1,587 research outputs found
Solubility behaviour, crystallisation kinetics and pour point : a comparison of linear alkane and triacyl glyceride solute/solvent mixtures
Mixtures of either a hydrocarbon wax in a hydrocarbon solvent or a long chain triacyl glyceride (TAG) in a TAG solvent show complex solubility boundary temperature hysteresis and precipitated crystal network formation leading to gelation. For these industrially-important systems, we show how the equilibrium solubility and its hysteresis, crystallisation kinetics and pour point temperature vary with solute concentration for representative examples of both hydrocarbon (n-tetracosane (C24) solute in n-heptane (C7) solvent) and TAG (tristearin (SSS) solute in tricaprylin (CCC) solvent) mixtures. The behaviour is modelled with good accuracy; thereby providing a useful aid to formulation and process optimisation
Succession Planning in the Federal Government
Succession planning is a term that refers to the systematic and methodological efforts an organization uses to plan for organizational stability and proficiency. Organizations must provide employees the training, experiences, and knowledge required to assume positions of increased responsibility when those jobs are vacated. Agencies should strive to create a diversified pool of qualified candidates to avoid a talent gap, workforce shortages, or a loss of agency knowledge. Over the past fifteen years, the Federal Government has continued to highlight the need to take a proactive approach to succession planning by first identifying the skill sets needed for critical positions and then developing their future leaders. With a limited number of new employees entering civil service and projected retirements over the next several years, it is essential that agencies quickly prioritize succession planning strategies to train and prepare employees to assume critical acquisition positions, such as the Contracting Officer (CO) role. COs are the only individuals with authority to procure goods and services on the Government’s behalf and therefore occupy positions classified as inherently governmental functions. This research study explored the lack of succession planning at DoN agencies in Southern MD and the impact of the failure to create a multi-generational pipeline of qualified candidates who can compete for CO positions as they are vacated
The power of video pitching in heathcare news stories
Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on June 8, 2012).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Thesis advisor: Dr. Maria Len-RiosIncludes bibliographical references.M.A. University of Missouri--Columbia 2011.Dissertations, Academic -- University of Missouri--Columbia -- Journalism."December 2011"For decades the news release has been a staple of public relations tool kits. But now with so much available information on the internet, there are options to enhance the traditional news release with supplements like links and video. This research examines the agenda building potential of these additional elements when added to a health care news release. In-depth interviews were conducted with health care journalists to better understand their use of public relations materials, their acceptance of links and video in a news release, and the enhanced credibility of the news pitch when these elements are added to a press release. Other related agenda building factors are examined in this research including, the source-reporter relationship and the acceptance of health care news pitches. The results show there is a potential to increase the credibility of a news pitch by using videos featuring physicians explaining the topic in the news release. Journalists also reported an interest in links to 3rd party sources in a news release to enhance the credibility of the pitch
Comparative assessment of risk mitigation options for irrigated agriculture
Presented during the USCID water management conference held on October 13-16, 2004 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme of the conference was "Water rights and related water supply issues."Includes bibliographical references.The impact of reallocating water from historical agricultural uses to expanding non-agricultural uses depends crucially on how reallocation occurs. This paper examines the water reallocation problem from a Federal perspective, focusing on alternative instruments to indemnify or compensate irrigators in the event of reallocation. These include insurance strategies (crop insurance, direct payments, and new financial instruments such as tradable bonds), conservation initiatives, and market-based measures (buyouts, contingent markets, and water banks). Policy mechanisms differ in the level of compensation provided, capacity to address concerns of stakeholders, and reliance on Federal outlays. No clear "winner" emerges among the potential mechanisms to mitigate foregone irrigation returns. The merits of alternative mechanisms depend on the evaluation criteria considered, site-specific conditions, and current water institutions.Proceedings sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Central Utah Project Completion Act Office and the U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage
POLICY DIRECTIONS TO MITIGATE WATER-SUPPLY RISK IN IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE: A FEDERAL PERSPECTIVE
Water reallocation to meet mandated flow requirements and trust responsibilities, established in Federal law and water authority, can result in large uncompensated losses to irrigated agriculture. This paper discusses the nature and potential cost of water-supply interruptions due to Federal actions, and provides a comparative assessment of alternative risk-mitigation measures.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,
Logical presupposition : a re-appraisal of the concept and revision of the theory
PhD ThesisThis dissertation is a defence of a logical approach to
presupposition. In it
(1) I enumerate, by way of apologia, some fundamental assumptions
underlying both antagonistic and protagonistic treatments of such an
approach, and argue that they are conceptually unnecessary,
methodologically untoward, and/or logically contradictory. Most
saliently,
(a) I demonstrate the conceptual and logical contradiction in
the view that presuppositional logic might be compatible
with (or even imply) an ambiguity of natural language
negation,
(b) I provide a critique of the now traditional disassociation
of the problems of presupposition-definition and presupposition-
projection,
(c) I provide a critique of the view that presuppositional
logic -might be compatible with (or imply) logical
trivalence.
(2) In the light of a discussion of the conceptual distinction, I
propose logical criteria for the distinction between a three-valued
logic and a two-valued logic with truth-value gaps.
(3) I demonstrate that, by these criteria, the standard
(Strawsonian) Definition of Presupposition (SLDP) induces a
trivalent logic.
(4) I present a distinct (but comparable) revised logical definition
of presupposition (RLDP)showing that it induces a system that
conforms to the proposed criteria for a two-valued logic with truth-value
gaps.
(5) By showing that the several problems associated with the SLDP do
not arise (are 'solved') in the framework of the RLDP I show (a)
that the problems encountered by the SLDP stem more or less directly
from its trivalence and (b) that the facts of presupposition-projection
are (and should be) immanent in the concept (and hence
the definition) of presupposition itself, rather than represented as
properties of logical functors. I also show that the revised
definition reveals an unsuspected connection between compound
counter-examples and simple counter-examples to the SLDP
Facilitators and barriers to the successful implementation of pediatric antibacterial drug trials: Findings from CTTI's survey of investigators.
An urgent need exists to develop new antibacterial drugs for children. We conducted research with investigators of pediatric antibacterial drug trials to identify facilitators and barriers in the conduct of these trials. Seventy-three investigators completed an online survey assessing the importance of 15 facilitators (grouped in 5 topical categories) and the severity of 36 barriers (grouped in 6 topical categories) to implementing pediatric antibacterial drug trials. Analysis focused on the identification of key factors that facilitate the successful implementation of pediatric antibacterial drug trials and the key barriers to implementation. Almost all investigators identified two factors as very important facilitators: having site personnel for enrollment and having adequate funding. Other top factors were related to staffing. Among the barriers, factors related to parent concerns and consent were prominent, particularly obtaining parental consent when there was disagreement between parents, concerns about the number of blood draws, and concerns about the number of invasive procedures. Having overly narrow eligibility criteria was also identified as a major barrier. The survey findings suggest three areas in which to focus efforts to help facilitate ongoing drug development: (1) improving engagement with parents of children who may be eligible to enroll in a pediatric antibacterial drug trial, (2) broadening inclusion criteria to allow more participants to enroll, and (3) ensuring adequate staffing and establishing sustainable financial strategies, such as funding pediatric trial networks. The pediatric antibacterial drug trials enterprise is likely to benefit from focused efforts by all stakeholders to remove barriers and enhance facilitation
Perceived barriers to pediatrician and family practitioner participation in pediatric clinical trials: Findings from the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative.
Despite legislation to stimulate pediatric drug development through clinical trials, enrolling children in trials continues to be challenging. Non-investigator (those who have never served as a clinical trial investigator) providers are essential to recruitment of pediatric patients, but little is known regarding the specific barriers that limit pediatric providers from participating in and referring their patients to clinical trials. We conducted an online survey of pediatric providers from a wide variety of practice types across the United States to evaluate their attitudes and awareness of pediatric clinical trials. Using a 4-point Likert scale, providers described their perception of potential barriers to their practice serving as a site for pediatric clinical trials. Of the 136 providers surveyed, 52/136 (38%) had previously referred a pediatric patient to a trial, and only 17/136 (12%) had ever been an investigator for a pediatric trial. Lack of awareness of existing pediatric trials was a major barrier to patient referral by providers, in addition to consideration of trial risks, distance to the site, and time needed to discuss trial participation with parents. Overall, providers perceived greater challenges related to parental concerns and parent or child logistical barriers than study implementation and ethics or regulatory barriers as barriers to their practice serving as a trial site. Providers who had previously been an investigator for a pediatric trial were less likely to be concerned with potential barriers than non-investigators. Understanding the barriers that limit pediatric providers from collaboration or inhibit their participation is key to designing effective interventions to optimize pediatric trial participation
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