Includes reports of the Southeast Asia Regional Computer Conference, First International Workshop on Concurrent Engineering Product Realization, and Academic Interworking in Japan.
URC.KUN.NL,] visited Sains Malaysia on Penang Island recently, and "was
amazed at the number of PCs and Macintoshes available to students and staff—
there were hundreds of them. Now the first SUN work stations have arrived, and
they are quite advanced users of the hardware. I visited PTMK (Projek
Terjemahan Malalui Komputer) that aims at translating Malay into English. The
project leader, Prof Zaharin ...
Special Focus Facilities are Often Improving, But CMS's Program Could be Strengthened
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Serv. (CMS) established the Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program to help address poor nursing home performance. States select a subset of homes as SFFs from a list of the 15 poorest performing homes in each state. States survey SFFs twice as frequently as other homes and there are more robust enforcement, including termination, for SFFs that fail to improve within about 18 months. This report: (1) determined the factors states consider in selecting SFFs and how SFFs differed from other nursing homes; (2) evaluated CMS regional office and state adherence to program guidance and the program's impact on homes' performance; and (3) identified other strategies that were used to improve poorly performing homes.
This report: (1) determined the factors states consider in selecting SFFs and how SFFs differed from other nursing homes; (2) evaluated CMS regional office and state adherence to program guidance and the program's impact on homes' ...
Lack of Therapeutically Equivalent Drugs and Limited Competition May Contribute to Extraordinary Price Increases
The growing cost of brand-name prescription drugs (BNPD) -- FDA-approved drug products that typically have patent protection -- is a concern for patients, payers, and providers of health care -- particularly when price increases are large and occur suddenly. A 2008 congressional hearing drew attention to some small market prescription drugs that had an extraordinary price increase -- 100% or more at a single point in time. This report examined extraordinary price increases for BNPD. It examined the: (1) frequency of extraordinary price increases for BNPD from 2000 to 2008; (2) characteristics of the BNPD that had extraordinary price increases; and (3) factors that contributed to the extraordinary price increases experienced by these BNPD. Illustrations.
The growing cost of brand-name prescription drugs (BNPD) -- FDA-approved drug products that typically have patent protection -- is a concern for patients, payers, and providers of health care -- particularly when price increases are large ...
Describes the strategies and technologies that have propelled Japan to the forefront of apparel textile innovation. Practically every facet of the industry is covered -- from technological advances in fiber and yarn mfg., fabric making, apparel design and prod., and the development of related equip. to the economics of offshore production and the role of gov't. Presents an overview of the bus. environment and a perspective on the potential impact of offshore moves on the future; and attempts to predict the focus of research on the future and the effects of an increasingly cost-conscious domestic consumer and overseas mfg. operations. Tables, diagrams and photos.
comprehensive and does not provide an adequate overarching logistics strategy
to effectively guide the Defense components' logistics plans. The plan, which is
organized around six broad objectives and associated generic performance
measures, is very general and does not provide a cohesive planning strategy for
developing future logistics systems. Also, the objectives and actions outlined in
the plan are almost exclusively related to supply and inventory management
issues and ...
DoD¿s management of its supply chain network is critical to supporting military forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere and also represents a substantial investment of resources. As a result of weaknesses in DoD's management of supply inventories and responsiveness to warfighter requirements, supply chain management is a high-risk fed. gov¿t. program. In July 2010, DoD issued a new Logistics Strategic Plan that represents the dept's. current vision and direction for supply chain management and other logistics areas. This testimony: (1) describes DoD's prior strategic planning efforts in the area of logistics; (2) highlights key elements in the new Logistics Strategic Plan; and (3) discusses opportunities for improvement in future iterations of this plan. Ill.
As you are aware, supply chain management is critical to supporting military
forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, and it also represents a substantial
investment of resources. While there are many aspects to supply chain management, at its essence it is the operation of a continuous and
comprehensive logistics process, from the initial customer order of materials or
services to the ultimate satisfaction of the customer's requirements. DOD's goal is
to provide effective and efficient ...
incorporated some of these key management principles in their RFID policy and
guidance, many of these principles are missing or are only partially present.
Without an improved management approach, DOD and its military components
may, in the long term, continue to invest heavily in passive RFID without
knowledge of which and how much infrastructure, and at what cost, will be
needed to meet overall goals, objectives, and strategies. In addition, some key
challenges slowing ...
Agencies Have Taken Key Steps to Protect Privacy in Selected Efforts, But Significant Compliance Issues Remain
Data mining -- a technique for extracting knowledge from large volumes of data -- is being used increasingly by the gov't. & by the private sector. Many fed. data mining efforts involve the use of personal information, which can originate from gov't. sources as well as private sector organizations. The federal government's increased use of data mining since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has raised public & congressional concerns. This report describes the characteristics of 5 federal data mining efforts & determines whether agencies are providing adequate privacy & security protection for the information systems used in the efforts & for individuals potentially affected by these data mining efforts. Includes recommendations. Charts & tables.
Data mining is becoming a big business; Forrester Research has estimated that
the data mining market is passing the billion dollar mark. Although the use and
sophistication of data mining have increased in both the government and the ...
