Our built and natural environments : a technical review of the interactions between land use, transportation, and environmental quality

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-01-01

In recent years interest has grown in Smart Growth as a mechanism for improving environmental quality. In Our Built and Natural Environments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) summarizes technical research on the relationship between the...

[Assessment of land use environmental impacts in urban built-up area: a case study in main built-up area of Nanchang City].

PubMed

Chen, Wen-Bo; Liu, Shi-Yu; Yu, Dun; Zou, Qiu-Ming

2009-07-01

Based on the relevant studies of land use environmental impacts and the characteristics of urban land use, a conceptual model on the assessment of land use environmental impacts in urban built-up area was established. This model grouped the land use environmental impacts in built-up area into four basic processes, i. e., detailization, abstractization, matching, and evaluation. A case study was conducted in the main built-up area of Nanchang City, with noise, smell, dust, and hazard as the impact factors. In the test area, noise had a widespread impact, its impacting area accounting for 59% of the total, smell and dust impacts centralized in the east and south parts, while hazard impact was centralized in the southeast part, an industrial area. This assessment model of four basic processes was practical, and could provide basis for the decision-making of urban land use management and planning.

Decadal changes in North Atlantic atmospheric circulation patterns recorded by sand spits since 1800 CE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poirier, Clément; Tessier, Bernadette; Chaumillon, Éric; Bertin, Xavier; Fruergaard, Mikkel; Mouazé, Dominique; Noël, Suzanne; Weill, Pierre; Wöppelmann, Guy

2017-03-01

Present-day coastal barriers represent around 15% of the world's oceanic shorelines, and play an important role as early warning indicators of environmental change. Among them, wave-dominated barriers are dynamic landforms that tend to migrate landward in response to storms and sea-level change. High rates of sediment supply can locally offset the global retrogradation trend, providing valuable records of past environmental change occurring on transgressive coasts. However, geochronological control limits the temporal resolution of such records to millennial or centennial timescales, and the decadal or even faster response of wave-built barriers to historical climate changes is therefore poorly understood. In this study, we show that shoreline dynamics of sand spits reconstructed from old cartographic documents has been synchronous on both margins of the North Atlantic Ocean since about 1800 CE. Spit growth accelerated drastically during three periods lasting about 15 years, characterised by positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and negative East Atlantic-West Russia (EA-WR) atmospheric circulation patterns. These changes are in phase with periods of increased volcanic activity. We use a high-resolution wave hindcast (1948-2014 CE) in a reference area to confirm the association between NAO and EA-WR as a proxy for offshore and nearshore wave height and for associated longshore sediment transport (LST) involved in spit growth. A 24-month lagged correlation between sediment transport and volcanic aerosol optical thickness (concentration of ashes in the atmosphere) is observed, suggesting that spit shoreline dynamics at the decadal timescale is partially forced by external climate drivers via cascading effects on atmospheric circulation patterns and wave climate. Our results imply that NAO variability alone is not sufficient to understand the evolution of wave-built coastal environments. The associated sediment record can be used to reconstruct multi-decadal variability of other climate patterns.

The Impact of the Built Environment on Young People’s Physical Activity Patterns: A Suburban-Rural Comparison Using GPS

PubMed Central

Collins, Peter; Al-Nakeeb, Yahya; Nevill, Alan; Lyons, Mark

2012-01-01

The built environment in which young people live has a significant influence on their physical activity (PA). However, little is known regarding how youth from suburban and rural settings utilise their surrounding environments to participate in free-living PA. 50 adolescents aged 13–14 years old (22 rural; 28 suburban) wore an integrated GPS and heart rate device during non-school hours and completed a daily PA diary over 7 days. Descriptive statistics and analyses of variance were used to explore differences in the amount and location of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) between genders and youth from different geographical settings. Suburban youth participated in significantly (p = 0.004) more daily PA (52.14 minutes MVPA) and were more extensive in their utilisation of their surroundings, compared to rural youth (26.61 minutes MVPA). Suburban youth visited more public recreational facilities and spent significantly more time outdoors and on local streets (109.71 minutes and 44.62 minutes, respectively) compared to rural youth (55.98 minutes and 17.15 minutes, respectively) during weekdays. Rural youth on average spent significantly more time within the home (350.69 minutes) during weekends compared to suburban youth (214.82 minutes). Rural females were the least active group of adolescents, participating in the least amount of daily PA (20.14 minutes MVPA) and spending the least amount of time outdoors (31.37 minutes) during weekdays. Time spent outdoors was positively associated with PA. The findings highlight the disparity in PA levels and the utilisation of the surrounding built environment between youth from two different geographical settings and possible environmental causes are discussed. The study supports the use of GPS (combined with other methods) in investigating geographical differences in young people’s PA and movement patterns. This method provides a wealth of information that may assist future policies and interventions in identifying environmental characteristics that promote PA in youth from different geographical settings. PMID:23202669

The impact of the built environment on young people's physical activity patterns: a suburban-rural comparison using GPS.

PubMed

Collins, Peter; Al-Nakeeb, Yahya; Nevill, Alan; Lyons, Mark

2012-08-24

The built environment in which young people live has a significant influence on their physical activity (PA). However, little is known regarding how youth from suburban and rural settings utilise their surrounding environments to participate in free-living PA. 50 adolescents aged 13-14 years old (22 rural; 28 suburban) wore an integrated GPS and heart rate device during non-school hours and completed a daily PA diary over 7 days. Descriptive statistics and analyses of variance were used to explore differences in the amount and location of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) between genders and youth from different geographical settings. Suburban youth participated in significantly (p = 0.004) more daily PA (52.14 minutes MVPA) and were more extensive in their utilisation of their surroundings, compared to rural youth (26.61 minutes MVPA). Suburban youth visited more public recreational facilities and spent significantly more time outdoors and on local streets (109.71 minutes and 44.62 minutes, respectively) compared to rural youth (55.98 minutes and 17.15 minutes, respectively) during weekdays. Rural youth on average spent significantly more time within the home (350.69 minutes) during weekends compared to suburban youth (214.82 minutes). Rural females were the least active group of adolescents, participating in the least amount of daily PA (20.14 minutes MVPA) and spending the least amount of time outdoors (31.37 minutes) during weekdays. Time spent outdoors was positively associated with PA. The findings highlight the disparity in PA levels and the utilisation of the surrounding built environment between youth from two different geographical settings and possible environmental causes are discussed. The study supports the use of GPS (combined with other methods) in investigating geographical differences in young people's PA and movement patterns. This method provides a wealth of information that may assist future policies and interventions in identifying environmental characteristics that promote PA in youth from different geographical settings.

Spatial heterogeneity of the relationships between environmental characteristics and active commuting: towards a locally varying social ecological model.

PubMed

Feuillet, Thierry; Charreire, Hélène; Menai, Mehdi; Salze, Paul; Simon, Chantal; Dugas, Julien; Hercberg, Serge; Andreeva, Valentina A; Enaux, Christophe; Weber, Christiane; Oppert, Jean-Michel

2015-03-25

According to the social ecological model of health-related behaviors, it is now well accepted that environmental factors influence habitual physical activity. Most previous studies on physical activity determinants have assumed spatial homogeneity across the study area, i.e. that the association between the environment and physical activity is the same whatever the location. The main novelty of our study was to explore geographical variation in the relationships between active commuting (walking and cycling to/from work) and residential environmental characteristics. 4,164 adults from the ongoing Nutrinet-Santé web-cohort, residing in and around Paris, France, were studied using a geographically weighted Poisson regression (GWPR) model. Objective environmental variables, including both the built and the socio-economic characteristics around the place of residence of individuals, were assessed by GIS-based measures. Perceived environmental factors (index including safety, aesthetics, and pollution) were reported by questionnaires. Our results show that the influence of the overall neighborhood environment appeared to be more pronounced in the suburban southern part of the study area (Val-de-Marne) compared to Paris inner city, whereas more complex patterns were found elsewhere. Active commuting was positively associated with the built environment only in the southern and northeastern parts of the study area, whereas positive associations with the socio-economic environment were found only in some specific locations in the southern and northern parts of the study area. Similar local variations were observed for the perceived environmental variables. These results suggest that: (i) when applied to active commuting, the social ecological conceptual framework should be locally nuanced, and (ii) local rather than global targeting of public health policies might be more efficient in promoting active commuting.

Does the social environment moderate associations of the built environment with Latinas' objectively-measured neighborhood outdoor physical activity?

PubMed

Perez, L G; Carlson, J; Slymen, D J; Patrick, K; Kerr, J; Godbole, S; Elder, J P; Ayala, G X; Arredondo, E M

2016-12-01

Favorable perceptions of the built and social neighborhood environment may promote outdoor physical activity (PA). However, little is known about their independent and interactive effects on neighborhood-specific outdoor PA. We examined associations of perceived built and social neighborhood environment factors, and their interactions, with objectively-measured neighborhood outdoor moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among a sample of Latina women in San Diego, CA. Analyses included baseline data collected in 2011-2013 from 86 Latinas with ≥ 2 days of combined accelerometer and global positioning system data and complete survey measures. We examined objective neighborhood outdoor MVPA within 500-meter home buffers. Generalized linear mixed models examined associations of 3 perceived built (e.g., sidewalk maintenance) and 3 social environmental (e.g., safety from crime) factors with engaging in any daily neighborhood outdoor MVPA. Models tested interactions between the built and social environmental factors. Although the perceived neighborhood environmental factors were not significantly related to daily neighborhood outdoor MVPA, we found 2 significant interactions: perceived sidewalk maintenance x safety from crime ( p  = 0.05) and neighborhood aesthetics x neighborhood social cohesion ( p  = 0.03). Sidewalk maintenance was positively related to daily neighborhood outdoor MVPA only among Latinas that reported low levels of safety from crime. Neighborhood aesthetics was positively related to daily neighborhood outdoor MVPA only among Latinas with high neighborhood social cohesion. Findings suggest several built and social environmental factors interact to influence Latinas' neighborhood outdoor MVPA. Interventions are needed targeting both built and social neighborhood environmental factors favorable to outdoor PA in the neighborhood.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Urban Land Cover Changes in Kigali, Rwanda Using Multitemporal Landsat Data and Landscape Metrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mugiraneza, T.; Haas, J.; Ban, Y.

2017-11-01

Mapping urbanization and ensuing environmental impacts using satellite data combined with landscape metrics has become a hot research topic. The objectives of the study are to analyze the spatio-temporal evolution of urbanization patterns of Kigali, Rwanda over the last three decades (from 1984 to 2015) using multitemporal Landsat data and to assess the associated environmental impact using landscape metrics. Landsat images, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) variance texture and digital elevation model (DEM) data were classified using a support vector machine (SVM). Eight landscape indices were derived from classified images for urbanization environment impact assessment. Seven land cover classes were derived with an overall accuracy exceeding 88 % with Kappa Coefficients around 0.8. As most prominent changes, cropland was reduced considerably in favour of built-up areas that increased from 2,349 ha to 11,579 ha between 1984 and 2015. During those 31 years, the increased number of patches in most land cover classes illustrated landscape fragmentation, especially for forest. The landscape configuration indices demonstrate that in general the land cover pattern remained stable for cropland but it was highly changed in built-up areas. Satellite-based analysis and quantification of urbanization and its effects using landscape metrics are found to be interesting for grassroots and provide a cost-effective method for urban information production. This information can be used for e.g. potential design and implementation of early warning systems that cater for urbanization effects.

A Community Network of 100 Black Carbon Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preble, C.; Kirchstetter, T.; Caubel, J.; Cados, T.; Keeling, C.; Chang, S.

2017-12-01

We developed a low-cost black carbon sensor, field tested its performance, and then built and deployed a network of 100 sensors in West Oakland, California. We operated the network for 100 days beginning mid-May 2017 to measure spatially resolved black carbon concentrations throughout the community. West Oakland is a San Francisco Bay Area mixed residential and industrial community that is adjacent to regional port and rail yard facilities and surrounded by major freeways. As such, the community is affected by diesel particulate matter emissions from heavy-duty diesel trucks, locomotives, and ships associated with freight movement. In partnership with Environmental Defense Fund, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, we deployed the black carbon monitoring network outside of residences and business, along truck routes and arterial streets, and at upwind locations. The sensor employs the filter-based light transmission method to measure black carbon and has good precision and correspondence with current commercial black carbon instruments. Throughout the 100-day period, each of the 100 sensors transmitted data via a cellular network. A MySQL database was built to receive and manage the data in real-time. The database included diagnostic features to monitor each sensor's operational status and facilitate the maintenance of the network. Spatial and temporal patterns in black carbon concentrations will be presented, including patterns around industrial facilities, freeways, and truck routes, as well as the relationship between neighborhood concentrations and the BAAQMD's monitoring site. Lessons learned during this first of its kind black carbon monitoring network will also be shared.

Measuring the Built Environment for Physical Activity

PubMed Central

Brownson, Ross C.; Hoehner, Christine M.; Day, Kristen; Forsyth, Ann; Sallis, James F.

2009-01-01

Physical inactivity is one of the most important public health issues in the U.S. and internationally. Increasingly, links are being identified between various elements of the physical—or built—environment and physical activity. To understand the impact of the built environment on physical activity, the development of high-quality measures is essential. Three categories of built environment data are being used: (1) perceived measures obtained by telephone interview or self-administered questionnaires; (2) observational measures obtained using systematic observational methods (audits); and (3) archival data sets that are often layered and analyzed with GIS. This review provides a critical assessment of these three types of built-environment measures relevant to the study of physical activity. Among perceived measures, 19 questionnaires were reviewed, ranging in length from 7 to 68 questions. Twenty audit tools were reviewed that cover community environments (i.e., neighborhoods, cities), parks, and trails. For GIS-derived measures, more than 50 studies were reviewed. A large degree of variability was found in the operationalization of common GIS measures, which include population density, land-use mix, access to recreational facilities, and street pattern. This first comprehensive examination of built-environment measures demonstrates considerable progress over the past decade, showing diverse environmental variables available that use multiple modes of assessment. Most can be considered first-generation measures, so further development is needed. In particular, further research is needed to improve the technical quality of measures, understand the relevance to various population groups, and understand the utility of measures for science and public health. PMID:19285216

Deciphering the adjustment between environment and life history in annuals: lessons from a geographically-explicit approach in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Manzano-Piedras, Esperanza; Marcer, Arnald; Alonso-Blanco, Carlos; Picó, F Xavier

2014-01-01

The role that different life-history traits may have in the process of adaptation caused by divergent selection can be assessed by using extensive collections of geographically-explicit populations. This is because adaptive phenotypic variation shifts gradually across space as a result of the geographic patterns of variation in environmental selective pressures. Hence, large-scale experiments are needed to identify relevant adaptive life-history traits as well as their relationships with putative selective agents. We conducted a field experiment with 279 geo-referenced accessions of the annual plant Arabidopsis thaliana collected across a native region of its distribution range, the Iberian Peninsula. We quantified variation in life-history traits throughout the entire life cycle. We built a geographic information system to generate an environmental data set encompassing climate, vegetation and soil data. We analysed the spatial autocorrelation patterns of environmental variables and life-history traits, as well as the relationship between environmental and phenotypic data. Almost all environmental variables were significantly spatially autocorrelated. By contrast, only two life-history traits, seed weight and flowering time, exhibited significant spatial autocorrelation. Flowering time, and to a lower extent seed weight, were the life-history traits with the highest significant correlation coefficients with environmental factors, in particular with annual mean temperature. In general, individual fitness was higher for accessions with more vigorous seed germination, higher recruitment and later flowering times. Variation in flowering time mediated by temperature appears to be the main life-history trait by which A. thaliana adjusts its life history to the varying Iberian environmental conditions. The use of extensive geographically-explicit data sets obtained from field experiments represents a powerful approach to unravel adaptive patterns of variation. In a context of current global warming, geographically-explicit approaches, evaluating the match between organisms and the environments where they live, may contribute to better assess and predict the consequences of global warming.

Transportation Energy Futures Series. Effects of the Built Environment on Transportation. Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Other Factors

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

Porter, C. D.; Brown, A.; Dunphy, R. T.

2013-03-15

Planning initiatives in many regions and communities aim to reduce transportation energy use, decrease emissions, and achieve related environmental benefits by changing land use. This report reviews and summarizes findings from existing literature on the relationship between the built environment and transportation energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, identifying results trends as well as potential future actions. The indirect influence of federal transportation and housing policies, as well as the direct impact of municipal regulation on land use are examined for their effect on transportation patterns and energy use. Special attention is given to the 'four D' factors of density,more » diversity, design and accessibility. The report concludes that policy-driven changes to the built environment could reduce transportation energy and GHG emissions from less than 1% to as much as 10% by 2050, the equivalent of 16%-18% of present-day urban light-duty-vehicle travel. This is one of a series of reports produced as a result of the Transportation Energy Futures (TEF) project, a Department of Energy-sponsored multi-agency project initiated to pinpoint underexplored strategies for abating GHGs and reducing petroleum dependence related to transportation.« less

Transportation Energy Futures Series: Effects of the Built Environment on Transportation: Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Other Factors

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

Porter, C. D.; Brown, A.; Dunphy, R. T.

2013-03-01

Planning initiatives in many regions and communities aim to reduce transportation energy use, decrease emissions, and achieve related environmental benefits by changing land use. This report reviews and summarizes findings from existing literature on the relationship between the built environment and transportation energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, identifying results trends as well as potential future actions. The indirect influence of federal transportation and housing policies, as well as the direct impact of municipal regulation on land use are examined for their effect on transportation patterns and energy use. Special attention is given to the 'four D' factors of density,more » diversity, design and accessibility. The report concludes that policy-driven changes to the built environment could reduce transportation energy and GHG emissions from less than 1% to as much as 10% by 2050, the equivalent of 16%-18% of present-day urban light-duty-vehicle travel. This is one of a series of reports produced as a result of the Transportation Energy Futures (TEF) project, a Department of Energy-sponsored multi-agency project initiated to pinpoint underexplored strategies for abating GHGs and reducing petroleum dependence related to transportation.« less

Environmental Stewardship through Service Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaye, Cathryn Berger

2011-01-01

New school buildings often grab headlines that highlight their green features and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, yet nearly 90% of schools in the United States were built before 1985, with the largest portion built from 1950-69 to accommodate the baby boom generation (National Clearinghouse for Educational…

Association between School Policies and Built Environment, and Youth's Participation in Various Types of Physical Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Stephanie; Bélanger, Mathieu; Donovan, Denise; Caissie, Isabelle; Goguen, Julie; Vanasse, Allain

2015-01-01

Background: School environmental characteristics may be associated with youth's participation in different types of physical activities (PAs). This study aimed to identify which school policies and built environmental characteristics were associated with participation in organized, nonorganized, individual, and group-based activities. Methods:…

[Suitability of spatial pattern of camping sites in Langxiang Natural Reserve, Northeast Chi- na, based on GIS technology].

PubMed

Yuan, Wei; Zhang, Jie; Tan Ji-qiang; Zhou, Bo; Kang, Rui-cun; Wang, Ai-hong; Liu, Wei; Zhang, Lu

2015-09-01

It is an effective way for natural reserves to enhance self-supportive ability and realize sustainable development by developing ecotourism. Taking the experimental zone of Langxiang Natural Reserve in Heilongjiang Province as research object, the forest sub-compartment as research unit, and spatial pattern of environmental suitability of camping sites as research content, an evaluation index system taking natural environment, geographical security, infrastructure and traffic as project levels was built. Delphi and AHP methods were used to determine index weights. A spatial distribution map of camping environmental suitability in Langxiang Natural Reserve was drawn using the GIS spatial information processing technology based on "3S" measurement and the survey data. The results showed that the highest score for quantification of environmental suitability was 90, while the lowest score was 78, and the average value was 83.66 in the 1067 forest sub-compartments for test. The area of forest sub-compartments which were suitable for camping was 1094.44 hm2, being 12.2% of the experimental zone. The forest sub-compartments which had high environmental suitability in the research area were distributed uniformly and centralized with low degree of fragmentation. It was suggested that the contiguous forest sub-compartments with high scores of environmental suitability could be integrated for camping tourism. Due to the high level of environmental suitability for camping, the experimental zone of Langxiang Natural Reserve is suitable for developing camping tourism. Based on "3S" technology, the land use conditions of ecotourism environment of a natural reserve could be evaluated quickly and quantitatively by mathematical model.

Environmental factors linked to depression vulnerability are associated with altered cerebellar resting-state synchronization.

PubMed

Córdova-Palomera, Aldo; Tornador, Cristian; Falcón, Carles; Bargalló, Nuria; Brambilla, Paolo; Crespo-Facorro, Benedicto; Deco, Gustavo; Fañanás, Lourdes

2016-11-28

Hosting nearly eighty percent of all human neurons, the cerebellum is functionally connected to large regions of the brain. Accumulating data suggest that some cerebellar resting-state alterations may constitute a key candidate mechanism for depressive psychopathology. While there is some evidence linking cerebellar function and depression, two topics remain largely unexplored. First, the genetic or environmental roots of this putative association have not been elicited. Secondly, while different mathematical representations of resting-state fMRI patterns can embed diverse information of relevance for health and disease, many of them have not been studied in detail regarding the cerebellum and depression. Here, high-resolution fMRI scans were examined to estimate functional connectivity patterns across twenty-six cerebellar regions in a sample of 48 identical twins (24 pairs) informative for depression liability. A network-based statistic approach was employed to analyze cerebellar functional networks built using three methods: the conventional approach of filtered BOLD fMRI time-series, and two analytic components of this oscillatory activity (amplitude envelope and instantaneous phase). The findings indicate that some environmental factors may lead to depression vulnerability through alterations of the neural oscillatory activity of the cerebellum during resting-state. These effects may be observed particularly when exploring the amplitude envelope of fMRI oscillations.

The Dynamics of Population, Built-up Areas and their Evolving Associations in Gridded Population across Time and Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevens, F. R.; Gaughan, A. E.; Tatem, A. J.; Linard, C.; Sorichetta, A.; Nieves, J. J.; Reed, P.

2017-12-01

Gridded population data is commonly used to understand the `now' of hazard risk and mitigation management, health and disease modelling, and global change-, economic-, environmental-, and sustainability-related research. But to understand how human population change at local to global scales influences and is influenced by environmental changes requires novel ways of treating data and statistically describing associations of measured population counts with associated covariates. One of the most critical components in such gridded estimates is the relationship between built-up areas and population located in these areas. This relationship is rarely static and accurately estimating changes in built-areas through time and the changing human population around them is critical when applying gridded population datasets in studies of other environmental change. The research presented here discusses these issues in the context of multitemporal, gridded population data, using new technologies and sources of remotely-sensed and modeled built-up areas. We discuss applications of these data in environmental analyses and intercomparisons with other such data across scales.

Measuring Environmental Factors: Unique and Overlapping International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Coverage of 5 Instruments.

PubMed

Heinemann, Allen W; Miskovic, Ana; Semik, Patrick; Wong, Alex; Dashner, Jessica; Baum, Carolyn; Magasi, Susan; Hammel, Joy; Tulsky, David S; Garcia, Sofia F; Jerousek, Sara; Lai, Jin-Shei; Carlozzi, Noelle E; Gray, David B

2016-12-01

To describe the unique and overlapping content of the newly developed Environmental Factors Item Banks (EFIB) and 7 legacy environmental factor instruments, and to evaluate the EFIB's construct validity by examining associations with legacy instruments. Cross-sectional, observational cohort. Community. A sample of community-dwelling adults with stroke, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury (N=568). None. EFIB covering domains of the built and natural environment; systems, services, and policies; social environment; and access to information and technology; the Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors (CHIEF) short form; the Facilitators and Barriers Survey/Mobility (FABS/M) short form; the Home and Community Environment Instrument (HACE); the Measure of the Quality of the Environment (MQE) short form; and 3 of the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System's (PROMIS) Quality of Social Support measures. The EFIB and legacy instruments assess most of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) environmental factors chapters, including chapter 1 (products and technology; 75 items corresponding to 11 codes), chapter 2 (natural environment and human-made changes; 31 items corresponding to 7 codes), chapter 3 (support and relationships; 74 items corresponding to 7 codes), chapter 4 (attitudes; 83 items corresponding to 8 codes), and chapter 5 (services, systems, and policies; 72 items corresponding to 16 codes). Construct validity is provided by moderate correlations between EFIB measures and the CHIEF, MQE barriers, HACE technology mobility, FABS/M community built features, and PROMIS item banks and by small correlations with other legacy instruments. Only 5 of the 66 legacy instrument correlation coefficients are moderate, suggesting they measure unique aspects of the environment, whereas all intra-EFIB correlations were at least moderate. The EFIB measures provide a brief and focused assessment of ICF environmental factor chapters. The pattern of correlations with legacy instruments provides initial evidence of construct validity. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Disentangling Environmental and Anthropogenic Impacts on the Distribution of Unintentionally Introduced Invasive Alien Insects in Mainland China

PubMed Central

Zhao, Cai-Yun; Xu, Jing; Liu, Xiao-Yan

2017-01-01

Abstract Globalization increases the opportunities for unintentionally introduced invasive alien species, especially for insects, and most of these species could damage ecosystems and cause economic loss in China. In this study, we analyzed drivers of the distribution of unintentionally introduced invasive alien insects. Based on the number of unintentionally introduced invasive alien insects and their presence/absence records in each province in mainland China, regression trees were built to elucidate the roles of environmental and anthropogenic factors on the number distribution and similarity of species composition of these insects. Classification and regression trees indicated climatic suitability (the mean temperature in January) and human economic activity (sum of total freight) are primary drivers for the number distribution pattern of unintentionally introduced invasive alien insects at provincial scale, while only environmental factors (the mean January temperature, the annual precipitation and the areas of provinces) significantly affect the similarity of them based on the multivariate regression trees. PMID:28973576

Overweight and Obese Humans Overeat Away from Home

PubMed Central

de Castro, John M.; King, George A.; Duarte-Gardea, Maria; Gonzalez-Ayala, Salvador; Kooshian, Charles H.

2012-01-01

The built environment has been implicated in the development of the epidemic of obesity. We investigated the differences in the meal patterns of normal weight vs. overweight/obese individuals occurring at home vs. other locations. The location of meals and their size in free-living participants were continuously recorded for 7 consecutive days. Study 1: 81 males and 84 females recorded their intake in 7-d diet diaries and wore a belt that contained a GPS Logger to record their location continuously for 7 consecutive days. Study 2: 388 males and 621 females recorded their intake in diet diaries for 7 consecutive days. In both studies, compared to eating at home, overweight/obese participants ate larger meals away from home in both restaurants and other locations than normal weight participants. Overweight/obese individuals appear to be more responsive to environmental cues for eating away from home. This suggests that the influence of the built environment on the intake of overweight/obese individuals may contribute to the obesity epidemic. PMID:22565154

Geographic patterns and environmental factors associated with human yellow fever presence in the Americas

PubMed Central

Aldighieri, Sylvain; Machado, Gustavo; Leonel, Deise Galan; Vilca, Luz Maria; Uriona, Sonia; Schneider, Maria Cristina

2017-01-01

Background In the Americas, yellow fever virus transmission is a latent threat due to the proximity between urban and wild environments. Although yellow fever has nearly vanished from North and Central America, there are still 13 countries in the Americas considered endemic by the World Health Organization. Human cases usually occur as a result of the exposure to sylvatic yellow fever in tropical forested environments; but urban outbreaks reported during the last decade demonstrate that the risk in this environment still exists. The objective of this study was to identify spatial patterns and the relationship between key geographic and environmental factors with the distribution of yellow fever human cases in the Americas. Methodology/Principal findings An ecological study was carried out to analyze yellow fever human cases reported to the Pan American Health Organization from 2000 to 2014, aggregated by second administrative level subdivisions (counties). Presence of yellow fever by county was used as the outcome variable and eight geo-environmental factors were used as independent variables. Spatial analysis was performed to identify and examine natural settings per county. Subsequently, a multivariable logistic regression model was built. During the study period, 1,164 cases were reported in eight out of the 13 endemic countries. Nearly 83.8% of these cases were concentrated in three countries: Peru (37.4%), Brazil (28.1%) and Colombia (18.4%); and distributed in 57 states/provinces, specifically in 286 counties (3.4% of total counties). Yellow fever presence was significantly associated with altitude, rain, diversity of non-human primate hosts and temperature. A positive spatial autocorrelation revealed a clustered geographic pattern in 138/286 yellow fever positive counties (48.3%). Conclusions/Significance A clustered geographic pattern of yellow fever was identified mostly along the Andes eastern foothills. This risk map could support health policies in endemic countries. Geo-environmental factors associated with presence of yellow fever could help predict and adjust the limits of other risk areas of epidemiological concern. PMID:28886023

Geographic patterns and environmental factors associated with human yellow fever presence in the Americas.

PubMed

Hamrick, Patricia Najera; Aldighieri, Sylvain; Machado, Gustavo; Leonel, Deise Galan; Vilca, Luz Maria; Uriona, Sonia; Schneider, Maria Cristina

2017-09-01

In the Americas, yellow fever virus transmission is a latent threat due to the proximity between urban and wild environments. Although yellow fever has nearly vanished from North and Central America, there are still 13 countries in the Americas considered endemic by the World Health Organization. Human cases usually occur as a result of the exposure to sylvatic yellow fever in tropical forested environments; but urban outbreaks reported during the last decade demonstrate that the risk in this environment still exists. The objective of this study was to identify spatial patterns and the relationship between key geographic and environmental factors with the distribution of yellow fever human cases in the Americas. An ecological study was carried out to analyze yellow fever human cases reported to the Pan American Health Organization from 2000 to 2014, aggregated by second administrative level subdivisions (counties). Presence of yellow fever by county was used as the outcome variable and eight geo-environmental factors were used as independent variables. Spatial analysis was performed to identify and examine natural settings per county. Subsequently, a multivariable logistic regression model was built. During the study period, 1,164 cases were reported in eight out of the 13 endemic countries. Nearly 83.8% of these cases were concentrated in three countries: Peru (37.4%), Brazil (28.1%) and Colombia (18.4%); and distributed in 57 states/provinces, specifically in 286 counties (3.4% of total counties). Yellow fever presence was significantly associated with altitude, rain, diversity of non-human primate hosts and temperature. A positive spatial autocorrelation revealed a clustered geographic pattern in 138/286 yellow fever positive counties (48.3%). A clustered geographic pattern of yellow fever was identified mostly along the Andes eastern foothills. This risk map could support health policies in endemic countries. Geo-environmental factors associated with presence of yellow fever could help predict and adjust the limits of other risk areas of epidemiological concern.

Environmental Linguistics: A Typology of Visual Factors in Shopping Malls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woods, John D.; Sewell, Edward H., Jr.

Environment may be regarded as a form of communication, with environmental linguistics becoming a new discipline that will have to be explored. Its goal is to demystify some of the constructs that contribute to the built environment as a communication tool. Treating the built environment as a language requires a recognition of its dynamic nature.…

Physical environmental correlates of childhood obesity: a systematic review.

PubMed

Dunton, G F; Kaplan, J; Wolch, J; Jerrett, M; Reynolds, K D

2009-07-01

Increasing rates of childhood obesity in the USA and other Western countries are a cause for serious public health concern. Neighborhood and community environments are thought to play a contributing role in the development of obesity among youth, but it is not well understood which types of physical environmental characteristics have the most potential to influence obesity outcomes. This paper reports the results of a systematic review of quantitative research examining built and biophysical environmental variables associated with obesity in children and adolescents through physical activity. Literature searches in PubMed, PsychInfo and Geobase were conducted. Fifteen quantitative studies met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The majority of studies were cross-sectional and published after 2005. Overall, few consistent findings emerged. For children, associations between physical environmental variables and obesity differed by gender, age, socioeconomic status, population density and whether reports were made by the parent or child. Access to equipment and facilities, neighborhood pattern (e.g. rural, exurban, suburban) and urban sprawl were associated with obesity outcomes in adolescents. For most environmental variables considered, strong empirical evidence is not yet available. Conceptual gaps, methodological limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Monitoring the expansion of built-up areas in Seberang Perai region, Penang State, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samat, N.

2014-02-01

Rapid urbanization has caused land use transformation and encroachment of built environment into arable agriculture land. Uncontrolled expansion could bring negative impacts to society, space and the environment. Therefore, information on expansion and future spatial pattern of built-up areas would be useful for planners and decision makers in formulating policies towards managing and planning for sustainable urban development. This study demonstrates the usage of Geographic Information System in monitoring the expansion of built-up area in Seberang Perai region, Penang State, Malaysia. Built-up area has increased by approximately 20% between 1990 and 2001 and further increased by 12% between 2001 and 2007. New development is expected to continue encroach into existing open space and agriculture area since those are the only available land in this study area. The information on statistics of the expansion of built-up area and future spatial pattern of urban expansion were useful in planning and managing urban spatial growth.

Promoting Active Urban Aging: A Measurement Approach to Neighborhood Walkability for Older Adults

PubMed Central

Weiss, Rachael L.; Maantay, Juliana A.; Fahs, Marianne

2011-01-01

Understanding the role of the built environment on physical activity behavior among older adults is an important public health goal, but evaluating these relationships remains complicated due to the difficulty of measuring specific attributes of the environment. As a result, there is conflicting evidence regarding the association between perceived and objectively measured walkability and physical activity among urban-dwelling older adults. This suggests that both actual environmental features and perceptions of these attributes influence walking behavior. The purpose of this pilot project is to create an Objective Walkability Index (OWI) by census block using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and supplement the results with resident perceptions thus more accurately characterizing the context of walkability. Computerized Neighborhood Environment Tracking (ComNET) was used to systematically assess environmental risks impacting activity patterns of older adults in two New York City neighborhoods. In addition, the Senior Center Evaluation of the Neighborhood Environment (SCENE) survey was administered to older adults attending two senior centers located within the target neighborhoods. The results indicate that there is substantial variation in OWI score both between and within the neighborhoods suggesting that residence in some communities may increase the risk of inactivity among older adults. Also, low walkability census blocks were clustered within each neighborhood providing an opportunity for targeted investigation into localized threats to walkability. A lack of consensus regarding the association between the built environment and physical activity among older adults is a consequence of the problems inherent in measuring these determinants. Further empirical evidence evaluating the complex relationships between the built environment and physical activity is an essential step towards creating active communities. PMID:21874149

What is Urban? A study of census and satellite-derived urban classes in the United States (1990-2010) with comparisons to India and Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balk, D.; Leyk, S.; Jones, B.; Clark, A.; Montgomery, M.

2017-12-01

Geographers and demographers have contributed much to understanding urban population and urban place. Yet, we nevertheless remain ill-prepared to fully understand past urban processes and our urban future, and importantly, connect that knowledge to pressing concerns such as climate and environmental change. This is largely due to well-known data limitations and inherent inconsistencies in the urban definition across countries and over time and spatial scales, and because urban models and definitions arise out of disciplinary silos. This paper provides a new framework for urban inquiry in that it combines urban definitions used by the U.S. Census Bureau from 1990-2010 with newly available satellite-based (mostly Landsat) data on built-up area from the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL). We identify areas of agreement and disagreement, as well as the population distribution underlying various GHSL derived built-up land thresholds. Our analysis allows for a systematic means of discerning peri-urban areas from other types of urban development, as well as examines differences in these patterns at the national and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)-level. While we find overwhelming areas of agreement - about 70% of the census-designated urban population can be characterized as living on land that is at least 50% built-up - we also learn much of the significant heterogeneity in levels and patterns of growth between different MSAs. We further compare the US results with those for India and Mexico. This research unlocks the potential of such alternative measures for creating globally and temporally consistent proxies of urban land and may guide further research on consistent modeling of spatial demographic urban change, highly urgent for future work to distinguish between fine-scale levels of urban development and to forecast urban expansion.

Announcement: Community Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation for Built Environment Interventions to Increase Physical Activity.

PubMed

2017-05-05

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recently posted new information on its website: "Physical Activity: Built Environment Approaches Combining Transportation System Interventions with Land Use and Environmental Design." This information is available at https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/physical-activity-built-environment-approaches.

Environmental Quality Index webinar

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Environmental Quality index, data reduction approaches to help improve statistical efficiency, summarizing information on the wider environment humans are exposed to. air, water, land, built, socio-demographic, human and environmental health

Understanding Physical Activity through Interactions Between the Built Environment and Social Cognition: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Rhodes, Ryan E; Saelens, Brian E; Sauvage-Mar, Claire

2018-05-16

Few people in most developed nations engage in regular physical activity (PA), despite its well-established health benefits. Socioecological models highlight the potential interaction of multiple factors from policy and the built environment to individual social cognition in explaining PA. The purpose of this review was to appraise this interaction tenet of the socioecological model between the built environment and social cognition to predict PA. Eligible studies had to have been published in peer-reviewed journals in the English language, and included any tests of interaction between social cognition and the built environment with PA. Literature searches, concluded in October 2017, used five common databases. Findings were grouped by type of PA outcomes (leisure, transportation, total PA and total moderate-vigorous PA [MVPA]), then grouped by the type of interactions between social cognitive and built environment constructs. The initial search yielded 308 hits, which was reduced to 22 independent studies of primarily high- to medium-quality after screening for eligibility criteria. The interaction tenet of the socioecological model was not supported for overall MVPA and total PA. By contrast, while there was heterogeneity of findings for leisure-time PA, environmental accessibility/convenience interacted with intention, and environmental aesthetics interacted with affective judgments, to predict leisure-time PA. Interactions between the built environment and social cognition in PA for transport are limited, with current results failing to support an effect. The results provide some support for interactive aspects of the built environment and social cognition in leisure-time PA, and thus highlight potential areas for integrated intervention of individual and environmental change.

Disentangling Environmental and Anthropogenic Impacts on the Distribution of Unintentionally Introduced Invasive Alien Insects in Mainland China.

PubMed

Zhao, Cai-Yun; Li, Jun-Sheng; Xu, Jing; Liu, Xiao-Yan

2017-05-01

Globalization increases the opportunities for unintentionally introduced invasive alien species, especially for insects, and most of these species could damage ecosystems and cause economic loss in China. In this study, we analyzed drivers of the distribution of unintentionally introduced invasive alien insects. Based on the number of unintentionally introduced invasive alien insects and their presence/absence records in each province in mainland China, regression trees were built to elucidate the roles of environmental and anthropogenic factors on the number distribution and similarity of species composition of these insects. Classification and regression trees indicated climatic suitability (the mean temperature in January) and human economic activity (sum of total freight) are primary drivers for the number distribution pattern of unintentionally introduced invasive alien insects at provincial scale, while only environmental factors (the mean January temperature, the annual precipitation and the areas of provinces) significantly affect the similarity of them based on the multivariate regression trees. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.

SpaceX's Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-09

The ECLSS module inside SpaceX’s headquarters and factory in Hawthorne, California. The module is the same size as the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft and is built to test the Environmental Control and Life Support System, or ECLSS, that is being built for missions aboard the Crew Dragon including those by astronauts flying to the International Space Station on flights for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Photo credit: SpaceX

EPA's Environmental Quality Index Supports Public Health

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Environmental Quality Index (EQI) pulls data from five domains: air, water, land, built, and sociodemographic environments to provide a county-by-county snapshot of overall environmental quality across the entire U.S.

Compact development and VMT: environmental determinism, self-selection, or some of both?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ewing, Reid; Hamidi, Shima; Grace, James B.

2016-01-01

There is a long-running debate in the planning literature about the effects of the built environment on travel behavior and the degree to which apparent effects are due to the tendency of households to self-select into neighborhoods that reinforce their travel preferences. Those who want to walk will choose walkable neighborhoods, and those who want to use transit will choose transit-served neighborhoods. These households might have walked or used transit more than their neighbors wherever they lived. Most previous studies have shown that individual attitudes attenuate the relationship between the residential environment and travel choices, and so the effect of the built environment on travel may be overestimated. But there are other researchers who argue the reverse, claiming that residential preferences reinforce built environmental influences. This study assesses the relative importance of the built environment and residential preferences/travel attitudes for a sample of 962 households in the Greater Salt Lake region using structural equation modeling. For the sake of simplicity, we extracted two factors using principal component analysis, one representing the built environment and the other representing residential preferences/attitudes. Our findings are consistent with the view that the neighborhood built environment and residential preferences both influence household’s travel, that the built environment is the stronger influence, and that the built environment affects travel through two causal pathways, one direct and the other indirect, through attitudes.

Effects of environmental design on patient outcome: a systematic review.

PubMed

Laursen, Jannie; Danielsen, Anne; Rosenberg, Jacob

2014-01-01

The aim of this systematic review was to assess how inpatients were affected by the built environment design during their hospitalization. Over the last decade, the healthcare system has become increasingly aware of how focus on healthcare environment might affect patient satisfaction. The focus on environmental design has become a field with great potential because of its possible impact on cost control while improving quality of care. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify current and past studies about evidence-based healthcare design. The following databases were searched: Medline/PubMed, Cinahl, and Embase. Inclusion criteria were randomized clinical trials (RCTs) investigating the effect of built environment design interventions such as music, natural murals, and plants in relation to patients' health outcome. Built environment design aspects such as audio environment and visual environment had a positive influence on patients' health outcomes. Specifically the studies indicated a decrease in patients' anxiety, pain, and stress levels when exposed to certain built environment design interventions. The built environment, especially specific audio and visual aspects, seems to play an important role in patients' outcomes, making hospitals a better healing environment for patients. Built environment, evidence-based design, healing environments, hospitals, literature review.

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to assess the role of the built environment in influencing obesity: a glossary.

PubMed

Thornton, Lukar E; Pearce, Jamie R; Kavanagh, Anne M

2011-07-01

Features of the built environment are increasingly being recognised as potentially important determinants of obesity. This has come about, in part, because of advances in methodological tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GIS has made the procurement of data related to the built environment easier and given researchers the flexibility to create a new generation of environmental exposure measures such as the travel time to the nearest supermarket or calculations of the amount of neighbourhood greenspace. Given the rapid advances in the availability of GIS data and the relative ease of use of GIS software, a glossary on the use of GIS to assess the built environment is timely. As a case study, we draw on aspects the food and physical activity environments as they might apply to obesity, to define key GIS terms related to data collection, concepts, and the measurement of environmental features.

The physical environment of purpose-built and non-purpose-built supported housing for persons with psychiatric disabilities in Sweden.

PubMed

Johansson, Maria; Brunt, David

2012-04-01

The primary aim of the present study was to investigate if methods derived from environmental psychology can be used to study the qualities of the physical environment of supported housing facilities for persons with psychiatric disabilities. Three units of analysis were selected: the private area, the common indoor area, and the outdoor area. Expert assessments of 110 features of the physical environment in these units and semantic environmental description of the visual experience of them consistently showed that purpose-built supported housing facilities had more physical features important for high quality residential environments than the non-purpose-built supported housing facilities. The employed methods were thus seen to be able to describe and discriminate between qualities in the physical environment of supported housing facilities. Suggestions for the development of tools for the assessment of the physical environment in supported housing are made.

The influence of the built environment on adverse birth outcomes.

PubMed

Woods, N; Gilliland, J; Seabrook, J A

2017-01-01

Adverse birth outcomes are associated with neonatal morbidity and mortality, and higher risk for coronary heart disease, non-insulin-dependent diabetes and hypertension in adulthood. Although there has been considerable research investigating the association between maternal and environmental factors on adverse birth outcomes, one risk factor, not fully understood, is the influence of the built environment. A search of MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane was conducted to find articles assessing the influence of the built environment on preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), and small-for-gestational-age (SGA). In total, 41 studies met our inclusion criteria, and were organized into nine categories: Roadways, Greenness, Power Plants, Gas Stations/Wells, Waste Management, Power Lines, Neighborhood Conditions, Food Environment, and Industry. The most common built environmental variable was roads/traffic, encompassing 17/41 (41%) of the articles reviewed, of which 12/17 (71%) found a significant small to moderate association between high traffic exposure and adverse birth outcomes.

Longitudinal associations between built environment characteristics and changes in active commuting.

PubMed

Yang, Lin; Griffin, Simon; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Wareham, Nick; Panter, Jenna

2017-05-17

Few studies have assessed the predictors of changes in commuting. This study investigated the associations between physical environmental characteristics and changes in active commuting. Adults from the population-based European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk cohort self-reported commuting patterns in 2000 and 2007. Active commuters were defined as those who reported 'always' or 'usually' walking or cycling to work. Environmental attributes around the home and route were assessed using Geographical Information Systems. Associations between potential environmental predictors and uptake and maintenance of active commuting were modelled using logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex and BMI. Of the 2757 participants (62% female, median baseline age: 52, IQR: 50-56 years), most were passive commuters at baseline (76%, n = 2099) and did not change their usual commute mode over 7 years (82%, n = 2277). In multivariable regression models, participants living further from work were less likely to take up active commuting and those living in neighbourhoods with more streetlights were more likely to take up active commuting (both p < 0.05). Findings for maintenance were similar: participants living further from work (over 10 km, OR: 0.06; 95% CI: 0.25 to 0.13) and had a main or secondary road on route were more likely to maintain their active commuting (OR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.28 to 0.98). Those living in neighbourhoods with greater density of employment locations were more likely to maintain their active commuting. Co-locating residential and employment centres as well as redesigning urban areas to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists may encourage active commuting. Future evaluative studies should seek to assess the effects of redesigning the built environment on active commuting and physical activity.

A systematic review of built environment factors related to physical activity and obesity risk: implications for smart growth urban planning.

PubMed

Durand, C P; Andalib, M; Dunton, G F; Wolch, J; Pentz, M A

2011-05-01

Smart growth is an approach to urban planning that provides a framework for making community development decisions. Despite its growing use, it is not known whether smart growth can impact physical activity. This review utilizes existing built environment research on factors that have been used in smart growth planning to determine whether they are associated with physical activity or body mass. Searching the MEDLINE, Psycinfo and Web-of-Knowledge databases, 204 articles were identified for descriptive review, and 44 for a more in-depth review of studies that evaluated four or more smart growth planning principles. Five smart growth factors (diverse housing types, mixed land use, housing density, compact development patterns and levels of open space) were associated with increased levels of physical activity, primarily walking. Associations with other forms of physical activity were less common. Results varied by gender and method of environmental assessment. Body mass was largely unaffected. This review suggests that several features of the built environment associated with smart growth planning may promote important forms of physical activity. Future smart growth community planning could focus more directly on health, and future research should explore whether combinations or a critical mass of smart growth features is associated with better population health outcomes. © 2011 The Authors. obesity reviews © 2011 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

Polish Version of the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS-Poland).

PubMed

Jaśkiewicz, Michał; Besta, Tomasz

2016-11-04

The characteristics of built environments are the subject of intense consideration in the search for solutions to promote wellbeing and a higher quality of life among the inhabitants of cities. Walkability, defined as the extent to which the built environment is friendly to living and fulfilling the needs of the area, has become an important concept in sustainable urban design, public health and environmental psychology. This study systematically adapted the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) for Poland, and evaluated the construct validity aspects of the adapted version among Polish adults. A total sample of 783 participants from a TriCity (Trójmiasto) agglomeration completed the adapted version of the NEWS. Smaller extracted samples of the participants also completed wellbeing related scales, including self-efficacy, local identity and distance to city centre measures. It was expected that various districts of Gdańsk would differ in terms of walkability. The confirmatory factor analysis showed satisfactory goodness-of-fit statistics and factor loadings corresponding to the proposed original factor structure. According to the predictions, the NEWS subscales correlated with the self-efficacy, local identity and wellbeing related measures. In addition, the comparisons between the neighbourhoods of Gdańsk also showed a predictable pattern of results. Overall, the NEWS demonstrated satisfactory measurement properties, and may be useful in the evaluation of the built environment in Poland.

Older People's Experiences of Mobility and Mood in an Urban Environment: A Mixed Methods Approach Using Electroencephalography (EEG) and Interviews.

PubMed

Tilley, Sara; Neale, Chris; Patuano, Agnès; Cinderby, Steve

2017-02-04

There are concerns about mental wellbeing in later life in older people as the global population becomes older and more urbanised. Mobility in the built environment has a role to play in improving quality of life and wellbeing, as it facilitates independence and social interaction. Recent studies using neuroimaging methods in environmental psychology research have shown that different types of urban environments may be associated with distinctive patterns of brain activity, suggesting that we interact differently with varying environments. This paper reports on research that explores older people's responses to urban places and their mobility in and around the built environment. The project aim was to understand how older people experience different urban environments using a mixed methods approach including electroencephalography (EEG), self-reported measures, and interview results. We found that older participants experience changing levels of "excitement", "engagement" and "frustration" (as interpreted by proprietary EEG software) whilst walking between a busy built urban environment and an urban green space environment. These changes were further reflected in the qualitative themes that emerged from transcribed interviews undertaken one week post-walk. There has been no research to date that has directly assessed neural responses to an urban environment combined with qualitative interview analysis. A synergy of methods offers a deeper understanding of the changing moods of older people across time whilst walking in city settings.

SpaceX's Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-09

The interior of the ECLSS module inside SpaceX’s headquarters and factory in Hawthorne, California. The module is the same size as the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft and is built to test the Environmental Control and Life Support System, or ECLSS, that is being built for missions aboard the Crew Dragon including those by astronauts flying to the International Space Station on flights for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Photo credit: SpaceX

SpaceX's Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-09

Engineers work inside the ECLSS module at SpaceX’s headquarters and factory in Hawthorne, California. The module is the same size as the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft and is built to test the Environmental Control and Life Support System, or ECLSS, that is being built for missions aboard the Crew Dragon including those by astronauts flying to the International Space Station on flights for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Photo credit: SpaceX

Incorporating a built environment module into an accelerated second-degree community health nursing course.

PubMed

Hays, Judith C; Davis, Jeffrey A; Miranda, Marie Lynn

2006-01-01

Environmental quality is a leading indicator of population health. Environmental health content has been integrated into the curriculum of an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program for second-degree students through development of an environmental health nursing module for the final-semester community health nursing course. The module was developed through collaboration between two professional schools at Duke University (the School of Nursing and the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences). It focused on the role of the built environment in community health and featured a mix of teaching strategies, including five components: (1) classroom lecture with associated readings, (2) two rounds of online small-group student discussions, (3) assessment of the built environment in local neighborhoods by student teams, (4) team presentation of the neighborhood assessments, and (5) individual student papers synthesizing the conclusions from all team presentations. The goal of the module was to provide nursing students with an organizing framework for integrating environmental health into clinical practice and an innovative tool for understanding community-level components of public health.

Direct and Indirect Associations Between the Built Environment and Leisure and Utilitarian Walking in Older Women.

PubMed

Troped, Philip J; Tamura, Kosuke; McDonough, Meghan H; Starnes, Heather A; James, Peter; Ben-Joseph, Eran; Cromley, Ellen; Puett, Robin; Melly, Steven J; Laden, Francine

2017-04-01

The built environment predicts walking in older adults, but the degree to which associations between the objective built environment and walking for different purposes are mediated by environmental perceptions is unknown. We examined associations between the neighborhood built environment and leisure and utilitarian walking and mediation by the perceived environment among older women. Women (N = 2732, M age  = 72.8 ± 6.8 years) from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and California completed a neighborhood built environment and walking survey. Objective population and intersection density and density of stores and services variables were created within residential buffers. Perceived built environment variables included measures of land use mix, street connectivity, infrastructure for walking, esthetics, traffic safety, and personal safety. Regression and bootstrapping were used to test associations and indirect effects. Objective population, stores/services, and intersection density indirectly predicted leisure and utilitarian walking via perceived land use mix (odds ratios (ORs) = 1.01-1.08, 95 % bias corrected and accelerated confidence intervals do not include 1). Objective density of stores/services directly predicted ≥150 min utilitarian walking (OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.22). Perceived land use mix (ORs = 1.16-1.44) and esthetics (ORs = 1.24-1.61) significantly predicted leisure and utilitarian walking, CONCLUSIONS: Perceived built environment mediated associations between objective built environment variables and walking for leisure and utilitarian purposes. Interventions for older adults should take into account how objective built environment characteristics may influence environmental perceptions and walking.

Differences in associations between active transportation and built environmental exposures when expressed using different components of individual activity spaces.

PubMed

van Heeswijck, Torbjorn; Paquet, Catherine; Kestens, Yan; Thierry, Benoit; Morency, Catherine; Daniel, Mark

2015-05-01

This study assessed relationships between built environmental exposures measured within components of individual activity spaces (i.e., travel origins, destinations and paths in-between), and use of active transportation in a metropolitan setting. Individuals (n=37,165) were categorised as using active or sedentary transportation based on travel survey data. Generalised Estimating Equations analysis was used to test relationships with active transportation. Strength and significance of relationships between exposures and active transportation varied for different components of the activity space. Associations were strongest when including travel paths in expression of the built environment. Land use mix and greenness were negatively related to active transportation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental supports for walking/biking and traffic safety: income and ethnicity disparities.

PubMed

Yu, Chia-Yuan

2014-10-01

The present study investigates the influence of income, ethnicity, and built environmental characteristics on the percentages of workers who walk/bike as well as on pedestrian/cyclist crash rates. Furthermore, income and ethnicity disparities are also explored. This study chose 162 census tracts in Austin as the unit of analysis. To explore income and ethnicity differences in built environments, this study examined the associations of the poverty rate, the percentage of white population, and the percentage of Hispanic population to each built environmental variable. Path models were applied to examine environmental supports of walking/biking and pedestrian/cyclist safety. Areas with high poverty rates had more biking trips and experienced more cyclist crashes, while areas with a high percentage of white population generated more walking trips and fewer pedestrian crashes. Sidewalk completeness and mixed land uses promoted walking to work but increased the crash risk for pedestrians as well. In terms of biking behaviors, road density and transit stop density both increased biking trips and cyclist crashes. Environmental designs that both encourage walking/biking trips and generate more safety threats should attract more attention from policy makers. Policies should also be more devoted to enhancing the mobility and health for areas with high poverty rates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Five domains of environmental quality and birth outcomes

EPA Science Inventory

Human health is affected by simultaneous exposure to stressors and amenities, but research employs single exposure models. To address this, we constructed a county-level Environmental Quality Index (EQI) with data representing five environmental domains (air, water, land, built a...

Panarchy use in environmental science for risk and resilience planning

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental sciences have an important role in informing sustainable management of built environments by providing insights about the drivers and potentially negative impacts of global environmental change. Here, we discuss panarchy theory, a multi-scale hierarchical concept th...

Assessing Built Environment Walkability using Activity-Space Summary Measures.

PubMed

Tribby, Calvin P; Miller, Harvey J; Brown, Barbara B; Werner, Carol M; Smith, Ken R

There is increasing emphasis on active transportation, such as walking, in transportation planning as a sustainable form of mobility and in public health as a means of achieving recommended physical activity and better health outcomes. A research focus is the influence of the built environment on walking, with the ultimate goal of identifying environmental modifications that invite more walking. However, assessments of the built environment for walkability are typically at a spatially disaggregate level (such as street blocks) or at a spatially aggregate level (such as census block groups). A key issue is determining the spatial units for walkability measures so that they reflect potential walking behavior. This paper develops methods for assessing walkability within individual activity spaces : the geographic region accessible to an individual during a given walking trip. We first estimate street network-based activity spaces using the shortest path between known trip starting/ending points and a travel time budget that reflects potential alternative paths. Based on objective walkability measures of the street blocks, we use three summary measures for walkability within activity spaces: i) the average walkability score across block segments (representing the general level of walkability in the activity space); ii) the standard deviation (representing the walkability variation), and; iii) the network autocorrelation (representing the spatial coherence of the walkability pattern). We assess the method using data from an empirical study of built environment walkability and walking behavior in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. We visualize and map these activity space summary measures to compare walkability among individuals' trips within their neighborhoods. We also compare summary measures for activity spaces versus census block groups, with the result that they agree less than half of the time.

Assessing Built Environment Walkability using Activity-Space Summary Measures

PubMed Central

Tribby, Calvin P.; Miller, Harvey J.; Brown, Barbara B.; Werner, Carol M.; Smith, Ken R.

2015-01-01

There is increasing emphasis on active transportation, such as walking, in transportation planning as a sustainable form of mobility and in public health as a means of achieving recommended physical activity and better health outcomes. A research focus is the influence of the built environment on walking, with the ultimate goal of identifying environmental modifications that invite more walking. However, assessments of the built environment for walkability are typically at a spatially disaggregate level (such as street blocks) or at a spatially aggregate level (such as census block groups). A key issue is determining the spatial units for walkability measures so that they reflect potential walking behavior. This paper develops methods for assessing walkability within individual activity spaces: the geographic region accessible to an individual during a given walking trip. We first estimate street network-based activity spaces using the shortest path between known trip starting/ending points and a travel time budget that reflects potential alternative paths. Based on objective walkability measures of the street blocks, we use three summary measures for walkability within activity spaces: i) the average walkability score across block segments (representing the general level of walkability in the activity space); ii) the standard deviation (representing the walkability variation), and; iii) the network autocorrelation (representing the spatial coherence of the walkability pattern). We assess the method using data from an empirical study of built environment walkability and walking behavior in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. We visualize and map these activity space summary measures to compare walkability among individuals’ trips within their neighborhoods. We also compare summary measures for activity spaces versus census block groups, with the result that they agree less than half of the time. PMID:27213027

Performance of GPS-devices for environmental exposure assessment.

PubMed

Beekhuizen, Johan; Kromhout, Hans; Huss, Anke; Vermeulen, Roel

2013-01-01

Integration of individual time-location patterns with spatially resolved exposure maps enables a more accurate estimation of personal exposures to environmental pollutants than using estimates at fixed locations. Current global positioning system (GPS) devices can be used to track an individual's location. However, information on GPS-performance in environmental exposure assessment is largely missing. We therefore performed two studies. First, a commute-study, where the commute of 12 individuals was tracked twice, testing GPS-performance for five transport modes and two wearing modes. Second, an urban-tracking study, where one individual was tracked repeatedly through different areas, focused on the effect of building obstruction on GPS-performance. The median error from the true path for walking was 3.7 m, biking 2.9 m, train 4.8 m, bus 4.9 m, and car 3.3 m. Errors were larger in a high-rise commercial area (median error=7.1 m) compared with a low-rise residential area (median error=2.2 m). Thus, GPS-performance largely depends on the transport mode and urban built-up. Although ~85% of all errors were <10 m, almost 1% of the errors were >50 m. Modern GPS-devices are useful tools for environmental exposure assessment, but large GPS-errors might affect estimates of exposures with high spatial variability.

The influence of farmer demographic characteristics on environmental behaviour: a review.

PubMed

Burton, Rob J F

2014-03-15

Many agricultural studies have observed a relationship between farmer demographic characteristics and environmental behaviours. These relationships are frequently employed in the construction of models, the identification of farmer types, or as part of more descriptive analyses aimed at understanding farmers' environmental behaviour. However, they have also often been found to be inconsistent or contradictory. Although a considerable body of literature has built up around the subject area, research has a tendency to focus on factors such as the direction, strength and consistency of the relationship - leaving the issue of causality largely to speculation. This review addresses this gap by reviewing literature on 4 key demographic variables: age, experience, education, and gender for hypothesised causal links. Overall the review indicates that the issue of causality is a complex one. Inconsistent relationships can be attributed to the presence of multiple causal pathways, the role of scheme factors in determining which pathway is important, inadequately specified measurements of demographic characteristics, and the treatment of non-linear causalities as linear. In addition, all demographic characteristics were perceived to be influenced (to varying extents) by cultural-historical patterns leading to cohort effects or socialised differences in the relationship with environmental behaviour. The paper concludes that more work is required on the issue of causality. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Standards for Environmental Measurement Using GIS: Toward a Protocol for Protocols.

PubMed

Forsyth, Ann; Schmitz, Kathryn H; Oakes, Michael; Zimmerman, Jason; Koepp, Joel

2006-02-01

Interdisciplinary research regarding how the built environment influences physical activity has recently increased. Many research projects conducted jointly by public health and environmental design professionals are using geographic information systems (GIS) to objectively measure the built environment. Numerous methodological issues remain, however, and environmental measurements have not been well documented with accepted, common definitions of valid, reliable variables. This paper proposes how to create and document standardized definitions for measures of environmental variables using GIS with the ultimate goal of developing reliable, valid measures. Inherent problems with software and data that hamper environmental measurement can be offset by protocols combining clear conceptual bases with detailed measurement instructions. Examples demonstrate how protocols can more clearly translate concepts into specific measurement. This paper provides a model for developing protocols to allow high quality comparative research on relationships between the environment and physical activity and other outcomes of public health interest.

Using Attributes of Natural Systems to Plan the Built Environment

EPA Science Inventory

The concept of 'protection' is possible only before something is lost, however, development of the built environment to meet human needs also compromises the environmental systems that sustain human life. Because maintaining an environment that is able to sustain human life requi...

Quantifying urban growth patterns in Hanoi using landscape expansion modes and time series spatial metrics.

PubMed

Nong, Duong H; Lepczyk, Christopher A; Miura, Tomoaki; Fox, Jefferson M

2018-01-01

Urbanization has been driven by various social, economic, and political factors around the world for centuries. Because urbanization continues unabated in many places, it is crucial to understand patterns of urbanization and their potential ecological and environmental impacts. Given this need, the objectives of our study were to quantify urban growth rates, growth modes, and resultant changes in the landscape pattern of urbanization in Hanoi, Vietnam from 1993 to 2010 and to evaluate the extent to which the process of urban growth in Hanoi conformed to the diffusion-coalescence theory. We analyzed the spatiotemporal patterns and dynamics of the built-up land in Hanoi using landscape expansion modes, spatial metrics, and a gradient approach. Urbanization was most pronounced in the periods of 2001-2006 and 2006-2010 at a distance of 10 to 35 km around the urban center. Over the 17 year period urban expansion in Hanoi was dominated by infilling and edge expansion growth modes. Our findings support the diffusion-coalescence theory of urbanization. The shift of the urban growth areas over time and the dynamic nature of the spatial metrics revealed important information about our understanding of the urban growth process and cycle. Furthermore, our findings can be used to evaluate urban planning policies and aid in urbanization issues in rapidly urbanizing countries.

Environmental Quality Assessment of Built Areas with High Vacancy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Y.; Yuan, Y.; Neale, A. C.

2015-12-01

Around the world, many urban areas are challenged by vacant and abandoned residential and business property. High vacancy areas have often been associated with increasing public safety problems and declining property values and subsequent tax base. High vacancy can lead to visible signs of city decline and significant barriers to the revitalization of cities. Addressing the problem of vacancy requires knowledge of vacancy patterns and their possible contributing factors. In this study, we evaluated the ten year (2005-2015) urban environmental changes for some high vacancy areas. Social and economic variables derived from U.S. census data such as non-white population, employment rate, housing price, and environmental variables derived from National Land Cover Data such as land cover and impervious area, were used as the basis for analysis. Correlation analysis and principle components analysis were performed at the Census Block Group level. Three components were identified and interpreted as economic status, urbanness, and greenness. A synthetic Urban Environmental Quality (UEQ) index was developed by integrating the three principle components according to their weights. Comparisons of the UEQ indices between the 2005 and 2015 in the increasingly high vacancy area provided useful information for investigating the possible associations between social, economic, and environmental factors, and the vacancy status. This study could provide useful information for understanding the complex issues leading to vacancy and facilitating future rehabilitation of vacant urban area.

Efficient use of land to meet sustainable energy needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, Rebecca R.; Hoffacker, Madison K.; Field, Christopher B.

2015-04-01

The deployment of renewable energy systems, such as solar energy, to achieve universal access to electricity, heat and transportation, and to mitigate climate change is arguably the most exigent challenge facing humans today. However, the goal of rapidly developing solar energy systems is complicated by land and environmental constraints, increasing uncertainty about the future of the global energy landscape. Here, we test the hypothesis that land, energy and environmental compatibility can be achieved with small- and utility-scale solar energy within existing developed areas in the state of California (USA), a global solar energy hotspot. We found that the quantity of accessible energy potentially produced from photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) within the built environment (`compatible’) exceeds current statewide demand. We identify additional sites beyond the built environment (`potentially compatible’) that further augment this potential. Areas for small- and utility-scale solar energy development within the built environment comprise 11,000-15,000 and 6,000 TWh yr-1 of PV and CSP generation-based potential, respectively, and could meet the state of California’s energy consumptive demand three to five times over. Solar energy within the built environment may be an overlooked opportunity for meeting sustainable energy needs in places with land and environmental constraints.

Educational Module on Environmental Problems in Cities. Environmental Educational Series 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). Div. of Science, Technical and Vocational Education.

The International Environmental Education Programme (IEEP) of UNESCO has determined that the enhancement of the quality of the built environment is a basic priority for future environmental action, particularly in Europe and North America. This experimental teaching module applies specifically to those two continents, and is intended for use by…

Ecological Patterns Among Bacteria and Microbial Eukaryotes Derived from Network Analyses in a Low-Salinity Lake.

PubMed

Jones, Adriane Clark; Hambright, K David; Caron, David A

2018-05-01

Microbial communities are comprised of complex assemblages of highly interactive taxa. We employed network analyses to identify and describe microbial interactions and co-occurrence patterns between microbial eukaryotes and bacteria at two locations within a low salinity (0.5-3.5 ppt) lake over an annual cycle. We previously documented that the microbial diversity and community composition within Lake Texoma, southwest USA, were significantly affected by both seasonal forces and a site-specific bloom of the harmful alga, Prymnesium parvum. We used network analyses to answer ecological questions involving both the bacterial and microbial eukaryotic datasets and to infer ecological relationships within the microbial communities. Patterns of connectivity at both locations reflected the seasonality of the lake including a large rain disturbance in May, while a comparison of the communities between locations revealed a localized response to the algal bloom. A network built from shared nodes (microbial operational taxonomic units and environmental variables) and correlations identified conserved associations at both locations within the lake. Using network analyses, we were able to detect disturbance events, characterize the ecological extent of a harmful algal bloom, and infer ecological relationships not apparent from diversity statistics alone.

Urban-rural differences in environmental quality and associations with adverse birth outcomes

EPA Science Inventory

Exposures affecting human health differ across environmental media and level of urbanicity. To address this, we constructed an Environmental Quality Index (EQI) with data representing five domains (air, water, land, built, sociodemographic) for each United States (U.S.) county. F...

Additive interaction between heterogeneous environmental quality domains (air, water, land, sociodemographic and built environment) on preterm birth

EPA Science Inventory

BACKGROUND Environmental exposures often occur in tandem; however, epidemiological research often focuses on singular exposures. Statistical interactions among broad, well-characterized environmental domains have not yet been evaluated in association with health. We address this ...

Perceived Built Environment and Physical Activity in U.S. Women by Sprawl and Region

PubMed Central

Troped, Philip J.; Tamura, Kosuke; Whitcomb, Heather A.; Laden, Francine

2012-01-01

Background A number of studies have demonstrated relationships between the perceived built environment and physical activity among adults. However, little is known about whether these associations differ by U.S. region and level of urban sprawl. Purpose To examine associations between the perceived built environment and physical activity in U.S. women by region and urban sprawl. Methods Nurses’ Health Study II participants (N = 68,968) completed four perceived neighborhood environment survey items in 2005. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations with meeting physical activity recommendations, adjusting for demographic and weight-status variables, and stratifying by region and sprawl. Data analyses were completed in 2011. Results Perceived proximity to shops/stores was positively associated with physical activity across regions and levels of sprawl (ORs = 1.21 to 1.46). Perceived access to recreation facilities was also a positive physical activity correlate in most region–sprawl strata with strongest relationships found in the West (ORs = 1.31 to 1.70). Perceived crime and presence of sidewalks did not show statistically significant associations with physical activity in most region–sprawl strata, although ORs for perceived crime showed a consistent pattern of negative associations (ORs from 0.60 to 0.95). A higher number of positive environmental attributes was associated with a greater odds of meeting physical activity recommendations. Conclusions Findings indicate that perceived proximity to shops/stores and access to recreation facilities are important correlates of physical activity for women, irrespective of region or sprawl. PMID:22011417

Older People’s Experiences of Mobility and Mood in an Urban Environment: A Mixed Methods Approach Using Electroencephalography (EEG) and Interviews

PubMed Central

Tilley, Sara; Neale, Chris; Patuano, Agnès; Cinderby, Steve

2017-01-01

There are concerns about mental wellbeing in later life in older people as the global population becomes older and more urbanised. Mobility in the built environment has a role to play in improving quality of life and wellbeing, as it facilitates independence and social interaction. Recent studies using neuroimaging methods in environmental psychology research have shown that different types of urban environments may be associated with distinctive patterns of brain activity, suggesting that we interact differently with varying environments. This paper reports on research that explores older people’s responses to urban places and their mobility in and around the built environment. The project aim was to understand how older people experience different urban environments using a mixed methods approach including electroencephalography (EEG), self-reported measures, and interview results. We found that older participants experience changing levels of “excitement”, “engagement” and “frustration” (as interpreted by proprietary EEG software) whilst walking between a busy built urban environment and an urban green space environment. These changes were further reflected in the qualitative themes that emerged from transcribed interviews undertaken one week post-walk. There has been no research to date that has directly assessed neural responses to an urban environment combined with qualitative interview analysis. A synergy of methods offers a deeper understanding of the changing moods of older people across time whilst walking in city settings. PMID:28165409

Associations between environmental quality and mortality in ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

BACKGROUND: Assessing cumulative effects of the multiple environmental factors influencing mortality remains a challenging task. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the associations between cumulative environmental quality and all-cause and leading cause-specific (heart disease, cancer, and stroke) mortality rates. METHODS: We used the overall Environmental Quality Index (EQI) and its five domain indices (air, water, land, built, and sociodemographic) to represent environmental exposure. Associations between the EQI and mortality rates (CDC WONDER) for counties in the contiguous United States (n = 3,109) were investigated using multiple linear regression models and random intercept and random slope hierarchical models. Urbanicity, climate, and a combination of the two were used to explore the spatial patterns in the associations. RESULTS: We found 1 standard deviation increase in the overall EQI (worse environment) was associated with a mean 3.22% (95% Cl:2.80%, 3.64%) increase in all-cause mortality, a 0.54% (95% Cl: -0.17%, 1.25%) increase in heart disease mortality, a 2.71% (95% Cl: 2.21%, 3.22%) increase in cancer mortality, and a 2.25% (95% Cl: 1.11%, 3.39%) increase in stroke mortality. Among the environmental domains, the associations ranged from -1.27% (95% Cl: -1.70%,-0.84%) to 3.37% (95% Cl:2.90%, 3.84%),for all-cause mortality, -2.62% (95% Cl: -3.52%, -1.73%) to 4.50% (95% Cl:3.73%, 5.27%) for heart disease mortality, -0.88% (95% Cl:-2.12%, 0.36%)

Does Viewing Documentary Films Affect Environmental Perceptions and Behaviors?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janpol, Henry L.; Dilts, Rachel

2016-01-01

This research explored whether viewing documentary films about the natural or built environment can exert a measurable influence on behaviors and perceptions. Different documentary films were viewed by subjects. One film emphasized the natural environment, while the other focused on the built environment. After viewing a film, a computer game…

From the Ground Up: Art in American Built Environment Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guilfoil, Joanne K.

2000-01-01

Provides a case for teaching children about local architecture. Describes a specific example called the Kentucky Project as a humanist approach to built environmental education that enabled middle and high school students to study their architectural heritage through a program of videos and related teaching materials. (CMK)

The Impact of Built Environment on Diabetic Patients: The Case of Eastern Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Sidawi, Bhzad; Al-Hariri, Mohamed Taha Ali

2012-01-01

At present, Diabetes mellitus is considered as one of the main threats to the human health in the 21st century. It may lead to severe conditions such as blindness, end-stage of renal disease, limb amputation and a variety of debilitating neuropathies. Previous researches indicated that diabetes is caused by a complex interaction of patient’s genetics, life-style and environmental factors. They also highlighted that providing quality and healthy built environment to citizens including diabetic patients would prevent poor and unhealthy condition. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is one of top ten countries in the prevalence of diabetes. Little researches though were conducted in KSA in regards to the effect of environmental conditions of the built environment. In 2011, the present researchers have carried out a pilot survey on a number of diabetic patients to find out the possible impact of built environment settings on the patient’s lifestyle. The research explored whether diabetic patients use smart tools in their daily life to overcome the daily life’s difficulties and perform their life as normal as possible. The results showed a close link between a poor home and environmental settings, the patient’s lifestyle, and the patient’s health status. It also highlighted the absence of smart tools and systems use. The paper argues that certain changes to the built environment must be done and to provide a healthy and safe environment for diabetic patients. This would help these patients to abandon their bad habits and adopt healthier lifestyle. PMID:22980349

The impact of built environment on diabetic patients: the case of Eastern Province, KIngdom of Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Sidawi, Bhzad; Al-Hariri, Mohamed Taha Ali

2012-06-13

At present, Diabetes mellitus is considered as one of the main threats to the human health in the 21st century. It may lead to severe conditions such as blindness, end-stage of renal disease, limb amputation and a variety of debilitating neuropathies. Previous researches indicated that diabetes is caused by a complex interaction of patient's genetics, life-style and environmental factors. They also highlighted that providing quality and healthy built environment to citizens including diabetic patients would prevent poor and unhealthy condition. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is one of top ten countries in the prevalence of diabetes. Little researches though were conducted in KSA in regards to the effect of environmental conditions of the built environment. In 2011, the present researchers have carried out a pilot survey on a number of diabetic patients to find out the possible impact of built environment settings on the patient's lifestyle. The research explored whether diabetic patients use smart tools in their daily life to overcome the daily life's difficulties and perform their life as normal as possible. The results showed a close link between a poor home and environmental settings, the patient's lifestyle, and the patient's health status. It also highlighted the absence of smart tools and systems use. The paper argues that certain changes to the built environment must be done and to provide a healthy and safe environment for diabetic patients. This would help these patients to abandon their bad habits and adopt healthier lifestyle.

Mismatch between perceived and objectively measured environmental obesogenic features in European neighbourhoods.

PubMed

Roda, C; Charreire, H; Feuillet, T; Mackenbach, J D; Compernolle, S; Glonti, K; Ben Rebah, M; Bárdos, H; Rutter, H; McKee, M; De Bourdeaudhuij, I; Brug, J; Lakerveld, J; Oppert, J-M

2016-01-01

Findings from research on the association between the built environment and obesity remain equivocal but may be partly explained by differences in approaches used to characterize the built environment. Findings obtained using subjective measures may differ substantially from those measured objectively. We investigated the agreement between perceived and objectively measured obesogenic environmental features to assess (1) the extent of agreement between individual perceptions and observable characteristics of the environment and (2) the agreement between aggregated perceptions and observable characteristics, and whether this varied by type of characteristic, region or neighbourhood. Cross-sectional data from the SPOTLIGHT project (n = 6037 participants from 60 neighbourhoods in five European urban regions) were used. Residents' perceptions were self-reported, and objectively measured environmental features were obtained by a virtual audit using Google Street View. Percent agreement and Kappa statistics were calculated. The mismatch was quantified at neighbourhood level by a distance metric derived from a factor map. The extent to which the mismatch metric varied by region and neighbourhood was examined using linear regression models. Overall, agreement was moderate (agreement < 82%, kappa < 0.3) and varied by obesogenic environmental feature, region and neighbourhood. Highest agreement was found for food outlets and outdoor recreational facilities, and lowest agreement was obtained for aesthetics. In general, a better match was observed in high-residential density neighbourhoods characterized by a high density of food outlets and recreational facilities. Future studies should combine perceived and objectively measured built environment qualities to better understand the potential impact of the built environment on health, particularly in low residential density neighbourhoods. © 2016 World Obesity.

Influences of different land use spatial control schemes on farmland conversion and urban development.

PubMed

Zhou, Min; Tan, Shukui; Zhang, Lu

2015-01-01

Land use planning is always officially implemented as an effective tool to control urban development and protect farmland. However, its impact on land use change remains untested in China. Using a case study of Hang-Jia-Hu region, the main objective of this paper was to investigate the influence of different land use spatial control schemes on farmland conversion and urban development. Comparisons of farmland conversion and urban development patterns between the urban planning area and the non-urban planning area were characterized by using remote sensing, geographical information systems, and landscape metrics. Results indicated that farmland conversion in the non-urban planning area was more intensive than that in the urban planning area, and that farmland patterns was more fragmented in the non-urban planning area. Built-up land patterns in the non-urban planning area showed a trend of aggregation, while those in the urban planning area had a dual trend of fragmentation and aggregation. Existing built-up areas had less influence on built-up land sprawl in the non-urban planning area than that in the urban planning area. Built-up land sprawl in the form of continuous development in the urban planning area led to farmland conversion; and in the non-urban planning area, built-up land sprawl in the form of leapfrogging development resulted in farmland areal declines and fragmentation. We argued that it is a basic requirement to integrate land use plans in urban and non-urban planning areas for land use planning and management.

Influences of Different Land Use Spatial Control Schemes on Farmland Conversion and Urban Development

PubMed Central

Zhou, Min; Tan, Shukui; Zhang, Lu

2015-01-01

Land use planning is always officially implemented as an effective tool to control urban development and protect farmland. However, its impact on land use change remains untested in China. Using a case study of Hang-Jia-Hu region, the main objective of this paper was to investigate the influence of different land use spatial control schemes on farmland conversion and urban development. Comparisons of farmland conversion and urban development patterns between the urban planning area and the non-urban planning area were characterized by using remote sensing, geographical information systems, and landscape metrics. Results indicated that farmland conversion in the non-urban planning area was more intensive than that in the urban planning area, and that farmland patterns was more fragmented in the non-urban planning area. Built-up land patterns in the non-urban planning area showed a trend of aggregation, while those in the urban planning area had a dual trend of fragmentation and aggregation. Existing built-up areas had less influence on built-up land sprawl in the non-urban planning area than that in the urban planning area. Built-up land sprawl in the form of continuous development in the urban planning area led to farmland conversion; and in the non-urban planning area, built-up land sprawl in the form of leapfrogging development resulted in farmland areal declines and fragmentation. We argued that it is a basic requirement to integrate land use plans in urban and non-urban planning areas for land use planning and management. PMID:25915897

Environmental quality impact on human mortality and its spatial variations in the contiguous United States 2000-2005

EPA Science Inventory

Assessing the cumulative effects of multiple environmental factors that influence mortality remains a challenging task. This study used the Environmental Quality Index (EQI), and its five domain indices (air, water, land, built and sociodemographic) as a measure of cumulative env...

Is Walk Score associated with hospital admissions from chronic diseases? Evidence from a cross-sectional study in a high socioeconomic status Australian city-state

PubMed Central

Mazumdar, Soumya; Learnihan, Vincent; Cochrane, Thomas; Phung, Hai; O'Connor, Bridget; Davey, Rachel

2016-01-01

Objectives To explore patterns of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).To ascertain the effect of the neighbourhood built environmental features and especially walkability on health outcomes, specifically for hospital admissions from NCDs. Design A cross-sectional analysis of public hospital episode data (2007–2013). Setting Hospitalisations from the ACT, Australia at very small geographic areas. Participants Secondary data on 75 290 unique hospital episodes representing 39 851 patients who were admitted to ACT hospitals from 2007 to 2013. No restrictions on age, sex or ethnicity. Main exposure measures Geographic Information System derived or compatible measures of general practitioner access, neighbourhood socioeconomic status, alcohol access, exposure to traffic and Walk Score walkability. Main outcome measures Hospitalisations of circulatory diseases, specific endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, respiratory diseases and specific cancers. Results Geographic clusters with significant high and low risks of NCDs were found that displayed an overall geographic pattern of high risk in the outlying suburbs of the territory. Significant relationships between neighbourhood walkability as measured by Walk Score and the likelihood of hospitalisation with a primary diagnosis of myocardial infarction (heart attack) were found. A possible relationship was also found with the likelihood of being hospitalised with 4 major lifestyle-related cancers. Conclusions Our research augments the growing literature underscoring the relationships between the built environment and health outcomes. In addition, it supports the importance of walkable neighbourhoods, as measured by Walk Score, for improved health. PMID:27932340

Violent crime in San Antonio, Texas: an application of spatial epidemiological methods.

PubMed

Sparks, Corey S

2011-12-01

Violent crimes are rarely considered a public health problem or investigated using epidemiological methods. But patterns of violent crime and other health conditions are often affected by similar characteristics of the built environment. In this paper, methods and perspectives from spatial epidemiology are used in an analysis of violent crimes in San Antonio, TX. Bayesian statistical methods are used to examine the contextual influence of several aspects of the built environment. Additionally, spatial regression models using Bayesian model specifications are used to examine spatial patterns of violent crime risk. Results indicate that the determinants of violent crime depend on the model specification, but are primarily related to the built environment and neighborhood socioeconomic conditions. Results are discussed within the context of a rapidly growing urban area with a diverse population. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Built environment change: a framework to support health-enhancing behaviour through environmental policy and health research.

PubMed

Berke, Ethan M; Vernez-Moudon, Anne

2014-06-01

As research examining the effect of the built environment on health accelerates, it is critical for health and planning researchers to conduct studies and make recommendations in the context of a robust theoretical framework. We propose a framework for built environment change (BEC) related to improving health. BEC consists of elements of the built environment, how people are exposed to and interact with them perceptually and functionally, and how this exposure may affect health-related behaviours. Integrated into this framework are the legal and regulatory mechanisms and instruments that are commonly used to effect change in the built environment. This framework would be applicable to medical research as well as to issues of policy and community planning.

Using Green Building As A Model For Making Health Promotion Standard In The Built Environment.

PubMed

Trowbridge, Matthew J; Worden, Kelly; Pyke, Christopher

2016-11-01

The built environment-the constructed physical parts of the places where people live and work-is a powerful determinant of both individual and population health. Awareness of the link between place and health is growing within the public health sector and among built environment decision makers working in design, construction, policy, and both public and private finance. However, these decision makers lack the knowledge, tools, and capacity to ensure that health and well-being are routinely considered across all sectors of the built environment. The green building industry has successfully established environmental sustainability as a normative part of built environment practice, policy making, and investment. We explore the value of this industry's experience as a template for promoting health and well-being in the built environment. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Environmental assessments in the built environment: crucial yet underdeveloped

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinonen, Jukka; Horvath, Arpad; Junnila, Seppo

2015-03-01

Environmental assessments have been developed with increasing emphasis since the wide-scale emergence of environmental concerns in the 1970s. However, after decades there is still plenty of room left for development. These assessments are also rapidly becoming more and more crucial as we seem to be reaching the boundaries of the carrying capacity of our planet. Assessments of the emissions from the built environment and especially of the interactions between human communities and emissions are in a very central role in the quest to solve the great problem of sustainable living. Policy- makers and professionals in various fields urgently need reliable data on the current conditions and realistic future projections, as well as robust and scientifically defensible models for decision making. This recognition was the main motivation to call for this Focus Issue, and the published contributions truly highlight the same point. This editorial provides brief summaries and discussions on the 16 articles of the Focus Issue, depicting the several interesting perspectives they offer to advance the state of the art. Now we encourage academics, practitioners, government, industry, individual consumers, and other decision makers to utilize the available findings and develop the domain of environmental assessment of the built environment further. Indeed, we hope that this Focus Issue is merely a kernel of a significantly large future body of literature.

Environmental Influences on Physical Activity among Rural Adults in Montana, United States: Views from Built Environment Audits, Resident Focus Groups, and Key Informant Interviews.

PubMed

Lo, Brian K; Morgan, Emily H; Folta, Sara C; Graham, Meredith L; Paul, Lynn C; Nelson, Miriam E; Jew, Nicolette V; Moffat, Laurel F; Seguin, Rebecca A

2017-10-04

Rural populations in the United States have lower physical activity levels and are at a higher risk of being overweight and suffering from obesity than their urban counterparts. This paper aimed to understand the environmental factors that influence physical activity among rural adults in Montana. Eight built environment audits, 15 resident focus groups, and 24 key informant interviews were conducted between August and December 2014. Themes were triangulated and summarized into five categories of environmental factors: built, social, organizational, policy, and natural environments. Although the existence of active living features was documented by environmental audits, residents and key informants agreed that additional indoor recreation facilities and more well-maintained and conveniently located options were needed. Residents and key informants also agreed on the importance of age-specific, well-promoted, and structured physical activity programs, offered in socially supportive environments, as facilitators to physical activity. Key informants, however, noted that funding constraints and limited political will were barriers to developing these opportunities. Since building new recreational facilities and structures to support active transportation pose resource challenges, especially for rural communities, our results suggest that enhancing existing features, making small improvements, and involving stakeholders in the city planning process would be more fruitful to build momentum towards larger changes.

EPA’s EnviroAtlas: Identifying Nature’s Benefits, Deficits, and Opportunities for Equitable Distribution in Populated Places#

EPA Science Inventory

The web-based EnviroAtlas is an easy-to-use mapping and analysis tool built by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its partners to provide information, data, and research on the relationships between ecosystems, built infrastructure, and societal well-being. The tool is ...

Ray D. Nixon plant built below budget. [Colorado Springs, CO

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

McGlasson, W.J.

1980-12-01

The Ray D. Nixon plant was built in Colorado Springs at about $250,000 below the $100 million budgeted. Permit and operating deadlines provided important incentives to maintain the construction schedule, requiring intensive management efforts to keep cooperation and productivity high. The plant is also a model for environmental and wildlife protection. (DCK)

Teaching Children about Aspects of Comfort in the Built Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kowaltowski, Doris C. C. K.; Filho, Francisco Borges; Labaki, Lucila C.; Pina, Silvia A. Mikami G.; Bernardi, Nubia

2004-01-01

This article presents specific teaching material for the primary school level that introduces basic concepts of environmental comfort. The authors developed 2 booklets to make children aware of the built environment. Following a postoccupancy evaluation of state schools in the city of Campinas, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the research team…

Adobe, rammed earth and wood: An energy-based environmental analysis of residential construction in Phoenix, Arizona

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

Gossen, C.L.

1996-10-01

More than 90% of the new single-family dwellings built in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area consists of wood frame construction. Using adobe and rammed earth as alternatives in residential wall construction are the main focus of this study. The study examines the process of home construction, concentrating on the environmental impacts of energy embodied in the four stages: extraction, transportation, construction, and operation. These four stages were applied to three prototypes built in the Phoenix Area throughout one year. The results are compared to determine which has the lowest environmental costs and most likely to benefit sustainability. The study requires amore » comparative analysis rather than a definite choice of a better prototype. The information provides assistance to the builder/designer with options about environmental impacts and the whole energy spectrum. Wherein previous research was based on performance standards of operation, one must also consider environmental impacts and externalities.« less

Built environment and diabetes

PubMed Central

Pasala, Sudhir Kumar; Rao, Allam Appa; Sridhar, G. R.

2010-01-01

Development of type 2 diabetes mellitus is influenced by built environment, which is, ‘the environments that are modified by humans, including homes, schools, workplaces, highways, urban sprawls, accessibility to amenities, leisure, and pollution.’ Built environment contributes to diabetes through access to physical activity and through stress, by affecting the sleep cycle. With globalization, there is a possibility that western environmental models may be replicated in developing countries such as India, where the underlying genetic predisposition makes them particularly susceptible to diabetes. Here we review published information on the relationship between built environment and diabetes, so that appropriate modifications can be incorporated to reduce the risk of developing diabetes mellitus. PMID:20535308

Data Sources for an Environmental Quality Index: Availability, Quality, and Utility

PubMed Central

Rappazzo, Kristen; Messer, Lynne C.

2011-01-01

Objectives. An environmental quality index (EQI) for all counties in the United States is under development to explore the relationship between environmental insults and human health. The EQI is potentially useful for investigators researching health disparities to account for other concurrent environmental conditions. This article focused on the identification and assessment of data sources used in developing the EQI. Data source strengths, limitations, and utility were addressed. Methods. Five domains were identified that contribute to environmental quality: air, water, land, built, and sociodemographic environments. An inventory of possible data sources was created. Data sources were evaluated for appropriate spatial and temporal coverage and data quality. Results. The overall data inventory identified multiple data sources for each domain. From the inventory (187 sources, 617 records), the air, water, land, built environment, and sociodemographic domains retained 2, 9, 7, 4, and 2 data sources for inclusion in the EQI, respectively. However, differences in data quality, geographic coverage, and data availability existed between the domains. Conclusions. The data sources identified for use in the EQI may be useful to researchers, advocates, and communities to explore specific environmental quality questions. PMID:21836111

Developing a framework for assessment of the environmental determinants of walking and cycling.

PubMed

Pikora, Terri; Giles-Corti, Billie; Bull, Fiona; Jamrozik, Konrad; Donovan, Rob

2003-04-01

The focus for interventions and research on physical activity has moved away from vigorous activity to moderate-intensity activities, such as walking. In addition, a social ecological approach to physical activity research and practice is recommended. This approach considers the influence of the environment and policies on physical activity. Although there is limited empirical published evidence related to the features of the physical environment that influence physical activity, urban planning and transport agencies have developed policies and strategies that have the potential to influence whether people walk or cycle in their neighbourhood. This paper presents the development of a framework of the potential environmental influences on walking and cycling based on published evidence and policy literature, interviews with experts and a Delphi study. The framework includes four features: functional, safety, aesthetic and destination; as well as the hypothesised factors that contribute to each of these features of the environment. In addition, the Delphi experts determined the perceived relative importance of these factors. Based on these factors, a data collection tool will be developed and the frameworks will be tested through the collection of environmental information on neighbourhoods, where data on the walking and cycling patterns have been collected previously. Identifying the environmental factors that influence walking and cycling will allow the inclusion of a public health perspective as well as those of urban planning and transport in the design of built environments.

Stochastic nonlinear dynamics pattern formation and growth models

PubMed Central

Yaroslavsky, Leonid P

2007-01-01

Stochastic evolutionary growth and pattern formation models are treated in a unified way in terms of algorithmic models of nonlinear dynamic systems with feedback built of a standard set of signal processing units. A number of concrete models is described and illustrated by numerous examples of artificially generated patterns that closely imitate wide variety of patterns found in the nature. PMID:17908341

Estuarine Human Activities Modulate the Fate of Changjiang-derived Materials in Adjacent Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

WU, H.

2017-12-01

Mega constructions have been built in many river estuaries, but their environmental consequences in the adjacent coastal oceans were often overlooked. This issue was addressed with an example of the Changjiang River Estuary, which was recently built with massive navigation and reclamation constructions in recent years. Based on the model validations against cruises data and the numerical scenario experiments, it is shown that the estuarine constructions profoundly affected the fates of riverine materials in an indeed large offshore area. This is because estuarine dynamics are highly sensitive to their bathymetries. Previously, the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) was thought to be responsible for some offshore environmental changes through modulating the river plume extension, but here we show that its influences are secondary. Since the TGD and the mega estuarine constructions were built during the similar period, their influences might be confused.

Modeling urban growth by the use of a multiobjective optimization approach: environmental and economic issues for the Yangtze watershed, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenting; Wang, Haijun; Han, Fengxiang; Gao, Juan; Nguyen, Thuminh; Chen, Yarong; Huang, Bo; Zhan, F Benjamin; Zhou, Lequn; Hong, Song

2014-11-01

Urban growth is an unavoidable process caused by economic development and population growth. Traditional urban growth models represent the future urban growth pattern by repeating the historical urban growth regulations, which can lead to a lot of environmental problems. The Yangtze watershed is the largest and the most prosperous economic area in China, and it has been suffering from rapid urban growth from the 1970s. With the built-up area increasing from 23,238 to 31,054 km(2) during the period from 1980 to 2005, the watershed has suffered from serious nonpoint source (NPS) pollution problems, which have been mainly caused by the rapid urban growth. To protect the environment and at the same time maintain the economic development, a multiobjective optimization (MOP) is proposed to tradeoff the multiple objectives during the urban growth process of the Yangtze watershed. In particular, the four objectives of minimization of NPS pollution, maximization of GDP value, minimization of the spatial incompatibility between the land uses, and minimization of the cost of land-use change are considered by the MOP approach. Conventionally, a genetic algorithm (GA) is employed to search the Pareto solution set. In our MOP approach, a two-dimensional GA, rather than the traditional one-dimensional GA, is employed to assist with the search for the spatial optimization solution, where the land-use cells in the two-dimensional space act as genes in the GA. Furthermore, to confirm the superiority of the MOP approach over the traditional prediction approaches, a widely used urban growth prediction model, cellular automata (CA), is also carried out to allow a comparison with the Pareto solution of MOP. The results indicate that the MOP approach can make a tradeoff between the multiple objectives and can achieve an optimal urban growth pattern for Yangtze watershed, while the CA prediction model just represents the historical urban growth pattern as the future growth pattern. Moreover, according to the spatial clustering index, the urban growth pattern predicted through MOP is more reasonable. In summary, the proposed model provides a set of Pareto urban growth solutions, which compromise environmental and economic issues for the Yangtze watershed.

Quantifying urban growth patterns in Hanoi using landscape expansion modes and time series spatial metrics

PubMed Central

Lepczyk, Christopher A.; Miura, Tomoaki; Fox, Jefferson M.

2018-01-01

Urbanization has been driven by various social, economic, and political factors around the world for centuries. Because urbanization continues unabated in many places, it is crucial to understand patterns of urbanization and their potential ecological and environmental impacts. Given this need, the objectives of our study were to quantify urban growth rates, growth modes, and resultant changes in the landscape pattern of urbanization in Hanoi, Vietnam from 1993 to 2010 and to evaluate the extent to which the process of urban growth in Hanoi conformed to the diffusion-coalescence theory. We analyzed the spatiotemporal patterns and dynamics of the built-up land in Hanoi using landscape expansion modes, spatial metrics, and a gradient approach. Urbanization was most pronounced in the periods of 2001–2006 and 2006–2010 at a distance of 10 to 35 km around the urban center. Over the 17 year period urban expansion in Hanoi was dominated by infilling and edge expansion growth modes. Our findings support the diffusion-coalescence theory of urbanization. The shift of the urban growth areas over time and the dynamic nature of the spatial metrics revealed important information about our understanding of the urban growth process and cycle. Furthermore, our findings can be used to evaluate urban planning policies and aid in urbanization issues in rapidly urbanizing countries. PMID:29734346

The changing patterns of cropland conversion to built-up land in China from 1987 to 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ju, H.; Zhang, Z.; Zhao, X.; Wu, W.; Wang, X.; Zuo, L.

2017-12-01

With the rapid urbanization, industrialization and rural area construction in China, the expansions of built-up land encroached upon a large amount of cropland, and thus placed great challenges on national food security. Previous studies have primarily been focused on the whole effects of built-up land expansion, however, the individual effect of different types of built-up land (urban areas, rural settlements and industrial/transportation land) on cropland loss remains unclear. Based on land use maps interpreted from remote sensing imagery in 1987-2010, we illustrated the spatio-temporal patterns of the speed and the structure of cropland conversion to built-up land. Then, we quantitatively measured the influence of different built-up land on cropland loss from three aspects: the contribution of built-up land expansion to cropland loss, the dependence of built-up land expansion on cropland loss and the conversion's impacts on cropland quality. It was found 42,822 km2 of cropland were converted into built-up land in China, accounting for 43.8% of total cropland loss during 1987-2010. Before 2000, the expansion of rural settlements had the largest influence on cropland loss, however, urban growth showed a greater impact on cropland loss after 2000. Although the effects of rural settlements expansion decreased, rural settlements still saw the highest percentage of the loss of traditional cropland which is generally in high quality. In addition, the impacts of industrial/transportation land expansion increased dramatically and was mainly distributed in major food production regions. These changes were closely related to the economic restructuring, urban-rural transformation and government policies in China. These findings demonstrate that Chinese cropland conservation in both amount and quality should focus not only on finding a reasonable urbanization mode, but also solving the "hollowing village" problem and balancing the industrial transformations in the future.

75 FR 61174 - Warner Valley Comprehensive Site Plan, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Lassen Volcanic...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-04

... Warner Valley fen and wetland areas; (3) Removal or repair of Dream Lake Dam and restoration of... project planning area. This area includes Dream Lake Dam, built in 1932 by Alex Sifford, which impounds an... built the 10 structures which now form the core of Drakesbad Guest Ranch Historic District (both Dream...

Perceived built environment and physical activity in U.S. women by sprawl and region.

PubMed

Troped, Philip J; Tamura, Kosuke; Whitcomb, Heather A; Laden, Francine

2011-11-01

A number of studies have demonstrated relationships between the perceived built environment and physical activity among adults. However, little is known about whether these associations differ by U.S. region and level of urban sprawl. To examine associations between the perceived built environment and physical activity in U.S. women by region and urban sprawl. Nurses' Health Study II participants (N=68,968) completed four perceived neighborhood environment survey items in 2005. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations with meeting physical activity recommendations, adjusting for demographic and weight-status variables, and stratifying by region and sprawl. Data analyses were completed in 2011. Perceived proximity to shops/stores was positively associated with physical activity across regions and levels of sprawl (ORs=1.21-1.46). Perceived access to recreation facilities was also a positive physical activity correlate in most region-sprawl strata, with strongest relationships found in the West (ORs=1.31-1.70). Perceived crime and presence of sidewalks did not show statistically significant associations with physical activity in most region-sprawl strata, although ORs for perceived crime showed a consistent pattern of negative associations (ORs=0.60-0.95). A higher number of positive environmental attributes was associated with a greater odds of meeting physical activity recommendations. Findings indicate that perceived proximity to shops/stores and access to recreation facilities are important correlates of physical activity for women, irrespective of region or sprawl. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Potential Strategies to Eliminate Built Environment Disparities for Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Communities

PubMed Central

Bouye, Karen E.; Skillen, Elizabeth; Lee, Charles; Whitehead, LaToria; Rashid, Jamila R.

2011-01-01

In 2006, the Federal Collaboration on Health Disparities Research (FCHDR) identified the built environment as a priority for eliminating health disparities, and charged the Built Environment Workgroup with identifying ways to eliminate health disparities and improve health outcomes. Despite extensive research and the development of a new conceptual health factors framework, gaps in knowledge exist in areas such as disproportionate environmental and community hazards, individual and cumulative risks, and other factors. The FCHDR provides the structure and opportunity to mobilize and partner with built environment stakeholders, federal partners, and interest groups to develop tools, practices, and policies for translating and disseminating the best available science to reduce health disparities. PMID:21389288

Potential strategies to eliminate built environment disparities for disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.

PubMed

Hutch, Daniel J; Bouye, Karen E; Skillen, Elizabeth; Lee, Charles; Whitehead, Latoria; Rashid, Jamila R

2011-04-01

In 2006, the Federal Collaboration on Health Disparities Research (FCHDR) identified the built environment as a priority for eliminating health disparities, and charged the Built Environment Workgroup with identifying ways to eliminate health disparities and improve health outcomes. Despite extensive research and the development of a new conceptual health factors framework, gaps in knowledge exist in areas such as disproportionate environmental and community hazards, individual and cumulative risks, and other factors. The FCHDR provides the structure and opportunity to mobilize and partner with built environment stakeholders, federal partners, and interest groups to develop tools, practices, and policies for translating and disseminating the best available science to reduce health disparities.

Patterned Ground in Wetlands of the Maya Lowlands: Anthropogenic and Natural Causes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beach, T.; Beach, S. L.

2004-12-01

We use geological and archaeological evidence to understand the formation of patterned ground in perennial and seasonal wetlands in the karst depressions of Belize and Guatemala. Some scholars have argued that these features are the remnants of ancient Maya wetland fields, chinampas, on which intensive cultivation produced food that could begin to nourish the extremely high population of the Late Classic (A.D. 550-850). Others have argued that these were natural features or that they represent landscape manipulation for rising sea level in the Preclassic (1000 B.C. -A.D. 250). We present the evidence for ancient intensive agriculture and natural landscape formation with multiple proxies: excavated field and canal features, artifacts, pollen, soil stratigraphy, and water chemistry. Evidence thus far suggests that many regional depressions have Preclassic (1200 BC to AD 200) or earlier paleosols, buried from 1-2 m by eroded soils induced by Maya land use practices. These paleosols were buried by eroded sediments from uplands and by precipitation of gypsum from rising groundwater. The sedimentation occurred largely between the Preclassic and Late Classic, when ancient Maya farmers built canals in pre-existing low spots to reclaim these wetlands. Thus, stable natural processes, environmental change, and human manipulation have acted together to form patterned wetland ground over the later Holocene.

Social and Built Environmental Correlates of Predicted Blood Lead Levels in the Flint Water Crisis.

PubMed

Sadler, Richard Casey; LaChance, Jenny; Hanna-Attisha, Mona

2017-05-01

To highlight contextual factors tied to increased blood lead level (BLL) risk following the lead-in-water contamination in Flint, Michigan. Using geocoded BLL data collected in 2013 and 2015 and areal interpolation, we predicted BLLs at every residential parcel in the city. We then spatially joined social and built environmental variables to link the parcels with neighborhood-level factors that may influence BLLs. When we compared levels before and during the water crisis, we saw the highest estimates of predicted BLLs during the water crisis and the greatest changes in BLLs in neighborhoods with the longest water residence time in pipes (μ = 2.30 µg/dL; Δ = 0.45 µg/dL), oldest house age (μ = 2.22 µg/dL; Δ = 0.37 µg/dL), and poorest average neighborhood housing condition (μ = 2.18 µg/dL; Δ = 0.44 µg/dL). Key social and built environmental variables correlate with BLL; such information can continue to guide response by prioritizing older, deteriorating neighborhoods with the longest water residence time in pipes.

Environmental change mediates mate choice for an extended phenotype, but not for mate quality.

PubMed

Head, Megan L; Fox, Rebecca J; Barber, Iain

2017-01-01

Sexual cues, including extended phenotypes, are expected to be reliable indicators of male genetic quality and/or provide information on parental quality. However, the reliability of these cues may be dependent on stability of the environment, with heterogeneity affecting how selection acts on such traits. Here, we test how environmental change mediates mate choice for multiple sexual traits, including an extended phenotype--the structure of male-built nests - in stickleback fish. First, we manipulated the dissolved oxygen (DO) content of water to create high or low DO environments in which male fish built nests. Then we recorded the mate choice of females encountering these males (and their nests), under either the same or reversed DO conditions. Males in high DO environments built more compact nests than those in low DO conditions and males adjusted their nest structure in response to changing conditions. Female mate choice for extended phenotype (male nests) was environmentally dependent (females chose more compact nests in high DO conditions), while female choice for male phenotype was not (females chose large, vigorous males regardless of DO level). Examining mate choice in this dynamic context suggests that females evaluate the reliability of multiple sexual cues, taking into account environmental heterogeneity. © 2016 The Author(s). Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution.

A Pattern-Based Definition of Urban Context Using Remote Sensing and GIS

PubMed Central

Benza, Magdalena; Weeks, John R.; Stow, Douglas A.; López-Carr, David; Clarke, Keith C.

2016-01-01

In Sub-Saharan Africa rapid urban growth combined with rising poverty is creating diverse urban environments, the nature of which are not adequately captured by a simple urban-rural dichotomy. This paper proposes an alternative classification scheme for urban mapping based on a gradient approach for the southern portion of the West African country of Ghana. Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and European Remote Sensing Satellite-2 (ERS-2) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery are used to generate a pattern based definition of the urban context. Spectral mixture analysis (SMA) is used to classify a Landsat scene into Built, Vegetation and Other land covers. Landscape metrics are estimated for Built and Vegetation land covers for a 450 meter uniform grid covering the study area. A measure of texture is extracted from the SAR imagery and classified as Built/Non-built. SMA based measures of Built and Vegetation fragmentation are combined with SAR texture based Built/Non-built maps through a decision tree classifier to generate a nine class urban context map capturing the transition from unsettled land at one end of the gradient to the compact urban core at the other end. Training and testing of the decision tree classifier was done using very high spatial resolution reference imagery from Google Earth. An overall classification agreement of 77% was determined for the nine-class urban context map, with user’s accuracy (commission errors) being lower than producer’s accuracy (omission errors). Nine urban contexts were classified and then compared with data from the 2000 Census of Ghana. Results suggest that the urban classes appropriately differentiate areas along the urban gradient. PMID:27867227

A Pattern-Based Definition of Urban Context Using Remote Sensing and GIS.

PubMed

Benza, Magdalena; Weeks, John R; Stow, Douglas A; López-Carr, David; Clarke, Keith C

2016-09-15

In Sub-Saharan Africa rapid urban growth combined with rising poverty is creating diverse urban environments, the nature of which are not adequately captured by a simple urban-rural dichotomy. This paper proposes an alternative classification scheme for urban mapping based on a gradient approach for the southern portion of the West African country of Ghana. Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and European Remote Sensing Satellite-2 (ERS-2) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery are used to generate a pattern based definition of the urban context. Spectral mixture analysis (SMA) is used to classify a Landsat scene into Built, Vegetation and Other land covers. Landscape metrics are estimated for Built and Vegetation land covers for a 450 meter uniform grid covering the study area. A measure of texture is extracted from the SAR imagery and classified as Built/Non-built. SMA based measures of Built and Vegetation fragmentation are combined with SAR texture based Built/Non-built maps through a decision tree classifier to generate a nine class urban context map capturing the transition from unsettled land at one end of the gradient to the compact urban core at the other end. Training and testing of the decision tree classifier was done using very high spatial resolution reference imagery from Google Earth. An overall classification agreement of 77% was determined for the nine-class urban context map, with user's accuracy (commission errors) being lower than producer's accuracy (omission errors). Nine urban contexts were classified and then compared with data from the 2000 Census of Ghana. Results suggest that the urban classes appropriately differentiate areas along the urban gradient.

Vapor compression distillation module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nuccio, P. P.

1975-01-01

A Vapor Compression Distillation (VCD) module was developed and evaluated as part of a Space Station Prototype (SSP) environmental control and life support system. The VCD module includes the waste tankage, pumps, post-treatment cells, automatic controls and fault detection instrumentation. Development problems were encountered with two components: the liquid pumps, and the waste tank and quantity gauge. Peristaltic pumps were selected instead of gear pumps, and a sub-program of materials and design optimization was undertaken leading to a projected life greater than 10,000 hours of continuous operation. A bladder tank was designed and built to contain the waste liquids and deliver it to the processor. A detrimental pressure pattern imposed upon the bladder by a force-operated quantity gauge was corrected by rearranging the force application, and design goals were achieved. System testing has demonstrated that all performance goals have been fulfilled.

Electrical stimulation systems for cardiac tissue engineering

PubMed Central

Tandon, Nina; Cannizzaro, Christopher; Chao, Pen-Hsiu Grace; Maidhof, Robert; Marsano, Anna; Au, Hoi Ting Heidi; Radisic, Milica; Vunjak-Novakovic, Gordana

2009-01-01

We describe a protocol for tissue engineering of synchronously contractile cardiac constructs by culturing cardiac cells with the application of pulsatile electrical fields designed to mimic those present in the native heart. Tissue culture is conducted in a customized chamber built to allow for cultivation of (i) engineered three-dimensional (3D) cardiac tissue constructs, (ii) cell monolayers on flat substrates or (iii) cells on patterned substrates. This also allows for analysis of the individual and interactive effects of pulsatile electrical field stimulation and substrate topography on cell differentiation and assembly. The protocol is designed to allow for delivery of predictable electrical field stimuli to cells, monitoring environmental parameters, and assessment of cell and tissue responses. The duration of the protocol is 5 d for two-dimensional cultures and 10 d for 3D cultures. PMID:19180087

Neighborhood Variation of Sustainable Urban Morphological Characteristics.

PubMed

Lai, Poh-Chin; Chen, Si; Low, Chien-Tat; Cerin, Ester; Stimson, Robert; Wong, Pui Yun Paulina

2018-03-07

Compact cities and their urban forms have implications on sustainable city development because of high density urban settlement, increased accessibility, and a balanced land use mix. This paper uses quantitative means of understanding urban morphological characteristics with reference to the differing qualities of the urban form (i.e., street patterns, building volumes, land uses and greenery). The results, based on 89 neighborhood communities of Hong Kong, show varying degrees of regional differences in the urban built form supported by numerical statistics and graphical illustrations. This paper offers empirical evidence on some morphological characteristics that can be estimated objectively using modern geospatial technologies and applied universally to inform urban planning. However, more studies linking these quantifiable measures of the physical form with sustainable urban living are needed to account for human comfort in the totality of environmental, social, and economic responsibilities.

Neighborhood Variation of Sustainable Urban Morphological Characteristics

PubMed Central

Chen, Si; Stimson, Robert

2018-01-01

Compact cities and their urban forms have implications on sustainable city development because of high density urban settlement, increased accessibility, and a balanced land use mix. This paper uses quantitative means of understanding urban morphological characteristics with reference to the differing qualities of the urban form (i.e., street patterns, building volumes, land uses and greenery). The results, based on 89 neighborhood communities of Hong Kong, show varying degrees of regional differences in the urban built form supported by numerical statistics and graphical illustrations. This paper offers empirical evidence on some morphological characteristics that can be estimated objectively using modern geospatial technologies and applied universally to inform urban planning. However, more studies linking these quantifiable measures of the physical form with sustainable urban living are needed to account for human comfort in the totality of environmental, social, and economic responsibilities. PMID:29518956

Coupling of Markov chains and cellular automata spatial models to predict land cover changes (case study: upper Ci Leungsi catchment area)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marko, K.; Zulkarnain, F.; Kusratmoko, E.

2016-11-01

Land cover changes particular in urban catchment area has been rapidly occur. Land cover changes occur as a result of increasing demand for built-up area. Various kinds of environmental and hydrological problems e.g. floods and urban heat island can happen if the changes are uncontrolled. This study aims to predict land cover changes using coupling of Markov chains and cellular automata. One of the most rapid land cover changes is occurs at upper Ci Leungsi catchment area that located near Bekasi City and Jakarta Metropolitan Area. Markov chains has a good ability to predict the probability of change statistically while cellular automata believed as a powerful method in reading the spatial patterns of change. Temporal land cover data was obtained by remote sensing satellite imageries. In addition, this study also used multi-criteria analysis to determine which driving factor that could stimulate the changes such as proximity, elevation, and slope. Coupling of these two methods could give better prediction model rather than just using it separately. The prediction model was validated using existing 2015 land cover data and shown a satisfactory kappa coefficient. The most significant increasing land cover is built-up area from 24% to 53%.

Creating a Healthy Built Environment for Diabetic Patients: The Case Study of the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Sidawi, Bhzad; Alhariri, Mohamed Taha; Albaker, Walid Ibrahim

2014-01-01

Many studies worldwide have demonstrated the negative impact of an unhealthy built environment on citizens. In the case of diabetes, studies have concentrated on the environmental impact and accessibility issues of a place i.e. the home and neighborhood, whereas few studies have addressed the comfort of the type and spatial arrangement of a household and linked it with the prevalence of diabetes. Also, little research has tackled the place’s impact on diabetic patients and their views concerning their environments. This paper demonstrates the outcomes of survey that was carried out on diabetic individuals who usually visit the King Fahd teaching hospital of the University of Dammam, Al-Khober, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The patients were surveyed and physically examined. The present researchers found significant links between patients’ diabetes symptoms such as reported paresthesia and blurred vision, and medical investigations results such as lipid profile, blood glucose and blood pressure with the environmental conditions of their homes and neighborhoods. The paper shows that the prevalence of the disease is not only caused by an unhealthy lifestyle but also by an unhealthy built environment. Moreover, it illustrates that unhealthy built environment promotes unhealthy life styles. It makes recommendations on how to improve the built environment in the KSA to be healthier for all citizens including the diabetic patients. PMID:24999135

Older adults' quality of life - Exploring the role of the built environment and social cohesion in community-dwelling seniors on low income.

PubMed

Engel, L; Chudyk, A M; Ashe, M C; McKay, H A; Whitehurst, D G T; Bryan, S

2016-09-01

The built environment and social cohesion are increasingly recognized as being associated with older adults' quality of life (QoL). However, limited research in this area still exists and the relationship has remained unexplored in the area of Metro Vancouver, Canada. This study examined the association between the built environment and social cohesion with QoL of 160 community-dwelling older adults (aged ≥ 65 years) on low income from Metro Vancouver. Cross-sectional data acquired from the Walk the Talk (WTT) study were used. Health-related QoL (HRQoL) and capability wellbeing were assessed using the EQ-5D-5L and the ICECAP-O, respectively. Measures of the environment comprised the NEWS-A (perceived built environment measure), the Street Smart Walk Score (objective built environment measure), and the SC-5PT (a measure of social cohesion). The primary analysis consists of Tobit regression models to explore the associations between environmental features and HRQoL as well as capability wellbeing. Key findings indicate that after adjusting for covariates, older adults' capability wellbeing was associated with street connectivity and social cohesion, while no statistically significant associations were found between environmental factors and HRQoL. Our results should be considered as hypothesis-generating and need confirmation in a larger longitudinal study. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Creating a healthy built environment for diabetic patients: the case study of the eastern province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Sidawi, Bhzad; Alhariri, Mohamed Taha; Albaker, Walid Ibrahim

2014-04-14

Many studies worldwide have demonstrated the negative impact of an unhealthy built environment on citizens. In the case of diabetes, studies have concentrated on the environmental impact and accessibility issues of a place i.e. the home and neighborhood, whereas few studies have addressed the comfort of the type and spatial arrangement of a household and linked it with the prevalence of diabetes. Also, little research has tackled the place's impact on diabetic patients and their views concerning their environments. This paper demonstrates the outcomes of survey that was carried out on diabetic individuals who usually visit the King Fahd teaching hospital of the University of Dammam, Al-Khober, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The patients were surveyed and physically examined. The present researchers found significant links between patients' diabetes symptoms such as reported paresthesia and blurred vision, and medical investigations results such as lipid profile, blood glucose and blood pressure with the environmental conditions of their homes and neighborhoods. The paper shows that the prevalence of the disease is not only caused by an unhealthy lifestyle but also by an unhealthy built environment. Moreover, it illustrates that unhealthy built environment promotes unhealthy life styles. It makes recommendations on how to improve the built environment in the KSA to be healthier for all citizens including the diabetic patients.

International study of perceived neighbourhood environmental attributes and Body Mass Index: IPEN Adult study in 12 countries.

PubMed

De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Van Dyck, Delfien; Salvo, Deborah; Davey, Rachel; Reis, Rodrigo S; Schofield, Grant; Sarmiento, Olga L; Mitas, Josef; Christiansen, Lars Breum; MacFarlane, Duncan; Sugiyama, Takemi; Aguinaga-Ontoso, Ines; Owen, Neville; Conway, Terry L; Sallis, James F; Cerin, Ester

2015-05-16

Ecological models of health behaviour are an important conceptual framework to address the multiple correlates of obesity. Several single-country studies previously examined the relationship between the built environment and obesity in adults, but results are very diverse. An important reason for these mixed results is the limited variability in built environments in these single-country studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine associations between perceived neighbourhood built environmental attributes and BMI/weight status in a multi-country study including 12 environmentally and culturally diverse countries. A multi-site cross-sectional study was conducted in 17 cities (study sites) across 12 countries (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, the UK and USA). Participants (n = 14222, 18-66 years) self-reported perceived neighbourhood environmental attributes. Height and weight were self-reported in eight countries, and measured in person in four countries. Three environmental attributes were associated with BMI or weight status in pooled data from 12 countries. Safety from traffic was the most robust correlate, suggesting that creating safe routes for walking/cycling by reducing the speed and volume of traffic might have a positive impact upon weight status/BMI across various geographical locations. Close proximity to several local destinations was associated with BMI across all countries, suggesting compact neighbourhoods with more places to walk related to lower BMI. Safety from crime showed a curvilinear relationship with BMI, with especially poor crime safety being related to higher BMI. Environmental interventions involving these three attributes appear to have international relevance and focusing on these might have implications for tackling overweight/obesity.

TU-AB-201-03: A Robot for the Automated Delivery of An Electromagnetic Tracking Sensor for the Localization of Brachytherapy Catheters

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

Don, S; Cormack, R; Viswanathan, A

Purpose: To present a programmable robotic system for the accurate and fast deployment of an electromagnetic (EM) sensor for brachytherapy catheter localization. Methods: A robotic system for deployment of an EM sensor was designed and built. The system was programmed to increment the sensor position at specified time and space intervals. Sensor delivery accuracy was measured in a phantom using the localization of the EM sensor and tested in different environmental conditions. Accuracy was tested by measuring the distance between the physical locations reached by the sensor (measured by the EM tracker) and the intended programmed locations. Results: The systemmore » consisted of a stepper motor connected to drive wheels (that grip the cable to move the sensor) and a series of guides to connect to a brachytherapy transfer tube, all controlled by a programmable Arduino microprocessor. The total cost for parts was <$300. The positional accuracy of the sensor location was within 1 mm of the expected position provided by the motorized guide system. Acquisition speed to localize a brachytherapy catheter with 20 cm of active length was 10 seconds. The current design showed some cable slip and warping depending on environment temperature. Conclusion: The use of EM tracking for the localization of brachytherapy catheters has been previously demonstrated. Efficient data acquisition and artifact reduction requires fast and accurate deployment of an EM sensor in consistent, repeatable patterns, which cannot practically be achieved manually. The design of an inexpensive, programmable robot allowing for the precise deployment of stepping patterns was presented, and a prototype was built. Further engineering is necessary to ensure that the device provides efficient independent localization of brachytherapy catheters. This research was funded by the Kaye Family Award.« less

Zoning method for environmental engineering geological patterns in underground coal mining areas.

PubMed

Liu, Shiliang; Li, Wenping; Wang, Qiqing

2018-09-01

Environmental engineering geological patterns (EEGPs) are used to express the trend and intensity of eco-geological environment caused by mining in underground coal mining areas, a complex process controlled by multiple factors. A new zoning method for EEGPs was developed based on the variable-weight theory (VWT), where the weights of factors vary with their value. The method was applied to the Yushenfu mining area, Shaanxi, China. First, the mechanism of the EEGPs caused by mining was elucidated, and four types of EEGPs were proposed. Subsequently, 13 key control factors were selected from mining conditions, lithosphere, hydrosphere, ecosphere, and climatic conditions; their thematic maps were constructed using ArcGIS software and remote-sensing technologies. Then, a stimulation-punishment variable-weight model derived from the partition of basic evaluation unit of study area, construction of partition state-variable-weight vector, and determination of variable-weight interval was built to calculate the variable weights of each factor. On this basis, a zoning mathematical model of EEGPs was established, and the zoning results were analyzed. For comparison, the traditional constant-weight theory (CWT) was also applied to divide the EEGPs. Finally, the zoning results obtained using VWT and CWT were compared. The verification of field investigation indicates that VWT is more accurate and reliable than CWT. The zoning results are consistent with the actual situations and the key of planning design for the rational development of coal resources and protection of eco-geological environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental Health in the School Setting: The Role of the School Nurse. Position Statement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDowell, Bernadette Moran; Bryner, Janet; Chau, Elizabeth A.

2014-01-01

Environmental health is a branch of public health that is concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines environmental health as those aspects of human health and diseases that are determined by factors in the environment. It also refers to the theory and practice of assessing and…

Helping Schools Be More Sustainable

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Henricus

2009-01-01

How do children relate to and interact with their natural and built environments? What opportunities in science are schools and other groups offering children to help their environmental encounters to be a positive and healthy--even enjoyable--experience? These are questions raised by the concept of "environmental education"--the…

ETHICS AND JUSTICE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

EPA Science Inventory

Science and engineering are built on trust. C.P. Snow's famous quote, "the only ethical principle which has made science possible is that the truth shall be told all the time" underscores the importance of honesty in science. Environmental scientists must do work that is useful...

Bird Migration Under Climate Change - A Mechanistic Approach Using Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, James A.; Blattner, Tim; Messmer, Peter

2010-01-01

The broad-scale reductions and shifts that may be expected under climate change in the availability and quality of stopover habitat for long-distance migrants is an area of increasing concern for conservation biologists. Researchers generally have taken two broad approaches to the modeling of migration behaviour to understand the impact of these changes on migratory bird populations. These include models based on causal processes and their response to environmental stimulation, "mechanistic models", or models that primarily are based on observed animal distribution patterns and the correlation of these patterns with environmental variables, i.e. "data driven" models. Investigators have applied the latter technique to forecast changes in migration patterns with changes in the environment, for example, as might be expected under climate change, by forecasting how the underlying environmental data layers upon which the relationships are built will change over time. The learned geostatstical correlations are then applied to the modified data layers.. However, this is problematic. Even if the projections of how the underlying data layers will change are correct, it is not evident that the statistical relationships will remain the same, i.e. that the animal organism may not adapt its' behaviour to the changing conditions. Mechanistic models that explicitly take into account the physical, biological, and behaviour responses of an organism as well as the underlying changes in the landscape offer an alternative to address these shortcomings. The availability of satellite remote sensing observations at multiple spatial and temporal scales, coupled with advances in climate modeling and information technologies enable the application of the mechanistic models to predict how continental bird migration patterns may change in response to environmental change. In earlier work, we simulated the impact of effects of wetland loss and inter-annual variability on the fitness of migratory shorebirds in the central fly ways of North America. We demonstrated the phenotypic plasticity of a migratory population of Pectoral sandpipers consisting of an ensemble of 10,000 individual birds in response to changes in stopover locations using an individual based migration model driven by remotely sensed land surface data, climate data and biological field data. With the advent of new computing capabilities enabled hy recent GPU-GP computing paradigms and commodity hardware, it now is possible to simulate both larger ensemble populations and to incorporate more realistic mechanistic factors into migration models. Here, we take our first steps use these tools to study the impact of long-term drought variability on shorebird survival.

The relationship between the quality of the built environment and the quality of life of people with dementia in residential care.

PubMed

Fleming, Richard; Goodenough, Belinda; Low, Lee-Fay; Chenoweth, Lynn; Brodaty, Henry

2016-07-01

While there is considerable evidence on the impact of specific design features on problems associated with dementia, the link between the quality of the built environment and quality of life of people with dementia is largely unexplored. This study explored the environmental and personal characteristics that are associated with quality of life in people with dementia living in residential aged care. Data were obtained from 275 residents of 35 aged care homes and analysed using linear regression. The quality of the built environment was significantly associated with the quality of life of the resident measured by global self-report. Environmental ratings were not associated with proxy or detailed self-report ratings. Higher quality of life is associated with buildings that facilitate engagement with a variety of activities both inside and outside, are familiar, provide a variety of private and community spaces and the amenities and opportunities to take part in domestic activities. © The Author(s) 2014.

Urban and built-up land area changes in the United States: an empirical investigation of determinants.

Treesearch

Ralph J. Alig; Robert G. Healy

1987-01-01

Conversion of commodity-producing rural lands to urban and other built-up uses received considerable attention in the professional literature and in the popular press in the early 1980s (U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Council on Environmental Quality 1981 ; Fischel 1982; Raup 1980; Brown, et al. 1982). Although some have concluded that the forces encouraging...

Built-Up Area Detection from High-Resolution Satellite Images Using Multi-Scale Wavelet Transform and Local Spatial Statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Gao, J.; Yuan, Y.; Lv, Z.

2018-04-01

Recently, built-up area detection from high-resolution satellite images (HRSI) has attracted increasing attention because HRSI can provide more detailed object information. In this paper, multi-resolution wavelet transform and local spatial autocorrelation statistic are introduced to model the spatial patterns of built-up areas. First, the input image is decomposed into high- and low-frequency subbands by wavelet transform at three levels. Then the high-frequency detail information in three directions (horizontal, vertical and diagonal) are extracted followed by a maximization operation to integrate the information in all directions. Afterward, a cross-scale operation is implemented to fuse different levels of information. Finally, local spatial autocorrelation statistic is introduced to enhance the saliency of built-up features and an adaptive threshold algorithm is used to achieve the detection of built-up areas. Experiments are conducted on ZY-3 and Quickbird panchromatic satellite images, and the results show that the proposed method is very effective for built-up area detection.

Mapping deforestation and urban expansion in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from pre- to post-war economic recovery.

PubMed

Mansaray, Lamin R; Huang, Jingfeng; Kamara, Alimamy A

2016-08-01

Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone has experienced vast land-cover changes over the past three decades. In Sierra Leone, however, availability of updated land-cover data is still a problem even for environmental managers. This study was therefore, conducted to provide up-to-date land-cover data for Freetown. Multi-temporal Landsat data at 1986, 2001, and 2015 were obtained, and a maximum likelihood supervised classification was employed. Eight land-cover classes or categories were recognized as follows: water, wetland, built-up, dense forest, sparse forest, grassland, barren, and mangrove. Land-cover changes were mapped via post-classification change detection. The persistence, gain, and loss of each land-cover class, and selected land conversions were also quantified. An overall classification accuracy of 87.3 % and a Kappa statistic of 0.85 were obtained for the 2015 map. From 1986 to 2015, water, built-up, grassland, and barren had net gains, whereas forests, wetlands, and mangrove had net loses. Conversion analyses among forests, grassland, and built-up show that built-up had targeted grassland and avoided forests. This study also revealed that, the overall land-cover change at 2001-2015 was higher (28.5 %) than that recorded at 1986-2001 (20.9 %). This is attributable to the population increase in Freetown and the high economic growth and infrastructural development recorded countrywide after the civil war. In view of the rapid land-cover change and its associated environmental impacts, this study recommends the enactment of policies that would strike a balance between urbanization and environmental sustainability in Freetown.

Environmental risk of leptospirosis infections in the Netherlands: Spatial modelling of environmental risk factors of leptospirosis in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Rood, Ente J J; Goris, Marga G A; Pijnacker, Roan; Bakker, Mirjam I; Hartskeerl, Rudy A

2017-01-01

Leptospirosis is a globally emerging zoonotic disease, associated with various climatic, biotic and abiotic factors. Mapping and quantifying geographical variations in the occurrence of leptospirosis and the surrounding environment offer innovative methods to study disease transmission and to identify associations between the disease and the environment. This study aims to investigate geographic variations in leptospirosis incidence in the Netherlands and to identify associations with environmental factors driving the emergence of the disease. Individual case data derived over the period 1995-2012 in the Netherlands were geocoded and aggregated by municipality. Environmental covariate data were extracted for each municipality and stored in a spatial database. Spatial clusters were identified using kernel density estimations and quantified using local autocorrelation statistics. Associations between the incidence of leptospirosis and the local environment were determined using Simultaneous Autoregressive Models (SAR) explicitly modelling spatial dependence of the model residuals. Leptospirosis incidence rates were found to be spatially clustered, showing a marked spatial pattern. Fitting a spatial autoregressive model significantly improved model fit and revealed significant association between leptospirosis and the coverage of arable land, built up area, grassland and sabulous clay soils. The incidence of leptospirosis in the Netherlands could effectively be modelled using a combination of soil and land-use variables accounting for spatial dependence of incidence rates per municipality. The resulting spatially explicit risk predictions provide an important source of information which will benefit clinical awareness on potential leptospirosis infections in endemic areas.

Ecosystems Biology Approaches To Determine Key Fitness Traits of Soil Microorganisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brodie, E.; Zhalnina, K.; Karaoz, U.; Cho, H.; Nuccio, E. E.; Shi, S.; Lipton, M. S.; Zhou, J.; Pett-Ridge, J.; Northen, T.; Firestone, M.

2014-12-01

The application of theoretical approaches such as trait-based modeling represent powerful tools to explain and perhaps predict complex patterns in microbial distribution and function across environmental gradients in space and time. These models are mostly deterministic and where available are built upon a detailed understanding of microbial physiology and response to environmental factors. However as most soil microorganisms have not been cultivated, for the majority our understanding is limited to insights from environmental 'omic information. Information gleaned from 'omic studies of complex systems should be regarded as providing hypotheses, and these hypotheses should be tested under controlled laboratory conditions if they are to be propagated into deterministic models. In a semi-arid Mediterranean grassland system we are attempting to dissect microbial communities into functional guilds with defined physiological traits and are using a range of 'omics approaches to characterize their metabolic potential and niche preference. Initially, two physiologically relevant time points (peak plant activity and prior to wet-up) were sampled and metagenomes sequenced deeply (600-900 Gbp). Following assembly, differential coverage and nucleotide frequency binning were carried out to yield draft genomes. In addition, using a range of cultivation media we have isolated a broad range of bacteria representing abundant bacterial genotypes and with genome sequences of almost 40 isolates are testing genomic predictions regarding growth rate, temperature and substrate utilization in vitro. This presentation will discuss the opportunities and challenges in parameterizing microbial functional guilds from environmental 'omic information for use in trait-based models.

Environmental risk of leptospirosis infections in the Netherlands: Spatial modelling of environmental risk factors of leptospirosis in the Netherlands

PubMed Central

Goris, Marga G. A.; Pijnacker, Roan; Bakker, Mirjam I.; Hartskeerl, Rudy A.

2017-01-01

Leptospirosis is a globally emerging zoonotic disease, associated with various climatic, biotic and abiotic factors. Mapping and quantifying geographical variations in the occurrence of leptospirosis and the surrounding environment offer innovative methods to study disease transmission and to identify associations between the disease and the environment. This study aims to investigate geographic variations in leptospirosis incidence in the Netherlands and to identify associations with environmental factors driving the emergence of the disease. Individual case data derived over the period 1995–2012 in the Netherlands were geocoded and aggregated by municipality. Environmental covariate data were extracted for each municipality and stored in a spatial database. Spatial clusters were identified using kernel density estimations and quantified using local autocorrelation statistics. Associations between the incidence of leptospirosis and the local environment were determined using Simultaneous Autoregressive Models (SAR) explicitly modelling spatial dependence of the model residuals. Leptospirosis incidence rates were found to be spatially clustered, showing a marked spatial pattern. Fitting a spatial autoregressive model significantly improved model fit and revealed significant association between leptospirosis and the coverage of arable land, built up area, grassland and sabulous clay soils. The incidence of leptospirosis in the Netherlands could effectively be modelled using a combination of soil and land-use variables accounting for spatial dependence of incidence rates per municipality. The resulting spatially explicit risk predictions provide an important source of information which will benefit clinical awareness on potential leptospirosis infections in endemic areas. PMID:29065186

Built environment and Property Crime in Seattle, 1998-2000: A Bayesian Analysis.

PubMed

Matthews, Stephen A; Yang, Tse-Chuan; Hayslett-McCall, Karen L; Ruback, R Barry

2010-06-01

The past decade has seen a rapid growth in the use of a spatial perspective in studies of crime. In part this growth has been driven by the availability of georeferenced data, and the tools to analyze and visualize them: geographic information systems (GIS), spatial analysis, and spatial statistics. In this paper we use exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) tools and Bayesian models to help better understand the spatial patterning and predictors of property crime in Seattle, Washington for 1998-2000, including a focus on built environment variables. We present results for aggregate property crime data as well as models for specific property crime types: residential burglary, nonresidential burglary, theft, auto theft, and arson. ESDA confirms the presence of spatial clustering of property crime and we seek to explain these patterns using spatial Poisson models implemented in WinBUGS. Our results indicate that built environment variables were significant predictors of property crime, especially the presence of a highway on auto theft and burglary.

Built environment and Property Crime in Seattle, 1998–2000: A Bayesian Analysis

PubMed Central

Matthews, Stephen A.; Yang, Tse-chuan; Hayslett-McCall, Karen L.; Ruback, R. Barry

2014-01-01

The past decade has seen a rapid growth in the use of a spatial perspective in studies of crime. In part this growth has been driven by the availability of georeferenced data, and the tools to analyze and visualize them: geographic information systems (GIS), spatial analysis, and spatial statistics. In this paper we use exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) tools and Bayesian models to help better understand the spatial patterning and predictors of property crime in Seattle, Washington for 1998–2000, including a focus on built environment variables. We present results for aggregate property crime data as well as models for specific property crime types: residential burglary, nonresidential burglary, theft, auto theft, and arson. ESDA confirms the presence of spatial clustering of property crime and we seek to explain these patterns using spatial Poisson models implemented in WinBUGS. Our results indicate that built environment variables were significant predictors of property crime, especially the presence of a highway on auto theft and burglary. PMID:24737924

Urban vegetation and thermal patterns following city growth in different socio-economic contexts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dronova, I.; Clinton, N.; Yang, J.; Radke, J.; Marx, S. S.; Gong, P.

2015-12-01

Urban expansion accompanied by losses of vegetated spaces and their ecological services raises significant concerns about the future of humans in metropolitan "habitats". Despite recent growth of urban studies globally, it is still not well understood how environmental effects of urbanization vary with the rate and socioeconomic context of development. Our study hypothesized that with urban development, spatial patterns of surface thermal properties and green plant cover would shift towards higher occurrence of relatively warmer and less vegetated spaces such as built-up areas, followed by losses of greener and cooler areas such as urban forests, and that these shifts would be more pronounced with higher rate of economic and/or population growth. To test these ideas, we compared 1992-2011 changes in remotely sensed patterns of green vegetation and surface temperature in three example cities that experienced peripheral growth under contrasting socio-economic context - Dallas, TX, USA, Beijing, China and Kyiv, Ukraine. To assess their transformation, we proposed a metric of thermal-vegetation angle (TVA) estimated from per-pixel proxies of vegetation greenness and surface temperature from Landsat satellite data and examined changes in TVA distributions within each city's core and two decadal zones of peripheral sprawl delineated from nighttime satellite data. We found that higher economic and population growth were coupled with more pronounced changes in TVA distributions, and more urbanized zones often exhibited higher frequencies of warmer, less green than average TVA values with novel patterns such as "cooler" clusters of building shadows. Although greener and cooler spaces generally diminished with development, they remained relatively prevalent in low-density residential areas of Dallas and peripheral zones of Kyiv with exurban subsistence farming. Overall, results indicate that the effects of modified green space and thermal patterns within growing cities highly vary depending on economy, population trends and historical legacies of planned green spaces. Remote sensing-based metrics such as TVA facilitate their comparisons and offer useful strategies to cost-effectively monitor urban transformation and inform more explicit environmental modeling of cities in the future.

Prediction of Cytochrome P450 Profiles of Environmental Chemicals with QSAR Models Built from Drug-like Molecules

EPA Science Inventory

The human cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzyme family is involved in the biotransformation of many environmental chemicals. As part of the U.S. Tox21 effort, we profiled the CYP450 activity of ~2800 chemicals predominantly of environmental concern against CYP1A2, CYP2C19, CYP2C9, CYP2...

Domains of environmental quality are differentially associated with adverse birth outcomes by levels of urban-rural status

EPA Science Inventory

Human health is affected by exposures operating from multiple domains across level of urbanicity. To accommodate this, we constructed an environmental quality index(EQI) using data from five domains (air, water, land, built, sociodemographic) for each United States (U.S.) county;...

What explains the association between neighborhood-level income inequality and the risk of fatal overdose in New York City?

PubMed

Nandi, Arijit; Galea, Sandro; Ahern, Jennifer; Bucciarelli, Angela; Vlahov, David; Tardiff, Kenneth

2006-08-01

Accidental drug overdose is a substantial cause of mortality for drug users. Using a multilevel case-control study we previously have shown that neighborhood-level income inequality may be an important determinant of overdose death independent of individual-level factors. Here we hypothesized that the level of environmental disorder, the level of police activity, and the quality of the built environment in a neighborhood mediate this association. Data from the New York City (NYC) Mayor's Management Report, the NYC Police Department, and the NYC Housing and Vacancy Survey were used to define constructs for the level of environmental disorder, the level of police activity and the quality of the built environment, respectively. In multivariable models the odds of death due to drug overdose in neighborhoods in the top decile of income inequality compared to the most equitable neighborhoods decreased from 1.63 to 1.12 when adjusting for the three potential mediators. Path analyses show that the association between income inequality and the rate of drug overdose mortality was primarily explained by an indirect effect through the level of environmental disorder and the quality of the built environment in a neighborhood. Implications of these findings for the reduction of drug overdose mortality associated with the distribution of income are discussed.

Capturing the Interrelationship between Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour in Children in the Context of Diverse Environmental Exposures.

PubMed

Katapally, Tarun R; Muhajarine, Nazeem

2015-09-07

Even though physical activity and sedentary behaviour are two distinct behaviours, their interdependent relationship needs to be studied in the same environment. This study examines the influence of urban design, neighbourhood built and social environment, and household and individual factors on the interdependent relationship between objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children in the Canadian city of Saskatoon. Saskatoon's built environment was assessed by two validated observation tools. Neighbourhood socioeconomic variables were derived from 2006 Statistics Canada Census and 2010 G5 Census projections. A questionnaire was administered to 10-14 year old children to collect individual and household data, followed by accelerometry to collect physical activity and sedentary behaviour data. Multilevel logistic regression models were developed to understand the interrelationship between physical activity and sedentary behaviour in the context of diverse environmental exposures. A complex set of factors including denser built environment, positive peer relationships and consistent parental support influenced the interrelationship between physical activity and sedentary behaviour. In developing interventions to facilitate active living, it is not only imperative to delineate pathways through which diverse environmental exposures influence physical activity and sedentary behaviour, but also to account for the interrelationship between physical activity and sedentary behaviour.

Feasibility of Deploying Inhaler Sensors to Identify the Impacts of Environmental Triggers and Built Environment Factors on Asthma Short-Acting Bronchodilator Use.

PubMed

Su, Jason G; Barrett, Meredith A; Henderson, Kelly; Humblet, Olivier; Smith, Ted; Sublett, James W; Nesbitt, LaQuandra; Hogg, Chris; Van Sickle, David; Sublett, James L

2017-02-01

Epidemiological asthma research has relied upon self-reported symptoms or healthcare utilization data, and used the residential address as the primary location for exposure. These data sources can be temporally limited, spatially aggregated, subjective, and burdensome for the patient to collect. First, we aimed to test the feasibility of collecting rescue inhaler use data in space-time using electronic sensors. Second, we aimed to evaluate whether these data have the potential to identify environmental triggers and built environment factors associated with rescue inhaler use and to determine whether these findings would be consistent with the existing literature. We utilized zero-truncated negative binomial models to identify triggers associated with inhaler use, and implemented three sensitivity analyses to validate our findings. Electronic sensors fitted on metered dose inhalers tracked 5,660 rescue inhaler use events in space and time for 140 participants from 13 June 2012 to 28 February 2014. We found that the inhaler sensors were feasible in passively collecting objective rescue inhaler use data. We identified several environmental triggers with a positive and significant association with inhaler use, including: AQI, PM10, weed pollen, and mold. Conversely, the spatial distribution of tree cover demonstrated a negative and significant association with inhaler use. Utilizing a sensor to capture the signal of rescue inhaler use in space-time offered a passive and objective signal of asthma activity. This approach enabled detailed analyses to identify environmental triggers and built environment factors that are associated with asthma symptoms beyond the residential address. The application of these new technologies has the potential to improve our surveillance and understanding of asthma. Citation: Su JG, Barrett MA, Henderson K, Humblet O, Smith T, Sublett JW, Nesbitt L, Hogg C, Van Sickle D, Sublett JL. 2017. Feasibility of deploying inhaler sensors to identify the impacts of environmental triggers and built environment factors on asthma short-acting bronchodilator use. Environ Health Perspect 125:254-261; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP266.

Have Large Dams Altered Extreme Precipitation Patterns?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hossain, Faisal; Jeyachandran, Indumathi; Pielke, Roger

2009-12-01

Dams and their impounded waters are among the most common civil infrastructures, with a long heritage of modern design and operations experience. In particular, large dams, defined by the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) as having a height greater than 15 meters from the foundation and holding a reservoir volume of more than 3 million cubic meters, have the potential to vastly transform local climate, landscapes, regional economics, and urbanization patterns. In the United States alone, about 75,000 dams are capable of storing a volume of water equaling almost 1 year's mean runoff of the nation [Graf, 1999]. The World Commission on Dams (WCD) reports that at least 45,000 large dams have been built worldwide since the 1930s. These sheer numbers raise the question of the extent to which large dams and their impounded waters alter patterns that would have been pervasive had the dams not been built.

Emergence of intercolonial variation in termite shelter tube patterns and prediction of its underlying mechanism

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Building behaviours occur in various organisms from bacteria to humans. Social insects build various structures such as large nests and underground galleries, achieved by self-organization. Structures built by social insects have recently been demonstrated to vary widely in size and shape within a species, even under the same environmental conditions. However, little is known about how intraspecific variation in structures emerges from collective behaviours. Here we show that the colony variation of structures can be generated by simply changing two behavioural parameters of group members, even with the same building algorithm. Our laboratory experiment of termite shelter tube construction demonstrated clear intercolonial variation, and a two-dimensional lattice model showed that it can be attributed to the extent of positive feedback and the number of individuals engaged in building. This study contributes to explaining the great diversity of structures emerging from collective building in social insects. PMID:26715997

Development of a dynamic framework to explain population patterns of leisure-time physical activity through agent-based modeling.

PubMed

Garcia, Leandro M T; Diez Roux, Ana V; Martins, André C R; Yang, Yong; Florindo, Alex A

2017-08-22

Despite the increasing body of evidences on the factors influencing leisure-time physical activity, our understanding of the mechanisms and interactions that lead to the formation and evolution of population patterns is still limited. Moreover, most frameworks in this field fail to capture dynamic processes. Our aim was to create a dynamic conceptual model depicting the interaction between key psychological attributes of individuals and main aspects of the built and social environments in which they live. This conceptual model will inform and support the development of an agent-based model aimed to explore how population patterns of LTPA in adults may emerge from the dynamic interplay between psychological traits and built and social environments. We integrated existing theories and models as well as available empirical data (both from literature reviews), and expert opinions (based on a systematic expert assessment of an intermediary version of the model). The model explicitly presents intention as the proximal determinant of leisure-time physical activity, a relationship dynamically moderated by the built environment (access, quality, and available activities) - with the strength of the moderation varying as a function of the person's intention- and influenced both by the social environment (proximal network's and community's behavior) and the person's behavior. Our conceptual model is well supported by evidence and experts' opinions and will inform the design of our agent-based model, as well as data collection and analysis of future investigations on population patterns of leisure-time physical activity among adults.

How Much are Built Environments Changing, and Where?: Patterns of Change by Neighborhood Sociodemographic Characteristics across Seven U.S. Metropolitan Areas

PubMed Central

Hirsch, Jana A.; Grengs, Joe; Schulz, Amy; Adar, Sara D.; Rodriguez, Daniel A.; Brines, Shannon J.; Diez Roux, Ana V.

2016-01-01

Investments in neighborhood built environments could increase physical activity and overall health. Disproportionate distribution of these changes in advantaged neighborhoods could inflate health disparities. Little information exists on where changes are occurring. This paper aims to 1) identify changes in the built environment in neighborhoods and 2) investigate associations between high levels of change and sociodemographic characteristics. Using Geographic Information Systems, neighborhood land-use, local destinations (for walking, social engagement, and physical activity), and sociodemographics were characterized in 2000 and 2010 for seven U.S. cities. Linear and change on change models estimated associations of built environment changes with baseline (2000) and change (2010–2000) in sociodemographics. Spatial patterns were assessed using Global Moran’s I to measure overall clustering of change and Local Moran’s I to identify statistically significant clusters of high increases surrounded by high increases (HH). Sociodemographic characteristics were compared between HH cluster and other tracts using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). We observed small land-use changes but increases in the destination types. Greater increases in destinations were associated with higher percentage non-Hispanic whites, percentage households with no vehicle, and median household income. Associations were present for both baseline sociodemographics and changes over time. Greater increases in destinations were associated with lower baseline percentage over 65 but higher increases in percentage over 65 between 2000 and 2010. Global Moran’s indicated changes were spatially clustered. HH cluster tracts started with a higher percentage non-Hispanic whites and higher percentage of households without vehicles. Between 2000 and 2010, HH cluster tracts experienced increases in percent non-Hispanic white, greater increases in median household income, and larger decreases in percent of households without a vehicle. Changes in the built environment are occurring in neighborhoods across a diverse set of U.S. metropolitan areas, but are patterned such that they may lead to increased health disparities over time. PMID:27701020

Influence of social and built environment features on children walking to school: an observational study.

PubMed

Rothman, Linda; To, Teresa; Buliung, Ron; Macarthur, Colin; Howard, Andrew

2014-03-01

To estimate the proportion of children living within walking distance who walk to school in Toronto, Canada and identify built and social environmental correlates of walking. Observational counts of school travel mode were done in 2011, at 118 elementary schools. Built environment data were obtained from municipal sources and school field audits and mapped onto school attendance boundaries. The influence of social and built environmental features on walking counts was analyzed using negative binomial regression. The mean proportion observed walking was 67% (standard deviation=14.0). Child population (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.36), pedestrian crossover (IRR 1.32), traffic light (IRR 1.19), and intersection densities (IRR 1.03), school crossing guard (IRR 1.14) and primary language other than English (IRR 1.20) were positively correlated with walking. Crossing guard presence reduced the influence of other features on walking. This is the first large observational study examining school travel mode and the environment. Walking proportions were higher than those previously reported in Toronto, with large variability. Associations between population density and several roadway design features and walking were confirmed. School crossing guards may override the influence of roadway features on walking. Results have important implications for policies regarding walking promotion. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 14 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-30

ISS014-E-10547 (30 Dec. 2006) --- Barcelona, Spain is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 14 crewmember on the International Space Station. Barcelona occupies a low plateau along the Mediterranean coastal plain. The city is the second largest in Spain (after the capital of Madrid), and hosts the country's largest seaport (portions of which are visible at lower right). This detailed view captures several notable features of the Barcelona urban landscape. The architectural design of the Eixample district (center) displays a grid pattern distinctive for Barcelona. Built during the 19th and 20th centuries, the district was built with octagonal city blocks -- originally intended to be open structures of only two or three sides surrounding gardens and open space. While the original street grid pattern remains, today many of the octagonal blocks are completely built up. The adjacent Cuitat Vella, or old city, presents a much denser building pattern which dates from Roman times. Also visible at lower right is the 173-meter high Montjuic Mountain -- historically the location of fortresses due to its strategic position overlooking the city's harbor. Light tan and orange structures visible at the crest of the mountain include the stadium and other buildings used in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games at Barcelona.

Model-driven development of covariances for spatiotemporal environmental health assessment.

PubMed

Kolovos, Alexander; Angulo, José Miguel; Modis, Konstantinos; Papantonopoulos, George; Wang, Jin-Feng; Christakos, George

2013-01-01

Known conceptual and technical limitations of mainstream environmental health data analysis have directed research to new avenues. The goal is to deal more efficiently with the inherent uncertainty and composite space-time heterogeneity of key attributes, account for multi-sourced knowledge bases (health models, survey data, empirical relationships etc.), and generate more accurate predictions across space-time. Based on a versatile, knowledge synthesis methodological framework, we introduce new space-time covariance functions built by integrating epidemic propagation models and we apply them in the analysis of existing flu datasets. Within the knowledge synthesis framework, the Bayesian maximum entropy theory is our method of choice for the spatiotemporal prediction of the ratio of new infectives (RNI) for a case study of flu in France. The space-time analysis is based on observations during a period of 15 weeks in 1998-1999. We present general features of the proposed covariance functions, and use these functions to explore the composite space-time RNI dependency. We then implement the findings to generate sufficiently detailed and informative maps of the RNI patterns across space and time. The predicted distributions of RNI suggest substantive relationships in accordance with the typical physiographic and climatologic features of the country.

The Airplane Cabin Microbiome.

PubMed

Weiss, Howard; Hertzberg, Vicki Stover; Dupont, Chris; Espinoza, Josh L; Levy, Shawn; Nelson, Karen; Norris, Sharon

2018-06-06

Serving over three billion passengers annually, air travel serves as a conduit for infectious disease spread, including emerging infections and pandemics. Over two dozen cases of in-flight transmissions have been documented. To understand these risks, a characterization of the airplane cabin microbiome is necessary. Our study team collected 229 environmental samples on ten transcontinental US flights with subsequent 16S rRNA sequencing. We found that bacterial communities were largely derived from human skin and oral commensals, as well as environmental generalist bacteria. We identified clear signatures for air versus touch surface microbiome, but not for individual types of touch surfaces. We also found large flight-to-flight beta diversity variations with no distinguishing signatures of individual flights, rather a high between-flight diversity for all touch surfaces and particularly for air samples. There was no systematic pattern of microbial community change from pre- to post-flight. Our findings are similar to those of other recent studies of the microbiome of built environments. In summary, the airplane cabin microbiome has immense airplane to airplane variability. The vast majority of airplane-associated microbes are human commensals or non-pathogenic, and the results provide a baseline for non-crisis-level airplane microbiome conditions.

Assessment of Environmental Determinants of Physical Activity: a Study of Built Environment Indicators in Brno, Czech Republic.

PubMed

Brázdová, Zuzana Derflerová; Klimusová, Helena; Hruška, Dalibor; Prokopová, Alice; Burjanek, Aleš; Wulff, Krauff Rainer Schwanhaeuser

2015-11-01

Research on physical activity in relation to obesity gradually becomes more focused on environmental determinants, which can potentially influence people's health choices. The present article addresses the topic of physical activity from a wider sociological perspective. Our pilot study was designed with the objective of testing the applicability of a method included in the EC 6th Framework Programme EURO-PREVOB, in the Czech context. The method examines specific determinants of the built environment that can have an impact on physical activity at the population level. In addition, the study aims to analyze possible differences in built environment indicators and their relation to the physical activity of people living in neighbourhoods with areas of varying socioeconomic status. The field study was carried out in the city of Brno, Czech Republic, in 5 neighbourhood quintiles, i.e. areas divided according to the socioeconomic status of local residents. In each quintile, we evaluated the quality of the built environment according to the quality, aesthetics and safety of segregated cycle facilities, playgrounds/playing areas, public open spaces, marked road crossings and pavements as well as signs of incivilities and devastation. Between the five quintiles, significant differences were found in the quality of parks and playgrounds/playing areas, pavements, marking of pedestrian crossings, and in general aesthetics, i.e. signs of incivilities and devastation of the built environment. No differences were found in the quality and use of cycle facilities. The method we used for the evaluation of the built environment proved highly applicable in Czech populated areas. Monitoring of built environment indicators in the Czech Republic should provide a basis for health maps, showing potential associations between the prevalence of high-incidence, non-infectious diseases and various social determinants of physical activity. This information might help in achieving an improvement in these determinants at a community level and promoting an increase in physical activity at the population level. Copyright© by the National Institute of Public Health, Prague 2015.

ChelomEx: Isotope-assisted discovery of metal chelates in complex media using high-resolution LC-MS.

PubMed

Baars, Oliver; Morel, François M M; Perlman, David H

2014-11-18

Chelating agents can control the speciation and reactivity of trace metals in biological, environmental, and laboratory-derived media. A large number of trace metals (including Fe, Cu, Zn, Hg, and others) show characteristic isotopic fingerprints that can be exploited for the discovery of known and unknown organic metal complexes and related chelating ligands in very complex sample matrices using high-resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). However, there is currently no free open-source software available for this purpose. We present a novel software tool, ChelomEx, which identifies isotope pattern-matched chromatographic features associated with metal complexes along with free ligands and other related adducts in high-resolution LC-MS data. High sensitivity and exclusion of false positives are achieved by evaluation of the chromatographic coherence of the isotope pattern within chromatographic features, which we demonstrate through the analysis of bacterial culture media. A built-in graphical user interface and compound library aid in identification and efficient evaluation of results. ChelomEx is implemented in MatLab. The source code, binaries for MS Windows and MAC OS X as well as test LC-MS data are available for download at SourceForge ( http://sourceforge.net/projects/chelomex ).

Native Skies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benningfield, Damond

2001-03-01

People native to North America practiced their own version of astronomy. They tracked the motions of the Sun to help them decide when to plant crops, move their camps, and stage sacred rituals. Some tribes built great circles of stones to help them predict the changing seasons. Others built great mounds of earth to reflect the patterns they saw in the heavens and to align their ceremonial centers with the Sun and the Moon.

Acclimation of microorganisms to harsh soil crust conditions: Experimental and genomic approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raanan, Hagai; Kaplan, Aaron

2015-04-01

Biological soil crusts (BSC) are formed by the adhesion of sand particles to cyanobacterial exo- polysaccharides and play an important role in stabilizing sandy desert. Its destruction promotes desertification. These organisms cope with extreme temperatures, excess light and frequent hydration/dehydration cycles; the mechanisms involved are largely unknown. With the genome of newly sequenced Leptolyngbya, isolated from Nizzana BSC, we conduct comparative genomics of three desiccation tolerant cyanobacteria. This yield 46 unique genes, some of them similar to genes involve in sporulation of the gram positive bacteria Bacillus. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms taking place during desiccation we built an environmental chamber capable of simulating dynamic changes of environmental conditions in the crust. This chamber allows us to perform repetitive and accurate desiccation/rehydration experiments and follow cyanobacterial physiological and molecular response to such environmental changes. When we compared fast desiccation (less than 5 min) of isolated cyanobacteria to simulation of natural desiccation, we observed a 60% lower fluorescence recovery rate. The extent of damage from desiccation depended on the stress conditions during the dry period. These results suggest that cyanobacteria activated protection mechanisms in response to desiccation stress but which were not activated in 5 min desiccation tests. Gene expression patterns during desiccation are being analyzed in order to provide a better understanding of desiccation stress protection mechanisms.

Environmental Assessment Addressing the Defense Language Institute English Language Center (DLIELC), and the Inter-American Air Forces Academy (IAAFA) Area Development Plan at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

Heat island” refers to built up areas that have hotter surface and air temperatures than nearby rural areas. Heat island effect occurs when...Summary of Environmental Effects The public and regulatory agency scoping process focused the analysis on the following environmental resources... effects of implementing the DLIELC and IAAFA ADP are not significant, that preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is unnecessary, and that a

CPTED 101: Crime Prevention through Environmental Design--The Fundamentals for Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Tod

2010-01-01

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) 101 applies to both new and existing schools and is built on three simple concepts: natural surveillance, natural access control, and territoriality. If a school's layout seems unsafe, adopting a few CPTED fundamentals may help make it significantly safer. This paper offers some tips for making…

Scoring Los Angeles Landscapes: Environmental Education in an Urban Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salter, Christopher L.; And Others

This notebook serves as a guide for learning activities in environmental education. Twelve themes are treated in four groups: (1) sense of place includes history and landscape; (2) the natural environment covers air, water, energy, and landforms; (3) the built environment includes architecture, transportation, and housing; and (4) the social…

A Low-Cost Environmental Monitoring System: How to Prevent Systematic Errors in the Design Phase through the Combined Use of Additive Manufacturing and Thermographic Techniques.

PubMed

Salamone, Francesco; Danza, Ludovico; Meroni, Italo; Pollastro, Maria Cristina

2017-04-11

nEMoS (nano Environmental Monitoring System) is a 3D-printed device built following the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) approach. It can be connected to the web and it can be used to assess indoor environmental quality (IEQ). It is built using some low-cost sensors connected to an Arduino microcontroller board. The device is assembled in a small-sized case and both thermohygrometric sensors used to measure the air temperature and relative humidity, and the globe thermometer used to measure the radiant temperature, can be subject to thermal effects due to overheating of some nearby components. A thermographic analysis was made to rule out this possibility. The paper shows how the pervasive technique of additive manufacturing can be combined with the more traditional thermographic techniques to redesign the case and to verify the accuracy of the optimized system in order to prevent instrumental systematic errors in terms of the difference between experimental and actual values of the above-mentioned environmental parameters.

A Low-Cost Environmental Monitoring System: How to Prevent Systematic Errors in the Design Phase through the Combined Use of Additive Manufacturing and Thermographic Techniques

PubMed Central

Salamone, Francesco; Danza, Ludovico; Meroni, Italo; Pollastro, Maria Cristina

2017-01-01

nEMoS (nano Environmental Monitoring System) is a 3D-printed device built following the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) approach. It can be connected to the web and it can be used to assess indoor environmental quality (IEQ). It is built using some low-cost sensors connected to an Arduino microcontroller board. The device is assembled in a small-sized case and both thermohygrometric sensors used to measure the air temperature and relative humidity, and the globe thermometer used to measure the radiant temperature, can be subject to thermal effects due to overheating of some nearby components. A thermographic analysis was made to rule out this possibility. The paper shows how the pervasive technique of additive manufacturing can be combined with the more traditional thermographic techniques to redesign the case and to verify the accuracy of the optimized system in order to prevent instrumental systematic errors in terms of the difference between experimental and actual values of the above-mentioned environmental parameters. PMID:28398225

The spatial-temporal patterns and the driving forces of land-use/cover change in the Dongting Lake area of the middle Yangtze River basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Rendong; Liu, Jiyuan; Zhuang, Dafang; Gao, Zhiqiang

2004-11-01

Dongting Lake area, located on the southern bank of the middle Yangtze River in central China, is one of the regions experiencing rapid land use change and seriously suffering from flooding disaster in the country. In this paper, a series of land-use coverage was generated through visually interpreting Landsat MSS, TM and ETM images, of 1980, 1990 and 2000 respectively. Then, the spatial-temporal characteristics and the driving forces of the land use changes were analyzed in the study area. The results show that, from 1980 to 2000, the areas of farmland, woodland and non-used land decreased, while those of built-up land, water area and grassland increased. There was a significant shifting from farmland to water or built-up area, and the large-scale reclamation from the lake ever in history has not been found since 1980. The fastest changed area was in Shishou City, Yueyang City and Jinshi City, and the slowest in the eastern and southeastern area. About 49% of the changes were caused by the adjustment of agricultural economic structure, 29.75% by the urbanization and industrialization, and 21.41% by the environmental pressure. The policy, market price and tax on land products also have definitively influences on the land-use changes.

Youth Dietary Intake and Weight Status: Healthful Neighborhood Food Environments Enhance the Protective Role of Supportive Family Home Environments

PubMed Central

Berge, Jerica M.; Wall, Melanie; Larson, Nicole; Forsyth, Ann; Bauer, Katherine W.; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate individual and joint associations of the home environment and the neighborhood built environment with adolescent dietary patterns and body mass index (BMI) z-score. Racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse adolescents (n = 2682; 53.2% girls; mean age14. 4 years) participating in the EAT 2010 (Eating and Activity in Teens) study completed height and weight measurements and surveys in Minnesota middle and high schools. Neighborhood variables were measured using Geographic Information Systems data. Multiple regressions of BMI z-score, fruit and vegetable intake, and fast food consumption were fit including home and neighborhood environmental variables as predictors and also including their interactions to test for effect modification. Supportive family environments (i.e., higher family functioning, frequent family meals, parent modeling of healthful eating) were associated with higher adolescent fruit and vegetable intake, lower fast food consumption, and lower BMI z-score. Associations between the built environment and adolescent outcomes were fewer. Interaction results, although not all consistent, indicated that the relationship between a supportive family environment and adolescent fruit and vegetable intake and BMI was enhanced when the neighborhood was supportive of healthful behavior. Public health interventions that simultaneously improve both the home environment and the neighborhood environment of adolescents may have a greater impact on adolescent obesity prevention than interventions that address one of these environments alone. PMID:24378461

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 17 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-01

ISS017-E-018075 (1 Oct. 2008) --- The Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 17 crewmember on the International Space Station. This view illustrates the unusual man-made landscape of the Pueblo Chemical Depot located near the city of Pueblo, Colorado. The Depot was built during World War II by the U.S. Army to house and ship ammunition needed for war efforts, and this role transitioned to missile repair and maintenance during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. The current use of the Depot is to house chemical munitions, but changes are underway by the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency to destroy these munitions and make the site environmentally safe for reuse -- while also protecting the surrounding local environment. The stippled landscape pattern visible from low Earth orbit is due to hundreds of concrete and earth-covered storage "igloos" that form ordered rows across the site (top). It is within these igloos that chemical munitions and other materials are stored. Larger, white roofed maintenance buildings once used for munitions storage were built with separate compartments to minimize potential damage from explosions. Other features visible in this detailed image include linear roadway (light tan) and rail (dark brown) lines, black irregular surface impoundments of water, and various rectangular office and industrial buildings at lower left.

Future Time Perspective, Socio-Emotional Regulation, and Diurnal Cortisol Patterns in Post-Secondary Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Katherine C.

2017-01-01

Built upon Control Value Theory, this dissertation consists of two studies that examine university students' future-oriented motivation, socio-emotional regulation, and diurnal cortisol patterns in understanding students' well-being in the academic-context. Study 1 examined the roles that Learning-related Hopelessness and Future Time Perspective…

Personality Patterns of Physicians in Person-Oriented and Technique-Oriented Specialties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borges, Nicole J.; Gibson, Denise D.

2005-01-01

This study investigated differences in personality patterns between person-oriented and technique-oriented physicians. It tested an integrative framework by converting the scores on the Personality Research Form (PRF) to the Big-Five factors and built a predictive model of group membership in clinical specialty area. PRF scores from 238 physicians…

PATTERNS OF MASTERY AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MINUCHIN, PATRICIA; AND OTHERS

EFFORTS WERE DIRECTED TOWARD THE EXPLORATION OF CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE HOME AND SCHOOL BACKGROUND INFLUENCES OF FOURTH-GRADE CHILDREN, AND THE PATTERNS OF RESPONSE THROUGH WHICH CHILDREN MASTER CHALLENGE, REACT TO OPPORTUNITY, AND EXPRESS AND HANDLE CONFLICT. THIS CURRENT RESEARCH WAS BUILT UPON AN EARLIER STUDY WHICH ASSESSED THE EFFECTS OF…

Cool habitats support darker and bigger butterflies in Australian tropical forests.

PubMed

Xing, Shuang; Bonebrake, Timothy C; Tang, Chin Cheung; Pickett, Evan J; Cheng, Wenda; Greenspan, Sasha E; Williams, Stephen E; Scheffers, Brett R

2016-11-01

Morphology mediates the relationship between an organism's body temperature and its environment. Dark organisms, for example, tend to absorb heat more quickly than lighter individuals, which could influence their responses to temperature. Therefore, temperature-related traits such as morphology may affect patterns of species abundance, richness, and community assembly across a broad range of spatial scales. In this study, we examined variation in color lightness and body size within butterfly communities across hot and cool habitats in the tropical woodland-rainforest ecosystems of northeast Queensland, Australia. Using thermal imaging, we documented the absorption of solar radiation relative to color lightness and wingspan and then built a phylogenetic tree based on available sequences to analyze the effects of habitat on these traits within a phylogenetic framework. In general, darker and larger individuals were more prevalent in cool, closed-canopy rainforests than in immediately adjacent and hotter open woodlands. In addition, darker and larger butterflies preferred to be active in the shade and during crepuscular hours, while lighter and smaller butterflies were more active in the sun and midday hours-a pattern that held after correcting for phylogeny. Our ex situ experiment supported field observations that dark and large butterflies heated up faster than light and small butterflies under standardized environmental conditions. Our results show a thermal consequence of butterfly morphology across habitats and how environmental factors at a microhabitat scale may affect the distribution of species based on these traits. Furthermore, this study highlights how butterfly species might differentially respond to warming based on ecophysiological traits and how thermal refuges might emerge at microclimatic and habitat scales.

17. Baltimore through truss steel bridge (1905), built by the ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

17. Baltimore through truss steel bridge (1905), built by the American Bridge Company. The bridge is 15 to 20 feet wide, with a wooden deck, and connects the Sullivan Machine Co. with the Foundry. The enclosed bridge in the background was constructed ca. 1920, and connects the Chain Machine Building with its power plant, foundry, and pattern shop. - Sullivan Machinery Company, Main Street between Pearl & Water Streets, Claremont, Sullivan County, NH

Environmental Assessment for QSEU116038 - Lower Pattern Altitude at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-01

flight rules ( IFR ) overhead flight patterns. The 2,000-foot AGL VFR overhead flight pattern is associated with the previous Moody AFB training mission...EA Environmental Assessment EIS environmental impact statement IFR instrument flight rules Lmax maximum sound level NEPA National Environmental...airspace only (airspace immediately surrounding the Moody AFB airfield) and would not affect instrument flight rules ( IFR ) overhead flight patterns

Assessing climate change and health vulnerability at the local level: Travis County, Texas.

PubMed

Prudent, Natasha; Houghton, Adele; Luber, George

2016-10-01

We created a measure to help comprehend population vulnerability to potential flooding and excessive heat events using health, built environment and social factors. Through principal component analysis (PCA), we created non-weighted sum index scores of literature-reviewed social and built environment characteristics. We created baseline poor health measures using 1999-2005 age-adjusted cardiovascular and combined diabetes and hypertension mortality rates to correspond with social-built environment indices. We mapped US Census block groups by linked age-adjusted mortality and a PCA-created social-built environment index. The goal was to measure flooding and excessive heat event vulnerability as proxies for population vulnerability to climate change for Travis County, Texas. This assessment identified communities where baseline poor health, social marginalisation and built environmental impediments intersected. Such assessments may assist targeted interventions and improve emergency preparedness in identified vulnerable communities, while fostering resilience through the focus of climate change adaptation policies at the local level. No claim to original US government works. Journal compilation © 2016 Overseas Development Institute.

77 FR 2120 - Environmental Impact Statement for New Orleans Rail Gateway (NORG), Jefferson and Orleans...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-13

... Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD) to evaluate environmental and related impacts of... development of the scope of the EIS and to advise the public that outreach activities conducted by LA DOTD and..., potentially significant impacts to the natural and built environment of those alternatives, and to invite...

Generating community-built tools for data sharing and analysis in environmental networks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Read, Jordan S.; Gries, Corinna; Read, Emily K.; Klug, Jennifer; Hanson, Paul C.; Hipsey, Matthew R.; Jennings, Eleanor; O'Reilley, Catherine; Winslow, Luke A.; Pierson, Don; McBride, Christopher G.; Hamilton, David

2016-01-01

Rapid data growth in many environmental sectors has necessitated tools to manage and analyze these data. The development of tools often lags behind the proliferation of data, however, which may slow exploratory opportunities and scientific progress. The Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) collaborative model supports an efficient and comprehensive data–analysis–insight life cycle, including implementations of data quality control checks, statistical calculations/derivations, models, and data visualizations. These tools are community-built and openly shared. We discuss the network structure that enables tool development and a culture of sharing, leading to optimized output from limited resources. Specifically, data sharing and a flat collaborative structure encourage the development of tools that enable scientific insights from these data. Here we provide a cross-section of scientific advances derived from global-scale analyses in GLEON. We document enhancements to science capabilities made possible by the development of analytical tools and highlight opportunities to expand this framework to benefit other environmental networks.

Mimicking Mars: a vacuum simulation chamber for testing environmental instrumentation for Mars exploration.

PubMed

Sobrado, J M; Martín-Soler, J; Martín-Gago, J A

2014-03-01

We have built a Mars environmental simulation chamber, designed to test new electromechanical devices and instruments that could be used in space missions. We have developed this environmental system aiming at validating the meteorological station Rover Environment Monitoring Station of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission currently installed on Curiosity rover. The vacuum chamber has been built following a modular configuration and operates at pressures ranging from 1000 to 10(-6) mbars, and it is possible to control the gas composition (the atmosphere) within this pressure range. The device (or sample) under study can be irradiated by an ultraviolet source and its temperature can be controlled in the range from 108 to 423 K. As an important improvement with respect to other simulation chambers, the atmospheric gas into the experimental chamber is cooled at the walls by the use of liquid-nitrogen heat exchangers. This chamber incorporates a dust generation mechanism designed to study Martian-dust deposition while modifying the conditions of temperature, and UV irradiated.

Earthshots: Satellite images of environmental change – Dubai, United Arab Emirates

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adamson, Thomas

2016-01-01

In the first image of this series, desert fills much of the image. As Dubai expands, roads, buildings, and irrigated fields spread out over the desert. But the most prominent project in Dubai, and an impressive engineering feat, is the artificial islands built off its coast. The islands were built from sand dredged from the sea floor. Rock breakwaters protect them from erosion. These Landsat images show the rapid and impressive development of these islands.

Landcover change and light pollution in Kota Bandarlampung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohman, Akmal F.; Hafidz, Muhammad; Hazairin, Azra Q.; Riadini, Fitri

2016-10-01

Excessive emission of light or light pollution at night is one of the elements of environmental pollution. Indirectly light pollution causes increase of fossil fuel use, greenhouse gasses and pollution in the atmosphere. Direct effects of light pollution including: disturbance of animals life, human's psychology and environmental degradation. Light pollution in an area is related with the existence of built-up area and the lack of vegetation as a manifestation of economic and population growth. This research aims to know the relation of land cover changes with light pollution in Bandar Lampung and surrounding with 40 km radius over the last ten years. This research used satellite imagery to obtained data and later does the verification and accuracy tests on the field. The variables used in this research include light pollution radiance value, percentages in the built-up area and vegetation density. Light pollution radiance value is obtained from DMSP-OLS Version 4 satellite images, while the changes of built up and vegetation density data obtained from NDBI dan NDVI from Landsat 8 satellite images. The research area is divided into a grid with a size of 30"×30" which is the same as spatial resolution of DMSP. From sample grids, regression analysis between the percentage of light pollution radiance value with the percentage of NDVI and NDBI index on each grids. The percentages of built up areas and vegetation has 58 % of fair correlation with light emission.

Making hospitals healthier: how to improve sustainability in healthcare facilities.

PubMed

Buffoli, M; Gola, M; Rostagno, M; Capolongo, S; Nachiero, D

2014-01-01

Debate about sustainable development has reached a peak, as it is now recognized worldwide by public opinion and, in general, by governments' political agendas. New hospitals need to be made more sustainable and existing ones must improve their standards: e.g. in Italy, more than 50% of all healthcare facilities were built before the Nineties, without any attention to environmental, social or economic sustainability. Thanks to a sustainability evaluating system (environmental, social and economic) designed by the Milanese University 'Politecnico di Milano', two healthcare facilities were analyzed and compared. Both structures have approximately 600 beds and are located in the Lombardy region but they were built in different decades: one was built in the Sixties while the other one was built very recently. The analysis focused on underlining criticalities, implementing redevelopment measures for sustainability and eventually understanding whether attention was truly being given to those topics. A need to evaluate the sustainability parameters emerged from the comparison between the two case-studies. This is the only way of identifying strategic non-invasive and cheaper solutions that could directly influence sustainability. Following the above-mentioned comparison, a first look - albeit not an adequate one - was given to sustainability aspects. The assessment tool turned out to be efficient and could also prove effective in resource management and operational planning, whenever applied to any territorial facility.

Environmental impacts of dispersed development from federal infrastructure projects.

PubMed

Southerland, Mark T

2004-06-01

Dispersed development, also referred to as urban growth or sprawl, is a pattern of low-density development spread over previously rural landscapes. Such growth can result in adverse impacts to air quality, water quality, human health, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, agricultural land, military training areas, water supply and wastewater treatment, recreational resources, viewscapes, and cultural resources. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is charged with protecting public health and the environment, which includes consideration of impacts from dispersed development. Specifically, because federal infrastructure projects can affect the progress of dispersed development, the secondary impacts resulting from it must be assessed in documents prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has oversight for NEPA and Section 309 of the Clean Air Act requires that U.S. EPA review and comment on federal agency NEPA documents. The adverse effects of dispersed development can be induced by federal infrastructure projects including transportation, built infrastructure, modifications in natural infrastructure, public land conversion and redevelopment of properties, construction of federal facilities, and large traffic or major growth generation developments requiring federal permits. This paper presents an approach that U.S. EPA reviewers and NEPA practitioners can use to provide accurate, realistic, and consistent analysis of secondary impacts of dispersed development resulting from federal infrastructure projects. It also presents 24 measures that can be used to mitigate adverse impacts from dispersed development by modifying project location and design, participating in preservation or restoration activities, or informing and supporting local communities in planning.

Surrogate Robot

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-21

The Surrogate robot Surge, built at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA., is being developed in order to extend humanity reach into hazardous environments to perform tasks such as using environmental test equipment.

Additive Interaction between Heterogeneous Environmental Quality Domains (Air, Water, Land, Sociodemographic, and Built Environment) on Preterm Birth.

PubMed

Grabich, Shannon C; Rappazzo, Kristen M; Gray, Christine L; Jagai, Jyotsna S; Jian, Yun; Messer, Lynne C; Lobdell, Danelle T

2016-01-01

Environmental exposures often occur in tandem; however, epidemiological research often focuses on singular exposures. Statistical interactions among broad, well-characterized environmental domains have not yet been evaluated in association with health. We address this gap by conducting a county-level cross-sectional analysis of interactions between Environmental Quality Index (EQI) domain indices on preterm birth in the Unites States from 2000 to 2005. The EQI, a county-level index constructed for the 2000-2005 time period, was constructed from five domain-specific indices (air, water, land, built, and sociodemographic) using principal component analyses. County-level preterm birth rates ( n  = 3141) were estimated using live births from the National Center for Health Statistics. Linear regression was used to estimate prevalence differences (PDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing worse environmental quality to the better quality for each model for (a) each individual domain main effect, (b) the interaction contrast, and (c) the two main effects plus interaction effect (i.e., the "net effect") to show departure from additivity for the all U.S. counties. Analyses were also performed for subgroupings by four urban/rural strata. We found the suggestion of antagonistic interactions but no synergism, along with several purely additive (i.e., no interaction) associations. In the non-stratified model, we observed antagonistic interactions, between the sociodemographic/air domains [net effect (i.e., the association, including main effects and interaction effects) PD: -0.004 (95% CI: -0.007, 0.000), interaction contrast: -0.013 (95% CI: -0.020, -0.007)] and built/air domains [net effect PD: 0.008 (95% CI 0.004, 0.011), interaction contrast: -0.008 (95% CI: -0.015, -0.002)]. Most interactions were between the air domain and other respective domains. Interactions differed by urbanicity, with more interactions observed in non-metropolitan regions. Observed antagonistic associations may indicate that those living in areas with multiple detrimental domains may have other interfering factors reducing the burden of environmental exposure. This study is the first to explore interactions across different environmental domains and demonstrates the utility of the EQI to examine the relationship between environmental domain interactions and human health. While we did observe some departures from additivity, many observed effects were additive. This study demonstrated that interactions between environmental domains should be considered in future analyses.

[Spatial-temporal pattern and obstacle factors of cultivated land ecological security in major grain producing areas of northeast China: a case study in Jilin Province].

PubMed

Zhao, Hong-Bo; Ma, Yan-Ji

2014-02-01

According to the cultivated land ecological security in major grain production areas of Northeast China, this paper selected 48 counties of Jilin Province as the research object. Based on the PSR-EES conceptual framework model, an evaluation index system of cultivated land ecological security was built. By using the improved TOPSIS, Markov chains, GIS spatial analysis and obstacle degree models, the spatial-temporal pattern of cultivated land ecological security and the obstacle factors were analyzed from 1995 to 2011 in Jilin Province. The results indicated that, the composite index of cultivated land ecological security appeared in a rising trend in Jilin Province from 1995 to 2011, and the cultivated land ecological security level changed from being sensitive to being general. There was a pattern of 'Club Convergence' in cultivated land ecological security level in each county and the spatial discrepancy tended to become larger. The 'Polarization' trend of cultivated land ecological security level was obvious. The distributions of sensitive level and critical security level with ribbon patterns tended to be dispersed, the general security level and relative security levels concentrated, and the distributions of security level scattered. The unstable trend of cultivated land ecological security level was more and more obvious. The main obstacle factors that affected the cultivated land ecological security level in Jilin Province were rural net income per capita, economic density, the proportion of environmental protection investment in GDP, degree of machinery cultivation and the comprehensive utilization rate of industrial solid wastes.

Optimization of self-aligned double patterning (SADP)-compliant layout designs using pattern matching for sub-20nm metal routing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lynn T.-N.; Schroeder, Uwe Paul; Madhavan, Sriram

2017-03-01

A pattern-based methodology for optimizing SADP-compliant layout designs is developed based on identifying cut mask patterns and replacing them with pre-characterized fixing solutions. A pattern-based library of difficult-tomanufacture cut patterns with pre-characterized fixing solutions is built. A pattern-based engine searches for matching patterns in the decomposed layouts. When a match is found, the engine opportunistically replaces the detected pattern with a pre-characterized fixing solution. The methodology was demonstrated on a 7nm routed metal2 block. A small library of 30 cut patterns increased the number of more manufacturable cuts by 38% and metal-via enclosure by 13% with a small parasitic capacitance impact of 0.3%.

Nonlinear analyses and failure patterns of typical masonry school buildings in the epicentral zone of the 2016 Italian earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clementi, Cristhian; Clementi, Francesco; Lenci, Stefano

2017-11-01

The paper discusses the behavior of typical masonry school buildings in the center of Italy built at the end of 1950s without any seismic guidelines. These structures have faced the recent Italian earthquakes in 2016 without diffuse damages. Global numerical models of the building have been built and masonry material has been simulated as nonlinear. Sensitivity analyses are done to evaluate the reliability of the structural models.

Current and future risks of asbestos exposure in the Australian community

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Australia mined asbestos for more than 100 years and manufactured and imported asbestos products. There is a legacy of in situ asbestos throughout the built environment. Methods The aim of this study was to identify the possible sources of current and future asbestos exposure from the built environment. Telephone interviews with environmental health officers, asbestos removalists, and asbestos assessors in Australia sought information about common asbestos scenarios encountered. Results There is a considerable amount of asbestos remaining in situ in the Australian built environment. Potential current and future sources of asbestos exposure to the public are from asbestos-containing roofs and fences, unsafe asbestos removal practices, do-it-yourself home renovations and illegal dumping. Conclusion This research has highlighted a need for consistent approaches in the regulation and enforcement of safe practices for the management and removal of asbestos to ensure that in situ asbestos in the built environment is managed appropriately. PMID:27611196

Current and future risks of asbestos exposure in the Australian community.

PubMed

Gray, Corie; Carey, Renee N; Reid, Alison

2016-10-01

Australia mined asbestos for more than 100 years and manufactured and imported asbestos products. There is a legacy of in situ asbestos throughout the built environment. The aim of this study was to identify the possible sources of current and future asbestos exposure from the built environment. Telephone interviews with environmental health officers, asbestos removalists, and asbestos assessors in Australia sought information about common asbestos scenarios encountered. There is a considerable amount of asbestos remaining in situ in the Australian built environment. Potential current and future sources of asbestos exposure to the public are from asbestos-containing roofs and fences, unsafe asbestos removal practices, do-it-yourself home renovations and illegal dumping. This research has highlighted a need for consistent approaches in the regulation and enforcement of safe practices for the management and removal of asbestos to ensure that in situ asbestos in the built environment is managed appropriately.

Toward more robust projections of forest landscape dynamics under novel environmental conditions: embedding PnET within LANDIS-II

Treesearch

A. De Bruijn; E.J. Gustafson; B.R. Sturtevant; J.R. Foster; B.R. Miranda; N.I. Lichti; D.F. Jacobs

2014-01-01

Ecological models built on phenomenological relationships and behavior of the past may not be robustunder novel conditions of the future because global changes are producing environmental conditions that forests have not experienced historically. We developed a new succession extension for the LANDIS-II forest landscape model, PnET-Succession, to simulate forest growth...

Environmental Design and Educational Performance, with Particular Reference to "Green" Schools in Hampshire and Essex

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Brian W.

2006-01-01

This article examines the argument that "green" schools enhance educational performance. Having set the context of the relationship between environmentalism and the design of schools in the twentieth century, the article explores the performance of a number of green schools built in the UK between 1980 and 1995. The aim is to discover…

Warning Triggers in Environmental Hazards: Who Should Be Warned to Do What and When?

PubMed

Cova, Thomas J; Dennison, Philip E; Li, Dapeng; Drews, Frank A; Siebeneck, Laura K; Lindell, Michael K

2017-04-01

Determining the most effective public warnings to issue during a hazardous environmental event is a complex problem. Three primary questions need to be answered: Who should take protective action? What is the best action? and When should this action be initiated? Warning triggers provide a proactive means for emergency managers to simultaneously answer these questions by recommending that a target group take a specified protective action if a preset environmental trigger condition occurs (e.g., warn a community to evacuate if a wildfire crosses a proximal ridgeline). Triggers are used to warn the public across a wide variety of environmental hazards, and an improved understanding of their nature and role promises to: (1) advance protective action theory by unifying the natural, built, and social themes in hazards research into one framework, (2) reveal important information about emergency managers' risk perception, situational awareness, and threat assessment regarding threat behavior and public response, and (3) advance spatiotemporal models for representing the geography and timing of disaster warning and response (i.e., a coupled natural-built-social system). We provide an overview and research agenda designed to advance our understanding and modeling of warning triggers. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

Environmental and psychosocial correlates of objectively measured physical activity among older adults.

PubMed

Fleig, Lena; Ashe, Maureen C; Voss, Christine; Therrien, Suzanne; Sims-Gould, Joanie; McKay, Heather A; Winters, Meghan

2016-12-01

Neighborhood environments can support or hinder physical activity especially as health declines with age. This study puts psychological theories of health behavior change in context with built environment research to better understand the interplay of environmental and psychosocial characteristics impacting older adults' sedentary behavior and physical activity. The Active Streets, Active People study recruited 193 older adults living in a highly walkable neighborhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Participants completed questionnaires on attitudes toward walking, behavioral control for walking, and perceived built environment variables. To assess behavior, participants wore an ActiGraph GT3X + accelerometer for 7 consecutive days. Regression-based path analysis was conducted to examine whether the link between the perceived environment and behavior is mediated by psychosocial variables. In total, 174 participants had valid accelerometry data (Mage = 70.3, SD = 7.2) and demonstrated a daily average of 525.7 min of sedentary behavior (SD = 65.1) as well as high levels of total physical activity (M = 254.3, SD = 65.1 min/day). Mediation analysis revealed that perceived street connectivity and diversity of land use were negatively related to sedentary behavior, but only indirectly through behavioral control. Similarly, effects of street connectivity and diversity of land use on physical activity were mediated by behavioral control. Results highlighted that the perceived built environment is important for physical activity and sedentary behavior, largely because these environmental perceptions are positively linked to older adults' confidence in walking. By integrating environmental and psychosocial correlates of preventive health behaviors within a theoretical structure, the psychosocial mechanisms through which the environment affects activity can be better understood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Interactions of psychosocial factors with built environments in explaining adolescents' active transportation.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaobo; Conway, Terry L; Cain, Kelli L; Frank, Lawrence D; Saelens, Brian E; Geremia, Carrie; Kerr, Jacqueline; Glanz, Karen; Carlson, Jordan A; Sallis, James F

2017-07-01

The present study examined independent and interacting associations of psychosocial and neighborhood built environment variables with adolescents' reported active transportation. Moderating effects of adolescent sex were explored. Mixed-effects regression models were conducted on data from the Teen Environment and Neighborhood observational study (N=928) in the Seattle, WA and Baltimore regions 2009-2011. Frequency index of active transportation to neighborhood destinations (dependent variable) and 7 psychosocial measures were reported by adolescents. Built environment measures included home walkability and count of nearby parks and recreation facilities using GIS procedures and streetscape quality from environmental audits. Results indicated all 3 environmental variables and 3 psychosocial variables (self-efficacy, social support from peers, and enjoyment of physical activity) had significant positive main effects with active transportation (Ps<0.05). Three of 21 two-way interactions were significant in explaining active transportation (Ps<0.1): self-efficacy×GIS-based walkability index, barriers to activity in neighborhood×MAPS streetscape scores, and self-efficacy×GIS-based counts of parks and recreation facilities. In each two-way interaction the highest active transportation was found among adolescents with the combination of activity-supportive built environment and positive psychosocial characteristics. Three-way interactions with sex indicated similar associations for girls and boys, with one exception. Results provided modest support for the ecological model principle of interactions across levels, highlight the importance of both built environment and psychosocial factors in shaping adolescents' active transportation, demonstrated the possibility of sex-specific findings, and suggested strategies for improving adolescents' active transportation may be most effective when targeting multiple levels of influence. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Classifying Vessels Operating in the South China Sea by Origin with the Automatic Identification System

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-01

operating vessel’s origin, by country and geographical region. Two types of models are built. The first model captures the naturally dependent nature of AIS... dependency between AIS signals in order to characterize maritime patterns of behavior by country and region. With relative accuracy, both types of...of models are built. The first model captures the naturally dependent nature of AIS signals and serves as a proof of concept for how well a global

Setting of index system of environmental and economic accounting of water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Yarong

2017-10-01

To realize the quality advancement of integrated water management in China, a scientific and perfect index system of environmental and economic accounting should be built. At present, the water shortage in China becomes increasingly serious, which further highlights the importance of efficient water management and improving the index system of water economic accounting. Based on the internal structure of the new statistical method of environmental and economic accounting, this paper focuses on analyzing and discussing the index system which it should have.

Phonics Pathways: Clear Steps to Easy Reading and Perfect Spelling. 10th Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiskes, Dolores G.

2011-01-01

This tenth edition of the best-selling book teaches reading using sounds and spelling patterns. These sounds and patterns are introduced one at a time, and slowly built into words, syllables, phrases, and sentences. Simple step-by-step directions begin every lesson. Although originally designed for K-2 emergent readers, this award-winning book is…

An Analysis of Document Category Prediction Responses to Classifier Model Parameter Treatment Permutations within the Software Design Patterns Subject Domain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pankau, Brian L.

2009-01-01

This empirical study evaluates the document category prediction effectiveness of Naive Bayes (NB) and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) classifier treatments built from different feature selection and machine learning settings and trained and tested against textual corpora of 2300 Gang-Of-Four (GOF) design pattern documents. Analysis of the experiment's…

Real-time object recognition in multidimensional images based on joined extended structural tensor and higher-order tensor decomposition methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cyganek, Boguslaw; Smolka, Bogdan

2015-02-01

In this paper a system for real-time recognition of objects in multidimensional video signals is proposed. Object recognition is done by pattern projection into the tensor subspaces obtained from the factorization of the signal tensors representing the input signal. However, instead of taking only the intensity signal the novelty of this paper is first to build the Extended Structural Tensor representation from the intensity signal that conveys information on signal intensities, as well as on higher-order statistics of the input signals. This way the higher-order input pattern tensors are built from the training samples. Then, the tensor subspaces are built based on the Higher-Order Singular Value Decomposition of the prototype pattern tensors. Finally, recognition relies on measurements of the distance of a test pattern projected into the tensor subspaces obtained from the training tensors. Due to high-dimensionality of the input data, tensor based methods require high memory and computational resources. However, recent achievements in the technology of the multi-core microprocessors and graphic cards allows real-time operation of the multidimensional methods as is shown and analyzed in this paper based on real examples of object detection in digital images.

The spatial study of unplanned settlements on the coastal of Belawan Medan fishermen village

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marpaung, B. O. Y.; Winny Silaban, Nadia

2018-03-01

One of the determining factors that formed informal settlements is the high demand for homes that are not comparable with the homes that were provided by the government. The settlement of Fisherman Village in Belawan Medan was built without a plan by settlers and was not involve government interference so that the spatial pattern formed uncontrollable. The shape of space that stretches represents the distribution of unplanned space. The purpose of this study is to find the structure of settlement and the relationship between the space structures with the spatial pattern in Belawan Medan Fishermen Village. In the process of collecting data, the researcher makes the maps of the observation area, the structure of the space, and the relationship between one space function with the other space functions. Also, the researchers identify the spacing pattern and the effect of one spatial element against the other. This study found a similar spatial pattern between one unplanned settlement and another unplanned settlement and there are also some tendencies of Belawan Medan Fishermen Village settlers when building the built environment in the relationship between building masses and the road network.

Basalt fiber reinforced polymer composites: Processing and properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Qiang

A high efficiency rig was designed and built for in-plane permeability measurement of fabric materials. A new data derivation procedure to acquire the flow fluid pattern in the experiment was developed. The measurement results of the in-plane permeability for basalt twill 31 fabric material showed that a high correlation exists between the two principal permeability values for this fabric at 35% fiber volume fraction. This may be the most important scientific contribution made in this thesis. The results from radial measurements corresponded quite well with those from Unidirectional (UD) measurements, which is a well-established technique. No significant differences in mechanical properties were found between basalt fabric reinforced polymer composites and glass composites reinforced by a fabric of similar weave pattern. Aging results indicate that the interfacial region in basalt composites may be more vulnerable to environmental damage than that in glass composites. However, the basalt/epoxy interface may have been more durable than the glass/epoxy interface in tension-tension fatigue because the basalt composites have significantly longer fatigue life. In this thesis, chapter I reviews the literature on fiber reinforced polymer composites, with concentration on permeability measurement, mechanical properties and durability. Chapter II discusses the design of the new rig for in-plane permeability measurement, the new derivation procedure for monitoring of the fluid flow pattern, and the permeability measurement results. Chapter III compares the mechanical properties and durability between basalt fiber and glass fiber reinforced polymer composites. Lastly, chapter IV gives some suggestions and recommendations for future work.

Determinants of dietary patterns and diet quality during pregnancy: a systematic review with narrative synthesis.

PubMed

Doyle, Ina-Merle; Borrmann, Brigitte; Grosser, Angelique; Razum, Oliver; Spallek, Jacob

2017-04-01

To identify determinants of diet in pregnancy, by detecting factors in our multiple-determinants life course framework that are associated with dietary patterns, quality or guideline adherence. A systematic review of observational studies, published in English or German, was conducted. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, environmental and pregnancy-related determinants were considered. Four electronic databases were searched in January 2015 and updated in April 2016 and a total of 4368 articles identified. Risk of bias was assessed using adapted Newcastle-Ottawa Scales. High- and upper-middle-income countries. Pregnant or postpartum women reporting their dietary intake during pregnancy. Seventeen publications of twelve studies were included and compared narratively due to heterogeneity. Diet in pregnancy was patterned along a social gradient and aligned with other health behaviours before and during pregnancy. Few studies investigated the influence of the social and built environment and their findings were inconsistent. Except for parity, pregnancy determinants were rarely assessed even though pregnancy is a physiologically and psychologically unique period. Various less well-researched factors such as the role of ethnicity, pregnancy intendedness, pregnancy ailments and macro-level environment were identified that need to be studied in more detail. The framework was supported by the literature identified, but more research of sound methodology is needed in order to conclusively disentangle the interplay of the different determinants. Practitioners should be aware that pregnant women who are young, have a low education or do not follow general health advice appear to be at higher risk of inadequate dietary intake.

Synthesis of concrete bridge piles prestressed with CFRP systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-06-01

The Texas Department of Transportation frequently constructs prestressed concrete piles for use in bridge : foundations. Such prestressed concrete piles are typically built with steel strands that are highly susceptible to : environmental degradation...

Hands-On Experiences in Deploying Cost-Effective Ambient-Assisted Living Systems

PubMed Central

Dasios, Athanasios; Gavalas, Damianos; Pantziou, Grammati; Konstantopoulos, Charalampos

2015-01-01

Older adults’ preferences to remain independent in their own homes along with the high costs of nursing home care have motivated the development of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies which aim at improving the safety, health conditions and wellness of the elderly. This paper reports hands-on experiences in designing, implementing and operating UbiCare, an AAL based prototype system for elderly home care monitoring. The monitoring is based on the recording of environmental parameters like temperature and light intensity as well as micro-level incidents which allows one to infer daily activities like moving, sitting, sleeping, usage of electrical appliances and plumbing components. The prototype is built upon inexpensive, off-the-shelf hardware (e.g., various sensors, Arduino microcontrollers, ZigBee-compatible wireless communication modules) and license-free software, thereby ensuring low system deployment costs. The network comprises nodes placed in a house’s main rooms or mounted on furniture, one wearable node, one actuator node and a centralized processing element (coordinator). Upon detecting significant deviations from the ordinary activity patterns of individuals and/or sudden falls, the system issues automated alarms which may be forwarded to authorized caregivers via a variety of communication channels. Furthermore, measured environmental parameters and activity incidents may be monitored through standard web interfaces. PMID:26094631

Hands-On Experiences in Deploying Cost-Effective Ambient-Assisted Living Systems.

PubMed

Dasios, Athanasios; Gavalas, Damianos; Pantziou, Grammati; Konstantopoulos, Charalampos

2015-06-18

Older adults' preferences to remain independent in their own homes along with the high costs of nursing home care have motivated the development of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies which aim at improving the safety, health conditions and wellness of the elderly. This paper reports hands-on experiences in designing, implementing and operating UbiCare, an AAL based prototype system for elderly home care monitoring. The monitoring is based on the recording of environmental parameters like temperature and light intensity as well as micro-level incidents which allows one to infer daily activities like moving, sitting, sleeping, usage of electrical appliances and plumbing components. The prototype is built upon inexpensive, off-the-shelf hardware (e.g., various sensors, Arduino microcontrollers, ZigBee-compatible wireless communication modules) and license-free software, thereby ensuring low system deployment costs. The network comprises nodes placed in a house's main rooms or mounted on furniture, one wearable node, one actuator node and a centralized processing element (coordinator). Upon detecting significant deviations from the ordinary activity patterns of individuals and/or sudden falls, the system issues automated alarms which may be forwarded to authorized caregivers via a variety of communication channels. Furthermore, measured environmental parameters and activity incidents may be monitored through standard web interfaces.

The economic benefits of vegetation in the upstream area of Ciliwung watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saridewi, T. R.; Nazaruddin

2018-04-01

Ciliwung watershed has strategic values since its entire downstream area is located in the Special Administrative Region of Jakarta (DKI Jakarta), the capital of Indonesia. This causes forest and farmland areas are converted into open areas or built-up areas. The existence of these areas provides enormous environmental and economic benefits. Economic benefit values are very important to be considered in developing a policy development plan, but they have not been calculated yet. This study aims to determine the economic benefits provided by trees and other vegetation anddevelops a development policy that takes into account simultaneously ecological and economic aspects. The study is conducted in the upstream Ciliwung watershed, by using land cover patterns in 1989, 2000, 2010 and 2014, and employs GIS and CITY green analysis. The results show that conversion of forest and farmland areas reduces the ability of Ciliwung upstream watershed to store water. Therefore, its ability to reduce the flow of surface has been decreased. This creates a decrease in the cost savings of annual stormwater, from US 15,175,721 in 1989 to US 13,317,469 in 2014. The Environmental Services Payment Policy (PES) for upstream community groups managing the watershed has been considered as a fairly effective policy.

A Contribution to the Built Heritage Environmental Impact Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Žarnić, R.; Rajčić, V.; Skordaki, N.

2015-08-01

The understanding and assessment of environmental impact on heritage assets is of the highest importance for heritage preservation through well-organized maintenance based on proper decision-making. The effort towards development of protocol that would enable comparison of data on heritage assets in Europe and Mediterranean countries was done through EU Project European Cultural Heritage Identity Card. The special attention was paid to classification of environmental and man-induced risks to heritage. In the present paper the idea of EU CHIC is presented. Environmental risks are discussed in context of their influence on structure of heritage buildings that are exposed to sudden environmental impacts.

Natural and built environmental exposures on children's active school travel: A Dutch global positioning system-based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Helbich, Marco; Emmichoven, Maarten J Zeylmans van; Dijst, Martin J; Kwan, Mei-Po; Pierik, Frank H; Vries, Sanne I de

2016-05-01

Physical inactivity among children is on the rise. Active transport to school (ATS), namely walking and cycling there, adds to children's activity level. Little is known about how exposures along actual routes influence children's transport behavior. This study examined how natural and built environments influence mode choice among Dutch children aged 6-11 years. 623 school trips were tracked with global positioning system. Natural and built environmental exposures were determined by means of a geographic information system and their associations with children's active/passive mode choice were analyzed using mixed models. The actual commuted distance is inversely associated with ATS when only personal, traffic safety, and weather features are considered. When the model is adjusted for urban environments, the results are reversed and distance is no longer significant, whereas well-connected streets and cycling lanes are positively associated with ATS. Neither green space nor weather is significant. As distance is not apparent as a constraining travel determinant when moving through urban landscapes, planning authorities should support children's ATS by providing well-designed cities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ten questions concerning future buildings beyond zero energy and carbon neutrality

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

Wang, Na; Phelan, Patrick E.; Gonzalez, Jorge

2017-07-01

Architects, planners, and building scientists have been at the forefront of envisioning a future built environment for centuries. However, fragmental views that emphasize one facet of the built environment, such as energy, environment, or groundbreaking technologies, often do not achieve expected outcomes. Buildings are responsible for approximately one-third of worldwide carbon emissions and account for over 40% of primary energy consumption in the U.S. In addition to achieving the ambitious goal of reducing building greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2050, buildings must improve their functionality and performance to meet current and future human, societal, and environmental needs in amore » changing world. In this article, we introduce a new framework to guide potential evolution of the building stock in the next century, based on greenhouse gas emissions as the common thread to investigate the potential implications of new design paradigms, innovative operational strategies, and disruptive technologies. This framework emphasizes integration of multidisciplinary knowledge, scalability for mainstream buildings, and proactive approaches considering constraints and unknowns. The framework integrates the interrelated aspects of the built environment through a series of quantitative metrics that aim to improve environmental outcomes while optimizing building performance to achieve healthy, adaptive, and productive buildings.« less

Comparing the appropriate geographic region for assessing built environmental correlates with walking trips using different metrics and model approaches

PubMed Central

Tribby, Calvin P.; Miller, Harvey J.; Brown, Barbara B.; Smith, Ken R.; Werner, Carol M.

2017-01-01

There is growing international evidence that supportive built environments encourage active travel such as walking. An unsettled question is the role of geographic regions for analyzing the relationship between the built environment and active travel. This paper examines the geographic region question by assessing walking trip models that use two different regions: walking activity spaces and self-defined neighborhoods. We also use two types of built environment metrics, perceived and audit data, and two types of study design, cross-sectional and longitudinal, to assess these regions. We find that the built environment associations with walking are dependent on the type of metric and the type of model. Audit measures summarized within walking activity spaces better explain walking trips compared to audit measures within self-defined neighborhoods. Perceived measures summarized within self-defined neighborhoods have mixed results. Finally, results differ based on study design. This suggests that results may not be comparable among different regions, metrics and designs; researchers need to consider carefully these choices when assessing active travel correlates. PMID:28237743

Using multivariate analyses and GIS to identify pollutants and their spatial patterns in urban soils in Galway, Ireland.

PubMed

Zhang, Chaosheng

2006-08-01

Galway is a small but rapidly growing tourism city in western Ireland. To evaluate its environmental quality, a total of 166 surface soil samples (0-10 cm depth) were collected from parks and grasslands at the density of 1 sample per 0.25 km2 at the end of 2004. All samples were analysed using ICP-AES for the near-total concentrations of 26 chemical elements. Multivariate statistics and GIS techniques were applied to classify the elements and to identify elements influenced by human activities. Cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) classified the elements into two groups: the first group predominantly derived from natural sources, the second being influenced by human activities. GIS mapping is a powerful tool in identifying the possible sources of pollutants. Relatively high concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn were found in the city centre, old residential areas, and along major traffic routes, showing significant effects of traffic pollution. The element As is enriched in soils of the old built-up areas, which can be attributed to coal and peat combustion for home heating. Such significant spatial patterns of pollutants displayed by urban soils may imply potential health threat to residents of the contaminated areas of the city.

Decay assessment through thermographic analysis in architectural and archaeological heritage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez-Heras, Miguel; Martinez-Perez, Laura; Fort, Rafael; Alvarez de Buergo, Monica

2010-05-01

Any exposed stone-built structure is subject to thermal variations due to daily, seasonal and secular environmental temperature changes. Surface temperature is a function of air temperature (due to convective heat transfer) and of infrared radiation received through insolation. While convective heat transfer homogenizes surface temperature, stone response to insolation is much more complex and the temporal and spatial temperature differences across structures are enhanced. Surface temperature in stone-built structures will be affected by orientation, sunlight inclination and the complex patterns of light and shadows generated by the often intricate morphology of historical artefacts and structures. Surface temperature will also be affected by different material properties, such as albedo, thermal conductivity, transparency and absorbance to infrared radiation of minerals and rocks. Moisture and the occurrence of salts will also be a factor affecting surface temperatures. Surface temperatures may as well be affected by physical disruptions of rocks due to differences in thermal inertia generated by cracks and other discontinuities. Thermography is a non-invasive, non-destructive technique that measures temperature variations on the surface of a material. With this technique, surface temperature rates of change and their spatial variations can be analysed. This analysis may be used not only to evaluate the incidence of thermal decay as a factor that generates or enhances stone decay, but also to detect and evaluate other factors that affect the state of conservation of architectural and archaeological heritage, as for example moisture, salts or mechanical disruptions.

Youth dietary intake and weight status: healthful neighborhood food environments enhance the protective role of supportive family home environments.

PubMed

Berge, Jerica M; Wall, Melanie; Larson, Nicole; Forsyth, Ann; Bauer, Katherine W; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

2014-03-01

The aim of this study is to investigate individual and joint associations of the home environment and the neighborhood built environment with adolescent dietary patterns and body mass index (BMI) z-score. Racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse adolescents (n=2682; 53.2% girls; mean age14.4 years) participating in the EAT 2010 (Eating and Activity in Teens) study completed height and weight measurements and surveys in Minnesota middle and high schools. Neighborhood variables were measured using Geographic Information Systems data. Multiple regressions of BMI z-score, fruit and vegetable intake, and fast food consumption were fit including home and neighborhood environmental variables as predictors and also including their interactions to test for effect modification. Supportive family environments (i.e., higher family functioning, frequent family meals, and parent modeling of healthful eating) were associated with higher adolescent fruit and vegetable intake, lower fast food consumption, and lower BMI z-score. Associations between the built environment and adolescent outcomes were fewer. Interaction results, although not all consistent, indicated that the relationship between a supportive family environment and adolescent fruit and vegetable intake and BMI was enhanced when the neighborhood was supportive of healthful behavior. Public health interventions that simultaneously improve both the home environment and the neighborhood environment of adolescents may have a greater impact on adolescent obesity prevention than interventions that address one of these environments alone. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

An analysis of controls on fire activity in boreal Canada: comparing models built with different temporal resolutions

Treesearch

Marc-Andre Parisien; Sean A. Parks; Meg A. Krawchuk; John M. Little; Mike D. Flannigan; Lynn M. Gowman; Max A. Moritz

2014-01-01

Fire regimes of the Canadian boreal forest are driven by certain environmental factors that are highly variable from year to year (e.g., temperature, precipitation) and others that are relatively stable (e.g., land cover, topography). Studies examining the relative influence of these environmental drivers on fire activity suggest that models making explicit use of...

Associative Pattern Recognition In Analog VLSI Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tawel, Raoul

1995-01-01

Winner-take-all circuit selects best-match stored pattern. Prototype cascadable very-large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuit chips built and tested to demonstrate concept of electronic associative pattern recognition. Based on low-power, sub-threshold analog complementary oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) VLSI circuitry, each chip can store 128 sets (vectors) of 16 analog values (vector components), vectors representing known patterns as diverse as spectra, histograms, graphs, or brightnesses of pixels in images. Chips exploit parallel nature of vector quantization architecture to implement highly parallel processing in relatively simple computational cells. Through collective action, cells classify input pattern in fraction of microsecond while consuming power of few microwatts.

How the built environment affects physical activity: views from urban planning.

PubMed

Handy, Susan L; Boarnet, Marlon G; Ewing, Reid; Killingsworth, Richard E

2002-08-01

The link between the built environment and human behavior has long been of interest to the field of urban planning, but direct assessments of the links between the built environment and physical activity as it influences personal health are still rare in the field. Yet the concepts, theories, and methods used by urban planners provide a foundation for an emerging body of research on the relationship between the built environment and physical activity. Recent research efforts in urban planning have focused on the idea that land use and design policies can be used to increase transit use as well as walking and bicycling. The development of appropriate measures for the built environment and for travel behavior is an essential element of this research. The link between the built environment and travel behavior is then made using theoretical frameworks borrowed from economics, and in particular, the concept of travel as a derived demand. The available evidence lends itself to the argument that a combination of urban design, land use patterns, and transportation systems that promotes walking and bicycling will help create active, healthier, and more livable communities. To provide more conclusive evidence, however, researchers must address the following issues: An alternative to the derived-demand framework must be developed for walking, measures of the built environment must be refined, and more-complete data on walking must be developed. In addition, detailed data on the built environment must be spatially matched to detailed data on travel behavior.

Travel and environmental implications of school siting.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-10-01

Over the next few decades, thousands of schools will be built : or renovated. : The planning decisions : around that construction and renovation will have important implications for education and community quality of : life. : Recent trends in travel...

USEPA Environmental Quality Index (EQI) and Associated Domain Indices by County for the United States

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL) in the Environmental Public Health Division (EPHD) is currently engaged in research aimed at developing a measure that estimates overall environmental quality at the county level for the United States. This work is being conducted as an effort to learn more about how various environmental factors simultaneously contribute to health disparities in low-income and minority populations, and to better estimate the total environmental and social context to which humans are exposed. This dataset contains the finalized Environmental Quality Index (EQI), and an index for each of the associated domains (air, water, land, built environment, and sociodemographic environment). Indices are at the county level for all counties in the United States.

Mimicking Mars: A vacuum simulation chamber for testing environmental instrumentation for Mars exploration

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

Sobrado, J. M., E-mail: sobradovj@inta.es; Martín-Soler, J.; Martín-Gago, J. A.

We have built a Mars environmental simulation chamber, designed to test new electromechanical devices and instruments that could be used in space missions. We have developed this environmental system aiming at validating the meteorological station Rover Environment Monitoring Station of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission currently installed on Curiosity rover. The vacuum chamber has been built following a modular configuration and operates at pressures ranging from 1000 to 10{sup −6} mbars, and it is possible to control the gas composition (the atmosphere) within this pressure range. The device (or sample) under study can be irradiated by an ultraviolet source andmore » its temperature can be controlled in the range from 108 to 423 K. As an important improvement with respect to other simulation chambers, the atmospheric gas into the experimental chamber is cooled at the walls by the use of liquid-nitrogen heat exchangers. This chamber incorporates a dust generation mechanism designed to study Martian-dust deposition while modifying the conditions of temperature, and UV irradiated.« less

Environmental and personal correlates of physical activity and sedentary behavior in African American women: An ecological momentary assessment study.

PubMed

Zenk, Shannon N; Horoi, Irina; Jones, Kelly K; Finnegan, Lorna; Corte, Colleen; Riley, Barth; Wilbur, JoEllen

2017-04-01

The authors of this study examined within-person associations of environmental factors (weather, built and social environmental barriers) and personal factors (daily hassles, affect) with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in African American women aged 25-64 years living in metropolitan Chicago (n = 97). In 2012-13, for seven days, women wore an accelerometer and were signaled five times per day to complete a survey covering environmental and personal factors on a study-provided smartphone. Day-level measures of each were derived, and mixed regression models were used to test associations. Poor weather was associated with a 27.3% reduction in daily MVPA. Associations between built and social environmental barriers and daily MVPA or SB were generally not statistically significant. Negative affect at the first daily signal was associated with a 38.6% decrease in subsequent daily MVPA and a 33.2-minute increase in subsequent daily SB. Each one-minute increase in MVPA during the day was associated with a 2.2% higher likelihood of positive affect at the end of the day. SB during the day was associated with lower subsequent positive affect. Real-time interventions that address overcoming poor weather and negative affect may help African American women increase MVPA and/or decrease SB.

Perception of the social and built environment and physical activity among Northeastern Brazil adolescents.

PubMed

de Farias Júnior, José Cazuza; Lopes, Adair da Silva; Mota, Jorge; Santos, Maria Paula; Ribeiro, José Carlos; Hallal, Pedro Curi

2011-02-01

To evaluate the association between levels of physical activity and perception of the social and built environmental in adolescents from Northeastern Brazil. The sample comprised 2874 adolescents aged 14 to 19 years (57.8% females) enrolled in private or public secondary schools in the municipality of João Pessoa, Northeastern Brazil. Level of physical activity was measured by questionnaire. Perception of environmental characteristics was measured by means of fifteen questions rated on four-point Likert-type scales ranging from 1 ("strongly disagree") to 4 ("strongly agree"). The association between physical activity and perception of environmental characteristics was investigated using multivariate binary logistic regression. Multivariate analysis showed that adolescents living in neighborhoods where other adolescents were physically active (68.7% vs. 60.1%, OR=1.20; 95%CI: 1.05-1.56, among boys only) or who lived close to places they liked to frequent (71.8% vs. 53.4%, OR=1.96; 95%CI: 1.40-2.78 among boys; and 42.0% vs. 32.3% OR=1.33; 95%CI: 1.10-1.74 among girls) were more likely to be physically active. Adolescents with positive perceptions of certain environmental characteristics were more likely to be physically active. Environmental characteristics may relate differently to levels of physical activity among boys and girls. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Colour polymorphism is associated with lower extinction risk in birds.

PubMed

Ducatez, Simon; Giraudeau, Mathieu; Thébaud, Christophe; Jacquin, Lisa

2017-08-01

Colour polymorphisms have played a major role in enhancing current understanding of how selection and demography can impact phenotypes. Because different morphs often display alternative strategies and exploit alternative ecological niches, colour polymorphism can be expected to promote adaptability to environmental changes. However, whether and how it could influence populations' and species' response to global changes remains debated. To address this question, we built an up-to-date and complete database on avian colour polymorphism based on the examination of available data from all 10,394 extant bird species. We distinguished between true polymorphism (where different genetically determined morphs co-occur in sympatry within the same population) and geographic variation (parapatric or allopatric colour variation), because these two patterns of variation are expected to have different consequences on populations' persistence. Using the IUCN red list, we then showed that polymorphic bird species are at lesser risk of extinction than nonpolymorphic ones, after controlling for a range of factors such as geographic range size, habitat breadth, life history, and phylogeny. This appears consistent with the idea that high genetic diversity and/or the existence of alternative strategies in polymorphic species promotes the ability to adaptively respond to changing environmental conditions. In contrast, polymorphic species were not less vulnerable than nonpolymorphic ones to specific drivers of extinction such as habitat alteration, direct exploitation, climate change, and invasive species. Thus, our results suggest that colour polymorphism acts as a buffer against environmental changes, although further studies are now needed to understand the underlying mechanisms. Developing accurate quantitative indices of sensitivity to specific threats is likely a key step towards a better understanding of species response to environmental changes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cohort profile: Examining Neighbourhood Activities in Built Living Environments in London: the ENABLE London—Olympic Park cohort

PubMed Central

Ram, Bina; Nightingale, Claire M; Hudda, Mohammed T; Kapetanakis, Venediktos V; Ellaway, Anne; Cooper, Ashley R; Page, Angie; Lewis, Daniel; Cummins, Steven; Giles-Corti, Billie; Whincup, Peter H; Cook, Derek G; Rudnicka, Alicja R; Owen, Christopher G

2016-01-01

Purpose The Examining Neighbourhood Activities in Built Living Environments in London (ENABLE London) project is a natural experiment which aims to establish whether physical activity and other health behaviours show sustained changes among individuals and families relocating to East Village (formerly the London 2012 Olympics Athletes' Village), when compared with a control population living outside East Village throughout. Participants Between January 2013 and December 2015, 1497 individuals from 1006 households were recruited and assessed (at baseline) (including 392 households seeking social housing, 421 seeking intermediate and 193 seeking market rent homes). The 2-year follow-up rate is 62% of households to date, of which 57% have moved to East Village. Findings to date Assessments of physical activity (measured objectively using accelerometers) combined with Global Positioning System technology and Geographic Information System mapping of the local area are being used to characterise physical activity patterns and location among study participants and assess the attributes of the environments to which they are exposed. Assessments of body composition, based on weight, height and bioelectrical impedance, have been made and detailed participant questionnaires provide information on socioeconomic position, general health/health status, well-being, anxiety, depression, attitudes to leisure time activities and other personal, social and environmental influences on physical activity, including the use of recreational space and facilities in their residential neighbourhood. Future plans The main analyses will examine the changes in physical activity, health and well-being observed in the East Village group compared with controls and the influence of specific elements of the built environment on observed changes. The ENABLE London project exploits a unique opportunity to evaluate a ‘natural experiment’, provided by the building and rapid occupation of East Village. Findings from the study will be generalisable to other urban residential housing developments, and will help inform future evidence-based urban planning. PMID:27793838

Policy, Research and Residents' Perspectives on Built Environments Implicated in Heart Disease: A Concept Mapping Approach.

PubMed

Stankov, Ivana; Howard, Natasha J; Daniel, Mark; Cargo, Margaret

2017-02-09

An underrepresentation of stakeholder perspectives within urban health research arguably limits our understanding of what is a multi-dimensional and complex relationship between the built environment and health. By engaging a wide range of stakeholders using a participatory concept mapping approach, this study aimed to achieve a more holistic and nuanced understanding of the built environments shaping disease risk, specifically cardiometabolic risk (CMR). Moreover, this study aimed to ascertain the importance and changeability of identified environments through government action. Through the concept mapping process, community members, researchers, government and non-government stakeholders collectively identified eleven clusters encompassing 102 built environmental domains related to CMR, a number of which are underrepresented within the literature. Among the identified built environments, open space, public transportation and pedestrian environments were highlighted as key targets for policy intervention. Whilst there was substantive convergence in stakeholder groups' perspectives concerning the built environment and CMR, there were disparities in the level of importance government stakeholders and community members respectively assigned to pedestrian environments and street connectivity. These findings support the role of participatory methods in strengthening how urban health issues are understood and in affording novel insights into points of action for public health and policy intervention.

Polygon Patterned Ground on Mars and on Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

Some high-latitude areas on Mars (left) and Earth (right) exhibit similarly patterned ground where shallow fracturing has drawn polygons on the surface.

This patterning may result from cycles of contraction and expansion.

The left image shows ground within the targeted landing area NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander before the winter frost had entirely disappeared from the surface.

The bright ice in shallow crevices accentuates the area's polygonal fracturing pattern. The polygons are a few meters (several feet) across.

The image is a small portion of an exposure taken in March 2008 by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

The image on the right is an aerial view of similarly patterned ground in Antarctica.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.

Population and Environment

EPA Science Inventory

The concept of 'protection' is possible only before something is lost, however, development of the built environment to meet human needs also compromises the environmental systems that sustain human life. Because maintaining an environment that is able to sustain human life re...

Development of system reliability models for railway bridges.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-07-01

Performance of the railway transportation network depends on the reliability of railway bridges, which can be affected by : various forms of deterioration and extreme environmental conditions. More than half of the railway bridges in US were : built ...

A Direct Assessment of “Obesogenic” Built Environments: Challenges and Recommendations

PubMed Central

Gasevic, Danijela; Vukmirovich, Ina; Yusuf, Salim; Teo, Koon; Chow, Clara; Dagenais, Gilles; Lear, Scott A.

2011-01-01

This paper outlines the challenges faced during direct built environment (BE) assessments of 42 Canadian communities of various income and urbanization levels. In addition, we recommend options for overcoming such challenges during BE community assessments. Direct BE assessments were performed utilizing two distinct audit methods: (1) modified version of Irvine-Minnesota Inventory in which a paper version of an audit tool was used to assess BE features and (2) a Physical Activity and Nutrition Features audit tool, where the presence and positions of all environmental features of interest were recorded using a Global-Positioning-System (GPS) unit. This paper responds to the call for the need of creators and users of environmental audit tools to share experiences regarding the usability of tools for BE assessments. The outlined BE assessment challenges plus recommendations for overcoming them can help improve and refine the existing audit tools and aid researchers in future assessments of the BE. PMID:22174727

Using Local Data to Address Abandoned Property: Lessons Learned From a Community Health Partnership.

PubMed

Teixeira, Samantha; Kolke, Demi

A growing body of research highlights the role of the built environment in promoting or impeding health. This research suggests that environmental issues like abandoned properties exact a toll on physical and mental health. We describe a community partnership aimed at improving community health through equitable land use policies and blight remediation. A collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh and Operation Better Block, Inc. (OBB), a community development corporation in Pittsburgh, was formed. We implemented an intervention to address property abandonment using data-driven techniques. In addition to successful advocacy for city-wide policies addressing abandonment, 80% of the properties that were part of our intervention were improved or addressed by the city. Balancing the needs of community and academic partners can be challenging, but our experiences suggest that community health partnerships to address built environmental issues may be an important conduit to health promotion.

Immersive Virtual Environment Technology to Supplement Environmental Perception, Preference and Behavior Research: A Review with Applications

PubMed Central

Smith, Jordan W.

2015-01-01

Immersive virtual environment (IVE) technology offers a wide range of potential benefits to research focused on understanding how individuals perceive and respond to built and natural environments. In an effort to broaden awareness and use of IVE technology in perception, preference and behavior research, this review paper describes how IVE technology can be used to complement more traditional methods commonly applied in public health research. The paper also describes a relatively simple workflow for creating and displaying 360° virtual environments of built and natural settings and presents two freely-available and customizable applications that scientists from a variety of disciplines, including public health, can use to advance their research into human preferences, perceptions and behaviors related to built and natural settings. PMID:26378565

Immersive Virtual Environment Technology to Supplement Environmental Perception, Preference and Behavior Research: A Review with Applications.

PubMed

Smith, Jordan W

2015-09-11

Immersive virtual environment (IVE) technology offers a wide range of potential benefits to research focused on understanding how individuals perceive and respond to built and natural environments. In an effort to broaden awareness and use of IVE technology in perception, preference and behavior research, this review paper describes how IVE technology can be used to complement more traditional methods commonly applied in public health research. The paper also describes a relatively simple workflow for creating and displaying 360° virtual environments of built and natural settings and presents two freely-available and customizable applications that scientists from a variety of disciplines, including public health, can use to advance their research into human preferences, perceptions and behaviors related to built and natural settings.

Getting to Know a Place: Built Environment Walkability and Children's Spatial Representation of Their Home-School (h-s) Route.

PubMed

Moran, Mika R; Eizenberg, Efrat; Plaut, Pnina

2017-06-06

The literature on environmental walkability to date has mainly focused on walking and related health outcomes. While previous studies suggest associations between walking and spatial knowledge, the associations between environmental walkability and spatial knowledge is yet to be explored. The current study addresses this lacuna in research by exploring children's mental representations of their home-school (h-s) route, vis.

A Comprehensive Environmental Assessment Approach to Making Informed Decisions about Engineered Nanoparticles

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

fuel oxygenate MBTE Adapted from Davis, 2007 4 ( 1 ) A multimedia environmental perspective built on a product life cycle framework is essential. (2...Picatinney Arsenal Nanotechnology Research Center: Radiofrequency (RF) Induction Plasma reactor (Tekna Plasma Systems) pilot plant Synthesis Challenges: ( 1 ...Genotoxicity in vivo and in vitro, secondary to ROS (?)23 BUILDING STRONG® CEA: Lessons Learned with fuel oxygenate MBTE Adapted from Davis, 2007 24 ( 1

Participation-based environment accessibility assessment tool (P-BEAAT) in the Zambian context.

PubMed

Banda-Chalwe, Martha; Nitz, Jennifer C; de Jonge, Desleigh

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the preliminary development and validation of a potential measure for assessing the accessibility of the built environment in Zambia. It was designed to identify environmental features that present barriers to participation for people with mobility limitations (PWML) using mobility devices such as wheelchairs or crutches. The Participation-Based Environment Accessibility Assessment Tool (P-BEAAT) was developed through focus group discussions and personal interviews with 88 PWML from five provinces of Zambia regarding the accessibility of their built environment. The content validity of the P-BEAAT checklist was accomplished through three phases of development with data gathered from 11 focus groups and nine personal interviews. Participants described accessibility barriers which affect their participation in daily life. This information generated the P-BEAAT with 66 items describing eight environmental features with potential for identifying environmental barriers. The P-BEAAT has shown good homogeneity with Cronbach's α score of 0.91. The P-BEAAT was constructed grounded in the reality of people's experiences in Zambia for use in assessing environmental features important in the participation of daily life of PWML pertinent to developing countries. Further clinimetric testing of the properties of the P-BEAAT to establish reliability should be conducted next.

Harboring illnesses: On the association between disease and living conditions in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon

PubMed Central

HABIB, RIMA R.; BASMA, SHIRAZ H.; YERETZIAN, JOUMANA S.

2007-01-01

This research examined the association between the domestic built environment in a Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon, and the presence of illness among household members. Data on the domestic built environment, socio-demographics and health were collected in 860 households. The association between the presence of illness among household members and three environmental indices, namely infrastructure and services, housing conditions, and crowding was evaluated. These indices were based on a number of items that reflected the existing problems in the domestic built environment. The main finding was the positive association between poor housing conditions and the presence of illness among household members. Households with 8-15 housing problems were twice more likely to report the presence of illness than those with less than four housing problems (OR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.40-3.11). This research contributes to the understanding of the influence of the built environment on the health of a refugee population. PMID:16546804

A Critical Review of an Authentic and Transformative Environmental Justice and Health Community — University Partnership

PubMed Central

Wilson, Sacoby; Campbell, Dayna; Dalemarre, Laura; Fraser-Rahim, Herb; Williams, Edith

2014-01-01

Distressed neighborhoods in North Charleston (SC, USA) are impacted by the cumulative effects of multiple environmental hazards and expansion of the Port of Charleston. The Low Country Alliance for Model Communities (LAMC) built an environmental justice partnership to address local concerns. This case study examines the process of building and sustaining a successful transformative and authentic community-university partnership. We apply the framework established by Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH), focusing on four of the nine principles of Good Practice of Community Campus Partnerships. PMID:25514142

64 x 64 thresholding photodetector array for optical pattern recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langenbacher, Harry; Chao, Tien-Hsin; Shaw, Timothy; Yu, Jeffrey W.

1993-10-01

A high performance 32 X 32 peak detector array is introduced. This detector consists of a 32 X 32 array of thresholding photo-transistor cells, manufactured with a standard MOSIS digital 2-micron CMOS process. A built-in thresholding function that is able to perform 1024 thresholding operations in parallel strongly distinguishes this chip from available CCD detectors. This high speed detector offers responses from one to 10 milliseconds that is much higher than the commercially available CCD detectors operating at a TV frame rate. The parallel multiple peaks thresholding detection capability makes it particularly suitable for optical correlator and optoelectronically implemented neural networks. The principle of operation, circuit design and the performance characteristics are described. Experimental demonstration of correlation peak detection is also provided. Recently, we have also designed and built an advanced version of a 64 X 64 thresholding photodetector array chip. Experimental investigation of using this chip for pattern recognition is ongoing.

Factors influencing spatial pattern in tropical forest clearance and stand age: Implications for carbon storage and species diversity.

Treesearch

E. H. Helmer; Thomas J. Brandeis; Ariel E. Lugo; Todd Kennaway

2008-01-01

Little is known about the tropical forests that undergo clearing as urban/built-up and other developed lands spread. This study uses remote sensing-based maps of Puerto Rico, multinomial logit models and forest inventory data to explain patterns of forest age and the age of forests cleared for land development and assess their implications for forest carbon storage and...

Athletic equipment microbiota are shaped by interactions with human skin

DOE PAGES

Wood, Mariah; Gibbons, Sean M.; Lax, Simon; ...

2015-06-19

Background: Americans spend the vast majority of their lives in built environments. Even traditionally outdoor pursuits, such as exercising, are often now performed indoors. Bacteria that colonize these indoor ecosystems are primarily derived from the human microbiome. The modes of human interaction with indoor surfaces and the physical conditions associated with each surface type determine the steady-state ecology of the microbial community. Results: Bacterial assemblages associated with different surfaces in three athletic facilities, including floors, mats, benches, free weights, and elliptical handles, were sampled every other hour (8 am to 6 pm) for 2 days. Surface and equipment type hadmore » a stronger influence on bacterial community composition than the facility in which they were housed. Surfaces that were primarily in contact with human skin exhibited highly dynamic bacterial community composition and non-random co-occurrence patterns, suggesting that different host microbiomes—shaped by selective forces—were being deposited on these surfaces through time. Bacterial assemblages found on the floors and mats changed less over time, and species co-occurrence patterns appeared random, suggesting more neutral community assembly. Conclusions: These longitudinal patterns highlight the dramatic turnover of microbial communities on surfaces in regular contact with human skin. By uncovering these longitudinal patterns, this study promotes a better understanding of microbe-human interactions within the built environment.« less

Improved microgrid arrangement for integrated imaging polarimeters.

PubMed

LeMaster, Daniel A; Hirakawa, Keigo

2014-04-01

For almost 20 years, microgrid polarimetric imaging systems have been built using a 2×2 repeating pattern of polarization analyzers. In this Letter, we show that superior spatial resolution is achieved over this 2×2 case when the analyzers are arranged in a 2×4 repeating pattern. This unconventional result, in which a more distributed sampling pattern results in finer spatial resolution, is also achieved without affecting the conditioning of the polarimetric data-reduction matrix. Proof is provided theoretically and through Stokes image reconstruction of synthesized data.

Solar Technician Program Blows Hot

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ziegler, Peg Moran

1977-01-01

A training program for solar heating technicians was initiated at Sonoma State College's School of Environmental Studies for CETA applicants. Among the projects designed and built were a solar alternative energy center, a solar hot water system, and a solar greenhouse. (MF)

Safe RESIDential Environments? A longitudinal analysis of the influence of crime-related safety on walking.

PubMed

Foster, Sarah; Hooper, Paula; Knuiman, Matthew; Christian, Hayley; Bull, Fiona; Giles-Corti, Billie

2016-02-16

Numerous cross-sectional studies have investigated the premise that the perception of crime will cause residents to constrain their walking; however the findings to date are inconclusive. In contrast, few longitudinal or prospective studies have examined the impact of crime-related safety on residents walking behaviours. This study used longitudinal data to test whether there is a causal relationship between crime-related safety and walking in the local neighbourhood. Participants in the RESIDential Environments Project (RESIDE) in Perth, Australia, completed a questionnaire before moving to their new neighbourhood (n = 1813) and again approximately one (n = 1467), three (n = 1230) and seven years (n = 531) after relocating. Self-report measures included neighbourhood perceptions (modified NEWS items) and walking inside the neighbourhood (min/week). Objective built environmental measures were generated for each participant's 1600 m neighbourhood at each time-point, and the count of crimes reported to police were generated at the suburb-level for the first three time-points only. The impact of crime-related safety on walking was examined in SAS using the Proc Mixed procedure (marginal repeated measures model with unrestricted variance pattern). Initial models controlled for demographics, time and self-selection, and subsequent models progressively adjusted for other built and social environment factors based on a social ecological model. For every increase of one level on a five-point Likert scale in perceived safety from crime, total walking within the local neighbourhood increased by 18.0 min/week (p = 0.000). This relationship attenuated to an increase of 10.5 min/week after accounting for other built and social environment factors, but remained significant (p = 0.008). Further analyses examined transport and recreational walking separately. In the fully adjusted models, each increase in safety from crime was associated with a 7.0 min/week increase in recreational walking (p = 0.009), however findings for transport walking were non-significant. All associations between suburb-level crime and walking were non-significant. This study provides longitudinal evidence of a potential causal relationship between residents' perceptions of safety from crime and recreational walking. Safety perceptions appeared to influence recreational walking, rather than transport-related walking. Given the popularity of recreational walking and the need to increase levels of physical activity, community social and physical environmental interventions that foster residents' feelings of safety are likely to increase recreational walking and produce public health gains.

USEPA Environmental Quality Index (EQI) and Associated Domain Indices by County for the United States

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This map service displays the results data from the EPA's Environmental Quality Index. The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL) in the Environmental Public Health Division (EPHD) is currently engaged in research aimed at developing a measure that estimates overall environmental quality at the county level for the United States. This work is being conducted as an effort to learn more about how various environmental factors simultaneously contribute to health disparities in low-income and minority populations, and to better estimate the total environmental and social context to which humans are exposed. This dataset contains the finalized Environmental Quality Index (EQI), and an index for each of the associated domains (air, water, land, built environment, and sociodemographic environment). Indices are at the county level for all counties in the United States.

Comparison of hydro-environmental impacts for ebb-only and two-way generation for a Severn Barrage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmadian, Reza; Falconer, Roger A.; Bockelmann-Evans, Bettina

2014-10-01

Marine renewable energy is playing an increasing significant role in many parts of the world, mainly due to a rise in the awareness of climate change, and its detrimental effects, and the increasing cost of natural resources. The Severn Estuary, located between South West England and South Wales, has a tidal range of up to 14 m which makes it the second highest tidal range in the world. There are a number of barrage proposals amongst various marine renewable energy schemes proposed to be built in the estuary. The Cardiff-Weston STPG (Severn Tidal Power Group) Barrage, which would be one of the world's largest tidal renewable energy schemes if built, is one of the most publicised schemes to-date. This barrage would generate about 17 TWh/annum of power, which is approximately 5% of the UK's electricity consumption, whilst causing significant hydro-environmental and ecological impact on the estuary. This study mainly focuses on investigating the hydro-environmental impacts of the STPG barrage for the option of two-way generation, and compares this with the commonly investigated option of ebb-only generation. The impacts of the barrage were modelled by implementing a linked 1-D/2-D hydro-environmental model, with the capability of modelling several key environmental processes. The model predictions show that the hydro-environmental impacts of the barrage on the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel, such as changes in the maximum velocity and reduction in suspended sediment and bacteria levels, were less significant for the two-way generation scheme when compared with the corresponding impacts for ebb-only generation.

Environmental interventions to reduce fear of crime: systematic review of effectiveness.

PubMed

Lorenc, Theo; Petticrew, Mark; Whitehead, Margaret; Neary, David; Clayton, Stephen; Wright, Kath; Thomson, Hilary; Cummins, Steven; Sowden, Amanda; Renton, Adrian

2013-05-12

Fear of crime is associated with negative health and wellbeing outcomes, and may mediate some impacts of the built environment on public health. A range of environmental interventions have been hypothesized to reduce the fear of crime. This review aimed to synthesize the literature on the effectiveness of interventions in the built environment to reduce the fear of crime. Systematic review methodology, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidance, was used. Studies of environmental interventions which reported a fear of crime outcome and used any prospective evaluation design (randomized controlled trial (RCT), trial or uncontrolled before-and-after study) were included. Eighteen databases were searched. The Hamilton tool was used to assess quality. A narrative synthesis of findings was undertaken. A total of 47 studies were included, 22 controlled and 25 uncontrolled, with total sample sizes ranging from n = 52 to approximately n = 23,000. Thirty-six studies were conducted in the UK, ten studies in the USA and one study in the Netherlands. The quality of the evidence overall is low. There are some indications that home security improvements and non-crime-related environmental improvements may be effective for some fear of crime outcomes. There is little evidence that the following reduce fear of crime: street lighting improvements, closed-circuit television (CCTV), multi-component environmental crime prevention programs or regeneration programs. There is some evidence for the effectiveness of specific environmental interventions in reducing some indicators of fear of crime, but more attention to the context and possible confounders is needed in future evaluations of complex social interventions such as these.

Optimising Habitat-Based Models for Wide-Ranging Marine Predators: Scale Matters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scales, K. L.; Hazen, E. L.; Jacox, M.; Edwards, C. A.; Bograd, S. J.

2016-12-01

Predicting the responses of marine top predators to dynamic oceanographic conditions requires habitat-based models that sufficiently capture environmental preferences. Spatial resolution and temporal averaging of environmental data layers is a key aspect of model construction. The utility of surfaces contemporaneous to animal movement (e.g. daily, weekly), versus synoptic products (monthly, seasonal, climatological) is currently under debate, as is the optimal spatial resolution for predictive products. Using movement simulations with built-in environmental preferences (correlated random walks, multi-state hidden Markov-type models) together with modeled (Regional Oceanographic Modeling System, ROMS) and remotely-sensed (MODIS-Aqua) datasets, we explored the effects of degrading environmental surfaces (3km - 1 degree, daily - climatological) on model inference. We simulated the movements of a hypothetical wide-ranging marine predator through the California Current system over a three month period (May-June-July), based on metrics derived from previously published blue whale Balaenoptera musculus tracking studies. Results indicate that models using seasonal or climatological data fields can overfit true environmental preferences, in both presence-absence and behaviour-based model formulations. Moreover, the effects of a degradation in spatial resolution are more pronounced when using temporally averaged fields than when using daily, weekly or monthly datasets. In addition, we observed a notable divergence between the `best' models selected using common methods (e.g. AUC, AICc) and those that most accurately reproduced built-in environmental preferences. These findings have important implications for conservation and management of marine mammals, seabirds, sharks, sea turtles and large teleost fish, particularly in implementing dynamic ocean management initiatives and in forecasting responses to future climate-mediated ecosystem change.

Optimising Habitat-Based Models for Wide-Ranging Marine Predators: Scale Matters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scales, K. L.; Hazen, E. L.; Jacox, M.; Edwards, C. A.; Bograd, S. J.

2016-02-01

Predicting the responses of marine top predators to dynamic oceanographic conditions requires habitat-based models that sufficiently capture environmental preferences. Spatial resolution and temporal averaging of environmental data layers is a key aspect of model construction. The utility of surfaces contemporaneous to animal movement (e.g. daily, weekly), versus synoptic products (monthly, seasonal, climatological) is currently under debate, as is the optimal spatial resolution for predictive products. Using movement simulations with built-in environmental preferences (correlated random walks, multi-state hidden Markov-type models) together with modeled (Regional Oceanographic Modeling System, ROMS) and remotely-sensed (MODIS-Aqua) datasets, we explored the effects of degrading environmental surfaces (3km - 1 degree, daily - climatological) on model inference. We simulated the movements of a hypothetical wide-ranging marine predator through the California Current system over a three month period (May-June-July), based on metrics derived from previously published blue whale Balaenoptera musculus tracking studies. Results indicate that models using seasonal or climatological data fields can overfit true environmental preferences, in both presence-absence and behaviour-based model formulations. Moreover, the effects of a degradation in spatial resolution are more pronounced when using temporally averaged fields than when using daily, weekly or monthly datasets. In addition, we observed a notable divergence between the `best' models selected using common methods (e.g. AUC, AICc) and those that most accurately reproduced built-in environmental preferences. These findings have important implications for conservation and management of marine mammals, seabirds, sharks, sea turtles and large teleost fish, particularly in implementing dynamic ocean management initiatives and in forecasting responses to future climate-mediated ecosystem change.

Geographical Variations in the Environmental Determinants of Physical Inactivity among U.S. Adults.

PubMed

An, Ruopeng; Li, Xinye; Jiang, Ning

2017-10-31

Physical inactivity is a major modifiable risk factor for morbidity, disability and premature mortality worldwide. This study assessed the geographical variations in the impact of environmental quality on physical inactivity among U.S. adults. Data on county-level prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity came from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. County environment was measured by the Environmental Quality Index (EQI), a comprehensive index of environmental conditions that affect human health. The overall EQI consists of five subdomains-air, water, land, social, and built environment. Geographically weighted regressions (GWRs) were performed to estimate and map county-specific impact of overall EQI and its five subdomains on physical inactivity prevalence. The prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity among U.S. counties was 25% in 2005. On average, one standard deviation decrease in the overall EQI was associated with an increase in county-level prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity by nearly 1%. However, substantial geographical variations in the estimated environmental determinants of physical inactivity were present. The estimated changes of county-level prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity resulted from one standard deviation decrease of the overall EQI ranged from an increase of over 3% to a decrease of nearly 2% across U.S. counties. Analogous, the estimated changes of county-level prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity resulted from one standard deviation decrease of the EQI air, water, land, social, and built environment subdomains ranged from an increase of 2.6%, 1.5%, 2.9%, 3.3%, and 1.7% to a decrease of 2.9%, 1.4%, 2.4%, 2.4%, and 0.8% across U.S. counties, respectively. Given the substantial heterogeneities in the environmental determinants of physical inactivity, locally customized physical activity interventions are warranted to address the most concerning area-specific environmental issue.

Environmental footprints of Mediterranean versus Western dietary patterns: beyond the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Dietary patterns can substantially vary the resource consumption and environmental impact of a given population. Dietary changes such as the increased consumption of vegetables and reduced consumption of animal products reduce the environmental footprint and thus the use of natural resources. The adherence of a given population to the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern (MDP) through the consumption of the food proportions and composition defined in the new Mediterranean Diet pyramid can thus not only influence human health but also the environment. The aim of the study was to analyze the sustainability of the MDP in the context of the Spanish population in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural land use, energy consumption and water consumption. Furthermore, we aimed to compare the current Spanish diet with the Mediterranean Diet and in comparison with the western dietary pattern, exemplified by the U.S.A. food pattern, in terms of their corresponding environmental footprints. Methods The environmental footprints of the dietary patterns studied were calculated from the dietary make-up of each dietary pattern, and specific environmental footprints of each food group. The dietary compositions were obtained from different sources, including food balance sheets and household consumption surveys. The specific environmental footprints of food groups were obtained from different available life-cycle assessments. Results The adherence of the Spanish population to the MDP has a marked impact on all the environmental footprints studied. Increasing adherence to the MDP pattern in Spain will reduce greenhouse gas emissions (72%), land use (58%) and energy consumption (52%), and to a lower extent water consumption (33%). On the other hand, the adherence to a western dietary pattern implies an increase in all these descriptors of between 12% and 72%. Conclusions The MDP is presented as not only a cultural model but also as a healthy and environmentally-friendly model, adherence to which, in Spain would have, a significant contribution to increasing the sustainability of food production and consumption systems in addition to the well-known benefits on public health. PMID:24378069

Hierarchy and Interactions in Environmental Interfaces Regarded as Biophysical Complex Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mihailovic, Dragutin T.; Balaz, Igor

The field of environmental sciences is abundant with various interfaces and is the right place for the application of new fundamental approaches leading towards a better understanding of environmental phenomena. For example, following the definition of environmental interface by Mihailovic and Balaž [23], such interface can be placed between: human or animal bodies and surrounding air, aquatic species and water and air around them, and natural or artificially built surfaces (vegetation, ice, snow, barren soil, water, urban communities) and the atmosphere. Complex environmental interface systems are open and hierarchically organised, interactions between their constituent parts are nonlinear, and the interaction with the surrounding environment is noisy. These systems are therefore very sensitive to initial conditions, deterministic external perturbations and random fluctuations always present in nature. The study of noisy non-equilibrium processes is fundamental for modelling the dynamics of environmental interface systems and for understanding the mechanisms of spatio-temporal pattern formation in contemporary environmental sciences, particularly in environmental fluid mechanics. In modelling complex biophysical systems one of the main tasks is to successfully create an operative interface with the external environment. It should provide a robust and prompt translation of the vast diversity of external physical and/or chemical changes into a set of signals, which are "understandable" for an organism. Although the establishment of organisation in any system is of crucial importance for its functioning, it should not be forgotten that in biophysical systems we deal with real-life problems where a number of other conditions should be reached in order to put the system to work. One of them is the proper supply of the system by the energy. Therefore, we will investigate an aspect of dynamics of energy flow based on the energy balance equation. The energy as well as the exchange of biological, chemical and other physical quantities between interacting environmental interfaces can be represented by coupled maps. In this chapter we will address only two illustrative issues important for the modelling of interacting environmental interfaces regarded as complex systems. These are (i) use of algebra for modelling the autonomous establishment of local hierarchies in biophysical systems and (ii) numerical investigation of coupled maps representing exchange of energy, chemical and other relevant biophysical quantities between biophysical entities in their surrounding environment.

Moral Reasoning Patterns and Influential Factors in the Context of Environmental Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuncay, Busra; Yilmaz-Tuzun, Ozgul; Teksoz, Gaye Tuncer

2012-01-01

This study investigated pre-service science teachers' (PSTs') moral reasoning patterns and the factors underlying these reasoning patterns. Local and non-local environmental dilemmas were used to examine moral reasoning patterns. An explanatory design was used with the collection and analysis of quantitative data, which was subsequently refined…

Understanding Migration as an Adaptation in Deltas Using a Bayesian Network Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lázár, A. N.; Adams, H.; de Campos, R. S.; Mortreux, C. C.; Clarke, D.; Nicholls, R. J.; Amisigo, B. A.

2016-12-01

Deltas are hotspots of high population density, fertile lands and dramatic environmental and anthropogenic pressures and changes. Amongst other environmental factors, sea level rise, soil salinization, water shortages and erosion threaten people's livelihoods and wellbeing. As a result, there is a growing concern that significant environmental change induced migration might occur from these areas. Migration, however, is already happening for economic, education and other reasons (e.g. livelihood change, marriage, planned relocation, etc.). Migration hence has multiple, interlinked drivers and depending on the perspective, can be considered as a positive or negative phenomenon. The DECCMA project (Deltas, Vulnerability & Climate Change: Migration & Adaptation) studies migration as part of a suite of adaptation options available to the coastal populations in the Ganges delta in Bangladesh, the Mahanadi delta in India and the Volta delta in Ghana. It aims to develop a holistic framework of analysis that assesses the impact of climate and environmental change on the migration patterns of these areas. This assessment framework will couple environmental, socio-economics and governance dimensions in an attempt to synthesise drivers and barriers and allow testing of plausible future scenarios. One of the integrative methods of DECCMA is a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) model describing the decision-making of a coastal household. BBN models are built on qualitative and quantitative observations/expert knowledge and describe the probability of different events/responses etc. BBN models are especially useful to capture uncertainties of large systems and engaging with stakeholders. The DECCMA BBN model is based on household survey results from delta migrant sending areas. This presentation will describe model elements (livelihood sensitivity to climate change, local and national adaptation options, household characteristics/attitude, social networks, household decision) and initial outputs on migration and in-situ adaptation. In doing so we illustrate some key causal relationships between changes in the environment, livelihoods and migration decision.

The Wisconsin Assessment of the Social and Built Environment (WASABE): a multi-dimensional objective audit instrument for examining neighborhood effects on health.

PubMed

Malecki, Kristen C; Engelman, Corinne D; Peppard, Paul E; Nieto, F Javier; Grabow, Maggie L; Bernardinello, Milena; Bailey, Erin; Bersch, Andrew J; Walsh, Matthew C; Lo, Justin Y; Martinez-Donate, Ana

2014-11-13

Growing evidence suggests that mixed methods approaches to measuring neighborhood effects on health are needed. The Wisconsin Assessment of the Social and Built Environment (WASABE) is an objective audit tool designed as an addition to a statewide household-based health examination survey, the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW), to objectively measure participant's neighborhoods. This paper describes the development and implementation of the WASABE and examines the instrument's ability to capture a range of social and built environment features in urban and rural communities. A systematic literature review and formative research were used to create the tool. Inter-rater reliability parameters across items were calculated. Prevalence and density of features were estimated for strata formed according to several sociodemographic and urbanicity factors. The tool is highly reliable with over 81% of 115 derived items having percent agreement above 95%. It captured variance in neighborhood features in for a diverse sample of SHOW participants. Sidewalk density in neighborhoods surrounding households of participants living at less than 100% of the poverty level was 67% (95% confidence interval, 55-80%) compared to 34% (25-44%) for those living at greater than 400% of the poverty level. Walking and biking trails were present in 29% (19-39%) of participant buffer in urban areas compared to only 7% (2-12%) in rural communities. Significant environmental differences were also observed for white versus non-white, high versus low income, and college graduates versus individuals with lower level of education. The WASABE has strong inter-rater reliability and validity properties. It builds on previous work to provide a rigorous and standardized method for systematically gathering objective built and social environmental data in a number of geographic settings. Findings illustrate the complex milieu of built environment features found in participants neighborhoods and have relevance for future research, policy, and community engagement purposes.

Genetic Architecture and Molecular Networks Underlying Leaf Thickness in Desert-Adapted Tomato Solanum pennellii1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Frank, Margaret H.; Balaguer, Maria A. de Luis; Li, Mao

2017-01-01

Thicker leaves allow plants to grow in water-limited conditions. However, our understanding of the genetic underpinnings of this highly functional leaf shape trait is poor. We used a custom-built confocal profilometer to directly measure leaf thickness in a set of introgression lines (ILs) derived from the desert tomato Solanum pennellii and identified quantitative trait loci. We report evidence of a complex genetic architecture of this trait and roles for both genetic and environmental factors. Several ILs with thick leaves have dramatically elongated palisade mesophyll cells and, in some cases, increased leaf ploidy. We characterized the thick IL2-5 and IL4-3 in detail and found increased mesophyll cell size and leaf ploidy levels, suggesting that endoreduplication underpins leaf thickness in tomato. Next, we queried the transcriptomes and inferred dynamic Bayesian networks of gene expression across early leaf ontogeny in these lines to compare the molecular networks that pattern leaf thickness. We show that thick ILs share S. pennellii-like expression profiles for putative regulators of cell shape and meristem determinacy as well as a general signature of cell cycle-related gene expression. However, our network data suggest that leaf thickness in these two lines is patterned at least partially by distinct mechanisms. Consistent with this hypothesis, double homozygote lines combining introgression segments from these two ILs show additive phenotypes, including thick leaves, higher ploidy levels, and larger palisade mesophyll cells. Collectively, these data establish a framework of genetic, anatomical, and molecular mechanisms that pattern leaf thickness in desert-adapted tomato. PMID:28794258

Examining the relationship between local extinction risk and position in range.

PubMed

Boakes, Elizabeth H; Isaac, Nicholas J B; Fuller, Richard A; Mace, Georgina M; McGowan, Philip J K

2018-02-01

Over half of globally threatened animal species have experienced rapid geographic range loss. Identifying the parts of species' distributions most vulnerable to local extinction would benefit conservation planning. However, previous studies give little consensus on whether ranges decline to the core or edge. We built on previous work by using empirical data to examine the position of recent local extinctions within species' geographic ranges, address range position as a continuum, and explore the influence of environmental factors. We aggregated point-locality data for 125 Galliform species from across the Palearctic and Indo-Malaya into equal-area half-degree grid cells and used a multispecies dynamic Bayesian occupancy model to estimate rates of local extinctions. Our model provides a novel approach to identify loss of populations from within species ranges. We investigated the relationship between extinction rates and distance from range edge by examining whether patterns were consistent across biogeographic realm and different categories of land use. In the Palearctic, local extinctions occurred closer to the range edge than range core in both unconverted and human-dominated landscapes. In Indo-Malaya, no pattern was found for unconverted landscapes, but in human-dominated landscapes extinctions tended to occur closer to the core than the edge. Our results suggest that local and regional factors override general spatial patterns of recent local extinction within species' ranges and highlight the difficulty of predicting the parts of a species' distribution most vulnerable to threat. © 2017 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

Conveying Global Circulation Patterns in HDTV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardiner, N.; Janowiak, J.; Kinzler, R.; Trakinski, V.

2006-12-01

The American Museum of Natural History has partnered with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) to educate general audiences about weather and climate using high definition video broadcasts built from half-hourly global mosaics of infrared (IR) data from five geostationary satellites. The dataset being featured was developed by NCEP to improve precipitation estimates from microwave data that have finer spatial resolution but poorer temporal coverage. The IR data span +/-60 degrees latitude and show circulation patterns at sufficient resolution to teach informal science center visitors about both weather and climate events and concepts. Design and editorial principles for this media program have been guided by lessons learned from production and annual updates of visualizations that cover eight themes in both biological and Earth system sciences. Two formative evaluations on two dates, including interviews and written surveys of 480 museum visitors ranging in age from 13 to over 60, helped refine the design and implementation of the weather and climate program and demonstrated that viewers understood the program's initial literacy objectives, including: (1) conveying the passage of time and currency of visualized data; (2) geographic relationships inherent to atmospheric circulation patterns; and (3) the authenticity of visualized data, i.e., their origin from earth-orbiting satellites. Surveys also indicated an interest and willingness to learn more about weather and climate principles and events. Expanded literacy goals guide ongoing, biweekly production and distribution of global cloud visualization pieces that reach combined audiences of approximately 10 million. Two more rounds of evaluation are planned over the next two years to assess the effectiveness of the media program in addressing these expanded literacy goals.

Applying eco-health science in environmental governance

EPA Science Inventory

Human well-being is inextricably connected to the sustainable use of natural and built resources. The ecosystem goods and services (EGS) concept has become increasingly valuable for identifying and evaluating important trade-offs and by extension has become a central element of ...

Biosphere 2: The True Story.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Keeffe, Michael

1992-01-01

Discusses the history and current developments of the Biosphere 2 Project, a prototype for enclosed self-sustaining structures for space colonization built in the Arizona Desert. Biosphere 2 was created to educate and provide solutions to environmental problems and revenue from research. (MCO)

DEVELOPMENT OF A MONITOR FOR HCN IN MOBILE SOURCE EMISSIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Three real-time monitors for measurement of HCN concentrations in mobile source emissions have been designed, built, tested, and delivered to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The important design parameters for these identical instruments were determined during the firs...

Predicting macroinvertebrate MMI for geographic targeting

EPA Science Inventory

The US Environmental Protection Agency surveys the ecological conditions of streams across broad regions. We wish to identify specific streams in poor condition, as well as their regional extent. To identify such streams in Idaho, Oregon and Washington we built multiple regress...

ED08-0053-07

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-02-28

An ER-2 high-altitude Earth science aircraft banks away during a flight over the southern Sierra Nevada. NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center operates two of the Lockheed-built aircraft on a wide variety of environmental science, atmospheric sampling, and satellite data verification missions.

Environmental perceptions as mediators of the relationship between the objective built environment and walking among socio-economically disadvantaged women.

PubMed

Van Dyck, Delfien; Veitch, Jenny; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Thornton, Lukar; Ball, Kylie

2013-09-19

Women living in socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods are at increased risk for physical inactivity and associated health outcomes and are difficult to reach through personally tailored interventions. Targeting the built environment may be an effective strategy in this population subgroup. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of environmental perceptions in the relationship between the objective environment and walking for transportation/recreation among women from socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Baseline data of the Resilience for Eating and Activity Despite Inequality (READI) study were used. In total, 4139 women (18-46 years) completed a postal survey assessing physical environmental perceptions (aesthetics, neighbourhood physical activity environment, personal safety, neighbourhood social cohesion), physical activity, and socio-demographics. Objectively-assessed data on street connectivity and density of destinations were collected using a Geographic Information System database and based on the objective z-scores, an objective destinations/connectivity score was calculated. This index was positively scored, with higher scores representing a more favourable environment. Two-level mixed models regression analyses were conducted and the MacKinnon product-of-coefficients test was used to examine the mediating effects. The destinations/connectivity score was positively associated with transport-related walking. The perceived physical activity environment mediated 6.1% of this positive association. The destinations/connectivity score was negatively associated with leisure-time walking. Negative perceptions of aesthetics, personal safety and social cohesion of the neighbourhood jointly mediated 24.1% of this negative association. For women living in socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods, environmental perceptions were important mediators of the relationship between the objective built environment and walking. To increase both transport-related and leisure-time walking, it is necessary to improve both objective walkability-related characteristics (street connectivity and proximity of destinations), and perceptions of personal safety, favourable aesthetics and neighbourhood social cohesion.

Unraveling the impact of built-environmental self-modification of the local inhabitants in their attempt to reduce the urban flood impact in Grogol, Sukoharjo*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wanabakti, M. J.; Susilo, C. R.; Nathania, M.; Putri, C. Y.

2018-05-01

Due in part to climate change impact and the lack of environmental awareness of urban societies, urban flood disasters have increased in both frequency and impacted areas. The inevitable destructive impact is also experienced by urban inhabitants within Grogol District, Sukoharjo, Central Java. Situated within the fast-growing peri-urban area of Surakarta, the geographical condition of the district, which is located in the convergence of Bengawan Solo River and four different streamlet rivers is undoubtedly critical to flood. Since the position of the peri-urban area is along the border of Surakarta City and Sukoharjo Regency, the site is a strategic locus of the main city’s urban expansion. However, its border location has made flood-reduction programs challenging to be implemented, due to unclear territorial admiration and distribution. Because of the absence of flood-reduction programs in the area, local inhabitants have been independently developing physical and built environmental modification of their settlements. By analyzing the two-months built environmental fieldwork research in Grogol Sukoharjo, this paper unravels both the success and the conflicting impact of local self-initiative modification in Grogol Sukoharjo. By combining the two-month field observation with the semi-structured interviews in three sub-districts of Grogol, this paper finds that the very pragmatic self-modification taken by the inhabitants results in short-term reductions of flood impact and increases the secure feelings of inhabitants to continue living in their neighborhoods. However, the lack of proper technical supervision from experts and the absence of inter-neighborhood coordination leads to future additional damage on the flood-prone areas of Grogol. The paper also reveals that one pragmatic physical self-modification solution taken by one neighborhood may lead to an extra flood-threat to other neighborhoods.

Obesity and diabetes, the built environment, and the 'local' food economy in the United States, 2007.

PubMed

Salois, Matthew J

2012-01-01

Obesity and diabetes are increasingly attributed to environmental factors, however, little attention has been paid to the influence of the 'local' food economy. This paper examines the association of measures relating to the built environment and 'local' agriculture with U.S. county-level prevalence of obesity and diabetes. Key indicators of the 'local' food economy include the density of farmers' markets and the presence of farms with direct sales. This paper employs a robust regression estimator to account for non-normality of the data and to accommodate outliers. Overall, the built environment is associated with the prevalence of obesity and diabetes and a strong local' food economy may play an important role in prevention. Results imply considerable scope for community-level interventions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Approach to the land-use change and its influential factors in Loess Plateau of Dingxi Prefecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Li; Dong, Suocheng; Hou, Xiaoli; Fan, Zhenjun

2004-11-01

Based on land-use datum (at scale of 100,000) of the interpretation of Landsat Thematic Mapper in 1980, 1995 and 2000, which came from environmental database of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the authors investigated land-use change and influential factors by the combined use of geographic information systems (GIS) method, Markov model and canonical correlation analysis (CCA) statistical method. The results showed that, in the periods 1980-2000, crop land increased by 0.58 percent (4278.86 hectares), of which 92.93 percent was transformed from grassland and 7.07 percent from forestland. Urban or built-up land increased by 26.23 percent (687.45 hectares), of which 77.35 percent was transformed from cropland. Rural residential land increased by 5.17 percent (1324.37 hectares). Forestland and water land decreased in area. Grassland decreased by 0.57 percent (5706.77 hectares). Secondly, transition rate of landscape spatial pattern among the landscape elements from 1995 to 2000 was slower than that from 1980 to 1995. Land use types as cropland, grassland, woodland and rural residential land were the primary change types from 1995 to 2000. Thirdly, both natural and social economic factors influenced land use pattern. The population and per capita grain yield were positively correlated to rural residential pattern. The spatial distribution of grassland and cropland showed strong positive correlation to annual rainfall and annual air temperature, and negative association to annual per capita net income of rural residents. The poor annual per capita net income of rural residents and investment in capital construction restricted the extended area of urban build-up land. Therefore, the drought is not proportional to pattern of urban build-up land. The study verified the analysis conclusion of influential factors by redundancy degree of CCA. The integration of remote sensing data, GIS, Markov process and CCA provided a comprehensive method to analyze land use pattern and process with influential factors.

Issues and framework of environmental health in Malaysia.

PubMed

Mokhtar, Mazlin Bin; Murad, Wahid

2010-04-01

Environmental health problems in Malaysia are mostly attributed to atmospheric pollution, water pollution, climate change, ozone depletion, and solid waste management, as well as toxic, chemical, and hazardous waste management. The Ministry of Health, Malaysia, has been vigorously pursuing the environmental health agenda by collaborating with other agencies at district, state, national, and international levels. This article discusses the issues and management framework of environmental health in Malaysia. Some issues requiring further investigation in order to clearly understand the trade-off between atmospheric change and environmental health are suggested. These suggestions are developed with particular reference to appraisals concerned with the development and implementation of environmental policy, programs, and practice. Research on the relevant issues is discussed and a framework is built involving a comprehensive review of the literature and existing framework of Malaysian environmental health.

Mapping intra-urban malaria risk using high resolution satellite imagery: a case study of Dar es Salaam.

PubMed

Kabaria, Caroline W; Molteni, Fabrizio; Mandike, Renata; Chacky, Frank; Noor, Abdisalan M; Snow, Robert W; Linard, Catherine

2016-07-30

With more than half of Africa's population expected to live in urban settlements by 2030, the burden of malaria among urban populations in Africa continues to rise with an increasing number of people at risk of infection. However, malaria intervention across Africa remains focused on rural, highly endemic communities with far fewer strategic policy directions for the control of malaria in rapidly growing African urban settlements. The complex and heterogeneous nature of urban malaria requires a better understanding of the spatial and temporal patterns of urban malaria risk in order to design effective urban malaria control programs. In this study, we use remotely sensed variables and other environmental covariates to examine the predictability of intra-urban variations of malaria infection risk across the rapidly growing city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania between 2006 and 2014. High resolution SPOT satellite imagery was used to identify urban environmental factors associated malaria prevalence in Dar es Salaam. Supervised classification with a random forest classifier was used to develop high resolution land cover classes that were combined with malaria parasite prevalence data to identify environmental factors that influence localized heterogeneity of malaria transmission and develop a high resolution predictive malaria risk map of Dar es Salaam. Results indicate that the risk of malaria infection varied across the city. The risk of infection increased away from the city centre with lower parasite prevalence predicted in administrative units in the city centre compared to administrative units in the peri-urban suburbs. The variation in malaria risk within Dar es Salaam was shown to be influenced by varying environmental factors. Higher malaria risks were associated with proximity to dense vegetation, inland water and wet/swampy areas while lower risk of infection was predicted in densely built-up areas. The predictive maps produced can serve as valuable resources for municipal councils aiming to shrink the extents of malaria across cities, target resources for vector control or intensify mosquito and disease surveillance. The semi-automated modelling process developed can be replicated in other urban areas to identify factors that influence heterogeneity in malaria risk patterns and detect vulnerable zones. There is a definite need to expand research into the unique epidemiology of malaria transmission in urban areas for focal elimination and sustained control agendas.

In search of causality: a systematic review of the relationship between the built environment and physical activity among adults

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Empirical evidence suggests that an association between the built environment and physical activity exists. This evidence is mostly derived from cross-sectional studies that do not account for other causal explanations such as neighborhood self-selection. Experimental and quasi-experimental designs can be used to isolate the effect of the built environment on physical activity, but in their absence, statistical techniques that adjust for neighborhood self-selection can be used with cross-sectional data. Previous reviews examining the built environment-physical activity relationship have not differentiated among findings based on study design. To deal with self-selection, we synthesized evidence regarding the relationship between objective measures of the built environment and physical activity by including in our review: 1) cross-sectional studies that adjust for neighborhood self-selection and 2) quasi-experiments. Method In September 2010, we searched for English-language studies on built environments and physical activity from all available years in health, leisure, transportation, social sciences, and geographical databases. Twenty cross-sectional and 13 quasi-experimental studies published between 1996 and 2010 were included in the review. Results Most associations between the built environment and physical activity were in the expected direction or null. Land use mix, connectivity and population density and overall neighborhood design were however, important determinants of physical activity. The built environment was more likely to be associated with transportation walking compared with other types of physical activity including recreational walking. Three studies found an attenuation in associations between built environment characteristics and physical activity after accounting for neighborhood self-selection. Conclusion More quasi-experiments that examine a broader range of environmental attributes in relation to context-specific physical activity and that measure changes in the built environment, neighborhood preferences and their effect on physical activity are needed. PMID:22077952

Suitability of Unidata Metapps for Incorporation in Platform-Independent User-Customized Aviation Weather Products Generation Software

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-03-08

Figure 7. Standard, simplified view of the Facade software design pattern. Adapted from an original diagram by Shalloway and Trott (Shalloway...and Trott , 2002). 31 set of interfaces. The motivation behind using this design pattern is that it helps reduce complexity and minimizes the...libraries and in turn built more complex components. Although brave and innovative , these forays into the cutting edge of geophysical

The Land Use Planning Imperative: Applying Carbon Emissions Analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bray, E. N.; Havens, G.

2007-12-01

Reversing global warming is the defining crisis of the 21st century and must be dealt with, in part, by reinventing the built environment. Current land use and planning frameworks are not aligned with scientific models which can aid in the reversal of carbon emissions at the local and regional scale. The disjunction between land use planning and the scientific methodologies for calculating the impacts of climate change beg for a stronger union between climate change science and land use planning. Buildings account for approximately 35 percent of the U.S. carbon emissions while the transportation sector accounts for approximately 27 percent (U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2007). To adopt energy efficiency measures and hence reduce carbon dioxide emissions at a site, city, or regional scale, land use planners and climate scientists must integrate their expertise to influence policy with precision and accuracy. Land use planners have influence over the design of the built environment in municipalities and institutions such as colleges and universities. In many ways, college and university campuses are microcosms of the land use patterns established historically; they demonstrate a lack of coordinated land use planning across the entire continent that is extremely dependent on the automobile and fossil fuels. Climate models predict that the average temperature at the Earth's surface could increase from 2.5 to 10.4ºF above 1990 levels by the end of this century (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2007). Further, it is estimated that the country will have to construct an additional 213 billion square feet of built space by the year 2030 to accommodate the increasing population. Planning and design will dictate the degree to which land use change will exacerbate trends of global warming. It commands an integration of the methodology to calculate carbon emissions with the science which demonstrates the impact of those emissions. This session presents a new approach and methodology for integrating calculating carbon emissions and land use planning to increase the accessibility of carbon dioxide emissions data, transforming our conception of how the built environment can function in a more sustainable way. The emergence of the public and institutional interest in reducing carbon emissions advances the question of how climate science may be applied and translated for a public audience to develop effective, measurable carbon reduction strategies. Building on the growing momentum in the higher education sector in the United States, land use planners are grappling with the integration of carbon reduction and the transformation of the built environment, particularly at college campuses. A critical first step in reducing carbon emissions is to complete a greenhouse gas inventory. In recent years, universities have adopted challenges to become climate neutral through operations, buildings, and transportation. This session will present two case studies at universities of how land use planning integrates scientific data and suggested methodology from the IPCC, the Chicago Climate Exchange, the Kyoto Protocol, and various other climate action registries in order to demonstrate a university's contribution to global warming. By developing a methodology for calculating CO2 emissions, land use planning and climate science can collectively formulate strategies for a more sustainable future.

Linking social and built environmental factors to the health of public housing residents: a focus group study.

PubMed

Hayward, Erin; Ibe, Chidinma; Young, Jeffery Hunter; Potti, Karthya; Jones, Paul; Pollack, Craig Evan; Gudzune, Kimberly A

2015-04-10

Public housing residents have a high risk of chronic disease, which may be related to neighborhood environmental factors. Our objective was to understand how public housing residents perceive that the social and built environments might influence their health and wellbeing. We conducted focus groups of residents from a low-income public housing community in Baltimore, MD to assess their perceptions of health and neighborhood attributes, resources, and social structure. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Two investigators independently coded transcripts for thematic content using editing style analysis technique. Twenty-eight residents participated in six focus groups. All were African American and the majority were women. Most had lived in public housing for more than 5 years. We identified four themes: public housing's unhealthy physical environment limits health and wellbeing, the city environment limits opportunities for healthy lifestyle choices, lack of trust in relationships contributes to social isolation, and increased neighborhood social capital could improve wellbeing. Changes in housing and city policies might lead to improved environmental health conditions for public housing residents. Policymakers and researchers may consider promoting community cohesiveness to attempt to empower residents in facilitating neighborhood change.

Hyperspectral Imaging of Functional Patterns for Disease Assessment and Treatment Monitoring

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

Demos, S; Hattery, D; Hassan, M

2003-12-05

We have designed and built a six-band multi-spectral NIR imaging system used in clinical testing on cancer patients. From our layered tissue model, we create blood volume and blood oxygenation images for patient treatment monitoring.

State profiles in environmental education

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

Ruskey, A.

1995-12-31

An awareness and appreciation of their natural and built environment; knowledge of natural systems and ecological concepts; understanding of the range of current environmental issues; and the ability to use investigative, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills toward the resolution of environmental issues: these are key traits of an environmentally literate citizenry. It follows that they are the key objectives of environmental education. Nearly every state in the country currently has an environmental education program in some form. However, few states have comprehensive programs of the sort that can foster widespread environmental literacy in the populace. Comprehensive programs infuse environmental education intomore » most or all subject areas and grade levels through curriculum requirements, subject-area frameworks, pre-service and in-service teacher training, opportunities for small grants for teachers and schools, resource guides and networks, statewide advisory councils, interagency networks, and more.« less

Multitemporal analysis of Landsat images to detect land use land cover changes for monitoring soil sealing in the Nola area (Naples, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Giglio, Michaela; Allocca, Maria; Franci, Francesca

2016-10-01

Land Use Land Cover Changes (LULCC) data provide objective information to support environmental policy, urban planning purposes and sustainable land development. Understanding of past land use/cover practices and current landscape patterns is critical to assess the effects of LULCC on the Earth system. Within the framework of soil sealing in Italy, the present study aims to assess the LULCC of the Nola area (Naples metropolitan area, Italy), relating to a thirty year period from 1984 to 2015. The urban sprawl affects this area causing the impervious surface increase, the loss in rural areas and landscape fragmentation. Located near Vesuvio volcano and crossed by artificial filled rivers, the study area is subject to landslide, hydraulic and volcanic risks. Landsat time series has been processed by means of the supervised per-pixel classification in order to produce multitemporal Land Use Land Cover maps. Then, post-classification comparison approach has been applied to quantify the changes occurring between 1984 and 2015, also analyzing the intermediate variations in 1999, namely every fifteen years. The results confirm the urban sprawl. The increase of the built-up areas mainly causes the habitat fragmentation and the agricultural land conversion of the Nola area that is already damaged by unauthorized disposal of urban waste. Moreover, considering the local risk maps, it was verified that some of the new urban areas were built over known hazardous sites. In order to limit the soil sealing, urgent measures and sustainable urban planning are required.

Statistical model for speckle pattern optimization.

PubMed

Su, Yong; Zhang, Qingchuan; Gao, Zeren

2017-11-27

Image registration is the key technique of optical metrologies such as digital image correlation (DIC), particle image velocimetry (PIV), and speckle metrology. Its performance depends critically on the quality of image pattern, and thus pattern optimization attracts extensive attention. In this article, a statistical model is built to optimize speckle patterns that are composed of randomly positioned speckles. It is found that the process of speckle pattern generation is essentially a filtered Poisson process. The dependence of measurement errors (including systematic errors, random errors, and overall errors) upon speckle pattern generation parameters is characterized analytically. By minimizing the errors, formulas of the optimal speckle radius are presented. Although the primary motivation is from the field of DIC, we believed that scholars in other optical measurement communities, such as PIV and speckle metrology, will benefit from these discussions.

Interdisciplinary approaches to zoonotic disease

PubMed Central

Goodwin, Robin; Schley, David; Lai, Ka-Man; Ceddia, Graziano M.; Barnett, Julie; Cook, Nigel

2012-01-01

Zoonotic infections are on the increase worldwide, but most research into the biological, environmental and life science aspects of these infections has been conducted in separation. In this review we bring together contemporary research in these areas to suggest a new, symbiotic framework which recognises the interaction of biological, economic, psychological, and natural and built environmental drivers in zoonotic infection and transmission. In doing so, we propose that some contemporary debates in zoonotic research could be resolved using an expanded framework which explicitly takes into account the combination of motivated and habitual human behaviour, environmental and biological constraints, and their interactions. PMID:24470951

22 CFR 216.6 - Environmental assessments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... proposal and its alternatives in comparative form, thereby sharpening the issues and providing a clear... including the proposed action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits; include the... and mitigation measures; urban quality; historic and cultural resources and the design of the built...

22 CFR 216.6 - Environmental assessments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... proposal and its alternatives in comparative form, thereby sharpening the issues and providing a clear... including the proposed action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits; include the... and mitigation measures; urban quality; historic and cultural resources and the design of the built...

22 CFR 216.6 - Environmental assessments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... proposal and its alternatives in comparative form, thereby sharpening the issues and providing a clear... including the proposed action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits; include the... and mitigation measures; urban quality; historic and cultural resources and the design of the built...

22 CFR 216.6 - Environmental assessments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... proposal and its alternatives in comparative form, thereby sharpening the issues and providing a clear... including the proposed action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits; include the... and mitigation measures; urban quality; historic and cultural resources and the design of the built...

22 CFR 216.6 - Environmental assessments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... proposal and its alternatives in comparative form, thereby sharpening the issues and providing a clear... including the proposed action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits; include the... and mitigation measures; urban quality; historic and cultural resources and the design of the built...

A STRATEGY TO PROTECT AND SUSTAIN THE ENVIRONMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental sustainability and protection of the environment is not possible after losses have occurred and must be considered during development of the built environment. If that is to occur, criteria must be developed against which proposed land-use decisions can be easily ev...

Data-driven Inquiry in Environmental Restoration Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zalles, D. R.; Montgomery, D. R.

2008-12-01

Place-based field work has been recognized as an important component of geoscience education programs for engaging students. Field work helps students appreciate the spatial extent of data and the systems operating in a locale. Data collected in a place has a temporal aspect that can be explored through representations such as photographs and maps and also though numerical data sets that capture characteristics of place. Yet, experiencing authentic geoscience research in an educational setting requires going beyond fieldwork: students must develop data literacy skills that will enable them to connect abstract representations of spatio-temporal data with place. Educational researchers at SRI International led by Dr. Daniel Zalles, developer of inquiry-based geoscience curricula, and geoscientists at the University of Washington (UW) led by Dr. David Montgomery, Professor of Earth and Space Sciences, are building educational curriculum modules that help students make these connections. The modules concern the environmental history of the Puget Sound area in Washington State and its relevance for the American Indians living there. This collaborative project relies on environmental data collected in the Puget Sound Regional Synthesis Model (PRISM) and Puget Sound River History Project. The data sets are being applied to inquiry-based geoscience investigations at the undergraduate and high school level. The modules consist of problem-based units centered on the data sets, plus geographic and other data representations. The modules will rely on educational "design patterns" that characterize geoscientific inquiry tasks. Use of design patterns will enable other modules to be built that align to the modes of student thinking and practice articulated in the design patterns. The modules will be accompanied by performance assessments that measure student learning from their data investigations. The design principles that drive this project have already been used effectively in a prior SRI project reported about at AGU 2007 called Data Sets and Inquiry in Geoscience Education. The modules are being readied for pilot-testing with undergraduate students in a new environmental history course at the University of Washington and with students taking science courses in high schools serving American Indian students in the Puget Sound area. This NSF-funded project is contributing to our knowledge base about how students can become more engaged and more skilled in geoscience inquiry and data analysis and what variations in educational supports and expectations need to exist to build successful experiences for the students with the materials. It is also expanding our knowledge of how to better connect place-based education to inquiry tasks that expand students" quantitative reasoning skills. Lastly, it is providing a model of how scientists can work effectively with educational researchers to provide educational outlets for their research. We will report on the progress of the project so far, which is in its first year of funding.

[Changes of regional environment quality pattern in China since 1986-2008].

PubMed

Guan, Wei-Hua; Sun, Ming-Kun; Lu, Yu-Qi

2011-03-01

For further study of regional differences and the pattern of changes in environmental quality in China since 1986-2008, we perform the principal component analysis, standard deviation, Mann-Kendall and cluster analysis on 18 environmental quality indexes in 28 provinces of China in this paper. Those indexes refer to pollutant emission, pollutants treatment capacities and pollutant emission of per unit land area, etc. The paper indicates that regional environmental quality in China has been increased slightly during this period. It can be divided into four stages: 1986-2000, 2000-2001, 2001-2005 and 2005-2008. The overall patterns of regional environmental quality is the West is higher than the East in general, while the environmental quality of the eastern part have been changed somewhat. For more details, the regional environmental quality in China in 1986 is composed of two parts, the eastern part and the western part, while in 2000 and 2001 the eastern part, the middle part and the western part appears as the overall pattern. For the year of 2005, the regional environmental quality in the western is higher than that of the eastern; meanwhile, the eastern can be divided into the northern part, the middle part and the southern part, and the environmental quality in northern part is better than that of the southern part, southern part is better than that of the middle part. This pattern hardly changed in 2008, except that the area with poor environment quality region had expanded. Pollutant emission of per unit land area played as a main factor; yet both the pollutant emission and the reuse of pollutants impacted the pattern specifically. In addition, the national macro policies, the regional policies, the regional economic and the industrial structure can be primary reason for the change of regional environmental quality pattern in China as well.

Time Pattern Locking Scheme for Secure Multimedia Contents in Human-Centric Device

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyun-Woo; Kim, Jun-Ho; Park, Jong Hyuk; Jeong, Young-Sik

2014-01-01

Among the various smart multimedia devices, multimedia smartphones have become the most widespread due to their convenient portability and real-time information sharing, as well as various other built-in features. Accordingly, since personal and business activities can be carried out using multimedia smartphones without restrictions based on time and location, people have more leisure time and convenience than ever. However, problems such as loss, theft, and information leakage because of convenient portability have also increased proportionally. As a result, most multimedia smartphones are equipped with various built-in locking features. Pattern lock, personal identification numbers, and passwords are the most used locking features on current smartphones, but these are vulnerable to shoulder surfing and smudge attacks, allowing malicious users to bypass the security feature easily. In particular, the smudge attack technique is a convenient way to unlock multimedia smartphones after they have been stolen. In this paper, we propose the secure locking screen using time pattern (SLSTP) focusing on improved security and convenience for users to support human-centric multimedia device completely. The SLSTP can provide a simple interface to users and reduce the risk factors pertaining to security leakage to malicious third parties. PMID:25202737

Time pattern locking scheme for secure multimedia contents in human-centric device.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun-Woo; Kim, Jun-Ho; Park, Jong Hyuk; Jeong, Young-Sik

2014-01-01

Among the various smart multimedia devices, multimedia smartphones have become the most widespread due to their convenient portability and real-time information sharing, as well as various other built-in features. Accordingly, since personal and business activities can be carried out using multimedia smartphones without restrictions based on time and location, people have more leisure time and convenience than ever. However, problems such as loss, theft, and information leakage because of convenient portability have also increased proportionally. As a result, most multimedia smartphones are equipped with various built-in locking features. Pattern lock, personal identification numbers, and passwords are the most used locking features on current smartphones, but these are vulnerable to shoulder surfing and smudge attacks, allowing malicious users to bypass the security feature easily. In particular, the smudge attack technique is a convenient way to unlock multimedia smartphones after they have been stolen. In this paper, we propose the secure locking screen using time pattern (SLSTP) focusing on improved security and convenience for users to support human-centric multimedia device completely. The SLSTP can provide a simple interface to users and reduce the risk factors pertaining to security leakage to malicious third parties.

The resilience of structure built around the predicate: Homesign gesture systems in Turkish and American deaf children

PubMed Central

Goldin-Meadow, Susan; Namboodiripad, Savithry; Mylander, Carolyn; Özyürek, Aslı; Sancar, Burcu

2013-01-01

Deaf children whose hearing losses prevent them from accessing spoken language and whose hearing parents have not exposed them to sign language develop gesture systems, called homesigns, that have many of the properties of natural language—the so-called resilient properties of language. We explored the resilience of structure built around the predicate—in particular, how manner and path are mapped onto the verb—in homesign systems developed by deaf children in Turkey and the United States. We also asked whether the Turkish homesigners exhibit sentence-level structures previously identified as resilient in American and Chinese homesigners. We found that the Turkish and American deaf children used not only the same production probability and ordering patterns to indicate who does what to whom, but also the same segmentation and conflation patterns to package manner and path. The gestures that the hearing parents produced did not, for the most part, display the patterns found in the children’s gestures. Although co-speech gesture may provide the building blocks for homesign, it does not provide the blueprint for these resilient properties of language. PMID:25663828

Panarchy use in environmental science for risk and resilience planning

USGS Publications Warehouse

Angeler, David G.; Allen, Craig R.; Garmestani, Ahjond S.; Gunderson, Lance H.; Linkov, Igor

2016-01-01

Environmental sciences have an important role in informing sustainable management of built environments by providing insights about the drivers and potentially negative impacts of global environmental change. Here, we discuss panarchy theory, a multi-scale hierarchical concept that accounts for the dynamism of complex socio-ecological systems, especially for those systems with strong cross-scale feedbacks. The idea of panarchy underlies much of system resilience, focusing on how systems respond to known and unknown threats. Panarchy theory can provide a framework for qualitative and quantitative research and application in the environmental sciences, which can in turn inform the ongoing efforts in socio-technical resilience thinking and adaptive and transformative approaches to management.

Well pattern optimization in a low permeability sandstone reservoir: a case study from Erlian Basin in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xia; Fu, Lixia; Yan, Aihua; Guo, Fajun; Wu, Cong; Chen, Hong; Wang, Xinying; Lu, Ming

2018-02-01

Study on optimization of development well patterns is the core content of oilfield development and is a prerequisite for rational and effective development of oilfield. The study on well pattern optimization mainly includes types of well patterns and density of well patterns. This paper takes the Aer-3 fault block as an example. Firstly, models were built for diamond-shaped inverted 9-spot patterns, rectangular 5-spot patterns, square inverted 9-spot patterns and inverted 7-spot patterns under the same well pattern density to correlate the effect of different well patterns on development; secondly, comprehensive analysis was conducted to well pattern density in terms of economy and technology using such methods as oil reservoir engineering, numerical simulation, economic limits and economic rationality. Finally, the development mode of vertical well + horizontal well was presented according to the characteristics of oil reservoirs in some well blocks, which has realized efficient development of this fault block.

“Complexities of holistic community based participatory research for a low-income, multi-ethnic population exposed to multiple built-environment stressors in Worcester, Massachusetts”

PubMed Central

Downs, Timothy J.; Ross, Laurie; Patton, Suzanne; Rulnick, Sarah; Sinha, Deb; Mucciarone, Danielle; Calvache, Maria; Parmenter, Sarah; Subedi, Rajendra; Wysokenski, Donna; Anderson, Erin; Dezan, Rebecca; Lowe, Kate; Bowen, Jennifer; Tejani, Amee; Piersanti, Kelly; Taylor, Octavia; Goble, Robert

2009-01-01

Low income, multi-ethnic communities in Main South/Piedmont neighborhoods of Worcester, Massachusetts are exposed to cumulative, chronic built-environment stressors, and have limited capacity to respond, magnifying their vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. “Neighborhood STRENGTH”, our community based participatory research (CBPR) project, comprised four partners: a youth center; an environmental non-profit; a community based health center; and a university. Unlike most CBPR projects that are single topic-focused, our ‘holistic’, systems-based project targeted five priorities. The three research-focused/action-oriented components were: 1) participatory monitoring of indoor and outdoor pollution; 2) learning about health needs and concerns of residents through community based listening sessions; and 3) engaging in collaborative survey work, including a household vulnerability survey and an asthma prevalence survey for schoolchildren. The two action-focused/research-informed components were: 4) tackling persistent street trash and illegal dumping strategically; and 5) educating and empowering youth to promote environmental justice. We used a coupled CBPR-capacity building approach to design, vulnerability theory to frame, and mixed methods: quantitative environmental testing and qualitative surveys. Process and outcomes yielded important lessons: vulnerability theory helps frame issues holistically; having several topic-based projects yielded useful information, but was hard to manage and articulate to the public; access to, and engagement with, the target population was very difficult and would have benefited greatly from having representative residents who were paid at the partners' table. Engagement with residents and conflict burden varied highly across components. Notwithstanding, we built enabling capacity, strengthened our understanding of vulnerability, and are able to share valuable experiential knowledge. PMID:19762014

Accuracy of a Mobile App to Identify Suspect Asbestos-Containing Material in Australian Residential Settings.

PubMed

Govorko, Matthew H; Fritschi, Lin; Reid, Alison

2018-05-14

In situ asbestos in the built environment is a remaining source of exposure in countries that have prohibited the manufacture and use of asbestos. However, it is difficult to identify in situ asbestos-containing material in residential settings. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the mobile phone application ("app"), ACM Check, in identifying in situ asbestos located inside and outside of homes compared with onsite inspections conducted by an experienced environmental consultant. A cross-sectional study was undertaken that involved participants completing ACM Check on their homes built pre-1990 and located throughout metropolitan Perth, Western Australia, and an onsite inspection conducted at each home by an environmental consultant. Cohen's kappa statistic was calculated to evaluate the strength of agreement between the two methods. The 40 houses sampled were built between 1898 and 1988 with a median year of 1966. Thirty eight (95%) homes had at least one type of material categorized as positive for asbestos by both ACM Check and the environmental consultant (κ = 1.00). Agreement between the two methods differed when categorizing specific materials as positive or negative for asbestos with substantial agreement for fencing (κ = 0.918), outbuilding walls (κ = 0.844), backing board to electrical meter box (κ = 0.826), exterior wall cladding (κ = 0.771), and interior walls (κ = 0.754), and fair agreement for outbuilding roofs (κ = 0.375), and interior flooring (κ = 0.304). ACM Check is a tool that can be used by tradespeople, home renovators, and householders to screen residential settings for the presence of in situ asbestos-containing material. Mobile phone apps have the potential to be developed or modified for use in other countries to help users identify asbestos and reduce their risk of asbestos exposure.

Complexities of holistic community-based participatory research for a low income, multi-ethnic population exposed to multiple built-environment stressors in Worcester, Massachusetts.

PubMed

Downs, Timothy J; Ross, Laurie; Patton, Suzanne; Rulnick, Sarah; Sinha, Deb; Mucciarone, Danielle; Calvache, Maria; Parmenter, Sarah; Subedi, Rajendra; Wysokenski, Donna; Anderson, Erin; Dezan, Rebecca; Lowe, Kate; Bowen, Jennifer; Tejani, Amee; Piersanti, Kelly; Taylor, Octavia; Goble, Robert

2009-11-01

Low income, multi-ethnic communities in Main South/Piedmont neighborhoods of Worcester, Massachusetts are exposed to cumulative, chronic built-environment stressors, and have limited capacity to respond, magnifying their vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. "Neighborhood STRENGTH", our community-based participatory research (CBPR) project, comprised four partners: a youth center; an environmental non-profit; a community-based health center; and a university. Unlike most CBPR projects that are single topic-focused, our 'holistic', systems-based project targeted five priorities. The three research-focused/action-oriented components were: (1) participatory monitoring of indoor and outdoor pollution; (2) learning about health needs and concerns of residents through community-based listening sessions; (3) engaging in collaborative survey work, including a household vulnerability survey and an asthma prevalence survey for schoolchildren. The two action-focused/research-informed components were: (4) tackling persistent street trash and illegal dumping strategically; and (5) educating and empowering youth to promote environmental justice. We used a coupled CBPR-capacity building approach to design, vulnerability theory to frame, and mixed methods: quantitative environmental testing and qualitative surveys. Process and outcomes yielded important lessons: vulnerability theory helps frame issues holistically; having several topic-based projects yielded useful information, but was hard to manage and articulate to the public; access to, and engagement with, the target population was very difficult and would have benefited greatly from having representative residents who were paid at the partners' table. Engagement with residents and conflict burden varied highly across components. Notwithstanding, we built enabling capacity, strengthened our understanding of vulnerability, and are able to share valuable experiential knowledge.

Monitoring the evolving land use patterns using remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goehring, D. R.

1971-01-01

The urbanization of Walnut Valley from 1953-71 prompted land use change from intensive von Thunen market-oriented patterns to extensive, disinvested, production-factor-minimized patterns. Shortrun, interim land use planning, has allowed agriculture to persist but only in the form of barley farming and grazing. Aerial photography used synoptically recorded six periods of land use change that bracketed dates before and after the freeway was announced and built. Interpretations of these changes help recognize potential conversions to urban uses which allow guidelines to be established that deal with rural-urban transition problems before they arise.

Evaluating transportation equity : an intermetropolitan comparison of regional accessibility and urban form.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-06-01

The concept of accessibility is used as the measurement tool to assess the link between social equity and the built environment because : it simultaneously accounts for both land-use patterns and a transportation system. This study compares 25 metrop...

The Family Contexts of Children's Sibling Relationships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHale, Susan M.; Crouter, Ann C.

1996-01-01

Unlike much previous research on sibling relationships, which emphasizes the congruence across various types of family experiences, the research described in this article explored between-family differences in patterns of experiences within families. The work is built upon Bronfenbrenner's ecological model and Magnusson's interactional…

Failure to Manage Constant Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Ann

2010-01-01

This study examines patterns of system failure (communication, typographic, material, economic, maintenance) and the resulting workarounds in signs that are intended to communicate frequently changing information in the built environment. The observed failures and workarounds in the communication of ephemeral data and the accompanying narratives…

Perceiving environmental structure from optical motion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lappin, Joseph S.

1991-01-01

Generally speaking, one of the most important sources of optical information about environmental structure is known to be the deforming optical patterns produced by the movements of the observer (pilot) or environmental objects. As an observer moves through a rigid environment, the projected optical patterns of environmental objects are systematically transformed according to their orientations and positions in 3D space relative to those of the observer. The detailed characteristics of these deforming optical patterns carry information about the 3D structure of the objects and about their locations and orientations relative to those of the observer. The specific geometrical properties of moving images that may constitute visually detected information about the shapes and locations of environmental objects is examined.

Large Structure in the Far Wakes of Two-Dimensional Bluff Bodies,

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-01-01

triggered along with a strobe flash to record the streakline pattern on film . The electronic synchronizing controller for the smoke-wire operation was built...Super 35 mm camera with motor drive was used, along with a General Radio Model 1540 Stroboscope. We had the best success with Kodak Tri-x film pushed one...location being considered, its entire history is contained in the streakline pattern, and may confuse the intepretation . The conclusion from this

How environmental justice patterns are shaped by place: terrain and tree canopy in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding the spatial distribution of environmental amenities requires consideration of social and biogeophysical factors, and how they interact to produce patterns of environmental justice or injustice. In this study, we explicitly account for terrain, a key local environmen...

Explaining patterns in the ratification of global environmental treaties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, David W.

1991-01-01

A study was made of the ratification behavior of 160 countries with respect to 38 global environmental treaties. The study identifies and explains patterns in the ratification of treaties, providing two means of assessing the likelihood that any given country will support global environmental treaties. National ratification totals reveal a pattern of high ratification by countries in Western Europe, North America, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. A country's standing within the range of high to low ratification rates can be explained by the statistical model developed in the study. This research allows one to identify countries likely to support global environmental treaties.

Rapid model building of beta-sheets in electron-density maps.

PubMed

Terwilliger, Thomas C

2010-03-01

A method for rapidly building beta-sheets into electron-density maps is presented. beta-Strands are identified as tubes of high density adjacent to and nearly parallel to other tubes of density. The alignment and direction of each strand are identified from the pattern of high density corresponding to carbonyl and C(beta) atoms along the strand averaged over all repeats present in the strand. The beta-strands obtained are then assembled into a single atomic model of the beta-sheet regions. The method was tested on a set of 42 experimental electron-density maps at resolutions ranging from 1.5 to 3.8 A. The beta-sheet regions were nearly completely built in all but two cases, the exceptions being one structure at 2.5 A resolution in which a third of the residues in beta-sheets were built and a structure at 3.8 A in which under 10% were built. The overall average r.m.s.d. of main-chain atoms in the residues built using this method compared with refined models of the structures was 1.5 A.

Obesity relationships with community design, physical activity, and time spent in cars.

PubMed

Frank, Lawrence D; Andresen, Martin A; Schmid, Thomas L

2004-08-01

Obesity is a major health problem in the United States and around the world. To date, relationships between obesity and aspects of the built environment have not been evaluated empirically at the individual level. To evaluate the relationship between the built environment around each participant's place of residence and self-reported travel patterns (walking and time in a car), body mass index (BMI), and obesity for specific gender and ethnicity classifications. Body Mass Index, minutes spent in a car, kilometers walked, age, income, educational attainment, and gender were derived through a travel survey of 10,878 participants in the Atlanta, Georgia region. Objective measures of land use mix, net residential density, and street connectivity were developed within a 1-kilometer network distance of each participant's place of residence. A cross-sectional design was used to associate urban form measures with obesity, BMI, and transportation-related activity when adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. Discrete analyses were conducted across gender and ethnicity. The data were collected between 2000 and 2002 and analysis was conducted in 2004. Land-use mix had the strongest association with obesity (BMI >/= 30 kg/m(2)), with each quartile increase being associated with a 12.2% reduction in the likelihood of obesity across gender and ethnicity. Each additional hour spent in a car per day was associated with a 6% increase in the likelihood of obesity. Conversely, each additional kilometer walked per day was associated with a 4.8% reduction in the likelihood of obesity. As a continuous measure, BMI was significantly associated with urban form for white cohorts. Relationships among urban form, walk distance, and time in a car were stronger among white than black cohorts. Measures of the built environment and travel patterns are important predictors of obesity across gender and ethnicity, yet relationships among the built environment, travel patterns, and weight may vary across gender and ethnicity. Strategies to increase land-use mix and distance walked while reducing time in a car can be effective as health interventions.

Model of Higher GIS Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jakab, Imrich; Ševcík, Michal; Grežo, Henrich

2017-01-01

The methods of geospatial data processing are being continually innovated, and universities that are focused on educating experts in Environmental Science should reflect this reality with an elaborate and purpose-built modernization of the education process, education content, as well as learning conditions. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)…

Plant Water Relations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomley, David

1982-01-01

Some simple field investigations on plant water relations are described which demonstrate links between physiological and external environmental factors. In this way, a more complex picture of a plant and how it functions within its habitat and the effects the environment has on it can be built up. (Author/JN)

GPP Webinar: Beyond Demonstration Projects: How Universities Can Use Mid-Scale Solar

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Green Power Partnership hosts webinars on a regular basis that explore a variety of topics. This webinar provided a forum to learn about new, not-yet-built renewable energy projects that may align with their energy, environmental, and financial object

A Clean Break

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Mike

2010-01-01

Many education institutions have embraced the growing push for sustainable design and have built environmentally friendly facilities that use resources more efficiently. But the plaudits that administrators receive for LEED certification and other recognition of their efforts may be meaningless if the green commitment ends when a building is…

The built environment, neighborhood safety, and physical activity among low-income children.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

There is a growing body of evidence that environmental factors are related to physical activity and active modes of transportation. There is a separate body of research that links neighborhood safety to physical activity. This study used a cross sect...

Climate change damages to Alaska public infrastructure and the economics of proactive adaptation

EPA Science Inventory

Climate change in the circumpolar region is causing dramatic environmental change that increases the vulnerability of the built environment. We quantified the economic impacts of climate change on Alaska’s public infrastructure under relatively high and low climate forcing scenar...

Note: Design and development of wireless controlled aerosol sampling network for large scale aerosol dispersion experiments.

PubMed

Gopalakrishnan, V; Subramanian, V; Baskaran, R; Venkatraman, B

2015-07-01

Wireless based custom built aerosol sampling network is designed, developed, and implemented for environmental aerosol sampling. These aerosol sampling systems are used in field measurement campaign, in which sodium aerosol dispersion experiments have been conducted as a part of environmental impact studies related to sodium cooled fast reactor. The sampling network contains 40 aerosol sampling units and each contains custom built sampling head and the wireless control networking designed with Programmable System on Chip (PSoC™) and Xbee Pro RF modules. The base station control is designed using graphical programming language LabView. The sampling network is programmed to operate in a preset time and the running status of the samplers in the network is visualized from the base station. The system is developed in such a way that it can be used for any other environment sampling system deployed in wide area and uneven terrain where manual operation is difficult due to the requirement of simultaneous operation and status logging.

Remote Sensing of Air Pollution from Geo with GEMS and TEMPO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lasnik, J.; Nicks, D. K., Jr.; Baker, B.; Canova, B.; Chance, K.; Liu, X.; Suleiman, R. M.; Pennington, W. F.; Flittner, D. E.; Al-Saadi, J. A.; Rosenbaum, D. M.

2017-12-01

The Geostationary Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS) and Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instruments will provide a new capability for the understanding of air quality and pollution. Ball Aerospace is the instrument developer. The GEMS and TEMPO instruments use well-proven remote sensing techniques and take advantage of a geostationary orbit to take hourly measurements of the same geographical area. The high spatial and temporal resolution of these instruments will allow for measurements of the complex diurnal cycle of pollution driven by the combination of photochemistry, chemical composition and the dynamic nature of the atmosphere. Status of the manufacturing, test and calibration efforts will be presented.The GEMS instrument is being built for the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and their customer the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER). The TEMPO instrument is being built for NASA under the Earth Venture Instrument EVI Program. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) is the managing center and the Principle Investigator (PI) is Kelly Chance of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO).

The Effect of Wind Exposure on the Web Characteristics of a Tetragnathid Orb Spider.

PubMed

Tew, Nicholas; Hesselberg, Thomas

2017-01-01

Studies on spiders in their natural habitats are necessary for determining the full range of plasticity in their web-building behaviour. Plasticity in web design is hypothesised to be important for spiders building in habitats where environmental conditions cause considerable web damage. Here we compared web characteristics of the orb spider Metellina mengei (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) in two different forest habitats differing in their wind exposure. We found a notable lack of differences in web geometry, orientation and inclination between webs built along an exposed forest edge and those built inside the forest, despite marked differences in wind speed. This suggests that M. mengei did not exhibit web-building plasticity in response to wind in the field, contrasting with the findings of laboratory studies on other species of orb spiders. Instead, differences in prey capture and wind damage trade-offs between habitats may provide an explanation for our results, indicating that different species employ different strategies to cope with environmental constraints.

Residential instability and obesity over time: the role of the social and built environment.

PubMed

Jones, Antwan

2015-03-01

This research uses the National Longitudinal Study of Adult Health's Obesity and Neighborhood Environment (ONE) to examine the relationship between residential instability and change in obesity in the United States. Mobility is thought to be related to obesity because it conditions what kinds of amenities are present in the areas where people live and what level of motivation individuals have to take advantage of these amenities. Thus, this research uses spatial measures as potential confounders for the mobility-health relationship. Results suggest that mobility is a protective factor against weight gain over time. However, the effect of mobility is completely explained by the environmental characteristics. After adjusting for changes in physical activity resources and the crime rate, adolescents who move and adolescents who do not move have precisely the same risk of being obese. Mobility is thus a function of the change in environmental characteristics. Implications for developing the built environment are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

OMPS Sensor Performance and Algorithm Description

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branham, M. S.; Farrow, S. V.; Novicki, M.; Bhaswar, S.; Baker, B.

2009-12-01

The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS), built by Ball Aerospace, is the next-generation U.S. ozone monitoring sensor suite, designed and built for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), under contract to the Integrated Program Office, administered by the Air Force, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under contract to Northrop Grumman. The first flight of an OMPS is scheduled for early 2011 on the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite. The OMPS sensor data will be used to generate the ozone calibrated sensor data and environmental data record (EDR) products. The final OMPS sensor performance and algorithms for NPP will be presented, now that the FM1 flight sensor suite has completed sell off and is integrated on the NPP spacecraft. Challenges requiring future development, and during intensive calibration/validation on orbit will be described. Also, an overview of the sensor suite, the FM1 measurement performance, and details of the retrieval algorithms will be provided in this presentation.

[Implementation of Oncomelania hupensis monitoring system based on Baidu Map].

PubMed

Zhi-Hua, Chen; Yi-Sheng, Zhu; Zhi-Qiang, Xue; Xue-Bing, Li; Yi-Min, Ding; Li-Jun, Bi; Kai-Min, Gao; You, Zhang

2017-10-25

To construct the Oncomelania hupensis snail monitoring system based on the Baidu Map. The environmental basic information about historical snail environment and existing snail environment, etc. was collected with the monitoring data about different kinds of O. hupensis snails, and then the O. hupensis snail monitoring system was built. Geographic Information System (GIS) and the electronic fence technology and Application Program Interface (API) were applied to set up the electronic fence of the snail surveillance environments, and the electronic fence was connected to the database of the snail surveillance. The O. hupensis snail monitoring system based on the Baidu Map were built up, including three modules of O. hupensis Snail Monitoring Environmental Database, Dynamic Monitoring Platform and Electronic Map. The information about monitoring O. hupensis snails could be obtained through the computer and smartphone simultaneously. The O. hupensis snail monitoring system, which is based on Baidu Map, is a visible platform to follow the process of snailsearching and molluscaciding.

Built environmental correlates of cycling for transport across Europe.

PubMed

Mertens, Lieze; Compernolle, Sofie; Deforche, Benedicte; Mackenbach, Joreintje D; Lakerveld, Jeroen; Brug, Johannes; Roda, Célina; Feuillet, Thierry; Oppert, Jean-Michel; Glonti, Ketevan; Rutter, Harry; Bardos, Helga; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Van Dyck, Delfien

2017-03-01

This cross-sectional study aimed to determine which objective built environmental factors, identified using a virtual neighbourhood audit, were associated with cycling for transport in adults living in five urban regions across Europe. The moderating role of age, gender, socio-economic status and country on these associations was also investigated. Overall, results showed that people living in neighbourhoods with a preponderance of speed limits below 30km/h, many bicycle lanes, with less traffic calming devices, more trees, more litter and many parked cars forming an obstacle on the road were more likely to cycle for transport than people living in areas with lower prevalence of these factors. Evidence was only found for seven out of 56 possible moderators of these associations. These results suggest that reducing speed limits for motorized vehicles and the provision of more bicycle lanes may be effective interventions to promote cycling in Europe. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Note: Design and development of wireless controlled aerosol sampling network for large scale aerosol dispersion experiments

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

Gopalakrishnan, V.; Subramanian, V.; Baskaran, R.

2015-07-15

Wireless based custom built aerosol sampling network is designed, developed, and implemented for environmental aerosol sampling. These aerosol sampling systems are used in field measurement campaign, in which sodium aerosol dispersion experiments have been conducted as a part of environmental impact studies related to sodium cooled fast reactor. The sampling network contains 40 aerosol sampling units and each contains custom built sampling head and the wireless control networking designed with Programmable System on Chip (PSoC™) and Xbee Pro RF modules. The base station control is designed using graphical programming language LabView. The sampling network is programmed to operate in amore » preset time and the running status of the samplers in the network is visualized from the base station. The system is developed in such a way that it can be used for any other environment sampling system deployed in wide area and uneven terrain where manual operation is difficult due to the requirement of simultaneous operation and status logging.« less

Environmental interventions to reduce fear of crime: systematic review of effectiveness

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Fear of crime is associated with negative health and wellbeing outcomes, and may mediate some impacts of the built environment on public health. A range of environmental interventions have been hypothesized to reduce the fear of crime. Methods This review aimed to synthesize the literature on the effectiveness of interventions in the built environment to reduce the fear of crime. Systematic review methodology, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidance, was used. Studies of environmental interventions which reported a fear of crime outcome and used any prospective evaluation design (randomized controlled trial (RCT), trial or uncontrolled before-and-after study) were included. Eighteen databases were searched. The Hamilton tool was used to assess quality. A narrative synthesis of findings was undertaken. Results A total of 47 studies were included, 22 controlled and 25 uncontrolled, with total sample sizes ranging from n = 52 to approximately n = 23,000. Thirty-six studies were conducted in the UK, ten studies in the USA and one study in the Netherlands. The quality of the evidence overall is low. There are some indications that home security improvements and non-crime-related environmental improvements may be effective for some fear of crime outcomes. There is little evidence that the following reduce fear of crime: street lighting improvements, closed-circuit television (CCTV), multi-component environmental crime prevention programs or regeneration programs. Conclusions There is some evidence for the effectiveness of specific environmental interventions in reducing some indicators of fear of crime, but more attention to the context and possible confounders is needed in future evaluations of complex social interventions such as these. PMID:23663285

Environmental chemicals mediated the effect of old housing on adult health problems: US NHANES, 2009-2010.

PubMed

Shiue, Ivy; Bramley, Glen

2015-01-01

Housing conditions affect occupants continuously, and health interventions have shown a positive association between housing investment or improvement and occupant's health. However, the sources of the housing problems were less understood. Since it was observed that lead dust and chloroanisoles released from housing (materials) as indoor pollutants affected child's health, we now aimed to examine the relationships among built year, environmental chemicals and individual health in adults in a national and population-based setting. Data were retrieved from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009-2010, including demographics, housing characteristics, self-reported health status, biomarkers and blood and urinary chemical concentrations. Adults aged 20 and above were included for statistical analysis (n = 5,793). Analysis involved chi-square test, t test, and survey-weighted general linear regression and logistic regression modelling. People who resided in older housing built before 1990 tended to report chronic bronchitis, liver problems, stroke, heart failure, diabetes, asthma and emphysema. Higher values in HDL cholesterol, blood lead and blood cadmium and having positive responses of hepatitis A, B, C and E antibodies among occupants were also observed. Furthermore, higher environmental chemical concentrations related to old housing including urinary cadmium, cobalt, platinum, mercury, 2,5-dichlorophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol concentrations and mono-cyclohexyl phthalate and mono-isobutyl phthalate metabolites were shown in occupants as well. Older housing (≥30 years) seemed to contribute to the amount of environmental chemicals that affected human health. Regular monitoring, upgrading and renovation of housing to remove environmental chemicals and policy to support people in deprived situations against environmental injustice would be needed.

Local-scale models reveal ecological niche variability in amphibian and reptile communities from two contrasting biogeographic regions

PubMed Central

Santos, Xavier; Felicísimo, Ángel M.

2016-01-01

Ecological Niche Models (ENMs) are widely used to describe how environmental factors influence species distribution. Modelling at a local scale, compared to a large scale within a high environmental gradient, can improve our understanding of ecological species niches. The main goal of this study is to assess and compare the contribution of environmental variables to amphibian and reptile ENMs in two Spanish national parks located in contrasting biogeographic regions, i.e., the Mediterranean and the Atlantic area. The ENMs were built with maximum entropy modelling using 11 environmental variables in each territory. The contributions of these variables to the models were analysed and classified using various statistical procedures (Mann–Whitney U tests, Principal Components Analysis and General Linear Models). Distance to the hydrological network was consistently the most relevant variable for both parks and taxonomic classes. Topographic variables (i.e., slope and altitude) were the second most predictive variables, followed by climatic variables. Differences in variable contribution were observed between parks and taxonomic classes. Variables related to water availability had the larger contribution to the models in the Mediterranean park, while topography variables were decisive in the Atlantic park. Specific response curves to environmental variables were in accordance with the biogeographic affinity of species (Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean species) and taxonomy (amphibians and reptiles). Interestingly, these results were observed for species located in both parks, particularly those situated at their range limits. Our findings show that ecological niche models built at local scale reveal differences in habitat preferences within a wide environmental gradient. Therefore, modelling at local scales rather than assuming large-scale models could be preferable for the establishment of conservation strategies for herptile species in natural parks. PMID:27761304

Chicago Residents’ Perceptions of Air Quality: Objective Pollution, the Built Environment, and Neighborhood Stigma Theory

PubMed Central

King, Katherine E.

2014-01-01

Substantial research documents higher pollution levels in minority neighborhoods, but little research evaluates how residents perceive their own communities’ pollution risks. According to “Neighborhood stigma” theory, survey respondents share a cultural bias that minorities cause social dysfunction, leading to over-reports of dysfunction in minority communities. This study investigates perceptions of residential outdoor air quality by linking objective data on built and social environments with multiple measures of pollution and a representative survey of Chicago residents. Consistent with the scholarly narrative, results show air quality is rated worse where minorities and poverty are concentrated, even after extensive adjustment for objective pollution and built environment measures. Perceptions of air pollution may thus be driven by neighborhood socioeconomic position far more than by respondents’ ability to perceive pollution. The finding that 63.5% of the sample reported excellent or good air quality helps to explain current challenging in promoting environmental action. PMID:26527847

Re-building Daniell Cell with a Li-ion exchange Film

PubMed Central

Dong, Xiaoli; Wang, Yonggang; Xia, Yongyao

2014-01-01

Daniell cell (i.e. Zn-Cu battery) is widely used in chemistry curricula to illustrate how batteries work, although it has been supplanted in the late 19th century by more modern battery designs because of Cu2+-crossover-induced self-discharge and un-rechargeable characteristic. Herein, it is re-built by using a ceramic Li-ion exchange film to separate Cu and Zn electrodes for preventing Cu2+-crossover between two electrodes. The re-built Zn-Cu battery can be cycled for 150 times without capacity attenuation and self-discharge, and displays a theoretical energy density of 68.3 Wh kg−1. It is more important that both electrodes of the battery are renewable, reusable, low toxicity and environmentally friendly. Owing to these advantages mentioned above, the re-built Daniell cell can be considered as a promising and green stationary power source for large-scale energy storage. PMID:25369833

Pattern formation--A missing link in the study of ecosystem response to environmental changes.

PubMed

Meron, Ehud

2016-01-01

Environmental changes can affect the functioning of an ecosystem directly, through the response of individual life forms, or indirectly, through interspecific interactions and community dynamics. The feasibility of a community-level response has motivated numerous studies aimed at understanding the mutual relationships between three elements of ecosystem dynamics: the abiotic environment, biodiversity and ecosystem function. Since ecosystems are inherently nonlinear and spatially extended, environmental changes can also induce pattern-forming instabilities that result in spatial self-organization of life forms and resources. This, in turn, can affect the relationships between these three elements, and make the response of ecosystems to environmental changes far more complex. Responses of this kind can be expected in dryland ecosystems, which show a variety of self-organizing vegetation patterns along the rainfall gradient. This paper describes the progress that has been made in understanding vegetation patterning in dryland ecosystems, and the roles it plays in ecosystem response to environmental variability. The progress has been achieved by modeling pattern-forming feedbacks at small spatial scales and up-scaling their effects to large scales through model studies. This approach sets the basis for integrating pattern formation theory into the study of ecosystem dynamics and addressing ecologically significant questions such as the dynamics of desertification, restoration of degraded landscapes, biodiversity changes along environmental gradients, and shrubland-grassland transitions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Domain Selectivity in the Parahippocampal Gyrus Is Predicted by the Same Structural Connectivity Patterns in Blind and Sighted Individuals.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoying; He, Chenxi; Peelen, Marius V; Zhong, Suyu; Gong, Gaolang; Caramazza, Alfonso; Bi, Yanchao

2017-05-03

Human ventral occipital temporal cortex contains clusters of neurons that show domain-preferring responses during visual perception. Recent studies have reported that some of these clusters show surprisingly similar domain selectivity in congenitally blind participants performing nonvisual tasks. An important open question is whether these functional similarities are driven by similar innate connections in blind and sighted groups. Here we addressed this question focusing on the parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), a region that is selective for large objects and scenes. Based on the assumption that patterns of long-range connectivity shape local computation, we examined whether domain selectivity in PHG is driven by similar structural connectivity patterns in the two populations. Multiple regression models were built to predict the selectivity of PHG voxels for large human-made objects from white matter (WM) connectivity patterns in both groups. These models were then tested using independent data from participants with similar visual experience (two sighted groups) and using data from participants with different visual experience (blind and sighted groups). Strikingly, the WM-based predictions between blind and sighted groups were as successful as predictions between two independent sighted groups. That is, the functional selectivity for large objects of a PHG voxel in a blind participant could be accurately predicted by its WM pattern using the connection-to-function model built from the sighted group data, and vice versa. Regions that significantly predicted PHG selectivity were located in temporal and frontal cortices in both sighted and blind populations. These results show that the large-scale network driving domain selectivity in PHG is independent of vision. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Recent studies have reported intriguingly similar domain selectivity in sighted and congenitally blind individuals in regions within the ventral visual cortex. To examine whether these similarities originate from similar innate connectional roots, we investigated whether the domain selectivity in one population could be predicted by the structural connectivity pattern of the other. We found that the selectivity for large objects of a PHG voxel in a blind participant could be predicted by its structural connectivity pattern using the connection-to-function model built from the sighted group data, and vice versa. These results reveal that the structural connectivity underlying domain selectivity in the PHG is independent of visual experience, providing evidence for nonvisual representations in this region. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/374706-12$15.00/0.

Environmental effects on the shape variation of male ultraviolet patterns in the Brimstone butterfly ( Gonepteryx rhamni, Pieridae, Lepidoptera)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pecháček, Pavel; Stella, David; Keil, Petr; Kleisner, Karel

2014-12-01

The males of the Brimstone butterfly ( Gonepteryx rhamni) have ultraviolet pattern on the dorsal surfaces of their wings. Using geometric morphometrics, we have analysed correlations between environmental variables (climate, productivity) and shape variability of the ultraviolet pattern and the forewing in 110 male specimens of G. rhamni collected in the Palaearctic zone. To start with, we subjected the environmental variables to principal component analysis (PCA). The first PCA axis (precipitation, temperature, latitude) significantly correlated with shape variation of the ultraviolet patterns across the Palaearctic. Additionally, we have performed two-block partial least squares (PLS) analysis to assess co-variation between intraspecific shape variation and the variation of 11 environmental variables. The first PLS axis explained 93 % of variability and represented the effect of precipitation, temperature and latitude. Along this axis, we observed a systematic increase in the relative area of ultraviolet colouration with increasing temperature and precipitation and decreasing latitude. We conclude that the shape variation of ultraviolet patterns on the forewings of male Brimstones is correlated with large-scale environmental factors.

Hierarchical Distributed-Lag Models: Exploring Varying Geographic Scale and Magnitude in Associations Between the Built Environment and Health

PubMed Central

Baek, Jonggyu; Sanchez-Vaznaugh, Emma V.; Sánchez, Brisa N.

2016-01-01

It is well known that associations between features of the built environment and health depend on the geographic scale used to construct environmental attributes. In the built environment literature, it has long been argued that geographic scales may vary across study locations. However, this hypothesized variation has not been systematically examined due to a lack of available statistical methods. We propose a hierarchical distributed-lag model (HDLM) for estimating the underlying overall shape of food environment–health associations as a function of distance from locations of interest. This method enables indirect assessment of relevant geographic scales and captures area-level heterogeneity in the magnitudes of associations, along with relevant distances within areas. The proposed model was used to systematically examine area-level variation in the association between availability of convenience stores around schools and children's weights. For this case study, body mass index (weight kg)/height (m)2) z scores (BMIz) for 7th grade children collected via California's 2001–2009 FitnessGram testing program were linked to a commercial database that contained locations of food outlets statewide. Findings suggested that convenience store availability may influence BMIz only in some places and at varying distances from schools. Future research should examine localized environmental or policy differences that may explain the heterogeneity in convenience store–BMIz associations. PMID:26888753

Global terrestrial Human Footprint maps for 1993 and 2009

PubMed Central

Venter, Oscar; Sanderson, Eric W.; Magrach, Ainhoa; Allan, James R.; Beher, Jutta; Jones, Kendall R.; Possingham, Hugh P.; Laurance, William F.; Wood, Peter; Fekete, Balázs M.; Levy, Marc A.; Watson, James E.M.

2016-01-01

Remotely-sensed and bottom-up survey information were compiled on eight variables measuring the direct and indirect human pressures on the environment globally in 1993 and 2009. This represents not only the most current information of its type, but also the first temporally-consistent set of Human Footprint maps. Data on human pressures were acquired or developed for: 1) built environments, 2) population density, 3) electric infrastructure, 4) crop lands, 5) pasture lands, 6) roads, 7) railways, and 8) navigable waterways. Pressures were then overlaid to create the standardized Human Footprint maps for all non-Antarctic land areas. A validation analysis using scored pressures from 3114×1 km2 random sample plots revealed strong agreement with the Human Footprint maps. We anticipate that the Human Footprint maps will find a range of uses as proxies for human disturbance of natural systems. The updated maps should provide an increased understanding of the human pressures that drive macro-ecological patterns, as well as for tracking environmental change and informing conservation science and application. PMID:27552448

A Computational Algorithm for Functional Clustering of Proteome Dynamics During Development

PubMed Central

Wang, Yaqun; Wang, Ningtao; Hao, Han; Guo, Yunqian; Zhen, Yan; Shi, Jisen; Wu, Rongling

2014-01-01

Phenotypic traits, such as seed development, are a consequence of complex biochemical interactions among genes, proteins and metabolites, but the underlying mechanisms that operate in a coordinated and sequential manner remain elusive. Here, we address this issue by developing a computational algorithm to monitor proteome changes during the course of trait development. The algorithm is built within the mixture-model framework in which each mixture component is modeled by a specific group of proteins that display a similar temporal pattern of expression in trait development. A nonparametric approach based on Legendre orthogonal polynomials was used to fit dynamic changes of protein expression, increasing the power and flexibility of protein clustering. By analyzing a dataset of proteomic dynamics during early embryogenesis of the Chinese fir, the algorithm has successfully identified several distinct types of proteins that coordinate with each other to determine seed development in this forest tree commercially and environmentally important to China. The algorithm will find its immediate applications for the characterization of mechanistic underpinnings for any other biological processes in which protein abundance plays a key role. PMID:24955031

How grow-and-switch gravitropism generates root coiling and root waving growth responses in Medicago truncatula.

PubMed

Tan, Tzer Han; Silverberg, Jesse L; Floss, Daniela S; Harrison, Maria J; Henley, Christopher L; Cohen, Itai

2015-10-20

Experimental studies show that plant root morphologies can vary widely from straight gravity-aligned primary roots to fractal-like root architectures. However, the opaqueness of soil makes it difficult to observe how environmental factors modulate these patterns. Here, we combine a transparent hydrogel growth medium with a custom built 3D laser scanner to directly image the morphology of Medicago truncatula primary roots. In our experiments, root growth is obstructed by an inclined plane in the growth medium. As the tilt of this rigid barrier is varied, we find Medicago transitions between randomly directed root coiling, sinusoidal root waving, and normal gravity-aligned morphologies. Although these root phenotypes appear morphologically distinct, our analysis demonstrates the divisions are less well defined, and instead, can be viewed as a 2D biased random walk that seeks the path of steepest decent along the inclined plane. Features of this growth response are remarkably similar to the widely known run-and-tumble chemotactic behavior of Escherichia coli bacteria, where biased random walks are used as optimal strategies for nutrient uptake.

Evolution of robustness to damage in artificial 3-dimensional development.

PubMed

Joachimczak, Michał; Wróbel, Borys

2012-09-01

GReaNs is an Artificial Life platform we have built to investigate the general principles that guide evolution of multicellular development and evolution of artificial gene regulatory networks. The embryos develop in GReaNs in a continuous 3-dimensional (3D) space with simple physics. The developmental trajectories are indirectly encoded in linear genomes. The genomes are not limited in size and determine the topology of gene regulatory networks that are not limited in the number of nodes. The expression of the genes is continuous and can be modified by adding environmental noise. In this paper we evolved development of structures with a specific shape (an ellipsoid) and asymmetrical pattering (a 3D pattern inspired by the French flag problem), and investigated emergence of the robustness to damage in development and the emergence of the robustness to noise. Our results indicate that both types of robustness are related, and that including noise during evolution promotes higher robustness to damage. Interestingly, we have observed that some evolved gene regulatory networks rely on noise for proper behaviour. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Knowledge Bluff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanderburg, Willem H.

2007-01-01

Our knowledge "system" is built up from disciplines and specialties as its components, which are "wired" by patterns of collaboration that constitute its organization. The intellectual autonomy of these components prevents this knowledge system from adequately accounting for what we have gradually discovered during the past 50 years: In human…

U.S. Geological Survey environmental health science strategy: Providing environmental health science for a changing world

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bright, Patricia R.; Buxton, Herbert T.; Balistrieri, Laurie S.; Barber, Larry B.; Chapelle, Francis H.; Cross, Paul C.; Krabbenhoft, David P.; Plumlee, Geoffrey S.; Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Tillitt, Donald E.; Toccalino, Patricia L.; Winton, James R.

2013-01-01

The “One Health” paradigm advocated by the World Health Organization (WHO; World Health Organization, 2011), and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA; American Veterinary Medical Association, 2008), among others, is based on a general recognition that the health of humans, animals, and the environment are inextricably linked. Thus, successful efforts to protect that health will require increased interdisciplinary research and increased communication and collaboration among the broader scientific and health community. This strategy is built upon that paradigm.

Final Environmental Assessment: For the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Expanded Training Use Areas at Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-11-10

Florida Final Environmental Assessment VOC Volatile Organic Compound WSF Weapon Safety Footprint WWII World War II Executive Summary 11/10/05 M270...Air Force, 2003b). World War I brought military training camps and flying schools to Florida, and stimulated shipbuilding, agriculture, and...turpentine operations. Increased defense spending for World War II expanded industry and agriculture further. Avon Park Army Air Field was built from

Saugus River and Tributaries Flood Damage Reduction Study; Lynn, Malden, Revere and Saugus, Massachusetts. Section 2. Final Environmental Impact Statement and Final Environmental Impact Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-01

Growth Commercial Fishing and Commercial Fishing 91 Fleet Q Employment 92 R Population and Community Growth , Including 92 Displacement S Public Facilities...Community Growth , Including 128 Displacement S Public Facilities and Services 129 T Transportation 129 U Navigation 130 V Recreation and Open Space 133 W... Growth and more intensive development in this already densely built-up area, plus rising sea levels, guarantee the continuation of a dangerous

The Impact of Environmental Design on Teamwork and Communication in Healthcare Facilities: A Systematic Literature Review.

PubMed

Gharaveis, Arsalan; Hamilton, D Kirk; Pati, Debajyoti

2018-01-01

The purpose of this systematic review is to investigate the current knowledge about the impact of healthcare facility design on teamwork and communication by exploring the relevant literature. Teamwork and communication are behavioral factors that are impacted by physical design. However, the effects of environmental factors on teamwork and communication have not been investigated extensively in healthcare design literature. There are no published systematic reviews on the current topic. Searches were conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar databases in addition to targeted design journals including Health Environmental Research & Design, Environment and Behavior, Environmental Psychology, and Applied Ergonomics. Inclusion criteria were (a) full-text English language articles related to teamwork and communication and (b) involving any healthcare built environment and space design published in peer-reviewed journals between 1984 and 2017. Studies were extracted using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. In the first phase, 26 of the 195 articles most relevant to teamwork and 19 studies of the 147 were identified and reviewed to understand the impact of communication in healthcare facilities. The literature regarding the impact of built environment on teamwork and communication were reviewed and explored in detail. Eighteen studies were selected and succinctly summarized as the final product of this review. Environmental design, which involves nurses, support staff, and physicians, is one of the critical factors that promotes the efficiency of teamwork and collaborative communication. Layout design, visibility, and accessibility levels are the most cited aspects of design which can affect the level of communication and teamwork in healthcare facilities.

Pseudo-polar drive patterns for brain electrical impedance tomography.

PubMed

Shi, Xuetao; Dong, Xiuzhen; Shuai, Wanjun; You, Fusheng; Fu, Feng; Liu, Ruigang

2006-11-01

Brain electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a difficult task as brain tissues are enclosed by the skull of high resistance and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of low resistance, which makes internal resistivity information more difficult to extract. In order to seek a single source drive pattern that is more suitable for brain EIT, we built a more realistic experimental setting that simulates a head with the resistivity of the scalp, skull, CSF and brain, and compared the performance of adjacent, cross, polar and pseudo-polar drive patterns in terms of the boundary voltage dynamic range, independent measurement number, total boundary voltage changes and anti-noise performance based on it. The results demonstrate that the pseudo-polar drive pattern is optimal in all the aspects except for the dynamic range. The polar and cross drive patterns come next, and the adjacent drive pattern is the worst. Therefore, the pseudo-polar drive pattern should be chosen for brain EIT.

Improving the Learning Process in the Latest Prefabricated School Buildings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pons, Oriol; Oliva, Josep-Manuel; Maas, Sandra-Ruth

2010-01-01

Since 2000 hundreds of school centers have been constructed in Catalonia using industrialized technologies. These centers are modern, useful, educational edifices built using advantageous prefabricated technologies that improve the building process and reduce the environmental impact of the building. This article analyses whether these…

Built to Last

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Mike

2009-01-01

It wasn't that long ago that when education architects and administrators raised the notion of green construction or sustainable-design strategies, they were met with head scratches and raised eyebrows. But in 2009, the energy-saving, water-conserving, environmentally friendly philosophies championed by those in the vanguard of the green schools…

An Analysis of Environmental Sustainability Instruction in California Public High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knapp, Jeanne Louise

2012-01-01

Concepts of sustainability around working, living, natural, and built environments are complex and interdisciplinary. Preparation for post-secondary roles and decision making in college, among careers, and as citizens includes a working knowledge of interrelated social, economic, and science-related activities differentially impacting…

40 CFR 35.2123 - Reserve capacity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Grants for Construction of Treatment Works § 35.2123 Reserve capacity. EPA... the actual treatment works to be built meets the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act... and has the capability to finance and manage their construction and operation. (5) The grantee must...

40 CFR 35.2123 - Reserve capacity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Grants for Construction of Treatment Works § 35.2123 Reserve capacity. EPA... the actual treatment works to be built meets the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act... and has the capability to finance and manage their construction and operation. (5) The grantee must...

Science--It's for the Birds!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treboniak, Lois; Jaworski, Mark

1995-01-01

Describes a project in which 7th and 8th grade students learned lasting lessons about habitat when they built nesting boxes and erected them in a local park. Students deepened their understanding of environmental issues and gained a sense of pride. Includes instructions for building nesting boxes. (NB)

Vapor-Generator Wand Helps To Reveal Airflow Patterns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robelen, David B.

1993-01-01

In vapor-generator wand, liquid propylene glycol flows into electrically heated stainless-steel tube. Liquid boils in heated tube, and emerging vapor forms dense, smoke-like fog used to make airflow patterns visible. Built in variety of sizes, suitable for uses ranging from tabletop demonstrations to research in wind tunnels. For best viewing, plume illuminated by bright, focused incandescent spotlight at right angle to viewing direction. Viewing further enhanced by coating walls of test chamber with flat, dark color to minimize reflections and increase contrast.

Damming the rivers of the Amazon basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latrubesse, Edgardo M.; Arima, Eugenio Y.; Dunne, Thomas; Park, Edward; Baker, Victor R.; D'Horta, Fernando M.; Wight, Charles; Wittmann, Florian; Zuanon, Jansen; Baker, Paul A.; Ribas, Camila C.; Norgaard, Richard B.; Filizola, Naziano; Ansar, Atif; Flyvbjerg, Bent; Stevaux, Jose C.

2017-06-01

More than a hundred hydropower dams have already been built in the Amazon basin and numerous proposals for further dam constructions are under consideration. The accumulated negative environmental effects of existing dams and proposed dams, if constructed, will trigger massive hydrophysical and biotic disturbances that will affect the Amazon basin’s floodplains, estuary and sediment plume. We introduce a Dam Environmental Vulnerability Index to quantify the current and potential impacts of dams in the basin. The scale of foreseeable environmental degradation indicates the need for collective action among nations and states to avoid cumulative, far-reaching impacts. We suggest institutional innovations to assess and avoid the likely impoverishment of Amazon rivers.

Damming the rivers of the Amazon basin.

PubMed

Latrubesse, Edgardo M; Arima, Eugenio Y; Dunne, Thomas; Park, Edward; Baker, Victor R; d'Horta, Fernando M; Wight, Charles; Wittmann, Florian; Zuanon, Jansen; Baker, Paul A; Ribas, Camila C; Norgaard, Richard B; Filizola, Naziano; Ansar, Atif; Flyvbjerg, Bent; Stevaux, Jose C

2017-06-14

More than a hundred hydropower dams have already been built in the Amazon basin and numerous proposals for further dam constructions are under consideration. The accumulated negative environmental effects of existing dams and proposed dams, if constructed, will trigger massive hydrophysical and biotic disturbances that will affect the Amazon basin's floodplains, estuary and sediment plume. We introduce a Dam Environmental Vulnerability Index to quantify the current and potential impacts of dams in the basin. The scale of foreseeable environmental degradation indicates the need for collective action among nations and states to avoid cumulative, far-reaching impacts. We suggest institutional innovations to assess and avoid the likely impoverishment of Amazon rivers.

Environmental Adaptation Contributes to Gene Polymorphism across the Arabidopsis thaliana Genome

PubMed Central

Lee, Cheng-Ruei

2012-01-01

The level of within-species polymorphism differs greatly among genes in a genome. Many genomic studies have investigated the relationship between gene polymorphism and factors such as recombination rate or expression pattern. However, the polymorphism of a gene is affected not only by its physical properties or functional constraints but also by natural selection on organisms in their environments. Specifically, if functionally divergent alleles enable adaptation to different environments, locus-specific polymorphism may be maintained by spatially heterogeneous natural selection. To test this hypothesis and estimate the extent to which environmental selection shapes the pattern of genome-wide polymorphism, we define the "environmental relevance" of a gene as the proportion of genetic variation explained by environmental factors, after controlling for population structure. We found substantial effects of environmental relevance on patterns of polymorphism among genes. In addition, the correlation between environmental relevance and gene polymorphism is positive, consistent with the expectation that balancing selection among heterogeneous environments maintains genetic variation at ecologically important genes. Comparison of the gene ontology annotations shows that genes with high environmental relevance are enriched in unknown function categories. These results suggest an important role for environmental factors in shaping genome-wide patterns of polymorphism and indicate another direction of genomic study. PMID:22798389

The investigation of using 5G millimeter-wave communications links for environmental monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Congzheng

2017-04-01

There has been significantly increasing recognition that millimeter waves from 30 GHz to 300 GHz as carriers for future 5G cellular networks. This is good for high speed, line-of-sight communication, potentially using very densely deployed infrastructure involving many small cells. High resolution, continuous and accurate monitoring of environmental conditions, such as rainfall and water vapor are of great important to meteorology, hydrology (e.g. flood warning), agriculture, environmental policy (e.g. pollution regulation) and weather forecasting. We have built a 28GHz measurement link at our research institute in central Beijing, China. This work will study the potential of using millimeter wave based wireless links to monitor environmental conditions including rainfall and water vapor.

A science data gateway for environmental management: A SCIENCE DATA GATEWAY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

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

Agarwal, Deborah A.; Faybishenko, Boris; Freedman, Vicky L.

Science data gateways are effective in providing complex science data collections to the world-wide user communities. In this paper we describe a gateway for the Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management (ASCEM) framework. Built on top of established web service technologies, the ASCEM data gateway is specifically designed for environmental modeling applications. Its key distinguishing features include: (1) handling of complex spatiotemporal data, (2) offering a variety of selective data access mechanisms, (3) providing state of the art plotting and visualization of spatiotemporal data records, and (4) integrating seamlessly with a distributed workflow system using a RESTful interface. ASCEM projectmore » scientists have been using this data gateway since 2011.« less

Medical school libraries in the United States and Canada built between 1961 and 1971.

PubMed Central

Beatty, W K; Beatty, V L

1975-01-01

Twenty-four medical school libraries in the United States and Canada built between 1961 and 1971 were surveyed by means of questionnaires and visits. Results indicated that half of these libraries will have reached maximum functional capacity approximately six years after they moved into their new quarters. Space for technical processing is generally much less than required. Special features and examples of effective planning are described, and problems in arrangement, traffic patterns for people and materials, and the lack of logical expansion space are discussed. Comparisons are made with a similar survey of twenty medical school libraries made in 1961. Images PMID:1191825

Study on the characteristics of multi-infeed HVDC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ming; Song, Xinli; Liu, Wenzhuo; Xiang, Yinxing; Zhao, Shutao; Su, Zhida; Meng, Hang

2017-09-01

China has built more than ten HVDC transmission projects in recent years [1]. Now, east China has formed a multi-HVDC feed pattern grid. It is imminent to study the interaction of the multi-HVDC and the characteristics of it. In this paper, an electromechanical-electromagnetic hybrid model is built with electromechanical data of a certain power network. We use electromagnetic models to simulate the HVDC section and electromechanical models simulate the AC power network [2]. In order to study the characteristics of the grid, this paper adds some faults to the line and analysed the fault characteristics. At last give analysis of the fault characteristics.

Opportunities of Teaching Archaeoastronomy in Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anantasook, Sakanan; Yuenyong, Chokchai; Coll, Richard K.

2015-01-01

Ancient cultures around the world systematically observed the sky and noticed the motions of celestial objects including the stars, Moon, Sun, and planets. Many structural symbolic patterns were built to perceive, visualize and understand the celestial phenomena. They have used this knowledge, archaeoastronomy, to survive, and as bases for…

Physics Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1972

1972-01-01

Short articles describe the production, photography, and analysis of diffraction patterns using a small laser, a technique for measuring electrical resistance without a standard resistor, a demonstration of a thermocouple effect in a galvanometer with a built-in light source, and a common error in deriving the expression for centripetal force. (AL)

Micropunching lithography for generating micro- and submicron-patterns on polymer substrates.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Anirban; Liu, Xinchuan; Luo, Cheng

2012-07-02

Conducting polymers have attracted great attention since the discovery of high conductivity in doped polyacetylene in 1977(1). They offer the advantages of low weight, easy tailoring of properties and a wide spectrum of applications(2,3). Due to sensitivity of conducting polymers to environmental conditions (e.g., air, oxygen, moisture, high temperature and chemical solutions), lithographic techniques present significant technical challenges when working with these materials(4). For example, current photolithographic methods, such as ultra-violet (UV), are unsuitable for patterning the conducting polymers due to the involvement of wet and/or dry etching processes in these methods. In addition, current micro/nanosystems mainly have a planar form(5,6). One layer of structures is built on the top surfaces of another layer of fabricated features. Multiple layers of these structures are stacked together to form numerous devices on a common substrate. The sidewall surfaces of the microstructures have not been used in constructing devices. On the other hand, sidewall patterns could be used, for example, to build 3-D circuits, modify fluidic channels and direct horizontal growth of nanowires and nanotubes. A macropunching method has been applied in the manufacturing industry to create macropatterns in a sheet metal for over a hundred years. Motivated by this approach, we have developed a micropunching lithography method (MPL) to overcome the obstacles of patterning conducting polymers and generating sidewall patterns. Like the macropunching method, the MPL also includes two operations (Fig. 1): (i) cutting; and (ii) drawing. The "cutting" operation was applied to pattern three conducting polymers(4), polypyrrole (PPy), Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophen)-poly(4-styrenesulphonate) (PEDOT) and polyaniline (PANI). It was also employed to create Al microstructures(7). The fabricated microstructures of conducting polymers have been used as humidity(8), chemical(8), and glucose sensors(9). Combined microstructures of Al and conducting polymers have been employed to fabricate capacitors and various heterojunctions(9,10,11). The "cutting" operation was also applied to generate submicron-patterns, such as 100- and 500-nm-wide PPy lines as well as 100-nm-wide Au wires. The "drawing" operation was employed for two applications: (i) produce Au sidewall patterns on high density polyethylene (HDPE) channels which could be used for building 3D microsystems(12,13,14), and (ii) fabricate polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micropillars on HDPE substrates to increase the contact angle of the channel(15).

Numerical models of diapiric structures: comparison of the 2D finite deformation field between Rayleigh-Taylor like and down-built like diapirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuchs, Lukas; Schmeling, Harro; Koyi, Hemin

2013-04-01

Magmatic and salt diapirs are common structures in different tectonic regimes. Salt diapirs can act as possible hydrocarbon traps and, moreover, they could be used as repositories for nuclear waste disposal. Understanding the evolution and the dynamics of diapirs as well as their driving mechanisms has fundamental and applied significance. In general, salt diapirs seem to be driven by differential loading of sediments creating an uneven load that drives the salt from high to low pressure areas, e.g. a down-built diapir. Magmatic diapirs, instead, seem to be driven by buoyancy where lighter material rises vertically through a heavier overburden, i.e. a classical Rayleigh-Taylor instability [RTI]. These different driving mechanisms and dynamics strongly govern the internal deformation of the diapirs. In this study, we use a two-dimensional finite difference code (FDCON) in combination with a marker and cell method to calculate the finite deformation within diapiric structures. Thereby, we distinguish between the two different driving mechanisms, i.e. the differential loading and the buoyancy. We calculate the different finite deformation patterns during the evolution of RTI's and down-built diapirs for different viscosity ratios m = -?buoyant- ?overburden. The deformation pattern in the buoyant layer shows similarities for both diapiric structures, like high shear deformation at the bottom, a high finite deformation within the middle of the stem, and an increasing maximum finite deformation for a decreasing m. However, the strain partitioning between the overburden and the source layer is different within down-built diapirs compared to the RTI's, even for down-built diapirs with m = 1. Thus a higher amount of the total strain induced by down-building is concentrated within the buoyant layer. Moreover, in the case of viscosity ratios of m = 0.1 or 1 the sinking overburden units create an internal rotation within the diapiric bulb. This rotation depends indirectly on the sedimentation rate as it determines the width of the sediment basin; the higher the sedimentation rate, the wider the basins and the weaker the internal rotation. In addition, the viscous drag between the sinking overburden and the rising diapir creates a stronger and wider band of finite deformation along the edges of the down-built diapir in comparison to the RTI.

Hierarchical Bayesian spatial models for multispecies conservation planning and monitoring.

PubMed

Carroll, Carlos; Johnson, Devin S; Dunk, Jeffrey R; Zielinski, William J

2010-12-01

Biologists who develop and apply habitat models are often familiar with the statistical challenges posed by their data's spatial structure but are unsure of whether the use of complex spatial models will increase the utility of model results in planning. We compared the relative performance of nonspatial and hierarchical Bayesian spatial models for three vertebrate and invertebrate taxa of conservation concern (Church's sideband snails [Monadenia churchi], red tree voles [Arborimus longicaudus], and Pacific fishers [Martes pennanti pacifica]) that provide examples of a range of distributional extents and dispersal abilities. We used presence-absence data derived from regional monitoring programs to develop models with both landscape and site-level environmental covariates. We used Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms and a conditional autoregressive or intrinsic conditional autoregressive model framework to fit spatial models. The fit of Bayesian spatial models was between 35 and 55% better than the fit of nonspatial analogue models. Bayesian spatial models outperformed analogous models developed with maximum entropy (Maxent) methods. Although the best spatial and nonspatial models included similar environmental variables, spatial models provided estimates of residual spatial effects that suggested how ecological processes might structure distribution patterns. Spatial models built from presence-absence data improved fit most for localized endemic species with ranges constrained by poorly known biogeographic factors and for widely distributed species suspected to be strongly affected by unmeasured environmental variables or population processes. By treating spatial effects as a variable of interest rather than a nuisance, hierarchical Bayesian spatial models, especially when they are based on a common broad-scale spatial lattice (here the national Forest Inventory and Analysis grid of 24 km(2) hexagons), can increase the relevance of habitat models to multispecies conservation planning. Journal compilation © 2010 Society for Conservation Biology. No claim to original US government works.

Identifying research needs for wheelchair transfers in the built environment.

PubMed

Crytzer, Theresa Marie; Cooper, Rory; Jerome, Genevieve; Koontz, Alicia

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study is to describe the results of focus groups held during the Independent Wheelchair Transfer (IWT) Workgroup. The aims were to facilitate exchange of ideas on (1) the impact of the built environment on the wheelchair transfer process within the community (i.e. moving from wheelchair to and from other surfaces (e.g. furniture, toilet seat, bath bench, car seat) to participate in daily activities), (2) wheelchair users' needs during transfers in the built environment, and (3) future research directions. Live web-based conferencing using Adobe Connect technology (Clarix Technologies, Inc., Pittsford, NY) was utilized to conduct three focus groups composed of experts in the field of assistive technology. Investigators independently reviewed focus group meeting transcripts and used qualitative methods to identify main themes. Thirty-one experts in assistive technology and related fields participated in focus groups. Nine main themes were found including the effect of transfer skills training, space considerations in the built environment, wheelchair configuration, and the interaction between the built environment, user preferences, and transfer techniques. All groups raised issues about the transfer process in areas of the built environment with limited access, the effect of wheelchair users' transfer techniques, and user preferences during transfers. The area of independent transfers is multi-faceted and several factors require consideration when contemplating environmental changes to improve accessibility for wheelchair users. Obvious opportunity exists for research which could lead to advances in transfer technology, environments, and techniques for wheelchair users. Implications for Rehabilitation Tremendous opportunities for research collaborations in the field of assistive technology: To develop new terminology to describe wheelchair transfers. To improve the design of the built environment for wheelchair users. To investigate wheelchair transfer training techniques.

Habitat availability and gene flow influence diverging local population trajectories under scenarios of climate change: a place-based approach.

PubMed

Schwalm, Donelle; Epps, Clinton W; Rodhouse, Thomas J; Monahan, William B; Castillo, Jessica A; Ray, Chris; Jeffress, Mackenzie R

2016-04-01

Ecological niche theory holds that species distributions are shaped by a large and complex suite of interacting factors. Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly used to describe species' niches and predict the effects of future environmental change, including climate change. Currently, SDMs often fail to capture the complexity of species' niches, resulting in predictions that are generally limited to climate-occupancy interactions. Here, we explore the potential impact of climate change on the American pika using a replicated place-based approach that incorporates climate, gene flow, habitat configuration, and microhabitat complexity into SDMs. Using contemporary presence-absence data from occupancy surveys, genetic data to infer connectivity between habitat patches, and 21 environmental niche variables, we built separate SDMs for pika populations inhabiting eight US National Park Service units representing the habitat and climatic breadth of the species across the western United States. We then predicted occurrence probability under current (1981-2010) and three future time periods (out to 2100). Occurrence probabilities and the relative importance of predictor variables varied widely among study areas, revealing important local-scale differences in the realized niche of the American pika. This variation resulted in diverse and - in some cases - highly divergent future potential occupancy patterns for pikas, ranging from complete extirpation in some study areas to stable occupancy patterns in others. Habitat composition and connectivity, which are rarely incorporated in SDM projections, were influential in predicting pika occupancy in all study areas and frequently outranked climate variables. Our findings illustrate the importance of a place-based approach to species distribution modeling that includes fine-scale factors when assessing current and future climate impacts on species' distributions, especially when predictions are intended to manage and conserve species of concern within individual protected areas. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Panarchy use in environmental science for risk and resilience ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Environmental sciences have an important role in informing sustainable management of built environments by providing insights about the drivers and potentially negative impacts of global environmental change. Here, we discuss panarchy theory, a multi-scale hierarchical concept that accounts for the dynamism of complex socio-ecological systems, especially for those systems with strong cross-scale feedbacks. The idea of panarchy underlies much of system resilience, focusing on how systems respond to known and unknown threats. Panarchy theory can provide a framework for qualitative and quantitative research and application in the environmental sciences, which can in turn inform the ongoing efforts in socio-technical resilience thinking and adaptive and transformative approaches to management. The environmental sciences strive for understanding, mitigating and reversing the negative impacts of global environmental change, including chemical pollution, to maintain sustainability options for the future, and therefore play an important role for informing management.

An overview of environmental surveillance of waste management activities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, T.H.; Chew, E.W.; Hedahl, T.G.; Mann, L.J.; Pointer, T.F.; Wiersma, G.B.

1986-01-01

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), in southeastern Idaho, is a principal center for nuclear energy development for the Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Nuclear Navy. Fifty-two reactors have been built at the INEL, with 15 still operable. Extensive environmental surveillance is conducted at the INEL by DOE's Radiological Environmental Sciences Laboratory (RESL), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), EG&G Idaho, Inc., and Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company (WINCO). Surveillance of waste management facilities radiation is integrated with the overall INEL Site surveillance program. Air, warer, soil, biota, and environmental radiation are monitored or sampled routinely at INEL. Results to date indicate very small or no impacts from INEL on the surrounding environment. Environmental surveillance activities are currently underway to address key environmental issues at the INEL.

Overview of EPA tools for supporting local- and regional-scale decision makers addressing energy and environmental issues

EPA Science Inventory

EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) has been developing tools and illustrative case studies for decision makers in local and regional authorities who are facing challenges of establishing resilience to extreme weather events, aging built environment and infrastru...

Center for the Built Environment: About Us

Science.gov Websites

technologies and design and operation techniques. Our projects fall into two broad program areas. First, we environmental quality. This feedback is directed variously at those who manage, operate, and design buildings product offerings, and facility management and design partners to apply these new technologies effectively

Center for the Built Environment: Research on Indoor Environmental Quality

Science.gov Websites

Comfort System Speech Privacy Task Ambient Conditioning Team Space Design Study Thermal Comfort Automotive resulting from HVAC, building, and facade design decisions. Acoustical Analysis in Office Environments Using building energy. The Impact of Team Space Design on Collaboration Assessing individual and group worker

A Literature Review and Data Mining Project to Identify Associations between Stressors and Health Outcomes for Children

EPA Science Inventory

Children are often more vulnerable than adults to the effects of environmental contaminants found in their everyday environments. Their dynamic growth and unique interactions with the built, natural, and social environments may result in a greater susceptibility to chemical and n...

Hands on exotics

Treesearch

Sandy Bivens

1998-01-01

To lead, teach, rear, bring up, instruct, train, show, inform, guide, direct, inspire, and foster expansion of knowledge-that is education. Environmental education has been defined as the interdisciplinary process of developing a citizenry that is knowledgeable about the total environment, including both its natural and built aspects, that has the capacity and the...

"Green" School Programs. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, J. Howard

2009-01-01

What are "Green School" programs and how do they benefit students, teachers and the community? Green School programs seek to weave concepts of sustainability and environmental awareness into the social and academic culture of the school community. Green schools are high performance facilities that have been designed, built, renovated operated or…

APPLICATION OF SUSTAINABILITY CRITERIA TO STELLA, MISSOURI-ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING-PRELIMINARY SITE INFORMATION AND ELEMENTS OF THE MASTER PLAN

EPA Science Inventory

Natural systems provide essential goods and services that make human life possible. Because development of the built environment will cumulatively consume natural capital, it is essential that the conditions that maintain natural systems must become the constraints and performanc...

Web-Based, Active Learning Experiences for Biology Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skinner, Kerri M.; Hoback, W. Wyatt

2003-01-01

Presents a website that addresses concepts that form a foundation for understanding ecology, pest management, and environmental ethics. Key features of the website include its self-contained, non-linear design; a learning environment that allows students to test ideas without penalty; real-world examples; and built-in assessment tools that…

A US Human Wellbeing Index (HWBI) for evaluating the influence of economic, social and ecological service flows

EPA Science Inventory

The overarching goal of USEPA’s Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research Program (SHCRP) is to inform and empower decision makers to equitably weigh and integrate human health, socio-economic, environmental, and ecological factors to foster sustainability in the built and nat...

Reflective Subjects in Kant and Architectural Design Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rawes, Peg

2007-01-01

In architectural design education, students develop drawing, conceptual, and critical skills which are informed by their ability to reflect upon the production of ideas in design processes and in the urban, environmental, social, historical, and cultural context that define architecture and the built environment. Reflective actions and thinking…

Designed for Learning: Inside and Out.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutton, Rodney K.

1996-01-01

Built 7 years after the original plan and budget were approved, Brunswick High School (Maine) houses 1,200 students on 50 acres and contains the latest technological features. Among these are energy management systems that students can see firsthand, a traditional library with 21st-century features, and interactive environmental learning from…

GPP Webinar: Measuring Emissions from Purchased Electricity: A Primer on GHG Protocol’s New Scope 2 Guidance

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Green Power Partnership hosts webinars on a regular basis that explore a variety of topics. This webinar provided a forum to learn about new, not-yet-built renewable energy projects that may align with their energy, environmental, and financial object

77 FR 1498 - Draft Environmental Assessment and Proposed Single-Species Habitat Conservation Plan for the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-10

... wind turbines and associated facilities and access roads, maintenance of the wind turbines and... include constructing and installing the wind turbines and associated electrical facilities and access... new 230- kilovolt substation (to be built on an existing pad), maintaining the new wind turbines and...

CHEMICAL PRIORITIZATION FOR DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY USING LITERATURE MINING-BASED WEIGHTING OF TOXCAST ASSAYS

EPA Science Inventory

Defining a predictive model of developmental toxicity from in vitro and high-throughput screening (HTS) assays can be limited by the availability of developmental defects data. ToxRefDB (www.epa.gov/ncct/todrefdb) was built from animal studies on data-rich environmental chemicals...

Academic Wholism: Bridging the Gap between High School and College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giuliano, Barbara; Sullivan, Judith

2007-01-01

Without adequate reading comprehension, writing proficiency, math competency, and critical thinking skills, students pursuing higher education are vulnerable to failure. An environmental Science course built around academic wholism is the focus of a summer program designed to bridge the gap between high school and college. Students self-reflect…

Alternatives for Man and Environment, Revised Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miami-Dade Junior Coll., FL.

A one-year general education course entitled "Man and Environment" has been developed at Miami-Dade Junior College, Florida. Basic framework for the course was built on the premise that an interdisciplinary, module-structured course represents one of the better approaches to planning environmental education curriculum. Material for the…

77 FR 38781 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Naval Base...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-29

... organizational structure and mandated mission requirements. The specific arrangement of built assets, number of... that would provide for indoor classroom and tactical training instruction, and equipment use... to support logistics, equipment use and maintenance training, classroom and tactical skills...

Youth and Environmental Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connect, 1984

1984-01-01

The United Nations General Assembly decided in 1979 to make 1985 International Youth Year (IYY). Several of the central themes of this year (participation, development, and peace) are directly concerned with education and action relative to an improved, sustainable environment, both natural and built. This issue of the Unesco-UNEP (United Nations…

CONSTRUCTION, MONITORING, AND PERFORMANCE OF TWO SOIL LINERS

EPA Science Inventory

A prototype soil liner and a field-scale soil liner were constructed to test whether compacted soil barrier systems could be built to meet the standard set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for saturated hydraulic conductivity (< 1 x 10'7 cm/s). In situ ponded inf...

Microbial Community Patterns Associated with Automated Teller Machine Keypads in New York City.

PubMed

Bik, Holly M; Maritz, Julia M; Luong, Albert; Shin, Hakdong; Dominguez-Bello, Maria Gloria; Carlton, Jane M

2016-01-01

In densely populated urban environments, the distribution of microbes and the drivers of microbial community assemblages are not well understood. In sprawling metropolitan habitats, the "urban microbiome" may represent a mix of human-associated and environmental taxa. Here we carried out a baseline study of automated teller machine (ATM) keypads in New York City (NYC). Our goal was to describe the biodiversity and biogeography of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes in an urban setting while assessing the potential source of microbial assemblages on ATM keypads. Microbial swab samples were collected from three boroughs (Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn) during June and July 2014, followed by generation of Illumina MiSeq datasets for bacterial (16S rRNA) and eukaryotic (18S rRNA) marker genes. Downstream analysis was carried out in the QIIME pipeline, in conjunction with neighborhood metadata (ethnicity, population, age groups) from the NYC Open Data portal. Neither the 16S nor 18S rRNA datasets showed any clustering patterns related to geography or neighborhood demographics. Bacterial assemblages on ATM keypads were dominated by taxonomic groups known to be associated with human skin communities ( Actinobacteria , Bacteroides , Firmicutes , and Proteobacteria ), although SourceTracker analysis was unable to identify the source habitat for the majority of taxa. Eukaryotic assemblages were dominated by fungal taxa as well as by a low-diversity protist community containing both free-living and potentially pathogenic taxa ( Toxoplasma , Trichomonas ). Our results suggest that ATM keypads amalgamate microbial assemblages from different sources, including the human microbiome, eukaryotic food species, and potentially novel extremophilic taxa adapted to air or surfaces in the built environment. DNA obtained from ATM keypads may thus provide a record of both human behavior and environmental sources of microbes. IMPORTANCE Automated teller machine (ATM) keypads represent a specific and unexplored microhabitat for microbial communities. Although the number of built environment and urban microbial ecology studies has expanded greatly in recent years, the majority of research to date has focused on mass transit systems, city soils, and plumbing and ventilation systems in buildings. ATM surfaces, potentially retaining microbial signatures of human inhabitants, including both commensal taxa and pathogens, are interesting from both a biodiversity perspective and a public health perspective. By focusing on ATM keypads in different geographic areas of New York City with distinct population demographics, we aimed to characterize the diversity and distribution of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes, thus making a unique contribution to the growing body of work focused on the "urban microbiome." In New York City, the surface area of urban surfaces in Manhattan far exceeds the geographic area of the island itself. We have only just begun to describe the vast array of microbial taxa that are likely to be present across diverse types of urban habitats.

Techniques for plotting shadow patterns

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

Bainbridge, D.A.

1982-02-01

Basic approaches for plotting shadow patterns (summer or winter) are discussed, illustrated, and compared. The solar simulator technique uses floodlights or a moveable table to mimic the sun's path over a model of the building being studied. The drawback is that, for large developments, very small models would have to be built. Graphic solutions (2 types) are described in which: (1) sun angles are used to calculate shadow patterns using trigonometry and (2) drawings are made and shadows are calculated. Examples are given for a house on level ground and on sloping ground. Calculations of shade density are also illustrated.more » 8 references. (MJJ)« less

Research characteristics and status on Environmental Psychology: a bibliometric and knowledge mapping analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jun Hua; Zhu, Lei Ye; Wang, Hai Bin

2018-06-01

Environmental psychology is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the interplay between individuals and their built and natural environments. Great progress has been made in the areas of environmental psychology by researchers form many countries. However, a thorough quantitative analysis to the emergent research trends and topics has not been found. To reveal the research characteristics and status on Environmental Psychology, 853 related papers from Web of Science core collection were analysed by CiteSpace II. The results show that: (1) the domain of Environmental Psychology was started in 1960s and showed a low growth over the past half century, which reaches a historical peak in 2017. Gifford, USA and the Journal of Environmental Psychology top the list of contributing authors, country and publication respectively. (2) "Environmental Psychology" is the most frequently keywords and has the longest span of the bursts. "ambient scent", "recycling", "children as outsiders" and "ambient temperature" are the top four largest clusters, which are the popular research topics in the domain of environmental psychology.

Shearlet-based measures of entropy and complexity for two-dimensional patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brazhe, Alexey

2018-06-01

New spatial entropy and complexity measures for two-dimensional patterns are proposed. The approach is based on the notion of disequilibrium and is built on statistics of directional multiscale coefficients of the fast finite shearlet transform. Shannon entropy and Jensen-Shannon divergence measures are employed. Both local and global spatial complexity and entropy estimates can be obtained, thus allowing for spatial mapping of complexity in inhomogeneous patterns. The algorithm is validated in numerical experiments with a gradually decaying periodic pattern and Ising surfaces near critical state. It is concluded that the proposed algorithm can be instrumental in describing a wide range of two-dimensional imaging data, textures, or surfaces, where an understanding of the level of order or randomness is desired.

Extreme weather events and environmental contamination are associated with case-clusters of melioidosis in the Northern Territory of Australia.

PubMed

Cheng, Allen C; Jacups, Susan P; Gal, Daniel; Mayo, Mark; Currie, Bart J

2006-04-01

Melioidosis, the infection due to the environmental organism Burkholderia pseudomallei, is endemic to northern Australia and South East Asia. It is associated with exposure to mud and pooled surface water, but environmental determinants of this disease are poorly understood. We defined case-clusters in northern Australia, determined their contribution to the observed rate of melioidosis, and explored clinical features and associated environmental factors. Using geographical information systems data, we examined clustering of melioidosis cases in time and geographical space in the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia between 1990 and 2002 using a scan statistic. DNA macrorestriction analysis, resolved by pulsed field gel electrophoresis, was performed on isolates from patients. We defined five case-clusters involving 27 patients that occurred within 7-28 days and/or a radius of 100-300 km. Clustered cases were associated with extreme weather events or environmental contamination; no difference in the clinical pattern of disease was noted from other patients not involved in clusters. Isolates from patients linked to environmental contamination were caused by isolates with similar DNA macrorestriction patterns, but isolates from patients linked to severe weather events had more diverse DNA macrorestriction patterns. Case-clusters of melioidosis where isolates exhibit diverse DNA macrorestriction patterns in our region are linked to extreme weather events and outbreaks where isolates are predominantly of the same DNA macrorestriction pattern are linked with contamination of an environmental source.

Microwave Diffraction Techniques from Macroscopic Crystal Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, William Henry

1974-01-01

Discusses the construction of a diffractometer table and four microwave models which are built of styrofoam balls with implanted metallic reflecting spheres and designed to simulate the structures of carbon (graphite structure), sodium chloride, tin oxide, and palladium oxide. Included are samples of Bragg patterns and computer-analysis results.…

A rule-based expert system for chemical prioritization using effects-based chemical categories

EPA Science Inventory

A rule-based expert system (ES) was developed to predict chemical binding to the estrogen receptor (ER) patterned on the research approaches championed by Gilman Veith to whom this article and journal issue are dedicated. The ERES was built to be mechanistically-transparent and m...

Effects of pond management on biodiversity patterns and community structure of zooplankton in urban environments.

PubMed

Suski, Jamie G; Swan, Christopher M; Salice, Christopher J; Wahl, Charles F

2018-04-01

As urban areas continue expanding, major cities become connected forming megacities. Urban encroachment into natural areas transforms the landscape into a built environment with heterogeneously distributed patches of novel habitat. Community structure within novel habitats is influenced by anthropogenic factors including fragmentation and species interactions. Alterations in complex biodiversity patterns may be used to assess how urban stressors impact community assemblages which, ultimately, may inform sustainable management decisions. To manage algal blooms, Aquashade® is applied directly to ponds. We investigated the effects of Aquashade®, nutrient loading and dispersal on local species diversity and compositional turnover of zooplankton communities from suburban ponds in Columbia, MD, USA using a mesocosm approach. We found that Aquashade® acted as an environmental filter by increasing local species diversity and decreasing compositional turnover. This ultimately could have an overall homogenizing effect on the regional species pool (or γ-diversity). The same pattern was observed in mesocosms that received simulated dispersal events of zooplankton. Nutrients, overall, increased autotrophic biomass and while Aquashade® had no effect on autotrophic biomass, the interaction of nutrients and Aquashade® similarly caused a homogenization of the zooplankton community. Additionally, there was an overall increase in cladoceran ephippia in mesocosms receiving Aquashade® compared to those not, suggesting there is a 'trigger' switching cladocerans from parthenogenic to sexual reproduction. Taken together, our results show the application of Aquashade®, nutrient loading and dispersal shift biodiversity patterns in urban zooplankton communities. We hypothesize these shifts originate at the resource level through alterations in the phytoplankton community either through composition or nutritive value in ponds receiving Aquashade®. Our study illustrates the importance of investigating multiple-scales of community assemblages when assessing impacts of anthropogenic stressors. Consideration of how to best manage green spaces may include planned un-managed areas to maintain regional biodiversity and heterogenous communities within the urban environment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Connectivity Measures in EEG Microstructural Sleep Elements.

PubMed

Sakellariou, Dimitris; Koupparis, Andreas M; Kokkinos, Vasileios; Koutroumanidis, Michalis; Kostopoulos, George K

2016-01-01

During Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep (NREM) the brain is relatively disconnected from the environment, while connectedness between brain areas is also decreased. Evidence indicates, that these dynamic connectivity changes are delivered by microstructural elements of sleep: short periods of environmental stimuli evaluation followed by sleep promoting procedures. The connectivity patterns of the latter, among other aspects of sleep microstructure, are still to be fully elucidated. We suggest here a methodology for the assessment and investigation of the connectivity patterns of EEG microstructural elements, such as sleep spindles. The methodology combines techniques in the preprocessing, estimation, error assessing and visualization of results levels in order to allow the detailed examination of the connectivity aspects (levels and directionality of information flow) over frequency and time with notable resolution, while dealing with the volume conduction and EEG reference assessment. The high temporal and frequency resolution of the methodology will allow the association between the microelements and the dynamically forming networks that characterize them, and consequently possibly reveal aspects of the EEG microstructure. The proposed methodology is initially tested on artificially generated signals for proof of concept and subsequently applied to real EEG recordings via a custom built MATLAB-based tool developed for such studies. Preliminary results from 843 fast sleep spindles recorded in whole night sleep of 5 healthy volunteers indicate a prevailing pattern of interactions between centroparietal and frontal regions. We demonstrate hereby, an opening to our knowledge attempt to estimate the scalp EEG connectivity that characterizes fast sleep spindles via an "EEG-element connectivity" methodology we propose. The application of the latter, via a computational tool we developed suggests it is able to investigate the connectivity patterns related to the occurrence of EEG microstructural elements. Network characterization of specified physiological or pathological EEG microstructural elements can potentially be of great importance in the understanding, identification, and prediction of health and disease.

Connectivity Measures in EEG Microstructural Sleep Elements

PubMed Central

Sakellariou, Dimitris; Koupparis, Andreas M.; Kokkinos, Vasileios; Koutroumanidis, Michalis; Kostopoulos, George K.

2016-01-01

During Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep (NREM) the brain is relatively disconnected from the environment, while connectedness between brain areas is also decreased. Evidence indicates, that these dynamic connectivity changes are delivered by microstructural elements of sleep: short periods of environmental stimuli evaluation followed by sleep promoting procedures. The connectivity patterns of the latter, among other aspects of sleep microstructure, are still to be fully elucidated. We suggest here a methodology for the assessment and investigation of the connectivity patterns of EEG microstructural elements, such as sleep spindles. The methodology combines techniques in the preprocessing, estimation, error assessing and visualization of results levels in order to allow the detailed examination of the connectivity aspects (levels and directionality of information flow) over frequency and time with notable resolution, while dealing with the volume conduction and EEG reference assessment. The high temporal and frequency resolution of the methodology will allow the association between the microelements and the dynamically forming networks that characterize them, and consequently possibly reveal aspects of the EEG microstructure. The proposed methodology is initially tested on artificially generated signals for proof of concept and subsequently applied to real EEG recordings via a custom built MATLAB-based tool developed for such studies. Preliminary results from 843 fast sleep spindles recorded in whole night sleep of 5 healthy volunteers indicate a prevailing pattern of interactions between centroparietal and frontal regions. We demonstrate hereby, an opening to our knowledge attempt to estimate the scalp EEG connectivity that characterizes fast sleep spindles via an “EEG-element connectivity” methodology we propose. The application of the latter, via a computational tool we developed suggests it is able to investigate the connectivity patterns related to the occurrence of EEG microstructural elements. Network characterization of specified physiological or pathological EEG microstructural elements can potentially be of great importance in the understanding, identification, and prediction of health and disease. PMID:26924980

Land use and quality of life in 45 Israeli cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Sarah Jeanette

This research tested the hypothesis that a latent construct of quality of life (QOL) in Israel is predictable from key socioeconomic and environmental variables associated with land use across 45 cities. Data were acquired from the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism, and Landsat 7. The environmental variables included the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and percent of built land. Demographic and socioeconomic variables included average income per capita (between 672 and 4,569 shekels/month), percent of new motor vehicles (12.24 -- 41.15%), median age (12 -- 38 years of age), percent of students in each city between 20 and 29 years of age (0.10 -- 34.57%), percent of families with 4 or more children (2.32 -- 49.38%), population (9,302 -- 646,279 inhabitants), and the number of violent terrorist attacks per city (0 -- 52 attacks in 1999). The socioeconomic and environmental data were evaluated using correlation coefficients and principal components analysis to characterize QOL. The NDVI showed a weak positive correlation with percent of built land (r = 0.130; p = 0.361) and strong correlations with average income per capita ( r = 0.579; p = 0.000), median age (r = .388; p = 0.008), percent of new motor vehicles ( r = 0.472, p = 0.001), percent of families with 4 or more children (r = -0.480; p = 0.001), and percent of people in each city between 20 and 29 years who are students (r = 0.532; p = 0.000). Percent of built land showed a significant relationship with median age (r = 0.352; p = 0.018) and percent of new motor vehicles ( r = 0.337; p = 0.024). Principal components analysis supported the grouping of all socioeconomic variables, but interestingly, NDVI did not cluster with this group. Although NDVI correlates with specific socioeconomic variables, NDVI was not found in this study to be a predictor of QOL in the Israeli cities. These results demonstrate a quantifiable relationship between components of QOL and environmental characteristics that can aid policymakers in planning for emerging problems that impact human lives, such as climate change and drought within the context of variable socioeconomic factors.

Using the ICF's environmental factors framework to develop an item bank measuring built and natural environmental features affecting persons with disabilities.

PubMed

Heinemann, Allen W; Lai, Jin-Shei; Wong, Alex; Dashner, Jessica; Magasi, Susan; Hahn, Elizabeth A; Carlozzi, Noelle E; Tulsky, David S; Jerousek, Sara; Semik, Patrick; Miskovic, Ana; Gray, David B

2016-11-01

To develop a measure of natural environment and human-made change features (Chapter 2 of the international classification of functioning, disability, and health) and evaluate the influence of perceived barriers on health-related quality of life. A sample of 570 adults with stroke, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury residing in community settings reported their functioning in home, outdoor, and community settings (mean age = 47.0 years, SD = 16.1). They rated 18 items with a 5-point rating scale to describe the influence of barriers to moving around, seeing objects, hearing sounds, hearing conversations, feeling safe, and regulating temperature and indicated whether any difficulties were due to environmental features. We used Rasch analysis to identify misfitting items and evaluate differential item functioning (DIF) across impairment groups. We computed correlations between barriers and patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS) social domain measures and community participation indicators (CPI) measures. The 18 items demonstrated person reliability of .70, discriminating nearly three levels of barriers. All items fit the Rasch model; impairment-related DIF was negligible. Ceiling effects were negligible, but 25 % of the respondents were at the floor, indicating that they did not experience barriers that they attributed to the built and natural environment. As anticipated, barriers correlated moderately with PROMIS and CPI variables, suggesting that although this new item bank measures a construct that is related to participation and health-related quality of life, it also captures something unique. Known-groups validity was supported by wheelchair users reporting a higher level of barriers than did ambulatory respondents. Preliminary evidence supports the reliability and validity of this new measure of barriers to the built and natural environment. This measure allows investigators and clinicians to measure perceptions of the natural environment and human-made changes, providing information that can guide interventions to reduce barriers. Moderate relationships between barriers and PROMIS and CPI variables provide support for the measurement and theory of environmental influences on social health and participation.

From occupying to inhabiting - a change in conceptualising comfort

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaffari, Svenja D.; Matthews, Ben

2009-11-01

The concept of 'comfort' has been influential in shaping aspects of our built environment. For the construction industry, comfort is predominantly understood in terms of the balance between an ideal human physiological state and a finite number of measurable environmental parameters that can be controlled (temperature, humidity, air quality, daylighting, noise). It is such a notion of comfort that has informed the establishment of universally applied comfort standards and guidelines for the built environment. When buildings rigidly conform to these standards, they consume vast quantities of energy and are responsible for higher levels of GHG emissions. Recent researchers have challenged such instrumental definitions of comfort on moral and environmental grounds. In this paper, we address this issue from two different standpoints: one empirical, one related to the design of technology. Empirically, we present an analysis of ethnographic field material that has examined how, in what circumstances, and at what times ordinary users employ energy-intensive indoor climate technologies in their daily lives. We argue that when comfort is viewed as an achievement, rather than as a reified and static ideal homeostasis between humans and their environmental conditions, it becomes easier to appreciate the extent to which comfort is, for ordinary people, personally idiosyncratic, culturally relative, socially influenced and highly dependent on temporality, sequence and activity. With respect to design, we introduce a set of provocative designed prototypes that embody alternative conceptions of 'comfort' than those to which the building industry typically subscribes. Our discussion has critical implications for the types of technologies that result from a 'comfort standards' conception. Firstly, we show that comfort is not simply a homeostatic equilibrium-such a view is overly narrow, inflexible and ultimately an inaccurate conception of what comfort is for ordinary people; secondly, that it promotes technologies that treat environmental parameters as variables for our manipulation, rather than opportunities to reflect on, and adjust our own (temporal human) fit with our environment. Borrowing from Cole et al. [4], we argue for technologies that enable users to inhabit rather than occupy the built environment.

Land Suitability Modeling using a Geographic Socio-Environmental Niche-Based Approach: A Case Study from Northeastern Thailand

PubMed Central

Heumann, Benjamin W.; Walsh, Stephen J.; Verdery, Ashton M.; McDaniel, Phillip M.; Rindfuss, Ronald R.

2012-01-01

Understanding the pattern-process relations of land use/land cover change is an important area of research that provides key insights into human-environment interactions. The suitability or likelihood of occurrence of land use such as agricultural crop types across a human-managed landscape is a central consideration. Recent advances in niche-based, geographic species distribution modeling (SDM) offer a novel approach to understanding land suitability and land use decisions. SDM links species presence-location data with geospatial information and uses machine learning algorithms to develop non-linear and discontinuous species-environment relationships. Here, we apply the MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy) model for land suitability modeling by adapting niche theory to a human-managed landscape. In this article, we use data from an agricultural district in Northeastern Thailand as a case study for examining the relationships between the natural, built, and social environments and the likelihood of crop choice for the commonly grown crops that occur in the Nang Rong District – cassava, heavy rice, and jasmine rice, as well as an emerging crop, fruit trees. Our results indicate that while the natural environment (e.g., elevation and soils) is often the dominant factor in crop likelihood, the likelihood is also influenced by household characteristics, such as household assets and conditions of the neighborhood or built environment. Furthermore, the shape of the land use-environment curves illustrates the non-continuous and non-linear nature of these relationships. This approach demonstrates a novel method of understanding non-linear relationships between land and people. The article concludes with a proposed method for integrating the niche-based rules of land use allocation into a dynamic land use model that can address both allocation and quantity of agricultural crops. PMID:24187378

Programming models for energy-aware systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Haitao

Energy efficiency is an important goal of modern computing, with direct impact on system operational cost, reliability, usability and environmental sustainability. This dissertation describes the design and implementation of two innovative programming languages for constructing energy-aware systems. First, it introduces ET, a strongly typed programming language to promote and facilitate energy-aware programming, with a novel type system design called Energy Types. Energy Types is built upon a key insight into today's energy-efficient systems and applications: despite the popular perception that energy and power can only be described in joules and watts, real-world energy management is often based on discrete phases and modes, which in turn can be reasoned about by type systems very effectively. A phase characterizes a distinct pattern of program workload, and a mode represents an energy state the program is expected to execute in. Energy Types is designed to reason about energy phases and energy modes, bringing programmers into the optimization of energy management. Second, the dissertation develops Eco, an energy-aware programming language centering around sustainability. A sustainable program built from Eco is able to adaptively adjusts its own behaviors to stay on a given energy budget, avoiding both deficit that would lead to battery drain or CPU overheating, and surplus that could have been used to improve the quality of the program output. Sustainability is viewed as a form of supply and demand matching, and a sustainable program consistently maintains the equilibrium between supply and demand. ET is implemented as a prototyped compiler for smartphone programming on Android, and Eco is implemented as a minimal extension to Java. Programming practices and benchmarking experiments in these two new languages showed that ET can lead to significant energy savings for Android Apps and Eco can efficiently promote battery awareness and temperature awareness in real-world Java programs.

Non-linear effects of the built environment on automobile-involved pedestrian crash frequency: A machine learning approach.

PubMed

Ding, Chuan; Chen, Peng; Jiao, Junfeng

2018-03-01

Although a growing body of literature focuses on the relationship between the built environment and pedestrian crashes, limited evidence is provided about the relative importance of many built environment attributes by accounting for their mutual interaction effects and their non-linear effects on automobile-involved pedestrian crashes. This study adopts the approach of Multiple Additive Poisson Regression Trees (MAPRT) to fill such gaps using pedestrian collision data collected from Seattle, Washington. Traffic analysis zones are chosen as the analytical unit. The effects of various factors on pedestrian crash frequency investigated include characteristics the of road network, street elements, land use patterns, and traffic demand. Density and the degree of mixed land use have major effects on pedestrian crash frequency, accounting for approximately 66% of the effects in total. More importantly, some factors show clear non-linear relationships with pedestrian crash frequency, challenging the linearity assumption commonly used in existing studies which employ statistical models. With various accurately identified non-linear relationships between the built environment and pedestrian crashes, this study suggests local agencies to adopt geo-spatial differentiated policies to establish a safe walking environment. These findings, especially the effective ranges of the built environment, provide evidence to support for transport and land use planning, policy recommendations, and road safety programs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Deciphering structural and temporal interplays during the architectural development of mango trees.

PubMed

Dambreville, Anaëlle; Lauri, Pierre-Éric; Trottier, Catherine; Guédon, Yann; Normand, Frédéric

2013-05-01

Plant architecture is commonly defined by the adjacency of organs within the structure and their properties. Few studies consider the effect of endogenous temporal factors, namely phenological factors, on the establishment of plant architecture. This study hypothesized that, in addition to the effect of environmental factors, the observed plant architecture results from both endogenous structural and temporal components, and their interplays. Mango tree, which is characterized by strong phenological asynchronisms within and between trees and by repeated vegetative and reproductive flushes during a growing cycle, was chosen as a plant model. During two consecutive growing cycles, this study described vegetative and reproductive development of 20 trees submitted to the same environmental conditions. Four mango cultivars were considered to assess possible cultivar-specific patterns. Integrative vegetative and reproductive development models incorporating generalized linear models as components were built. These models described the occurrence, intensity, and timing of vegetative and reproductive development at the growth unit scale. This study showed significant interplays between structural and temporal components of plant architectural development at two temporal scales. Within a growing cycle, earliness of bud burst was highly and positively related to earliness of vegetative development and flowering. Between growing cycles, flowering growth units delayed vegetative development compared to growth units that did not flower. These interplays explained how vegetative and reproductive phenological asynchronisms within and between trees were generated and maintained. It is suggested that causation networks involving structural and temporal components may give rise to contrasted tree architectures.

Midpoint attractors and species richness: Modelling the interaction between environmental drivers and geometric constraints.

PubMed

Colwell, Robert K; Gotelli, Nicholas J; Ashton, Louise A; Beck, Jan; Brehm, Gunnar; Fayle, Tom M; Fiedler, Konrad; Forister, Matthew L; Kessler, Michael; Kitching, Roger L; Klimes, Petr; Kluge, Jürgen; Longino, John T; Maunsell, Sarah C; McCain, Christy M; Moses, Jimmy; Noben, Sarah; Sam, Katerina; Sam, Legi; Shapiro, Arthur M; Wang, Xiangping; Novotny, Vojtech

2016-09-01

We introduce a novel framework for conceptualising, quantifying and unifying discordant patterns of species richness along geographical gradients. While not itself explicitly mechanistic, this approach offers a path towards understanding mechanisms. In this study, we focused on the diverse patterns of species richness on mountainsides. We conjectured that elevational range midpoints of species may be drawn towards a single midpoint attractor - a unimodal gradient of environmental favourability. The midpoint attractor interacts with geometric constraints imposed by sea level and the mountaintop to produce taxon-specific patterns of species richness. We developed a Bayesian simulation model to estimate the location and strength of the midpoint attractor from species occurrence data sampled along mountainsides. We also constructed midpoint predictor models to test whether environmental variables could directly account for the observed patterns of species range midpoints. We challenged these models with 16 elevational data sets, comprising 4500 species of insects, vertebrates and plants. The midpoint predictor models generally failed to predict the pattern of species midpoints. In contrast, the midpoint attractor model closely reproduced empirical spatial patterns of species richness and range midpoints. Gradients of environmental favourability, subject to geometric constraints, may parsimoniously account for elevational and other patterns of species richness. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Individual, Social, and Environmental Correlates of Active Transportation Patterns in French Women.

PubMed

Perchoux, Camille; Enaux, Christophe; Oppert, Jean-Michel; Menai, Mehdi; Charreire, Hélène; Salze, Paul; Weber, Christiane; Hercberg, Serge; Feuillet, Thierry; Hess, Franck; Roda, Célina; Simon, Chantal; Nazare, Julie-Anne

2017-01-01

The objectives were (1) to define physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors (SB) patterns in daily life contexts (work, leisure, and transportation) in French working women from NutriNet-Santé web-cohort and (2) to identify pattern(s) of active transportation and their individual, social, and environmental correlates. 23,432 participants completed two questionnaires to evaluate PA and SB in daily life contexts and individual representations of residential neighborhood and transportation modes. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed which identified 6 distinct movement behavior patterns: (i) active occupation, high sedentary leisure, (ii) sedentary occupation, low leisure, (iii) sedentary transportation, (iv) sedentary occupation and leisure, (v) active transportation, and (vi) active leisure. Multinomial logistic regressions were performed to identify correlates of the "active transportation" cluster. The perceived environmental characteristics positively associated with "active transportation" included "high availability of destinations around home," "presence of bicycle paths," and "low traffic." A "positive image of walking/cycling," the "individual feeling of being physically active," and a "high use of active transport modes by relatives/friends" were positively related to "active transportation," identified as a unique pattern regarding individual and environmental correlates. Identification of PA and SB context-specific patterns will help to understand movement behaviors' complexity and to design interventions to promote active transportation in specific subgroups.

New Coarse-Grained Model and Its Implementation in Simulations of Graphene Assemblies.

PubMed

Shang, Jun-Jun; Yang, Qing-Sheng; Liu, Xia

2017-08-08

Graphene is a one-atom thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern, which makes it the strongest material in the world. The Tersoff potential is a suitable potential for simulating the mechanical behavior of the complex covalently bonded system of graphene. In this paper, we describe a new coarse-grained (CG) potential, TersoffCG, which is based on the function form of the Tersoff potential. The TersoffCG applies to a CG model of graphene that uses the same hexagonal pattern as the atomistic model. The parameters of the TersoffCG potential are determined using structural feature and potential-energy fitting between the CG model and the atomic model. The modeling process of graphene is highly simplified using the present CG model as it avoids the necessity to define bonds/angles/dihedrals connectivity. What is more, the present CG model provides a new perspective of coarse-graining scheme for crystal structures of nanomaterials. The structural changes and mechanical properties of multilayer graphene were calculated using the new potential. Furthermore, a CG model of a graphene aerogel was built in a specific form of assembly. The chemical bonding in the joints of graphene-aerogel forms automatically during the energy relaxation process. The compressive and recover test of the graphene aerogel was reproduced to study its high elasticity. Our computational examples show that the TersoffCG potential can be used for simulations of graphene and its assemblies, which have many applications in areas of environmental protection, aerospace engineering, and others.

Spatial-Temporal Survey and Occupancy-Abundance Modeling To Predict Bacterial Community Dynamics in the Drinking Water Microbiome

PubMed Central

Pinto, Ameet J.; Schroeder, Joanna; Lunn, Mary; Sloan, William

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Bacterial communities migrate continuously from the drinking water treatment plant through the drinking water distribution system and into our built environment. Understanding bacterial dynamics in the distribution system is critical to ensuring that safe drinking water is being supplied to customers. We present a 15-month survey of bacterial community dynamics in the drinking water system of Ann Arbor, MI. By sampling the water leaving the treatment plant and at nine points in the distribution system, we show that the bacterial community spatial dynamics of distance decay and dispersivity conform to the layout of the drinking water distribution system. However, the patterns in spatial dynamics were weaker than those for the temporal trends, which exhibited seasonal cycling correlating with temperature and source water use patterns and also demonstrated reproducibility on an annual time scale. The temporal trends were driven by two seasonal bacterial clusters consisting of multiple taxa with different networks of association within the larger drinking water bacterial community. Finally, we show that the Ann Arbor data set robustly conforms to previously described interspecific occupancy abundance models that link the relative abundance of a taxon to the frequency of its detection. Relying on these insights, we propose a predictive framework for microbial management in drinking water systems. Further, we recommend that long-term microbial observatories that collect high-resolution, spatially distributed, multiyear time series of community composition and environmental variables be established to enable the development and testing of the predictive framework. PMID:24865557

The Application of NASA Remote Sensing Technology to Human Health

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watts, C. T.

2007-01-01

With the help of satellites, the Earth's environment can be monitored from a distance. Earth observing satellites and sensors collect data and survey patterns that supply important information about the environment relating to its affect on human health. Combined with ground data, such patterns and remote sensing data can be essential to public health applications. Remote sensing technology is providing information that can help predict factors that affect human health, such as disease, drought, famine, and floods. A number of public health concerns that affect Earth's human population are part of the current National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Science Applications Plan to provide remotely gathered data to public health decision-makers to aid in forming and implementing policy to protect human health and preserve well-being. These areas of concern are: air quality; water quality; weather and climate change; infectious, zoonotic, and vector-borne disease; sunshine; food resource security; and health risks associated with the built environment. Collaborations within the Earth Science Applications Plan join local, state, national, or global organizations and agencies as partners. These partnerships engage in projects that strive to understand the connection between the environment and health. The important outcome is to put this understanding to use through enhancement of decision support tools that aid policy and management decisions on environmental health risks. Future plans will further employ developed models in formats that are compatible and accessible to all public health organizations.

Cultural and environmental influences on temporal-spectral development patterns of corn and soybeans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crist, E. P.

1982-01-01

A technique for evaluating crop temporal-spectral development patterns is described and applied to the analysis of cropping practices and environmental conditions as they affect reflectance characteristics of corn and soybean canopies. Typical variations in field conditions are shown to exert significant influences on the spectral development patterns, and thereby to affect the separability of the two crops.

Analysis of the Effect of Environmental Conditions in Conducting Amphibious Assaults Using a Ship Simulator/Vessel-Response Model Proof-of-Concept Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-01

Center ESRI Environmental Systems Research Institute GIS Geographic Information System HTML Hyper -Text Markup Language LCAC Landing Craft Air... loop .” The ship simulator bridge is generic in that its layout is similar to that found in a variety of ships. As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the...information stored in the geodatabases. The Hyper -Text Markup Language (HTML) capability built into ArcMap permits a planner to click on a vessel track and

Environmental Equity and Health: Understanding Complexity and Moving Forward

PubMed Central

Northridge, Mary E.; Stover, Gabriel N.; Rosenthal, Joyce E.; Sherard, Donna

2003-01-01

The authors invoke a population health perspective to assess the distribution of environmental hazards according to race/ethnicity, social class, age, gender, and sexuality and the implications of these hazards for health. The unequal burden of environmental hazards borne by African American, Native American, Latino, and Asian American/Pacific Islander communities and their relationship to welldocumented racial/ethnic disparities in health have not been critically examined across all population groups, regions of the United States, and ages. The determinants of existing environmental inequities also require critical research attention. To ensure inclusiveness and fill important gaps, scientific evidence is needed on the health effects of the built environment as well as the natural environment, cities and suburbs as well as rural areas, and indoor as well as outdoor pollutants. PMID:12554571

Responses of sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence to biological and environmental variations measured with a versatile Fluorescence Auto-Measurement Equipment (FAME)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, L.

2017-12-01

In this study, we examine responses of sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence to biological and environmental variations measured with a versatile Fluorescence Auto-Measurement Equipment (FAME). FAME was developed to automatically and continuously measure chlorophyll fluorescence (F) of a leaf, plant or canopy in both laboratory and field environments, excited by either artificial light source or sunlight. FAME is controlled by a datalogger and allows simultaneous measurements of environmental variables complementary to the F signals. A built-in communication system allows FAME to be remotely monitored and data-downloaded. Radiance and irradiance calibrations can be done online. FAME has been applied in a variety of environments, allowing an investigation of biological and environmental controls on F emission.

Two Superfund environmental justice case studies

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

Hirschhorn, J.S.

1997-12-31

One of the environmental contributions of the Clinton Administration was Executive Order No. 12898 on Environmental Justice issued in 1994. Environmental justice has received considerable attention in EPA`s Superfund program. Many Superfund sites are located in or close by residential areas composed populated by ethnic minorities and people of the lowest economic status. Over the years, minority communities have often asserted that they have been treated more unfairly than predominantly white, middle class communities, with respect to the quality of environmental cleanups and the relocation of residents. The environmental justice claim is also that these communities have been intentionally placedmore » in harm`s way because of historical racial prejudice and injustice, meaning that either polluting industrial facilities were intentionally placed in minority neighborhoods or that residential areas for minority workers were built close to industrial facilities. This paper presents discussions of two Superfund sites where environmental justice issues have been very important, and it analyzes how specific parts of the Executive Order have been complied with in EPA`s Superfund program.« less

Genes Involved in DNA Double-Strand Break Repair: Implications for Breast Cancer.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-10-01

improperly. The most important environmental source of exposure to IR is the decay of radium to form radon and then radon daughters . Radium is found in...soil and rock and gaseous radon daughters will accumulate in homes, especially those built on land reclaimed from mining. Other sources of exposure

People, planners and policy: is there an interface?

Treesearch

Susan Kopka

1979-01-01

This research attempts to isolate some of the dimensions of human evaluations/perceptions of the built environment through the use of an Audience Response Machine and a video tape of environmental scenes. The results suggest that there are commonalities in peoples' evaluations/perceptions and that this type of inquiry has prescriptive value for design/planning....

Development of Multiple-Element Flame Emission Spectrometer Using CCD Detection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seney, Caryn S.; Sinclair, Karen V.; Bright, Robin M.; Momoh, Paul O.; Bozeman, Amelia D.

2005-01-01

The full wavelength coverage of charge coupled device (CCD) detector when coupled with an echelle spectrography, the system allows for simultaneously multiple element spectroscopy to be performed. The multiple-element flame spectrometer was built and characterized through the analysis of environmentally significant elements such as Ca, K, Na, Cu,…

Doll's House Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kibble, Bob

2009-01-01

School physics rarely stands still for long. Environmental physics is now an option in some post-16 courses in England. The physics of environments, and in particular the built environment, offers a recognizable context in which to see the applications of physics at work. This article considers how a model doll's house might be used to help…

Clean School Bus USA: Tomorrow's Buses for Today's Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Environmental Protection Agency, 2010

2010-01-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is ensuring that all new buses meet tighter standards developed to reduce diesel emissions and improve safety. Today's new buses are cleaner--60 times cleaner than buses built before 1990--and feature additional emergency exits, improved mirror systems, and pedestrian safety devices. But replacing…

76 FR 41260 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-13

... environmental causes of disease and disability and related risk factors. The efficacy of green building design... wisdom. A better understanding is needed of the extent to which green-built, low-income housing actually..., this study may provide insight into how specific green building practices (e.g., use of low chemical...

Perceptions of the Environment for Eating and Exercise in a Rural Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maley, Mary Maly; Warren, Barbour S.; Devine, Carol M.

2010-01-01

Objective: To understand how members of a rural community perceive the effect of the built, natural, and social environments on their food choice and physical activity behaviors. Methods: A constructivist community environmental assessment was conducted including 17 individual qualitative interviews, 2 focus groups, and photo elicitation (n = 27)…

City of Boulder, Colorado Municipal Tree Resource Analysis

Treesearch

E.G. McPherson; J.R. Simpson; P.J. Peper; S.L. Gardner; K.E. Vargas; Q. Xiao

2005-01-01

Boulder is a vibrant city, renowned for its livability and cultural wealth and well known for its Smart Growth policies that protect and restore environmental quality while enhancing economic opportunity. The city maintains trees as an integral component of the urban infrastructure. Research indicates that healthy trees can mitigate impacts associated with the built...

Roots and Research in Urban School Gardens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaylie, Veronica

2011-01-01

This book explores the urban school garden as a bridge between environmental action and thought. As a small-scale response to global issues around access to food and land, urban school gardens promote practical knowledge of farming as well as help renew cultural ideals of shared space and mutual support for the organic, built environment. Through…

A New Library for Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Hugh

2004-01-01

The newly-built library at Ireland's Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) is innovative in design, responds to environmental conditions and identifies the campus with its location. The library is part of the Learning Resource Centre recently constructed to meet the institute's objective for a new landmark frontage. This article presents the…

The perception of natural vs. built environments by young children

Treesearch

Briavel Holcomb

1977-01-01

This paper questions the assumption that young children need exposure to natural environments for healthy psychological development. Preliminary investigation of the environmental perceptions of 4-year-olds suggests that the distinction between natural and man-made milieux is insignificant to preschoolers, and that they find both kinds of environments similarly...

Strategic behaviors and governance challenges in social-ecological systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muneepeerakul, Rachata; Anderies, John M.

2017-08-01

The resource management and environmental policy literature focuses on devising regulations and incentive structures to achieve desirable goals. It often presumes the existence of public infrastructure that actualizes these incentives and regulations through a process loosely referred to as `governance.' In many cases, it is not clear if and how such governance infrastructure can be created and supported. Here, we take a complex systems view in which `governance' is an emergent phenomenon generated by interactions between social, economic, and environmental (both built and natural) factors. We present a framework and formal stylized model to explore under what circumstances stable governance structures may emerge endogenously in coupled infrastructure systems comprising shared natural, social, and built infrastructures of which social-ecological systems are specific examples. The model allows us to derive general conditions for a sustainable coupled infrastructure system in which critical infrastructure (e.g., canals) is provided by a governing entity that enables resource users (e.g., farmers) to produce outputs from natural infrastructure (e.g., water) to meet their needs while supporting the governing entity.

Expert System Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS) is a software shell for developing expert systems is designed to allow research and development of artificial intelligence on conventional computers. Originally developed by Johnson Space Center, it enables highly efficient pattern matching. A collection of conditions and actions to be taken if the conditions are met is built into a rule network. Additional pertinent facts are matched to the rule network. Using the program, E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. is monitoring chemical production machines; California Polytechnic State University is investigating artificial intelligence in computer aided design; Mentor Graphics has built a new Circuit Synthesis system, and Brooke and Brooke, a law firm, can determine which facts from a file are most important.

Dynamic Changes of Landscape Pattern and Vulnerability Analysis in Qingyi River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ziwei; Xie, Chaoying; He, Xiaohui; Guo, Hengliang; Wang, Li

2017-11-01

Environmental vulnerability research is one of the core areas of global environmental change research. Over the past 10 years, ecologically fragile zones or transition zones had been significantly affected by environmental degradation and climate change and human activities. In this paper, we analyzed the spatial and temporal changes of landscape pattern and landscape vulnerability degree in Qingyi River Basin by calculating the landscape sensitivity index and landscape restoration degree index based on Landsat images of 2005, 2010 and 2015. The results showed that: (1) The top conversion area was farmland, woodland and grassland area decreased, city land and rural residential land increased fastest. (2) The fragility of the landscape pattern along the Qingyi River gradually increased between 2005 and 2015, the downstream area was influenced by the influence of human activities. (3) Landscape pattern changes and fragility are mainly affected by urbanization. These findings are helpful for understanding the evolution of landscape pattern as well as urban ecology, which both have significant implications for urban planning and minimize the potential environmental impacts of urbanization in Qingyi River Basin.

Pattern classification using charge transfer devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The feasibility of using charge transfer devices in the classification of multispectral imagery was investigated by evaluating particular devices to determine their suitability in matrix multiplication subsystem of a pattern classifier and by designing a protype of such a system. Particular attention was given to analog-analog correlator devices which consist of two tapped delay lines, chip multipliers, and a summed output. The design for the classifier and a printed circuit layout for the analog boards were completed and the boards were fabricated. A test j:g for the board was built and checkout was begun.

Wavefront reversal technique for self-referencing collimation testing

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

Hii, King Ung; Kwek, Kuan Hiang

2010-02-01

We present a wavefront reversal technique to produce a dual-field fringe pattern for self-referencing collimation testing in wedge-plate lateral-shear interferometry. The method requires only a suitably placed cubic beam splitter to produce two replicas of the fringe field formed by the wedge-plate lateral-shear interferometer. One of the replicas has a fringe pattern that is the reverse of the other. With these two fringe fields, the collimation testing has a built-in reference, and the detection sensitivity is twice that of a single-wedge-plate technique.

Drawing the Line: The Cultural Cartography of Utilization Recommendations for Mental Health Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olafsdottir, Sigrun; Pescosolido, Bernice A.

2009-01-01

In the 1990s, sociologists began to rethink the failure of utilization models to explain whether and why individuals accessed formal treatment systems. This effort focused on reconceptualizing the underlying assumptions and processes that shaped utilization patterns. While we have built a better understanding of how social networks structure…

The Invention Factory: Thomas Edison's Laboratories. Teaching with Historic Places.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolger, Benjamin

This lesson explores the group of buildings in West Orange, New Jersey, built in 1887, that formed the core of Thomas Edison's research and development complex. They consisted of chemistry, physics, and metallurgy laboratories; machine shop; pattern shop; research library; and rooms for experiments. The lesson explains that the prototypes (ideas…

Predicting opportunities for greening and patterns of vegetation on private urban lands

Treesearch

Austin R. Troy; J. Morgan Grove; Jarlath P.M. O' Neil-Dunne; Steward T.A. Pickett; Mary L. Cadenasso

2007-01-01

This paper examines predictors of vegetative cover on private lands in Baltimore, Maryland. Using high-resolution spatial data, we generated two measures: "possible stewardship," which is the proportion of private land that does not have built structures on it and hence has the possibility of supporting vegetation, and "realized stewardship," which...

Foreign Internal Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-12

leaders. (h) Former political leaders or retired government officials. (i) Tribal or family leaders. (j) Agricultural leaders, farmers ...logistics sustainability overlay depicts potable water supplies, farms, orchards , growing seasons, and other relevant items. In built-up areas, this...explosives, and population patterns such as seasonal employment. Examples of potential effects are periods of drought that force farmers to become

Robust Wave-front Correction in a Small Scale Adaptive Optics System Using a Membrane Deformable Mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Y.; Park, S.; Baik, S.; Jung, J.; Lee, S.; Yoo, J.

A small scale laboratory adaptive optics system using a Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor (WFS) and a membrane deformable mirror (DM) has been built for robust image acquisition. In this study, an adaptive limited control technique is adopted to maintain the long-term correction stability of an adaptive optics system. To prevent the waste of dynamic correction range for correcting small residual wave-front distortions which are inefficient to correct, the built system tries to limit wave-front correction when a similar small difference wave-front pattern is repeatedly generated. Also, the effect of mechanical distortion in an adaptive optics system is studied and a pre-recognition method for the distortion is devised to prevent low-performance system operation. A confirmation process for a balanced work assignment among deformable mirror (DM) actuators is adopted for the pre-recognition. The corrected experimental results obtained by using a built small scale adaptive optics system are described in this paper.

A compact electron gun for time-resolved electron diffraction

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

Robinson, Matthew S.; Lane, Paul D.; Wann, Derek A., E-mail: derek.wann@york.ac.uk

A novel compact time-resolved electron diffractometer has been built with the primary goal of studying the ultrafast molecular dynamics of photoexcited gas-phase molecules. Here, we discuss the design of the electron gun, which is triggered by a Ti:Sapphire laser, before detailing a series of calibration experiments relating to the electron-beam properties. As a further test of the apparatus, initial diffraction patterns have been collected for thin, polycrystalline platinum samples, which have been shown to match theoretical patterns. The data collected demonstrate the focusing effects of the magnetic lens on the electron beam, and how this relates to the spatial resolutionmore » of the diffraction pattern.« less

Bayesian mixture modeling for blood sugar levels of diabetes mellitus patients (case study in RSUD Saiful Anwar Malang Indonesia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budi Astuti, Ani; Iriawan, Nur; Irhamah; Kuswanto, Heri; Sasiarini, Laksmi

2017-10-01

Bayesian statistics proposes an approach that is very flexible in the number of samples and distribution of data. Bayesian Mixture Model (BMM) is a Bayesian approach for multimodal models. Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is more commonly known in the Indonesian community as sweet pee. This disease is one type of chronic non-communicable diseases but it is very dangerous to humans because of the effects of other diseases complications caused. WHO reports in 2013 showed DM disease was ranked 6th in the world as the leading causes of human death. In Indonesia, DM disease continues to increase over time. These research would be studied patterns and would be built the BMM models of the DM data through simulation studies where the simulation data built on cases of blood sugar levels of DM patients in RSUD Saiful Anwar Malang. The results have been successfully demonstrated pattern of distribution of the DM data which has a normal mixture distribution. The BMM models have succeed to accommodate the real condition of the DM data based on the data driven concept.

Design patterns for instructional materials that foster proficiency at analyzing and interpreting complex geoscience data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kastens, K. A.; Krumhansl, R.

2016-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards incorporate a stronger emphasis on having students work with data than did prior standards. This emphasis is most obvious in Practice 4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data, but also permeates performance expectations built on Practice 2 when students test models, Practice 6 when students construct explanations, and Practice 7 when student test claims with evidence. To support curriculum developers who wish to guide high school students towards more sophisticated engagement with complex data, we analyzed a well-regarded body of instructional materials designed for use in introductory college courses (http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/). Our analysis sought design patterns that can be reused for a variety of topics at the high school or college level. We found five such patterns, each of which was used in at least half of the modules analyzed. We describe each pattern, provide an example, and hypothesize a theory of action that could explain how the sequence of activities leverages known perceptual, cognitive and/or social processes to foster learning from and about data. In order from most to least frequent, the observed design patterns are as follows: In Data Puzzles, students respond to guiding questions about high-value snippets of data pre-selected and sequenced by the curriculum developer to lead to an Aha! inference. In Pooling Data to See the Big Picture, small groups analyze different instances of analogous phenomenon (e.g. different hurricanes, or different divergent plate boundaries) and pool their insights to extract the commonalities that constitute the essence of that phenomenon. In Make a Decision or Recommendation, students combine geoscience data with other factors (such as economic or environmental justice concerns) to make a decision or recommendation about a human or societal action. In Predict-Observe-Explain, students make a prediction about what the Earth will look like under conditions they have not yet seen and test their prediction with data. In Nested Data Sets, students first interpret local data leveraging field experience or life experience, and then expand their interpretation across larger spatial or temporal scales, drawing on lines of reasoning developed at the local scale.

Links between the built environment, climate and population health: interdisciplinary environmental change research in New York City.

PubMed

Rosenthal, Joyce Klein; Sclar, Elliott D; Kinney, Patrick L; Knowlton, Kim; Crauderueff, Robert; Brandt-Rauf, Paul W

2007-10-01

Global climate change is expected to pose increasing challenges for cities in the following decades, placing greater stress and impacts on multiple social and biophysical systems, including population health, coastal development, urban infrastructure, energy demand, and water supplies. Simultaneously, a strong global trend towards urbanisation of poverty exists, with increased challenges for urban populations and local governance to protect and sustain the wellbeing of growing cities. In the context of these 2 overarching trends, interdisciplinary research at the city scale is prioritised for understanding the social impacts of climate change and variability and for the evaluation of strategies in the built environment that might serve as adaptive responses to climate change. This article discusses 2 recent initiatives of The Earth Institute at Columbia University (EI) as examples of research that integrates the methods and objectives of several disciplines, including environmental health science and urban planning, to understand the potential public health impacts of global climate change and mitigative measures for the more localised effects of the urban heat island in the New York City metropolitan region. These efforts embody 2 distinct research approaches. The New York Climate & Health Project created a new integrated modeling system to assess the public health impacts of climate and land use change in the metropolitan region. The Cool City Project aims for more applied policy-oriented research that incorporates the local knowledge of community residents to understand the costs and benefits of interventions in the built environment that might serve to mitigate the harmful impacts of climate change and variability, and protect urban populations from health stressors associated with summertime heat. Both types of research are potentially useful for understanding the impacts of environmental change at the urban scale, the policies needed to address these challenges, and to train scholars capable of collaborative approaches across the social and biophysical sciences.

Urban Health Indicator Tools of the Physical Environment: a Systematic Review.

PubMed

Pineo, Helen; Glonti, Ketevan; Rutter, Harry; Zimmermann, Nici; Wilkinson, Paul; Davies, Michael

2018-04-16

Urban health indicator (UHI) tools provide evidence about the health impacts of the physical urban environment which can be used in built environment policy and decision-making. Where UHI tools provide data at the neighborhood (and lower) scale they can provide valuable information about health inequalities and environmental deprivation. This review performs a census of UHI tools and explores their nature and characteristics (including how they represent, simplify or address complex systems) to increase understanding of their potential use by municipal built environment policy and decision-makers. We searched seven bibliographic databases, four key journals and six practitioner websites and conducted Google searches between January 27, 2016 and February 24, 2016 for UHI tools. We extracted data from primary studies and online indicator systems. We included 198 documents which identified 145 UHI tools comprising 8006 indicators, from which we developed a taxonomy. Our taxonomy classifies the significant diversity of UHI tools with respect to topic, spatial scale, format, scope and purpose. The proportions of UHI tools which measure data at the neighborhood and lower scale, and present data via interactive maps, have both increased over time. This is particularly relevant to built environment policy and decision-makers, reflects growing analytical capability and offers the potential for improved understanding of the complexity of influences on urban health (an aspect noted as a particular challenge by some indicator producers). The relation between urban health indicators and health impacts attributable to modifiable environmental characteristics is often indirect. Furthermore, the use of UHI tools in policy and decision-making appears to be limited, thus raising questions about the continued development of such tools by multiple organisations duplicating scarce resources. Further research is needed to understand the requirements of built environment policy and decision-makers, public health professionals and local communities regarding the form and presentation of indicators which support their varied objectives.

Design of Soil Salinity Policies with Tinamit, a Flexible and Rapid Tool to Couple Stakeholder-Built System Dynamics Models with Physically-Based Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malard, J. J.; Baig, A. I.; Hassanzadeh, E.; Adamowski, J. F.; Tuy, H.; Melgar-Quiñonez, H.

2016-12-01

Model coupling is a crucial step to constructing many environmental models, as it allows for the integration of independently-built models representing different system sub-components to simulate the entire system. Model coupling has been of particular interest in combining socioeconomic System Dynamics (SD) models, whose visual interface facilitates their direct use by stakeholders, with more complex physically-based models of the environmental system. However, model coupling processes are often cumbersome and inflexible and require extensive programming knowledge, limiting their potential for continued use by stakeholders in policy design and analysis after the end of the project. Here, we present Tinamit, a flexible Python-based model-coupling software tool whose easy-to-use API and graphical user interface make the coupling of stakeholder-built SD models with physically-based models rapid, flexible and simple for users with limited to no coding knowledge. The flexibility of the system allows end users to modify the SD model as well as the linking variables between the two models themselves with no need for recoding. We use Tinamit to couple a stakeholder-built socioeconomic model of soil salinization in Pakistan with the physically-based soil salinity model SAHYSMOD. As climate extremes increase in the region, policies to slow or reverse soil salinity buildup are increasing in urgency and must take both socioeconomic and biophysical spheres into account. We use the Tinamit-coupled model to test the impact of integrated policy options (economic and regulatory incentives to farmers) on soil salinity in the region in the face of future climate change scenarios. Use of the Tinamit model allowed for rapid and flexible coupling of the two models, allowing the end user to continue making model structure and policy changes. In addition, the clear interface (in contrast to most model coupling code) makes the final coupled model easily accessible to stakeholders with limited technical background.

Built Environment and Active Transport to School (BEATS) Study: protocol for a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Mandic, Sandra; Williams, John; Moore, Antoni; Hopkins, Debbie; Flaherty, Charlotte; Wilson, Gordon; García Bengoechea, Enrique; Spence, John C

2016-01-01

Introduction Active transport to school (ATS) is a convenient way to increase physical activity and undertake an environmentally sustainable travel practice. The Built Environment and Active Transport to School (BEATS) Study examines ATS in adolescents in Dunedin, New Zealand, using ecological models for active transport that account for individual, social, environmental and policy factors. The study objectives are to: (1) understand the reasons behind adolescents and their parents' choice of transport mode to school; (2) examine the interaction between the transport choices, built environment, physical activity and weight status in adolescents; and (3) identify policies that promote or hinder ATS in adolescents. Methods and analysis The study will use a mixed-method approach incorporating both quantitative (surveys, anthropometry, accelerometers, Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis, mapping) and qualitative methods (focus groups, interviews) to gather data from students, parents, teachers and school principals. The core data will include accelerometer-measured physical activity, anthropometry, GIS measures of the built environment and the use of maps indicating route to school (students)/work (parents) and perceived safe/unsafe areas along the route. To provide comprehensive data for understanding how to change the infrastructure to support ATS, the study will also examine complementary variables such as individual, family and social factors, including student and parental perceptions of walking and cycling to school, parental perceptions of different modes of transport to school, perceptions of the neighbourhood environment, route to school (students)/work (parents), perceptions of driving, use of information communication technology, reasons for choosing a particular school and student and parental physical activity habits, screen time and weight status. The study has achieved a 100% school recruitment rate (12 secondary schools). Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the University of Otago Ethics Committee. The results will be actively disseminated through reports and presentations to stakeholders, symposiums and scientific publications. PMID:27221127

Typology of person-environment fit constellations: a platform addressing accessibility problems in the built environment for people with functional limitations.

PubMed

Slaug, Björn; Schilling, Oliver; Iwarsson, Susanne; Carlsson, Gunilla

2015-09-02

Making the built environment accessible for all regardless of functional capacity is an important goal for public health efforts. Considerable impediments to achieving this goal suggest the need for valid measurements of acccessibility and for greater attention to the complexity of person-environment fit issues. To address these needs, this study aimed to provide a methodological platform, useful for further research and instrument development within accessibility research. This was accomplished by the construction of a typology of problematic person-environment fit constellations, utilizing an existing methodology developed to assess and analyze accessibility problems in the built environment. By means of qualitative review and statistical methods we classified the person-environment fit components covered by an existing application which targets housing accessibility: the Housing Enabler (HE) instrument. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was used as a conceptual framework. Qualitative classification principles were based on conceptual similarities and for quantitative analysis of similarities, Principal Component Analysis was carried out. We present a typology of problematic person-environment fit constellations classified along three dimensions: 1) accessibility problem range and severity 2) aspects of functioning 3) environmental context. As a result of the classification of the HE components, 48 typical person-environment fit constellations were recognised. The main contribution of this study is the proposed typology of person-environment fit constellations. The typology provides a methodological platform for the identification and quantification of problematic person-environment fit constellations. Its link to the globally accepted ICF classification system facilitates communication within the scientific and health care practice communities. The typology also highlights how relations between aspects of functioning and physical environmental barriers generate typical accessibility problems, and thereby furnishes a reference point for research oriented to how the built environment may be designed to be supportive for activity, participation and health.

Footprints of air pollution and changing environment on the sustainability of built infrastructure.

PubMed

Kumar, Prashant; Imam, Boulent

2013-02-01

Over 150 research articles relating three multi-disciplinary topics (air pollution, climate change and civil engineering structures) are reviewed to examine the footprints of air pollution and changing environment on the sustainability of building and transport structures (referred as built infrastructure). The aim of this review is to synthesize the existing knowledge on this topic, highlight recent advances in our understanding and discuss research priorities. The article begins with the background information on sources and emission trends of global warming (CO(2), CH(4), N(2)O, CFCs, SF(6)) and corrosive (SO(2), O(3), NO(X)) gases and their role in deterioration of building materials (e.g. steel, stone, concrete, brick and wood) exposed in outdoor environments. Further section covers the impacts of climate- and pollution-derived chemical pathways, generally represented by dose-response functions (DRFs), and changing environmental conditions on built infrastructure. The article concludes with the discussions on the topic areas covered and research challenges. A comprehensive inventory of DRFs is compiled. The case study carried out for analysing the inter-comparability of various DRFs on four different materials (carbon steel, limestone, zinc and copper) produced comparable results. Results of another case study revealed that future projected changes in temperature and/or relatively humidity are expected to have a modest effect on the material deterioration rate whereas changes in precipitation were found to show a more dominant impact. Evidences suggest that both changing and extreme environmental conditions are expected to affect the integrity of built infrastructure both in terms of direct structural damage and indirect losses of transport network functionality. Unlike stone and metals, substantially limited information is available on the deterioration of brick, concrete and wooden structures. Further research is warranted to develop more robust and theoretical DRFs for generalising their application, accurately mapping corrosion losses in an area, and costing risk of corrosion damage. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genomic divergence across ecological gradients in the Central African rainforest songbird (Andropadus virens).

PubMed

Zhen, Ying; Harrigan, Ryan J; Ruegg, Kristen C; Anderson, Eric C; Ng, Thomas C; Lao, Sirena; Lohmueller, Kirk E; Smith, Thomas B

2017-10-01

The little greenbul, a common rainforest passerine from sub-Saharan Africa, has been the subject of long-term evolutionary studies to understand the mechanisms leading to rainforest speciation. Previous research found morphological and behavioural divergence across rainforest-savannah transition zones (ecotones), and a pattern of divergence with gene flow suggesting divergent natural selection has contributed to adaptive divergence and ecotones could be important areas for rainforests speciation. Recent advances in genomics and environmental modelling make it possible to examine patterns of genetic divergence in a more comprehensive fashion. To assess the extent to which natural selection may drive patterns of differentiation, here we investigate patterns of genomic differentiation among populations across environmental gradients and regions. We find compelling evidence that individuals form discrete genetic clusters corresponding to distinctive environmental characteristics and habitat types. Pairwise F ST between populations in different habitats is significantly higher than within habitats, and this differentiation is greater than what is expected from geographic distance alone. Moreover, we identified 140 SNPs that showed extreme differentiation among populations through a genomewide selection scan. These outliers were significantly enriched in exonic and coding regions, suggesting their functional importance. Environmental association analysis of SNP variation indicates that several environmental variables, including temperature and elevation, play important roles in driving the pattern of genomic diversification. Results lend important new genomic evidence for environmental gradients being important in population differentiation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Isolation by environmental distance in mobile marine species: molecular ecology of franciscana dolphins at their southern range.

PubMed

Mendez, Martin; Rosenbaum, Howard C; Subramaniam, Ajit; Yackulic, Charles; Bordino, Pablo

2010-06-01

The assessment of population structure is a valuable tool for studying the ecology of endangered species and drafting conservation strategies. As we enhance our understanding about the structuring of natural populations, it becomes important that we also understand the processes behind these patterns. However, there are few rigorous assessments of the influence of environmental factors on genetic patterns in mobile marine species. Given their dispersal capabilities and localized habitat preferences, coastal cetaceans are adequate study species for evaluating environmental effects on marine population structure. The franciscana dolphin, a rare coastal cetacean endemic to the Western South Atlantic, was studied to examine these issues. We analysed genetic data from the mitochondrial DNA and 12 microsatellite markers for 275 franciscana samples utilizing frequency-based, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian algorithms to assess population structure and migration patterns. This information was combined with 10 years of remote sensing environmental data (chlorophyll concentration, water turbidity and surface temperature). Our analyses show the occurrence of genetically isolated populations within Argentina, in areas that are environmentally distinct. Combined evidence of genetic and environmental structure suggests that isolation by distance and a process here termed isolation by environmental distance can explain the observed correlations. Our approach elucidated important ecological and conservation aspects of franciscana dolphins, and has the potential to increase our understanding of ecological processes influencing genetic patterns in other marine species.

Individual, Social, and Environmental Correlates of Active Transportation Patterns in French Women

PubMed Central

Perchoux, Camille; Enaux, Christophe; Oppert, Jean-Michel; Menai, Mehdi; Charreire, Hélène; Salze, Paul; Weber, Christiane; Hercberg, Serge; Feuillet, Thierry; Hess, Franck; Roda, Célina; Simon, Chantal

2017-01-01

The objectives were (1) to define physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors (SB) patterns in daily life contexts (work, leisure, and transportation) in French working women from NutriNet-Santé web-cohort and (2) to identify pattern(s) of active transportation and their individual, social, and environmental correlates. 23,432 participants completed two questionnaires to evaluate PA and SB in daily life contexts and individual representations of residential neighborhood and transportation modes. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed which identified 6 distinct movement behavior patterns: (i) active occupation, high sedentary leisure, (ii) sedentary occupation, low leisure, (iii) sedentary transportation, (iv) sedentary occupation and leisure, (v) active transportation, and (vi) active leisure. Multinomial logistic regressions were performed to identify correlates of the “active transportation” cluster. The perceived environmental characteristics positively associated with “active transportation” included “high availability of destinations around home,” “presence of bicycle paths,” and “low traffic.” A “positive image of walking/cycling,” the “individual feeling of being physically active,” and a “high use of active transport modes by relatives/friends” were positively related to “active transportation,” identified as a unique pattern regarding individual and environmental correlates. Identification of PA and SB context-specific patterns will help to understand movement behaviors' complexity and to design interventions to promote active transportation in specific subgroups. PMID:28717653

Environmental and resource burdens associated with world biofuel production out to 2050: footprint components from carbon emissions and land use to waste arisings and water consumption.

PubMed

Hammond, Geoffrey P; Li, Bo

2016-09-01

Environmental or 'ecological' footprints have been widely used in recent years as indicators of resource consumption and waste absorption presented in terms of biologically productive land area [in global hectares (gha)] required per capita with prevailing technology. In contrast, 'carbon footprints' are the amount of carbon (or carbon dioxide equivalent) emissions for such activities in units of mass or weight (like kilograms per functional unit), but can be translated into a component of the environmental footprint (on a gha basis). The carbon and environmental footprints associated with the world production of liquid biofuels have been computed for the period 2010-2050. Estimates of future global biofuel production were adopted from the 2011 International Energy Agency (IEA) 'technology roadmap' for transport biofuels. This suggests that, although first generation biofuels will dominate the market up to 2020, advanced or second generation biofuels might constitute some 75% of biofuel production by 2050. The overall environmental footprint was estimated to be 0.29 billion (bn) gha in 2010 and is likely to grow to around 2.57 bn gha by 2050. It was then disaggregated into various components: bioproductive land, built land, carbon emissions, embodied energy, materials and waste, transport, and water consumption. This component-based approach has enabled the examination of the Manufactured and Natural Capital elements of the 'four capitals' model of sustainability quite broadly, along with specific issues (such as the linkages associated with the so-called energy-land-water nexus). Bioproductive land use was found to exhibit the largest footprint component (a 48% share in 2050), followed by the carbon footprint (23%), embodied energy (16%), and then the water footprint (9%). Footprint components related to built land, transport and waste arisings were all found to account for an insignificant proportion to the overall environmental footprint, together amounting to only about 2.

Hilbert-Curve Fractal Antenna With Radiation- Pattern Diversity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nessel, James A.; Miranda, Felix A.; Zaman, Afroz

2007-01-01

A printed, folded, Hilbert-curve fractal microwave antenna has been designed and built to offer advantages of compactness and low mass, relative to other antennas designed for the same operating frequencies. The primary feature of the antenna is that it offers the advantage of radiation-pattern diversity without need for electrical or mechanical switching: it can radiate simultaneously in an end-fire pattern at a frequency of 2.3 GHz (which is in the S-band) and in a broadside pattern at a frequency of 16.8 GHz (which is in the Ku-band). This radiation-pattern diversity could be utilized, for example, in applications in which there were requirements for both S-band ground-to-ground communications and Ku-band ground-to-aircraft or ground-to-spacecraft communications. The lack of switching mechanisms or circuitry makes this antenna more reliable, easier, and less expensive to fabricate than it otherwise would be.

Organophosphate flame retardants and plasticizers in indoor dust, air and window wipes in newly built low-energy preschools.

PubMed

Persson, Josefin; Wang, Thanh; Hagberg, Jessika

2018-07-01

The construction of extremely airtight and energy efficient low-energy buildings is achieved by using functional building materials, such as age-resistant plastics, insulation, adhesives, and sealants. Additives such as organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) can be added to some of these building materials as flame retardants and plasticizers. Some OPFRs are considered persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. Therefore, in this pilot study, the occurrence and distribution of nine OPFRs were determined for dust, air, and window wipe samples collected in newly built low-energy preschools with and without environmental certifications. Tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) were detected in all indoor dust samples at concentrations ranging from 0.014 to 10μg/g and 0.0069 to 79μg/g, respectively. Only six OPFRs (predominantly chlorinated OPFRs) were detected in the indoor air. All nine OPFRs were found on the window surfaces and the highest concentrations, which occurred in the reference preschool, were measured for 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) (maximum concentration: 1500ng/m 2 ). Interestingly, the OPFR levels in the environmental certified low-energy preschools were lower than those in the reference preschool and the non-certified low-energy preschool, probably attributed to the usage of environmental friendly and low-emitting building materials, interior decorations, and consumer products. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Childcare outdoor renovation as a built environment health promotion strategy: evaluating the preventing obesity by design intervention.

PubMed

Cosco, Nilda G; Moore, Robin C; Smith, William R

2014-01-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of Preventing Obesity by Design (POD), a childcare center outdoor renovation intervention. Pre-post intervention evaluation. North Carolina licensed childcare centers (N = 27). Preschool children. Outdoor renovation, teacher training. Behavior mapping, Preschool Outdoor Environment Measurement Scale (POEMS), center director interview. Descriptive statistics, ordinary least squares and logistic regressions calculated to assess levels of association between environmental change, children's physical activity (PA), social behaviors, and environmental quality. Qualitative interview data analyzed to help understand intervention impact. Behavior mapping showed that site layout attributes, such as the form (i.e., "single loop" and "double loop") of pathways (functioning as circulation routes and wheeled toy settings), are associated with higher levels of PA. Teacher interaction was associated with decreased children's PA. Absence of teacher or lack of child/child interaction was associated with increased PA. POEMS assessment of environmental quality was higher after renovation. POEMS domains (Physical Space and Teacher/Caregiver Roles) were positively associated with PA. After renovation, 68% of center directors reported positive changes in children's behavior and 40% mentioned edible plant installations as greatest success. Built environment renovation of childcare center outdoors, including looped pathways installation, coupled with teacher training, may support increased PA. Renovation, including food gardens, may be a key to success for preschool health promotion and support change in childcare policy.

Measuring Land Change in Coastal Zone around a Rapidly Urbanized Bay.

PubMed

Huang, Faming; Huang, Boqiang; Huang, Jinliang; Li, Shenghui

2018-05-23

Urban development is a major cause for eco-degradation in many coastal regions. Understanding urbanization dynamics and underlying driving factors is crucial for urban planning and management. Land-use dynamic degree indices and intensity analysis were used to measure land changes occurred in 1990, 2002, 2009, and 2017 in the coastal zone around Quanzhou bay, which is a rapidly urbanized bay in Southeast China. The comprehensive land-use dynamic degree and interval level intensity analysis both revealed that land change was accelerating across the three time intervals in a three-kilometer-wide zone along the coastal line (zone A), while land change was fastest during the second time interval 2002⁻2009 in a separate terrestrial area within coastal zone (zone B). Driven by urbanization, built-up gains and cropland losses were active for all time intervals in both zones. Mudflat losses were active except in the first time interval in zone A due to the intensive sea reclamation. The gain of mangrove was active while the loss of mangrove is dormant for all three intervals in zone A. Transition level analysis further revealed the similarities and differences in processes within patterns of land changes for both zones. The transition from cropland to built-up was systematically targeted and stationary while the transition from woodland to built-up was systematically avoiding transition in both zones. Built-up tended to target aquaculture for the second and third time intervals in zone A but avoid Aquaculture for all intervals in zone B. Land change in zone A was more significant than that in zone B during the second and third time intervals at three-level intensity. The application of intensity analysis can enhance our understanding of the patterns and processes in land changes and suitable land development plans in the Quanzhou bay area. This type of investigation is useful to provide information for developing sound land use policy to achieve urban sustainability in similar coastal areas.

Spatial Patterns of Subtidal Benthic Invertebrates and Environmental Factors in the Nearshore Gulf of Maine

EPA Science Inventory

The spatial patterns of subtidal benthic invertebrates and physical-chemical variables in the nearshore Gulf of Maine (Acadian Biogeographic Province) were studied to provide information needed to calibrate benthic indices of environmental condition, determine physical-chemical f...

The Uncertain Geographic Context Problem in the Analysis of the Relationships between Obesity and the Built Environment in Guangzhou

PubMed Central

Zhao, Pengxiang; Zhou, Suhong

2018-01-01

Traditionally, static units of analysis such as administrative units are used when studying obesity. However, using these fixed contextual units ignores environmental influences experienced by individuals in areas beyond their residential neighborhood and may render the results unreliable. This problem has been articulated as the uncertain geographic context problem (UGCoP). This study investigates the UGCoP through exploring the relationships between the built environment and obesity based on individuals’ activity space. First, a survey was conducted to collect individuals’ daily activity and weight information in Guangzhou in January 2016. Then, the data were used to calculate and compare the values of several built environment variables based on seven activity space delineations, including home buffers, workplace buffers (WPB), fitness place buffers (FPB), the standard deviational ellipse at two standard deviations (SDE2), the weighted standard deviational ellipse at two standard deviations (WSDE2), the minimum convex polygon (MCP), and road network buffers (RNB). Lastly, we conducted comparative analysis and regression analysis based on different activity space measures. The results indicate that significant differences exist between variables obtained with different activity space delineations. Further, regression analyses show that the activity space delineations used in the analysis have a significant influence on the results concerning the relationships between the built environment and obesity. The study sheds light on the UGCoP in analyzing the relationships between obesity and the built environment. PMID:29439392

Built environment assessment: Multidisciplinary perspectives.

PubMed

Glanz, Karen; Handy, Susan L; Henderson, Kathryn E; Slater, Sandy J; Davis, Erica L; Powell, Lisa M

2016-12-01

As obesity has become increasingly widespread, scientists seek better ways to assess and modify built and social environments to positively impact health. The applicable methods and concepts draw on multiple disciplines and require collaboration and cross-learning. This paper describes the results of an expert team׳s analysis of how key disciplinary perspectives contribute to environmental context-based assessment related to obesity, identifies gaps, and suggests opportunities to encourage effective advances in this arena. A team of experts representing diverse disciplines convened in 2013 to discuss the contributions of their respective disciplines to assessing built environments relevant to obesity prevention. The disciplines include urban planning, public health nutrition, exercise science, physical activity research, public health and epidemiology, behavioral and social sciences, and economics. Each expert identified key concepts and measures from their discipline, and applications to built environment assessment and action. A selective review of published literature and internet-based information was conducted in 2013 and 2014. The key points that are highlighted in this article were identified in 2014-2015 through discussion, debate and consensus-building among the team of experts. Results focus on the various disciplines׳ perspectives and tools, recommendations, progress and gaps. There has been significant progress in collaboration across key disciplines that contribute to studies of built environments and obesity, but important gaps remain. Using lessons from interprofessional education and team science, along with appreciation of and attention to other disciplines׳ contributions, can promote more effective cross-disciplinary collaboration in obesity prevention.

Environmentally benign semiconductor processing for dielectric etch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Marci Yi-Ting

Semiconductor processing requires intensive usage of chemicals, electricity, and water. Such intensive resource usage leaves a large impact on the environment. For instance, in Silicon Valley, the semiconductor industry is responsible for 80% of the hazardous waste sites contaminated enough to require government assistance. Research on environmentally benign semiconductor processing is needed to reduce the environmental impact of the semiconductor industry. The focus of this dissertation is on the environmental impact of one aspect of semiconductor processing: patterning of dielectric materials. Plasma etching of silicon dioxide emits perfluorocarbons (PFCs) gases, like C2F6 and CF4, into the atmosphere. These gases are super global warming/greenhouse gases because of their extremely long atmospheric lifetimes and excellent infrared absorption properties. We developed the first inductively coupled plasma (ICP) abatement device for destroying PFCs downstream of a plasma etcher. Destruction efficiencies of 99% and 94% can be obtained for the above mentioned PFCs, by using O 2 as an additive gas. Our results have lead to extensive modeling in academia as well as commercialization of the ICP abatement system. Dielectric patterning of hi-k materials for future device technology brings different environment challenges. The uncertainty of the hi-k material selection and the patterning method need to be addressed. We have evaluated the environmental impact of three different dielectric patterning methods (plasma etch, wet etch and chemical-mechanical polishing), as well as, the transistor device performances associated with the patterning methods. Plasma etching was found to be the most environmentally benign patterning method, which also gives the best device performance. However, the environmental concern for plasma etching is the possibility of cross-contamination from low volatility etch by-products. Therefore, mass transfer in a plasma etcher for a promising hi-k dielectric material, ZrO2, was studied. A novel cross-contamination sampling technique was developed, along with a mass transfer model.

Strategies to sustainability and environmental protection in Romania

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

Tulbure, I.; Ludwig, B.

1995-12-31

In Romania, like in all East-European countries, industry, especially the mining industry, the chemical industry and the power industry, has developed in the last 30--40 years without paying attention to environmental issues. That means a great number of power plants as well as chemical and petrochemical plants based on fossil-fuels were built without considering the negative effects to the environment. All these industrial plants represent, in fact, the greatest polluting sources. The transformations in the industrial field for the next decades in Romania will be achieved in two ways: by application of new technologies or modernization of actual technologies. Inmore » both cases any project has to be considered ``from the cradle to the grave`` as to how to achieve efficient environmental protection. Adopting an environmental policy consisting of governmental and non-governmental measures, creating regional and national institutions with activities in the field of environmental protection, the problems concerning environmental pollution could be solved.« less

Residential greenness and birth outcomes: evaluating the influence of spatially correlated built-environment factors.

PubMed

Hystad, Perry; Davies, Hugh W; Frank, Lawrence; Van Loon, Josh; Gehring, Ulrike; Tamburic, Lillian; Brauer, Michael

2014-10-01

Half the world's population lives in urban areas. It is therefore important to identify characteristics of the built environment that are beneficial to human health. Urban greenness has been associated with improvements in a diverse range of health conditions, including birth outcomes; however, few studies have attempted to distinguish potential effects of greenness from those of other spatially correlated exposures related to the built environment. We aimed to investigate associations between residential greenness and birth outcomes and evaluate the influence of spatially correlated built environment factors on these associations. We examined associations between residential greenness [measured using satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within 100 m of study participants' homes] and birth outcomes in a cohort of 64,705 singleton births (from 1999-2002) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We also evaluated associations after adjusting for spatially correlated built environmental factors that may influence birth outcomes, including exposure to air pollution and noise, neighborhood walkability, and distance to the nearest park. An interquartile increase in greenness (0.1 in residential NDVI) was associated with higher term birth weight (20.6 g; 95% CI: 16.5, 24.7) and decreases in the likelihood of small for gestational age, very preterm (< 30 weeks), and moderately preterm (30-36 weeks) birth. Associations were robust to adjustment for air pollution and noise exposures, neighborhood walkability, and park proximity. Increased residential greenness was associated with beneficial birth outcomes in this population-based cohort. These associations did not change after adjusting for other spatially correlated built environment factors, suggesting that alternative pathways (e.g., psychosocial and psychological mechanisms) may underlie associations between residential greenness and birth outcomes.

Applied environmental technology development at the Savannah River Site: A retrospective on the last half of the 20th century

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

Looney, B.B.

2000-03-13

Fifty years ago, the Savannah River Site (SRS) was built to produce nuclear materials. These operations impacted air, soil, groundwater, ecology and the local environment. Throughout its history, SRS has addressed these contamination issues directly and has maintained a strong commitment to environmental stewardship. The site boasts many environmental firsts. Notably, SRS was the first major DOE facility to perform a baseline ecological assessment. This pioneering effort, by Ruth Patrick and the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, was performed during SRS planning and construction in the early 1950's. This unique early example sets the stage for subsequent efforts. Since that time,more » the scientists and engineers at SRS have proactively identified environmental problems as they occurred and have skillfully developed elegant and efficient solutions.« less

Avoiding the parametric roll

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acomi, Nicoleta; Ancuţa, Cristian; Andrei, Cristian; Boştinǎ, Alina; Boştinǎ, Aurel

2016-12-01

Ships are mainly built to sail and transport cargo at sea. Environmental conditions and state of the sea are communicated to vessels through periodic weather forecasts. Despite officers being aware of the sea state, their sea time experience is a decisive factor when the vessel encounters severe environmental conditions. Another important factor is the loading condition of the vessel, which triggers different behaviour in similar marine environmental conditions. This paper aims to analyse the behaviour of a port container vessel in severe environmental conditions and to estimate the potential conditions of parametric roll resonance. Octopus software simulation is employed to simulate vessel motions under certain conditions of the sea, with possibility to analyse the behaviour of ships and the impact of high waves on ships due to specific wave encounter situations. The study should be regarded as a supporting tool during the decision making process.

Host-feeding pattern of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in heterogeneous landscapes of South Andaman, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.

PubMed

Sivan, Arun; Shriram, A N; Sunish, I P; Vidhya, P T

2015-09-01

Mosquito foraging behavior is a determinant of host-vector contact and has an impact on the risk of arboviral epidemics. Therefore, blood-feeding patterns is a useful tool for assessing the role in pathogen transmission by vector mosquitoes. Competent vectors of dengue and chikungunya viz. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are widely prevalent in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. Considering the vector potential, medical importance of both these mosquito species and lack of information on host-feeding patterns, blood meal analysis of both these vector mosquitoes was undertaken. Biogents Sentinel traps were used for sampling blooded mosquitoes, for identifying the source of blood meal by agar gel-precipitin test. We identified vertebrate source of 147 and 104 blood meals in Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus from heterogeneous landscapes in South Andaman district. Results revealed that Ae. aegypti (88 %) and Ae. albopictus (49 %) fed on human and a small proportion on mammals and fowls, indicative of predominance of anthropophilism. Ae. aegypti predominantly fed on human blood (94.2 %-densely built urban, 89.8 %-low vegetation coverage, and 78.3 %-medium vegetation coverage). Anthropophilism in Ae. albopictus was maximal in densely built urban (90.5 %) and progressively decreased from low vegetation-vegetation/forested continuum (66.7, 36.4, and 8.7 %), indicating plasticity in feeding across these landscapes. Epidemiological significance of the findings is discussed.

Vacuum Drying Technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

At Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, General Electric Company's Space Division has a large environmental chamber for simulating the conditions under which an orbiting spacecraft operates. Normally it is used to test company-built space systems, such as NASA's Landsat and Nimbus satellites. It is also being used in a novel spinoff application-restoring water-damaged books and other paper products and textiles.

A technique to measure strain distributions in single wood pulp fibers

Treesearch

Laurence Mott; Stephen M. Shaler; Leslie H. Groom

1996-01-01

Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and digital image correlation (DIC) were used to measure microstrain distributions on the surface of wood pulp fibers. A loading stage incorporating a fiber gripping system was designed and built by the authors. Fitted to the tensile substage of an ESEM or a Polymer Laboratories MINIMAT tester, it provided a reliable...

Saving Energy in Historic Buildings: Balancing Efficiency and Value

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cluver, John H.; Randall, Brad

2012-01-01

By now the slogan of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that "the greenest building is the one already built" is widely known. In an era of increased environmental awareness and rising fuel prices, however, the question is how can historic building stock be made more energy efficient in a manner respectful of its historic…

A Domestic/International Field Center for Intercultural Education in Built Environment: Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stea, David

During the 2.5 years the project was in operation, the International Center for Culture and Environment (Santa Fe, New Mexico) provided courses concerned with aspects of intercultural communication related to environmental design and planning to students and practitioners from 15 U.S. states and 15 foreign countries. Courses were provided in three…

Evaluation of lumber recycled from an industrial military building

Treesearch

R. H. Falk; D. W. Green; S. C. Lantz

1999-01-01

During the past century, millions of structures were built from sawn lumber and timber. When these structures reach the end of their service lives, contemporary practices emphasize landfill disposal. In recent years, the public has expressed a strong interest in developing environmentally acceptable and efficient reuse options for this solid-wood material. As a result...

Conduction cooled compact laser for the chemcam instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durand, E.; Derycke, C.; Simon-Boisson, C.; Muller, S.; Faure, B.; Saccoccio, M.; Maurice, M.

2017-11-01

A new conduction cooled compact laser for laser induced spectroscopy on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) to be launched in 2009 is presented. An oscillator combined to amplifiers generates 30mJ at 1μm with a good spatial quality. Development prototype of this laser has been built and characterized. Environmental testing of this prototype is also reported.

Life - Past, Present and Future. Environmental Education Curriculum. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topeka Public Schools, KS.

This unit attempts to interrelate the traditional biological science studies such as food webs, population changes and ecological succession to form a coherent picture of our world today, the factors that created it and the forces that continue to change it. Designed for use in the secondary schools, it is built around nine films and has seven…

78 FR 26004 - Notice of Availability; Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the FutureGen 2.0 Project

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-03

... floodplain and wetland review requirements (10 CFR part 1022). DATES: DOE invites the public to comment on... commercial operations after this date. The oxy-combustion plant would be built on a 263-acre existing power... would be used for the injection facilities, associated infrastructure and buildings, and access roads...

Earthshots: Satellite images of environmental change – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2013-01-01

From 1975 to 1978, Cambodia was ruled by the Khmer Rouge regime, which sought among other things to build a vast system of irrigation canals. These images show an area around Cambodia's capital city of Phnom Penh where such waterworks were built. Many areas east of the Mekong River show a gridwork of canals by 1985.

Achieving Your Vision: How to Make Sustainable Living a Reality on Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orr, Andrea

2010-01-01

Located on a wildlife reserve in northern California, Butte College is an environmentally conscious community, complete with an extensive solar-power program and a transportation network built to keep cars off its roads. The college generates more solar power than any other community college in the country and is a nationally recognized leader in…

Commercial Technology at the Tactical Edge

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

Typical environmental examples are survivability in the face of hostile action, lack of fixed infrastructure , high mobility and ruggedness...Disconnected, Intermittent, and Limited (DIL) Communications Delay Tolerance Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) Loss of infrastructure Security Cyber...for Apple’s IOS.25 In particular, various vendors have built application infrastructures around the various mobile phone operating systems (OSs) such

Ethnic Tourism and the Big Song: Public Pedagogies and the Ambiguity of Environmental Discourse in Southwest China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Jinting

2017-01-01

The article examines two forms of public pedagogies in a rural region of Southwest China-tourism and ethnic songs-to illustrate their contested roles in transforming local relations with natural and built environment. While tourism development daily alters the village landscape by spatial intervention, demolition, and construction, the…

The IAQ Tools for Schools Walkthrough Video: Four Schools Making a Difference. [Videotape].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.

This video illustrates one of the key components of the Environmental Protection Agency's "Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools" (IAQ TfS) process--the school walkthrough. Videotaped at a North Carolina school built in 1999, hosts Keith Flippen and Debra Terry describe what schools in Nebraska, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa found…

Assessment of biodeterioration for the screening of new wood preservatives : calculation of stiffness loss in rapid decay testing

Treesearch

Simon R. Przewloka; Douglas M. Crawford; Douglas R. Rammer; Donald L. Buckner; Bessie M. Woodward; Gan Li; Darrel D. Nicholas

2008-01-01

Demand for the development of environmentally benign wood preservatives has increased significantly. To reduce the evaluation time of prospective candidates, reliable accelerated decay methodologies are necessary for laboratory screening of potential preservatives. Ongoing research at Mississippi State University has focused upon utilizing custom built equipment to...

Viewfinders: A Visual Environmental Literacy Curriculum. Elementary Unit: Exploring Community Appearance and the Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn Foundation, Warwick, RI.

Recognizing that community growth and change are inevitable, Viewfinders' goals are as follows: to introduce students and teachers to the concept of the visual environment; enhance an understanding of the interrelationship between the built and natural environment; create an awareness that the visual environment affects the economy and quality of…

Condition Assessment of a Historic Trout Rearing Station in Upper Michigan

Treesearch

Frederico J. N. Franca; Tamara S.F. Amorin Franca; Lon A. Yeary; Christopher Hohnholt; John W. Forsman; Robert J. Ross

2015-01-01

Michigan Technological University's (Michigan Tech) School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science maintains a log cabin on the north branch of the Otter River in southern Houghton County (Portage Township), Michigan. The cabin was built in 1934-1935 and measures 150 m2. The cabin's location is less than 10 m from the river, and...

KSC-2009-1369

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-11-04

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The latest polar-orbiting operational environmental weather satellite developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, called NOAA-N Prime, is moved into a NASA payload processing facility to be prepared for a Feb. 4 launch. NOAA-N Prime, built by Lockheed Martin, is similar to NOAA-N launched on May 20, 2005.

Habitat type and Permanence determine local aquatic invertebrate community structure in the Madrean Sky Islands

Treesearch

Michael T. Bogan; Oscar Gutierrez-Ruacho; J. Andres Alvarado-Castro; David A. Lytle

2013-01-01

Aquatic environments in the Madrean Sky Islands (MSI) consist of a matrix of perennial and intermittent stream segments, seasonal ponds, and human-built cattle trough habitats that support a diverse suite of aquatic macroinvertebrates. Although environmental conditions and aquatic communities are generally distinct in lotic and lentic habitats, MSI streams are...

DEVELOPING AND ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF A SOCIO-TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCE-USE FEEDBACK SYSTEM FOR IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF BUILDINGS AND INSTITUTIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The built environment is responsible for two-thirds of U.S. electricity consumption and over 15 trillion gallons of water used annually. On college campuses, a significant percentage of total energy and water consumption takes place within dormitories. Personal choices can s...

Stakeholder Alignment for Requirements in GEOValue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutcher-Gershenfeld, J.; King, J. L.

2016-12-01

Observation systems that collect information on environmental parameters relevant to biological and physical earth resources provide value. This has been demonstrated so many times in so many ways that it is not worth deliberating. Earlier projects for research (whether it is possible to do this or that), or for "dual use," typically involving defense, have been successful. Wealthy parties have built their own systems. Less wealthy parties seek to sustain the systems they have built. The history of systems suggests that "requirements" will be the next step. The objective is to maximize the "return" on the substantial investment required for construction, deployment, maintenance and renewal of observation systems. Stakeholders and their interests are assessed to construct the requirements from which specifications are built. Specifications drive procurement, and procurement produces built systems. Complicated (e.g. space-based) systems have long times between requirements analysis and deployment. It all depends on getting the requirements right, which depends on understanding stakeholders and requirements. And this is where things get complicated. Stakeholders and interests change, sometimes rapidly, as what is possible is altered. It becomes increasingly difficult to achieve stakeholder alignment required for effective management of constituent politics at the heart of any expensive endeavor. This paper presents results from a major study of stakeholder alignment in the Earth Sciences, focused especially on EarthCube.

Consuming Passions: Educating the Empty Self

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillcoat, John; van Rensburg, Eureta Janse

2014-01-01

The paper considers the connections between the environmental crisis and patterns of consumption in the Western, and Westernised, worlds. These patterns are named as "malconsumption", a concept which is defined and then discussed in terms of its importance to the work of environmental educators. Malconsumption as a means of…

Spatiotemporal ecohydrological patterns and processes in temperate uplands: linking field observations and model results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodd, N. H.; Baird, A. J.; Wainwright, J.; Dunn, S. M.

2011-12-01

There are obvious surface expressions - in terms of vegetation patterning - of ecohydrological feedbacks on dryland and peatland hillslopes. Much less is known about subsurface ecohydrological patterns, and whether or not they 'map onto' surface patterns. Likewise, few attempts have been made to investigate how such ecohydrological patterns affect whole-hillslope hydrological behaviour or how widespread they are in non-dryland and non-peatland hillslopes. In this study we investigate surface and near- surface patterning in temperate hillslopes, which to date have been the focus of much hydrological work but little ecohydrological work. In particular, we consider the extent to which the direct and the indirect effects of past and present plant assemblages on local and whole-hillslope soil moisture conditions may contribute to patterning. We have conducted a field study of two temperate upland hillslopes in Northern Scotland, UK, on one of which human intervention plays a major part in shaping the landscape. Repeat measurements have been made of near- surface soil-moisture content, taken at lag distances of 0.25 m to 20 m, under different antecedent hydrological conditions together with characterisation of plant assemblages at the same points through both ground-based vegetation surveys of 1 m × 1 m plots and kite aerial photography (KAP) of > 20 m2 plots. Results from this have indicated that changes in ecohydrological patterns can occur over small spatial scales (< 1 m2) and short time scales (< 1 day). Comparison of values of near-surface soil moisture content with topographic wetness indices, calculated using 1 -m resolution topographic data collected in the field, has highlighted that topography does not explain all of the spatial variation in soil moisture content at this scale. KAP images allowed detection of vegetation patterns not obvious from the ground. Comparison of KAP images and historic aerial photographs has highlighted the persistence of vegetation patterns over time at both sites, and that the current structure of the landscape is clearly related to current and past vegetation management practices. Evidence of sustained patterning under relatively steady environmental conditions has prompted us to consider how internal system dynamics such as competition and facilitation between different plant assemblages, and persistence of ecological memory at a range of timescales may lead to a range of ecohydrological behaviours at the scale of whole hillslopes. To help conceptualize ways in which patterning may arise, we have built a two-dimensional cellular automata-type model in which local interactions between biotic and abiotic components have the potential to lead to emergence of larger-scale patterns within the model landscape. Results from the field study have been used to gauge how well temperate hillslope ecohydrological dynamics are represented in our model, and to check that local neighbourhood patterns in the model outputs resemble real-world patterning. Key words: temperate upland ecohydrology, plant assemblage dynamics, ecological memory, kite aerial photography, cellular automata.

How Do They Do It: Working Women Meeting Physical Activity Recommendations

PubMed Central

Gell, Nancy M.; Wadsworth, Danielle D.

2014-01-01

Objective To identify factors that facilitate adherence to physical activity among employed women. Methods Participants were 103 employed women (Mean 44.4 years ±11.8). Measures included physical activity by accelerometry, location by global positioning systems, and psychosocial constructs, perception of worksite policies and the built environment by questionnaire. Results Meeting physical activity recommendations was significantly associated with use of the built environment, self-regulation, perception of higher land-use mix diversity, and perception of lower infrastructure and safety for walking. Perception of worksite policies, self-efficacy, and social support were not associated with meeting recommendations. Conclusions The findings provide evidence that working women’s physical activity behavior is influenced by both psychosocial and environmental factors. PMID:24765681

Residential Greenness and Birth Outcomes: Evaluating the Influence of Spatially Correlated Built-Environment Factors

PubMed Central

Davies, Hugh W.; Frank, Lawrence; Van Loon, Josh; Gehring, Ulrike; Tamburic, Lillian; Brauer, Michael

2014-01-01

Background: Half the world’s population lives in urban areas. It is therefore important to identify characteristics of the built environment that are beneficial to human health. Urban greenness has been associated with improvements in a diverse range of health conditions, including birth outcomes; however, few studies have attempted to distinguish potential effects of greenness from those of other spatially correlated exposures related to the built environment. Objectives: We aimed to investigate associations between residential greenness and birth outcomes and evaluate the influence of spatially correlated built environment factors on these associations. Methods: We examined associations between residential greenness [measured using satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within 100 m of study participants’ homes] and birth outcomes in a cohort of 64,705 singleton births (from 1999–2002) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We also evaluated associations after adjusting for spatially correlated built environmental factors that may influence birth outcomes, including exposure to air pollution and noise, neighborhood walkability, and distance to the nearest park. Results: An interquartile increase in greenness (0.1 in residential NDVI) was associated with higher term birth weight (20.6 g; 95% CI: 16.5, 24.7) and decreases in the likelihood of small for gestational age, very preterm (< 30 weeks), and moderately preterm (30–36 weeks) birth. Associations were robust to adjustment for air pollution and noise exposures, neighborhood walkability, and park proximity. Conclusions: Increased residential greenness was associated with beneficial birth outcomes in this population-based cohort. These associations did not change after adjusting for other spatially correlated built environment factors, suggesting that alternative pathways (e.g., psychosocial and psychological mechanisms) may underlie associations between residential greenness and birth outcomes. Citation: Hystad P, Davies HW, Frank L, Van Loon J, Gehring U, Tamburic L, Brauer M. 2014. Residential greenness and birth outcomes: evaluating the influence of spatially correlated built-environment factors. Environ Health Perspect 122:1095–1102; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1308049 PMID:25014041

Associations between the Quality of the Residential Built Environment and Pregnancy Outcomes among Women in North Carolina

PubMed Central

Messer, Lynne C.; Kroeger, Gretchen L.

2011-01-01

Background: The built environment, a key component of environmental health, may be an important contributor to health disparities, particularly for reproductive health outcomes. Objective: In this study we investigated the relationship between seven indices of residential built environment quality and adverse reproductive outcomes for the City of Durham, North Carolina (USA). Methods: We surveyed approximately 17,000 residential tax parcels in central Durham, assessing > 50 individual variables on each. These data, collected using direct observation, were combined with tax assessor, public safety, and U.S. Census data to construct seven indices representing important domains of the residential built environment: housing damage, property disorder, security measures, tenure (owner or renter occupied), vacancy, crime count, and nuisance count. Fixed-slope random-intercept multilevel models estimated the association between the residential built environment and five adverse birth outcomes. Models were adjusted for maternal characteristics and clustered at the primary adjacency community unit, defined as the index block, plus all adjacent blocks that share any portion of a line segment (block boundary) or vertex. Results: Five built environment indices (housing damage, property disorder, tenure, vacancy, and nuisance count) were associated with each of the five outcomes in the unadjusted context: preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA), low birth weight (LBW), continuous birth weight, and birth weight percentile for gestational age (BWPGA; sex-specific birth weight distributions for infants delivered at each gestational age using National Center for Health Statistics referent births for 2000–2004). However, some estimates were attenuated after adjustment. In models adjusted for individual-level covariates, housing damage remained statistically significantly associated with SGA, birth weight, and BWPGA. Conclusion: This work suggests a real and meaningful relationship between the quality of the residential built environment and birth outcomes, which we argue are a good measure of general community health. PMID:22138639

Noise and autism spectrum disorder in children: An exploratory survey.

PubMed

Kanakri, Shireen M; Shepley, Mardelle; Varni, James W; Tassinary, Louis G

2017-04-01

With more students being educated in schools for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) than ever before, architects and interior designers need to consider the environmental features that may be modified to enhance the academic and social success of autistic students in school. This study explored existing empirical research on the impact of noise on children with ASD and provides recommendations regarding design features that can contribute to noise reduction. A survey, which addressed the impact of architectural design elements on autism-related behavior, was developed for teachers of children with ASD and distributed to three schools. Most teachers found noise control to be an important issue for students with autism and many observed children using ear defenders. In terms of managing issues related to noise, most teachers agreed that thick or soundproof walls and carpet in the classroom were the most important issues for children with ASD. Suggested future research should address architectural considerations for building an acoustically friendly environment for children with autism, identifying patterns of problematic behaviors in response to acoustical features of the built environment of the classroom setting, and ways to manage maladaptive behaviors in acoustically unfriendly environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How to handle spatial heterogeneity in hydrological models.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loritz, Ralf; Neuper, Malte; Gupta, Hoshin; Zehe, Erwin

2017-04-01

The amount of data we observe in our environmental systems is larger than ever. This leads to a new kind of problem where hydrological modelers can have access to large datasets with various quantitative and qualitative observations but are uncertain about the information content with respect to the hydrological functioning of a landscape. For example digital elevation models obviously contain plenty of information about the topography of a landscape; however the question of relevance for Hydrology is how much of this information is important for the hydrological functioning of a landscape. This kind of question is not limited to topography and we can ask similar questions when handling distributed rainfall data or geophysical images. In this study we would like to show how one can separate dominant patterns in the landscape from idiosyncratic system details. We use a 2D numerical hillslope model in combination with an extensive research data set to test a variety of different model setups that are built upon different landscape characteristics and run by different rainfalls measurements. With the help of information theory based measures we can identify and learn how much heterogeneity is really necessary for successful hydrological simulations and how much of it we can neglect.

Australian consumers' views towards an environmentally sustainable eating pattern.

PubMed

Mann, Davina; Thornton, Lukar; Crawford, David; Ball, Kylie

2018-05-15

The present qualitative study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of participants' attitudes, knowledge, perceived effectiveness (a person's belief that his/her behaviour can contribute to environmental preservation) and behaviours relating to a sustainable eating pattern. One-to-one interviews (either face-to-face or by telephone) were conducted following a structured interview schedule, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis in NVivo 10. Victorian (Australia) adult participants recruited via online advertisements, flyers on community advertisement boards and letterbox drops. Twenty-four participants (mean age 40 years, range 19-69 years; thirteen female, eleven male) were interviewed. Participants reported that environmental impact was not an important influence on their food choice. Participants displayed limited knowledge about a sustainable eating pattern, with most unaware of the environmental impact of food-related behaviours. Most participants believed sustainable eating would be only slightly beneficial to the environment. Participants reported undertaking limited sustainable food behaviours currently and were more willing to undertake a food behaviour if they perceived additional benefits, such as promoting health or supporting the local community. The study suggests consumers need further information about a sustainable eating pattern and the environmental impact of food choice. The findings highlight some of the barriers that will need to be addressed when promoting this kind of eating pattern and that a range of interventions will be necessary.

Genetic data from algae sedimentary DNA reflect the influence of environment over geography

PubMed Central

Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen R.; Herzschuh, Ulrike; Pestryakova, Luidmila A.; Klemm, Juliane; Epp, Laura S.; Tiedemann, Ralph

2015-01-01

Genetic investigations on eukaryotic plankton confirmed the existence of modern biogeographic patterns, but analyses of palaeoecological data exploring the temporal variability of these patterns have rarely been presented. Ancient sedimentary DNA proved suitable for investigations of past assemblage turnover in the course of environmental change, but genetic relatedness of the identified lineages has not yet been undertaken. Here, we investigate the relatedness of diatom lineages in Siberian lakes along environmental gradients (i.e. across treeline transects), over geographic distance and through time (i.e. the last 7000 years) using modern and ancient sedimentary DNA. Our results indicate that closely-related Staurosira lineages occur in similar environments and less-related lineages in dissimilar environments, in our case different vegetation and co-varying climatic and limnic variables across treeline transects. Thus our study reveals that environmental conditions rather than geographic distance is reflected by diatom-relatedness patterns in space and time. We tentatively speculate that the detected relatedness pattern in Staurosira across the treeline could be a result of adaptation to diverse environmental conditions across the arctic boreal treeline, however, a geographically-driven divergence and subsequent repopulation of ecologically different habitats might also be a potential explanation for the observed pattern. PMID:26261899

Consistent role of Quaternary climate change in shaping current plant functional diversity patterns across European plant orders.

PubMed

Ordonez, Alejandro; Svenning, Jens-Christian

2017-02-23

Current and historical environmental conditions are known to determine jointly contemporary species distributions and richness patterns. However, whether historical dynamics in species distributions and richness translate to functional diversity patterns remains, for the most part, unknown. The geographic patterns of plant functional space size (richness) and packing (dispersion) for six widely distributed orders of European angiosperms were estimated using atlas distribution data and trait information. Then the relative importance of late-Quaternary glacial-interglacial climate change and contemporary environmental factors (climate, productivity, and topography) as determinants of functional diversity of evaluated orders was assesed. Functional diversity patterns of all evaluated orders exhibited prominent glacial-interglacial climate change imprints, complementing the influence of contemporary environmental conditions. The importance of Quaternary glacial-interglacial climate change factors was comparable to that of contemporary environmental factors across evaluated orders. Therefore, high long-term paleoclimate variability has imposed consistent supplementary constraints on functional diversity of multiple plant groups, a legacy that may permeate to ecosystem functioning and resilience. These findings suggest that strong near-future anthropogenic climate change may elicit long-term functional disequilibria in plant functional diversity.

Genetic data from algae sedimentary DNA reflect the influence of environment over geography.

PubMed

Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen R; Herzschuh, Ulrike; Pestryakova, Luidmila A; Klemm, Juliane; Epp, Laura S; Tiedemann, Ralph

2015-08-11

Genetic investigations on eukaryotic plankton confirmed the existence of modern biogeographic patterns, but analyses of palaeoecological data exploring the temporal variability of these patterns have rarely been presented. Ancient sedimentary DNA proved suitable for investigations of past assemblage turnover in the course of environmental change, but genetic relatedness of the identified lineages has not yet been undertaken. Here, we investigate the relatedness of diatom lineages in Siberian lakes along environmental gradients (i.e. across treeline transects), over geographic distance and through time (i.e. the last 7000 years) using modern and ancient sedimentary DNA. Our results indicate that closely-related Staurosira lineages occur in similar environments and less-related lineages in dissimilar environments, in our case different vegetation and co-varying climatic and limnic variables across treeline transects. Thus our study reveals that environmental conditions rather than geographic distance is reflected by diatom-relatedness patterns in space and time. We tentatively speculate that the detected relatedness pattern in Staurosira across the treeline could be a result of adaptation to diverse environmental conditions across the arctic boreal treeline, however, a geographically-driven divergence and subsequent repopulation of ecologically different habitats might also be a potential explanation for the observed pattern.

Rapid environmental contamination of a new nursing home with antimicrobial-resistant organisms preceding occupation by residents.

PubMed

Ludden, C; Cormican, M; Austin, B; Morris, D

2013-04-01

Nursing homes are reservoirs for antimicrobial-resistant organisms (AROs). This study examined the time to environmental contamination with AROs in a new-build nursing home. Environmental sites in an occupied nursing home (N = 18) and a newly built replacement nursing home (N = 21) were monitored during an 11-week period before and after residents transferred between buildings. Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was detected during commissioning in the new building and was a frequent finding throughout the building after residents had moved in. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing E. coli O25b:ST131 was detected once. Copyright © 2012 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Space station protective coating development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pippin, H. G.; Hill, S. G.

1989-01-01

A generic list of Space Station surfaces and candidate material types is provided. Environmental exposures and performance requirements for the different Space Station surfaces are listed. Coating materials and the processing required to produce a viable system, and appropriate environmental simulation test facilities are being developed. Mass loss data from the original version of the atomic oxygen test chamber and the improved facility; additional environmental exposures performed on candidate materials; and materials properties measurements on candidate coatings to determine the effects of the exposures are discussed. Methodologies of production, and coating materials, used to produce the large scale demonstration articles are described. The electronic data base developed for the contract is also described. The test chamber to be used for exposure of materials to atomic oxygen was built.

Prediction of biological integrity based on environmental similarity--revealing the scale-dependent link between study area and top environmental predictors.

PubMed

Bedoya, David; Manolakos, Elias S; Novotny, Vladimir

2011-03-01

Indices of Biological integrity (IBI) are considered valid indicators of the overall health of a water body because the biological community is an endpoint within natural systems. However, prediction of biological integrity using information from multi-parameter environmental observations is a challenging problem due to the hierarchical organization of the natural environment, the existence of nonlinear inter-dependencies among variables as well as natural stochasticity and measurement noise. We present a method for predicting the Fish Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) using multiple environmental observations at the state-scale in Ohio. Instream (chemical and physical quality) and offstream parameters (regional and local upstream land uses, stream fragmentation, and point source density and intensity) are used for this purpose. The IBI predictions are obtained using the environmental site-similarity concept and following a simple to implement leave-one-out cross validation approach. An IBI prediction for a sampling site is calculated by averaging the observed IBI scores of observations clustered in the most similar branch of a dendrogram--a hierarchical clustering tree of environmental observations--built using the rest of the observations. The standardized Euclidean distance is used to assess dissimilarity between observations. The constructed predictive model was able to explain 61% of the IBI variability statewide. Stream fragmentation and regional land use explained 60% of the variability; the remaining 1% was explained by instream habitat quality. Metrics related to local land use, water quality, and point source density and intensity did not improve the predictive model at the state-scale. The impact of local environmental conditions was evaluated by comparing local characteristics between well- and mispredicted sites. Significant differences in local land use patterns and upstream fragmentation density explained some of the model's over-predictions. Local land use conditions explained some of the model's IBI under-predictions at the state-scale since none of the variables within this group were included in the best final predictive model. Under-predicted sites also had higher levels of downstream fragmentation. The proposed variables ranking and predictive modeling methodology is very well suited for the analysis of hierarchical environments, such as natural fresh water systems, with many cross-correlated environmental variables. It is computationally efficient, can be fully automated, does not make any pre-conceived assumptions on the variables interdependency structure (such as linearity), and it is able to rank variables in a database and generate IBI predictions using only non-parametric easy to implement hierarchical clustering. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling pattern in collections of parameters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Link, W.A.

1999-01-01

Wildlife management is increasingly guided by analyses of large and complex datasets. The description of such datasets often requires a large number of parameters, among which certain patterns might be discernible. For example, one may consider a long-term study producing estimates of annual survival rates; of interest is the question whether these rates have declined through time. Several statistical methods exist for examining pattern in collections of parameters. Here, I argue for the superiority of 'random effects models' in which parameters are regarded as random variables, with distributions governed by 'hyperparameters' describing the patterns of interest. Unfortunately, implementation of random effects models is sometimes difficult. Ultrastructural models, in which the postulated pattern is built into the parameter structure of the original data analysis, are approximations to random effects models. However, this approximation is not completely satisfactory: failure to account for natural variation among parameters can lead to overstatement of the evidence for pattern among parameters. I describe quasi-likelihood methods that can be used to improve the approximation of random effects models by ultrastructural models.

Eleuthera Island, Bahamas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Eleuthera Island, (24.5N, 76.0W) Bahamas Island Group, is one of several within the archipelago surrounded by shallow seas, visible here as light blue. Mosaic patterns of sand waves built by sea bottom currents in the shallows stand out in stark contrast to the deep blue of the ocean depths of a thousand feet in the Exuma Sound.

Collaboration Is Key: Librarians and Composition Instructors Analyze Student Research and Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barratt, Caroline Cason; Nielsen, Kristin; Desmet, Christy; Balthazor, Ron

2009-01-01

This study describes a collaborative research project between two composition instructors and two librarians that analyzed citation patterns among students in the First-year Composition Program at the University of Georgia. Built upon earlier bibliometric studies, this study seeks not only to examine a large data set of citations--larger than was…

Exploring Multiple Patterns of Faculty Productivity in STEM Disciplines at Doctoral Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ying

2010-01-01

This study is one of only a few that attempts to examine simultaneously faculty productivity in teaching, research, and service. The research is guided by a conceptual model built from several branches of the literature on career stage theory, motivation theory, and previous studies of faculty productivity. The model hypothesizes that faculty…

Perceived and Objective Measures of Neighborhood Environment for Physical Activity Among Mexican Adults, 2011

PubMed Central

Salvo, Deborah; Lamadrid-Figueroa, Héctor; Hernández, Bernardo; Rivera-Dommarco, Juan A.; Pratt, Michael

2016-01-01

Introduction Environmental supports for physical activity may help residents to be physically active. However, such supports might not help if residents’ perceptions of the built environment do not correspond with objective measures. We assessed the associations between objective and perceived measures of the built environment among adults in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and examined whether certain variables modified this relationship. Methods We conducted a population-based (n = 645) study in 2011 that used objective (based on geographic information systems) and perceived (by questionnaire) measures of the following features of the built environment: residential density, mixed-land use, intersection density, and proximity to parks and transit stops. We used linear regression to assess the adjusted associations between these measures and to identify variables modifying these relationships. Results Adjusted associations were significant for all features (P < .05) except intersection density and proximity to transit stops. Significantly stronger associations between perceived and objective measures were observed among participants with low socioeconomic status, participants who did not own a motor vehicle or did not meet physical activity recommendations, and participants perceiving parks as safe. Conclusion Perceived measures of residential density, mixed-land use, and proximity to parks are associated with objective environmental measures related to physical activity. However, in Mexico, it should not be assumed that perceived measures of intersection density and proximity to transit stops are the same as objective measures. Our results are consistent with those from high-income countries in that associations between perceived and objective measures are modified by individual sociodemographic and psychosocial factors. PMID:27281391

Hierarchical Distributed-Lag Models: Exploring Varying Geographic Scale and Magnitude in Associations Between the Built Environment and Health.

PubMed

Baek, Jonggyu; Sanchez-Vaznaugh, Emma V; Sánchez, Brisa N

2016-03-15

It is well known that associations between features of the built environment and health depend on the geographic scale used to construct environmental attributes. In the built environment literature, it has long been argued that geographic scales may vary across study locations. However, this hypothesized variation has not been systematically examined due to a lack of available statistical methods. We propose a hierarchical distributed-lag model (HDLM) for estimating the underlying overall shape of food environment-health associations as a function of distance from locations of interest. This method enables indirect assessment of relevant geographic scales and captures area-level heterogeneity in the magnitudes of associations, along with relevant distances within areas. The proposed model was used to systematically examine area-level variation in the association between availability of convenience stores around schools and children's weights. For this case study, body mass index (weight kg)/height (m)2) z scores (BMIz) for 7th grade children collected via California's 2001-2009 FitnessGram testing program were linked to a commercial database that contained locations of food outlets statewide. Findings suggested that convenience store availability may influence BMIz only in some places and at varying distances from schools. Future research should examine localized environmental or policy differences that may explain the heterogeneity in convenience store-BMIz associations. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The superconducting high-resolution soft X-ray spectrometer at the advanced biological and environmental X-ray facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedrich, S.; Drury, O. B.; George, S. J.; Cramer, S. P.

2007-11-01

We have built a 36-pixel superconducting tunnel junction X-ray spectrometer for chemical analysis of dilute samples in the soft X-ray band. It offers an energy resolution of ˜10-20 eV FWHM below 1 keV, a solid angle coverage of ˜10 -3, and can be operated at total rates of up to ˜10 6 counts/s. Here, we describe the spectrometer performance in speciation measurements by fluorescence-detected X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Advanced Biological and Environmental X-ray facility at the ALS synchrotron.

Microbial identification system for Space Station Freedom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Harlan D.; Scarlett, Janie B.; Skweres, Joyce A.; Fortune, Russell L.; Staples, John L.; Pierson, Duane L.

1989-01-01

The Environmental Health System (EHS) and Health Maintenance Facility (HMF) on Space Station Freedom will require a comprehensive microbiology capability. This requirement entails the development of an automated system to perform microbial identifications on isolates from a variety of environmental and clinical sources and, when required, to perform antimicrobial sensitivity testing. The unit currently undergoing development and testing is the Automated Microbiology System II (AMS II) built by Vitek Systems, Inc. The AMS II has successfully completed 12 months of laboratory testing and evaluation for compatibility with microgravity operation. The AMS II is a promising technology for use on Space Station Freedom.

40 CFR 158.2174 - Experimental use permit microbial pesticides nontarget organisms and environmental fate data...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... describe how to use this table to determine the terrestrial and aquatic nontarget organisms data... this section. (b) Use patterns. Aquatic uses include: food and feed, nonfood uses (e.g., outdoor... Organisms and Environmental Fate Data Requirements Guideline Number Data Requirement Use Patterns Aquatic...

Latitudinal concordance between biogeographic regionalization, community structure, and richness patterns: a study on the reptiles of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Youhua; Srivastava, Diane S.

2015-02-01

Latitudinal patterns in species richness may be affected by both continuous variations in macroecological factors as well as discrete change between biogeographic regions. We examined whether latitudinal reptilian richness and community structure in China were best explained by three macroecological patterns (mid-domain effects, Rapoport's rule effects, or environmental correlates) within or across the ranges of biogeographic realms. The results showed that (1) there was a weak mid-domain effect within the Oriental Realm. However, the mid-domain effect was detected neither at the overall regional scale nor in the Palaearctic Realm. (2) Rapoport's rule was only weakly supported for reptilian fauna in China at lower latitudinal areas. (3) Environmental variables were more strongly correlated with species' latitudinal community structure and richness patterns at the scale of biogeographic realms. Based on the faunal similarity of reptilian community across latitudinal bands, we proposed a latitudinal delineation scheme at 34° N for dividing East Asia into Oriental and Palaearctic biogeographic realms. At last, at the functional group level, we also evaluated the relevant ecological patterns for lizard and snake species across different latitudinal bins, showing that the distributions of lizards presented strong mid-domain effects at the latitudinal ranges within the Oriental Realm and over the whole range but did not support Rapoport's rule. In comparison, snake species supported Rapoport's rule at low latitudinal zones but did not present any remarkable mid-domain effects at any spatial extents. In conclusion, biogeographic realms are an appropriate scale for studying macroecological patterns. Reptilian latitudinal richness patterns of China were explained by a combination of environmental factors and geometric constraints, while the latitudinal community structure patterns were greatly affected by environmental gradients. Functional guilds present differentiated macroecological patterns along the latitudinal gradients.

Environmental and socio-demographic associates of children’s active transport to school: a cross-sectional investigation from the URBAN Study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Active transport (e.g., walking, cycling) to school (ATS) can contribute to children’s physical activity and health. The built environment is acknowledged as an important factor in understanding children’s ATS, alongside parental factors and seasonality. Inconsistencies in methodological approaches exist, and a clear understanding of factors related to ATS remains equivocal. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of associates of children’s ATS, by considering the effects of daily weather patterns and neighbourhood walk ability and neighbourhood preferences (i.e., for living in a high or low walkable neighbourhood) on this behaviour. Methods Data were drawn from the Understanding Relationships between Activity and Neighbourhoods study, a cross-sectional study of physical activity and the built environment in adults and children in four New Zealand cities. Parents of participating children completed an interview and daily trip diary that assessed their child’s mode of travel to school, household and individual demographic information, and parental neighbourhood preference. Daily weather data were downloaded from New Zealand’s national climate database. Geographic information systems-derived variables were calculated for distance to school and neighbourhood walkability. Bivariate analyses were conducted with ATS and potential associates; factors related to ATS at p < 0.20 were considered simultaneously in generalized estimation equation models, and backwards elimination of non-significant factors was conducted; city was treated as a fixed effect in all models. Results A total of 217 children aged 6.5-15 years participated in this study. Female sex, age, city, household income, limited/no car access, residing in zone of school, shorter distance to school, neighbourhood self selection, rainfall, and sunlight hours were simultaneously considered in multivariate generalised estimation equation modelling (all p < 0.20 in bivariate analyses). After elimination of non-significant factors, age (p = 0.005), shorter distance to school (p < 0.001), city (p = 0.03), and neighbourhood self selection (p = 0.04) remained significantly associated with ATS in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion Distance to school is the prevailing environmental influencing factor on children’s ATS. This study, in conjunction with previous research, suggests that school siting is likely an important associate of children’s ATS. PMID:24888516