BRAVO economic study of LANDSAT follow-on

The LANDSAT Follow-On satellite consists of two major systems: the instrument module and the Multi-Mission Modular Spacecraft (MMS). The instrument module contains the thematic mapper and the five-band multispectral scanner instruments. The instrument module also includes the solar array, the tracking and data relay satellite (TDRS) antenna, and the wideband data module. The MMS contains the modularized and standardized power, propulsion, attitude control, and command and data handling subsystems. The Shuttle will be supporting the LANDSAT Follow-On system. The LANDSAT Follow-On Project plans two Delta 3910 launches. The first is scheduled for 1981; the second Delta launch will occur as needed to keep one satellite operational on orbit. The second satellite will be ready six months after the first. It could be launched any time after that. Shuttle support of the system could begin in early 1983 but would be scheduled to start after the second Delta launch

The role of individual and social variables in task performance.

This paper reports on a data-based study in which we explored - as part of a larger-scale British-Hungarian research project - the effects of a number of affective and social variables on foreign language (L2) learners’ engagement in oral argumentative tasks. The assumption underlying the investigation was that students’ verbal behaviour in oral task situations is partly determined by a number of non-linguistic and non-cognitive factors whose examination may constitute a potentially fruitful extension of existing task-based research paradigms. The independent variables in the study included various aspects of L2 motivation and several factors characterizing the learner groups the participating students were members of (such as group cohesiveness and intermember relations), as well as the learners’ L2 proficiency and ‘willingness to communicate’ in their L1. The dependent variables involved objective measures of the students’ language output in two oral argumentative tasks (one in the learners’ L1, the other in their L2): the quantity of speech and the number of turns produced by the speakers. The results provide insights into the interrelationship of the multiple variables determining the learners’ task engagement, and suggest a multi-level construct whereby some independent variables only come into force when certain conditions have been met

Efficiency of Points of Dispensing for Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Vaccination, Los Angeles County, California, USA, 2009

During October 23–December 8, 2009, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health used points of dispensing (PODs) to improve access to and increase the number of vaccinations against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. We assessed the efficiency of these units and access to vaccines among ethnic groups. An average of 251 persons per hour (SE 65) were vaccinated at the PODs; a 10% increase in use of live-attenuated monovalent vaccines reduced that rate by 23 persons per hour (SE 7). Vaccination rates were highest for Asians (257/10,000 persons), followed by Hispanics (114/10,000), whites (75/100,000), and African Americans (37/10,000). Average distance traveled to a POD was highest for whites (6.6 miles; SD 6.5) and lowest for Hispanics (4.7 miles; SD ±5.3). Placing PODs in areas of high population density could be an effective strategy to reach large numbers of persons for mass vaccination, but additional PODs may be needed to improve coverage for specific populations

Utilizing third-party inspections for preventing major chemical accidents

10.1111/j.1539-6924.1998.tb00926.xRisk Analysis182145-153RIAN