Quantitative Input Research Articles

Stratigraphic signatures of punctuated rise in relative sea-level in an estuary-dominated heterolithic succession: Incised valley fills of the Toarcian Ostreaelv Formation, Neill Klinter Group (Jameson Land, East Greenland)

The Ostreaelv Formation (latest Pliensbachian–Toarcian) of the Neill Klinter Group is exposed along a >105 km wide, ENE-trending section in Jameson Land, East Greenland. Deposition took place in a large embayment (Jameson Land Basin) that was connected to the proto-Norwegian-Greenland Sea. Lithofacies in the Ostreaelv Formation range from clean sandstone to muddy heterolithic facies typified by strong grain-size contrasts.The Ostreaelv Formation is divided into four distinct and overall retrograding allostratigraphic units each composed of a characteristic set of tide-influenced, tide-dominated and wave-influenced facies associations. The allostratigraphic units are bounded by subaerial unconformities, interpreted as sequence boundaries, and are up to 75 m thick and 16 to >20 km in width. The allostratigraphic units include a sandy heterolithic estuary bay-head delta succession overlain by two sandy tide-dominated estuary fill successions, interbedded with a muddy heterolithic offshore marine succession. Each of the three estuarine allostratigraphic units was accumulated in an incised valley formed during fall in relative sea level and filled during successive transgressions with sediment supplied from marine and reworked fluvial deposits.In the three incised valleys fluvial sediments were deposited on top of an initial subaerial unconformity surface (SU) and were later reworked by succeeding transgressive ravinement along a transgressive surface (TS), thus creating combined SU/TS sequence boundaries. The data from the Ostreaelv Formation also provides knowledge and conceptual understanding of valley infill processes (tidal current, wave and fluvial energy), and both lateral and vertical variations in lithofacies architecture within incised valleys.Moreover, the study provides quantitative input data, such as incised valley dimensions, sand-containing capacity, and geometry to subsurface reservoir characterisation and modelling efforts of estuary fill successions.

Phenology-assisted classification of C3 and C4 grasses in the U.S. Great Plains and their climate dependency with MODIS time series

Grassland ecosystems in the North America are primarily composed of C3 and C4 plant functional types (PFTs) that have different responses to the changing climate. Knowledge of their spatial distributions and temporal variations helps us better understand the ecological functions and climate dependencies of grasslands. This study used the 500-m MODIS surface reflectance products (MOD09A1) from 2000 to 2009 to extract NDVI time series of C3 and C4 grass PFTs in different floristic regions (tallgrass, shortgrass, and mixed-grass prairies.) A set of phenology metrics, including Start of Season, End of Season, Season Length, Peak NDVI, Peak Date, and ∑NDVI, were found useful in delineating these grass types. A phenology-assisted decision tree classifier was developed to map the four grass PFTs in the Great Plains. The relative abundance of C3 and C4 PFTs generally showed the expected latitudinal shifts. Longitudinal shifts of tallgrass and shortgrass PFTs were also in agreement with the distributions of floristic prairie regions. In shortgrass and northern mixed prairies, shortgrass C3 was located in the north while shortgrass C4 was in the south. The native tallgrass C4 remained in prairie remnants, although other native grasslands had been mostly converted to croplands or tallgrass C3-dominated pastures. The inter-annual spatial variations of PFTs were statistically correlated with climate factors over a 10-year study period. The preliminary findings revealed that the strength and direction of correlations varied geographically and seasonally for different PFTs. This spatio-temporally explicit information may provide quantitative inputs in ecological forecasting for various climate change scenarios.

ARSH 6: Reproductive Health Needs Assessment of Adolescents and Young People (15–24 y): A Qualitative Study on ‘Perceptions of Program Managers and Health Providers’

To understand the perceptions of program managers and service providers using in depth interview technique, a well-accepted qualitative research that can also offer semi quantitative input. Need assessment was done qualitatively using in-depth interviews, among program managers of health care system including District Medical Officers and RCH Officers and program service providers, both in rural and urban areas. In total 34 in-depth interviews were conducted. Nearly half (2+) of the program managers and service providers of adolescent programs opined that the important problems faced by adolescents were issues related to sexuality, psychosocial conflict, identity crisis, adjustment problems and scholastic problems. Approximately half of them thought that improper parenting, negative attitude of parents, separated parents, ignorance of parents, family background, nuclear family setup etc. are the most important factors, which influence adolescent problems and that friends and media are their major source of reproductive sexual health information. Nearly half of them pointed out that pain and psychological disturbances like anxiety, tension and anger were the important menstrual problems faced by adolescents. Again nearly half of them, felt that FLE (Family Life Education) should be given at school and ARSH services at PHCs, but there was little consensus on provision of contraceptive service and abortion services to adolescents. All the service providers and program managers are ready to cooperate but they had varied opinions about who should impart adolescent reproductive sexual health education and how the program should be done.

Economic valuation of landslide damage in hilly regions: A case study from Flanders, Belgium

Several regions around the globe are at risk of incurring damage from landslides, but only few studies have concentrated on a quantitative estimate of the overall damage caused by landslides at a regional scale. This study therefore starts with a quantitative economic assessment of the direct and indirect damage caused by landslides in a 2910km2 study area located west of Brussels, a low-relief region susceptible to landslides. Based on focus interviews as well as on semi-structured interviews with homeowners, civil servants and the owners and providers of lifelines such as electricity and sewage, a quantitative damage assessment is provided. For private properties (houses, forest and pasture land) we estimate the real estate and production value losses for different damage scenarios, while for public infrastructure the costs of measures to repair and prevent landslide induced damage are estimated. In addition, the increase in amenity value of forests and grasslands due to the occurrence of landslides is also calculated. The study illustrates that a minority of land (only 2.3%) within the study area is used for dwellings, roads and railway lines, but that these land use types are responsible for the vast majority of the economic damage due to the occurrence of landslides. The annual cost of direct damage due to landsliding amounts to 688,148€/year out of which 550,740€/year for direct damage to houses, while the annual indirect damage augments to 3,020,049€/year out of which 2,007,375€/year for indirect damage to real estate. Next, the study illustrates that the increase of the amenity value of forests and grasslands outweighs the production value loss. As such the study does not only provide quantitative input data for the estimation of future risks, but also important information for government officials as it clearly informs about the costs associated with certain land use types in landslide areas.

ALICE moves into warp drive

A Large Ion Collider Experiment (ALICE) is the heavy-ion detector designed to study the physics of strongly interacting matter and the quark-gluon plasma at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Since its successful start-up in 2010, the LHC has been performing outstandingly, providing to the experiments long periods of stable collisions and an integrated luminosity that greatly exceeds the planned targets. To fully explore these privileged conditions, we aim at maximizing the experiment's data taking productivity during stable collisions. We present in this paper the evolution of the online systems towards helping us understand reasons of inefficiency and address new requirements. This paper describes the features added to the ALICE Electronic Logbook (eLogbook) to allow the Run Coordination team to identify, prioritize, fix and follow causes of inefficiency in the experiment. Thorough monitoring of the data taking efficiency provides reports for the collaboration to portray its evolution and evaluate the measures (fixes and new features) taken to increase it. In particular, the eLogbook helps decision making by providing quantitative input, which can be used to better balance risks of changes in the production environment against potential gains in quantity and quality of physics data. It will also present the evolution of the Experiment Control System (ECS) to allow on-the-fly error recovery actions of the detector apparatus while limiting as much as possible the loss of integrated luminosity. The paper will conclude with a review of the ALICE efficiency so far and the future plans to improve its monitoring.

Three-dimensional free vibration analysis of functionally graded piezoelectric annular plates via SSDQM and comparative modeling by ANN

This work deals with the study of the free vibration analysis of functionally graded piezoelectric (FGP) annular plates with different boundary conditions. In order to carry out the analysis, a state-space based differential quadrature method (SSDQM) and comparative behavior modeling by an artificial neural network (ANN) are used. The material properties are assumed to have an exponent-law variation through the thickness. A semi-analytical approach (SSDQM) which makes use of the state-space method in the thickness direction and the one-dimensional differential quadrature method in the radial direction is used to obtain the vibrational frequencies. The governing equations are based on 3D piezoelectricity. Numerical results are given to demonstrate the convergence and accuracy of the present method. Also an optimal ANN is selected, trained and tested by the obtained numerical results. In addition to the quantitative input parameters, types of the boundary conditions are also considered as a qualitative input in NN modeling. Eventually the results of SSDQM and ANN are compared and the influence of thickness of the annular plate, the material property graded index and the circumferential wave number on the non-dimensional natural frequency of annular FGP plates with different boundary conditions are investigated. The new results can be used as benchmark solutions for future studies.

IMPACTO DOS DISTÚRBIOS OSTEOMUSCULARES NA CONCESSÃO DE BENEFÍCIO ACIDENTÁRIO PREVIDENCIÁRIO NO SETOR SAÚDE, BRASIL 2009

Trata-se de uma pesquisa documental com aporte quantitativo, que analisou os dados sobre benefícios acidentários concedidos por distúrbios osteomusculares em profissionais da saúde, disponíveis no Anuário Estatístico da Previdência Social, 2009. As porcentagens de afastamentos por doenças osteomusculares e do tecido conjuntivo na área de saúde humana e serviços foram calculados em relação ao total de benefícios acidentários no mesmo ano. Identificou-se a concessão de 329.914 benefícios acidentários por doenças relacionadas ao trabalho e 98.415 casos por DORT, a segunda maior causa de concessão de benefícios, equivalente a 30% do total de registros. O impacto orçamentário destes afastamentos representou 32% do custo total de auxílios-doença acidentários concedidos, um custo na ordem de R$ 263.085,00. A predominância de afastamentos por lesões osteomusculares também aconteceu entre os profissionais de saúde, sugerindo a correlação entre adoecimento e a presença de riscos ocupacionais no ambiente de trabalho e reforçando o entendimento para a necessidade de se estabelecer programas de promoção da saúde e prevenção dos agravos, através da reorganização do processo produtivo que contemple a participação do trabalhador nas definições do seu processo de trabalho e as características do trabalho no capitalismo contemporâneo.

Delay Computation Using Fuzzy Logic Approach

The paper presents practical application of fuzzy sets and system theory in predicting delay, with reasonable accuracy, a wide range of factors pertaining to construction projects. In this paper we shall use fuzzy logic to predict delays on account of Delayed supplies and Labor shortage. It is observed that the project scheduling software use either deterministic method or probabilistic method for computation of schedule durations, delays, lags and other parameters. In other words, these methods use only quantitative inputs leaving-out the qualitative aspects associated with individual activity of work. The qualitative aspect viz., the expertise of the mason or the lack of experience can have a significant impact on the assessed duration. Such qualitative aspects do not find adequate representation in the Project Scheduling software. A realistic project is considered for which a PERT chart has been prepared using showing all the major activities in reasonable detail. This project has been periodically updated until its completion. It is observed that some of the activities are delayed due to extraneous factors resulting in the overall delay of the project. The software has the capability to calculate the overall delay through CPM (Critical Path Method) when each of the activity-delays is reported. We shall now demonstrate that by using fuzzy logic, these delays could have been predicted well in advance.

A fuzzy group Electre method for safety and health assessment in hazardous waste recycling facilities

Decision making in environmental problems is a complex task due to multiple and often conflicting criteria, varying measurements, qualitative and quantitative input parameters, and lack of exact data. In this paper, we propose a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) model based on an integrated fuzzy approach in the context of Hazardous Waste Recycling (HWR). The proposed method: (a) takes into consideration judgments provided by multiple decision makers (DMs); (b) is based on a structured but yet flexible framework; (c) considers quantitative objective data and qualitative subjective judgments; (d) captures the ambiguity and impreciseness in DMs’ judgments, and (e) results in a final priority ranking which is not vague. We demonstrate the application of the proposed model for safety and health assessment in HWR facilities.

Proposed Modifications to the Cost‐Benefit Analysis Decision Criteria for Road Project Evaluation to Improve Decisionmaking

AbstractThe Australian Transport Council (ATC) have identified that the benefit cost ratio (BCR), the net present value (NPV), and first‐year rate of return (FYRR) decision criteria are appropriate inputs to project prioritization, mutual exclusive project selection, and optimal timing, respectively. This article suggests the net benefit investment ratio (NBIR), the incremental net benefit investment ratio (INBIR), and the internal rate of return (IRR) subject to decision criteria incorporating the marginal project as alternatives to those proposed by the ATC. The proposed decision criteria aim to reduce the impact of uncertainty surrounding discount rates and opportunity costs of capital, hence improving the quality of the quantitative inputs provided to decisionmakers.

Using target audience feedback to inform a technology-delivered intervention: The development of a Web-based tool for chronic pain patients

This paper reports on the process of developing an interactive, Web-based therapeutic tool for chronic pain patients with aberrant opioid-taking behavior. Program development was informed by qualitative and quantitative input systematically elicited from members of the intervention's target audience of chronic pain patients through a series of focus groups and individual feedback sessions. As will be reviewed, focus group and feedback session participants provided valuable recommendations for refining both the content (e.g., add information about the limitations of opioid therapy) and interactive features (e.g., let users advance at their own pace, provide more personalized feedback regarding users' progress toward self-identified goals) of the intervention. Our experience highlights the potential utility of incorporating end user input in the development of technology-based behavioral interventions, as members of an intervention's target audience can provide constructive suggestions for tailoring program content and presentation to be relevant, accessible and appealing to their peers.

Expert Review on Poliovirus Immunity and Transmission

Successfully managing risks to achieve wild polioviruses (WPVs) eradication and address the complexities of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) cessation to stop all cases of paralytic poliomyelitis depends strongly on our collective understanding of poliovirus immunity and transmission. With increased shifting from OPV to inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), numerous risk management choices motivate the need to understand the tradeoffs and uncertainties and to develop models to help inform decisions. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hosted a meeting of international experts in April 2010 to review the available literature relevant to poliovirus immunity and transmission. This expert review evaluates 66 OPV challenge studies and other evidence to support the development of quantitative models of poliovirus transmission and potential outbreaks. This review focuses on characterization of immunity as a function of exposure history in terms of susceptibility to excretion, duration of excretion, and concentration of excreted virus. We also discuss the evidence of waning of host immunity to poliovirus transmission, the relationship between the concentration of poliovirus excreted and infectiousness, the importance of different transmission routes, and the differences in transmissibility between OPV and WPV. We discuss the limitations of the available evidence for use in polio risk models, and conclude that despite the relatively large number of studies on immunity, very limited data exist to directly support quantification of model inputs related to transmission. Given the limitations in the evidence, we identify the need for expert input to derive quantitative model inputs from the existing data.

Setting the Theoretical Foundations of Importing Research: Past Evaluation and Future Perspectives

Although prior efforts have been made to review research on importing, an updated, integrated, and chronological assessment of its theoretical evolution is lacking. This study critically investigates the theoretical foundations of importing research using a comprehensive review of 321 importing-related articles published during the 1960–2010 period. The analysis reveals that, although in general this research adopts a certain theoretical perspective, a notable part of it is not theoretically anchored. Of those studies that rely on theories, the most commonly used are the neoclassical micro-economic model, the behavioral model, and transaction cost economics. These theories were mainly associated with international buying behavior, importer–exporter relationships, and strategic aspects of importing. The study also identifies a range of other important topics that could be investigated using extant theories. In addition, the authors propose several other theories not previously employed, such as the institutional, stakeholder, and resource dependence theories, to be used in the study of new research issues. Finally, the authors suggest several actions toward theory advancement, including the need to integrate multiple theoretical paradigms, adjust theory to different environments, combine quantitative and qualitative inputs, cross-fertilize ideas from various disciplines, and periodically assess developments in the importing literature.

Bayesian network with quantitative input for maritime risk analysis

This article presents an innovative approach towards integrating logistic regression and Bayesian networks (BNs) into maritime risk assessment. The approach has been developed and applied to a case study in the maritime industry, but has the potential for being adapted to other industries. Various applications of BNs as a modelling tool in maritime risk analysis have been widely seen in relevant literature. However, a common criticism of the Bayesian approach is that it requires too much information in the form of prior probabilities, and that such information is often difficult, if not impossible, to obtain in risk assessment. The traditional and common way to estimate prior probability of an accident is to use expert estimation (inputs) as a measure of uncertainty in risk analysis. In order to address the inherited problems associated with subjective probability (expert estimation), this study develops a binary logistic regression method of providing input for a BN, making use of different maritime accident data resources. Relevant risk assessment results have been achieved by measuring the safety levels of different types of vessels in different situations.

Housing managers key to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of multi-family housing companies? A mixed method approach

The building industry is facing a huge challenge as the industry sector carries much responsibility of the anthropogenic climate change: activities associated with housing alone account for as much as 30% of global annual energy demand. This demand derives not only from the physical characteristics of the buildings, but from the actions of the users, both end-users and professional managers. Even the best designed low-energy buildings will not perform as planned, if they are not operated properly. This study focuses on the role of professional managers in the energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) performance of existing urban and suburban housing. Several different types of housing companies with different housing managers are studied by both quantitative (input–output based hybrid life cycle analysis to estimate building performance) and qualitative (interviews to determine manager awareness and attitudes) means. It can be inferred from the study that housing managers through their attitudes and practices have a significant impact on the energy performance of buildings. Notwithstanding, managers feel as though they do not either have the responsibility or the power to make energy conservation a priority. Financial (long payback time) and even social (occupant discomfort) arguments are used to justify the lack of action. While housing managers readily hold the data, and have the professional skills for effective energy management, managers appear not to have an ethical motive for practicing energy-efficiency. In other words, managers have the potential to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of housing companies, but the potential is currently not fully exploited.

Regulatory Effectiveness in Onshore & Offshore Financial Centers

Onshore jurisdictions, such as the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany, are critical of offshore financial centers (OFCs), such as Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and the Channel Islands. Arguments against OFCs include claims that their regulatory oversight is lax, allowing fraud and criminal activity. In this article, we present cross-jurisdictional data, showing that OFCs are not lax. We also provide qualitative analyses of regulatory effectiveness, demonstrating that input-based measures of regulation are inappropriate metrics for comparing jurisdictions. Based on both quantitative input measures and a qualitative assessment, we reject the onshore critique of OFCs as bastions of laxity.

Using Disjunctive Kriging as a Quantitative Approach to Manage Soil Salinity and Crop Yield

Disjunctive kriging (DK) is a nonlinear geostatistical model that provides unbiased estimates of the conditional probability (CP) that the true value of the property of interest does not exceed a defined threshold. It has important implications in aiding management decisions by providing growers with a quantitative input that can be used for evaluating the variability of the crop productivity at different zones in fields. The objectives of this study are (1) to identify the yield potential percentage (YP%) for several crops at different zones in fields under multiple soil salinity thresholds; (2) to evaluate the YP% of whole fields for several crops under multiple soil salinity thresholds; and (3) to provide guidelines to help growers decide which crops to grow. To achieve these objectives, the DK technique was applied to data from a project conducted in the southeastern part of the Arkansas River Basin in Colorado to generate CP maps. Two data sets of soil salinity (316 and 136 points) that were collecte...

Training Future Health Providers to Care for the Underserved: A Pilot Interprofessional Experience

Interprofessional teamwork is essential for effective delivery of health care to all patients, particularly the vulnerable and underserved. This brief communication describes a pilot interprofessional learning experience designed to introduce medicine and pharmacy students to critical health issues affecting at-risk, vulnerable patients and helping students learn the value of functioning effectively in interprofessional teams. With reflective practice as an overarching principle, readings, writing assignments, a community-based immersion experience, discussion seminars, and presentations were organized to cultivate students' insights into key issues impacting the health and well-being of vulnerable patients. A written program evaluation form was used to gather students' feedback about this learning experience. Participating students evaluated this learning experience positively. Both quantitative and qualitative input indicated the usefulness of this learning experience in stimulating learners' thinking and helping them learn to work collaboratively with peers from another discipline to understand and address health issues for at-risk, vulnerable patients within their community. This pilot educational activity helped medicine and pharmacy students learn the value of functioning effectively in interprofessional teams. Given the importance of interprofessional teamwork and the increasing need to respond to the health needs of underserved populations, integrating interprofessional learning experiences in health professions training is highly relevant, feasible, and critically needed.

A Light-Based Feedback Control System for Generating User-Defined Intracelullar Signaling Dynamics

As we enter the era of systems biology, in which we are trying to unravel how complex biological systems function, we are in dire need of methods to apply quantitative inputs at specific signaling nodes. We recently developed an approach to spatially and temporally control signaling in mammalian cells with light. Here, we report a method for applying custom signaling inputs using feedback control of this optogenetic protein-protein interaction (PhyB and PIF). With our approach, time-varying inputs, which have been applied extracellularly to dissect sensory signaling cascades, can now be applied to intracellular signals. Titratable control at multiple signaling nodes can be used to “walk down” a pathway to identify sources of ultrasensitivity or points of feedback connection. Finally, our technique can be used to disconnect feedback circuits without changing the architecture of signaling networks by clamping light-gated inputs against cellular changes in activity. Our approach will enable a new generation of precision perturbative experiments that could revolutionize our understanding of biological systems.

Year-to-year and many-year runoff variations in world rivers

Data on the annual, maximal, and minimal runoff for about 3000 gauges, taken from international archives, as well as data on total runoff into the World Ocean are given. The rivers for which the gauges considered in the study are outlet gauges were divided into 6 groups by their nourishment type, lake abundance, and the degree of potential anthropogenic impact on runoff regime. Twenty-two quantitative input river basin quantitative parameters and runoff characteristics, as well as 102 basic numerical characteristics evaluated by the author, including parameters of stochastic models, identified for each series, were analyzed for each runoff series. To study the effect of the non-Gaussian distribution of runoff series on analysis results, calculations for each series were carried out twice: for original series and for series converted into those with normal distribution. It is shown that most series of annual and maximal runoff in lake-free rivers whose regime shows no anthropogenic disturbance (including rivers with glacier nourishment) can be adequately described, at a time scale of the order of decades, by a time series of mutually uncorrelated random variables. Models of first-order autoregression process and higher order models are predominant in the description of annual runoff series of lake-type rivers and rivers, whose basins contain large reservoirs and irrigation systems, as well as in the description of minimal-runoff series of all types of rivers.