Developing a Systematic Pandemic Influenza Program for Preparing a State

From a planning perspective, this chapter discusses how to effectively mitigate the spread of an extensive viral infection on a large scale, which requires timely, sen-sible and highly sound planning. The focus is on state level planning under the federal model for developing good operational plans. The chapter clarifies termi-nology, as “epidemic” rather than “pandemic,” as the preferred term for a local or state response. However, after that is explained, “pandemic,” which is the common and more frequently used name and in the chapter’s title, is referenced thereaf-ter in quotation marks. Post the introduction, this study presents a brief history of “pandemic influenza,” how a state prepares to develop a plan, agreements and trigger points which must be decided, the planning process itself, the operational plan with its important template for local use, and conclusions. Tracing a common operating picture from the federal, to the state, and to the city/county levels for “pandemic influenza,” planning is the first theme. How to incorporate continuity of government and continuity of operations into a plan, in the face of a rapidly spreading “pandemic,” is the second one. Last, how to deliver from the state to the county level, one workable document called an Operational Plan (OPLAN) with a county template for local use, is the last theme. That template gives counties a “pandemic influenza” model for planning that is the same as states and regions use, which they can directly apply locally. Thus this planning process saves lives during a “pandemic.

A review of assessment methods for river hydromorphology

The work leading to this paper has received funding for the EU’s FP7 under Grant Agreement No. 282656 (REFORM

Experimental measurements of plasma properties for Miller SG-100 torch with Mach I setting

In this work measurements of plasma properties, including the fields of temperature, velocity and plasma composition have been completed for the Miller SG-100 plasma torch using argon-helium mixtures with the Mach 1 nozzle at 1 atm pressure. A computer-controlled system combining both spectroscopic and enthalpy probe diagnostics has been developed to allow temperature measurements covering a range from 2000--16000K which includes the plasma flame region which is of interest. The experimental results expose the dominant effects in different spatial areas of argon-helium plasma jets. In the center near the nozzle exit the temperatures exceed 10,000K, and strong diffusion exists due to the steep radial gradients of temperature and particle number densities. In the jet tail region where the temperatures are well below 10,000K and decay in axial and radial direction, the dominant effects in this area are strong cold gas entrainment associated with turbulence. Substantial discrepancies between temperatures evaluated from spectroscopic and enthalpy probe data are particularly severe in the jet fringes indicating that strong deviations from LTE may exist in the jet fringes. In addition, entrainment of the cold surrounding gas into the plasma jet causes severe discrepancies between spectrometric and enthalpy probe data. The validity of the two diagnostic methods will be discussed. The temperature profiles in argon-helium plasma jets are flatter and wider, and the velocities are higher than in a pure argon plasma jet. These features of argon-helium plasma jets may be beneficial for obtaining better performance in the plasma spraying process. 26 refs., 28 figs., 2 tabs

Identifying the Leaders: Applying Diffusion of Innovation Theory to Use of a Public Bikeshare System in Vancouver, Canada

Public bike share programs are growing in popularity globally with increasing recognition of their potential and accrued benefits for mobility, health, and the environment. Any city planning to launch a program will be keenly interested in understanding who may use it, in order to enable strategic marketing that will facilitate quick uptake and adoption. We applied the Diffusion of Innovation Theory to data from a population-based telephone survey to characterize who is most likely to use a new public bike share program. The telephone survey of 901 Vancouver residents was conducted prior to the launch of Vancouver\u27s public bike share program. Results showed that a majority (n=614/901, 69.1%, 95% CI: 66.3%/72.7%) of respondents thought that public bike share was a good idea, however, only a quarter (n=217/901, 24.2%, 95% CI: 21.1%, 27.3%) said they would be either likely or very likely to use the program. Logistic regression identified characteristics associated with greater and lower likelihood of use. These characteristics were used to create an adoption curve that defines population segments anticipated to be the leaders in adopting the program. The theory was used to develop implementation recommendations to maximize program uptake including ensuring that the program has tangible advantages over driving or transit; is affordable and easy to try out; integrates with transit and car share opportunities; and appeals to social trends such as environmental responsibility. These results can assist planning and promotion in cities set to launch public bike share programs

Winter wheat in Minnesota

This archival publication may not reflect current scientific knowledge or recommendations. Current information available from the University of Minnesota Extension: https://www.extension.umn.edu

Federalism and Entrepreneurship: Explaining American and Canadian Innovation in Pollution Prevention and Regulatory Integration

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72611/1/j.1541-0072.1999.tb01969.x.pd