111 research outputs found
"Second order" exploratory data analysis of the large scale gas injection test (lasgit) dataset, focused around known gas migration events
No full textWithin large-scale experimental datasets a wealth of small scale information can typically be found. An example of such an experiment is the Large Scale Gas Injection Test (Lasgit). A toolkit has been developed to facilitate the investigation of the small scale or ‘second order’ detail contained within Lasgit’s dataset. Results obtained through application include: quantifications of trends and seasonal effects; and second order gas transmission spurring from a primary macro scale transmission event.Geoscience & EngineeringCivil Engineering and Geoscience
Spurring Innovation at the Deckplate Level in the Submarine Force
No full text2012 Navy Submarine League Literary Award winner for “Best Article by an Active Duty Author”, graduate of the USW curriculum
Season 13 Episode 16: X Prize: Spurring Scientific Innovation
No full textThere’s nothing like some prize money to get things moving. Ask Charles Lindbergh and his Spirit of St. Louis, or Peter Diamandis, Chairman and CEO of the X Prize Foundation. Author of Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think, Diamandis believes human innovation can overcome any hurdle--especially when the competitive spirit gets involved. He describes scientific breakthroughs of the past and future, ince ntivized by the $10 million X Prize for the benefit of humanity. Episode # 1314 (17646
Small-Scale Finance for Water and Sanitation
No full textThe author argues that the case of lending for water and sanitation is a "classic market failure". Though it can be a productive activity for lenders and borrowers, there are a variety of factors that cause it to remain a small share of local commercial banks and micro-finance institutions' portfolios. The report outlines ways that government donors and philanthropists can be effective at spurring on this market
A socio-political history of South Africa’s National Health Insurance
No full textAbstract Background Spurred by the WHO’s endorsement of universal health coverage as a goal of all health systems, many countries are undertaking health financing reforms. The nature of these reforms, and the policy processes by which they are achieved, will depend on context-specific factors, including the history of reform efforts and the political imperatives driving reforms. South Africa’s pursuit of universal health coverage through a National Health Insurance is the latest in a nearly 100-year history of health system reform efforts shaped by social and political realities. Methods We conducted an interdisciplinary, retrospective literature review to explore how these reform efforts have unfolded, and been shaped by the contextual realities of the moment. We began the review by identifying peer-reviewed literature on health system reform in South Africa, and iteratively expanded the search through author tracking, citation tracking and purposeful searches for material on particular events or processes referenced in the initial body of evidence. Data was extracted and organised chronologically into nine periods. Results The analysis suggests that in South Africa politics; the power of the private sector; competing policy priorities and budgetary constraints; and ideas, values and ideologies have been particularly important in constraining, and sometimes spurring, health system reform efforts. Political transitions and pressures - including the introduction of apartheid in 1948, anti-apartheid opposition, the transition to democracy, and corruption and governance failures - have alternately created political imperatives for reform, and constrained reform efforts. In addition, the country’s political history has given rise to dominant ideas, values and ideologies that imbue health system reform with a particular social meaning. While these ideas and values increase opposition and complicate reform efforts, they also help to expose the inequities of the current system as problematic and re-emphasise the need for reform. Conclusion Ultimately, this analysis demonstrates the context-specific nature of health system reform processes and the influence of history on what sorts of reforms are politically feasible and socially acceptable, even in the context of a global push for universal health coverage
Spurring innovation through idea contests : data analysis and process improvements
No full textThis research concerns the Urban Living Idea Contest conducted by Creator Space™ of BASF SE during its 150th anniversary in 2015. The main objectives of the thesis are to provide a comprehensive analysis of the Urban Living Idea Contest (ULIC) and propose a number of improvement suggestions for future years. More than 4,000 data points were collected and analyzed to investigate the functionality of different elements of the contest. Furthermore, a set of improvement suggestions were proposed to BASF SE. Novelty of this thesis lies in the data collection and the original analysis of the contest, which identified its critical elements, as well as the areas that could be improved. The author of this research was a member of the organizing team and involved in the decision making process from the beginning until the end of the ULIC
The Total Work of Art
No full textFor two centuries, Gesamtkunstwerk—the ideal of the “total work of art”—has exerted a powerful influence over artistic discourse and practice, spurring new forms of collaboration and provoking debates over the political instrumentalization of art. Despite its popular conflation with the work of Richard Wagner, Gesamtkunstwerk’s lineage and legacies extend well beyond German Romanticism, as this wide-ranging collection demonstrates. In eleven compact essays, scholars from a variety of disciplines trace the idea’s evolution in German-speaking Europe, from its foundations in the early nineteenth century to its manifold articulations and reimaginings in the twentieth century and beyond, providing an uncommonly broad perspective on a distinctly modern cultural form.https://scholarlycommons.susqu.edu/facultybooks/1004/thumbnail.jp
Massachusetts' Brownfield Support Team Initiative : program design and implementation in Somerville and Chicopee, Massachusetts
No full textThesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2013.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-50).Communities across the country struggle with the challenge of redeveloping vacant or underused, contaminated land, commonly referred to as "brownfields." Brownfields blight their neighborhoods and cause damage relating to poor environmental quality, detriments to public health, and decreased confidence in the surrounding area. Even though redeveloping brownfields offers numerous benefits, the process is an uphill battle for developers and municipalities alike. Given the multiple barriers to brownfield redevelopment, including: the difficulty of determining the level of contamination, unknown cleanup costs, uncertainty surrounding the extent of liability, the challenge of obtaining grants or outside funding to cover cleanup costs, and the unreliable development timeline, it is not surprising that private developers are often reluctant to undertake brownfield redevelopment projects on their own. Therefore, government plays a crucial role in spurring the redevelopment of brownfields to return them to productive reuse. Massachusetts' Brownfields Support Team (BST) Initiative offers an example of an innovative state program that takes a proactive approach to expediting brownfield redevelopment through the creation of interagency teams that meet monthly to facilitate assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of especially complicated sites. This thesis investigates the effectiveness of the BST through the experiences of two case studies: The Uniroyal and Facemate properties in Chicopee and the Kiley Barrel site in Somerville's Union Square. Through an analysis of these cases, this thesis aims to illustrate how and why the program is effective. Ultimately my research reveals that the BST approach was able to build strong relationships, generate creative solutions, and expedite the brownfield redevelopment process in both cases. This thesis also aims to inform other states' policies surrounding brownfield redevelopment with a discussion of the replication this program in other contexts.by Katherine Buckingham.M.C.P
Group Brainstorming Field Study: Effect of Size, Recording Method, and Task, on Productivity and Participants' Reactions.
No full textThis field experiment in brainstorming was formulated to test Osborn's brainstorming technique using his directives. Three variables were studied in a 2 x 3 x 2 factorial analysis for the effect of group size, method of recording ideas, and group task upon group productivity and participants' reactions to the experience. Small groups (5-7) and large groups (9-19) were tested using three methods for recording ideas contributed: board (ideas listed on board, visible to the participants); secretary (ideas compiled on notepad, not visible to participants); and , oral (ideas taperecorded). Two tasks were used: contrived (How many ways can you find to use the Pringle Potato Chip container?); and , real (formulated to generate ideas as alternatives for a problem identified by the group). The same leader was used for all experiments. Groups were given identical instructions and were led through the session using the hitch-hiking and idea-spurring suggestions as per Osborn's directives. The fifteen minute brainstorming sessions were divided into thirds to identify the most productive time component. Subjects were existing groups who met to solve one of their own problems during a regularly scheduled meeting of their group. The significant findings were: (1) Participants in small groups contributed a greater mean number of ideas per person than did participants in large groups. (2) Although all participants were satisfied with their involvement and with their own participation, responses from the small groups indicated a greater satisfaction. (3) Participants in the board method indicated greater satisfaction with their productivity than did participants in the secretary or oral methods. (4) The real task was significantly more meaningful to participants than the contrived task. (5) All groups contributed more ideas in the first five minutes of the fifteen minute brainstorming sessions.PhDCommunicationUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/157696/1/8017218.pd
NPS Student Uses Social Science Background to Promote Change
No full textFaculty Showcase Archive ArticleWhen Naval Postgraduate School Mechanical Engineering student Lt. Ryan Hilger sees a need for change, he turns to his background in social science to engage people in conversation around the issue. It was this passion that inspired his paper, “Spurring Innovation at the Deckplate Level in the Submarine Force,” and earned him the Naval Submarine League's Fleet Literary Award for Best Article by an Active Duty Author. It also inspired him to speak up for those officers who aren’t afforded duty time to pursue their education.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited
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