energy Guide is intended to help energy and plant managers in the U.S. glass industry reduce energy consumption in a cost-effective manner while maintaining the quality of products manufactured. Further research on the economics of the measures--as well on as their applicability to different production practices--is needed to assess potential implementation of selected technologies at individual plants.
Root phenes that reduce the metabolic costs of soil exploration: opportunities for 21st century agriculture.
Lynch, Jonathan P
Crop genotypes with reduced metabolic costs of soil exploration would have improved water and nutrient acquisition. Three strategies to achieve this goal are (1) production of the optimum number of axial roots; (2) greater biomass allocation to root classes that are less metabolically demanding; and (3) reduction of the respiratory requirement of root tissue. An example of strategy 1 is the case of reduced crown root number in maize, which is associated with greater rooting depth, N capture and yield in low N soil. An example of strategy 2 is the case of increased hypocotyl-borne rooting in bean, which decreases root cost and increases P capture from low P soil. Examples of strategy 3 are the cases of increased formation of root cortical aerenchyma, decreased cortical cell file number and increased cortical cell size in maize, which decrease specific root respiration, increase rooting depth and increase water capture and yield under water stress. Root cortical aerenchyma also increases N capture and yield under N stress. Root phenes that reduce the metabolic cost of soil exploration are promising, underexploited avenues to the climate-resilient, resource-efficient crops that are urgently needed in global agriculture. PMID:25255708
The Hydrogen Economy: Opportunities, Costs, Barriers, and R&D Needs
Committee on Alternatives and Strategies for Future Hydrogen Production and Use
The announcement of a hydrogen fuel initiative in the President's 2003 State of the Union speech substantially increased interest in the potential for hydrogen to play a major role in the nation's long-term energy future. Prior to that event, DOE asked the National Research Council to examine key technical issues about the hydrogen economy to assist in the development of its hydrogen R&D program. Included in the assessment were the current state of technology; future cost estimates; CO2 emissions; distribution, storage, and end use considerations; and the DOE RD&D program. The report provides an assessment of hydrogen as a fuel in the nation's future energy economy and describes a number of important challenges that must be overcome if it is to make a major energy contribution. Topics covered include the hydrogen end-use technologies, transportation, hydrogen production technologies, and transition issues for hydrogen in vehicles.
Time-driven activity-based costing of multivessel coronary artery bypass grafting across national boundaries to identify improvement opportunities: study protocol
Erhun, F; Mistry, B; Platchek, T; Milstein, A; Narayanan, V G; Kaplan, R S
Introduction Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is a well-established, commonly performed treatment for coronary artery disease—a disease that affects over 10% of US adults and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. In 2005, the mean cost for a CABG procedure among Medicare beneficiaries in the USA was $32 201±$23 059. The same operation reportedly costs less than $2000 to produce in India. The goals of the proposed study are to (1) identify the difference in the costs incurred to perform CABG surgery by three Joint Commission accredited hospitals with reputations for high quality and efficiency and (2) characterise the opportunity to reduce the cost of performing CABG surgery. Methods and analysis We use time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) to quantify the hospitals' costs of producing elective, multivessel CABG. TDABC estimates the costs of a given clinical service by combining information about the process of patient care delivery (specifically, the time and quantity of labour and non-labour resources utilised to perform each activity) with the unit cost of each resource used to provide the care. Resource utilisation was estimated by constructing CABG process maps for each site based on observation of care and staff interviews. Unit costs were calculated as a capacity cost rate, measured as a $/min, for each resource consumed in CABG production. Multiplying together the unit costs and resource quantities and summing across all resources used will produce the average cost of CABG production at each site. We will conclude by conducting a variance analysis of labour costs to reveal opportunities to bend the cost curve for CABG production in the USA. Ethics and dissemination All our methods were exempted from review by the Stanford Institutional Review Board. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific meetings. PMID:26307621
ED-based screening programs for hepatitis C (HCV) highlight significant opportunity to identify patients, prevent downstream costs/complications.
New data suggest there is a huge opportunity for EDs to identify patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and link them into care before downstream complications lead to higher medical costs and adverse outcomes. Early results from a pilot study at the University of Alabama Medical Center in Birmingham show that at least 12% of the targeted baby boomer population being screened for HCV in the ED is testing positive for HCV, with confirmatory tests showing that about 9% of the screened population is infected with the disease. Both the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and the US Preventive Services Task Force recommend one-time HCV screening for patients who were born between 1945 and 1965. Public health experts say 75% of HCV infections occur in patients born during the baby boomer years, and that roughly half of them are unaware of their HCV status. Researchers at UAB report that so many patients are testing positive for HCV that demand for care can quickly overwhelm the health system if new primary care/specialty resources are not identified. Administrators of ED-based HCV screening programs in both Birmingham and Houston note that EDs with existing screening programs for HIV should have the easiest time implementing HCV screening. They also stress that patients are more accepting of HCV screening, and that the counseling process is easier. PMID:24432549
Diversity, College Costs, and Postsecondary Opportunity: An Examination of the Financial Nexus between College Choice and Persistence for African Americans and Whites
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
St. John, Edward P.; Paulsen, Michael B.; Carter, Deborah Faye
Questions about how student financial aid and the costs of attending college influence educational opportunity for diverse racial groups have lurked beneath the surface of the policy debates about higher education for decades. When the Higher Education Act (HEA) was passed in 1965, there was a general acceptance that the federal government had a…
Evaluation of Missed Energy Saving Opportunity Based on Illinois Home Performance Program Field Data: Homeowner Selected Upgrades vs. Cost-Optimized Solutions; Chicago, Illinois (Fact Sheet)
Not Available
Expanding on previous research by PARR, this study compares measure packages installed during 800 Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (IHP) residential retrofits to those recommended as cost-optimal by Building Energy Optimization (BEopt) modeling software. In previous research, cost-optimal measure packages were identified for fifteen Chicagoland single family housing archetypes, called housing groups. In the present study, 800 IHP homes are first matched to one of these fifteen housing groups, and then the average measures being installed in each housing group are modeled using BEopt to estimate energy savings. For most housing groups, the differences between recommended and installed measure packages is substantial. By comparing actual IHP retrofit measures to BEopt-recommended cost-optimal measures, missed savings opportunities are identified in some housing groups; also, valuable information is obtained regarding housing groups where IHP achieves greater savings than BEopt-modeled, cost-optimal recommendations. Additionally, a measure-level sensitivity analysis conducted for one housing group reveals which measures may be contributing the most to gas and electric savings. Overall, the study finds not only that for some housing groups, the average IHP retrofit results in more energy savings than would result from cost-optimal, BEopt-recommended measure packages, but also that linking home categorization to standardized retrofit measure packages provides an opportunity to streamline the process for single family home energy retrofits and maximize both energy savings and cost-effectiveness.
Evaluation of Missed Energy Saving Opportunity Based on Illinois Home Performance Program Field Data: Homeowner Selected Upgrades Versus Cost-Optimized Solutions
Yee, S.; Milby, M.; Baker, J.
Expanding on previous research by PARR, this study compares measure packages installed during 800 Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® (IHP) residential retrofits to those recommended as cost-optimal by Building Energy Optimization (BEopt) modeling software. In previous research, cost-optimal measure packages were identified for 15 Chicagoland single family housing archetypes. In the present study, 800 IHP homes are first matched to one of these 15 housing groups, and then the average measures being installed in each housing group are modeled using BEopt to estimate energy savings. For most housing groups, the differences between recommended and installed measure packages is substantial. By comparing actual IHP retrofit measures to BEopt-recommended cost-optimal measures, missed savings opportunities are identified in some housing groups; also, valuable information is obtained regarding housing groups where IHP achieves greater savings than BEopt-modeled, cost-optimal recommendations. Additionally, a measure-level sensitivity analysis conducted for one housing group reveals which measures may be contributing the most to gas and electric savings. Overall, the study finds not only that for some housing groups, the average IHP retrofit results in more energy savings than would result from cost-optimal, BEopt recommended measure packages, but also that linking home categorization to standardized retrofit measure packages provides an opportunity to streamline the process for single family home energy retrofits and maximize both energy savings and cost effectiveness.
Evaluation of Missed Energy Saving Opportunity Based on Illinois Home Performance Program Field Data: Homeowner Selected Upgrades Versus Cost-Optimized Solutions
Yee, S.; Milby, M.; Baker, J.
Expanding on previous research by PARR, this study compares measure packages installed during 800 Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR(R) (IHP) residential retrofits to those recommended as cost-optimal by Building Energy Optimization (BEopt) modeling software. In previous research, cost-optimal measure packages were identified for fifteen Chicagoland single family housing archetypes, called housing groups. In the present study, 800 IHP homes are first matched to one of these fifteen housing groups, and then the average measures being installed in each housing group are modeled using BEopt to estimate energy savings. For most housing groups, the differences between recommended and installed measure packages is substantial. By comparing actual IHP retrofit measures to BEopt-recommended cost-optimal measures, missed savings opportunities are identified in some housing groups; also, valuable information is obtained regarding housing groups where IHP achieves greater savings than BEopt-modeled, cost-optimal recommendations. Additionally, a measure-level sensitivity analysis conducted for one housing group reveals which measures may be contributing the most to gas and electric savings. Overall, the study finds not only that for some housing groups, the average IHP retrofit results in more energy savings than would result from cost-optimal, BEopt recommended measure packages, but also that linking home categorization to standardized retrofit measure packages provides an opportunity to streamline the process for single family home energy retrofits and maximize both energy savings and cost-effectiveness.
Modulation of Habitat-Based Conservation Plans by Fishery Opportunity Costs: A New Caledonia Case Study Using Fine-Scale Catch Data
Deas, Marilyn; Andréfouët, Serge; Léopold, Marc; Guillemot, Nicolas
Numerous threats impact coral reefs and conservation actions are urgently needed. Fast production of marine habitat maps promotes the use of habitat-only conservation plans, where a given percentage of the area of each habitat is set as conservation objectives. However, marine reserves can impact access to fishing grounds and generate opportunity costs for fishers that need to be minimized. In New Caledonia (Southwest Pacific), we used fine-scale fishery catch maps to define nineteen opportunity costs layers (expressed as biomass catch loss) considering i) total catches, ii) target fish families, iii) local marine tenure, and iv) gear type. The expected lower impacts on fishery catch when using the different cost constraints were ranked according to effectiveness in decreasing the costs generated by the habitat-only scenarios. The exercise was done for two habitat maps with different thematic richness. In most cases, habitat conservation objectives remained achievable, but effectiveness varied widely between scenarios and between habitat maps. The results provide practical guidelines for coral reef conservation and management. Habitat-only scenarios can be used to initiate conservation projects with stakeholders but the costs induced by such scenarios can be lowered by up to 50–60% when detailed exhaustive fishery data are used. When using partial data, the gain would be only in the 15–25% range. The best compromises are achieved when using local data. PMID:24835216
Modulation of habitat-based conservation plans by fishery opportunity costs: a New Caledonia case study using fine-scale catch data.
Deas, Marilyn; Andréfouët, Serge; Léopold, Marc; Guillemot, Nicolas
Numerous threats impact coral reefs and conservation actions are urgently needed. Fast production of marine habitat maps promotes the use of habitat-only conservation plans, where a given percentage of the area of each habitat is set as conservation objectives. However, marine reserves can impact access to fishing grounds and generate opportunity costs for fishers that need to be minimized. In New Caledonia (Southwest Pacific), we used fine-scale fishery catch maps to define nineteen opportunity costs layers (expressed as biomass catch loss) considering i) total catches, ii) target fish families, iii) local marine tenure, and iv) gear type. The expected lower impacts on fishery catch when using the different cost constraints were ranked according to effectiveness in decreasing the costs generated by the habitat-only scenarios. The exercise was done for two habitat maps with different thematic richness. In most cases, habitat conservation objectives remained achievable, but effectiveness varied widely between scenarios and between habitat maps. The results provide practical guidelines for coral reef conservation and management. Habitat-only scenarios can be used to initiate conservation projects with stakeholders but the costs induced by such scenarios can be lowered by up to 50-60% when detailed exhaustive fishery data are used. When using partial data, the gain would be only in the 15-25% range. The best compromises are achieved when using local data. PMID:24835216
Agribusiness Opportunity Costs and Environmental Legal Protection: Investigating Trade-Off on Hotspot Preservation in the State of São Paulo, Brazil
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Igari, Alexandre Toshiro; Tambosi, Leandro Reverberi; Pivello, Vânia Regina
Prior to deforestation, São Paulo State had 79,000 km2 covered by Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) physiognomies, but today less than 8.5% of this biodiversity hotspot remains, mostly in private lands. The global demand for agricultural goods has imposed strong pressure on natural areas, and the economic decisions of agribusiness managers are crucial to the fate of Cerrado domain remaining areas (CDRA) in Brazil. Our aim was to investigate the effectiveness of Brazilian private protected areas policy, and to propose a feasible alternative to promote CDRA protection. This article assessed the main agribusiness opportunity costs for natural areas preservation: the land use profitability and the arable land price. The CDRA percentage and the opportunity costs were estimated for 349 municipal districts of São Paulo State through secondary spatial data and profitability values of 38 main agricultural products. We found that Brazilian private protected areas policy fails to preserve CDRA, although the values of non-compliance fines were higher than average opportunity costs. The scenario with very restrictive laws on private protected areas and historical high interest rates allowed us to conceive a feasible cross compliance proposal to improve environmental and agricultural policies.
Evaluating Opportunities for Achieving Cost Efficiencies Through the Introduction of PrePex Device Male Circumcision in Adult VMMC Programs in Zambia and Zimbabwe
Chintu, Naminga; Yano, Nanako; Mugurungi, Owen; Tambatamba, Bushimbwa; Ncube, Gertrude; Xaba, Sinokuthemba; Mpasela, Felton; Muguza, Edward; Mangono, Tichakunda; Madidi, Ngonidzashe; Samona, Alick; Tagar, Elva; Hatzold, Karin
Background: Results from recent costing studies have put into question potential Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) cost savings with the introduction of the PrePex device. Methods: We evaluated the cost drivers and the overall unit cost of VMMC for a variety of service delivery models providing either surgical VMMC or both PrePex and surgery using current program data in Zimbabwe and Zambia. In Zimbabwe, 3 hypothetical PrePex only models were also included. For all models, clients aged 18 years and older were assumed to be medically eligible for PrePex and uptake was based on current program data from sites providing both methods. Direct costs included costs for consumables, including surgical VMMC kits for the forceps-guided method, device (US $12), human resources, demand creation, supply chain, waste management, training, and transport. Results: Results for both countries suggest limited potential for PrePex to generate cost savings when adding the device to current surgical service delivery models. However, results for the hypothetical rural Integrated PrePex model in Zimbabwe suggest the potential for material unit cost savings (US $35 per VMMC vs. US $65–69 for existing surgical models). Conclusions: This analysis illustrates that models designed to leverage PrePex's advantages, namely the potential for integrating services in rural clinics and less stringent infrastructure requirements, may present opportunities for improved cost efficiency and service integration. Countries seeking to scale up VMMC in rural settings might consider integrating PrePex only MC services at the primary health care level to reduce costs while also increasing VMMC access and coverage. PMID:27331598
Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze? A Benefit/Cost Analysis of the District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wolf, Patrick J.; McShane, Michael
School voucher programs have become a prominent aspect of the education policy landscape in the United States. The DC Opportunity Scholarship Program is the only federally funded voucher program in the United States. Since 2004 it has offered publicly funded private school vouchers to nearly four thousand students to attend any of seventy-three…
Opportunities for Efficiency and Innovation: A Primer on How to Cut College Costs. Working Paper 2011-02
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fried, Vance H.
In this paper the author explores how colleges whose primary mission is undergraduate education can strategically allocate resources in a way that reduces costs and prioritizes teaching and learning. He starts from a provocative thought-experiment--what would it cost to educate undergraduates at a hypothetical college built from scratch?--and uses…
Lutwen, R.C.
Opportunity fuels - fuels that can be converted to other forms of energy at lower cost than standard fossil fuels - are discussed in outline form. The type and source of fuels, types of fuels, combustability, methods of combustion, refinery wastes, petroleum coke, garbage fuels, wood wastes, tires, and economics are discussed.
Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the U.S. Iron and Steel Industry An ENERGY STAR(R) Guide for Energy and Plant Managers
Worrell, Ernst; Blinde, Paul; Neelis, Maarten; Blomen, Eliane; Masanet, Eric
Energy is an important cost factor in the U.S iron and steel industry. Energy efficiency improvement is an important way to reduce these costs and to increase predictable earnings, especially in times of high energy price volatility. There are a variety of opportunities available at individual plants in the U.S. iron and steel industry to reduce energy consumption in a cost-effective manner. This Energy Guide discusses energy efficiency practices and energy-efficient technologies that can be implemented at the component, process, facility, and organizational levels. A discussion of the structure, production trends, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions of the iron and steel industry is provided along with a description of the major process technologies used within the industry. Next, a wide variety of energy efficiency measures are described. Many measure descriptions include expected savings in energy and energy-related costs, based on case study data from real-world applications in the steel and related industries worldwide. Typical measure payback periods and references to further information in the technical literature are also provided, when available. The information in this Energy Guide is intended to help energy and plant managers in the U.S. iron and steel industry reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in a cost-effective manner while maintaining the quality of products manufactured. Further research on the economics of all measures?and on their applicability to different production practices?is needed to assess their cost effectiveness at individual plants.
Lutwen, R.C.
The paper consists of viewgraphs from a conference presentation. A comparison is made of opportunity fuels, defined as fuels that can be converted to other forms of energy at lower cost than standard fossil fuels. Types of fuels for which some limited technical data is provided include petroleum coke, garbage, wood waste, and tires. Power plant economics and pollution concerns are listed for each fuel, and compared to coal and natural gas power plant costs. A detailed cost breakdown for different plant types is provided for use in base fuel pricing.
Energy efficiency improvement and cost saving opportunities for the Corn Wet Milling Industry: An ENERGY STAR Guide for Energy and Plant Managers
Galitsky, Christina; Worrell, Ernst; Ruth, Michael
Corn wet milling is the most energy intensive industry within the food and kindred products group (SIC 20), using 15 percent of the energy in the entire food industry. After corn, energy is the second largest operating cost for corn wet millers in the United States. A typical corn wet milling plant in the United States spends approximately $20 to $30 million per year on energy, making energy efficiency improvement an important way to reduce costs and increase predictable earnings, especially in times of high energy-price volatility. This report shows energy efficiency opportunities available for wet corn millers. It begins with descriptions of the trends, structure and production of the corn wet milling industry and the energy used in the milling and refining process. Specific primary energy savings for each energy efficiency measure based on case studies of plants and references to technical literature are provided. If available, typical payback periods are also listed. The report draws upon the experiences of corn, wheat and other starch processing plants worldwide for energy efficiency measures. The findings suggest that given available resources and technology, there are opportunities to reduce energy consumption cost-effectively in the corn wet milling industry while maintaining the quality of the products manufactured. Further research on the economics of the measures, as well as the applicability of these to different wet milling practices, is needed to assess the feasibility of implementation of selected technologies at individual plants.
Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the Vehicle Assembly Industry: An ENERGY STAR Guide for Energy and Plant Managers
Galitsky, Christina; Galitsky, Christina; Worrell, Ernst
The motor vehicle industry in the U.S. spends about $3.6 billion on energy annually. In this report, we focus on auto assembly plants. In the U.S., over 70 assembly plants currently produce 13 million cars and trucks each year. In assembly plants, energy expenditures is a relatively small cost factor in the total production process. Still, as manufacturers face an increasingly competitive environment, energy efficiency improvements can provide a means to reduce costs without negatively affecting the yield or the quality of the product. In addition, reducing energy costs reduces the unpredictability associated with variable energy prices in today?s marketplace, which could negatively affect predictable earnings, an important element for publicly-traded companies such as those in the motor vehicle industry. In this report, we first present a summary of the motor vehicle assembly process and energy use. This is followed by a discussion of energy efficiency opportunities available for assembly plants. Where available, we provide specific primary energy savings for each energy efficiency measure based on case studies, as well as references to technical literature. If available, we have listed costs and typical payback periods. We include experiences of assembly plants worldwide with energy efficiency measures reviewed in the report. Our findings suggest that although most motor vehicle companies in the U.S. have energy management teams or programs, there are still opportunities available at individual plants to reduce energy consumption cost effectively. Further research on the economics of the measures for individual assembly plants, as part of an energy management program, is needed to assess the potential impact of selected technologies at these plants.
NASA's Flight Opportunities Program
NASA's Flight Opportunities Program is facilitating low-cost access to suborbital space, where researchers can test technologies using commercially developed vehicles. Suborbital flights can quickl...
Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the Petrochemical Industry - An ENERGY STAR(R) Guide for Energy and Plant Managers
Neelis, Maarten; Worrell, Ernst; Masanet, Eric
Energy is the most important cost factor in the U.S petrochemical industry, defined in this guide as the chemical industry sectors producing large volume basic and intermediate organic chemicals as well as large volume plastics. The sector spent about $10 billion on fuels and electricity in 2004. Energy efficiency improvement is an important way to reduce these costs and to increase predictable earnings, especially in times of high energy price volatility. There are a variety of opportunities available at individual plants in the U.S. petrochemical industry to reduce energy consumption in a cost-effective manner. This Energy Guide discusses energy efficiency practices and energy efficient technologies that can be implemented at the component, process, facility, and organizational levels. A discussion of the trends, structure, and energy consumption characteristics of the petrochemical industry is provided along with a description of the major process technologies used within the industry. Next, a wide variety of energy efficiency measures are described. Many measure descriptions include expected savings in energy and energy-related costs, based on case study data from real-world applications in the petrochemical and related industries worldwide. Typical measure payback periods and references to further information in the technical literature are also provided, when available. The information in this Energy Guide is intended to help energy and plant managers in the U.S. petrochemical industry reduce energy consumption in a cost-effective manner while maintaining the quality of products manufactured. Further research on the economics of all measures--and on their applicability to different production practices--is needed to assess their cost effectiveness at individual plants.
Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for Cement Making. An ENERGY STAR Guide for Energy and Plant Managers
Galitsky, Christina; Worrell, Ernst; Galitsky, Christina
The cost of energy as part of the total production costs in the cement industry is significant, warranting attention for energy efficiency to improve the bottom line. Historically, energy intensity has declined, although more recently energy intensity seems to have stabilized with the gains. Coal and coke are currently the primary fuels for the sector, supplanting the dominance of natural gas in the 1970s. Most recently, there is a slight increase in the use of waste fuels, including tires. Between 1970 and 1999, primary physical energy intensity for cement production dropped 1 percent/year from 7.3 MBtu/short ton to 5.3 MBtu/short ton. Carbon dioxide intensity due to fuel consumption and raw material calcination dropped 16 percent, from 609 lb. C/ton of cement (0.31 tC/tonne) to 510 lb. C/ton cement (0.26 tC/tonne). Despite the historic progress, there is ample room for energy efficiency improvement. The relatively high share of wet-process plants (25 percent of clinker production in 1999 in the U.S.) suggests the existence of a considerable potential, when compared to other industrialized countries. We examined over 40 energy efficient technologies and measures and estimated energy savings, carbon dioxide savings, investment costs, and operation and maintenance costs for each of the measures. The report describes the measures and experiences of cement plants around the wold with these practices and technologies. Substantial potential for energy efficiency improvement exists in the cement industry and in individual plants. A portion of this potential will be achieved as part of (natural) modernization and expansion of existing facilities, as well as construction of new plants in particular regions. Still, a relatively large potential for improved energy management practices exists.
Blue Heron Paper Company: Oregon Mill Uses Model-Based Energy Assessment to Identify Energy and Cost Savings Opportunities
Blue Heron Paper Company conducted a model-based energy assessment (MEA) to determine how to reduce effluent flow and heat load, minimize fresh water, and reduce process energy use at the company's Oregon City, Oregon, paper mill. Assessment staff recommended 15 projects, 7 of which the company considered. These projects would save an estimated 608,161 million British thermal units per year in natural gas and 990 kilowatt hours per year in electricity. Corresponding annual cost savings would be about $2.9 million per year. Furthermore, by reducing fuel requirements for the plant steam system, Blue Heron would also reduce stack gas emissions.
Blue Heron Paper Company: Oregon Mill Uses Model-Based Energy Assessment to Identify Energy and Cost Savings Opportunities (Revision)
Not Available
Blue Heron Paper Company conducted a model-based energy assessment (MEA) to determine how to reduce effluent flow and heat load, minimize fresh water, and reduce process energy use at the company's Oregon City, Oregon, paper mill. Assessment staff recommended 15 projects, 7 of which the company considered. These projects would save an estimated 608,161 million British thermal units per year in natural gas and 990 kilowatt hours per year in electricity. Corresponding annual cost savings would be about $2.9 million per year. Furthermore, by reducing fuel requirements for the plant steam system, Blue Heron would also reduce stack gas emissions.
Personalized medicine and genomics: challenges and opportunities in assessing effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and future research priorities.
Conti, Rena; Veenstra, David L; Armstrong, Katrina; Lesko, Lawrence J; Grosse, Scott D
Personalized medicine is health care that tailors interventions to individual variation in risk and treatment response. Although medicine has long strived to achieve this goal, advances in genomics promise to facilitate this process. Relevant to present-day practice is the use of genomic information to classify individuals according to disease susceptibility or expected responsiveness to a pharmacologic treatment and to provide targeted interventions. A symposium at the annual meeting of the Society for Medical Decision Making on 23 October 2007 highlighted the challenges and opportunities posed in translating advances in molecular medicine into clinical practice. A panel of US experts in medical practice, regulatory policy, technology assessment, and the financing and organization of medical innovation was asked to discuss the current state of practice and research on personalized medicine as it relates to their own field. This article reports on the issues raised, discusses potential approaches to meet these challenges, and proposes directions for future work. The case of genetic testing to inform dosing with warfarin, an anticoagulant, is used to illustrate differing perspectives on evidence and decision making for personalized medicine. PMID:20086232
Cured of Primary Bone Cancer, But at What Cost: A Qualitative Study of Functional Impairment and Lost Opportunities
Fauske, Lena; Bruland, Oyvind S.; Grov, Ellen Karine; Bondevik, Hilde
Purpose. Our study aims to explore how former cancer patients experience physical and psychosocial late effects 3–7 years after they underwent treatment for primary bone sarcoma in the hip/pelvic region. A qualitative, phenomenological, and hermeneutic design was applied. Methods. Sarcoma survivors (n = 10) previously treated at Oslo University Hospital, Norwegian Radium Hospital were selected to participate. In-depth and semistructured interviews were conducted. The interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results. The participants reported that the late effects had three core spheres of impact: "their current daily life," "their future opportunities," and "their identity." They expressed negative changes in activity, increased dependence on others, and exclusion from participation in different areas. Their daily life, work, sports activities, and social life were all affected. Several of their experiences are similar to those described by people with functional impairment or disability. Conclusion. Patients cured of bone cancer in the hip/pelvic region pay a significant price in terms of functional impairment, practical challenges, exclusion from important aspects of life, and loss of previous identity. It is important to appreciate this in order to help bone cancer survivors who struggle to reorient their life and build a secure new identity. PMID:25949211
Opportunities for Low Cost Titanium in Reduced Fuel Consumption, Improved Emissions, and Enhanced Durability Heavy Duty Vehicles
Kraft, E.H.
The purpose of this study was to determine which components of heavy-duty highway vehicles are candidates for the substitution of titanium materials for current materials if the cost of those Ti components is very significantly reduced from current levels. The processes which could be used to produce those low cost components were also investigated. Heavy-duty highway vehicles are defined as all trucks and busses included in Classes 2C through 8. These include heavy pickups and vans above 8,500 lbs. GVWR, through highway tractor trailers. Class 8 is characterized as being a very cyclic market, with ''normal'' year volume, such as in 2000, of approximately 240,000 new vehicles. Classes 3-7 are less cyclic, with ''normal'' i.e., year 2000, volume totaling approximately 325,000 new vehicles. Classes 3-8 are powered about 88.5% by diesel engines, and Class 2C at very roughly 83% diesel. The engine portion of the study therefore focused on diesels. Vehicle production volumes were used in estimates of the market size for candidate components.
Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the Fruit and Vegetable Processing Industry. An ENERGY STAR Guide for Energy and Plant Managers
Masanet, Eric; Masanet, Eric; Worrell, Ernst; Graus, Wina; Galitsky, Christina
The U.S. fruit and vegetable processing industry--defined in this Energy Guide as facilities engaged in the canning, freezing, and drying or dehydrating of fruits and vegetables--consumes over $800 million worth of purchased fuels and electricity per year. Energy efficiency improvement isan important way to reduce these costs and to increase predictable earnings, especially in times of high energy price volatility. There are a variety of opportunities available at individual plants in the U.S. fruit and vegetable processing industry to reduce energy consumption in a cost-effective manner. This Energy Guide discusses energy efficiency practices and energy-efficient technologies that can be implemented at the component, process, facility, and organizational levels. A discussion of the trends, structure, and energy consumption characteristics of the U.S. fruit and vegetable processing industry is provided along with a description of the major process technologies used within the industry. Next, a wide variety of energy efficiency measures applicable to fruit and vegetable processing plants are described. Many measure descriptions include expected savings in energy and energy-related costs, based on case study data from real-world applications in fruit and vegetable processing facilities and related industries worldwide. Typical measure payback periods and references to further information in the technical literature are also provided, when available. Given the importance of water in fruit and vegetable processing, a summary of basic, proven measures for improving plant-level water efficiency are also provided. The information in this Energy Guide is intended to help energy and plant managers in the U.S. fruit and vegetable processing industry reduce energy and water consumption in a cost-effective manner while maintaining the quality of products manufactured. Further research on the economics of all measures--as well as on their applicability to different production
Formosa Plastics Corporation: Plant-Wide Assessment of Texas Plant Identifies Opportunities for Improving Process Efficiency and Reducing Energy Costs
At Formosa Plastics Corporation's plant in Point Comfort, Texas, a plant-wide assessment team analyzed process energy requirements, reviewed new technologies for applicability, and found ways to improve the plant's energy efficiency. The assessment team identified the energy requirements of each process and compared actual energy consumption with theoretical process requirements. The team estimated that total annual energy savings would be about 115,000 MBtu for natural gas and nearly 14 million kWh for electricity if the plant makes several improvements, which include upgrading the gas compressor impeller, improving the vent blower system, and recovering steam condensate for reuse. Total annual cost savings could be $1.5 million. The U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Program cosponsored this assessment.
Opportunities and Challenges for Cost-Efficient Implementation of New Point-of-Care Diagnostics for HIV and Tuberculosis
Peter, Trevor F.; Cavanaugh, Sean; Piatek, Amy S.; Young, Gloria J.; Alexander, Heather; Coggin, William; Domingo, Gonzalo J.; Ellenberger, Dennis; Ermantraut, Eugen; Jani, Ilesh V.; Katamba, Achilles; Palamountain, Kara M.; Essajee, Shaffiq; Dowdy, David W.
Stakeholders agree that supporting high-quality diagnostics is essential if we are to continue to make strides in the fight against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis. Despite the need to strengthen existing laboratory infrastructure, which includes expanding and developing new laboratories, there are clear diagnostic needs where conventional laboratory support is insufficient. Regarding HIV, rapid point-of-care (POC) testing for initial HIV diagnosis has been successful, but several needs remain. For tuberculosis, several new diagnostic tests have recently been endorsed by the World Health Organization, but a POC test remains elusive. Human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis are coendemic in many high prevalence locations, making parallel diagnosis of these conditions an important consideration. Despite its clear advantages, POC testing has important limitations, and laboratory-based testing will continue to be an important component of future diagnostic networks. Ideally, a strategic deployment plan should be used to define where and how POC technologies can be most efficiently and cost effectively integrated into diagnostic algorithms and existing test networks prior to widespread scale-up. In this fashion, the global community can best harness the tremendous capacity of novel diagnostics in fighting these 2 scourges. PMID:22457286
Identifying the spatial and temporal variability of economic opportunity costs to promote the adoption of alternative land uses in grain growing agricultural areas: an Australian example.
Lyle, G; Bryan, B A; Ostendorf, B
Grain growers face many future challenges requiring them to adapt their land uses to changing economic, social and environmental conditions. To understand where to make on ground changes without significant negative financial repercussions, high resolution information on income generation over time is required. We propose a methodology which utilises high resolution yield data collected with precision agriculture (PA) technology, gross margin financial analysis and a temporal standardisation technique to highlight the spatial and temporal consistency of farm income. On three neighbouring farms in Western Australia, we found non-linear relationships between income and area. Spatio-temporal analysis on one farm over varying seasons found that between 37 and 49% (1082-1433ha) of cropping area consistently produced above the selected income thresholds and 43-32% (936-1257ha) regularly produced below selected thresholds. Around 20% of area showed inconsistent temporal variation in income generation. Income estimated from these areas represents the income forgone if a land use change is undertaken (the economic opportunity cost) and the average costs varied spatially from $190±114/ha to $560±108/ha depending on what scenario was chosen. The interaction over space and time showed the clustering of areas with similar values at a resolution where growers make input decisions. This new evidence suggests that farm area could be managed with two strategies: (a) one that maximises grain output using PA management in temporally stable areas which generate moderate to high income returns and (b) one that proposes land use change in low and inconsistent income returning areas where the financial returns from an alternative land use may be comparable. The adoption of these strategies can help growers meet the demand for agricultural output and offer income diversity and adaptive capacity to deal with the future challenges to agricultural production. PMID:25836353
Estimating the opportunity costs of environmental conservation in the Feijão River watershed (São Carlos-SP, Brazil).
Machado, F H; Mattedi, A P; Dupas, F A; Silva, L F; Vergara, F E
The objective of this study was to infer the opportunity cost of land use of the Feijão River watershed (São Carlos-SP, Brazil), in order to estimate the financial resources necessary to compensate landowners willing to convert their production areas into areas of environmental preservation. Net values were estimated by calculating the Annual Value and the Net Present Value of each activity. The area used for agricultural production was estimated using the Land Cover Map of the watershed. The study involved four production areas: forestry, livestock, sugarcane and orange, accounting for 66% of the watershed area of 22,300 hectares. Considering a scenario of total consent from landowners, the 2011 net annual values were estimated at R$ 13.4 million: R$ 2.2 million (eucalyptus), R$ 1.9 million (livestock), R$ 1.1 million (sugarcane) and R$ 8.2 million (orange). This amount would be used as payment for ecosystem services. PMID:26909620
Desalting ``opportunity crudes``
Dion, M.A.
The escalating cost of environmental compliance, combined with fluctuating market conditions, have refiners struggling to remain profitable. To help maintain profitability, many refiners are realigning their processes and resources to allow them to run heavier, lower cost, opportunity crudes. Many of these heavier crudes are difficult to desalt (due to the lower density difference between the crude and water), and can significantly contribute to downstream corrosion, fouling and catalyst poisoning. Consequently, effective desalting is a critical first step to successfully processing these crudes. The real challenge when desalting these crudes is to maintain clean effluent brine and at the same time minimize total operating costs. Lose control of either, and the economic benefit of processing opportunity crudes in the first place can be diminished. This paper will discuss how recent technological advancements, specifically emulsion polymers combined with a patented split feed application technique, can help maintain optimum desalter performance and minimize overall treatment costs when processing opportunity crudes.
Existing Whole-House Case Study: Evaluation of Missed Energy Saving Opportunity Based on Illinois Home Performance Program Field Data: Homeowner Selected Upgrades vs. Cost-Optimized Solutions, Chicago, Illinois
Expanding on previous research by PARR, this study compares measure packages installed during 800 Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® (IHP) residential retrofits to those recommended as cost-optimal by Building Energy Optimization (BEopt) modeling software. In previous research, cost-optimal measure packages were identified for 15 Chicagoland single family housing archetypes, called housing groups. In the present study, 800 IHP homes are first matched to one of these 15 housing groups, and then the average measures being installed in each housing group are modeled using BEopt to estimate energy savings. For most housing groups, the differences between recommended and installed measure packages is substantial. By comparing actual IHP retrofit measures to BEopt-recommended cost-optimal measures, missed savings opportunities are identified in some housing groups; also, valuable information is obtained regarding housing groups where IHP achieves greater savings than BEopt-modeled, cost-optimal recommendations.
Maintenance of State Effort for Higher Education: "Barriers to Equal Educational Opportunity in Addressing the Rising Costs of a College Education"
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alexander, F. King
A Maintenance of Effort (MOE) provision for higher education was first adopted in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 and was included as a requirement for states to participate in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The information in this article was presented before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on…
Seizing Opportunity: "Opportunity as Transformation"
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Williams, Michael; Muller, Esther
Opportunity creates conditions for achievement. We learn daily of the success of others that resulted from conditions they created through opportunity. Often these conditions of opportunity are the product of a compelling vision of a future steeped in possibility and rich in reward. These visions, however, must be operationalized in order to be…
Residential, Commercial, and Utility-Scale Photovoltaic (PV) System Prices in the United States: Current Drivers and Cost-Reduction Opportunities
Goodrich, A.; James, T.; Woodhouse, M.
The price of photovoltaic (PV) systems in the United States (i.e., the cost to the system owner) has dropped precipitously in recent years, led by substantial reductions in global PV module prices. However, system cost reductions are not necessarily realized or realized in a timely manner by many customers. Many reasons exist for the apparent disconnects between installation costs, component prices, and system prices; most notable is the impact of fair market value considerations on system prices. To guide policy and research and development strategy decisions, it is necessary to develop a granular perspective on the factors that underlie PV system prices and to eliminate subjective pricing parameters. This report's analysis of the overnight capital costs (cash purchase) paid for PV systems attempts to establish an objective methodology that most closely approximates the book value of PV system assets.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Azzam, Amy M.
This article details the content of a recently released report from the Children's Partnership titled "Measuring Digital Opportunity for America's Children: Where We Stand and Where We Go From Here". On the basis of 40 indicators, the report's Digital Opportunity Measuring Stick showed how U.S. children and young adults use information and…
Pickersgill, Frances
As a career development opportunity, RCN congress is unparalleled. Debates, fringe meetings, seminars, start-up events for new specialties and interest groups, product launches and networking opportunities for nurses to learn about developments in other workplaces all take place against a backdrop of one of the largest exhibitions at any conference. PMID:24894258
Metaldyne. Plant-Wide Assessment at Royal Oak Finds Opportunities to Improve Manufacturing Effciency, Reduce Energy Use, and Achieve Sigificant Cost Savings
This case study prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Program describes a plant-wide energy assessment conducted at the Metaldyne, Inc., forging plant in Royal Oak, Michigan. The assessment focused on reducing the plant's operating costs, inventory, and energy use. If the company were to implement all the recommendations that came out of the assessment, its total annual energy savings for electricity would be about 11.5 million kWh and annual cost savings would be $12.6 million.
Metaldyne: Plant-Wide Assessment at Royal Oak Finds Opportunities to Improve Manufacturing Efficiency, Reduce Energy Use, and Achieve Significant Cost Savings
Not Available
This case study prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Program describes a plant-wide energy assessment conducted at the Metaldyne, Inc., forging plant in Royal Oak, Michigan. The assessment focused on reducing the plant's operating costs, inventory, and energy use. If the company were to implement all the recommendations that came out of the assessment, its total annual energy savings for electricity would be about 11.5 million kWh and annual cost savings would be $12.6 million.
Hydrogen Infrastructure Market Readiness: Opportunities and Potential for Near-term Cost Reductions; Proceedings of the Hydrogen Infrastructure Market Readiness Workshop and Summary of Feedback Provided through the Hydrogen Station Cost Calculator
Melaina, M. W.; Steward, D.; Penev, M.; McQueen, S.; Jaffe, S.; Talon, C.
Recent progress with fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) has focused attention on hydrogen infrastructure as a critical commercialization barrier. With major automakers focused on 2015 as a target timeframe for global FCEV commercialization, the window of opportunity is short for establishing a sufficient network of hydrogen stations to support large-volume vehicle deployments. This report describes expert feedback on the market readiness of hydrogen infrastructure technology from two activities.
The Costs to the Nation of Inadequate Education. A Report Prepared for the Select Committee on Equal Educational Opportunity of the United States Senate.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Levin, Henry M.; And Others
The purpose of this study was to estimate the costs to the nation of the inadequate education of a substantial portion of the population, where an inadequate education for the latter third of the twentieth century was defined as an attainment of less than high school graduation. Using data from the Department of Commerce and other sources in…
Reducing hospital expenditures with the COPE (Creating Opportunities for Parent Empowerment) program for parents and premature infants: an analysis of direct healthcare neonatal intensive care unit costs and savings.
Melnyk, Bernadette Mazurek; Feinstein, Nancy Fischbeck
More than 500,000 premature infants are born in the United States every year. Preterm birth results in a multitude of negative adverse outcomes for children, including extended stays in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), developmental delays, physical and mental health/behavioral problems, increased medical utilization, and poor academic performance. In addition, parents of preterms experience a higher incidence of depression and anxiety disorders along with altered parent-infant interactions and overprotective parenting, which negatively impact their children. The costs associated with preterm birth are exorbitant. In 2005, it is estimated that preterm birth cost the United States $26.2 billion. The purpose of this study was to perform a cost analysis of the Creating Opportunities for Parent Empowerment (COPE) program for parents of premature infants, a manualized educational-behavioral intervention program comprising audiotaped information and an activity workbook that is administered to parents in 4 phases, the first phase commencing 2 to 4 days after admission to the NICU. Findings indicated that the COPE program resulted in cost savings of at least $4864 per infant. In addition to improving parent and child outcomes, routine implementation of COPE in NICUs across the United States could save the healthcare system more than $2 billion per year. PMID:19092521
Wind Technologies & Evolving Opportunities (Presentation)
Robichaud, R.
This presentation covers opportunities for wind technology; wind energy market trends; an overview of the National Wind Technology Center near Boulder, Colorado; wind energy price and cost trends; wind turbine technology improvements; and wind resource characterization improvements.
Early infant HIV-1 diagnosis programs in resource-limited settings: opportunities for improved outcomes and more cost-effective interventions
Early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV-1 infection confers substantial benefits to HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected infants, to their families, and to programs providing prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services, but has been challenging to implement in resource-limited settings. In order to correctly inform parents/caregivers of infant infection status and link HIV-infected infants to care and treatment, a 'cascade' of events must successfully occur. A frequently cited barrier to expansion of EID programs is the cost of the required laboratory assays. However, substantial implementation barriers, as well as personnel and infrastructure requirements, exist at each step in the cascade. In this update, we review challenges to uptake at each step in the EID cascade, highlighting that even with the highest reported levels of uptake, nearly half of HIV-infected infants may not complete the cascade successfully. We next synthesize the available literature about the costs and cost effectiveness of EID programs; identify areas for future research; and place these findings within the context of the benefits and challenges to EID implementation in resource-limited settings. PMID:21599888
The Water Power Program focuses on technological development, and deployment of innovative technologies capable of generating electricity from water. The program funds research and development activities through competitive solicitations. Financial opportunities are avaliable here.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01This overview map made from Mars Orbiter camera images illustrates the path that the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has taken from its first sol on the red planet through its 87th sol. After thoroughly examining its 'Eagle Crater' landing-site, the rover moved onto the plains of Meridiani Planum, stopping to examine a curious trough and a target within it called 'Anatolia.' Following that, Opportunity approached and remotely studied the rocky dish called 'Fram Crater.' As of its 91st sol (April 26, 2004), the rover sits 160 meters (about 525 feet) from the rim of 'Endurance Crater.'
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brown, Christopher
In this age of greater accountability, local school districts within the USA increasingly use summer school programs as an intervention service to provide students who have failed to meet classroom, district, or state performance requirements with the opportunity to "catch up." Although such programs attempt to provide varying types of…
Computers and Social Knowledge; Opportunities and Opportunity Cost.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hartoonian, Michael
Educators must use computers to move society beyond the information age and toward the age of wisdom. The movement toward knowledge and wisdom constitutes an evolution beyond the "third wave" or electronic/information age, the phase of history in which, according to Alvin Toffler, we are now living. We are already moving into a fourth wave, the…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
This Long Term Planning graphic was created from a mosaic of navigation camera images overlain by a polar coordinate grid with the center point as Opportunity's original landing site. The blue dots represent the rover position at various locations.The red dots represent the center points of the target areas for the instruments on the rover mast (the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer). Opportunity visited Stone Mountain on Feb. 5. Stone Mountain was named after the southernmost point of the Appalachian Mountains outside of Atlanta, Ga. On Earth, Stone Mountain is the last big mountain before the Piedmont flatlands, and on Mars, Stone Mountain is at one end of Opportunity Ledge. El Capitan is a target of interest on Mars named after the second highest peak in Texas in Guadaloupe National Park, which is one of the most visited outcrops in the United States by geologists. It has been a training ground for students and professional geologists to understand what the layering means in relation to the formation of Earth, and scientists will study this prominent point of Opportunity Ledge to understand what the layering means on Mars.The yellow lines show the midpoint where the panoramic camera has swept and will sweep a 120-degree area from the three waypoints on the tour of the outcrop. Imagine a fan-shaped wedge from left to right of the yellow line.The white contour lines are one meter apart, and each drive has been roughly about 2-3 meters in length over the last few sols. The large white blocks are dropouts in the navigation camera data.Opportunity is driving along and taking a photographic panorama of the entire outcrop. Scientists will stitch together these images and use the new mosaic as a 'base map' to decide on geology targets of interest for a more detailed study of the outcrop using the instruments on the robotic arm. Once scientists choose their targets of interest, they plan to study the outcrop for roughly five to
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hanushek, Eric A.
Argues that failure to improve the quality of public education since publication of "A Nation at Risk" has cost the American economy hundreds of billions of dollars in unrealized growth. Asserts that policymakers must look beyond the largely ineffective efforts to improve school quality by increasing expenditures and reducing class size. (PKP)
Some Opportunity Costs of Television Viewing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Selnow, Gary W.; Reynolds, Hal
Interviews were conducted with 184 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students to determine patterns of pastime activities that stand as alternatives to television viewing. In the first portion of the 35-minute interview, respondents were presented with a current daily television listing and asked to indicate which programs they normally watched. To…
Some Opportunity Costs of Television Viewing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Selnow, Gary W.; Reynolds, Hal
This study explored patterns of pastime activities that stand as alternatives to television viewing among middle school children. Findings are compared with those of Robinson's study (1981) for alternative media, video games, and sleeping variables, as well as dichotomous measures for group membership, playing a musical instrument, and hobbies.…
Samudrala, S.
Indian is one of the largest potential markets for private power. Shri P.V. Rangayya Naidu, Minister of State for Power, details the opportunities his country offers. Electricity plays a key role in the Indian economy, and its consumption is an indicator of productivity and growth. Development in the power sector has been given a high priority. Despite remarkable growth, India still faces power shortages. After rigorous review of the power sector the Government of India (GOI) is doubtful of reaching new capacity goals. It has therefore become imperature to accelerate capacity growth. To bridge the power gap the GOI is encouraging private participation. In 1991 the GOI had opened its doors to both foreign and domestic investors. Since then the legal, financial, and administrative framework has been modified to suit investors and developers. The present economic reforms pave the way for a smooth transition.
Community Opportunity, Perceptions of Opportunity, and the Odds of an Adolescent Birth
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Driscoll, Anne; Sugland, Barbara; Manlove, Jennifer; Papillo, Angela
The ability of the opportunity cost framework to predict the risk of a teen birth is tested by analyzing the relationship between adolescents perceptions of opportunity and the odds of a teen birth across levels of community opportunity. Patterns of this relationship are compared across African American, Latina, and White teens and across…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Mccray, Richard; Ostriker, Jeremiah P.; Acton, Loren W.; Bahcall, Neta A.; Bless, Robert C.; Brown, Robert A.; Burbidge, Geoffrey; Burke, Bernard F.; Clark, George W.; Cordova, France A.
Recommendations are given regarding National Science Foundation (NSF) astronomy programs and the NASA Space Astrophysics program. The role of ground based astronomy is reviewed. The role of National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO) in ground-based night-time astronomical research is discussed. An enhanced Explored Program, costs and management of small and moderate space programs, the role of astrophysics within NASA's space exploration initiative, suborbital and airborne astronomical research, the problems of the Hubble Space Telescope, and astronomy education are discussed. Also covered are policy issues related to the role of science advisory committees, international cooperation and competition, archiving and distribution of astronomical data, and multi-wavelength observations of variable sources.
Nikola Tesla Educational Opportunity School.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Design Cost Data, 2001
Describes the architectural design, costs, general description, and square footage data for the Nikola Tesla Educational Opportunity School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A floor plan and photos are included along with a list of manufacturers and suppliers used for the project. (GR)
Achievements and opportunities from ESF Research Networking Programme: Natural molecular structures as drivers and tracers of terrestrial C fluxes, and COST Action 639: Greenhouse gas budget of soils under changing climate and land use
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Boeckx, P.; Rasse, D.; Jandl, R.
soils under changing climate and land use" (BurnOut) (www.cost.esf.org/domains_actions/essem/Actions/changing_climate or bfw.ac.at/rz/bfwcms.web?dok=5906) BurnOut aims at improving the management of greenhouse gas emissions from European soils under different regimes of ecosystem disturbances and land-use change. This will allow the identification of soil and site conditions (hot spots) that are vulnerable to greenhouse gas emissions. The specific objectives are: - Identification of hot spots of greenhouse gas emissions from soils; - Identification of soil and site conditions that are vulnerable to GHG emissions; - Development of an advanced greenhouse gas reporting concept across different of land forms, land use and land use changes; - Communication of policy relevant GHG reporting concepts; Burnout covers the following activities: - Organisation of specific topical workshops; - Short-term scientific visits for scientists. Participating countries in BurnOut are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Russian Federation, and Bosnia Herzegovina. During this oral presentation, possible lines of cooperation, opportunities and recent achievements will be exemplified and the audience will be invited to contribute their views on these initiatives.
A Guide To Measuring College Costs.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Winston, Gordon C.
Argues that full-cost models in higher education fail to account correctly for capital and financial aid expenditures. Urges full accounting of all cost drivers that impact on higher education expenditures, e.g., operating costs, maintenance costs, physical capital costs, the current replacement value of capital stock, and the opportunity cost of…
Evaluation of the Quantum Opportunities Program (QOP). Did the Program Work? A Report on the Post Secondary Outcomes and Cost-Effectiveness of the QOP Program (1989-1993).
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hahn, Andrew; And Others
The Quantum Opportunities Project (QOP) was a multisite youth development demonstration project funded by the Ford Foundation in San Antonio (Texas), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Milwaukee (Wisconsin), Saginaw (Michigan), and Oklahoma City (Oklahoma). The programs, organized around educational activities, guaranteed up to 250 hours of education,…
75 FR 52956 - Funding Opportunity
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... HUMAN SERVICES Administration on Aging Funding Opportunity Purpose of Notice: Availability of funding opportunity announcement. Funding Opportunity Title/Program Name: Older Americans Act (OAA), Title VI, Part A... funding opportunity. Funding Opportunity Number: Program Announcement No. is HHS-2011-...
Novel catalyst widens octane opportunities
Pritchard, G.
Of the octane upgrading options available, refiners are focusing on those which offer a low upgrading cost, a low capital cost and a short implementation time. The BP ETHEROL Process with the novel trifunctional catalyst satisfies all of these requirements and, with the added ability to produce heavier ethers than just MTBE, provides a new opportunity for octane enhancement. The trifunctional catalyst combines the benefits of etherification, diolefin hydrogenation and olefin isomerisation in one single catalyst and for essentially no incremental investment relative to a conventional MTBE unit. The economics demonstrate that at an upgrading cost of 15 cents per octane barrel, the BP ETHEROL Process is highly competitive with other octane upgrading options.
New Suborbital Flight Opportunities and Funding
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Saltman, Alexander
New opportunities for suborbital research are on the horizon. Reusable suborbital vehicles will offer immediate and routine space access for scientific payloads, provide access to altitudes around 100 kilometers, create opportunities for low-cost monitoring of upper atmospheric phenomena, as well as small scale solar observation. Reduced operational cost and quick turn-around will enable equipment to be flown opportunistically, in response to specific solar activity, or in continuous test and improvement cycles. Suborbital test flights will also provide opportunities to test prospective satellite instruments in an extended microgravity environment before being launched to orbit, raising the technology readiness level (TRL) of flight hardware and reducing the risk of anomalies during missions. I discuss the capabilities of emerging suborbital vehicles, payload and integration requirements, and funding opportunities for suborbital flights at NASA.
Opportunities Center. Concept Paper.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kimeldorf, Martin
The opportunities center is a new school service concept that can help students find opportunities related to their talents and interests in work, education, leisure, small business, or community service. The opportunities center model expands the career center model into an information search center offering multiple services that link academic…
Cost Recovery Through Depreciation.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Forrester, Robert T.; Wesolowski, Leonard V.
The approach of adopting depreciation rather than use allowance in order to recover more accurately the cost of college buildings and equipment used on federal projects is considered. It is suggested that depreciation will offer most colleges and universities a higher annual recovery rate, and an opportunity for better facilities planning. For…
Opportunities in respiratory drug delivery.
Pritchard, John N; Giles, Rachael D
A wide range of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease products are soon to be released onto the inhaled therapies market and differentiation between these devices will help them to gain market share over their competitors. Current legislation is directing healthcare towards being more efficient and cost-effective in order to continually provide quality care despite the challenges of aging populations and fewer resources. Devices and drugs that can be differentiated by producing improved patient outcomes would, therefore, be likely to win market share. In this perspective article, the current and potential opportunities for the successful delivery and differentiation of new inhaled drug products are discussed. PMID:25531928
Vehicle Technologies Program Funding Opportunities
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) provides funding opportunities for advanced vehicle technology projects that are aimed at removing technical and cost barriers. Much of the funding available to the Vehicle Technologies Program is distributed to private firms, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, Native American organizations, and individuals, through competitive solicitations. DOE is strongly committed to partnerships to help ensure the eventual market acceptance of the technologies being developed. New solicitations are announced regularly.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01The navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took images during the rover's 285th martian day (Nov. 11, 2004) that are combined into this panorama. Opportunity had reached the base of 'Burns Cliff,' a portion of the inner wall of 'Endurance Crater.' This view shows rock layers in the wall, with a portion of Opportunity's solar array visible at the bottom right.
Career Opportunities in Telecommunications.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Blyth, Mary
Examines the areas that the field of telecommunications encompasses, technological advances in the field, employment projections, career opportunities, educational requirements, and evolution of the telecommunications industry. (CT)
Regional Opportunities for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage in China: A Comprehensive CO2 Storage Cost Curve and Analysis of the Potential for Large Scale Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage in the People's Republic of China
Dahowski, Robert T.; Li, Xiaochun; Davidson, Casie L.; Wei, Ning; Dooley, James J.
This study presents data and analysis on the potential for carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technologies to deploy within China, including a survey of the CO2 source fleet and potential geologic storage capacity. The results presented here indicate that there is significant potential for CCS technologies to deploy in China at a level sufficient to deliver deep, sustained and cost-effective emissions reductions for China over the course of this century.
Student Success: Challenges & Opportunities
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bailey, Thomas
Community colleges are a crucial source of educational opportunity for millions of Americans, making fundamental contributions to state and national economies. While community colleges should be proud of their role in providing access to higher education and the opportunity to obtain better quality jobs for their students, there is much more to…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Commission on Civil Rights, Washington, DC.
This overview of developments in housing opportunities for minorities and women includes an historical review of housing discrimination, its nature, and its effects. Federal legislation and Federal actions which were taken to assure equal housing opportunities for women and minorities are described. Other topic areas addressed include minority…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
This image shows the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's wheels in their stowed configuration. As of 9:00 a.m. January 28, 2004, the rover had deployed its wheels and completed the first half of the stand-up process. This image was taken at Opportunity's landing site, Meridiani Planum, by the hazard-identification camera.
The Economics of Higher Education: Focus on Cost.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brinkman, Paul T.
Introduces this topical issue on costs in higher education with an overview of the economics of higher education. Considers various types of supplier costs (opportunity versus accounting costs), various ways of determining costs (cost accounting, statistical estimation, and modeling), and factors that influence supplier costs (environmental…
Avoidable waste management costs
Hsu, K.; Burns, M.; Priebe, S.; Robinson, P.
This report describes the activity based costing method used to acquire variable (volume dependent or avoidable) waste management cost data for routine operations at Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. Waste volumes from environmental restoration, facility stabilization activities, and legacy waste were specifically excluded from this effort. A core team consisting of Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, and Oak Ridge Reservation developed and piloted the methodology, which can be used to determine avoidable waste management costs. The method developed to gather information was based on activity based costing, which is a common industrial engineering technique. Sites submitted separate flow diagrams that showed the progression of work from activity to activity for each waste type or treatability group. Each activity on a flow diagram was described in a narrative, which detailed the scope of the activity. Labor and material costs based on a unit quantity of waste being processed were then summed to generate a total cost for that flow diagram. Cross-complex values were calculated by determining a weighted average for each waste type or treatability group based on the volume generated. This study will provide DOE and contractors with a better understanding of waste management processes and their associated costs. Other potential benefits include providing cost data for sites to perform consistent cost/benefit analysis of waste minimization and pollution prevention (WMIN/PP) options identified during pollution prevention opportunity assessments and providing a means for prioritizing and allocating limited resources for WMIN/PP.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01As NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity was making its way back toward its original entry path into 'Endurance Crater,' scientists and engineers spotted what they hoped might be a shortcut for climbing out of the crater. The possible exit path, pictured on the far right of this image where the outcrop is punctuated, was eventually deemed too hazardous for the rover to attempt. Opportunity would have had to cross terrain with a slope of 28 degrees and face a tall rock outcropping very close to the exit chute opening which, itself, is too narrow for the rover to pass. This stereo view combines several frames taken by the rover's navigation camera during Opportunity's 297th sol on Mars (Nov. 24, 2004). It is presented in a cylindrical-perspective projection with geometric seam correction. The location from which the image was taken has been designated as Opportunity's Site 38, Position 97.
Career Opportunities in Physiology.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Physiologist, 1984
Physiologists offer their viewpoints on career opportunities in the pharmaceutical industries. A director's and an employee's views of what a director of pharmacology looks for in a physiologist are included. (JN)
Opportunity Spies Its Backshell
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
From its new location at the inner edge of the small crater surrounding it, the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity was able to look out to the plains where its backshell (left) and parachute (right) landed. Opportunity is currently investigating a rock outcropping with its suite of robotic geologic tools. This approximate true-color image was created by combining data from the panoramic camera's red, green and blue filters.
Opportunity's Fast Progress Southward
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01[figure removed for brevity, see original site] [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Opportunity's Traverse from Landing through Sol 413 Opportunity's Fast Progress Southward As of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's 413th martian day, or sol, (March 23, 2005), the robot had driven a total of 4.62 kilometers (2.87 miles) since. The red line on this image traces the rover's route. The base image is a mosaic combining images from the Mars Observer Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter, the Thermal Emission Imaging System on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, and Opportunity's own Descent Image Motion Estimation System. The rover has been making rapid progress southward since it finished examining its jettisoned heat shield on sol 357 (Jan. 24, 2005, one year after landing). Scientists are eager for Opportunity to reach an area to the south called the 'Etched Terrain,' which appears mottled in the map's base images and might offer access to different layers of bedrock than what the rover has seen so far. See figure 1. As of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's 414th martian day, or sol, (March 24, 2005), the robot had driven a total of 4.81 kilometers (2.99 miles) since landing. In this two-month period, Opportunity drove 2.69 kilometers (1.67 miles). As landmarks along the route, it used craters that the rover team informally named for ships of historic voyages of exploration. See figure 2. Figures 1 and 2 are traverse maps overlaid on a mosaic of images from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiters and from Opportunity's descent camera. The scale bar in figure 1 at lower left is 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) long and the scale bar in figure 2 is 1 kilometer (0.62 mile) long.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
More than a dozen opportunities are available to geophysicists in the 1982-1983 Fulbright Awards program for United States scholars to study abroad. The lecturing and research awards are listed in a new brochure published by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars. Geophysics-related opportunities are also available in geography, engineering, and technology.The majority of grants are for the academic year in the host country. All are subject to availability of funds and changes in program priorities.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
This image captured by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's rear hazard-identification camera shows the now-empty lander that carried the rover 283 million miles to Meridiani Planum, Mars. Engineers received confirmation that Opportunity's six wheels successfully rolled off the lander and onto martian soil at 3:01 a.m. PST, January 31, 2004, on the seventh martian day, or sol, of the mission. The rover is approximately 1 meter (3 feet) in front of the lander, facing north.
Safeguards Professional Development Opportunities
Gilligan, Kimberly V
Across the international field of safeguards there has been a rising awareness of the need for development of the next generation of safeguards professionals. The 2010 International Atomic Energy Agency Safeguards Symposium includes a suggested topic of 'developing safeguards professionals.' This can first be addressed by making university students and young professionals aware of safeguards and the unique career opportunities it encompasses. Then, once someone decides to go into safeguards he/she needs to be offered professional development opportunities in order to become a more effective member of the international safeguards community. This paper begins to do that by reviewing opportunities currently available. There are not many opportunities that are well advertised and this paper will serve to raise awareness of what does already exist and therefore benefit the international safeguards community. The current opportunities that will be discussed include training programs, graduate degrees, organizational outreach, professional networks, and intensive topic specific programs. The paper will also identify current needs and holes in the current offerings of professional development opportunities and suggest ways they can be filled. In the conclusion the paper addresses what types of programs are still needed.
Pollution prevention opportunity assessments at Hanford
Betsch, M.D., Westinghouse Hanford
The Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessment (PPOA) is a pro- active way to look at a waste generating activity and identify opportunities to minimize wastes through a cost benefit analysis. Hanford`s PPOA process is based upon the graded approach developed by the Kansas City Plant. Hanford further streamlined the process while building in more flexibility for the individual users. One of the most challenging aspects for implementing the PPOA process at Hanford is one overall mission which is environmental restoration, Now that the facilities are no longer in production, each has a different non- routine activity making it difficult to quantify the inputs and outputs of the activity under consideration.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Arnold, Robert
Problems in educational cost accounting and a new cost accounting approach are described in this paper. The limitations of the individualized cost (student units) approach and the comparative cost approach (in the form of fund-function-object) are illustrated. A new strategy, an activity-based system of accounting, is advocated. Borrowed from…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01This three-dimensional model superimposes the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on one of its potential targets, a scientific treasure chest of martian rocks contained within the landing site, a crater on Meridiani Planum, Mars. The rover is placed on the rock outcrop for scale. Opportunity has not yet visited these rocks; it is currently still on its lander. Scientists plan to use the tools on the rover's instrument deployment device, or robotic 'arm,' to examine these rocks, which are about 10 centimeters (4 inches) high and approximately 8 meters (26 feet) away from the rover. The image of the terrain was acquired on Sol, or martian day, 2 of Opportunity's journey. This model was created using data from the rover's panoramic camera and is displayed using software developed by NASA's Ames Research Center.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2006-01-01As NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity continues a southward trek from 'Erebus Crater' toward 'Victoria Crater,' the terrain consists of large sand ripples and patches of flat-lying rock outcrops, as shown in this image. Whenever possible, rover planners keep Opportunity on the 'pavement' for best mobility. This false-color image mosaic was assembled using images acquired by the panoramic camera on Opportunity's 784th sol (April 8, 2006) at about 11:45 a.m. local solar time. The camera used its 753-nanometer, 535-nanometer and 432-nanometer filters. This view shows a portion of the outcrop named 'Bosque,' including rover wheel tracks, fractured and finely-layered outcrop rocks and smaller, dark cobbles littered across the surface.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
This image taken by the panoramic camera onboard the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the rover's now-empty lander, the Challenger Memorial Station, at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The image was acquired on the 24th martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's mission at approximately 13:00 Local Solar Time. This is a mosaic image consisting of 12 color images acquired with the camera's red, green and blue filters. The color balance has been set to approximate the colors that a human eye would see.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hoag, J.
Cost goal activities for the point focusing parabolic dish program are reported. Cost goals involve three tasks: (1) determination of the value of the dish systems to potential users; (2) the cost targets of the dish system are set out; (3) the value side and cost side are integrated to provide information concerning the potential size of the market for parabolic dishes. The latter two activities are emphasized.
Satellite servicing: A business opportunity?
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Wong, R. E.; Medler, E. H.
The possibilities of satellite servicing as a business opportunity are examined. The service rate which a user must be charged to yield a reasonable return is derived and then compared against the market's willingness to pay that rate. Steps taken to provide the basis from which the service rate could be derived include: (1) constructing a hypothetical on orbit servicing business offering both on orbit and associated ground services; (2) estimating the total on orbit service business potential by analyzing mission models to the year 2000; and (3) setting up ground rules to bound the conduct of the business. Using this basic information service demand (business volume) cost to set up the business, costs for operation and maintenance tax rates and desired rate of return are estimated to determine the user charge. Sensitivity of the service rate to various parameters are also assessed. The time span for the business venture runs from 1986 through 2000 with service to 1991 provided via the orbiter and by a space station beyond 1991. This point analysis shows about five years of negative cash flow, with steady profits thereafter.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gingrich, Newt
Advances in space, communications, and biotechnology are creating many opportunities and hope for the future. But to take full advantage of these technological breakthroughs, the United States must rethink its approaches to education, welfare, health, justice, and defense. (Author/RM)
Demographic Problems and Opportunities.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Osborn, Frances P.
A comparison of Monroe County projections of high school graduates and the March 1986 Rochester Labor Area Summary points to some excellent opportunities for marketing Monroe Community College (MCC). Projections of high school graduation rates show a 25% decrease in the number of graduates between 1989 and 1991, while the demand for entry-level…
Opportunity's 'Olympia' Panorama
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Click on the image for Opportunity's 'Olympia' Panorama (QTVR) This view from the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows an outcrop called 'Olympia' along the northwestern margin of 'Erebus' crater. The view spans about 120 degrees from side to side, generally looking southward. The outcrop exposes a broad expanse of sulfate-rich sedimentary rocks. The rocks were formed predominantly from windblown sediments, but some also formed in environmental conditions from damp to under shallow surface water. After taking the images that were combined into this view, Opportunity drove along along a path between sand dunes to the upper left side of the image, where a cliff in the background can be seen. This is a cliff is known as the 'Mogollon Rim.' Researchers expect it to expose more than 1 meter (3 feet) of new strata. These strata may represent the highest level observed yet by Opportunity. The image is an approximately true-color rendering generated using the panoramic camera's 750-nanometer, 530-nanometer and 430-nanometer filters.
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) works with business, industry, universities, and others to increase the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. One way EERE encourages the growth of these technologies is by offering financial assistance opportunities for their development and demonstration.
Wisconsin Education Opportunity Program.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison. Div. for School Financial Resources and Management Services.
This report describes the history and programs of the Wisconsin Education Opportunity Program (WEOP), a bureau within the State Department of Public Instruction that provides support services for Wisconsin youths and adults (particularly the disadvantaged) who intend to complete a postsecondary education program. Currently, it is said, WEOP…
Flexible Learning Opportunities.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Further Education Unit, London (England).
One way for colleges to meet the demand for a wider range of learning opportunities for adults in Great Britain is to provide more flexibility within the further education system. The concept of flexible learning involves the modification of delivery systems, specific providing agencies, target populations, specific determinants such as geographic…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Muccio, Maria; Pierre-Vil, Samienta
The New England Educational Opportunity Association (NEOA) drew more than 250 TRIO and college access professionals to its 40th annual conference in Massachusetts earlier this spring. NEOA's mission is to advocate for access to and success in postsecondary education for low-income individuals, "first-generation" college students, and…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01This is a forward-looking view of the Meridiani Planum plains that lie between the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity and its primary drive target, 'Endurance Crater.' The images in this image mosaic were taken by the rover's panoramic camera on sol 88.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2009-01-01NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this full-circle view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,825th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's surface mission (March 12, 2009). North is at the top. The rover had driven half a meter (1.5 feet) earlier on Sol 1825 to fine-tune its location for placing its robotic arm onto an exposed patch of outcrop including a target area informally called 'Cook Islands.' On the preceding sol, Opportunity turned around to drive frontwards and then drove 4.5 meters (15 feet) toward this outcrop. The tracks from the SOl 1824 drive are visible near the center of this view at about the 11 o'clock position. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 1 meter (about 40 inches). Opportunity had previously been driving backward as a strategy to redistribute lubrication in a wheel drawing more electrical current than usual. The outcrop exposure that includes 'Cook Islands' is visible just below the center of the image. The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and lighter-toned bedrock. This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gauly, Stephen K.
Development officers at DePauw University (Indiana) use a structured, five-section, face-to-face interview process to assess prospective donors' ability to give and interest in giving, which then determines how the institution offers them the opportunity to support it. A step-by-step outline of the interview process is provided, as are answers to…
Essays on Character & Opportunity
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Center on Children and Families at Brookings, 2014
These essays provide richer set of writings on the philosophical, empirical and practical issues raised by a focus on character, and in particular its relationship to questions of opportunity. Each one is an intellectual pemmican: sharp and to the point. Two scholars draw attention to the gendered nature of character formation (Segal and Lexmond);…
Carlisle, Daloni
The Cavendish review into HCAs and support workers highlighted the contribution such staff make to patient care, and called for them to be supported with improved training, career opportunities and status. This article shows how some enlightened employers are leading the way in developing their HCA workforce. PMID:23965074
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kerry, John F.
In this article, the author argues that now as never before, education is the key to opportunity, essential to a strong America. In an age when people compete with workers on every continent and information flows across oceans, high-wage jobs are more dependent than ever on high-level skills. The author suggests that together, an America that…
Equal Opportunity in Employment
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bullock, Paul
This book focuses on discrimination in employment, defined as the denial of equal opportunity in the labor market to qualified persons on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, or any other factor not related to their individual qualifications for work. The average nonwhite college graduate can expect to earn less during…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC.
Because of the changes occurring in the chemical sciences, a new survey of chemistry and its intellectual and economic impact was clearly needed. This report presents a current assessment of the status of chemistry and of the future opportunities in the field. This analysis contains: (1) an introductory chapter (establishing the need for the…
The Educational Opportunity Bank.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jellema, William W.
The Educational Opportunity Bank (EOB) has received short shrift among educators and many objections have been raised to establishing it. Among these are the workability of the plan, the problem for women borrowers, and the creation of a new force--student financial power - in opposition to the influence of the Federal Government. Though…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Erickson, Paul W.
Even though there's been a slight reprieve in energy costs, the reality is that the cost of non-renewable energy is increasing, and state education budgets are shrinking. One way to keep energy and operations costs from overshadowing education budgets is to develop a 10-year energy audit plan to eliminate waste. First, facility managers should…
Cost Evaluation of Evidence-Based Treatments
Sindelar, Jody L.; Ball, Samuel A.
Many treatment programs have adopted or are considering adopting evidence-based treatments (EBTs). When a program evaluates whether to adopt a new intervention, it must consider program objectives, operational goals, and costs. This article examines cost concepts, cost estimation, and use of cost information to make the final decision on whether to adopt an EBT. Cost categories, including variable and fixed, accounting and opportunity, and costs borne by patients and others, are defined and illustrated using the example of expenditures for contingency management. Ultimately, cost is one consideration in the overall determination of whether implementing an EBT is the best use of a program's resources. PMID:22002453
Overview of energy-conservation research opportunities
Hopp, W.J.; Hauser, S.G.; Hane, G.J.; Gurwell, W.E.; Bird, S.P.; Cliff, W.C.; Williford, R.E.; Williams, T.A.; Ashton, W.B.
This document is a study of research opportunities that are important to developing advanced technologies for efficient energy use. The study's purpose is to describe a wide array of attractive technical areas from which specific research and development programs could be implemented. Research areas are presented for potential application in each of the major end-use sectors. The study develops and applies a systematic approach to identifying and screening applied energy conservation research opportunities. To broadly cover the energy end-use sectors, this study develops useful information relating to the areas where federally-funded applied research will most likely play an important role in promoting energy conservation. This study is not designed to produce a detailed agenda of specific recommended research activities. The general information presented allows uniform comparisons of disparate research areas and as such provides the basis for formulating a cost-effective, comprehensive federal-applied energy conservation research strategy. Chapter 2 discusses the various methodologies that have been used in the past to identify research opportunities and details the approach used here. In Chapters 3, 4, and 5 the methodology is applied to the buildings, transportation, and industrial end-use sectors and the opportunities for applied research in these sectors are discussed.Chapter 6 synthesizes the results of the previous three chapters to give a comprehensive picture of applied energy conservation research opportunities across all end-use sectors and presents the conclusions to the report.
Excess stormwater runoff is a serious problem in a large number of urban areas, causing flooding, water pollution, groundwater recharge deficits and ecological damage to urban streams. It has been posited that to mitigate the effects of excess stormwater runoff, policy makers cou...
Collaboration on Technology Projects Results in Cost Sharing Opportunities
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cowan, Carole; Hartleb, David; Neves, Darrow
Realizing they shared a common and growing need for information technology consulting services, new administrative systems, and interrelated instructional technology growth at their respective institutions, two colleges in Massachusetts joined forces. They chose to partner with CampusWorks, Inc. and found a way to save money and improve their…
Excess stormwater runoff is a serious problem in a large number of urban areas, causing flooding, water pollution, groundwater recharge deficits and ecological damage to urban streams. It has been posited that to mitigate the effects of excess stormwater runoff, policy makers...
'Payson' Panorama by Opportunity
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2006-01-01[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Click on the image for 'Payson' Panorama by Opportunity (QTVR) The panoramic camera aboard NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity acquired this panorama of the 'Payson' outcrop on the western edge of 'Erebus' Crater during Opportunity's sol 744 (Feb. 26, 2006). From this vicinity at the northern end of the outcrop, layered rocks are observed in the crater wall, which is about 1 meters (3.3 feet) thick. The view also shows rocks disrupted by the crater-forming impact event and subjected to erosion over time. To the left of the outcrop, a flat, thin layer of spherule-rich soils overlies more outcrop materials. The rover is currently traveling down this 'road' and observing the approximately 25-meter (82-foot) length of the outcrop prior to departing Erebus crater. The panorama camera took 28 separate exposures of this scene, using four different filters. The resulting panorama covers about 90 degrees of terrain around the rover. This approximately true-color rendering was made using the camera's 753-nanometer, 535-nanometer and 423-nanometer filters. Image-to-image seams have been eliminated from the sky portion of the mosaic to better simulate the vista a person standing on Mars would see.
Next-generation cost management.
Angert, Sean; Seabrook, Hazel
To implement a comprehensive approach for nonlabor cost reduction, hospitals should: Set goals, Identify areas to include or exclude, Establish a project structure, Develop a communications plan, Collect and analyze data, Establish teams to review opportunities forchange > Monitor progress and report results. PMID:21449305
Energy efficiency opportunities in the brewery industry
Worrell, Ernst; Galitsky, Christina; Martin, Nathan
Breweries in the United States spend annually over $200 Million on energy. Energy consumption is equal to 3-8% of the production costs of beer, making energy efficiency improvement an important way to reduce costs, especially in times of high energy price volatility. After a summary of the beer making process and energy use, we examine energy efficiency opportunities available for breweries. We provide specific primary energy savings for each energy efficiency measure based on case studies that have implemented the measures, as well as references to technical literature. If available, we have also listed typical payback periods. Our findings suggest that there may still be opportunities to reduce energy consumption cost-effectively for breweries. Major brewing companies have and will continue to spend capital on cost effective measures that do not impact the quality of the beer. Further research on the economics of the measures, as well as their applicability to different brewing practices, is needed to assess implementation of selected technologies at individual breweries.
Research Opportunities in Space Propulsion
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rodgers, Stephen L.
Rocket propulsion determines the primary characteristics of any space vehicle; how fast and far it can go, its lifetime, and its capabilities. It is the primary factor in safety and reliability and the biggest cost driver. The extremes of heat and pressure produced by propulsion systems push the limits of materials used for manufacturing. Space travel is very unforgiving with little room for errors, and so many things can go wrong with these very complex systems. So we have to plan for failure and that makes it costly. But what is more exciting than the roar of a rocket blasting into space? By its nature the propulsion world is conservative. The stakes are so high at every launch, in terms of payload value or in human life, that to introduce new components to a working, qualified system is extremely difficult and costly. Every launch counts and no risks are tolerated, which leads to the space world's version of Catch-22:"You can't fly till you flown." The last big 'game changer' in propulsion was the use of liquid hydrogen as a fuel. No new breakthrough, low cost access to space system will be developed without new efficient propulsion systems. Because there is no large commercial market driving investment in propulsion, what propulsion research is done is sponsored by government funding agencies. A further difficulty in propulsion technology development is that there are so few new systems flying. There is little opportunity to evolve propulsion technologies and to update existing systems with results coming out of research as there is in, for example, the auto industry. The biggest hurdle to space exploration is getting off the ground. The launch phase will consume most of the energy required for any foreseeable space exploration mission. The fundamental physical energy requirements of escaping earth's gravity make it difficult. It takes 60,000 kJ to put a kilogram into an escape orbit. The vast majority (-97%) of the energy produced by a launch vehicle is used
Funding Opportunity: Genomic Data Centers
Funding Opportunity CCG, Funding Opportunity Center for Cancer Genomics, CCG, Center for Cancer Genomics, CCG RFA, Center for cancer genomics rfa, genomic data analysis network, genomic data analysis network centers,
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kornacki, Jeffrey L.
Seventy-six million cases of foodborne disease occur each year in the United States alone. Medical and lost productivity costs of the most common pathogens are estimated to be 5.6-9.4 billion. Product recalls, whether from foodborne illness or spoilage, result in added costs to manufacturers in a variety of ways. These may include expenses associated with lawsuits from real or allegedly stricken individuals and lawsuits from shorted customers. Other costs include those associated with efforts involved in finding the source of the contamination and eliminating it and include time when lines are shut down and therefore non-productive, additional non-routine testing, consultant fees, time and personnel required to overhaul the entire food safety system, lost market share to competitors, and the cost associated with redesign of the factory and redesign or acquisition of more hygienic equipment. The cost associated with an effective quality assurance plan is well worth the effort to prevent the situations described.
Steel Industry Marginal Opportunity Analysis
The Steel Industry Marginal Opportunity Analysis (PDF 347 KB) identifies opportunities for developing advanced technologies and estimates both the necessary funding and the potential payoff. This analysis determines what portion of the energy bandwidth can be captured through the adoption of state-of-the-art technology and practices. R&D opportunities for addressing the remainder of the bandwidth are characterized and plotted on a marginal opportunity curve.
Nanotechnology: Opportunities and Challenges
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Meyyappan, Meyya
Nanotechnology seeks to exploit novel physical, chemical, biological, mechanical, electrical, and other properties, which arise primarily due to the nanoscale nature of certain materials. A key example is carbon nanotubes (CNTs) which exhibit unique electrical and extraordinary mechanical properties and offer remarkable potential for revolutionary applications in electronics devices, computing, and data storage technology, sensors, composites, nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), and as tip in scanning probe microscopy (SPM) for imaging and nanolithography. Thus the CNT synthesis, characterization, and applications touch upon all disciplines of science and engineering. This presentation will provide an overview and progress report on this and other major research candidates in Nanotechnology and address opportunities and challenges ahead.
Frontier Aerospace Opportunities
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bushnell, Dennis M.
Discussion and suggested applications of the many ongoing technology opportunities for aerospace products and missions, resulting in often revolutionary capabilities. The, at this point largely unexamined, plethora of possibilities going forward, a subset of which is discussed, could literally reinvent aerospace but requires triage of many possibilities. Such initial upfront homework would lengthen the Research and Development (R&D) time frame but could greatly enhance the affordability and performance of the evolved products and capabilities. Structural nanotubes and exotic energetics along with some unique systems approaches are particularly compelling.
Missed opportunities in crystallography.
Dauter, Zbigniew; Jaskolski, Mariusz
Scrutinized from the perspective of time, the giants in the history of crystallography more than once missed a nearly obvious chance to make another great discovery, or went in the wrong direction. This review analyzes such missed opportunities focusing on macromolecular crystallographers (using Perutz, Pauling, Franklin as examples), although cases of particular historical (Kepler), methodological (Laue, Patterson) or structural (Pauling, Ramachandran) relevance are also described. Linus Pauling, in particular, is presented several times in different circumstances, as a man of vision, oversight, or even blindness. His example underscores the simple truth that also in science incessant creativity is inevitably connected with some probability of fault. PMID:24814223
Opportunities for coal to methanol conversion
Not Available
The accumulations of mining residues in the anthracite coal regions of Pennsylvania offer a unique opportunity to convert the coal content into methanol that could be utilized in that area as an alternative to gasoline or to extend the supplies through blending. Additional demand may develop through the requirements of public utility gas turbines located in that region. The cost to run this refuse through coal preparation plants may result in a clean coal at about $17.00 per ton. After gasification and synthesis in a 5000 ton per day facility, a cost of methanol of approximately $3.84 per million Btu is obtained using utility financing. If the coal is to be brought in by truck or rail from a distance of approximately 60 miles, the cost of methanol would range between $4.64 and $5.50 per million Btu depending upon the mode of transportation. The distribution costs to move the methanol from the synthesis plant to the pump could add, at a minimum, $2.36 per million Btu to the cost. In total, the delivered cost at the pump for methanol produced from coal mining wastes could range between $6.20 and $7.86 per million Btu.
34 CFR 644.31 - What are unallowable costs?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
... EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY CENTERS What Conditions Must Be Met by a Grantee? § 644.31 What are unallowable costs? Costs that are unallowable under the Educational Opportunity... forms of direct financial support for participants. (b) Research not directly related to the...
34 CFR 644.31 - What are unallowable costs?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
... EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY CENTERS What Conditions Must Be Met by a Grantee? § 644.31 What are unallowable costs? Costs that are unallowable under the Educational Opportunity... forms of direct financial support for participants. (b) Research not directly related to the...
34 CFR 644.31 - What are unallowable costs?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
... EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY CENTERS What Conditions Must Be Met by a Grantee? § 644.31 What are unallowable costs? Costs that are unallowable under the Educational Opportunity... forms of direct financial support for participants. (b) Research not directly related to the...
New design opportunities with OVI
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bleikolm, Anton F.
Optically Variable Ink (OVITM) chosen for its unique colour shifting properties is applied to the currencies of more than 50 countries. An significant colour difference at viewing angles of 90 degrees and 30 degrees respectively makes colour copying impossible. New manufacturing techniques for the interference pigment (OVP) provide ever better cost/performance ratios. Screen printing presses newly available on the market guarantee production speeds of 8000 sheets/hour or 130 meters/minute in the case of web printing, perfectly in line with the traditional equipment for manufacturing of currency. Specifically developed ink formulations allow UV-curing at high speed or oxidative drying to create highly mechanically and chemically resistant colour shifting prints. The unique colour shifting characteristics together with overprinting in intaglio give design opportunities providing the best protection against colour copying or commercial reprint. Specific designs of OVP together with high security ingredients allow the formulation of machine readable optically variable inks useful for the authentication and sorting of documents.
The impact of desalting opportunity crudes on corrosion precursors
Binford, M.S.; Hart, P.R.
Processing of lower cost ``opportunity`` crudes has become common practice among US refiners. These cheaper crudes, however, in many cases do not come without higher associated processing costs. Several refiners have documented higher than expected chlorides in their atmospheric tower overhead systems when processing opportunity crudes. These high chlorides increase corrosion potential, elevate chemical treatment costs and, in severe cases, cause system failure and/or serious product contamination concerns. Traditional methods to measure crude quality (salt content) have in some cases failed to predict potential hydrolyzable chlorides in the desalted crude stream. Laboratory desalter simulation apparati which operate at desalter system temperature and mixing conditions can be used to more completely extract water soluble chloride salts from the crude oil. Subsequent steam distillation of these laboratory desalted crude oils yields a truer measure of potential hydrolyzable chlorides left in the desalted crude. These tools have been used to better define the impact of processing opportunity crudes on crude distillation overhead systems.
Sheinkopf, K.
Low cost and plentiful resources make biomass a viable choice for power projects worldwide. Nevertheless, the potential does not alleviate the development obstacles. The developing world appears to hold the greatest promise for using biomass technologies - primarily Latin America, Africa, China, and other parts of Asia and Oceania.
Reducing pharmacy costs through improved utilization.
Bates, Cinda; Richards, Barton S
Strategies Trinity Regional Health System in Rock Island, III., used to reduce pharmacy expenses included: Leveraging benchmarking information to identify opportunities for cost savings. Implementing change management techniques, bolstered by well-presented and coherent data, to promote acceptance of change. Forming a multidisciplinary team of clinical and financial leaders to address quality, outcomes, and cost issues and collaborate on solutions. PMID:23795386
The intrinsic cost of cognitive control.
Kool, Wouter; Botvinick, Matthew
Kurzban and colleagues carry forward an important contemporary movement in cognitive control research, tending away from resource-based models and toward a framework focusing on motivation or value. However, their specific proposal, centering on opportunity costs, appears problematic. We favor a simpler view, according to which the exertion of cognitive control carries intrinsic subjective costs. PMID:24304795
Research opportunities to advance solar energy utilization.
Lewis, Nathan S
Major developments, as well as remaining challenges and the associated research opportunities, are evaluated for three technologically distinct approaches to solar energy utilization: solar electricity, solar thermal, and solar fuels technologies. Much progress has been made, but research opportunities are still present for all approaches. Both evolutionary and revolutionary technology development, involving foundational research, applied research, learning by doing, demonstration projects, and deployment at scale will be needed to continue this technology-innovation ecosystem. Most of the approaches still offer the potential to provide much higher efficiencies, much lower costs, improved scalability, and new functionality, relative to the embodiments of solar energy-conversion systems that have been developed to date. PMID:26798020
Regulatory environment and claims - limits and opportunities.
Martin, Ambroise
During the past decade, the use of claims became more and more important in many countries in relation to the increased awareness of consumer about the link between foods and health, offering to industry a valuable opportunity to differentiate and valorize their products and to promote innovation. However, more and more stringent regulations are developed, all based on the general principles adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. In addition to the different regulatory processes and administrative requirements according to the country, the high level (and cost) of scientific substantiation of claims, the constraints introduced by nutrient profiles and the poor knowledge of the impact on consumer depending on the cultural contexts may limit these opportunities or, at least complicate their use. All these issues are briefly analyzed, highlighting some striking convergences and differences between countries. PMID:20664223
Text mining in healthcare. Applications and opportunities.
Raja, Uzma; Mitchell, Tara; Day, Timothy; Hardin, J Michael
Healthcare information systems collect massive amounts of textual and numeric information about patients, visits, prescriptions, physician notes and more. The information encapsulated within electronic clinical records could lead to improved healthcare quality, promotion of clinical and research initiatives, fewer medical errors and lower costs. However, the documents that comprise the health record vary in complexity, length and use of technical vocabulary. This makes knowledge discovery complex. Commercial text mining tools provide a unique opportunity to extract critical information from textual data archives. In this paper, we share our experience of a collaborative research project to develop predictive models by text mining electronic clinical records. We provide an overview of the text mining process, examples of existing studies, experiences of our collaborative project and future opportunities. PMID:19267032
Pollution prevention and waste minimization opportunity assessment in environmental restoration
Roybal, J.A.; Willison, C.P.
The Environmental Restoration (ER) Project at Sandia National Laboratories implicitly subscribed to the philosophy of pollution prevention and waste minimization. As a result of a Department of Energy (DOE) offer, Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessments (PPOA) were conducted at two ER sites and a decontamination and Demolition (D and D) site. The purpose of one of the PPOAs was to identify pollution prevention (P2) opportunities during environmental remediation at the Classified Waste Landfill located at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM). The remediation activities at this site are scheduled to begin in the fall of 1997. The PPOA included presentations by the team members, a tour of the site, and a brainstorming session to list the waste streams, identify P2 opportunities and rank them in order of priority. Twenty-five P2 opportunities were identified during the brainstorming session of which twenty-two opportunities were selected for further investigation. Those twenty-two opportunities are discussed in this paper. A cost benefit analysis was performed for each P2 opportunity based on the estimated waste volume, feasibility, and cost. Pollution Prevention by Design (P2D) was incorporated into the PPOA to introduce waste minimization techniques that can be used during the planning phase of restoration projects.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
van der Meer, Rob; Cimò, Giuseppe
ASTERICS, The Astronomy ESFRI and Research Infrastructure Cluster project, brings together astronomers and astroparticle physicists of 22 institutes in Europe to help Europe's world-leading observatories work together to find common solutions to their Big Data challenges, their interoperability and scheduling, and their data access, searching for cross-cutting solutions with mutual and wide-ranging benefit to all concerned. ASTERICS is a four year project, funded through the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme. The facilities supported by ASTERICS include SKA, CTA, KM3NeT, E-ELT. ASTERICS aims to open up multi messenger astronomy to all scientists and the public through the Virtual Observatory and the citizen science work. I will draw a picture of the landscape in which ASTERICS operates and the possible interaction with the Very Large Volume Neutrino Telescope community. Attention will be given to emerging opportunities for the Neutrino community and how these can be recognised or created.
Ionospheric research opportunity
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rickel, Dwight
Ground-based explosions have been exploited successfully in the past as a relatively controlled source for producing ionospheric disturbances. On June 25, the Defense Nuclear Agency will conduct a high explosives test on the northern section of the White Sands Missile Range. Approximately 4,800 tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil (ANFO) will be detonated at ground level, producing an acoustic shock wave with a surface pressure change of approximately 20 mbar at a 6 km range. This shock front will have sufficient strength to propagate into the ionosphere with at least a 10% change in the ambient pressure across the disturbance front in the lower F region. Such an ionospheric perturbation will give ionospheric researchers an excellent opportunity to investigate acoustic propagation at ionospheric heights, shock dissipation effect, the ion-neutral coupling process, acoustic-gravity wave (traveling ionospheric disturbance) generation mechanisms, and associated RF phenomena.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates, challenges and opportunities.
Wang, Ying; Yin, Jin; Chen, Guo-Qiang
Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) have been developed as biodegradable plastics for the past many years. However, PHA still have only a very limited market. Because of the availability of large amount of shale gas, petroleum will not raise dramatically in price, this situation makes PHA less competitive compared with low cost petroleum based plastics. Therefore, two strategies have been adopted to meet this challenge: first, the development of a super PHA production strain combined with advanced fermentation processes to produce PHA at a low cost; second, the construction of functional PHA production strains with technology to control the precise structures of PHA molecules, this will allow the resulting PHA with high value added applications. The recent systems and synthetic biology approaches allow the above two strategies to be implemented. In the not so distant future, the new technology will allow PHA to be produced with a competitive price compared with petroleum-based plastics. PMID:24976377
Science Opportunities with LSST
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tyson, J. Anthony; Ivezic, Z.; Strauss, M.; LSST Science Collaborations
The LSST design is driven by four science themes: dark energy and matter, Galactic structure, transient objects, and the Solar System inventory. These and many other science opportunities are described in the LSST Science Book: http://www.lsst.org/lsst/scibook The LSST will carry out a ten-year very deep imaging survey of 18,000 sq.deg. of the sky in six broad optical bands, with a deep stack reaching r 27.5 (5 sigma, point source). The LSST design, with an 8.4m (6.7m effective) primary mirror and a 9.6 square degree field of view, will allow about 10,000 square degrees of sky to be imaged to an effective depth of r=24.5 every three nights. Each patch of the sky will be visited over 800 times with pairs of 15 sec exposures, opening a new window on the universe: faint time-domain. The resulting petabytes of data will be made available to the US and Chilean communities for scientific investigations ranging from the properties of near-Earth asteroids, to characterizations of dark energy from strong and weak lensing, galaxy clustering, and distant supernovae. More information is available at http://www.lsst.org Eleven LSST Science Collaborations are actively laying the groundwork for first light: working on image analysis algorithms and database design, exploring cadence choices, developing commissioning plans, and outlining scientific opportunities. These Collaborations have over 200 members to date, with membership open to the US and Chilean communities via an application process administered by NOAO. Full end-to-end LSST image simulations are a useful resource for exploring science capability. LSST Science Collaborations: Supernovae Weak Lensing Stellar Populations Active Galactic Nuclei Solar System Galaxies Transients/variable stars Large-scale structure and baryon oscillations Milky Way and Local Volume Structure Strong Lensing Informatics and Statistics
Evolutionary constraints or opportunities?
Sharov, Alexei A.
Natural selection is traditionally viewed as a leading factor of evolution, whereas variation is assumed to be random and non-directional. Any order in variation is attributed to epigenetic or developmental constraints that can hinder the action of natural selection. In contrast I consider the positive role of epigenetic mechanisms in evolution because they provide organisms with opportunities for rapid adaptive change. Because the term "constraint" has negative connotations, I use the term "regulated variation" to emphasize the adaptive nature of phenotypic variation, which helps populations and species to survive and evolve in changing environments. The capacity to produce regulated variation is a phenotypic property, which is not described in the genome. Instead, the genome acts as a switchboard, where mostly random mutations switch "on" or "off" preexisting functional capacities of organism components. Thus, there are two channels of heredity: informational (genomic) and structure-functional (phenotypic). Functional capacities of organisms most likely emerged in a chain of modifications and combinations of more simple ancestral functions. The role of DNA has been to keep records of these changes (without describing the result) so that they can be reproduced in the following generations. Evolutionary opportunities include adjustments of individual functions, multitasking, connection between various components of an organism, and interaction between organisms. The adaptive nature of regulated variation can be explained by the differential success of lineages in macro-evolution. Lineages with more advantageous patterns of regulated variation are likely to produce more species and secure more resources (i.e., long-term lineage selection). PMID:24769155
2013 Cost of Wind Energy Review
Mone, C.; Smith, A.; Maples, B.; Hand, M.
This report uses representative project types to estimate the levelized cost of wind energy (LCOE) in the United States for 2013. Scheduled to be published on an annual basis, it relies on both market and modeled data to maintain a current understanding of wind generation cost trends and drivers. It is intended to provide insight into current component-level costs and a basis for understanding current component-level costs and a basis for understanding variability in the LCOE across the industry. Data and tools developed from this analysis are used to inform wind technology cost projections, goals, and improvement opportunities.
Using strategic foresight to assess conservation opportunity.
Cook, Carly N; Wintle, Bonnie C; Aldrich, Stephen C; Wintle, Brendan A
The nature of conservation challenges can foster a reactive, rather than proactive approach to decision making. Failure to anticipate problems before they escalate results in the need for more costly and time-consuming solutions. Proactive conservation requires forward-looking approaches to decision making that consider possible futures without being overly constrained by the past. Strategic foresight provides a structured process for considering the most desirable future and for mapping the most efficient and effective approaches to promoting that future with tools that facilitate creative thinking. The process involves 6 steps: setting the scope, collecting inputs, analyzing signals, interpreting the information, determining how to act, and implementing the outcomes. Strategic foresight is ideal for seeking, recognizing, and realizing conservation opportunities because it explicitly encourages a broad-minded, forward-looking perspective on an issue. Despite its potential value, the foresight process is rarely used to address conservation issues, and previous attempts have generally failed to influence policy. We present the strategic foresight process as it can be used for proactive conservation planning, describing some of the key tools in the foresight tool kit and how they can be used to identify and exploit different types of conservation opportunities. Scanning is an important tool for collecting and organizing diverse streams of information and can be used to recognize new opportunities and those that could be created. Scenario planning explores how current trends, drivers of change, and key uncertainties might influence the future and can be used to identify barriers to opportunities. Backcasting is used to map out a path to a goal and can determine how to remove barriers to opportunities. We highlight how the foresight process was used to identify conservation opportunities during the development of a strategic plan to address climate change in New York
Wildfire Risk Management: Challenges and Opportunities
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Thompson, M.; Calkin, D. E.; Hand, M. S.; Kreitler, J.
In this presentation we address federal wildfire risk management largely through the lens of economics, targeting questions related to costs, effectiveness, efficiency, and tradeoffs. Beyond risks to resources and assets such as wildlife habitat, watersheds, and homes, wildfires present financial risk and budgetary instability for federal wildfire management agencies due to highly variable annual suppression costs. Despite its variability, the costs of wildfire management have continued to escalate and account for an ever-growing share of overall agency budgets, compromising abilities to attain other objectives related to forest health, recreation, timber management, etc. Trends associated with a changing climate and human expansion into fire-prone areas could lead to additional suppression costs in the future, only further highlighting the need for an ability to evaluate economic tradeoffs in investments across the wildfire management spectrum. Critically, these economic analyses need to accurately capture the complex spatial and stochastic aspects of wildfire, the inherent uncertainty associated with monetizing environmental impacts of wildfire, the costs and effectiveness of alternative management policies, and linkages between pre-fire investments and active incident management. Investing in hazardous fuels reduction and forest restoration in particular is a major policy lever for pre-fire risk mitigation, and will be a primary focus of our presentation. Evaluating alternative fuel management and suppression policies could provide opportunities for significant efficiency improvements in the development of risk-informed management fire management strategies. Better understanding tradeoffs of fire impacts and costs can help inform policy questions such as how much of the landscape to treat and how to balance investments in treating new areas versus maintaining previous investments. We will summarize current data needs, knowledge gaps, and other factors
Delaney, Adam Vai
Born in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, the author had a 20 year career in diplomacy, political affairs, and development policy analysis at the Pacific Islands Forum, the United Nations in New York; the Prime Minister's Department in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and in the Foreign Ministry of PNG. He has also been involved in theatre for over a decade in PNG, and participated in a three-month program at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center in Connecticut, USA. He is currently the Business Development Manager at the Torres Strait Regional Authority (Commonwealth) on Thursday Island. Since 1975 the Australian government's overseas development policy has supported various sectoral programs in its neighbouring countries, in particular Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The "creative" field has not been prominent in this strategy. While natural resources and the sports sectors have gained much greater attention, in terms of being viable international commercial enterprises, the arts, have remained stagnant. In this paper the need for joint programs genuinely supporting "wellbeing" and promoting social enterprise throughout the "arc of opportunity" is described to harness Melanesian creativity to compete successfully in world-markets, starting with penetration of the largest economy at its door-step: Australia. PMID:21878026
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Foreman, Phillip
Education administrators involved in construction initiatives unanimously agree that when it comes to change orders, less is more. Change orders have a negative rippling effect of driving up building costs and producing expensive project delays that often interfere with school operations and schedules. Some change orders are initiated by schools…
Rice, S.
Some of the greatest opportunities for tapping into hidden profit potential at industrial coatings manufacturing plants may be in their waste or, rather, in their ability to eliminate the root causes of waste generation. This occurs because the total cost of waste (TCOW) does not appear only in a plant`s cost to dispose or recycle its waste. TCOW has four principal components, each of which are shown in different lines in the monthly financial accounting report. An additional potential component--the production plant capacity and personnel that are utilized producing controllable waste instead of product for sale and profit--fails to show up at all. Expanding the focus of waste reduction from merely reducing an individual component`s costs to eliminating the root causes of controllable waste generation provides significant additional profits and frees plant production equipment and people to: make more product for sale and profit, and reduce per-unit manufacturing costs.
Gookin, L B
The national health care revolution is having especially important effects in California. Hospitals are closing, downsizing, or joining larger systems. Solo-practice physicians are joining group practices, which in turn are being purchased by large for-profit physician practice organizations. Companies that have in the past provided a single service, such as home medical equipment, home infusion, hospice, or home care, are joining forces to offer many services in an effort to appeal to payors who would rather contract with comprehensive providers. Coalitions of home health agencies are forming to better compete for managed care contracts. Home health care agencies are merging in anticipation of prospective pay and the need to spread administrative costs over a wider base. The driving force behind this revolution? Managed care. PMID:9157905
Untapped opportunities for improving performance and increasing smelter production
Forberg, H.O.
A review has been made of a large number of aluminum smelters concerning opportunities for improving performance and increasing production. Smelters have been grouped according to current efficiency. Opportunities for improvement of older and newer smelters are discussed. For older smelters to remain competitive and extend economic life, it is important to find new ways to increase production. These efforts have been going on for many years and the most successful producers have been able to stay viable. Opportunities are still available for many older facilities as further incremental increases of production wait to be harvested. Newer smelters are also interested in decreasing cost by increasing production. Even if the operating costs of newer plants are lower than those of older ones, it is important that newer plants make improvements that generate an acceptable rate of return on invested capital.
Small Buildings = Big Opportunity for Energy Savings (Fact Sheet)
Not Available
Small buildings have a big impact on energy use. In the United States, 44.6 million small buildings consume 44% of the overall energy used in buildings, presenting an enormous opportunity to cut costs, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Fuel Cell Technology Status Analysis Project: Partnership Opportunities (Fact Sheet)
Not Available
This fact sheet describes opportunities for leading fuel cell industry partners from the United States and abroad to participate in an objective and credible fuel cell technology performance and durability analysis by sharing their raw fuel cell test data related to operations, maintenance, safety, and cost with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory via the Hydrogen Secure Data Center.
78 FR 43220 - Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Funding Opportunity
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Funding... that is approved by an independent review group. Funding Opportunity Title: SM-13-012. Catalog Of... funding under this announcement. It is considered most cost-effective and efficient to supplement...
Job Opportunities Glitter for Librarians Who Surf the Net.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Azar, A. Paula
The Internet gives library professionals access to job opportunities that are not readily accessible in print. Employers can advertise at minimal cost and reach a broad, technically adept audience. This article lists Internet job resource sites and listservs for library and information professionals, providing Uniform Resource Locators (URLs),…
Revolutionary opportunities for materials and structures study, addendum
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Feig, P. D.
This report is an addendum to the Revolutionary Opportunities for Materials and Structures Study (ROMS), modifying the original by the addition of two tasks. The primary purpose of these tasks was to conduct additional aircraft/engine sizing and mission analysis to obtain contributory aircraft performance data such as fuel burns and direct operating costs for both the subsonic and supersonic engines.
Opportunity Road: The Promise and Challenge of America's Forgotten Youth
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bridgeland, John M.; Milano, Jessica A.
There are millions of youth ages 16 to 24 who are out of school and out of work. They cost the nation billions of dollars every year and over their lifetimes in lost productivity and increased social services. They also represent an opportunity for the nation to tap the talents of millions of potential leaders and productive workers at a time when…
Doubling the Opportunity for Success
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Reese, Susan
Dual enrollment programs are a way for teenagers to get started early on their journey to a successful future, and many appear to be taking advantage of the opportunity. This article describes success stories in dual enrollment programs in Louisiana and Texas. Dual enrollment programs in these states are not only giving students an opportunity to…
Whites' Beliefs about Blacks' Opportunity.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kluegel, James R.; Smith, Eliot R.
Cites data which show that Whites tend to perceive widespread reverse discrimination, to see Blacks' opportunities as having greatly improved in recent years, and to deny structural limits to Black opportunity. Posits that these perceptions are related to (1) prevailing public beliefs about stratification and (2) peoples' own social positions and…
Opportunity Structures Then and Now
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Roberts, Ken
This paper argues that we have a theory--namely, opportunity structure theory--which can account for how school-to-work transitions were accomplished "then" and "now", and also why "now" is different from "then". Opportunity structures are formed primarily by the inter-relationships between family backgrounds, education, labour market processes…
Ensuring equal opportunity sprinkler irrigation
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Equal opportunity for plants to sprinkler irrigation water must be carefully considered by crop producers, irrigation consultants, and the industry that supplies the irrigation equipment. Equal opportunity can be negated by improper marketing, design, and installation, as well as through improper f...
Costs of Carrying Students to a Criterion Level of Competency in Physics.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dressel, Ralph
Presents data on student performance in a competency-based, multiple-opportunity format physics course, indicating that costs are related to character of examination questions and comprehensional modes of students. Compares costs for single/multiple trial formats, showing that multiple-trial opportunity has lower costs and a higher yield of…
Industrial energy systems and assessment opportunities
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Barringer, Frank Leonard, III
Industrial energy assessments are performed primarily to increase energy system efficiency and reduce energy costs in industrial facilities. The most common energy systems are lighting, compressed air, steam, process heating, HVAC, pumping, and fan systems, and these systems are described in this document. ASME has produced energy assessment standards for four energy systems, and these systems include compressed air, steam, process heating, and pumping systems. ASHRAE has produced an energy assessment standard for HVAC systems. Software tools for energy systems were developed for the DOE, and there are software tools for almost all of the most common energy systems. The software tools are AIRMaster+ and LogTool for compressed air systems, SSAT and 3E Plus for steam systems, PHAST and 3E Plus for process heating systems, eQUEST for HVAC systems, PSAT for pumping systems, and FSAT for fan systems. The recommended assessment procedures described in this thesis are used to set up an energy assessment for an industrial facility, collect energy system data, and analyze the energy system data. The assessment recommendations (ARs) are opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption for energy systems. A set of recommended assessment procedures and recommended assessment opportunities are presented for each of the most common energy systems. There are many assessment opportunities for industrial facilities, and this thesis describes forty-three ARs for the seven different energy systems. There are seven ARs for lighting systems, ten ARs for compressed air systems, eight ARs for boiler and steam systems, four ARs for process heating systems, six ARs for HVAC systems, and four ARs for both pumping and fan systems. Based on a history of past assessments, average potential energy savings and typical implementation costs are shared in this thesis for most ARs. Implementing these ARs will increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption for energy systems in
Assessing new applications and testing business opportunities
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Atzei, A.; Gampe, F.; Pseiner, K.
The generation of business opportunities from suitable space applications is an essential element of ESA's long term vision. This paper discusses some examples of new space applications and related business opportunities investigated within ESA, namely: HYDROSAT (Hydrological Satellite); OSAT (Operational Service for Air Transportation); CDEDS (Collection and Distribution of Ecological Data by Satellite); The Remote Sensing Forest Map of Europe. HYDROSAT and OSAT are two model missions which serve as cases for service and business ideas. HYDROSAT is a hydrological satellite concept for monitoring arid areas, while OSAT is an operational real-time 3-D high precision weather satellite concept. Both these model missions are briefly discussed, together with two actual application opportunities. One of these, the collection and distribution of ecological data by satellites, was a study performed in close cooperation with the European Commission and later successfully translated into commercial business. This business opportunity is based on ESA-developed Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) technology for cost efficient two-way transmission of low rate data. More than 200 systems have been installed by industry reaching a turnover of several mission ECUs. In the second application, ESA has produced a map based on remote sensing data classifying the European forest. This product — available as hard copy and digital data set — has become a European standard. For some 300 applications within the scientific area, public domain and industry, the data sets have been used in Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Several thousand hard copies have been distributed on request to a variety of user groups, including national ministries and international organisations.
Cost trajectories for cancer patients
Wodchis, W.P.; Arthurs, E.; Khan, A.I.; Gandhi, S.; MacKinnon, M.; Sussman, J.
Background Health care spending is known to be highly skewed, with a small subset of the population consuming a disproportionate amount of health care resources. Patients with cancer are high-cost users because of high incremental health care costs for treatment and the growing prevalence of cancer. The objectives of the present study included characterizing cancer-patient trajectories by cost, and identifying the patient and health system characteristics associated with high health system costs after cancer treatment. Methods This retrospective cohort study identified Ontario adults newly diagnosed with cancer between 1 April 2009 and 30 September 2010. Costs of health care use before, during, and after cancer episodes were used to develop trajectories of care. Descriptive analyses examined differences between the trajectories in terms of clinical and health system characteristics, and a logistic regression approach identified predictors of being a high-cost user after a cancer episode. Results Ten trajectories were developed based on whether patients were high- or low-cost users before and after their cancer episode. The most common trajectory represented patients who were low-cost in the year before cancer, survived treatment, and continued to be low-cost in the year after cancer (31.4%); stage ii cancer of the male genital system was the most common diagnosis within that trajectory. Regression analyses identified increases in age and in multimorbidity and low continuity of care as the strongest predictors of high-cost status after cancer. Conclusions Findings highlight an opportunity to proactively identify patients who might transition to high-cost status after cancer treatment and to remediate that transition. PMID:26985150
Hydropower Baseline Cost Modeling
O'Connor, Patrick W.; Zhang, Qin Fen; DeNeale, Scott T.; Chalise, Dol Raj; Centurion, Emma E.
Recent resource assessments conducted by the United States Department of Energy have identified significant opportunities for expanding hydropower generation through the addition of power to non-powered dams and on undeveloped stream-reaches. Additional interest exists in the powering of existing water resource infrastructure such as conduits and canals, upgrading and expanding existing hydropower facilities, and the construction new pumped storage hydropower. Understanding the potential future role of these hydropower resources in the nation's energy system requires an assessment of the environmental and techno-economic issues associated with expanding hydropower generation. To facilitate these assessments, this report seeks to fill the current gaps in publically available hydropower cost-estimating tools that can support the national-scale evaluation of hydropower resources.
Stratospheric Airships: New Opportunities
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Smith, Ira; Perry, William; West, Mark
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and Aerostar International, Inc. have been involved in developing a lightweight, expendable stratospheric airship since 1997. The concept of a stratospheric airship has been around almost as long as stratospheric free balloons. Airships are defined as lighter-than-air vehicles with propulsion and steering systems. The basic technology that makes stratospheric airships possible is rooted in the free floating stratospheric super pressure balloon technology developed for NASA and the U.S. Air Force over the last 40 years. The current efforts are the next step in a spiral development program for a family of portable launch, long-endurance autonomous solar-electric, stratospheric airships. These low-cost systems will be capable of lifting small to medium payloads (20-200 pounds) to near-space pressure altitudes of 50 mbs for a duration of 30 days or greater. Designed for launch from remote sites like a free balloon, these airships will not require large hangars or special facilities. The paper will include a brief history of stratospheric airship development, a discussion of the flight environment, key technologies and performance trade study results for stratospheric airships. An overview of the application of this technology to Earth and Space Sciences will be presented.
43 CFR 431.5 - Cost data and fund requirements.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
... opportunity to present written views within 30 days of the transmittal of the cost data. Reclamation responses... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cost data and fund requirements. 431.5... AT THE BOULDER CANYON PROJECT, ARIZONA/NEVADA § 431.5 Cost data and fund requirements....
Cost Analysis of Online Courses. AIR 2000 Annual Forum Paper.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Milam, John H., Jr.
This paper presents a complex, hybrid, method of cost analysis of online courses, which incorporates data on expenditures; student/course enrollment; departmental consumption/contribution; space utilization/opportunity costs; direct non-personnel costs; computing support; faculty/staff workload; administrative overhead at the department, dean, and…
Cost Analysis in Telemedicine: Empirical Evidence From Sites in Arizona
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
de la Torre, Adela; Hernandez-Rodriguez, Clemente; Garcia, Lorena
Support of telemedicine for largely rural and ethnically diverse populations is premised on expectations that it increases opportunities for appropriate and timely medical services, and that it improves cost-effective service delivery. To understand the cost-effectiveness of telemedicine in 8 small and/or rural sites in Arizona. A cost analysis…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
At the end of June a new website was launched to enable young people to get involved with the UK's national Foresight programme and to help shape the future. `School of the Future - Young people with Foresight' will provide young people with the means to contribute to the national programme which develops scenarios of the future, looking at possible needs, opportunities or threats and deciding what should be done now to make sure these challenges can be met. The site can be found at www.asset.org.uk and it will be run by the Association for Schools' Science, Engineering and Technology (ASSET). The latest round of Foresight began in April and panels are taking a look at the aging population, crime prevention, built environment and transport, aerospace and systems, energy and the natural environment, information, communications and media, materials and sustainable development, amongst other topics. Information about Foresight activities and events can be obtained from the Office of Science and Technology or the Foresight Knowledge pool at www.foresight.gov.uk. The pool will act as a unique and freely accessible electronic library of views and information about the future that young people will be able to draw on for assistance and reference material. Futher assistance for students will also be on offer from museums and art galleries from now on, thanks to additional funding which has been made available over the next three years. Forty museums and galleries will share up to #2.5m for projects intended to improve students' literacy, numeracy and science skills as well as their understanding of history and art. Examples of the imaginative projects which have been put forward include use of the large collection of steam engines at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester to assist boys' science and literacy skills. The Museum of London will be working with over 2000 schools in the South East to provide materials for the schools' own mini-museums on the Romans
Biogas Opportunities Roadmap Progress Report
None, None
In support of the Obama Administration's Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Agriculture jointly released the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap Progress Report, updating the federal government's progress to reduce methane emissions through biogas systems since the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap was completed by the three agencies in July 2014. The report highlights actions taken, outlines challenges and opportunities, and identifies next steps to the growth of a robust biogas industry.
2014 Cost of Wind Energy Review
Mone, Christopher; Stehly, Tyler; Maples, Ben; Settle, Edward
This report uses representative commercial projects to estimate the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for both land-based and offshore wind plants in the United States for 2014. Scheduled to be published on an annual basis, the analysis relies on both market and modeled data to maintain an up-to-date understanding of wind generation cost trends and drivers. It is intended to provide insight into current component-level costs and a basis for understanding variability in the LCOE across the industry. Data and tools developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are used in this analysis to inform wind technology cost projections, goals, and improvement opportunities.
New Opportunities for Targeted Immunotherapy
A team of NCI researchers has reported that several types of gastrointestinal cancer have tumor-specific mutations that can be recognized by the immune system, thereby offering a new therapeutic opportunity for patients with these tumors.
Nontraditional opportunities for dairy practitioners.
Johnson, A P
Many opportunities exist for dairy practitioners in addition to the conventional fields of disease and sterility treatment. Consultation with dairymen and agribusinesses, professional speaking and writing, service as expert witnesses, and product testing and endorsement are available options. PMID:2819547
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity captured this 360-degree panorama with its navigation camera on the rover's 354th martian day, or sol (Jan. 21, 2005). The view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction. Just to the right of center is the divot where Opportunity's heat shield hit the ground after protecting the spacecraft during descent through Mars'atmosphere. The heat shield was jettisoned about 90 seconds before Opportunity landed about 800 meters (half a mile) away. To the left of the divot is the flank portion of the heat shield debris and in the left foreground is the main wreckage of the heat shield. On the far right is a basketball-size rock dubbed 'Heat Shield Rock,' which Opportunity's inspection identified as an iron-nickel meteorite. The rim of 'Endurance Crater' is visible on the horizon on both the left and right ends of this full-circle view.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bosworth, John T.
The X-56A vehicle presents an excellent research opportunity for NASA. The vehicle will be used to prove the concepts for integrated structural control and modeling of extremely lightweight flexible structures.
Gschneidner, K
There is a great deal of uncertainty for the future of rare-earth production. Rare-earths are a collection of 17 chemical elements in the periodic table, which include scandium and yttrium as well as the 15 lanthanides, such as dysprosium and ytterbium. China has a stranglehold on today's rare-earth market, which was worth about $3bn in 2010, with the country accounting for about 95% of worldwide production. Yet China's future actions can only be guessed at best. In September it halted shipments of rare-earth elements to Japan over a diplomatic spat concerning the detention of a Chinese trawler captain. Although the ban was later lifted, the episode raised concerns around the world about China's rare-earth monopoly and its use in diplomacy. China has already warned that it will not export any rare-earth material in the coming years as it expects its own consumption of rare-earth metals to increase. The country has introduced export taxes as well as production and export quotas, and also refused to grant any new rare-earth mining licences. Furthermore, because its reserves are limited and China's internal markets are growing so rapidly, the country has suggested it will no longer export products that require rare-earth elements, especially those that need heavy rare-earth elements, such as terbium and dysprosium. China's actions have led to huge rises in the cost of rare-earth materials and products. Dysprosium oxide, for example, has shot up from $36 per kilogram in 2005 to a massive $305 per kilogram by late last year. This could have a huge impact on much of today's electronics industry, given that rare-earth elements are ubiquitous in electric motors, computers, batteries, liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) and mobile phones. Neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnets, for example, are used as computer spindle drives. The question is: what can be done to ensure that China's dominance of the rare-earth industry does not affect the military and energy security of the US
24 CFR 180.705 - Attorney's fees and costs.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
... CFR part 14, and an intervenor will be liable for reasonable attorney's fees and costs only to the... OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYMENT AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY CONSOLIDATED HUD HEARING PROCEDURES FOR CIVIL RIGHTS MATTERS...
Ares V: New Opportunities for Scientific Payloads
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Creech, Steve
What if scientists and payload planners had access to three to five times the volume and five to nine times the mass provided by today's launch vehicles? This simple question can lead to numerous exciting possibilities, all involving NASA's new Ares V cargo launch vehicle now on the drawing board. Multiple scientific fields and payload designers have that opportunity with the Ares V cargo launch vehicle, being developed at NASA as the heavy-lift component of the U.S. Space Exploration Policy. When the Ares V begins flying late next decade, its capabilities will significantly exceed the 1960s-era Saturn V or the current Space Shuttle, while it benefits from their engineering, manufacturing, and infrastructure heritage. It will send more crew and cargo to more places on the lunar surface than Apollo and provide ongoing support to a permanent lunar outpost. Moreover, it will restore a strategic heavy-lift U.S. asset, which can support human and robotic exploration and scientific ventures for decades to come. Assessment of astronomy payload requirements since Spring 2008 has indicated that Ares V has the potential to support a range of payloads and missions. Some of these missions were impossible in the absence of Ares V's capabilities. Collaborative design/architecture inputs, exchanges, and analyses have already begun between scientists and payload developers. A 2008 study by a National Research Council (NRC) panel, as well as analyses presented by astronomers and planetary scientists at two weekend conferences in 2008, support the position that Ares V has benefit to a broad range of planetary and astronomy missions. This early dialogue with Ares V engineers is permitting the greatest opportunity for payload/transportation/mission synergy and the least financial impact to Ares V development. In addition, independent analyses suggest that Ares V has the opportunity to enable more cost-effective mission design.
Challenges and Opportunities in Management of Obesity
Acosta, Andres; Abu Dayyeh, Barham K.; Port, John D.; Camilleri, Michael
Despite advances in understanding the roles of adiposity, food intake, gastrointestinal and adipocyte-related hormones, inflammatory mediators, the gut-brain axis, and the hypothalamic nervous system in the pathophysiology of obesity, the effects of different therapeutic interventions on those pathophysiological mechanisms are controversial. There are still no low cost, safe, effective treatments for obesity and its complications. Currently, bariatric surgical approaches targeting the gastrointestinal tract are more effective than non-surgical approaches in inducing weight reduction and resolving obesity-related comorbidities. However, current guidelines emphasize non-surgical approaches through life-style modification and medications to achieve slow weight loss, which is not usually sustained and may be associated with medication-related side effects. This review analyzes current central, peripheral, or hormonal targets to treat obesity, and addresses challenges and opportunities to develop novel approaches for obesity. PMID:24402654
Gas conversion opportunities in LILCO's commercial sector
Pierce, B.
This report presents the results of a preliminary investigation into opportunities for gas conservation in Long Island Lighting Company's commercial sector. It focusses on gas-fired heating equipment. Various sources of data are examined in order to characterize the commercial buildings and equipment in the service territory. Several key pieces of information necessary to predict savings potential are identified. These include the efficiencies and size distribution of existing equipment. Twenty-one specific conservation measures are identified and their applicability is discussed in terms of equipment size. Recommendations include improving the characterization of existing buildings and equipment, and developing a greater understanding of the savings and costs of conservation measures, and their interactions, especially in the middle size range of buildings and equipment.
Analysis of quality costs - A critical element in CIM
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Unal, Resit; Dean, Edwin B.
Computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) is a cohesive database of manufacturing information, providing an opportunity to track quality costs and measure progress toward their reduction. This paper presents the quality cost concept as an approach to identify, measure and reduce quality costs while improving quality within CIM. The effect of advanced failure prevention methodologies, such as continuous process improvement and the quality engineering methods of Taguchi, on quality and cost, is discussed.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Dean, Edwin B.
Parametric cost analysis is a mathematical approach to estimating cost. Parametric cost analysis uses non-cost parameters, such as quality characteristics, to estimate the cost to bring forth, sustain, and retire a product. This paper reviews parametric cost analysis and shows how it can be used within the cost deployment process.
Program Evaluation in Cost Benefit Terms.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tanner, C. Kenneth
This paper advances a model, called the expected opportunity loss model, for curriculum evaluation. This decision-making technique utilizes subjective data by ranking courses according to their expected contributions to the primary objective of the total program. The model also utilizes objective data in the form of component costs, and differs…
Career opportunities in clinical engineering.
Morse, W A
The varied career opportunities open to clinical engineers are described in this paper. Many of these opportunities are within the medical device industry in research, development, manufacturing design, regulatory activities, production, operations, sales, marketing, service, and management. Additional opportunities are available in hospitals, with the Veterans Administration, or working as an entrepreneur or a consultant. Each of these careers requires specific training and skills, and they all require a fundamental scientific knowledge of physical principles and mathematics. Research and management, however, require different educational preparation. The research emphasis should be on theoretical principles and creativity; the management emphasis should be on financial and labor problems. In all clinical engineering careers, the individual is a problem solver. PMID:10120058
Genomics and equal opportunity ethics.
Cappelen, A W; Norheim, O F; Tungodden, B
Genomics provides information on genetic susceptibility to diseases and new possibilities for interventions which can fundamentally alter the design of fair health policies. The aim of this paper is to explore implications of genomics from the perspective of equal opportunity ethics. The ideal of equal opportunity requires that individuals are held responsible for some, but not all, factors that affect their health. Informational problems, however, often make it difficult to implement the ideal of equal opportunity in the context of healthcare. In this paper, examples are considered of how new genetic information may affect the way individual responsibility for choice is assigned. It is also argued that genomics may result in relocation of the responsibility cut by providing both new information and new technology. Finally, how genomics may affect healthcare policies and the market for health insurance is discussed. PMID:18448717
Opportunity's Surroundings on Sol 1687
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2009-01-01NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on the 1,687th Martian day, or sol, of its surface mission (Oct. 22, 2008). Opportunity had driven 133 meters (436 feet) that sol, crossing sand ripples up to about 10 centimeters (4 inches) tall. The tracks visible in the foreground are in the east-northeast direction. Opportunity's position on Sol 1687 was about 300 meters southwest of Victoria Crater. The rover was beginning a long trek toward a much larger crater, Endeavour, about 12 kilometers (7 miles) to the southeast. This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.
Opportunity recognition in complex environments
Pryor, L.
An agent operating in an unpredictable world must be able to take advantage of opportunities but cannot afford to perform a detailed analysis of the effects of every nuance of the current situation on its goals if it is to respond in a timely manner. This paper describes a filtering mechanism that enables the effective recognition of opportunities. The mechanism is based on a characterization of the world in terms of reference features, features that are both cheap and functional and that appear to be prevalent in everyday life. Its use enables the plan execution system PARETO to recognize types of opportunities that other systems cannot. Reference features can also play a role in the detection of threats, and may be involved in the development of expertise.
DSM renewable opportunities in Boston
Tennis, M.W.; Nogee, A.J.; Coakley, S.; Schoengold, D.
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), in conjunction with MSB Energy Associates, conducted a study for the Boston Edison Demand-Side Management (DSM) Settlement Board on the potential for DSM renewables in the Boston area. DSM renewables are resources that can be used in a distributed utility approach to avoid transmission and distribution (T and D) costs, as well as costs associated with operating and building power plants. The results show that avoided costs in areas with deferrable T and D investments can be nearly twice as high as system-wide average avoided costs. As a result, renewable technologies that might not be considered cost effective as DSM under system-wide average criteria, can produce large shavings for the utility and its customers. Adopting a deliberate program designed to provide sustained orderly development of these renewables is essential in order for renewable technologies to achieve the maximum level of cost-effectiveness and net savings.
Opportunity Tracks Seen from Orbit
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Figure 1 NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity landed on the red planet a year ago. This enhanced-resolution image from the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter is the only picture obtained thus far (by Jan. 24, 2005) that shows the tracks made by Opportunity. The image was acquired on April 26, 2004, during Opportunity's 91st martian day, or sol. That was the first day of Opportunity's extended mission, and the rover had recently completed exploration of small 'Fram Crater' on the route from its landing site toward 'Endurance Crater,' where it would eventually spend six months. The rover itself can be seen in this image -- an amazing accomplishment, considering that the orbiter was nearly 400 kilometers (nearly 250 miles) away at the time! Also visible and labeled on this image are the spacecraft's lander, backshell, parachute and heat shield, plus effects of its landing rockets. The camera captured this image with use of a technique called compensated pitch and roll targeted observation. In this method, the entire spacecraft rolls as it passes over the target area so the camera can scan in a way that sees details at three times higher resolution than the camera's normal high-resolution capability. The tracks made by Opportunity on the sandy surface of Meridiani Planum are not quite as visible from orbit as are the tracks made in Gusev Crater by the other Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit. A dustier surface at the Spirit site increases contrast between the tracks and the surrounding surfaces. Indeed, some parts of the track made by Opportunity are not visible in this image. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left. North is toward the top of the image. The 100-meter scale bar is 109 yards long.
Photovoltaics: New opportunities for utilities
Not Available
This publication presents information on photovoltaics. The following topics are discussed: Residential Photovoltaics: The New England Experience Builds Confidence in PV; Austin's 300-kW Photovoltaic Power Station: Evaluating the Breakeven Costs; Residential Photovoltaics: The Lessons Learned; Photovoltaics for Electric Utility Use; Least-Cost Planning: The Environmental Link; Photovoltaics in the Distribution System; Photovoltaic Systems for the Rural Consumer; The Issues of Utility-Intertied Photovoltaics; and Photovoltaics for Large-Scale Use: Costs Ready to Drop Again.
Opportunities with Polarized Hadron Beams
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lorenzon, Wolfgang
Spin physics at future hadron facilities provide unique opportunities for the study of QCD well beyond those available at existing facilities. Opportunities with polarized protons in the Fermilab Main Injector are discussed that encompass polarized Drell-Yan scattering of unprecedented precision and also enable measurements of transversity, helicty and other transverse momentum dependent distributions. Forthcoming measurements at COMPASS-II that aim to test fundamental predictions of non-perturbative QCD, and complementary studies at RHIC-Spin that address, among others, open puzzles such as the sharing of the nucleon spin among its constituents are also discussed.
NOAA Educational Programs and Opportunities
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jackson, N. L.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conduct research and gather data about global oceans, atmosphere, space, and the sun. NOAA recruits and retains professional scientific and technical candidates in a variety of specialized occupations. The NOAA Satellites and Information Service is responsible for managing the nations civil operational earth observing satellites. This agency provides opportunities to teachers and students to work with researchers to learn applications or remote sensed data and to develop curricula with create both a stimulating and fruitful classroom experience. This session will offer an overview of NOAA and a discussion on the various opportunities available to teachers and students. Free materials will be given to the attendees.
Opportunity's Surroundings on Sol 1818
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2009-01-01NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this full-circle view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,818th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's surface mission (March 5, 2009). South is at the center; north at both ends. The rover had driven 80.3 meters (263 feet) southward earlier on that sol. Tracks from the drive recede northward in this view. The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and lighter-toned bedrock. This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.
Opportunity and Its Mother Ship
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
This image captured by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's navigation camera shows the rover and the now-empty lander that carried it 283 million miles to Meridiani Planum, Mars. Engineers received confirmation that Opportunity's six wheels rolled off the lander and onto martian soil at 3:02 a.m. PST, January 31, 2004, on the seventh martian day, or sol, of the mission. The rover, seen at the bottom of the image, is approximately 1 meter (3 feet) in front of the lander, facing north.
Moe, Wayne
This paper discusses the results of a cost/benefit-oriented assessment related to sizing of the emergency planning zones (EPZs) for advanced, small modular reactors (SMRs). An appropriately sized EPZ could result in significant cost savings for SMR licensees. Papers published by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other organizations discuss the applicability of current emergency preparedness regulatory requirements to SMRs, including determining an appropriate EPZ size. Both the NRC and the industry recognize that a methodology should be developed for determining appropriate EPZ sizing for SMRs. Relative costs for smaller EPZs envisioned for SMRs have been assessed qualitatively as discussed in this paper. Building off the foundation provided in the earlier papers, this paper provides a quantitative cost/benefit-oriented assessment of offsite emergency planning costs for EPZ sizes that may be justified for SMRs as compared to costs typically incurred for the current fleet of U.S. nuclear power plants. This assessment determined that a licensee utilizing a smaller EPZ could realize significant savings in offsite emergency planning costs over the nominal 40-year lifetime for an SMR. This cost/benefit-oriented assessment suggests that a reduction of the plume exposure pathway EPZ from 10 miles to the site boundary could reduce offsite emergency planning related costs by more than 90% over the 40 year life of a typical single unit nuclear power plant.
Science Opportunity Analyzer (SOA) Version 8
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Witoff, Robert J.; Polanskey, Carol A.; Aguinaldo, Anna Marie A.; Liu, Ning; Hofstadter, Mark D.
SOA allows scientists to plan spacecraft observations. It facilitates the identification of geometrically interesting times in a spacecraft s orbit that a user can use to plan observations or instrument-driven spacecraft maneuvers. These observations can then be visualized multiple ways in both two- and three-dimensional views. When observations have been optimized within a spacecraft's flight rules, the resulting plans can be output for use by other JPL uplink tools. Now in its eighth major version, SOA improves on these capabilities in a modern and integrated fashion. SOA consists of five major functions: Opportunity Search, Visualization, Observation Design, Constraint Checking, and Data Output. Opportunity Search is a GUI-driven interface to existing search engines that can be used to identify times when a spacecraft is in a specific geometrical relationship with other bodies in the solar system. This function can be used for advanced mission planning as well as for making last-minute adjustments to mission sequences in response to trajectory modifications. Visualization is a key aspect of SOA. The user can view observation opportunities in either a 3D representation or as a 2D map projection. Observation Design allows the user to orient the spacecraft and visualize the projection of the instrument field of view for that orientation using the same views as Opportunity Search. Constraint Checking is provided to validate various geometrical and physical aspects of an observation design. The user has the ability to easily create custom rules or to use official project-generated flight rules. This capability may also allow scientists to easily assess the cost to science if flight rule changes occur. Data Output allows the user to compute ancillary data related to an observation or to a given position of the spacecraft along its trajectory. The data can be saved as a tab-delimited text file or viewed as a graph. SOA combines science planning functionality unique to
Using Activity Theory to Understand Entrepreneurial Opportunity
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Holt, Robin
Entrepreneurship is often described as the ability to recognize and exploit opportunities. Identifying opportunities is intentional and idiosyncratic insofar as they are recognized as opportunities is a novel and conscious event (otherwise the entrepreneur would be doing nothing new). Yet opportunities also have to be recognized by others as ones…
Primer of Equal Employment Opportunity.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Anderson, Howard J.
This booklet presents laws and court cases concerning discrimination in hiring. It begins with a presentation of the laws and orders regulating equal employment opportunity and the remedies available. It lists those employees and employers to whom the laws apply and exemptions. Sections deal with discrimination on the basis of race, sex, sexual…
Women in Technology, Project Opportunity.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Di Benedetto, Victoria; Ortiz, Rachel
Project Opportunity is designed to provide a bridge curriculum for women who choose to enter nontraditional vocational education and training that will furnish marketable skills to low-income women, single parents, displaced homemakers, young pregnant women, and near-homeless women. A total of 45 women were chosen to participate in the 1993-94…
Graduate Opportunities for Black Students.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Paynter, Julie, Ed.
This document catalogues graduate opportunities specifically for black students in 1969-70 at 42 universities, 96 additional graduate departments (social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, and humanities), and 111 additional professional schools (particularly social work, education, law, medicine, theology, business, and library science).…
A Wider Spectrum of Opportunities.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Council for Industry and Higher Education (United Kingdom).
The United Kingdom must invest in a comprehensive system of post-18 education that is broadly inclusive and that offers a broad range of educational opportunities to meet the needs of both the increasing numbers of 16-year-olds choosing to pursue postsecondary education and the many older individuals needing additional education throughout their…
Learning Opportunities for Older People.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
MacKeracher, Dorothy
The author summarizes a conference on learning opportunities for older people by discussing six issues: (1) perspectives of older people and service providers; (2) categorization of older learners; (3) learning needs of older people; (4) participation rates; (5) government policies; and (6) curriculum concerns. (SK)
Crop stubble needs and opportunities
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Farmers in Australia and elsewhere around the world are being offered opportunities to market their crop residues as a bioenergy feedstock, but many are not aware of how that could affect their soil resources. This report shares information from the USDA-ARS Renewable Energy Assessment Project (REAP...
Equal Educational Opportunity Resource Handbook.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Oregon State Dept. of Education, Salem.
Since theory and practice of equal educational opportunity is an issue which is currently confronting decisionmakers at all levels of American education, this handbook presents key federal regulations and Oregon statutes, and administrative rules which provide for equality in employment and in the delivery of educational services. Sources of…
Equalizing Educational Opportunity Through Funding.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McGary, Carroll R.
This speech incorporates a major policy statement regarding school subsidies in Maine. The author discusses equality of educational opportunity; and he comments on the property tax, wealth-connected inequities, and class action suits. The speech focuses on a discussion of the Maine subsidy law and its effects; as well as the Maine property, sales,…
Suborbital Research and Development Opportunities
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Davis, Jeffrey R.
This slide presentation reviews the new strategies for problem solving in the life sciences in the suborbital realm. Topics covered are: an overview of the space life sciences, the strategic initiatives that the Space Life Sciences organization engaged in, and the new business model that these initiatives were developed. Several opportunities for research are also reviewed.
Professional Female Athletes. Financial Opportunities.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Clement, Annie
Female professional athletes are earning more than ever before and projections suggest opportunities will continue to increase. Salary differentials between male and female tennis and golf professionals are made. Product endorsement income is discussed. Steps coaches, parents, counselors, and colleges should take in guiding females toward…
STEM Regional Collaboratives: The Opportunity
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Couturier, Lara K.
Recent research has helped shift the national understanding of the opportunities presented by Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields, drawing attention to the large number of STEM jobs that require less than a Bachelor's degree. The data have also highlighted the critical importance of community colleges as a primary provider…
Re-Employment Opportunity Center.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mann, Michelle; And Others
The Washington State Employment Security Department and Columbia Basin Community College have been partners in delivering training, education, and re-employment services at the Re-Employment Opportunity Center (ROC). The ROC targets dislocated workers, especially those affected by downsizing at the Department of Energy, and provides retraining,…
Opportunity at 'Cook Islands' (Polar)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2009-01-01NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this full-circle view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,825th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's surface mission (March 12, 2009). North is at the top. This view is presented as a polar projection with geometric seam correction. The rover had driven half a meter (1.5 feet) earlier on Sol 1825 to fine-tune its location for placing its robotic arm onto an exposed patch of outcrop including a target area informally called 'Cook Islands.' On the preceding sol, Opportunity turned around to drive frontwards and then drove 4.5 meters (15 feet) toward this outcrop. The tracks from the SOl 1824 drive are visible near the center of this view at about the 11 o'clock position. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 1 meter (about 40 inches). Opportunity had previously been driving backward as a strategy to redistribute lubrication in a wheel drawing more electrical current than usual. The outcrop exposure that includes 'Cook Islands' is visible just below the center of the image. The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and lighter-toned bedrock.
Opportunity at 'Cook Islands' (Vertical)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2009-01-01NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this full-circle view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,825th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's surface mission (March 12, 2009). North is at the top. This view is presented as a vertical projection with geometric seam correction. The rover had driven half a meter (1.5 feet) earlier on Sol 1825 to fine-tune its location for placing its robotic arm onto an exposed patch of outcrop including a target area informally called 'Cook Islands.' On the preceding sol, Opportunity turned around to drive frontwards and then drove 4.5 meters (15 feet) toward this outcrop. The tracks from the SOl 1824 drive are visible near the center of this view at about the 11 o'clock position. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 1 meter (about 40 inches). Opportunity had previously been driving backward as a strategy to redistribute lubrication in a wheel drawing more electrical current than usual. The outcrop exposure that includes 'Cook Islands' is visible just below the center of the image. The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and lighter-toned bedrock.
Closing the Windows on Opportunity.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Coombs, Norman
The rapid adoption of graphic user interface (GUI), as indicated by Microsoft's Windows95 and the Internet's increased use of graphics, is threatening information technology opportunities for people with disabilities. Recent legislation requires that schools provide access to computers and information technology, and producers of Mosaic are…
Strategic Opportunities for Cooperative Extension
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, 2007
In this new century, opportunities exist to help advance America's greatness in the midst of many challenges. Energy, water, food, environment, health, economic productivity, global competitiveness, and the quality of the living environments are all paramount to the future. Extension is, as a part of higher education, prepared to create new…
Postdoctoral Opportunities and Career Options
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Manka, R. H.
Following the completion of a Ph.D. degree, in the sciences a postdoctoral appointment has traditionally been a key step in career development to expand the student's background and broaden their perspective. The postdoctoral appointment often is almost a requirement to obtain some positions in academia and government laboratories. In addition, postdoctoral positions in industry are becoming more common and offer an opportunity to explore a field without making a long-term commitment. We describe the nature of a postdoctoral appointment and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the recent Ph.D. taking a postdoctoral position. We comment on the role such positions play in university, government and the corporate research. Finally, we describe some of the national postdoctoral opportunities that exist including large programs offered by the National Research Council through Federal laboratories including those of NASA, NOAA, EPA, and the Department of Defense. Exciting new interdisciplinary opportunities such as fellowships at the NASA Astrobiology Institute are summarized, as are international opportunities such as the von Humboldt fellowships in Germany.
The challenges and opportunities of supersonic transport propulsion technology
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Strack, William C.; Morris, Shelby J., Jr.
The major challenges confronting the propulsion community for civil supersonic transport applications are identified: high propulsion system efficiency at both supersonic and subsonic cruise conditions, low-cost fuel with adequate thermal stability at high temperatures, low noise cycles and exhaust systems, low emission combustion systems, and low drag installations. Both past progress and future opportunities are discussed in relation to perceived technology shortfalls for an economically successful airplane that satisfies environmental constraints.
Principles and methods of managerial cost-accounting systems.
Suver, J D; Cooper, J C
An introduction to cost-accounting systems for pharmacy managers is provided; terms are defined and examples of specific applications are given. Cost-accounting systems determine, record, and report the resources consumed in providing services. An effective cost-accounting system must provide the information needed for both internal and external reports. In accounting terms, cost is the value given up to secure an asset. In determining how volumes of activity affect costs, fixed costs and variable costs are calculated; applications include pricing strategies, cost determinations, and break-even analysis. Also discussed are the concepts of direct and indirect costs, opportunity costs, and incremental and sunk costs. For most pharmacy department services, process costing, an accounting of intermediate outputs and homogeneous units, is used; in determining the full cost of providing a product or service (e.g., patient stay), job-order costing is used. Development of work-performance standards is necessary for monitoring productivity and determining product costs. In allocating pharmacy department costs, a ratio of costs to charges can be used; this method is convenient, but microcosting (specific identification of the costs of products) is more accurate. Pharmacy managers can use cost-accounting systems to evaluate the pharmacy's strategies, policies, and services and to improve budgets and reports. PMID:3348229
Lamb Production Costs: Analyses of Composition and Elasticities Analysis of Lamb Production Costs
Raineri, C.; Stivari, T. S. S.; Gameiro, A. H.
Since lamb is a commodity, producers cannot control the price of the product they sell. Therefore, managing production costs is a necessity. We explored the study of elasticities as a tool for basing decision-making in sheep production, and aimed at investigating the composition and elasticities of lamb production costs, and their influence on the performance of the activity. A representative sheep production farm, designed in a panel meeting, was the base for calculation of lamb production cost. We then performed studies of: i) costs composition, and ii) cost elasticities for prices of inputs and for zootechnical indicators. Variable costs represented 64.15% of total cost, while 21.66% were represented by operational fixed costs, and 14.19% by the income of the factors. As for elasticities to input prices, the opportunity cost of land was the item to which production cost was more sensitive: a 1% increase in its price would cause a 0.2666% increase in lamb cost. Meanwhile, the impact of increasing any technical indicator was significantly higher than the impact of rising input prices. A 1% increase in weight at slaughter, for example, would reduce total cost in 0.91%. The greatest obstacle to economic viability of sheep production under the observed conditions is low technical efficiency. Increased production costs are more related to deficient zootechnical indexes than to high expenses. PMID:26104531
Lamb Production Costs: Analyses of Composition and Elasticities Analysis of Lamb Production Costs.
Raineri, C; Stivari, T S S; Gameiro, A H
Since lamb is a commodity, producers cannot control the price of the product they sell. Therefore, managing production costs is a necessity. We explored the study of elasticities as a tool for basing decision-making in sheep production, and aimed at investigating the composition and elasticities of lamb production costs, and their influence on the performance of the activity. A representative sheep production farm, designed in a panel meeting, was the base for calculation of lamb production cost. We then performed studies of: i) costs composition, and ii) cost elasticities for prices of inputs and for zootechnical indicators. Variable costs represented 64.15% of total cost, while 21.66% were represented by operational fixed costs, and 14.19% by the income of the factors. As for elasticities to input prices, the opportunity cost of land was the item to which production cost was more sensitive: a 1% increase in its price would cause a 0.2666% increase in lamb cost. Meanwhile, the impact of increasing any technical indicator was significantly higher than the impact of rising input prices. A 1% increase in weight at slaughter, for example, would reduce total cost in 0.91%. The greatest obstacle to economic viability of sheep production under the observed conditions is low technical efficiency. Increased production costs are more related to deficient zootechnical indexes than to high expenses. PMID:26104531
Assessing the market opportunities of landfill mining.
van der Zee, D J; Achterkamp, M C; de Visser, B J
Long-term estimates make clear that the amount of solid waste to be processed at landfills in the Netherlands will sharply decline in coming years. Major reasons can be found in the availability of improved technologies for waste recycling and government regulations aiming at waste reduction. Consequently, market size for companies operating landfills shrinks. Among the companies facing the problem is the Dutch company Essent. Given the expected market conditions, it looks for alternative business opportunities. Landfill mining, i.e., the recycling of existing landfills, is considered one of them. Proceeds of landfill mining are related to, for example, recycled materials available for re-use, regained land, and possibilities for a more efficient operation of a landfill. The market for landfill mining is of a considerable size--there are about 3800 landfills located in the Netherlands. Given market size the company faces the dilemma of how to explore this market, i.e., select the most profitable landfills in a fast and efficient way. No existing methods or tools could be found to do so. Therefore, to answer to the problem posed, we propose a step-wise research method for market exploration. The basic idea behind the method is to provide an adequate, cost-saving and timely answer by relying on a series of quick scans. Relevant aspects of a mining project concern the proceeds of regained land and recyclables, the costs of the mining operation and the associated business and environmental risks. The method has been tested for its practical use in a pilot study. The pilot study addressed 147 landfills located in the Dutch Province of Noord-Brabant. The study made clear how method application resulted in the selection of a limited number of high potential landfills in a few weeks, involving minimal research costs. PMID:15381231
The state of the art of costing health care for economic evaluation.
Donaldson, C
In this paper, the principles of costing health care for economic evaluation are outlined. Hypothetical and published examples are used to illustrate these principles. First, the economic concept of opportunity cost is defined. Secondly, the techniques of economic evaluation which follow from this definition are introduced: they are cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-utility analysis. Thirdly, a list of costs which should be considered for inclusion in either of these types of evaluation is provided, this listing being based on the concept of opportunity cost. Problems of measurement and valuation of costs are then outlined, focusing in particular on inflation, discounting, marginal costing, patient-based versus per diem costing, allocating overheads, costing capital and equipment and adjusting distorted market valuations. An example of sensitivity analysis is provided and also a checklist of questions to ask when setting up any costing exercise within an economic evaluation. PMID:2127388
Unraveling Higher Education's Costs.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gordon, Gus; Charles, Maria
The activity-based costing (ABC) method of analyzing institutional costs in higher education involves four procedures: determining the various discrete activities of the organization; calculating the cost of each; determining the cost drivers; tracing cost to the cost objective or consumer of each activity. Few American institutions have used the…
Technology transfer opportunities: partnership opportunities available at the USGS
U.S. Geological Survey
The following are USGS research projects offering an opportunity for Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) partnerships. A CRADA is an agreement between one or more Federal agencies and one or more non-Federal agencies to work together in research or developmental activities. CRADAs permit both partners to share information in a protected environment and offer incentives to the non-Federal partner(s) to commercialize the resulting product of the effort.
Recent Opportunity Microscopic Imager Results
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Herkenhoff, K. E.; Arvidson, R. E.; Jolliff, B. L.; Yingst, R.; Team, A.
Opportunity arrived at exposures of Endeavour crater rim rocks in August 2011, on a hill dubbed 'Cape York.' These rocks have been the goal of exploration by Opportunity for the past few years because spectral evidence for phyllosilicates was observed at this location in orbital remote sensing data. As Opportunity circum¬navigated Cape York, the Microscopic Imager (MI) was used to examine the fine-scale textures of various soils and rocky outcrops. As reported previously, Opportunity discovered multiple bright linear features along the western periphery of Cape York that have been interpreted as veins of Ca sulfate deposited in fractures within the bedrock of Cape York. Opportunity then explored the northern and eastern sides of Cape York, including the area around 'Matijevic Hill' that shows evidence for phyllosilicates in CRISM data acquired from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. One of the first outcrops examined near Matijevic Hill, dubbed 'Kirkwood,' is dominated by millimeter-size spherules. Unlike the hematite-rich concretions observed by Opportunity on Meridiani Planum, the aggregated 'newberries' in the Kirkwood exposure display internal structure and resistant rims. Compositionally, the spherule-rich rock is very similar to a nearby spherule-poor outcrop dubbed 'Whitewater Lake.' Thus these spherules have a more basalt-like composition compared to the hematite-rich concretions of the Burns Formation. The origin of the Kirkwood outcrop is uncertain, but the setting on the rim of the 22-km diameter Endeavour crater suggests that perhaps impact melting was involved in lapilli formation, possibly followed by mobilization and sorting in the ejecta blanket. Alternatively, the newberries may be diagenetic iron oxide concretions that are less well cemented than the 'blueberries' of the younger sulfate-rich Burns Formation. The Whitewater Lake outcrops contain the phyllosilicate phases observed from orbit, and are the oldest materials yet investigated by
10 CFR 434.607 - Life cycle cost analysis criteria.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
... subpart A of 10 CFR part 436. When performing optional life cycle cost analyses of energy conservation opportunities the designer may use the life cycle cost procedures of subpart A of 10 CFR part 436 or OMB... HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Building Energy Compliance Alternative § 434.607 Life cycle...
10 CFR 434.607 - Life cycle cost analysis criteria.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
... subpart A of 10 CFR part 436. When performing optional life cycle cost analyses of energy conservation opportunities the designer may use the life cycle cost procedures of subpart A of 10 CFR part 436 or OMB... HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Building Energy Compliance Alternative § 434.607 Life cycle...
10 CFR 434.607 - Life cycle cost analysis criteria.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
... subpart A of 10 CFR part 436. When performing optional life cycle cost analyses of energy conservation opportunities the designer may use the life cycle cost procedures of subpart A of 10 CFR part 436 or OMB... HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Building Energy Compliance Alternative § 434.607 Life cycle...
10 CFR 434.607 - Life cycle cost analysis criteria.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
... subpart A of 10 CFR part 436. When performing optional life cycle cost analyses of energy conservation opportunities the designer may use the life cycle cost procedures of subpart A of 10 CFR part 436 or OMB... HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Building Energy Compliance Alternative § 434.607 Life cycle...
10 CFR 434.607 - Life cycle cost analysis criteria.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
... subpart A of 10 CFR part 436. When performing optional life cycle cost analyses of energy conservation opportunities the designer may use the life cycle cost procedures of subpart A of 10 CFR part 436 or OMB... HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Building Energy Compliance Alternative § 434.607 Life cycle...
System, cost, and risk analysis for access to space
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Chase, James P.; Carter, Rebecca L.; Smith, Jeffrey L.
This paper proposes the use of a new tool more quickly develop initial cost and risk estimates of alternative flight options for both single missions and the partnering of missions into a single space flight. this work is particularly useful for small missions that require low-cost opportunities for accessing space.
Opportunities for innovation: Pollution prevention
Edgerly, D.E.
The objective was to identify technological opportunities within a number of selected industries and/or manufacturing/finishing processes, to reduce pollution. These industries/processes were selected as representative of and applicable to the broad range of U.S. manufacturing businesses. These include: metals coating (i.e., painting) which is widely done in a number of major industries, including the automotive industry; metals degreasing; recyclability of office equipment; chemical manufacturing; printing; textiles dye and dyeing; and the pulp and paper industry. Additionally, the promulgation of new regulations, requiring companies to change their historical manufacturing and waste generating/disposal practices, will continue to create technological needs and opportunities for savvy businesses to develop solutions.
Physics research opportunities with XFEL's.
Sinha, S. K.
The advent of x-ray Free Electron Lasers will present a number of unique new scientific opportunities. These arise from their special characteristics which include intensely brilliant pulses of x-rays delivered in very short times, complete transverse coherence, and high photon quantum degeneracy, amongst other things. While clearly much thought needs to be given to a detailed quantitative assessment of the feasibility of various experiments using such sources, including methods of dealing with heat loads on beamline optics and radiation damage to samples, there are a number of areas in which one can see new opportunities, and other exciting possibilities about which one might speculate. In this talk the author briefly reviews some of these areas, such as x-ray holography, pump-probe type experiments, correlation spectroscopy and quantum optics experiments with x-rays.
Opportunities for research in aerothermodynamics
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Graham, R. W.
"Aerothermodynamics' involves the disciplines of chemistry, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer which have collaborative importance in propulsion systems. There are growing opportunities for the further application of these disciplines to improve the methodology for the design of advanced gas turbines; particularly, the combustor and turbine. Design procedures follow empirical or cut and try guidelines. The tremendous advances in computational analysis and in instrumentation techniques hold promise for research answers to complex physical processes that are currently not well understood. The transfer of basic research understanding to engineering design should result in shorter, less expensive development commitments for engines. The status and anticipated opportunities in research topics relevant to combustors and turbines is reviewed.
Opportunity's Surroundings on Sol 1798
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2009-01-01NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 180-degree view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,798th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's surface mission (Feb. 13, 2009). North is on top. The rover had driven 111 meters (364 feet) southward on the preceding sol. Tracks from that drive recede northward in this view. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 1 meter (about 40 inches). The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and lighter-toned bedrock. This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.
US maglev: Status and opportunities
Coffey, H.T.
Recognizing the development of maglev systems in Germany and Japan, and the growing congestion, air pollution and energy consumption resulting from our current transportation system, the United States, in 1990, embarked on a program to evaluate the potential usefulness of these systems in the US. In this paper, the utility of maglev systems in alleviating some of these problems, progress in the current program, and opportunities for participation by the superconductivity and cryogenic communities are discussed.
US maglev: Status and opportunities
Coffey, H.T.
Recognizing the development of maglev systems in Germany and Japan, and the growing congestion, air pollution and energy consumption resulting from our current transportation system, the United States, in 1990, embarked on a program to evaluate the potential usefulness of these systems in the US. In this paper, the utility of maglev systems in alleviating some of these problems, progress in the current program, and opportunities for participation by the superconductivity and cryogenic communities are discussed.
Opportunity at 'Cook Islands' (Stereo)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2009-01-01[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Left-eye view of a color stereo pair for PIA11854 [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Right-eye view of a color stereo pair for PIA11854 NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this full-circle view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,825th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's surface mission (March 12, 2009). North is at the top. This view combines images from the left-eye and right-eye sides of the navigation camera. It appears three-dimensional when viewed through red-blue glasses with the red lens on the left. The rover had driven half a meter (1.5 feet) earlier on Sol 1825 to fine-tune its location for placing its robotic arm onto an exposed patch of outcrop including a target area informally called 'Cook Islands.' On the preceding sol, Opportunity turned around to drive frontwards and then drove 4.5 meters (15 feet) toward this outcrop. The tracks from the SOl 1824 drive are visible near the center of this view at about the 11 o'clock position. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 1 meter (about 40 inches). Opportunity had previously been driving backward as a strategy to redistribute lubrication in a wheel drawing more electrical current than usual. The outcrop exposure that includes 'Cook Islands' is visible just below the center of the image. The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and lighter-toned bedrock. This view is presented as a cylindrical-perspective projection with geometric seam correction.
Office of Equal Opportunity Programs
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Chin, Jennifer L.
The NASA Glenn Office of Equal Opportunity Programs works to provide quality service for all programs and/or to assist the Center in becoming a model workplace. During the summer of 2004, I worked with Deborah Cotleur along with other staff members to create and modify customer satisfaction surveys. This office aims to assist in developing a model workplace by providing functions as a change agent to the center by serving as an advisor to management to ensure equity throughout the Center. In addition, the office serves as a mediator for the Center in addressing issues and concerns. Lastly, the office provides assistance to employees to enable attainment of personal and organizational goals. The Office of Equal Opportunities is a staff office which reports and provides advice to the Center Director and Executive Leadership, implements laws, regulations, and presidential executive orders, and provides center wide leadership and assistance to NASA GRC employees. Some of the major responsibilities of the office include working with the discrimination complaints program, special emphasis programs (advisory groups), management support, monitoring and evaluation, contract compliance, and community outreach. During my internship in this office, my main objective was to create four customer satisfaction surveys based on EO retreats, EO observances, EO advisory boards, and EO mediation/counseling. I created these surveys after conducting research on past events and surveys as well as similar survey research created and conducted by other NASA centers, program for EO Advisory group members, leadership training sessions for supervisors, preventing sexual harassment training sessions, and observance events. I also conducted research on the style and format from feedback surveys from the Marshall Equal Opportunity website, the Goddard website, and the main NASA website. Using the material from the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs at Glenn Research Center along with my
Opportunity Egress Aid Contacts Soil
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
This image from the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the rover's egress aid touching the martian soil at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The image was taken after the rear lander petal hyperextended in a manuever to tilt the lander forward. The maneuver pushed the front edge lower, placing the tips of the egress aids in the soil. The rover will drive straight ahead to exit the lander.
Decadal opportunities for space architects
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sherwood, Brent
A significant challenge for the new field of space architecture is the dearth of project opportunities. Yet every year more young professionals express interest to enter the field. This paper derives projections that bound the number, type, and range of global development opportunities that may be reasonably expected over the next few decades for human space flight (HSF) systems so those interested in the field can benchmark their goals. Four categories of HSF activity are described: human Exploration of solar system bodies; human Servicing of space-based assets; large-scale development of space Resources; and Breakout of self-sustaining human societies into the solar system. A progressive sequence of capabilities for each category starts with its earliest feasible missions and leads toward its full expression. The four sequences are compared in scale, distance from Earth, and readiness. Scenarios hybridize the most synergistic features from the four sequences for comparison to status quo, government-funded HSF program plans. Finally qualitative, decadal, order-of-magnitude estimates are derived for system development needs, and hence opportunities for space architects. Government investment towards human planetary exploration is the weakest generator of space architecture work. Conversely, the strongest generator is a combination of three market drivers: (1) commercial passenger travel in low Earth orbit; (2) in parallel, government extension of HSF capability to GEO; both followed by (3) scale-up demonstration of end-to-end solar power satellites in GEO. The rich end of this scale affords space architecture opportunities which are more diverse, complex, large-scale, and sociologically challenging than traditional exploration vehicle cabins and habitats.
Future practice risks: obstacles with opportunities.
Mallory, Thomas H
The encouragement of a consumer-directed insurance market and the involvement of corporate America have led to a transformation of the healthcare system that will redefine patient expectations and the role of the physician. The expectation of a higher level of customer service, the role of electronic media, and an earnest regard for healthcare by the patient will impact the physician. Consumer-directed healthcare will call for a reprioritization, focusing on service, convenience, competency, quality, and low cost. Indifference to patient courtesies or failure to become involved in modern technology may cause the physician to be bypassed from this new healthcare system. As the business world integrates the business model into the medical profession, healthcare organizations will restructure themselves into well-organized business enterprises employing physicians. The singular physician may no longer be competitive with such business enterprises, leading to consolidation of organizations and a significant decision for the physician. The physician will have the unusual opportunity to either remain exclusively a medical professional or to also venture into the business world as an equity investor, participating in financial growth possibilities of those medical practice organizations that are for-profit. With the emergence of these new equity models of healthcare, the primary focus will be on profit, production, and service efficiencies. It is the responsibility of the physician to maintain professionalism and the commitment to quality and appropriateness of patient care. However, at the same time, the physician has the unique opportunity to participate in the distribution, economics, and subsequent financial profit of healthcare. The medical experience of the physician, coupled with business acumen, will be an unbeatable combination. PMID:12567133
Pollution prevention cost savings potential
Celeste, J.
The waste generated by DOE facilities is a serious problem that significantly impacts current operations, increases future waste management costs, and creates future environmental liabilities. Pollution Prevention (P2) emphasizes source reduction through improved manufacturing and process control technologies. This concept must be incorporated into DOE`s overall operating philosophy and should be an integral part of Total Quality Management (TQM) program. P2 reduces the amount of waste generated, the cost of environmental compliance and future liabilities, waste treatment, and transportation and disposal costs. To be effective, P2 must contribute to the bottom fine in reducing the cost of work performed. P2 activities at LLNL include: researching and developing innovative manufacturing; evaluating new technologies, products, and chemistries; using alternative cleaning and sensor technologies; performing Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessments (PPOAs); and developing outreach programs with small business. Examples of industrial outreach are: innovative electroplating operations, printed circuit board manufacturing, and painting operations. LLNL can provide the infrastructure and technical expertise to address a wide variety of industrial concerns.
Compelling Research Opportunities using Isotopes
Isotopes are vital to the science and technology base of the US economy. Isotopes, both stable and radioactive, are essential tools in the growing science, technology, engineering, and health enterprises of the 21st century. The scientific discoveries and associated advances made as a result of the availability of isotopes today span widely from medicine to biology, physics, chemistry, and a broad range of applications in environmental and material sciences. Isotope issues have become crucial aspects of homeland security. Isotopes are utilized in new resource development, in energy from bio-fuels, petrochemical and nuclear fuels, in drug discovery, health care therapies and diagnostics, in nutrition, in agriculture, and in many other areas. The development and production of isotope products unavailable or difficult to get commercially have been most recently the responsibility of the Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy program. The President's FY09 Budget request proposed the transfer of the Isotope Production program to the Department of Energy's Office of Science in Nuclear Physics and to rename it the National Isotope Production and Application program (NIPA). The transfer has now taken place with the signing of the 2009 appropriations bill. In preparation for this, the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee (NSAC) was requested to establish a standing subcommittee, the NSAC Isotope Subcommittee (NSACI), to advise the DOE Office of Nuclear Physics. The request came in the form of two charges: one, on setting research priorities in the short term for the most compelling opportunities from the vast array of disciplines that develop and use isotopes and two, on making a long term strategic plan for the NIPA program. This is the final report to address charge 1. NSACI membership is comprised of experts from the diverse research communities, industry, production, and homeland security. NSACI discussed research opportunities divided into three areas: (1) medicine
Opportunity's 'Rub al Khali' Panorama
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Click on the image for Opportunity's 'Rub al Khali' Panorama (QTVR) This panoramic image, dubbed 'Rub al Khali,' was acquired by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on the plains of Meridiani during the period from the rover's 456th to 464th sols on Mars (May 6 to May 14, 2005). Opportunity was about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) south of 'Endurance Crater' at a place known informally as 'Purgatory Dune.' The rover was stuck in the dune's deep fine sand for more than a month. 'Rub al Khali' (Arabic translation: 'the empty quarter') was chosen as the name for this panorama because it is the name of a similarly barren, desolate part of the Saudi Arabian desert on Earth. The view spans 360 degrees. It consists of images obtained in 97 individual pointings of the panoramic camera. The camera took images with five camera filters at each pointing. This 22,780-by-6,000-pixel mosaic is an approximately true-color rendering generated using the images acquired through filters admitting light wavelengths of 750, 530, and 480 nanometers. Lighting varied during the nine sols it took to acquire this panorama, resulting in some small image seams within the mosaic. These seams have been smoothed in sky parts of the mosaic to better simulate the vista that a person would see if able to view it all at the same time on Mars. Opportunity's tracks leading back to the north (center of the panorama) are a reminder of the rover's long trek from Endurance Crater. The deep ruts dug by Opportunity's wheels as it became stuck in the sand appear in the foreground. The crest and trough of the last ripple the rover crossed before getting stuck is visible in the center. These wind-formed sand features are only about 10 to 15 centimeters (4 to 6 inches) tall. The crest of the actual ripple where the rover got stuck can be seen just to the right of center. The tracks and a few other places on and near ripple crests can
Managing costs. [Resource recovery facility costs
Paret, M.P. ); Strouse, R.K. )
This article examines the costs associated with a resource recovery facility in Indianapolis and how keeping these costs low provides flexibility for enacting economic incentives and new funding mechanisms that are generally needed today to encourage cost-effective recycling. The topics discussed in the article include project development, program finances, cogeneration, and the future outlook.
The Effects of Dropping Out. The Costs to the Nation of Inadequate Education: A Report Prepared for the Select Committee on Equal Educational Opportunity of the United States Senate; Excerpts from "Youth in Transition, Volume 3: Dropping Out--Problem or Symptom?"
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Levin, Henry M.; Bachman, Jerald G.
The purpose of this study was to estimate the costs to the nation of the inadequate education of a substantial portion of the population, where an inadequate education for the latter third of the twentieth century was defined as an attainment of less than high school graduation. Using data from the Department of Commerce and other sources in…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Brown, J. A.
Kennedy Space Center cost Index aids in conceptual design cost estimates. Report discusses development of KSC Cost Index since January 1974. Index since January 1974. Index provides management, design engineers, and estimators an up-to-data reference for local labor and material process. Also provides mount and rate of change in these costs used to predict future construction costs.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Drake, Miriam A.
Universities conduct a variety of cost-allocation studies that require the collection and analysis of the library cost-data. Cost accounting methods are used in most studies; however, costs are attributed to library user groups in a variety of ways. Cost accounting studies are reviewed and allocation methods are discussed. (Author)
Estimating design costs for first-of-a-kind projects
Banerjee, Bakul; /Fermilab
Modern scientific facilities are often outcomes of projects that are first-of-a-kind, that is, minimal historical data are available for project costs and schedules. However, at Fermilab, there was an opportunity to execute two similar projects consecutively. In this paper, a comparative study of the design costs for these two projects is presented using earned value methodology. This study provides some insights into how to estimate the cost of a replicated project.
A waste minimization opportunity assessment was performed which identified areas for waste reduction at a photofinishing facility. The study followed procedures in the EPA Waste Minimization Opportunity Assessment Manual. The report identifies potential options to achieve further...
Algal biofuels: challenges and opportunities.
Leite, Gustavo B; Abdelaziz, Ahmed E M; Hallenbeck, Patrick C
Biodiesel production using microalgae is attractive in a number of respects. Here a number of pros and cons to using microalgae for biofuels production are reviewed. Algal cultivation can be carried out using non-arable land and non-potable water with simple nutrient supply. In addition, algal biomass productivities are much higher than those of vascular plants and the extractable content of lipids that can be usefully converted to biodiesel, triacylglycerols (TAGs) can be much higher than that of the oil seeds now used for first generation biodiesel. On the other hand, practical, cost-effective production of biofuels from microalgae requires that a number of obstacles be overcome. These include the development of low-cost, effective growth systems, efficient and energy saving harvesting techniques, and methods for oil extraction and conversion that are environmentally benign and cost-effective. Promising recent advances in these areas are highlighted. PMID:23499181
Energy Development Opportunities for Wyoming
Larry Demick
The Wyoming Business Council, representing the state's interests, is participating in a collaborative evaluation of energy development opportunities with the NGNP Industry Alliance (an industry consortium), the University of Wyoming, and the US Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory. Three important energy-related goals are being pursued by the State of Wyoming: Ensuring continued reliable and affordable sources of energy for Wyoming's industries and people Restructuring the coal economy in Wyoming Restructuring the natural gas economy in Wyoming
Opportunity's View, Sol 958 (Stereo)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2006-01-01[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Left-eye view of a stereo pair for PIA01897 [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Right-eye view of a stereo pair for PIA01897 NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this stereo view of the rover's surroundings on the 958th sol, or Martian day, of its surface mission (Oct. 4, 2006). This view is presented as a cylindrical-perspective projection with geometric seam correction. The image appears three-dimensional when viewed through red-green stereo glasses.
Neuroepigenomics: Resources, Obstacles, and Opportunities
Satterlee, John S.; Beckel-Mitchener, Andrea; Little, Roger; Procaccini, Dena; Rutter, Joni L.; Lossie, Amy C.
Long-lived post-mitotic cells, such as the majority of human neurons, must respond effectively to ongoing changes in neuronal stimulation or microenvironmental cues through transcriptional and epigenomic regulation of gene expression. The role of epigenomic regulation in neuronal function is of fundamental interest to the neuroscience community, as these types of studies have transformed our understanding of gene regulation in post-mitotic cells. This perspective article highlights many of the resources available to researchers interested in neuroepigenomic investigations and discusses some of the current obstacles and opportunities in neuroepigenomics. PMID:25722961
Mars mission concepts and opportunities
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Young, Archie C.
Trajectory and mission requirement data are presented for Earth Mars opposition and conjunction class roundtrip flyby and stopover mission opportunities available between 1997 and 2045. The opposition class flyby mission uses direct transfer trajectories to and on return from Mars. The opposition class stopover mission employs the gravitational field of Venus to accelerate the space vehicle on either the outbound or inbound leg in order to reduce the propulsion requirement associated with the opposition class mission. The conjunction class mission minimizes propulsion requirements by optimizing the stopover time at Mars.
Opportunity's View, Sol 959, (Stereo)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2006-01-01[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Left-eye view of a stereo pair for PIA01893 [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Right-eye view of a stereo pair for PIA01893 NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this stereo view of the rover's surroundings on sol (or Martian day) 959 of its surface mission. This view is presented as a cylindrical-perspective projection with geometric seam correction.
Polymer recycling: opportunities and limitations.
Stein, R S
The disposal of polymer solid waste by means other than landfilling is necessary. The various approaches-source reduction, incineration, degradation, composting, and recycling-all have their roles and must be employed in an integrated manner. Where appropriate, recycling has ecological advantages, but its application is dependent upon the feasibility of collection, sorting, and/or compatibilization of resulting mixtures to produce economically viable products. The practice should be encouraged by societal or legislative pressure which recognizes that the cost of disposal should be a factor in determining the cost of a product. PMID:11607263
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Stewart, R. D.
Price and Cost Estimating Program (PACE II) was developed to prepare man-hour and material cost estimates. Versatile and flexible tool significantly reduces computation time and errors and reduces typing and reproduction time involved in preparation of cost estimates.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McCraley, Thomas L.
Life cycle costing establishes a realistic comparison of the cost of owning and operating products. The formula of initial cost plus maintenance plus operation divided by useful life identifies the best price over the lifetime of the product purchased. (MLF)
Automated Demand Response Opportunities in Wastewater Treatment Facilities
Thompson, Lisa; Song, Katherine; Lekov, Alex; McKane, Aimee
Wastewater treatment is an energy intensive process which, together with water treatment, comprises about three percent of U.S. annual energy use. Yet, since wastewater treatment facilities are often peripheral to major electricity-using industries, they are frequently an overlooked area for automated demand response opportunities. Demand response is a set of actions taken to reduce electric loads when contingencies, such as emergencies or congestion, occur that threaten supply-demand balance, and/or market conditions occur that raise electric supply costs. Demand response programs are designed to improve the reliability of the electric grid and to lower the use of electricity during peak times to reduce the total system costs. Open automated demand response is a set of continuous, open communication signals and systems provided over the Internet to allow facilities to automate their demand response activities without the need for manual actions. Automated demand response strategies can be implemented as an enhanced use of upgraded equipment and facility control strategies installed as energy efficiency measures. Conversely, installation of controls to support automated demand response may result in improved energy efficiency through real-time access to operational data. This paper argues that the implementation of energy efficiency opportunities in wastewater treatment facilities creates a base for achieving successful demand reductions. This paper characterizes energy use and the state of demand response readiness in wastewater treatment facilities and outlines automated demand response opportunities.
76 FR 59237 - Equal Credit Opportunity
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... 7100 AD 78 Equal Credit Opportunity AGENCY: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Board is publishing a final rule amending Regulation B (Equal Credit Opportunity). Section 704B of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), as added by Section 1071 of the...
Learning Opportunities: Adding Learning Value to Tasks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Crabbe, David
Tasks provide a framework for communicative performance. Underlying each task is a set of learning opportunities--potential activities for learning. Not all of these opportunities are exploited for learning by teachers or learners. It is proposed that, when using tasks, the range of such learning opportunities needs to be identified and modelled…
Opportunity to Learn: Implications for Professional Development.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Baratz-Snowden, Joan C.
Reviews the history of the concept of equal educational opportunity, noting the shift from a separate-but-equal input definition to an opportunity-to-learn process interpretation. Also discussed are implications of the definition of opportunity to learn for professional development and the education of African-American students. (SLD)
Cost of hypertension treatment.
Odell, T W; Gregory, M C
A retrospective analysis was conducted of the cost of hypertension care at one internal medicine clinic, looking at the cost of office visits, laboratory tests, and medications. Cost of hypertension care was $947 the first year of treatment, $575 the second year, and $420 per year thereafter. Drug costs were the major determinant of cost of care, comprising 80% of the total cost of treatment after the first year of therapy. PMID:8770721
Environmental Co-Benefit Opportunities of Solar Energy
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hernandez, R. R.; Armstrong, A.; Burney, J. A.; Easter, S. B.; Hoffacker, M. K.; Moore, K. A.
Solar energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions by an order of magnitude when substituted for fossil fuels. Nonetheless, the strategic deployment of solar energy—from single, rooftop modules to utility-scale solar energy power plants—can confer additional environmental co-benefits beyond its immediate use as a low carbon energy source. In this study, we identify a diverse portfolio of environmental co-benefit opportunities of solar energy technologies resulting from synergistic innovations in land, food, energy, and water systems. For each opportunity, we provide a demonstrative, quantitative framework for environmental co-benefit valuation—including, equations, models, or case studies for estimating carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) and cost savings ($US) averted by environmental co-benefit opportunities of solar energy—and imminent research questions to improve certainty of valuations. As land-energy-food-water nexus issues are increasingly exigent in 21st century, we show that environmental co-benefit opportunities of solar energy are feasible in numerous environments and at a wide range of spatial scales thereby able to contribute to local and regional environmental goals and for the mitigation of climate change.
Influencing and impacting the profession through governance opportunities.
Drenkard, Karen N
In addition to board leadership of health care organizations and corporations, there are strategic opportunities for nurses to participate in professional association boards and commissions and expert panels. These boards have specific and unique challenges and opportunities, and it is important for nurse leaders to serve in shaping the direction of the profession. Nursing as a profession has an opening to solve many of the care delivery issues that face the country. A strategic contribution to association boards and commissions can influence the health care delivery system changes needed to improve quality of care, access to care, and reducing costs. This article describes similarities and differences of service on association boards and commissions compared with organizational and corporate boards. Through these leadership roles, the larger community can observe influential nurses in an essential role. These leadership opportunities, including membership boards, commissions, and content expert panels, call for a special understanding of those governance structures and the contributions that nurse leaders can make to impact health care. Association and membership organizations have undergone many changes in the past 10 years, and new models of governance and leadership have been called into play. There are challenges and opportunities in serving on these boards and commissions. Maximizing the leadership and governance roles of this type of service is a critical contribution that nurses can make to impact the profession of nursing and the greater health care system. PMID:25474665
Clean coal: Global opportunities for small businesses
The parallel growth in coal demand and environmental concern has spurred interest in technologies that burn coal with greater efficiency and with lower emissions. Clean Coal Technologies (CCTs) will ensure that continued use of the world`s most abundant energy resource is compatible with a cleaner, healthier environment. Increasing interest in CCTs opens the door for American small businesses to provide services and equipment for the clean and efficient use of coal. Key players in most coal-related projects are typically large equipment manufacturers, power project developers, utilities, governments, and multinational corporations. At the same time, the complexity and scale of many of these projects creates niche markets for small American businesses with high-value products and services. From information technology, control systems, and specialized components to management practices, financial services, and personnel training methods, small US companies boast some of the highest value products and services in the world. As a result, American companies are in a prime position to take advantage of global niche markets for CCTs. This guide is designed to provide US small businesses with an overview of potential international market opportunities related to CCTs and to provide initial guidance on how to cost-effectively enter that growing global market.
Superenhancers: Novel opportunities for nanowire optoelectronics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Khudiyev, Tural; Bayindir, Mehmet
Nanowires play a crucial role in the development of new generation optoelectronic devices ranging from photovoltaics to photodetectors, as these designs capitalize on the low material usage, utilize leaky-mode optical resonances and possess high conversion efficiencies associated with nanowire geometry. However, their current schemes lack sufficient absorption capacity demanded for their practical applicability, and more efficient materials cannot find widespread usage in these designs due to their rarity and cost. Here we suggest a novel and versatile nanoconcentrator scheme utilizing unique optical features of non-resonant Mie (NRM) scattering regime associated with low-index structures. The scattering regime is highly compatible with resonant Mie absorption effect taking place in nanowire absorbers. This technique in its optimized forms can provide up to 1500% total absorption enhancement, 400-fold material save and is suitable for large-area applications with significant area preservation compared to thin-film of same materials. Proposed superenhancer concept with its exceptional features such as broadband absorption enhancement, polarization immunity and material-independent manner paves the way for development of efficient nanowire photosensors or solar thermophotovoltaic devices and presents novel design opportunities for self-powered nanosystems.
Opportunities and responsibilities in pharmaceutical care.
Hepler, C D; Strand, L M
Pharmacy's opportunity to mature as a profession by accepting its social responsibility to reduce preventable drug-related morbidity and mortality is explored. Pharmacy has shed the apothecary role but has not yet been restored to its erst-while importance in medical care. It is not enough to dispense the correct drug or to provide sophisticated pharmaceutical services; nor will it be sufficient to devise new technical functions. Pharmacists and their institutions must stop looking inward and start redirecting their energies to the greater social good. Some 12,000 deaths and 15,000 hospitalizations due to adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were reported to the FDA in 1987, and many went unreported. Drug-related morbidity and mortality are often preventable, and pharmaceutical services can reduce the number of ADRs, the length of hospital stays, and the cost of care. Pharmacists must abandon factionalism and adopt patient-centered pharmaceutical care as their philosophy of practice. Changing the focus of practice from products and biological systems to ensuring the best drug therapy and patient safety will raise pharmacy's level of responsibility and require philosophical, organizational, and functional changes. It will be necessary to set new practice standards, establish cooperative relationships with other health-care professions, and determine strategies for marketing pharmaceutical care. Pharmacy's reprofessionalization will be completed only when all pharmacists accept their social mandate to ensure the safe and effective drug therapy of the individual patient. PMID:2316538
360 degree vision system: opportunities in transportation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Thibault, Simon
Panoramic technologies are experiencing new and exciting opportunities in the transportation industries. The advantages of panoramic imagers are numerous: increased areas coverage with fewer cameras, imaging of multiple target simultaneously, instantaneous full horizon detection, easier integration of various applications on the same imager and others. This paper reports our work on panomorph optics and potential usage in transportation applications. The novel panomorph lens is a new type of high resolution panoramic imager perfectly suitable for the transportation industries. The panomorph lens uses optimization techniques to improve the performance of a customized optical system for specific applications. By adding a custom angle to pixel relation at the optical design stage, the optical system provides an ideal image coverage which is designed to reduce and optimize the processing. The optics can be customized for the visible, near infra-red (NIR) or infra-red (IR) wavebands. The panomorph lens is designed to optimize the cost per pixel which is particularly important in the IR. We discuss the use of the 360 vision system which can enhance on board collision avoidance systems, intelligent cruise controls and parking assistance. 360 panoramic vision systems might enable safer highways and significant reduction in casualties.
GEOS Instrument of Opportunity (IoO)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Chesters, Dennis; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)
NOAA's three-axis stabilized series of GOES satellites have a place reserved on the Earth-facing side for an Instrument of Opportunity (IoO). The IoO slot is a location for new technologies that provide space-time-spectral resolution of the environment not possible with the preconceived Imager and Sounder. For example, candidate IoO's have usually proposed to use large-format staring arrays of detectors. The size, weight, power, data rate, and interface allocations for the IoO are modest in comparison to the Imager and Sounder, but the resources are large enough to allow for the collection of useful real time data. Because, the geosynchronous location is ideal for monitoring rapidly changing unpredictable events, IoO's have been suggested to detect lightning, volcanism, ozone and sulfur dioxide, ocean color, vegetation, special weather events, and even broadcast color TV. To become an IoO on GOES, the proposed instrument must: 1) have potential benefit to NOAA, 2) fit within the allocation constraints, 3) be independently funded, including pre-launch test equipment and the spacecraft accommodation costs, 4) be delivered two years before launch for integration and testing, and 5) not interfere with the existing launch schedule or the operational instruments.
Superenhancers: Novel opportunities for nanowire optoelectronics
Khudiyev, Tural; Bayindir, Mehmet
Nanowires play a crucial role in the development of new generation optoelectronic devices ranging from photovoltaics to photodetectors, as these designs capitalize on the low material usage, utilize leaky-mode optical resonances and possess high conversion efficiencies associated with nanowire geometry. However, their current schemes lack sufficient absorption capacity demanded for their practical applicability, and more efficient materials cannot find widespread usage in these designs due to their rarity and cost. Here we suggest a novel and versatile nanoconcentrator scheme utilizing unique optical features of non-resonant Mie (NRM) scattering regime associated with low-index structures. The scattering regime is highly compatible with resonant Mie absorption effect taking place in nanowire absorbers. This technique in its optimized forms can provide up to 1500% total absorption enhancement, 400-fold material save and is suitable for large-area applications with significant area preservation compared to thin-film of same materials. Proposed superenhancer concept with its exceptional features such as broadband absorption enhancement, polarization immunity and material-independent manner paves the way for development of efficient nanowire photosensors or solar thermophotovoltaic devices and presents novel design opportunities for self-powered nanosystems. PMID:25511865
Opportunity Captures 'Lion King' Panorama
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Click on the image for Opportunity Captures 'Lion King' Panorama (QTVR) This approximate true-color panorama, dubbed 'Lion King,' shows 'Eagle Crater' and the surrounding plains of Meridiani Planum. It was obtained by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's panoramic camera on sols 58 and 60 using infrared (750-nanometer), green (530-nanometer) and blue (430-nanometer) filters. This is the largest panorama obtained yet by either rover. It was taken in eight segments using six filters per segment, for a total of 558 images and more than 75 megabytes of data. Additional lower elevation tiers were added to ensure that the entire crater was covered in the mosaic. This panorama depicts a story of exploration including the rover's lander, a thorough examination of the outcrop, a study of the soils at the near-side of the lander, a successful exit from Eagle Crater and finally the rover's next desination, the large crater dubbed 'Endurance'.
Disaster Research: A Nursing Opportunity
Savage, Jane; Barcelona-deMendoza, Veronica; Harville, Emily W.
Nurses working or living near a community disaster have the opportunity to study health-related consequences to disaster or disaster recovery. In such a situation, the researchers need to deal with the conceptual and methodological issues unique to post-disaster research and know what resources are available to guide them, even if they have no specialized training or previous experience in disaster research. The purpose of this article is to review issues and challenges associated with conducting post-disaster research and encourage nurses to seek resources and seize opportunities to conduct research should the situation arise. Current disaster studies and the authors' personal experiences conducting maternal-child research in post-Katrina New Orleans (2005–2013) provide real-life examples of how health professionals and nurses faced the challenges of doing post-disaster research. After catastrophic events, nurses need to step forward to conduct disaster research that informs and improves future disaster planning and health care responses. PMID:23899191
Multiphysics simulations: challenges and opportunities.
Keyes, D.; McInnes, L. C.; Woodward, C.; Gropp, W.; Myra, E.; Pernice, M.
This report is an outcome of the workshop Multiphysics Simulations: Challenges and Opportunities, sponsored by the Institute of Computing in Science (ICiS). Additional information about the workshop, including relevant reading and presentations on multiphysics issues in applications, algorithms, and software, is available via https://sites.google.com/site/icismultiphysics2011/. We consider multiphysics applications from algorithmic and architectural perspectives, where 'algorithmic' includes both mathematical analysis and computational complexity and 'architectural' includes both software and hardware environments. Many diverse multiphysics applications can be reduced, en route to their computational simulation, to a common algebraic coupling paradigm. Mathematical analysis of multiphysics coupling in this form is not always practical for realistic applications, but model problems representative of applications discussed herein can provide insight. A variety of software frameworks for multiphysics applications have been constructed and refined within disciplinary communities and executed on leading-edge computer systems. We examine several of these, expose some commonalities among them, and attempt to extrapolate best practices to future systems. From our study, we summarize challenges and forecast opportunities. We also initiate a modest suite of test problems encompassing features present in many applications.
Imaging Opportunities in Radiation Oncology
Balter, James M.; Haffty, Bruce G.; Dunnick, N. Reed; Siegel, Eliot L.
Interdisciplinary efforts may significantly affect the way that clinical knowledge and scientific research related to imaging impact the field of Radiation Oncology. This report summarizes the findings of an intersociety workshop held in October 2008, with the express purpose of exploring 'Imaging Opportunities in Radiation Oncology.' Participants from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), American Association of physicists in Medicine (AAPM), American Board of Radiology (ABR), Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO), and Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) discussed areas of education, clinical practice, and research that bridge disciplines and potentially would lead to improved clinical practice. Findings from this workshop include recommendations for cross-training opportunities within the allowed structured of Radiology and Radiation Oncology residency programs, expanded representation of ASTRO in imaging related multidisciplinary groups (and reciprocal representation within ASTRO committees), increased attention to imaging validation and credentialing for clinical trials (e.g., through the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN)), and building ties through collaborative research as well as smaller joint workshops and symposia.
New opportunities seen for independents
Adams, G.A. )
The collapse of gas and oil prices in the mid-1980s significantly reduced the number of independent exploration companies. At the same time, a fundamental shift occurred among major oil companies as they allocated their exploration budgets toward international operations and made major production purchases. Several large independents also embraced a philosophy of budget supplementation through joint venture partnership arrangements. This has created a unique and unusual window of opportunity for the smaller independents (defined for this article as exploration and production companies with a market value of less than $1 billion) to access the extensive and high quality domestic prospect inventories of the major and large independent oil and gas companies and to participate in the search for large reserve targets on attractive joint venture terms. Participation in these types of joint ventures, in conjunction with internally generated plays selected through the use of today's advanced technology (computer-enhanced, high-resolution seismic; horizontal drilling; etc.) and increasing process for oil and natural gas, presents the domestic exploration-oriented independent with an attractive money-making opportunity for the 1990s.
Cost reduction at NSP using IPE results
Asmus, T.J.
Operating nuclear power generating facilities are under increasing pressure to reduce costs to be able to compete successfully in the competitive electric sales market of today. With the completion of the individual plant evaluations (IPEs), numerous opportunities exist for application of probabilistic risk assessment methodology to reduce production costs. This paper presents two nontraditional methods in which IPE results can be used to help reduce nuclear insurance coverage limits and local property taxes. Significant savings can be realized through use of either of these two methods.
Cost effectiveness of recycling: A systems model
Tonjes, David J.; Mallikarjun, Sreekanth
Highlights: • Curbside collection of recyclables reduces overall system costs over a range of conditions. • When avoided costs for recyclables are large, even high collection costs are supported. • When avoided costs for recyclables are not great, there are reduced opportunities for savings. • For common waste compositions, maximizing curbside recyclables collection always saves money. - Abstract: Financial analytical models of waste management systems have often found that recycling costs exceed direct benefits, and in order to economically justify recycling activities, externalities such as household expenses or environmental impacts must be invoked. Certain more empirically based studies have also found that recycling is more expensive than disposal. Other work, both through models and surveys, have found differently. Here we present an empirical systems model, largely drawn from a suburban Long Island municipality. The model accounts for changes in distribution of effort as recycling tonnages displace disposal tonnages, and the seven different cases examined all show that curbside collection programs that manage up to between 31% and 37% of the waste stream should result in overall system savings. These savings accrue partially because of assumed cost differences in tip fees for recyclables and disposed wastes, and also because recycling can result in a more efficient, cost-effective collection program. These results imply that increases in recycling are justifiable due to cost-savings alone, not on more difficult to measure factors that may not impact program budgets.
Methane Recovery from Animal Manures The Current Opportunities Casebook
Lusk, P.
Growth and concentration of the livestock industry create opportunities for the proper disposal of the large quantities of manures generated at dairy, swine, and poultry farms. Pollutants from unmanaged livestock wastes can degrade the environment, and methane emitted from decomposing manure may contribute to global climate change. One management system not only helps prevent pollution but can also convert a manure problem into a new profit center. Economic evaluations and case studies of operating systems indicate that the anaerobic digestion of livestock manures is a commercially viable conversion technology with considerable potential for providing profitable coproducts, including a cost-effective renewable fuel for livestock production operations. This casebook examines some of the current opportunities for recovering methane from anaerobic digestion animal manures.
A Unique Funding Opportunity for Public Health in Texas
Schlenker, Thomas; Huber, Carol A.
In addition to the Affordable Care Act, states are more frequently turning to Medicaid waivers to achieve the "Triple Aim" goals of improving the experience of care, improving population health, and reducing per capita costs. These demonstration waivers provide opportunities to test innovative ways to finance and deliver care. Texas is currently implementing a waiver known as the Transformation and Quality Improvement Program. Its inclusion of public health agencies is a unique approach to a system typically limited to traditional providers. San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is one public health agency taking advantage of this new funding opportunity to implement 6 new or expanded programs targeting health issues of highest priority in this south Texas region. This article discusses the use of Medicaid waivers and the advantages and challenges of public health agency participation. PMID:25423061
The cost of doing a cost estimate
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Remer, Donald S.; Buchanan, Harry R.
A model for estimating the cost required to do a cost estimate for Deep Space Network (DSN) projects that range from $0.1 to $100 million is presented. The cost of the cost estimate in thousands of dollars, C(sub E), is found to be approximately given by C(sub E) = K(/C(sub p)/(sup 0.35)) where C(sub p) is the cost of the project being estimated in millions of dollars and K is a constant depending on the accuracy of the estimate. For an order-of-magnitude estimate, K = 24; for a budget estimate, K = 60; and for a definitive estimate, K = 115. That is, for a specific project, the cost of doing a budget estimate is about 2.5 times as much as that for an order-of-magnitude estimate, and a definitive estimate costs about twice as much as a budget estimate. Use of this model should help provide the level of resources required for doing cost estimates and, as a result, provide insights towards more accurate estimates with less potential for cost overruns.
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Having accurate estimates of the cost of irrigation is important when making irrigation decisions. Estimates of fixed costs are critical for investment decisions. Operating cost estimates can assist in decisions regarding additional irrigations. This fact sheet examines the costs associated with ...
Young, David W
Current computing methods impede determining the real cost of graduate medical education. However, a more accurate estimate could be obtained if policy makers would allow for the application of basic cost-accounting principles, including consideration of department-level costs, unbundling of joint costs, and other factors. PMID:14626704
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bradley, F. E.
Attempts made to design to costs equipment, vehicles and subsystems for various space projects are discussed. A systematic approach, based on mission requirement analysis, definition of a mission baseline design, benefit and cost analysis, and a benefit-cost analysis was proposed for implementing the cost control program.
Photovoltaic research opportunities. Final report
Macaleer, B.; Bowers, J.; Hurlburt, B.
The purpose of this study is to identify opportunities for photovoltaic (PV) research projects to capitalize on related but non-PV research. The study is performed under the assumption that a considerable body of ongoing semiconductor research in non-PV areas could be of value to its PV Program and the PV community in general. Research related to III-V compounds, thin films, and crystalline silicon materials is included. Research that is known to be PV-related or sponsored by DOE was excluded from consideration. The study resulted in 11 recommendations (research areas) and a subset of 58 specific research projects. In addition, over 75 non-PV research managers in the semiconductor field are identified as potential sources of ideas which could benefit photovoltaics.
Physics opportunities with meson beams
Briscoe, William J.; Doring, Michael; Haberzettl, Helmut; Manley, D. Mark; Naruki, Megumi; Strakovsky, Igor I.; Swanson, Eric S.
Over the past two decades, meson photo- and electro-production data of unprecedented quality and quantity have been measured at electromagnetic facilities worldwide. By contrast, the meson-beam data for the same hadronic final states are mostly outdated and largely of poor quality, or even nonexistent, and thus provide inadequate input to help interpret, analyze, and exploit the full potential of the new electromagnetic data. To reap the full benefit of the high-precision electromagnetic data, new high-statistics data from measurements with meson beams, with good angle and energy coverage for a wide range of reactions, are critically needed to advance our knowledge in baryon and meson spectroscopy and other related areas of hadron physics. To address this situation, a state of-the-art meson-beam facility needs to be constructed. Furthermore, the present paper summarizes unresolved issues in hadron physics and outlines the vast opportunities and advances that only become possible with such a facility.
Renewable energy opportunities in China
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wallace, William L.; Simon Tsuo, Y.
Rapid growth in economic development coupled with the absence of an electric grid in large areas of rural China have created a need for new energy sources both in urban centers and the rural countryside. Electric capacity expansion plans call for increased use of coal-fired steam turbines for electricity production that will contribute to increased concerns over environmental pollution. China is rich in renewable energy resources, strategically located in areas of greatest need and economic viability. China is also already one of the world's largest users of renewables, especially hydro, wind, biomass, and solar thermal, and has significant experience with photovoltaics, geothermal and other technologies. The use of renewable energy is being encouraged in expanded programs at the central and provincial government levels, with growing private sector involvement. These conditions create opportunities for U.S. business participation in renewable energy markets in China.
Multiphysics Simulations: Challenges and Opportunities
Keyes, David; McInnes, Lois C.; Woodward, Carol; Gropp, William; Myra, Eric; Pernice, Michael; Bell, John; Brown, Jed; Clo, Alain; Connors, Jeffrey; Constantinescu, Emil; Estep, Don; Evans, Kate; Farhat, Charbel; Hakim, Ammar; Hammond, Glenn E.; Hansen, Glen; Hill, Judith; Isaac, Tobin; Jiao, Xiangmin; Jordan, Kirk; Kaushik, Dinesh; Kaxiras, Efthimios; Koniges, Alice; Lee, Ki Hwan; Lott, Aaron; Lu, Qiming; Magerlein, John; Maxwell, Reed M.; McCourt, Michael; Mehl, Miriam; Pawlowski, Roger; Randles, Amanda; Reynolds, Daniel; Riviere, Beatrice; Rude, Ulrich; Scheibe, Timothy D.; Shadid, John; Sheehan, Brendan; Shephard, Mark; Siegel, Andrew; Smith, Barry; Tang, Xianzhu; Wilson, Cian; Wohlmuth, Barbara
We consider multiphysics applications from algorithmic and architectural perspectives, where ''algorithmic'' includes both mathematical analysis and computational complexity, and ''architectural'' includes both software and hardware environments. Many diverse multiphysics applications can be reduced, en route to their computational simulation, to a common algebraic coupling paradigm. Mathematical analysis of multiphysics coupling in this form is not always practical for realistic applications, but model problems representative of applications discussed herein can provide insight. A variety of software frameworks for multiphysics applications have been constructed and refined within disciplinary communities and executed on leading-edge computer systems. We examine several of these, expose some commonalities among them, and attempt to extrapolate best practices to future systems. From our study, we summarize challenges and forecast opportunities.
Frost on Mars Rover Opportunity
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01Frost can form on surfaces if enough water is present and the temperature is sufficiently low. On each of NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers, the calibration target for the panoramic camera provides a good place to look for such events. A thin frost was observed by Opportunity's panoramic camera on the rover's 257th sol (Oct. 13, 2004) 11 minutes after sunrise (left image). The presence of the frost is most clearly seen on the post in the center of the target, particularly when compared with the unsegmented outer ring of the target, which is white. The post is normally black. For comparison, note the difference in appearance in the image on the right, taken about three hours later, after the frost had dissipated. Frost has not been observed at Spirit, where the amount of atmospheric water vapor is observed to be appreciably lower. Both images were taken through a filter centered at a wavelength of 440 nanometers (blue).
Biotechnological opportunities in biosurfactant production.
Geys, Robin; Soetaert, Wim; Van Bogaert, Inge
In the recent years, biosurfactants proved to be an interesting alternative to petrochemically derived surfactants. Two classes of biosurfactants, namely glycolipids and lipopeptides, have attracted significant commercial interest. Despite their environmental advantages and equal performance, commercialization of these molecules remains a challenge due to missing acquaintance of the applicants, higher price and lack of structural variation. The latter two issues can partially be tackled by screening for novel and better wild-type producers and optimizing the fermentation process. Yet, these traditional approaches cannot overcome all hurdles. In this review, an overview is given on how biotechnology offers opportunities for increased biosurfactant production and the creation of new types of molecules, in this way enhancing their commercial potential. PMID:24995572
Mineral wealth and medical opportunity.
Deacon, Harriet; Van Heyningen, Elizabeth; Swartz, Sally; Swanson, Felicity
With the increase in population and in colonial revenues after the discovery of diamonds and gold in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, public and private hospitals proliferated, particularly in larger centres such as Cape Town. The numbers of practitioners engaged in public health also increased. Perhaps as important, doctors were now accepted as skilled professionals and remunerated accordingly. At the same time there was also a greater demand for doctors in the employment of business and industry, particularly the insurance industry and the railways. These opportunities for salaried employment somewhat reduced doctors' professional autonomy and occasionally encouraged intra-professional squabbles. Yet they also provided a springboard for general professional regulation, growing professional status in specialisms like psychiatry, and a solid base for the economic survival of country doctors. PMID:15228693
Multiphysics Simulations: Challenges and Opportunities
Keyes, David E; McInnes, Lois; Woodward, Carol; Evans, Katherine J; Hill, Judith C
We consider multiphysics applications from algorithmic and architectural perspectives, where algorithmic in- cludes both mathematical analysis and computational complexity and architectural includes both software and hard- ware environments. Many diverse multiphysics applications can be reduced, en route to their computational simu- lation, to a common algebraic coupling paradigm. Mathematical analysis of multiphysics coupling in this form is not always practical for realistic applications, but model problems representative of applications discussed herein can provide insight. A variety of software frameworks for multiphysics applications have been constructed and refined within disciplinary communities and executed on leading-edge computer systems. We examine several of these, ex- pose some commonalities among them, and attempt to extrapolate best practices to future systems. From our study, we summarize challenges and forecast opportunities. We also initiate a modest suite of test problems encompassing features present in many applications.
Estimating airline operating costs
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Maddalon, D. V.
A review was made of the factors affecting commercial aircraft operating and delay costs. From this work, an airline operating cost model was developed which includes a method for estimating the labor and material costs of individual airframe maintenance systems. The model, similar in some respects to the standard Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Direct Operating Cost Model, permits estimates of aircraft-related costs not now included in the standard ATA model (e.g., aircraft service, landing fees, flight attendants, and control fees). A study of the cost of aircraft delay was also made and a method for estimating the cost of certain types of airline delay is described.
Plastics recycling: challenges and opportunities
Hopewell, Jefferson; Dvorak, Robert; Kosior, Edward
Plastics are inexpensive, lightweight and durable materials, which can readily be moulded into a variety of products that find use in a wide range of applications. As a consequence, the production of plastics has increased markedly over the last 60 years. However, current levels of their usage and disposal generate several environmental problems. Around 4 per cent of world oil and gas production, a non-renewable resource, is used as feedstock for plastics and a further 3–4% is expended to provide energy for their manufacture. A major portion of plastic produced each year is used to make disposable items of packaging or other short-lived products that are discarded within a year of manufacture. These two observations alone indicate that our current use of plastics is not sustainable. In addition, because of the durability of the polymers involved, substantial quantities of discarded end-of-life plastics are accumulating as debris in landfills and in natural habitats worldwide. Recycling is one of the most important actions currently available to reduce these impacts and represents one of the most dynamic areas in the plastics industry today. Recycling provides opportunities to reduce oil usage, carbon dioxide emissions and the quantities of waste requiring disposal. Here, we briefly set recycling into context against other waste-reduction strategies, namely reduction in material use through downgauging or product reuse, the use of alternative biodegradable materials and energy recovery as fuel. While plastics have been recycled since the 1970s, the quantities that are recycled vary geographically, according to plastic type and application. Recycling of packaging materials has seen rapid expansion over the last decades in a number of countries. Advances in technologies and systems for the collection, sorting and reprocessing of recyclable plastics are creating new opportunities for recycling, and with the combined actions of the public, industry and governments it
Plastics recycling: challenges and opportunities.
Hopewell, Jefferson; Dvorak, Robert; Kosior, Edward
Plastics are inexpensive, lightweight and durable materials, which can readily be moulded into a variety of products that find use in a wide range of applications. As a consequence, the production of plastics has increased markedly over the last 60 years. However, current levels of their usage and disposal generate several environmental problems. Around 4 per cent of world oil and gas production, a non-renewable resource, is used as feedstock for plastics and a further 3-4% is expended to provide energy for their manufacture. A major portion of plastic produced each year is used to make disposable items of packaging or other short-lived products that are discarded within a year of manufacture. These two observations alone indicate that our current use of plastics is not sustainable. In addition, because of the durability of the polymers involved, substantial quantities of discarded end-of-life plastics are accumulating as debris in landfills and in natural habitats worldwide. Recycling is one of the most important actions currently available to reduce these impacts and represents one of the most dynamic areas in the plastics industry today. Recycling provides opportunities to reduce oil usage, carbon dioxide emissions and the quantities of waste requiring disposal. Here, we briefly set recycling into context against other waste-reduction strategies, namely reduction in material use through downgauging or product reuse, the use of alternative biodegradable materials and energy recovery as fuel. While plastics have been recycled since the 1970s, the quantities that are recycled vary geographically, according to plastic type and application. Recycling of packaging materials has seen rapid expansion over the last decades in a number of countries. Advances in technologies and systems for the collection, sorting and reprocessing of recyclable plastics are creating new opportunities for recycling, and with the combined actions of the public, industry and governments it
Economic Competitiveness of U.S. Utility-Scale Photovoltaics Systems in 2015: Regional Cost Modeling of Installed Cost ($/W) and LCOE ($/kWh)
Fu, Ran; James, Ted L.; Chung, Donald; Gagne, Douglas; Lopez, Anthony; Dobos, Aron
Utility-scale photovoltaics (PV) system growth is largely driven by the economic metrics of total installed costs and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), which differ by region. This study details regional cost factors, including environment (wind speed and snow loads), labor costs, material costs, sales taxes, and permitting costs using a new system-level bottom-up cost modeling approach. We use this model to identify regional all-in PV installed costs for fixed-tilt and one-axis tracker systems in the United States with consideration of union and non-union labor costs in 2015. LCOEs using those regional installed costs are then modeled and spatially presented. Finally, we assess the cost reduction opportunities of increasing module conversion efficiencies on PV system costs in order to indicate the possible economic impacts of module technology advancements and help future research and development (R&D) effects in the context of U.S. SunShot targets.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Woodcock, G. R.
Recent solar power satellite (SPS) system definition studies have emphasized cost estimation for the operational phase of an SPS program, in order to assess economic practicality of SPS. A cost analysis approach is described. Cost results for a silicon photovoltaic SPS are reported, showing SPS costs from $1700 to $2700 per kilowatt and busbar power costs from 3 cents to 7 cents per kilowatt-hour. Rationales behind the estimates are discussed.
Estimating Airline Operating Costs
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Maddalon, D. V.
The factors affecting commercial aircraft operating and delay costs were used to develop an airline operating cost model which includes a method for estimating the labor and material costs of individual airframe maintenance systems. The model permits estimates of aircraft related costs, i.e., aircraft service, landing fees, flight attendants, and control fees. A method for estimating the costs of certain types of airline delay is also described.
This document reports the results of a study of cost tools to support the analysis of Operations Other Than War (OOTW). It recommends the continued development of the Department of Defense (DoD) Contingency Operational Support Tool (COST) as the basic cost analysis tool for 00TWS. It also recommends modifications to be included in future versions of COST and the development of an 00TW mission planning tool to supply valid input for costing.
Total Cost Management: Analyzing Operational Support Costs.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jenny, Hans J.
Total cost management, an innovation useful in higher education, is best implemented in the institution's support services. Total cost management is the practice of analyzing and improving an institution's financial and qualitative performance when producing a particular product or service, paying attention to the complete work process and all…
Superefficient Refrigerators: Opportunities and Challenges for Efficiency Improvement Globally
Shah, Nihar; Park, Won Young; Bojda, Nicholas; McNeil, Michael A.
As an energy-intensive mainstream product, residential refrigerators present a significant opportunity to reduce electricity consumption through energy efficiency improvements. Refrigerators expend a considerable amount of electricity during normal use, typically consuming between 100 to 1,000 kWh of electricity per annum. This paper presents the results of a technical analysis done for refrigerators in support of the Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) initiative. Beginning from a base case representative of the average unit sold in India, we analyze efficiency improvement options and their corresponding costs to build a cost-versus-efficiency relationship. We then consider design improvement options that are known to be the most cost effective and that can improve efficiency given current design configurations. We also analyze and present additional super-efficient options, such as vacuum-insulated panels. We estimate the cost of conserved electricity for the various options, allowing flexible program design for market transformation programs toward higher efficiency. We estimate ~;;160TWh/year of energy savings are cost effective in 2030, indicating significant potential for efficiency improvement in refrigerators in SEAD economies and China.
Biowaste biorefinery in Europe: opportunities and research & development needs.
Fava, Fabio; Totaro, Grazia; Diels, Ludo; Reis, Maria; Duarte, Jose; Carioca, Osvaldo Beserra; Poggi-Varaldo, Héctor M; Ferreira, Bruno Sommer
This review aims to explore the needs and opportunities of research & development in the field of biowaste biorefinery in Europe. Modern industry in recent years is giving its close attention on organic waste as a new precious bioresource. Specific biowaste valorisation pathways are focusing on food processing waste, being food sector the first manufacture in Europe. Anyway they need to be further tested and validated and then transferred at the larger scale. In particular, they also need to become integrated, combining biomass pretreatments and recovery of biogenic chemicals with bioconversion processes in order to obtain a large class of chemicals. This will help to (a) use the whole biowaste, by avoiding producing residues and providing to the approach the required environmental sustainability, and (b) producing different biobased products that enter different markets, to get the possible economical sustainability of the whole biorefinery. However, the costs of the developed integrated processes might be high, mostly for the fact that the industry dealing with such issues is still underdeveloped and therefore dominated by high processing costs. Such costs can be significantly reduced by intensifying research & development on process integration and intensification. The low or no cost of starting material along with the environmental benefits coming from the concomitant biowaste disposal would offset the high capital costs for initiating such a biorefinery. As long as the oil prices tend to increase (and they will) this strategy will become even more attractive. PMID:24284045
Marginal abatement cost curves for NOx incorporating both controls and alternative measures
A marginal abatement cost curve (MACC) traces out the efficient marginal abatement cost level for any aggregate emissions target when a least cost approach is implemented. In order for it to represent the efficient MAC level, all abatement opportunities across all sectors and loc...
Mapping Malaria Risk in Low Transmission Settings: Challenges and Opportunities.
Sturrock, Hugh J W; Bennett, Adam F; Midekisa, Alemayehu; Gosling, Roly D; Gething, Peter W; Greenhouse, Bryan
As malaria transmission declines, it becomes increasingly focal and prone to outbreaks. Understanding and predicting patterns of transmission risk becomes an important component of an effective elimination campaign, allowing limited resources for control and elimination to be targeted cost-effectively. Malaria risk mapping in low transmission settings is associated with some unique challenges. This article reviews the main challenges and opportunities related to risk mapping in low transmission areas including recent advancements in risk mapping low transmission malaria, relevant metrics, and statistical approaches and risk mapping in post-elimination settings. PMID:27238200
Methane recovery from animal manures: A current opportunities casebook
This Casebook examines some of the current opportunities for the recovery of methane from the anaerobic digestion of animal manures US livestock operations currently employ four types of anaerobic digester technology: Slurry, plug flow, complete mix, and covered lagoon. An introduction to the engineering economies of these technologies is provided, and possible end-use applications for the methane gas generated by the digestion process are discussed. The economic evaluations are based on engineering studies of digesters that generate electricity from the recovered methane. Regression models, which can be used to estimate digester cost and internal rate of return, are developed from the evaluations.
Communication satellite technology: State of the art and development opportunities
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Woodford, J. B. (Compiler)
Opportunities in communication satellite technology are identified and defined. Factors that tend to limit the ready availability of satellite communication to an increasingly wide group of users are evaluated. Current primary limitations on this wide utilization are the availability of frequency and/or synchronous equatorial satellite positions and the cost of individual user Earth terminals. The former could be ameliorated through the reuse of frequencies, the use of higher frequency bands, and the reduction of antenna side lobes. The latter limitation requires innovative hardware, design, careful system design, and large scale production.
The quantified patient of the future: Opportunities and challenges.
Majmudar, Maulik D; Colucci, Lina Avancini; Landman, Adam B
The healthcare system is undergoing rapid transformation as national policies increase patient access, reward positive health outcomes, and push for an end to the current era of episodic care. Advances in health sensors are rapidly moving diagnostic and monitoring capabilities into consumer products, enabling new care models. Although hospitals and health care providers have been slow to embrace novel health technologies, such innovations may help meet mounting pressure to provide timely, high quality, and low-cost care to large populations. This leading edge perspective focuses on the quantified-self movement and highlights the opportunities and challenges for patients, providers, and researchers. PMID:26384227
Modeling bladder cancer in mice: opportunities and challenges
Kobayashi, Takashi; Owczarek, Tomasz B.; McKiernan, James M.; Abate-Shen, Cory
The prognosis and treatment of bladder cancer have hardly improved in the last 20 years. Bladder cancer remains a debilitating and often fatal disease, and among the most costly cancers to treat. The generation of informative mouse models has the potential to improve our understanding of bladder cancer progression, as well as impact its diagnosis and treatment. However, relatively few mouse models of bladder cancer have been described and particularly few that develop invasive cancer phenotypes. This review focuses on opportunities for improving the landscape of mouse models of bladder cancer. PMID:25533675
Antibody biosimilars: Fears or opportunities?
Guillon-Munos, Audrey; Daguet, Arnaud; Watier, Hervé
The annual "LabEx MAbImprove industrial workshops" are primarily intended to provide scientists involved in therapeutic antibodies, a comprehensive view about topics of interest for the pharmaceutical industry. They are organized by the "LabEx MAbImprove industrial committee", for this first edition especially in partnership with ARITT, the regional agency for innovation and technology transfer which operates in the French Région Centre, the 1st French region for pharmaceutical production. The 2013 edition, held May 28 at the Vinci Center of Tours, was dedicated to antibody biosimilars. Depending on opinions, the impending expiry of antibody patents and the imminent marketing approval of competitors to blockbusters can be perceived as good or bad things. Fears or opportunities? Risks for patients? Breath of fresh air for the health systems? Opportunity for re-industrializing France? In this context, it is necessary for people to form a fair and informed opinion on the current landscape of antibody biosimilars. In particular, this is especially important for scientists from the academic world, from the industry or from the regulation agencies, for pharmacists, for pharmacovigilance specialists, for health authorities, and staff from health insurance and decision makers. The first session was devoted to market and regulatory issues, and included both an overview of the evolution of the patent landscape and a description of biosimilars regulation in the European Union (EU). This session was closed by a talk on manufacturing processes for biosimilars. In the next session, quality control attributes of biosimilars were discussed and compared with the consistent quality of biotechnology products to raise the question: "How close is close enough?" In vitro assays for evaluating the Fc function of therapeutic antibodies were also discussed. The third session focused on development of biosimilars and primarily on the stepwise process for introducing an antibody
Breast MRI: opportunities and challenges.
Day, Deborah
In 2007, the American Cancer Society published guidelines for using breast MRI to screen women who were at high risk for breast cancer. Although breast MRI, which is typically used as an adjunctto mammography, is highly sensitive for detecting breast cancers, its use is somewhat controversial for a number of reasons including its cost and lack of specificity. This article describes the indications for breast MRI and discusses the pros and cons of using it to screen women for cancer and evaluate the extent of disease in women who are newly diagnosed. PMID:20092173
Career Opportunities for Physicists: Panel Discussion
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
We live in a world full of opportunity for physics graduates. Join us for a unique opportunity to learn about some of these opportunities from our diverse panel of working physicists from industrial, national lab, and academic sectors. Topics of discussion will include panelists' daily experiences, how physics serves them in their career, and advice to students interested in following a similar path. Light refreshments will be served.
A multidisciplinary conceptualization of conservation opportunity.
Moon, Katie; Adams, Vanessa M; Januchowski-Hartley, Stephanie R; Polyakov, Maksym; Mills, Morena; Biggs, Duan; Knight, Andrew T; Game, Edward T; Raymond, Christopher M
An opportunity represents an advantageous combination of circumstances that allows goals to be achieved. We reviewed the nature of opportunity and how it manifests in different subsystems (e.g., biophysical, social, political, economic) as conceptualized in other bodies of literature, including behavior, adoption, entrepreneur, public policy, and resilience literature. We then developed a multidisciplinary conceptualization of conservation opportunity. We identified 3 types of conservation opportunity: potential, actors remove barriers to problem solving by identifying the capabilities within the system that can be manipulated to create support for conservation action; traction, actors identify windows of opportunity that arise from exogenous shocks, events, or changes that remove barriers to solving problems; and existing, everything is in place for conservation action (i.e., no barriers exist) and an actor takes advantage of the existing circumstances to solve problems. Different leverage points characterize each type of opportunity. Thus, unique stages of opportunity identification or creation and exploitation exist: characterizing the system and defining problems; identifying potential solutions; assessing the feasibility of solutions; identifying or creating opportunities; and taking advantage of opportunities. These stages can be undertaken independently or as part of a situational analysis and typically comprise the first stage, but they can also be conducted iteratively throughout a conservation planning process. Four types of entrepreneur can be identified (business, policy, social, and conservation), each possessing attributes that enable them to identify or create opportunities and take advantage of them. We examined how different types of conservation opportunity manifest in a social-ecological system (the Great Barrier Reef) and how they can be taken advantage of. Our multidisciplinary conceptualization of conservation opportunity strengthens and
Burch, W.D.; Haire, M.J.; Rainey, R.H.
The costs for the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle, which were developed as part of the Nonproliferation Alternative Systems Assessment Program (NASAP), are presented. Total fuel cycle costs are given for the pressurized water reactor once-through and fuel recycle systems, and for the liquid-metal fast breeder reactor system. These calculations show that fuel cycle costs are a small part of the total power costs. For breeder reactors, fuel cycle costs are about half that of the present once-through system. The total power cost of the breeder reactor system is greater than that of light-water reactor at today's prices for uranium and enrichment.
Modeling golf ball fluid mechanics - challenges and opportunities
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Squires, Kyle
Numerical simulation presents a powerful tool for understanding the fundamental fluid mechanics that influence golf ball aerodynamics, as well as providing an approach for ultimately analyzing and designing golf balls for manufacture. Robust and accurate simulation strategies are central to providing a means to screen designs prior to costly prototyping and field measurement. Results from a hierarchy of simulation strategies applied to the flow around golf balls will be presented, ranging from Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computations to Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS). RANS methods, while leading to computationally efficient approaches, are challenged to represent using ad hoc turbulence models the subtle effects induced by surface dimpling. DNS on the other hand, offers a first-principles approach that enables detailed examination of mechanisms though carries a significant computational cost. Predictions from both techniques are contrasted; opportunities for advancing each technique are identified.
Methane recovery from animal manures: A current opportunities casebook
Lusk, P.
One manure management system provides not only pollution prevention but also converts a manure management problem into a new profit center. Economic evaluations and case studies of operating systems indicate that the anaerobic digestion of livestock manures is a commercially-available bioconversion technology with considerable potential for providing profitable co-products including a cost-effective renewable fuel for livestock production operations. This Casebook examines some of the current opportunities for the recovery of methane from the anaerobic digestion of animal manures. The economic evaluations are based on engineering studies of digesters that generate electricity from the recovered methane. Regression models, which can be used to estimate digester cost and internal rate of return, are developed from the evaluations. Finally, anaerobic digestion has considerable potential beyond agribusiness. Examples of digesters currently employed by other industries are provided.
Asteroid/comet encounter opportunities for the Galileo VEEGA mission
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Johannesen, Jennie R.; Nolan, Brian G.; Byrnes, Dennis V.; D'Amario, Louis A.
The opportunity for the Galileo spacecraft to perform a close flyby of an asteroid or distant observation of a comet while on the Venus-Earth-Earth-Gravity-Assist (VEEGA) mission to Jupiter is discussed. More than 120 nominal trajectories were used in a scan program to identify asteroids passing within 30 million km of the spacecraft. A total of 47 asteroids were examined to determine the propellant cost of a close flyby. The possible flybys include a double asteroid flyby with No. 951 in October, 1991, with a flyby of No. 243 in August 1993. The factors considered in the selection of an asteroid include the propellant margin cost of modifying a nominal trajectory to include a close flyby, the size and type of asteroid, and the Jupiter arrival date.
Opportunities of Wireless Sensors and Controls for Building Operation
Kintner-Meyer, Michael CW; Conant, Rob
This paper characterizes commercially available wireless technologies that are already being used in buildings applications or that are suitable for use in commercial buildings. The discussion provides an overview of fundamental concepts of radial broadcasting systems, as well as meshed networks, and will highlight the opportunities and challenges in their integration into existing wired control networks. This paper describes two demonstration projects of wireless sensors and their integration into existing control networks, and discusses their cost per sensor, their ease of installation, and their reliability. The authors will discuss the load control strategies implemented as a consequence of the wireless sensors and report on the energy and cost savings estimates. The paper will conclude with general future prospects for wireless technologies in buildings applications.
Future Opportunities for Advancing Glucose Test Device Electronics
Young, Brian R; Young, Teresa L; Joyce, Margaret K; Kennedy, Spencer I; Atashbar, Massood Z
Advancements in the field of printed electronics can be applied to the field of diabetes testing. A brief history and some new developments in printed electronics components applicable to personal test devices, including circuitry, batteries, transmission devices, displays, and sensors, are presented. Low-cost, thin, and lightweight materials containing printed circuits with energy storage or harvest capability and reactive/display centers, made using new printing/imaging technologies, are ideal for incorporation into personal-use medical devices such as glucose test meters. Semicontinuous rotogravure printing, which utilizes flexible substrates and polymeric, metallic, and/or nano "ink" composite materials to effect rapidly produced, lower-cost printed electronics, is showing promise. Continuing research advancing substrate, "ink," and continuous processing development presents the opportunity for research collaboration with medical device designers. PMID:22027300
Tuberculosis diagnostics: Challenges and opportunities.
Nema, Vijay
Tuberculosis (TB) has been a disease affecting almost all parts of the world since ages. Lot many efforts came in the past for improving diagnosis and treatment. Also, an effective vaccine has been sought after for long. With the emergence of resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causal organisms of tuberculosis, and complexities emerging due to other associated infections and disease conditions, there is a desperate need for further research input in the field. Be it the better medication and care or better resistance management, proper diagnostics holds the key to success. It has been observed that a high burden of the disease was accompanied by resource limitations and poor research set-up. The scenario remained like this for several decades. With the refreshed vision of resourceful countries and funding agencies, funding is being provided in many areas of research in tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment. This review has been written with an aim to bring forth the limitations of available methods in the field of diagnostics and making researchers aware about the changing scenario with better funding opportunities and support. The author visualizes an enthusiasm from all over the world for the development of better modalities and urges scientists to join the struggle at this very perfect time to take the challenge and come forward with innovations in this field. PMID:22919166
Atlantic opportunities for ENSO prediction
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Martín-Rey, Marta; Rodríguez-Fonseca, Belén.; Polo, Irene
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the dominant mode of interannual climate variability with worldwide impacts. The knowledge of ENSO drivers and the underlying mechanisms is crucial to improve ENSO prediction, which still remains a challenge. The recently discovered connection between an Atlantic Niño (Niña) and a Pacific Niña (Niño), through an air-sea coupled mechanism during the first and last decades of the twentieth century, highlights an opportunity for ENSO prediction. Here a statistical cross-validated hindcast of ENSO along the twentieth century is presented, considering the Atlantic sea surface temperatures as the unique predictor field, and a set of atmospheric and oceanic variables related to the Atlantic-Pacific connection as the predictand field. The observed ENSO phase is well reproduced, and the skill is enhanced at the beginning and the end of the twentieth century. Understanding this multidecadal modulation of the Atlantic-Pacific connection could help to improve seasonal-to-decadal forecasts of ENSO and its associated impacts.
Biosimilar drugs : concerns and opportunities.
Genazzani, Armando A; Biggio, Giovanni; Caputi, Achille Patrizio; Del Tacca, Mario; Drago, Filippo; Fantozzi, Roberto; Canonico, Pier Luigi
Patents for biologic agents first marketed in the 1980s are now beginning to expire, opening the door for 'non-proprietary' versions of these agents to enter the market. However, there are fundamental differences between biologics and traditional pharmaceuticals that preclude the extrapolation of existing regulatory processes for traditional generic agents to these new biologic products. These include differences in dimensions (molecular weight), synthesis, purification, stability, and immunogenicity. There is also controversy over the terminology of these biologic agents, with a number of terms put forward. European regulatory authorities have adopted the term 'biosimilars,' while the US FDA prefers the term 'follow-on biologics.' It is important that these terms are not used as synonyms for 'generics,' and already there are moves to prevent classification of these products as 'generics.' In this review, we focus on the differences that exist between generics and biosimilars, and assess the current scenario of problems and opportunities. Furthermore, we also attempt to highlight the problems with establishing regulatory guidelines and those associated with the introduction of these drugs into clinical practice. PMID:18020619
Marine geomorphometry: Overview and opportunities.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Micallef, Aaron; Lecours, Vincent; Dolan, Margaret; Lucieer, Vanessa
Multibeam echosounder data comprise the primary source for digital terrain models of the seafloor. Recent advances in seafloor surveying technologies have resulted in a dramatic increase in the quantity and resolution of multibeam echosounder data, prompting a renewed interest in employing geomorphometric techniques to investigate the seafloor. Marine geomorphometric techniques are not as varied and as extensively applied as in terrestrial environments. This is due to the difficultly with capturing terrain variability underwater, since changes in topography are more subdued in comparison to terrestrial landscapes. Issues related to scale are also relevant in submarine settings, but they manifest themselves differently due to the differences in input data. In the last decade, a suite of marine geomorphometric techniques have been developed - terrain attributes, feature-based quantitative representation, automated classification - and employed to investigate a wide range of phenomena - seafloor landforms and geomorphic processes, geohazards, hydrodynamics, habitats. This contribution provides an overview of progress made in marine geomorphometry in the last decade as well as highlights the opportunities and challenges faced by this thriving field of research in the near future.
Physics opportunities with meson beams
Briscoe, William J.; Doring, Michael; Haberzettl, Helmut; Manley, D. Mark; Naruki, Megumi; Strakovsky, Igor I.; Swanson, Eric S.
Over the past two decades, meson photo- and electro-production data of unprecedented quality and quantity have been measured at electromagnetic facilities worldwide. By contrast, the meson-beam data for the same hadronic final states are mostly outdated and largely of poor quality, or even nonexistent, and thus provide inadequate input to help interpret, analyze, and exploit the full potential of the new electromagnetic data. To reap the full benefit of the high-precision electromagnetic data, new high-statistics data from measurements with meson beams, with good angle and energy coverage for a wide range of reactions, are critically needed to advance our knowledgemore » in baryon and meson spectroscopy and other related areas of hadron physics. To address this situation, a state of-the-art meson-beam facility needs to be constructed. Furthermore, the present paper summarizes unresolved issues in hadron physics and outlines the vast opportunities and advances that only become possible with such a facility.« less
Research opportunities in photochemical sciences
The workshop entitled {open_quotes}Research Opportunities in Photochemical Sciences{close_quotes} was initiated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Research (ER), Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES), Division of Chemical Sciences. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado was requested by ER to host the workshop. It was held February 5-8, 1996 at the Estes Park Conference Center, Estes Park, CO, and attended by about 115 leading scientists and engineers from the U.S., Japan, and Europe; program managers for the DOE ER and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) programs also attended. The purpose of the workshop was to bridge the communication gap between the practioneers and supporters of basic research in photochemical science and the practioneers and supporters of applied research and development in technologies related to photochemical science. For the purposes of the workshop the definition of the term {open_quotes}photochemical science{close_quotes} was broadened to include homogeneous photochemistry, heterogeneous photochemistry, photoelectrochemistry, photocatalysis, photobiology (for example, the light-driven processes of biological photosynthesis and proton pumping), artificial photosynthesis, solid state photochemistry, and solar photochemistry. The technologies under development through DOE support that are most closely related to photochemical science, as defined above, are the renewable energy technologies of photovoltaics, biofuels, hydrogen energy, carbon dioxide reduction and utilization, and photocatalysis for environmental cleanup of water and air. Individual papers were processed separately for the United states Department of Energy databases.
Science Opportunities with the LSST
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Strauss, Michael A.; LSST Science Collaboration
The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will have a scientific impact on fields ranging from studies of asteroids in the Solar System to the nature of dark energy. The LSST has defined a series of Science Collaborations, semi-autonomous groups of scientists drawn from the astronomy and high-energy physics communities, which will lay the detailed groundwork to carry out scientific investigations once LSST commissioning begins in 2014. Membership in these collaborations is open to the US astronomical and high-energy physics communities through a proposal process overseen by NOAO and SLAC. These collaborations work with the LSST team on various aspects of survey design, cadence and depth, software pipelines, and database design. They will take the lead in carrying out science investigations with early data from the LSST, to commission the system and ferret out subtle problems in the data. They are developing code and other analysis techniques to allow them to take full advantage of the data once it starts to flow, and are planning precursor or follow-up observations using other facilities needed to meet their scientific goals. The science collaborations are currently ten: Solar System Objects, Stellar Populations, Milky Way Structure, Transient Objects, Galaxy Studies, AGN, Large Scale Distribution of Galaxies/Baryon Oscillations, Supernovae, Weak Lensing, and Strong Lensing. There is an opportunity to propose additional science collaborations.
Engineering opportunities in cancer immunotherapy
Jeanbart, Laura; Swartz, Melody A.
Immunotherapy has great potential to treat cancer and prevent future relapse by activating the immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells. A variety of strategies are continuing to evolve in the laboratory and in the clinic, including therapeutic noncellular (vector-based or subunit) cancer vaccines, dendritic cell vaccines, engineered T cells, and immune checkpoint blockade. Despite their promise, much more research is needed to understand how and why certain cancers fail to respond to immunotherapy and to predict which therapeutic strategies, or combinations thereof, are most appropriate for each patient. Underlying these challenges are technological needs, including methods to rapidly and thoroughly characterize the immune microenvironment of tumors, predictive tools to screen potential therapies in patient-specific ways, and sensitive, information-rich assays that allow patient monitoring of immune responses, tumor regression, and tumor dissemination during and after therapy. The newly emerging field of immunoengineering is addressing some of these challenges, and there is ample opportunity for engineers to contribute their approaches and tools to further facilitate the clinical translation of immunotherapy. Here we highlight recent technological advances in the diagnosis, therapy, and monitoring of cancer in the context of immunotherapy, as well as ongoing challenges. PMID:26598681
Clinical Bioinformatics: challenges and opportunities
Background Network Tools and Applications in Biology (NETTAB) Workshops are a series of meetings focused on the most promising and innovative ICT tools and to their usefulness in Bioinformatics. The NETTAB 2011 workshop, held in Pavia, Italy, in October 2011 was aimed at presenting some of the most relevant methods, tools and infrastructures that are nowadays available for Clinical Bioinformatics (CBI), the research field that deals with clinical applications of bioinformatics. Methods In this editorial, the viewpoints and opinions of three world CBI leaders, who have been invited to participate in a panel discussion of the NETTAB workshop on the next challenges and future opportunities of this field, are reported. These include the development of data warehouses and ICT infrastructures for data sharing, the definition of standards for sharing phenotypic data and the implementation of novel tools to implement efficient search computing solutions. Results Some of the most important design features of a CBI-ICT infrastructure are presented, including data warehousing, modularity and flexibility, open-source development, semantic interoperability, integrated search and retrieval of -omics information. Conclusions Clinical Bioinformatics goals are ambitious. Many factors, including the availability of high-throughput "-omics" technologies and equipment, the widespread availability of clinical data warehouses and the noteworthy increase in data storage and computational power of the most recent ICT systems, justify research and efforts in this domain, which promises to be a crucial leveraging factor for biomedical research. PMID:23095472
Space Tethers Programmatic Infusion Opportunities
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bonometti, J. A.; Frame, K. L.
Programmatic opportunities abound for space Cables, Stringers and Tethers, justified by the tremendous performance advantages that these technologies offer and the rather wide gaps that must be filled by the NASA Exploration program, if the "sustainability goal" is to be met. A definition and characterization of the three categories are presented along with examples. A logical review of exploration requirements shows how each class can be infused throughout the program, from small experimental efforts to large system deployments. The economics of tethers in transportation is considered along with the impact of stringers for structural members. There is an array of synergistic methodologies that interlace their fabrication, implementation and operations. Cables, stringers and tethers can enhance a wide range of other space systems and technologies, including power storage, formation flying, instrumentation, docking mechanisms and long-life space components. The existing tether (i.e., MXER) program's accomplishments are considered consistent with NASA's new vision and can readily conform to requirements-driven technology development.
Alzheimer's disease & metals: therapeutic opportunities
Kenche, Vijaya B; Barnham, Kevin J
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common age related neurodegenerative disease. Currently, there are no disease modifying drugs, existing therapies only offer short-term symptomatic relief. Two of the pathognomonic indicators of AD are the presence of extracellular protein aggregates consisting primarily of the Aβ peptide and oxidative stress. Both of these phenomena can potentially be explained by the interactions of Aβ with metal ions. In addition, metal ions play a pivotal role in synaptic function and their homeostasis is tightly regulated. A breakdown in this metal homeostasis and the generation of toxic Aβ oligomers are likely to be responsible for the synaptic dysfunction associated with AD. Therefore, approaches that are designed to prevent Aβ metal interactions, inhibiting the formation of toxic Aβ species as well as restoring metal homeostasis may have potential as disease modifying strategies for treating AD. This review summarizes the physiological and pathological interactions that metal ions play in synaptic function with particular emphasis placed on interactions with Aβ. A variety of therapeutic strategies designed to address these pathological processes are also described. The most advanced of these strategies is the so-called 'metal protein attenuating compound' approach, with the lead molecule PBT2 having successfully completed early phase clinical trials. The success of these various strategies suggests that manipulating metal ion interactions offers multiple opportunities to develop disease modifying therapies for AD. PMID:21232050
On new opportunities for absorptiometry.
Ferretti, J L; Schiessl, H; Frost, H M
Mechanical loads cause bone strains; and muscle forces, not body weight, cause the largest strains. The strains help to control the effects of bone modeling and remodeling on bone strength and "mass." When strains exceed a threshold range, modeling increases bone strength and "mass." When strains stay below a smaller threshold range, remodeling begins removing bone next to marrow. As a result, increasing muscle strength increases bone strength and "mass," and decreasing muscle strength decreases bone strength and "mass." Estrogen apparently lowers the remodeling threshold, which reduces bone losses. Loss of estrogen raises that threshold to cause losses of bone next to marrow. Such facts help to explain: 1. Bone loss in aging adults. 2. An increase in bone "mass" in girls at menarche. 3. The loss of bone during menopause. 4. The greater bone "mass" in obese than in slender subjects, and in weightlifters than in marathon runners. 5. And the pathogenesis of physiologic osteopenias and true osteoporoses. Thus new standards are needed for the relationships between bone and muscle strengths, and as functions of sex, age, race, disease, endocrine status, nutrition, vitamin and mineral intakes, medications, puberty, and menopause. Obtaining those standards and studying such relationships provide many new opportunities for studies that involve dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and peripheral quantitative computer tomography (pQCT) and, perhaps some day, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. PMID:15304912
Windows of Opportunity for Groundwater Management
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Foster, T.; Brozovic, N.; Butler, A. P.
To date, there has been little attention focused on how the value and effectiveness of groundwater management is influenced by the timing of regulatory intervention relative to aquifer depletion. To address this question, we develop an integrated framework that couples an agro-economic model of farmers' field-level irrigation decision-making with a model of a groundwater abstraction borehole. Unlike existing models that only consider the impact of aquifer depletion on groundwater extraction costs, our model also captures the dynamic changes in well productivity and how these in turn affect crop yields and farmer incomes. We use our model to analyze how the value of imposing groundwater quotas is affected by the prior level of depletion before regulations are introduced. Our results demonstrate that there is a range of aquifer conditions within which regulating groundwater use will deliver long-term economic benefits for farmers. In this range, restricting abstraction rates slows the rate of change in well yields and, as a result, increases agricultural production over the simulated planning horizon. Contrastingly, when current saturated thickness is outside this range, regulating groundwater use will provide negligible social benefits and will impose large negative impacts on farm-level profits. We suggest that there are 'windows of opportunity' for managing aquifer depletion that are a function of local hydrology as well as economic characteristics. Regulation that is too early will harm the rural economy needlessly, while regulation that is too late will be unable to prevent aquifer exhaustion. The insights from our model can be a valuable tool to help inform policy decisions about when, and at what level, regulations should be implemented in order to maximize the benefits obtained from limited groundwater resources.
The nonprofit sector's $100 billion opportunity.
Bradley, Bill; Jansen, Paul; Silverman, Les
Imagine what an extra $100 billion a year could do for philanthropic and other nonprofit institutions. According to a new study, the nonprofit sector could free that amount--maybe even more--by making five changes in the way it operates. The study asked two central questions: Does the sector's money flow from its source to its ultimate use as efficiently and effectively as possible? If not, where are the big opportunities to increase social benefit? According to former senator Bill Bradley and McKinsey's Paul Jansen and Les Silverman, nonprofits could save roughly $25 billion a year by changing the way they raise funds. By distributing funds more quickly, they could put an extra $30 billion to work. Organizations could generate more than $60 billion a year by streamlining and restructuring the way in which they provide services and by reducing administrative costs. And they could free up even more money--an amount impossible to estimate--by better allocating funds among service providers. The authors admit that making those changes won't be easy. The nonprofit world, historically seen as a collection of locally focused charities, has become an enormous sector, but it lacks the managerial processes and incentives that help keep the for-profit world on track. And when the baby boomers start to retire in less than a decade, public budgets will be squeezed even more than they are today. If the nonprofit sector is to help the nation cope with the stresses ahead, it must become more efficient and challenge its traditional concepts of stewardship. PMID:12747166
Tools and techniques that provide improved performance and reduced costs are important to government programs, particularly in current times. An opportunity for improvement was identified for preparation of cost estimates used to support the evaluation of response action alternatives. As a result, CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company has developed Tool for Response Action Cost Estimating (TRACE). TRACE is a multi-page Microsoft Excel{reg_sign} workbook developed to introduce efficiencies into the timely and consistent production of cost estimates for response action alternatives. This tool combines costs derived from extensive site-specific runs of commercially available remediation cost models with site-specific and estimator-researched and derived costs, providing the best estimating sources available. TRACE also provides for common quantity and key parameter links across multiple alternatives, maximizing ease of updating estimates and performing sensitivity analyses, and ensuring consistency.
Energy-Efficiency Improvement Opportunities for the Textile Industry
China Energy Group; Hasanbeigi, Ali
The textile industry is one of the most complicated manufacturing industries because it is a fragmented and heterogeneous sector dominated by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Energy is one of the main cost factors in the textile industry. Especially in times of high energy price volatility, improving energy efficiency should be a primary concern for textile plants. There are various energy-efficiency opportunities that exist in every textile plant, many of which are cost-effective. However, even cost-effective options often are not implemented in textile plants mostly because of limited information on how to implement energy-efficiency measures, especially given the fact that a majority of textile plants are categorized as SMEs and hence they have limited resources to acquire this information. Know-how on energy-efficiency technologies and practices should, therefore, be prepared and disseminated to textile plants. This guidebook provides information on energy-efficiency technologies and measures applicable to the textile industry. The guidebook includes case studies from textile plants around the world and includes energy savings and cost information when available. First, the guidebook gives a brief overview of the textile industry around the world, with an explanation of major textile processes. An analysis of the type and the share of energy used in different textile processes is also included in the guidebook. Subsequently, energy-efficiency improvement opportunities available within some of the major textile sub-sectors are given with a brief explanation of each measure. The conclusion includes a short section dedicated to highlighting a few emerging technologies in the textile industry as well as the potential for the use of renewable energy in the textile industry.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Taulbee, Zoe A.
Cost Management Model, CMM, software tool for planning, tracking, and reporting costs and information related to costs. Capable of estimating costs, comparing estimated to actual costs, performing "what-if" analyses on estimates of costs, and providing mechanism to maintain data on costs in format oriented to management. Number of supportive cost methods built in: escalation rates, production-learning curves, activity/event schedules, unit production schedules, set of spread distributions, tables of rates and factors defined by user, and full arithmetic capability. Import/export capability possible with 20/20 Spreadsheet available on Data General equipment. Program requires AOS/VS operating system available on Data General MV series computers. Written mainly in FORTRAN 77 but uses SGU (Screen Generation Utility).
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cox, Brian
COSTIT computer program estimates cost of electronic design by reading item-list file and file containing cost for each item. Accuracy of cost estimate based on accuracy of cost-list file. Written by use of AWK utility for Sun4-series computers running SunOS 4.x and IBM PC-series and compatible computers running MS-DOS. The Sun version (NPO-19587). PC version (NPO-19157).
Feasibility of using transmitters of opportunity for precision multitarget tracking
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nandakumaran, N.; Tharmarasa, R.; McDonald, Mike; Kirubarajan, T.
Passive Coherent Location (PCL) is a low-cost system for tracking of air targets clandestinely using illuminators of opportunity such as FM broadcast and digital TV. Due to an increased interest in PCL systems, researchers have been working on different configurations of available sources of opportunity and receivers capable of extracting plots from reflected signals of opportunity. The configuration can be multiple-transmitter-single-receiver or singletransmitter- multiple-receiver. Unlike standard radar systems, which can be optimized for detection probability and/or false alarm rate using different transmitted signals and adaptive thresholding, PCL systems are prone to poor detection due to low signal-to-noise (SNR). This leads to high clutter with low probability of detection of target of interest. In this work, we implement a multisensor-multitarget tracking system that fuses measurements from different PCL systems to improve tracking results. The benefits of the fusion are demonstrated using real data from NATA SET Panel 108 on PCL as well as simulated data.
Application and opportunities of pulses in food system: a review.
Asif, Muhammad; Rooney, Lloyd W; Ali, Rashida; Riaz, Mian N
Pulses are highly nutritious seeds of pod-bearing leguminous plants, specifically dry peas, lentils, and chickpeas. US farmers harvest about 2.6 million pounds of pulses every year but 75% of this is being exported internationally because of its increased consumption in the developing countries. In the current scenario, increasing costs of production, bad economy, and fluctuating food commodity prices have made a strong case for US producers to seek opportunities to increase domestic consumption of pulses through value-added products. Pulses are the richest sources of plant proteins and provide approximately 10% of the total dietary requirements of the proteins world over. Pulses are also high in dietary fibers and complex carbohydrates leading to low GI (glycemic index) foods. Pulses help to lower cholesterol and triglycerides as leguminous fibers are hypoglycosuria because of consisting more amylose than amylopectin. Pulses provide tremendous opportunities to be utilized in the processed foods such as bakery products, bread, pasta, snack foods, soups, cereal bar filing, tortillas, meat, etc. These show excellent opportunities in frozen dough foods either as added flour or as fillings. Pulses in view of their nutrient profile, seem to be ideal for inclusion in designing snack foods, baby, and sports foods. PMID:24007421
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Brown, J. A.
Kennedy Space Center data aid in efficient construction-cost managment. Report discusses development and use of NASA TR-1508, Kennedy Space Center Aerospace Construction price book for preparing conceptual budget, funding cost estimating, and preliminary cost engineering reports. Report based on actual bid prices and Government estimates.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Liebler, Robert
It is costly for faculty to deal with cheating. Keith-Spiegel et al. (1998) identified several of these costs and argued that they can be grouped into four categories: emotionality, difficult, fear, and denial. I argue that the emotional and fear costs for faculty make it unlikely that the common approaches to dealing with plagiarism will be…
Widespread contamination of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in ground water has raised concerns about the increased cost of remediation of MTBE releases compared to BTEX-only sites. To evaluate these cost, cost information for 311 sites was furnished by U.S. EPA Office of Undergr...
Kumar, N.; Besuner, P.; Lefton, S.; Agan, D.; Hilleman, D.
This report provides a detailed review of the most up to date data available on power plant cycling costs. The primary objective of this report is to increase awareness of power plant cycling cost, the use of these costs in renewable integration studies and to stimulate debate between policymakers, system dispatchers, plant personnel and power utilities.
Supersonic LFC: Challenges and opportunities
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Powell, Arthur G.
The discussion and viewgraphs on supersonic laminar control are provided. The high fuel fractions required for long range supersonic airplanes give significant leverage to technologies for cruise drag reduction such as laminar flow control (LFC). Fuel burn benefits are further enhanced when sizing effects are considered. These effects may even be powerful enough to reduce airplane production cost over a turbulent baseline. This is an important goal for LFC technology development. The results of aerodynamics studies on the application of LFC technology to the highly swept wings of supersonic airplanes are presented. Important questions of applicability, realistic benefit, and critical application issues, addressed in a NASA-sponsored study conducted by McDonnell Douglas Corporation in 1987-88 are reviewed. Efforts aimed at establishing the feasibility of demonstrating extensive laminarization on the F-16XL-2 airplane are summarized.
Opportunities for efficient fiber optics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Davenport, J. M.; Buelow, R. F.; Frankiewicz, G. P.
High efficiency distributed lighting systems for general lighting applications, delivering light comparable to but with an energy saving of 80% or more over traditional sources have recently become available. This remarkable achievement is due to: the development of long lived high efficiency light sources that match the color rendition and warmth of traditional incandescent and fluorescent sources; the creation of a new generation of non-imaging collectors to efficiently collect and direct the light; and the availability of low loss and low cost light pipes to distribute the light. Given these improvements many incandescent, halogen and even fluorescent applications are now best served using fiber optic lighting technology. In achieving practical systems, a number of significant technical problems have been overcome. In this paper we shall review some of these solutions as well as indicate our view of the direction and impact of future advances.
Atlantic opportunities for ENSO prediction
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
del Rey, Marta Martin; Rodríguez-Fonseca, Belén; Polo, Irene
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the dominant mode of tropical climate variability with worldwide impacts. Major advances in ENSO research have been done in the last decades, focusing on the mechanisms involved in its onset and development, as well as, its global climate teleconnections. Although modelling efforts have been made in ENSO forecast, the prediction of these episodes still remains a challenge for the scientific community. Recent studies put forward the role of extra-tropical and tropical regions as precursors of ENSO, but these teleconnections have changed along the 20th century. In particular, an Atlantic Niño precedes the development of a Pacific La Niña (and vice versa) 6 months in advance, taking part of an air-sea coupled mode of variability which only shows up during negative phases of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). The non-stationarity of this mode opens window opportunities for ENSO forecast, using the Tropical Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature (SST) as the predictor field. Here, we present for the first time a statistical crossvalidated hindcast of ENSO events based on an Extended Multiple Maximum Covariance Analysis (EMMCA). This method considers a unique predictor field, the summer Atlantic SSTs, and a set of predictant fields in different regions and seasons, according to the Atlantic-Pacific mechanism. The predicted tropical Pacific variables involved in ENSO development, show a good agreement with the observed ones during negative AMO phases, with a remarkable increase of the predictability skill based on correlations. During those negative AMO decades, the hindcast reproduces quite well the observed Atlantic-modulated ENSO episodes, but with stronger signal than observations. This AMO-dependency of the ENSO predictability could help to resolve some open questions about the seasonal to decadal ENSO forecast and its impacts.
Missed opportunities in child healthcare
Jonker, Linda
Background Various policies in health, such as Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses, were introduced to enhance integrated service delivery in child healthcare. During clinical practice the researcher observed that integrated services may not be rendered. Objectives This article describes the experiences of mothers that utilised comprehensive child health services in the Cape Metropolitan area of South Africa. Services included treatment for diseases; preventative interventions such as immunisation; and promotive interventions, such as improvement in nutrition and promotion of breastfeeding. Method A qualitative, descriptive phenomenological approach was applied to explore the experiences and perceptions of mothers and/or carers utilising child healthcare services. Thirty percent of the clinics were selected purposively from the total population. A convenience purposive non-probability sampling method was applied to select 17 mothers who met the criteria and gave written consent. Interviews were conducted and recorded digitally using an interview guide. The data analysis was done using Tesch's eight step model. Results Findings of the study indicated varied experiences. Not all mothers received information about the Road to Health book or card. According to the mothers, integrated child healthcare services were not practised. The consequences were missed opportunities in immunisation, provision of vitamin A, absence of growth monitoring, feeding assessment and provision of nutritional advice. Conclusion There is a need for simple interventions such as oral rehydration, early recognition and treatment of diseases, immunisation, growth monitoring and appropriate nutrition advice. These services were not offered diligently. Such interventions could contribute to reducing the incidence of child morbidity and mortality. PMID:26245404
Health Careers Directory; Health Education and Training Opportunities in South Carolina.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
South Carolina Hospital Association, Columbia. Educational Services Program.
The stated goal of the directory is to provide high school guidance counselors with information on health education and training opportunities in one document. To achieve this, the following information is provided: definition of career, program, location, admissions policy, length of course, affiliation, costs, and other items for each career…
Addressing the Global Digital Divide and Its Impact on Educational Opportunity.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tiene, Drew
Examines the global digital divide, with tables of data that document the wide disparity between the world's information-rich and information-deprived. Highlights include how it affects educational opportunity; cost issues; causes of the divide; and strategies for successful educational technology use, including appropriate project design,…
The Political Economy of "Excessive" Regulation: The Case of Educational Opportunity.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chubb, John E.
Evaluating the charge that federal regulation of education is "excessive" entails a political analysis of regulatory problems and of the relative cost efficiencies of providing equal educational opportunity, the goal of much federal regulation. The theoretical framework for this political explanation emphasizes the "implementation relationships"…
Industrial protein production crops: new needs and new opportunities.
Herman, Eliot M; Schmidt, Monica A
There are many diverse uses for industrial proteins with new opportunities for novel uses frequently emerging. Prominent among these uses are enzymes catalyzing the processing of food/feed and for the production of cellulosic biofuels. Other significant industrial protein uses include antibodies and other binding proteins for purification and/or clean-up of industrial product streams. Enabling technology is needed to produce these now expensive industrial proteins could be produced cost-effectively. Plant-based production of industrial enzymes offers the prospect of massive, scalable production, coupled with low production cost especially if a co-product, such as seed oil or starch, subsidizes the primary crop production costs. High-protein seeds whose composition is remodeled to produce industrial proteins can be a cost-effective means to produce industrial proteins. There are both technical and regulatory issues to resolve in order to deploy plants and seeds as industrial protein production platforms and many of these issues may be more easily resolved by developing nonfood crops specifically for use as industrial production platforms. An emerging industrial plant, Camelina, has potential as a protein-production platform subsidized by the seed oil co-product. PMID:21912205
The Opportunity To Eradicate Peste des Petits Ruminants.
Mariner, Jeffrey C; Jones, Bryony A; Rich, Karl M; Thevasagayam, Samuel; Anderson, John; Jeggo, Martyn; Cai, Yi; Peters, Andrew R; Roeder, Peter L
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly infectious disease of sheep and goats that is caused by PPR virus, a member of the genus Morbillivirus that includes the viruses that cause rinderpest (RP) in cattle. RP was the first animal disease to be globally eradicated in 2011 and is only the second disease, after smallpox, to have ever been eradicated. PPR is one of the principal constraints to small ruminant production in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The epidemiology of PPR and RP as well as the technologies available for their diagnosis and control are similar. The conditions that favored the eradication of RP are also largely present for PPR. In this work, we outline the evolving strategy for eradication in light of current opportunities and challenges, as well as the lessons from other eradication programs in animal and human health. The global PPR situation and technology for its control are summarized. A strategy based on the lessons from previous eradication efforts that integrate epidemiology, social science, and economics as tools to target and motivate vaccination is summarized. Major aspects of the cost and benefit-cost analysis of the indicated program are presented. The overall undiscounted cost of eradication was estimated as $3.1 billion, and the benefit-cost ratio for the most likely scenario was estimated at 33.8. We close with a discussion of the possible next steps. PMID:27183645
Computer Inequities in Opportunities for Computer Literacy.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Anderson, Ronald E.; And Others
The Science Assessment and Research Project conducted an assessment of the opportunities for computer learning in the nation's schools. As part of this study, 15,847 junior and senior high school students (13 and 17 years old) responded to a questionnaire regarding computers and computer usage. This is a summary of the findings: Opportunities for…
How to Sell a Career Opportunity
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Magee, Richard H.
Making the job offer and selling the career opportunity it presents is a very important process of employment interviewing. To reduce the chance of failure to sell the candidate on his opportunity, the interviewer must understand the psychology of persuasion, borrowing some techniques from the professional salesman. (Author/BP)
76 FR 76815 - Business Opportunity Rule
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... ``Amended Franchise Rule'' refers to the amended Franchise Rule published at 72 FR 15444 (Mar. 30, 2007) and... Opportunity Ventures: Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 62 FR 9115 (Feb. 28, 1997). ``Initial Proposed... Rule, 71 FR 9054 (Apr. 12, 2006). ``Interim Business Opportunity Rule'' refers to the...
Crisis/Opportunity: 2011 WICHE Workplan
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, 2010
Public higher education has faced a crisis of massive proportions in the first decade of this millennium. Nevertheless, for higher education, this year represents a turning point and, yes, an opportunity. The opportunity, then, for the West is one that generations of Americans are familiar with: to do more with less. Dealing with scarcity--whether…
Opportunity Texas[TM]: Learn. Earn. Save.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Center for Public Policy Priorities, 2010
Texas faces numerous challenges but also has abundant opportunities to build the middle class and increase prosperity. Unfortunately, too many Texans are on the sideline, lacking access to opportunities to learn, earn, and save to secure a more prosperous future for themselves and their families. To create jobs, increase income, and promote…
Race, Inequality of Opportunity, and School Choice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Darby, Derrick; Saatcioglu, Argun
Both neoliberals and liberals call for mitigating inequality of educational opportunity stemming from circumstances beyond an individual's control. In this article, we challenge the wisdom of making equality of opportunity hinge on emphasizing the distinction rather than the relationship between choices and circumstances. We utilize an empirical…
Marketing Opportunities in the Digital World.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kiani, G. Reza
Addresses the opportunities offered by the Web to marketers. Considers the Web as a two-way communication model in which four different communication states can take place. Suggests the necessity of new concepts and models for marketers to manage their Web sites, and presents opportunities supporting the marketers' objectives in the new…
Vocational Education and Equality of Opportunity.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Horowitz, Benjamin; Feinberg, Walter
Examines the concepts of equality of opportunity and equality of educational opportunity and their relationship to vocational education. Traces the history of vocational education. Delineates the distinction between training and education as enumerated in Aristotelian philosophy. Discusses the role vocational education can play in the educative…
Marshall Space Flight Center Small Business Opportunities
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Garrison, Lynn
This viewgraph presentation reviews the small business opportunities that are available with the Marshall Space Flight Center. It includes information on all forms of opportunities available and information sources: subcontracting, websites, contacts and a separate section on Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) & Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs
College Information, Support, and Opportunities for All?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Martinez, Melissa A.
In this case, 10 Latina/o high school seniors and one high school counselor share their perspectives on how college information and opportunities are distributed in their school. In doing so, it becomes evident that efforts are not systematic or equitable. As a result, dilemmas arise when some students are denied the opportunity to attend a…
Ion propulsion cost effectivity
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Zafran, S.; Biess, J. J.
Ion propulsion modules employing 8-cm thrusters and 30-cm thrusters were studied for Multimission Modular Spacecraft (MMS) applications. Recurring and nonrecurring cost elements were generated for these modules. As a result, ion propulsion cost drivers were identified to be Shuttle charges, solar array, power processing, and thruster costs. Cost effective design approaches included short length module configurations, array power sharing, operation at reduced thruster input power, simplified power processing units, and power processor output switching. The MMS mission model employed indicated that nonrecurring costs have to be shared with other programs unless the mission model grows. Extended performance missions exhibited the greatest benefits when compared with monopropellant hydrazine propulsion.
How not to cut health care costs.
Kaplan, Robert S; Haas, Derek A
Health care providers in much of the world are trying to respond to the tremendous pressure to reduce costs--but evidence suggests that many of their attempts are counterproductive, raising costs and sometimes decreasing the quality of care. Kaplan and Haas reached this conclusion after conducting field research with more than 50 health care provider organizations. Administrators looking for cuts typically work from the line-item expense categories on their P&Ls, they found. This may appear to generate immediate results, but it usually does not reflect the optimal mix of resources needed to efficiently deliver excellent care. The authors describe five common mistakes: (1) Reducing support staff. This often lowers the productivity of clinicians, whose time is far more expensive. (2) Underinvesting in space and equipment. The costs of these are consistently an order of magnitude smaller than personnel costs, so cuts here are short-sighted if they lower people's productivity. (3) Focusing narrowly on procurement prices and neglecting to examine how individual clinicians actually consume supplies. (4) Maximizing patient throughput. Physicians achieve greater overall productivity by spending more time with fewer patients. (5) Failing to benchmark and standardize. Administrators, in collaboration with clinicians, should examine all the costs of treating patients' conditions. This will uncover multiple opportunities to improve processes in ways that lower total costs and deliver better care. PMID:25509507
Private health care sector investment in Brazil: opportunities and obstacles.
Brandt, Reynaldo
The Brazilian health system is based upon the constitutional right formulated in 1988, according to which health is the peoples' right and duty of the State. So being, it is essentially the government's responsibility, expressed in the so-called Sistema Unico de Saúde--SUS (single health system) Since its creation, however, it admits the existence of a supplementary health system, left to the private sector. In general terms, the public system is considered unsatisfactory in the services it renders. Its resources are distributed heterogeneously, favoring centers of advanced medical practice, to the detriment of basic health care. The supplementary system is considered of better quality, however with great variations and frequent accusations of being essentially profit driven, instead of being driven to the needs of the assisted population. The growing search for health plans is a direct consequence of the image perceived by the population regarding the quality and accessibility of the public services, as well as of the peoples' growing consciousness of their needs, rights and duties as citizens. The need for continuous quality improvement and cost reduction offers numberless opportunities for actions and investments. Initiatives to identify and implement the best medical practices, medical guidelines and actions are essential regarding those illnesses which are most frequent, of higher cost and of greater risk. Health plans and healthcare providers will necessarily have to focus on their common client. Therefore, organizations must be created in order to develop initiatives aimed to the quality of patient care, as well as to the collection and dissemination of data regarding the production and results of the main service providers. Consequently, immense opportunities are being opened for investments in the area of Information Technology, collection, analysis, and data dissemination. This paper analyses the main trends in the Brazilian health sector and from the
Total cost of ownership: the role of clinical engineering.
Hockel, Dale; Kintner, Michael
Hospitals often incur substantial hidden costs associated with service agreements that they enter into with original equipment manufacturers at the time of equipment purchase. Hospitals should perform an analysis of the total cost of ownership (TCO) of their organizations' medical equipment to identify opportunities for performance improvement and savings. The findings of the TCO analysis can point to areas where clinical engineering service management can be improved through investments in technology, training, and teamwork. PMID:24968636
Economic cost of primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases in Tanzania.
Ngalesoni, Frida; Ruhago, George; Norheim, Ole F; Robberstad, Bjarne
Tanzania is facing a double burden of disease, with non-communicable diseases being an increasingly important contributor. Evidence-based preventive measures are important to limit the growing financial burden. This article aims to estimate the cost of providing medical primary prevention interventions for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among at-risk patients, reflecting actual resource use and if the World Health Organization (WHO)'s CVD medical preventive guidelines are implemented in Tanzania. In addition, we estimate and explore the cost to patients of receiving these services. Cost data were collected in four health facilities located in both urban and rural settings. Providers' costs were identified and measured using ingredients approach to costing and resource valuation followed the opportunity cost method. Unit costs were estimated using activity-based and step-down costing methodologies. The patient costs were obtained through a structured questionnaire. The unit cost of providing CVD medical primary prevention services ranged from US$30-41 to US$52-71 per patient per year at the health centre and hospital levels, respectively. Employing the WHO's absolute risk approach guidelines will substantially increase these costs. The annual patient cost of receiving these services as currently practised was estimated to be US$118 and US$127 for urban and rural patients, respectively. Providers' costs were estimated from two main viewpoints: 'what is', that is the current practice, and 'what if', reflecting a WHO guidelines scenario. The higher cost of implementing the WHO guidelines suggests the need for further evaluation of whether these added costs are reasonable relative to the added benefits. We also found considerably higher patient costs, implying that distributive and equity implications of access to care require more consideration. Facility location surfaced as the main explanatory variable for both direct and indirect patient costs in the regression
Economic cost of primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases in Tanzania
Ngalesoni, Frida; Ruhago, George; Norheim, Ole F; Robberstad, Bjarne
Tanzania is facing a double burden of disease, with non-communicable diseases being an increasingly important contributor. Evidence-based preventive measures are important to limit the growing financial burden. This article aims to estimate the cost of providing medical primary prevention interventions for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among at-risk patients, reflecting actual resource use and if the World Health Organization (WHO)'s CVD medical preventive guidelines are implemented in Tanzania. In addition, we estimate and explore the cost to patients of receiving these services. Cost data were collected in four health facilities located in both urban and rural settings. Providers' costs were identified and measured using ingredients approach to costing and resource valuation followed the opportunity cost method. Unit costs were estimated using activity-based and step-down costing methodologies. The patient costs were obtained through a structured questionnaire. The unit cost of providing CVD medical primary prevention services ranged from US$30–41 to US$52–71 per patient per year at the health centre and hospital levels, respectively. Employing the WHO's absolute risk approach guidelines will substantially increase these costs. The annual patient cost of receiving these services as currently practised was estimated to be US$118 and US$127 for urban and rural patients, respectively. Providers' costs were estimated from two main viewpoints: 'what is', that is the current practice, and 'what if', reflecting a WHO guidelines scenario. The higher cost of implementing the WHO guidelines suggests the need for further evaluation of whether these added costs are reasonable relative to the added benefits. We also found considerably higher patient costs, implying that distributive and equity implications of access to care require more consideration. Facility location surfaced as the main explanatory variable for both direct and indirect patient costs in
Costs of groundwater contamination
O'Neil, W.B.; Raucher, R.S. )
Two factors determine the cost of groundwater contamination: (1) the ways in which water was being used or was expected to be used in the future and (2) the physical characteristics of the setting that constrain the responses available to regain lost uses or to prevent related damages to human health and the environment. Most contamination incidents can be managed at a low enough cost that uses will not be foreclosed. It is important to take into account the following when considering costs: (1) natural cleansing through recharge and dilution can take many years; (2) it is difficult and costly to identify the exact area and expected path of a contamination plume; and (3) treatment or replacement of contaminated water often may represent the cost-effective strategy for managing the event. The costs of contamination include adverse health effects, containment and remediation, treatment and replacement costs. In comparing the costs and benefits of prevention programs with those of remediation, replacement or treatment, it is essential to adjust the cost/benefit numbers by the probability of their actual occurrence. Better forecasts of water demand are needed to predict more accurately the scarcity of new supply and the associated cost of replacement. This research should include estimates of the price elasticity of water demand and the possible effect on demand of more rational cost-based pricing structures. Research and development of techniques for in situ remediation should be encouraged.
Cost characteristics of hospitals.
Smet, Mike
Modern hospitals are complex multi-product organisations. The analysis of a hospital's production and/or cost structure should therefore use the appropriate techniques. Flexible functional forms based on the neo-classical theory of the firm seem to be most suitable. Using neo-classical cost functions implicitly assumes minimisation of (variable) costs given that input prices and outputs are exogenous. Local and global properties of flexible functional forms and short-run versus long-run equilibrium are further issues that require thorough investigation. In order to put the results based on econometric estimations of cost functions in the right perspective, it is important to keep these considerations in mind when using flexible functional forms. The more recent studies seem to agree that hospitals generally do not operate in their long-run equilibrium (they tend to over-invest in capital (capacity and equipment)) and that it is therefore appropriate to estimate a short-run variable cost function. However, few studies explicitly take into account the implicit assumptions and restrictions embedded in the models they use. An alternative method to explain differences in costs uses management accounting techniques to identify the cost drivers of overhead costs. Related issues such as cost-shifting and cost-adjusting behaviour of hospitals and the influence of market structure on competition, prices and costs are also discussed shortly. PMID:12220092
Opportunities for Funding at NSF
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kafafi, Zakya H.
Materials science, inter- and multi-disciplinary in nature, provides the bridge to many areas of fundamental and applied sciences such as biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer sciences, and engineering. Strong links that may exist between materials science and other disciplines, such as biology or chemistry or physics, very often lead to novel applications and enable technologies of great benefit to our society. The Division of Materials Research (DMR) invested 274.0 M in FY 2008 and is estimated to invest 324.6 M in FY 2009 funding research and education as well as enabling tools & instrumentation for individual investigators, groups, centers, and national facilities. DMR programs cover a wide spectrum of materials research and education ranging from condensed matter and materials physics, solid-state and materials chemistry, multifunctional, hybrid, electronic, photonic, metallic, ceramic, polymeric, bio-materials, composites and nanostructures to list a few. New modes of funding, research opportunities and directions, such as the recent SOLAR solicitation, will be described. This Solar Energy Initiative launched jointly by three divisions, namely Chemistry, Materials Research and Mathematical Science is aimed at supporting truly interdisciplinary efforts that address the scientific challenges of highly efficient harvesting, conversion, and storage of solar energy. The goal of this new program is to create a new modality of linking the mathematical with the chemical and materials sciences to develop transformative paradigms based on the integrated expertise and synergy from three disciplinary communities. DMR is also seeking new ways to transform materials science and education, and make it more attractive as a career for bright, young women & men. A description will be given of several workshops held this year and planned for next year with this purpose in mind. Outreach programs that emphasize how the innovations resulting from materials research
Concepts of Cost and Cost Analysis for Higher Education.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brinkman, Paul T.; Allen, Richard H.
Concepts of costs and cost analysis in higher education are examined, along with how to prepare for a cost study. Specific cost analysis techniques are identified, along with types of data generated and potential problems. In preparing for cost studies, it is important to consider: purpose, types of cost analysis, types of cost, common…
Adjusting Teacher Salaries for the Cost of Living: The Effect on Salary Comparisons and Policy Conclusions
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stoddard, C.
Teaching salaries are commonly adjusted for the cost of living, but this incorrectly accounts for welfare differences across states. Adjusting for area amenities and opportunities, however, produces more accurate salary comparisons. Amenities and opportunities can be measured by the wage premium other workers in a state face. The two methods…
Planning, budgeting, and controlling--one look at the future: case-mix cost accounting.
Thompson, J D; Averill, R F; Fetter, R B
This paper outlines the system for cost accounting and managerial control which is an extension of the usually accepted departmental costing systems and takes as its units the 383 Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) considered to be the hospital's products. It is held that such an approach offers hospital managers a more powerful, analytic, budgeting, and cost-finding tool and offers the opportunity to involve the medical staff in the issues of how their practice patterns are affecting hospital costs. PMID:511578
Space shuttle solid rocket booster cost-per-flight analysis technique
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Forney, J. A.
A cost per flight computer model is described which considers: traffic model, component attrition, hardware useful life, turnaround time for refurbishment, manufacturing rates, learning curves on the time to perform tasks, cost improvement curves on quantity hardware buys, inflation, spares philosophy, long lead, hardware funding requirements, and other logistics and scheduling constraints. Additional uses of the model include assessing the cost per flight impact of changing major space shuttle program parameters and searching for opportunities to make cost effective management decisions.
Physical activity opportunities in afterschool programs
Weaver, R. Glenn; Beets, Michael W.; Huberty, Jennifer; Freedman, Darcy; Turner-Mcgrievy, Gabrielle; Ward, Diane
Afterschool programs (ASPs) have potential to provide children moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The availability and types (e.g., free play or organized activities) of physical activity opportunities, their structure (e.g., presence of lines, elimination games), and staff behaviors (e.g., encouragement, engaged) can influence children's MVPA. This study explored these factors in 20 ASPs serving over 1,700 elementary-age children. The occurrence, types and structure of physical activity opportunities, and staff behaviors were collected via the System for Observing Staff Promotion of Physical Activity and Nutrition (SOSPAN). A total of 4,660 SOSPAN scans were completed across 63 complete program days (1733 during physical activity opportunities). Physical activity opportunities were observed on 60 program days across all 20 sites, with 73% of those opportunities classified as free play. ASPs scheduled an average of 66.3 minutes (range 15-150min) of physical activity opportunities daily. Games played included basketball, tag, soccer and football. Staff rarely engaged in physical activity promotion behaviors, and the structure of organized games discouraged MVPA. For example, staff verbally promoted physical activity in just 6.1% of scans, while organized games were more likely to involve lines and elimination. Professional development training may enhance staffs' physical activity promotion and the structure of activity opportunities. PMID:25586132
Fulbright Opportunities in the Physical Sciences
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dewindt, Katrin
The Fulbright Scholar Program is sponsored by the United States Department of State and is principally funded by taxpayer contributions. Bi-national in nature, it includes academic year opportunities for both American and foreign scholars. More than 800 grants in 125 countries are available each year. The Program supports research, teaching and lecturing opportunities in all academic disciplines, numerous professional fields and the arts. American academics and administrators have multiple opportunities to internationalize their campuses and their discipline points of view. Further, Fulbright not only sends American scholars abroad but also brings scholars to the United States and should be considered a strategic internationalization opportunity both for individuals and for campuses. During the 2013-14 competition cycle there were 33 awards available in physics and astronomy and 175 all discipline awards. The presentation will guide attendees in identifying appropriate opportunities through the Fulbright Scholar Program and will make suggestions as to how to be successful in a proposal. Special attention will be given to opportunities available for specialists in physics. The workshop will also cover non-Core Fulbright Scholar opportunities for physicists and university administrators, including a number of short-term, innovative programs that send an additional 400 scholars from the United States to universities and research institutes abroad to offer expertise on issues of global interest from cutting-edge research to policy, to technical expertise in curriculum development, institutional planning, program assessment, and institutional capacity building.
Cost-Effective Fuel Treatment Planning
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kreitler, J.; Thompson, M.; Vaillant, N.
that use only benefits. Variations across the heterogeneous surfaces of costs and benefits create opportunities for fuel treatments to maximize the expected averted loss of benefits. By targeting these opportunities we demonstrate how incorporating costs in fuel treatment prioritization can improve the outcome of fuel treatment planning.
Energy Efficiency Improvement Opportunities for the Cement Industry
Price, Lynn; Worrell, Ernst; Galitsky, Christina; Price, Lynn
This report provides information on the energy savings, costs, and carbon dioxide emissions reductions associated with implementation of a number of technologies and measures applicable to the cement industry. The technologies and measures include both state-of-the-art measures that are currently in use in cement enterprises worldwide as well as advanced measures that are either only in limited use or are near commercialization. This report focuses mainly on retrofit measures using commercially available technologies, but many of these technologies are applicable for new plants as well. Where possible, for each technology or measure, costs and energy savings per tonne of cement produced are estimated and then carbon dioxide emissions reductions are calculated based on the fuels used at the process step to which the technology or measure is applied. The analysis of cement kiln energy-efficiency opportunities is divided into technologies and measures that are applicable to the different stages of production and various kiln types used in China: raw materials (and fuel) preparation; clinker making (applicable to all kilns, rotary kilns only, vertical shaft kilns only); and finish grinding; as well as plant wide measures and product and feedstock changes that will reduce energy consumption for clinker making. Table 1 lists all measures in this report by process to which they apply, including plant wide measures and product or feedstock changes. Tables 2 through 8 provide the following information for each technology: fuel and electricity savings per tonne of cement; annual operating and capital costs per tonne of cement or estimated payback period; and, carbon dioxide emissions reductions for each measure applied to the production of cement. This information was originally collected for a report on the U.S. cement industry (Worrell and Galitsky, 2004) and a report on opportunities for China's cement kilns (Price and Galitsky, in press). The information provided in this
Calculating Cost-Return for Investments in Student Success
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lumina Foundation for Education, 2010
In late 2007, Jobs for the Future (JFF), working with the Delta Project on Postsecondary Costs, Productivity and Accountability, launched "Investing in Student Success", a one-year pilot program. The pilot, conceived of as part of the "Making Opportunity Affordable" initiative and funded by Walmart Foundation and Lumina Foundation for Education,…
29 CFR 1650.112 - Interest, penalties, and administrative costs.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
... 29 Labor 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Interest, penalties, and administrative costs. 1650.112 Section 1650.112 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION DEBT COLLECTION Procedures for the Collection of Debts by Salary Offset § 1650.112 Interest,...
Transforming Learning through Technology: Educating More, Costing Less
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Twigg, Carol A.
Face-to-face instruction has been held as the gold standard of a quality academic program. But using information technology to redesign traditional courses can actually improve the quality of teaching, cut costs, and improve access and success. A strong redesign often involves active learning opportunities; individualized, on-demand assistance; a…
An Examination of Avoided Costs in Utah
Bolinger, Mark; Wiser, Ryan
The Utah Wind Working Group (UWWG) believes there are currently opportunities to encourage wind power development in the state by seeking changes to the avoided cost tariff paid to qualifying facilities (QFs). These opportunities have arisen as a result of a recent renegotiation of Pacificorp's Schedule 37 tariff for wind QFs under 3 MW, as well as an ongoing examination of Pacificorp's Schedule 38 tariff for wind QFs larger than 3 MW. It is expected that decisions made regarding Schedule 38 will also impact Schedule 37. Through the Laboratory Technical Assistance Program (Lab TAP), the UWWG has requested (through the Utah Energy Office) that LBNL provide technical assistance in determining whether an alternative method of calculating avoided costs that has been officially adopted in Idaho would lead to higher QF payments in Utah, and to discuss the pros and cons of this method relative to the methodology recently adopted under Schedule 37 in Utah. To accomplish this scope of work, I begin by summarizing the current method of calculating avoided costs in Utah (per Schedule 37) and Idaho (the ''surrogate avoided resource'' or SAR method). I then compare the two methods both qualitatively and quantitatively. Next I present Pacificorp's four main objections to the use of the SAR method, and discuss the reasonableness of each objection. Finally, I conclude with a few other potential considerations that might add value to wind QFs in Utah.
Osteoporosis treatment: a missed opportunity.
Milat, Frances; Ebeling, Peter R
Osteoporosis affects 1.2 million Australians and, in 2012, fractures due to osteoporosis and osteopenia in Australians aged over 50 years cost $2.75 billion. Even minor minimal trauma fractures are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Despite increasing therapeutic options for managing osteoporosis, fewer than 20% of patients with a minimal trauma fracture are treated or investigated for osteoporosis, so under-treatment is extremely common. Fracture risk assessment is important for selecting patients who require specific anti-osteoporosis therapy. Post-menopausal osteoporosis is frequently due to an imbalance in bone remodelling, with bone resorption exceeding bone formation. Antiresorptive drugs reduce the number, activity and lifespan of osteoclasts, and include bisphosphonates, oestrogen, selective oestrogen receptor-modulating drugs, strontium ranelate, and the human monoclonal antibody denosumab. Teriparatide is the only anabolic agent currently available that stimulates osteoblast recruitment and activity; its antifracture efficacy for non-vertebral fractures increases with the duration of therapy for up to 2 years when it is associated with persisting increases in bone formation rate at the tissue level. Newer anabolic agents are imminent and include an analogue of parathyroid hormone-related protein, abaloparatide, and a humanised monoclonal antibody to an inhibitor of bone formation, romosozumab. Selection of anti-osteoporosis therapy should be individualised to patients, and the duration of bisphosphonate therapy has been covered in recent guidelines. The benefits of treatment far outweigh any risks associated with long term treatment. General practitioners need to take up the challenge imposed by osteoporosis and become champions of change to close the evidence-treatment gap. PMID:27510350
Horizontal drilling opportunities in Ohio
Noel, J.A. )
Horizontal drilling has become commonplace in certain parts of Texas. The Austin Chalk is the favorite target, especially where fracture systems are present. The activity has become so intense that leases are now costly or nearly impossible to find. This type of activity was prevalent during the late oil boom, but with vertical wells. So, the same areas that were drilled then are being redone with horizontal drilling. In the past few months, carbonates with little or no evidence of fracture systems are being drilled with some success. Because of the difficulty in lease acquisition, operators are turning their attention elsewhere. Even though horizontal drilling has been conducted limitedly in the Devonian black shales, the Appalachian basin is an area that calls for attention. In Ohio, there have been instances of discoveries of one-well fields in both the Trenton and Trempealeau formations. The initial production from these wells ranges from a few to hundreds of barrels of oil per day. The lack of success in offset wells has been attributed to the interpretation that the producing wells were serendipitously drilled into a limited fractured reservoir. In most cases, the producer is surrounded by clusters of dry holes. These Ohio wells and wells in one other area are studied using well data, spectral and sonic logs, aerial photographs, side-looking radar surveys, and other data. The results are presented on structure contour and lineament maps, and quantitative log interpretations. The maps show the interpretations of those areas of fracture systems that might be viable targets for horizontal drilling.
As Far as Opportunity's Eye Can See
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Click on the image for As Far as Opportunity's Eye Can See (QTVR) This expansive view of the martian real estate surrounding the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is the first 360 degree, high-resolution color image taken by the rover's panoramic camera. The airbag marks, or footprints, seen in the soil trace the route by which Opportunity rolled to its final resting spot inside a small crater at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The exposed rock outcropping is a future target for further examination. This image mosaic consists of 225 individual frames.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Figure 1 [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Figure 2 The navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took images during the rover's 285th martian day (Nov. 11, 2004) that are combined into this stereo panorama. Opportunity had reached the base of 'Burns Cliff,' a portion of the inner wall of 'Endurance Crater.' This view shows rock layers in the wall, with a portion of Opportunity's solar array visible at the bottom right. Figure 1 is the left-eye view of a stereo pair and Figure 2 is the right-eye view of a stereo pair.
Erickson, D.S.
This paper outlines a project, funded under a DOE SBIR grant, which tested a potentially lower cost method of manufacturing MCFC stack anodes and evaluated the feasibility of using the technology in the existing M-C Power Corp. manufacturing facility. The procedure involves adding activator salts to the anode tape casting slurry with the Ni and Cr or Al powders. Two different processes occur during heat treatment in a reducing environment: sintering of the base Ni structure, and alloying or cementation of the Cr or Al powders. To determine whether it was cost-effective to implement the cementation alloying manufacturing process, the M-C Power manufacturing cost model was used to determine the impact of different material costs and processing parameters on total anode cost. Cost analysis included equipment expenditures and facility modifications required by the cementation alloying process.
Heliostat cost optimization study
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
von Reeken, Finn; Weinrebe, Gerhard; Keck, Thomas; Balz, Markus
This paper presents a methodology for a heliostat cost optimization study. First different variants of small, medium sized and large heliostats are designed. Then the respective costs, tracking and optical quality are determined. For the calculation of optical quality a structural model of the heliostat is programmed and analyzed using finite element software. The costs are determined based on inquiries and from experience with similar structures. Eventually the levelised electricity costs for a reference power tower plant are calculated. Before each annual simulation run the heliostat field is optimized. Calculated LCOEs are then used to identify the most suitable option(s). Finally, the conclusions and findings of this extensive cost study are used to define the concept of a new cost-efficient heliostat called `Stellio'.
Electric propulsion cost estimation
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Palaszewski, B. A.
A parametric cost model for mercury ion propulsion modules is presented. A detailed work breakdown structure is included. Cost estimating relationships were developed for the individual subsystems and the nonhardware items (systems engineering, software, etc.). Solar array and power processor unit (PPU) costs are the significant cost drivers. Simplification of both of these subsystems through applications of advanced technology (lightweight solar arrays and high-efficiency, self-radiating PPUs) can reduce costs. Comparison of the performance and cost of several chemical propulsion systems with the Hg ion module are also presented. For outer-planet missions, advanced solar electric propulsion (ASEP) trip times and O2/H2 propulsion trip times are comparable. A three-year trip time savings over the baselined NTO/MMH propulsion system is possible with ASEP.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Low, George M.
This article's concern is regarding the high costs of space travel and the need to minimize or reduce these costs in order to effectively provide the continuation of the space programs and space exploration needs of the future. Discussed is the possibility and need to optimize payloads in order to lower the costs associated with them. Design phase principles and implementation phase points are discussed.
Innovative forming and fabrication technologies : new opportunities.
Davis, B.; Hryn, J.; Energy Systems; Kingston Process Metallurgy, Inc.
The advent of light metal alloys and advanced materials (polymer, composites, etc.) have brought the possibility of achieving important energy reductions into the full life cycle of these materials, especially in transportation applications. 1 These materials have gained acceptance in the aerospace industry but use of light metal alloys needs to gain wider acceptance in other commercial transportation areas. Among the main reasons for the relatively low use of these materials are the lack of manufacturability, insufficient mechanical properties, and increased material costs due to processing inefficiencies. Considering the enormous potential energy savings associated with the use of light metal alloys and advanced materials in transportation, there is a need to identify R&D opportunities in the fields of materials fabrication and forming aimed at developing materials with high specific mechanical properties combined with energy efficient processes and good manufacturability. This report presents a literature review of the most recent developments in the areas of fabrication and metal forming focusing principally on aluminum alloys. In the first section of the document, the different sheet manufacturing technologies including direct chill (DC) casting and rolling, spray forming, spray rolling, thin slab, and strip casting are reviewed. The second section of the document presents recent research on advanced forming processes. The various forming processes reviewed are: superplastic forming, electromagnetic forming, age forming, warm forming, hydroforming, and incremental forming. Optimization of conventional forming processes is also discussed. Potentially interesting light metal alloys for high structural efficiency including aluminum-scandium, aluminum-lithium, magnesium, titanium, and amorphous metal alloys are also reviewed. This section concludes with a discussion on alloy development for manufacturability. The third section of the document reviews the latest
Multi-GNSS Opportunities and Challenges
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Al-Shaery, A.; Zhang, S.; Lim, S.; Rizos, C.
The multi-GNSS era has began attracting more attention with the declaration of full operational capability of GLONASS , with a 24 satellites being set to 'healthy' on December 8th 2011 (IAC, 2011). This means that GPS is no longer the only GNSS that provides global positioning coverage. This status brings benefits for GNSS users in areas (e.g. 'urban canyon' environments or in deep open cut mines) where the number of visible satellites is limited because of shadowing effects. In such areas adding more functioning satellites, which is one of the aiding solutions, becomes easier, at no extra cost. The inclusion of GLONASS observations in positioning solutions will increase the available number of satellites and thus positioning accuracy may improve as a result of enhanced overall satellite geometry. Such an aiding solution is increasingly attractive due to the successful revitalisation of GLONASS. Another motivation is the availability of improved GLONASS orbits from the IGS and individual analysis centres of the IGS. The increasing availability of receivers with GPS/GLONASS tracking capability on the market is an additional motive. Consequently, most networks of continuously operating reference stations (CORS) are now equipped with receivers that can track both GPS and GLONASS satellite signals, and therefore network-based positioning with combined GPS and GLONASS observations is possible. However, adding GLONASS observations to GPS is not a straight forward process. This is attributable to a few system differences in reference frames for time and coordinates, and in signal structures. The first two differences are easy to deal with using well-defined conversion and transformation parameters (El-Mowafy, 2001). However, signal structure differences have some implications. The mathematical modelling of combined GPS/GLONASS observations is not performed as in the case of GPS-alone. Special care should be paid to such integration. Not only is the software part affected
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Schindler, Carla M.; Lansaw, John
The advanced Launch System (ALS) program goals demand an order-of-magnitude reduction in costs over existing launch vehicle propulsion systems. Studies suggest that reusable engines provide cost advantages over expendable propulsion systems. Early studies are quantifying operations costs, and cost sensitivities to engine production and operations variables. ALS production and operations philosophies enhance the potential of an affordable, operationally flexible launch vehicle propulsion system. The assumptions made and criteria set during the initial planning for the operations phase of the ALS highlight the changes for implementing such a system.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Freeman, W.; Ilcewicz, L.; Swanson, G.; Gutowski, T.
The Structures Technology Program Office (STPO) at NASA LaRC has initiated development of a conceptual and preliminary designers' cost prediction model. The model will provide a technically sound method for evaluating the relative cost of different composite structural designs, fabrication processes, and assembly methods that can be compared to equivalent metallic parts or assemblies. The feasibility of developing cost prediction software in a modular form for interfacing with state-of-the-art preliminary design tools and computer aided design programs is being evaluated. The goal of this task is to establish theoretical cost functions that relate geometric design features to summed material cost and labor content in terms of process mechanics and physics. The output of the designers' present analytical tools will be input for the designers' cost prediction model to provide the designer with a database and deterministic cost methodology that allows one to trade and synthesize designs with both cost and weight as objective functions for optimization. This paper presents the team members, approach, goals, plans, and progress to date for development of COSTADE (Cost Optimization Software for Transport Aircraft Design Evaluation).
Updated Conceptual Cost Estimating
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Brown, J. A.
16-page report discusses development and use of NASA TR-1508, the Kennedy Space Center Aerospace Construction Price Book for preparing conceptual, budget, funding, cost-estimating, and preliminary cost-engineering reports. Updated annually from 1974 through 1985 with actual bid prices and government estimates. Includes labor and material quantities and prices with contractor and subcontractor markups for buildings, facilities, and systems at Kennedy Space Center. While data pertains to aerospace facilities, format and cost-estimating techniques guide estimation of costs in other construction applications.
Gonzalez-Sanchez, M Beatriz; Lopez-Valeiras, Ernesto; Morente, Manuel M; Fernández Lago, Orlando
Current economic conditions and budget constraints in publicly funded biomedical research have brought about a renewed interest in analyzing the cost and economic viability of research infrastructures. However, there are no proposals for specific cost accounting models for these types of organizations in the international scientific literature. The aim of this paper is to present the basis of a cost analysis model useful for any biobank regardless of the human biological samples that it stores for biomedical research. The development of a unique cost model for biobanks can be a complicated task due to the diversity of the biological samples they store. Different types of samples (DNA, tumor tissues, blood, serum, etc.) require different production processes. Nonetheless, the common basic steps of the production process can be identified. Thus, the costs incurred in each step can be analyzed in detail to provide cost information. Six stages and four cost objects were obtained by taking the production processes of biobanks belonging to the Spanish National Biobank Network as a starting point. Templates and examples are provided to help managers to identify and classify the costs involved in their own biobanks to implement the model. The application of this methodology will provide accurate information on cost objects, along with useful information to give an economic value to the stored samples, to analyze the efficiency of the production process and to evaluate the viability of some sample collections. PMID:24835258
Culyer, A. J.
Health care cost containment is not in itself a sensible policy objective, because any assessment of the appropriateness of health care expenditure in aggregate, as of that on specific programs, requires a balancing of costs and benefits at the margin. International data on expenditures can, however, provide indications of the likely impact on costs and expenditures of structural features of health care systems. Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for both European countries and a wider set are reviewed, and some current policies in Europe that are directed at controlling health care costs are outlined. PMID:10313433
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Freeman, William T.; Ilcewicz, L. B.; Swanson, G. D.; Gutowski, T.
A conceptual and preliminary designers' cost prediction model has been initiated. The model will provide a technically sound method for evaluating the relative cost of different composite structural designs, fabrication processes, and assembly methods that can be compared to equivalent metallic parts or assemblies. The feasibility of developing cost prediction software in a modular form for interfacing with state of the art preliminary design tools and computer aided design programs is being evaluated. The goal of this task is to establish theoretical cost functions that relate geometric design features to summed material cost and labor content in terms of process mechanics and physics. The output of the designers' present analytical tools will be input for the designers' cost prediction model to provide the designer with a data base and deterministic cost methodology that allows one to trade and synthesize designs with both cost and weight as objective functions for optimization. The approach, goals, plans, and progress is presented for development of COSTADE (Cost Optimization Software for Transport Aircraft Design Evaluation).
''When Cost Measures Contradict''
Montgomery, W. D.; Smith, A. E.; Biggar, S. L.; Bernstein, P. M.
When regulators put forward new economic or regulatory policies, there is a need to compare the costs and benefits of these new policies to existing policies and other alternatives to determine which policy is most cost-effective. For command and control policies, it is quite difficult to compute costs, but for more market-based policies, economists have had a great deal of success employing general equilibrium models to assess a policy's costs. Not all cost measures, however, arrive at the same ranking. Furthermore, cost measures can produce contradictory results for a specific policy. These problems make it difficult for a policy-maker to determine the best policy. For a cost measures to be of value, one would like to be confident of two things. First one wants to be sure whether the policy is a winner or loser. Second, one wants to be confident that a measure produces the correct policy ranking. That is, one wants to have confidence in a policy measure's ability to correctly rank policies from most beneficial to most harmful. This paper analyzes empirically these two properties of different costs measures as they pertain to assessing the costs of the carbon abatement policies, especially the Kyoto Protocol, under alternative assumptions about implementation.
The report summarizes cost data on over 20 environmental control technologies. The cost parameters presented include total capital investment, net annual operating expenses, and unit annualized costs. These cost estimates are given over an appropriate range of system capacities f...
Energy Sector Impacts and Opportunities
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Newmark, R. L.; Macknick, J.; Martinez, A.; Hallett, K. C.
The power sector is the largest user of freshwater in the U.S. The dominant use of water in power plants is for steam cycle cooling. The current portfolio of electricity generating technologies in the U.S. has highly regionalized and technology-specific requirements for water. Certain areas employ once-through cooling technologies with high withdrawals and low consumptive uses, whereas other areas employ recirculating cooling technologies with relatively low withdrawals but high consumptive uses. As water availability differs widely throughout the nation, assessments of water withdrawal and consumption impacts from the power sector must have a high geographic resolution and consider regional differences. The U.S. electricity portfolio is likely to evolve in coming years, shaped by various energy policies and economic drivers on both the national and regional level, which will impact power sector water demands. It is likely that the U.S. will continue to decarbonize its electricity industry, leading to more low-carbon technologies. However, many low-carbon technologies, such as coal with carbon capture and storage, nuclear, and concentrated solar power, can use more water than the current electricity portfolio average. National- and state-level water policies have been proposed (and enacted) that affect cooling system choices for power plants, with resulting implications for water use as well as power plant installed and operating costs and reliability. Energy policy analyses that do not consider power plant cooling system impacts may miss an important component power plant siting decisions. Similarly, water policies that do not take into consideration potential impacts on power plant operations or comprehensive regional water budget impacts may have deleterious effects on the energy industry. Analysis of future energy scenarios that incorporate technology options and constraints as well as different policies can provide useful insights about likely changes to both
After Opportunity's First Drive in Six Weeks
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2007-01-01NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its front hazard-identification camera to obtain this image at the end of a drive on the rover's 1,271st sol, or Martian day (Aug. 21, 2007). Due to sun-obscuring dust storms limiting the rover's supply of solar energy, Opportunity had not driven since sol 1,232 (July 12, 2007). On sol 1,271, after the sky above Opportunity had been gradually clearing for more than two weeks, the rover rolled 13.38 meters (44 feet). Wheel tracks are visible in front of the rover because the drive ended with a short test of driving backwards. Opportunity's turret of four tools at the end of the robotic arm fills the center of the image. Victoria Crater, site of the rover's next science targets, lies ahead.
Wind Technologies and Evolving Opportunities (Presentation)
Robi Robichaud
This presentation provides an overview of wind energy research being conducted at the National Wind Technology Center, market and technology trends in wind energy, and opportunities for wind technology.
New Funding Opportunities for Small Businesses Announced
The National Cancer Institute Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program recently announced $8 million in new contract funding opportunities to assist small businesses with cancer research and technology development. The 12 new contract funding opp
Technician Career Opportunities in Engineering Technology.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Engineers' Council for Professional Development, New York, NY.
Career opportunities for engineering technicians are available in the technologies relating to air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration, aviation and aerospace, building construction, chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, electronics, industrial engineering, instrumentation, internal combustion engines, mechanical…
Sunset Watched by Opportunity, November 2010
The sun descends to the Martian horizon and sets in this 30-second movie simulation using images from the panoramic camera (Pancam) on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The movie includes ...
Community rotorcraft air transporation: Opportunities and benefits
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Freund, D. J.
Opportunities and benefits of rotorcraft transportation are examined in light of the flight capabilities of rotorcraft. Promising helicopter scenarios include public service, public transportation, energy exploration, construction, cargo, agriculture/forestry, and other business/commercial uses.
7 CFR 622.6 - Equal opportunity.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
... of Agriculture (7 CFR Part 15), which provide that no person in the United States shall, on the... AGRICULTURE WATER RESOURCES WATERSHED PROJECTS General § 622.6 Equal opportunity. The Pub. L. 83-566 and...
7 CFR 622.6 - Equal opportunity.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
... of Agriculture (7 CFR Part 15), which provide that no person in the United States shall, on the... AGRICULTURE WATER RESOURCES WATERSHED PROJECTS General § 622.6 Equal opportunity. The Pub. L. 83-566 and...
78 FR 54256 - Health Careers Opportunity Program
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Careers Opportunity Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS. ACTION: Notice of Noncompetitive...
75 FR 10464 - Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... National Telecommunications and Information Administration RIN 0660-ZA28 Broadband Technology Opportunities Program AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce... Register announcing general policy and application procedures for the second round of BTOP funding. 75...
Sport Opportunities for Athletes with Disabilities.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 1984
This series outlines sport opportunities for athletes with disabilities. Included are articles discussing sports for athletes with cerebral palsy, deaf athletes, blind athletes, wheelchair bound athletes, amputee athletes, as well as a discussion of the Special Olympics. (JMK)
7 CFR 622.6 - Equal opportunity.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
... of Agriculture (7 CFR Part 15), which provide that no person in the United States shall, on the... AGRICULTURE WATER RESOURCES WATERSHED PROJECTS General § 622.6 Equal opportunity. The Pub. L. 83-566 and...
Project HOPE's (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) missionis to achieve sustainable advances in health care around the world by implementing health education programs, conducting health policy research, and providing humanitarian assistance in areas of need; thereby cont...
Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessment for Landscape Waste
Phillips, N.M.; Raubfogel, S.J.
DOE orders mandate the development of a waste minimization program. The program`s goals are to: reduce volumes of wastes and toxicity; implement a system of tracking and reporting improvements; and devise a method for performing tasks. To satisfy the requirements of this program, Sandia conducts pollution prevention opportunity assessments (PPOAs) to identify waste-generating processes. The information collected from a PPOA then is used to identify waste minimization opportunities. This pollution prevention opportunity assessment was conducted using Sandia`s new methodology for prioritizing, evaluating and managing site-wide waste streams. This new methodology and the list of priority waste streams are described in the wastes revision of the Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessment Plant. This PPOA addresses landscape waste minimization, partially in response to recent legislation and regulations.