Assessing the Implementation of a Secondary Plan Using a Conformance-Based GIS Method: A Pilot Project in Winnipeg, Manitoba

This case study evaluates the implementation of a secondary land use plan in Winnipeg, MB. The area selected for this case study is the Northeast Neighbourhood located in Waverley West; the development of this neighbourhood was guided by the Northeast Neighbourhood Area Structure Plan (NNASP). This case study evaluates the implementation of the NNASP through a conformance analysis which answers the following research questions: 1) Does the developed land use pattern in the NNASP area conform to what was planned; and 2) Does the implementation of the NNASP conform to the goals, objectives, policies, and intent of the plan? The implementation of the NNASP was evaluated against 62 evaluation criteria which were generated based on the policies of the NNASP. Using this method, the development of the Northeast Neighbourhood is effectively evaluated against the requirements of the NNASP. This conformity test utilized threefold approach including GIS analysis, a site visit, and document analysis.

Interface shear strength of geosynthetics: Evaluation and analysis of inclined plane tests

The inclined plane test (IPT) is commonly performed to measure the interface shear strength between different materials as those used in cover systems of landfills. The test, when interpreted according to European test Standards provides the static interface friction angle, usually assumed for 50 mm displacement and denoted as phi(stat)(50). However, if interpreted considering the several phases of the sliding process, the test is capable of yielding more realistic information about the interface shear strength such as differentiating interfaces which exhibit the same value of phi(stat)(50) but different behavior for displacement less than 50 mm. In this paper, the IPT is used to evaluate the interface shear strength of some materials usually present in cover liner systems of landfill. The results of the tests were analyzed for both, the static and the dynamic phases of the sliding and were interpreted based on the static initial friction angle, phi(0), and the limit friction angle, phi(lim). It is shown that depending on the sliding behavior of the interfaces, phi(stat)(50), which is usually adopted as the designing parameter in stability analysis, can be larger than phi(0) and phi(lim). (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Report to the Minister for Health from the Health Insurance Authority (Redacted) on an evaluation and analysis of returns for 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013 including advice on risk equalisation credits

Report to the Minister for Health from the Health Insurance Authority (Redacted) on an evaluation and analysis of returns for 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013 including advice on risk equalisation credits Click here to download PDF 11MB

HIA Report to the Minister for Health on an evaluation and analysis of returns for 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012 including advice

HIA Report to the Minister for Health The Department of health requested that the Health Insurance Authority provide a report to the Minister ‘in anticipation of the enactment of the health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2012.” Click here to download PDF 8.87MB The Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2012 Link to the Minister’s Second Stage Speech to the Dáil on 14 November 2012          

Reporting Framework: Implementation and Performance Analysis

Fenix on suuri metsäteollisuuden tuotannonohjausjärjestelmä. Fenix-järjestelmän raportointi- ja tulostuspalvelut elävätvaihdekautta. Aikaisemmin käytetyt raportointityökalut ovat vanhentumassa ja neon korvattava uusilla. Uusi raportointialusta, Global Printing System (GPS), onrakennettu StreamServe Business Communication Platformin ympärille. Uuden alustan on tarkoitus hoitaa Fenixin tulostus sekä raportointitehtävät. Työ kuvaa raportointialustan toteutuksen sekä sen tärkeimmät ominaisuudet. Uuden alustan suorituskyvyssä on ollut toivomisen varaa. Etenkin suurien raporttien generoiminen on kestänyt joskus toivottoman pitkään. Työssä analysoidaan raportointialustan suorituskykyä ja etsitään mahdolliset pullonkaulat. Suorituskyvyn heikkouksiin pyritään löytämään ratkaisut ja annetaan ehdotuksia suorituskyvyn parantamiseksi. XML pohjaisena järjestelmänä GPS:n suorituskyvyssä suurta osaaesittää XML:n tehokkuus. GPS sisääntuleva data tulee XML-muodossa ja sisääntulon parsimisen tehokkuus on avaintekijöitä koko GPS:n tehokkuuden kannalta. Suorituskyvyn parantamisessa keskitytäänki vahvasti XML:n tehokkaampaan käyttöön ja esitetään ehdotuksia sen parantamiseksi.

Strategy Implementation Bottlenecks: Identification, Analysis and Removal

This thesis investigates the strategy implementation process of enterprices; a process whichhas lacked the academic attentioon compared with a rich strategy formation research trdition. Strategy implementation is viewed as a process ensuring tha the strtegies of an organisation are realised fully and quickly, yet with constant consideration of changing circumstances. The aim of this sudy is to provide a framework for identifying, analysing and removing the strategy implementation bottleneck af an organization and thus for intesifying its strategy process.The study is opened by specifying the concept, tasks and key actors of strategy implementation process; especially arguments for the critical implementation role of the top management are provided. In order to facilitate the analysis nad synthetisation of the core findings of scattered doctrine, six characteristic approaches to strategy implementation phenomenon are identified and compared. The Bottleneck Framework is introduced as an instrument for arranging potential strategy realisation problems, prioritising an organisation's implementation obstacles and focusing the improvement measures accordingly. The SUCCESS Framework is introduced as a mnemonic of the seven critical factors to be taken into account when promoting sttrategy implementation. Both frameworks are empirically tested by applying them to real strategy implementation intesification process in an international, industrial, group-structured case enterprise.

Response to neoadjuvant treatment of invasive ductal breast carcinomas including outcome evaluation: MRI analysis by an automatic CAD system in comparison to visual evaluation

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate imaging-based response to standardized neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) regimen by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance mammography (DCE-MRM), whereas MR images were analyzed by an automatic computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD) system in comparison to visual evaluation. MRI findings were correlated with histopathologic response to NACT and also with the occurrence of metastases in a follow-up analysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty-four patients with invasive ductal breast carcinomas received two identical MRI examinations (before and after NACT; 1.5T, contrast medium gadoteric acid). Pre-therapeutic images were compared with post-therapeutic examinations by CAD and two blinded human observers, considering morphologic and dynamic MRI parameters as well as tumor size measurements. Imaging-assessed response to NACT was compared with histopathologically verified response. All clinical, histopathologic, and DCE-MRM parameters were correlated with the occurrence of distant metastases. RESULTS Initial and post-initial dynamic parameters significantly changed between pre- and post-therapeutic DCE-MRM. Visually evaluated DCE-MRM revealed sensitivity of 85.7%, specificity of 91.7%, and diagnostic accuracy of 87.0% in evaluating the response to NACT compared to histopathology. CAD analysis led to more false-negative findings (37.0%) compared to visual evaluation (11.1%), resulting in sensitivity of 52.4%, specificity of 100.0%, and diagnostic accuracy of 63.0%. The following dynamic MRI parameters showed significant associations to occurring metastases: Post-initial curve type before NACT (entire lesions, calculated by CAD) and post-initial curve type of the most enhancing tumor parts after NACT (calculated by CAD and manually). CONCLUSIONS In the accurate evaluation of response to neoadjuvant treatment, CAD systems can provide useful additional information due to the high specificity; however, they cannot replace visual imaging evaluation. Besides traditional prognostic factors, contrast medium-induced dynamic MRI parameters reveal significant associations to patient outcome, i.e. occurrence of distant metastases.

Design and implementation of a novel multi-constellation FPGA-based dual frequency GNSS receiver for space applications

The PhD activity described in the document is part of the Microsatellite and Microsystem Laboratory of the II Faculty of Engineering, University of Bologna. The main objective is the design and development of a GNSS receiver for the orbit determination of microsatellites in low earth orbit. The development starts from the electronic design and goes up to the implementation of the navigation algorithms, covering all the aspects that are involved in this type of applications. The use of GPS receivers for orbit determination is a consolidated application used in many space missions, but the development of the new GNSS system within few years, such as the European Galileo, the Chinese COMPASS and the Russian modernized GLONASS, proposes new challenges and offers new opportunities to increase the orbit determination performances. The evaluation of improvements coming from the new systems together with the implementation of a receiver that is compatible with at least one of the new systems, are the main activities of the PhD. The activities can be divided in three section: receiver requirements definition and prototype implementation, design and analysis of the GNSS signal tracking algorithms, and design and analysis of the navigation algorithms. The receiver prototype is based on a Virtex FPGA by Xilinx, and includes a PowerPC processor. The architecture follows the software defined radio paradigm, so most of signal processing is performed in software while only what is strictly necessary is done in hardware. The tracking algorithms are implemented as a combination of Phase Locked Loop and Frequency Locked Loop for the carrier, and Delay Locked Loop with variable bandwidth for the code. The navigation algorithm is based on the extended Kalman filter and includes an accurate LEO orbit model.

SUPERFUND: AN ANALYSIS OF IMPLEMENTATION FAILURE (CERCLA, HEALTH LAW POLICY)

In December, 1980, following increasing congressional and constituent-interest in problems associated with hazardous waste, the Comprehensive Environmental Recovery, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) was passed. During its development, the legislative initiative was seriously compromised which resulted in a less exhaustive approach than was formerly sought. Still, CERCLA (Superfund) which established, among other things, authority to clean up abandoned waste dumps and to respond to emergencies caused by releases of hazardous substances was welcomed by many as an important initial law critical to the cleanup of the nation's hazardous waste. Expectations raised by passage of this bill were tragically unmet. By the end of four years, only six sites had been declared by the EPA as cleaned. Seemingly, even those determinations were liberal; of the six sites, two were identified subsequently as requiring further cleanup.^ This analysis is focused upon the implementation failure of the Superfund. In light of that focus, discussion encompasses development of linkages between flaws in the legislative language and foreclosure of chances for implementation success. Specification of such linkages is achieved through examination of the legislative initiative, identification of its flaws and characterization of attendant deficits in implementation ability. Subsequent analysis is addressed to how such legislative frailities might have been avoided and to attendant regulatory weaknesses which have contributed to implementation failure. Each of these analyses are accomplished through application of an expanded approach to the backward mapping analytic technique as presented by Elmore. Results and recommendations follow.^ Consideration is devoted to a variety of regulatory issues as well as to those pertinent to legislative and implementation analysis. Problems in assessing legal liability associated with hazardous waste management are presented, as is a detailed review of the legislative development of Superfund, and its initial implementation by Gorsuch's EPA. ^

Analysis of the education program approval process : a program evaluation /

"May 1988."

Statistical Analysis of Text Summarization Evaluation

This dissertation applies statistical methods to the evaluation of automatic summarization using data from the Text Analysis Conferences in 2008-2011. Several aspects of the evaluation framework itself are studied, including the statistical testing used to determine significant differences, the assessors, and the design of the experiment. In addition, a family of evaluation metrics is developed to predict the score an automatically generated summary would receive from a human judge and its results are demonstrated at the Text Analysis Conference. Finally, variations on the evaluation framework are studied and their relative merits considered. An over-arching theme of this dissertation is the application of standard statistical methods to data that does not conform to the usual testing assumptions.

Estudo hidrogeológico e hidropedológico das áreas periurbanas de Valbom e Avintes: implicações na gestão dos recursos hídricos subterrâneos

Mestrado em Engenharia Geotécnica e Geoambiente

IPH Submission to the Department of Health and Children Statement of Strategy 2008-2010

The Department of Health and Children Statement of Strategy will map out in broad terms the Department’s key areas of strategic action in the coming three years and act as the backdrop against which the Business Plans of each division of the Department will be prepared. The Institute’s recent submission on the Department’s Strategy Statement proposes that tackling inequalities in health form a key area of strategic action across all divisions within the Department in the coming three years. The Institute called for the Department to make additional commitments to tackle health inequalities at their root causes, in addition to developing services to meet the needs of poor and vulnerable members of society. The submission states that the full implementation of the National Health Information Strategy is now a matter of urgency and also strongly recommends that the Department makes the achievement of the recommendations of the recent A Strategy for Cancer Control in Ireland a priority in the coming years within its enhanced policy evaluation and analysis role. A stronger leadership role to advance the vision set out in the Primary Care Strategy is encouraged. The submission also recommends the development of a new set of high-level long-term targets relating to the reduction of inequalities to provide an overarching policy context against which related policies and the HSE operations could be structured.

Evaluation of a multicomponent worksite health promotion program for cardiovascular risk factors-correcting for the regression towards the mean effect.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the impact of a multicomponent worksite health promotion program for0 reducing cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) with short intervention, adjusting for regression towards the mean (RTM) affecting such nonexperimental study without control group. METHODS: A cohort of 4,198 workers (aged 42 +/- 10 years, range 16-76 years, 27% women) were analyzed at 3.7-year interval and stratified by each CVRF risk category (low/medium/high blood pressure [BP], total cholesterol [TC], body mass index [BMI], and smoking) with RTM and secular trend adjustments. Intervention consisted of 15 min CVRF screening and individualized counseling by health professionals to medium- and high-risk individuals, with eventual physician referral. RESULTS: High-risk groups participants improved diastolic BP (-3.4 mm Hg [95%CI: -5.1, -1.7]) in 190 hypertensive patients, TC (-0.58 mmol/l [-0.71, -0.44]) in 693 hypercholesterolemic patients, and smoking (-3.1 cig/day [-3.9, -2.3]) in 808 smokers, while systolic BP changes reflected RTM. Low-risk individuals without counseling deteriorated TC and BMI. Body weight increased uniformly in all risk groups (+0.35 kg/year). CONCLUSIONS: In real-world conditions, short intervention program participants in high-risk groups for diastolic BP, TC, and smoking improved their CVRF, whereas low-risk TC and BMI groups deteriorated. Future programs may include specific advises to low-risk groups to maintain a favorable CVRF profile.

Analysis of the DF508 mutation in a Brazilian cystic fibrosis population: comparison of pulmonary status of homozygotes with other patients

Sixty-one cystic fibrosis patients admitted for check-up or antibiotic treatment were enrolled for genetic and clinical evaluation. Genetic analysis was performed on blood samples stored on neonatal screening cards using PCR techniques to determine the presence of DF508 mutations. Clinical evaluation included Shwachman and Chrispin-Norman scores, age at onset of symptoms and diagnosis, spirometry, awake and sleep pulse oximetry, hyponychial angle measurement and presence of chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization. Eighteen patients (29.5%) were homozygous for the DF508 mutation, 26 (42.6%) had one DF508 mutation and 17 (27.9%) were noncarriers, corresponding to a 50.8% prevalence of the mutation in the whole population. Analysis by the Kruskal-Wallis test for comparison of genetic status with continuous variables or by the chi-square test and logistic regression for dichotomous variables showed no significant differences between any two groups for a = 0.05. We conclude that genetic status in relation to the DF508 mutation is not associated with pulmonary status as evaluated by the above variables