The National Marine Fisheries Service’s National Bycatch Strategy

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) launched its National Bycatch Strategy (NBS) in March 2003 in response to the continued fisheries management challenge posed by fisheries bycatch. NMFS has several strong mandates for fish and protected species bycatch reduction, including the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Despite efforts to address bycatch during the 1990’s, NMFS was petitioned in 2002 to count, cap, and control bycatch. The NBS initiated as part of NMFS’s response to the petition for rulemaking contained six components: 1) assess bycatch progress, 2) develop an approach to standardized bycatch reporting methodology, 3) develop bycatch implementation plans, 4) undertake education and outreach, 5) develop new international approaches to bycatch, and 6) identify new funding requirements. The definition of bycatch for the purposes of the NBS proved to be a contentious issue for NMFS, but steady progress is being made by the agency and its partners to minimize bycatch to the extent practicable

The role of science in physical natural hazard assessment : report to the UK Government by the Natural Hazard Working Group

Following the tragic Asian tsunami on 26 December 2004, the Prime Minister asked the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir David King, to convene a group of experts (the Natural Hazard Working Group) to advise on the mechanisms that could and should be established for the detection and early warning of global physical natural hazards. 2. The Group was asked to examine physical hazards which have high global or regional impact and for which an appropriate early warning system could be put in place. It was also asked to consider the global natural hazard frameworks currently in place and under development and their effectiveness in using scientific evidence; to consider whether there is an existing appropriate international body to pull together the international science community to advise governments on the systems that need to be put in place, and to advise on research needed to fill current gaps in knowledge. The Group was asked to make recommendations on whether a new body was needed, or whether other arrangements would be more effective

The Implication of Hyogo Framework for Action for Disaster Resilience Education

The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) is the first global strategy to provide a detailed work plan for different sectors and actors to work on disaster risk reduction. Although, the Priority Action 3 of the HFA demand for a global call to governments and others to use knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels. Evidence suggests that there are only very few effective initiatives that have been implemented by stakeholders and especially in the higher education sector where the future policy makers and practitioners are trained. This creates a significant challenge as the ten year plan of the HFA is coming to an end in 2015. This paper attempts to view the world in post-HFA and suggested a framework on mapping and integrating disaster risk reduction into formal, informal and non-formal education at policy, practice and community levels. A case study approach was used to examine how the HFA has been embraced into disaster resilience related higher education programme. The study argues that integrating disaster resilience into education is a key factor for reducing the adverse impact of future disasters. The suggested framework provides an insight into current gaps in knowledge, innovation and education and proposes solutions for effective integration of disaster resilience education at all levels

Putting Community First: A Promising Approach to Federal Collaboration for Environmental Improvement: An Evaluation of the Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Demonstration Program

This report is an independent evaluation of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Demonstration Program, a community-driven process that uses the best available data to help communities set priorities and take action on their greatest environmental risks. CARE fosters local partnerships that seek participation from business, government, organizations, residents and EPA staff. It also supports a public, transparent planning and implementation process based on collaborative decision-making and shared action.Key FindingsThe National Academy Panel overseeing this effort was impressed by the dedication of the EPA staff to this unique initiative and commended the EPA for its efforts to partner with communities in achieving important long-term and sustainable environmental improvements at the local level. Recommended actions for the CARE Program include: (1) develop and implement a multifaceted information sharing approach; (2) coordinate and refine internal program management activities; and (3) develop a strategic plan and a business plan for CARE

Performance Comparison of Knowledge-Based Dose Prediction Techniques Based on Limited Patient Data.

PurposeThe accuracy of dose prediction is essential for knowledge-based planning and automated planning techniques. We compare the dose prediction accuracy of 3 prediction methods including statistical voxel dose learning, spectral regression, and support vector regression based on limited patient training data.MethodsStatistical voxel dose learning, spectral regression, and support vector regression were used to predict the dose of noncoplanar intensity-modulated radiation therapy (4π) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy head and neck, 4π lung, and volumetric-modulated arc therapy prostate plans. Twenty cases of each site were used for k-fold cross-validation, with k = 4. Statistical voxel dose learning bins voxels according to their Euclidean distance to the planning target volume and uses the median to predict the dose of new voxels. Distance to the planning target volume, polynomial combinations of the distance components, planning target volume, and organ at risk volume were used as features for spectral regression and support vector regression. A total of 28 features were included. Principal component analysis was performed on the input features to test the effect of dimension reduction. For the coplanar volumetric-modulated arc therapy plans, separate models were trained for voxels within the same axial slice as planning target volume voxels and voxels outside the primary beam. The effect of training separate models for each organ at risk compared to all voxels collectively was also tested. The mean squared error was calculated to evaluate the voxel dose prediction accuracy.ResultsStatistical voxel dose learning using separate models for each organ at risk had the lowest root mean squared error for all sites and modalities: 3.91 Gy (head and neck 4π), 3.21 Gy (head and neck volumetric-modulated arc therapy), 2.49 Gy (lung 4π), and 2.35 Gy (prostate volumetric-modulated arc therapy). Compared to using the original features, principal component analysis reduced the 4π prediction error for head and neck spectral regression (-43.9%) and support vector regression (-42.8%) and lung support vector regression (-24.4%) predictions. Principal component analysis was more effective in using all/most of the possible principal components. Separate organ at risk models were more accurate than training on all organ at risk voxels in all cases.ConclusionCompared with more sophisticated parametric machine learning methods with dimension reduction, statistical voxel dose learning is more robust to patient variability and provides the most accurate dose prediction method

Workshop ANIPLAN - Payerbach Reichenau. Programme and presentations

Workshop ANIPLAN, May 11th-14th, 2009, Reichenau, Payerbach Reichenau, Austria. Programme and presentations

"Steeping" Of Health Expenditure Profiles

If health care expenditure for the elderly grows faster than for younger people, the expenditure profiles become "steeper" – we call that "steeping". Three instruments for measuring "steeping" are presented: (1) trend of the relation between per-capita-expenditure of the old and the young; (2) comparing the linear slopes of per-capita-expenditure in age groups; (3) trend in parameters of non-linear modelling of expenditure profiles. Using data of the largest German private health insurer over a period of 18 years, "steeping" could be observed by all three methods in most examined insurance plans. A prognosis for 2040 shows that per-capita-expenditure will increase by 128 %. --health care expenditure,expenditure profiles,demographics

THE ROLE OF DONORS IN VIETNAMESE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

Although it remains a one-party state, Vietnam has become one of the most popular host countries for multilateral and bilateral aid donors during the past decade. Vietnam¡¯s popularity is largely explained by the fact that it perceived as a good aid recipient, and it has often been identified as a ¡°best practice¡± example of how a government can manage external aid and own its development agenda. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the roots of Vietnam¡¯s strong ownership and to examine how the relations between the state and the donor community have influenced Vietnamese development planning. The first part of the paper highlights the uneven relation with the Soviet Union during the 1970s and 1980s as an explanation for the present ambitions to avoid dependence on foreign partners. The second part outlines the institutional setup for development planning that was created to match the existing institutions for central planning during the 1990s. The third part discusses the ongoing changes in the role of the state and in the institutional setup for development planning. The process of change is illustrated using the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy as an example. The paper concludes that donors have contributed both directly and indirectly to the changes in the Vietnamese model of economic planning, and that the donor community has to some extent taken on the roles played by civil society and a political opposition in parliamentary democracies.Vietnam; development planning; ODA