Impact of trees on pollutant dispersion in street canyons: A numerical study of the annual average effects in Antwerp, Belgium.

PubMed

Vranckx, Stijn; Vos, Peter; Maiheu, Bino; Janssen, Stijn

2015-11-01

Effects of vegetation on pollutant dispersion receive increased attention in attempts to reduce air pollutant concentration levels in the urban environment. In this study, we examine the influence of vegetation on the concentrations of traffic pollutants in urban street canyons using numerical simulations with the CFD code OpenFOAM. This CFD approach is validated against literature wind tunnel data of traffic pollutant dispersion in street canyons. The impact of trees is simulated for a variety of vegetation types and the full range of approaching wind directions at 15° interval. All these results are combined using meteo statistics, including effects of seasonal leaf loss, to determine the annual average effect of trees in street canyons. This analysis is performed for two pollutants, elemental carbon (EC) and PM10, using background concentrations and emission strengths for the city of Antwerp, Belgium. The results show that due to the presence of trees the annual average pollutant concentrations increase with about 8% (range of 1% to 13%) for EC and with about 1.4% (range of 0.2 to 2.6%) for PM10. The study indicates that this annual effect is considerably smaller than earlier estimates which are generally based on a specific set of governing conditions (1 wind direction, full leafed trees and peak hour traffic emissions). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estimation of the indoor radon and the annual effective dose from granite samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sola, P.; Srinuttrakul, W.; Kewsuwan, P.

2015-05-01

Inhalation of radon and thoron daughters increases the risk of lung cancer. The main sources of indoor radon are building materials. The aim of this research is to estimate the indoor radon and the annual effective dose from the building materials. Eighteen granite samples bought from the markets in Thailand were measured using an ionization chamber (ATMOS 12 DPX) for the radon concentration in air. Radon exhalation rates were calculated from the radon concentration in chamber. The indoor radon from the granite samples ranged from 10.04 to 55.32 Bq·m-2·h-1 with an average value of 20.30 Bq·m-2·h-1 and the annual effective dose ranged from 0.25 to 1.39 mSv·y-1 with an average value of 0.48 mSv·y-1. The results showed that the annual effective doses of three granite samples were higher than the annual exposure limit for the general public (1 mSv·y-1) recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). In addition, the relationship between the colours and radon exhalation rates of granite samples was also explained.

20 CFR 30.805 - What evidence does OWCP use to determine a covered Part E employee's average annual wage and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... covered Part E employee's average annual wage and whether he or she experienced compensable wage-loss... OWCP use to determine a covered Part E employee's average annual wage and whether he or she experienced... the Social Security Administration to establish a covered Part E employee's presumed average annual...

20 CFR 30.805 - What evidence does OWCP use to determine a covered Part E employee's average annual wage and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... covered Part E employee's average annual wage and whether he or she experienced compensable wage-loss... OWCP use to determine a covered Part E employee's average annual wage and whether he or she experienced... the Social Security Administration to establish a covered Part E employee's presumed average annual...

Teratogens: a public health issue – a Brazilian overview

PubMed Central

Mazzu-Nascimento, Thiago; Melo, Débora Gusmão; Morbioli, Giorgio Gianini; Carrilho, Emanuel; Vianna, Fernanda Sales Luiz; da Silva, André Anjos; Schuler-Faccini, Lavinia

2017-01-01

Abstract Congenital anomalies are already the second cause of infant mortality in Brazil, as in many other middle-income countries in Latin America. Birth defects are a result of both genetic and environmental factors, but a multifactorial etiology has been more frequently observed. Here, we address the environmental causes of birth defects – or teratogens – as a public health issue and present their mechanisms of action, categories and their respective maternal-fetal deleterious effects. We also present a survey from 2008 to 2013 of Brazilian cases involving congenital anomalies (annual average of 20,205), fetal deaths (annual average of 1,530), infant hospitalizations (annual average of 82,452), number of deaths of hospitalized infants (annual average of 2,175), and the average cost of hospitalizations (annual cost of $7,758). Moreover, we report on Brazilian cases of teratogenesis due to the recent Zika virus infection, and to the use of misoprostol, thalidomide, alcohol and illicit drugs. Special attention has been given to the Zika virus infection, now proven to be responsible for the microcephaly outbreak in Brazil, with 8,039 cases under investigation (from October 2015 to June 2016). From those cases, 1,616 were confirmed and 324 deaths occurred due to microcephaly complications or alterations on the central nervous system. Congenital anomalies impact life quality and raise costs in specialized care, justifying the classification of teratogens as a public health issue. PMID:28534929

Longitudinal Effects of Air Pollution on Exhaled Nitric Oxide: The Children’s Health Study

PubMed Central

Berhane, Kiros; Zhang, Yue; Salam, Muhammad T.; Eckel, Sandrah P.; Linn, William S.; Rappaport, Edward B.; Bastain, Theresa M; Lurmann, Fred; Gilliland, Frank D.

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of long-term variations in ambient air pollutants on longitudinal changes in exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), a potentially useful biomarker of eosinophilic airway inflammation, based on data from the southern California Children’s Health Study. METHODS Based on a cohort of 1,211 schoolchildren from 8 Southern California communities with FeNO measurements in 2006/07 and 2007/08, regression models adjusted for short-term effects of air pollution were fitted to assess the association between changes in annual long-term exposures and changes in FeNO. RESULTS Increases in annual average concentrations of 24-hr average NO2 and PM2.5 (scaled to the interquartile range (IQR) of 1.8 ppb and 2.4 μg/m3, respectively) were associated with a 2.29 ppb (CI=[0.36,4.21]; p =0.02) and a 4.94 ppb (CI=[1.44,8.47]; p = 0.005) increase in FeNO, respectively, after adjustments for short term effects of the respective pollutants. In contrast, changes in annual averages of PM10 and O3 were not significantly associated with changes in FeNO. These findings did not differ significantly by asthma status. CONCLUSIONS Changes in annual average exposure to current levels of ambient air pollutants are significantly associated with changes in FeNO levels in children, independent of short-term exposures and asthma status. Use of this biomarker in population-based epidemiologic research has great potential for assessing the impact of changing real world mixtures of ambient air pollutants on children’s respiratory health. PMID:24696513

Testing the Wisconsin Phosphorus Index with year-round, field-scale runoff monitoring.

PubMed

Good, Laura W; Vadas, Peter; Panuska, John C; Bonilla, Carlos A; Jokela, William E

2012-01-01

The Wisconsin Phosphorus Index (WPI) is one of several P indices in the United States that use equations to describe actual P loss processes. Although for nutrient management planning the WPI is reported as a dimensionless whole number, it is calculated as average annual dissolved P (DP) and particulate P (PP) mass delivered per unit area. The WPI calculations use soil P concentration, applied manure and fertilizer P, and estimates of average annual erosion and average annual runoff. We compared WPI estimated P losses to annual P loads measured in surface runoff from 86 field-years on crop fields and pastures. As the erosion and runoff generated by the weather in the monitoring years varied substantially from the average annual estimates used in the WPI, the WPI and measured loads were not well correlated. However, when measured runoff and erosion were used in the WPI field loss calculations, the WPI accurately estimated annual total P loads with a Nash-Sutcliffe Model Efficiency (NSE) of 0.87. The DP loss estimates were not as close to measured values (NSE = 0.40) as the PP loss estimates (NSE = 0.89). Some errors in estimating DP losses may be unavoidable due to uncertainties in estimating on-farm manure P application rates. The WPI is sensitive to field management that affects its erosion and runoff estimates. Provided that the WPI methods for estimating average annual erosion and runoff are accurately reflecting the effects of management, the WPI is an accurate field-level assessment tool for managing runoff P losses. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Study of natural radioactivity in Mansehra granite, Pakistan: environmental concerns.

PubMed

Qureshi, Aziz Ahmed; Jadoon, Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan; Wajid, Ali Abbas; Attique, Ahsan; Masood, Adil; Anees, Muhammad; Manzoor, Shahid; Waheed, Abdul; Tubassam, Aneela

2014-03-01

A part of Mansehra Granite was selected for the assessment of radiological hazards. The average activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K were found to be 27.32, 50.07 and 953.10 Bq kg(-1), respectively. These values are in the median range when compared with the granites around the world. Radiological hazard indices and annual effective doses were estimated. All of these indices were found to be within the criterion limits except outdoor external dose (82.38 nGy h(-1)) and indoor external dose (156.04 nGy h(-1)), which are higher than the world's average background levels of 51 and 55 nGy h(-1), respectively. These values correspond to an average annual effective dose of 0.867 mSv y(-1), which is less than the criterion limit of 1 mSv y(-1) (ICRP-103). Some localities in the Mansehra city have annual effective dose higher than the limit of 1 mSv y(-1). Overall, the Mansehra Granite does not pose any significant radiological health hazard in the outdoor or indoor.

Survival of northern pintails banded during winter in North America, 1950-88

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hestbeck, J.B.

1993-01-01

From 1950 through 1988, the continental breeding population of northern pintails (Anas acuta) varied from 2.0 million to 9.9 million. Because pintails have high fidelity to certain wintering grounds along coasts and large bodies of water, management on these wintering areas may increase population size if changes in winter survival rate are related to changes in population size. I used band-recovery data to estimate survival rates for winter-banded pintails and to test for sex-specific, temporal, and geographic variation in survival rates. Survival rate estimates varied between 0.632 and 0.806 for males, and 0.421 and 0.769 for females. Males had higher (P lt 0.0001) average annual survival rates than females. Limited geographic variation occurred in estimates of average annual survival rates for males, and no variation occurred for females. Males had lower average annual survival rates in the Imperial Valley than in central California (P = 0.007) or in the Gulf Coast (P = 0.092). Little annual variation was found within time periods. However, longer-term variation was found in survival rate estimates for males and females. Males had higher (P = 0.054) average annual survival rates in the Pacific Flyway during 1959-61, a period of drought, breeding-population decline, and restrictive hunting regulations, than during 1950-58, a period with a higher breeding population and liberal regulations. The increase in wintering population size in the Pacific Flyway during the 1970's was associated with a higher average annual survival rate for females in the Pacific Flyway than during the 1950's. Results from the Pacific Flyway suggested that an interaction may exist between population size and the effect of harvest regulations on survival of males. Changes in harvest regulations appeared to have a greater effect at lower population levels.

Effects of plantation density on wood density and anatomical properties of red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.)

Treesearch

J. Y. Zhu; C. Tim Scott; Karen L. Scallon; Gary C. Myers

2007-01-01

This study demonstrated that average ring width (or average annual radial growth rate) is a reliable parameter to quantify the effects of tree plantation density (growth suppression) on wood density and tracheid anatomical properties. The average ring width successfully correlated wood density and tracheid anatomical properties of red pines (Pinus resinosa Ait.) from a...

Estimated radiation exposure of German commercial airline cabin crew in the years 1960-2003 modeled using dose registry data for 2004-2015.

PubMed

Wollschläger, Daniel; Hammer, Gaël Paul; Schafft, Thomas; Dreger, Steffen; Blettner, Maria; Zeeb, Hajo

2018-05-01

Exposure to ionizing radiation of cosmic origin is an occupational risk factor in commercial aircrew. In a historic cohort of 26,774 German aircrew, radiation exposure was previously estimated only for cockpit crew using a job-exposure matrix (JEM). Here, a new method for retrospectively estimating cabin crew dose is developed. The German Federal Radiation Registry (SSR) documents individual monthly effective doses for all aircrew. SSR-provided doses on 12,941 aircrew from 2004 to 2015 were used to model cabin crew dose as a function of age, sex, job category, solar activity, and male pilots' dose; the mean annual effective dose was 2.25 mSv (range 0.01-6.39 mSv). In addition to an inverse association with solar activity, exposure followed age- and sex-dependent patterns related to individual career development and life phases. JEM-derived annual cockpit crew doses agreed with SSR-provided doses for 2004 (correlation 0.90, 0.40 mSv root mean squared error), while the estimated average annual effective dose for cabin crew had a prediction error of 0.16 mSv, equaling 7.2% of average annual dose. Past average annual cabin crew dose can be modeled by exploiting systematic external influences as well as individual behavioral determinants of radiation exposure, thereby enabling future dose-response analyses of the full aircrew cohort including measurement error information.

Geohydrology of the French Creek basin and simulated effects of droughtand ground-water withdrawals, Chester County, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sloto, Ronald A.

2004-01-01

This report describes the results of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Delaware River Basin Commission, to develop a regional ground-water-flow model of the French Creek Basin in Chester County, Pa. The model was used to assist water-resource managers by illustrating the interconnection between ground-water and surface-water systems. The 70.7-mi2 (square mile) French Creek Basin is in the Piedmont Physiographic Province and is underlain by crystalline and sedimentary fractured-rock aquifers. Annual water budgets were calculated for 1969-2001 for the French Creek Basin upstream of streamflow measurement station French Creek near Phoenixville (01472157). Average annual precipitation was 46.28 in. (inches), average annual streamflow was 20.29 in., average annual base flow determined by hydrograph separation was 12.42 in., and estimated average annual ET (evapotranspiration) was 26.10 in. Estimated average annual recharge was 14.32 in. and is equal to 31 percent of the average annual precipitation. Base flow made up an average of 61 percent of streamflow. Ground-water flow in the French Creek Basin was simulated using the finite-difference MODFLOW-96 computer program. The model structure is based on a simplified two-dimensional conceptualization of the ground-water-flow system. The modeled area was extended outside the French Creek Basin to natural hydrologic boundaries; the modeled area includes 40 mi2 of adjacent areas outside the basin. The hydraulic conductivity for each geologic unit was calculated from reported specific-capacity data determined from aquifer tests and was adjusted during model calibration. The model was calibrated for aboveaverage conditions by simulating base-flow and water-level measurements made on May 1, 2001, using a recharge rate of 20 in/yr (inches per year). The model was calibrated for below-average conditions by simulating base-flow and water-level measurements made on September 11 and 17, 2001, using a recharge rate of 6.2 in/yr. Average conditions were simulated by adjusting the recharge rate until simulated streamflow at streamflow-measurement station 01472157 matched the long-term (1968-2001) average base flow of 54.1 cubic feet per second. The recharge rate used for average conditions was 15.7 in/yr. The effect of drought in the French Creek Basin was simulated using a drought year recharge rate of 8 in/yr for 3 months. After 3 months of drought, the simulated streamflow of French Creek at streamflow-measurement station 01472157 decreased 34 percent. The simulations show that after 6 months of average recharge (15.7 in/yr) following drought, streamflow and water levels recovered almost to pre-drought conditions. The effect of increased ground-water withdrawals on stream base flow in the South Branch French Creek Subbasin was simulated under average and drought conditions with pumping rates equal to 50, 75, and 100 percent of the Delaware River Basin Commission Ground Water Protected Area (GWPA) withdrawal limit (1,393 million gallons per year) with all pumped water removed from the basin. For average recharge conditions, the simulated streamflow of South Branch French Creek at the mouth decreased 18, 28, and 37 percent at a withdrawal rate equal to 50, 75, and 100 percent of the GWPA limit, respectively. After 3 months of drought recharge conditions, the simulated streamflow of South Branch French Creek at the mouth decreased 27, 40, and 52 percent at a withdrawal rate equal to 50, 75, and 100 percent of the GWPA limit, respectively. The effect of well location on base flow, water levels, and the sources of water to the well was simulated by locating a hypothetical well pumping 200 gallons per minute in different places in the Beaver Run Subbasin with all pumped water removed from the basin. The smallest reduction in the base flow of Beaver Run was from a well on the drainage divide

On the Trend of the Annual Mean, Maximum, and Minimum Temperature and the Diurnal Temperature Range in the Armagh Observatory, Northern Ireland, Dataset, 1844 -2012

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.

2013-01-01

Examined are the annual averages, 10-year moving averages, decadal averages, and sunspot cycle (SC) length averages of the mean, maximum, and minimum surface air temperatures and the diurnal temperature range (DTR) for the Armagh Observatory, Northern Ireland, during the interval 1844-2012. Strong upward trends are apparent in the Armagh surface-air temperatures (ASAT), while a strong downward trend is apparent in the DTR, especially when the ASAT data are averaged by decade or over individual SC lengths. The long-term decrease in the decadaland SC-averaged annual DTR occurs because the annual minimum temperatures have risen more quickly than the annual maximum temperatures. Estimates are given for the Armagh annual mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures and the DTR for the current decade (2010-2019) and SC24.

Suspended-sediment yields from an unmined area and from mined areas before and after reclamation in Pennsylvania, June 1978-September 1983

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reed, L.A.; Hainly, R.A.

1989-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, has collected hydrologic data from areas in Tioga, Clearfield, and Fayette Counties to determine the effects of surface coal mining on sediment yields. The data were collected from June 1978 through September 1983. Rainfall, streamflow and suspended-sediment data were collected with automatic recording and sampling equipment. Data were collected in Tioga County from an agricultural area that was unaffected by mining and from a forested area prior to surface mining. Data were collected from two areas affected by active surface mining in Tioga County and from an area in Clearfield County being mined by the contour-surface method. Data also were collected from three areas, Tioga, Clearfield, and Fayette Counties, during and after reclamation. The efficiencies of sediment-control pounds in Clearfield and Fayette Counties also were determined. The average annual sediment yield from the agricultural area in Tioga County, which was 35 percent forested, was 0.48 ton per acre per year, and the yield from the forested area prior to mining was 0.0036 ton per acre per year. The average annual sediment yields from the areas affected by active surface mining were 22 tons per acre from the improved haul road and 148 tons per acre from the unimproved haul road. The average annual sediment yield from the site in Clearfield County that had been prepared for mining was 6.3 tons per acre. The average annual sediment yield from the same site while it was being mined by the contour method was 5.5 tons per acre per year. The sediment-control pond reduced the average annual sediment yield to 0.50 ton per acre while the site was prepared for mining and to 0.14 ton per acre while the site was being mined. Because the active surface mining reduced the effective drainage area to the pond, the sediment yield decreased from 0.50 to 0.14 ton per acre. Average annual suspended-sediment yields from the reclaimed site in Tioga County were 1.0 ton per acre during the first year, when vegetation was becoming established, and 0.037 ton per acre during the second year, when vegetation was well established. The average annual sediment yield below a 21.2-acre, reclaimed, surface mine in Clearfield County that had been mined by the contour method was 15 tons per acre during the first year when vegetation was becoming established. However, the average annual sediment yield below a sediment-control pond at this reclaimed site in Clearfield County was 0.30 ton per acre. Data collected from a 4.2-acre reclaimed area that had been surface mined by the block-cut method in Fayette County showed that annual sediment yields from the area were 77 tons per acre in 1981 (no vegetation), 32 tons per acre in 1982 (sparse vegetation), and 1.0 ton per acre in 1983 (well-esatablished vegetation). The average annual yield below a sediment-control pond at the mine site in Fayette County was 0.19 ton per acre during the 27 months of data collection.

50 CFR 217.172 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... dolphin (Grampus griseus)—100 (an average of 20 annually). (vi) Killer whale (Orcinus orca)—100 (an... right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)—120 (an average of 24 annually). (ii) Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)—145 (an average of 29 annually). (iii) Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)—390 (an average of 78...

50 CFR 217.172 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... dolphin (Grampus griseus)—100 (an average of 20 annually). (vi) Killer whale (Orcinus orca)—100 (an... right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)—120 (an average of 24 annually). (ii) Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)—145 (an average of 29 annually). (iii) Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)—390 (an average of 78...

Longitudinal effects of air pollution on exhaled nitric oxide: the Children's Health Study.

PubMed

Berhane, Kiros; Zhang, Yue; Salam, Muhammad T; Eckel, Sandrah P; Linn, William S; Rappaport, Edward B; Bastain, Theresa M; Lurmann, Fred; Gilliland, Frank D

2014-07-01

To assess the effects of long-term variations in ambient air pollutants on longitudinal changes in exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), a potentially useful biomarker of eosinophilic airway inflammation, based on data from the southern California Children's Health Study. Based on a cohort of 1211 schoolchildren from eight Southern California communities with FeNO measurements in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, regression models adjusted for short-term effects of air pollution were fitted to assess the association between changes in annual long-term exposures and changes in FeNO. Increases in annual average concentrations of 24-h average NO2 and PM2.5 (scaled to the IQR of 1.8 ppb and 2.4 μg/m(3), respectively) were associated with a 2.29 ppb (CI 0.36 to 4.21; p=0.02) and a 4.94 ppb (CI 1.44 to 8.47; p=0.005) increase in FeNO, respectively, after adjustments for short-term effects of the respective pollutants. In contrast, changes in annual averages of PM10 and O3 were not significantly associated with changes in FeNO. These findings did not differ significantly by asthma status. Changes in annual average exposure to current levels of ambient air pollutants are significantly associated with changes in FeNO levels in children, independent of short-term exposures and asthma status. Use of this biomarker in population-based epidemiological research has great potential for assessing the impact of changing real world mixtures of ambient air pollutants on children's respiratory health. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The influence of intra- and inter-annual meteorological variability on dengue transmission: a multi-level modeling analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Tzai-Hung; Chen, Tzu-Hsin

2017-04-01

Dengue fever is one of potentially life-threatening mosquito-borne diseases and IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) has confirmed that dengue incidence is sensitive to the critical weather conditions, such as effects of temperature. However, previous literature focused on the effects of monthly or weekly average temperature or accumulative precipitation on dengue incidence. The influence of intra- and inter-annual meteorological variability on dengue outbreak is under investigated. The purpose of the study focuses on measuring the effect of the intra- and inter-annual variations of temperature and precipitation on dengue outbreaks. We developed the indices of intra-annual temperature variability are maximum continuity, intermittent, and accumulation of most suitable temperature (MST) for dengue vectors; and also the indices of intra-annual precipitation variability, including the measure of continuity of wetness or dryness during a pre-epidemic period; and rainfall intensity during an epidemic period. We used multi-level modeling to investigate the intra- and inter-annual meteorological variations on dengue outbreaks in southern Taiwan from 1998-2015. Our results indicate that accumulation and maximum continuity of MST are more significant than average temperature on dengue outbreaks. The effect of continuity of wetness during the pre-epidemic period is significantly more positive on promoting dengue outbreaks than the rainfall effect during the epidemic period. Meanwhile, extremely high or low rainfall density during an epidemic period do not promote the spread of dengue epidemics. Our study differentiates the effects of intra- and inter-annual meteorological variations on dengue outbreaks and also provides policy implications for further dengue control under the threats of climate change. Keywords: dengue fever, meteorological variations, multi-level model

Climate, soil water storage, and the average annual water balance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milly, P.C.D.

1994-01-01

This paper describes the development and testing of the hypothesis that the long-term water balance is determined only by the local interaction of fluctuating water supply (precipitation) and demand (potential evapotranspiration), mediated by water storage in the soil. Adoption of this hypothesis, together with idealized representations of relevant input variabilities in time and space, yields a simple model of the water balance of a finite area having a uniform climate. The partitioning of average annual precipitation into evapotranspiration and runoff depends on seven dimensionless numbers: the ratio of average annual potential evapotranspiration to average annual precipitation (index of dryness); the ratio of the spatial average plant-available water-holding capacity of the soil to the annual average precipitation amount; the mean number of precipitation events per year; the shape parameter of the gamma distribution describing spatial variability of storage capacity; and simple measures of the seasonality of mean precipitation intensity, storm arrival rate, and potential evapotranspiration. The hypothesis is tested in an application of the model to the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, with no calibration. Study area averages of runoff and evapotranspiration, based on observations, are 263 mm and 728 mm, respectively; the model yields corresponding estimates of 250 mm and 741 mm, respectively, and explains 88% of the geographical variance of observed runoff within the study region. The differences between modeled and observed runoff can be explained by uncertainties in the model inputs and in the observed runoff. In the humid (index of dryness <1) parts of the study area, the dominant factor producing runoff is the excess of annual precipitation over annual potential evapotranspiration, but runoff caused by variability of supply and demand over time is also significant; in the arid (index of dryness >1) parts, all of the runoff is caused by variability of forcing over time. Contributions to model runoff attributable to small-scale spatial variability of storage capacity are insignificant throughout the study area. The consistency of the model with observational data is supportive of the supply-demand-storage hypothesis, which neglects infiltration excess runoff and other finite-permeability effects on the soil water balance.

Using ring width correlations to study the effects of plantation density on wood density and anatomical properties of red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.)

Treesearch

J. Y. Zhu; C. T. Scott; K. L. Scallon; G. C. Myers

2006-01-01

This study demonstrated that average ring width (or average annual radial growth rate) is a reliable parameter to quantify the effects of tree plantation ndensity (growth suppression) on wood density and tracheid anatomical properties. The average ring width successfully correlated wood density and tracheid anatomical properties of red pines (Pinus resinosa Ait.) from...

Ecological optimality in water-limited natural soil-vegetation systems. II - Tests and applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eagleson, P. S.; Tellers, T. E.

1982-01-01

The long-term optimal climatic climax soil-vegetation system is defined for several climates according to previous hypotheses in terms of two free parameters, effective porosity and plant water use coefficient. The free parameters are chosen by matching the predicted and observed average annual water yield. The resulting climax soil and vegetation properties are tested by comparison with independent observations of canopy density and average annual surface runoff. The climax properties are shown also to satisfy a previous hypothesis for short-term optimization of canopy density and water use coefficient. Using these hypotheses, a relationship between average evapotranspiration and optimum vegetation canopy density is derived and is compared with additional field observations. An algorithm is suggested by which the climax soil and vegetation properties can be calculated given only the climate parameters and the soil effective porosity. Sensitivity of the climax properties to the effective porosity is explored.

Estimation of Aerosol Direct Radiative Effects Over the Mid-Latitude North Atlantic from Satellite and In Situ Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergstrom, Robert W.; Russell, P. B.

2000-01-01

We estimate solar radiative flux changes due to aerosols over the mid-latitude North Atlantic by combining optical depths from AVHRR measurements with aerosol properties from the recent TARFOX program. Results show that, over the ocean the aerosol decreases the net radiative flux at the tropopause and therefore has a cooling effect. Cloud-free, 24-hour average flux changes range from -9 W/sq m near the eastern US coast in summer to -1 W/sq m in the mid-Atlantic during winter. Cloud-free North Atlantic regional averages range from -5.1 W/sq m in summer to -1.7 W/sq m in winter, with an annual average of -3.5 W/sq m. Cloud effects estimated from ISCCP data, reduce the regional annual average to -0.8 W/sq m. All values are for the moderately absorbing TARFOX aerosol (omega(0.55 microns) = 0.9); values for a nonabsorbing aerosol are approx. 30% more negative. We compare our results to a variety of other calculations of aerosol radiative effects.

Ischemic heart disease and ambient air pollution of particulate matter 2.5 in 51 counties in the U.S.

PubMed

Balluz, Lina; Wen, Xiao-Jun; Town, Machell; Shire, Jeffrey D; Qualter, Judy; Mokdad, Ali

2007-01-01

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is one of the most common health threats to the adult population of the U.S. and other countries. The objective of this study was to examine the association between exposure to elevated annual average levels of Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) air quality index (AQI) and IHD in the general population. We combined data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency air quality database. We analyzed the data using SUDAAN software to adjust the effects of sampling bias, weights, and design effects. The prevalence of IHD was 9.6% among respondents who were exposed to an annual average level of PM2.5 AQI > 60 compared with 5.9% among respondents exposed to an annual average PM2.5 AQI < or = 60. The respondents with higher levels of PM2.5 AQI exposure were more likely to have IHD (adjusted odds ratio = 1.72, 95% confidence interval 1.11, 2.66) than respondents with lower levels of exposure after adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, smoking, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. Our study suggested that exposure to relatively higher levels of average annual PM2.5 AQI may increase the likelihood of IHD. In addition to encouraging health-related behavioral changes to reduce IHD, efforts should also focus on implementing appropriate measures to reduce exposure to unhealthy AQI levels.

Simulation of rainfall-runoff response in mined and unmined watersheds in coal areas of West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Puente, Celso; Atkins, John T.

1989-01-01

Meteorologic and hydrologic data from five small watersheds in the coal areas of West Virginia were used to calibrate and test the U.S. Geological Survey Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System for simulating streamflow under various climatic and land-use conditions. Three of the basins--Horsecamp Run, Gilmer Run, and Collison Creek--are primarily forested and relatively undisturbed. The remaining basins--Drawdy Creek and Brier Creek-are extensively mined, both surface and underground above stream drainage level. Low-flow measurements at numerous synoptic sites in the mined basins indicate that coal mining has substantially altered the hydrologic system of each basin. The effects of mining on streamflow that were identified are (1) reduced base flow in stream segments underlain by underground mines, (2) increased base flow in streams that are downdip and stratigraphically below the elevation of the mined coal beds, and (3) interbasin transfer of ground water through underground mines. These changes probably reflect increased permeability of surface rocks caused by subsidence fractures associated with collapsed underground mines in the basin. Such fractures would increase downward percolation of precipitation, surface and subsurface flow, and ground-water flow to deeper rocks or to underground mine workings. Model simulations of the water budgets for the unmined basins during the 1972-73 water years indicate that total annual runoff averaged 60 percent of average annual precipitation; annual evapotranspiration losses averaged 40 percent of average annual precipitation. Of the total annual runoff, approximately 91 percent was surface and subsurface runoff and 9 percent was groundwater discharge. Changes in storage in the soil zone and in the subsurface and ground-water reservoirs in the basins were negligible. In contrast, water-budget simulations for the mined basins indicate significant differences in annual recharge and in total annual runoff. Model simulations of the water budget for Drawdy Creek basin indicate that total annual runoff during 1972-73 averaged only 43 percent of average annual precipitation--the lowest of all study basins; annual evapotranspiration losses averaged 49 percent, and interbasin transfer of ground-water losses averaged about 8 percent. Of the total annual runoff, approximately 74 percent was surface and subsurface flow and 26 percent was ground-water discharge. The low total annual runoff at Drawdy Creek probably reflects increased recharge of precipitation and surface and subsurface flow losses to ground water. Most of the increase in ground-water storage is, in turn, lost to a ground-water sink--namely, interbasin transfer of ground water by gravity drainage and (or) mine pumpage from underground mines that extend to adjacent basins. Hypothetical mining situations were posed for model analysis to determine the effects of increased mining on streamflow in the mined basins. Results of model simulations indicate that streamflow characteristics, the water budget, and the seasonal distribution of streamflow would be significantly modified in response to an increase in mining in the basins. Simulations indicate that (1) total annual runoff in the basins would decrease because of increased surface- and subsurface-flow losses and increased recharge of precipitation to ground water (these losses would tend to reduce medium to high flows mainly during winter and spring when losses would be greatest), (2) extreme high flows in response to intense rainstorms would be negligibly affected, regardless of the magnitude of mining in the basins, (3) ground-water discharge also would decrease during winter and spring, but the amount and duration of low flows during summer and fall would substantially increase in response to increased ground-water storage in rocks and in underground mines, and (4) the increase in ground-water storage in the basins would be depleted, mostly by increased losses to a grou

Management of heat stress in the livestock industry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Heat stress costs the animal industry over $1.7 billion annually. Annual losses average $369 million in the beef cattle industry and $299 million in the swine industry. The impacts of a single heat stress event on individual animals are quite varied. Brief events often cause little or no effect. ...

50 CFR 218.171 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...); (2) Northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus)—220 (an average of 44 annually); (3) California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)—570 (an average of 114 annually); (4) Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris)—70 (an average of 14 annually); (5) Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) (Washington Inland...

Effect of inter-annual variability in pasture growth and irrigation response on farm productivity and profitability based on biophysical and farm systems modelling.

PubMed

Vogeler, Iris; Mackay, Alec; Vibart, Ronaldo; Rendel, John; Beautrais, Josef; Dennis, Samuel

2016-09-15

Farm system and nutrient budget models are increasingly being used in analysis to inform on farm decision making and evaluate land use policy options at regional scales. These analyses are generally based on the use of average annual pasture yields. In New Zealand (NZ), like in many countries, there is considerable inter-annual variation in pasture growth rates, due to climate. In this study a modelling approach was used to (i) include inter-annual variability as an integral part of the analysis and (ii) test the approach in an economic analysis of irrigation in a case study within the Hawkes Bay Region of New Zealand. The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) was used to generate pasture dry matter yields (DMY) for 20 different years and under both dryland and irrigation. The generated DMY were linked to outputs from farm-scale modelling for both Sheep and Beef Systems (Farmaxx Pro) and Dairy Systems (Farmax® Dairy Pro) to calculate farm production over 20 different years. Variation in DMY and associated livestock production due to inter-annual variation in climate was large, with a coefficient of variations up to 20%. Irrigation decreased this inter-annual variation. On average irrigation, with unlimited available water, increased income by $831 to 1195/ha, but when irrigation was limited to 250mm/ha/year income only increased by $525 to 883/ha. Using pasture responses in individual years to capturing the inter-annual variation, rather than the pasture response averaged over 20years resulted in lower financial benefits. In the case study income from irrigation based on an average year were 10 to >20% higher compared with those obtained from individual years. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

50 CFR 216.272 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... electra)—100 (an average of 20 annually) (S) Pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata)—100 (an average of 20 annually) (T) False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens)—100 (an average of 20 annually) (U) Killer whale... percent of the number of takes indicated below): (i) Mysticetes: (A) Humpback whale (Megaptera...

50 CFR 217.142 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... method and amount of take: (1) Level B Harassment: (i) Cetaceans: (A) Bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus)—75 (an average of 15 annually) (B) Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus)—10 (an average of 2 annually) (C) Beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas)—100 (an average of 20 annually) (ii) Pinnipeds: (A) Ringed...

Investigation of natural effective gamma dose rates case study: Ardebil Province in Iran

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Gamma rays pose enough energy to induce chemical changes that may be biologically important for the normal functioning of body cells. The external exposure of human beings to natural environmental gamma radiation normally exceeds that from all man-made sources combined. In this research natural background gamma dose rates and corresponding annual effective doses were determined for selected cities of Ardebil province. Outdoor gamma dose rates were measured using an Ion Chamber Survey Meter in 105 locations in selected districts. Average absorbed doses for Ardebil, Sar-Ein, Germy, Neer, Shourabil Recreational Lake, and Kosar were determined as 265, 219, 344, 233, 352, and 358 nSv/h, respectively. Although dose rates recorded for Germi and Kosar are comparable with some areas with high natural radiation background, however, the dose rates in other districts are well below the levels reported for such locations. Average annual effective dose due to indoor and outdoor gamma radiation for Ardebil province was estimated as 1.73 (1.35–2.39) mSv, which is on average 2 times higher than the world population weighted average. PMID:23369115

50 CFR 218.102 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) Odontocetes: (A) Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)—4,120 (an average of 824 annually); (B) Killer whale...) Melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra)—14,315 (an average of 2,863 annually); (J) Pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata)—800 (an average of 160 annually); (K) False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens)—6,445...

50 CFR 218.102 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) Odontocetes: (A) Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)—4,120 (an average of 824 annually); (B) Killer whale...) Melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra)—14,315 (an average of 2,863 annually); (J) Pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata)—800 (an average of 160 annually); (K) False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens)—6,445...

50 CFR 218.102 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) Odontocetes: (A) Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)—4,120 (an average of 824 annually); (B) Killer whale...) Melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra)—14,315 (an average of 2,863 annually); (J) Pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata)—800 (an average of 160 annually); (K) False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens)—6,445...

50 CFR 218.102 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) Odontocetes: (A) Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)—4,120 (an average of 824 annually); (B) Killer whale...) Melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra)—14,315 (an average of 2,863 annually); (J) Pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata)—800 (an average of 160 annually); (K) False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens)—6,445...

50 CFR 218.2 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...: (i) Mysticetes: (A) Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)—10 (an average of 2 annually); and (B) Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)—10 (an average of 2 annually). (ii) Odontocetes: (A) Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)—10 (an average of 2 annually); (B) Pygmy or dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sp.)—15 (an...

50 CFR 218.2 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...: (i) Mysticetes: (A) Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)—10 (an average of 2 annually); and (B) Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)—10 (an average of 2 annually). (ii) Odontocetes: (A) Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)—10 (an average of 2 annually); (B) Pygmy or dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sp.)—15 (an...

50 CFR 218.2 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...: (i) Mysticetes: (A) Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)—10 (an average of 2 annually); and (B) Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)—10 (an average of 2 annually). (ii) Odontocetes: (A) Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)—10 (an average of 2 annually); (B) Pygmy or dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sp.)—15 (an...

Watershed Regressions for Pesticides (WARP) for Predicting Annual Maximum and Annual Maximum Moving-Average Concentrations of Atrazine in Streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stone, Wesley W.; Gilliom, Robert J.; Crawford, Charles G.

2008-01-01

Regression models were developed for predicting annual maximum and selected annual maximum moving-average concentrations of atrazine in streams using the Watershed Regressions for Pesticides (WARP) methodology developed by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The current effort builds on the original WARP models, which were based on the annual mean and selected percentiles of the annual frequency distribution of atrazine concentrations. Estimates of annual maximum and annual maximum moving-average concentrations for selected durations are needed to characterize the levels of atrazine and other pesticides for comparison to specific water-quality benchmarks for evaluation of potential concerns regarding human health or aquatic life. Separate regression models were derived for the annual maximum and annual maximum 21-day, 60-day, and 90-day moving-average concentrations. Development of the regression models used the same explanatory variables, transformations, model development data, model validation data, and regression methods as those used in the original development of WARP. The models accounted for 72 to 75 percent of the variability in the concentration statistics among the 112 sampling sites used for model development. Predicted concentration statistics from the four models were within a factor of 10 of the observed concentration statistics for most of the model development and validation sites. Overall, performance of the models for the development and validation sites supports the application of the WARP models for predicting annual maximum and selected annual maximum moving-average atrazine concentration in streams and provides a framework to interpret the predictions in terms of uncertainty. For streams with inadequate direct measurements of atrazine concentrations, the WARP model predictions for the annual maximum and the annual maximum moving-average atrazine concentrations can be used to characterize the probable levels of atrazine for comparison to specific water-quality benchmarks. Sites with a high probability of exceeding a benchmark for human health or aquatic life can be prioritized for monitoring.

Estimation of average annual streamflows and power potentials for Alaska and Hawaii

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verdin, Kristine L.

2004-05-01

This paper describes the work done to develop average annual streamflow estimates and power potential for the states of Alaska and Hawaii. The Elevation Derivatives for National Applications (EDNA) database was used, along with climatic datasets, to develop flow and power estimates for every stream reach in the EDNA database. Estimates of average annual streamflows were derived using state-specific regression equations, which were functions of average annual precipitation, precipitation intensity, drainage area, and other elevation-derived parameters. Power potential was calculated through the use of the average annual streamflow and the hydraulic head of each reach, which is calculated from themore » EDNA digital elevation model. In all, estimates of streamflow and power potential were calculated for over 170,000 stream segments in the Alaskan and Hawaiian datasets.« less

Potential for erroneous interpretation of poisoning outcomes due to changes in National Poison Data System reporting.

PubMed

Anderson, Bruce; Ke, Xuehua; Klein-Schwartz, Wendy

2010-08-01

In 2006, the annual report of poison centers in the United States changed the method of reporting profiles for generic substance categories from all exposures to single-substance exposures only. The objective of this study is to describe the potential impact of this reporting change on longitudinal analysis of outcomes. Generic substance categories with data available for all years of the study were manually extracted from Table 22 of the National Poison Data System (NPDS) annual reports for 2002-2007. For each generic substance category, the following data were extracted for each of the 6 years: total number of substance mentions (2002-2005) or single-substance exposures (2006-2007), reason (unintentional or intentional), pediatric exposures (children age <6 years), and outcomes of major effect and death. Data were compared using descriptive analysis (Wilcoxon signed-rank test) and negative binomial regression. There were 65 generic substance categories (30 drug categories and 35 nondrug categories) that had data in all study years. For drug categories the average annual number of reported deaths by substance category decreased by 80.8%, from 2,229 in year 2002-2005 to 428 after the 2006 reporting change (p < 0.0001). The average annual number of reported major outcomes by substance category dropped by 76.0% (p < 0.0001). The impact on nondrug categories was similar: the annual average number of deaths and major effects by substance category decreased by about 50% from 394 and 4,639 per year during 2002-2005 to 198 deaths (p < 0.0001) and 2,357 major effects (p ≤ 0.0001) during 2006-2007. After controlling for potential covariates, multivariate regression showed that there were significant decreases in average rates of reported deaths (61.7 and 35.9%) and major effects (36.3 and 11.2%) for drug categories and nondrug categories, respectively (p < 0.01 for all). Overall rates of major outcomes and deaths reported to poison control centers from 2002 to 2007 have remained constant. The new method of describing demographic data in Table 22 results in outcomes that are different from those reported in previous NPDS annual reports. Comparing NPDS generic substance outcome data before and after the reporting change in 2006 will yield inaccurate results if the change in reporting methodology is not taken into account.

EFFECTS OF NITROGEN LOADING, FRESHWATER RESIDENCE TIME, AND INTERNAL LOSSES ON NITROGEN CONCENTRATIONS IN ESTUARIES

EPA Science Inventory

A simple model is presented that uses the annual loading rate of total nitrogen (TN) and the water residence time to calculate: 1) average annual TN concentration and intemalloss rates (e.g. denitrification and incorporation in sediments) in an estuary, and 2) the rate of nitroge...

EFFECT OF RESIDENCE TIME ON ANNUAL EXPORT AND DENITRIFICATION OF NITROGEN IN ESTUARIES: A MODEL ANALYSIS

EPA Science Inventory

A simple model of annual average response of an estuary to mean nitrogen loading rate and freshwater residence time was developed and tested. It uses nitrogen inputs from land, deposition from the atmosphere, and first-order calculations of internal loss rate and export to perfor...

39 CFR 3010.21 - Calculation of annual limitation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... notice of rate adjustment and dividing the sum by 12 (Recent Average). Then, a second simple average CPI... Recent Average and dividing the sum by 12 (Base Average). Finally, the annual limitation is calculated by dividing the Recent Average by the Base Average and subtracting 1 from the quotient. The result is...

39 CFR 3010.21 - Calculation of annual limitation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... notice of rate adjustment and dividing the sum by 12 (Recent Average). Then, a second simple average CPI... Recent Average and dividing the sum by 12 (Base Average). Finally, the annual limitation is calculated by dividing the Recent Average by the Base Average and subtracting 1 from the quotient. The result is...

39 CFR 3010.21 - Calculation of annual limitation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... notice of rate adjustment and dividing the sum by 12 (Recent Average). Then, a second simple average CPI... Recent Average and dividing the sum by 12 (Base Average). Finally, the annual limitation is calculated by dividing the Recent Average by the Base Average and subtracting 1 from the quotient. The result is...

Inter-annual Variability of Snowfall in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, L.

2016-12-01

Winter snowfall, particularly lake-effect snowfall, impacts all aspects of Michigan life in the wintertime, from motorsports and tourism to impacting the day-to-day lives of residents. Understanding the inter-annual variability of winter snowfall will provide sound basis for local community safety management and improve weather forecasting. This study attempts to understand the trend in winter snowfall and the influencing factors of winter snowfall variability in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan (LPM) using station snowfall measurements and statistical analysis. Our study demonstrates that snowfall has significantly increased from 1932 to 2015. Correlation analysis suggests that regionally average air temperatures have a strong negative relationship with snowfall in LPM. On average, approximately 27% of inter-annual variability in snowfall can be explained by regionally average air temperatures. ENSO events are also negatively related to snowfall in LPM and can explain 8% of inter-annual variability. North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) does not have strong influence on snowfall. Composite analysis demonstrates that on annual basis, more winter snowfall occurs during the years with higher maximum ice cover (MIC) than during the years with lower MIC in Lake Michigan. Higher MIC is often associated with lower air temperatures which are negatively related to winter snowfall. This study could provide insight on future snow related climate model improvement and weather forecasting.

A benefit-cost analysis of ten tree species in Modesto, California, U.S.A

Treesearch

E.G. McPherson

2003-01-01

Tree work records for ten species were analyzed to estimate average annual management costs by dbh class for six activity areas. Average annual benefits were calculated by dbh class for each species with computer modeling. Average annual net benefits per tree were greatest for London plane (Platanus acerifolia) ($178.57), hackberry (...

40 CFR Table Jj-1 to Subpart Jj of... - Animal Population Threshold Level Below Which Facilities Are Not Required To Report Emissions...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Emissions Under Subpart JJ 1 2 Animal group Average annual animal population (Head) 3 Beef 29,300 Dairy 3... groups except dairy, the average annual animal population represents the total number of animals present at the facility. For dairy facilities, the average annual animal population represents the number of...

40 CFR Table Jj-1 to Subpart Jj of... - Animal Population Threshold Level Below Which Facilities Are Not Required To Report Emissions...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Emissions Under Subpart JJ 1,2 Animal group Average annual animal population (Head) 3 Beef 29,300 Dairy 3... groups except dairy, the average annual animal population represents the total number of animals present at the facility. For dairy facilities, the average annual animal population represents the number of...

50 CFR 218.112 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... average of 119274 annually). (ii) Pinnipeds: (A) Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris)—1890 (an...) Short-beaked common dolphin—10 (an average of 2 annually); (vii) Northern elephant seal—10 (an average...

50 CFR 218.112 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... average of 119274 annually). (ii) Pinnipeds: (A) Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris)—1890 (an...) Short-beaked common dolphin—10 (an average of 2 annually); (vii) Northern elephant seal—10 (an average...

50 CFR 218.112 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... average of 119274 annually). (ii) Pinnipeds: (A) Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris)—1890 (an...) Short-beaked common dolphin—10 (an average of 2 annually); (vii) Northern elephant seal—10 (an average...

77 FR 71601 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-03

... in certain circumstances, e.g., recall of the device, the occurrence of unanticipated adverse effects... Annual Reporting Burden \\1\\ Number of Average Activity/21 CFR Section Number of responses per Total annual burden per Total hours respondents respondent responses response Waivers--812.10 1 1 1 1 1 IDE...

Earth radiation budget measurements from satellites and their interpretation for climate modeling and studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonderhaar, T. H.; Stephens, G. L.; Campbell, G. G.

1980-01-01

The annual and seasonal averaged Earth atmosphere radiation budgets derived from the most complete set of satellite observations available are presented. The budgets were derived from a composite of 48 monthly mean radiation budget maps. Annually and seasonally averaged radiation budgets are presented as global averages and zonal averages. The geographic distribution of the various radiation budget quantities is described. The annual cycle of the radiation budget was analyzed and the annual variability of net flux was shown to be largely dominated by the regular semi and annual cycles forced by external Earth-Sun geometry variations. Radiative transfer calculations were compared to the observed budget quantities and surface budgets were additionally computed with particular emphasis on discrepancies that exist between the present computations and previous surface budget estimates.

Quantifying streamflow change caused by forest disturbance at a large spatial scale: A single watershed study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Xiaohua; Zhang, Mingfang

2010-12-01

Climatic variability and forest disturbance are commonly recognized as two major drivers influencing streamflow change in large-scale forested watersheds. The greatest challenge in evaluating quantitative hydrological effects of forest disturbance is the removal of climatic effect on hydrology. In this paper, a method was designed to quantify respective contributions of large-scale forest disturbance and climatic variability on streamflow using the Willow River watershed (2860 km2) located in the central part of British Columbia, Canada. Long-term (>50 years) data on hydrology, climate, and timber harvesting history represented by equivalent clear-cutting area (ECA) were available to discern climatic and forestry influences on streamflow by three steps. First, effective precipitation, an integrated climatic index, was generated by subtracting evapotranspiration from precipitation. Second, modified double mass curves were developed by plotting accumulated annual streamflow against annual effective precipitation, which presented a much clearer picture of the cumulative effects of forest disturbance on streamflow following removal of climatic influence. The average annual streamflow changes that were attributed to forest disturbances and climatic variability were then estimated to be +58.7 and -72.4 mm, respectively. The positive (increasing) and negative (decreasing) values in streamflow change indicated opposite change directions, which suggest an offsetting effect between forest disturbance and climatic variability in the study watershed. Finally, a multivariate Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model was generated to establish quantitative relationships between accumulated annual streamflow deviation attributed to forest disturbances and annual ECA. The model was then used to project streamflow change under various timber harvesting scenarios. The methodology can be effectively applied to any large-scale single watershed where long-term data (>50 years) are available.

Factors associated with participation in and benefits of a worksite wellness program.

PubMed

Merrill, Ray M; Hull, John D

2013-08-01

The objective of this study was to describe employees most likely to participate in a Personal Wellness Profile (PWP) and/or in a worksite Wellness Program (WP), and to identify whether an association exists between participation and trends in number of health care services and cost of services per person. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using medical claims data from the Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators, 2004 through 2009. The PWP and WP involved more than 30% of employee contract holders. Participation in the PWP and WP were lower in the older age group and higher among women, married people, and those with an annual income of at least $40,000. Average annual cost per person during 2004-2006 was significantly positively associated with completing the PWP in 2007-2009. Those in the highest quartile for average annual cost per person in 2004-2006 were significantly less likely to participate in the WP in 2007-2009. During 2004-2009, a significantly increasing trend in average annual cost per person was similar, but at a lower level for PWP participants. The trend line also was lower for WP participants, and increased at a lower rate. The lower rate of increase in the trends for average cost per person among those in the WP indicates that the intervention is effective at slowing escalating costs. Additional years of data should be assessed, when available, to confirm this pattern.

40 CFR 61.356 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., annual average flow-weighted benzene concentration, and annual benzene quantity. (2) For each waste... measurements, calculations, and other documentation used to determine that the continuous flow of process... benzene concentrations in the waste, the annual average flow-weighted benzene concentration of the waste...

40 CFR 61.356 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., annual average flow-weighted benzene concentration, and annual benzene quantity. (2) For each waste... measurements, calculations, and other documentation used to determine that the continuous flow of process... benzene concentrations in the waste, the annual average flow-weighted benzene concentration of the waste...

40 CFR 61.356 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., annual average flow-weighted benzene concentration, and annual benzene quantity. (2) For each waste... measurements, calculations, and other documentation used to determine that the continuous flow of process... benzene concentrations in the waste, the annual average flow-weighted benzene concentration of the waste...

Radon exposure assessment for underground workers: a case of Seoul Subway Police officers in Korea.

PubMed

Song, Myeong Han; Chang, Byung-Uck; Kim, Yongjae; Cho, Kun-Woo

2011-11-01

The objective of this study is the systematic and individual assessment of the annual effective dose due to inhaled radon for the Seoul Subway Police officers, Korea. The annual average radon concentrations were found to be in the range of 18.9-114 Bq·m(-3) in their workplaces. The total annual effective doses which may likely to be received on duty were assessed to be in the range of 0.41-1.64 mSv·y(-1). These were well below the recommended action level 10 mSv·y(-1) by ICRP. However, the effective doses were higher than subway station staff in Seoul, Korea.

Decreased runoff response to precipitation, Little Missouri River Basin, northern Great Plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Griffin, Eleanor R.; Friedman, Jonathan M.

2017-01-01

High variability in precipitation and streamflow in the semiarid northern Great Plains causes large uncertainty in water availability. This uncertainty is compounded by potential effects of future climate change. We examined historical variability in annual and growing season precipitation, temperature, and streamflow within the Little Missouri River Basin and identified differences in the runoff response to precipitation for the period 1976-2012 compared to 1939-1975 (n = 37 years in both cases). Computed mean values for the second half of the record showed little change (<5%) in annual or growing season precipitation, but average annual runoff at the basin outlet decreased by 22%, with 66% of the reduction in flow occurring during the growing season. Our results show a statistically significant (p < 0.10) 27% decrease in the annual runoff response to precipitation (runoff ratio). Surface-water withdrawals for various uses appear to account for <12% of the reduction in average annual flow volume, and we found no published or reported evidence of substantial flow reduction caused by groundwater pumping in this basin. Results of our analysis suggest that increases in monthly average maximum and minimum temperatures, including >1°C increases in January through March, are the dominant driver of the observed decrease in runoff response to precipitation in the Little Missouri River Basin.

Year-to-year variations in annual average indoor 222Rn concentrations.

PubMed

Martz, D E; Rood, A S; George, J L; Pearson, M D; Langner, G H

1991-09-01

Annual average indoor 222Rn concentrations in 40 residences in and around Grand Junction, CO, have been measured repeatedly since 1984 using commercial alpha-track monitors (ATM) deployed for successive 12-mo time periods. Data obtained provide a quantitative measure of the year-to-year variations in the annual average Rn concentrations in these structures over this 6-y period. A mean coefficient of variation of 25% was observed for the year-to-year variability of the measurements at 25 sampling stations for which complete data were available. Individual coefficients of variation at the various stations ranged from a low of 7.7% to a high of 51%. The observed mean coefficient of variation includes contributions due to the variability in detector response as well as the true year-to-year variation in the annual average Rn concentrations. Factoring out the contributions from the measured variability in the response of the detectors used, the actual year-to-year variability of the annual average Rn concentrations was approximately 22%.

An analysis of effect of land use change on river flow variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tao; Liu, Yuting; Yang, Xinyue; Wang, Xiang

2018-02-01

Land use scenario analysis, SWAT model, flow characteristic indices and flow variability technology were used to analyze the effect of land use quantity and location change on river flow. Results showed that river flow variation caused by land use change from forest to crop was larger than that caused by land use change from forest to grass; Land use change neither from upstream to downstream nor from downstream to upstream had little effect on annual average discharge and maximum annual average discharge. But it had obvious effect on maximum daily discharge; Land use change which occurred in upstream could lead to producing larger magnitude flood more easily; Land use change from forest to crop or grass could increase the number of large magnitude floods and their total duration. And it also could increase the number of small magnitude floods but decrease their duration.

Bioclimatic predictors for supporting ecological applications in the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Donnel, Michael S.; Ignizio, Drew A.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed climate indices, referred to as bioclimatic predictors, which highlight climate conditions best related to species physiology. A set of 20 bioclimatic predictors were developed as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) continuous raster surfaces for each year between 1895 and 2009. The Parameter-elevation Regression on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) and down-scaled PRISM data, which included both averaged multi-year and averaged monthly climate summaries, was used to develop these multi-scale bioclimatic predictors. Bioclimatic predictors capture information about annual conditions (annual mean temperature, annual precipitation, annual range in temperature and precipitation), as well as seasonal mean climate conditions and intra-year seasonality (temperature of the coldest and warmest months, precipitation of the wettest and driest quarters). Examining climate over time is useful when quantifying the effects of climate changes on species' distributions for past, current, and forecasted scenarios. These data, which have not been readily available to scientists, can provide biologists and ecologists with relevant and multi-scaled climate data to augment research on the responses of species to changing climate conditions. The relationships established between species demographics and distributions with bioclimatic predictors can inform land managers of climatic effects on species during decisionmaking processes.

20 CFR 30.811 - How will OWCP calculate the duration and extent of a covered Part E employee's initial period of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... exceed 50 percent of his or her average annual wage, OWCP will pay the employee $15,000 as compensation... did not exceed 75 percent of such average annual wage, OWCP will pay the employee $10,000 as... EEOICPA Determinations of Average Annual Wage and Percentages of Loss § 30.811 How will OWCP calculate the...

20 CFR 30.811 - How will OWCP calculate the duration and extent of a covered Part E employee's initial period of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... exceed 50 percent of his or her average annual wage, OWCP will pay the employee $15,000 as compensation... did not exceed 75 percent of such average annual wage, OWCP will pay the employee $10,000 as... EEOICPA Determinations of Average Annual Wage and Percentages of Loss § 30.811 How will OWCP calculate the...

77 FR 26773 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-07

... enhanced and standard data collection and a longitudinal cohort design, and will include a comparative study to assess the effectiveness of HTI relative to a similar sample of young persons who did not... total hourly cost of the study. Summary Burden Table Average annual Average 3-year Number of number...

National Hospital Input Price Index

PubMed Central

Freeland, Mark S.; Anderson, Gerard; Schendler, Carol Ellen

1979-01-01

The national community hospital input price index presented here isolates the effects of prices of goods and services required to produce hospital care and measures the average percent change in prices for a fixed market basket of hospital inputs. Using the methodology described in this article, weights for various expenditure categories were estimated and proxy price variables associated with each were selected. The index is calculated for the historical period 1970 through 1978 and forecast for 1979 through 1981. During the historical period, the input price index increased an average of 8.0 percent a year, compared with an average rate of increase of 6.6 percent for overall consumer prices. For the period 1979 through 1981, the average annual increase is forecast at between 8.5 and 9.0 percent. Using the index to deflate growth in expenses, the level of real growth in expenditures per inpatient day (net service intensity growth) averaged 4.5 percent per year with considerable annual variation related to government and hospital industry policies. PMID:10309052

National hospital input price index.

PubMed

Freeland, M S; Anderson, G; Schendler, C E

1979-01-01

The national community hospital input price index presented here isolates the effects of prices of goods and services required to produce hospital care and measures the average percent change in prices for a fixed market basket of hospital inputs. Using the methodology described in this article, weights for various expenditure categories were estimated and proxy price variables associated with each were selected. The index is calculated for the historical period 1970 through 1978 and forecast for 1979 through 1981. During the historical period, the input price index increased an average of 8.0 percent a year, compared with an average rate of increase of 6.6 percent for overall consumer prices. For the period 1979 through 1981, the average annual increase is forecast at between 8.5 and 9.0 per cent. Using the index to deflate growth in expenses, the level of real growth in expenditures per inpatient day (net service intensity growth) averaged 4.5 percent per year with considerable annual variation related to government and hospital industry policies.

Predicting Long-Term College Success through Degree Completion Using ACT[R] Composite Score, ACT Benchmarks, and High School Grade Point Average. ACT Research Report Series, 2012 (5)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radunzel, Justine; Noble, Julie

2012-01-01

This study compared the effectiveness of ACT[R] Composite score and high school grade point average (HSGPA) for predicting long-term college success. Outcomes included annual progress towards a degree (based on cumulative credit-bearing hours earned), degree completion, and cumulative grade point average (GPA) at 150% of normal time to degree…

An assessment of the risk arising from electrical effects associated with the release of carbon fibers from general aviation aircraft fires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenfield, D.; Fiksel, J.

1980-01-01

A Poisson type model was developed and exercised to estimate the risk of economic losses through 1993 due to potential electric effects of carbon fibers released from United States general aviation aircraft in the aftermath of a fire. Of the expected 354 annual general aviation aircraft accidents with fire projected for 1993, approximately 88 could involve carbon fibers. The average annual loss was estimated to be about $250 (1977 dollars) and the likelihood of exceeding $107,000 (1977 dollars) in annual loss in any one year was estimated to be at most one in ten thousand.

Alternatives to the Moving Average

Treesearch

Paul C. van Deusen

2001-01-01

There are many possible estimators that could be used with annual inventory data. The 5-year moving average has been selected as a default estimator to provide initial results for states having available annual inventory data. User objectives for these estimates are discussed. The characteristics of a moving average are outlined. It is shown that moving average...

Estimation of the collective ionizing dose in the Portuguese population for the years 2011 and 2012, due to nuclear medicine exams.

PubMed

Costa, F; Teles, P; Nogueira, A; Barreto, A; Santos, A I; Carvalho, A; Martins, B; Oliveira, C; Gaspar, C; Barros, C; Neves, D; Costa, D; Rodrigues, E; Godinho, F; Alves, F; Cardoso, G; Cantinho, G; Conde, I; Vale, J; Santos, J; Isidoro, J; Pereira, J; Salgado, L; Rézio, M; Vieira, M; Simãozinho, P; Almeida, P; Castro, R; Parafita, R; Pintão, S; Lúcio, T; Reis, T; Vaz, P

2015-01-01

In 2009-2010 a Portuguese consortium was created to implement the methodologies proposed by the Dose Datamed II (DDM2) project, aiming to collect data from diagnostic X-ray and nuclear medicine (NM) procedures, in order to determine the most frequently prescribed exams and the associated ionizing radiation doses for the Portuguese population. The current study is the continuation of this work, although it focuses only on NM exams for the years 2011 and 2012. The annual frequency of each of the 28 selected NM exams and the average administered activity per procedure was obtained by means of a nationwide survey sent to the 35 NM centres in Portugal. The results show a reduction of the number of cardiac exams performed in the last two years compared with 2010, leading to a reduction of the annual average effective dose of Portuguese population due to NM exams from 0.08 mSv ± 0.017 mSv/caput to 0.059 ± 0.011 mSv/caput in 2011 and 0.054 ± 0.011 mSv/caput in 2012. Portuguese total annual average collective effective dose due to medical procedures was estimated to be 625.6 ± 110.9 manSv in 2011 and 565.1 ± 117.3 manSv in 2012, a reduction in comparison with 2010 (840.3 ± 183.8 manSv). The most frequent exams and the ones that contributed the most for total population dose were the cardiac and bone exams, although a decrease observed in 2011 and in 2012 was verified. The authors intend to perform this study periodically to identify trends in the annual Portuguese average effective dose and to help to raise awareness about the potential dose optimization. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and SEMNIM. All rights reserved.

Evaluation on the cost-effective threshold of osteoporosis treatment on elderly women in China using discrete event simulation model.

PubMed

Ni, W; Jiang, Y

2017-02-01

This study used a simulation model to determine the cost-effective threshold of fracture risk to treat osteoporosis among elderly Chinese women. Osteoporosis treatment is cost-effective among average-risk women who are at least 75 years old and above-average-risk women who are younger than 75 years old. Aging of the Chinese population is imposing increasing economic burden of osteoporosis. This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of osteoporosis treatment among the senior Chinese women population. A discrete event simulation model using age-specific probabilities of hip fracture, clinical vertebral fracture, wrist fracture, humerus fracture, and other fracture; costs (2015 US dollars); and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) was used to assess the cost-effectiveness of osteoporosis treatment. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated. The willingness to pay (WTP) for a QALY in China was compared with the calculated ICER to decide the cost-effectiveness. To determine the absolute 10-year hip fracture probability at which the osteoporosis treatment became cost-effective, average age-specific probabilities for all fractures were multiplied by a relative risk (RR) that was systematically varied from 0 to 10 until the WTP threshold was observed for treatment relative to no intervention. Sensitivity analyses were also performed to evaluate the impacts from WTP and annual treatment costs. In baseline analysis, simulated ICERs were higher than the WTP threshold among Chinese women younger than 75, but much lower than the WTP among the older population. Sensitivity analyses indicated that cost-effectiveness could vary due to a higher WTP threshold or a lower annual treatment cost. A 30 % increase in WTP or a 30 % reduction in annual treatment costs will make osteoporosis treatment cost-effective for Chinese women population from 55 to 85. The current study provides evidence that osteoporosis treatment is cost-effective among a subpopulation of Chinese senior women. The results also indicate that the cost-effectiveness of using osteoporosis treatment is sensitive to the WTP threshold and annual treatment costs.

75 FR 41556 - Proposed Collection Renewal; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-16

... global education in the classroom. Estimated annual number of respondents: 300. Estimated average time to... the annual World Wise Schools Conference. The information is used as a record of attendance. 2. Title... global education in the classroom. Estimated annual number of responses: 300. Estimated average time to...

Criterion 6, indicator 37 : average wage rates, annual average income, and annual injury rates in major forest employment categories

Treesearch

Kenneth Skog; Susan J. Alexander; John Bergstrom; Ken Cordell; Elizabeth Hill; James Howard; Rebecca Westby

2011-01-01

Average annual incomes for forest management and protection includes salaries for full-time permanent employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, which have increased from a median of $41,300 in 1992 to $48,200 in 2000, to $50,500 in 2006 (all in 2005$). Salary of full-time permanent employees in state forestry agencies in 1998, for entry level...

The effect of facility-based antiretroviral therapy programs on outpatient services in Kenya and Uganda.

PubMed

Wollum, Alexandra; Dansereau, Emily; Fullman, Nancy; Achan, Jane; Bannon, Kelsey A; Burstein, Roy; Conner, Ruben O; DeCenso, Brendan; Gasasira, Anne; Haakenstad, Annie; Hanlon, Michael; Ikilezi, Gloria; Kisia, Caroline; Levine, Aubrey J; Masters, Samuel H; Njuguna, Pamela; Okiro, Emelda A; Odeny, Thomas A; Allen Roberts, D; Gakidou, Emmanuela; Duber, Herbert C

2017-08-16

Considerable debate exists concerning the effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART) service scale-up on non-HIV services and overall health system performance in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, we examined whether ART services affected trends in non-ART outpatient department (OPD) visits in Kenya and Uganda. Using a nationally representative sample of health facilities in Kenya and Uganda, we estimated the effect of ART programs on OPD visits from 2007 to 2012. We modeled the annual percent change in non-ART OPD visits using hierarchical mixed-effects linear regressions, controlling for a range of facility characteristics. We used four different constructs of ART services to capture the different ways in which the presence, growth, overall, and relative size of ART programs may affect non-ART OPD services. Our final sample included 321 health facilities (140 in Kenya and 181 in Uganda). On average, OPD and ART visits increased steadily in Kenya and Uganda between 2007 and 2012. For facilities where ART services were not offered, the average annual increase in OPD visits was 4·2% in Kenya and 13·5% in Uganda. Among facilities that provided ART services, we found average annual OPD volume increases of 7·2% in Kenya and 5·6% in Uganda, with simultaneous annual increases of 13·7% and 12·5% in ART volumes. We did not find a statistically significant relationship between annual changes in OPD services and the presence, growth, overall, or relative size of ART services. However, in a subgroup analysis, we found that Ugandan hospitals that offered ART services had statistically significantly less growth in OPD visits than Ugandan hospitals that did not provide ART services. Our findings suggest that ART services in Kenya and Uganda did not have a statistically significant deleterious effects on OPD services between 2007 and 2012, although subgroup analyses indicate variation by facility type. Our findings are encouraging, particularly given recent recommendations for universal access to ART, demonstrating that expanding ART services is not inherently linked to declines in other health services in sub-Saharan Africa.

50 CFR 218.31 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...); (x) Melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra)—100 (an average of 20 annually); (xi) False killer... annually); (xiv) Pygmy killer whale (Ferresa attenuatta)—50 (an average of 10 annually); (xv) Rough-toothed... method of take and the indicated number of times: (1) Level B Harassment: (i) Sperm whale (Physeter...

50 CFR 218.31 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...); (x) Melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra)—100 (an average of 20 annually); (xi) False killer... annually); (xiv) Pygmy killer whale (Ferresa attenuatta)—50 (an average of 10 annually); (xv) Rough-toothed... method of take and the indicated number of times: (1) Level B Harassment: (i) Sperm whale (Physeter...

The Impact of Sea Ice Concentration Accuracies on Climate Model Simulations with the GISS GCM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parkinson, Claire L.; Rind, David; Healy, Richard J.; Martinson, Douglas G.; Zukor, Dorothy J. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Goddard Institute for Space Studies global climate model (GISS GCM) is used to examine the sensitivity of the simulated climate to sea ice concentration specifications in the type of simulation done in the Atmospheric Modeling Intercomparison Project (AMIP), with specified oceanic boundary conditions. Results show that sea ice concentration uncertainties of +/- 7% can affect simulated regional temperatures by more than 6 C, and biases in sea ice concentrations of +7% and -7% alter simulated annually averaged global surface air temperatures by -0.10 C and +0.17 C, respectively, over those in the control simulation. The resulting 0.27 C difference in simulated annual global surface air temperatures is reduced by a third, to 0.18 C, when considering instead biases of +4% and -4%. More broadly, least-squares fits through the temperature results of 17 simulations with ice concentration input changes ranging from increases of 50% versus the control simulation to decreases of 50% yield a yearly average global impact of 0.0107 C warming for every 1% ice concentration decrease, i.e., 1.07 C warming for the full +50% to -50% range. Regionally and on a monthly average basis, the differences can be far greater, especially in the polar regions, where wintertime contrasts between the +50% and -50% cases can exceed 30 C. However, few statistically significant effects are found outside the polar latitudes, and temperature effects over the non-polar oceans tend to be under 1 C, due in part to the specification of an unvarying annual cycle of sea surface temperatures. The +/- 7% and 14% results provide bounds on the impact (on GISS GCM simulations making use of satellite data) of satellite-derived ice concentration inaccuracies, +/- 7% being the current estimated average accuracy of satellite retrievals and +/- 4% being the anticipated improved average accuracy for upcoming satellite instruments. Results show that the impact on simulated temperatures of imposed ice concentration changes is least in summer, encouragingly the same season in which the satellite accuracies are thought to be worst. Hence the impact of satellite inaccuracies is probably less than the use of an annually averaged satellite inaccuracy would suggest.

7 CFR 760.1304 - Eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... in an eligible dairy operation must meet the average adjusted gross income eligibility requirements... benefit under this subpart if their annual average adjusted nonfarm income is over $500,000 as determined... Corporation A. For DELAP, the relevant period for the annual average adjusted nonfarm income is 2005 through...

7 CFR 760.1304 - Eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... in an eligible dairy operation must meet the average adjusted gross income eligibility requirements... benefit under this subpart if their annual average adjusted nonfarm income is over $500,000 as determined... Corporation A. For DELAP, the relevant period for the annual average adjusted nonfarm income is 2005 through...

Simulation of ground-water flow and evaluation of water-management alternatives in the Assabet River Basin, Eastern Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeSimone, Leslie A.

2004-01-01

Water-supply withdrawals and wastewater disposal in the Assabet River Basin in eastern Massachusetts alter the flow and water quality in the basin. Wastewater discharges and stream-flow depletion from ground-water withdrawals adversely affect water quality in the Assabet River, especially during low-flow months (late summer) and in headwater areas. Streamflow depletion also contributes to loss of aquatic habitat in tributaries to the river. In 19972001, water-supply withdrawals averaged 9.9 million gallons per day (Mgal/d). Wastewater discharges to the Assabet River averaged 11 Mgal/d and included about 5.4 Mgal/d that originated from sources outside of the basin. The effects of current (2004) and future withdrawals and discharges on water resources in the basin were investigated in this study. Steady-state and transient ground-water-flow models were developed, by using MODFLOW-2000, to simulate flow in the surficial glacial deposits and underlying crystalline bedrock in the basin. The transient model simulated the average annual cycle at dynamic equilibrium in monthly intervals. The models were calibrated to 19972001 conditions of water withdrawals, wastewater discharges, water levels, and nonstorm streamflow (base flow plus wastewater discharges). Total flow through the simulated hydrologic system averaged 195 Mgal/d annually. Recharge from precipitation and ground-water discharge to streams were the dominant inflow and outflow, respectively. Evapotranspiration of ground water from wetlands and non-wetland areas also were important losses from the hydrologic system. Water-supply withdrawals and infiltration to sewers averaged 5 and 1.3 percent, respectively, of total annual out-flows and were larger components (12 percent in September) of the hydrologic system during low-flow months. Water budgets for individual tributary and main stem subbasins identified areas, such as the Fort Meadow Brook and the Assabet Main Stem Upper subbasins, where flows resulting from anthropo-genic activities were relatively large percentages, compared to other subbasins, (more than 20 percent in September) of total out-flows. Wastewater flows in the Assabet River accounted for 55, 32, and 20 percent of total nonstorm streamflow (base flow plus wastewater discharge) out of the Assabet Main Stem Upper, Middle, and Lower subbasins, respectively, in an average September. The ground-water-flow models were used to evaluate water-management alternatives by simulating hypothetical scenarios of altered withdrawals and discharges. A scenario that included no water management quantified nonstorm stream-flows that would result without withdrawals, discharges, septic-system return flow, or consumptive use. Tributary flows in this scenario increased in most subbasins by 2 to 44 percent relative to 19972001 conditions. The increases resulted mostly from variable combinations of decreased withdrawals and decreased infiltration to sewers. Average annual nonstorm streamflow in the Assabet River decreased slightly in this scenario, by 2 to 3 percent annually, because gains in ground-water discharge were offset by the elimination of wastewater discharges. A second scenario quantified the effects of increasing withdrawals and discharges to currently permitted levels. In this simulation, average annual tributary flows decreased in most subbasins, by less than 1 to 10 percent relative to 19972001 conditions. In the Assabet River, flows increased slightly, 1 to 5 percent annually, and the percentage of wastewater in the river increased to 69, 42, and 27 percent of total nonstorm streamflow out of the Assabet Main Stem Upper, Middle, and Lower subbasins, respectively, in an average September. A third set of scenarios quantified the effects of ground-water discharge of wastewater at four hypothetical sites, while maintaining 19972000 wastewater discharges to the Assabet River. Wastewater, discharged at a constant rate that varied among sites from 0.3 to 1

40 CFR Appendix to Subpart G of... - Applicant Questionnaire for Modification of Secondary Treatment Requirements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... upon which your application for a modification is based: —BOD5 ___ mg/L —Suspended solids ___ mg/L —pH... dry weather —average wet weather —maximum —annual average BOD5 (mg/L) for the following plant flows: —minimum —average dry weather —average wet weather —maximum —annual average Suspended solids (mg/L) for the...

40 CFR Appendix to Subpart G of... - Applicant Questionnaire for Modification of Secondary Treatment Requirements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... upon which your application for a modification is based: —BOD5 ___ mg/L —Suspended solids ___ mg/L —pH... dry weather —average wet weather —maximum —annual average BOD5 (mg/L) for the following plant flows: —minimum —average dry weather —average wet weather —maximum —annual average Suspended solids (mg/L) for the...

ERROR IN ANNUAL AVERAGE DUE TO USE OF LESS THAN EVERYDAY MEASUREMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

Long term averages of the concentration of PM mass and components are of interest for determining compliance with annual averages, for developing exposure surrogated for cross-sectional epidemiologic studies of the long-term of PM, and for determination of aerosol sources by chem...

40 CFR 464.34 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards and maximum day and maximum for monthly average concentration (mg/l) standards shall apply. Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.34 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards and maximum day and maximum for monthly average concentration (mg/l) standards shall apply. Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.34 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards and maximum day and maximum for monthly average concentration (mg/l) standards shall apply. Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

Temporal trends of PM10 and its impact on mortality in Lombardy, Italy.

PubMed

Carugno, Michele; Consonni, Dario; Bertazzi, Pier Alberto; Biggeri, Annibale; Baccini, Michela

2017-08-01

Exposure to particulate matter with diameter ≤10 μm (PM 10 ) entails well documented adverse effects on human health. In the last decade, concentration of PM 10 in Lombardy (10 million inhabitants), Italy, has been gradually decreasing. We evaluated how the mortality burden due to PM 10 varied in that same period. We focused on 13 areas of the Region in 2003-2014: 11 cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, 1 smaller alpine town and 1 agricultural province. For each area, we collected PM 10 annual average concentrations and natural mortality data, and we used the posterior area-specific effects from a previous Bayesian meta-analysis to estimate the short-term impact of PM 10 on mortality, in terms of deaths attributable (AD) to annual average exposures exceeding the WHO threshold of 20 μg/m 3 . PM 10 annual average values showed a non-homogenous decreasing trend in the investigated time period in most of the areas. Overall, the population-weighted exposure levels decreased, except for a peak in 2011, but never met the WHO threshold. In 2003-2006, PM 10 levels were responsible, on average, for 343.0 annual AD from natural causes that decreased to 253.5 in 2007-2010 and to 208.3 in 2011-2014. Overall we estimated that PM 10 was responsible for about 1% of all natural deaths (min-max range: 0.86%-1.42%); the impact was heterogeneous among areas. By collecting routinely available data for the most populated areas in Lombardy, we returned a picture of air pollution and health trends in the last decade. Notwithstanding the observed reduction in PM 10 between 2003 and 2014 and the resulting decline in the number of AD, the impact is still relevant. Hence, appropriate policies for emission reduction could have a further beneficial effect on population health. Studies based on routine data and local effect estimates are recommended to properly inform the policy-making process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

24 CFR 235.204 - Amount of annual MIP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... and Obligations-Homes for Lower Income Families § 235.204 Amount of annual MIP. (a) With respect to... an annual MIP shall be paid in an amount equal to one-half percent of the average outstanding... be paid in an amount equal to seven-tenths of one percent of the average outstanding principal...

24 CFR 235.204 - Amount of annual MIP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... and Obligations-Homes for Lower Income Families § 235.204 Amount of annual MIP. (a) With respect to... an annual MIP shall be paid in an amount equal to one-half percent of the average outstanding... be paid in an amount equal to seven-tenths of one percent of the average outstanding principal...

Onchocerciasis control in Nigeria: will households be able to afford community-directed treatment with ivermectin?

PubMed

Onwujekwe, O; Shu, E; Onwuameze, O; Ndum, C; Okonkwo, P

2001-12-21

To determine the level of affordability of community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) to households living in two onchocerciasis endemic Nigerian communities namely Toro in the north and Nike in the south. The proportion of the cost of treating people with ivermectin will deplete in average monthly/projected annual household expenditure on food and health care, and on average monthly and projected annual household income were respectively calculated and used to determine the level of affordability of CDTI. Questionnaires administered to heads of households or their representatives were used to collect information on the household expenditures and income. The suggested unit CDTI cost of $0.20 was used. However, as a test of sensitivity, we also used the unit cost of $0.056 which some community based distributors are charging per treatment. Using $0.20 as the unit treatment cost, this will consume less than 0.05% of average annual household income in both communities. It will equally deplete 0.05% of combined annual household expenditures on food and health care in both communities. However, using $0.056 as the unit treatment cost, then 0.02% of average annual household expenditure on health care, 0.01% average annual expenditure on combined health care and food, and 0.01% of average annual household income will be depleted. The households living in both communities may be able to afford CDTI schemes. However, the final decision on levels of affordability lies with the households. They will decide whether they can afford to trade-off some household income for ivermectin distribution.

COLLABORATIVE MODELING OF THE BENEFITS AND HARMS ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT U.S. BREAST CANCER SCREENING STRATEGIES

PubMed Central

Mandelblatt, Jeanne S.; Stout, Natasha K.; Schechter, Clyde B.; van den Broek, Jeroen J.; Miglioretti, Diana; Krapcho, Martin; Trentham-Dietz, Amy; Munoz, Diego; Lee, Sandra J.; Berry, Donald A.; van Ravesteyn, Nicolien T.; Alagoz, Oguzhan; Kerlikowske, Karla; Tosteson, Anna N.A.; Near, Aimee M.; Hoeffken, Amanda; Chang, Yaojen; Heijnsdijk, Eveline A.; Chisholm, Gary; Huang, Xuelin; Huang, Hui; Ergun, Mehmet Ali; Gangnon, Ronald; Sprague, Brian L.; Plevritis, Sylvia; Feuer, Eric; de Koning, Harry J.; Cronin, Kathleen A.

2016-01-01

Background Controversy persists about optimal mammography screening strategies. Objective To evaluate mammography strategies considering screening and treatment advances. Design Collaboration of six simulation models. Data Sources National data on incidence, risk, breast density, digital mammography performance, treatment effects, and other-cause mortality. Target Population An average-risk cohort. Time Horizon Lifetime. Perspective Societal. Interventions Mammograms from age 40, 45 or 50 to 74 at annual or biennial intervals, or annually from 40 or 45 to 49 then biennially to 74, assuming 100% screening and treatment adherence. Outcome Measures Screening benefits (vs. no screening) include percent breast cancer mortality reduction, deaths averted, and life-years gained. Harms include number of mammograms, false-positives, benign biopsies, and overdiagnosis. Results for Average-Risk Women Biennial strategies maintain 79.8%-81.3% (range across strategies and models: 68.3–98.9%) of annual screening benefits with almost half the false-positives and fewer overdiagnoses. Screening biennially from ages 50–74 achieves a median 25.8% (range: 24.1%-31.8%) breast cancer mortality reduction; annual screening from ages 40–74 years reduces mortality an additional 12.0% (range: 5.7%-17.2%) vs. no screening, but yields 1988 more false-positives and 7 more overdiagnoses per 1000 women screened. Annual screening from ages 50–74 had similar benefits as other strategies but more harms, so would not be recommended. Sub-population Results Annual screening starting at age 40 for women who have a two- to four-fold increase in risk has a similar balance of harms and benefits as biennial screening of average-risk women from 50–74. Limitations We do not consider other imaging technologies, polygenic risk, or non-adherence. Conclusion These results suggest that biennial screening is efficient for average-risk groups, but decisions on strategies depend on the weight given to the balance of harms and benefits. Primary Funding Source National Institutes of Health PMID:26756606

78 FR 19262 - Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average Total Assets That Defines Community Financial...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-29

... FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY [No. 2013-N-04] Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average.... ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has adjusted the cap on average total... Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and that has average total assets below a statutory cap.\\2\\ The Bank...

75 FR 9601 - Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average Total Assets That Defines Community Financial...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-03

... FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY [No. 2010-N-01] Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average.... ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has adjusted the cap on average total... Deposit Insurance Corporation and that has average total assets below a statutory cap. See 12 U.S.C. 1422...

26 CFR 1.411(d)-3 - Section 411(d)(6) protected benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... an annual benefit of 2% of career average pay times years of service commencing at normal retirement... an annual benefit of 1.3% of final pay times years of service, with final pay computed as the average... has 16 years of service, M's career average pay is $37,500, and the average of M's highest 3...

Simulation of tree shade impacts on residential energy use for space conditioning in Sacramento

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simpson, J. R.; McPherson, E. G.

Tree shade reduces summer air conditioning demand and increases winter heating load by intercepting solar energy that would otherwise heat the shaded structure. We evaluate the magnitude of these effects here for 254 residential properties participating in a utility sponsored tree planting program in Sacramento, California. Tree and building characteristics and typical weather data are used to model hourly shading and energy used for space conditioning for each building for a period of one year. There were an average of 3.1 program trees per property which reduced annual and peak (8 h average from 1 to 9 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time) cooling energy use 153 kWh (7.1%) and 0.08 kW (2.3%) per tree, respectively. Annual heating load increased 0.85 GJ (0.80 MBtu, 1.9%) per tree. Changes in cooling load were smaller, but percentage changes larger, for newer buildings. Averaged over all homes, annual cooling savings of 15.25 per tree were reduced by a heating penalty of 5.25 per tree, for net savings of 10.00 per tree from shade. We estimate an annual cooling penalty of 2.80 per tree and heating savings of 6.80 per tree from reduced wind speed, for a net savings of 4.00 per tree, and total annual savings of 14.00 per tree (43.00 per property). Results are found to be consistent with previous simulations and the limited measurements available.

Effects of increased wind power generation on Mid-Norway's energy balance under climate change: A market based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francois, Baptiste; Martino, Sara; Tofte, Lena; Hingray, Benoit; Mo, Birger; Creutin, Jean-Dominique

2017-04-01

Thanks to its huge water storage capacity, Norway has an excess of energy generation at annual scale, although significant regional disparity exists. On average, the Mid-Norway region has an energy deficit and needs to import more electricity than it exports. We show that this energy deficit can be reduced with an increase in wind generation and transmission line capacity, even in future climate scenarios where both mean annual temperature and precipitation are changed. For the considered scenarios, the deficit observed in winter disappears, i.e. when electricity consumption and prices are high. At the annual scale, the deficit behavior depends more on future changes in precipitation. Another consequence of changes in wind production and transmission capacity is the modification of electricity exchanges with neighboring regions which are also modified both in terms of average, variability and seasonality. Keywords: Variable renewable energy, Wind, Hydro, Energy balance, Energy market

Cost analysis of the built environment: the case of bike and pedestrian trials in Lincoln, Neb.

PubMed

Wang, Guijing; Macera, Caroline A; Scudder-Soucie, Barbara; Schmid, Tom; Pratt, Michael; Buchner, David; Heath, Gregory

2004-04-01

We estimated the annual cost of bike and pedestrian trails in Lincoln, Neb, using construction and maintenance costs provided by the Department of Parks and Recreation of Nebraska. We obtained the number of users of 5 trails from a 1998 census report. The annual construction cost of each trail was calculated by using 3%, 5%, and 10% discount rates for a period of useful life of 10, 30, and 50 years. The average cost per mile and per user was calculated. Trail length averaged 3.6 miles (range = 1.6-4.6 miles). Annual cost in 2002 dollars ranged from 25,762 to 248,479 (mean = 124,927; median = 171,064). The cost per mile ranged from 5735 to 54,017 (mean = 35,355; median = 37,994). The annual cost per user was 235 (range = 83-592), whereas per capita annual medical cost of inactivity was 622. Construction of trails fits a wide range of budgets and may be a viable health amenity for most communities. To increase trail cost-effectiveness, efforts to decrease cost and increase the number of users should be considered.

50 CFR 218.122 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...: (A) Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)—1,645 (an average of 329 annually); (B) Killer whale... the rule must be maintained. (4) Level B Harassment: (i) Mysticetes: (A) Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)—6,975 (an average of 1,395 annually); (B) Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)—55185 (an average of...

50 CFR 218.122 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...: (A) Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)—1,645 (an average of 329 annually); (B) Killer whale... the rule must be maintained. (4) Level B Harassment: (i) Mysticetes: (A) Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)—6,975 (an average of 1,395 annually); (B) Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)—55185 (an average of...

50 CFR 218.122 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...: (A) Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)—1,645 (an average of 329 annually); (B) Killer whale... the rule must be maintained. (4) Level B Harassment: (i) Mysticetes: (A) Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)—6,975 (an average of 1,395 annually); (B) Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)—55185 (an average of...

Spatiotemporal distribution and the characteristics of the air temperature of a river source region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

PubMed

Deng, Cai; Zhang, Wanchang

2018-05-30

As the backland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the river source region is highly sensitive to changes in global climate. Air temperature estimation using remote sensing satellite provides a new way of conducting studies in the field of climate change study. A geographically weighted regression model was applied to estimate synchronic air temperature from 2001 to 2015 using Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometry (MODIS) data. The results were R 2  = 0.913 and RMSE = 2.47 °C, which confirmed the feasibility of the estimation. The spatial distribution and variation characteristics of the average annual and seasonal air temperature were analyzed. The findings are as follows: (1) the distribution of average annual air temperature has significant terrain characteristics. The reduction in average annual air temperature along the elevation of the region is 0.19 °C/km, whereas the reduction in the average annual air temperature along the latitude is 0.04 °C/degree. (2) The average annual air temperature increase in the region is 0.37 °C/decade. The average air temperature increase could be arranged in the following decreasing order: Yangtze River Basin > Mekong River Basin > Nujiang River Basin > Yarlung Zangbo River Basin > Yellow River Basin. The fastest, namely, Yangtze River Basin, is 0.47 °C/decade. (3) The average air temperature rise in spring, summer, and winter generally increases with higher altitude. The average annual air temperature in different types of lands following a decreasing order is as follows: wetland > construction land > bare land glacier > shrub grassland > arable land > forest land > water body and that of the fastest one, wetland, is 0.13 °C/year.

Twelve-month, 12 km resolution North American WRF-Chem v3.4 air quality simulation: performance evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tessum, C. W.; Hill, J. D.; Marshall, J. D.

We present results from and evaluate the performance of a 12-month, 12 km horizontal resolution year 2005 air pollution simulation for the contiguous United States using the WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry) meteorology and chemical transport model (CTM). We employ the 2005 US National Emissions Inventory, the Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism (RACM), and the Modal Aerosol Dynamics Model for Europe (MADE) with a volatility basis set (VBS) secondary aerosol module. Overall, model performance is comparable to contemporary modeling efforts used for regulatory and health-effects analysis, with an annual average daytime ozone (O 3) mean fractional bias (MFB) ofmore » 12% and an annual average fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) MFB of −1%. WRF-Chem, as configured here, tends to overpredict total PM 2.5 at some high concentration locations and generally overpredicts average 24 h O 3 concentrations. Performance is better at predicting daytime-average and daily peak O 3 concentrations, which are more relevant for regulatory and health effects analyses relative to annual average values. Predictive performance for PM 2.5 subspecies is mixed: the model overpredicts particulate sulfate (MFB = 36%), underpredicts particulate nitrate (MFB = −110%) and organic carbon (MFB = −29%), and relatively accurately predicts particulate ammonium (MFB = 3%) and elemental carbon (MFB = 3%), so that the accuracy in total PM 2.5 predictions is to some extent a function of offsetting over- and underpredictions of PM 2.5 subspecies. Model predictive performance for PM 2.5 and its subspecies is in general worse in winter and in the western US than in other seasons and regions, suggesting spatial and temporal opportunities for future WRF-Chem model development and evaluation.« less

Twelve-month, 12 km resolution North American WRF-Chem v3.4 air quality simulation: performance evaluation

DOE PAGES

Tessum, C. W.; Hill, J. D.; Marshall, J. D.

2015-04-07

We present results from and evaluate the performance of a 12-month, 12 km horizontal resolution year 2005 air pollution simulation for the contiguous United States using the WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry) meteorology and chemical transport model (CTM). We employ the 2005 US National Emissions Inventory, the Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism (RACM), and the Modal Aerosol Dynamics Model for Europe (MADE) with a volatility basis set (VBS) secondary aerosol module. Overall, model performance is comparable to contemporary modeling efforts used for regulatory and health-effects analysis, with an annual average daytime ozone (O 3) mean fractional bias (MFB) ofmore » 12% and an annual average fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) MFB of −1%. WRF-Chem, as configured here, tends to overpredict total PM 2.5 at some high concentration locations and generally overpredicts average 24 h O 3 concentrations. Performance is better at predicting daytime-average and daily peak O 3 concentrations, which are more relevant for regulatory and health effects analyses relative to annual average values. Predictive performance for PM 2.5 subspecies is mixed: the model overpredicts particulate sulfate (MFB = 36%), underpredicts particulate nitrate (MFB = −110%) and organic carbon (MFB = −29%), and relatively accurately predicts particulate ammonium (MFB = 3%) and elemental carbon (MFB = 3%), so that the accuracy in total PM 2.5 predictions is to some extent a function of offsetting over- and underpredictions of PM 2.5 subspecies. Model predictive performance for PM 2.5 and its subspecies is in general worse in winter and in the western US than in other seasons and regions, suggesting spatial and temporal opportunities for future WRF-Chem model development and evaluation.« less

Assessment of indoor radon, thoron concentrations, and their relationship with seasonal variation and geology of Udhampur district, Jammu & Kashmir, India.

PubMed

Kumar, Ajay; Sharma, Sumit; Mehra, Rohit; Narang, Saurabh; Mishra, Rosaline

2017-07-01

Background The inhalation doses resulting from the exposure to radon, thoron, and their progeny are important quantities in estimating the radiation risk for epidemiological studies as the average global annual effective dose due to radon and its progeny is 1.3 mSv as compared to that of 2.4 mSv due to all other natural sources of ionizing radiation. Objectives The annual inhalation dose has been assessed with an aim of investigating the health risk to the inhabitants of the studied region. Methods Time integrated deposition based 222 Rn/ 220 Rn sensors have been used to measure concentrations in 146 dwellings of Udhampur district, Jammu and Kashmir. An active smart RnDuo monitor has also been used for comparison purposes. Results The range of indoor radon/thoron concentrations is found to vary from 11 to 58 Bqm -3 with an average value of 29 ± 9 Bqm -3 and from 25 to 185 Bqm -3 with an average value of 83 ± 32 Bqm -3 , respectively. About 10.7% dwellings have higher values than world average of 40 Bqm -3 prescribed by UNSCEAR. The relationship of indoor radon and thoron levels with different seasons, ventilation conditions, and different geological formations have been discussed. Conclusions The observed values of concentrations and average annual effective dose due to radon, thoron, and its progeny in the study area have been found to be below the recommended level of ICRP. The observed concentrations of 222 Rn and 220 Rn measured with active and passive techniques are found to be in good agreement.

Correlation between practice location as a surrogate for UV exposure and practice patterns to prevent corneal haze after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).

PubMed

Al-Sharif, Eman M; Stone, Donald U

2016-01-01

PRK is a refractive surgery that reshapes the corneal surface by excimer laser photoablation to correct refractive errors. The effect of increased ultraviolet (UV) exposure on promoting post-PRK corneal haze has been reported in the literature; however, information is lacking regarding the effect of ambient UV exposure on physician practice patterns. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ophthalmologists' practice location on their reported practice patterns to prevent post-PRK corneal haze. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted through an online survey sent to ophthalmologists performing PRK. The survey recorded the primary city of practice from which the two independent variables, latitude and average annual sunshine days, were determined. It also measured the frequency of use of postoperative preventive interventions (dependent variables) which are as follows: intraoperative Mitomycin-C, oral vitamin C, sunglasses, topical corticosteroids, topical cyclosporine, oral tetracyclines and amniotic membrane graft. Fifty-one ophthalmologists completed the survey. Practice locations' mean latitude was 36.4 degrees north, and average sunshine days annually accounted for 60% of year days. There was no significant relation between latitude/average annual sunshine days and usual post-PRK prophylactic treatments ( P  > 0.05). The commonest protective maneuvers were sunglasses (78%), prolonged topical corticosteroids (57%), Mitomycin-C (39%) and oral vitamin C (37%). We found no significant difference in ophthalmologists' practice patterns to prevent post-PRK corneal haze in relation to practice location latitude and average sunshine days. Moreover, the results demonstrated that the most widely used postoperative measures to prevent post-PRK haze are sunglasses, Mitomycin-C, topical corticosteroids, and oral Vitamin C.

Cost of illness among patients with diabetic foot ulcer in Turkey

PubMed Central

Oksuz, Ergun; Malhan, Simten; Sonmez, Bilge; Numanoglu Tekin, Rukiye

2016-01-01

AIM To evaluate the annual cost of patients with Wagner grade 3-4-5 diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) from the public payer’s perspective in Turkey. METHODS This study was conducted focused on a time frame of one year from the public payer’s perspective. Cost-of-illness (COI) methodology, which was developed by the World Health Organization, was used in the generation of cost data. By following a clinical path with the COI method, the main total expenses were reached by multiplying the number of uses of each expense item, the percentage of cases that used them and unit costs. Clinical guidelines and real data specific to Turkey were used in the calculation of the direct costs. Monte Carlo Simulation was used in the study as a sensitivity analysis. RESULTS The following were calculated in DFU treatment from the public payer’s perspective: The annual average per patient outpatient costs $579.5 (4.1%), imaging test costs $283.2 (2.0%), laboratory test costs $284.8 (2.0%), annual average per patient cost of intervention, rehabilitation and trainings $2291.7 (16.0%), annual average per patient cost of drugs used $2545.8 (17.8%) and annual average per patient cost of medical materials used in DFU treatment $735.0 (5.1%). The average annual per patient cost for hospital admission is $7357.4 (51.5%). The average per patient complication cost for DFU is $210.3 (1.5%). The average annual per patient cost of DFU treatment in Turkey is $14287.70. As a result of the sensitivity analysis, the standard deviation of the analysis was $5706.60 (n = 5000, mean = $14146.8, 95%CI: $13988.6-$14304.9). CONCLUSION The health expenses per person are $-PPP 1045 in 2014 in Turkey and the average annual per patient cost for DFU is 14-fold of said amount. The total health expense in 2014 in Turkey is $-PPP 80.3 billion and the total DFU cost has a 3% share in the total annual health expenses for Turkey. Hospital costs are the highest component in DFU disease costs. In order to prevent DFU, training of the patients at risk and raising consciousness in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) will provide benefits in terms of economy. Appropriate and efficient treatment of DM is a health intervention that can prevent complications. PMID:27795820

[An investigation of ionizing radiation dose in a manufacturing enterprise of ion-absorbing type rare earth ore].

PubMed

Zhang, W F; Tang, S H; Tan, Q; Liu, Y M

2016-08-20

Objective: To investigate radioactive source term dose monitoring and estimation results in a manufacturing enterprise of ion-absorbing type rare earth ore and the possible ionizing radiation dose received by its workers. Methods: Ionizing radiation monitoring data of the posts in the control area and supervised area of workplace were collected, and the annual average effective dose directly estimated or estimated using formulas was evaluated and analyzed. Results: In the control area and supervised area of the workplace for this rare earth ore, α surface contamination activity had a maximum value of 0.35 Bq/cm 2 and a minimum value of 0.01 Bq/cm 2 ; β radioactive surface contamination activity had a maximum value of 18.8 Bq/cm 2 and a minimum value of 0.22 Bq/cm 2 . In 14 monitoring points in the workplace, the maximum value of the annual average effective dose of occupational exposure was 1.641 mSv/a, which did not exceed the authorized limit for workers (5 mSv/a) , but exceeded the authorized limit for general personnel (0.25 mSv/a) . The radionuclide specific activity of ionic mixed rare earth oxides was determined to be 0.9. Conclusion: The annual average effective dose of occupational exposure in this enterprise does not exceed the authorized limit for workers, but it exceeds the authorized limit for general personnel. We should pay attention to the focus of the radiation process, especially for public works radiation.

76 FR 3142 - Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average Total Assets That Defines Community Financial...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-19

... FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY [No. 2011-N-01] Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average.... ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has adjusted the cap on average total... average total assets below a statutory cap. See 12 U.S.C. 1422(10)(A); 12 CFR 1263.1. The Bank Act was...

Globally Averaged Atmospheric CFC-11 Concentrations: Monthly and Annual Data for the Period 1975-1992 (DB1010)

DOE Data Explorer

Khalil, M. A.K. [Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology Portland, Oregon (USA); Rasmussen, R. A. [Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology Portland, Oregon

1996-01-01

This data set presents globally averaged atmospheric concentrations of chlorofluorocarbon 11, known also as CFC-11 or F-11 (chemical name: trichlorofluoromethane; formula: CCl3F). The monthly global average data are derived from flask air samples collected at eight sites in six locations over the period August 1980-July 1992. The sites are Barrow (Alaska), Cape Meares (Oregon), Cape Kumukahi and Mauna Loa (Hawaii), Cape Matatula (American Samoa), Cape Grim (Tasmania), Palmer Station, and the South Pole (Antarctica). At each collection site, monthly averages were obtained from three flask samples collected every week. In addition to the monthly global averages available for 1980-992, this data set also contains annual global average data for 1975-1985. These annual global averages were derived from January measurements at the South Pole and in the Pacific Northwest of the United States (specifically, Washington state and the Oregon coast).

Changes in flow in the Beaver-North Canadian River basin upstream from Canton Lake, western Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wahl, Kenneth L.; Tortorelli, Robert L.

1997-01-01

This report presents the results of an evaluation of hydrologic data for the Beaver-North Canadian River basin upstream from Canton Lake in western Oklahoma. It examines the climatic and hydrologic data for evidence of trends. The hydrologic data examined includes total annual flow, base flow, and annual peak discharges. This study was conducted to determine if there is evidence of trends present in hydrologic and climatic data. All available streamflow-gaging station data, with at least 10 or more years of record, were examined for trends. In addition, the data were divided into an 'early' period (ending in 1971), representing conditions before ground-water levels had declined appreciably, and a 'recent' period (1978-1994), reflecting the condition of declining ground-water levels, including the effects of storage reservoirs. Tests for trend, moving averages, and comparisons of median and average flows for an early period (ending in 1971) with those for the recent period (1978-1994) show that the total annual volume of flow and the magnitudes of instantaneous annual peak discharges measured at most gaging stations in the Beaver- North Canadian River basin have decreased in recent years. Precipitation records for the panhandle, however, show no corresponding changes. The changes in flow are most pronounced in the headwaters upstream from Woodward, but also are evident at Woodward and near Seiling, which represents the inflow to Canton Lake. The average annual discharge decreased between the early period and the recent period by the following amounts: near Guymon, 18,000 acre-feet; at Beaver, 68,000 acre-feet; at Woodward, 72,000 acre-feet; and near Seiling, 63,000 acre-feet. These decreases, expressed as a percentage of the average flows for the early period, were 91 percent near Guymon, 82 percent at Beaver, 49 percent at Woodward, and 37 percent near Seiling. The medians of the annual peak discharges decreased from the early period to the recent period by the following amounts: near Guymon, 98 percent; at Beaver, 86 percent; at Woodward, 80 percent; and near Seiling, 53 percent. The Guymon gage is not affected by reservoirs; the other three mainstem gaging stations are influenced by reservoirs, but the decreases in annual peak discharges are greater than can be explained by storage in those reservoirs. Base flows have undergone substantial change, but unlike the annual volumes the base flows show some increases and some decreases. Flow duration analyses show a shift in the distribution of annual flows. Less contribution is coming from large floods that formerly added substantially to the yearly average flows. Near Seiling, for example, the magnitudes of the large flows that occur less than about 20 percent of the time were greatly reduced in the recent period. A primary mechanism producing these decreased streamflows appears to be the depletion of ground water in the High Plains aquifer that underlies more than 90 percent of the basin. Changes in farming and conservation practices and in water use also may be having an effect.

Hydrologic effects of annually diverting 131,000 acre-feet of water from Dillon Reservoir, central Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alley, William M.; Bauer, D.P.; Veenhuis, J.E.; Brennan, Robert

1979-01-01

Because of the increased demands for water in eastern Colorado, principally in the urbanizing Denver metropolitan area, increased diversions of water from Dillon Reservoir are planned. Estimates of end-of-month storage in Dillon Reservoir, assuming the reservoir was in place and 131,000 acre-feet of water were diverted from the reservoir each year, were reconstructed by mass balance for the 1931-77 water years. Based on the analysis, the annual maximum end-of-month drawdown below the elevation at full storage would have averaged 54 feet. The maximum end-of-month drawdown below the elevation at full storage would have been 171 feet. The mean-annual discharge-weighted dissolved-solids concentrations in the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs and Cameo, Colo., and Cisco, Utah, for the 1942-77 water years, were computed assuming an annual diversion of 131,000 acre-feet of water from Dillon Reservoir. The average increases in the dissolved-solids concentrations with the 131 ,000-acre-foot diversion were 15 to 16 milligrams per liter at the three sites. (Woodard-USGS)

Systematic review of the relationship of Helicobacter pylori infection with geographical latitude, average annual temperature and average daily sunshine.

PubMed

Lu, Chao; Yu, Ye; Li, Lan; Yu, Chaohui; Xu, Ping

2018-04-17

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a worldwide threat to human health with high prevalence. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between latitude, average annual temperature, average daily sunshine time and H. pylori infection. The PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov , EBSCO and Web of Science databases were searched to identify studies reporting H. pylori infection. Latitude 30° was the cut-off level for low and mid-latitude areas. We obtained information for latitude, average annual temperature, average daily sunshine, and Human Development Index (HDI) from reports of studies of the relationships with H. pylori infection. Of the 51 studies included, there was significant difference in H. pylori infection between the low- and mid-latitude areas (P = 0.05). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of H. pylori infection in each 15°-latitude zone analyzed (P = 0.061). Subgroup analysis revealed the highest and lowest H. pylori infection rates in the developing regions at > 30° latitude subgroup and the developed regions at < 30° latitude subgroup, respectively (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that average annual temperature, average daily sunshine time and HDI were significantly correlated with H. pylori infection (P = 0.009, P < 0.001, P < 0.001), while there was no correlation between H. pylori infection and latitude. Our analysis showed that higher average annual temperature was associated with lower H. pylori infection rates, while average daily sunshine time correlated positively with H. pylori infection. HDI was also found to be a significant factor, with higher HDI associated with lower infection rates. These findings provide evidence that can be used to devise strategies for the prevention and control of H. pylori.

Estimating 1970-99 average annual groundwater recharge in Wisconsin using streamflow data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gebert, Warren A.; Walker, John F.; Kennedy, James L.

2011-01-01

Average annual recharge in Wisconsin for the period 1970-99 was estimated using streamflow data from U.S. Geological Survey continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations and partial-record sites. Partial-record sites have discharge measurements collected during low-flow conditions. The average annual base flow of a stream divided by the drainage area is a good approximation of the recharge rate; therefore, once average annual base flow is determined recharge can be calculated. Estimates of recharge for nearly 72 percent of the surface area of the State are provided. The results illustrate substantial spatial variability of recharge across the State, ranging from less than 1 inch to more than 12 inches per year. The average basin size for partial-record sites (50 square miles) was less than the average basin size for the gaging stations (305 square miles). Including results for smaller basins reveals a spatial variability that otherwise would be smoothed out using only estimates for larger basins. An error analysis indicates that the techniques used provide base flow estimates with standard errors ranging from 5.4 to 14 percent.

Effects of alternative instream-flow criteria and water-supply demands on ground-water development options in the Big River Area, Rhode Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

Granato, Gregory E.; Barlow, Paul M.

2005-01-01

Transient numerical ground-water-flow simulation and optimization techniques were used to evaluate potential effects of instream-flow criteria and water-supply demands on ground-water development options and resultant streamflow depletions in the Big River Area, Rhode Island. The 35.7 square-mile (mi2) study area includes three river basins, the Big River Basin (30.9 mi2), the Carr River Basin (which drains to the Big River Basin and is 7.33 mi2 in area), the Mishnock River Basin (3.32 mi2), and a small area that drains directly to the Flat River Reservoir. The overall objective of the simulations was to determine the amount of ground water that could be withdrawn from the three basins when constrained by streamflow requirements at four locations in the study area and by maximum rates of withdrawal at 13 existing and hypothetical well sites. The instream-flow requirement for the outlet of each basin and the outfall of Lake Mishnock were the primary variables that limited the amount of ground water that could be withdrawn. A requirement to meet seasonal ground-water-demand patterns also limits the amount of ground water that could be withdrawn by up to about 50 percent of the total withdrawals without the demand-pattern constraint. Minimum water-supply demands from a public water supplier in the Mishnock River Basin, however, did not have a substantial effect on withdrawals in the Big River Basin. Hypothetical dry-period instream-flow requirements and the effects of artificial recharge also affected the amount of ground water that could be withdrawn. Results of simulations indicate that annual average ground-water withdrawal rates that range up to 16 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) can be withdrawn from the study area under simulated average hydrologic conditions depending on instream-flow criteria and water-supply demand patterns. Annual average withdrawals of 10 to 12 Mgal/d are possible for proposed demands of 3.4 Mgal/d in the Mishnock Basin, and for a constant annual instream-flow criterion of 0.5 cubic foot per second per square mile (ft3/s/mi2) at the four streamflow-constraint locations. An average withdrawal rate of 10 Mgal/d can meet estimates of future (2020) water-supply needs of surrounding communities in Rhode Island. This withdrawal rate represents about 13 percent of the average 2002 daily withdrawal from the Scituate Reservoir (76 Mgal/d), the State?s largest water supply. Average annual withdrawal rates of 6 to 7 Mgal/d are possible for more stringent instream-flow criteria that might be used during dry-period hydrologic conditions. Two example scenarios of dry-period instream-flow constraints were evaluated: first, a minimum instream flow of 0.1 cubic foot per second at any of the four constraint locations; and second, a minimum instream flow of 10 percent of the minimum monthly streamflow estimate for each streamflow-constraint location during the period 1961?2000. The State of Rhode Island is currently (2004) considering methods for establishing instream-flow criteria for streams within the State. Twelve alternative annual, seasonal, or monthly instream-flow criteria that have been or are being considered for application in southeastern New England were used as hypothetical constraints on maximum ground-water-withdrawal rates in management-model calculations. Maximum ground-water-withdrawal rates ranged from 5 to 16 Mgal/d under five alternative annual instream-flow criteria. Maximum ground-water-withdrawal rates ranged from 0 to 13.6 Mgal/d under seven alternative seasonal or monthly instream-flow criteria. The effect of ground-water withdrawals on seasonal variations in monthly average streamflows under each criterion also were compared. Evaluation of management-model results indicates that a single annual instream-flowcriterion may be sufficient to preserve seasonal variations in monthly average streamflows and meet water-supply demands in the Big River Area, because withdrawals from wells in the Big

Sediment Flux of Particulate Organic Phosphorus in the Open Black Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parkhomenko, A. V.; Kukushkin, A. S.

2018-03-01

The interannual variation of the monthly average (weighted average) concentrations of particulate organic phosphorus (PPOM) in the photosynthetic layer, oxycline, redox zone, and H2S zone in the open Black Sea is estimated based on long-term observation data. The suspension sedimentation rates from the studied layers are assessed using model calculations and published data. The annual variation of PPOM sediment fluxes from the photosynthetic layer, oxycline, redox zone, and upper H2S zone to the anaerobic zone of the sea and the correspondingly annual average values are estimated for the first time. A regular decrease in the PPOM annual average flux with depth in the upper active layer is demonstrated. A correlation between the annual average values of PPOM sediment flux from the photosynthetic layer and ascending phosphate flux to this layer is shown, which suggests their balance in the open sea. The results are discussed in terms of the phosphorus biogeochemical cycle and the concept of new and regenerative primary production in the open Black Sea.

“Grain for Green” driven land use change and carbon sequestration on the Loess Plateau, China

PubMed Central

Deng, Lei; Shangguan, Zhou-ping; Sweeney, Sandra

2014-01-01

Land-use change is widely considered to be a major factor affecting soil carbon (C) sequestration (ΔCs). This paper studied changes to soil C stocks (Cs) following the conversion of farmland to forest, shrub and grassland across the key area for implementing China's “Grain for Green” — the Loess Plateau. The results are based on a synthesis of 44 recent publications (including 424 observations at 70 sites) which has allowed us to further refine our understanding of the mechanisms driving the increase in Cs following farmland conversion. This synthesis suggests that the ΔCs potential of the Loess Plateau could reach 0.59 Tg yr−1 based on an estimated annual average ΔCs rate of 0.29 Mg ha−1 yr−1. In the region's different rainfall zones both the main contributing factors and Cs dynamics varied. Across the entire Loess Plateau, Cs showed first an increasing (<5 yr) then a decreasing (6–10 yr) tendency only to increase (>10 yr) yet again. In addition, the ΔCs rates depended primarily on restoration age. This synthesis demonstrates that both the initial s Cs and the average annual temperature have a significant effect on ΔCs while the effect of land-use conversion type, rainfall zone, and average annual precipitation were minimal. PMID:25391219

Annual and Semi-Annual Temperature Oscillations in the Upper Mesosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niciejewski, R. J.; Killeen, T. L.

1995-01-01

Fourier transform spectrometer observations of the mesosphere have been performed at the University of Michigan (latitude: 42.5 N) on a long term basis. A database of near infrared Meinel hydroxyl spectra has been accumulated from which rotational temperatures have been determined. Harmonic analysis of one-day averaged temperatures for the period 1992.0 to 1994.5 has shown a distinct annual and semi-annual variation. Subsequent fitting of a five term periodic function characterizing the annual and semi-annual temperature oscillations to the daily averaged temperatures was performed. The resultant mean temperature and the amplitudes and phases of the annual and semi-annual variations are shown to coincide with an emission height slightly above 85 km which is consistent with the mean rocket derived altitude for peak nocturnal hydroxyl emission.

Assessing alternative industrial fortification portfolios: a Bangladesh case study.

PubMed

Fiedler, John L; Lividini, Keith; Guyondet, Christophe; Bermudez, Odilia I

2015-03-01

Approximately 1.2 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are lost annually in Bangladesh due to deficiencies of vitamin A, iron, and zinc. To provide evidence on the coverage, costs, and cost-effectiveness of alternative fortification interventions to inform nutrition policy-making in Bangladesh. Combining the 2005 Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey with a Bangladesh food composition table, apparent intakes of energy, vitamin A, iron, and zinc, and the coverage and apparent consumption levels of fortifiable vegetable oil and wheat flour are estimated. Assuming that fortification levels are those established in official regulations, the costs and cost-effectiveness of the two vehicles are assessed independently and as a two-vehicle portfolio. Vegetable oil has a coverage rate of 76% and is estimated to reduce the prevalence of inadequate vitamin A intake from 83% to 64%. The coverage of wheat flour is high (65%), but the small quantities consumed result in small reductions in the prevalence of inadequate intakes: 1.5 percentage points for iron, less than 1 for zinc, and 2 for vitamin A, while reducing average Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) gaps by 8%, 9%, and 15%, respectively. The most cost-effective 10-micronutrient wheat flour formulation costs US $1.91 million annually, saving 129,212 DALYs at a unit cost of US $14.75. Fortifying vegetable oil would cost US $1.27 million annually, saving 406,877 DALYs at an average cost of US $3.25. Sensitivity analyses explore various permutations of the wheat flour formulation. Divisional variations in coverage, cost, and impact are examined. Vegetable oil fortification is the most cost-effective of the three portfolios analyzed, but all three are very cost-effective options for Bangladesh.

Evaluation of the solar conditions for the acquisitions of energy from renewable sources on the base of Sosnowiec city (Poland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarapata, Sonia

2014-09-01

The country's energy security risk, as well as a desire to protect the environment from the pollution and degradation which are the results of conventional fuels acquisition - these was a motivation for intensive researches on the use of renewable energy sources in eco - innovative installations. Solar radiation is one of the self - renewable energy sources which can be used both as a source of electricity and heat. The area of research is Sosnowiec city located in the south of Poland in the eastern part of Silesia voivodeship. The solar radiation data covering the years 2003 to 2013 was used. The intra - annual variability of daily averaged solar radiation hesitated in a wide range from 0.6 kWh/m2 (December) to 5.2 kWh/m2 (June). Day duration varies on average from 10 hours in January, November and December to 17 hours in May, June and July. Day occupies 56% of the 8767 hours in year. On average the largest amount of energy reached the analyzed area in July: 157 kWh/m2 (15% of the annual average), while the smallest in December: 18 kWh/m2 (less than 2% of the annual average). The 75% of the average annual total of energy falls on the period from 1st March to 31th August (spring - summer). The range of the annual solar radiation was determined by the minimum of 980 kWh/m2 and the maximum of 1094 kWh/m2. In Sosnowiec the average annual irradiation total on the horizontal surface amounts to 1052 kWh/m2 (2003 - 2013)

20 CFR 226.63 - Determining monthly compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... obtained by dividing the average annual wage for the indexing year by the average annual wage for the year... wage for 1951 is used. (2) Indexing year defined. The indexing year is the second year before the year...

20 CFR 226.63 - Determining monthly compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... obtained by dividing the average annual wage for the indexing year by the average annual wage for the year... wage for 1951 is used. (2) Indexing year defined. The indexing year is the second year before the year...

20 CFR 226.63 - Determining monthly compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... obtained by dividing the average annual wage for the indexing year by the average annual wage for the year... wage for 1951 is used. (2) Indexing year defined. The indexing year is the second year before the year...

20 CFR 226.63 - Determining monthly compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... obtained by dividing the average annual wage for the indexing year by the average annual wage for the year... wage for 1951 is used. (2) Indexing year defined. The indexing year is the second year before the year...

20 CFR 226.63 - Determining monthly compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... obtained by dividing the average annual wage for the indexing year by the average annual wage for the year... wage for 1951 is used. (2) Indexing year defined. The indexing year is the second year before the year...

Schedule of average annual equipment ownership expense

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-03-06

The "Schedule of Average Annual Equipment Ownership Expense" is designed for use on Force Account bills of Contractors performing work for the Illinois Department of Transportation and local government agencies who choose to adopt these rates. This s...

Mass balance, meteorological, ice motion, surface altitude, runoff, and ice thickness data at Gulkana Glacier, Alaska, 1995 balance year

USGS Publications Warehouse

March, Rod S.

2000-01-01

The 1995 measured winter snow, maximum winter snow, net, and annual balances in the Gulkana Glacier basin were evaluated on the basis of meteorological, hydrological, and glaciological data obtained in the basin. Averaged over the glacier, the measured winter snow balance was 0.94 meter on April 19, 1995, 0.6 standard deviation below the long-term average; the maximum winter snow balance, 0.94 meter, was reached on April 25, 1995; the net balance (from September 18, 1994 to August 29, 1995) was -0.70 meter, 0.76 standard deviation below the long-term average. The annual balance (October 1, 1994, to September 30, 1995) was -0.86 meter. Ice-surface motion and altitude changes measured at three index sites document seasonal ice speed and glacier-thickness changes. Annual stream runoff was 2.05 meters averaged over the basin, approximately equal to the long-term average. The 1976 ice-thickness data are reported from a single site near the highest measurement site (180 meters thick) and from two glacier cross profiles near the mid-glacier (270 meters thick on centerline) and low glacier (150 meters thick on centerline) measurement sites. A new area-altitude distribution determined from 1993 photogrammetry is reported. Area-averaged balances are reported from both the 1967 and 1993 area-altitude distribution so the reader may directly see the effect of the update. Briefly, loss of ablation area between 1967 and 1993 results in a larger weighting being applied to data from the upper glacier site and hence, increases calculated area-averaged balances. The balance increase is of the order of 15 percent for net balance.

The effects of ground hydrology on climate sensitivity to solar constant variations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chou, S. H.; Curran, R. J.; Ohring, G.

1979-01-01

The effects of two different evaporation parameterizations on the climate sensitivity to solar constant variations are investigated by using a zonally averaged climate model. The model is based on a two-level quasi-geostrophic zonally averaged annual mean model. One of the evaporation parameterizations tested is a nonlinear formulation with the Bowen ratio determined by the predicted vertical temperature and humidity gradients near the earth's surface. The other is the linear formulation with the Bowen ratio essentially determined by the prescribed linear coefficient.

Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP): 2010 Annual Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-01

training sessions that took place in FY10 to assess the program’s effectiveness. MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS Pretest and posttests have been developed with...competence level among the trainees. Pretest scores ranged from 32.5% to 67.5%, while posttest scores ranged from 65.0% to 75.0%, making it clear that...it was a valuable training. The average pretest score went from approximately 50% to a posttest average of 70%. Below is a table of scores, followed

The Great Basin Canada goose in southcentral Washington: A 40-year nesting history

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fitzner, R.E.; Rickard, W.H.; Eberhardt, L.E.

1991-04-01

Overall, the nesting population of Great Basin Canada geese (Branta canadensis moffitti) on the Hanford Site in southcentral Washington State is doing well and appears to be increasing. The average annual total nests for the period 1981 through 1990 was 215 nests, which is slightly above the average reported for the period 1950 through 1970. The nesting population has shifted its nucleus from upriver islands (1--10) to the lower river islands (11--20) with over 70% of the present-day nesting occurring on Islands 17, 18, 19, 20. The annual percent-successful nests from 1981 through 1990 was 80%. This is above themore » 71% reported for 1950 to 1970, but is below the 82% reported for 1971 to 1980. Average annual clutch size for 1981 to 1990 was 6.05, which is above the 1971-to-1980 average of 5.6 and the 1950-to-70 average of 5.5. Next desertions for 1981 to 1990 averaged 8%. This rate is well below the 14% reported for 1950 to 1970. Predators were responsible for an annual predation rate of 9% from 1981 to 1990. This is below the 1950-to-1970 annual average predation rate of 14%. Flooding losses to nests were low during the 1980s, except for 1989 and 1990 when 6% and 9% of the total nests, respectively, were destroyed by flooding. 9 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.« less

Mount St. Helens, Washington Feasibility Report & Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1: Main Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-12-01

Base Condition WITH-PROJECT CONDITION Single Retention Structure Identification of NED Plan Benefits - NED Plan SENSITIVITY OF NED PLAN TO...Downstream Actions COSTS OF THE PREFERRED PLAN BENEFITS OF THE PREFERRED PLAN Economic and Social Effects Prevention of Erosion Maintenance of...continued) TABLES Residual Damages Summary of Costs Preferred Alternative Sediment MOvement Net Average Annual NED Benefits Total Flood Damages Average

The Consequences of Indexing the Minimum Wage to Average Wages in the U.S. Economy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macpherson, David A.; Even, William E.

The consequences of indexing the minimum wage to average wages in the U.S. economy were analyzed. The study data were drawn from the 1974-1978 May Current Population Survey (CPS) and the 180 monthly CPS Outgoing Rotation Group files for 1979-1993 (approximate annual sample sizes of 40,000 and 180,000, respectively). The effects of indexing on the…

Wind conditions on migration influence the annual survival of a neotropical migrant, the western yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens auricollis).

PubMed

Huang, Andrew C; Bishop, Christine A; McKibbin, René; Drake, Anna; Green, David J

2017-08-10

Long-distance migratory birds in North America have undergone precipitous declines over the past half-century. Although the trend is clear, for many migrating species underpinning the exact causes poses a challenge to conservation due to the numerous stressors that they encounter. Climate conditions during all phases of their annual cycle can have important consequences for their survival. Here, using 15 years of capture-recapture dataset, we determined the effects of various climate factors during the breeding, wintering, and migrating stages on the annual survival of a western yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens auricollis) population breeding in southwestern Canada. El Niño effects over the entire annual cycle had little influence on the annual apparent survival of yellow-breasted chats. However, we found evidence that wind conditions during migration, specifically average westerly wind speed or the frequency of storm events, had significant adverse effects on adult annual apparent survival. In comparison, precipitation levels on wintering ground had little to no influence on adult annual apparent survival, whereas growing degree days on the breeding ground had moderate but positive effects. In the face of climate change and its predicted impacts on climate processes, understanding the influence of weather conditions on the survival of migrating birds can allow appropriate conservation strategies to be adopted for chats and other declining neotropical migrants.

A comparison of the dose from natural radionuclides and artificial radionuclides after the Fukushima nuclear accident

PubMed Central

Hosoda, Masahiro; Tokonami, Shinji; Omori, Yasutaka; Ishikawa, Tetsuo; Iwaoka, Kazuki

2016-01-01

Due to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, the evacuees from Namie Town still cannot reside in the town, and some continue to live in temporary housing units. In this study, the radon activity concentrations were measured at temporary housing facilities, apartments and detached houses in Fukushima Prefecture in order to estimate the annual internal exposure dose of residents. A passive radon–thoron monitor (using a CR-39) and a pulse-type ionization chamber were used to evaluate the radon activity concentration. The average radon activity concentrations at temporary housing units, including a medical clinic, apartments and detached houses, were 5, 7 and 9 Bq m−3, respectively. Assuming the residents lived in these facilities for one year, the average annual effective doses due to indoor radon in each housing type were evaluated as 0.18, 0.22 and 0.29 mSv, respectively. The average effective doses to all residents in Fukushima Prefecture due to natural and artificial sources were estimated using the results of the indoor radon measurements and published data. The average effective dose due to natural sources for the evacuees from Namie Town was estimated to be 1.9 mSv. In comparison, for the first year after the FDNPP accident, the average effective dose for the evacuees due to artificial sources from the accident was 5.0 mSv. Although residents' internal and external exposures due to natural radionuclides cannot be avoided, it might be possible to lower external exposure due to the artificial radionuclides by changing some behaviors of residents. PMID:26838130

Air concentrations of /sup 239/Pu and /sup 240/Pu and potential radiation doses to persons living near Pu-contaminated areas in Palomares, Spain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iranzo, E.; Salvador, S.; Iranzo, C.E.

1987-04-01

On 17 January 1966, an accident during a refueling operation resulted in the destruction of an air force KC-135 tanker and a B-52 bomber carrying four thermonuclear weapons. Two weapons, whose parachutes opened, were found intact. The others experienced non-nuclear explosion with some burning and release of the fissile fuel at impact. Joint efforts by the United States and Spain resulted in remedial action and a long-term program to monitor the effectiveness of the cleanup. Air concentrations of /sup 239/Pu and /sup 240/Pu have been continuously monitored since the accident. The average annual air concentration for each location was usedmore » to estimate committed dose equivalents for individuals living and working around the air sampling stations. The average annual /sup 239/Pu and /sup 240/Pu air concentrations during the 15-y period corresponding to 1966-1980 and the potential committed dose equivalents for various tissues due to the inhalation of the /sup 239/Pu and /sup 240/Pu average annual air concentration during this period are shown and discussed in the report.« less

Health benefits in 2014: stability in premiums and coverage for employer-sponsored plans.

PubMed

Claxton, Gary; Rae, Matthew; Panchal, Nirmita; Whitmore, Heidi; Damico, Anthony; Kenward, Kevin

2014-10-01

The annual Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research and Educational Trust Employer Health Benefits Survey found that in 2014 the average annual premium (employer and worker contributions combined) for single coverage was $6,025, similar to 2013. The premium for family coverage was $16,834--3 percent higher than a year ago. Average deductibles and most other cost-sharing amounts were similar to those in 2013. On average, in 2014 covered workers paid nearly $5,000 per year for family health insurance premiums, and 18 percent of covered workers were in a plan with an annual single coverage deductible of $2,000 or more. Fifty-five percent of employers offered health benefits in 2014, similar to 2013. The Affordable Care Act has not yet led to substantial changes in the employer-based market. However, the next few years could present a different picture as delayed provisions and other changes take effect. This year's survey included new questions on firms' policies related to enrolling spouses and dependents, enrollment in private exchanges, and the use of narrow networks and financial incentives for wellness programs. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Simulation of streamflow and the effects of brush management on water yields in the Double Mountain Fork Brazos River watershed, western Texas 1994–2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harwell, Glenn R.; Stengel, Victoria G.; Bumgarner, Johnathan R.

2016-04-20

The calibrated watershed model was used to perform brush-management simulations. The National Land Cover Database 2006, which was the land-cover data used to develop the watershed model, was modified to simulate shrubland replacement with grassland in each of the 35 model subbasins. After replacement of shrubland with grassland in areas with land slope less than 20 percent and excluding riparian areas, the modeled 20-year (1994 through 2013) water yields to Lake Alan Henry increased by 114,000 acre-feet or about 5,700 acre-feet per year. In terms of the increase in water yield per acre of shrubland replaced with grassland, the average annual increase in water yield was 17,300 gallons per acre. Within the modeled subbasins, the increase in average annual water yield ranged from 5,850 to 34,400 gallons per acre of shrubland replaced with grassland. Subbasins downstream from the Justiceburg gage had a higher average annual increase in water yield (21,700 gallons per acre) than subbasins upstream from the streamflow-gaging station (16,800 gallons per acre).

Implementation of a national external quality assessment program for medical laboratories in Burkina Faso: challenges, lessons learned, and perspectives.

PubMed

Sakandé, Jean; Nikièma, Abdoulaye; Kabré, Elie; Sawadogo, Charles; Nacoulma, Eric W; Sanou, Mamadou; Sangaré, Lassana; Traoré-Ouédraogo, Rasmata; Sawadogo, Mamadou; Gershy-Damet, Guy Michel

2014-02-01

The National External Quality Assessment (NEQA) program of Burkina Faso is a proficiency testing program mandatory for all laboratories in the country since 2006. The program runs two cycles per year and covers all areas of laboratories. All panels were validated by the expert committee before dispatch under optimal storage and transport conditions to participating laboratories along with report forms. Performance in the last 5 years varied by panel, with average annual performance of bacteriology panels for all laboratories rising from 75% in 2006 to 81% in 2010 and with a best average performance of 87% in 2007 and 2008. During the same period, malaria microscopy performance varied from 85% to 94%, with a best average performance of 94% in 2010; chemistry performance increased from 87% to 94%, with a best average annual performance of 97% in 2009. Hematology showed more variation in performance, ranging from 61% to 86%, with a best annual average performance of 90% in 2008. Average annual performance for immunology varied less between 2006 and 2010, recording 97%, 90%, and 95%. Except for malaria microscopy, annual performances for enrolled panels varied substantially from year to year, indicating some difficulty in maintaining consistency in quality. The main challenges of the NEQA program observed between 2006 to 2010 were funding, sourcing, and safe transportation of quality panels to all laboratories countrywide.

25 CFR 30.116 - If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable objectives, what other methods may it use to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... participated in the assessment. (b) Method B—Uniform Averaging Procedure. A school may use uniform averaging... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable... Adequate Yearly Progress § 30.116 If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable objectives, what other...

25 CFR 30.116 - If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable objectives, what other methods may it use to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... participated in the assessment. (b) Method B—Uniform Averaging Procedure. A school may use uniform averaging... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable... Adequate Yearly Progress § 30.116 If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable objectives, what other...

25 CFR 30.116 - If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable objectives, what other methods may it use to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... participated in the assessment. (b) Method B—Uniform Averaging Procedure. A school may use uniform averaging... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable... Adequate Yearly Progress § 30.116 If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable objectives, what other...

25 CFR 30.116 - If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable objectives, what other methods may it use to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... participated in the assessment. (b) Method B—Uniform Averaging Procedure. A school may use uniform averaging... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable... Adequate Yearly Progress § 30.116 If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable objectives, what other...

25 CFR 30.116 - If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable objectives, what other methods may it use to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... participated in the assessment. (b) Method B—Uniform Averaging Procedure. A school may use uniform averaging... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable... Adequate Yearly Progress § 30.116 If a school fails to achieve its annual measurable objectives, what other...

Satellite derived estimates of forest leaf area index in South-west Western Australia are not tightly coupled to inter-annual variations in rainfall: implications for groundwater decline in a drying climate.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smettem, Keith; Waring, Richard; Callow, Nik; Wilson, Melissa; Mu, Qiaozhen

2013-04-01

There is increasing concern that widespread forest decline could occur in regions of the world where droughts are predicted to increase in frequency and severity as a result of climate change. Ecological optimality proposes that the long term average canopy size of undisturbed perennial vegetation is tightly coupled to climate. The average annual leaf area index (LAI) is an indicator of canopy cover and the difference between the annual maximum and minimum LAI is an indicator of annual leaf turnover. In this study we analysed satellite-derived estimates of monthly LAI across forested coastal catchments of South-west Western Australia over a 12 year period (2000-2011) that included the driest year on record for the last 60 years. We observed that over the 12 year study period, the spatial pattern of average annual satellite-derived LAI values was linearly related to mean annual rainfall. However, inter-annual changes to LAI in response to changes in annual rainfall were far less than expected from the long-term LAI-rainfall trend. This buffered response was investigated using a physiological growth model and attributed to availability of deep soil moisture and/or groundwater storage. The maintenance of high LAIs may be linked to a long term decline in areal average underground water storage storage and diminished summer flows, with a trend towards more ephemeral flow regimes.

Estimation of annual average daily traffic for off-system roads in Florida

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-07-28

Estimation of Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) is extremely important in traffic planning and operations for the state departments of transportation (DOTs), because AADT provides information for the planning of new road construction, determination...

Estimates of annual survival, growth, and recruitment of a white-tailed ptarmigan population in Colorado over 43 years

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wann, Greg; Aldridge, Cameron L.; Braun, Clait E.

2014-01-01

Long-term datasets for high-elevation species are rare, and considerable uncertainty exists in understanding how high-elevation populations have responded to recent climate warming. We present estimates of demographic vital rates from a 43-year population study of white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), a species endemic to alpine habitats in western North America. We used capture-recapture models to estimate annual rates of apparent survival, population growth, and recruitment for breeding-age ptarmigan, and we fit winter weather covariates to models in an attempt to explain annual variation. There were no trends in survival over the study period but there was strong support for age and sex effects. The average rate of annual growth suggests a relatively stable breeding-age population ( λ ¯ = 1.036), but there was considerable variation between years for both population growth and recruitment rates. Winter weather covariates only explained a small amount of variation in female survival and were not an important predictor of male survival. Cumulative winter precipitation was found to have a quadratic effect on female survival, with survival being highest during years of average precipitation. Cumulative winter precipitation was positively correlated with population growth and recruitment rates, although this covariate only explained a small amount of annual variation in these rates and there was considerable uncertainty among the models tested. Our results provide evidence for an alpine-endemic population that has not experienced extirpation or drastic declines. However, more information is needed to understand risks and vulnerabilities of warming effects on juveniles as our analysis was confined to determination of vital rates for breeding-age birds.

Daily radionuclide ingestion and internal radiation doses in Aomori prefecture, Japan.

PubMed

Ohtsuka, Yoshihito; Kakiuchi, Hideki; Akata, Naofumi; Takaku, Yuichi; Hisamatsu, Shun'ichi

2013-10-01

To assess internal annual dose in the general public in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, 80 duplicate cooked diet samples, equivalent to the food consumed over a 400-d period by one person, were collected from 100 volunteers in Aomori City and the village of Rokkasho during 2006–2010 and were analyzed for 11 radionuclides. To obtain average rates of ingestion of radionuclides, the volunteers were selected from among office, fisheries, agricultural, and livestock farm workers. Committed effective doses from ingestion of the diet over a 1-y period were calculated from the analytical results and from International Commission on Radiological Protection dose coefficients; for 40K, an internal effective dose rate from the literature was used. Fisheries workers had significantly higher combined internal annual dose than the other workers, possibly because of high rates of ingestion of marine products known to have high 210Po concentrations. The average internal dose rate, weighted by the numbers of households in each worker group in Aomori Prefecture, was estimated at 0.47 mSv y-1. Polonium-210 contributed 49% of this value. The sum of committed effective dose rates for 210Po, 210Pb, 228Ra, and 14C and the effective dose rate of 40K accounted for approximately 99% of the average internal dose rate.

76 FR 79579 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-22

... posting of the availability of the submittal on EPA's Adequacy Web site (at http://www.epa.gov/otaq... average annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration), if it had a 1-hour design... ozone standard is attained when the three-year average of the annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour...

GIS Tools to Estimate Average Annual Daily Traffic

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-01

This project presents five tools that were created for a geographical information system to estimate Annual Average Daily : Traffic using linear regression. Three of the tools can be used to prepare spatial data for linear regression. One tool can be...

West Bank of the Mississippi River in the Vicinity of New Orleans, Louisiana (East of the Harvey Canal) Hurricane Protection Study. Technical Appendixes. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-08-01

ANNUAL PRECIPITATION, 30-YEAR NORMALS (1951-1980) A-I-3 A-I-2 MEAN MONTHLY AND ANNUAL TEMPERATURE , 30-YEAR NORMALS (1951-1980) A-I-4 A-1-3 AVERAGE ...Environmental Quality (DEQ). CLIMATE The climate of the area is humid si!btropicl. AMual average temperature in the project area is 68°F, with monthly...normal temperatures varying from 82’F in July to 531F in Januwry. Average annual precipitation over tae area is 63 inche!, maiying from a monthly

Measurement of natural radioactivity and assessment of associated radiation hazards in soil around Baoji second coal-fired thermal power plant, China.

PubMed

Lu, Xinwei; Li, Xiaoxue; Yun, Pujun; Luo, Dacheng; Wang, Lijun; Ren, Chunhui; Chen, Cancan

2012-01-01

Activity concentrations of natural radionuclides (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in soil around Baoji Second coal-fired thermal power plant of China were determined using gamma ray spectrometry. The mean activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in soil were found to be 40.3 ± 3.5, 59.6 ± 3.1 and 751.2 ± 12.4 Bq kg(-1), respectively, which are all higher than the corresponding average values in Shaanxi, Chinese and world soil. The radium equivalent activity (Ra(eq)), the air absorbed dose rate (D), the annual effective dose (E), the external hazard index (H(ex)) and internal hazard index (H(in)) were evaluated and compared with the internationally reported or reference values. All the soil samples have Ra(eq) lower than the limit of 370 Bq kg(-1) and H(ex) and H(in) less than unity. The overall mean outdoor terrestrial gamma air absorbed dose rate is ∼86.6 ± 3.4 nGy h(-1) and the corresponding outdoor annual effective dose is 0.106 ± 0.004 mSv, which is higher than the worldwide average (0.07 mSv y(-1)) for outdoor's annual effective dose.

Hydrology of Eagle Creek Basin and effects of groundwater pumping on streamflow, 1969-2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Matherne, Anne Marie; Myers, Nathan C.; McCoy, Kurt J.

2010-01-01

Urban and resort development and drought conditions have placed increasing demands on the surface-water and groundwater resources of the Eagle Creek Basin, in southcentral New Mexico. The Village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, obtains 60-70 percent of its water from the Eagle Creek Basin. The village drilled four production wells on Forest Service land along North Fork Eagle Creek; three of the four wells were put into service in 1988 and remain in use. Local citizens have raised questions as to the effects of North Fork well pumping on flow in Eagle Creek. In response to these concerns, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Village of Ruidoso, conducted a hydrologic investigation from 2007 through 2009 of the potential effect of the North Fork well field on streamflow in North Fork Eagle Creek. Mean annual precipitation for the period of record (1942-2008) at the Ruidoso climate station is 22.21 inches per year with a range from 12.27 inches in 1970 to 34.81 inches in 1965. Base-flow analysis indicates that the 1970-80 mean annual discharge, direct runoff, and base flow were 2,260, 1,440, and 819 acre-ft/yr, respectively, and for 1989-2008 were 1,290, 871, and 417 acre-ft/yr, respectively. These results indicate that mean annual discharge, direct runoff, and base flow were less during the 1989-2008 period than during the 1970-80 period. Mean annual precipitation volume for the study area was estimated to be 12,200 acre-feet. Estimated annual evapotranspiration for the study area ranged from 8,730 to 8,890 acre-feet. Estimated annual basin yield for the study area was 3,390 acre-ft or about 28 percent of precipitation. On the basis of basin-yield computations, annual recharge was estimated to be 1,950 acre-ft, about 16 percent of precipitation. Using a chloride mass-balance method, groundwater recharge over the study area was estimated to average 490 acre-ft, about 4.0 percent of precipitation. Because the North Fork wells began pumping in 1988, 1969-80 represents the pre-groundwater-pumping period, and 1988-2009 represents the groundwater-pumping period. The 5-year moving average for precipitation at the Ruidoso climate station shows years of below-average precipitation during both time periods, but no days of zero flow were recorded for the 11-year period 1970-80 and no-flow days were recorded in 11 of 20 years for the 1988-2009 period. View report for unabridged abstract.

National Economic Development Procedures Manual. Coastal Storm Damage and Erosion

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

study area is temperate with warm summers and moderate winters. The annual temperature averages approximately 53 degrees Fahrenheit (*F). On average ...January is the coolest month with a mean temperature of 32°F and July is the warmest month. The average annual precipitation is about 45 inches with...0704.0188 Public rooing burden for rhr$ LoIlecton of ,nformaton .s estma eO to average I hour oer resiorse including the time for resrewing inttuctiOn

Effect of daily noise exposure monitoring on annual rates of hearing loss in industrial workers

PubMed Central

Rabinowitz, Peter M; Galusha, Deron; Kirsche, Sharon R; Cullen, Mark R; Slade, Martin D; Dixon-Ernst, Christine

2013-01-01

Objectives Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is prevalent, yet evidence on the effectiveness of preventive interventions is lacking. The effectiveness of a new technology allowing workers to monitor daily at-ear noise exposure was analysed. Methods Workers in the hearing conservation program of an aluminium smelter were recruited because of accelerated rates of hearing loss. The intervention consisted of daily monitoring of at-ear noise exposure and regular feedback on exposures from supervisors. The annual rate of change in high frequency hearing average at 2, 3 and 4 KHz before intervention (2000–2004) and 4 years after intervention (2006–2009) was determined. Annual rates of loss were compared between 78 intervention subjects and 234 controls in other company smelters matched for age, gender and high frequency hearing threshold level in 2005. Results Individuals monitoring daily noise exposure experienced on average no further worsening of high frequency hearing (average rate of hearing change at 2, 3 and 4 KHz=–0.5 dB/year). Matched controls also showed decelerating hearing loss, the difference in rates between the two groups being significant (p<0.0001). Analysis of a subset of intervention subjects matched to controls for initial rate of hearing loss showed a similar trend but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.06). Conclusion Monitoring daily occupational noise exposure inside hearing protection with ongoing administrative feedback apparently reduces the risk of occupational NIHL in industrial workers. Longer follow-up of these workers will help determine the significance of the intervention effect. Intervention studies for the prevention of NIHL need to include appropriate control groups. PMID:21193566

Assessment of the effectiveness of physical activity interventions in the Brazilian Unified Health System

PubMed Central

Ribeiro, Evelyn Helena Corgosinho; Garcia, Leandro Martin Totaro; Salvador, Emanuel Péricles; Costa, Evelyn Fabiana; Andrade, Douglas Roque; Latorre, Maria do Rosario Dias de Oliveira; Florindo, Alex Antonio

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of interventions on the levels of physical activity of healthy adults, users of the Brazilian Unified Health System and attended by the Family Health Strategy. METHODS Non-randomized experimental study with 157 adults allocated in three groups: 1) physical exercise classes (n = 54), 2) health education (n = 54), 3) control (n = 49). The study lasted for18 months, with 12 months of interventions and six months of follow-up after intervention. Assessments took place at the beginning, in the 12 months, and in the 18 months of study. Physical activity has been assessed by questionnaires and accelerometry. For the analyses, we have used the intention-to-treat principle and generalized estimating equations. RESULTS After 12 months, both intervention groups have increased the minutes of weekly leisure time physical activity and annual scores of physical exercise, leisure and transport-related physical activity. The exercise class group has obtained the highest average annual physical exercises score when compared to the other groups (p < 0.001). In the follow-up period, the exercise class group reduced its annual score (average: -0.3; 95%CI -0.5–-0.1), while the health education group increased this score (average: 0.2; 95%CI 0.1–0.4). There have been no differences in the levels of physical activity measured by accelerometry. CONCLUSIONS The interventions have been effective in increasing the practice of physical activity. However, we have observed that the health education intervention was more effective for maintaining the practice of physical activity in the period after intervention. We recommend the use of both interventions to promote physical activity in the Brazilian Unified Health System, according to the local reality of professionals, facilities, and team objectives. PMID:28678906

Annual Carbon Emissions from Deforestation in the Amazon Basin between 2000 and 2010.

PubMed

Song, Xiao-Peng; Huang, Chengquan; Saatchi, Sassan S; Hansen, Matthew C; Townshend, John R

2015-01-01

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is considered one of the most cost-effective strategies for mitigating climate change. However, historical deforestation and emission rates-critical inputs for setting reference emission levels for REDD+-are poorly understood. Here we use multi-source, time-series satellite data to quantify carbon emissions from deforestation in the Amazon basin on a year-to-year basis between 2000 and 2010. We first derive annual deforestation indicators by using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Vegetation Continuous Fields (MODIS VCF) product. MODIS indicators are calibrated by using a large sample of Landsat data to generate accurate deforestation rates, which are subsequently combined with a spatially explicit biomass dataset to calculate committed annual carbon emissions. Across the study area, the average deforestation and associated carbon emissions were estimated to be 1.59 ± 0.25 M ha•yr(-1) and 0.18 ± 0.07 Pg C•yr(-1) respectively, with substantially different trends and inter-annual variability in different regions. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon increased between 2001 and 2004 and declined substantially afterwards, whereas deforestation in the Bolivian Amazon, the Colombian Amazon, and the Peruvian Amazon increased over the study period. The average carbon density of lost forests after 2005 was 130 Mg C•ha(-1), ~11% lower than the average carbon density of remaining forests in year 2010 (144 Mg C•ha(-1)). Moreover, the average carbon density of cleared forests increased at a rate of 7 Mg C•ha(-1)•yr(-1) from 2005 to 2010, suggesting that deforestation has been progressively encroaching into high-biomass lands in the Amazon basin. Spatially explicit, annual deforestation and emission estimates like the ones derived in this study are useful for setting baselines for REDD+ and other emission mitigation programs, and for evaluating the performance of such efforts.

Annual Carbon Emissions from Deforestation in the Amazon Basin between 2000 and 2010

PubMed Central

Song, Xiao-Peng; Huang, Chengquan; Saatchi, Sassan S.; Hansen, Matthew C.; Townshend, John R.

2015-01-01

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is considered one of the most cost-effective strategies for mitigating climate change. However, historical deforestation and emission rates―critical inputs for setting reference emission levels for REDD+―are poorly understood. Here we use multi-source, time-series satellite data to quantify carbon emissions from deforestation in the Amazon basin on a year-to-year basis between 2000 and 2010. We first derive annual deforestation indicators by using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Vegetation Continuous Fields (MODIS VCF) product. MODIS indicators are calibrated by using a large sample of Landsat data to generate accurate deforestation rates, which are subsequently combined with a spatially explicit biomass dataset to calculate committed annual carbon emissions. Across the study area, the average deforestation and associated carbon emissions were estimated to be 1.59 ± 0.25 M ha•yr−1 and 0.18 ± 0.07 Pg C•yr−1 respectively, with substantially different trends and inter-annual variability in different regions. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon increased between 2001 and 2004 and declined substantially afterwards, whereas deforestation in the Bolivian Amazon, the Colombian Amazon, and the Peruvian Amazon increased over the study period. The average carbon density of lost forests after 2005 was 130 Mg C•ha−1, ~11% lower than the average carbon density of remaining forests in year 2010 (144 Mg C•ha−1). Moreover, the average carbon density of cleared forests increased at a rate of 7 Mg C•ha−1•yr−1 from 2005 to 2010, suggesting that deforestation has been progressively encroaching into high-biomass lands in the Amazon basin. Spatially explicit, annual deforestation and emission estimates like the ones derived in this study are useful for setting baselines for REDD+ and other emission mitigation programs, and for evaluating the performance of such efforts. PMID:25951328

Collaborative Modeling of the Benefits and Harms Associated With Different U.S. Breast Cancer Screening Strategies.

PubMed

Mandelblatt, Jeanne S; Stout, Natasha K; Schechter, Clyde B; van den Broek, Jeroen J; Miglioretti, Diana L; Krapcho, Martin; Trentham-Dietz, Amy; Munoz, Diego; Lee, Sandra J; Berry, Donald A; van Ravesteyn, Nicolien T; Alagoz, Oguzhan; Kerlikowske, Karla; Tosteson, Anna N A; Near, Aimee M; Hoeffken, Amanda; Chang, Yaojen; Heijnsdijk, Eveline A; Chisholm, Gary; Huang, Xuelin; Huang, Hui; Ergun, Mehmet Ali; Gangnon, Ronald; Sprague, Brian L; Plevritis, Sylvia; Feuer, Eric; de Koning, Harry J; Cronin, Kathleen A

2016-02-16

Controversy persists about optimal mammography screening strategies. To evaluate screening outcomes, taking into account advances in mammography and treatment of breast cancer. Collaboration of 6 simulation models using national data on incidence, digital mammography performance, treatment effects, and other-cause mortality. United States. Average-risk U.S. female population and subgroups with varying risk, breast density, or comorbidity. Eight strategies differing by age at which screening starts (40, 45, or 50 years) and screening interval (annual, biennial, and hybrid [annual for women in their 40s and biennial thereafter]). All strategies assumed 100% adherence and stopped at age 74 years. Benefits (breast cancer-specific mortality reduction, breast cancer deaths averted, life-years, and quality-adjusted life-years); number of mammograms used; harms (false-positive results, benign biopsies, and overdiagnosis); and ratios of harms (or use) and benefits (efficiency) per 1000 screens. Biennial strategies were consistently the most efficient for average-risk women. Biennial screening from age 50 to 74 years avoided a median of 7 breast cancer deaths versus no screening; annual screening from age 40 to 74 years avoided an additional 3 deaths, but yielded 1988 more false-positive results and 11 more overdiagnoses per 1000 women screened. Annual screening from age 50 to 74 years was inefficient (similar benefits, but more harms than other strategies). For groups with a 2- to 4-fold increased risk, annual screening from age 40 years had similar harms and benefits as screening average-risk women biennially from 50 to 74 years. For groups with moderate or severe comorbidity, screening could stop at age 66 to 68 years. Other imaging technologies, polygenic risk, and nonadherence were not considered. Biennial screening for breast cancer is efficient for average-risk populations. Decisions about starting ages and intervals will depend on population characteristics and the decision makers' weight given to the harms and benefits of screening. National Institutes of Health.

EnviroAtlas - Biological nitrogen fixation in natural/semi-natural ecosystems by 12-digit HUC for the Conterminous United States, 2006

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset contains data on the mean biological nitrogen fixation in natural/semi-natural ecosystems per 12-digit Hydrologic Unit (HUC) in 2006. Biological N fixation (BNF) in natural/semi-natural ecosystems was estimated using a correlation with actual evapotranspiration (AET). This correlation is based on a global meta-analysis of BNF in natural/semi-natural ecosystems (Cleveland et al. 1999). AET estimates for 2006 were calculated using a regression equation describing the correlation of AET with climate (average annual daily temperature, average annual minimum daily temperature, average annual maximum daily temperature, and annual precipitation) and land use/land cover variables in the conterminous US (Sanford and Selnick 2013). Data describing annual average minimum and maximum daily temperatures and total precipitation for 2006 were acquired from the PRISM climate dataset (http://prism.oregonstate.edu). Average annual climate data were then calculated for individual 12-digit USGS Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUC12s; http://water.usgs.gov/GIS/huc.html; 22 March 2011 release) using the Zonal Statistics tool in ArcMap 10.0. AET for individual HUC12s was estimated using equations described in Sanford and Selnick (2013). BNF in natural/semi-natural ecosystems within individual HUC12s was modeled with an equation describing the statistical relationship between BNF (kg N ha-1 yr-1) and actual evapotranspiration (AET; cm yr-1) and scaled to the proportion

Wrist activity in a woman: daily, weekly, menstrual, lunar, annual cycles?

PubMed

Binkley, S

1992-09-01

Wrist activity was monitored continuously for one year in a woman who went about her normal life. The year of data were analyzed for changes and rhythms--daily, weekly, menstrual, lunar, annual. For each day, average motions/5 minutes, activity onset, activity offset, alpha (duration of activity), and acrophase were measured. Periodograms and average daily wave forms were calculated. Well-defined, entrained, daily rest-activity cycles were observed throughout the year with periods close to 24 hours. There was weekend delay (0.7 hours) in onset, weekend decrease in alpha (1.0 hours), and weekend advance of acrophase (0.4 hours). Motions/5 minutes decreased 9%, onsets were 0.3 hours later, and alphas were 0.4 hours shorter on menstrual cycle days 8 through 18 which should have encompassed the time of ovulation. Lunar phase had no effect. Annual changes in onset (1.1 hours), offset (1.2 hours), and acrophase (1.1 hours) were attributed to the 1-hour change between standard and daylight savings time.

Screening variability and change of soil moisture under wide-ranging climate conditions: Snow dynamics effects.

PubMed

Verrot, Lucile; Destouni, Georgia

2015-01-01

Soil moisture influences and is influenced by water, climate, and ecosystem conditions, affecting associated ecosystem services in the landscape. This paper couples snow storage-melting dynamics with an analytical modeling approach to screening basin-scale, long-term soil moisture variability and change in a changing climate. This coupling enables assessment of both spatial differences and temporal changes across a wide range of hydro-climatic conditions. Model application is exemplified for two major Swedish hydrological basins, Norrström and Piteälven. These are located along a steep temperature gradient and have experienced different hydro-climatic changes over the time period of study, 1950-2009. Spatially, average intra-annual variability of soil moisture differs considerably between the basins due to their temperature-related differences in snow dynamics. With regard to temporal change, the long-term average state and intra-annual variability of soil moisture have not changed much, while inter-annual variability has changed considerably in response to hydro-climatic changes experienced so far in each basin.

The response of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) to interannual climate variation changes across its range.

PubMed

Kleinhesselink, Andrew R; Adler, Peter B

2018-05-01

Understanding how annual climate variation affects population growth rates across a species' range may help us anticipate the effects of climate change on species distribution and abundance. We predict that populations in warmer or wetter parts of a species' range should respond negatively to periods of above average temperature or precipitation, respectively, whereas populations in colder or drier areas should respond positively to periods of above average temperature or precipitation. To test this, we estimated the population sensitivity of a common shrub species, big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), to annual climate variation across its range. Our analysis includes 8,175 observations of year-to-year change in sagebrush cover or production from 131 monitoring sites in western North America. We coupled these observations with seasonal weather data for each site and analyzed the effects of spring through fall temperatures and fall through spring accumulated precipitation on annual changes in sagebrush abundance. Sensitivity to annual temperature variation supported our hypothesis: years with above average temperatures were beneficial to sagebrush in colder locations and detrimental to sagebrush in hotter locations. In contrast, sensitivity to precipitation did not change significantly across the distribution of sagebrush. This pattern of responses suggests that regional abundance of this species may be more limited by temperature than by precipitation. We also found important differences in how the ecologically distinct subspecies of sagebrush responded to the effects of precipitation and temperature. Our model predicts that a short-term temperature increase could produce an increase in sagebrush cover at the cold edge of its range and a decrease in cover at the warm edge of its range. This prediction is qualitatively consistent with predictions from species distribution models for sagebrush based on spatial occurrence data, but it provides new mechanistic insight and helps estimate how much and how fast sagebrush cover may change within its range. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.

The Influence of ENSO to the Rainfall Variability in North Sumatra Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irwandi, H.; Pusparini, N.; Ariantono, J. Y.; Kurniawan, R.; Tari, C. A.; Sudrajat, A.

2018-04-01

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a global phenomenon that affects the variability of rainfall in North Sumatra. The influence of ENSO will be different for each region. This review will analyse the influence of ENSO activity on seasonal and annual rainfall variability. In this research, North Sumatra Province will be divided into 4 (four) regions based on topographical conditions, such as: East Coast (EC), East Slope (ES), Mountains (MT), and West Coast (WC). The method used was statistical and descriptive analysis. Data used in this research were rainfall data from 15 stations / climate observation posts which spread in North Sumatera region and also anomaly data of Nino 3.4 region from period 1981-2016. The results showed that the active El Niño had an effect on the decreasing the rainfall during the period of DJF, JJA and SON in East Coast, East Slope, and Mountains with the decreasing of average percentage of annual rainfall up to 7%. On the contrary, the active La Nina had an effect on the addition of rainfall during the period DJF and JJA in the East Coast and Mountains with the increasing of average percentage of annual rainfall up to 6%.

Radionuclide concentrations in soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in Kirklareli, Turkey.

PubMed

Taskin, H; Karavus, M; Ay, P; Topuzoglu, A; Hidiroglu, S; Karahan, G

2009-01-01

The objective of this study is to evaluate and map soil radionuclides' activity concentrations and environmental outdoor gamma dose rates (terrestrial and cosmic) in Kirklareli, Turkey. The excess lifetime cancer risks are also calculated. Outdoor gamma dose rates were determined in 230 sampling stations and soil samples were taken from 177 locations. The coordinates of the readings were determined by the Global Positioning System (GPS). The outdoor gamma dose rates were determined by Eberline smart portable device (ESP-2) and measurements were taken in air for two minutes at 1m from the ground. The average outdoor gamma dose rate was 118+/-34nGyh(-1). Annual effective gamma dose of Kirklareli was 144microSv and the excess lifetime cancer risk of 5.0x10(-4). Soil samples were analyzed by gamma spectroscopy. The average 226Ra, 238U, 232Th, 137Cs, and 40K activities were 37+/-18Bqkg(-1), 28+/-13Bqkg(-1), 40+/-18Bqkg(-1), 8+/-5Bqkg(-1) and 667+/-281Bqkg(-1), respectively. The average soil radionuclides' concentrations of Kirklareli were within the worldwide range although some extreme values had been determined. Annual effective gamma doses and the excess lifetime risks of cancer were higher than the world's average.

Analysis of the solar radiation data for Beer Sheva, Israel, and its environs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kudish, A.I.; Ianetz, A.

The solar radiation climate of Beer Sheva, Israel, is reported upon in detail. The database utilized in this analysis consisted of global radiation on a horizontal surface, normal incidence beam radiation, and global radiation on a south-facing surface tilted at 40{degree}. Monthly-average hourly and daily values are reported for each of these three types of measured radiations, together with the calculated monthly-average daily values for the components of the global radiation, viz. the horizontal beam and diffuse radiations. The monthly-average hourly and daily clearness index values have also been calculated and analyzed. Monthly-average daily frequency distributions of the clearness indexmore » values are reported for each month. The solar radiation climate of Beer Sheva has also been compared to those reported for a number of countries in this region. The annual-average daily global radiation incident on a horizontal surface is 18.91 MG/m{sup 2} and that for normal incidence beam radiation is 21.17 MG/m{sup 2}. The annual-average daily fraction of the horizontal global radiation that is beam is 0.72. The annual-average daily value for the clearness index is 0.587 and the average frequency of clear days annually is 58.6%. The authors conclude, based upon the above analysis, that Beer Sheva and its environs are characterized by relatively high, average-daily irradiation rates, both global and beam, and a relatively high frequency of clear days.« less

A comparative modeling analysis of multiscale temporal variability of rainfall in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samuel, Jos M.; Sivapalan, Murugesu

2008-07-01

The effects of long-term natural climate variability and human-induced climate change on rainfall variability have become the focus of much concern and recent research efforts. In this paper, we present the results of a comparative analysis of observed multiscale temporal variability of rainfall in the Perth, Newcastle, and Darwin regions of Australia. This empirical and stochastic modeling analysis explores multiscale rainfall variability, i.e., ranging from short to long term, including within-storm patterns, and intra-annual, interannual, and interdecadal variabilities, using data taken from each of these regions. The analyses investigated how storm durations, interstorm periods, and average storm rainfall intensities differ for different climate states and demonstrated significant differences in this regard between the three selected regions. In Perth, the average storm intensity is stronger during La Niña years than during El Niño years, whereas in Newcastle and Darwin storm duration is longer during La Niña years. Increase of either storm duration or average storm intensity is the cause of higher average annual rainfall during La Niña years as compared to El Niño years. On the other hand, within-storm variability does not differ significantly between different ENSO states in all three locations. In the case of long-term rainfall variability, the statistical analyses indicated that in Newcastle the long-term rainfall pattern reflects the variability of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) index, whereas in Perth and Darwin the long-term variability exhibits a step change in average annual rainfall (up in Darwin and down in Perth) which occurred around 1970. The step changes in Perth and Darwin and the switch in IPO states in Newcastle manifested differently in the three study regions in terms of changes in the annual number of rainy days or the average daily rainfall intensity or both. On the basis of these empirical data analyses, a stochastic rainfall time series model was developed that incorporates the entire range of multiscale variabilities observed in each region, including within-storm, intra-annual, interannual, and interdecadal variability. Such ability to characterize, model, and synthetically generate realistic time series of rainfall intensities is essential for addressing many hydrological problems, including estimation of flood and drought frequencies, pesticide risk assessment, and landslide frequencies.

Subsurface recharge to the Tesuque aquifer system from selected drainage basins along the western side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Santa Fe, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wasiolek, Maryann

1995-01-01

Water budgets developed for basins of five streams draining the western side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico indicate that subsurface inflow along the mountain front is recharging the Tesuque aquifer system of the Espanola Basin. Approximately 14,700 acre-feet of water per year, or 12.7 percent of average annual precipitation over the mountains, is calculated to leave the mountain block and enter the basin as subsurface recharge from the drainage basins of the Rio Nambe, Rio en Medio, Tesuque Creek, Little Tesuque Creek, and Santa Fe River. About 5,520 acre- feet per year, or about 12 percent of average annual precipitation, is calculated to enter from the Rio Nambe drainage basin; about 1,710 acre- feet per year, or about 15 percent of average annual precipitation, is calculated to enter from the Rio en Medio drainage basin; about 1,530 acre- feet, or about 10 percent of average annual precipi- tation, is calculated to enter from the Tesuque Creek drainage basin; about 1,790 acre-feet, or about 19 percent of average annual precipitation, is calculated to enter from the Little Tesuque Creek drainage basin; and about 4,170 acre-feet per year, or about 12 percent average annual precipitation, is calculated to enter from the Santa Fe River drainage basin. Calculated subsurface recharge values were used to define maximum fluxes permitted along the specified-flux boundary defining the mountain front of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in a numerical computer model of the Tesuque aquifer system near Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Human exposures to pesticides in the United States.

PubMed

Langley, Ricky L; Mort, Sandra Amiss

2012-01-01

Pesticides are used in most homes, businesses, and farms to control a variety of pests, including insects, weeds, fungi, rodents, and even microbial organisms. Inappropriate use of pesticides can lead to adverse effects to humans and the environment. This study provides updated information on the magnitude of adverse pesticide exposures in the United States. Data on pesticide exposure were obtained from calls to poison control centers (PCCs) reported by the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Estimates of emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and health care costs were reported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and deaths from pesticide poisonings reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WONDER (Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research). An average of 23 deaths occur each year with pesticides as the underlying cause of death, most due to suicidal ingestions. An average of 130,136 calls to poison control centers were reported from 2006 to 2010, with an average of 20,116 cases (17.8%) treated in health care facilities annually. AHQR reported an annual average of 7385 emergency room visits during 2006 to 2008, and 1419 annual hospitalizations during 2005 to 2009. Excluding cost from lost work time, hospital physician fees, and pesticide-induced cancers, the annual national cost associated with pesticide exposures was estimated as nearly $200 million USD based on data from emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and for deaths. Pesticide exposures remain a significant public health issue. Health care providers, cooperative extension agents, and pesticide manufactures can help prevent exposures by increasing education of parents and workers, encourage use of less toxic agents, and encourage the practice of integrated pest management.

Modeling the Response of Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) Populations in the Kenya Highlands to a Rise in Mean Annual Temperature.

PubMed

Wallace, Dorothy; Prosper, Olivia; Savos, Jacob; Dunham, Ann M; Chipman, Jonathan W; Shi, Xun; Ndenga, Bryson; Githeko, Andrew

2017-03-01

A dynamical model of Anopheles gambiae larval and adult populations is constructed that matches temperature-dependent maturation times and mortality measured experimentally as well as larval instar and adult mosquito emergence data from field studies in the Kenya Highlands. Spectral classification of high-resolution satellite imagery is used to estimate household density. Indoor resting densities collected over a period of one year combined with predictions of the dynamical model give estimates of both aquatic habitat and total adult mosquito densities. Temperature and precipitation patterns are derived from monthly records. Precipitation patterns are compared with average and extreme habitat estimates to estimate available aquatic habitat in an annual cycle. These estimates are coupled with the original model to produce estimates of adult and larval populations dependent on changing aquatic carrying capacity for larvae and changing maturation and mortality dependent on temperature. This paper offers a general method for estimating the total area of aquatic habitat in a given region, based on larval counts, emergence rates, indoor resting density data, and number of households.Altering the average daily temperature and the average daily rainfall simulates the effect of climate change on annual cycles of prevalence of An. gambiae adults. We show that small increases in average annual temperature have a large impact on adult mosquito density, whether measured at model equilibrium values for a single square meter of habitat or tracked over the course of a year of varying habitat availability and temperature. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

77 FR 14366 - Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average Total Assets That Defines Community Financial...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-09

... FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY [No. 2012-N-02] Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average.... ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has adjusted the cap on average total... statutory cap.\\2\\ The Bank Act was amended in 2008 to set the statutory cap at $1 billion and to require the...

75 FR 71446 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Reports of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-23

... information regarding these corrections and removals and to determine whether recall action is adequate... Annual Reporting Burden\\1\\ Annual 21 CFR section Number of frequency per Total annual Hours per Total... Average Annual Recordkeeping Burden \\1\\ Annual 21 CFR Section Number of frequency per Total annual Hours...

Medical expenditures in division I collegiate athletics: an analysis by sport and gender.

PubMed

Kaeding, Christopher C; Borchers, James; Oman, Janine; Pedroza, Angela

2014-09-01

Medical expenses for collegiate athletics include providing a training room with its supplies, equipment, personnel costs, and insurance coverage. Additional expenses beyond the training room include imaging, diagnostic testing, specialty consultations, and surgeries. We hypothesized that there would be no difference in average expenses or number of claims between male and female athletes over a 5-year period. Prospective patient cohort. A sports medicine center serving athletes in Big 10 Conference intercollegiate sports. All medical claims and charges for 36 varsity teams were analyzed from 2005 to 2010. The teams were categorized into 3 groups: female-only teams, male-only teams, and coed teams. Analysis of sports with corresponding male and female teams was also performed. Claims and charges for medical care for 36 intercollegiate athletic teams over 5 years. Individual team claims and charges were stable over the study period. In 11 of the 14 sex-matched sports, the female teams had higher average annual charges. After normalizing for roster size in the sex-matched sports, females had 0.97 more average annual claims (P < 0.01) and $1459 higher annual charges (P = 0.001) than their male counterparts. The charges per claim were similar between the sexes. The 5 teams with the highest average annual charges were football, wrestling, softball, women's crew, and men's lacrosse. When normalized for roster size, the 5 sports with the highest average annual charges per athlete were softball, women's diving, men's basketball, wrestling, and men's gymnastics. Charges per claim were similar between the sex-matched sports, but the female sports had a higher number of annual claims per athlete and thus higher total charges per athlete/year. Football had the highest average annual total charges as a team, but when normalized for roster size football charges per athlete/year were similar to those of other sports.

Cost of individual peer counselling for the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding in Uganda

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for 6 months is the recommended form of infant feeding. Support of mothers through individual peer counselling has been proved to be effective in increasing exclusive breastfeeding prevalence. We present a costing study of an individual peer support intervention in Uganda, whose objective was to raise exclusive breastfeeding rates at 3 months of age. Methods We costed the peer support intervention, which was offered to 406 breastfeeding mothers in Uganda. The average number of counselling visits was about 6 per woman. Annual financial and economic costs were collected in 2005-2008. Estimates were made of total project costs, average costs per mother counselled and average costs per peer counselling visit. Alternative intervention packages were explored in the sensitivity analysis. We also estimated the resources required to fund the scale up to district level, of a breastfeeding intervention programme within a public health sector model. Results Annual project costs were estimated to be US$56,308. The largest cost component was peer supporter supervision, which accounted for over 50% of total project costs. The cost per mother counselled was US$139 and the cost per visit was US$26. The cost per week of EBF was estimated to be US$15 at 12 weeks post partum. We estimated that implementing an alternative package modelled on routine public health sector programmes can potentially reduce costs by over 60%. Based on the calculated average costs and annual births, scaling up modelled costs to district level would cost the public sector an additional US$1,813,000. Conclusion Exclusive breastfeeding promotion in sub-Saharan Africa is feasible and can be implemented at a sustainable cost. The results of this study can be incorporated in cost effectiveness analyses of exclusive breastfeeding promotion programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. PMID:21714877

ANNUAL WATER BUDGETS FOR A FORESTED SINKHOLE WETLAND

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hill, Dr. Andrew Jason; Neary, Vincent S

2012-01-01

Annual water budgets spanning two years, 2004 and 2005, are constructed for a sinkhole wetland in the Tennessee Highland Rim following conversion of 13 % of its watershed to impervious surfaces. The effect of watershed development on the hydrology of the study wetland was significant. Surface runoff was the dominant input, with a contribution of 61.4 % of the total. An average of 18.9 % of gross precipitation was intercepted by the canopy and evaporated. Seepage from the surface water body to the local groundwater system accounted for 83.1 % of the total outflow. Deep recharge varied from 43.2 %more » (2004) to 12.1 % (2005) of total outflow. Overall, evapotranspiration accounted for 72.4 % of the total losses, with an average of 65.7 % lost from soil profile storage. The annual water budgets indicate that deep recharge is a significant hydrologic function performed by isolated sinkhole wetlands, or karst pans, on the Tennessee Highland Rim. Continued hydrologic monitoring of sinkhole wetlands are needed to evaluate hydrologic function and response to anthropogenic impacts. The regression technique developed to estimate surface runoff entering the wetland is shown to provide reasonable annual runoff estimates, but further testing is needed.« less

40 CFR 80.90 - Conventional gasoline baseline emissions determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Conventional gasoline baseline... gasoline baseline emissions determination. (a) Annual average baseline values. For any facility of a refiner or importer of conventional gasoline, the annual average baseline values of the facility's exhaust...

40 CFR 80.90 - Conventional gasoline baseline emissions determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Conventional gasoline baseline... gasoline baseline emissions determination. (a) Annual average baseline values. For any facility of a refiner or importer of conventional gasoline, the annual average baseline values of the facility's exhaust...

40 CFR 80.90 - Conventional gasoline baseline emissions determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Conventional gasoline baseline... gasoline baseline emissions determination. (a) Annual average baseline values. For any facility of a refiner or importer of conventional gasoline, the annual average baseline values of the facility's exhaust...

40 CFR 80.90 - Conventional gasoline baseline emissions determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Conventional gasoline baseline... gasoline baseline emissions determination. (a) Annual average baseline values. For any facility of a refiner or importer of conventional gasoline, the annual average baseline values of the facility's exhaust...

40 CFR 80.90 - Conventional gasoline baseline emissions determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Conventional gasoline baseline... gasoline baseline emissions determination. (a) Annual average baseline values. For any facility of a refiner or importer of conventional gasoline, the annual average baseline values of the facility's exhaust...

Acid rain monitoring in East-Central Florida from 1977 to present

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Madsen, B. C.; Kheoh, T.; Hinkle, C. R.; Dreschel, T. W.

1990-01-01

Rainfall has been collected on the University of Central Florida campus and at the Kennedy Space Center over a 12 year period. The chemical composition has been determined and summarized by monthly, annual periods, and for the entire 12 year period at both locations. The weighted average pH at each site is 4.58; however, annual weighted average pH has been equal to or above the 12 year average during six of the past eight years. Nitrate concentrations have increased slightly during recent years while excess sulfate concentrations have remained below the 12 year weighted average during six of the past seven years. Stepwise regression suggests that sulfate, nitrate, ammonium ion and calcium play major roles in the description of rainwater acidity. Annual acid deposition and annual rainfall have varied from 20 to 50 meg/(m(exp 2) year) and 100 to 180 cm/year, respectively. Sea salt comprises at least 25 percent of the total ionic composition.

Geochemical responses of forested catchments to bark beetle infestation: Evidence from high frequency in-stream electrical conductivity monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Ye; Langhammer, Jakub; Jarsjö, Jerker

2017-07-01

Under the present conditions of climate warming, there has been an increased frequency of bark beetle-induced tree mortality in Asia, Europe, and North America. This study analyzed seven years of high frequency monitoring of in-stream electrical conductivity (EC), hydro-climatic conditions, and vegetation dynamics in four experimental catchments located in headwaters of the Sumava Mountains, Central Europe. The aim was to determine the effects of insect-induced forest disturbance on in-stream EC at multiple timescales, including annual and seasonal average conditions, daily variability, and responses to individual rainfall events. Results showed increased annual average in-stream EC values in the bark beetle-infected catchments, with particularly elevated EC values during baseflow conditions. This is likely caused by the cumulative loading of soil water and groundwater that discharge excess amounts of substances such as nitrogen and carbon, which are released via the decomposition of the needles, branches, and trunks of dead trees, into streams. Furthermore, we concluded that infestation-induced changes in event-scale dynamics may be largely responsible for the observed shifts in annual average conditions. For example, systematic EC differences between baseflow conditions and event flow conditions in relatively undisturbed catchments were essentially eliminated in catchments that were highly disturbed by bark beetles. These changes developed relatively rapidly after infestation and have long-lasting (decadal-scale) effects, implying that cumulative impacts of increasingly frequent bark beetle outbreaks may contribute to alterations of the hydrogeochemical conditions in more vulnerable mountain regions.

Decreasing trends of suspended particulate matter and PM2.5 concentrations in Tokyo, 1990-2010.

PubMed

Hara, Kunio; Homma, Junichi; Tamura, Kenji; Inoue, Mariko; Karita, Kanae; Yano, Eiji

2013-06-01

In Tokyo, the annual average suspended particulate matter (SPM) and PM2.5 concentrations have decreased in the past two decades. The present study quantitatively evaluated these decreasing trends using data from air-pollution monitoring stations. Annual SPM and PM2.5 levels at 83 monitoring stations and hourly SPM and PM2.5 levels at four monitoring stations in Tokyo, operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, were used for analysis, together with levels of co-pollutants and meteorological conditions. Traffic volume in Tokyo was calculated from the total traveling distance of vehicles as reported by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism. High positive correlations between SPM levels and nitrogen oxide levels, sulfur dioxide levels, and traffic volume were determined. The annual average SPM concentration declined by 62.6%from 59.4 microg/m3 in 1994 to 22.2 microg/m3 in 2010, and PM2.5 concentration also declined by 49.8% from 29.3 microg/m3 in 2001 to 14.7 microg/m3 in 2010. Likewise, the frequencies of hourly average SPM and PM2.5 concentrations exceeding the daily guideline values have significantly decreased since 2001 and the hourly average SPM or PM2.5 concentrations per traffic volume for each time period have also significantly decreased since 2001. However SPM and PM2.5 concentrations increased at some monitoring stations between 2004 and 2006 and from 2009 despite strengthened environmental regulations and improvements in vehicle engine performance. The annual average SPM and PM2.5 concentrations were positively correlated with traffic volumes and in particular with the volume of diesel trucks. These results suggest that the decreasing levels of SPM and PM2.5 in Tokyo may be attributable to decreased traffic volumes, along with the effects of stricter governmental regulation and improvements to vehicle engine performance, including the fitting of devices for exhaust emission reduction.

Suturing the gender gap: Income, marriage, and parenthood among Japanese Surgeons.

PubMed

Okoshi, Kae; Nomura, Kyoko; Taka, Fumiaki; Fukami, Kayo; Tomizawa, Yasuko; Kinoshita, Koichi; Tominaga, Ryuji

2016-05-01

In Japan, gender inequality between males and females in the medical profession still exists. We examined gender gaps in surgeons' incomes. Among 8,316 surgeons who participated in a 2012 survey by the Japan Surgical Society, 546 women and 1,092 men within the same postgraduation year were selected randomly with a female-to-male sampling ratio of 1:2 (mean age, 36 years; mean time since graduation, 10.6 years). Average annual income was 9.2 million JPY for women and 11.3 million JPY for men (P < .0001). A general linear regression model showed that the average income of men remained 1.5 million JPY greater after adjusting for gender, age, marital status, number of children, number of beds, current position, and working hours (Model 1). In Model 2, in which 2 statistical interaction terms between annual income and gender with marital status and number of children were added together with variables in Model 1, both interactions became significant, and the gender effect became nonsignificant. For men, average annual income increased by 1.1 million JPY (P < .0001) when they were married and by 0.36 million JPY per child (P = .0014). In contrast, for women, annual income decreased by 0.73 million JPY per child (P = .0005). Male surgeons earn more than female surgeons, even after adjusting for other factors that influenced a surgeon's salary. In addition, married men earn more than unmarried men, but no such trend is observed for women. Furthermore, as the number of children increases, annual income increases for men but decreases for women. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

aerosol radiative effects and forcing: spatial and temporal distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinne, Stefan

2014-05-01

A monthly climatology for aerosol optical properties based on a synthesis from global modeling and observational data has been applied to illustrate spatial distributions and global averages of aerosol radiative impacts. With the help of a pre-industrial reference for aerosol optical properties from global modeling, also the aerosol direct forcing (ca -0.35W/m2 globally and annual averaged) and their spatial and seasonal distributions and contributions by individual aerosol components are estimated. Finally, CCN and IN concentrations associated with this climatology are applied to estimate aerosol indirect effects and forcing.

Quantifying population exposure to airborne particulate matter during extreme events in California due to climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmud, A.; Hixson, M.; Kleeman, M. J.

2012-02-01

The effect of climate change on population-weighted concentrations of particulate matter (PM) during extreme events was studied using the Parallel Climate Model (PCM), the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the UCD/CIT 3-D photochemical air quality model. A "business as usual" (B06.44) global emissions scenario was dynamically downscaled for the entire state of California between the years 2000-2006 and 2047-2053. Air quality simulations were carried out for 1008 days in each of the present-day and future climate conditions using year-2000 emissions. Population-weighted concentrations of PM0.1, PM2.5, and PM10 total mass, components species, and primary source contributions were calculated for California and three air basins: the Sacramento Valley air basin (SV), the San Joaquin Valley air basin (SJV) and the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB). Results over annual-average periods were contrasted with extreme events. Climate change between 2000 vs. 2050 did not cause a statistically significant change in annual-average population-weighted PM2.5 mass concentrations within any major sub-region of California in the current study. Climate change did alter the annual-average composition of the airborne particles in the SoCAB, with notable reductions of elemental carbon (EC; -3%) and organic carbon (OC; -3%) due to increased annual-average wind speeds that diluted primary concentrations from gasoline combustion (-3%) and food cooking (-4%). In contrast, climate change caused significant increases in population-weighted PM2.5 mass concentrations in central California during extreme events. The maximum 24-h average PM2.5 concentration experienced by an average person during a ten-year period in the SJV increased by 21% due to enhanced production of secondary particulate matter (manifested as NH4NO3). In general, climate change caused increased stagnation during future extreme pollution events, leading to higher exposure to diesel engines particles (+32%) and wood combustion particles (+14%) when averaging across the population of the entire state. Enhanced stagnation also isolated populations from distant sources such as shipping (-61%) during extreme events. The combination of these factors altered the statewide population-averaged composition of particles during extreme events, with EC increasing by 23%, nitrate increasing by 58%, and sulfate decreasing by 46%.

Quantifying population exposure to airborne particulate matter during extreme events in California due to climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmud, A.; Hixson, M.; Kleeman, M. J.

2012-08-01

The effect of climate change on population-weighted concentrations of particulate matter (PM) during extreme pollution events was studied using the Parallel Climate Model (PCM), the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the UCD/CIT 3-D photochemical air quality model. A "business as usual" (B06.44) global emissions scenario was dynamically downscaled for the entire state of California between the years 2000-2006 and 2047-2053. Air quality simulations were carried out for 1008 days in each of the present-day and future climate conditions using year-2000 emissions. Population-weighted concentrations of PM0.1, PM2.5, and PM10 total mass, components species, and primary source contributions were calculated for California and three air basins: the Sacramento Valley air basin (SV), the San Joaquin Valley air basin (SJV) and the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB). Results over annual-average periods were contrasted with extreme events. The current study found that the change in annual-average population-weighted PM2.5 mass concentrations due to climate change between 2000 vs. 2050 within any major sub-region in California was not statistically significant. However, climate change did alter the annual-average composition of the airborne particles in the SoCAB, with notable reductions of elemental carbon (EC; -3%) and organic carbon (OC; -3%) due to increased annual-average wind speeds that diluted primary concentrations from gasoline combustion (-3%) and food cooking (-4%). In contrast, climate change caused significant increases in population-weighted PM2.5 mass concentrations in central California during extreme events. The maximum 24-h average PM2.5 concentration experienced by an average person during a ten-yr period in the SJV increased by 21% due to enhanced production of secondary particulate matter (manifested as NH4NO3). In general, climate change caused increased stagnation during future extreme pollution events, leading to higher exposure to diesel engines particles (+32%) and wood combustion particles (+14%) when averaging across the population of the entire state. Enhanced stagnation also isolated populations from distant sources such as shipping (-61%) during extreme events. The combination of these factors altered the statewide population-averaged composition of particles during extreme events, with EC increasing by 23 %, nitrate increasing by 58%, and sulfate decreasing by 46%.

Cosmic rays and other rpace phenomena influenced on the Earth's climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lev, Dorman

2016-07-01

We consider effects of cosmic rays (CR) and some other space phenomena on the Earth's climate change. It is well known that the system of internal and external factors formatting the Earth's climate is very unstable: decreasing of planetary average annual temperature leads to an increase of planetary snow surface, and decreasing of the total annual solar energy input into the system decreases the planetary temperature even more. And inverse: increasing planetary temperature leads to an decrease of snow surface, and increasing of the total solar energy input into the system increases the planetary temperature even more. From this follows that even energetically small factors acted long time in one direction may have a big influence on climate change. In our opinion, the most important of these factors are CR (mostly through its influence on planetary cloudiness) and space dust (SD) through their influence on the flux of solar irradiation and on formation of clouds (these actions are in one direction). It is important that CR and SD influenced on global climate change in the same direction. Increasing of CR planetary intensity leads to increasing of formation clouds (especially low clouds on altitudes smaller than 3 km), increasing annual average of raining and decreasing of annual average planetary temperature. Increasing of SD decreases of solar irradiation and increases cloudiness what leads also to decreasing of annual average planetary temperature. Moreover, interactions of CR particles with dust granules decreases their dimensions what increased effectiveness of their actions on clouds. We consider data great variations of planetary temperature much before the beginning of the Earth's technological civilization (mostly caused by moving of the solar system around our Galaxy centre and collisions with molecular-dust clouds). We consider in details not only situation during the last hundred years, but also situation in the last one thousand years (and especially situation during Maunder minimum of solar activity), during many thousand and many millions years. It is shown that very big changes in climate were caused also by some rarely phenomena as impacts of asteroids and nearby supernova explosions with great influence on biosphere. We discuss also the problem on forecasting of global climate change what is especially important for saving present civilization from great climate catastrophes.

AVERAGE ANNUAL SOLAR UV DOSE OF THE CONTINENTAL US CITIZEN

EPA Science Inventory

The average annual solar UV dose of US citizens is not known, but is required for relative risk assessments of skin cancer from UV-emitting devices. We solved this problem using a novel approach. The EPA's "National Human Activity Pattern Survey" recorded the daily ou...

14 CFR Appendix A to Part 187 - Methodology for Computation of Fees for Certification Services Performed Outside the United States

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... hours of a U.S. Federal Government employee. This result in the hourly government paid cost of an... average annual leave hours and 1,800 average annual hours available for work for computer manpower...

40 CFR 464.44 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.14 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.14 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.44 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.24 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.24 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.24 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.44 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.44 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.24 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.44 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.24 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.14 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.14 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.14 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., total phenols, oil and grease, and TSS. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards.... Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only apply to non-continuous dischargers. (a... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

Comparison of Selected EIA-782 Data With Other Data Sources

EIA Publications

2012-01-01

This article compares annual average prices reported from the EIA-782 survey series for residential No. 2 distillate, on-highway diesel fuel, retail regular motor gasoline, refiner No. 2 fuel oil for resale, refiner No. 2 diesel fuel for resale, refiner regular motor gasoline for resale, and refiner kerosene-type jet fuel for resale with annual average prices reported by other sources. In terms of volume, it compares EIA-782C Prime Supplier annual volumes for motor gasoline (all grades), distillate fuel oil, kerosene-type jet fuel and residual fuel oil with annual volumes from other sources.

Radiation exposure from consumer products and miscellaneous sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1977-01-01

This review of the literature indicates that there is a variety of consumer products and miscellaneous sources of radiation that result in exposure to the U.S. population. A summary of the number of people exposed to each such source, an estimate of the resulting dose equivalents to the exposed population, and an estimate of the average annual population dose equivalent are tabulated. A review of the data in this table shows that the total average annual contribution to the whole-body dose equivalent of the U.S. population from consumer products is less than 5 mrem; about 70 percent of this arisesmore » from the presence of naturally-occurring radionuclides in building materials. Some of the consumer product sources contribute exposure mainly to localized tissues or organs. Such localized estimates include: 0.5 to 1 mrem to the average annual population lung dose equivalent (generalized); 2 rem to the average annual population bronchial epithelial dose equivalent (localized); and 10 to 15 rem to the average annual population basal mucosal dose equivalent (basal mucosa of the gum). Based on these estimates, these sources may be grouped or classified as those that involve many people and the dose equivalent is relative large or those that involve many people but the dose equivalent is relatively small, or the dose equivalent is relatively large but the number of people involved is small.« less

Streamflow simulation studies of the Hillsborough, Alafia, and Anclote Rivers, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turner, J.F.

1979-01-01

A modified version of the Georgia Tech Watershed Model was applied for the purpose of flow simulation in three large river basins of west-central Florida. Calibrations were evaluated by comparing the following synthesized and observed data: annual hydrographs for the 1959, 1960, 1973 and 1974 water years, flood hydrographs (maximum daily discharge and flood volume), and long-term annual flood-peak discharges (1950-72). Annual hydrographs, excluding the 1973 water year, were compared using average absolute error in annual runoff and daily flows and correlation coefficients of monthly and daily flows. Correlations coefficients for simulated and observed maximum daily discharges and flood volumes used for calibrating range from 0.91 to 0.98 and average standard errors of estimate range from 18 to 45 percent. Correlation coefficients for simulated and observed annual flood-peak discharges range from 0.60 to 0.74 and average standard errors of estimate range from 33 to 44 percent. (Woodard-USGS)

Mass balance, meteorology, area altitude distribution, glacier-surface altitude, ice motion, terminus position, and runoff at Gulkana Glacier, Alaska, 1996 balance year

USGS Publications Warehouse

March, Rod S.

2003-01-01

The 1996 measured winter snow, maximum winter snow, net, and annual balances in the Gulkana Glacier Basin were evaluated on the basis of meteorological, hydrological, and glaciological data. Averaged over the glacier, the measured winter snow balance was 0.87 meter on April 18, 1996, 1.1 standard deviation below the long-term average; the maximum winter snow balance, 1.06 meters, was reached on May 28, 1996; and the net balance (from August 30, 1995, to August 24, 1996) was -0.53 meter, 0.53 standard deviation below the long-term average. The annual balance (October 1, 1995, to September 30, 1996) was -0.37 meter. Area-averaged balances were reported using both the 1967 and 1993 area altitude distributions (the numbers previously given in this abstract use the 1993 area altitude distribution). Net balance was about 25 percent less negative using the 1993 area altitude distribution than the 1967 distribution. Annual average air temperature was 0.9 degree Celsius warmer than that recorded with the analog sensor used since 1966. Total precipitation catch for the year was 0.78 meter, 0.8 standard deviations below normal. The annual average wind speed was 3.5 meters per second in the first year of measuring wind speed. Annual runoff averaged 1.50 meters over the basin, 1.0 standard deviation below the long-term average. Glacier-surface altitude and ice-motion changes measured at three index sites document seasonal ice-speed and glacier-thickness changes. Both showed a continuation of a slowing and thinning trend present in the 1990s. The glacier terminus and lower ablation area were defined for 1996 with a handheld Global Positioning System survey of 126 locations spread out over about 4 kilometers on the lower glacier margin. From 1949 to 1996, the terminus retreated about 1,650 meters for an average retreat rate of 35 meters per year.

Digital simulation of the effects of urbanization on runoff in the upper Santa Ana Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Durbin, Timothy J.

1974-01-01

The Stanford Watershed Model was used to simulate the effects of urbanization on the discharge from five drainage basins in the upper Santa Ana Valley, an area with an average annual precipitation of 15 inches. The drainage basins ranged in size from 3.72 to 83.4 square miles. Using the model, synthetic records of streamflow for each basin were generated to represent various degrees of urban development. Examination of the synthetic records indicated that urbanization has the following effects on streamflow in the area:Average annual runoff from a drainage basin with an effective impervious area of 10 percent of the drainage area is approximately 2 inches, and increases by 1 inch for each increase in effective impervious cover equal to 10 percent of the drainage area. About 30 percent of a fully urbanized area is effectively impervious.Urbanization can increase the magnitude of peak discharge and daily mean discharge with a recurrence interval of 2 years by a factor of three to six.Peak discharges and daily mean discharges that have recurrence intervals greater than a limiting value ranging from 50 to 200 years or more are little affected by urbanization.

Selected approaches to estimate water-budget components of the High Plains, 1940 through 1949 and 2000 through 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanton, Jennifer S.; Qi, Sharon L.; Ryter, Derek W.; Falk, Sarah E.; Houston, Natalie A.; Peterson, Steven M.; Westenbroek, Stephen M.; Christenson, Scott C.

2011-01-01

The High Plains aquifer, underlying almost 112 million acres in the central United States, is one of the largest aquifers in the Nation. It is the primary water supply for drinking water, irrigation, animal production, and industry in the region. Expansion of irrigated agriculture throughout the past 60 years has helped make the High Plains one of the most productive agricultural regions in the Nation. Extensive withdrawals of groundwater for irrigation have caused water-level declines in many parts of the aquifer and increased concerns about the long-term sustainability of the aquifer. Quantification of water-budget components is a prerequisite for effective water-resources management. Components analyzed as part of this study were precipitation, evapotranspiration, recharge, surface runoff, groundwater discharge to streams, groundwater fluxes to and from adjacent geologic units, irrigation, and groundwater in storage. These components were assessed for 1940 through 1949 (representing conditions prior to substantial groundwater development and referred to as "pregroundwater development" throughout this report) and 2000 through 2009. Because no single method can perfectly quantify the magnitude of any part of a water budget at a regional scale, results from several methods and previously published work were compiled and compared for this study when feasible. Results varied among the several methods applied, as indicated by the range of average annual volumes given for each component listed in the following paragraphs. Precipitation was derived from three sources: the Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model, data developed using Next Generation Weather Radar and measured precipitation from weather stations by the Office of Hydrologic Development at the National Weather Service for the Sacramento-Soil Moisture Accounting model, and precipitation measured at weather stations and spatially distributed using an inverse-distance-weighted interpolation method. Precipitation estimates using these sources, as a 10-year average annual total volume for the High Plains, ranged from 192 to 199 million acre-feet (acre-ft) for 1940 through 1949 and from 185 to 199 million acre-ft for 2000 through 2009. Evapotranspiration was obtained from three sources: the National Weather Service Sacramento-Soil Moisture Accounting model, the Simplified-Surface-Energy-Balance model using remotely sensed data, and the Soil-Water-Balance model. Average annual total evapotranspiration estimated using these sources was 148 million acre-ft for 1940 through 1949 and ranged from 154 to 193 million acre-ft for 2000 through 2009. The maximum amount of shallow groundwater lost to evapotranspiration was approximated for areas where the water table was within 5 feet of land surface. The average annual total volume of evapotranspiration from shallow groundwater was 9.0 million acre-ft for 1940 through 1949 and ranged from 9.6 to 12.6 million acre-ft for 2000 through 2009. Recharge was estimated using two soil-water-balance models as well as previously published studies for various locations across the High Plains region. Average annual total recharge ranged from 8.3 to 13.2 million acre-ft for 1940 through 1949 and from 15.9 to 35.0 million acre-ft for 2000 through 2009. Surface runoff and groundwater discharge to streams were determined using discharge records from streamflow-gaging stations near the edges of the High Plains and the Base-Flow Index program. For 1940 through 1949, the average annual net surface runoff leaving the High Plains was 1.9 million acre-ft, and the net loss from the High Plains aquifer by groundwater discharge to streams was 3.1 million acre-ft. For 2000 through 2009, the average annual net surface runoff leaving the High Plains region was 1.3 million acre-ft and the net loss by groundwater discharge to streams was 3.9 million acre-ft. For 2000 through 2009, the average annual total estimated groundwater pumpage volume from two soil-water-balance models ranged from 8.7 to 16.2 million acre-ft. Average annual irrigation application rates for the High Plains ranged from 8.4 to 16.2 inches per year. The USGS Water-Use Program published estimated total annual pumpage from the High Plains aquifer for 2000 and 2005. Those volumes were greater than those estimated from the two soil-water-balance models. Total groundwater in storage in the High Plains aquifer was estimated as 3,173 million acre-ft prior to groundwater development and 2,907 million acre-ft in 2007. The average annual decrease of groundwater in storage between 2000 and 2007 was 10 million acre-ft per year.

Relating road salt to exceedances of the water quality standard for chloride in New Hampshire streams.

PubMed

Trowbridge, Philip R; Kahl, J Steve; Sassan, Dari A; Heath, Douglas L; Walsh, Edward M

2010-07-01

Six watersheds in New Hampshire were studied to determine the effects of road salt on stream water quality. Specific conductance in streams was monitored every 15 min for one year using dataloggers. Chloride concentrations were calculated from specific conductance using empirical relationships. Stream chloride concentrations were directly correlated with development in the watersheds and were inversely related to streamflow. Exceedances of the EPA water quality standard for chloride were detected in the four watersheds with the most development. The number of exceedances during a year was linearly related to the annual average concentration of chloride. Exceedances of the water quality standard were not predicted for streams with annual average concentrations less than 102 mg L(-1). Chloride was imported into three of the watersheds at rates ranging from 45 to 98 Mg Cl km(-2) yr(-1). Ninety-one percent of the chloride imported was road salt for deicing roadways and parking lots. A simple, mass balance equation was shown to predict annual average chloride concentrations from streamflow and chloride import rates to the watershed. This equation, combined with the apparent threshold for exceedances of the water quality standard, can be used for screening-level TMDLs for road salt in impaired watersheds.

Land use change influences soil C, N, and P stoichiometry under ‘Grain-to-Green Program’ in China

PubMed Central

Fazhu, Zhao; Jiao, Sun; Chengjie, Ren; Di, Kang; Jian, Deng; Xinhui, Han; Gaihe, Yang; Yongzhong, Feng; Guangxin, Ren

2015-01-01

Changes in land use might affect the combined C, N and P stoichiometry in soil. The Grain-to-Green Program (GTGP), which converts low-yield croplands or abandoned lands into forest, shrub, and/or grassland, was the largest land reforestation project in China. This study collected the reported C, N and P contents of soil in GTGP zones to achieve the factors driving the changes in the C:N, C:P, and N:P values. The results showed that the annual average precipitation exerted significant effects on the C:P value, and on the N:P value became significant 20 years after the change in land use. The annual average temperature was the main factor affecting the C:N value during the first 10 years, while the annual average precipitation strongly affected this value afterwards. In addition, “Redfield-like” interactions between C, N, and P in the soil may exist. A linear regression revealed significant positive correlations between the C:N, C:P, and N:P values and the restoration age, temperature, and precipitation after a change in land use. Therefore large-scale changes in land use under the ‘GTGP’ program might significantly affect the C:N, C:P and N:P ratios in soil. PMID:25988714

40 CFR 141.132 - Monitoring requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... H system serving at least 10,000 persons which has a source water annual average TOC level, before.... Subpart H system serving from 500 to 9,999 persons which has a source water annual average TOC level... monitoring. (iii) Monitoring requirements for source water TOC. In order to qualify for reduced monitoring...

26 CFR 1.401(l)-1 - Permitted disparity in employer-provided contributions or benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... with respect to an employee's average annual compensation at or below the integration level (expressed... or below the integration level (expressed as a percentage of such plan year compensation). (5... plan with respect to an employee's average annual compensation above the integration level (expressed...

50 CFR 218.181 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... and the indicated number of times: (1) Level B Harassment: (i) Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)—10...); (vii) Spinner dolphin (S. longirostris)—115 (an average of 23 annually); (viii) Melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra)—10 (an average of 2 annually); (ix) Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus...

50 CFR 218.181 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... and the indicated number of times: (1) Level B Harassment: (i) Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)—10...); (vii) Spinner dolphin (S. longirostris)—115 (an average of 23 annually); (viii) Melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra)—10 (an average of 2 annually); (ix) Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus...

50 CFR 218.181 - Permissible methods of taking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... and the indicated number of times: (1) Level B Harassment: (i) Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)—10...); (vii) Spinner dolphin (S. longirostris)—115 (an average of 23 annually); (viii) Melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra)—10 (an average of 2 annually); (ix) Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus...

Water balance at a low-level radioactive-waste disposal site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Healy, R.W.; Gray, J.R.; De Vries, G. M.; Mills, P.C.

1989-01-01

The water balance at a low-level radioactive-waste disposal site in northwestern Illinois was studied from July 1982 through June 1984. Continuous data collection allowed estimates to be made for each component of the water-balance equation independent of other components. The average annual precipitation was 948 millimeters. Average annual evapotranspiration was estimated at 637 millimeters, runoff was 160 millimeters, change in water storage in a waste-trench cover was 24 millimeters, and deep percolation was 208 millimeters. The magnitude of the difference between precipitation and all other components (81 millimeters per year) indicates that, in a similar environment, the water-budget method would be useful in estimating evapotranspiration, but questionable for estimation of other components. Precipitation depth and temporal distribution had a very strong effect on all other components of the water-balance equation. Due to the variability of precipitation from year to year, it appears that two years of data are inadequate for characterization of the long-term average water balance at the site.

Air quality status of an open pit mining area in India.

PubMed

Chaulya, S K

2005-06-01

This investigation presents the assessment of ambient air quality carried out at an open pit coal mining area in Orissa state of India. The 24-h average concentrations of suspended particulate matter (SPM), respirable particulate matter (RPM, particles of less than 10 microm aerodynamic diameter), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NO(x)) were determined at regular interval throughout one year at 13 monitoring stations in residential area and four stations in mining/industrial area. During the study period, the 24-h and annual average SPM and RPM concentrations exceeded the respective standards set in the Indian ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) protocol in most of the residential and industrial areas. However, the 24-h and annual average concentrations of SO2 and NO(x) were well within the prescribed limit of the NAAQS in both residential and industrial areas. A management strategy is formulated for effective control of particulate matter at source and other mitigative measures are recommended including implementation of green belts around the sensitive areas.

THE EFFECTS OF NITROGEN LOADING AND FRESHWATER RESIDENCE TIME ON THE ESTUARINE ECOSYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

A simple mechanistic model, designed to predict annual average concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) concentrations from nitrogen inputs and freshwater residence time in estuaries, was applied to data for several North American estuaries from previously published literature. The ...

Quantification of soil respiration in forest ecosystems across China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Xinzhang; Peng, Changhui; Zhao, Zhengyong; Zhang, Zhiting; Guo, Baohua; Wang, Weifeng; Jiang, Hong; Zhu, Qiuan

2014-09-01

We collected 139 estimates of the annual forest soil CO2 flux and 173 estimates of the Q10 value (the temperature sensitivity) assembled from 90 published studies across Chinese forest ecosystems. We analyzed the annual soil respiration (Rs) rates and the temperature sensitivities of seven forest ecosystems, including evergreen broadleaf forests (EBF), deciduous broadleaf forests (DBF), broadleaf and needleleaf mixed forests (BNMF), evergreen needleleaf forests (ENF), deciduous needleleaf forests (DNF), bamboo forests (BF) and shrubs (SF). The results showed that the mean annual Rs rate was 33.65 t CO2 ha-1 year-1 across Chinese forest ecosystems. Rs rates were significantly different (P < 0.001) among the seven forest types, and were significantly and positively influenced by mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP), and actual evapotranspiration (AET); but negatively affected by latitude and elevation. The mean Q10 value of 1.28 was lower than the world average (1.4-2.0). The Q10 values derived from the soil temperature at a depth of 5 cm varied among forest ecosystems by an average of 2.46 and significantly decreased with the MAT but increased with elevation and latitude. Moreover, our results suggested that an artificial neural network (ANN) model can effectively predict Rs across Chinese forest ecosystems. This study contributes to better understanding of Rs across Chinese forest ecosystems and their possible responses to global warming.

PGD for all cystic fibrosis carrier couples: novel strategy for preventive medicine and cost analysis.

PubMed

Tur-Kaspa, I; Aljadeff, G; Rechitsky, S; Grotjan, H E; Verlinsky, Y

2010-08-01

Over 1000 children affected with cystic fibrosis (CF) are born annually in the USA. Since IVF with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is an alternative to raising a sick child or to aborting an affected fetus, a cost-benefit analysis was performed for a national IVF-PGD program for preventing CF. The amount spent to deliver healthy children for all CF carrier-couples by IVF-PGD was compared with the average annual and lifetime direct medical costs per CF patient avoided. Treating annually about 4000 CF carrier-couples with IVF-PGD would result in 3715 deliveries of non-affected children at a cost of $57,467 per baby. Because the average annual direct medical cost per CF patient was $63,127 and life expectancy is 37 years, savings would be $2.3 million per patient and $2.2 billion for all new CF patients annually in lifetime treatment costs. Cumulated net saving of an IVF-PGD program for all carrier-couples for 37 years would be $33.3 billion. A total of 618,714 cumulative years of patients suffering because of CF and thousands of abortions could be prevented. A national IVF-PGD program is a highly cost-effective novel modality of preventive medicine and would avoid most births of individuals affected with debilitating genetic disease. 2010 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrologic cost-effectiveness ratio favors switchgrass production on marginal croplands over existing grasslands

PubMed Central

Yimam, Yohannes Tadesse; Ochsner, Tyson E.; Fox, Garey A.

2017-01-01

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has attracted attention as a promising second generation biofuel feedstock. Both existing grasslands and marginal croplands have been suggested as targets for conversion to switchgrass, but the resulting production potentials and hydrologic impacts are not clear. The objectives of this study were to model switchgrass production on existing grasslands (scenario-I) and on marginal croplands that have severe to very severe limitations for crop production (scenario-II) and to evaluate the effects on evapotranspiration (ET) and streamflow. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to the 1063 km2 Skeleton Creek watershed in north-central Oklahoma, a watershed dominated by grasslands (35%) and winter wheat cropland (47%). The simulated average annual yield (2002–2011) for rainfed Alamo switchgrass for both scenarios was 12 Mg ha-1. Yield varied spatially under scenario-I from 6.1 to 15.3 Mg ha-1, while under scenario-II the range was from 8.2 to 13.8 Mg ha-1. Comparison of average annual ET and streamflow between the baseline simulation (existing land use) and scenario-I showed that scenario-I had 5.6% (37 mm) higher average annual ET and 27.7% lower streamflow, representing a 40.7 million m3 yr-1 streamflow reduction. Compared to the baseline, scenario-II had only 0.5% higher ET and 3.2% lower streamflow, but some monthly impacts were larger. In this watershed, the water yield reduction per ton of biomass production (i.e. hydrologic cost-effectiveness ratio) was more than 5X greater under scenario-I than under scenario-II. These results suggest that, from a hydrologic perspective, it may be preferable to convert marginal cropland to switchgrass production rather than converting existing grasslands. PMID:28792541

Potential sensitivity of photosynthesis and isoprene emission to direct radiative effects of atmospheric aerosol pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strada, Susanna; Unger, Nadine

2016-04-01

A global Earth system model is applied to quantify the impacts of direct anthropogenic aerosol effective radiative forcing on gross primary productivity (GPP) and isoprene emission. The impacts of different pollution aerosol sources (anthropogenic, biomass burning, and non-biomass burning) are investigated by performing sensitivity experiments. The model framework includes all known light and meteorological responses of photosynthesis, but uses fixed canopy structures and phenology. On a global scale, our results show that global land carbon fluxes (GPP and isoprene emission) are not sensitive to pollution aerosols, even under a global decline in surface solar radiation (direct + diffuse) by ˜ 9 %. At a regional scale, GPP and isoprene emission show a robust but opposite sensitivity to pollution aerosols in regions where forested canopies dominate. In eastern North America and Eurasia, anthropogenic pollution aerosols (mainly from non-biomass burning sources) enhance GPP by +5-8 % on an annual average. In the northwestern Amazon Basin and central Africa, biomass burning aerosols increase GPP by +2-5 % on an annual average, with a peak in the northwestern Amazon Basin during the dry-fire season (+5-8 %). The prevailing mechanism varies across regions: light scattering dominates in eastern North America, while a reduction in direct radiation dominates in Europe and China. Aerosol-induced GPP productivity increases in the Amazon and central Africa include an additional positive feedback from reduced canopy temperatures in response to increases in canopy conductance. In Eurasia and northeastern China, anthropogenic pollution aerosols drive a decrease in isoprene emission of -2 to -12 % on an annual average. Future research needs to incorporate the indirect effects of aerosols and possible feedbacks from dynamic carbon allocation and phenology.

Hydrologic cost-effectiveness ratio favors switchgrass production on marginal croplands over existing grasslands.

PubMed

Yimam, Yohannes Tadesse; Ochsner, Tyson E; Fox, Garey A

2017-01-01

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has attracted attention as a promising second generation biofuel feedstock. Both existing grasslands and marginal croplands have been suggested as targets for conversion to switchgrass, but the resulting production potentials and hydrologic impacts are not clear. The objectives of this study were to model switchgrass production on existing grasslands (scenario-I) and on marginal croplands that have severe to very severe limitations for crop production (scenario-II) and to evaluate the effects on evapotranspiration (ET) and streamflow. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to the 1063 km2 Skeleton Creek watershed in north-central Oklahoma, a watershed dominated by grasslands (35%) and winter wheat cropland (47%). The simulated average annual yield (2002-2011) for rainfed Alamo switchgrass for both scenarios was 12 Mg ha-1. Yield varied spatially under scenario-I from 6.1 to 15.3 Mg ha-1, while under scenario-II the range was from 8.2 to 13.8 Mg ha-1. Comparison of average annual ET and streamflow between the baseline simulation (existing land use) and scenario-I showed that scenario-I had 5.6% (37 mm) higher average annual ET and 27.7% lower streamflow, representing a 40.7 million m3 yr-1 streamflow reduction. Compared to the baseline, scenario-II had only 0.5% higher ET and 3.2% lower streamflow, but some monthly impacts were larger. In this watershed, the water yield reduction per ton of biomass production (i.e. hydrologic cost-effectiveness ratio) was more than 5X greater under scenario-I than under scenario-II. These results suggest that, from a hydrologic perspective, it may be preferable to convert marginal cropland to switchgrass production rather than converting existing grasslands.

40 CFR 464.13 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... copper, lead, zinc, and total phenols. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass limitations....0771 0.0421 Lead (T) 0.0791 0.039 Zinc (T) 0.114 0.0431 Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average Annual average 1 (mg/l) 2 (mg/l) 2 Copper (T) 0.77 0.42 0.017 Lead (T) 0.79 0.39 0.022 Zinc (T) 1...

40 CFR 464.13 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... copper, lead, zinc, and total phenols. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass limitations....0771 0.0421 Lead (T) 0.0791 0.039 Zinc (T) 0.114 0.0431 Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average Annual average 1 (mg/l) 2 (mg/l) 2 Copper (T) 0.77 0.42 0.017 Lead (T) 0.79 0.39 0.022 Zinc (T) 1...

Formation, distribution and variability in snow cover on the Asian territory of the USSR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pupkov, V. N.

1985-01-01

A description is given of maps compiled for annual and average multiple-year water reserves. The annual and average multiple-year maximum snow cover height for winter, extreme values of maximum snow reserves, and the average height and snow reserves at the end of each decade are shown. These maps were made for the entire Asian territory of the USSR, excluding Central Asia, Kamchatka Peninsula, and the Sakhalin Islands.

Seasonal radon measurements in Darbandikhan Lake water resources at Kurdistan region-northeastern of Iraq

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jafir, Adeeb Omer; Ahmad, Ali Hassan; Saridan, Wan Muhamad

2016-03-01

A total of 164 water samples were collected from Darbandikhan Lake with their different resources (spring, stream, and lake) during the four seasons, and the measurements were carried out using the electronic RAD 7 detector. For spring water the average radon concentration for spring, summer, autumn and summer were found to be 8.21 Bq/1, 8.94 Bq/1, 7.422 Bq/1, and 8.06 Bq/1, respectively, while for lake and streams the average values were found to be 0.43 Bq/1, 0.877 Bq/1, 0.727 Bq/1, 0.575 Bq/1 respectively. The radon concentration level was higher in summer and lower in spring, and only two samples from spring water have radon concentrations more than 11.1 Bq/1 recommended by the EPA. Total annual effective dose due to ingestion and inhalation has been estimated, the mean annual effective dose during the whole year for spring water was 0.022 mSv/y while for lake with streams was 0.00157 mSv/y. The determined mean annual effective dose in water was lower than the 0.1 mSv/y recommended by WHO. Some physicochemical parameters were measured and no correlation was found between them and radon concentration except for the conductivity of the spring drinking water which reveals a strong correlation for the four seasons.

[Application of regression tree in analyzing the effects of climate factors on NDVI in loess hilly area of Shaanxi Province].

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Lü, Yi-he; Zheng, Hai-feng; Chen, Li-ding

2010-05-01

Based on the 10-day SPOT VEGETATION NDVI data and the daily meteorological data from 1998 to 2007 in Yan' an City, the main meteorological variables affecting the annual and interannual variations of NDVI were determined by using regression tree. It was found that the effects of test meteorological variables on the variability of NDVI differed with seasons and time lags. Temperature and precipitation were the most important meteorological variables affecting the annual variation of NDVI, and the average highest temperature was the most important meteorological variable affecting the inter-annual variation of NDVI. Regression tree was very powerful in determining the key meteorological variables affecting NDVI variation, but could not build quantitative relations between NDVI and meteorological variables, which limited its further and wider application.

Investigation of distribution of radioactivity with effects of heavy metals in toothpastes from Penang markets.

PubMed

Salih, Najeba F; Jafri, Zubir M; Jaafar, Mohamad S

2016-12-01

This study was carried out to determine the concentration of 222 Rn, 226 Ra, and 238 U in 25 different toothpastes available in the local market in Penang, Malaysia, using a CR-39 detector. The results showed the maximum concentration of radon/ radium/uranium to be 4197.644 Bq.m -3 , 54.369 Bq.Kgm -1 , and 0.044 ppm in Colgate4; the annual effective dose was found (0.402 mSvy -1 ) in S07. The average concentration of radon (42 %, 3.224 KBq.m -3 ) was higher than the concentration of 214 Po, 218 Po in POS (32 %, 2.415 KBq.m -3 ) and POW (26 %, 1.979 KBq.m -3 ). Also the values of pH of samples ranged from 4.21 (highly acidic) in S04 to 9.97 (highly basic) in S07, with an average of 6.33 which tended towards an acidic behavior; a low or high pH for a long period of time can cause harmful side-effects and enamel erosion. Concentrations of heavy metals varied from the maximum value 56.156 ppm in the Ca elements in the Colgate 4 sample to a minimum value of -0.858 ppm in the Cd elements in Colgate 6 (Ca 56.156 ppm > Cd 51.572 ppm > Zn 41.039 ppm > Mg 11.682 ppm > Pb 11.009 ppm]. Monitoring the accumulation of these metals in toothpaste samples is very important: the average annual effective dose (0.3118 mSvy -1 ) was below the range (3-10 mSvy -1 ) reported by ICRP (1993), and therefore there is no evidence of health problems. Significant strong positive correlations were found (r = 1, Pearson correlation, p < 0.000) in concentration of radon, radium, uranium, annual effective dose, pH, and electrical conductivity.

5 CFR 550.1302 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... effect throughout the year, averages at least 106 hours per biweekly pay period; and (2) Who is in a... Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PAY ADMINISTRATION (GENERAL) Firefighter Pay § 550.1302 Definitions. In this subpart: Annual rate of basic pay (except as otherwise...

5 CFR 550.1302 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... effect throughout the year, averages at least 106 hours per biweekly pay period; and (2) Who is in a... Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PAY ADMINISTRATION (GENERAL) Firefighter Pay § 550.1302 Definitions. In this subpart: Annual rate of basic pay (except as otherwise...

The Regional Differences of Gpp Estimation by Solar Induced Fluorescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, X.; Lu, S.

2018-04-01

Estimating gross primary productivity (GPP) at large spatial scales is important for studying the global carbon cycle and global climate change. In this study, the relationship between solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) and GPP is analysed in different levels of annual average temperature and annual total precipitation respectively using simple linear regression analysis. The results showed high correlation between SIF and GPP, when the area satisfied annual average temperature in the range of -5 °C to 15 °C and the annual total precipitation is higher than 200 mm. These results can provide a basis for future estimation of GPP research.

Nutrient transport in surface runoff and interflow from an aspen-birch forest

Treesearch

D.R. Timmons; E.S. Verry; R.E. Burwell; R.F. Holt

1977-01-01

Nutrients transported in surface runoff and interflow from an undisturbed aspen-birch (Populus tremuloides Michx., and Betula papyrifera Marsh.) forest (6.48 ha) in northern Minnesota were measured for 3 years. Surface runoff from snowmelt accounted for 97% of the average annual surface runoff and for 57% of the average annual...

Annual forest inventory estimates based on the moving average

Treesearch

Francis A. Roesch; James R. Steinman; Michael T. Thompson

2002-01-01

Three interpretations of the simple moving average estimator, as applied to the USDA Forest Service's annual forest inventory design, are presented. A corresponding approach to composite estimation over arbitrarily defined land areas and time intervals is given for each interpretation, under the assumption that the investigator is armed with only the spatial/...

18 CFR 381.104 - Annual adjustment of fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... data are available multiplied by the average monthly employee cost in the most recent fiscal year for... multiplied by the average monthly employee cost in the most recent fiscal year for which data are available... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Annual adjustment of...

18 CFR 381.104 - Annual adjustment of fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... data are available multiplied by the average monthly employee cost in the most recent fiscal year for... multiplied by the average monthly employee cost in the most recent fiscal year for which data are available... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Annual adjustment of...

18 CFR 381.104 - Annual adjustment of fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... data are available multiplied by the average monthly employee cost in the most recent fiscal year for... multiplied by the average monthly employee cost in the most recent fiscal year for which data are available... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Annual adjustment of...

18 CFR 381.104 - Annual adjustment of fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... data are available multiplied by the average monthly employee cost in the most recent fiscal year for... multiplied by the average monthly employee cost in the most recent fiscal year for which data are available... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Annual adjustment of...

18 CFR 381.104 - Annual adjustment of fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... data are available multiplied by the average monthly employee cost in the most recent fiscal year for... multiplied by the average monthly employee cost in the most recent fiscal year for which data are available... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Annual adjustment of...

Twenty-year trends in the prevalence of disability in China

PubMed Central

Chen, Gong; Song, Xinming; Liu, Jufen; Yan, Lijing; Du, Wei; Pang, Lihua; Zhang, Lei; Wu, Jilei; Zhang, Bingzi; Zhang, Jun

2011-01-01

Abstract Objective To evaluate changes in the age-adjusted prevalence of disability in transitional China from 1987 to 2006. Methods Data from nationally representative surveys conducted in 1987 and 2006 were used to calculate age-adjusted disability prevalence rates by applying appropriate sample weights and directly adjusting to the age distribution of the 1990 Chinese population. Trends were assessed in terms of average annual percentage change. Findings The estimated number of disabled people in China in 1987 and 2006 was 52.7 and 84.6 million, respectively, corresponding to a weighted prevalence of 4.9% and 6.5%. The age-adjusted prevalence of disability decreased by an average of 0.5% per year (average annual percentage change, AAPC: −0.5%; 95% confidence interval, CI: −0.7 to −0.4) during 1987–2006. However, it increased by an average of 0.3% (AAPC: 0.3%; 95% CI: 0.1 to 0.5) per year in males and by an average of 1.0% (AAPC: 1.0%; 95% CI: 0.8 to 1.2) per year among rural residents, whereas among females it showed an average annual decrease of 1.5% (AAPC: −1.5%; 95% CI: −1.7 to −1.3) and among urban residents, an average annual decrease of 3.9% (AAPC: −3.9%; 95% CI: −4.3 to −3.5). Despite significant declining trends for hearing and speech, intellectual and visual disabilities, the annual age-adjusted prevalence of physical and mental disabilities increased by an average of 11.2% (AAPC: 11.2%; 95% CI: 10.5 to 11.9) and 13.3% (AAPC: 13.3%; 95% CI: 10.7 to 16.2), respectively. Conclusion In China, the age-adjusted prevalence of disability has declined since 1987, with inconsistencies dependent on the type of disability. These findings call for continuing and specific efforts to prevent disabilities in China. PMID:22084524

Assessment of natural radionuclides and its radiological hazards from tiles made in Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joel, E. S.; Maxwell, O.; Adewoyin, O. O.; Ehi-Eromosele, C. O.; Embong, Z.; Saeed, M. A.

2018-03-01

Activity concentration of 10 different brands of tiles made in Nigeria were analyzed using High purity Germanium gamma detector and its hazard indices such as absorbed dose rate, radium equivalent activity, external Hazard Index (Hex), internal Hazard Index (Hin), Annual Effective Dose (mSv/y), Gamma activity Index (Iγ) and Alpha Index (Iα) were determined. The result showed that the average activity concentrations of radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) content are within the recommended limit. The average radium equivalent is within the recommended limit of 370 Bq/kg. The result obtained further showed that the mean values for the absorbed dose rate (D), external and internal hazard index, the annual effective dose (AEDR) equivalent, gamma activity index and Alpha Index were: 169.22 nGyh-1, 0.95 and 1.14, 1.59 mSv/y, 1.00 Sv yr-1 and 0.34 respectively. The result established that radiological hazards such as absorbed dose rate, internal hazard, annual effective dose rate, gamma activity index and Alpha Index for some samples are found to be slightly close or above international recommended values. The result for the present study was compared with tiles sample from others countries, it was observed that the concentration of tiles made in Nigeria and other countries are closer, however recommends proper radiation monitoring for some tiles made in Nigeria before usage due to the long term health effect.

Hospitalization for Suicide Ideation or Attempt: 2008-2015.

PubMed

Plemmons, Gregory; Hall, Matthew; Doupnik, Stephanie; Gay, James; Brown, Charlotte; Browning, Whitney; Casey, Robert; Freundlich, Katherine; Johnson, David P; Lind, Carrie; Rehm, Kris; Thomas, Susan; Williams, Derek

2018-06-01

Suicide ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SAs) have been reported as increasing among US children over the last decade. We examined trends in emergency and inpatient encounters for SI and SA at US children's hospitals from 2008 to 2015. We used retrospective analysis of administrative billing data from the Pediatric Health Information System database. There were 115 856 SI and SA encounters during the study period. Annual percentage of all visits for SI and SA almost doubled, increasing from 0.66% in 2008 to 1.82% in 2015 (average annual increase 0.16 percentage points [95% confidence intervals (CIs) 0.15 to 0.17]). Significant increases were noted in all age groups but were higher in adolescents 15 to 17 years old (average annual increase 0.27 percentage points [95% CI 0.23 to 0.30]) and adolescents 12 to 14 years old (average annual increase 0.25 percentage points [95% CI 0.21 to 0.27]). Increases were noted in girls (average annual increase 0.14 percentage points [95% CI 0.13 to 0.15]) and boys (average annual increase 0.10 percentage points [95% CI 0.09 to 0.11]), but were higher for girls. Seasonal variation was also observed, with the lowest percentage of cases occurring during the summer and the highest during spring and fall. Encounters for SI and SA at US children's hospitals increased steadily from 2008 to 2015 and accounted for an increasing percentage of all hospital encounters. Increases were noted across all age groups, with consistent seasonal patterns that persisted over the study period. The growing impact of pediatric mental health disorders has important implications for children's hospitals and health care delivery systems. Copyright © 2018 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Walleye recruitment success is less resilient to warming water temperatures in lakes with abundant largemouth bass populations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansen, Gretchen J. A.; Midway, Stephen R.; Wagner, Tyler

2018-01-01

Lakes respond heterogeneously to climate, with implications for fisheries management. We analyzed walleye (Sander vitreus) recruitment to age-0 in 359 lakes in Wisconsin, USA, to (i) quantify the relationship between annual water temperature degree days (DD) and walleye recruitment success and (ii) identify the influence of lake characteristics — area, conductivity, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) catch rates, and mean DD — on this relationship. The relationship between walleye recruitment and annual DD varied among lakes and was not distinguishable from zero overall (posterior mean = −0.11, 90% CI = −0.34, 0.15). DD effects on recruitment were negative in 198 lakes (55%) and positive in 161 (45%). The effect of annual DD was most negative in lakes with high largemouth bass densities, and, on average, the probability of recruitment was highest in large lakes with low largemouth bass densities. Conductivity and mean DD influenced neither recruitment nor the effect of annual DD. Walleye recruitment was most resilient to warming in lakes with few largemouth bass, suggesting that the effects of climate change depend on lake-specific food-web and habitat contexts.

Annual estimates of water and solute export from 42 tributaries to the Yukon River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frederick Zanden,; Suzanne P. Anderson,; Striegl, Robert G.

2012-01-01

Annual export of 11 major and trace solutes for the Yukon River is found to be accurately determined based on summing 42 tributary contributions. These findings provide the first published estimates of tributary specific distribution of solutes within the Yukon River basin. First, we show that annual discharge of the Yukon River can be computed by summing calculated annual discharges from 42 tributaries. Annual discharge for the tributaries is calculated from the basin area and average annual precipitation over that area using a previously published regional regression equation. Based on tributary inputs, we estimate an average annual discharge for the Yukon River of 210 km3 year–1. This value is within 1% of the average measured annual discharge at the U.S. Geological Survey gaging station near the river terminus at Pilot Station, AK, for water years 2001 through 2005. Next, annual loads for 11 solutes are determined by combining annual discharge with point measurements of solute concentrations in tributary river water. Based on the sum of solutes in tributary water, we find that the Yukon River discharges approximately 33 million metric tons of dissolved solids each year at Pilot Station. Discharged solutes are dominated by cations calcium and magnesium (5.65 × 109 and 1.42 × 109 g year–1) and anions bicarbonate and sulphate (17.3 × 109 and 5.40 × 109 g year–1). These loads compare well with loads calculated independently at the three continuous gaging stations along the Yukon River. These findings show how annual solute yields vary throughout a major subarctic river basin and that accurate estimates of total river export can be determined from calculated tributary contributions.

Disease Burden Due to Herpes Zoster among Population Aged ≥50 Years Old in China: A Community Based Retrospective Survey.

PubMed

Li, Yan; An, Zhijie; Yin, Dapeng; Liu, Yanmin; Huang, Zhuoying; Xu, Jianfang; Ma, Yujie; Tu, Qiufeng; Li, Qi; Wang, Huaqing

2016-01-01

To understand the disease burden due to Herpes Zoster (HZ) among people aged ≥50 years old in China and provide baseline data for future similar studies, and provide evidence for development of herpes zoster vaccination strategy. Retrospective cohort study was conducted in 4 townships and one community. A questionnaire was used to collect information on incidence and cost of HZ among people aged ≥ 50 years old. The cumulative incidence rate was 22.6/1,000 among people aged ≥ 50 years old. The average annual incidence rate of HZ was 3.43/1,000 among people aged ≥ 50 years old in 2010-2012. Cumulative incidence and average annual incidence rate increased with age: the cumulative incidence of HZ among people aged ≥ 80 years old was 3.34 times of that among 50-years old (52.3/1000 vs 15.7/1,000); average annual incidence rate rises from 2.66/1,000 among 50-years old to 8.55/1,000 among 80-year old. Cumulative incidence and average annual incidence rate for females were higher than that for males (cumulative incidence, 26.5/1000 vs 18.7/1,000; annual incidence rate, 3.95/1000 vs 2.89/1,000). Cumulative incidence and average annual incidence rate in urban were higher than in rural (cumulative incidence, 39.5/1000 vs 17.2/1,000; annual incidence rate, 7.65/1000 vs 2.06/1,000). The hospitalization rate of HZ was 4.53%. And with the increase of age, the rate has an increasing trend. HZ costs 945,709.5 RMB in total, corresponding to 840.6 RMB per patient with a median cost of 385 RMB (interquartile range 171.7-795.6). Factors associated with cost included the first onset year, area, whether hospitalized and whether sequelae left. Incidence rate, complications, hospitalization rate and average cost of HZ increase with age. We recommend that the HZ vaccinations should target people aged ≥50 years old if Zoster vaccine is licensed in China.

Grazing effects on aboveground primary production and root biomass of early-seral, mid-seral, and undisturbed semiarid grassland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milchunas, D.G.; Vandever, M.W.

2013-01-01

Annual/perennial and tall/short plant species differentially dominate early to late successional shortgrass steppe communities. Plant species can have different ratios of above-/below-ground biomass distributions and this can be modified by precipitation and grazing. We compared grazing effects on aboveground production and root biomass in early- and mid-seral fields and undisturbed shortgrass steppe. Production averaged across four years and grazed and ungrazed treatments were 246, 134, and 102 g m−2 yr−1 for the early-, mid-seral, and native sites, respectively, while root biomass averaged 358, 560, and 981 g m−2, respectively. Early- and mid-seral communities provided complimentary forage supplies but at the cost of root biomass. Grazing increased, decreased, or had no effect on aboveground production in early-, mid-seral, and native communities, and had no effect on roots in any. Grazing had some negative effects on early spring forage species, but not in the annual dominated early-seral community. Dominant species increased with grazing in native communities with a long evolutionary history of grazing by large herbivores, but had no effects on the same species in mid-seral communities. Effects of grazing in native communities in a region cannot necessarily be used to predict effects at other seral stages.

Increased dry season water yield in burned watersheds in Southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinoshita, Alicia M.; Hogue, Terri S.

2015-01-01

The current work evaluates the effects of the 2003 Old Fire on semi-arid systems in the San Bernardino Mountains, California. Pre- and post-fire daily streamflow are used to analyze flow regimes in two burned watersheds. The average pre-fire runoff ratios in Devil Canyon and City Creek are 0.14 and 0.26, respectively, and both increase to 0.34 post-fire. Annual flow duration curves are developed for each watershed and the low flow is characterized by a 90% exceedance probability threshold. Post-fire low flow is statistically different from the pre-fire values (α = 0.05). In Devil Canyon the annual volume of pre-fire low flow increases on average from 2.6E + 02 to 3.1E + 03 m3 (1090% increase) and in City Creek the annual low flow volume increases from 2.3E + 03 to 5.0E + 03 m3 (118% increase). Predicting burn system resilience to disturbance (anthropogenic and natural) has significant implications for water sustainability and ultimately may provide an opportunity to utilize extended and increased water yield.

The importance of temporal inequality in quantifying vegetated filter strip removal efficiencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gall, H. E.; Schultz, D.; Mejia, A.; Harman, C. J.; Raj, C.; Goslee, S.; Veith, T.; Patterson, P. H.

2017-12-01

Vegetated filter strips (VFSs) are best management practices (BMPs) commonly implemented adjacent to row-cropped fields to trap overland transport of sediment and other constituents often present in agricultural runoff. VFSs are generally reported to have high sediment removal efficiencies (i.e., 70 - 95%); however, these values are typically calculated as an average of removal efficiencies observed or simulated for individual events. We argue that due to: (i) positively correlated sediment concentration-discharge relationships; (ii) strong temporal inequality exhibited by sediment transport; and (iii) decreasing VFS performance with increasing flow rates, VFS removal efficiencies over annual time scales may be significantly lower than the per-event values or averages typically reported in the literature and used in decision-making models. By applying a stochastic approach to a two-component VFS model, we investigated the extent of the disparity between two calculation methods: averaging efficiencies from each event over the course of one year, versus reporting the total annual load reduction. We examined the effects of soil texture, concentration-discharge relationship, and VFS slope to reveal the potential errors that may be incurred by ignoring the effects of temporal inequality in quantifying VFS performance. Simulation results suggest that errors can be as low as < 2% and as high as > 20%, with the differences between the two methods of removal efficiency calculations greatest for: (i) soils with high percentage of fine particulates; (ii) VFSs with higher slopes; and (iii) strongly positive concentration-discharge relationships. These results can aid in annual-scale decision making for achieving downstream water quality goals.

Temporal trends in the acidity of precipitation and surface waters of New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peters, Norman E.; Schroeder, Roy A.; Troutman, David E.

1982-01-01

Statistical analyses of precipitation data from a nine-station monitoring network indicate little change in pH from 1965-78 within New York State as a whole but suggest that pH of bulk precipitation has decreased in the western part of the State by approximately 0.2 pH units since 1965 and increased in the eastern part by a similar amount. This trend is equivalent to an annual change in hydrogen-ion concentration of 0.2 microequivalents per liter. An average annual increase in precipitation quantity of 2 to 3 percent since 1965 has resulted in an increased acid load in the western and central parts of the State. During 1965-78, sulfate concentration in precipitation decreased an average of 1-4 percent annually. In general, no trend in nitrate was detected. Calculated trends in hydrogen-ion concentration do not correlate with measured trends of sulfate and nitrate, which suggests variable neutralization of hydrogen ion, possibly by particles from dry deposition. Neutralization has produced an increase of about 0.3 pH units in nonurban areas and 0.7 pH units in urban areas. Statistical analyses of chemical data from several streams throughout New York suggest that sulfate concentrations decreased an average of 1 to 4 percent per year. This decrease is comparable to the sulfate decrease in precipitation during the same period. In most areas of the State, chemical contributions from urbanization and farming, as well as the neutralizing effect of carbonate soils, conceal whatever effects acid precipitation may have on pH of streams.

Childhood drowning in Malaysia.

PubMed

Hss, Amar-Singh; Tan, Pui San; Hashim, Lina

2014-01-01

This study aimed to collate data on childhood drowning in Malaysia and review existing drowning prevention measures. This study used secondary data from governmental and non-governmental agencies. All reported fatal drownings from 2000 to 2007 and all reported non-fatal drownings from 2000 to 2008 were included. Data were analysed to provide understanding of the epidemiology of drowning incidents, risk factors and available preventive efforts. On average 286 (range 248-344) children died yearly due to drowning with a death rate of 3.05 per 100,000 annually. An additional average of 207 children drowned but survived annually (1.99 per 100,000). The estimated burden of drowning in children (death and non-death) is 5 per 100,000. There was no reduction in annual drowning fatalities over time. Most drowning took place in east coast regions during the annual monsoon season. It was 3.52 (2.80-4.41) times more common in boys and most prevalent among 10-14 years. Most prevalent sites of all-age drowning were seas and rivers. Limited water safety regulations are currently available in the country. This is the first comprehensive national study in Malaysia on paediatric drowning and highlights the magnitude of the problem. It calls for concerted effort to devise effective national drowning prevention measures.

Watershed-scale response of groundwater recharge to inter-annual and inter-decadal variability in precipitation (Alberta, Canada)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Masaki; Farrow, Christopher R.

2014-12-01

Groundwater recharge sets a constraint on aquifer water balance in the context of water management. Historical data on groundwater and other relevant hydrological processes can be used to understand the effects of climatic variability on recharge, but such data sets are rare. The climate of the Canadian prairies is characterized by large inter-annual and inter-decadal variability in precipitation, which provides opportunities to examine the response of groundwater recharge to changes in meteorological conditions. A decadal study was conducted in a small (250 km2) prairie watershed in Alberta, Canada. Relative magnitude of annual recharge, indicated by water-level rise, was significantly correlated with a combination of growing-season precipitation and snowmelt runoff, which drives depression-focussed infiltration of meltwater. Annual precipitation was greater than vapour flux at an experimental site in some years and smaller in other years. On average precipitation minus vapour flux was 10 mm y-1, which was comparable to the magnitude of watershed-scale groundwater recharge estimated from creek baseflow. Average baseflow showed a distinct shift from a low value (4 mm y-1) in 1982-1995 to a high value (15 mm y-1) in 2003-2013, indicating the sensitivity of groundwater recharge to a decadal-scale variability of meteorological conditions.

[Variation characteristics and influencing factors of actual evapotranspiration under various vegetation types: A case study in the Huaihe River Basin, China.

PubMed

Wu, Rong Jun; Xing, Xiao Yong

2016-06-01

The actual evapotranspiration was modelled utilizing the boreal ecosystem productivity simulator (BEPS) in Huaihe River Basin from 2001 to 2012. In the meantime, the quantitative analyses of the spatial-temporal variations of actual evapotranspiration characteristics and its influencing factors under different vegetation types were conducted. The results showed that annual evapotranspiration gradually decreased from southeast to northwest, tended to increase annually, and the monthly change for the average annual evapotranspiration was double-peak curve. The differences of evapotranspiration among vegetation types showed that the farmland was the largest contributor for the evapotranspiration of Huaihe Basin. The annual actual evapotranspiration of the mixed forest per unit area was the largest, and that of the bare ground per unit area was the smallest. The changed average annual evapotranspiration per unit area for various vegetation types indicated an increased tendency other than the bare ground, with a most significant increase trend for the evergreen broadleaf forest. The thermodynamic factors (such as average temperature) were the dominant factors affecting the actual evapotranspiration in the Huaihe Basin, followed by radiation and moisture factors.

Precipitation areal-reduction factor estimation using an annual-maxima centered approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asquith, W.H.; Famiglietti, J.S.

2000-01-01

The adjustment of precipitation depth of a point storm to an effective (mean) depth over a watershed is important for characterizing rainfall-runoff relations and for cost-effective designs of hydraulic structures when design storms are considered. A design storm is the precipitation point depth having a specified duration and frequency (recurrence interval). Effective depths are often computed by multiplying point depths by areal-reduction factors (ARF). ARF range from 0 to 1, vary according to storm characteristics, such as recurrence interval; and are a function of watershed characteristics, such as watershed size, shape, and geographic location. This paper presents a new approach for estimating ARF and includes applications for the 1-day design storm in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Texas. The approach, termed 'annual-maxima centered,' specifically considers the distribution of concurrent precipitation surrounding an annual-precipitation maxima, which is a feature not seen in other approaches. The approach does not require the prior spatial averaging of precipitation, explicit determination of spatial correlation coefficients, nor explicit definition of a representative area of a particular storm in the analysis. The annual-maxima centered approach was designed to exploit the wide availability of dense precipitation gauge data in many regions of the world. The approach produces ARF that decrease more rapidly than those from TP-29. Furthermore, the ARF from the approach decay rapidly with increasing recurrence interval of the annual-precipitation maxima. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.The adjustment of precipitation depth of a point storm to an effective (mean) depth over a watershed is important for characterizing rainfall-runoff relations and for cost-effective designs of hydraulic structures when design storms are considered. A design storm is the precipitation point depth having a specified duration and frequency (recurrence interval). Effective depths are often computed by multiplying point depths by areal-reduction factors (ARF). ARF range from 0 to 1, vary according to storm characteristics, such as recurrence interval; and are a function of watershed characteristics, such as watershed size, shape, and geographic location. This paper presents a new approach for estimating ARF and includes applications for the 1-day design storm in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Texas. The approach, termed 'annual-maxima centered,' specifically considers the distribution of concurrent precipitation surrounding an annual-precipitation maxima, which is a feature not seen in other approaches. The approach does not require the prior spatial averaging of precipitation, explicit determination of spatial correlation coefficients, nor explicit definition of a representative area of a particular storm in the analysis. The annual-maxima centered approach was designed to exploit the wide availability of dense precipitation gauge data in many regions of the world. The approach produces ARF that decrease more rapidly than those from TP-29. Furthermore, the ARF from the approach decay rapidly with increasing recurrence interval of the annual-precipitation maxima.

Analytical expressions for maximum wind turbine average power in a Rayleigh wind regime

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carlin, P.W.

Average or expectation values for annual power of a wind turbine in a Rayleigh wind regime are calculated and plotted as a function of cut-out wind speed. This wind speed is expressed in multiples of the annual average wind speed at the turbine installation site. To provide a common basis for comparison of all real and imagined turbines, the Rayleigh-Betz wind machine is postulated. This machine is an ideal wind machine operating with the ideal Betz power coefficient of 0.593 in a Rayleigh probability wind regime. All other average annual powers are expressed in fractions of that power. Cases consideredmore » include: (1) an ideal machine with finite power and finite cutout speed, (2) real machines operating in variable speed mode at their maximum power coefficient, and (3) real machines operating at constant speed.« less

1998 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

1998 ANNUAL TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORT Microwave imagery of Typhoon Rex (06W) as it passed through the Bonin Islands, taken at 0800Z on 28 August... DAVE ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 5.3 TESTING AND RESULTS...weighting the forecasts given by XTRP and CLIM. 5.2.5.2 DYNAMIC AVERAGE ( DAVE ) A simple average of all dynamic forecast aids: NOGAPS (NGPS), Bracknell

Forest statistics for Florida, 1987

Treesearch

Mark J. Brown; Michael T. Thompson

1988-01-01

Since 1980, area of timberland in Florida was decreased by 4 percent to less than 15.0 million acres. Area of nonindustrial private forest land has declined 12 percent to 7.1 million acres. Area harvested and retained in timberland averaged 296,000 acres annually. An average of 272,000 acres regenerated annually. 72 percent of which occurred through artificial methods...

Anatomy of backcountry management costs

Treesearch

Herbert E Echelberger; Harriet J. Plumley; Harriet J. Plumley

1986-01-01

Operation and management costs for several dispersed overnight site locations and backcountry trails in the White Mountain National Forest were studied. Average annual costs ranged from $200 to $1,500 per mile for trails and from $0.35 to $4.29 per visitor for overnight sites. Average annual costs for trails and overnight sites increased with elevation and use levels,...

40 CFR 76.5 - NOX emission limitations for Group 1 boilers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... wall-fired boiler (other than units applying cell burner technology) shall not discharge, or allow to... input on an annual average basis for tangentially fired boilers. (2) 0.50 lb/mmBtu of heat input on an annual average basis for dry bottom wall-fired boilers (other than units applying cell burner technology...

Green strips or vegetative fuel breaks

Treesearch

Loren St. John; Dan Ogle

2009-01-01

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, between 1998 and 2008 there were on average 65,581 fires per year and an average of 6,114,135 acres burned each year in the United States. Rangelands in the western United States have been invaded by many annual weed species including cheatgrass, an introduced winter annual grass that produces large quantities of...

Nutrient loading to Lewisville Lake, north-central Texas, 1984-87

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gain, W.S.; Baldys, Stanley

1995-01-01

The estimated long-term (1974-89 water years) average annual total nitrogen load (excluding loads from sewage-treatment plants in ungaged areas) is 11,800 pounds per day. The estimated long-term (1974 89 water years) average annual total phosphorus load (excluding loads from sewage-treatment plants in ungaged areas) is 1,100 pounds per day.

The effect of fire intensity on soil respiration in Siberia boreal forest

Treesearch

S. Baker; A. V. Bogorodskaya

2010-01-01

Russian boreal forests have an annual wildfire activity averaging 10 to 20 million ha, which has increased in recent years. This wildfire activity, in response to changing climate has the potential to significantly affect the carbon storage capacity of Siberian forests. A better understanding of the effect of fire on soil respiration rates in the boreal forest of...

Identifying community thresholds for lotic benthic diatoms in response to human disturbance.

PubMed

Tang, Tao; Tang, Ting; Tan, Lu; Gu, Yuan; Jiang, Wanxiang; Cai, Qinghua

2017-06-23

Although human disturbance indirectly influences lotic assemblages through modifying physical and chemical conditions, identifying thresholds of human disturbance would provide direct evidence for preventing anthropogenic degradation of biological conditions. In the present study, we used data obtained from tributaries of the Three Gorges Reservoir in China to detect effects of human disturbance on streams and to identify disturbance thresholds for benthic diatoms. Diatom species composition was significantly affected by three in-stream stressors including TP, TN and pH. Diatoms were also influenced by watershed % farmland and natural environmental variables. Considering three in-stream stressors, TP was positively influenced by % farmland and % impervious surface area (ISA). In contrast, TN and pH were principally affected by natural environmental variables. Among measured natural environmental variables, average annual air temperature, average annual precipitation, and topsoil % CaCO 3 , % gravel, and total exchangeable bases had significant effects on study streams. When effects of natural variables were accounted for, substantial compositional changes in diatoms occurred when farmland or ISA land use exceeded 25% or 0.3%, respectively. Our study demonstrated the rationale for identifying thresholds of human disturbance for lotic assemblages and addressed the importance of accounting for effects of natural factors for accurate disturbance thresholds.

Examination of the Armagh Observatory Annual Mean Temperature Record, 1844-2004

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.; Hathaway, David H.

2006-01-01

The long-term annual mean temperature record (1844-2004) of the Armagh Observatory (Armagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom) is examined for evidence of systematic variation, in particular, as related to solar/geomagnetic forcing and secular variation. Indeed, both are apparent in the temperature record. Moving averages for 10 years of temperature are found to highly correlate against both 10-year moving averages of the aa-geomagnetic index and sunspot number, having correlation coefficients of approx. 0.7, inferring that nearly half the variance in the 10-year moving average of temperature can be explained by solar/geomagnetic forcing. The residuals appear episodic in nature, with cooling seen in the 1880s and again near 1980. Seven of the last 10 years of the temperature record has exceeded 10 C, unprecedented in the overall record. Variation of sunspot cyclic averages and 2-cycle moving averages of temperature strongly associate with similar averages for the solar/geomagnetic cycle, with the residuals displaying an apparent 9-cycle variation and a steep rise in temperature associated with cycle 23. Hale cycle averages of temperature for even-odd pairs of sunspot cycles correlate against similar averages for the solar/geomagnetic cycle and, especially, against the length of the Hale cycle. Indications are that annual mean temperature will likely exceed 10 C over the next decade.

Stand age and climate drive forest carbon balance recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Besnard, Simon; Carvalhais, Nuno; Clevers, Jan; Herold, Martin; Jung, Martin; Reichstein, Markus

2016-04-01

Forests play an essential role in the terrestrial carbon (C) cycle, especially in the C exchanges between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. Ecological disturbances and forest management are drivers of forest dynamics and strongly impact the forest C budget. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the exogenous and endogenous factors driving forest C recovery. Our analysis includes 68 forest sites in different climate zones to determine the relative influence of stand age and climate conditions on the forest carbon balance recovery. In this study, we only included forest regrowth after clear-cut stand replacement (e.g. harvest, fire), and afforestation/reforestation processes. We synthesized net ecosystem production (NEP), gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (Re), the photosynthetic respiratory ratio (GPP to Re ratio), the ecosystem carbon use efficiency (CUE), that is NEP to GPP ratio, and CUEclimax, where GPP is derived from the climate conditions. We implemented a non-linear regression analysis in order to identify the best model representing the C flux patterns with stand age. Furthermore, we showed that each C flux have a non-linear relationship with stand age, annual precipitation (P) and mean annual temperature (MAT), therefore, we proposed to use non-linear transformations of the covariates for C fluxes'estimates. Non-linear stand age and climate models were, therefore, used to establish multiple linear regressions for C flux predictions and for determining the contribution of stand age and climate in forest carbon recovery. Our findings depicted that a coupled stand age-climate model explained 33% (44%, average site), 62% (76%, average site), 56% (71%, average site), 41% (59%, average site), 50% (65%, average site) and 36% (50%, average site) of the variance of annual NEP, GPP, Re, photosynthetic respiratory ratio, CUE and CUEclimax across sites, respectively. In addition, we showed that gross fluxes (e.g. GPP and Re) are mainly climatically driven with 54.2% (68.4%, average site) and 54.1% (71.0%, average site) of GPP and Re variability, respectively, explained by the sum of MAT and P. However, annual NEP, GPP to Re ratio and CUEclimax are affected by both forest stand age and climate conditions, in particular MAT. The key result is that forest stand age plays a crucial role in determining CUE (36.4% and 48.2% for all years per site and average site, respectively), while climate conditions have less effect on CUE (13.6% and 15.4% for all years per site and average site, respectively). These findings are relevant for the implementation of Earth system models and imply that information both on forest stand age and climate conditions are critical to improve the accuracy of global terrestrial C models's estimates.

Climate change effects on livestock in the Northeast U.S. and strategies for adaptation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The livestock industries are a major contributor to the economy of the northeastern United States. Climate models predict increased average maximum temperatures, days with temperatures exceeding 25°C, and higher annual precipitation in the Northeast. These environmental changes combined with increas...

20 CFR 655.103 - Overview of this subpart and definition of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for field and livestock workers.... 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting distance of the place of... constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there may be widely varying factual...

20 CFR 655.103 - Overview of this subpart and definition of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for field and livestock workers.... 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting distance of the place of... constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there may be widely varying factual...

20 CFR 655.103 - Overview of this subpart and definition of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for field and livestock workers.... 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting distance of the place of... constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there may be widely varying factual...

29 CFR 501.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3105. Adverse effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for... worker subject to 8 U.S.C. 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting... measure of distance that constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there...

29 CFR 501.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3105. Adverse effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for... worker subject to 8 U.S.C. 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting... measure of distance that constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there...

29 CFR 501.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3105. Adverse effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for... worker subject to 8 U.S.C. 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting... measure of distance that constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there...

29 CFR 501.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3105. Adverse effect wage rate (AEWR). The annual weighted average hourly wage for... worker subject to 8 U.S.C. 1188. Area of intended employment. The geographic area within normal commuting... measure of distance that constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there...

An ex ante analysis on the use of activity meters for automated estrus detection: to invest or not to invest?

PubMed

Rutten, C J; Steeneveld, W; Inchaisri, C; Hogeveen, H

2014-11-01

The technical performance of activity meters for automated detection of estrus in dairy farming has been studied, and such meters are already used in practice. However, information on the economic consequences of using activity meters is lacking. The current study analyzes the economic benefits of a sensor system for detection of estrus and appraises the feasibility of an investment in such a system. A stochastic dynamic simulation model was used to simulate reproductive performance of a dairy herd. The number of cow places in this herd was fixed at 130. The model started with 130 randomly drawn cows (in a Monte Carlo process) and simulated calvings and replacement of these cows in subsequent years. Default herd characteristics were a conception rate of 50%, an 8-wk dry-off period, and an average milk production level of 8,310 kg per cow per 305 d. Model inputs were derived from real farm data and expertise. For the analysis, visual detection by the farmer ("without" situation) was compared with automated detection with activity meters ("with" situation). For visual estrus detection, an estrus detection rate of 50% and a specificity of 100% were assumed. For automated estrus detection, an estrus detection rate of 80% and a specificity of 95% were assumed. The results of the cow simulation model were used to estimate the difference between the annual net cash flows in the "with" and "without" situations (marginal financial effect) and the internal rate of return (IRR) as profitability indicators. The use of activity meters led to improved estrus detection and, therefore, to a decrease in the average calving interval and subsequent increase in annual milk production. For visual estrus detection, the average calving interval was 419 d and average annual milk production was 1,032,278 kg. For activity meters, the average calving interval was 403 d and the average annual milk production was 1,043,398 kg. It was estimated that the initial investment in activity meters would cost €17,728 for a herd of 130 cows, with an additional cost of €90 per year for the replacement of malfunctioning activity meters. Changes in annual net cash flows arising from using an activity meter included extra revenues from increased milk production and number of calves sold, increased costs from more inseminations, calvings, and feed consumption, and reduced costs from fewer culled cows and less labor for estrus detection. These changes in cash flows were caused mainly by changes in the technical results of the simulated dairy herds, which arose from differences in the estrus detection rate and specificity between the "with" and "without" situations. The average marginal financial effect in the "with" and "without" situations was €2,827 for the baseline scenario, with an average IRR of 11%. The IRR is a measure of the return on invested capital. Investment in activity meters was generally profitable. The most influential assumptions on the profitability of this investment were the assumed culling rules and the increase in sensitivity of estrus detection between the "without" and the "with" situation. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Crustal displacements due to continental water loading

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Dam, T.; Wahr, J.; Milly, P.C.D.; Shmakin, A.B.; Blewitt, G.; Lavallee, D.; Larson, K.M.

2001-01-01

The effects of long-wavelength (> 100 km), seasonal variability in continental water storage on vertical crustal motions are assessed. The modeled vertical displacements (??rM) have root-mean-square (RMS) values for 1994-1998 as large as 8 mm, with ranges up to 30 mm, and are predominantly annual in character. Regional strains are on the order of 20 nanostrain for tilt and 5 nanostrain for horizontal deformation. We compare ??rM with observed Global Positioning System (GPS) heights (??rO) (which include adjustments to remove estimated effects of atmospheric pressure and annual tidal and non-tidal ocean loading) for 147 globally distributed sites. When the ??rO time series are adjusted by ??rM, their variances are reduced, on average, by an amount equal to the variance of the ??rM. Of the ??rO time series exhibiting a strong annual signal, more than half are found to have an annual harmonic that is in phase and of comparable amplitude with the annual harmonic in the ??rM. The ??rM time series exhibit long-period variations that could be mistaken for secular tectonic trends or post-glacial rebound when observed over a time span of a few years.

[Natural forming causes of China population distribution].

PubMed

Fang, Yu; Ouyang, Zhi-Yun; Zheng, Hua; Xiao, Yi; Niu, Jun-Feng; Chen, Sheng-Bin; Lu, Fei

2012-12-01

The diverse natural environment in China causes the spatial heterogeneity of China population distribution. It is essential to understand the interrelations between the population distribution pattern and natural environment to enhance the understanding of the man-land relationship and the realization of the sustainable management for the population, resources, and environment. This paper analyzed the China population distribution by adopting the index of population density (PD) in combining with spatial statistic method and Lorenz curve, and discussed the effects of the natural factors on the population distribution and the interrelations between the population distribution and 16 indices including average annual precipitation (AAP), average annual temperature (AAT), average annual sunshine duration (AASD), precipitation variation (PV), temperature variation (TV), sunshine duration variation (SDV), relative humidity (RH), aridity index (AI), warmth index ( WI), > or = 5 degrees C annual accumulated temperature (AACT), average elevation (AE), relative height difference (RHD), surface roughness (SR), water system density (WSD), net primary productivity (NPP), and shortest distance to seashore (SDTS). There existed an obvious aggregation phenomenon in the population distribution in China. The PD was high in east China, medium in central China, and low in west China, presenting an obvious positive spatial association. The PD was significantly positively correlated with WSD, AAT, AAP, NPP, AACT, PV, RH, and WI, and significantly negatively correlated with RHD, AE, SDV, SR, and SDTS. The climate factors (AAT, WI, PV, and NPP), topography factors (SR and RHD), and water system factor (WSD) together determined the basic pattern of the population distribution in China. It was suggested that the monitoring of the eco-environment in the east China of high population density should be strengthened to avoid the eco-environmental degradation due to the expanding population, and the conservation of the eco-environment in the central and west China with vulnerable eco-environment should also be strengthened to enhance the population carrying ability of these regions and to mitigate the eco-environmental pressure in the east China of high population density.

A study of Solar-Enso correlation with southern Brazil tree ring index (1955- 1991)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigozo, N.; Nordemann, D.; Vieira, L.; Echer, E.

The effects of solar activity and El Niño-Southern Oscillation on tree growth in Southern Brazil were studied by correlation analysis. Trees for this study were native Araucaria (Araucaria Angustifolia)from four locations in Rio Grande do Sul State, in Southern Brazil: Canela (29o18`S, 50o51`W, 790 m asl), Nova Petropolis (29o2`S, 51o10`W, 579 m asl), Sao Francisco de Paula (29o25`S, 50o24`W, 930 m asl) and Sao Martinho da Serra (29o30`S, 53o53`W, 484 m asl). From these four sites, an average tree ring Index for this region was derived, for the period 1955-1991. Linear correlations were made on annual and 10 year running averages of this tree ring Index, of sunspot number Rz and SOI. For annual averages, the correlation coefficients were low, and the multiple regression between tree ring and SOI and Rz indicates that 20% of the variance in tree rings was explained by solar activity and ENSO variability. However, when the 10 year running averages correlations were made, the coefficient correlations were much higher. A clear anticorrelation is observed between SOI and Index (r=-0.81) whereas Rz and Index show a positive correlation (r=0.67). The multiple regression of 10 year running averages indicates that 76% of the variance in tree ring INdex was explained by solar activity and ENSO. These results indicate that the effects of solar activity and ENSO on tree rings are better seen on long timescales.

Cost effectiveness of adopted quality requirements in hospital laboratories.

PubMed

Hamza, Alneil; Ahmed-Abakur, Eltayib; Abugroun, Elsir; Bakhit, Siham; Holi, Mohamed

2013-01-01

The present study was designed in quasi-experiment to assess adoption of the essential clauses of particular clinical laboratory quality management requirements based on international organization for standardization (ISO 15189) in hospital laboratories and to evaluate the cost effectiveness of compliance to ISO 15189. The quality management intervention based on ISO 15189 was conceded through three phases; pre - intervention phase, Intervention phase and Post-intervention phase. In pre-intervention phase the compliance to ISO 15189 was 49% for study group vs. 47% for control group with P value 0.48, while the post intervention results displayed 54% vs. 79% for study group and control group respectively in compliance to ISO 15189 and statistically significant difference (P value 0.00) with effect size (Cohen's d) of (0.00) in pre-intervention phase and (0.99) in post - intervention phase. The annual average cost per-test for the study group and control group was 1.80 ± 0.25 vs. 1.97 ± 0.39, respectively with P value 0.39 whereas the post-intervention results showed that the annual average total costs per-test for study group and control group was 1.57 ± 0.23 vs 2.08 ± 0.38, P value 0.019 respectively, with cost-effectiveness ratio of (0.88) in pre -intervention phase and (0.52) in post-intervention phase. The planned adoption of quality management requirements (QMS) in clinical laboratories had great effect to increase the compliance percent with quality management system requirement, raise the average total cost effectiveness, and improve the analytical process capability of the testing procedure.

Estimating Oxygen Needs for Childhood Pneumonia in Developing Country Health Systems: A New Model for Expecting the Unexpected

PubMed Central

Bradley, Beverly D.; Howie, Stephen R. C.; Chan, Timothy C. Y.; Cheng, Yu-Ling

2014-01-01

Background Planning for the reliable and cost-effective supply of a health service commodity such as medical oxygen requires an understanding of the dynamic need or ‘demand’ for the commodity over time. In developing country health systems, however, collecting longitudinal clinical data for forecasting purposes is very difficult. Furthermore, approaches to estimating demand for supplies based on annual averages can underestimate demand some of the time by missing temporal variability. Methods A discrete event simulation model was developed to estimate variable demand for a health service commodity using the important example of medical oxygen for childhood pneumonia. The model is based on five key factors affecting oxygen demand: annual pneumonia admission rate, hypoxaemia prevalence, degree of seasonality, treatment duration, and oxygen flow rate. These parameters were varied over a wide range of values to generate simulation results for different settings. Total oxygen volume, peak patient load, and hours spent above average-based demand estimates were computed for both low and high seasons. Findings Oxygen demand estimates based on annual average values of demand factors can often severely underestimate actual demand. For scenarios with high hypoxaemia prevalence and degree of seasonality, demand can exceed average levels up to 68% of the time. Even for typical scenarios, demand may exceed three times the average level for several hours per day. Peak patient load is sensitive to hypoxaemia prevalence, whereas time spent at such peak loads is strongly influenced by degree of seasonality. Conclusion A theoretical study is presented whereby a simulation approach to estimating oxygen demand is used to better capture temporal variability compared to standard average-based approaches. This approach provides better grounds for health service planning, including decision-making around technologies for oxygen delivery. Beyond oxygen, this approach is widely applicable to other areas of resource and technology planning in developing country health systems. PMID:24587089

Systematic influences of gamma-ray spectrometry data near the decision threshold for radioactivity measurements in the environment.

PubMed

Zorko, Benjamin; Korun, Matjaž; Mora Canadas, Juan Carlos; Nicoulaud-Gouin, Valerie; Chyly, Pavol; Blixt Buhr, Anna Maria; Lager, Charlotte; Aquilonius, Karin; Krajewski, Pawel

2016-07-01

Several methods for reporting outcomes of gamma-ray spectrometric measurements of environmental samples for dose calculations are presented and discussed. The measurement outcomes can be reported as primary measurement results, primary measurement results modified according to the quantification limit, best estimates obtained by the Bayesian posterior (ISO 11929), best estimates obtained by the probability density distribution resembling shifting, and the procedure recommended by the European Commission (EC). The annual dose is calculated from the arithmetic average using any of these five procedures. It was shown that the primary measurement results modified according to the quantification limit could lead to an underestimation of the annual dose. On the other hand the best estimates lead to an overestimation of the annual dose. The annual doses calculated from the measurement outcomes obtained according to the EC's recommended procedure, which does not cope with the uncertainties, fluctuate between an under- and overestimation, depending on the frequency of the measurement results that are larger than the limit of detection. In the extreme case, when no measurement results above the detection limit occur, the average over primary measurement results modified according to the quantification limit underestimates the average over primary measurement results for about 80%. The average over best estimates calculated according the procedure resembling shifting overestimates the average over primary measurement results for 35%, the average obtained by the Bayesian posterior for 85% and the treatment according to the EC recommendation for 89%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mortality among Seed Trees in Longleaf Pine Shelterwood Stands

Treesearch

William D. Boyer

1970-01-01

Mortality of longieaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) seed trees was recorded in 27 regeneration areas ranging from North Carolina to Louisiana. Annual mortality averaged 0.7 percent before, and 1.9 percent after a seed cut reduced stand density to about 30 square feet of basal area per acre. On a per-acre basis, however, annual losses averaged 0....

Trends in Harvest Cost in New Hampshire: 1964 to 1983

Treesearch

Donald F. Dennis; Susan B. Remington; Susan B. Remington

1987-01-01

Timber harvesting costs for New Hampshire from 1964 to 1983 were examined. During this period, real harvesting costs for sawtimber decreased at an average annual rate of 1.2 percent, while stumpage prices increased. Real harvesting costs for pulpwood declined at a 0.8 percent average annual rate. Harvest cost data for fuelwood were available only for 1973 to 1983....

Retrospective analysis of trends and production factors associated with sow mortality on swine-breeding farms in USA.

PubMed

Koketsu, Y

2000-09-01

Of the 825 pig farms in USA that mailed in their electronic file containing production records, 604 farms were used to observe breeding-female mortality risk and related factors (herd size, lactation length, parity and season). Multiple regression was used to determine factors associated with annual mortality risk. Analyses of variance were used for comparisons of mortality risks among parity and season groups. Average annual mortality risks during the 1997 period was 5.68%. Average breeding-female inventories and average lactation length on USA farms were 733 and 18.3 days, respectively. Higher annual breeding-female mortality risk was associated with larger herd size, greater parity at farrowing and shorter lactation length (P<0.02). For example, as herd size increases by 500 females, mortality risk increases by 0.44%. Older parity was associated with higher mortality risks. Summer season was also associated with higher mortality risk. Using five-years' records on 270 farms, annual mortality risk in 1997 was higher than those of 1993 and 1994, while average breeding-female inventory increased and lactation length decreased. It is recommended that producers, especially in large herds, pay more attention to breeding females.

The effect of bovine somatotropin on the cost of producing milk: Estimates using propensity scores.

PubMed

Tauer, Loren W

2016-04-01

Annual farm-level data from New York dairy farms from the years 1994 through 2013 were used to estimate the cost effect from bovine somatotropin (bST) using propensity score matching. Cost of production was computed using the whole-farm method, which subtracts sales of crops and animals from total costs under the assumption that the cost of producing those products is equal to their sales values. For a farm to be included in this data set, milk receipts on that farm must have comprised 85% or more of total receipts, indicating that these farms are primarily milk producers. Farm use of bST, where 25% or more of the herd was treated, ranged annually from 25 to 47% of the farms. The average cost effect from the use of bST was estimated to be a reduction of $2.67 per 100 kg of milk produced in 2013 dollars, although annual cost reduction estimates ranged from statistical zero to $3.42 in nominal dollars. Nearest neighbor matching techniques generated a similar estimate of $2.78 in 2013 dollars. These cost reductions estimated from the use of bST represented a cost savings of 5.5% per kilogram of milk produced. Herd-level production increase per cow from the use of bST over 20 yr averaged 1,160 kg. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimates of the occupational exposure to tenorm in the phosphoric acid production plant in Iran.

PubMed

Fathabadi, N; Vasheghani Farahani, M; Moradi, M; Hadadi, B

2012-09-01

Phosphate rock is used world wide for manufacturing phosphoric acid and several chemical fertilisers. It is known that the phosphate rock contains various concentrations of uranium, thorium, radium and their daughters. The subject of this study is the evaluation of the radiation exposure to workers in the phosphoric acid production plant due to technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials that can result from the presence of naturally occurring radioactive materials in phosphate ores used in the manufacturing of phosphoric acid. Radiation exposure due to direct gamma radiation, dust inhalation and radon gas has been investigated and external and internal doses of exposed workers have been calculated. Natural radioactivity due to (40)K, (226)Ra and (232)Th have been measured in phosphate rock, phosphogypsum, chemical fertilisers and other samples by gamma spectrometry system with a high-purity germanium. The average concentrations of (226)Ra and (40)K observed in the phosphate rock are 760 and 80 Bq kg(-1), respectively. Annual effective dose from external radiation had a mean value of ∼0.673 mSv y(-1). Dust sampling revealed greatest values in the storage area. The annual average effective dose from inhalation of long-lived airborne was 0.113 mSv y(-1). Radon gas concentrations in the processing plant and storage area were found to be of the same value as the background. In this study the estimated annual effective doses to workers were below 1 mSv y(-1).

Population dynamics of Greater Scaup breeding on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flint, Paul L.; Grand, J. Barry; Fondell, Thomas F.; Morse, Julie A.

2006-01-01

Using a stochastic model, we estimated that, on average, breeding females produced 0.57 young females/nesting season. We combined this estimate of productivity with our annual estimates of adult survival and an assumed population growth rate of 1.0, then solved for an estimate of first-year survival (0.40). Under these conditions the predicted stable age distribution of breeding females (i.e., the nesting population) was 15.1% 1-year-old, 4.1% 2-year-old first-time breeders, and 80.8% 2-year-old and older, experienced breeders. We subjected this stochastic model to perturbation analyses to examine the relative effects of demographic parameters on k. The relative effects of productivity and adult survival on the population growth rate were 0.26 and 0.72, respectively. Thus, compared to productivity, proportionally equivalent changes in annual survival would have 2.8 times the effect on k. However, when we examined annual variation in predicted population size using standardized regression coefficients, productivity explained twice as much variation as annual survival. Thus, management actions focused on changes in survival or productivity have the ability to influence population size; however, substantially larger changes in productivity are required to influence population trends.

Assessing the effects of adaptation measures on optimal water resources allocation under varied water availability conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Dedi; Guo, Shenglian; Shao, Quanxi; Liu, Pan; Xiong, Lihua; Wang, Le; Hong, Xingjun; Xu, Yao; Wang, Zhaoli

2018-01-01

Human activities and climate change have altered the spatial and temporal distribution of water availability which is a principal prerequisite for allocation of different water resources. In order to quantify the impacts of climate change and human activities on water availability and optimal allocation of water resources, hydrological models and optimal water resource allocation models should be integrated. Given that increasing human water demand and varying water availability conditions necessitate adaptation measures, we propose a framework to assess the effects of these measures on optimal allocation of water resources. The proposed model and framework were applied to a case study of the middle and lower reaches of the Hanjiang River Basin in China. Two representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP4.5) were employed to project future climate, and the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrological model was used to simulate the variability of flows under historical (1956-2011) and future (2012-2099) conditions. The water availability determined by simulating flow with the VIC hydrological model was used to establish the optimal water resources allocation model. The allocation results were derived under an extremely dry year (with an annual average water flow frequency of 95%), a very dry year (with an annual average water flow frequency of 90%), a dry year (with an annual average water flow frequency of 75%), and a normal year (with an annual average water flow frequency of 50%) during historical and future periods. The results show that the total available water resources in the study area and the inflow of the Danjiangkou Reservoir will increase in the future. However, the uneven distribution of water availability will cause water shortage problems, especially in the boundary areas. The effects of adaptation measures, including water saving, and dynamic control of flood limiting water levels (FLWLs) for reservoir operation, were assessed and implemented to alleviate water shortages. The negative impacts from the South-to-North Water Transfer Project (Middle Route) in the mid-lower reaches of the Hanjiang River Basin can be avoided through the dynamic control of FLWLs in Danjiangkou Reservoir, under the historical and future RCP2.6 and RCP4.5 scenarios. However, the effects of adaptation measures are limited due to their own constraints, such as the characteristics of the reservoirs influencing the FLWLs. The utilization of storm water appears necessary to meet future water demand. Overall, the results indicate that the framework for assessing the effects of adaptation measures on water resources allocation might aid water resources management, not only in the study area but also in other places where water availability conditions vary due to climate change and human activities.

Investigation and analysis of medical waste generation in Enshi area of Hubei Province, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dengchao, Jin; Hongjun, Teng; Zhenbo, Bao; Yang, Li

2017-03-01

Based on medical waste collecting data of Enshi medical waste disposal center. The generation of medical waste and its change trend in Enshi area were both studied. The influencing factors and changing rules of medical waste generation were also analyzed. It can be found that the amount of medical waste in Enshi area is increasing year by year, the average annual growth rate of about 6.14% between 2011-2014. It was also found that the output of medical wastes varied regularity by seasons. February was the lowest month for medical waste, March and July were the peak months. By statistical analysis, average annual medical waste production per 10000 people was 4.5 ton and per bed average annual production was 133.58 kg.

Potentiometric surfaces of the upper glacial and Magothy aquifers and selected streamflow statistics, 1943-72, on Long Island, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vaupel, Donald E.; Prince, K.R.; Koehler, A.J.; Runco, Mario

1977-01-01

A brief text describes the two major aquifers and the discharge pattern of major streams on Long Island. Four water-table maps for the years 1943, 1959, 1966, and 1972, an average water-table map for the period 1943-72 supplemented by five well hydrographs representing Kings, Queens, western Nassau, eastern Nassau, and Suffolk Counties, and three potentiometric- surface maps of the Magothy aquifer for the years 1959, 1966, and 1972 are included. A statistical summary of stream discharge presents average annual discharges, annual average discharges, and average 7-day, 10-year low-flow discharges for major streams.

78 FR 56995 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-16

...: Businesses. Respondent Universe: 763 railroads. Frequency of Submission: On occasion. Reporting Burden Total annual Average time per Total annual CFR Section Respondent universe responses response burden hours 225... Universe: 763 railroads. Frequency of Submission: On occasion; annually. Reporting Burden Respondent Total...

210-Polonium studies in some environmental and biological matrices of Domiasiat uranium deposit area, West Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India.

PubMed

Marbaniang, Deswyn G; Poddar, Raj K; Nongkynrih, Phlis; Khathing, Darlando T

2010-03-01

The study was performed using a silicon surface barrier alpha spectrometer at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India. Through the study, the observed (210)Po activity in water sample from different locations in the Domiasiat area ranges from 0.04 to 0.69 Bq/l. The daily and annual intake of (210)Po through water was also estimated and the mean value of 0.72 and 263.61 Bq, respectively, were observed. It is observed that the effective doses through water were higher than the World Health Organization recommended dose of 0.05 mSv/year. The total annual effective doses through terrestrial ingestion for all the locations was studied and the mean annual effective dose was observed to be 0.315 mSv, which, when compared to the worldwide and the Indian values, was observed to be slightly higher. The mean activity in soil is found to be 124.8 +/-5.7 Bq/kg and in meat the activity is 0.43 +/-0.05 Bq/kg. In fishes, an activity of 0.48 +/-0.07 Bq/kg in Garra lamta, 0.29 +/-0.02 Bq/kg in Neolissocheilus hexaganolepis, and 3.3 +/-0.1 Bq/kg in Macrobrachium sp. is observed. Activity concentration in plant samples was analyzed and the activity ranges from 0.020 +/-0.002 to 9.69 +/-0.35 Bq/kg. Committed effective dose by the adult population of the Domiasiat area through intake of (210)Po through these food items was also determined and compared with the Indian average value and the worldwide average value.

5 CFR 870.204 - Annual rates of pay.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... who works at different pay rates is the weighted average of the rates at which the employee is paid... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Annual rates of pay. 870.204 Section 870... rates of pay. (a) (1) An insured employee's annual pay is his/her annual rate of basic pay as fixed by...

Trends in Personal Belief Exemption Rates Among Alternative Private Schools: Waldorf, Montessori, and Holistic Kindergartens in California, 2000–2014

PubMed Central

Bednarczyk, Robert A.; Richards, Jennifer L.; Allen, Kristen E.; Warraich, Gohar J.; Omer, Saad B.

2017-01-01

Objectives. To evaluate trends in rates of personal belief exemptions (PBEs) to immunization requirements for private kindergartens in California that practice alternative educational methods. Methods. We used California Department of Public Health data on kindergarten PBE rates from 2000 to 2014 to compare annual average increases in PBE rates between schools. Results. Alternative schools had an average PBE rate of 8.7%, compared with 2.1% among public schools. Waldorf schools had the highest average PBE rate of 45.1%, which was 19 times higher than in public schools (incidence rate ratio = 19.1; 95% confidence interval = 16.4, 22.2). Montessori and holistic schools had the highest average annual increases in PBE rates, slightly higher than Waldorf schools (Montessori: 8.8%; holistic: 7.1%; Waldorf: 3.6%). Conclusions. Waldorf schools had exceptionally high average PBE rates, and Montessori and holistic schools had higher annual increases in PBE rates. Children in these schools may be at higher risk for spreading vaccine-preventable diseases if trends are not reversed. PMID:27854520

Trends in Personal Belief Exemption Rates Among Alternative Private Schools: Waldorf, Montessori, and Holistic Kindergartens in California, 2000-2014.

PubMed

Brennan, Julia M; Bednarczyk, Robert A; Richards, Jennifer L; Allen, Kristen E; Warraich, Gohar J; Omer, Saad B

2017-01-01

To evaluate trends in rates of personal belief exemptions (PBEs) to immunization requirements for private kindergartens in California that practice alternative educational methods. We used California Department of Public Health data on kindergarten PBE rates from 2000 to 2014 to compare annual average increases in PBE rates between schools. Alternative schools had an average PBE rate of 8.7%, compared with 2.1% among public schools. Waldorf schools had the highest average PBE rate of 45.1%, which was 19 times higher than in public schools (incidence rate ratio = 19.1; 95% confidence interval = 16.4, 22.2). Montessori and holistic schools had the highest average annual increases in PBE rates, slightly higher than Waldorf schools (Montessori: 8.8%; holistic: 7.1%; Waldorf: 3.6%). Waldorf schools had exceptionally high average PBE rates, and Montessori and holistic schools had higher annual increases in PBE rates. Children in these schools may be at higher risk for spreading vaccine-preventable diseases if trends are not reversed.

Average Annual Rainfall Over the Globe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agrawal, D. C.

2013-12-01

The atmospheric recycling of water is a very important phenomenon on the globe because it not only refreshes the water but it also redistributes it over land and oceans/rivers/lakes throughout the globe. This is made possible by the solar energy intercepted by the Earth. The half of the globe facing the Sun, on the average, intercepts 1.74×1017 J of solar radiation per second and it is divided over various channels as given in Table 1. It keeps our planet warm and maintains its average temperature2 of 288 K with the help of the atmosphere in such a way that life can survive. It also recycles the water in the oceans/rivers/ lakes by initial evaporation and subsequent precipitation; the average annual rainfall over the globe is around one meter. According to M. King Hubbert the amount of solar power going into the evaporation and precipitation channel is 4.0×1016 W. Students can verify the value of average annual rainfall over the globe by utilizing this part of solar energy. This activity is described in the next section.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Larsen, Peter H.; LaCommare, Kristina H.; Eto, Joseph H.

Here, this study examines the relationship between annual changes in electricity reliability reported by a large cross-section of U.S. electricity distribution utilities over a period of 13 years and a broad set of potential explanatory variables, including weather and utility characteristics. We find statistically significant correlations between the average number of power interruptions experienced annually and above average wind speeds, precipitation, lightning strikes, and a measure of population density: customers per line mile. We also find significant relationships between the average number of minutes of power interruptions experienced and above average wind speeds, precipitation, cooling degree-days, and one strategy usedmore » to mitigate the impacts of severe weather: the amount of underground transmission and distribution line miles. Perhaps most importantly, we find a significant time trend of increasing annual average number of minutes of power interruptions over time—especially when interruptions associated with extreme weather are included. Lastly, the research method described in this analysis can provide a basis for future efforts to project long-term trends in reliability and the associated benefits of strategies to improve grid resiliency to severe weather—both in the U.S. and abroad.« less

Observed temporal variations in the Earth's gravity field from 16-year Starlette orbit analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, M. K.; Eanes, R. L.; Shum, C. K.; Schutz, B. E.; Tapley, B. D.

1992-01-01

Satellite laser ranging data to Starlette, collected during the period from 1975 to 1990, are analyzed to determine yearly values of the second degree annual (Sa) and semiannual (Ssa) tides, simultaneously with average values of other low degree and order tide parameters. The yearly fluctuations in the values for Sa and Ssa are associated with changes in the Earth's second degree zonal harmonic caused by meteorological excitation. The Starlette-determined mean values for the amplitude of the annual and semiannual variations in J2 are 32.3 x 10 exp -11 and 19.5 x 10 exp -11, respectively; while the rms about the mean values are 4.1 x 10 exp -11 and 6.3 x 10 exp -11, respectively. The annual delta-J2 is in good agreement with the value obtained from the combined effects of air mass redistribution without the oceanic inverted-barometer effects (non-IB) and hydrological change. Approximately 90 percent of the observed annual variation from Starlette is attributed to the meteorological mass redistribution occurring on the Earth's surface.

Regional meteorological drivers and long term trends of winter-spring nitrate dynamics across watersheds in northeastern North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crossman, Jill; Eimers, M Catherine; Casson, Nora J.; Burns, Douglas A.; Campbell, John L.; Likens, Gene E; Mitchell, Myron J; Nelson, Sarah J.; Shanley, James B.; Watmough, Shaun A.; Webster, Kara L

2016-01-01

This study evaluated the contribution of winter rain-on-snow (ROS) events to annual and seasonal nitrate (N-NO3) export and identified the regional meteorological drivers of inter-annual variability in ROS N-NO3 export (ROS-N) at 9 headwater streams located across Ontario, Canada and the northeastern United States. Although on average only 3.3 % of annual precipitation fell as ROS during winter over the study period, these events contributed a significant proportion of annual and winter N-NO3 export at the majority of sites (average of 12 and 42 %, respectively); with the exception of the most northern catchment, where total winter precipitation was exceptionally low (average 77 mm). In years with a greater magnitude of ROS events, the timing of the peak N-NO3 export period (during spring melt) was redistributed to earlier in the year. Variability in ROS frequency and magnitude amongst sites was high and a generalised linear model demonstrated that this spatial variability could be explained by interactive effects between regional and site-specific drivers. Snowpack coverage was particularly important for explaining the site-specific ROS response. Specifically, ROS events were less common when higher temperatures eliminated snow cover despite increasing the proportion of winter rainfall, whereas ROS event frequency was greater at sites where sufficient snow cover remained. This research suggests that catchment response to changes in N deposition is sensitive to climate change; a vulnerability which appears to vary in intensity throughout the seasonally snow-covered temperate region. Furthermore, the sensitivity of stream N-NO3 export to ROS events and potential shifts (earlier) in the timing of N-NO3 export relative to other nutrients affect downstream nutrient stoichiometry and the community composition of phytoplankton and other algae.

Division and Brigade Stationing System: Installation Data Book.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-01

8217Division and Brigade Stationing Study: An Analysis of Environmental and Socioeconomic Effects (ESC, September 1987); Division and Brigade Stationing Study...composed of 0 partly decomposed moss, leaves , and twigs, matted together with many fine rootlets. In permafrost areas, destruction of this mat...maritime effect is seldom interrupted by drier and cooler continental air. Although rainfall averages about 48 inches a year, Y annual variation is large

Audiometric analyses confirm a cochlear component, disproportional to age, in stapedial otosclerosis.

PubMed

Topsakal, Vedat; Fransen, Erik; Schmerber, Sébastien; Declau, Frank; Yung, Matthew; Gordts, Frans; Van Camp, Guy; Van de Heyning, Paul

2006-09-01

To report the preoperative audiometric profile of surgically confirmed otosclerosis. Retrospective, multicenter study. Four tertiary referral centers. One thousand sixty-four surgically confirmed patients with otosclerosis. Therapeutic ear surgery for hearing improvement. Preoperative audiometric air conduction (AC) and bone conduction (BC) hearing thresholds were obtained retrospectively for 1064 patients with otosclerosis. A cross-sectional multiple linear regression analysis was performed on audiometric data of affected ears. Influences of age and sex were analyzed and age-related typical audiograms were created. Bone conduction thresholds were corrected for Carhart effect and presbyacusis; in addition, we tested to see if separate cochlear otosclerosis component existed. Corrected thresholds were than analyzed separately for progression of cochlear otosclerosis. The study population consisted of 35% men and 65% women (mean age, 44 yr). The mean pure-tone average at 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz was 57 dB hearing level. Multiple linear regression analysis showed significant progression for all measured AC and BC thresholds. The average annual threshold deterioration for AC was 0.45 dB/yr and the annual threshold deterioration for BC was 0.37 dB/yr. The average annual gap expansion was 0.08 dB/year. The corrected BC thresholds for Carhart effect and presbyacusis remained significantly different from zero, but only showed progression at 2 kHz. The preoperative audiological profile of otosclerosis is described. There is a significant sensorineural component in patients with otosclerosis planned for stapedotomy, which is worse than age-related hearing loss by itself. Deterioration rates of AC and BC thresholds have been reported, which can be helpful in clinical practice and might also guide the characterization of allegedly different phenotypes for familial and sporadic otosclerosis.

75 FR 63889 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-18

...: Railroads. Respondent Universe: Class I Railroads. Frequency of Submission: On occasion. Average time per Total annual Total annual CFR Section Respondent universe Total annual responses response burden hours.... Form Number(s): N/A. Affected Public: Railroads. Respondent Universe: 685 railroads/ 4 locomotive...

78 FR 18672 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-27

... monitoring regulatory compliance. Form Number(s): N/A. Affected Public: Businesses. Respondent Universe: 728 railroads. Frequency of Submission: On occasion. Average time CFR section Respondent universe Total annual... time CFR section Respondent universe Total annual per response Total annual responses (minutes) burden...

Method of estimating natural recharge to the Edwards Aquifer in the San Antonio area, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Puente, Celso

1978-01-01

The principal errors in the estimates of annual recharge are related to errors in estimating runoff in ungaged areas, which represent about 30 percent of the infiltration area. The estimated long-term average annual recharge in each basin, however, is probably representative of the actual recharge because the averaging procedure tends to cancel out the major errors.

Ecological setting of the Wind River old-growth forest.

Treesearch

David C. Shaw; Jerry F. Franklin; Ken Bible; Jeffrey Klopatek; Elizabeth Freeman; Sarah Greene; Geoffrey G. Parker

2004-01-01

The Wind River old-growth forest, in the southern Cascade Range of Washington State, is a cool (average annual temperature, 8.7°C), moist (average annual precipitation, 2223 mm), 500-year-old Douglas-fir-western hemlock forest of moderate to low productivity at 371-m elevation on a less than 10% slope. There is a seasonal snowpack (November-March), and rain-on-snow and...

Northwest Forest Plan—the first 10 years (1994–2003): status and trends of northern spotted owl populations and habitat.

Treesearch

Joseph Lint

2005-01-01

This report presents results from monitoring spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) populations and habitat during the first 10 years of implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan (the Plan). Estimated population decline ranged from 0 to 10 percent across study areas (weighted average of 3.4 percent) annually. The average annual rate of decline...

Small Hardwoods Reduce Growth of Pine Overstory

Treesearch

Charles X. Grano

1970-01-01

Dense understory hardwoods materially decreased the growth of a 53-year-old and a 47-year-old stand of loblolly and shortleaf pines. Over a 14-year period, hardwood eradication with chemicals increased average annual yield from the 53-year-old stand by 14.3 cubic feet, or 123 board-feet per acre. In the 47-year-old stand the average annual treatment advantage was...

Cost-effectiveness of annual targeted larviciding campaigns in Cambodia against the dengue vector Aedes aegypti.

PubMed

Suaya, Jose A; Shepard, Donald S; Chang, Moh-Seng; Caram, Mariana; Hoyer, Stefan; Socheat, Duong; Chantha, Ngan; Nathan, Michael B

2007-09-01

To assess the cost-effectiveness (CE) of annual targeted larviciding campaigns from 2001 to 2005 against the dengue vector Aedes aegypti in two urban areas of Cambodia with a population of 2.9 million people. The intervention under analysis consisted of annual larviciding campaigns targeting medium to large water storage containers in households and other premises. The CE compared the intervention against the hypothetical alternative of no intervention. The CE was calculated as the ratio of disability adjusted life years (DALYs) saved to the net cost of the intervention (in 2005 US dollars) by year. A sensitivity analysis explored the range of study parameters. The intervention reduced the number of dengue cases and deaths by 53%. It averted an annual average of 2980 dengue hospitalizations, 11,921 dengue ambulatory cases and 23 dengue deaths, resulting in a saving of 997 DALYs per year. The gross cost of the intervention was US $567,800 per year, or US $0.20 per person covered. As the intervention averted considerable medical care, the annual net cost of the intervention was US $312,214 (US $0.11 per person covered) from a public sector perspective and US $37,137 (US $0.01 per person covered) from a societal perspective. The resulting CE ratios were: US $313/DALY gained from the public perspective and US $37/DALY gained from the societal perspective. Even under the most conservative assumption, the intervention remained cost effective from both perspectives. Annual, targeted larviciding campaigns appear to have been effective and cost-effective medium-term interventions to reduce the epidemiologic and economic burden of dengue in urban areas of Cambodia.

Academic Success of Suspended Students. AIR 2001 Annual Forum Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Richard D.; Borland, Ken; Johnson, Cel; Baker, Larry J.

Cohorts of entering freshmen were tracked over time to determine whether the suspension policy at Montana State University (MSU), Bozeman was having the intended effect on academic success, defined as degree completion. The university's current policy requires students to be suspended after receiving grade point averages (GPAs) of lower than 2.00…

Mass Media Values and the Future of Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pulliam, John D.

The paper focuses on the impact of mass media, especially television, on the educational process and outlines implications for the future. Studies point out that children view an average of 8,000 hours of television annually between ages three and five. Positive effects include increase in the vocabulary of young children, a better appreciation of…

Estimation of global radiation for Sri Lanka

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Samuel, T.D.M.A.

1991-01-01

There are several formulae that relate global radiation to other climatological parameters such as sunshine hours, relative humidity, maximum temperature, and average temperature. In this paper a generally accepted modified form of the formula first introduced by Angstrom is used. It relates global radiation to hours of sunshine that have been measured for several years in many of the meteorological stations in Sri Lanka. The annual average of the ratio of the hours of sunshine to the length of the day, i.e., annual average of (S/Z), is found to vary considerably and to lie in the range 0.42-0.66. Fre're etmore » al., have found, using data from many parts of the world, a general graphical representation for the variation of a and b with annual average (S/Z) lying in the range 0.28 to 0.75. This variation of a and b can be expressed as quadratic functions are modified and used to determine a and b values for stations in Sri Lanka.« less

Combined Effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation and the Arctic Oscillation on Sea Surface Temperature in the Alborán Sea

PubMed Central

Báez, José C.; Gimeno, Luis; Gómez-Gesteira, Moncho; Ferri-Yáñez, Francisco; Real, Raimundo

2013-01-01

We explored the possible effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Arctic Oscillation (AO) on interannual sea surface temperature (SST) variations in the Alborán Sea, both separately and combined. The probability of observing mean annual SST values higher than average was related to NAO and AO values of the previous year. The effect of NAO on SST was negative, while that of AO was positive. The pure effects of NAO and AO on SST are obscuring each other, due to the positive correlation between them. When decomposing SST, NAO and AO in seasonal values, we found that variation in mean annual SST and mean winter SST was significantly related to the mean autumn NAO of the previous year, while mean summer SST was related to mean autumn AO of the previous year. The one year delay in the effect of the NAO and AO on the SST could be partially related to the amount of accumulated snow, as we found a significant correlation between the total snow in the North Alborán watershed for a year with the annual average SST of the subsequent year. A positive AO implies a colder atmosphere in the Polar Regions, which could favour occasional cold waves over the Iberian Peninsula which, when coupled with precipitations favoured by a negative NAO, may result in snow precipitation. This snow may be accumulated in the high peaks and melt down in spring-summer of the following year, which consequently increases the runoff of freshwater to the sea, which in turn causes a diminution of sea surface salinity and density, and blocks the local upwelling of colder water, resulting in a higher SST. PMID:23638005

The Incidence of Malignant Tumors in Environmentally Disadvantaged Regions of Kazakhstan

PubMed

Mamyrbayev, Arstan; Djarkenov, Timur; Dosbayev, Askar; Dusembayeva, Nailya; Shpakov, Anatolyi; Umarova, Gulmira; Drobchenko, Yelena; Kunurkulzhayev, Temirgali; Zhaylybaev, Mukhtar; Isayeva, Gulnar

2016-12-01

Objective: To explore the prevalence of malignant tumors in the adult population through 2003-2014 in parts of the Aral Sea region: a zone of ecological disaster, a zone of ecological crisis and a zone of precritical conditions. Methods: The long-time average annual levels of cancer morbidity stratified by zones of the Aral Sea region and trends of long-time average annual incidence indicators of malignant tumors were identified. Leading cancer localizations in the adult population was established and associations between cancer incidence and environmental pollution were analyzed. In addition, associations between individual risk factors and cancer incidence in the adult population was established. Correlations between a hazard index and the cancer incidence in the adult population were calculated. Results: In all three Aral Sea regions, as well as in Zhanaarkinskii district, leading cancer in adult population was esophageal, stomach, tracheal, lung, hepatobiliary, and breast. Long-time average annual levels of cancer morbidity in adult population living in the Aral sea region is 1.5 times higher comparing to the control region. In particular, long-time average annual levels of cancer morbidity in adult population living in the zone of ecological disaster was 57.2% higher, in the zone of ecological crisis - 61.9% higher, and in the zone of precritical condition – 16.8% higher. Long-time average annual levels in the adult population of the Aral Sea region significantly exceeded control levels for brain and central nervous system cancer, cancer of bone and articular cartilage, and thyroid cancer. Conclusion: It has was established that the total cancer morbidity depended on the total hazard index associated with the inhalation of nickel and the combined cadmium intake (r=0.8). Creative Commons Attribution License

The Incidence of Malignant Tumors in Environmentally Disadvantaged Regions of Kazakhstan

PubMed Central

Mamyrbayev, Arstan; Djarkenov, Timur; Dosbayev, Askar; Dusembayeva, Nailya; Shpakov, Anatolyi; Umarova, Gulmira; Drobchenko, Yelena; Kunurkulzhayev, Temirgali; Zhaylybaev, Mukhtar; Isayeva, Gulnar

2016-01-01

Objective: To explore the prevalence of malignant tumors in the adult population through 2003-2014 in parts of the Aral Sea region: a zone of ecological disaster, a zone of ecological crisis and a zone of precritical conditions. Methods: The long-time average annual levels of cancer morbidity stratified by zones of the Aral Sea region and trends of long-time average annual incidence indicators of malignant tumors were identified. Leading cancer localizations in the adult population was established and associations between cancer incidence and environmental pollution were analyzed. In addition, associations between individual risk factors and cancer incidence in the adult population was established. Correlations between a hazard index and the cancer incidence in the adult population were calculated. Results: In all three Aral Sea regions, as well as in Zhanaarkinskii district, leading cancer in adult population was esophageal, stomach, tracheal, lung, hepatobiliary, and breast. Long-time average annual levels of cancer morbidity in adult population living in the Aral sea region is 1.5 times higher comparing to the control region. In particular, long-time average annual levels of cancer morbidity in adult population living in the zone of ecological disaster was 57.2% higher, in the zone of ecological crisis - 61.9% higher, and in the zone of precritical condition – 16.8% higher. Long-time average annual levels in the adult population of the Aral Sea region significantly exceeded control levels for brain and central nervous system cancer, cancer of bone and articular cartilage, and thyroid cancer. Conclusion: It has was established that the total cancer morbidity depended on the total hazard index associated with the inhalation of nickel and the combined cadmium intake (r=0.8). PMID:28125862

Trends in incidence of borderline ovarian tumors in Denmark 1978-2006.

PubMed

Hannibal, Charlotte Gerd; Huusom, Lene Drasbek; Kjaerbye-Thygesen, Anette; Tabor, Ann; Kjaer, Susanne K

2011-04-01

To examine period-, age- and histology-specific trends in the incidence rate of borderline ovarian tumors in Denmark in 1978-2006. Register-based cohort study. Denmark 1978-2006. 5079 women diagnosed with a borderline ovarian tumor in at least one of two nationwide registries (4312 epithelial tumors and 767 non-epithelial/unspecified tumors). Estimation of overall incidence rates and period-, age- and histology-specific incidence rates. Age-adjustment was done using the World Standard POPULATION. To evaluate incidence trends over time, we estimated average annual percentage change and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using log-linear Poisson models. Age-standardized and age-specific incidence rates and average annual percentage change. The incidence of epithelial borderline ovarian tumors increased from 2.6 to 5.5 per 100,000 women-years between 1978 and 2006, with an average annual percentage change of 2.6% (95% CI: 2.2-3.0). The median age at diagnosis was 52 years. Women 40 years or older had a higher average annual percentage change than women younger than 40 years. Most tumors were mucinous (49.9%) and serous tumors (44.4%). Women with mucinous tumors were younger at diagnosis (50 years) compared with women with serous tumors (53 years). Women with serous tumors had a higher average annual percentage incidence change than women with mucinous tumors. The incidence rate of borderline ovarian tumors increased significantly in Denmark in 1978-2006. In line with results for ovarian cancer, Denmark had a higher incidence rate of borderline ovarian tumors compared with the other Nordic countries in 1978-2006. © 2011 The Authors Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica© 2011 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Collegiate ACL Injury Rates Across 15 Sports: National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance System Data Update (2004-2005 Through 2012-2013).

PubMed

Agel, Julie; Rockwood, Todd; Klossner, David

2016-11-01

To present data on the rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in 15 collegiate sports from 2004 to 2005 through 2012 to 2013 updating the 1988-1989 to 2003-2004 data. Prospectively designed descriptive epidemiology study. National Collegiate Athletic Association Schools. National Collegiate Athletic Association School athletes. Injury rate by year and sport. Most ACL injuries to women occurred by a noncontact mechanism (60%) versus a contact mechanism for men (59%). The highest average annual rate of ACL injury for men was found in football (0.17 per 1000 athlete-exposure [A-E]). The highest average annual rate of ACL injury for women was found in lacrosse (0.23 per 1000 A-E). There were statistically significant increases in average annual injury rate for men's (P = 0.04) and women's soccer (P = 0.01) and a statistically significant decrease in women's gymnastics over the 9 years (=0.009). Controlling for exposures, there were statistically significant increases in the average annual number of injuries for men's and women's basketball, ice hockey, field hockey, football, and volleyball and a decrease in the average annual number of injuries for baseball and women's gymnastics. Women continue to sustain ACL injuries at higher rates than men in the comparable sports of soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. Anterior cruciate ligament injury rates continue to rise in men's and women's soccer. Some sports have shown absolute increases in ACL rates, which persist even after exposure rates are taken into account. Despite extensive research and development of prevention programs before and during the time of this study, very few sports showed a reduction in ACL injury rates in this data set.

Precipitation areal-reduction factor estimation using an annual-maxima centered approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asquith, W. H.; Famiglietti, J. S.

2000-04-01

The adjustment of precipitation depth of a point storm to an effective (mean) depth over a watershed is important for characterizing rainfall-runoff relations and for cost-effective designs of hydraulic structures when design storms are considered. A design storm is the precipitation point depth having a specified duration and frequency (recurrence interval). Effective depths are often computed by multiplying point depths by areal-reduction factors (ARF). ARF range from 0 to 1, vary according to storm characteristics, such as recurrence interval; and are a function of watershed characteristics, such as watershed size, shape, and geographic location. This paper presents a new approach for estimating ARF and includes applications for the 1-day design storm in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Texas. The approach, termed "annual-maxima centered," specifically considers the distribution of concurrent precipitation surrounding an annual-precipitation maxima, which is a feature not seen in other approaches. The approach does not require the prior spatial averaging of precipitation, explicit determination of spatial correlation coefficients, nor explicit definition of a representative area of a particular storm in the analysis. The annual-maxima centered approach was designed to exploit the wide availability of dense precipitation gauge data in many regions of the world. The approach produces ARF that decrease more rapidly than those from TP-29. Furthermore, the ARF from the approach decay rapidly with increasing recurrence interval of the annual-precipitation maxima.

Occupational radiation exposure in nuclear medicine department in Kuwait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alnaaimi, M.; Alkhorayef, M.; Omar, M.; Abughaith, N.; Alduaij, M.; Salahudin, T.; Alkandri, F.; Sulieman, A.; Bradley, D. A.

2017-11-01

Ionizing radiation exposure is associated with eye lens opacities and cataracts. Radiation workers with heavy workloads and poor protection measures are at risk for vision impairment or cataracts if suitable protection measures are not implemented. The aim of this study was to measure and evaluate the occupational radiation exposure in a nuclear medicine (NM) department. The annual average effective doses (Hp[10] and Hp[0.07]) were measured using calibrated thermos-luminescent dosimeters (TLDs; MCP-N [LiF:Mg,Cu,P]). Five categories of staff (hot lab staff, PET physicians, NM physicians, technologists, and nurses) were included. The average annual eye dose (Hp[3]) for NM staff, based on measurements for a typical yearly workload of >7000 patients, was 4.5 mSv. The annual whole body radiation (Hp[10]) and skin doses (Hp[0.07]) were 4.0 and 120 mSv, respectively. The measured Hp(3), Hp(10), and Hp(0.07) doses for all NM staff categories were below the dose limits described in ICRP 2014 in light of the current practice. The results provide baseline data for staff exposure in NM in Kuwait. Radiation dose optimization measures are recommended to reduce NM staff exposure to its minimal value.

Watershed Effects on Streamflow Quantity and Quality in Six Watersheds of Gwinnett County, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landers, Mark N.; Ankcorn, Paul D.; McFadden, Keith W.

2007-01-01

Watershed management is critical for the protection and enhancement of streams that provide multiple benefits for Gwinnett County, Georgia, and downstream communities. Successful watershed management requires an understanding of how stream quality is affected by watershed characteristics. The influence of watershed characteristics on stream quality is complex, particularly for the nonpoint sources of pollutants that affect urban watersheds. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources (formerly known as Public Utilities), established a water-quality monitoring program during late 1996 to collect comprehensive, consistent, high-quality data for use by watershed managers. Between 1996 and 2003, more than 10,000 analyses were made for more than 430 water-quality samples. Continuous-flow and water-quality data have been collected since 1998. Loads have been computed for selected constituents from 1998 to 2003. Changing stream hydrology is a primary driver for many other water-quality and aquatic habitat effects. Primary factors affecting stream hydrology (after watershed size and climate) within Gwinnett County are watershed slope and land uses. For the six study watersheds in Gwinnett County, watershedwide imperviousness up to 12 percent does not have a well-defined influence on stream hydrology, whereas two watersheds with 21- and 35-percent impervious area are clearly impacted. In the stream corridor, however, imperviousness from 1.6 to 4.4 percent appears to affect baseflow and stormflow for all six watersheds. Relations of concentrations to discharge are used to develop regression models to compute constituent loads using the USGS LOAD ESTimator model. A unique method developed in this study is used to calibrate the model using separate baseflow and stormflow sample datasets. The method reduced model error and provided estimates of the load associated with the baseflow and stormflow parts of the hydrograph. Annual load of total suspended sediment is a performance criterion in Gwinnett County's Watershed Protection Plan. Median concentrations of total suspended solids in stormflow range from 30 to 180 times greater than in baseflow. This increase in total suspended solids concentration with increasing discharge has a multiplied effect on total suspended solids load, 97 to 99 percent of which is transported during stormflow. Annual total suspended solids load is highly dependent on annual precipitation; between 1998 and 2003 load for the wettest year was up to 28 times greater than for the driest year. Average annual total suspended solids yield from 1998-2003 in the six watersheds increased with high-density and transportation/utility land uses, and generally decreased with low-density residential, estate/park, and undeveloped land uses. Watershed characteristics also were related to annual loads of total phosphorus, dissolved phosphorus, total nitrogen, total dissolved solids, biochemical oxygen demand, and total zinc, as well as stream alkalinity. Flow-adjusted total suspended solids, total phosphorus, and total zinc stormflow concentrations between 1996 and 2003 have a seasonal pattern in five of the six watersheds. Flow-adjusted concentrations typically peak during late summer, between July and August. The seasonal pattern is stronger for more developed watersheds and may be related to seasonal land-disturbance activities and/or to seasonal rainfall intensity, both of which increase in summer. Adjusting for seasonality in the computation of constituent load caused the standard error of annual total suspended solids load to improve by an average of 11 percent, and increased computed summer total suspended solids loads by an average of 45 percent and decreased winter total suspended solids loads by an average of 40 percent. Total annual loads changed by less than 5 percent on the average. Graphical and statistical analyses do not indicate a time tre

Annual and average estimates of water-budget components based on hydrograph separation and PRISM precipitation for gaged basins in the Appalachian Plateaus Region, 1900-2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelms, David L.; Messinger, Terence; McCoy, Kurt J.

2015-07-14

As part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Groundwater Resources Program study of the Appalachian Plateaus aquifers, annual and average estimates of water-budget components based on hydrograph separation and precipitation data from parameter-elevation regressions on independent slopes model (PRISM) were determined at 849 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations from Mississippi to New York and covered the period of 1900 to 2011. Only complete calendar years (January to December) of streamflow record at each gage were used to determine estimates of base flow, which is that part of streamflow attributed to groundwater discharge; such estimates can serve as a proxy for annual recharge. For each year, estimates of annual base flow, runoff, and base-flow index were determined using computer programs—PART, HYSEP, and BFI—that have automated the separation procedures. These streamflow-hydrograph analysis methods are provided with version 1.0 of the U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Toolbox, which is a new program that provides graphing, mapping, and analysis capabilities in a Windows environment. Annual values of precipitation were estimated by calculating the average of cell values intercepted by basin boundaries where previously defined in the GAGES–II dataset. Estimates of annual evapotranspiration were then calculated from the difference between precipitation and streamflow.

Satellite-derived estimates of forest leaf area index in southwest Western Australia are not tightly coupled to interannual variations in rainfall: implications for groundwater decline in a drying climate.

PubMed

Smettem, Keith R J; Waring, Richard H; Callow, John N; Wilson, Melissa; Mu, Qiaozhen

2013-08-01

There is increasing concern that widespread forest decline could occur in regions of the world where droughts are predicted to increase in frequency and severity as a result of climate change. The average annual leaf area index (LAI) is an indicator of canopy cover and the difference between the annual maximum and minimum LAI is an indicator of annual leaf turnover. In this study, we analyzed satellite-derived estimates of monthly LAI across forested coastal catchments of southwest Western Australia over a 12 year period (2000-2011) that included the driest year on record for the last 60 years. We observed that over the 12 year study period, the spatial pattern of average annual satellite-derived LAI values was linearly related to mean annual rainfall. However, interannual changes to LAI in response to changes in annual rainfall were far less than expected from the long-term LAI-rainfall trend. This buffered response was investigated using a physiological growth model and attributed to availability of deep soil moisture and/or groundwater storage. The maintenance of high LAIs may be linked to a long-term decline in areal average underground water storage and diminished summer flows, with an emerging trend toward more ephemeral flow regimes. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Weighted south-wide average pulpwood prices

Treesearch

James E. Granskog; Kevin D. Growther

1991-01-01

Weighted average prices provide a more accurate representation of regional pulpwood price trends when production volumes valy widely by state. Unweighted South-wide average delivered prices for pulpwood, as reported by Timber Mart-South, were compared to average annual prices weighted by each state's pulpwood production from 1977 to 1986. Weighted average prices...

A stream-gaging network analysis for the 7-day, 10-year annual low flow in New Hampshire streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flynn, Robert H.

2003-01-01

The 7-day, 10-year (7Q10) low-flow-frequency statistic is a widely used measure of surface-water availability in New Hampshire. Regression equations and basin-characteristic digital data sets were developed to help water-resource managers determine surface-water resources during periods of low flow in New Hampshire streams. These regression equations and data sets were developed to estimate streamflow statistics for the annual and seasonal low-flow-frequency, and period-of-record and seasonal period-of-record flow durations. generalized-least-squares (GLS) regression methods were used to develop the annual 7Q10 low-flow-frequency regression equation from 60 continuous-record stream-gaging stations in New Hampshire and in neighboring States. In the regression equation, the dependent variables were the annual 7Q10 flows at the 60 stream-gaging stations. The independent (or predictor) variables were objectively selected characteristics of the drainage basins that contribute flow to those stations. In contrast to ordinary-least-squares (OLS) regression analysis, GLS-developed estimating equations account for differences in length of record and spatial correlations among the flow-frequency statistics at the various stations.A total of 93 measurable drainage-basin characteristics were candidate independent variables. On the basis of several statistical parameters that were used to evaluate which combination of basin characteristics contribute the most to the predictive power of the equations, three drainage-basin characteristics were determined to be statistically significant predictors of the annual 7Q10: (1) total drainage area, (2) mean summer stream-gaging station precipitation from 1961 to 90, and (3) average mean annual basinwide temperature from 1961 to 1990.To evaluate the effectiveness of the stream-gaging network in providing regional streamflow data for the annual 7Q10, the computer program GLSNET (generalized-least-squares NETwork) was used to analyze the network by application of GLS regression between streamflow and the climatic and basin characteristics of the drainage basin upstream from each stream-gaging station. Improvement to the predictive ability of the regression equations developed for the network analyses is measured by the reduction in the average sampling-error variance, and can be achieved by collecting additional streamflow data at existing stations. The predictive ability of the regression equations is enhanced even further with the addition of new stations to the network. Continued data collection at unregulated stream-gaging stations with less than 14 years of record resulted in the greatest cost-weighted reduction to the average sampling-error variance of the annual 7Q10 regional regression equation. The addition of new stations in basins with underrepresented values for the independent variables of the total drainage area, average mean annual basinwide temperature, or mean summer stream-gaging station precipitation in the annual 7Q10 regression equation yielded a much greater cost-weighted reduction to the average sampling-error variance than when more data were collected at existing unregulated stations. To maximize the regional information obtained from the stream-gaging network for the annual 7Q10, ranking of the streamflow data can be used to determine whether an active station should be continued or if a new or discontinued station should be activated for streamflow data collection. Thus, this network analysis can help determine the costs and benefits of continuing the operation of a particular station or activating a new station at another location to predict the 7Q10 at ungaged stream reaches. The decision to discontinue an existing station or activate a new station, however, must also consider its contribution to other water-resource analyses such as flood management, water quality, or trends in land use or climatic change.

Surface-water availability, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knight, Alfred L.; Davis, Marvin E.

1975-01-01

The average annual runoff, about 1,270 mgd (million gallons per day), originating in Tuscaloosa County is equivalent to 20 inches or 0.95 mgd per square mile. The Black Warrior and Sipsey Rivers, the largest streams in the county, have average flows of 5,230 mgd and 580 mgd, respectively, where they leave the county, and median annual 7-day low flows in excess of 150 mgd and 35 mgd, respectively. North River, Big Sandy Creek, and Hurricane Creek have average flows in excess of 100 mgd and median annual 7-day low flows in excess of 2 mgd. Surface water generally contains less than 100 mg/l (milligrams per liter) dissolved solids, less than 10 mg/l chloride, and is soft to moderately hard. Streams having the higher hardness and the higher dissolved-solids content are in eastern Tuscaloosa County.

Estimation of recharge rates to the sand and gravel aquifer using environmental tritium, Nantucket Island, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knott, Jayne Fifield; Olimpio, Julio C.

1986-01-01

Estimation of the average annual rate of ground-water recharge to sand and gravel aquifers using elevated tritium concentrations in ground water is an alternative to traditional steady-state and water-balance recharge-rate methods. The concept of the tritium tracer method is that the average annual rate of ground-water recharge over a period of time can be calculated from the depth of the peak tritium concentration in the aquifer. Assuming that ground-water flow is vertically downward and that aquifer properties are reasonably homogeneous, and knowing the date of maximum tritium concentration in precipitation and the current depth to the tritium peak from the water table, the average recharge rate can be calculated. The method, which is a direct-measurement technique, was applied at two sites on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. At site 1, the average annual recharge rate between 1964 and 1983 was 26.1 inches per year, or 68 percent of the average annual precipitation, and the estimated uncertainty is ?15 percent. At site 2, the multilevel water samplers were not constructed deep enough to determine the peak concentration of tritium in ground water. The tritium profile at site 2 resembles the upper part of the tritium profile at site 1 and indicates that the average recharge rate was at least 16 .7 inches per year, or at least 44 percent of the average annual precipitation. The Nantucket tritium recharge rates clearly are higher than rates determined elsewhere in southeastern Massachusetts using the tritium, water-table-fluctuation, and water-balance (Thornthwaite) methods, regardless of the method or the area. Because the recharge potential on Nantucket is so high (runoff is only 2 percent of the total water balance), the tritium recharge rates probably represent the effective upper limit for ground-water recharge in this region. The recharge-rate values used by Guswa and LeBlanc (1985) and LeBlanc (1984) in their ground-water-flow computer models of Cape Cod are 20 to 30 percent lower than this upper limit. The accuracy of the tritium method is dependent on two key factors: the accuracy of the effective-porosity data, and the sampling interval used at the site. For some sites, the need for recharge-rate data may require a determination as statistically accurate as that which can be provided by the tritium method. However, the tritium method is more costly and more time consuming than the other methods because numerous wells must be drilled and installed and because many water samples must be analyzed for tritium, to a very small level of analytical detection. For many sites, a less accurate, less expensive, and faster method of recharge-rate determination might be more satisfactory . The factor that most seriously limits the usefulness of the tritium tracer method is the current depth of the tritium peak. Water with peak concentrations of tritium entered the ground more than 20 years ago, and, according to the Nantucket data, that water now is more than 100 feet below the land surface. This suggests that the tracer method will work only in sand and gravel aquifers that are exceedingly thick by New England standards. Conversely, the results suggest that the method may work in areas where saturated thicknesses are less than 100 feet and the rate of vertical ground-water movement is relatively slow, such as in till and in silt- and clay-rich sand and gravel deposits.

Changes in streamflow characteristics in Wisconsin as related to precipitation and land use

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gebert, Warren A.; Garn, Herbert S.; Rose, William J.

2016-01-19

Streamflow characteristics were determined for 15 longterm streamflow-gaging stations for the periods 1915–2008, 1915–68, and 1969–2008 to identify trends. Stations selected represent flow characteristics for the major river basins in Wisconsin. Trends were statistically significant at the 95 percent confidence level at 13 of the 15 streamflow-gaging stations for various streamflow characteristics for 1915–2008. Most trends indicated increases in low flows for streams with agriculture as the dominant land use. The three most important findings are: increases in low flows and average flows in agricultural watersheds, decreases in flood peak discharge for many streams in both agricultural and forested watersheds, and climatic change occurred with increasing annual precipitation and changes in monthly occurrence of precipitation. When the 1915–68 period is compared to the 1969–2008 period, the annual 7-day low flow increased an average of 60 percent for nine streams in agricultural areas as compared to a 15 percent increase for the five forested streams. Average annual flow for the same periods increased 23 percent for the agriculture streams and 0.6 percent for the forested streams. The annual flood peak discharge for the same periods decreased 15 percent for agriculture streams and 8 percent for forested streams. The largest increase in the annual 7-day low flow was 117 percent, the largest increase in annual average flow was 41 percent, and the largest decrease in annual peak discharge was 51 percent. The trends in streamflow characteristics affect frequency characteristics, which are used for a variety of design and compliance purposes. The frequencies for the 1969–2008 period were compared to frequencies for the 1915–68 period. The 7-day, 10-year (Q7, 10) low flow increased 91 percent for nine agricultural streams, while the five forested streams had an increase of 18 percent. The 100-year flood peak discharge decreased an average of 15 percent for streams in the agriculture area and 27 percent for streams in the forested area. Increases in low flow for agriculture streams are attributed to changes in agricultural practices and land use as well as increased precipitation. The decrease in annual flood peak discharge with increased annual precipitation is less clear, but is attributed to increased infiltration from changes in agricultural practices and climatic changes. For future low-flow studies, the 1969–2008 period should be used to determine low-flow characteristics since it represents current (2014) conditions and was generally free of significant trends.

Wavelength dependent light absorption as a cost effective, real-time surrogate for ambient concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Richard J. C.; Butterfield, David M.; Goddard, Sharon L.; Hussain, Delwar; Quincey, Paul G.; Fuller, Gary W.

2016-02-01

Many monitoring stations used to assess ambient air concentrations of pollutants regulated by European air quality directives suffer from being expensive to establish and operate, and from their location being based on the results of macro-scale modelling exercises rather than measurement assessments in candidate locations. To address these issues for the monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), this study has used data from a combination of the ultraviolet and infrared channels of aethalometers (referred to as UV BC), operated as part of the UK Black Carbon Network, as a surrogate measurement. This has established a relationship between concentrations of the PAH regulated in Europe, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), and the UV BC signal at locations where these measurements have been made together from 2008 to 2014. This relationship was observed to be non-linear. Relationships for individual site types were used to predict measured concentrations with, on average, 1.5% accuracy across all annual averages, and with only 1 in 36 of the predicted annual averages deviating from the measured annual average by more than the B[a]P data quality objective for uncertainty of 50% (at -65%, with the range excluding this value between + 38% and -37%). These relationships were then used to predict B[a]P concentrations at stations where UV BC measurement are made, but PAH measurements are not. This process produced results which reflected expectations based on knowledge of the pollution climate at these stations gained from the measurements of other air quality networks, or from nearby stations. The influence of domestic solid fuel heating was clear using this approach which highlighted Strabane in Northern Ireland as a station likely to be in excess of the air quality directive target value for B[a]P.

10 CFR Appendix P to Subpart B of... - Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Pool Heaters

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...-1994. The expression of fuel consumption for oil-fired pool heaters shall be in Btu. 4.2Average annual fossil fuel energy for pool heaters. The average annual fuel energy for pool heater, EF, is defined as... of pool operating hours=4464 h QIN=rated fuel energy input as defined according to 2.9.1 or 2.9.2 of...

Health risk profile for terrestrial radionuclides in soil around artisanal gold mining area at Alsopag, Sudan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idriss, Hajo; Salih, Isam; Alaamer, Abdulaziz S.; AL-Rajhi, M. A.; Osman, Alshfia; Adreani, Tahir Elamin; Abdelgalil, M. Y.; Ali, Nagi I.

2018-06-01

This study shows the assessment of radiation hazard parameters due to terrestrial radionuclides in the soil around artisanal gold mining for addressing the issue of natural radioactivity in mining areas. Hence, the levels 238U, 232Th, 40K and 226Ra in soil (using gamma spectrometry), 222Rn in soil and 222Rn in air were determined. Radiation hazard parameters were then computed. These include absorbed dose D, annual effective dose E, radium equivalent activity Raeq, external hazard H ex, annual gonadal dose equivalent hazard index AGDE and excess lifetime cancer risk ELCR due to the inhalation of radon (222Rn) and consumption of radium (226Ra) in vegetation. Uranium (238U), thorium (232Th) and potassium (40K) averages were, respectively, 26, 36 and 685 Becquerel per kilogram (Bq kg-1). Soil radon (4671 Bq m-3) and radon in air (14.77 Bq m-3) were found to be less than worldwide data. Nevertheless, the average 40K concentration was 685 Bq kg-1. This is slightly higher than the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation average value of 412 Bq kg-1. The obtained result indicates that some of the radiation hazard parameters seem unsavory. The mean value of absorbed dose rate (62.49 nGy h-1) was slightly higher than average value of 57 nGy h-1 ( 45% from 40K), and that of AGDE (444 μSv year-1) was higher than worldwide average reported value (300 μSv year-1). This study highlights the necessity to launch extensive nationwide radiation protection program in the mining areas for regulatory control.

The impact of land ownership, firefighting, and reserve status on fire probability in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starrs, Carlin Frances; Butsic, Van; Stephens, Connor; Stewart, William

2018-03-01

The extent of wildfires in the western United States is increasing, but how land ownership, firefighting, and reserve status influence fire probability is unclear. California serves as a unique natural experiment to estimate the impact of these factors, as ownership is split equally between federal and non-federal landowners; there is a relatively large proportion of reserved lands where extractive uses are prohibited and fire suppression is limited; and land ownership and firefighting responsibility are purposefully not always aligned. Panel Poisson regression techniques and pre-regression matching were used to model changes in annual fire probability from 1950-2015 on reserve and non-reserve lands on federal and non-federal ownerships across four vegetation types: forests, rangelands, shrublands, and forests without commercial species. Fire probability was found to have increased over time across all 32 categories. A marginal effects analysis showed that federal ownership and firefighting was associated with increased fire probability, and that the difference in fire probability on federal versus non-federal lands is increasing over time. Ownership, firefighting, and reserve status, played roughly equal roles in determining fire probability, and were found to have much greater influence than average maximum temperature (°C) during summer months (June, July, August), average annual precipitation (cm), and average annual topsoil moisture content by volume, demonstrating the critical role these factors play in western fire regimes and the importance of including them in future analysis focused on understanding and predicting wildfire in the Western United States.

Cost Effectiveness of Adopted Quality Requirements in Hospital Laboratories

PubMed Central

HAMZA, Alneil; AHMED-ABAKUR, Eltayib; ABUGROUN, Elsir; BAKHIT, Siham; HOLI, Mohamed

2013-01-01

Background The present study was designed in quasi-experiment to assess adoption of the essential clauses of particular clinical laboratory quality management requirements based on international organization for standardization (ISO 15189) in hospital laboratories and to evaluate the cost effectiveness of compliance to ISO 15189. Methods: The quality management intervention based on ISO 15189 was conceded through three phases; pre – intervention phase, Intervention phase and Post-intervention phase. Results: In pre-intervention phase the compliance to ISO 15189 was 49% for study group vs. 47% for control group with P value 0.48, while the post intervention results displayed 54% vs. 79% for study group and control group respectively in compliance to ISO 15189 and statistically significant difference (P value 0.00) with effect size (Cohen’s d) of (0.00) in pre-intervention phase and (0.99) in post – intervention phase. The annual average cost per-test for the study group and control group was 1.80 ± 0.25 vs. 1.97 ± 0.39, respectively with P value 0.39 whereas the post-intervention results showed that the annual average total costs per-test for study group and control group was 1.57 ± 0.23 vs 2.08 ± 0.38, P value 0.019 respectively, with cost-effectiveness ratio of (0.88) in pre -intervention phase and (0.52) in post-intervention phase. Conclusion: The planned adoption of quality management requirements (QMS) in clinical laboratories had great effect to increase the compliance percent with quality management system requirement, raise the average total cost effectiveness, and improve the analytical process capability of the testing procedure. PMID:23967422

Analysis of the distributions of hourly NO2 concentrations contributing to annual average NO2 concentrations across the European monitoring network between 2000 and 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malley, Christopher S.; von Schneidemesser, Erika; Moller, Sarah; Braban, Christine F.; Hicks, W. Kevin; Heal, Mathew R.

2018-03-01

Exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is associated with negative human health effects, both for short-term peak concentrations and from long-term exposure to a wider range of NO2 concentrations. For the latter, the European Union has established an air quality limit value of 40 µg m-3 as an annual average. However, factors such as proximity and strength of local emissions, atmospheric chemistry, and meteorological conditions mean that there is substantial variation in the hourly NO2 concentrations contributing to an annual average concentration. The aim of this analysis was to quantify the nature of this variation at thousands of monitoring sites across Europe through the calculation of a standard set of chemical climatology statistics. Specifically, at each monitoring site that satisfied data capture criteria for inclusion in this analysis, annual NO2 concentrations, as well as the percentage contribution from each month, hour of the day, and hourly NO2 concentrations divided into 5 µg m-3 bins were calculated. Across Europe, 2010-2014 average annual NO2 concentrations (NO2AA) exceeded the annual NO2 limit value at 8 % of > 2500 monitoring sites. The application of this chemical climatology approach showed that sites with distinct monthly, hour of day, and hourly NO2 concentration bin contributions to NO2AA were not grouped into specific regions of Europe, furthermore, within relatively small geographic regions there were sites with similar NO2AA, but with differences in these contributions. Specifically, at sites with highest NO2AA, there were generally similar contributions from across the year, but there were also differences in the contribution of peak vs. moderate hourly NO2 concentrations to NO2AA, and from different hours across the day. Trends between 2000 and 2014 for 259 sites indicate that, in general, the contribution to NO2AA from winter months has increased, as has the contribution from the rush-hour periods of the day, while the contribution from peak hourly NO2 concentrations has decreased. The variety of monthly, hour of day and hourly NO2 concentration bin contributions to NO2AA, across cities, countries and regions of Europe indicate that within relatively small geographic areas different interactions between emissions, atmospheric chemistry and meteorology produce variation in NO2AA and the conditions that produce it. Therefore, measures implemented to reduce NO2AA in one location may not be as effective in others. The development of strategies to reduce NO2AA for an area should therefore consider (i) the variation in monthly, hour of day, and hourly NO2 concentration bin contributions to NO2AA within that area; and (ii) how specific mitigation actions will affect variability in hourly NO2 concentrations.

Crustal Displacements Due to Continental Water Loading

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

vanDam, T.; Wahr, J.; Milly, P. C. D.; Shmakin, A. B.; Blewitt, G.; Lavallee, D.; Larson, K. M.

2001-01-01

The effects of long-wavelength (> 100 km), seasonal variability in continental water storage on vertical crustal motions are assessed. The modeled vertical displacements (delta-r(sub M)) have root-mean-square (RMS) values for 1994-1998 as large as 8 mm with ranges up to 30 mm, and are predominantly annual in character. Regional strains are on the order of 20 nanostrain for tilt and 5 nanostrain for horizontal deformation. We compare delta-r(sub M) with observed Global Positioning System (GPS) heights (delta-r(sub O)) (which include adjustments to remove estimated effects of atmospheric pressure and annual tidal and non-tidal ocean loading) for 147 globally distributed sites. When the delta-r(sub O) time series are adjusted by delta-r(sub M), their variances are reduced, on average, by an amount equal to the variance of the delta-r(sub M). Of the delta-r(sub O) time series exhibiting a strong annual signal, more than half are found to have an annual harmonic that is in phase and of comparable amplitude with the annual harmonic in the delta-r(sub M). The delta-r(sub M) time series exhibit long-period variations that could be mistaken for secular tectonic trends or post-glacial rebound when observed over a time span of a few years.

78 FR 49321 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-13

.... Residents. Respondent Universe: 1,000 individuals. Frequency of Submission: On occasion. Respondent Total annual Average time per Total annual Form number universe responses response burden hours Alleged...

77 FR 77181 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-31

...: Railroad Employees. Respondent Universe: 11,000 Railroad Employees. Frequency of Submission: On occasion. Reporting Burden: Total Respondent Total annual Average Time annual CFR section universe responses per...

Water-Resources Investigations in Wisconsin, 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hueschen, K. A.; Jones, S.Z.; Fuller, J.A.

2002-01-01

Runoff for rivers in the state ranged from 67 percent of the average annual runoff (1964–2001) at the Kewaunee River site in the northeast part of the state to 160 percent of the average annual runoff (1944–2001) at the Eau Galle River at Spring Valley site in the west central part of the state. Departures of runoff in the 2001 water year as a percent of long-term average runoff in the state (determined using stations with drainage areas greater than 150 square miles and at least 20 years of record) are shown in figure 4.

Effects of long-term exposure to air pollution on natural-cause mortality: an analysis of 22 European cohorts within the multicentre ESCAPE project.

PubMed

Beelen, Rob; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole; Stafoggia, Massimo; Andersen, Zorana Jovanovic; Weinmayr, Gudrun; Hoffmann, Barbara; Wolf, Kathrin; Samoli, Evangelia; Fischer, Paul; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark; Vineis, Paolo; Xun, Wei W; Katsouyanni, Klea; Dimakopoulou, Konstantina; Oudin, Anna; Forsberg, Bertil; Modig, Lars; Havulinna, Aki S; Lanki, Timo; Turunen, Anu; Oftedal, Bente; Nystad, Wenche; Nafstad, Per; De Faire, Ulf; Pedersen, Nancy L; Östenson, Claes-Göran; Fratiglioni, Laura; Penell, Johanna; Korek, Michal; Pershagen, Göran; Eriksen, Kirsten Thorup; Overvad, Kim; Ellermann, Thomas; Eeftens, Marloes; Peeters, Petra H; Meliefste, Kees; Wang, Meng; Bueno-de-Mesquita, Bas; Sugiri, Dorothea; Krämer, Ursula; Heinrich, Joachim; de Hoogh, Kees; Key, Timothy; Peters, Annette; Hampel, Regina; Concin, Hans; Nagel, Gabriele; Ineichen, Alex; Schaffner, Emmanuel; Probst-Hensch, Nicole; Künzli, Nino; Schindler, Christian; Schikowski, Tamara; Adam, Martin; Phuleria, Harish; Vilier, Alice; Clavel-Chapelon, Françoise; Declercq, Christophe; Grioni, Sara; Krogh, Vittorio; Tsai, Ming-Yi; Ricceri, Fulvio; Sacerdote, Carlotta; Galassi, Claudia; Migliore, Enrica; Ranzi, Andrea; Cesaroni, Giulia; Badaloni, Chiara; Forastiere, Francesco; Tamayo, Ibon; Amiano, Pilar; Dorronsoro, Miren; Katsoulis, Michail; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Brunekreef, Bert; Hoek, Gerard

2014-03-01

Few studies on long-term exposure to air pollution and mortality have been reported from Europe. Within the multicentre European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE), we aimed to investigate the association between natural-cause mortality and long-term exposure to several air pollutants. We used data from 22 European cohort studies, which created a total study population of 367,251 participants. All cohorts were general population samples, although some were restricted to one sex only. With a strictly standardised protocol, we assessed residential exposure to air pollutants as annual average concentrations of particulate matter (PM) with diameters of less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), less than 10 μm (PM10), and between 10 μm and 2.5 μm (PMcoarse), PM2.5 absorbance, and annual average concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NO2 and NOx), with land use regression models. We also investigated two traffic intensity variables-traffic intensity on the nearest road (vehicles per day) and total traffic load on all major roads within a 100 m buffer. We did cohort-specific statistical analyses using confounder models with increasing adjustment for confounder variables, and Cox proportional hazards models with a common protocol. We obtained pooled effect estimates through a random-effects meta-analysis. The total study population consisted of 367,251 participants who contributed 5,118,039 person-years at risk (average follow-up 13.9 years), of whom 29,076 died from a natural cause during follow-up. A significantly increased hazard ratio (HR) for PM2.5 of 1.07 (95% CI 1.02-1.13) per 5 μg/m(3) was recorded. No heterogeneity was noted between individual cohort effect estimates (I(2) p value=0.95). HRs for PM2.5 remained significantly raised even when we included only participants exposed to pollutant concentrations lower than the European annual mean limit value of 25 μg/m(3) (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.00-1.12) or below 20 μg/m(3) (1.07, 1.01-1.13). Long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution was associated with natural-cause mortality, even within concentration ranges well below the present European annual mean limit value. European Community's Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2011). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cuticular waxes in alpine meadow plants: climate effect inferred from latitude gradient in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

PubMed

Guo, Yanjun; Guo, Na; He, Yuji; Gao, Jianhua

2015-09-01

Alpine meadow ecosystems are susceptible to climate changes. Still, climate impact on cuticular wax in alpine meadow plants is poorly understood. Assessing the variations of cuticular wax in alpine meadow plants across different latitudes might be useful for predicting how they may respond to climate change. We studied nine alpine meadows in a climate gradient in the east side of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, with mean annual temperature ranging from -7.7 to 3.2°C. In total, 42 plant species were analyzed for cuticular wax, averaged 16 plant species in each meadow. Only four plant species could be observed in all sampling meadows, including Kobresia humilis,Potentilla nivea,Anaphalis lacteal, and Leontopodium nanum. The amounts of wax compositions and total cuticular wax in the four plant species varied among sampling meadows, but no significant correlation could be observed between them and temperature, precipitation, and aridity index based on plant species level. To analyze the variations of cuticular wax on community level, we averaged the amounts of n-alkanes, aliphatic acids, primary alcohols, and total cuticular wax across all investigated plant species in each sampling site. The mean annual temperature, mean temperature in July, and aridity index were significantly correlated with the averaged amounts of wax compositions and total cuticular wax. The average chain length of n-alkanes in both plant and soil linearly increased with increased temperature, whereas reduced with increased aridity index. No significant correlation could be observed between mean annual precipitation and mean precipitation from June to August and the cuticular wax amounts and average chain length. Our results suggest that the survival of some alpine plants in specific environments might be depended on their abilities in adjusting wax deposition on plant leaves, and the alpine meadow plants as a whole respond to climate change, benefiting the stability of alpine meadow ecosystem.

Seasonal pattern of anthropogenic salinization in temperate forested headwater streams.

PubMed

Timpano, Anthony J; Zipper, Carl E; Soucek, David J; Schoenholtz, Stephen H

2018-04-15

Salinization of freshwaters by human activities is of growing concern globally. Consequences of salt pollution include adverse effects to aquatic biodiversity, ecosystem function, human health, and ecosystem services. In headwater streams of the temperate forests of eastern USA, elevated specific conductance (SC), a surrogate measurement for the major dissolved ions composing salinity, has been linked to decreased diversity of aquatic insects. However, such linkages have typically been based on limited numbers of SC measurements that do not quantify intra-annual variation. Effective management of salinization requires tools to accurately monitor and predict salinity while accounting for temporal variability. Toward that end, high-frequency SC data were collected within the central Appalachian coalfield over 4 years at 25 forested headwater streams spanning a gradient of salinity. A sinusoidal periodic function was used to model the annual cycle of SC, averaged across years and streams. The resultant model revealed that, on average, salinity deviated approximately ±20% from annual mean levels across all years and streams, with minimum SC occurring in late winter and peak SC occurring in late summer. The pattern was evident in headwater streams influenced by surface coal mining, unmined headwater reference streams with low salinity, and larger-order salinized rivers draining the study area. The pattern was strongly responsive to varying seasonal dilution as driven by catchment evapotranspiration, an effect that was amplified slightly in unmined catchments with greater relative forest cover. Evaluation of alternative sampling intervals indicated that discrete sampling can approximate the model performance afforded by high-frequency data but model error increases rapidly as discrete sampling intervals exceed 30 days. This study demonstrates that intra-annual variation of salinity in temperate forested headwater streams of Appalachia USA follows a natural seasonal pattern, driven by interactive influences on water quantity and quality of climate, geology, and terrestrial vegetation. Because climatic and vegetation dynamics vary annually in a seasonal, cyclic manner, a periodic function can be used to fit a sinusoidal model to the salinity pattern. The model framework used here is broadly applicable in systems with streamflow-dependent chronic salinity stress. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent trends in power system reliability and implications for evaluating future investments in resiliency

DOE PAGES

Larsen, Peter H.; LaCommare, Kristina H.; Eto, Joseph H.; ...

2016-10-27

Here, this study examines the relationship between annual changes in electricity reliability reported by a large cross-section of U.S. electricity distribution utilities over a period of 13 years and a broad set of potential explanatory variables, including weather and utility characteristics. We find statistically significant correlations between the average number of power interruptions experienced annually and above average wind speeds, precipitation, lightning strikes, and a measure of population density: customers per line mile. We also find significant relationships between the average number of minutes of power interruptions experienced and above average wind speeds, precipitation, cooling degree-days, and one strategy usedmore » to mitigate the impacts of severe weather: the amount of underground transmission and distribution line miles. Perhaps most importantly, we find a significant time trend of increasing annual average number of minutes of power interruptions over time—especially when interruptions associated with extreme weather are included. Lastly, the research method described in this analysis can provide a basis for future efforts to project long-term trends in reliability and the associated benefits of strategies to improve grid resiliency to severe weather—both in the U.S. and abroad.« less

Effects of shifting seasonal rainfall patterns on net primary productivity and carbon storage in tropical seasonally dry ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohr, T.; Manzoni, S.; Feng, X.; Menezes, R.; Porporato, A. M.

2013-12-01

Although seasonally dry ecosystems (SDEs), identified by prolonged drought followed by a short, but intense, rainy season, cover large regions of the tropics, their biogeochemical response to seasonal rainfall and soil carbon (C) sequestration potential are not well characterized. Both productivity and soil respiration are positively affected by seasonal soil moisture availability, creating a delicate balance between C deposition through litterfall and C losses through heterotrophic respiration. As climate change projections for the tropics predict decreased annual rainfall and increased dry season length, it is critical to understand how variations in seasonal rainfall distributions control this balance. To address this question, we develop a minimal model linking the seasonal behavior of the ensemble soil moisture, plant productivity, the related soil C inputs through litterfall, and soil C dynamics. The model is parameterized for a case study from a drought-deciduous caatinga ecosystem in northeastern Brazil. Results indicate that when altering the seasonal rainfall patterns for a fixed annual rainfall, both plant productivity and soil C sequestration potential are largely, and nonlinearly, dependent on wet season duration. Moreover, total annual rainfall plays a dominant role in describing this relationship, leading at times to the emergence of distinct optima in both primary production and C sequestration. Examining these results in the context of climate-driven changes to wet season duration and mean annual precipitation indicate that the initial hydroclimatic regime of a particular ecosystem is an important factor to predict both the magnitude and direction of the effects of shifting seasonal distributions on productivity and C storage. Although highly productive ecosystems will likely experience declining C storage with predicted climate shifts, those currently operating well below peak production can potentially see improved C stocks with the onset of declining rainfall due to reduced soil respiration. a) Annual average net primary productivity and b) the temporally averaged ensemble soil carbon concentration <(C_yr )> are plotted against the length of the wet season T_W, for six annual rainfall rates (m yr-1).

Dry deposition of gaseous oxidized mercury in Western Maryland.

PubMed

Castro, Mark S; Moore, Chris; Sherwell, John; Brooks, Steve B

2012-02-15

The purpose of this study was to directly measure the dry deposition of gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) in western Maryland. Annual estimates were made using passive ion-exchange surrogate surfaces and a resistance model. Surrogate surfaces were deployed for seventeen weekly sampling periods between September 2009 and October 2010. Dry deposition rates from surrogate surfaces ranged from 80 to 1512 pgm(-2)h(-1). GOM dry deposition rates were strongly correlated (r(2)=0.75) with the weekly average atmospheric GOM concentrations, which ranged from 2.3 to 34.1 pgm(-3). Dry deposition of GOM could be predicted from the ambient air concentrations of GOM using this equation: GOM dry deposition (pgm(-2)h(-1))=43.2 × GOM concentration-80.3. Dry deposition velocities computed using GOM concentrations and surrogate surface GOM dry deposition rates, ranged from 0.2 to 1.7 cms(-1). Modeled dry deposition rates were highly correlated (r(2)=0.80) with surrogate surface dry deposition rates. Using the overall weekly average surrogate surface dry deposition rate (369 ± 340 pg m(-2)h(-1)), we estimated an annual GOM dry deposition rate of 3.2 μg m(-2)year(-1). Using the resistance model, we estimated an annual GOM dry deposition rate of 3.5 μg m(-2)year(-1). Our annual GOM dry deposition rates were similar to the dry deposition (3.3 μg m(-2)h(-1)) of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) at our site. In addition, annual GOM dry deposition was approximately 1/2 of the average annual wet deposition of total mercury (7.7 ± 1.9 μg m(-2)year(-1)) at our site. Total annual mercury deposition from dry deposition of GOM and GEM and wet deposition was approximately 14.4 μg m(-2)year(-1), which was similar to the average annual litterfall deposition (15 ± 2.1 μg m(-2)year(-1)) of mercury, which was also measured at our site. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estimation of effective hydrologic properties of soils from observations of vegetation density. M.S. Thesis; [water balance of watersheds in Clinton, Maine and Santa Paula, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tellers, T. E.

1980-01-01

An existing one-dimensional model of the annual water balance is reviewed. Slight improvements are made in the method of calculating the bare soil component of evaporation, and in the way surface retention is handled. A natural selection hypothesis, which specifies the equilibrium vegetation density for a given, water limited, climate-soil system, is verified through comparisons with observed data and is employed in the annual water balance of watersheds in Clinton, Ma., and Santa Paula, Ca., to estimate effective areal average soil properties. Comparison of CDF's of annual basin yield derived using these soil properties with observed CDF's provides excellent verification of the soil-selection procedure. This method of parameterization of the land surface should be useful with present global circulation models, enabling them to account for both the non-linearity in the relationship between soil moisture flux and soil moisture concentration, and the variability of soil properties from place to place over the Earth's surface.

Annual reduction of solar UV exposure to the facial area of outdoor workers in Southeast Queensland by wearing a hat.

PubMed

Wong, J C; Airey, D K; Fleming, R A

1996-06-01

The total annual exposure to erythemally effective UVR was estimated for average work situations in a high exposure environment, viz, farm workers in Southeast Queensland (27.5 degrees S), and the effect of hat usage was examined. If no sun protection is used, the annual erythema exposures for this group of workers at three facial sites forehead, nose and cheek are 40, 57 and 34 J.cm-2 respectively. If a hat is worn throughout the year, the exposures are reduced to 6, 19 and 20 J.cm-2, respectively. The mean ratio of exposure without the hat to that with the hat (mean protection factor, MPF) was found to be 6 for the forehead, 3 for the nose and 2 for the cheek. The risk of non-melanoma skin cancers without the protection of the hat is estimated to increase by up to 100 times for basal cell carcinomas and 13 times for squamous cell carcinomas for a whole year of exposure.

Thinning stagnated ponderosa and Jeffrey pine stands in northeastern California: 30-year effects

Treesearch

Robert J. Lilieholm; Dennis E. Teeguarden; Donald T. Gordon

1989-01-01

Response to precommercial thinning in stagnated 55-year-old ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) and Jeffrey pine (P. jeffreyi Grev. and Balf.) stands in northeastern alifornia was rapid and long-lasting. During the first 5 years after thinning, average annual diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) and height growth of trees on...

Hardwood stumpage price trends in New England

Treesearch

D.F. Dennis; P.E. Sendak

1991-01-01

Stumpage price trends in New Hampshire and Vermont varied considerably among species and products. Real stumpage price trends, expressed in 1988 dollars using the Producer Price Index to remove the effect of inflation, are reported for selected species and products. Long-term (1964-1989) trends in average annual prices are reported for New Hampshire and short-term (...

Effects of simulated daily precipitation patterns on annual plant populations depend on life stage and climatic region.

PubMed

Köchy, Martin

2008-03-27

To improve the understanding of consequences of climate change for annual plant communities, I used a detailed, grid-based model that simulates the effect of daily rainfall variability on individual plants in five climatic regions on a gradient from 100 to 800 mm mean annual precipitation (MAP). The model explicitly considers moisture storage in the soil. I manipulated daily rainfall variability by changing the daily mean rain (DMR, rain volume on rainy days averaged across years for each day of the year) by +/- 20%. At the same time I adjusted intervals appropriately between rainy days for keeping the mean annual volume constant. In factorial combination with changing DMR I also changed MAP by +/- 20%. Increasing MAP generally increased water availability, establishment, and peak shoot biomass. Increasing DMR increased the time that water was continuously available to plants in the upper 15 to 30 cm of the soil (longest wet period, LWP). The effect of DMR diminished with increasing humidity of the climate. An interaction between water availability and density-dependent germination increased the establishment of seedlings in the arid region, but in the more humid regions the establishment of seedlings decreased with increasing DMR. As plants matured, competition among individuals and their productivity increased, but the size of these effects decreased with the humidity of the regions. Therefore, peak shoot biomass generally increased with increasing DMR but the effect size diminished from the semiarid to the mesic Mediterranean region. Increasing DMR reduced via LWP the annual variability of biomass in the semiarid and dry Mediterranean regions. More rainstorms (greater DMR) increased the recharge of soil water reservoirs in more arid sites with consequences for germination, establishment, productivity, and population persistence. The order of magnitudes of DMR and MAP overlapped partially so that their combined effect is important for projections of climate change effects on annual vegetation.

Association of UV radiation with multiple sclerosis prevalence and sex ratio in France.

PubMed

Orton, S-M; Wald, L; Confavreux, C; Vukusic, S; Krohn, J P; Ramagopalan, S V; Herrera, B M; Sadovnick, A D; Ebers, G C

2011-02-01

French farmers and their families constitute an informative population to study multiple sclerosis (MS) prevalence and related epidemiology. We carried out an ecological study to evaluate the association of MS prevalence and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, a candidate climatologic risk factor. Mean annual and winter (December-March) UVB irradiation values were systematically compared to MS prevalence rates in corresponding regions of France. UVB data were obtained from the solar radiation database (SoDa) service and prevalence rates from previously published data on 2,667 MS cases registered with the national farmer health insurance system, Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA). Pearson correlation was used to examine the relationship of annual and winter UVB values with MS prevalence. Male and female prevalence were also analyzed separately. Linear regression was used to test for interaction of annual and winter UVB with sex in predicting MS prevalence. There was a strong association between MS prevalence and annual mean UVB irradiation (r = -0.80, p < 0.001) and average winter UVB (r = -0.87, p < 0.001). Both female (r = -0.76, p < 0.001) and male (r = -0.46, p = 0.032) prevalence rates were correlated with annual UVB. Regression modeling showed that the effect of UVB on prevalence rates differed by sex; the interaction effect was significant for both annual UVB (p = 0.003) and winter UVB (p = 0.002). The findings suggest that regional UVB radiation is predictive of corresponding MS prevalence rates and supports the hypothesis that sunlight exposure influences MS risk. The evidence also supports a potential role for gender-specific effects of UVB exposure.

Energy Intensity Trends in AEO2010 (released in AEO2010)

EIA Publications

2010-01-01

Energy intensity (energy consumption per dollar of real GDP) indicates how much energy a country uses to produce its goods and services. From the early 1950s to the early 1970s, U.S. total primary energy consumption and real GDP increased at nearly the same annual rate. During that period, real oil prices remained virtually flat. In contrast, from the mid-1970s to 2008, the relationship between energy consumption and real GDP growth changed, with primary energy consumption growing at less than one-third the previous average rate and real GDP growth continuing to grow at its historical rate. The decoupling of real GDP growth from energy consumption growth led to a decline in energy intensity that averaged 2.8% per year from 1973 to 2008. In the Annual Energy Outlook 2010 Reference case, energy intensity continues to decline, at an average annual rate of 1.9% from 2008 to 2035.

Leading medical causes of mortality among male prisoners in Texas, 1992--2003.

PubMed

Harzke, Amy J; Baillargeon, Jacques G; Kelley, Michael F; Pruitt, Sandi L; Pulvino, John S; Paar, David P

2011-07-01

Data from the Texas prison system and the Texas Vital Statistics Bureau were used to identify and assess the leading medical causes of death from 1992 to 2003 among male prisoners in Texas (N = 4,026). The leading medical causes of death were infection, cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), liver disease, and respiratory disease. Of these, only cancer showed a significant average annual increase in crude death rates (2.5% [0.2% to 4.9%]). Among prisoners aged 55 to 84 years, crude average annual death rates due to cancer and CVD were high and substantially exceeded death rates due to other causes. Among prisoners aged 25 to 44 years, crude average annual death rates due to infection exceeded death rates due to other causes. Continued improvements in the prevention, screening, and treatment of these conditions are warranted in correctional health care settings.

Atmospheric Mg2+ wet deposition within the continental United States and implications for soil inorganic carbon sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goddard, Megan A.; Mikhailova, Elena A.; Post, Christopher J.; Schlautman, Mark A.

2007-02-01

Little is known about atmospheric magnesium ion (Mg2+) wet deposition in relation to soil inorganic carbon sequestration. Understanding the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) or organic carbon to a form having a long residence time within the soil (e.g., dolomite, magnesian calcite) will greatly benefit agriculture, industry, and society on a global scale. This preliminary study was conducted to analyze atmospheric Mg2+ wet deposition within the continental United States (U.S.) and to rank the twelve major soil orders in terms of average annual atmospheric Mg2+ wet deposition. The total average annual Mg2+ wet deposition for each soil order was estimated with geographic information systems (GIS) using the following data layers: (1) atmospheric Mg2+ wet deposition data layers covering the continental U.S. for a 10-yr period (1994-2003) and (2) a soil order data layer derived from a national soils database. A map of average annual Mg2+ wet deposition for 1994-2003 reveals that the highest deposition (0.75-1.41 kg ha-1) occurred in Oregon, Washington, parts of California, and the coastal areas of East Coast states due to magnesium enrichment of atmospheric deposition from sea salt. The Midwestern region of the U.S. received about 0.25-0.75 kg ha-1 Mg2+ wet deposition annually, which was associated with loess derived soils, occurrence of dust storms and possibly fertilization. The soil orders receiving the highest average annual atmospheric Mg2+ wet deposition from 1994 to 2003 were: (1) Mollisols (3.7 × 107 kg), (2) Alfisols (3.6 × 107 kg) and (3) Ultisols (2.8 × 107 kg). In terms of potential soil carbon sequestration, the average annual atmospheric Mg2+ wet deposition was equivalent to formation of the following theoretical amounts of dolomite: (1) Mollisols (2.8 × 108 kg of CaMg(CO3)2), (2) Alfisols (2.7 × 108 kg of CaMg(CO3)2) and (3) Ultisols (2.1 × 108 kg of CaMg(CO3)2). The soil orders receiving the lowest average annual atmospheric Mg2+ wet deposition were: (1) Andisols (3.3 × 106 kg), (2) Histosols (3.4 × 106 kg) and (3) Vertisols (5.0 × 106 kg). The methods proposed here to estimate soil inorganic carbon sequestration potential from atmospheric wet deposition data can be useful for preliminary carbon accounting on a global scale.

40 CFR 98.144 - Monitoring and QA/QC requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... mineral mass fractions at least annually to verify the mass fraction data provided by the supplier of the... determine the annual average mass fraction for the carbonate-based mineral in each carbonate-based raw... calibrated scales or weigh hoppers. Total annual mass charged to glass melting furnaces at the facility shall...

40 CFR 98.144 - Monitoring and QA/QC requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... mineral mass fractions at least annually to verify the mass fraction data provided by the supplier of the... Spectrometry (incorporated by reference, see § 98.7). (c) You must determine the annual average mass fraction... calibrated scales or weigh hoppers. Total annual mass charged to glass melting furnaces at the facility shall...

Relationship of soil terrestrial radionuclide concentrations and the excess of lifetime cancer risk in western Mazandaran Province, Iran.

PubMed

Abbaspour, M; Moattar, F; Okhovatian, A; Kharrat Sadeghi, M

2010-12-01

The main goal of this study is to lay out the map of the soil radionuclide activity concentrations and the terrestrial outdoor gamma dose rates in the western Mazandaran Province of Iran, and to present an evaluation scheme. Mazandaran Province was selected due to its special geographical characteristics, high population density and the long terrestrial and aquatic borders with the neighbouring countries possessing nuclear facilities. A total of 54 topsoil samples were collected, ranging from the Nour to Ramsar regions, and were based on geological conditions, vegetation coverage and the sampling standards outlined by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The excess lifetime cancer risks (ELCRs) were evaluated and the coordinates of sampling locations were determined by the global positioning system. The average terrestrial outdoor gamma dose rate was 612.38 ± 3707.93 nGy h(-1), at 1 m above the ground. The annual effective gamma dose at the western part of Mazandaran Province was 750 μSv, and the ELCR was 0.26 × 10(-2). Soil samples were analysed by gamma spectrometry with a high-purity germanium detector. The average (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K and (137)Cs activities were 1188.50 ± 7838.40, 64.92 ± 162.26, 545.10 ± 139.42 and 10.41 ± 7.86 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The average soil radionuclide concentrations at the western part of Mazandaran Province were higher than the worldwide range. The excess lifetime risks of cancer and the annual effective gamma doses were also higher than the global average.

The NSA/SHEBA Cloud & Radiation Comparison Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Janet M. Intrieri; Matthew D. Shupe

2004-08-23

Cloud and radiation data from two distinctly different Arctic areas are analyzed to study the differences between coastal Alaskan and open Arctic Ocean region clouds and their respective influence on the surface radiation budget. The cloud and radiation datasets were obtained from 1) the DOE North Slope of Alaska (NSA) facility in the coastal town of Barrow, Alaska, and 2) the SHEBA field program, which was conducted from an icebreaker frozen in, and drifting with, the sea-ice for one year in the Western Arctic Ocean. Radar, lidar, radiometer, and sounding measurements from both locations were used to produce annual cyclesmore » of cloud occurrence and height, atmospheric temperature and humidity, surface longwave and shortwave broadband fluxes, surface albedo, and cloud radiative forcing. In general, both regions revealed a similar annual trend of cloud occurrence fraction with minimum values in winter (60-75%) and maximum values during spring, summer and fall (80-90%). However, the annual average cloud occurrence fraction for SHEBA (76%) was lower than the 6-year average cloud occurrence at NSA (92%). Both Arctic areas also showed similar annual cycle trends of cloud forcing with clouds warming the surface through most of the year and a period of surface cooling during the summer, when cloud shading effects overwhelm cloud greenhouse effects. The greatest difference between the two regions was observed in the magnitude of the cloud cooling effect (i.e., shortwave cloud forcing), which was significantly stronger at NSA and lasted for a longer period of time than at SHEBA. This is predominantly due to the longer and stronger melt season at NSA (i.e., albedo values that are much lower coupled with Sun angles that are somewhat higher) than the melt season observed over the ice pack at SHEBA. Longwave cloud forcing values were comparable between the two sites indicating a general similarity in cloudiness and atmospheric temperature and humidity structure between the two regions.« less

Injury Scheme Claims in Gaelic Games: A Review of 2007–2014

PubMed Central

Roe, Mark; Blake, Catherine; Gissane, Conor; Collins, Kieran

2016-01-01

Context:  Gaelic games (Gaelic football and hurling) are indigenous Irish sports with increasing global participation in recent years. Limited information is available on longitudinal injury trends. Reviews of insurance claims can reveal the economic burden of injury and guide cost-effective injury-prevention programs. Objective:  To review Gaelic games injury claims from 2007–2014 for male players to identify the costs and frequencies of claims. Particular attention was devoted to lower limb injuries due to findings from previous epidemiologic investigations of Gaelic games. Design:  Descriptive epidemiology study. Setting:  Open-access Gaelic Athletic Association Annual Reports from 2007–2014 were reviewed to obtain annual injury-claim data. Patients or Other Participants:  Gaelic Athletic Association players. Main Outcome Measure(s):  Player age (youth or adult) and relationships between lower limb injury-claim rates and claim values, Gaelic football claims, hurling claims, youth claims, and adult claims. Results:  Between 2007 and 2014, €64 733 597.00 was allocated to 58 038 claims. Registered teams had annual claim frequencies of 0.36 with average claim values of €1158.4 ± 192.81. Between 2007 and 2014, average adult claims were always greater than youth claims (6217.88 versus 1036.88), while Gaelic football claims were always greater than hurling claims (5395.38 versus 1859.38). Lower limb injuries represented 60% of all claims. The number of lower limb injury claims was significantly correlated with annual injury-claim expenses (r = 0.85, P = .01) and adult claims (r = 0.96, P = .01) but not with youth claims (r = 0.69, P = .06). Conclusions:  Reducing lower limb injuries will likely reduce injury-claim expenses. Effective injury interventions have been validated in soccer, but whether such changes can be replicated in Gaelic games remains to be investigated. Injury-claim data should be integrated into current elite injury-surveillance databases to monitor the cost effectiveness of current programs. PMID:26967548

Simulated impacts of climate change on phosphorus loading to Lake Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, Dale M.; Saad, David A.; Christiansen, Daniel E.; Lorenz, David J

2016-01-01

Phosphorus (P) loading to the Great Lakes has caused various types of eutrophication problems. Future climatic changes may modify this loading because climatic models project changes in future meteorological conditions, especially for the key hydrologic driver — precipitation. Therefore, the goal of this study is to project how P loading may change from the range of projected climatic changes. To project the future response in P loading, the HydroSPARROW approach was developed that links results from two spatially explicit models, the SPAtially Referenced Regression on Watershed attributes (SPARROW) transport and fate watershed model and the water-quantity Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS). PRMS was used to project changes in streamflow throughout the Lake Michigan Basin using downscaled meteorological data from eight General Circulation Models (GCMs) subjected to three greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Downscaled GCMs project a + 2.1 to + 4.0 °C change in average-annual air temperature (+ 2.6 °C average) and a − 5.1% to + 16.7% change in total annual precipitation (+ 5.1% average) for this geographic area by the middle of this century (2045–2065) and larger changes by the end of the century. The climatic changes by mid-century are projected to result in a − 21.2% to + 8.9% change in total annual streamflow (− 1.8% average) and a − 29.6% to + 17.2% change in total annual P loading (− 3.1% average). Although the average projected changes in streamflow and P loading are relatively small for the entire basin, considerable variability exists spatially and among GCMs because of their variability in projected future precipitation.

78 FR 34105 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-06

... include Natural Gas, Electricity, Fuel Oil, Propane, Wood and Coal. The average annual primary home energy... using a secondary source of heat. Annual Heating Fuel Consumption: The grantee would need to collect...

Streamflow characteristics and trends along Soldier Creek, Northeast Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juracek, Kyle E.

2017-08-16

Historical data for six selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages along Soldier Creek in northeast Kansas were used in an assessment of streamflow characteristics and trends. This information is required by the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation for the effective management of tribal water resources, including drought contingency planning. Streamflow data for the period of record at each streamgage were used to assess annual mean streamflow, annual mean base flow, mean monthly flow, annual peak flow, and annual minimum flow.Annual mean streamflows along Soldier Creek were characterized by substantial year-to-year variability with no pronounced long-term trends. On average, annual mean base flow accounted for about 20 percent of annual mean streamflow. Mean monthly flows followed a general seasonal pattern that included peak values in spring and low values in winter. Annual peak flows, which were characterized by considerable year-to-year variability, were most likely to occur in May and June and least likely to occur during November through February. With the exception of a weak yet statistically significant increasing trend at the Soldier Creek near Topeka, Kansas, streamgage, there were no pronounced long-term trends in annual peak flows. Annual 1-day, 30-day, and 90-day mean minimum flows were characterized by considerable year-to-year variability with no pronounced long-term trend. During an extreme drought, as was the case in the mid-1950s, there may be zero flow in Soldier Creek continuously for a period of one to several months.

39 CFR 3010.22 - Calculation of less than annual limitation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Postal Service files its notice of rate adjustment and dividing the sum by 12 (Recent Average). The partial year limitation is then calculated by dividing the Recent Average by the Recent Average from the most recent previous notice of rate adjustment (Previous Recent Average) applicable to each affected...

39 CFR 3010.22 - Calculation of less than annual limitation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Postal Service files its notice of rate adjustment and dividing the sum by 12 (Recent Average). The partial year limitation is then calculated by dividing the Recent Average by the Recent Average from the most recent previous notice of rate adjustment (Previous Recent Average) applicable to each affected...

39 CFR 3010.22 - Calculation of less than annual limitation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Postal Service files its notice of rate adjustment and dividing the sum by 12 (Recent Average). The partial year limitation is then calculated by dividing the Recent Average by the Recent Average from the most recent previous notice of rate adjustment (Previous Recent Average) applicable to each affected...

Relationship between road traffic accidents and conflicts recorded by drive recorders.

PubMed

Lu, Guangquan; Cheng, Bo; Kuzumaki, Seigo; Mei, Bingsong

2011-08-01

Road traffic conflicts can be used to estimate the probability of accident occurrence, assess road safety, or evaluate road safety programs if the relationship between road traffic accidents and conflicts is known. To this end, we propose a model for the relationship between road traffic accidents and conflicts recorded by drive recorders (DRs). DRs were installed in 50 cars in Beijing to collect records of traffic conflicts. Data containing 1366 conflicts were collected in 193 days. The hourly distributions of conflicts and accidents were used to model the relationship between accidents and conflicts. To eliminate time series and base number effects, we defined and used 2 parameters: average annual number of accidents per 10,000 vehicles per hour and average number of conflicts per 10,000 vehicles per hour. A model was developed to describe the relationship between the two parameters. If A(i) = average annual number of accidents per 10,000 vehicles per hour at hour i, and E(i) = average number of conflicts per 10,000 vehicles per hour at hour i, the relationship can be expressed as [Formula in text] (α>0, β>0). The average number of traffic accidents increases as the number of conflicts rises, but the rate of increase decelerates as the number of conflicts increases further. The proposed model can describe the relationship between road traffic accidents and conflicts in a simple manner. According to our analysis, the model fits the present data.

Storm Water Data 10-27-2016 for Upload to State Database.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holland, Robert C.

In the California Industrial General Permit (IGP) 2014-0057-DWQ for storm water monitoring, effective July 1, 2015, there are 21 contaminants that have been assigned NAL (Numeric Action Level) values, both annual and instantaneous. For annual NALs, an exceedance occurs when the average of all analytical results from all samples taken at a facility during a reporting year for a given parameter exceeds an annual NAL value listed in Table 2 of the General Permit. For instantaneous maximum NALs, an exceedance occurs when two or more analytical results from samples taken for any parameter within a reporting year exceed the instantaneousmore » maximum NAL value (for TSS and O&G), or are outside of the instantaneous maximum NAL range (for pH) listed in Table 2. Table 2 is attached here for your review.« less

Single-treatment porcine zona pellucida immunocontraception associated with reduction of a population of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).

PubMed

Rutberg, Allen T; Naugle, Ricky E; Verret, Frank

2013-12-01

Previous reports have demonstrated gradual reductions of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations through immunocontraception, with stabilization occurring after 2-4 yr of treatment, and subsequent reductions of 6-10% annually. These studies employed porcine zona pellucida (PZP) vaccines that required two initial treatments and annual retreatments. From 2005 to 2010, 258 adult and yearling female deer on Fripp Island, South Carolina, were treated with one of several PZP preparations designed to produce 2+ yr of effective contraception with a single treatment. These included several preparations of SpayVac and of native PZP-adjuvant emulsion plus PZP and QA-21 in timed-release pellets. Deer were chemically immobilized, ear-tagged, and administered initial treatments by hand in February-March. Some treated deer were boosted remotely with PZP-adjuvant emulsion 1.5 - 4.5 yr after initial treatments. Ground-based distance sampling was used to estimate deer population density at Fripp Island, a resort community, and at a relatively undeveloped neighboring control site, Hunting Island. Most vaccine preparations tested reduced fawning rates by 75% to 95% for at least 1 yr. From 2005 to 2011, deer density on Fripp Island declined by 50%, from 72 deer/km(2) to 36 deer/km(2), an average annual reduction of 11%. In contrast, population density on the Hunting Island control site fluctuated between 2005 and 2011, averaging 23 deer/km(2) (range, 19-28 deer/km(2)). Population declines on Fripp Island were associated with an increase in the proportion of treated females and with a progressive decrease in winter fawn:doe ratios, from 1.21 fawns/doe in 2005 to 0.19 fawns/doe in 2010. Winter fawn:doe ratios averaged 1.36 fawns/doe (range, 0.84 - 1.62 fawns/doe) at the Hunting Island control site. Annual survivorship averaged approximately 79% among ear-tagged females. The rate at which deer populations diminished in association with PZP treatments on Fripp Island was higher than that seen at other study sites, although the reasons for the more rapid decline on Fripp Island are not well understood.

The exceptional recent warming signal in a long-term central-German observation site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoy, Andreas; Schönwiese, Christian-Dietrich

2017-04-01

The long-term temperature measurements of Frankfurt/Main represent a scientifically highly valuable source for investigating climatic changes in central Germany and beyond. Annual data are available since 1758 and daily observations since 1870. The 258 year long annual time series is homogenised and recalculated to the airport location outside of Frankfurt/Main city. In a first step, impacts of site changes and urbanisation effects are discussed comparing the five different inner-city monitoring points and the airport location after WWII. We show that site changes affect both extreme and average temperatures, and that they may be considerable even for small relocations. Urbanisation effects are visible all year long and stronger for minimum than maximum temperatures. Annual temperature observations show slightly decreasing temperatures until the 1840s. This development is then replaced by an increasing trend overlain by decadal-scale and yearly fluctuations. Nevertheless, until the 1980s shifting 30-year-means only fluctuate between 8.54 °C in 1829-1858 and 9.58 °C in 1948-1977. However, recent years more than doubled the 1 K spread between the coldest and warmest period, with an average of 10.82 °C in 1986-2015. In addition, this 30-year period was warmer than any single year before 1990. Record-cold calendar days almost disappeared since 1988, while record-warm calendar days appeared about three times more often than statistically expectable. Strong warming was observed year-round, only September and October showed more moderate trends.

Long-term patterns of air temperatures, daily temperature range, precipitation, grass-reference evapotranspiration and aridity index in the USA Great Plains: Part I. Spatial trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukal, M.; Irmak, S.

2016-11-01

Due to their substantial spatio-temporal behavior, long-term quantification and analyses of important hydrological variables are essential for practical applications in water resources planning, evaluating the water use of agricultural crop production and quantifying crop evapotranspiration patterns and irrigation management vs. hydrologic balance relationships. Observed data at over 800 sites across the Great Plains of USA, comprising of 9 states and 2,307,410 km2 of surface area, which is about 30% of the terrestrial area of the USA, were used to quantify and map large-scale and long-term (1968-2013) spatial trends of air temperatures, daily temperature range (DTR), precipitation, grass-reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and aridity index (AI) at monthly, growing season and annual time steps. Air temperatures had a strong north to south increasing trend, with annual average varying from -1 to 24 °C, and growing season average temperature varying from 8 to 30 °C. DTR gradually decreased from western to eastern parts of the region, with a regional annual and growing season averages of 14.25 °C and 14.79 °C, respectively. Precipitation had a gradual shift towards higher magnitudes from west to east, with the average annual and growing season (May-September) precipitation ranging from 163 to 1486 mm and from 98 to 746 mm, respectively. ETo had a southwest-northeast decreasing trend, with regional annual and growing season averages of 1297 mm and 823 mm, respectively. AI increased from west to east, indicating higher humidity (less arid) towards the east, with regional annual and growing season averages of 0.49 and 0.44, respectively. The spatial datasets and maps for these important climate variables can serve as valuable background for climate change and hydrologic studies in the Great Plains region. Through identification of priority areas from the developed maps, efforts of the concerned personnel and agencies and resources can be diverted towards development of holistic strategies to address water supply and demand challenges under changing climate. These strategies can consist of, but not limited to, advancing water, crop and soil management, and genetic improvements and their relationships with the climatic variables on large scales.

Managing tile drainage, subirrigation, and nitrogen fertilization to enhance crop yields and reduce nitrate loss.

PubMed

Drury, C F; Tan, C S; Reynolds, W D; Welacky, T W; Oloya, T O; Gaynor, J D

2009-01-01

Improving field-crop use of fertilizer nitrogen is essential for protecting water quality and increasing crop yields. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of controlled tile drainage (CD) and controlled tile drainage with subsurface irrigation (CDS) for mitigating off-field nitrate losses and enhancing crop yields. The CD and CDS systems were compared on a clay loam soil to traditional unrestricted tile drainage (UTD) under a corn (Zea Mays L.)-soybean (Glycine Max. (L.) Merr.) rotation at two nitrogen (N) fertilization rates (N1: 150 kg N ha(-1) applied to corn, no N applied to soybean; N2: 200 kg N ha(-1) applied to corn, 50 kg N ha(-1) applied to soybean). The N concentrations in tile flow events with the UTD treatment exceeded the provisional long-term aquatic life limit (LT-ALL) for freshwater (4.7 mg N L(-1)) 72% of the time at the N1 rate and 78% at the N2 rate, whereas only 24% of tile flow events at N1 and 40% at N2 exceeded the LT-ALL for the CDS treatment. Exceedances in N concentration for surface runoff and tile drainage were greater during the growing season than the non-growing season. At the N1 rate, CD and CDS reduced average annual N losses via tile drainage by 44 and 66%, respectively, relative to UTD. At the N2 rate, the average annual decreases in N loss were 31 and 68%, respectively. Crop yields from CDS were increased by an average of 2.8% relative to UTD at the N2 rate but were reduced by an average of 6.5% at the N1 rate. Hence, CD and CDS were effective for reducing average nitrate losses in tile drainage, but CDS increased average crop yields only when additional N fertilizer was applied.

Portfolio theory as a management tool to guide conservation and restoration of multi-stock fish populations

USGS Publications Warehouse

DuFour, Mark R.; May, Cassandra J.; Roseman, Edward F.; Ludsin, Stuart A.; Vandergoot, Christopher S.; Pritt, Jeremy J.; Fraker, Michael E.; Davis, Jeremiah J.; Tyson, Jeffery T.; Miner, Jeffery G.; Marschall, Elizabeth A.; Mayer, Christine M.

2015-01-01

Habitat degradation and harvest have upset the natural buffering mechanism (i.e., portfolio effects) of many large-scale multi-stock fisheries by reducing spawning stock diversity that is vital for generating population stability and resilience. The application of portfolio theory offers a means to guide management activities by quantifying the importance of multi-stock dynamics and suggesting conservation and restoration strategies to improve naturally occurring portfolio effects. Our application of portfolio theory to Lake Erie Sander vitreus (walleye), a large population that is supported by riverine and open-lake reef spawning stocks, has shown that portfolio effects generated by annual inter-stock larval fish production are currently suboptimal when compared to potential buffering capacity. Reduced production from riverine stocks has resulted in a single open-lake reef stock dominating larval production, and in turn, high inter-annual recruitment variability during recent years. Our analyses have shown (1) a weak average correlation between annual river and reef larval production (ρ̄ = 0.24), suggesting that a natural buffering capacity exists in the population, and (2) expanded annual production of larvae (potential recruits) from riverine stocks could stabilize the fishery by dampening inter-annual recruitment variation. Ultimately, our results demonstrate how portfolio theory can be used to quantify the importance of spawning stock diversity and guide management on ecologically relevant scales (i.e., spawning stocks) leading to greater stability and resilience of multi-stock populations and fisheries.

Ground-Water Occurrence and Contribution to Streamflow, Northeast Maui, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gingerich, Stephen B.

1999-01-01

The study area lies on the northern flank of the East Maui Volcano (Haleakala) and covers about 129 square miles between the drainage basins of Maliko Gulch to the west and Makapipi Stream to the east. About 989 million gallons per day of rainfall and 176 million gallons per day of fog drip reaches the study area and about 529 million gallons per day enters the ground-water system as recharge. Average annual ground-water withdrawal from wells totals only about 3 million gallons per day; proposed (as of 1998) additional withdrawals total about 18 million gallons per day. Additionally, tunnels and ditches of an extensive irrigation network directly intercept at least 10 million gallons per day of ground water. The total amount of average annual streamflow in gaged stream subbasins upstream of 1,300 feet altitude is about 255 million gallons per day and the total amount of average annual base flow is about 62 million gallons per day. Six major surface-water diversion systems in the study area have diverted an average of 163 million gallons per day of streamflow (including nearly all base flow of diverted streams) for irrigation and domestic supply in central Maui during 1925-97. Fresh ground water is found in two main forms. West of Keanae Valley, ground-water flow appears to be dominated by a variably saturated system. A saturated zone in the uppermost rock unit, the Kula Volcanics, is separated from a freshwater lens near sea level by an unsaturated zone in the underlying Honomanu Basalt. East of Keanae Valley, the ground-water system appears to be fully saturated above sea level to altitudes greater than 2,000 feet. The total average annual streamflow of gaged streams west of Keanae Valley is about 140 million gallons per day at 1,200 feet to 1,300 feet altitude. It is not possible to estimate the total average annual streamflow at the coast. All of the base flow measured in the study area west of Keanae Valley represents ground-water discharge from the high-elevation saturated zone. Total average daily ground-water discharge from the high-elevation saturated zone upstream of 1,200 feet altitude is greater than 38 million gallons per day, all of which is eventually removed from the streams by surface-water diversion systems. Perennial streamflow has been measured at altitudes greater than 3,000 feet in several of the streams. Discharge from the high-elevation saturated zone is persistent even during periods of little rainfall. The total average annual streamflow of the gaged streams east of Keanae Valley is about 109 million gallons per day at about 1,300 feet altitude. It is not possible to estimate the total average annual streamflow at the coast nor at higher altitudes. All of the base flow measured east of Keanae Valley represents ground-water discharge from the vertically extensive freshwater-lens system. Total average daily ground-water discharge to gaged streams upstream of 1,200 feet altitude is about 27 million gallons per day. About 19 million gallons per day of ground water discharges through the Kula and Hana Volcanics between about 500 feet and 1,300 feet altitude in the gaged stream sub-basins. About 13 million gallons per day of this discharge is in Hanawi Stream. The total ground-water discharge above 500 feet altitude in this part of the study area is greater than 56 million gallons per day.

Influence of various water quality sampling strategies on load estimates for small streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, Dale M.; Roerish, Eric D.

1999-01-01

Extensive streamflow and water quality data from eight small streams were systematically subsampled to represent various water‐quality sampling strategies. The subsampled data were then used to determine the accuracy and precision of annual load estimates generated by means of a regression approach (typically used for big rivers) and to determine the most effective sampling strategy for small streams. Estimation of annual loads by regression was imprecise regardless of the sampling strategy used; for the most effective strategy, median absolute errors were ∼30% based on the load estimated with an integration method and all available data, if a regression approach is used with daily average streamflow. The most effective sampling strategy depends on the length of the study. For 1‐year studies, fixed‐period monthly sampling supplemented by storm chasing was the most effective strategy. For studies of 2 or more years, fixed‐period semimonthly sampling resulted in not only the least biased but also the most precise loads. Additional high‐flow samples, typically collected to help define the relation between high streamflow and high loads, result in imprecise, overestimated annual loads if these samples are consistently collected early in high‐flow events.

Global energy and water cycle experiment (GEWEX) continental-scale international project (GCIP); reference data sets CD-ROM

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rea, Alan; Cederstrand, Joel R.

1994-01-01

The data sets on this compact disc are a compilation of several geographic reference data sets of interest to the global-change research community. The data sets were chosen with input from the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Continental-Scale International Project (GCIP) Data Committee and the GCIP Hydrometeorology and Atmospheric Subpanels. The data sets include: locations and periods of record for stream gages, reservoir gages, and meteorological stations; a 500-meter-resolution digital elevation model; grid-node locations for the Eta numerical weather-prediction model; and digital map data sets of geology, land use, streams, large reservoirs, average annual runoff, average annual precipitation, average annual temperature, average annual heating and cooling degree days, hydrologic units, and state and county boundaries. Also included are digital index maps for LANDSAT scenes, and for the U.S. Geological Survey 1:250,000, 1:100,000, and 1:24,000-scale map series. Most of the data sets cover the conterminous United States; the digital elevation model also includes part of southern Canada. The stream and reservoir gage and meteorological station files cover all states having area within the Mississippi River Basin plus that part of the Mississippi River Basin lying within Canada. Several data-base retrievals were processed by state, therefore many sites outside the Mississippi River Basin are included.

Use of streamflow data to estimate base flowground-water recharge for Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gebert, W.A.; Radloff, M.J.; Considine, E.J.; Kennedy, J.L.

2007-01-01

The average annual base flow/recharge was determined for streamflow-gaging stations throughout Wisconsin by base-flow separation. A map of the State was prepared that shows the average annual base flow for the period 1970-99 for watersheds at 118 gaging stations. Trend analysis was performed on 22 of the 118 streamflow-gaging stations that had long-term records, unregulated flow, and provided aerial coverage of the State. The analysis found that a statistically significant increasing trend was occurring for watersheds where the primary land use was agriculture. Most gaging stations where the land cover was forest had no significant trend. A method to estimate the average annual base flow at ungaged sites was developed by multiple-regression analysis using basin characteristics. The equation with the lowest standard error of estimate, 9.5%, has drainage area, soil infiltration and base flow factor as independent variables. To determine the average annual base flow for smaller watersheds, estimates were made at low-flow partial-record stations in 3 of the 12 major river basins in Wisconsin. Regression equations were developed for each of the three major river basins using basin characteristics. Drainage area, soil infiltration, basin storage and base-flow factor were the independent variables in the regression equations with the lowest standard error of estimate. The standard error of estimate ranged from 17% to 52% for the three river basins. ?? 2007 American Water Resources Association.

Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) GASLAB Flask Sampling Network (March 1991 - December 2006)

DOE Data Explorer

Steele, L. P. [Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Aspendale, Victoria, Australia; Krummel, P. B. [Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO),; Langenfelds, R. L. [Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Aspendale, Victoria, Australia

2008-01-01

Individual measurements have been obtained from flask air samples returned to the CSIRO GASLAB. Typical sample storage times range from days to weeks for some sites (e.g. Cape Grim, Aircraft over Tasmania and Bass Strait) to as much as one year for Macquarie Island and the Antarctic sites. Experiments carried out to test for changes in sample CO2 mixing ratio during storage have shown significant drifts in some flask types over test periods of several months to years (Cooper et al., 1999). Corrections derived from the test results are applied to network data according to flask type. These measurements indicate a rise in annual average atmospheric CO2 concentration from 357.72 parts per million by volume (ppmv) in 1992 to 383.05 ppmv in 2006, or an increase in annual average of about 1.81 ppmv/year. These flask data may be compared with other flask measurements from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, available through 2004 in TRENDS; both indicate an annual average increase of 1.72 ppmv/year throuth 2004. Differences may be attributed to different sampling times or days, different numbers of samples, and different curve-fitting techniques used to obtain monthly and annual average numbers from flask data. Measurement error in flask data is believed to be small (Masarie et al., 2001).

Eco-hydrological Responses to Soil and Water Conservation in the Jinghe River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, H.; Jia, Y.; Qiu, Y.

2011-12-01

The Jinghe River Basin is one of the most serious soil erosion areas in the Loess Plateau. Many measures of soil and water conservation were applied in the basin. Terrestrial ecosystem model BIOME-BGC and distributed hydrological model WEP-L were used to build eco-hydrological model and verified by field observation and literature values. The model was applied in the Jinghe River Basin to analyze eco-hydrological responses under the scenarios of vegetation type change due to soil and water conservation polices. Four scenarios were set under the measures of conversion of cropland to forest, forestation on bare land, forestation on slope wasteland and planting grass on bare land. Analysis results show that the soil and water conservation has significant effects on runoff and the carbon cycle in the Jinghe River Basin: the average annual runoff would decrease and the average annual NPP and carbon storage would increase. Key words: soil and water conservation; conversion of cropland to forest; eco-hydrology response; the Jinghe River Basin

Interaction between air pollution dispersion and residential heating demands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lipfert, F.W.; Moskowitz, P.D.; Dungan, J.

The effect of the short-term correlation of a specific emission (sulfur dioxide) from residential space heating, with air pollution dispersion rates on the accuracy of model estimates of urban air pollution on a seasonal or annual basis is analyzed. Hourly climatological and residential emission estimates for six U.S. cities and a simplified area source-dispersion model based on a circular receptor grid are used. The effect on annual average concentration estimations is found to be slight (approximately + or - 12 percent), while the maximum hourly concentrations are shown to vary considerably more, since maximum heat demand and worst-case dispersion aremore » not coincident. Accounting for the correlations between heating demand and dispersion makes possible a differentiation in air pollution potential between coastal and interior cities.« less

Water-Resources Investigations in Wisconsin, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maertz, Diane E.; Fuller, Jan A.

2001-01-01

Runoff differed for rivers throughout the State and ranged from 33 percent in east central Wisconsin to 166 percent in south central Wisconsin. Runoff was lowest (33 percent of the average annual runoff from 1964- 2000) for the Lake Michigan tributary Kewaunee River near Kewaunee, and highest (166 percent of the average annual runoff from 1974-2000) for the Pheasant Branch at Middleton station in south central Wisconsin. Departures of runoff in the 2000 water year as a percent of long-term average runoff in the State (determined using stations with drainage areas greater than 150 square miles and at least 20 years of record) are shown in Figure 4.

Has Medicare Part D Reduced Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Prescription Drug Use and Spending?

PubMed Central

Mahmoudi, Elham; Jensen, Gail A

2014-01-01

Objective To evaluate whether Medicare Part D has reduced racial/ethnic disparities in prescription drug utilization and spending. Data Nationally representative data on white, African American, and Hispanic Medicare seniors from the 2002–2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey are analyzed. Five measures are examined: filling any prescriptions during the year, the number of prescriptions filled, total annual prescription spending, annual out-of-pocket prescription spending, and average copay level. Study Design We apply the Institute of Medicine's definition of a racial/ethnic disparity and adopt a difference-in-difference-in-differences (DDD) estimator using a multivariate regression framework. The treatment group consists of Medicare seniors, the comparison group, adults without Medicare aged 55–63 years. Principal Findings Difference-in-difference-in-differences estimates suggest that for African Americans Part D increased the disparity in annual spending on prescription drugs by $258 (p = .011), yet had no effect on other measures of prescription drug disparities. For Hispanics, DDD estimates suggest that the program reduced the disparities in annual number of prescriptions filled, annual total and out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs by 2.9 (p = .077), $282 (p = .019) and $143 (p < .001), respectively. Conclusion Medicare Part D had mixed effects. Although it reduced Hispanic/white disparities related to prescription drugs among seniors, it increased the African American/white disparity in total annual spending on prescription drugs. PMID:24102408

Cost of illness of oral lichen planus in a U.K. population--a pilot study.

PubMed

Ni Riordain, Richeal; Christou, Joanna; Pinder, Denise; Squires, Vanessa; Hodgson, Tim

2016-05-01

To assess the economic burden of oral lichen planus (OLP) from the perspective of the healthcare provider in a U.K. population. This prevalence-based cost-of-illness analysis was carried out via a cross-sectional study conducted in the Oral Medicine Unit of the Eastman Dental Hospital. This study was conducted in three phases - phase 1 involved framing of the cost-of-illness analysis, development of the cost inventory and design of the patient questionnaire for ease of data collection. Data collected from patients were inputted during phase 2, and costings were determined. The final phase consisted of the calculation of the cost of illness of OLP. One hundred patients were enrolled in the study, 30 males and 70 females, with an average age of 59.9 years (±13.4 years). The average OLP patient, based on our cohort, attends the oral medicine unit 2.64 times per year, their general medical practitioner 1.13 times annually, their general dental practitioner 0.82 times in a year and fills on average 3.37 prescriptions annually. This leads to an average annual cost of £398.58 (€541.16) per patient per year from the perspective of the healthcare provider. The annual average cost of OLP to the healthcare provider in the U.K. is substantial. The prevalence-based cost-of-illness data generated in this study will facilitate comparison with other chronic oral mucosal diseases and with chronic diseases managed in allied medical specialties. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluation of the accuracy of an offline seasonally-varying matrix transport model for simulating ideal age

DOE PAGES

Bardin, Ann; Primeau, Francois; Lindsay, Keith; ...

2016-07-21

Newton-Krylov solvers for ocean tracers have the potential to greatly decrease the computational costs of spinning up deep-ocean tracers, which can take several thousand model years to reach equilibrium with surface processes. One version of the algorithm uses offline tracer transport matrices to simulate an annual cycle of tracer concentrations and applies Newton’s method to find concentrations that are periodic in time. Here we present the impact of time-averaging the transport matrices on the equilibrium values of an ideal-age tracer. We compared annually-averaged, monthly-averaged, and 5-day-averaged transport matrices to an online simulation using the ocean component of the Community Earthmore » System Model (CESM) with a nominal horizontal resolution of 1° × 1° and 60 vertical levels. We found that increasing the time resolution of the offline transport model reduced a low age bias from 12% for the annually-averaged transport matrices, to 4% for the monthly-averaged transport matrices, and to less than 2% for the transport matrices constructed from 5-day averages. The largest differences were in areas with strong seasonal changes in the circulation, such as the Northern Indian Ocean. As a result, for many applications the relatively small bias obtained using the offline model makes the offline approach attractive because it uses significantly less computer resources and is simpler to set up and run.« less

Some effects of quiet geomagnetic field changes upon values used for main field modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Campbell, W.H.

1987-01-01

The effects of three methods of data selection upon the assumed main field levels for geomagnetic observatory records used in main field modeling were investigated for a year of very low solar-terrestrial activity. The first method concerned the differences between the year's average of quiet day field values and the average of all values during the year. For H these differences were 2-3 gammas, for D they were -0.04 to -0.12???, for Z the differences were negligible. The second method of selection concerned the effects of the daytime internal Sq variations upon the daily mean values of field. The midnight field levels when the Sq currents were a minimum deviated from the daily mean levels by as much as 4-7 gammas in H and Z but were negligible for D. The third method of selection was designed to avoid the annual and semi-annual quiet level changes of field caused by the seasonal changes in the magnetosphere. Contributions from these changes were found to be as much as 4-7 gammas in quiet years and expected to be greater than 10 gammas in active years. Suggestions for improved methods of improved data selection in main field modeling are given. ?? 1987.

Forest resources of the Hoosier National Forest, 2005

Treesearch

Christoper W. Woodall; Judith A. Perez; Thomas R. Thake

2007-01-01

The first annual inventory of the Hoosier National Forest reports more than 200,000 forest land acres dominated by oaks, maples, and hickories with annual growth exceeding annual mortality by a factor of seven. When compared to forests in the rest of Indiana, the Hoosier's forests are on average older, have greater biomass per acre, and possess a greater...

Rainfall interception by annual grass and chaparral . . . losses compared

Treesearch

Edward S. Corbett; Robert P. Crouse

1968-01-01

Loss of precipitation due to interception by annual grass and grass litter was measured during three rainy seasons on the San Dimas Experimental Forest, in southern California. Interception loss from annual grass averaged 7.9 percent; that from mature chaparral cover, 12.8 percent. If chaparral stands were converted to grass, an estimated 1.3 inches of gross...

Effects of cloud, aerosol, and ozone on surface spectral Ultraviolet and total irradiance observed in Seoul, Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hana; Kim, Jhoon; Kim, Woogyung; Lee, Yun Gon; Cho, Hi Ku

2015-04-01

In recent years, there have been substantial attempts to model the radiative transfer for climatological and biological purposes. However, the incorporation of clouds, aerosols and ozone into the modeling process is one of the difficult tasks due to their variable transmission in both temporal and space domains. In this study we quantify the atmospheric transmissions by clouds, aerosol optical depth (AOD at 320 nm) and total ozone (Ozone) together with all skies in three solar radiation components of the global solar (GS 305-2800nm), total ultraviolet (TUV 290-363nm) and the erythemal weighted ultraviolet (EUV 290-325nm) irradiances with statistical methods using the data at Seoul. The purpose of this study also is to clarify the different characteristics between cloud, AOD and Ozone in the wavelength-dependent solar radiation components. The ozone, EUV and TUV used in this study (March 2003 - February 2014) have been measured with Dobson Spectrophotometer (Beck #124) and Brewer Spectrophotometer (SCI-TEC#148) at Yonsei University, respectively. GS, Cloud Cover (CC) are available from the Korean Meteorological Agency. The measured total (effect of cloud, aerosol, and ozone) transmissions on annual average showed 74%, 76% and 80% of GS, TUV and EUV irradiance, respectively. For the comparison of the measured values with modeled, we have also constructed a multiple linear regression model for the total transmission. The average ratio of measured to modeled total transmission were 0.94, 0.96 and 0.96 with higher measured than modeled value in the three components, respectively, The individual transmission by clouds under the constant AOD and Ozone atmosphere on average showed 68%, 71% and 76% and further the overcast clouds reduced the transmissions to the 45%, 54% and 59% of the clear sky irradiance in the GS, TUV and EUV, respectively. The annual transmissions by AOD showed on average 67%, 70% and 74% and further the high loadings 2.5-4.0 AOD reduced the transmission to 50%, 52% and 55% of clear sky irradiance under the contact cloud and ozone atmosphere in the GS, TUV and EUV, respectively. And annual average EUV transmission by Ozone was 75 % of the clear-sky value under the constant CC and AOD. In future study, we are compare OMI data with ground-based instruments in order to use measured data for scientific studies.

Effect of rising chemotherapy costs on the cost savings of colorectal cancer screening.

PubMed

Lansdorp-Vogelaar, Iris; van Ballegooijen, Marjolein; Zauber, Ann G; Habbema, J Dik F; Kuipers, Ernst J

2009-10-21

Although colorectal cancer screening is cost-effective, it requires a considerable net investment by governments or insurance companies. If screening was cost saving, governments and insurance companies might be more inclined to invest in colorectal cancer screening programs. We examined whether colorectal cancer screening would become cost saving with the widespread use of the newer, more expensive chemotherapies. We used the MISCAN-Colon microsimulation model to assess whether widespread use of new chemotherapies would affect the treatment savings of colorectal cancer screening in the general population. We considered three scenarios for chemotherapy use: the past, the present, and the near future. We assumed that survival improved and treatment costs for patients diagnosed with advanced stages of colorectal cancer increased over the scenarios. Screening strategies considered were annual guaiac fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), annual immunochemical FOBT, sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, colonoscopy every 10 years, and the combination of sigmoidoscopy every 5 years and annual guaiac FOBT. Analyses were conducted from the perspective of the health-care system for a cohort of 50-year-old individuals who were at average risk of colorectal cancer and were screened with 100% adherence from age 50 years to age 80 years and followed up until death. Compared with no screening, the treatment savings from preventing advanced colorectal cancer and colorectal cancer deaths by screening more than doubled with the widespread use of new chemotherapies. The lifetime average treatment savings were larger than the lifetime average screening costs for screening with Hemoccult II, immunochemical FOBT, sigmoidoscopy, and the combination of sigmoidoscopy and Hemoccult II (average savings vs costs per individual in the population: Hemoccult II, $1398 vs $859; immunochemical FOBT, $1756 vs $1565; sigmoidoscopy, $1706 vs $1575; sigmoidoscopy and Hemoccult II $1931 vs $1878). Colonoscopy did not become cost saving, but the total net costs of this strategy decreased from $1317 to $296 per individual in the population. With the increase in chemotherapy costs for advanced colorectal cancer, most colorectal cancer screening strategies have become cost saving. As a consequence, screening is a desirable approach not only to reduce colorectal cancer incidence and mortality but also to control the costs of colorectal cancer treatment.

Hysterectomy trends in Australia, 2000-2001 to 2013-2014: joinpoint regression analysis.

PubMed

Wilson, Louise F; Pandeya, Nirmala; Mishra, Gita D

2017-10-01

Hysterectomy is a common gynecological procedure, particularly in middle and high income countries. The aim of this paper was to describe and examine hysterectomy trends in Australia from 2000-2001 to 2013-2014. For women aged 25 years and over, data on the number of hysterectomies performed in Australia annually were sourced from the National Hospital and Morbidity Database. Age-specific and age-standardized hysterectomy rates per 10 000 women were estimated with adjustment for hysterectomy prevalence in the population. Using joinpoint regression analysis, we estimated the average annual percentage change over the whole study period (2000-2014) and the annual percentage change for each identified trend line segment. A total of 431 162 hysterectomy procedures were performed between 2000-2001 and 2013-2014; an annual average of 30 797 procedures (for women aged 25+ years). The age-standardized hysterectomy rate, adjusted for underlying hysterectomy prevalence, decreased significantly over the whole study period [average annual percentage change -2.8%; 95% confidence interval (CI) -3.5%, -2.2%]. The trend was not linear with one joinpoint detected in 2008-2009. Between 2000-2001 and 2008-2009 there was a significant decrease in incidence (annual percentage change -4.4%; 95% CI -5.2%, -3.7%); from 2008-2009 to 2013-2014 the decrease was minimal and not significantly different from zero (annual percentage change -0.1%; 95% CI -1.7%, 1.5%). A similar change in trend was seen in all age groups. Hysterectomy rates in Australian women aged 25 years and over have declined in the first decade of the 21st century. However, in the last 5 years, rates appear to have stabilized. © 2017 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Use of Midlevel Practitioners to Achieve Labor Cost Savings in the Primary Care Practice of an MCO

PubMed Central

Roblin, Douglas W; Howard, David H; Becker, Edmund R; Kathleen Adams, E; Roberts, Melissa H

2004-01-01

Objective To estimate the savings in labor costs per primary care visit that might be realized from increased use of physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in the primary care practices of a managed care organization (MCO). Study Setting/Data Sources Twenty-six capitated primary care practices of a group model MCO. Data on approximately two million visits provided by 206 practitioners were extracted from computerized visit records for 1997–2000. Computerized payroll ledgers were the source of annual labor costs per practice from 1997–2000. Study Design Likelihood of a visit attended by a PA/NP versus MD was modeled using logistic regression, with practice fixed effects, by department (adult medicine, pediatrics) and year. Parameter estimates and practice fixed effects from these regressions were used to predict the proportion of PA/NP visits per practice per year given a standard case mix. Least squares regressions, with practice fixed effects, were used to estimate the association of this standardized predicted proportion of PA/NP visits with average annual practitioner and total labor costs per visit, controlling for other practice characteristics. Results On average, PAs/NPs attended one in three adult medicine visits and one in five pediatric medicine visits. Likelihood of a PA/NP visit was significantly higher than average among patients presenting with minor acute illness (e.g., acute pharyngitis). In adult medicine, likelihood of a PA/NP visit was lower than average among older patients. Practitioner labor costs per visit and total labor costs per visit were lower (p<.01 and p=.08, respectively) among practices with greater use of PAs/NPs, standardized for case mix. Conclusions Primary care practices that used more PAs/NPs in care delivery realized lower practitioner labor costs per visit than practices that used less. Future research should investigate the cost savings and cost-effectiveness potential of delivery designs that change staffing mix and division of labor among clinical disciplines. PMID:15149481

Amplification of warming due to intensification of zonal circulation in the mid-latitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alekseev, Genrikh; Ivanov, Nikolai; Kharlanenkova, Natalia; Kuzmina, Svetlana

2015-04-01

We propose a new index to evaluate the impact of atmospheric zonal transport oscillations on inter-annual variability and trends of average air temperature in mid-latitudes, Northern Hemisphere and globe. A simple model of mid-latitude channel "ocean-land-atmosphere" was used to produce the analytic relationship between the zonal circulation and the land-ocean temperature contrast which was used as a basis for index. An inverse relationship was found between indexes and average mid-latitude, hemisphere and global temperatures during the cold half of year and opposite one in summer. These relationships keep under 400 mb height. In winter relationship describes up to 70, 50 and 40 % of surface air temperature inter-annual variability of these averages, respectively. The contribution of zonal circulation to the increase in the average surface air temperature during warming period 1969-2008 reaches 75% in the mid-latitudes and 40% in the Northern Hemisphere. Proposed mid-latitude index correlates negatively with surface air temperature in the Arctic except summer. ECHAM4 projections with the A1B scenario show that increase of zonal circulation defines more than 74% of the warming in the Northern Hemisphere for 2001-2100. Our analysis confirms that the proposed index is an effective indicator of the climate change caused by variations of the zonal circulation that arise due to anthropogenic and/or natural global forcing mechanisms.

Iowa Energy and Cost Savings for New Single- and Multifamily Homes: 2012 IECC as Compared to the 2009 IECC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lucas, Robert G.; Taylor, Zachary T.; Mendon, Vrushali V.

2012-06-15

The 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) yields positive benefits for Iowa homeowners. Moving to the 2012 IECC from the 2009 IECC is cost effective over a 30-year life cycle. On average, Iowa homeowners will save $7,573 with the 2012 IECC. After accounting for upfront costs and additional costs financed in the mortgage, homeowners should see net positive cash flows (i.e., cumulative savings exceeding cumulative cash outlays) in 1 year for the 2012 IECC. Average annual energy savings are $454 for the 2012 IECC.

Texas Energy and Cost Savings for New Single- and Multifamily Homes: 2012 IECC as Compared to the 2009 IECC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lucas, Robert G.; Taylor, Zachary T.; Mendon, Vrushali V.

2012-06-15

The 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) yields positive benefits for Texas homeowners. Moving to the 2012 IECC from the 2009 IECC is cost effective over a 30-year life cycle. On average, Texas homeowners will save $3,456 with the 2012 IECC. After accounting for upfront costs and additional costs financed in the mortgage, homeowners should see net positive cash flows (i.e., cumulative savings exceeding cumulative cash outlays) in 2 years for the 2012 IECC. Average annual energy savings are $259 for the 2012 IECC.

Adolescent Substance Use: Reviewing the Effectiveness of Prevention Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skiba, David; Monroe, Jacquelyn; Wodarski, John S.

2004-01-01

U.S. youths continue to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs at alarmingly high rates despite a temporary downward trend in the 1980s. Among an average 500,000 individuals affected annually by substance use, youths (ages 12 to 18) rank as one of the highest groups in morbidity and mortality rates, resulting in many negative consequences. As a…

Annual dose of Taiwanese from the ingestion of 210Po in oysters.

PubMed

Lee, Hsiu-wei; Wang, Jeng-Jong

2013-03-01

Oysters around the coast of Taiwan were collected, dried, spiked with a (209)Po tracer for yield, digested with concentrated HNO(3) and H(2)O(2), and finally dissolved in 0.5 N HCl. The polonium was then spontaneously deposited onto a silver disc, and the activity of (210)Po was measured using an alpha spectrum analyzer equipped with a silicon barrier detector. Meanwhile, the internal effective dose of (210)Po coming from the intake of oysters by Taiwanese was evaluated. The results of the present study indicate that (210)Po average activity concentrations ranged from 23.4 ± 0.4 to 126 ± 94 Bq kg(-1) of fresh oysters. The oysters coming from Penghu island and Kinmen island regions contain higher concentrations of (210)Po in comparison with oysters from other regions of Taiwan. The value of (210)Po weighted average activity concentrations for all oyster samples studied is 25.9 Bq kg(-1). The annual effective dose of Taiwanese due to the ingestion of (210)Po in oysters was estimated to be 4.1 × 10(-2) mSv y(-1). Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

76 FR 6161 - Annual Determination of Average Cost of Incarceration

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-03

... AGENCY: Bureau of Prisons, Justice. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The fee to cover the average cost of...: 28 CFR part 505 allows for assessment and collection of a fee to cover the average cost of... Prisons determined that, based upon fiscal year 2009 data, the fee to cover the average cost of...

76 FR 57081 - Annual Determination of Average Cost of Incarceration

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-15

... AGENCY: Bureau of Prisons, Justice. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The fee to cover the average cost of... INFORMATION: 28 CFR part 505 allows for assessment and collection of a fee to cover the average cost of... Prisons determined that, based upon fiscal year 2010 data, the fee to cover the average cost of...

26 CFR 1.410(b)-5 - Average benefit percentage test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... percentage of a group of employees for a testing period is the average of the employee benefit percentages... different definitions of average annual compensation; (C) Use of different testing ages; (D) Use of...) Restriction on use of separate testing group determination method. A plan does not satisfy the average benefit...

26 CFR 1.410(b)-5 - Average benefit percentage test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Pension, Profit-Sharing, Stock Bonus Plans, Etc. § 1.410(b)-5 Average... average annual compensation; (C) Use of different testing ages; (D) Use of different fresh-start dates; (E... testing group determination method. A plan does not satisfy the average benefit percentage test using the...

The relationships between chemical and genetic differentiation and environmental factors across the distribution of Erigeron breviscapus (Asteraceae).

PubMed

Li, Xiang; Peng, Li-yan; Zhang, Shu-dong; Zhao, Qin-shi; Yi, Ting-shuang

2013-01-01

Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand.-Mazz. is an important, widely used Chinese herb with scutellarin, 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and erigoster B being its major active compounds. We aimed to resolve the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the concentrations of these compounds and to determine appropriate cultivation methods to improve the yields of the four compounds in this herb. In order to detect the major genetic and natural environmental factors affecting the yields of these four compounds, we applied AFLP markers to investigate the population genetic differentiation and HPLC to measure the concentrations of four major active compounds among 23 wild populations which were located across almost the entire distribution of this species in China. The meteorological data including annual average temperature, annual average precipitation and annual average hours of sunshine were collected. The relationships among the concentrations of four compounds and environmental factors and genetic differentiation were studied. Low intraspecific genetic differentiation is detected, and there is no obvious correlation between the genetic differentiation and the contents of the chemical compounds. We investigated the correlation between the concentrationsof four compounds (scutellarin, 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and erigoster B) and environmental factors. Concentrations of two compounds (1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid) were correlated with environmental factors. The concentration of 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid is positively correlated with latitude, and is negatively correlated with the annual average temperature. The concentration of 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid is positively correlated with annual average precipitation. Therefore, changing cultivation conditions may significantly improve the yields of these two compounds. We found the concentration of scutellarin positively correlated with that of erigoster B and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, respectively. We inferred that the synthesis of these two pairs of compounds may share similar triggering mechanism as they synthesized in a common pathway.

Weather explains high annual variation in butterfly dispersal

PubMed Central

Rytteri, Susu; Heikkinen, Risto K.; Heliölä, Janne; von Bagh, Peter

2016-01-01

Weather conditions fundamentally affect the activity of short-lived insects. Annual variation in weather is therefore likely to be an important determinant of their between-year variation in dispersal, but conclusive empirical studies are lacking. We studied whether the annual variation of dispersal can be explained by the flight season's weather conditions in a Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) metapopulation. This metapopulation was monitored using the mark–release–recapture method for 12 years. Dispersal was quantified for each monitoring year using three complementary measures: emigration rate (fraction of individuals moving between habitat patches), average residence time in the natal patch, and average distance moved. There was much variation both in dispersal and average weather conditions among the years. Weather variables significantly affected the three measures of dispersal and together with adjusting variables explained 79–91% of the variation observed in dispersal. Different weather variables became selected in the models explaining variation in three dispersal measures apparently because of the notable intercorrelations. In general, dispersal rate increased with increasing temperature, solar radiation, proportion of especially warm days, and butterfly density, and decreased with increasing cloudiness, rainfall, and wind speed. These results help to understand and model annually varying dispersal dynamics of species affected by global warming. PMID:27440662

Annual replenishment of bed material by sediment transport in the Wind River near Riverton, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smalley, M.L.; Emmett, W.W.; Wacker, A.M.

1994-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Wyoming Department of Transportation, conducted a study during 1985-87 to determine the annual replenishment of sand and gravel along a point bar in the Wind River near Riverton, Wyoming. Hydraulic- geometry relations determined from streamflow measurements; streamflow characteristics determined from 45 years of record at the study site; and analyses of suspended-sediment, bedload, and bed- material samples were used to describe river transport characteristics and to estimate the annual replenishment of sand and gravel. The Wind River is a perennial, snowmelt-fed stream. Average daily discharge at the study site is about 734 cubic feet per second, and bankfull discharge (recurrence interval about 1.5 years) is about 5,000 cubic feet per second. At bankfull discharge, the river is about 136 feet wide and has an average depth of about 5.5 feet and average velocity of about 6.7 feet per second. Streams slope is about 0.0010 foot per foot. Bed material sampled on the point bar before the 1986 high flows ranged from sand to cobbles, with a median diameter of about 22 millimeters. Data for sediment samples collected during water year 1986 were used to develop regression equations between suspended-sediment load and water discharge and between bedload and water discharge. Average annual suspended-sediment load was computed to be about 561,000 tons per year using the regression equation in combination with flow-duration data. The regression equation for estimating bedload was not used; instead, average annual bedload was computed as 1.5 percent of average annual suspended load about 8,410 tons per year. This amount of bedload material is estimated to be in temporary storage along a reach containing seven riffles--a length of approximately 1 river mile. On the basis of bedload material sampled during the 1986 high flows, about 75 percent (by weight) is sand (2 millimeters in diameter or finer); median particle size is about 0.5 milli- meter. About 20 percent (by weight) is medium gravel to small cobbles--12.7 millimeters (0.5 inch) or coarser. The bedload moves slowly (about 0.03 percent of the water speed) and briefly (about 10 percent of the time). The average travel distance of a median-sized particle is about 1 river mile per year. The study results indicate that the average replenishment rate of bedload material coarser than 12.7 millimeters is about 1,500 to 2,000 tons (less than 1,500 cubic yards) per year. Finer material (0.075 to 6.4 millimeters in diameter) is replen- ishment at about 4,500 to 5,000 cubic yards per year. The total volume of potentially usable material would average about 6,000 cubic yards per year.

Variability in Annual and Average Mass Changes in Antarctica from 2004 to 2009 using Satellite Laser Altimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babonis, G. S.; Csatho, B. M.; Schenk, A. F.

2016-12-01

We present a new record of Antarctic ice thickness changes, reconstructed from ICESat laser altimetry observations, from 2004-2009, at over 100,000 locations across the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS). This work generates elevation time series at ICESat groundtrack crossover regions on an observation-by-observation basis, with rigorous, quantified, error estimates using the SERAC approach (Schenk and Csatho, 2012). The results include average and annual elevation, volume and mass changes in Antarctica, fully corrected for glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) and known intercampaign biases; and partitioned into contributions from surficial processes (e.g. firn densification) and ice dynamics. The modular flexibility of the SERAC framework allows for the assimilation of multiple ancillary datasets (e.g. GIA models, Intercampaign Bias Corrections, IBC), in a common framework, to calculate mass changes for several different combinations of GIA models and IBCs and to arrive at a measure of variability from these results. We are able to determine the effect these corrections have on annual and average volume and mass change calculations in Antarctica, and to explore how these differences vary between drainage basins and with elevation. As such, this contribution presents a method that compliments, and is consistent with, the 2012 Ice sheet Mass Balance Inter-comparison Exercise (IMBIE) results (Shepherd 2012). Additionally, this work will contribute to the 2016 IMBIE, which seeks to reconcile ice sheet mass changes from different observations,, including laser altimetry, using a different methodologies and ancillary datasets including GIA models, Firn Densification Models, and Intercampaign Bias Corrections.

The Zond Victory Garden Phase 4 windfarm: A planning, installation, and performance case study. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chapman, J.

1994-07-01

This is one of a series of reports that document the steps taken to plan and install a utility-scale windfarm and follow its energy production performance. The reports are intended to help utility planners and others better understand the issues involved in installing and operating a windfarm. This report describes the Zond Victory Garden Phase IV (VGIV) windfarm in the Tehachapi mountain region, 100 miles north of Los Angeles. The Victory Garden series of windfarms were planned and installed and are operated by Zond Systems, Inc. of Tehachapi, California. The VGIV installation, which became operational in stages from January throughmore » June 1990, consists of 98 Vestas V27--225 wind turbines. The total rated capacity is 22 MW with a projected annual average net energy production of 54.3 million kWh/yr, equivalent to an annual capacity factor of 0.28. This energy projection, based on extensive wind resource measurements and an average wind turbine availability of 97%, includes the effects of a number of operational loss factors. The report includes descriptions of the windfarm layout, the wind turbine component, and the electrical layout. Particular attention is paid to one of the most important issues in implementing a windfarm, namely, the wind resource assessment and its use in projecting and updating the expected annual-average energy production of the facility. Also included are details of the planning, construction, and commissioning of the windfarm along with a description of the operations and maintenance procedures employed.« less

Evaluation of the impact of wood combustion on benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) concentrations; ambient measurements and dispersion modeling in Helsinki, Finland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hellén, Heidi; Kangas, Leena; Kousa, Anu; Vestenius, Mika; Teinilä, Kimmo; Karppinen, Ari; Kukkonen, Jaakko; Niemi, Jarkko V.

2017-03-01

Even though emission inventories indicate that wood combustion is a major source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), estimating its impacts on PAH concentration in ambient air remains challenging. In this study the effect of local small-scale wood combustion on the benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) concentrations in ambient air in the Helsinki metropolitan area in Finland is evaluated, using ambient air measurements, emission estimates, and dispersion modeling. The measurements were conducted at 12 different locations during the period from 2007 to 2015. The spatial distributions of annual average BaP concentrations originating from wood combustion were predicted for four of those years: 2008, 2011, 2013, and 2014. According to both the measurements and the dispersion modeling, the European Union target value for the annual average BaP concentrations (1 ng m-3) was clearly exceeded in certain suburban detached-house areas. However, in most of the other urban areas, including the center of Helsinki, the concentrations were below the target value. The measured BaP concentrations highly correlated with the measured levoglucosan concentrations in the suburban detached-house areas. In street canyons, the measured concentrations of BaP were at the same level as those in the urban background, clearly lower than those in suburban detached-house areas. The predicted annual average concentrations matched with the measured concentrations fairly well. Both the measurements and the modeling clearly indicated that wood combustion was the main local source of ambient air BaP in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

Statistical trend analysis and extreme distribution of significant wave height from 1958 to 1999 - an application to the Italian Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martucci, G.; Carniel, S.; Chiggiato, J.; Sclavo, M.; Lionello, P.; Galati, M. B.

2010-06-01

The study is a statistical analysis of sea states timeseries derived using the wave model WAM forced by the ERA-40 dataset in selected areas near the Italian coasts. For the period 1 January 1958 to 31 December 1999 the analysis yields: (i) the existence of a negative trend in the annual- and winter-averaged sea state heights; (ii) the existence of a turning-point in late 80's in the annual-averaged trend of sea state heights at a site in the Northern Adriatic Sea; (iii) the overall absence of a significant trend in the annual-averaged mean durations of sea states over thresholds; (iv) the assessment of the extreme values on a time-scale of thousand years. The analysis uses two methods to obtain samples of extremes from the independent sea states: the r-largest annual maxima and the peak-over-threshold. The two methods show statistical differences in retrieving the return values and more generally in describing the significant wave field. The r-largest annual maxima method provides more reliable predictions of the extreme values especially for small return periods (<100 years). Finally, the study statistically proves the existence of decadal negative trends in the significant wave heights and by this it conveys useful information on the wave climatology of the Italian seas during the second half of the 20th century.

Measurements of long-term external and internal radiation exposure of inhabitants of some villages of the Bryansk region of Russia after the Chernobyl accident.

PubMed

Bernhardsson, C; Zvonova, I; Rääf, C; Mattsson, S

2011-10-15

A Nordic-Soviet programme was initiated in 1990 to evaluate the external and internal radiation exposure of the inhabitants of several villages in the Bryansk region of Russia. This area was one of the number of areas particularly affected by the nuclear accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986. Measurements were carried out yearly until 1998 and after that more irregularly; in 2000, 2006 and 2008 respectively. The effective dose estimates were based on individual thermoluminescent dosemeters and on in vivo measurements of the whole body content of (137)Cs (and (134)Cs during the first years of the programme). The decrease in total effective dose during the almost 2 decade follow-up was due to a continuous decrease in the dominating external exposure and a less decreasing but highly variable exposure from internal irradiation. In 2008, the observed average effective dose (i.e. the sum of external and internal exposure) from Chernobyl (137)Cs to the residents was estimated to be 0.3mSv y(-1). This corresponds to 8% of the estimated annual dose in 1990 and to 1% of the estimated annual dose in 1986. As a mean for the population group and for the period of the present study (2006-2008), the average yearly effective dose from Chernobyl cesium was comparable to the absorbed dose obtained annually from external exposure to cosmic radiation plus internal exposure to naturally occurring radionuclides in the human body. Our data indicate that the effective dose from internal exposure is becoming increasingly important as the body burdens of Chernobyl (137)Cs are decreasing more slowly than the external exposure. However, over the years there have been large individual variations in both the external and internal effective doses, as well as differences between the villages investigated. These variations and differences are presented and discussed in this paper. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

39 CFR 3010.21 - Calculation of annual limitation when notices of rate adjustment are 12 or more months apart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the Postal Service files its notice of rate adjustment and dividing the sum by 12 (Recent Average... values immediately preceding the Recent Average and dividing the sum by 12 (Base Average). Finally, the full year limitation is calculated by dividing the Recent Average by the Base Average and subtracting 1...

Predictability of weather and climate in a coupled ocean-atmosphere model: A dynamical systems approach. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nese, Jon M.

1989-01-01

A dynamical systems approach is used to quantify the instantaneous and time-averaged predictability of a low-order moist general circulation model. Specifically, the effects on predictability of incorporating an active ocean circulation, implementing annual solar forcing, and asynchronously coupling the ocean and atmosphere are evaluated. The predictability and structure of the model attractors is compared using the Lyapunov exponents, the local divergence rates, and the correlation, fractal, and Lyapunov dimensions. The Lyapunov exponents measure the average rate of growth of small perturbations on an attractor, while the local divergence rates quantify phase-spatial variations of predictability. These local rates are exploited to efficiently identify and distinguish subtle differences in predictability among attractors. In addition, the predictability of monthly averaged and yearly averaged states is investigated by using attractor reconstruction techniques.

Understanding the past to interpret the future: Comparison of simulated groundwater recharge in the upper Colorado River basin (USA) using observed and general-circulation-model historical climate data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Fred D.; Gangopadhyay, Subhrendu; Pruitt, Tom

2017-01-01

In evaluating potential impacts of climate change on water resources, water managers seek to understand how future conditions may differ from the recent past. Studies of climate impacts on groundwater recharge often compare simulated recharge from future and historical time periods on an average monthly or overall average annual basis, or compare average recharge from future decades to that from a single recent decade. Baseline historical recharge estimates, which are compared with future conditions, are often from simulations using observed historical climate data. Comparison of average monthly results, average annual results, or even averaging over selected historical decades, may mask the true variability in historical results and lead to misinterpretation of future conditions. Comparison of future recharge results simulated using general circulation model (GCM) climate data to recharge results simulated using actual historical climate data may also result in an incomplete understanding of the likelihood of future changes. In this study, groundwater recharge is estimated in the upper Colorado River basin, USA, using a distributed-parameter soil-water balance groundwater recharge model for the period 1951–2010. Recharge simulations are performed using precipitation, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature data from observed climate data and from 97 CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, phase 5) projections. Results indicate that average monthly and average annual simulated recharge are similar using observed and GCM climate data. However, 10-year moving-average recharge results show substantial differences between observed and simulated climate data, particularly during period 1970–2000, with much greater variability seen for results using observed climate data.

[Association between distribution of bacillary dysentery and meteorological factors in Beijing, 2004-2015].

PubMed

Du, Z; Zhang, J; Lu, J X; Lu, L P

2018-05-10

Objective: To analyze the distribution characteristics of bacillary dysentery in Beijing during 2004-2015 and evaluate the influence of meteorological factors on the temporal and spatial distribution of bacillary dysentery. Methods: The incidence data of bacterial dysentery and meteorological data in Beijing from 2004 to 2015 were collected. Descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted to study the distribution characteristics of bacterial dysentery. Linear correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were carried out to investigate the relationship between the incidence of bacillary dysentery and average precipitation, average air temperature, sunshine hours, average wind speed, average air pressure, gale and rain days. Results: A total of 280 704 cases of bacterial dysentery, including 36 deaths, were reported from 2004 to 2015 in Beijing, the average annual incidence was 130.15/100 000. The annual incidence peak was mainly between May and October, the cases occurred during this period accounted for 80.75 % of the total, and the incidence was highest in age group 0 year. The population distribution showed that most cases were children outside child care settings and students, and the sex ratio of the cases was 1.22∶1. The reported incidence of bacillary dysentery was positively associated with average precipitation, average air temperature and rain days with the correlation coefficients of 0.931, 0.878 and 0.888, but it was negatively associated with the average pressure, the correlation coefficient was -0.820. Multiple linear regression equation for fitting analysis of bacillary dysentery and meteorological factors was Y =3.792+0.162 X (1). Conclusion: The reported incidence of bacillary dysentery in Beijing was much higher than national level. The annual incidence peak was during July to August, and the average precipitation was an important meteorological factor influencing the incidence of bacillary dysentery.

Ecosystem-Service Tradeoffs Associated with Switching from Annual to Perennial Energy Crops in Riparian Zones of the US Midwest

PubMed Central

Meehan, Timothy D.; Gratton, Claudio; Diehl, Erica; Hunt, Natalie D.; Mooney, Daniel F.; Ventura, Stephen J.; Barham, Bradford L.; Jackson, Randall D.

2013-01-01

Integration of energy crops into agricultural landscapes could promote sustainability if they are placed in ways that foster multiple ecosystem services and mitigate ecosystem disservices from existing crops. We conducted a modeling study to investigate how replacing annual energy crops with perennial energy crops along Wisconsin waterways could affect a variety of provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. We found that a switch from continuous corn production to perennial-grass production decreased annual income provisioning by 75%, although it increased annual energy provisioning by 33%, decreased annual phosphorous loading to surface water by 29%, increased below-ground carbon sequestration by 30%, decreased annual nitrous oxide emissions by 84%, increased an index of pollinator abundance by an average of 11%, and increased an index of biocontrol potential by an average of 6%. We expressed the tradeoffs between income provisioning and other ecosystem services as benefit-cost ratios. Benefit-cost ratios averaged 12.06 GJ of additional net energy, 0.84 kg of avoided phosphorus pollution, 18.97 Mg of sequestered carbon, and 1.99 kg of avoided nitrous oxide emissions for every $1,000 reduction in income. These ratios varied spatially, from 2- to 70-fold depending on the ecosystem service. Benefit-cost ratios for different ecosystem services were generally correlated within watersheds, suggesting the presence of hotspots – watersheds where increases in multiple ecosystem services would come at lower-than-average opportunity costs. When assessing the monetary value of ecosystem services relative to existing conservation programs and environmental markets, the overall value of enhanced services associated with adoption of perennial energy crops was far lower than the opportunity cost. However, when we monitized services using estimates for the social costs of pollution, the value of enhanced services far exceeded the opportunity cost. This disparity between recoverable costs and social value represents a fundamental challenge to expansion of perennial energy crops and sustainable agricultural landscapes. PMID:24223215

Dust deposition and ambient PM10 concentration in northwest China: spatial and temporal variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiao-Xiao; Sharratt, Brenton; Chen, Xi; Wang, Zi-Fa; Liu, Lian-You; Guo, Yu-Hong; Li, Jie; Chen, Huan-Sheng; Yang, Wen-Yi

2017-02-01

Eolian dust transport and deposition are important geophysical processes which influence global bio-geochemical cycles. Currently, reliable deposition data are scarce in central and east Asia. Located at the boundary of central and east Asia, Xinjiang Province of northwestern China has long played a strategic role in cultural and economic trade between Asia and Europe. In this paper, we investigated the spatial distribution and temporal variation in dust deposition and ambient PM10 (particulate matter in aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 µm) concentration from 2000 to 2013 in Xinjiang Province. This variation was assessed using environmental monitoring records from 14 stations in the province. Over the 14 years, annual average dust deposition across stations in the province ranged from 255.7 to 421.4 t km-2. Annual dust deposition was greater in southern Xinjiang (663.6 t km-2) than northern (147.8 t km-2) and eastern Xinjiang (194.9 t km-2). Annual average PM10 concentration across stations in the province varied from 100 to 196 µg m-3 and was 70, 115 and 239 µg m-3 in northern, eastern and southern Xinjiang, respectively. The highest annual dust deposition (1394.1 t km-2) and ambient PM10 concentration (352 µg m-3) were observed in Hotan, which is located in southern Xinjiang and at the southern boundary of the Taklamakan Desert. Dust deposition was more intense during the spring and summer than other seasons. PM10 was the main air pollutant that significantly influenced regional air quality. Annual average dust deposition increased logarithmically with ambient PM10 concentration (R2 ≥ 0.81). While the annual average dust storm frequency remained unchanged from 2000 to 2013, there was a positive relationship between dust storm days and dust deposition and PM10 concentration across stations. This study suggests that sand storms are a major factor affecting the temporal variability and spatial distribution of dust deposition in northwest China.

Ecosystem-service tradeoffs associated with switching from annual to perennial energy crops in riparian zones of the US Midwest.

PubMed

Meehan, Timothy D; Gratton, Claudio; Diehl, Erica; Hunt, Natalie D; Mooney, Daniel F; Ventura, Stephen J; Barham, Bradford L; Jackson, Randall D

2013-01-01

Integration of energy crops into agricultural landscapes could promote sustainability if they are placed in ways that foster multiple ecosystem services and mitigate ecosystem disservices from existing crops. We conducted a modeling study to investigate how replacing annual energy crops with perennial energy crops along Wisconsin waterways could affect a variety of provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. We found that a switch from continuous corn production to perennial-grass production decreased annual income provisioning by 75%, although it increased annual energy provisioning by 33%, decreased annual phosphorous loading to surface water by 29%, increased below-ground carbon sequestration by 30%, decreased annual nitrous oxide emissions by 84%, increased an index of pollinator abundance by an average of 11%, and increased an index of biocontrol potential by an average of 6%. We expressed the tradeoffs between income provisioning and other ecosystem services as benefit-cost ratios. Benefit-cost ratios averaged 12.06 GJ of additional net energy, 0.84 kg of avoided phosphorus pollution, 18.97 Mg of sequestered carbon, and 1.99 kg of avoided nitrous oxide emissions for every $1,000 reduction in income. These ratios varied spatially, from 2- to 70-fold depending on the ecosystem service. Benefit-cost ratios for different ecosystem services were generally correlated within watersheds, suggesting the presence of hotspots--watersheds where increases in multiple ecosystem services would come at lower-than-average opportunity costs. When assessing the monetary value of ecosystem services relative to existing conservation programs and environmental markets, the overall value of enhanced services associated with adoption of perennial energy crops was far lower than the opportunity cost. However, when we monitized services using estimates for the social costs of pollution, the value of enhanced services far exceeded the opportunity cost. This disparity between recoverable costs and social value represents a fundamental challenge to expansion of perennial energy crops and sustainable agricultural landscapes.

Characterizing and Quantifying Local and Regional Particulate Matter Emissions from Department of Defense Installations

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-03-01

region (Fig. 4.1). A summary of the annual and seasonal average temperature, precipitation , and wind conditions for El Paso is presented in Table 4.1... Precipitation (cm) 2 Average Wind Speed 2 (km/hr) Prevailing Wind Direction 2 (degrees) Annual 17.3 22.4 14.2 360 Winter (Dec...Chow, 2001; Chow et al., 2003). The Teflon-membrane filters were analyzed for mass by gravimetry using a Cahn 31 Electro-microbalance and for 40

The effect of performance-volume limit on the DRG based acute care hospital financing in Hungary.

PubMed

Endrei, Dóra; Zemplényi, Antal; Molics, Bálint; Agoston, István; Boncz, Imre

2014-04-01

The aim of our paper is to analyse the effect of the so-called performance volume limit (PVL) financing method on acute hospital care. The data were derived from the nationwide administrative dataset of the National Health Insurance Fund Administration (OEP) covering the period 2003-2008. We analysed the trends in the DRG cost-weights, number of cases, case-mix, and average length of stay. We calculated the average annual reimbursement rate per DRG cost-weight with and without the application of PVL degression according to the hospital type and medical professions. Our results showed that although the national case mix (i.e., the sum of all of the DRG cost-weights produced in one year) did not change between 2003-2006, the trend of the annual number of cases increased, and the average length of stay decreased. During 2007-2008, a significant decline was found in each indicator. The introduction of the PVL resulted in a health insurance budget saving of 1.9% in 2004, 2.6% in 2005, 3.4% in 2006, 5.6% in 2007, and 3.2% in 2008. We found the lowest reimbursement rate per DRG cost-weight at the university medical schools (HUF 138,200 or € 550) and children's hospitals (HUF 132,547 or € 528), whereas the highest was at the county hospitals (HUF 143,451 or € 571) and city hospitals (HUF 142, 082 or € 565). The implementation of the PVL reduced the acute care hospital activity and reimbursement. The effect of the PVL was different on the different types of hospitals, and it had a serious disadvantageous effect on the university medical schools and children's hospitals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Numerical modelling assessment of climate-change impacts and mitigation measures on the Querença-Silves coastal aquifer (Algarve, Portugal)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hugman, Rui; Stigter, Tibor; Costa, Luis; Monteiro, José Paulo

2017-11-01

Predicted changes in climate will lead to seawater intrusion in the Querença-Silves (QS) coastal aquifer (south Portugal) during the coming century if the current water-resource-management strategy is maintained. As for much of the Mediterranean, average rainfall is predicted to decrease along with increasing seasonal and inter-annual variability and there is a need to understand how these changes will affect the sustainable use of groundwater resources. A density-coupled flow and transport model of the QS was used to simulate an ensemble of climate, water-use and adaptation scenarios from 2010 to 2099 taking into account intra- and inter-annual variability in recharge and groundwater use. By considering several climate models, bias correction and recharge calculation methods, a degree of uncertainty was included. Changes in rainfall regimes will have an immediate effect on groundwater discharge; however, the effect on saltwater intrusion is attenuated by the freshwater-saltwater interfaces' comparatively slow rate of movement. Comparing the effects of adaptation measures demonstrates that the extent of intrusion in the QS is controlled by the long-term water budget, as the effectiveness of both demand and supply oriented measures is proportional to the change in water budget, and that to maintain the current position, average groundwater discharge should be in the order of 50 × 106 m3 yr-1.

Using Radar, Lidar and Radiometer Data from NSA and SHEBA to Quantify Cloud Property Effects on the Surface Heat Budget in the Arctic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Janet Intrieri; Mathhew Shupe

2005-01-01

Cloud and radiation data from two distinctly different Arctic areas are analyzed to study the differences between coastal Alaskan and open Arctic Ocean region clouds and their respective influence on the surface radiation budget. The cloud and radiation datasets were obtained from (1) the DOE North Slope of Alaska (NSA) facility in the coastal town of Barrow, Alaska, and (2) the SHEBA field program, which was conducted from an icebreaker frozen in, and drifting with, the sea-ice for one year in the Western Arctic Ocean. Radar, lidar, radiometer, and sounding measurements from both locations were used to produce annual cyclesmore » of cloud occurrence and height, atmospheric temperature and humidity, surface longwave and shortwave broadband fluxes, surface albedo, and cloud radiative forcing. In general, both regions revealed a similar annual trend of cloud occurrence fraction with minimum values in winter (60-75%) and maximum values during spring, summer and fall (80-90%). However, the annual average cloud occurrence fraction for SHEBA (76%) was lower than the 6-year average cloud occurrence at NSA (92%). Both Arctic areas also showed similar annual cycle trends of cloud forcing with clouds warming the surface through most of the year and a period of surface cooling during the summer, when cloud shading effects overwhelm cloud greenhouse effects. The greatest difference between the two regions was observed in the magnitude of the cloud cooling effect (i.e., shortwave cloud forcing), which was significantly stronger at NSA and lasted for a longer period of time than at SHEBA. This is predominantly due to the longer and stronger melt season at NSA (i.e., albedo values that are much lower coupled with Sun angles that are somewhat higher) than the melt season observed over the ice pack at SHEBA. Longwave cloud forcing values were comparable between the two sites indicating a general similarity in cloudiness and atmospheric temperature and humidity structure between the two regions.« less

Association of UV radiation with multiple sclerosis prevalence and sex ratio in France

PubMed Central

Orton, S.-M.; Wald, L.; Confavreux, C.; Vukusic, S.; Krohn, J.P.; Ramagopalan, S.V.; Herrera, B.M.; Sadovnick, A.D.

2011-01-01

Background: French farmers and their families constitute an informative population to study multiple sclerosis (MS) prevalence and related epidemiology. We carried out an ecological study to evaluate the association of MS prevalence and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, a candidate climatologic risk factor. Methods: Mean annual and winter (December–March) UVB irradiation values were systematically compared to MS prevalence rates in corresponding regions of France. UVB data were obtained from the solar radiation database (SoDa) service and prevalence rates from previously published data on 2,667 MS cases registered with the national farmer health insurance system, Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA). Pearson correlation was used to examine the relationship of annual and winter UVB values with MS prevalence. Male and female prevalence were also analyzed separately. Linear regression was used to test for interaction of annual and winter UVB with sex in predicting MS prevalence. Results: There was a strong association between MS prevalence and annual mean UVB irradiation (r = −0.80, p < 0.001) and average winter UVB (r = −0.87, p < 0.001). Both female (r = −0.76, p < 0.001) and male (r = −0.46, p = 0.032) prevalence rates were correlated with annual UVB. Regression modeling showed that the effect of UVB on prevalence rates differed by sex; the interaction effect was significant for both annual UVB (p = 0.003) and winter UVB (p = 0.002). Conclusions: The findings suggest that regional UVB radiation is predictive of corresponding MS prevalence rates and supports the hypothesis that sunlight exposure influences MS risk. The evidence also supports a potential role for gender-specific effects of UVB exposure. PMID:21282589

Influence of net freshwater supply on salinity in Florida Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nuttle, William K.; Fourqurean, James W.; Cosby, Bernard J.; Zieman, Joseph C.; Robblee, Michael B.

2000-01-01

An annual water budget for Florida Bay, the large, seasonally hypersaline estuary in the Everglades National Park, was constructed using physically based models and long‐term (31 years) data on salinity, hydrology, and climate. Effects of seasonal and interannual variations of the net freshwater supply (runoff plus rainfall minus evaporation) on salinity variation within the bay were also examined. Particular attention was paid to the effects of runoff, which are the focus of ambitious plans to restore and conserve the Florida Bay ecosystem. From 1965 to 1995 the annual runoff from the Everglades into the bay was less than one tenth of the annual direct rainfall onto the bay, while estimated annual evaporation slightly exceeded annual rainfall. The average net freshwater supply to the bay over a year was thus approximately zero, and interannual variations in salinity appeared to be affected primarily by interannual fluctuations in rainfall. At the annual scale, runoff apparently had little effect on the bay as a whole during this period. On a seasonal basis, variations in rainfall, evaporation, and runoff were not in phase, and the net freshwater supply to the bay varied between positive and negative values, contributing to a strong seasonal pattern in salinity, especially in regions of the bay relatively isolated from exchanges with the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. Changes in runoff could have a greater effect on salinity in the bay if the seasonal patterns of rainfall and evaporation and the timing of the runoff are considered. One model was also used to simulate spatial and temporal patterns of salinity responses expected to result from changes in net freshwater supply. Simulations in which runoff was increased by a factor of 2 (but with no change in spatial pattern) indicated that increased runoff will lower salinity values in eastern Florida Bay, increase the variability of salinity in the South Region, but have little effect on salinity in the Central and West Regions.

[Geographical distribution of left ventricular Tei index based on principal component analysis].

PubMed

Xu, Jinhui; Ge, Miao; He, Jinwei; Xue, Ranyin; Yang, Shaofang; Jiang, Jilin

2014-11-01

To provide a scientific standard of left ventricular Tei index for healthy people from various region of China, and to lay a reliable foundation for the evaluation of left ventricular diastolic and systolic function. The correlation and principal component analysis were used to explore the left ventricular Tei index, which based on the data of 3 562 samples from 50 regions of China by means of literature retrieval. Th e nine geographical factors were longitude(X₁), latitude(X₂), altitude(X₃), annual sunshine hours (X₄), the annual average temperature (X₅), annual average relative humidity (X₆), annual precipitation (X₇), annual temperature range (X₈) and annual average wind speed (X₉). ArcGIS soft ware was applied to calculate the spatial distribution regularities of left ventricular Tei index. There is a significant correlation between the healthy people's left ventricular Tei index and geographical factors, and the correlation coefficients were -0.107 (r₁), -0.301 (r₂), -0.029 (r₃), -0.277 (r₄), -0.256(r₅), -0.289(r₆), -0.320(r₇), -0.310 (r₈) and -0.117 (r₉), respectively. A linear equation between the Tei index and the geographical factor was obtained by regression analysis based on the three extracting principal components. The geographical distribution tendency chart for healthy people's left Tei index was fitted out by the ArcGIS spatial interpolation analysis. The geographical distribution for left ventricular Tei index in China follows certain pattern. The reference value in North is higher than that in South, while the value in East is higher than that in West.

Drivers for spatial, temporal and long-term trends in atmospheric ammonia and ammonium in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Yuk S.; Braban, Christine F.; Dragosits, Ulrike; Dore, Anthony J.; Simmons, Ivan; van Dijk, Netty; Poskitt, Janet; Dos Santos Pereira, Gloria; Keenan, Patrick O.; Conolly, Christopher; Vincent, Keith; Smith, Rognvald I.; Heal, Mathew R.; Sutton, Mark A.

2018-01-01

A unique long-term dataset from the UK National Ammonia Monitoring Network (NAMN) is used here to assess spatial, seasonal and long-term variability in atmospheric ammonia (NH3: 1998-2014) and particulate ammonium (NH4+: 1999-2014) across the UK. Extensive spatial heterogeneity in NH3 concentrations is observed, with lowest annual mean concentrations at remote sites (< 0.2 µg m-3) and highest in the areas with intensive agriculture (up to 22 µg m-3), while NH4+ concentrations show less spatial variability (e.g. range of 0.14 to 1.8 µg m-3 annual mean in 2005). Temporally, NH3 concentrations are influenced by environmental conditions and local emission sources. In particular, peak NH3 concentrations are observed in summer at background sites (defined by 5 km grid average NH3 emissions < 1 kg N ha-1 yr-1) and in areas dominated by sheep farming, driven by increased volatilization of NH3 in warmer summer temperatures. In areas where cattle, pig and poultry farming is dominant, the largest NH3 concentrations are in spring and autumn, matching periods of manure application to fields. By contrast, peak concentrations of NH4+ aerosol occur in spring, associated with long-range transboundary sources. An estimated decrease in NH3 emissions by 16 % between 1998 and 2014 was reported by the UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory. Annually averaged NH3 data from NAMN sites operational over the same period (n = 59) show an indicative downward trend, although the reduction in NH3 concentrations is smaller and non-significant: Mann-Kendall (MK), -6.3 %; linear regression (LR), -3.1 %. In areas dominated by pig and poultry farming, a significant reduction in NH3 concentrations between 1998 and 2014 (MK: -22 %; LR: -21 %, annually averaged NH3) is consistent with, but not as large as the decrease in estimated NH3 emissions from this sector over the same period (-39 %). By contrast, in cattle-dominated areas there is a slight upward trend (non-significant) in NH3 concentrations (MK: +12 %; LR: +3.6 %, annually averaged NH3), despite the estimated decline in NH3 emissions from this sector since 1998 (-11 %). At background and sheep-dominated sites, NH3 concentrations increased over the monitoring period. These increases (non-significant) at background (MK: +17 %; LR: +13 %, annually averaged data) and sheep-dominated sites (MK: +15 %; LR: +19 %, annually averaged data) would be consistent with the concomitant reduction in SO2 emissions over the same period, leading to a longer atmospheric lifetime of NH3, thereby increasing NH3 concentrations in remote areas. The observations for NH3 concentrations not decreasing as fast as estimated emission trends are consistent with a larger downward trend in annual particulate NH4+ concentrations (1999-2014: MK: -47 %; LR: -49 %, p < 0.01, n = 23), associated with a lower formation of particulate NH4+ in the atmosphere from gas phase NH3.

Costs and savings associated with implementation of a police crisis intervention team.

PubMed

El-Mallakh, Peggy L; Kiran, Kranti; El-Mallakh, Rif S

2014-06-01

Police crisis intervention teams (CIT) have demonstrated their effectiveness in reducing injury to law enforcement personnel and citizens and the criminalization of mental illness; however, their financial effect has not been fully investigated. The objective of the study was to determine the total costs or total savings associated with implementing a CIT program in a medium-size city. The costs and savings associated with the implementation of a CIT program were analyzed in a medium-size city, Louisville, Kentucky, 9 years after the program's initiation. Costs associated with officer training, increased emergency psychiatry visits, and hospital admissions resulting from CIT activity were compared with the savings associated with diverted hospitalizations and reduced legal bookings. Based on an average of 2400 CIT calls annually, the overall costs associated with CIT per year were $2,430,128 ($146,079 for officer training, $1,768,536 for hospitalizations of patients brought in by CIT officers, $508,690 for emergency psychiatry evaluations, and $6823 for arrests). The annual savings of the CIT were $3,455,025 ($1,148,400 in deferred hospitalizations, $2,296,800 in reduced inpatient referrals from jail, and $9825 in avoided bookings and jail time). The balance is $1,024,897 in annual cost savings. The net financial effect of a CIT program is of modest benefit; however, much of this analysis was based on estimates and average length of stay. Furthermore, the costs and savings associated with officer or citizen injuries were not included because there was inadequate information about their prevalence and costs. Finally, this analysis does not take into account the nonmonetary gains of a CIT program.

Global evaluation of biofuel potential from microalgae

PubMed Central

Moody, Jeffrey W.; McGinty, Christopher M.; Quinn, Jason C.

2014-01-01

In the current literature, the life cycle, technoeconomic, and resource assessments of microalgae-based biofuel production systems have relied on growth models extrapolated from laboratory-scale data, leading to a large uncertainty in results. This type of simplistic growth modeling overestimates productivity potential and fails to incorporate biological effects, geographical location, or cultivation architecture. This study uses a large-scale, validated, outdoor photobioreactor microalgae growth model based on 21 reactor- and species-specific inputs to model the growth of Nannochloropsis. This model accurately accounts for biological effects such as nutrient uptake, respiration, and temperature and uses hourly historical meteorological data to determine the current global productivity potential. Global maps of the current near-term microalgae lipid and biomass productivity were generated based on the results of annual simulations at 4,388 global locations. Maximum annual average lipid yields between 24 and 27 m3·ha−1·y−1, corresponding to biomass yields of 13 to 15 g·m−2·d−1, are possible in Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, and Saudi Arabia. The microalgae lipid productivity results of this study were integrated with geography-specific fuel consumption and land availability data to perform a scalability assessment. Results highlight the promising potential of microalgae-based biofuels compared with traditional terrestrial feedstocks. When water, nutrients, and CO2 are not limiting, many regions can potentially meet significant fractions of their transportation fuel requirements through microalgae production, without land resource restriction. Discussion focuses on sensitivity of monthly variability in lipid production compared with annual average yields, effects of temperature on productivity, and a comparison of results with previous published modeling assumptions. PMID:24912176

The AFIS tree growth model for updating annual forest inventories in Minnesota

Treesearch

Margaret R. Holdaway

2000-01-01

As the Forest Service moves towards annual inventories, states may use model predictions of growth to update unmeasured plots. A tree growth model (AFIS) based on the scaled Weibull function and using the average-adjusted model form is presented. Annual diameter growth for four species was modeled using undisturbed plots from Minnesota's Aspen-Birch and Northern...

Evaluating cell phone data for AADT estimation : research project capsule.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-04-01

Annual average daily traffic (AADT) is a key input in a transportation agencys roadway : planning, design, operation, and maintenance activities, including air quality and : safety assessments. AADT is required to be reported annually by a state...

Most Costly Insects & Diseases of Southern Hardwoods

Treesearch

T. H. Filer; J. D. Solomon

1987-01-01

Insect borers, especially carpenter worms and red oak borers, cause degrade in oaks, an average of $45 per thousand board feet, and an annual loss of $112 million in the 2.5 billion board feet of oaks cut annually.

Evaluation of gas well setback policy in the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania in relation to emissions of fine particulate matter.

PubMed

Banan, Zoya; Gernand, Jeremy M

2018-04-18

Shale gas has become an important strategic energy source with considerable potential economic benefits and the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in so far as it displaces coal use. However, there still exist environmental health risks caused by emissions from exploration and production activities. In the United States, states and localities have set different minimum setback policies to reduce the health risks corresponding to the emissions from these locations, but it is unclear whether these policies are sufficient. This study uses a Gaussian plume model to evaluate the probability of exposure exceedance from EPA concentration limits for PM2.5 at various locations around a generic wellsite in the Marcellus shale region. A set of meteorological data monitored at ten different stations across Marcellus shale gas region in Pennsylvania during 2015 serves as an input to this model. Results indicate that even though the current setback distance policy in Pennsylvania (500 ft. or 152.4 m) might be effective in some cases, exposure limit exceedance occurs frequently at this distance with higher than average emission rates and/or greater number of wells per wellpad. Setback distances should be 736 m to ensure compliance with the daily average concentration of PM2.5, and a function of the number of wells to comply with the annual average PM2.5 exposure standard. The Marcellus Shale gas is known as a significant source of criteria pollutants and studies show that the current setback distance in Pennsylvania is not adequate to protect the residents from exceeding the established limits. Even an effective setback distance to meet the annual exposure limit may not be adequate to meet the daily limit. The probability of exceeding the annual limit increases with number of wells per site. We use a probabilistic dispersion model to introduce a technical basis to select appropriate setback distances.

Projecting pest population dynamics under global warming: the combined effect of inter- and intra-annual variations.

PubMed

Zidon, Royi; Tsueda, Hirotsugu; Morin, Efrat; Morin, Shai

2016-06-01

The typical short generation length of insects makes their population dynamics highly sensitive not only to mean annual temperatures but also to their intra-annual variations. To consider the combined effect of both thermal factors under global warming, we propose a modeling framework that links general circulation models (GCMs) with a stochastic weather generator and population dynamics models to predict species population responses to inter- and intra-annual temperature changes. This framework was utilized to explore future changes in populations of Bemisia tabaci, an invasive insect pest-species that affects multiple agricultural systems in the Mediterranean region. We considered three locations representing different pest status and climatic conditions: Montpellier (France), Seville (Spain), and Beit-Jamal (Israel). We produced ensembles of local daily temperature realizations representing current and future (mid-21st century) climatic conditions under two emission scenarios for the three locations. Our simulations predicted a significant increase in the average number of annual generations and in population size, and a significant lengthening of the growing season in all three locations. A negative effect was found only in Seville for the summer season, where future temperatures lead to a reduction in population size. High variability in population size was observed between years with similar annual mean temperatures, suggesting a strong effect of intra-annual temperature variation. Critical periods were from late spring to late summer in Montpellier and from late winter to early summer in Seville and Beit-Jamal. Although our analysis suggested that earlier seasonal activity does not necessarily lead to increased populations load unless an additional generation is produced, it is highly likely that the insect will become a significant pest of open-fields at Mediterranean latitudes above 40° during the next 50 years. Our simulations also implied that current predictions based on mean temperature anomalies are relatively conservative and it is better to apply stochastic tools to resolve complex responses to climate change while taking natural variability into account. In summary, we propose a modeling framework capable of determining distinct intra-annual temperature patterns leading to large or small population sizes, for pest risk assessment and management planning of both natural and agricultural ecosystems.

Systems analysis techniques for annual cycle thermal energy storage solar systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baylin, F.

1980-07-01

Community-scale annual cycle thermal energy storage solar systems are options for building heat and cooling. A variety of approaches are feasible in modeling ACTES solar systems. The key parameter in such efforts, average collector efficiency, is examined, followed by several approaches for simple and effective modeling. Methods are also examined for modeling building loads for structures based on both conventional and passive architectural designs. Two simulation models for sizing solar heating systems with annual storage are presented. Validation is presented by comparison with the results of a study of seasonal storage systems based on SOLANSIM, an hour-by-hour simulation. These models are presently used to examine the economic trade-off between collector field area and storage capacity. Programs directed toward developing other system components such as improved tanks and solar ponds or design tools for ACTES solar systems are examined.

Trends of Occupational Fatalities Involving Machines, United States, 1992–2010

PubMed Central

Marsh, Suzanne M.; Fosbroke, David E.

2016-01-01

Background This paper describes trends of occupational machine-related fatalities from 1992–2010. We examine temporal patterns by worker demographics, machine types (e.g., stationary, mobile), and industries. Methods We analyzed fatalities from Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. We used injury source to identify machine-related incidents and Poisson regression to assess trends over the 19-year period. Results There was an average annual decrease of 2.8% in overall machine-related fatality rates from 1992 through 2010. Mobile machine-related fatality rates decreased an average of 2.6% annually and stationary machine-related rates decreased an average of 3.5% annually. Groups that continued to be at high risk included older workers; self-employed; and workers in agriculture/forestry/fishing, construction, and mining. Conclusion Addressing dangers posed by tractors, excavators, and other mobile machines needs to continue. High-risk worker groups should receive targeted information on machine safety. PMID:26358658

An annual quasidifference approach to water price elasticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, David R.; Griffin, Ronald C.

2008-08-01

The preferred price specification for retail water demand estimation has not been fully settled by prior literature. Empirical consistency of price indices is necessary to enable testing of competing specifications. Available methods of unbiasing the price index are summarized here. Using original rate information from several hundred Texas utilities, new indices of marginal and average price change are constructed. Marginal water price change is shown to explain consumption variation better than average water price change, based on standard information criteria. Annual change in quantity consumed per month is estimated with differences in climate variables and the new quasidifference marginal price index. As expected, the annual price elasticity of demand is found to vary with daily high and low temperatures and the frequency of precipitation.

25 CFR 700.173 - Average net earnings of business or farm.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Average net earnings of business or farm. 700.173 Section... PROCEDURES Moving and Related Expenses, Temporary Emergency Moves § 700.173 Average net earnings of business or farm. (a) Computing net earnings. For purposes of this subpart, the average annual net earnings of...

25 CFR 700.173 - Average net earnings of business or farm.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Average net earnings of business or farm. 700.173 Section... PROCEDURES Moving and Related Expenses, Temporary Emergency Moves § 700.173 Average net earnings of business or farm. (a) Computing net earnings. For purposes of this subpart, the average annual net earnings of...

Water use efficiency of China’s terrestrial ecosystems and responses to drought

PubMed Central

Liu, Yibo; Xiao, Jingfeng; Ju, Weimin; Zhou, Yanlian; Wang, Shaoqiang; Wu, Xiaocui

2015-01-01

Water use efficiency (WUE) measures the trade-off between carbon gain and water loss of terrestrial ecosystems, and better understanding its dynamics and controlling factors is essential for predicting ecosystem responses to climate change. We assessed the magnitude, spatial patterns, and trends of WUE of China’s terrestrial ecosystems and its responses to drought using a process-based ecosystem model. During the period from 2000 to 2011, the national average annual WUE (net primary productivity (NPP)/evapotranspiration (ET)) of China was 0.79 g C kg−1 H2O. Annual WUE decreased in the southern regions because of the decrease in NPP and the increase in ET and increased in most northern regions mainly because of the increase in NPP. Droughts usually increased annual WUE in Northeast China and central Inner Mongolia but decreased annual WUE in central China. “Turning-points” were observed for southern China where moderate and extreme droughts reduced annual WUE and severe drought slightly increased annual WUE. The cumulative lagged effect of drought on monthly WUE varied by region. Our findings have implications for ecosystem management and climate policy making. WUE is expected to continue to change under future climate change particularly as drought is projected to increase in both frequency and severity. PMID:26347998

Water use efficiency of China's terrestrial ecosystems and responses to drought.

PubMed

Liu, Yibo; Xiao, Jingfeng; Ju, Weimin; Zhou, Yanlian; Wang, Shaoqiang; Wu, Xiaocui

2015-09-08

Water use efficiency (WUE) measures the trade-off between carbon gain and water loss of terrestrial ecosystems, and better understanding its dynamics and controlling factors is essential for predicting ecosystem responses to climate change. We assessed the magnitude, spatial patterns, and trends of WUE of China's terrestrial ecosystems and its responses to drought using a process-based ecosystem model. During the period from 2000 to 2011, the national average annual WUE (net primary productivity (NPP)/evapotranspiration (ET)) of China was 0.79 g C kg(-1) H2O. Annual WUE decreased in the southern regions because of the decrease in NPP and the increase in ET and increased in most northern regions mainly because of the increase in NPP. Droughts usually increased annual WUE in Northeast China and central Inner Mongolia but decreased annual WUE in central China. "Turning-points" were observed for southern China where moderate and extreme droughts reduced annual WUE and severe drought slightly increased annual WUE. The cumulative lagged effect of drought on monthly WUE varied by region. Our findings have implications for ecosystem management and climate policy making. WUE is expected to continue to change under future climate change particularly as drought is projected to increase in both frequency and severity.

Evaluation of long-term trends in hydrologic and water-quality conditions, and estimation of water budgets through 2013, Chester County, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sloto, Ronald A.; Reif, Andrew G.

2017-06-02

An evaluation of trends in hydrologic and water quality conditions and estimation of water budgets through 2013 was done by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Chester County Water Resources Authority. Long-term hydrologic, meteorologic, and biologic data collected in Chester County, Pennsylvania, which included streamflow, groundwater levels, surface-water quality, biotic integrity, precipitation, and air temperature were analyzed to determine possible trends or changes in hydrologic conditions. Statistically significant trends were determined by applying the Kendall rank correlation test; the magnitudes of the trends were determined using the Sen slope estimator. Water budgets for eight selected watersheds were updated and a new water budget was developed for the Marsh Creek watershed. An average water budget for Chester County was developed using the eight selected watersheds and the new Marsh Creek water budget.Annual and monthly mean streamflow, base flow, and runoff were analyzed for trends at 10 streamgages. The periods of record at the 10 streamgages ranged from 1961‒2013 to 1988‒2013. The only statistically significant trend for annual mean streamflow was for West Branch Brandywine Creek near Honey Brook, Pa. (01480300) where annual mean streamflow increased 1.6 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) per decade. The greatest increase in monthly mean streamflow was for Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford, Pa. (01481000) for December; the increase was 47 ft3/s per decade. No statistically significant trends in annual mean base flow or runoff were determined for the 10 streamgages. The greatest increase in monthly mean base flow was for Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford, Pa. (01481000) for December; the increase was 26 ft3/s per decade.The magnitude of peaks greater than a base streamflow was analyzed for trends for 12 streamgages. The period of record at the 12 stream gages ranged from 1912‒2012 to 2004–11. Fifty percent of the streamgages showed a small statistically significant increase in peaks greater than the base streamflow. The greatest increase was for Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford, Pa. (01481000) during 1962‒2012; the increase was 1.8 ft3/s per decade. There were no statistically significant trends in the number of floods equal to or greater than the 2-year recurrence interval flood flow.Twenty‒one monitoring wells were evaluated for statistically significant trends in annual mean water level, minimum annual water level, maximum annual water level, and annual range in water-level fluctuations. For four wells, a small statistically significant increase in annual mean water level was determined that ranged from 0.16 to 0.7 feet per decade. There was poor or no correlation between annual mean groundwater levels and annual mean streamflow and base flow. No correlation was determined between annual mean groundwater level and annual precipitation. Despite rapid population growth and land-use change since 1950, there appears to have been little or no detrimental effects on groundwater levels in 21 monitoring wells.Long-term precipitation and temperature data were available from the West Chester (1893‒2013) and Phoenixville, Pa. (1915‒2013) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather stations. No statistically significant trends in annual mean precipitation or annual mean temperature were determined for either station. Both weather stations had a significant decrease in the number of days per year with precipitation greater than or equal to 0.1 inch. Annual mean minimum and maximum temperatures from the NOAA Southeastern Piedmont Climate Division increased 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit (F) per decade between 1896 and 2014. The number of days with a maximum temperature equal to or greater than 90 degrees F increased at West Chester and decreased at Phoenixville. No statistically significant trend was determined for annual snowfall amounts.Data from 1974 to 2013 for three stream water-quality monitors in the Brandywine Creek watershed were evaluated. The monitors are on the West Branch Brandywine Creek at Modena, Pa. (01480617), East Branch Brandywine Creek below Downingtown, Pa. (01480870), and Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford, Pa. (01481000). Statistically significant upward trends were determined for annual mean specific conductance at all three stations, indicating the total dissolved solids load has been increasing. If the current trend continues, the annual mean specific conductance could almost double from 1974 to 2050. The increase in specific conductance likely is due to increases in chloride concentrations, which have been increasing steadily over time at all three stations. No correlation was found between monthly mean specific conductance and monthly mean streamflow or base flow. Statistically significant upward trends in pH were determined for all three stations. Statistically significant upward trends in stream temperature were determined for East Branch Brandywine Creek below Downingtown, Pa. (01480870) and Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford, Pa. (01481000). The stream water-quality data indicate substantial increases in the minimum daily dissolved oxygen concentrations in the Brandywine Creek over time.The Chester County Index of Biotic Integrity (CC-IBI) determined for 1998‒2013 was evaluated for the five biological sampling sites collocated with streamgages. CC-IBI scores are based on a 0‒100 scale with higher scores indicating better stream quality. Statistically significant upward trends in the CC-IBI were determined for West Branch Brandywine Creek at Modena, Pa. (01480617) and East Branch Brandywine Creek below Downingtown, Pa. (01480870). No correlation was found between the CC-IBI and streamflow, precipitation, or stream specific conductance, pH, temperature, or dissolved oxygen concentration.A Chester County average water budget was developed using the nine estimated watershed water budgets. Average precipitation was 48.4 inches, and average streamflow was 21.4 inches. Average runoff and base flow were 8.3 and 13.1 inches, respectively, and average evapotranspiration and estimation of errors was 27.2 inches."

On the Relationship Between Solar Wind Speed, Geomagnetic Activity, and the Solar Cycle Using Annual Values

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.; Hathaway, David H.

2008-01-01

The aa index can be decomposed into two separate components: the leading sporadic component due to solar activity as measured by sunspot number and the residual or recurrent component due to interplanetary disturbances, such as coronal holes. For the interval 1964-2006, a highly statistically important correlation (r = 0.749) is found between annual averages of the aa index and the solar wind speed (especially between the residual component of aa and the solar wind speed, r = 0.865). Because cyclic averages of aa (and the residual component) have trended upward during cycles 11-23, cyclic averages of solar wind speed are inferred to have also trended upward.

[Algorithm for taking into account the average annual background of air pollution in the assessment of health risks].

PubMed

Fokin, M V

2013-01-01

State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education "I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University" of the Ministry of Health care and Social Development, Moscow, Russian Federation. The assessment of health risks from air pollution with emissions from industrial facilities, without the average annual background of air pollution does not meet sanitary legislation. However Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring issues official certificates for a limited number of areas covered by the observations of the full program on the stationary points. Questions of accounting average background air pollution in the evaluation of health risks from exposure to emissions from industrial facilities are considered.

EnviroAtlas - Average Annual Precipitation 1981-2010 by HUC12 for the Conterminous United States

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset provides the average annual precipitation by 12-digit Hydrologic Unit (HUC). The values were estimated from maps produced by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. The original data was at the scale of 800 m grid cells representing average precipitation from 1981-2010 in mm. The data was converted to inches of precipitation and then zonal statistics were estimated for a final value of average annual precipitation for each 12 digit HUC. For more information about the original dataset please refer to the PRISM website at http://www.prism.oregonstate.edu/. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

Selecting a proper design period for heliostat field layout optimization using Campo code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saghafifar, Mohammad; Gadalla, Mohamed

2016-09-01

In this paper, different approaches are considered to calculate the cosine factor which is utilized in Campo code to expand the heliostat field layout and maximize its annual thermal output. Furthermore, three heliostat fields containing different number of mirrors are taken into consideration. Cosine factor is determined by considering instantaneous and time-average approaches. For instantaneous method, different design days and design hours are selected. For the time average method, daily time average, monthly time average, seasonally time average, and yearly time averaged cosine factor determinations are considered. Results indicate that instantaneous methods are more appropriate for small scale heliostat field optimization. Consequently, it is proposed to consider the design period as the second design variable to ensure the best outcome. For medium and large scale heliostat fields, selecting an appropriate design period is more important. Therefore, it is more reliable to select one of the recommended time average methods to optimize the field layout. Optimum annual weighted efficiency for heliostat fields (small, medium, and large) containing 350, 1460, and 3450 mirrors are 66.14%, 60.87%, and 54.04%, respectively.

Variation and significance of surface heat after the mechanical sand control of Qinghai-Tibet Railway was covered with sandy sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Shengbo; Qu, Jianjun; Mu, Yanhu; Xu, Xiangtian

Mechanical control of drifting sand used to protect the Qinghai-Tibet Railway from sand damage inevitably results in sand deposition, and the change in radiation and heat flux after the ground surface is covered with sandy sediments remains unclear. These variations were studied in this work through field observations along with laboratory analyses and tests. After the ground surface was covered with sandy sediments produced by the mechanical control of sand in the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the reflectivity increased, and the annual average reflectivity on the surface covered with sandy sediments was higher than that without sandy sediments, with the value increasing by 0.043. Moreover, the surface shortwave radiation increased, whereas the surface net radiation decreased. The annual average value of the surface shortwave radiant flux density on the sandy sediments was higher than that without sandy sediments, with the value increasing by 7.291 W·m-2. The annual average value of the surface net radiant flux density on the sandy sediments decreased by 9.639 W·m-2 compared with that without sandy sediments. The soil heat flux also decreased, and the annual average value of the heat flux in the sandy sediments decreased by 0.375 W·m-2 compared with that without sandy sediments. These variations caused the heat source on the surface of sandy sediments underground to decrease, which is beneficial for preventing permafrost from degradation in the section of sand control of the railway.

Antenatal Syphilis Screening Using Point-of-Care Testing in Sub-Saharan African Countries: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

PubMed Central

Kuznik, Andreas; Lamorde, Mohammed; Nyabigambo, Agnes; Manabe, Yukari C.

2013-01-01

Background Untreated syphilis in pregnancy is associated with adverse clinical outcomes for the infant. Most syphilis infections occur in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where coverage of antenatal screening for syphilis is inadequate. Recently introduced point-of-care syphilis tests have high accuracy and demonstrate potential to increase coverage of antenatal screening. However, country-specific cost-effectiveness data for these tests are limited. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of antenatal syphilis screening for 43 countries in SSA and estimate the impact of universal screening on stillbirths, neonatal deaths, congenital syphilis, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted. Methods and Findings The decision analytic model reflected the perspective of the national health care system and was based on the sensitivity (86%) and specificity (99%) reported for the immunochromatographic strip (ICS) test. Clinical outcomes of infants born to syphilis-infected mothers on the end points of stillbirth, neonatal death, and congenital syphilis were obtained from published sources. Treatment was assumed to consist of three injections of benzathine penicillin. Country-specific inputs included the antenatal prevalence of syphilis, annual number of live births, proportion of women with at least one antenatal care visit, per capita gross national income, and estimated hourly nurse wages. In all 43 sub-Saharan African countries analyzed, syphilis screening is highly cost-effective, with an average cost/DALY averted of US$11 (range: US$2–US$48). Screening remains highly cost-effective even if the average prevalence falls from the current rate of 3.1% (range: 0.6%–14.0%) to 0.038% (range: 0.002%–0.113%). Universal antenatal screening of pregnant women in clinics may reduce the annual number of stillbirths by up to 64,000, neonatal deaths by up to 25,000, and annual incidence of congenital syphilis by up to 32,000, and avert up to 2.6 million DALYs at an estimated annual direct medical cost of US$20.8 million. Conclusions Use of ICS tests for antenatal syphilis screening is highly cost-effective in SSA. Substantial reduction in DALYs can be achieved at a relatively modest budget impact. In SSA, antenatal programs should expand access to syphilis screening using the ICS test. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:24223524

Antenatal syphilis screening using point-of-care testing in Sub-Saharan African countries: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

PubMed

Kuznik, Andreas; Lamorde, Mohammed; Nyabigambo, Agnes; Manabe, Yukari C

2013-11-01

Untreated syphilis in pregnancy is associated with adverse clinical outcomes for the infant. Most syphilis infections occur in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where coverage of antenatal screening for syphilis is inadequate. Recently introduced point-of-care syphilis tests have high accuracy and demonstrate potential to increase coverage of antenatal screening. However, country-specific cost-effectiveness data for these tests are limited. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of antenatal syphilis screening for 43 countries in SSA and estimate the impact of universal screening on stillbirths, neonatal deaths, congenital syphilis, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted. The decision analytic model reflected the perspective of the national health care system and was based on the sensitivity (86%) and specificity (99%) reported for the immunochromatographic strip (ICS) test. Clinical outcomes of infants born to syphilis-infected mothers on the end points of stillbirth, neonatal death, and congenital syphilis were obtained from published sources. Treatment was assumed to consist of three injections of benzathine penicillin. Country-specific inputs included the antenatal prevalence of syphilis, annual number of live births, proportion of women with at least one antenatal care visit, per capita gross national income, and estimated hourly nurse wages. In all 43 sub-Saharan African countries analyzed, syphilis screening is highly cost-effective, with an average cost/DALY averted of US$11 (range: US$2-US$48). Screening remains highly cost-effective even if the average prevalence falls from the current rate of 3.1% (range: 0.6%-14.0%) to 0.038% (range: 0.002%-0.113%). Universal antenatal screening of pregnant women in clinics may reduce the annual number of stillbirths by up to 64,000, neonatal deaths by up to 25,000, and annual incidence of congenital syphilis by up to 32,000, and avert up to 2.6 million DALYs at an estimated annual direct medical cost of US$20.8 million. Use of ICS tests for antenatal syphilis screening is highly cost-effective in SSA. Substantial reduction in DALYs can be achieved at a relatively modest budget impact. In SSA, antenatal programs should expand access to syphilis screening using the ICS test. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

Yield Response of Spring Maize to Inter-Row Subsoiling and Soil Water Deficit in Northern China.

PubMed

Liu, Zhandong; Qin, Anzhen; Zhao, Ben; Ata-Ul-Karim, Syed Tahir; Xiao, Junfu; Sun, Jingsheng; Ning, Dongfeng; Liu, Zugui; Nan, Jiqin; Duan, Aiwang

2016-01-01

Long-term tillage has been shown to induce water stress episode during crop growth period due to low water retention capacity. It is unclear whether integrated water conservation tillage systems, such asspringdeepinter-row subsoiling with annual or biennial repetitions, can be developed to alleviate this issue while improve crop productivity. Experimentswere carried out in a spring maize cropping system on Calcaric-fluvicCambisolsatJiaozuoexperimentstation, northern China, in 2009 to 2014. Effects of threesubsoiling depths (i.e., 30 cm, 40 cm, and 50 cm) in combination with annual and biennial repetitionswasdetermined in two single-years (i.e., 2012 and 2014)againstthe conventional tillage. The objectives were to investigateyield response to subsoiling depths and soil water deficit(SWD), and to identify the most effective subsoiling treatment using a systematic assessment. Annualsubsoiling to 50 cm (AS-50) increased soil water storage (SWS, mm) by an average of8% in 0-20 cm soil depth, 19% in 20-80 cm depth, and 10% in 80-120 cm depth, followed by AS-40 and BS-50, whereas AS-30 and BS-30 showed much less effects in increasing SWS across the 0-120 cm soil profile, compared to the CK. AS-50 significantly reduced soil water deficit (SWD, mm) by an average of123% during sowing to jointing, 318% during jointing to filling, and 221% during filling to maturity, compared to the CK, followed by AS-40 and BS-50. An integrated effect on increasing SWS and reducing SWD helped AS-50 boost grain yield by an average of 31% and biomass yield by 30%, compared to the CK. A power function for subsoiling depth and a negative linear function for SWD were used to fit the measured yields, showing the deepest subsoiling depth (50 cm) with the lowest SWD contributed to the highest yield. Systematic assessment showed that AS-50 received the highest evaluation index (0.69 out of 1.0) among all treatments. Deepinter-row subsoilingwith annual repetition significantly boosts yield by alleviating SWD in critical growth period and increasing SWS in 20-80 cm soil depth. The results allow us to conclude that AS-50 can be adopted as an effective approach to increase crop productivity, alleviate water stress, and improve soil water availability for spring maize in northern China.

Some relations between streamflow characteristics and the environment in the Delaware River region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hely, A.G.; Olmsted, F.H.

1963-01-01

Streamflow characteristics are determined by a large number of factors of the meteorological and terrestrial environments. Because of lack of quantitative data to describe some of the factors and complex interrelations among them, complete analysis of the relations between streamflow and the various environmental factors is impossible. However, certain simplifying assumptions and generalizations made possible a partial analysis for the Delaware River region. For relations involving average runoff or low-flow parameters, average annual precipitation was assumed to be the principal meteorological factor, and geology (a complex of many factors) was assumed to be the principal terrestrial influence, except for that of basin size which was largely eliminated by expression of discharge in terms of unit area. As a first approximation, physiographic units were used as a basis for classifying the geology. Relations between flow parameters and precipitation are fairly well defined for some physiographic units, but not for those in which the geology varies markedly or the areal variation in average precipitation is very small. These relations provide a basis for adjusting the flow parameters to reduce or eliminate the effects of areal variations in precipitation and increase their significance in studies of the effects of terrestrial characteristics. An investigation of the residual effect of basin size (the effect remaining when discharge is expressed in terms of unit area) on relations between flow parameters and average precipitation indicates that such effect is negligible, except for very large differences in area. Parameters that are derived from base-flow recession curves and are related to a common discharge per unit area have inherent advantages as indicators of effects of terrestrial characteristics of basins, because the.y are independent of areal variations in average annual precipitation. Winter base-flow parameters are also practically independent of the effects of evapotranspiration from ground water. However, in many parts of the region these advantages are reduced or nullified by the difficulties of defining base-flow recession curves, particularly winter curves, with sufficient accuracy. In the absence of suitable base-flow recession data and a suitable basis for adjusting parameters, the ratio of the discharge equaled or exceeded 90 percent of the time to the average discharge (Qtt/Qa), or a similar duration parameter, probably is the best indicator of the influence of terrestrial characteristics, although the ratio may vary somewhat with average precipitation. In a part of the region where geologic differences are large and areal variations in average precipitation are small, values of Qm/Qa for each major geologic unit were determined from streamflow records. From these values and the percentage of area represented by each unit, a ratio for each gaging station was computed. Comparison of these computed results with the observed results indicates that nearly all of the variation in the ratio is associated with variation in geology. The investigation indicates that the original assumptions are correct; average precipitation is the principal meteorological influence and geology is the principal terrestrial influence. Together these two factors account for a very large proportion of the variation in average runoff and low-flow characteristics

Sediment losses and gains across a gradient of livestock grazing and plant invasion in a cool, semi-arid grassland, Colorado Plateau, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belnap, J.; Reynolds, R.L.; Reheis, M.C.; Phillips, S.L.; Urban, F.E.; Goldstein, H.L.

2009-01-01

Large sediment fluxes can have significant impacts on ecosystems. We measured incoming and outgoing sediment across a gradient of soil disturbance (livestock grazing, plowing) and annual plant invasion for 9 years. Our sites included two currently ungrazed sites: one never grazed by livestock and dominated by perennial grasses/well-developed biocrusts and one not grazed since 1974 and dominated by annual weeds with little biocrusts. We used two currently grazed sites: one dominated by annual weeds and the other dominated by perennial plants, both with little biocrusts. Precipitation was highly variable, with years of average, above-average, and extremely low precipitation. During years with average and above-average precipitation, the disturbed sites consistently produced 2.8 times more sediment than the currently undisturbed sites. The never grazed site always produced the least sediment of all the sites. During the drought years, we observed a 5600-fold increase in sediment production from the most disturbed site (dominated by annual grasses, plowed about 50 years previously and currently grazed by livestock) relative to the never grazed site dominated by perennial grasses and well-developed biocrusts, indicating a non-linear, synergistic response to increasing disturbance types and levels. Comparing sediment losses among the sites, biocrusts were most important in predicting site stability, followed by perennial plant cover. Incoming sediment was similar among the sites, and while inputs were up to 9-fold higher at the most heavily disturbed site during drought years compared to average years, the change during the drought conditions was small relative to the large change seen in the sediment outputs. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patterns and predictability in the intra-annual organic carbon variability across the boreal and hemiboreal landscape

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hytteborn, Julia K.; Temnerud, Johan; Alexander, Richard B.; Boyer, Elizabeth W.; Futter, Martyn N.; Fröberg, Mats; Dahné, Joel; Bishop, Kevin H.

2015-01-01

Factors affecting total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations in 215 watercourses across Sweden were investigated using parameter parsimonious regression approaches to explain spatial and temporal variabilities of the TOC water quality responses. We systematically quantified the effects of discharge, seasonality, and long-term trend as factors controlling intra-annual (among year) and inter-annual (within year) variabilities of TOC by evaluating the spatial variability in model coefficients and catchment characteristics (e.g. land cover, retention time, soil type).Catchment area (0.18–47,000 km2) and land cover types (forests, agriculture and alpine terrain) are typical for the boreal and hemiboreal zones across Fennoscandia. Watercourses had at least 6 years of monthly water quality observations between 1990 and 2010. Statistically significant models (p < 0.05) describing variation of TOC in streamflow were identified in 209 of 215 watercourses with a mean Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency index of 0.44. Increasing long-term trends were observed in 149 (70%) of the watercourses, and intra-annual variation in TOC far exceeded inter-annual variation. The average influences of the discharge and seasonality terms on intra-annual variations in daily TOC concentration were 1.4 and 1.3 mg l− 1 (13 and 12% of the mean annual TOC), respectively. The average increase in TOC was 0.17 mg l− 1 year− 1 (1.6% year− 1).Multivariate regression with over 90 different catchment characteristics explained 21% of the spatial variation in the linear trend coefficient, less than 20% of the variation in the discharge coefficient and 73% of the spatial variation in mean TOC. Specific discharge, water residence time, the variance of daily precipitation, and lake area, explained 45% of the spatial variation in the amplitude of the TOC seasonality.Because the main drivers of temporal variability in TOC are seasonality and discharge, first-order estimates of the influences of climatic variability and change on TOC concentration should be predictable if the studied catchments continue to respond similarly.

Results of the 2005 AORN salary survey--trends for perioperative nursing.

PubMed

Bacon, Donald

2005-12-01

AORN conducted its annual compensation survey for perioperative nurses in August 2005. A multiple regression model was used to examine how a variety of variables, including job title, education level, certification, experience, and geographic region, affect nursing compensation. This survey also examines the effect of other forms of compensation (eg, on-call compensation, overtime, bonuses, shift differential) on average base compensation rates.

Results of the 2006 AORN salary survey: trends for perioperative nursing.

PubMed

Bacon, Donald

2006-12-01

AORN CONDUCTED ITS ANNUAL compensation survey for perioperative nurses in August 2006. MULTIPLE REGRESSION MODEL was used to examine how a variety of variables, including job title, education level, certification, experience, and geographic region, affect nursing compensation. THIS SURVEY ALSO EXAMINES the effect of other forms of compensation (eg, on-call compensation, overtime, bonuses, shift differential) on average base compensation rates.

On Diffusive Climatological Models.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffel, D. H.; Drazin, P. G.

1981-11-01

A simple, zonally and annually averaged, energy-balance climatological model with diffusive heat transport and nonlinear albedo feedback is solved numerically. Some parameters of the model are varied, one by one, to find the resultant effects on the steady solution representing the climate. In particular, the outward radiation flux, the insulation distribution and the albedo parameterization are varied. We have found an accurate yet simple analytic expression for the mean annual insolation as a function of latitude and the obliquity of the Earth's rotation axis; this has enabled us to consider the effects of the oscillation of the obliquity. We have used a continuous albedo function which fits the observed values; it considerably reduces the sensitivity of the model. Climatic cycles, calculated by solving the time-dependent equation when parameters change slowly and periodically, are compared qualitatively with paleoclimatic records.

Estimation of annual occupational effective doses from external ionizing radiation at medical institutions in Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korir, Geoffrey; Wambani, Jeska; Korir, Ian

2011-04-01

This study details the distribution and trends of doses due to occupational radiation exposure among radiation workers from participating medical institutions in Kenya, where monthly dose measurements were collected for a period of one year ranging from January to December in 2007. A total of 367 medical radiation workers were monitored using thermoluminescent dosemeters. They included radiologists (27%), oncologists (2%), dentists (4%), Physicists (5%), technologists (45%), nurses (4%), film processor technicians (3%), auxiliary staff (4%), and radiology office staff (5%). The average annual effective dose of all categories of staff was found to range from 1.19 to 2.52 mSv. This study formed the initiation stage of wider, comprehensive and more frequent monitoring of occupational radiation exposures and long-term investigations into its accumulation patterns in our country.

Costs along the service cascades for HIV testing and counselling and prevention of mother-to-child transmission

PubMed Central

Bautista-Arredondo, Sergio; Sosa-Rubí, Sandra G.; Opuni, Marjorie; Contreras-Loya, David; Kwan, Ada; Chaumont, Claire; Chompolola, Abson; Condo, Jeanine; Galárraga, Omar; Martinson, Neil; Masiye, Felix; Nsanzimana, Sabin; Ochoa-Moreno, Ivan; Wamai, Richard; Wang’ombe, Joseph

2016-01-01

Objective: We estimate facility-level average annual costs per client along the HIV testing and counselling (HTC) and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) service cascades. Design: Data collected covered the period 2011–2012 in 230 HTC and 212 PMTCT facilities in Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zambia. Methods: Input quantities and unit prices were collected, as were output data. Annual economic costs were estimated from the service providers’ perspective using micro-costing. Average annual costs per client in 2013 United States dollars (US$) were estimated along the service cascades. Results: For HTC, average cost per client tested ranged from US$5 (SD US$7) in Rwanda to US$31 (SD US$24) in South Africa, whereas average cost per client diagnosed as HIV-positive ranged from US$122 (SD US$119) in Zambia to US$1367 (SD US$2093) in Rwanda. For PMTCT, average cost per client tested ranged from US$18 (SD US$20) in Rwanda to US$89 (SD US$56) in South Africa; average cost per client diagnosed as HIV-positive ranged from US$567 (SD US$417) in Zambia to US$2021 (SD US$3210) in Rwanda; average cost per client on antiretroviral prophylaxis ranged from US$704 (SD US$610) in South Africa to US$2314 (SD US$3204) in Rwanda; and average cost per infant on nevirapine ranged from US$888 (SD US$884) in South Africa to US$2359 (SD US$3257) in Rwanda. Conclusion: We found important differences in unit costs along the HTC and PMTCT service cascades within and between countries suggesting that more efficient delivery of these services is possible. PMID:27753679

A model to evaluate the costs and clinical effectiveness of human papilloma virus screening compared with annual papanicolaou cytology in Germany.

PubMed

Petry, Karl Ulrich; Barth, Cordula; Wasem, Jürgen; Neumann, Anja

2017-05-01

We modelled human papilloma virus (HPV) primary screening scenarios compared with Pap cytology to evaluate clinical effectiveness and projected annual costs in Germany. A Markov cohort model was built to compare the budget impact of annual Pap cytology with different 5-yearly HPV screening scenarios: (1) a positive HPV test followed by Pap cytology; (2) a positive HPV test followed by p16/Ki-67 dual-stained cytology; (3) a positive HPV test followed by colposcopy if HPV-16/18-positive or p16/Ki-67 dual-stained cytology if positive for other subtypes; (4) co-testing with HPV and Pap. Screening scenarios were based on a 10-year horizon. All HPV screening scenarios in the model were associated with fewer deaths from missed diagnosis of cervical cancer compared with Pap screening; 10-year totals n=172-344 (1.5-3 per 100,000) versus n=477 (4.1 per 100,000), respectively. Total annual costs were lower with HPV screening than Pap cytology. The projected average annual cost for HPV screening ranged from €117 million to €136 million compared with €177 million for Pap screening, representing annual savings of €41-60 million. The greatest clinical impact was achieved with primary HPV screening (with genotyping) followed by colposcopy for HPV 16/18-positive women or p16/Ki-67 dual-stained cytology for women positive for other HPV subtypes. Screening strategies including primary HPV testing for high-risk subtypes (HPV-16/18) in conjunction with p16/Ki-67 dual-stained cytology can improve the detection of cervical cancer at a lower total annual cost than conventional Pap cytology screening. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

23 CFR 650.707 - Rating factor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Average Daily Truck Traffic in thousands (Pick up trucks and light delivery trucks not included). For load... restricted. The ADTT should be the annual average volume, not peak or seasonal; (4) N is National Highway...

23 CFR 650.707 - Rating factor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Average Daily Truck Traffic in thousands (Pick up trucks and light delivery trucks not included). For load... restricted. The ADTT should be the annual average volume, not peak or seasonal; (4) N is National Highway...

23 CFR 650.707 - Rating factor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Average Daily Truck Traffic in thousands (Pick up trucks and light delivery trucks not included). For load... restricted. The ADTT should be the annual average volume, not peak or seasonal; (4) N is National Highway...

23 CFR 650.707 - Rating factor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Average Daily Truck Traffic in thousands (Pick up trucks and light delivery trucks not included). For load... restricted. The ADTT should be the annual average volume, not peak or seasonal; (4) N is National Highway...

23 CFR 650.707 - Rating factor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Average Daily Truck Traffic in thousands (Pick up trucks and light delivery trucks not included). For load... restricted. The ADTT should be the annual average volume, not peak or seasonal; (4) N is National Highway...

Optical performance effects of the misalignment of nonimaging optics solar collectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferry, Jonathan; Ricketts, Melissa; Winston, Roland

2017-09-01

The use of non-imaging optics in the application of high temperature solar thermal collectors can be extremely advantageous in eliminating the need to track the sun. The stationary nature of non-imaging optics collectors, commonly called compound parabolic concentrators (CPC's), present a unique design challenge when orienting them to collect sunlight. Many facilities throughout the world that adopt CPCs are not situated to orient the collectors in the ideal angle facing the sun. This East-West misalignment can adversely affect the optical and power performance of the CPC collector. To characterize how this misalignment effects CPCs, reverse raytracing simulations are conducted for varying offset angles of the collectors from solar South. Optical performance is analyzed for an ideal East-West oriented CPC with a 40-degree acceptance angle. Direction cosine plots are used to develop a ratio of annual solar collection by the CPC over the total annual solar input. From these simulations, average annual collector performance is given for offset angles ranging from 0 to 90 degrees for different Earth Latitudes in 10 degree increments.

Sensitivity of annual mass balance gradient and Hypsometry to the changing climate: the case of Dokriani Glacier, central Himalaya, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratap, B.

2015-12-01

The glacier mass balance is undelayed, unfiltered and direct method to assess the impact of climate change on the glaciers. Many studies suggest that some of the Himalayan glaciers have lost their mass at an increased rate during the past few decades. Furthermore, the mass balance gradient and hypsometric analysis are important to understand the glacier response towards climatic perturbations. Our long term in-situ monitoring on the Dokriani Glacier provides great insights to understand the variability in central Himalayan glaciers. We report the relationship between glacier hypsometry and annual mass balance gradient (12 years) to understand the glacier's response towards climate change. Dokriani Glacier in the Bhagirathi basin is a small (7 km2) NNW exposed glacier in the western part of central Himalaya, India. The study analysed the annual balance, mass balance gradient and length changes observed during first decade of 21st century (2007-2013) and compare with the previous observations of 1990s (1992-2000). A large spatial variability in the mass balance gradients of two different periods has been observed. The equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) was fluctuated between 5000 and 5100 m a.s.l. and the derived time averaged ELA (ELAn) and balance budget ELA (ELA0) were 5075 and 4965 m a.s.l respectively during 1992-2013. The observed time-averaged accumulation-area ratio (AARn) and balance budget AAR (AAR0) were 0.67 and 0.72 respectively during 1992-2013. The higher value of AAR comprises due to flat and broader accumulation area (4.50 km2) of the glacier. Although, having larger accumulation area, the glacier has faced strong mass wasting with average annual ablation of -1.82 m w.e. a-1 in the ablation zone as compare to residual average annual accumulation of 0.41 m w.e. a-1. Based on the annual mass balance series (12 years) Dokriani Glacier has continuous negative annual balances with monotonically negative cumulative mass loss of -3.86 m w.e with the average loss of -0.32 m w.e a-1. Dokriani Glacier also showed continues recession from 1992 to present. Snout was ascended 95 m a.s.l. from an elevation of 3870 m a.s.l. in 1992 to an elevation of 3965 m a.s.l. in 2013. The progressive retreat of the glacier affects its extension and volume and covered by continuous enhancement of debris in the lower ablation zone.

[Influenza vaccination of hospital healthcare staff from the perspective of the employer: a positive balance].

PubMed

Hak, Eelko; Knol, Lisanne M; Wilschut, Jan C; Postma, Maarten J

2010-01-01

To assess the annual productivity loss among hospital healthcare workers attributable to influenza and to estimate the costs and economic benefits of a vaccination programme from the perspective of the the employer. Cost-benefit analysis. The percentage of work loss due to influenza was determined using monthly age and gender specific figures for productivity loss among healthcare workers of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), the Netherlands over the period January 2006-June 2008. Influenza periods were determined on the basis of national surveillance data. The average increase in productivity loss in these periods was estimated by comparison with the periods outside influenza seasons. The direct costs of productivity loss from the perspective of the employer were estimated using the friction cost method. In the sensitivity analyses various modelling parameters were varied, such as the vaccination coverage. In the UMCG, with approximately 9,400 employees, the estimated annual costs associated with productivity loss due to influenza before the introduction of the yearly influenza vaccination program were € 675,242 or on average, € 72 per employee. The economic benefits of the current vaccination program with a vaccination coverage of 24% with a vaccine effectiveness of 71% were estimated at € 89,858 or € 10 per employee. The nett economic benefits of a vaccination program with a target vaccination coverage of 70% with a vaccine effectiveness of 71% were estimated at € 244,325 or € 26 per employee. This modelling study performed from the perspective of the employer showed that an annual influenza vaccination programme for hospital personnel can save costs.

7 CFR 786.106 - Determination of losses incurred.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... of the dairy operation's average number of cows in the dairy herd and actual commercial production... cow determined according to the following: (1) The average of annual marketed production during the base period calendar years of 2003 and 2004, divided by; (2) The average number of cows in the dairy...

Blending Multiple Nitrogen Dioxide Data Sources for Neighborhood Estimates of Long-Term Exposure for Health Research.

PubMed

Hanigan, Ivan C; Williamson, Grant J; Knibbs, Luke D; Horsley, Joshua; Rolfe, Margaret I; Cope, Martin; Barnett, Adrian G; Cowie, Christine T; Heyworth, Jane S; Serre, Marc L; Jalaludin, Bin; Morgan, Geoffrey G

2017-11-07

Exposure to traffic related nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) air pollution is associated with adverse health outcomes. Average pollutant concentrations for fixed monitoring sites are often used to estimate exposures for health studies, however these can be imprecise due to difficulty and cost of spatial modeling at the resolution of neighborhoods (e.g., a scale of tens of meters) rather than at a coarse scale (around several kilometers). The objective of this study was to derive improved estimates of neighborhood NO 2 concentrations by blending measurements with modeled predictions in Sydney, Australia (a low pollution environment). We implemented the Bayesian maximum entropy approach to blend data with uncertainty defined using informative priors. We compiled NO 2 data from fixed-site monitors, chemical transport models, and satellite-based land use regression models to estimate neighborhood annual average NO 2 . The spatial model produced a posterior probability density function of estimated annual average concentrations that spanned an order of magnitude from 3 to 35 ppb. Validation using independent data showed improvement, with root mean squared error improvement of 6% compared with the land use regression model and 16% over the chemical transport model. These estimates will be used in studies of health effects and should minimize misclassification bias.

Radiation exposure of German aircraft crews under the impact of solar cycle 23 and airline business factors.

PubMed

Frasch, Gerhard; Kammerer, Lothar; Karofsky, Ralf; Schlosser, Andrea; Stegemann, Ralf

2014-12-01

The exposure of German aircraft crews to cosmic radiation varies both with solar activity and operational factors of airline business. Data come from the German central dose registry and cover monthly exposures of up to 37,000 German aircraft crewmembers that were under official monitoring. During the years 2004 to 2009 of solar cycle 23 (i.e., in the decreasing phase of solar activity), the annual doses of German aircraft crews increased by an average of 20%. Decreasing solar activity allows more galactic radiation to reach the atmosphere, increasing high-altitude doses. The rise results mainly from the less effective protection from the solar wind but also from airline business factors. Both cockpit and cabin personnel differ in age-dependent professional and social status. This status determines substantially the annual effective dose: younger cabin personnel and the elder pilots generally receive higher annual doses than their counterparts. They also receive larger increases in their annual dose when the solar activity decreases. The doses under this combined influence of solar activity and airline business factors result in a maximum of exposure for German aircrews for this solar cycle. With the increasing solar activity of the current solar cycle 24, the doses are expected to decrease again.

Ground-Water Storage Change and Land Subsidence in Tucson Basin and Avra Valley, Southeastern Arizona, 1998-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pool, Donald R.; Anderson, Mark T.

2008-01-01

Gravity and land subsidence were measured annually at wells and benchmarks within two networks in Tucson Basin and Avra Valley from 1998 to 2002. Both networks are within the Tucson Active Management Area. Annual estimates of ground-water storage change, ground-water budgets, and land subsidence were made based on the data. Additionally, estimates of specific yield were made at wells within the monitored region. Increases in gravity and water-level rises followed above-average natural recharge during winter 1998 in Tucson Basin. Overall declining gravity and water-level trends from 1999 to 2002 in Tucson Basin reflected general declining ground-water storage conditions and redistribution of the recent recharge throughout a larger region of the aquifer. The volume of stored ground-water in the monitored portion of Tucson Basin increased 200,000 acre-feet from December 1997 to February 1999; however, thereafter an imbalance in ground-water pumpage in excess of recharge led to a net storage loss for the monitoring period by February 2002. Ground-water storage in Avra Valley increased 70,000 acre-feet during the monitoring period, largely as a result of artificial and incidental recharge in the monitored region. The water-budget for the combined monitored regions of Tucson Basin and Avra Valley was dominated by about 460,000 acre-feet of recharge during 1998 followed by an average-annual recharge rate of about 80,000 acre-feet per year from 1999 to 2002. Above-average recharge during winter 1998, followed by average-annual deficit conditions, resulted in an overall balanced water budget for the monitored period. Monitored variations in storage compared well with simulated average-annual conditions, except for above-average recharge from 1998 to 1999. The difference in observed and simulated conditions indicate that ground-water flow models can be improved by including climate-related variations in recharge rates rather than invariable rates of average-annual recharge. Observed land-subsidence during the monitoring period was less than 1 inch except in the central part of Tucson Basin where land subsidence was about 2-3 inches. Correlations of gravity-based storage and water-level change at 37 wells were variable and illustrate the complex nature of the aquifer system. Storage and water-level variations were insufficient to estimate specific yield at many wells. Correlations at several wells were poor, inverse, or resulted in unreasonably large values of specific yield. Causes of anomalously correlated gravity and water levels include significant storage change in thick unsaturated zones, especially near major ephemeral channels, and multiple aquifers that are poorly connected hydraulically. Good correlation of storage and water-level change at 10 wells that were not near major streams where significant changes in unsaturated zone storage occur resulted in an average specific-yield value of 0.27.

Responses of stream nitrate and DOC loadings to hydrological forcing and climate change in an upland forest of the northeastern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sebestyen, Stephen D.; Boyer, Elizabeth W.; Shanley, James B.

2009-06-01

In coming decades, higher annual temperatures, increased growing season length, and increased dormant season precipitation are expected across the northeastern United States in response to anthropogenic forcing of global climate. We synthesized long-term stream hydrochemical data from the Sleepers River Research Watershed in Vermont, United States, to explore the relationship of catchment wetness to stream nitrate and DOC loadings. We modeled changes in growing season length and precipitation patterns to simulate future climate scenarios and to assess how stream nutrient loadings respond to climate change. Model results for the 2070-2099 time period suggest that stream nutrient loadings during both the dormant and growing seasons will respond to climate change. During a warmer climate, growing season stream fluxes (runoff +20%, nitrate +57%, and DOC +58%) increase as more precipitation (+28%) and quick flow (+39%) occur during a longer growing season (+43 days). During the dormant season, stream water and nutrient loadings decrease. Net annual stream runoff (+8%) and DOC loading (+9%) increases are commensurate with the magnitude of the average increase of net annual precipitation (+7%). Net annual stream water and DOC loadings are primarily affected by increased dormant season precipitation. In contrast, decreased annual loading of stream nitrate (-2%) reflects a larger effect of growing season controls on stream nitrate and the effects of lengthened growing seasons in a warmer climate. Our findings suggest that leaching of nitrate and DOC from catchment soils will be affected by anthropogenic climate forcing, thereby affecting the timing and magnitude of annual stream loadings in the northeastern United States.

Estimation of base temperatures for nine weed species.

PubMed

Steinmaus, S J; Prather, T S; Holt, J S

2000-02-01

Experiments were conducted to test several methods for estimating low temperature thresholds for seed germination. Temperature responses of nine weeds common in annual agroecosystems were assessed in temperature gradient experiments. Species included summer annuals (Amaranthus albus, A. palmeri, Digitaria sanguinalis, Echinochloa crus-galli, Portulaca oleracea, and Setaria glauca), winter annuals (Hirschfeldia incana and Sonchus oleraceus), and Conyza canadensis, which is classified as a summer or winter annual. The temperature below which development ceases (Tbase) was estimated as the x-intercept of four conventional germination rate indices regressed on temperature, by repeated probit analysis, and by a mathematical approach. An overall Tbase estimate for each species was the average across indices weighted by the reciprocal of the variance associated with the estimate. Germination rates increased linearly with temperature between 15 degrees C and 30 degrees C for all species. Consistent estimates of Tbase were obtained for most species using several indices. The most statistically robust and biologically relevant method was the reciprocal time to median germination, which can also be used to estimate other biologically meaningful parameters. The mean Tbase for summer annuals (13.8 degrees C) was higher than that for winter annuals (8.3 degrees C). The two germination response characteristics, Tbase and slope (rate), influence a species' germination behaviour in the field since the germination inhibiting effects of a high Tbase may be offset by the germination promoting effects of a rapid germination response to temperature. Estimates of Tbase may be incorporated into predictive thermal time models to assist weed control practitioners in making management decisions.

Direct evidence of the feedback between climate and nutrient, major, and trace element transport to the oceans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eiriksdottir, Eydis Salome; Gislason, Sigurður Reynir; Oelkers, Eric H.

2015-10-01

Climate changes affect weathering, denudation and riverine runoff, and therefore elemental fluxes to the ocean. This study presents the climate effect on annual fluxes of 28 dissolved elements, and organic and inorganic particulate fluxes, determined over 26-42 year period in three glacial and three non-glacial river catchments located in Eastern Iceland. Annual riverine fluxes were determined by generating robust correlations between dissolved element concentrations measured from 1998 to 2003 and suspended inorganic matter concentrations measured from 1962 to 2002 with instantaneous discharge measured at the time of sampling in each of these rivers. These correlations were used together with measured average daily discharge to compute daily elemental fluxes. Integration of these daily fluxes yielded the corresponding annual fluxes. As the topography and lithology of the studied glacial and non-glacial river catchments are similar, we used the records of average annual temperature and annual runoff to examine how these parameters and glacier melting influenced individual element fluxes to the oceans. Significant variations were found between the individual elements. The dissolved fluxes of the more soluble elements, such as Mo, Sr, and Na are less affected by increasing temperature and runoff than the insoluble nutrients and trace elements including Fe, P, and Al. This variation between the elements tends to be more pronounced for the glacial compared to the non-glacial rivers. These observations are interpreted to stem from the stronger solubility control on the concentrations of the insoluble elements such that they are less affected by dilution. The dilution of the soluble elements by increasing discharge in the glacial rivers is enhanced by a relatively low amount of water-rock interaction; increased runoff due to glacial melting tend to be collected rapidly into river channels limiting water-rock interaction. It was found that the climate effect on particle transport from the glacial rivers is far higher than all other measured fluxes. This observation, together with the finding that the flux to the oceans of biolimiting elements such as P and Fe is dominated by particulates, suggests that particulate transport by melting glaciers have a relatively strong effect on the feedback between continental weathering, atmospheric chemistry, and climate regulation over geologic time.

Red fox predation on breeding ducks in midcontinent North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sargeant, Alan B.; Allen, Stephen H.; Eberhardt, Robert T.

1984-01-01

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) predation on nesting ducks was assessed by examining 1,857 adult duck remains found at 1,432 fox rearing dens from 1968 to 1973. Dabbling ducks were much more vulnerable to foxes than diving ducks. Dabbling ducks (1,798) found at dens consisted of 27% blue-winged teals (Anas discors), 23% mallards (A. platyrhynchos), 20% northern pintails (A. acuta), 9% northern shovelers (Spatula clypeata), 8% gadwalls (A. strepera), 3% green-winged teals (A. crecca), 2% American wigeons (A. americana), and 10% unidentified. Relative abundance of individual species and nesting chronology were the most important factors affecting composition of ducks taken by foxes. Seventy-six percent of 1,376 adult dabbling ducks and 40% of 30 adult diving ducks for which sex was determined were hens. In western North Dakota and western South Dakota, 65% of mallard and northern pintail remains found at dens were hens compared with 76% in eastern North Dakota and eastern South Dakota (P < 0.05). Percentage hens varied among the 5 most common dabbling ducks found at dens. In eastern North Dakota and eastern South Dakota, where predation on ducks was greatest, an average of 64% of gadwall, 73% of northern pintail, 81% of blue-winged teal, 81% of mallard, and 90% of northern shoveler remains found at dens were hens. Percentage hens among duck remains found at dens increased as the duck nesting season progressed. Numbers of adult ducks found at individual dens ranged from 0 to 67. The average number of ducks found in and around den entrances was used as an index of fox predation rates on ducks. Predation rate indices ranged from 0.01 duck/den in Iowa to 1.80 ducks/den in eastern North Dakota. Average annual predation rate indices for dabbling ducks in a 3-county intensive study area in eastern North Dakota were closely correlated with May pond numbers (r = 0.874, P < 0.10) and duck population size (r = 0.930, P < 0.05), but all species were not affected in the same manner or to the same degree. Drought had least effect on populations and predation rate indices of mallards and gadwalls and had greatest effect on those of northern pintails and northern shovelers. Hens of early nesting species were more vulnerable to foxes than hens of late nesting species. Predation rate indices were expanded to estimate total numbers of ducks taken by fox families during the denning season. Estimated numbers of dabbling ducks taken annually by individual fox families in 2 physiographic regions comprising the intensive study area ranged from 16.1 to 65.9. Predation was highest during wet years and lowest during dry years and averaged lower, but was more variable, in the region where tillage was greatest and wetland water levels were least stable. Predation in the intensive study area averaged 2.97 adult dabbling ducks/ km2/year and represented an estimated average annual loss of 13.5% of hen and 4.5% of drake populations in that area. Of 5,402 individual food items found at dens in the intensive study area, 24% were adult ducks. Ducks made up an estimated maximum average of 16% of the prey biomass required by fox families during the denning season. The average annual take of adult ducks by foxes in the midcontinent area was estimated to be about 900,000. This estimate included both scavenged and fox-killed ducks, as well as ducks taken after the denning season. Fox impact on midcontinent ducks was greatest in eastern North Dakota where both fox and duck densities were relatively high. Predation in that area was likely increased by environmental factors, especially intensive agriculture that concentrated nesting and reduced prey abundance. Predation by red foxes and other predators severely reduces duck production in the midcontinent area. Effective management to increase waterfowl production will necessitate coping with or reducing high levels of predation.

Storm surges and coastal impacts at Mar del Plata, Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiore, Mónica M. E.; D'Onofrio, Enrique E.; Pousa, Jorge L.; Schnack, Enrique J.; Bértola, Germán R.

2009-07-01

Positive storm surges (PSS) lasting for several days can raise the water level producing significant differences between the observed level and the astronomical tide. These storm events can be more severe if they coincide with a high tide or if they bracket several tidal cycles, particularly in the case of the highest astronomical tide. Besides, the abnormal sea-level elevation near the coast can cause the highest waves generated to attack the upper beach. This combination of factors can produce severe erosion, threatening sectors located along the coastline. These effects would be more serious if the storm surge height and duration increase as a result of a climatic change. The Mar del Plata (Argentina) coastline and adjacent areas are exposed to such effects. A statistical characterization of PSS based on their intensity, duration and frequency, including a surge event classification, was performed utilizing tide-gauge records over the period 1956-2005. A storm erosion potential index (SEPI) was calculated from observed levels based on hourly water level measurements. The index was related to beach profile responses to storm events. Also, a return period for extreme SEPI values was calculated. Results show an increase in the average number of positive storm surge events per decade. Considering all the events, the last decade (1996-2005) exhibits an average 7% increase compared to each one of the previous decades. A similar behavior was found for the decadal average of the heights of maximum annual positive storm surges. In this case the average height of the last two decades exceeds that of the previous decades by approximately 8 cm. The decadal average of maximum annual duration of these meteorological events shows an increase of 2 h in the last three decades. A possible explanation of the changes in frequency, height and duration of positive storm surges at Mar del Plata would seem to lie in the relative mean sea-level rise.

Indoor radon risk associated to post-tectonic biotite granites from Vila Pouca de Aguiar pluton, northern Portugal.

PubMed

Martins, L M O; Gomes, M E P; Teixeira, R J S; Pereira, A J S C; Neves, L J P F

2016-11-01

At Vila Pouca de Aguiar area, northern Portugal, crops out a post-tectonic Variscan granite pluton, related with the Régua-Vila Real-Verín fault zone, comprising three types of biotite granites. Among these granites, PSG granite yield the highest average contents of U, probably due to its enrichment in accessory U-bearing minerals such as zircon. In the proximity of faults and joints, these granites are often affected by different degrees of hydrothermal alteration, forming reddish altered rocks, commonly known as "episyenites". These altered rocks are probably associated to the occurrence of hydrothermal processes, which led to uranium enrichment in the most advanced stages of episyenitization. In these granites, both average gamma absorbed dose rates in outdoor and indoor air are higher than those of the world average. Furthermore, even in the worst usage scenario, all these granites can be used as a building material, since their annual effective doses are similar to the limit defined by the European Commission. The geometric mean of radon activity of 91 dwellings located at the Vila Pouca de Aguiar pluton is 568Bqm(-3), exceeding that of other northern Portuguese granites. Measurements carried out during a winter season, indicate that 62.6% of the analysed dwellings yield higher indoor radon average values than the Portuguese legislation limit (400Bqm(-3)), and annual effective doses due higher than the world's average value (1.2mSvy(-1)). The interaction of geogenic, architectural and anthropogenic features is crucial to explain the variance in the geometric mean of radon activity of dwellings from Vila Pouca de Aguiar pluton, but the role of geologic faults is probably the most important decisive factor to increase the indoor radon concentration in dwellings. Hence, the development of awareness campaigns in order to inform population about the incurred radiological risks to radon exposure are highly recommended for this specific area. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Near-Tropopause Ozone Distributions in the Global Modeling Initiative Combined Stratosphere/Troposphere Model with Ozonesonde Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Considine, David B.; Logan, Jennifer A.; Olsen, Mark A.

2008-01-01

The NASA Global Modeling Initiative has developed a combined stratosphere/troposphere chemistry and transport model which fully represents the processes governing atmospheric composition near the tropopause. We evaluate model ozone distributions near the tropopause, using two high vertical resolution monthly mean ozone profile climatologies constructed with ozonesonde data, one by averaging on pressure levels and the other relative to the thermal tropopause. Model ozone is high biased at the SH tropical and NH midlatitude tropopause by approx. 45% in a 4 deg. latitude x 5 deg. longitude model simulation. Increasing the resolution to 2 deg. x 2.5 deg. increases the NH tropopause high bias to approx. 60%, but decreases the tropical tropopause bias to approx. 30%, an effect of a better-resolved residual circulation. The tropopause ozone biases appear not to be due to an overly vigorous residual circulation or excessive stratosphere/troposphere exchange, but are more likely due to insufficient vertical resolution or excessive vertical diffusion near the tropopause. In the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, model/measurement intercomparisons are strongly affected by the averaging technique. NH and tropical mean model lower stratospheric biases are less than 20%. In the upper troposphere, the 2 deg. x 2.5 deg. simulation exhibits mean high biases of approx. 20% and approx. 35% during April in the tropics and NH midlatitudes, respectively, compared to the pressure averaged climatology. However, relative-to-tropopause averaging produces upper troposphere high biases of approx. 30% and 70% in the tropics and NH midlatitudes. This is because relative-to-tropopause averaging better preserves large cross-tropopause O3 gradients, which are seen in the daily sonde data, but not in daily model profiles. The relative annual cycle of ozone near the tropopause is reproduced very well in the model Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes. In the tropics, the model amplitude of the near tropopause annual cycle is weak. This is likely due to the annual amplitude of mean vertical upwelling near the tropopause, which analysis suggests is approx. 30% weaker than in the real atmosphere.

78 FR 77550 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-23

... Universe: 693 railroads. Frequency of Submission: On occasion. Reporting Burden: Total annual Average time per Total annual CFR Section Respondent universe responses response burden hours 237.3 Notifications... Universe: 685 railroads and 4 Locomotive Manufacturers. Frequency of Submission: On occasion. Reporting...

77 FR 68203 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-15

.... Affected Public: Businesses. Respondent Universe: 5 Manufacturers. Total annual Average time per Total annual CFR section Respondent universe responses response burden hours 223.17--Identification of 4... Number(s): N/A. Affected Public: Railroad Employees. Respondent Universe: 40,000 Locomotive Engineers...

78 FR 32005 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-28

...; SF-270. Affected Public: Businesses. Respondent Universe: 7 Railroads. Frequency of Submission: On occasion. Reporting Burden: Total annual Average time per Total annual Grant program Respondent universe... Number(s): N/A. Affected Public: States. Respondent Universe: 10 States. Frequency of Submission: On...

39 CFR 3010.22 - Calculation of annual limitation when notices of rate adjustment are less than 12 months apart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... dividing the sum by 12 (Recent Average). The partial year limitation is then calculated by dividing the Recent Average by the Recent Average from the most recent previous notice of rate adjustment (Previous Recent Average) applicable to each affected class of mail and subtracting 1 from the quotient. The result...

The effect of changes in sea surface temperature on linear growth of Porites coral in Ambon Bay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Corvianawatie, Corry, E-mail: corvianawatie@students.itb.ac.id; Putri, Mutiara R., E-mail: mutiara.putri@fitb.itb.ac.id; Cahyarini, Sri Y., E-mail: yuda@geotek.lipi.go.id

Coral is one of the most important organisms in the coral reef ecosystem. There are several factors affecting coral growth, one of them is changes in sea surface temperature (SST). The purpose of this research is to understand the influence of SST variability on the annual linear growth of Porites coral taken from Ambon Bay. The annual coral linear growth was calculated and compared to the annual SST from the Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature version 3b (ERSST v3b) model. Coral growth was calculated by using Coral X-radiograph Density System (CoralXDS) software. Coral sample X-radiographs were used as input data.more » Chronology was developed by calculating the coral’s annual growth bands. A pair of high and low density banding patterns observed in the coral’s X-radiograph represent one year of coral growth. The results of this study shows that Porites coral extents from 2001-2009 and had an average growth rate of 1.46 cm/year. Statistical analysis shows that the annual coral linear growth declined by 0.015 cm/year while the annual SST declined by 0.013°C/year. SST and the annual linear growth of Porites coral in the Ambon Bay is insignificantly correlated with r=0.304 (n=9, p>0.05). This indicates that annual SST variability does not significantly influence the linear growth of Porites coral from Ambon Bay. It is suggested that sedimentation load, salinity, pH or other environmental factors may affect annual linear coral growth.« less

Water Footprint Analysis of Paddy Rice and the Nexus of Water-Land-Rice in Taiwan: 2005-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, T. C.

2018-05-01

This paper explores the water footprint (WF) of paddy rice and the nexus of water-land-food (rice) in Taiwan. The research results indicate that the average annual rice WF for the years 2005-2014 was about 7,580 m3/ton, of which 80% was blue, 17% was green, and 3% was grey. This average annual footprint was about 5.7 times larger than the 2000-2004 average annual WF of rice for countries around the globe of 1325 m3/ton, of which 48% was green, 44% was blue, and 8% was grey. The blue WF is the most important source of water for rice production in Taiwan. The water consumption of the second crop is higher than that of the first crop. The water use efficiency in the southern region of Taiwan is the best, while the northern part of Taiwan exhibits relatively high inefficiency. The rates of change in cultivated land and rice production in Taiwan are decreasing in a stable manner. However, the annual rate of change in the rice WF is unstable. The nexus of land, water, and food should be taken into consideration to protect water availability, maintain agricultural production, and avoid land degradation. The results could offer useful information for agriculture policy and water resource management.

Weather explains high annual variation in butterfly dispersal.

PubMed

Kuussaari, Mikko; Rytteri, Susu; Heikkinen, Risto K; Heliölä, Janne; von Bagh, Peter

2016-07-27

Weather conditions fundamentally affect the activity of short-lived insects. Annual variation in weather is therefore likely to be an important determinant of their between-year variation in dispersal, but conclusive empirical studies are lacking. We studied whether the annual variation of dispersal can be explained by the flight season's weather conditions in a Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) metapopulation. This metapopulation was monitored using the mark-release-recapture method for 12 years. Dispersal was quantified for each monitoring year using three complementary measures: emigration rate (fraction of individuals moving between habitat patches), average residence time in the natal patch, and average distance moved. There was much variation both in dispersal and average weather conditions among the years. Weather variables significantly affected the three measures of dispersal and together with adjusting variables explained 79-91% of the variation observed in dispersal. Different weather variables became selected in the models explaining variation in three dispersal measures apparently because of the notable intercorrelations. In general, dispersal rate increased with increasing temperature, solar radiation, proportion of especially warm days, and butterfly density, and decreased with increasing cloudiness, rainfall, and wind speed. These results help to understand and model annually varying dispersal dynamics of species affected by global warming. © 2016 The Author(s).

Statistical trend analysis and extreme distribution of significant wave height from 1958 to 1999 - an application to the Italian Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martucci, G.; Carniel, S.; Chiggiato, J.; Sclavo, M.; Lionello, P.; Galati, M. B.

2009-09-01

The study is a statistical analysis of sea states timeseries derived using the wave model WAM forced by the ERA-40 dataset in selected areas near the Italian coasts. For the period 1 January 1958 to 31 December 1999 the analysis yields: (i) the existence of a negative trend in the annual- and winter-averaged sea state heights; (ii) the existence of a turning-point in late 70's in the annual-averaged trend of sea state heights at a site in the Northern Adriatic Sea; (iii) the overall absence of a significant trend in the annual-averaged mean durations of sea states over thresholds; (iv) the assessment of the extreme values on a time-scale of thousand years. The analysis uses two methods to obtain samples of extremes from the independent sea states: the r-largest annual maxima and the peak-over-threshold. The two methods show statistical differences in retrieving the return values and more generally in describing the significant wave field. The study shows the existence of decadal negative trends in the significant wave heights and by this it conveys useful information on the wave climatology of the Italian seas during the second half of the 20th century.