College of Medicine Library: Plans to develop the Journals Collection

Spreadsheets detailing plans to develop the Medical Library's journal collection.

Perkins+Will Meeting Agendas and 15 Campus Plans

Meeting agenda and documents from Meeting # 5 between the memebers of Perkins+Will and the FIU-AHSCMP Executive Planning Committee. Includes plans and blueprints detailing facility goals and assumptions for the Academic Health Sciences facility over a 5, 10, and 20 year planning period, as well as future goals. Blueprints include a Campus Plan and 5, 10, and 20 year plans for the Program, Space, Service, and Access, as well as a Site Plan, and Perspective View of the facilities.

Earnings management using estimates and the timing of adoption of accounting standards: An empirical examination of pensions

This study investigates the relationship between adoption timing of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 87 and earnings management after adoption. Earnings management, defined consistent with Schipper (1989), is tested through hypotheses using (1) a portfolio approach and (2) pension rates. One Hypothesis uses a Modified Jones (1991) Model as a proxy for discretionary accruals and the other uses pension rate estimates.^ Statistically significant relationships are found between adoption timing and (1) discretionary accruals and (2) estimated rate-of-return (ROR) on pension plan assets. Early adopting firms tend to have lower discretionary accruals after adoption than on-time adopters. They also tend to use higher ROR estimates which are not supported by higher actual returns. Thus, while early adopters may be using ROR to manage income, this tends to not result in higher discretionary accruals. ^

Teachers' perceptions of the usefulness of Individual Education Plans (IEP)

Since 1997 federal special education policy mandated that all classroom teachers take part in planning and implementation of Individualized Education Plans (IEP) for students with disabilities. This legislation has given teachers new responsibilities because it requires greater participation in the IEP process. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the usefulness of Individualized Education Plans (IEP). ^ Eighty seven certified Miami-Dade County Public School teachers, 60 general education teachers and 27 special education teachers were surveyed using an updated version of Rheams' (1989) The Teacher Perceptions of the Usefulness of IEPs. Subjects completed a survey form containing a demographic cover page, 18 Likert-scale statements and 3 open ended questions. This study looked at differences in perceptions by teacher group affiliation (general and special), grade level taught (elementary and secondary), and years of experience (<=5 and >5 years). The dependent variables were teacher preparedness; feasibility of IEP implementation; relevancy of IP to classroom instruction; and legal, professional and personal accountability with regard to the IEP. ^ Results of the Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed that (a) special education teachers held a more positive perception of overall IEP usefulness than general education teachers, (b) special educators held more positive perceptions concerning issues of feasibility and preparedness, (c) elementary level teachers viewed the IEP more positively than secondary level teachers, specifically in the areas of preparedness and feasibility. ^ Findings of this study indicate that general and secondary educators have not embraced the legislation and incorporated it into their planning and instruction. These findings provide policymakers, institutions of higher education, and school administrators with insight as to how to better translate policy into classroom instructional practice. Consideration should be given to implementing (a) honest communication and shared decision making with regard to IEP directed curriculum and instruction, (b) updated pre and in-service IEP development and implementation training, and (c) opportunities for collaboration and increased plan time, especially on the secondary level. ^

Defense Expenditure: Central America and The Dominican Republic

It is often speculated that the high allocation of funds to retirement pension systems has influenced the capacity of Central American and Dominican Republic military to modernize. Yet, the comparative study of the allocation of pension and social funds in these particular countries suggest that there is not direct linkage between the poor funding of military modernization plans and the allocation of funds to military pension systems. The research conducted on this subject shows the following results: 1. The Dominican Republic is the only country that has embarked on a considerable procurement of modern equipment and still reports the largest proportion of social expenditures. 2. El Salvador’s defense budget allocates minimal funding to Social Welfare Institute, which as alternative sources of funding. In 2009, El Salvador increased 15 percent funding to the military to respond to increased role in domestic security issues. 3. The Guatemalan defense expenditure on social programs is fairly low, but it has grown during the past six years due to processes of demobilization. However, the Military Social Welfare Institute is administered by a decentralized institution funded directly by the Ministry of Finance. If it were to be considered as a part of the defense budget, its social expenses would account for almost 16% of it. 4. The Honduran Defense Budget has faced a considerable enlargement during the past four years, with social spending expenses taken precedence over modernization efforts. 2 5. The Nicaraguan system of military pensions is administered by a decentralized entity (IPSM) through a system of salary deductions. Information on the funding of this entity is inconclusive. The Nicaraguan Defense spending on social services has reported a drastic 90% drop since the year 2007.

Hazard mitigation element quality in coastal comprehensive plans in a state with strong requirements for hazard mitigation plan elements

This dissertation examines the quality of hazard mitigation elements in a coastal, hazard prone state. I answer two questions. First, in a state with a strong mandate for hazard mitigation elements in comprehensive plans, does plan quality differ among county governments? Second, if such variation exists, what drives this variation? My research focuses primarily on Florida's 35 coastal counties, which are all at risk for hurricane and flood hazards, and all fall under Florida's mandate to have a comprehensive plan that includes a hazard mitigation element. Research methods included document review to rate the hazard mitigation elements of all 35 coastal county plans and subsequent analysis against demographic and hazard history factors. Following this, I conducted an electronic, nationwide survey of planning professionals and academics, informed by interviews of planning leaders in Florida counties. I found that hazard mitigation element quality varied widely among the 35 Florida coastal counties, but were close to a normal distribution. No plans were of exceptionally high quality. Overall, historical hazard effects did not correlate with hazard mitigation element quality, but some demographic variables that are associated with urban populations did. The variance in hazard mitigation element quality indicates that while state law may mandate, and even prescribe, hazard mitigation in local comprehensive plans, not all plans will result in equal, or even adequate, protection for people. Furthermore, the mixed correlations with demographic variables representing social and disaster vulnerability shows that, at least at the county level, vulnerability to hazards does not have a strong effect on hazard mitigation element quality. From a theory perspective, my research is significant because it compares assumptions about vulnerability based on hazard history and demographics to plan quality. The only vulnerability-related variables that appeared to correlate, and at that mildly so, with hazard mitigation element quality, were those typically representing more urban areas. In terms of the theory of Neo-Institutionalism and theories related to learning organizations, my research shows that planning departments appear to have set norms and rules of operating that preclude both significant public involvement and learning from prior hazard events.

Die mathematischen Rechnungen bei Pensions-Instituten der Eisenbahn-Beamten und deren Witwen : mit Rücksicht auf die bei den Eisenbahn-Gesellschaften in Oesterreich bestehenden Pensions-Institute ; dann Beurtheilung der Bestandsfähigkeit derselben

von Julius Kaan

Exploring the applicability of biological and socioeconomic tools in developing EAFM plans for data absent areas : Spinner dolphin EAFM for Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka

Acknowledgements University of Aberdeen, UK and Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystems (BOBLME) project are acknowledged for partial funding of this research.

Beam Angle Optimization for Automated Coplanar IMRT Lung Plans

Purpose: To investigate the effect of incorporating a beam spreading parameter in a beam angle optimization algorithm and to evaluate its efficacy for creating coplanar IMRT lung plans in conjunction with machine learning generated dose objectives.

Methods: Fifteen anonymized patient cases were each re-planned with ten values over the range of the beam spreading parameter, k, and analyzed with a Wilcoxon signed-rank test to determine whether any particular value resulted in significant improvement over the initially treated plan created by a trained dosimetrist. Dose constraints were generated by a machine learning algorithm and kept constant for each case across all k values. Parameters investigated for potential improvement included mean lung dose, V20 lung, V40 heart, 80% conformity index, and 90% conformity index.

Results: With a confidence level of 5%, treatment plans created with this method resulted in significantly better conformity indices. Dose coverage to the PTV was improved by an average of 12% over the initial plans. At the same time, these treatment plans showed no significant difference in mean lung dose, V20 lung, or V40 heart when compared to the initial plans; however, it should be noted that these results could be influenced by the small sample size of patient cases.

Conclusions: The beam angle optimization algorithm, with the inclusion of the beam spreading parameter k, increases the dose conformity of the automatically generated treatment plans over that of the initial plans without adversely affecting the dose to organs at risk. This parameter can be varied according to physician preference in order to control the tradeoff between dose conformity and OAR sparing without compromising the integrity of the plan.

Safety Assessment Tool for Construction Zone Work Phasing Plans, 2016

The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) is the compilation of national safety research that provides quantitative methods for analyzing highway safety. The HSM presents crash modification functions related to freeway work zone characteristics such as work zone duration and length. These crash modification functions were based on freeway work zones with high traffic volumes in California. When the HSM-referenced model was calibrated for Missouri, the value was 3.78, which is not ideal since it is significantly larger than 1. Therefore, new models were developed in this study using Missouri data to capture geographical, driver behavior, and other factors in the Midwest. Also, new models for expressway and rural two-lane work zones that barely were studied in the literature were developed. A large sample of 20,837 freeway, 8,993 expressway, and 64,476 rural two-lane work zones in Missouri was analyzed to derive 15 work zone crash prediction models. The most appropriate samples of 1,546 freeway, 1,189 expressway, and 6,095 rural two-lane work zones longer than 0.1 mile and with a duration of greater than 10 days were used to make eight, four, and three models, respectively. A challenging question for practitioners is always how to use crash prediction models to make the best estimation of work zone crash count. To solve this problem, a user-friendly software tool was developed in a spreadsheet format to predict work zone crashes based on work zone characteristics. This software selects the best model, estimates the work zone crashes by severity, and converts them to monetary values using standard crash estimates. This study also included a survey of departments of transportation (DOTs), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) representatives, and contractors to assess the current state of the practice regarding work zone safety. The survey results indicate that many agencies look at work zone safety informally using engineering judgment. Respondents indicated that they would like a tool that could help them to balance work zone safety across projects by looking at crashes and user costs.

Evaluating Form and Functionality of Pay-For-Performance Plans: The Relative Incentive and Sorting Effects of Merit Pay, Bonuses, and Long-Term Incentives

Using two-year longitudinal data from a large sample of US employees from a service-related organization, the present study investigates the relative effects of three forms of pay-for-performance plans on employees’ job performance (incentive effects) and voluntary turnover (sorting effects). The study differentiates between three forms of pay: merit pay, individual-based bonuses, and long-term incentives. By definition, these PFP plans have different structural elements that distinguish them from each other (i.e., pay plan form) and different characteristics (functionality), such as the degree to which pay and performance are linked and the size of the rewards, which can vary both within and across plan types. Our results provide evidence that merit raises have larger incentive and sorting effects than bonuses and long-term incentives in multi-PFP plan environments where the three PFP plans are operating simultaneously. Only merit pay has both incentive and sorting effects among the three PFP plans. The implications for the PFP-related theory, as well as for the design and implementation of PFP plans, are discussed.