Sample records for changing industrial patterns

  1. [Spatiotemporal patterns and driving forces of land use change in industrial relocation area: a case study of old industrial area in Tiexi of Shenyang, Northeast China].

    PubMed

    Wang, Mei-Ling; Bing, Long-Fei; Xi, Feng-Ming; Wu, Rui; Geng, Yong

    2013-07-01

    Based on the QuickBird remote sensing images and with the support of GIS, this paper analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of land use change and its driving forces in old industrial area of Tiexi, Shenyang City of Liaoning Province in 2000-2010. During the study period, the industrial and mining warehouse land pattern had the greatest change, evolving from the historical pattern of residential land in the south and of industrial land in the north into residential land as the dominant land use pattern. In the last decade, the residential land area increased by 9%, mainly transferred from the industrial and mining warehouse land located in the north of Jianshe Road, while the industrial and mining warehouse land area decreased by 20%. The land areas for the commercial service and for the administrative and public services were increased by 1.3% and 3.1%, respectively. The land area for construction had a greater change, with an overall change rate being 76.9%. The land use change rate in 2000-2005 was greater than that in 2005-2010. National development strategies and policies, regional development planning, administrative reform, and industrial upgrading were the main driving forces of the land use change in old industrial area of Tiexi.

  2. Career patterns of healthcare executives.

    PubMed

    Fahey, D F; Myrtle, R C

    2001-02-01

    This research examines the job and career changes of healthcare executives and managers working in different segments of the healthcare industry in the western United States. The results suggest that the job and career patterns in the healthcare delivery sector are undergoing significant transformation. One third of the respondents reports that at least one of their last four job changes was involuntary or unplanned. One half of those attempted to make a career change. This study identifies four different executive and management career patterns. The most common was one of multiple career changes. The second pattern was that of a single career change, followed by a 'traditional' career in which one did not seek a career change. The final pattern was characterized as a movement back and forth between two different segments of the healthcare industry. Age, gender, marital status and education were not associated with any specific career pattern. The need to achieve results early in the respondent's career had a strong influence on career patterns. This study confirms the fluidity of career movement and the changing permeability between the various segments of the healthcare industry. It also suggests that career success increasingly will require broad management experience in those different segments.

  3. Recent Warming, Rather than Industrial Emissions of Bioavailable Nutrients, Is the Dominant Driver of Lake Primary Production Shifts across the Athabasca Oil Sands Region

    PubMed Central

    Summers, Jamie C.; Kurek, Joshua; Kirk, Jane L.; Muir, Derek C. G.; Wang, Xiaowa; Wiklund, Johan A.; Cooke, Colin A.; Evans, Marlene S.; Smol, John P.

    2016-01-01

    Freshwaters in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) are vulnerable to the atmospheric emissions and land disturbances caused by the local oil sands industry; however, they are also affected by climate change. Recent observations of increases in aquatic primary production near the main development area have prompted questions about the principal drivers of these limnological changes. Is the enhanced primary production due to deposition of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from local industry or from recent climatic changes? Here, we use downcore, spectrally-inferred chlorophyll-a (VRS-chla) profiles (including diagenetic products) from 23 limnologically-diverse lakes with undisturbed catchments to characterize the pattern of primary production increases in the AOSR. Our aim is to better understand the relative roles of the local oil sands industry versus climate change in driving aquatic primary production trends. Nutrient deposition maps, generated using geostatistical interpolations of spring-time snowpack measurements from a grid pattern across the AOSR, demonstrate patterns of elevated total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and bioavailable nitrogen deposition around the main area of industrial activity. However, this pattern is not observed for bioavailable phosphorus. Our paleolimnological findings demonstrate consistently greater VRS-chla concentrations compared to pre-oil sands development levels, regardless of morphological and limnological characteristics, landscape position, bioavailable nutrient deposition, and dibenzothiophene (DBT)-inferred industrial impacts. Furthermore, breakpoint analyses on VRS-chla concentrations across a gradient of DBT-inferred industrial impact show limited evidence of a contemporaneous change among lakes. Despite the contribution of bioavailable nitrogen to the landscape from industrial activities, we find no consistency in the spatial pattern and timing of VRS-chla shifts with an industrial fertilizing signal. Instead, significant positive correlations were observed between VRS-chla and annual and seasonal temperatures. Our findings suggest warmer air temperatures and likely decreased ice covers are important drivers of enhanced aquatic primary production across the AOSR. PMID:27135946

  4. Changes in Occupational Employment in the Food and Kindred Products Industry, 1977-1980. Technical Note No. 1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Gary

    The extent to which occupational staffing patterns change over time was examined in a study focusing on the Food and Kindred Products industry--Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 20. Data were taken from the 1977 and 1980 Occupational Employment Statistics program coordinated by the United States Department of Labor Statistics. Actual 1980…

  5. History of Physicists in Industry. Final Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, R. Joseph; Butler, Orville R.

    2008-01-01

    This project is the first systematic study of the organizational structure, communications patterns, and archival records of industrial physicists in the U.S., and it provides general guidelines for understanding and documenting their work. The study confirms that the organization and management of industrial R&D is volatile, changing in response…

  6. County business patterns, 1996 : Kansas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  7. County business patterns, 1997 : Texas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  8. County business patterns, 1997 : Connecticut

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  9. County business patterns, 1997 : Georgia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  10. County business patterns, 1997 : Ohio

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  11. County business patterns, 1997 : Indiana

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  12. County business patterns, 1997 : Nevada

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  13. County business patterns, 1997 : Louisiana

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  14. County business patterns, 1997 : Michigan

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  15. County business patterns, 1997 : Iowa

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  16. County business patterns, 1997 : Florida

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  17. County business patterns, 1997 : Arizona

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  18. County business patterns, 1997 : New York

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  19. County business patterns, 1997 : Illinois

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  20. County business patterns, 1997 : Virginia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  1. County business patterns, 1997 : North Carolina

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  2. County business patterns, 1997 : Pennsylvania

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  3. County business patterns, 1997 : Minnesota

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  4. County business patterns, 1997 : Alabama

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  5. County business patterns, 1997 : Delaware

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  6. County business patterns, 1997 : Hawaii

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  7. County business patterns, 1997 : Vermont

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  8. County business patterns, 1996 : Indiana

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  9. County business patterns, 1997 : Oregon

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  10. County business patterns, 1997 : New Mexico

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  11. County business patterns, 1996 : Texas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  12. County business patterns, 1996 : Arizona

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  13. County business patterns, 1997 : Kentucky

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  14. County business patterns, 1996 : North Carolina

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  15. County business patterns, 1997 : Tennessee

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  16. County business patterns, 1996 : New York

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  17. County business patterns, 1996 : California

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  18. County business patterns, 1997 : Puerto Rico

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  19. County business patterns, 1997 : Mississippi

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  20. County business patterns, 1996 : Vermont

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  1. County business patterns, 1996 : Oklahoma

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  2. County business patterns, 1997 : Colorado

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  3. County business patterns, 1996 : Maryland

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  4. County business patterns, 1996 : Wyoming

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  5. County business patterns, 1996 : Missouri

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  6. County business patterns, 1996 : Nevada

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  7. County business patterns, 1997 : Missouri

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  8. County business patterns, 1996 : Rhode Island

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  9. County business patterns, 1996 : Michigan

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  10. County business patterns, 1996 : New Jersey

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  11. County business patterns, 1996 : Arkansas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  12. County business patterns, 1996 : Nebraska

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  13. County business patterns, 1997 : Utah

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  14. County business patterns, 1997 : Wyoming

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  15. County business patterns, 1997 : Rhode Island

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  16. County business patterns, 1996 : Massachusetts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  17. County business patterns, 1996 : Iowa

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  18. County business patterns, 1996 : Alabama

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  19. County business patterns, 1997 : West Virginia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  20. County business patterns, 1997 : Washington

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  1. County business patterns, 1996 : South Dakota

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  2. County business patterns, 1996 : Pennsylvania

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  3. County business patterns, 1996 : Maine

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  4. County business patterns, 1996 : Delaware

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  5. County business patterns, 1997 : Maine

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  6. County business patterns, 1997 : Oklahoma

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  7. County business patterns, 1997 : Wisconsin

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  8. County business patterns, 1997 : Kansas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  9. County business patterns, 1996 : Hawaii

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  10. County business patterns, 1996 : Alaska

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  11. County business patterns, 1996 : Louisiana

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  12. County business patterns, 1996 : Ohio

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  13. County business patterns, 1996 : Montana

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  14. County business patterns, 1996 : North Dakota

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  15. County business patterns, 1996 : Georgia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  16. County business patterns, 1996 : New Mexico

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  17. County business patterns, 1996 : Mississippi

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  18. County business patterns, 1997 : Montana

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  19. County business patterns, 1997 : South Dakota

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  20. County business patterns, 1997 : New Jersey

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  1. County business patterns, 1996 : Wisconsin

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  2. County business patterns, 1997 : Nebraska

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  3. County business patterns, 1996 : Florida

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  4. County business patterns, 1996 : Utah

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  5. County business patterns, 1996 : Virginia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  6. County business patterns, 1996 : Connecticut

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  7. County business patterns, 1996 : Puerto Rico

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  8. County business patterns, 1997 : South Carolina

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  9. County business patterns, 1996 : Idaho

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  10. County business patterns, 1996 : New Hampshire

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  11. County business patterns, 1996 : West Virginia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  12. County business patterns, 1997 : New Hampshire

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  13. County business patterns, 1996 : Tennessee

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  14. County business patterns, 1997 : Maryland

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  15. County business patterns, 1997 : Massachusetts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  16. County business patterns, 1997 : Idaho

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  17. County business patterns, 1996 : Colorado

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  18. County business patterns, 1997 : Arkansas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  19. County business patterns, 1996 : Kentucky

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  20. County business patterns, 1996 : Illinois

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  1. County business patterns, 1996 : Oregon

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  2. County business patterns, 1996 : South Carolina

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  3. County business patterns, 1996 : Minnesota

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  4. County business patterns, 1997 : Alaska

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  5. County business patterns, 1997 : North Dakota

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  6. Public Health Campaigns to Change Industry Practices that Damage Health: An Analysis of 12 Case Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freudenberg, Nicholas; Picard Bradley, Sarah; Serrano, Monica

    2009-01-01

    Industry practices such as advertising, production of unsafe products, and efforts to defeat health legislation play a major role in current patterns of U.S. ill health. Changing these practices may be a promising strategy to promote health. The authors analyze 12 campaigns designed to modify the health-related practices of U.S. corporations in…

  7. Changes in Tennessee's secondary hardwood processing and sawmill industries from 2005 to 2009

    Treesearch

    William G. Luppold; Delton Alderman; Doug. Schnabel

    2012-01-01

    Tennessee is in the center of the Eastern hardwood region and has experienced large declines in employment by primary and secondary hardwood processors since 2005 in a pattern similar to the one these processors have experienced nationally. The objective of this article is to examine changes in national hardwood processing industries between 2005 and 2009 and compare...

  8. County business patterns, 1997 : U.S. summary

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  9. County business patterns, 1997 : District of Columbia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  10. County business patterns, 1996 : District of Columbia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  11. County business patterns, 1996 : U.S. summary

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  12. Structural change in industry and futures for the electricity industry. Final report

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

    Schwartz, P.; Harris, G.

    1995-06-01

    The electricity supply industry in the United States has been experiencing major technological changes and economics of the business have altered dramatically since the passage of the Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA). This opening of power generation business to competition was under-pinned by significant increases in gas turbine efficiency, commercialization of smaller units with high efficiencies, low gas prices, and cost consciousness on the part of independent power producers (IPPs) and major industrial customers. The pace of change continues to accelerate, driven by ongoing technological innovations and customer demands for better, more customized services and lower costs.more » The purpose of this report is to provoke further thought on the likely course of structural change in the electric utility industry over the next twenty years. The prime focus of the report is on technological change and its impact on economics, and the resulting organizational and structural change. This report begins with a brief look at structural change in several capital-intensive industries to identify common patterns applicable to the electricity industry. The industries selected have network-like operations, similar to the electric utility industry. This is followed by two scenarios which illuminate different plausible futures for the electric power industry. The report concludes with insights on the potential course of regulations and suitable strategies to prosper during the transition phase.« less

  13. Effect of Food Regulation on the Spanish Food Processing Industry: A Dynamic Productivity Analysis.

    PubMed

    Kapelko, Magdalena; Oude Lansink, Alfons; Stefanou, Spiro E

    2015-01-01

    This article develops the decomposition of the dynamic Luenberger productivity growth indicator into dynamic technical change, dynamic technical inefficiency change and dynamic scale inefficiency change in the dynamic directional distance function context using Data Envelopment Analysis. These results are used to investigate for the Spanish food processing industry the extent to which dynamic productivity growth and its components are affected by the introduction of the General Food Law in 2002 (Regulation (EC) No 178/2002). The empirical application uses panel data of Spanish meat, dairy, and oils and fats industries over the period 1996-2011. The results suggest that in the oils and fats industry the impact of food regulation on dynamic productivity growth is negative initially and then positive over the long run. In contrast, the opposite pattern is observed for the meat and dairy processing industries. The results further imply that firms in the meat processing and oils and fats industries face similar impacts of food safety regulation on dynamic technical change, dynamic inefficiency change and dynamic scale inefficiency change.

  14. Effect of Food Regulation on the Spanish Food Processing Industry: A Dynamic Productivity Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Kapelko, Magdalena; Lansink, Alfons Oude; Stefanou, Spiro E.

    2015-01-01

    This article develops the decomposition of the dynamic Luenberger productivity growth indicator into dynamic technical change, dynamic technical inefficiency change and dynamic scale inefficiency change in the dynamic directional distance function context using Data Envelopment Analysis. These results are used to investigate for the Spanish food processing industry the extent to which dynamic productivity growth and its components are affected by the introduction of the General Food Law in 2002 (Regulation (EC) No 178/2002). The empirical application uses panel data of Spanish meat, dairy, and oils and fats industries over the period 1996-2011. The results suggest that in the oils and fats industry the impact of food regulation on dynamic productivity growth is negative initially and then positive over the long run. In contrast, the opposite pattern is observed for the meat and dairy processing industries. The results further imply that firms in the meat processing and oils and fats industries face similar impacts of food safety regulation on dynamic technical change, dynamic inefficiency change and dynamic scale inefficiency change. PMID:26057878

  15. Transformation of environmental conditions in large former Soviet countries: regional analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bityukova, V. R.; Borovikov, M. S.

    2018-01-01

    The article studies changes in the structure of environmental conditions of regions in the large former Soviet countries (case study of Russia and Kazakhstan) that have formed considerable contrasts in the placement of industrial complex and population settlement during the previous development stages. The changes related to the transition to market economy have led to essential transformation of environmental conditions. A complex index allowing to assess changes at the regional level in Kazakhstan and Russia and to reveal main similarities and differences between those changes is applied to studying the transformation of regional and industry structure. The article examines both industry-specific and spatial patterns forming environmental conditions at the regional level.

  16. Spatial patterns of hydro-social metrics in the Northeastern United States from the Colonial Era through the Industrial Revolution (1600-1920)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Witherell, B. B.; Bain, D. J.; Salant, N.; Aloysius, N. R.

    2009-12-01

    Humans impact the hydrologic cycle at local, regional and global scales. Understanding how spatial patterns of human water use and hydrologic impact have changed over time is important to future water management in an era of increasing water constraints and globalization of high water-use resources. This study investigates spatial dependence and spatial patterns of hydro-social metrics for the Northeastern United States from 1600 to 1920 through the use of spatial statistical techniques. Several relevant hydro-social metrics, including water residence time, surface water storage (natural and human engineered) and per capita water availability, are analyzed. This study covers a region and period of time that saw significant population growth, landscape change, and industrial growth. These changes had important impacts on water availability. Although some changes such as the elimination of beavers, and the resulting loss of beaver ponds on low-order streams, are felt at a regional scale, preliminary analysis indicates that humans responded to water constraints by acting locally (e.g., mill ponds for water power and water supply reservoirs for public health). This 320-year historical analysis of spatial patterns of hydro-social metrics provides unique insight into long-term changes in coupled human-water systems.

  17. Technical change in US industry: A cross-industry analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nelson, R. R. (Editor)

    1981-01-01

    The nature of the public policies which have influenced the pace and pattern of technical progress in a number of American industries is studied with the view of assessing the broad effects of these policies. The industries studied are agriculture, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, computers, civil aircraft, automobiles and residential construction. The policies considered include research and development funding as well as government procurement, education, information dissemination, patent protection, licensing, regulations, and anti-trust policies.

  18. Rural settlements transition (RST) in a suburban area of metropolis: Internal structure perspectives.

    PubMed

    Ma, Wenqiu; Jiang, Guanghui; Wang, Deqi; Li, Wenqing; Guo, Hongquan; Zheng, Qiuyue

    2018-02-15

    Rural settlements transition (RST) is one of the most significant indices for understanding the phenomena of rural reconstruction and urban-rural transformation in China. However, a systematic overview of RST is missing, and there is a lack of evidence regarding its characteristics from the internal structure perspectives. In this paper, we systematically explore the RST regarding spatio-temporal change characteristics of internal structure, patterns and impacts on rural environment and development by using practical survey internal land-use data from 2005 to 2015. The results show that the temporal change characteristics of the internal structure of rural settlements demonstrate a tendency for housing land to decrease and other land-use types to increase. The spatial change characteristics reveal that the structure inclines to more complexity and diversity from an exurban area to an urban-rural fringe area. Based on this finding, we identify that rapid development of rural industrialization, more agglomerate and effective industrial land-use, and improved public infrastructure construction are the general RST patterns. Spatially, there exists a physical decay pattern in the exurban area, thereby resulting in the hollowing-out of rural industries and of the population. In addition, the extensive and disorderly pattern in the suburban area causes low efficiency output and serious environmental pollution. The RST pattern in the urban hinterland promoted the "men-environment" compatible development. The study concludes that regional differentiation in patterns and impacts are significant in the process of RST. Future adaptive strategies for rural settlements adjustment should be conducted according to regional characteristics, including socio-economic status, physical geography condition and economic location to improve the rural environmental sustainability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Spectroscopic vector analysis for fast pattern quality monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sohn, Younghoon; Ryu, Sungyoon; Lee, Chihoon; Yang, Yusin

    2018-03-01

    In semiconductor industry, fast and effective measurement of pattern variation has been key challenge for assuring massproduct quality. Pattern measurement techniques such as conventional CD-SEMs or Optical CDs have been extensively used, but these techniques are increasingly limited in terms of measurement throughput and time spent in modeling. In this paper we propose time effective pattern monitoring method through the direct spectrum-based approach. In this technique, a wavelength band sensitive to a specific pattern change is selected from spectroscopic ellipsometry signal scattered by pattern to be measured, and the amplitude and phase variation in the wavelength band are analyzed as a measurement index of the pattern change. This pattern change measurement technique is applied to several process steps and verified its applicability. Due to its fast and simple analysis, the methods can be adapted to the massive process variation monitoring maximizing measurement throughput.

  20. CHANGING PATTERNS IN CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR BUSINESS.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    OLEAN, SALLY J.

    AFTER WORLD WAR II, BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY MOVED INTO THE ADULT EDUCATION FIELD, AND ARE NOW SPENDING A REPORTED $20 BILLION ANNUALLY IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR THEIR SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL AND MANAGEMENT. LARGE INDUSTRIES, LIKE IBM, HAVE COMPLETE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES FOR THEIR PERSONNEL. FORD AND GENERAL MOTORS USE OUTSIDE EDUCATIONAL…

  1. IT Knowledge Requirements Identification in Organizational Networks: Cooperation Between Industrial Organizations and Universities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rudzajs, Peteris; Kirikova, Marite

    ICT professionals face rapid technology development, changes in design paradigms, methodologies, approaches, and cooperation patterns. These changes impact relationships between universities that teach ICT disciplines and industrial organizations that develop and use ICT-based products. The required knowledge and skills of university graduates depend mainly on the current industrial situation; therefore the university graduates have to meet industry requirements which are stated at the time point of their graduation, not at the start of their studies. Continuous cooperation between universities and industrial organizations is needed to identify a time and situation-dependent set of knowledge requirements, which lead to situation aware, industry acknowledged, balanced and productive ICT study programs. This chapter proposes information systems solutions supporting cooperation between the university and the industrial organizations with respect to curriculum development in ICT area.

  2. Mortality and economic instability: detailed analyses for Britain and comparative analyses for selected industrialized countries.

    PubMed

    Brenner, M H

    1983-01-01

    This paper discusses a first-stage analysis of the link of unemployment rates, as well as other economic, social and environmental health risk factors, to mortality rates in postwar Britain. The results presented represent part of an international study of the impact of economic change on mortality patterns in industrialized countries. The mortality patterns examined include total and infant mortality and (by cause) cardiovascular (total), cerebrovascular and heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide, homicide and motor vehicle accidents. Among the most prominent factors that beneficially influence postwar mortality patterns in England/Wales and Scotland are economic growth and stability and health service availability. A principal detrimental factor to health is a high rate of unemployment. Additional factors that have an adverse influence on mortality rates are cigarette consumption and heavy alcohol use and unusually cold winter temperatures (especially in Scotland). The model of mortality that includes both economic changes and behavioral and environmental risk factors was successfully applied to infant mortality rates in the interwar period. In addition, the "simple" economic change model of mortality (using only economic indicators) was applied to other industrialized countries. In Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Sweden, the simple version of the economic change model could be successfully applied only if the analysis was begun before World War II; for analysis beginning in the postwar era, the more sophisticated economic change model, including behavioral and environmental risk factors, was required. In France, West Germany, Italy, and Spain, by contrast, some success was achieved using the simple economic change model.

  3. County Business Patterns: United States, 2002.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Department of Commerce, 2004

    2004-01-01

    In this report, subnational economic data by industry, including Educational Services, is provided. County Business Patterns is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark for statistical series, surveys, and databases between economic censuses. The number of establishments,…

  4. Changes in Training Opportunities in South Wales, 1945-1998: The Views of Key Informants. Patterns of Participation in Adult Education and Training. Working Paper 12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chambers, Paul; Gorard, Stephen; Fevre, Ralph; Rees, Gareth; Furlong, John

    This study is part of a regional study in industrial South Wales on the determinants of participation and non-participation in post-compulsory education and training, with special reference to processes of change in the patterns of these determinants over time and to variations between geographical areas. The study combines analysis of secondary…

  5. Social theory and social class.

    PubMed

    Susser, I

    1997-01-01

    Concepts of class developed with the emergence of industrial society in the nineteenth century. For an understanding of current divisions, theories must reflect the advances of capitalism and the global economy that characterize the late twentieth century. In industrialized societies, reductions in the industrial workforce and the growth of finance, investment and real-estate industries worldwide have produced a new, largely female, service workforce. Large sectors of industry have departed in search of cheaper labour in poorer countries, which also have a rising number of women workers. In those areas, as a result, a new industrial workforce has emerged. Concomitantly, accumulation of land in less developed agricultural regions for production for the world market has led to an increase in mobile agricultural labour and a shift of landless labourers to the cities of less developed countries. In addition, both upward and downward mobility have occurred for individuals and groups in specific populations, as well as for particular diseases in developed and less developed countries. All these processes have precipitated fundamental changes in class, gender and family relationships and transformed the living conditions of populations in both developed and less developed societies. These changes have major implications for the patterns of health and disease in the world today. Objective measures of social change may be difficult to construct and use in epidemiological cancer research. Since questions of class and shifting social relations are directly implicated in the patterns of disease, they must be assessed in future research as accurately as possible.

  6. Dynamic Speckle Imaging with Low-Cost Devices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vannoni, Maurizio; Trivi, Marcelo; Arizaga, Ricardo; Rabal, Hector; Molesini, Giuseppe

    2008-01-01

    Light from a rough sample surface illuminated with a laser consists of a speckle pattern. If the surface evolves with time, the pattern becomes dynamic, following the activity of the sample. This phenomenon is used both in research and in industry to monitor processes and systems that change with time. The measuring equipment generally includes…

  7. Medium density fiberboards from plantation grown Eucalyptus saligna

    Treesearch

    Andrzej Krzysik; John A. Youngquist; James H. Muehl; Fabio Spina Franca

    1999-01-01

    The production of industrial wood from natural forests is predicted to decline in the future. Factors that will contribute to this decline include changes in land use patterns, depletion of resources in some parts of the world, and the withdrawal of forest areas from industrial production in order to provide for environmental, recreational, and other social needs....

  8. Water Facts and Figures for Planners and Managers. Geological Survey Circular 601-1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feth, J. H.

    This booklet presents the language used in dealing with water. The booklet is intended to provide decision-makers with an adequate base of information to analyze water sources for consumption, recreation, and industry. The first section defines water and its properties, geologic locations, domestic and industrial uses, and patterns of change. The…

  9. A climate-change scenario for the Columbia River Basin.

    Treesearch

    Sue A. Ferguson

    1997-01-01

    This work describes the method used to generate a climate-change scenario for the Columbia River basin. The scenario considers climate patterns that may change if the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (C02), or its greenhouse gas equivalent, were to double over pre-Industrial Revolution values. Given the current rate of increase in...

  10. Temporal-spatial variation and source apportionment of soil heavy metals in the representative river-alluviation depositional system.

    PubMed

    Wang, Cheng; Yang, Zhongfang; Zhong, Cong; Ji, Junfeng

    2016-09-01

    The contributions of major driving forces on temporal changes of heavy metals in the soil in a representative river-alluviation area at the lower of Yangtze River were successfully quantified by combining geostatistics analysis with the modified principal component scores & multiple linear regressions approach (PCS-MLR). The results showed that the temporal (2003-2014) changes of Cu, Zn, Ni and Cr presented a similar spatial distribution pattern, whereas the Cd and Hg showed the distinctive patterns. The temporal changes of soil Cu, Zn, Ni and Cr may be predominated by the emission of the shipbuilding industry, whereas the significant changes of Cd and Hg were possibly predominated by the geochemical and geographical processes, such as the erosion of the Yangtze River water and leaching because of soil acidification. The emission of metal-bearing shipbuilding industry contributed an estimated 74%-83% of the changes in concentrations of Cu, Zn, Ni and Cr, whereas the geochemical and geographical processes may contribute 58% of change of Cd in the soil and 59% of decrease of Hg. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. 29 CFR 1952.246 - Changes to approved plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ..., 1985. (2) The State submitted an industrial hygiene technical manual patterned after and responsive to... personal sampling, ex parte warrants, petition to modify abatement dates, withdrawal of contest...

  12. The U.S. South’s timber sector in 2005: a prospective analysis of recent change

    Treesearch

    David N. Wear; Douglas R. Carter; Jeffrey Prestemon

    2007-01-01

    Forest product markets are an important part of rural economies of the U.S. South, but recent changes in timber markets have raised questions about the future. Several factors have altered forest products markets since the late 1990s, including industry consolidations and associated changes in land ownership, changes in domestic consumption patterns and international...

  13. Climate Change Readiness Assessment and Planning for the Nation's Drinking Water and Wastewater Utilities

    EPA Science Inventory

    The performance and sustainability of the Nation’s urban water resources infrastructure may be adversely impacted by changes in global climate, population patterns, economic stability and other emerging issues. How does the Nation’s water industry view these impending challenges...

  14. Sediment evidence of industrial leakage-induced asynchronous changes in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace metals from a sub-trophic lake, southwest China.

    PubMed

    Wang, Lei; Chen, Guangjie; Kang, Wengang; Wang, Jiaoyuan; Liu, Yuanyuan; Chen, Li

    2018-05-01

    It has been well established that regional patterns of atmosphere-borne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and trace metals were predominantly associated with the trajectory of socio-economic development; however, they could be potentially modulated by anthropogenic fingerprint of local sources such as industrial spill. Here, we established historical pollution data of both PAHs and trace metals from a well-dated sediment core from Yangzong Lake of Southwest China, which experienced a severe tailing leakage accident derived from a zinc concentrate smelting plant in 2007, aiming to evaluate the heterogeneity in their temporal trajectories and their sources of contamination in the context of regional deposition patterns. Sedimentary records show that the concentrations and fluxes of both PAHs and trace metals remained a consistently low level before the 1950s. An increasing trend and the synchronous changes of both PAHs and trace metals during ~ 1950-2002 were well consistent with the temporal pattern of socio-economic development in western China, with coal combustion and smelting industries as the main sources of contamination in this region. However, arsenic (As) and PAHs exhibited a concurrent spike for the period of ~ 2007-2013, contrasting strongly to the regional pattern of these contaminants. The modern concentrations of As revealed a 5- to 14-fold increase over the pre-1950 level, with the contemporary concentrations of PAHs rising by ~ 10-14 times. The sediment records reveal that local fingerprints of smelting activities in the catchment of Yangzong Lake have overridden the temporary pattern of regional atmosphere-borne As and PAHs over the last decade. This highlights the important role of local pollution sources in modulating or even overriding the regional pattern of anthropogenic contamination in highly impacted systems.

  15. The Impact of Service Sector Growth on Changing Patterns of Stratification among Communities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kassab, Cathy

    This paper examines the impact of increasing service sector employment and decreasing manufacturing employment on the distribution of income across communities on the urban-rural continuum. Changes in the differential distribution of industries and family income across this continuum have important consequences for local services, including…

  16. The impact of climate change on the BRICS economies: The case of insurance demand.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ranger, N.; Surminski, S.

    2012-04-01

    Session ERE5.1 Climate change impact on economical and industrial activities The impact of climate change on the BRICS economies: The case of insurance demand. Over the past decade, growth in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) economies has been a key driver of global economic growth. Current forecasts suggest that these markets will continue to be areas of significant growth for a large number of industries. We consider how climate change may influence these trends in the period to 2030, a time horizon that is long in terms of strategic planning in industry, but relatively short for climate change analysis, where the impacts are predicted to be most significant beyond around 2050. Based on current evidence, we expect climate change to affect the BRICS economies in four main ways: 1. The impact of physical climatic changes on the productivity of climate-sensitive economic activity, the local environment, human health and wellbeing, and damages from extreme weather. 2. Changing patterns of investment in climate risk management and adaptation 3. Changing patterns of investments in areas affected by greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation policy, 4. The impacts of the above globally, including on international trade, growth, investment, policy, migration and commodity prices, and their impacts on the BRICS. We review the evidence on the impacts of climate change in the BRICS and then apply this to one particular industry sector: non-life insurance. We propose five potential pathways through which climate change could influence insurance demand: economic growth; willingness to pay for insurance; public policy and regulation; the insurability of natural catastrophe risks; and new opportunities associated with adaptation and greenhouse gas mitigation. We conclude that, with the exception of public policy and regulation, the influence of climate change on insurance demand to 2030 is likely to be small when compared with the expected growth due to rising incomes. The scale of the impacts and their direction depend to some extent on (re)insurer responses to the challenges of climate change. We outline five actions that could pave the way for future opportunities in the industry. Authors of the paper: Ranger, Nicola (Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy/ Grantham Research Institute, London School of Economics, London, UK) and Surminski, Swenja (Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy/ Grantham Research Institute, London School of Economics, London, UK)

  17. 29 CFR 1952.107 - Changes to approved plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    .... (b) The State submitted an industrial hygiene technical manual patterned after the Federal manual... under the plan to Superfund sites and private contractors working on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam...

  18. International labour migration in the Asian-Pacific region: patterns, policies and economic implications.

    PubMed

    Athukorala, P

    1993-11-01

    "This paper reviews the literature on international labour migration from and within the Asian-Pacific region. It deals with patterns and characteristics of migration flows, government policies towards labour migration, and economic implications of labour migration for both labour-exporting and importing countries in the region. The indications are that, despite gradual slowing down of labour flows to the western industrial countries and the Middle East, labour migration will continue to be a major economic influence on surplus-labour countries in the region. As an integral part of the growth dynamism in the region, labour migration has now begun to take on a regional dimension, with immense implications for the process of industrial restructuring in high growth economies and the changing pattern of economic interdependence among countries." excerpt

  19. The Effects of Automation on Occupations and Workers in Pennsylvania.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pennsylvania State Employment Service, Harrisburg. Automation Manpower Services Section.

    To provide information on the relationship of automation to changing occupational patterns and related worker displacements, examples of automation and technological change in industry are given. Some summary findings are: (1) Technological advancements cause some jobs to disappear and also cause some new jobs to appear, (2) Many workers dispaced…

  20. Promoting Sustainable Economic Growth in Mexico (Fact Sheet)

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

    Watson, A.; Butheau, M.; Sandor, D.

    2013-11-01

    Mexico is the second largest economy in Latin America, with rapid growth occurring in the industrial and services sectors. A forward-thinking country on climate change, the nation recognizes that the threat of higher temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and more frequent weather-related disasters could pose a substantial risk to its expanding economy.

  1. The sequencing batch reactor as an excellent configuration to treat wastewater from the petrochemical industry.

    PubMed

    Caluwé, Michel; Daens, Dominique; Blust, Ronny; Geuens, Luc; Dries, Jan

    2017-02-01

    In the present study, the influence of a changing feeding pattern from continuous to pulse feeding on the characteristics of activated sludge was investigated with a wastewater from the petrochemical industry from the harbour of Antwerp. Continuous seed sludge, adapted to the industrial wastewater, was used to start up three laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors. After an adaptation period from the shift to pulse feeding, the effect of an increasing organic loading rate (OLR) and volume exchange ratio (VER) were investigated one after another. Remarkable changes of the specific oxygen uptake rate (sOUR), microscopic structure, sludge volume index (SVI), SVI 30 /SVI 5 ratio, and settling rate were observed during adaptation. sOUR increased two to five times and treatment time decreased 43.9% in 15 days. Stabilization of the SVI occurred after a period of 20 days and improved significantly from 300 mL·g -1 to 80 mL·g -1 . Triplication of the OLR and VER had no negative influence on sludge settling and effluent quality. Adaptation time of the microorganisms to a new feeding pattern, OLR and VER was relatively short and sludge characteristics related to aerobic granular sludge were obtained. This study indicates significant potential of the batch activated sludge system for the treatment of this industrial petrochemical wastewater.

  2. Lifetime Learning Trajectories: Close Encounters of Five Kinds. Patterns of Participation in Adult Education and Training. Working Paper 7.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gorard, Stephen; Rees, Gareth; Fevre, Ralph; Furlong, John

    This working paper is a product of a regional study in industrial South Wales of the determinants of participation and non-participation in post-compulsory education and training, with special reference to processes of change in the patterns of these determinants over time and to variations between geographical areas. This paper describes the…

  3. The Division of Labor and Leisure in Modern Society: A New Form of Solidarity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bosserman, Phillip

    The paper suggests that new values created by modern forms of leisure have intersected with critical changes in the work structure to form a new social pattern. The new pattern emerges from a crisis in industrial societies. Factors which have created this crisis include the rupture of the time frames of society (how work and non-work are…

  4. Toward the modeling of land use change: A spatial analysis using remote sensing and historical data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Honea, R. B.

    1976-01-01

    It was hypothesized that the chronological observation of land use change could be shown to follow a predictable pattern and these patterns could be correlated with other statistical data to develop transition probabilities suitable for modeling purposes. A literature review and preliminary research, however, indicated a totally stochastic approach was not practical for simulating land use change and thus a more deterministic approach was adopted. The approach used assumes the determinants of the land use conversion process are found in the market place, where land transactions among buyers and sellers occur. Only one side of the market transaction process is studied, however, namely, the purchaser's desires in securing an ideal or suitable site. The problem was to identify the ideal qualities, quantities or attributes desired in an industrial site (or housing development), and to formulate a general algorithmic statement capable of identifying potential development sites. Research procedures involved developing a list of variables previously noted in the literature to be related to site selection and streamlining the list to a set suitable for statistical testing. A sample of 157 industries which have located (or relocated) in the 16-county Knoxville metropolitan region since 1950 was selected for industrial location analysis. Using NASA color infrared photography and Tennessee Valley Authority historical aerial photography, data were collected on the spatial characteristics of each industrial location event. These data were then subjected to factor analysis to determine the interrelations of variables.

  5. Mortality from accidents, disease, suicide and homicide in the British fishing industry from 1900 to 2010.

    PubMed

    Roberts, Stephen E; Carter, Tim

    2015-01-01

    To establish the causes of mortality in the British fishing industry from 1900 up to 2010, to investigate long term trends in mortality and to identify causal factors in the mortality patterns and rates. A longitudinal study, based on examinations of official death inquiry files, marine accident investigation files and reports, death registers and annual death returns. Mortality rates from accidents while working at sea remain high in the British fishing industry. Over the twentieth century there has been a progressive fall in the numbers of deaths, much of this relates to changes in fishing methods and in the types of vessels used. However in recent years, and with a fleet of smaller vessels, the mortality rates from accidents have shown little change and a larger proportion of deaths than in the past have arisen from personal injuries and drowning as compared to vessel losses. Disease makes a relatively small contribution to mortality at sea and this has dwindled with the decline in distant water fishing. Suicide and homicide both feature in a small way, but rates cannot readily be compared with those ashore. The pattern of change in vessels, fisheries and fishing techniques over the study period are complex. However, improved injury and drowning prevention is the most important way to reduce deaths, coupled with attention to vessel stability and maintenance. The social, economic and organisational features of the fishing industry mean that securing improvements in these areas is a major challenge.

  6. New challenges and opportunities for industrial biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Chen, Guo-Qiang

    2012-08-20

    Industrial biotechnology has not developed as fast as expected due to some challenges including the emergences of alternative energy sources, especially shale gas, natural gas hydrate (or gas hydrate) and sand oil et al. The weaknesses of microbial or enzymatic processes compared with the chemical processing also make industrial biotech products less competitive with the chemical ones. However, many opportunities are still there if industrial biotech processes can be as similar as the chemical ones. Taking advantages of the molecular biology and synthetic biology methods as well as changing process patterns, we can develop bioprocesses as competitive as chemical ones, these including the minimized cells, open and continuous fermentation processes et al.

  7. Public Transportation and Industrial Location Patterns in California

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-06-06

    This project investigated how changes in rail transit service in California metropolitan areas (Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego) are associated with the concentration of firms and commercial property values. A mixed-methods app...

  8. Medium density fiberboard made from Eucalyptus saligna

    Treesearch

    Andrzej M. Krzysik; James H. Muehl; John A. Youngquist; Fabio Spina Franca

    2001-01-01

    The production of industrial wood from natural forests is predicted to decline in the future. Factors that will contribute to this decline include changes in land use patterns, depletion of resources in some parts of the world, and the withdrawal of...

  9. Current Foreign Aid Patterns and Policies on Education in Developing Countries among Like-Minded Nations: Some Key Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buchert, Lene

    1995-01-01

    Issues in the provision of educational assistance in the 1990s by Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands are discussed in light of the change of the international climate toward developing countries. The changing approaches of these countries reflect new thinking that developing countries need to adapt to the Western industrial world. (SLD)

  10. News media framing of childhood obesity in the United States from 2000 to 2009.

    PubMed

    Barry, Colleen L; Jarlenski, Marian; Grob, Rachel; Schlesinger, Mark; Gollust, Sarah E

    2011-07-01

    The American public holds mixed views about the desirability of government action to combat childhood obesity. The framing of coverage by news media may affect citizens' views about the causes of childhood obesity and the most appropriate strategies for addressing the problem. We analyzed the content of a 20% random sample of news stories on childhood obesity published in 18 national and regional news sources in the United States over a 10-year period (2000-2009). News media coverage patterns indicated that by 2003, childhood obesity was firmly on the news media's agenda and remained so until 2007, after which coverage decreased. We identified changes in news media framing over time and significant differences according to news source. News coverage of causes of childhood obesity that were linked to the food and beverage industry increased in the early years of the study but then decreased markedly in later years. Similarly, mention of solutions to the problem of childhood obesity that involved restrictions on the food and beverage industry followed a reverse U-shaped pattern over the 10-year study period. News stories consistently mentioned individual behavioral changes most often as a solution to the problem of childhood obesity. Television news was more likely than other news sources to focus on behavior change as a solution, whereas newspapers were more likely to identify system-level solutions such as changes that would affect neighborhoods, schools, and the food and beverage industry. Copyright © 2011 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  11. Retrospective and Prospective Decomposition Analysis of Chinese Manufacturing Energy Use, 1995-2020

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

    Hasanbeigi, Ali; Price, Lynn; Fino-Chen, Cecilia

    In 2010, China was responsible for nearly 20 percent of global energy use and 25 percent of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions. Unlike most countries, China’s energy consumption pattern is unique because the industrial sector dominates the country’s total energy consumption, accounting for about 70 percent of energy use and 72 percent of CO 2 emissions in 2010. For this reason, the development path of China’s industrial sector will greatly affect future energy demand and dynamics of not only China, but the entire world. A number of analyses of historical trends have been conducted, but careful projections of themore » key factors affecting China’s industry sector energy use over the next decade are scarce. This study analyzes industrial energy use and the economic structure of the Chinese manufacturing sector in detail. First, the study analyzes the energy use of and output from 18 industry sub-sectors. Then, retrospective (1995-2010) and prospective (2010-2020) decomposition analyses are conducted for these industrial sectors in order to show how different factors (production growth, structural change, and energy intensity change) influenced industrial energy use trends in China over the last 15 years and how they will do so over the next 10 years. The results of this study will allow policy makers to quantitatively compare the level of structural change in the past and in the years to come and adjust their policies if needed to move towards the target of less energy-intensive industries. The scenario analysis shows the structural change achieved through different paths and helps to understand the consequences of supporting or limiting the growth of certain manufacturing subsectors from the point of view of energy use and structural change. The results point out the industries that have the largest influence in such structural change« less

  12. New challenges and opportunities for industrial biotechnology

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Industrial biotechnology has not developed as fast as expected due to some challenges including the emergences of alternative energy sources, especially shale gas, natural gas hydrate (or gas hydrate) and sand oil et al. The weaknesses of microbial or enzymatic processes compared with the chemical processing also make industrial biotech products less competitive with the chemical ones. However, many opportunities are still there if industrial biotech processes can be as similar as the chemical ones. Taking advantages of the molecular biology and synthetic biology methods as well as changing process patterns, we can develop bioprocesses as competitive as chemical ones, these including the minimized cells, open and continuous fermentation processes et al. PMID:22905695

  13. Gendered histories: garment production and migration in Mexico.

    PubMed

    Wilson, F

    1999-02-01

    Data gathered in Aguascalientes during the 1990s are used to analyze how the garment industry in Mexico has responded to economic recession and trade liberalization. In particular, the relationship between industrial change and gendered patterns of migration are explored. The author concludes that "migration over recent years has increasingly allowed working women the possibility of entering a transnational labour force and given them important labouring and living experiences on both sides of the border." excerpt

  14. Land Use Change and Agricultural Land Fragmentation due to Anthropogenic Activities in an Hot Spot Area: A Case Study for Thrace Region of Turkey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Altürk, Bahadır; Konukcu, Fatih

    2017-04-01

    Agricultural lands that supply food, energy and ecosystem services for human life have been lost due to anthropogenic activities such as construction of roads, urban and industry areas. The significant reasons for the increase of artificial surfaces were poorly planned economic decisions by the government and internal migration due to this poorly planning. Unplanned urban sprawl also give rise to land fragmentation. Fragmentation of agricultural land affects both the agricultural production capacity and rural sustainable employment. In this study: i) Land use changes between 1990-2014 period were assessed using remotely sensed data and ii) Spatial and temporal agricultural land fragmentation were investigated using landscape pattern indice (effective mesh size), Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) and Entropy method for 25 years period. The selected"hot spot" study area is located on east Thrace region of Turkey, being the service and industrial development zone where agricultural activities, water resources and natural habitat have been damaged due to rapid urban and industrial development for about 25 years. The results showed that agricultural lands decreased 6.44%, urban areas increased 111.68% and industry areas increased 251.19% during this 25 years period. Additionally, fragmentation analyses demonstrated that core agricultural areas sharply decreased and relative fragmentation (effective mesh size) increased from 50.68% to 56.77% during 1990 and 2014.

  15. Shifting post production patterns: exploring changes in New Zealand's seafood processing industry.

    PubMed

    Stringer, Christina; Simmons, Glenn; Rees, Eugene

    2011-01-01

    This paper examines the changing nature of New Zealand's seafood companies' production practices. The past 15 years has seen the offshore outsourcing of post-harvest fish gain unprecedented momentum. The growth in offshore processing is a further stage in an increasingly globalised fisheries value chain. Fish is head and gutted, frozen and then transported to processing sites in China where it is thawed, value-added processed and refrozen for export to the original sourcing country or third country markets. Reasons advanced by the industry for this shift in production practices include quota reductions, increasing production costs and the sale of trawlers.

  16. Economics of technological change - A joint model for the aircraft and airline industries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kneafsey, J. T.; Taneja, N. K.

    1981-01-01

    The principal focus of this econometric model is on the process of technological change in the U.S. aircraft manufacturing and airline industries. The problem of predicting the rate of introduction of current technology aircraft into an airline's fleet during the period of research, development, and construction for new technology aircraft arises in planning aeronautical research investments. The approach in this model is a statistical one. It attempts to identify major factors that influence transport aircraft manufacturers and airlines, and to correlate them with the patterns of delivery of new aircraft to the domestic trunk carriers. The functional form of the model has been derived from several earlier econometric models on the economics of innovation, acquisition, and technological change.

  17. Deterioration and modification of the biosphere leading to irreversible climatic change of the global ecosystem

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1975-01-01

    The level, intensity, nature and impact of man's activities upon weather and climatic changes are explored. It is shown that industrialization leads to increased CO2 levels, atmospheric dust content and land surfaces changes. This in turn causes global climatic interactions which results in a general cooling trend. Global cooperation is advocated to stem environmental degradation and weather pattern interruption by the use of corrective mechanisms.

  18. Improved Orifice Plate for Spray Gun

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cunningham, W.

    1986-01-01

    Erratic spray pattern of commercial spray gun changed to repeatable one by simple redesign of two parts. In modified spray gun orifice plate and polytetrafluoroethylene bushing redesigned to assure centering and alignment with nozzle. Such improvement useful in many industrial applications requiring repeatable spray patterns. Might include spraying of foam insulation, paint, other protective coatings, detergents, abrasives, adhesives, process chemicals, or fuels. Unmodified spray gun produces erratic spray because lateral misalignment between orifice plate and nozzle.

  19. Some Sociological Alternatives to Human Capital Theory and Their Implications for Research on Post-Compulsory Education and Training. Patterns of Participation in Adult Education and Training. Working Paper 3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fevre, Ralph

    This working paper is a product of a regional study in industrial South Wales of the determinants of participation and non-participation in post-compulsory education and training, with special reference to processes of change in the patterns of these determinants over time and to variations between geographical areas. Based on this data, three…

  20. Heavy Metal Enrichment in laminated lake sediments from N-Germany and N-Poland: Geochemical background, enrichment history and land surface changes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoelzmann, Philipp; Brauer, Achim; Dräger, Nadine; Kienel, Ulrike; Obremska, Milena; Ott, Florian; Słowinski, Michał

    2017-04-01

    For three lake sediment records, situated in rural environments in NE-Germany (Lake Tiefer See) and N-Poland (Lake Czechowskie, Lake Głęboczek), we present a detailed heavy metal enrichment history with sub-decadal resolution for the last 200 years. We determine the local and specific geogenic background values on the base of heavy-metal analysis of pre-industrial sediments and different sediment types (e.g. calcareous gyttja, organic gyttja etc.). These results provide means to calculate and quantify anthropogenic heavy metal accumulations and enrichment factors as well as to define regional measures for a state of reference, reflecting natural conditions without human impact. All three lakes show a similar pattern of relatively low heavy metal concentrations and only Pb, Zn and Cd show a clear parallel pattern of enrichment starting around 1850. This heavy metal enrichment mainly results from atmospheric input due to increasing industrialization within the framework of the Industrial Revolution. Highest concentrations of Cd, Zn, and Pb occur around 1960 to 1980 and thereafter a clear pattern of declining anthropogenic input is registered. This data is supplemented by calculations of mass accumulation rates to determine heavy metal input to the lakes for the past 200 years. For Lake Czechowskie the heavy metal input to the lake is compared to an on average five year resolved pollen record that reflects changes in land use and vegetation.

  1. Education Reform in Botswana: Reflections on Policy Contradictions and Paradoxes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tabulawa, Richard Tjombe

    2009-01-01

    Literature on globalisation claims that changed global patterns of production and industrial organisation have intensified international economic competition, prompting nations globally to restructure their education systems in an attempt to position themselves favourably in an increasingly competitive economic environment. This is an environment…

  2. Restructuring: The Changing Face of Motor Gasoline Marketing

    EIA Publications

    2001-01-01

    This report reviews the U.S. motor gasoline marketing industry during the period 1990 to 1999, focusing on changes that occurred during the period. The report incorporates financial and operating data from the Energy Information Administration's Financial Reporting System (FRS), motor gasoline outlet counts collected by the National Petroleum News from the states, and U.S. Census Bureau salary and employment data published in County Business Patterns.

  3. [Changes in the patterns of food consumption in Latin America].

    PubMed

    Tagle, M A

    1988-09-01

    Food consumption patterns have suffered important although not generalized changes in recent years. A series of factors favor these changes, such as variations in family income, rural-urban migration, increase of tertiary activities related to foods, and exposure to commercial propaganda. All of these factors, when compared among them, do not have the same impact or validity. Thus, while the first two induce changes in the food pattern, the last two guide the consumer to certain food products. Modernization of the food pattern in Latin America and the Caribbean has been inspired by the USA food pattern of the previous decade, which from the nutritional and economic points of view, does not prove to be desirable. The average USA diet is rich in both saturated and mono- and polyunsaturated fats, as well as in refined sugar and all types of additives. It is poor in carbohydrates, particular in those of the complex type; most of its protein is of animal origin. It may also be rich in salt and poor in fiber, as it is made up by well-diversified industrialized foods in their presentation, manufactured and marketed by a highly industrialized production-distribution capitalized structure. The adopted model is not in correspondence with out countries' natural resources; it produces a displacement of the consumption patterns based on autochthonous and/or traditional components, and induces an increase in food imports. Since Latin American countries are of poor economic resources, and the model renders expensive products, these are absorbed by the socioeconomic group able to pay for them and/or--intermittently--as a high-cost product by calorie delivered, by the poor groups who are most in need, a situation which would imply serious damage on the quality and quantity of their diet. Changes in food habits and in food consumption patterns are related to a certain socio-demographic process which cannot be stopped. Consequently, this process should be carefully analyzed and understood in order to contribute to channel it in the best possible manner and to protect the food and nutritional situation of the consumer. The expert in nutrition should therefore play an important role in those tasks of public benefit, fundamentally in the areas of regulation and normalization of the quality of new foods, as well as in the diffusion of information and education, at all levels, of the consumer.

  4. A new climate dataset for systematic assessments of climate change impacts as a function of global warming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heinke, J.; Ostberg, S.; Schaphoff, S.; Frieler, K.; Müller, C.; Gerten, D.; Meinshausen, M.; Lucht, W.

    2013-10-01

    In the ongoing political debate on climate change, global mean temperature change (ΔTglob) has become the yardstick by which mitigation costs, impacts from unavoided climate change, and adaptation requirements are discussed. For a scientifically informed discourse along these lines, systematic assessments of climate change impacts as a function of ΔTglob are required. The current availability of climate change scenarios constrains this type of assessment to a narrow range of temperature change and/or a reduced ensemble of climate models. Here, a newly composed dataset of climate change scenarios is presented that addresses the specific requirements for global assessments of climate change impacts as a function of ΔTglob. A pattern-scaling approach is applied to extract generalised patterns of spatially explicit change in temperature, precipitation and cloudiness from 19 Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCMs). The patterns are combined with scenarios of global mean temperature increase obtained from the reduced-complexity climate model MAGICC6 to create climate scenarios covering warming levels from 1.5 to 5 degrees above pre-industrial levels around the year 2100. The patterns are shown to sufficiently maintain the original AOGCMs' climate change properties, even though they, necessarily, utilise a simplified relationships between ΔTglob and changes in local climate properties. The dataset (made available online upon final publication of this paper) facilitates systematic analyses of climate change impacts as it covers a wider and finer-spaced range of climate change scenarios than the original AOGCM simulations.

  5. A new dataset for systematic assessments of climate change impacts as a function of global warming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heinke, J.; Ostberg, S.; Schaphoff, S.; Frieler, K.; M{ü}ller, C.; Gerten, D.; Meinshausen, M.; Lucht, W.

    2012-11-01

    In the ongoing political debate on climate change, global mean temperature change (ΔTglob) has become the yardstick by which mitigation costs, impacts from unavoided climate change, and adaptation requirements are discussed. For a scientifically informed discourse along these lines systematic assessments of climate change impacts as a function of ΔTglob are required. The current availability of climate change scenarios constrains this type of assessment to a~narrow range of temperature change and/or a reduced ensemble of climate models. Here, a newly composed dataset of climate change scenarios is presented that addresses the specific requirements for global assessments of climate change impacts as a function of ΔTglob. A pattern-scaling approach is applied to extract generalized patterns of spatially explicit change in temperature, precipitation and cloudiness from 19 AOGCMs. The patterns are combined with scenarios of global mean temperature increase obtained from the reduced-complexity climate model MAGICC6 to create climate scenarios covering warming levels from 1.5 to 5 degrees above pre-industrial levels around the year 2100. The patterns are shown to sufficiently maintain the original AOGCMs' climate change properties, even though they, necessarily, utilize a simplified relationships betweenΔTglob and changes in local climate properties. The dataset (made available online upon final publication of this paper) facilitates systematic analyses of climate change impacts as it covers a wider and finer-spaced range of climate change scenarios than the original AOGCM simulations.

  6. Causes, trends, and policy of population migration and the floating population.

    PubMed

    Cai, F

    1996-01-01

    This study provides a discussion of migration theory, a description of the main characteristics of migrants and floating population in China, and a migration impact assessment and potential social policy directions. It is argued that the impetus for migration in China was the population distribution pattern and an uneven industrial structure that favored heavy industry. Another factor affecting migration is the gap in income between urban and rural areas, which has widened since reforms in the mid-1980s. The author finds the Todaro or the Harris-Todaro theories inappropriate for understanding migration in developing countries and flawed. Evidence about migrants' characteristics suggest that migration in China was part of a process governed by the laws of economic growth and market development. Legal migrants are defined as those who legally migrated according to the household registration system. China's development strategy during the 1950s relied on growth of capital-intensive heavy industry. The cost was underwritten by adoption of a price system that shifted the price of products in order to lower the cost of heavy industrial development. During 1952-78, agricultural output dropped sharply, but the employment structure changed very little and the rate of urbanization changed slightly. Regional inequality was obvious by 1978. As reform progressed, patterns emerged that favored eastern coastal development. Microlevel reform outdistanced macrolevel reform. Obstacles to migration were reduced: the breakup of the commune system and changes in the urban food supply system and housing. In 1990 there were 34.128 million migrants, of which 32.42% were interprovincial and 42.99% involved job-related shifts. In 1992, 8.1% of urban population were not registered; 94.909 million were floating population. Cities have established policies to match the size of the floating population to the current carrying capacity.

  7. Land use/land cover change and their effects on landscape patterns in the Yanqi Basin, Xinjiang (China).

    PubMed

    Wang, Shuixian; Wang, Shengli

    2013-12-01

    Human modification of land use and land cover change (LUCC) drives the change of landscape patterns and limits the availability of products and services for human and livestock. LUCC can undermine environmental health. Thus, this study aimed to develop an understanding of LUCC in the Yanqi Basin, Xinjiang, China, an arid area experiencing dramatic water and land resource use. A time series of satellite images (1964, 1973, 1989, 1999, and 2009) were used to calculate the index of landscape patterns to study the processes involved in changes to land uses and landscape patterns and the influence of this changes on landscape patterns. The results show that land uses in the Yanqi Basin have changed dramatically since 1964 with grassland being mainly converted to cropland. Landscape fragmentation and diversity have decreased in the study area, although landscape fragmentation increased from 1964 to 1999 and then decreased by 2009. The index of landscape diversity decreased from 1.64 in 1964 to 0.71 in 2009. The heterogeneity and complexity of the landscape increased during this period. In contrast, the index of dominance decreased from 0.85 in 1964 to 0.83 in 2009. Land use change drives landscape patterns of the development of the watershed toward diversity and a fragmented structure. Population growth, economic development, and industrial policies were the dominant driving forces behind LUCC in the Yanqi Basin. Sustainable use of land resources is a significant factor in maintaining economic development and environmental protection in this arid inland river basin.

  8. [Professional strategy and institutional isomorphism: the dental health insurance industry in Brazil].

    PubMed

    Vieira, Cristine; Costa, Nilson do Rosário

    2008-01-01

    This article analyzes the organizational model of the dental health industry. The main organizational leaders in this industry are the professional cooperatives and group dental insurance companies. The theoretical basis of the article is the organizational theory developed by Di Maggio and Powell. The dental health industry consists of a great number of small and very dynamic companies, however an expressive part of clients and profit are concentrated in a few large companies. The results show that the industry has expanded the number of clients after the creation of the National Health Insurance Agency. The regulation regime has forced institutional changes in the firms with regard to the market entry, permanence or exit patterns. There was no evidence that the regulatory rules have interfered with the development and financial conditions of the industry. The average profitability of the sector, especially among the group dental insurance companies, is extremely high.

  9. Changing values and the impact on land use and social networks in the northern forest region: a qualitative examination

    Treesearch

    Jean Dedam; Rodney Zwick

    2007-01-01

    Patterns of land ownership and economics are changing in the Northern Forest Region of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The percentage of people living in the region who work in the resource extraction industry has become much smaller. Tourism and outdoor recreation are promoted as economic substitutes that will provide an alternate use of the natural...

  10. Women's employment and the production force.

    PubMed

    Li, S

    1990-01-01

    The economic problem of women in China is discussed in terms of the diversification of women's jobs, the growth in women's employment rate, and improvements in women's employment structure. Any change in women's employment status must be compatible with social production forces of labor organization patterns and the demand in professional fields. Fields of employment that are suitable for women need to be expanded. The division of labor is such that men are predominately in heavy industry and women in light industry. The physical makeup of women puts them at a disadvantage, as well as their role in child rearing. The service industry is open to women. The number of new jobs is rapidly increasing in occupations that require more mental work and hence open to women, such as, office maintenance, computer services' technician, computer programmer, and law associates or electrical engineer. The semiconductor industry statistics in southeast Asia reveal that 90% of unmarried women 16-23 years are employed in this industry. Improvement in women's educational levels also provide opportunities. The largest proportion of jobs are still in agriculture, while the country is changing from a natural economy to a market-oriented one. More women are engaged in employment in developed countries, and there is regional variation in female employment patterns. Comparisons are made for countries in southeast Asia in the % of working women. The increase in working women is attributed to increases in very young (16-23 years) and very old (65 years) women. Women's employment has grown on an annual average of 23.7% vs. 15% for the world. During times of economic recession, women's employment grew but in low level jobs. Women in state-owned enterprises rose from 7.5% in 1949 to 32.0% in 1984. Growth for women was fastest in the service industry (4.1%-39.8%), followed closely by scientific research institutions and health services (11.4%-38.2%). Women in agriculture and forestry rose from 2.1% to 35.0%, and in finance and insurance from 11.1% to 35.3%. Very few work in government departments. Employment patterns for women are described for Hebei Province. UN statistics show that 55% of women 15-64 years work which is higher than the world average of 49%. In 1982 the sex ratios were 116 in agriculture, 165 in industry, and 188 in services.

  11. Spatio-temporal Variations of Nitrogen Dioxide over Western China from Satellite Observations during 2005-2013

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Y.; Lin, J.; Huang, B.; Song, C.

    2015-12-01

    Western China has experienced rapid urbanization and industrialization since the implementation of National Western Development Strategy by Chinese Government. Most resource-intensive industries and high-pollution factories had been moved from the east coast to Western China after 2000. In this research, the spatial and temporal variations of tropospheric NO2 concentration in 2005 - 2013 is analyzed based on the satellite observations by Ozone Measurement Instrument (OMI). The annual trends and seasonality of tropospheric NO2 over Western China are calculated. The results show that large increases are observed in urban areas and the polluted regions are expanding. Additionally, the seasonal patterns of some regions over Western China are changing significantly and more clean areas tend to changing from the characteristics of natural emissions to those of anthropogenic emissions. The spatial and temporal variations of NO2 concentrations are well responded to the rapid urbanization and industrialization over Western China.

  12. Logistics Response to the Industry 4.0: the Physical Internet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maslarić, Marinko; Nikoličić, Svetlana; Mirčetić, Dejan

    2016-11-01

    Today's mankind and all human activities are constantly changing and evolving in response to changes in technology, social and economic environments and climate. Those changes drive a "new" way of manufacturing industry. That novelty could be described as the organization of production processes based on technology and devices autonomously communicating with each other along the value chain. Decision-makers have to address this novelty (usually named as Industry 4.0) and try to develop appropriate information systems, physical facilities, and different kind of technologies capable of meeting the future needs of economy. As a consequence, there is a need for new paradigms of the way freight is move, store, realize, and supply through the world (logistics system). One of the proposed solutions is the Physical Internet, concept of open global logistics system which completely redefines current supply chain configuration, business models, and value-creation patterns.However, further detailed research on this topic is much needed. This paper aims to provide a balanced review of the variety of views considered among professionals in the field of Physical Internet with the final aim to identify the biggest challenges (technological, societal, business paradigm) of proposed new logistics paradigm as a practical solution in supporting Industry 4.0.

  13. Geographic patterns of industry in the United States. An aid to the study of occupational disease.

    PubMed

    Stone, B J; Blot, W J; Fraumeni, J F

    1978-07-01

    The geographic location of 18 major manufacturing industries within the United States is illustrated by a series of computer-generated county maps. The metal and machinery industries, the two largest employers, an the transportation and rubber industries are concentrated in the northeastern quadrant of the United States, while most counties with textile, apparel, tobacco, and furniture manufacturing are in the South. Other industries had different patterns. The counties where industry was concentrated tended to be more urban and to have higher levels of income and education. The maps and associated demographic data on industrial counties may prove a useful adjunct to county maps illustrating mortality patterns for cancer and other diseases. Despite obvious limitations, the visual patterns and correlation analyses may help to generate and formulate hypothese concerning occupationally induced diease.

  14. Swine production.

    PubMed

    Plain, Ronald L; Lawrence, John D

    2003-07-01

    The US swine industry is large and growing. The quantity of pork desired by consumers of US pork is growing at the rate of 1.5%/y. New production systems and new technology have enabled production per sow to grow at a rate of 4% annually in recent years. Consequently, the number of sows in the United States is declining. Because productivity growth is outpacing demand growth, the deflated price of hogs and pork is declining. Hog production and prices continue to exhibit strong seasonal and cyclic patterns. Pork production is usually lowest in the summer and highest in the fall. Production and prices tend to follow 4-year patterns. The US swine industry continues to evolve toward fewer and larger producers who rely on contracts for both hog production and marketing. In 2000, over half of the hogs marketed were from approximately 156 firms marketing more than 50,000 head annually. These producers finished 60% of their production in contract facilities. Over 90% of their marketings were under contract or were owned by a packer. These producers expressed a high level of satisfaction with hog production. Both they and their contract growers were satisfied with production contracts. These large producers were satisfied with their marketing contracts and planned to continue them in the future. The hog industry has changed a great deal in the last decade. There is little reason to believe this rapid rate of change will not continue. This swine industry is highly competitive and profit driven. Profit margins are too small to allow producers the luxury of ignoring new technology and innovative production systems. Consequently, hog production will continue its rapid evolution from traditional agriculture to typical industry.

  15. The Spanish tobacco tax loopholes and their consequences.

    PubMed

    López-Nicolás, Ángel; Cobacho, María Belén; Fernández, Esteve

    2013-05-01

    The Spanish government has strengthened tobacco control policies since 2005, including changes in tobacco taxes. Because these changes have targeted cigarettes mainly, the tobacco industry has marketed cheaper alternative tobacco products, offering smokers the possibility to downtrade. This paper traces the evolution of patterns of demand for cigarettes and other tobacco products in Spain over the period 2005-2011 in order to assess the impact of such tax loopholes. The authors use data on tobacco products prices and sales as well as changes in the structure and levels of tobacco taxes to relate tax changes to price changes and subsequent market share changes. Tax reforms have lifted the bottom end of the cigarette price distribution, but the industry has been successful in marketing fine-cut tobacco at cheap prices. There have been partial attempts to correct this asymmetric tax treatment, but these have not avoided a remarkable increase in the market share of fine-cut tobacco. The absence of a minimum tax on quantity for the rest of tobacco products allows the industry to place them as potential future downtrading vehicles. In order to address public health objectives, tax policies should aim to equalise the cost of smoking across different tobacco products. Otherwise the tobacco industry can exploit tax loopholes to market cheap alternatives to cigarettes. This requires all tobacco products to bear a minimum tax on quantity, whose levels need to be adjusted in order to reflect the equivalence between different forms of smoking.

  16. Capitalist development and internal migration in Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Akor, R I; Mou, D

    1986-12-01

    The authors analyze internal migration trends in Nigeria by examining individual household strategies and how they have adapted to structural changes brought about by colonial rule and capitalist development. The first section of this article describes the structural changes that started the process of labor migration. The second section deals with post-independence industrialization and the consequent rural-urban migration. The final section analyzes the consequences of these migration patterns for urban growth and rural productivity.

  17. Recent fertility trends in industrialized countries: toward a fluctuating or a stable pattern?

    PubMed

    Day, L H

    1995-09-01

    The conclusion of this analysis of fertility trends in industrialized countries is that future trends will be evident from accurate data and the inclusion of causal factors such as religion, ethnicity, migration status, marital status, employment status, neighborhood residence, or housing type. Period fertility measures are considered to be unreliable but useful as indicators of potential future changes in fertility. The expectation is that developed countries with low birth rates will have greater fluctuations than trends. Current patterns of fertility in developed countries are thought to have occurred due to substantial control over both the number and the timing of fertility. Patterns in the recent past have reflected further decline, an end to decline and a continued increase, or fluctuation. The most widespread pattern is continued increase following a period of low fertility. This pattern is in evidence in almost every country of northern and western Europe, Canada, the United States, and New Zealand. Countries with continued declines include Japan and eastern and southern European countries, which were the last to experience declines to replacement levels. Countries with fluctuating patterns include Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Countries with greater fluctuations include Belgium, Iceland, the former West Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland. The argument is made to not count these patterns as fluctuations due to 1) the similarity in magnitude, timing, and direction; 2) the small changes after the low was reached; and 3) their appearance everywhere at the same time. Stability of rates in the future appears to be a reasonable prospect due to the greater openness about human sexuality and the wider roles for women. Changes have occurred in attitudes about family size in the direction of smaller families, and the range in family size has narrowed considerably. Potential increases may occur due to a new emphasis on family and parenthood, the diminished impact of divorce on childbearing, and greater emotional value placed on children, potential dissatisfaction among women in the work force, and loss of interest in acquisition of consumer items and satiety of human wants.

  18. Nontraditional Occupations: A Status Report. Trends and Issues Alerts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Imel, Susan

    To assess the effect of the efforts to encourage the selection of nontraditional occupations, Vetter examined the extent of change in enrollment patterns of girls and women in vocational education for the period 1972-82. In the traditionally male programs of agricultural, technical, and trade and industry education, the number and percentage of…

  19. Patterns of Change within the Publishing Industry.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sirianni, F. J.

    This is one of several papers presented at a Federal Trade Commission Symposium on Media Concentration. It reviews the controversy between book publishers and the Authors Guild concerning the control of already published materials and the future of publishing, and it analyzes the market structure in order to put the issues into perspective. Some…

  20. Positive and Negative Feedbacks and Free-Scale Pattern Distribution in Rural-Population Dynamics

    PubMed Central

    Alados, Concepción L.; Errea, Paz; Gartzia, Maite; Saiz, Hugo; Escós, Juan

    2014-01-01

    Depopulation of rural areas is a widespread phenomenon that has occurred in most industrialized countries, and has contributed significantly to a reduction in the productivity of agro-ecological resources. In this study, we identified the main trends in the dynamics of rural populations in the Central Pyrenees in the 20th C and early 21st C, and used density independent and density dependent models and identified the main factors that have influenced the dynamics. In addition, we investigated the change in the power law distribution of population size in those periods. Populations exhibited density-dependent positive feedback between 1960 and 2010, and a long-term positive correlation between agricultural activity and population size, which has resulted in a free-scale population distribution that has been disrupted by the collapse of the traditional agricultural society and by emigration to the industrialized cities. We concluded that complex socio-ecological systems that have strong feedback mechanisms can contribute to disruptive population collapses, which can be identified by changes in the pattern of population distribution. PMID:25474704

  1. 'The core': understanding it, and retraining its dysfunction.

    PubMed

    Key, Josephine

    2013-10-01

    "Core stability training" is popular in both the therapeutic and fitness industries but what is actually meant and understood by this concept? And does everyone need the same training approach? This paper examines the landscape of 'the core' and its control from both a clinical and research perspective. It attempts a comprehensive review of its healthy functional role and how this is commonly changed in people with spinal and pelvic girdle pain syndromes. The common clinically observable and palpable patterns of functional and structural change associated with 'problems with the core' have been relatively little described. This paper endeavors to do so, introducing a variant paradigm aimed at promoting the understanding and management of these altered patterns of 'core control'. Clinically, two basic subgroups emerge. In light of these, the predictable difficulties that each group finds in establishing the important fundamental elements of spino-pelvic 'core control' and how to best retrain these, are highlighted. The integrated model presented is applicable for practitioners re-educating movement in physiotherapy, rehabilitation, Pilates, Yoga or injury prevention within the fitness industry in general. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. The relationship of crime and oil development in the coastal regions of Louisiana

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luthra, Asha D.

    This project examines the relationship between patterns of crime and the development of the oil and gas extraction industry in the coastal regions of Louisiana. The suggestion of a link between these phenomena has often been made, but little systematic research has been conducted to determine if there is indeed a crime-oil development nexus. Limited previous research has focused primarily on the issue of "boom and bust" cycles on some forms of deviant behavior, but the data and the methods used were inadequate, and thus, the resulting conclusions were often misleading or possibly erroneous. During the course of this project, a comprehensive database is constructed that facilitates a longitudinal analysis of concomitant variation in crime patterns and oil extraction activity. Annual crime data are obtained at the parish and county level for all years beginning in 1974 and merged with corresponding social and economic data. This dataset allows for a multivariate pooled time series analysis, with adequate controls, to determine the degree of influence between oil activity and crime patterns. The results from the analysis suggest that changes in oil activity and high levels of labor market involvement in the offshore oil industry are not strongly associated with community disruption in the form of crime. The only statistically significant effects due to changes in oil activity are decreased levels of homicide and aggravated assault. Oil development is not associated with any other crime in the analysis despite accounting for the boom and bust cycles of the oil industry over a 25 year period for 12 parishes that are highly involved in the industry. As the industry becomes more active and undergoes an increased labor demand, incidents of homicide and assault decline in the community. This finding does not support some previous boomtown model research that argues that energy development causes higher rates of social disruption, including higher crime rates (Seydlitz et al. 1993a; Brookshire and D'Arge 1980; Dixon 1978; Finsterbusch 1982; Freudenburg and Jones 1991; Gramling and Brabant 1986).

  3. The globalization of the arms industry: The next proliferation challenge

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

    Bitzinger, R.A.

    1994-12-31

    The globalization of the arms industry entails a significant shift away from traditional, single-country patterns of weapons production toward internationalization of the development, production, and marketing of arms. While wholly indigenous armaments production may be on the decline, multinational arms production - through collaboration on individual weapon systems and increasingly via interfirm linkages across the international arms industry - appears actually to be expanding. In several instances, in fact, multinational armaments production is increasingly supplementing or even supplanting indigenous or autonomous weapons production or arms imports. The emergence of an increasingly transnational defense technology and industrial base is fundamentally affectingmore » the shape and content of much of the global arms trade. This changing defense market, in turn, will have a profound impact on a number of national security issues concerning the Western industrialized nations. 3 figs., 2 tabs.« less

  4. Impacts of changing cropping pattern on virtual water flows related to crops transfer: a case study for the Hetao irrigation district, China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jing; Wu, Pute; Wang, Yubao; Zhao, Xining; Sun, Shikun; Cao, Xinchun

    2014-11-01

    Analysis of cropping patterns is a prerequisite for their optimisation, and evaluation of virtual water flows could shed new light on water resources management. This study is intended to explore the effects of cropping pattern changes between 1960 and 2008 on virtual water flows related to crops transfer in the Hetao irrigation district, China. (1) The sown area of crops increased at an average rate of 3.57 × 10(3) ha year(-1) while the proportion of sown grain crops decreased from 92.83% in the 1960s to 50.22% in the 2000s. (2) Virtual water content decreased during the study period while net virtual water exports increased since the 1980s. (3) Assuming that the cropping pattern was constant and was equal to the average 1960s value, accumulated net virtual water export in 1980-2008 would have been 4.76 × 10(9) m(3) greater than that in the actual cropping pattern scenario. Cropping pattern changes in the Hetao irrigation district could not only be seen as resulting from the pursuit for higher economic returns, but also as a feedback response to limited water resources. A systematic framework is still needed for future cropping pattern planning by taking food security, continued agricultural expansion and other constraints into consideration. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  5. Spatial and temporal variation in distribution of mangroves in Moreton Bay, subtropical Australia: a comparison of pattern metrics and change detection analyses based on aerial photographs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manson, F. J.; Loneragan, N. R.; Phinn, S. R.

    2003-07-01

    An assessment of the changes in the distribution and extent of mangroves within Moreton Bay, southeast Queensland, Australia, was carried out. Two assessment methods were evaluated: spatial and temporal pattern metrics analysis, and change detection analysis. Currently, about 15,000 ha of mangroves are present in Moreton Bay. These mangroves are important ecosystems, but are subject to disturbance from a number of sources. Over the past 25 years, there has been a loss of more than 3800 ha, as a result of natural losses and mangrove clearing (e.g. for urban and industrial development, agriculture and aquaculture). However, areas of new mangroves have become established over the same time period, offsetting these losses to create a net loss of about 200 ha. These new mangroves have mainly appeared in the southern bay region and the bay islands, particularly on the landward edge of existing mangroves. In addition, spatial patterns and species composition of mangrove patches have changed. The pattern metrics analysis provided an overview of mangrove distribution and change in the form of single metric values, while the change detection analysis gave a more detailed and spatially explicit description of change. An analysis of the effects of spatial scales on the pattern metrics indicated that they were relatively insensitive to scale at spatial resolutions less than 50 m, but that most metrics became sensitive at coarser resolutions, a finding which has implications for mapping of mangroves based on remotely sensed data.

  6. Prospect for the development of salted egg agro industry: an analysis on marketing distribution aspect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sumekar, W.; Al-Baarri, A. N.; Kurnianto, E.

    2018-01-01

    Marketing distribution is an important of the strategy in business development in agroindustries. The aim of the research was to introduce marketing (distribution pattern, margin and marketing efficiency) at the salted egg agro industries in Brebes Regency. Survey method had been conducted on 52 salted egg agro industries which had active PIRT certificate. The data collection was conducted by means of interview and observation. Descriptive analysis was used to determine the marketing distribution of salted eggs. Marketing efficiency was obtained by calculating marketing margin and farmer share. The results show that the salted egg agro industries implemented two marketing distribution patterns; direct marketing pattern (consumer→producers) and indirect marketing pattern (producer→retailer→consumer). The number of the salted egg agro industries which apply indirect marketing pattern is 57.69%. The implementation of direct and indirect marketing patterns was classified as efficient according to the farmer’s share values of 87.13% and 78.21%. It can be recommended the direct marketing.

  7. Transcriptional Regulation and the Diversification of Metabolism in Wine Yeast Strains

    PubMed Central

    Rossouw, Debra; Jacobson, Dan; Bauer, Florian F.

    2012-01-01

    Transcription factors and their binding sites have been proposed as primary targets of evolutionary adaptation because changes to single transcription factors can lead to far-reaching changes in gene expression patterns. Nevertheless, there is very little concrete evidence for such evolutionary changes. Industrial wine yeast strains, of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are a geno- and phenotypically diverse group of organisms that have adapted to the ecological niches of industrial winemaking environments and have been selected to produce specific styles of wine. Variation in transcriptional regulation among wine yeast strains may be responsible for many of the observed differences and specific adaptations to different fermentative conditions in the context of commercial winemaking. We analyzed gene expression profiles of wine yeast strains to assess the impact of transcription factor expression on metabolic networks. The data provide new insights into the molecular basis of variations in gene expression in industrial strains and their consequent effects on metabolic networks important to wine fermentation. We show that the metabolic phenotype of a strain can be shifted in a relatively predictable manner by changing expression levels of individual transcription factors, opening opportunities to modify transcription networks to achieve desirable outcomes. PMID:22042577

  8. Effect of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and Voluntary Industry Health Warning Labels on Passage of Mandated Cigarette Warning Labels From 1965 to 2012: Transition Probability and Event History Analyses

    PubMed Central

    Sanders-Jackson, Ashley N.; Song, Anna V.; Hiilamo, Heikki

    2013-01-01

    Objectives. We quantified the pattern and passage rate of cigarette package health warning labels (HWLs), including the effect of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and HWLs voluntarily implemented by tobacco companies. Methods. We used transition probability matrices to describe the pattern of HWL passage and change rate in 4 periods. We used event history analysis to estimate the effect of the FCTC on adoption and to compare that effect between countries with voluntary and mandatory HWLs. Results. The number of HWLs passed during each period accelerated, from a transition rate among countries that changed from 2.42 per year in 1965–1977 to 6.71 in 1977–1984, 8.42 in 1984–2003, and 22.33 in 2003–2012. The FCTC significantly accelerated passage of FCTC-compliant HWLs for countries with initially mandatory policies with a hazard of 1.27 per year (95% confidence interval = 1.11, 1.45), but only marginally increased the hazard for countries that had an industry voluntary HWL of 1.68 per year (95% confidence interval = 0.95, 2.97). Conclusions. Passage of HWLs is accelerating, and the FCTC is associated with further acceleration. Industry voluntary HWLs slowed mandated HWLs. PMID:24028248

  9. Using present day observations to detect when ocean acidification exceeds natural variability of surface seawater Ωaragonite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sutton, A.; Sabine, C. L.; Feely, R. A.

    2016-02-01

    One of the major challenges to assessing the impact of ocean acidification on marine life is the need to better understand the magnitude of long-term change in the context of natural variability. High-frequency moored observations can be highly effective in defining interannual, seasonal, and subseasonal variability at key locations. Here we present monthly aragonite saturation state (Ωaragonite) climatology for 15 open ocean, coastal, and coral reef locations using 3-hourly moored observations of surface seawater pCO2 and pH collected together since as early as 2009. We then use these present day surface mooring observations to estimate pre-industrial variability at each location and compare these results to previous modeling studies addressing global-scale variability and change. Our observations suggest that open oceans sites, especially in the subtropics, are experiencing Ωaragonite values throughout much of the year which are outside the range of pre-industrial values. In coastal and coral reef ecosystems, which have higher natural variability, seasonal patterns where present day Ωaragonite values exceeding pre-industrial bounds are emerging with some sites exhibiting subseasonal conditions approaching Ωaragonite = 1. Linking these seasonal patterns in carbonate chemistry to biological processes in these regions is critical to identify when and where marine life may encounter Ωaragonite values outside the conditions to which they have adapted.

  10. Investigation of environmental change pattern in Japan

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maruyasu, T.; Ochiai, H.; Sugimori, Y.; Shoji, D.; Takeda, K.; Tsuchiya, K.; Nakajima, I.; Nakano, T.; Hayashi, S.; Horikawa, S. (Principal Investigator)

    1976-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. A detailed land use classification for a large urban area of Tokyo was made using MSS digital data. It was found that residential, commercial, industrial, and wooded areas and grasslands can be successfully classified. A mesoscale vortex associated with large ocean current, Kuroshio, which is a rare phenomenon, was recognized visually through the analysis of MSS data. It was found that this vortex affects the effluent patterns of rivers. Lava flowing from Sakurajima Volcano was clearly classified for three major erruptions (1779, 1914, and 1946) using MSS data.

  11. Reconfigurable antenna using plasma reflector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jusoh, Mohd Taufik; Ahmad, Khairol Amali; Din, Muhammad Faiz Md; Hashim, Fakroul Ridzuan

    2018-02-01

    This paper presents the feasibility study and design of plasma implementation in industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) communication band. A reflector antenna with rounded shaped is proposed to collimate beam in particular direction radiated by a quarter wave antenna operating at 2.4GHz. The simulations result has shown that by using plasma as the reflector elements, the gain, directivity and radiation patterns are identical with metal elements with only small different in the broadside direction. The versatility of the antenna is achievable by introducing electrical reconfigurable option to change the beam pattern.

  12. A framework to analyze emissions implications of manufacturing shifts in the industrial sector through integrating bottom-up energy models and economic input/output environmental life cycle assessment models

    EPA Science Inventory

    Future year emissions depend highly on economic, technological, societal and regulatory drivers. A scenario framework was adopted to analyze technology development pathways and changes in consumer preferences, and evaluate resulting emissions growth patterns while considering fut...

  13. Arkansas forest resource patterns

    Treesearch

    Charles C. Van Sickle

    1970-01-01

    A new forest survey of Arkansas reveals that forests cover 55 percent of the land in the State. In all, 18.2 million acres are available for and capable of growing industrial timber. Substantial change has occurred in the timber resource. In the 10 years preceding the new survey, forest area declined by one-eighth . Clearing for cropland and pasture claimed...

  14. Restructuring of the labour market and the role of third world migrations in Europe.

    PubMed

    Pugliese, E

    1993-10-01

    "This paper is an analysis of the way in which the changes in the labour market and in the occupational structure in Europe affect the situation and the role of Third World migrants." Changes in European labor migration patterns since the 1960s are first analyzed. The author notes that "intra-European migrations were industrial migrations because manufacturing and building industries were the most important and growing economic activities....Present-day migrations are postindustrial migrations. Immigrants work mostly in service activities and not infrequently in the informal economy. In any case migrant workers are located in the secondary labour market. The picture is made more complex by the fact than many immigrants are alegal or illegal because of the restrictive immigration policies in European countries." excerpt

  15. Reconstructing Early Industrial Contributions to Legacy Trace Metal Contamination in Southwestern Pennsylvania

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rossi, R.; Bain, D.; Hillman, A. L.; Pompeani, D. P.; Abbott, M. B.

    2015-12-01

    The remobilization of legacy contamination stored in floodplain sediments remains a threat to ecosystem and human health, particularly with potential changes in global precipitation patterns and flooding regimes. Vehicular and industrial emissions are often the dominant, recognized source of anthropogenic trace metal loadings to ecosystems today. However, loadings from early industrial activities are poorly characterized and potential sources of trace metal inputs. While potential trace metal contamination from these activities is recognized (e.g., the historical use of lead arsenate as a pesticide), the magnitude and distribution of legacy contamination is often unknown. This presentation reconstructs a lake sediment record of trace metal inputs from an oxbow lake in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Sediment cores were analyzed for major and trace metal chemistry, carbon to nitrogen ratios, bulk density, and magnetic susceptibility. Sediment trace metal chemistry in this approximately 250 year record (180 cm) record changes in land use and industry both in the 19th century and the 20th century. Of particular interest is early 19th century loadings of arsenic and calcium to the lake, likely attributable to pesticides and lime used in tanning processes near the lake. After this period of tanning dominated inputs, sediment barium concentrations rise, likely reflecting the onset of coal mining operations and resulting discharge of acid mine drainage to surface waters. In the 20th century portion of our record (70 -20 cm), patterns in sediment zinc, cadmium, and lead concentrations are dominated by the opening and closing of the nearby Donora Zinc Works and the American Steel & Wire Works, infamous facilities in the history of air quality regulation. The most recent sediment chemistry records periods include the enactment of air pollution legislation (~ 35 cm), and the phase out of tetraethyl leaded gasoline (~30 cm). Our study documents the impact of early industry in the Southwestern Pennsylvania region, as well as early industrial coal production/consumption on legacy trace metal contamination. This record suggests that some early industrial processes can rival more recent metal fluxes and should be carefully considered in modern assessments of legacy sediment metal contamination.

  16. Cause-specific sickness absence trends by occupational class and industrial sector in the context of recent labour market changes: a Finnish panel data study

    PubMed Central

    Leinonen, Taina; Viikari-Juntura, Eira; Husgafvel-Pursiainen, Kirsti; Solovieva, Svetlana

    2018-01-01

    Objectives We aimed to provide previously unestablished information on population-based differences in cause-specific sickness absence trends between occupational classes and further between four large industrial sectors within the different occupational classes while controlling for other socioeconomic factors and employment patterns. We focused on the period 2005–2013, during which the labour market underwent large economic and structural changes in many countries. Design Register-based panel data study. Setting Large representative datasets on Finnish wage earners aged 25–59 years. Outcome measure Annual risk of sickness absence (>10 working days) based on repeated logistic regression. Results Between 2005 and 2013, the proportion of employees with sickness absence decreased. Occupational class differences in sickness absence trends varied by disease group. Overall, the decrease in absences was smallest among lower non-manual employees. Sickness absence levels were highest in the health and social work sector and in the manufacturing sector within the non-manual and manual classes, respectively. Absences due to musculoskeletal diseases decreased temporarily during the peak of the economic recession in 2009, particularly in the manufacturing sector within the manual class. The decrease in absences due to musculoskeletal diseases was smallest in the trade sector within the lower occupational classes. Overall, education, income and employment patterns partly explained the differences in the absence levels, but not in the trends. Conclusions We found a complex interplay between the associations of occupational class and industrial sector with sickness absence trends. During the economic recession, absences due to musculoskeletal diseases decreased temporarily in a segment of wage earners who were known to have been hit hard by the recession. However, the trend differences were not explained by the measured structural changes in the characteristics of the study population. Both occupational class and industrial sector should be taken into account when tackling problems of work disability. PMID:29627810

  17. Exploring spatial patterns of farmland transactions and farmland use changes.

    PubMed

    Chang, Hsueh-Sheng; Chen, Tzu-Ling

    2015-09-01

    Strong economic incentives stimulate the conversion of farmland to non-farm uses possessing higher economic benefits, and rising land values can result in further conversions in the surrounding areas. However, previous studies focused exclusively on the analysis of attribute data, without concern for location or geographic information. Our study focuses on the application of spatial analysis method by exploring the magnitude and patterns of farmland use changes and farmland transactions in Tainan County in southwestern Taiwan. The results show that farmland use changes and transactions appear to cluster in specific locations-near urban planning areas, industrial parks, and science parks. Clustered farmland use changes indicate both excessive development of some farmland and possible protection of other farmland, while clustered farmland transactions indicate potential pressure for future conversion to non-farming uses. Overall, the spatial analyses indicate (without necessarily implying a cause-and-effect relationship) that the greater the farmland use change, the greater the number of farmland transactions. This approach to exploring the spatial patterns in and the interaction between farmland use change and farmland transactions can be applied to other regions facing increasing competition for farmland conversions and may be a useful tool for monitoring both urban expansion and increased farmland transactions. These occurrences should be closely monitored by governments to avoid excessive loss of farmland.

  18. Design and implementation of integrated solid wastes management pattern in industrial zones, case study of Shahroud, Iran.

    PubMed

    Saeid, Nazemi; Roudbari, Aliakbar; Yaghmaeian, Kamyar

    2014-01-14

    The aim of the study was to design and implementation of integrated solid wastes management pattern in Shahroud industrial zone, evaluates the results and determine possible performance problems. This cross - sectional study was carried out for 4 years in Shahroud industrial zone and the implementation process included:1- Qualitative and quantitative analysis of all solid waste generated in the city, 2- determine the current state of solid waste management in the zone and to identify programs conducted, 3- Design and implementation of integrated solid wastes management pattern including design and implementation of training programs, laws, penalties and incentives and explain and implement programs for all factories and 4- The monitoring of the implementation process and determine the results. Annually, 1,728 tons of solid wastes generated in the town including 1603 tons of industrial wastes and 125 tons of municipal wastes. By implementing this pattern, the two separated systems of collection and recycling of domestic and industrial wastes was launched in this zone. Also consistent with the goals, the amount of solid wastes generated and disposed in 2009 was 51.5 and 28.6 kg per 100 million Rials production, respectively. Results showed that implementation of pattern of separated collection, training programs, capacity building, providing technical services, completing chain of industries and strengthening the cooperation between industrial estate management and industrial units could greatly reduce the waste management problems.

  19. A Comparison of Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses among Hispanic versus Non-Hispanic Workers in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hurley, Dene T.; Lebbon, Angela R.

    2012-01-01

    This article investigates the trends and changes in patterns of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses among Hispanic workers versus non-Hispanic minority workers in the United States between 1992 and 2009. Injuries and illnesses are also examined by the severity of cases and across industry sectors. The differences in the mean share of…

  20. The art and science of chronic disease management come together in a lifestyle-focused approach to primary care.

    PubMed

    Egger, G; Katz, D; Sagner, M; Dixon, J; Stevens, J

    2014-12-01

    Changes in patterns of living result in changes in the nature and causes of disease. The industrial revolution of the late 18th century, and the technological revolution of the late 20th century are cases in point. The former was associated with a decline in infectious diseases; the latter with an increase in lifestyle and environmentally induced chronic diseases . Health practices are typically modified to deal with such changes, hence the recent rise in interest in lifestyle-oriented forms of clinical practice. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Development of Speckle Interferometry Algorithm and System

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

    Shamsir, A. A. M.; Jafri, M. Z. M.; Lim, H. S.

    2011-05-25

    Electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) method is a wholefield, non destructive measurement method widely used in the industries such as detection of defects on metal bodies, detection of defects in intergrated circuits in digital electronics components and in the preservation of priceless artwork. In this research field, this method is widely used to develop algorithms and to develop a new laboratory setup for implementing the speckle pattern interferometry. In speckle interferometry, an optically rough test surface is illuminated with an expanded laser beam creating a laser speckle pattern in the space surrounding the illuminated region. The speckle pattern is opticallymore » mixed with a second coherent light field that is either another speckle pattern or a smooth light field. This produces an interferometric speckle pattern that will be detected by sensor to count the change of the speckle pattern due to force given. In this project, an experimental setup of ESPI is proposed to analyze a stainless steel plate using 632.8 nm (red) wavelength of lights.« less

  2. Declining physical activity and the socio-cultural context of the geography of industrial restructuring: a novel conceptual framework.

    PubMed

    Rind, Esther; Jones, Andy

    2014-05-01

    At the population level, the prevalence of physical activity has declined considerably in many developed countries in recent decades. There is some evidence that areas exhibiting the lowest activity levels are those which have undergone a particularly strong transition away from employment in physically demanding occupations. We propose that processes of deindustrialization may be causally linked to unexplained geographical disparities in levels of physical activity. While the sociocultural correlates of physical activity have been well studied, and prior conceptual frameworks have been developed to explain more general patterns of activity, none have explicitly attempted to identify the components of industrial change that may impact physical activity. In this work we review the current literature on sociocultural correlates of health behaviors before using a case study centered on the United Kingdom to present a novel framework that links industrial change to declining levels of physical activity. We developed a comprehensive model linking sociocultural correlates of physical activity to processes associated with industrial restructuring and discuss implication for policy and practice. A better understanding of sociocultural processes may help to ameliorate adverse health consequences of employment decline in communities that have experienced substantial losses of manual employment.

  3. Initial benchmarking of a new electron-beam raster pattern generator for 130-100 nm maskmaking

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sauer, Charles A.; Abboud, Frank E.; Babin, Sergey V.; Chakarian, Varoujan; Ghanbari, Abe; Innes, Robert; Trost, David; Raymond, Frederick, III

    2000-07-01

    The decision by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) to accelerate the continuing evolution to smaller linewidths is consistent with the commitment by Etec Systems, Inc. to rapidly develop new technologies for pattern generation systems with improved resolution, critical dimension (CD) uniformity, positional accuracy, and throughput. Current pattern generation designs are inadequate to meet the more advanced requirements for masks, particularly at or below the 100 nm node. Major changes to all pattern generation tools will be essential to meet future market requirements. An electron-beam (e-beam) system that is designed to meet the challenges for 130 - 100 nm device generation with extendibility to the 70-nm range will be discussed. This system has an architecture that includes a graybeam writing strategy, a new state system, and improved thermal management. Detailed changes include a pulse width modulated blanking system, per-pixel deflection, retrograde scanning multipass writing, and a column with a 50 kV accelerating voltage that supports a dose of up to 45 (mu) C/cm2 with minimal amounts of resist heating. This paper examines current issues, our approach to meeting International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) requirements, and some preliminary results from a new pattern generator.

  4. Eating patterns, diet quality and energy balance: a perspective about applications and future directions for the food industry.

    PubMed

    Layman, Donald K

    2014-07-01

    The food industry is the point of final integration of consumer food choices with dietary guidelines. For more than 40 years, nutrition recommendations emphasized reducing dietary intake of animal fats, cholesterol, and protein and increasing intake of cereal grains. The food industry responded by creating a convenient, low cost and diverse food supply that featured fat-free cookies, cholesterol-free margarines, and spaghetti with artificial meat sauce. However, research focused on obesity, aging, and Metabolic Syndrome has demonstrated merits of increased dietary protein and reduced amounts of carbohydrates. Dietary guidelines have changed from a conceptual framework of a daily balance of food groups represented as building blocks in a pyramid designed to encourage consumers to avoid fat, to a plate design that creates a meal approach to nutrition and highlights protein and vegetables and minimizes grain carbohydrates. Coincident with the changing dietary guidelines, consumers are placing higher priority on foods for health and seeking foods with more protein, less sugars and minimal processing that are fresh, natural, and with fewer added ingredients. Individual food companies must adapt to changing nutrition knowledge, dietary guidelines, and consumer priorities. The impact on the food industry will be specific to each company based on their products, culture and capacity to adapt. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Design and implementation of integrated solid wastes management pattern in industrial zones, case study of Shahroud, Iran

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The aim of the study was to design and implementation of integrated solid wastes management pattern in Shahroud industrial zone, evaluates the results and determine possible performance problems. This cross - sectional study was carried out for 4 years in Shahroud industrial zone and the implementation process included:1- Qualitative and quantitative analysis of all solid waste generated in the city, 2- determine the current state of solid waste management in the zone and to identify programs conducted, 3- Design and implementation of integrated solid wastes management pattern including design and implementation of training programs, laws, penalties and incentives and explain and implement programs for all factories and 4- The monitoring of the implementation process and determine the results. Results Annually, 1,728 tons of solid wastes generated in the town including 1603 tons of industrial wastes and 125 tons of municipal wastes. By implementing this pattern, the two separated systems of collection and recycling of domestic and industrial wastes was launched in this zone. Also consistent with the goals, the amount of solid wastes generated and disposed in 2009 was 51.5 and 28.6 kg per 100 million Rials production, respectively. Conclusion Results showed that implementation of pattern of separated collection, training programs, capacity building, providing technical services, completing chain of industries and strengthening the cooperation between industrial estate management and industrial units could greatly reduce the waste management problems. PMID:24423020

  6. 3D Product Development for Loose-Fitting Garments Based on Parametric Human Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krzywinski, S.; Siegmund, J.

    2017-10-01

    Researchers and commercial suppliers worldwide pursue the objective of achieving a more transparent garment construction process that is computationally linked to a virtual body, in order to save development costs over the long term. The current aim is not to transfer the complete pattern making step to a 3D design environment but to work out basic constructions in 3D that provide excellent fit due to their accurate construction and morphological pattern grading (automatic change of sizes in 3D) in respect of sizes and body types. After a computer-aided derivation of 2D pattern parts, these can be made available to the industry as a basis on which to create more fashionable variations.

  7. Land Use and Land Cover Changes 1977 to 2000 in the Steppe Region of Ukraine, and Preliminary Results of Evaluating its Ecological and Land Form Implications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    White, G. J.; Prydatko, V.; Luhmann, E. P.

    2001-05-01

    Ukraine's history as agro-economic region dates back hundreds of years, being the most productive portion of the "black earth region" for the now defunct Soviet Union. This incredible level of agricultural production brought tremendous changes to the landscape matrix, largely eliminating forests and prairie systems from the southern steppe regions of Ukraine. The age of industrialization has had far less significant impacts to the land use patterns as large farms were operated and managed under Soviet Era cooperatives. The recent, 1992, independence of Ukraine has brought new pressures to the landscape. These pressures are initiated by economic needs of Ukraine seeking to be resolved through increased farm production and rapid land and industrial privatization. This study examines land cover changes between 1977, 1988 and 2000 within a representative region of southern Ukraine and northern Crimea. The region covers prototypical landscapes of the steppe region of agriculture at various scales and crops. The study area also allows an examination of changes along coastal areas in the Azov and Black Seas, specifically barrier systems. Additionally, areas of rapid privatization of industries and introduction of western industries exist within this region. The years selected for documentation were chosen as being one near the height of Soviet autonomy, near separation of the Soviet Union and independence of Ukraine and current times. The study looks at ways of documenting land cover change using satellite imagery with ancillary ground based information. The study evaluates effects of these land cover changes through associated losses of hydrologic characteristics in the landscape such as stream, as well as landform changes especially in coastal barrier systems. These changes are correlated to landscape changes and ecological parameters recorded during this nearly 30 year period. Preliminary conclusions are presented as to alternative land use practices and actions for stabilization of the remaining "natural" landscape and protection of near coastal systems especially barrier systems.

  8. The population impact of smoke-free workplace and hospitality industry legislation on smoking behaviour. Findings from a national population survey.

    PubMed

    Nagelhout, Gera E; Willemsen, Marc C; de Vries, Hein

    2011-04-01

    To study the impact of implementing smoke-free workplace and hospitality industry legislation on smoking behaviour. A cross-sectional population survey from 2001 to 2008 (n ≈ 18,000 per year) was used to assess trends and seasonal patterns in smoking and quitting, and to examine whether changes could be observed after the workplace smoking ban in the Netherlands in 2004 and the hospitality industry ban in 2008. Outcome measures were smoking prevalence, quit attempts and successful quit attempts. Interactions with educational level (socio-economic status) and bar visiting (exposure to the hospitality industry ban) were tested. The workplace ban was followed by a decrease in smoking prevalence (OR = 0.91, P < 0.001), but the hospitality industry ban was not (OR = 0.96, P = 0.127). Both bans, especially the workplace ban, were followed by an increase in quit attempts and successful quit attempts: workplace ban, OR = 1.31, P < 0.001; OR = 1.49, P < 0.001; hospitality industry ban, OR = 1.13, P = 0.013; OR = 1.44, P < 0.001. The workplace ban had a larger effect on successful quitting among higher-educated (OR = 0.35, P < 0.001) than on lower-educated respondents (OR = 0.74, P = 0.052). The hospitality industry ban had a larger effect on quit attempts among frequent bar visitors (OR = 1.48, P = 0.003) than on non-bar visitors (OR = 0.71, P = 0.014). A workplace smoking ban in the Netherlands was followed by more changes in smoking and quitting than a hospitality industry ban. The hospitality industry ban only appeared to have an impact on quit attempts, and not on smoking prevalence. © 2010 The Authors, Addiction © 2010 Society for the Study of Addiction.

  9. AY 2002-2003 Industry Study: Final Report Strategic Materials

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-01-01

    Morphing Wing Project;[38] 2) an environmentally friendly, allergy-free fiber for vehicle seats patterned after the light reflection capability of the...Amazon butterfly ;[39] and 3) a camouflage net that changes color in response to its environment inspired by observations of the cuttlefish.[40] These...Biotechnology. The application of molecular level nanocircuits and nanomaterials has great potential in many areas. However, it will be

  10. Comparison of the U.S. lead recycling industry in 1998 and 2011

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wilburn, David R.

    2014-01-01

    Since 1998, the structure of the lead recycling industry has changed and trade patterns of the domestic lead recycling industry have shifted. Although the domestic demand for lead has remained relatively constant since 1998, production of lead has increasingly shifted to the domestic secondary lead industry. The last primary lead smelter in the United States closed at the end of 2013, at which time the secondary lead industry became the sole source of domestic lead production. The amount of lead recovered annually from scrap batteries generally increased from about 900,000 metric tons in 1995 to more than 1,100,000 metric tons in 2012. The percentage of total U.S. lead production attributed to battery scrap increased from 65 percent in 1995 to 87 percent in 2012. Since the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect in 1994, trade patterns among the United States, Canada, and Mexico have changed for recycled lead products. In the late 1990s, the principal sources of lead waste and scrap not derived from batteries were Canada, Mexico, and South America; by 2011, the principal sources were Central America and Asia, with decreasing amounts from Canada and South America. Since 1998, the amount of lead derived from imported batteries and scrap from Canada has ranged from 50 to 90 percent, and the amount imported from Mexico has ranged from 3 to 20 percent. Canada received about 50 percent of the lead contained in spent lead-acid batteries and scrap exported from the United States in 1998, and Mexico received about 4 percent. By 2012, however, the amount of lead scrap exported to Canada had decreased to about 10 percent, and the amount of lead-based scrap products, primarily batteries, exported to Mexico from the United States had increased to 47 percent. Vertical integration of the domestic secondary lead industry and higher costs required to implement more stringent ambient air standards in the United States have led some companies to shift lead recycling operations to Mexico. U.S. secondary lead producers are increasingly competing with Canadian and Mexican facilities for market share.

  11. [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.

  12. Relevance of the economic crisis in chemical PM10 changes in a semi-arid industrial environment.

    PubMed

    Santacatalina, Milagros; Yubero, Eduardo; Mantilla, Enrique; Carratalá, Adoración

    2012-11-01

    This paper shows the changes in PM(10) levels and chemical composition in a region in southeast Spain between two periods: September 2005-August 2006 and June 2008-May 2009. PM(10) levels in this arid region, with a great number of cement, ceramic and related industries, have decreased in the second period in concordance with the reduction of industrial production due to the economic crisis and the closure of a cement plant. Annual average levels of PM(10) decreased from 41 μg m(-3) in 2005 to 30 μg m(-3) in 2008 (27%) and to 23 μg m(-3) in 2009 (23%). The relative contribution of the different sources has not changed in the area in the latter period and the elements with mineral origin are the main components of the PM(10) composition. There is a reduction in the concentration of the components that have soil-related industries and crustal material resuspension as their main sources, mainly in the case of CO(3) (2-), Ca, Sr, Tl and Pb, but the seasonal patterns were the same in both periods. As a particular case, there is an uncoupling between the seasonal evolution of SO(2) and sulphates in the two study periods, which remarks the existence of a sulphate regional background that does not depend on SO(2) local emissions. The decrease of V, Ni and Tl levels reflects the reduction of the industrial activity during the crisis period, affecting mainly the ceramic sector characterised by a great decrease of Tl levels.

  13. DLP-based 3D metrology by structured light or projected fringe technology for life sciences and industrial metrology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frankowski, G.; Hainich, R.

    2009-02-01

    Since the mid-eighties, a fundamental idea for achieving measuring accuracy in projected fringe technology was to consider the projected fringe pattern as an interferogram and evaluate it on the basis of advanced algorithms widely used for phase measuring in real-time interferometry. A fundamental requirement for obtaining a sufficiently high degree of measuring accuracy with this so-called "phase measuring projected fringe technology" is that the projected fringes, analogous to interference fringes, must have a cos2-shaped intensity distribution. Until the mid-nineties, this requirement for the projected fringe pattern measurement technology presented a basic handicap for its wide application in 3D metrology. This situation changed abruptly, when in the nineties Texas Instruments introduced to the market advanced digital light projection on the basis of micro mirror based projection systems, socalled DLP technology, which also facilitated the generation and projection of cos2-shaped intensity and/or fringe patterns. With this DLP technology, which from its original approach was actually oriented towards completely different applications such as multimedia projection, Texas Instruments boosted phase-measuring fringe projection in optical 3D metrology to a worldwide breakthrough both for medical as well as industrial applications. A subject matter of the lecture will be to present the fundamental principles and the resulting advantages of optical 3D metrology based on phase-measuring fringe projection using DLP technology. Further will be presented and discussed applications of the measurement technology in medical engineering and industrial metrology.

  14. Bites, nibbles, sips and puffs: new exotic goods in Norway in the 18th and the first half of the 19th century.

    PubMed

    Hutchison, Ragnhild

    2011-01-01

    The slow but significant changes in the material culture of European households that took place in the pre-industrial period are visible in several ways, such as in the changing patterns of housing, furnishing and clothing which have been illustrated in several studies. However, most of these studies focus on the pre-industrial economic leaders, often ignoring the changes taking place on the margins of the economic growth centres. This article seeks to rectify this by looking at changes in the material culture in one such 'marginal' country, namely Norway. The goods focused upon in this case are sugar, tobacco and coffee, which are often termed as exotic goods. These were new commodities in the 18th century and precisely because of their novelty and foreign origin, it is in many cases possible to trace how they spread in rural society, as well as how they impacted it. The emphasis has been put on rural areas for the simple reason that this was where the overall majority of Norwegians lived at the time.

  15. Cost and disability trends of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Ohio.

    PubMed

    Davis, K; Dunning, K; Jewell, G; Lockey, J

    2014-12-01

    With expected changes in age demographics many industry sectors may see their workforce significantly increase in age. The impact of claims and costs associated with musculoskeletal disorders in these industries may also change accordingly. To determine the age-related trends in musculoskeletal disorders, including claims and costs, in different industrial sectors in the state of Ohio, USA. Worker's compensation claims for musculoskeletal disorders in the state of Ohio between 1999 and 2004 were analysed in respect of age, industry sector, body region, and impact on cost and medical care (percentage of claims associated with surgery and number of procedures costing in excess of US$600). More than 570000 claims were analysed. Patterns of cost and disability among the majority of body regions demonstrated an increasing trend until 55 years of age, decreasing in older age groups. However, many industries demonstrated a continued increasing trend in costs with age. Shoulder and lumbar spine disorders showed unique industry-specific trends for older age groups as compared to the bell-shaped relationships for other body regions. Ageing appeared to have a role in the frequency and costs of musculoskeletal disorder claims in this study. However, industry-specific trends in the data suggest that job-specific risk factors may also play a role. The impact of age alone on the cost of musculoskeletal disorders cannot be determined because age is confounded by numerous lifestyle and work-related factors not identifiable in this study. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Using coal inside California for nonelectric applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oxley, J. H.

    1978-01-01

    A review of present energy consumption patterns in the manufacturing, transportation, and residential sectors is presented. The properties of coal that affect its substitution into these market sectors are discussed. Specific needs and concerns of Californians are delineated. Present nonelectric consumptive uses of coal in California are outlined. Current world-wide progress concerning increased industrial use of coal is shown. An overview is given of the options to protect the environment from the direct use of coal, especially from the standpoint of sulfur control; and a time frame for commercialization is projected. Possible desired changes in energy use patterns over the next fifty years are proposed.

  17. Accident patterns for construction-related workers: a cluster analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liao, Chia-Wen; Tyan, Yaw-Yauan

    2012-01-01

    The construction industry has been identified as one of the most hazardous industries. The risk of constructionrelated workers is far greater than that in a manufacturing based industry. However, some steps can be taken to reduce worker risk through effective injury prevention strategies. In this article, k-means clustering methodology is employed in specifying the factors related to different worker types and in identifying the patterns of industrial occupational accidents. Accident reports during the period 1998 to 2008 are extracted from case reports of the Northern Region Inspection Office of the Council of Labor Affairs of Taiwan. The results show that the cluster analysis can indicate some patterns of occupational injuries in the construction industry. Inspection plans should be proposed according to the type of construction-related workers. The findings provide a direction for more effective inspection strategies and injury prevention programs.

  18. Accident patterns for construction-related workers: a cluster analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liao, Chia-Wen; Tyan, Yaw-Yauan

    2011-12-01

    The construction industry has been identified as one of the most hazardous industries. The risk of constructionrelated workers is far greater than that in a manufacturing based industry. However, some steps can be taken to reduce worker risk through effective injury prevention strategies. In this article, k-means clustering methodology is employed in specifying the factors related to different worker types and in identifying the patterns of industrial occupational accidents. Accident reports during the period 1998 to 2008 are extracted from case reports of the Northern Region Inspection Office of the Council of Labor Affairs of Taiwan. The results show that the cluster analysis can indicate some patterns of occupational injuries in the construction industry. Inspection plans should be proposed according to the type of construction-related workers. The findings provide a direction for more effective inspection strategies and injury prevention programs.

  19. Education For Sustainability - Experiences From Greece

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baronos, Athena

    2016-11-01

    One of the main issues involved is changing people's attitudes, values, behavior and consumption patterns. University education in Greece aims to educate engineers so that besides acquiring theoretical knowledge, they also learn to show competences and are motivated to act accordingly. Educating for sustainable development also entails the development of critical capacities and the necessary skills to be able to identify and formulate problems. This paper outlines the way in which an approach to teaching sustainability has been embodied in the Industrial Design, West Macedonia Greece. More specifically, it describes a course to develop comprehensive case studies and support material in order to aid, Industrial Design students in understanding the sustainability concepts and how solutions can be developed

  20. Cause-specific sickness absence trends by occupational class and industrial sector in the context of recent labour market changes: a Finnish panel data study.

    PubMed

    Leinonen, Taina; Viikari-Juntura, Eira; Husgafvel-Pursiainen, Kirsti; Solovieva, Svetlana

    2018-04-07

    We aimed to provide previously unestablished information on population-based differences in cause-specific sickness absence trends between occupational classes and further between four large industrial sectors within the different occupational classes while controlling for other socioeconomic factors and employment patterns. We focused on the period 2005-2013, during which the labour market underwent large economic and structural changes in many countries. Register-based panel data study. Large representative datasets on Finnish wage earners aged 25-59 years. Annual risk of sickness absence (>10 working days) based on repeated logistic regression. Between 2005 and 2013, the proportion of employees with sickness absence decreased. Occupational class differences in sickness absence trends varied by disease group. Overall, the decrease in absences was smallest among lower non-manual employees. Sickness absence levels were highest in the health and social work sector and in the manufacturing sector within the non-manual and manual classes, respectively. Absences due to musculoskeletal diseases decreased temporarily during the peak of the economic recession in 2009, particularly in the manufacturing sector within the manual class. The decrease in absences due to musculoskeletal diseases was smallest in the trade sector within the lower occupational classes. Overall, education, income and employment patterns partly explained the differences in the absence levels, but not in the trends. We found a complex interplay between the associations of occupational class and industrial sector with sickness absence trends. During the economic recession, absences due to musculoskeletal diseases decreased temporarily in a segment of wage earners who were known to have been hit hard by the recession. However, the trend differences were not explained by the measured structural changes in the characteristics of the study population. Both occupational class and industrial sector should be taken into account when tackling problems of work disability. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  1. Contemporary nutritional transition: determinants of diet and its impact on body composition

    PubMed Central

    Popkin, Barry M.

    2010-01-01

    The world has experienced a marked shift in the global BMI distribution towards reduced undernutrition and increased obesity. The collision between human biology, shaped over the millennia and modern technology, globalization, government policies and food industry practices have worked to create far-reaching energy imbalance across the globe. A prime example is the clash between our drinking habits and our biology. The shift from water and breast milk as the only beverages available, to a vast array of caloric beverages was very rapid, shaped both by our tastes and aggressive marketing of the beverage industry. Our biology, shaped over millennia by daily consumption of water and seasonal availability of food, was not ready to compensate for the liquid energies. Other dietary changes were similarly significant, particularly the shift towards increased frequency of eating and larger portions. The roles of the food and beverage production, distribution and marketing sectors in not only shaping our diet but also accelerating these changes must be understood. Apart from the role of beverages, there is much less consensus about the role of various components of our diet in energy imbalance. Understanding the determinants of change in the key components of our diet through an array of research provides insights into some of the options we face in attempting to attain a great balance between energy intake and expenditures while creating an overall healthier dietary pattern. A few countries are systematically addressing the causes of poor dietary and physical activity patterns and high energy imbalance. PMID:21092363

  2. Development of polymer nano composite patterns using fused deposition modeling for rapid investment casting process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vivek, Tiwary; Arunkumar, P.; Deshpande, A. S.; Vinayak, Malik; Kulkarni, R. M.; Asif, Angadi

    2018-04-01

    Conventional investment casting is one of the oldest and most economical manufacturing techniques to produce intricate and complex part geometries. However, investment casting is considered economical only if the volume of production is large. Design iterations and design optimisations in this technique proves to be very costly due to time and tooling cost for making dies for producing wax patterns. However, with the advent of Additive manufacturing technology, plastic patterns promise a very good potential to replace the wax patterns. This approach can be very useful for low volume production & lab requirements, since the cost and time required to incorporate the changes in the design is very low. This research paper discusses the steps involved for developing polymer nanocomposite filaments and checking its suitability for investment castings. The process parameters of the 3D printer machine are also optimized using the DOE technique to obtain mechanically stronger plastic patterns. The study is done to develop a framework for rapid investment casting for lab as well as industrial requirements.

  3. Frictional Performance Assessment of Cemented Carbide Surfaces Textured by Laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, S.; Llanes, L.; Klein, S.; Gachot, C.; Rosenkranz, A.; Bähre, D.; Mücklich, F.

    2017-10-01

    Cemented carbides are advanced engineering materials often used in industry for manufacturing cutting tools or supporting parts in tribological system. In order to improve service life, special attention has been paid to change surface conditions by means of different methods, since surface modification can be beneficial to reduce the friction between the contact surfaces as well as to avoid unintended damage. Laser surface texturing is one of the newly developed surface modification methods. It has been successfully introduced to fabricate some basic patterns on cemented carbide surfaces. In this work, Direct Laser Interference Patterning Technique (DLIP) is implemented to produce special line-like patterns on a cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni) based cemented tungsten carbide grade. It is proven that the laser-produced patterns have high geometrical precision and quality stability. Furthermore, tribology testing using a nano-tribometer unit shows that friction is reduced by the line-like patterns, as compared to the polished one, under both lubricated and dry testing regimes, and the reduction is more pronounced in the latter case.

  4. Chagas disease and globalization of the Amazon.

    PubMed

    Briceño-León, Roberto

    2007-01-01

    The increasing number of autochthonous cases of Chagas disease in the Amazon since the 1970s has led to fear that the disease may become a new public health problem in the region. This transformation in the disease's epidemiological pattern in the Amazon can be explained by environmental and social changes in the last 30 years. The current article draws on the sociological theory of perverse effects to explain these changes as the unwanted result of the shift from the "inward" development model prevailing until the 1970s to the "outward" model that we know as globalization, oriented by industrial forces and international trade. The current article highlights the implementation of five new patterns in agriculture, cattle-raising, mining, lumbering, and urban occupation that have generated changes in the environment and the traditional indigenous habitat and have led to migratory flows, deforestation, sedentary living, the presence of domestic animals, and changes in the habitat that facilitate colonization of human dwellings by vectors and the domestic and work-related transmission of the disease. The expansion of Chagas disease is thus a perverse effect of the globalization process in the Amazon.

  5. Use of historical logging patterns to identify disproportionately logged ecosystems within temperate rainforests of southeastern Alaska.

    PubMed

    Albert, David M; Schoen, John W

    2013-08-01

    The forests of southeastern Alaska remain largely intact and contain a substantial proportion of Earth's remaining old-growth temperate rainforest. Nonetheless, industrial-scale logging has occurred since the 1950s within a relatively narrow range of forest types that has never been quantified at a regional scale. We analyzed historical patterns of logging from 1954 through 2004 and compared the relative rates of change among forest types, landform associations, and biogeographic provinces. We found a consistent pattern of disproportionate logging at multiple scales, including large-tree stands and landscapes with contiguous productive old-growth forests. The highest rates of change were among landform associations and biogeographic provinces that originally contained the largest concentrations of productive old growth (i.e., timber volume >46.6 m³/ha). Although only 11.9% of productive old-growth forests have been logged region wide, large-tree stands have been reduced by at least 28.1%, karst forests by 37%, and landscapes with the highest volume of contiguous old growth by 66.5%. Within some island biogeographic provinces, loss of rare forest types may place local viability of species dependent on old growth at risk of extirpation. Examination of historical patterns of change among ecological forest types can facilitate planning for conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of forest resources. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

  6. [Thinking on development of Shanxi Astragali Radix industry].

    PubMed

    Qin, Xue-Mei; Li, Ai-Ping; Li, Ke; Li, An-Ping; Ning, Lu-Hong

    2016-12-01

    Shanxi, a traditional production area to produce genuine Astragali Radix of high quality, has experienced major changes in the pattern of resources. This area once accounted for half of Astragali Radix industry, but now only serves as the largest supply area of traditional wild Astragali Radix. Furthermore, the strategic position of Shanxi Astragali Radix industry will become more prominent and more important to economic and social development in face of the diversity of market demands, especially for the strong demands of high-end Astragali Radix. In addition, Astragalus industry involves the simultaneous development of the first, second and tertiary industries in many areas, and it is typical and representative in the traditional Chinese medicine industry development. However, the application and industrial development of Shanxi Astragali Radix have been restricted due to the problems such as blind promotion of transplanting cultivation technology, and lack of science and technology including efficacy investigation, safety evaluation, standardization and controllability studies. Therefore, we would analyze the production history, resource structure, the current situation and progress of industry development, scientific research foundation and existing problem in this paper, and put forward countermeasures for development and technical innovation in order to make Astragali Radix industry bigger and stronger through innovation-driven and make benefits for demos. This thought provides a reference for the exploratory development of other large varieties of Chinese medicinal materials. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  7. Impact of the 1979 gasoline shortage on the state's tourism industry

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

    Not Available

    This report is an account of the impact of the 1979 fuel shortage on the tourism industry in Washington State. Data indicate that a reduction in supplies of three percent was accompanied by reductions in state and national park use and in vehicle miles traveled. Retail sales, however, increased (in real dollars) although at a rate well off the average increase for the late seventies. Changes in tourist travel had a distinct regional pattern. While the industry did quite well in the Puget Sound area, it suffered losses in each of the other regions of the state. In some casesmore » these were sharp losses, amounting to millions of dollars. Some counties (King, Kitsap, Mason, San Juan, Ferry, and Snohomish) had very strong years. For others (Clark, Lewis, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, and Whitman) the outlook was nothing short of abject.« less

  8. Annual changes and seasonal variations of Cr in Jiaozhou Bay

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Dongfang; Haixia, Li; Zhang, Longlei; Li, Jiangmin; Nan, Nan

    2017-04-01

    Many bays have been polluted by Cr due to the rapid increasing of industry, hence understanding the temporal change trends and seasonal patterns is essential to pollution control and environmental remediation. Jiaozhou Bay is a semi-closed bay located in Shandong Province, China. This paper analyzed the annual changes and seasonal variations of Cr in Jiaozhou Bay in 1979-1983. Results showed that for annual changes, Cr contents were showing decreasing trend. For seasonal variations, Cr contents were in order of spring > summer > autumn. In generally, the pollution level of Cr contents in the early stage of China’s Reform and Opening-up was still low. These results were meaningful as basic information for pollution control and environmental remediation in this Bay.

  9. Locational trends in R and D by large US corporations, 1965 to 1977

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

    Malecki, E.J.

    1979-10-01

    The locational decisions of large corporations, especially those involving research and development (R and D) and its role in technological change, have considerable effects on regional economic development. The locations of R and D facilities of 330 firms in the United States, are found primarily in metropolitan areas. Industry-specific patterns are present, but overall, a small number of major urban areas are the locations of corporate R and D. Changes in these patterns from 1965 to 1977 show that gains in R and D have taken place in only a few northeastern cities and in relatively few (SMSAs) Standard Metropolitanmore » Statistical Areas, in the Sunbelt. A second major shift in R and D is outward from some large cities, but within their urban regions. Corporate R and D, although experiencing some locational shifts, is remaining quite concentrated in large metropolitan areas. 47 references, 7 tables.« less

  10. 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.

  11. a Case Study: Exploring Industrial Agglomeration of Manufacturing Industries in Shanghai Using Duranton and Overman's K-Density Function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, S.; Wang, J.; Gui, Z.; Wu, H.; Wang, Y.

    2017-09-01

    There has wide academic and policy attention on the issue of scale economy and industrial agglomeration, with most of the attention paid to industrial geography concentration. This paper adopted a scale-independent and distance-based measurement method, K-density function or known as Duranton and Overman (DO) index, to study the manufacturing industries localization in Shanghai, which is the most representative economic development zone in China and East Asia. The result indicates the industry has a growing tendency of localization, and various spatial distribution patterns in different distances. Furthermore, the class of industry also show significant influence on the concentration pattern. Besides, the method has been coded and published on GeoCommerce, a visualization and analysis portal for industrial big data, to provide geoprocessing and spatial decision support.

  12. Spatial patterns of development drive water use

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sanchez, G.M.; Smith, J.W.; Terando, Adam J.; Sun, G.; Meentemeyer, R.K.

    2018-01-01

    Water availability is becoming more uncertain as human populations grow, cities expand into rural regions and the climate changes. In this study, we examine the functional relationship between water use and the spatial patterns of developed land across the rapidly growing region of the southeastern United States. We quantified the spatial pattern of developed land within census tract boundaries, including multiple metrics of density and configuration. Through non‐spatial and spatial regression approaches we examined relationships and spatial dependencies between the spatial pattern metrics, socio‐economic and environmental variables and two water use variables: a) domestic water use, and b) total development‐related water use (a combination of public supply, domestic self‐supply and industrial self‐supply). Metrics describing the spatial patterns of development had the highest measure of relative importance (accounting for 53% of model's explanatory power), explaining significantly more variance in water use compared to socio‐economic or environmental variables commonly used to estimate water use. Integrating metrics characterizing the spatial pattern of development into water use models is likely to increase their utility and could facilitate water‐efficient land use planning.

  13. Spatial Patterns of Development Drive Water Use

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanchez, G. M.; Smith, J. W.; Terando, A.; Sun, G.; Meentemeyer, R. K.

    2018-03-01

    Water availability is becoming more uncertain as human populations grow, cities expand into rural regions and the climate changes. In this study, we examine the functional relationship between water use and the spatial patterns of developed land across the rapidly growing region of the southeastern United States. We quantified the spatial pattern of developed land within census tract boundaries, including multiple metrics of density and configuration. Through non-spatial and spatial regression approaches we examined relationships and spatial dependencies between the spatial pattern metrics, socio-economic and environmental variables and two water use variables: a) domestic water use, and b) total development-related water use (a combination of public supply, domestic self-supply and industrial self-supply). Metrics describing the spatial patterns of development had the highest measure of relative importance (accounting for 53% of model's explanatory power), explaining significantly more variance in water use compared to socio-economic or environmental variables commonly used to estimate water use. Integrating metrics characterizing the spatial pattern of development into water use models is likely to increase their utility and could facilitate water-efficient land use planning.

  14. Microbial Diffraction Gratings as Optical Detectors for Heavy Metal Pollutants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Noever, David; Matsos, Helen; Brittain, Andrew; Obenhuber, Don; Cronise, Raymond; Armstrong, Shannon

    1996-01-01

    As a significant industrial pollutant, cadmium is implicated as the cause of itai-itai disease. For biological detection of cadmium toxicity, an assay device has been developed using the motile response of the protozoa species, Tetrahymena pyriformis. This mobile protozoa measures 50 microns in diameter, swims at 10 body lengths per second, and aggregates into macroscopically visible patterns at high organism concentrations. The assay demonstrates a Cd(+2) sensitivity better than 1 micro-M and a toxicity threshold to 5 micro-M, thus encouraging the study of these microbial cultures as viable pollution detectors. Using two-dimensional diffraction patterns within a Tetrahymena culture, the scattered light intensity varies with different organism densities (population counts). The resulting density profile correlates strongly with the toxic effects at very low dosages for cadmium (less than 5 ppm) and then for poison protection directly (with nickel and copper antagonists competing with cadmium absorption). In particular, copper dosages as low as 0.1-0.5 mM Cu have shown protective antagonism against cadmium, have enhanced density variability for cultures containing 1 mM Cd(+2) and therefore have demonstrated the sensitivity of the optical detection system. In this way, such microbial diffraction patterns give a responsive optical measure of biological culture changes and toxicity determination in aqueous samples of heavy metals and industrial pollutants.

  15. Annotated bibliography and index map of sulfur and pyrites deposits in the United States and Alaska (including references to July 1, 1951)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Espenshade, Gilbert H.; Broedel, Carl H.

    1952-01-01

    Since the end of World War II, the pattern of sulfur production and consumption in the United States and abroad has changed markedly from the pattern that existed before the war. Although production of sulfur in the United States in 1950 was more than double the average annual production for the 1935-39 period, consumption had increased at such a rate that current domestic and foreign demand for U. S. sulfur exceeds the productive capacity of the industry. Production of sulfur (including brimstone, pyrites, and all other forms) in the 1935-39 period and in 1950 are compared in the table below.

  16. Prevalence and patterns of alcohol use in the Australian workforce: findings from the 2001 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.

    PubMed

    Berry, Jesia G; Pidd, Ken; Roche, Ann M; Harrison, James E

    2007-09-01

    To describe Australian workers' prevalence and patterns of alcohol use. A secondary analysis of the 2001 National Drug Strategy Household Survey. A total of 13 582 workers > or = 14 years old. Alcohol consumption levels associated with National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines for short- and long-term harm were stratified by occupation and industry. Approximately 8% of the workforce drank at least weekly at short-term risky or high risk levels, 17% drank at least monthly, 18% drank at least yearly and 11% drank at long-term risky or high risk levels. The prevalence of risky or high risk drinking was higher for younger than for older workers. Controlling for socio-demographic factors, the risk of workers frequently drinking at levels associated with short-term harm was lowest in the education industry and significantly higher in the hospitality, agriculture, manufacturing and construction industries. Drinking patterns associated with long-term harm were more prevalent in the agriculture, retail and manufacturing industries, compared to the education industry. Drinking patterns associated with both short- and long-term harm were more prevalent for blue-collar workers than professionals. Risky and high risk drinking occurred at least occasionally in 44% of Australian workers. Workers in the hospitality, agriculture, manufacturing, construction and retail industries, workers in blue-collar occupations and young workers were identified as at-risk subgroups. These data provide evidence that patterns of consumption differ between occupational and industry groups, and highlight the pressing need to develop policies, prevention and intervention strategies to reduce harmful alcohol use in Australia, particularly among young adults.

  17. Structuring agency: examining healthcare management in the USA and Australia using organizational theory.

    PubMed

    Payne, Julianne; Leiter, Jeffrey

    2013-01-01

    Since the 1970s, the healthcare industry has undergone significant changes. Using neo-institutional and resource dependency theories, the purpose of this paper is to explore how managers perceive constraint and enact agency amidst these historic challenges--perhaps most significantly, declining funding and increasing regulation. The data come from ten interviews with healthcare managers, spanning for-profit, non-profit, and government legal forms and hospital and nursing home sub-industries in both Queensland, Australia and North Carolina, USA. The authors look for patterns across the interviews. The paper shows that governments and umbrella "parent" organizations force managers to adhere to institutional expectations in exchange for resource investment. Managers navigate these environmental obstacles using a shared business-minded approach and competitive differentiation. Yet various interest groups--including front-line workers, physicians, and patients--challenge this paradigm, as they demand a focus on quality of care. Managers' efforts are likewise curbed by the very resource and institutional pressures they resist. The authors understand changes in the healthcare industry as resulting from an increasingly powerful managerial logic, at odds with traditional professional and societal values. Interest groups are best positioned to challenge this logic.

  18. Recent changes in patenting behavior in microprocess technology and its possible use for gas-liquid reactions and the oxidation of glucose.

    PubMed

    Dencic, Ivana; Hessel, Volker; de Croon, Mart H J M; Meuldijk, Jan; van der Doelen, Christianus W J; Koch, Kasper

    2012-02-13

    The miniaturization of continuous processes has been of increasing interest in the past decade, and microreaction technology and flow chemistry have moved from academic and industrial research to commercial applications. With industry taking up such innovations, this trend is also reflected in the patenting behavior of companies active in this area. This review is a continuation of the review paper on microreactor patents published by Hessel et al. and indicates major changes in patenting trends since 2006. Moreover, a different patent database search algorithm is presented, which complements the algorithm explained in the previous review. In addition, the preservation of intellectual property is analyzed for multiphase reactions and particularly solid-catalyzed gas-liquid reactions in microreactors, which play an important role in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries and are reactions that benefit largely from microprocessing. Among other results, we show that the number of patents has increased in this field, with solid-catalyst design and deposition, control of the flow pattern, and ensured stable flow as the main challenges. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Climate forcings in the industrial era.

    PubMed

    Hansen, J E; Sato, M; Lacis, A; Ruedy, R; Tegen, I; Matthews, E

    1998-10-27

    The forcings that drive long-term climate change are not known with an accuracy sufficient to define future climate change. Anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs), which are well measured, cause a strong positive (warming) forcing. But other, poorly measured, anthropogenic forcings, especially changes of atmospheric aerosols, clouds, and land-use patterns, cause a negative forcing that tends to offset greenhouse warming. One consequence of this partial balance is that the natural forcing due to solar irradiance changes may play a larger role in long-term climate change than inferred from comparison with GHGs alone. Current trends in GHG climate forcings are smaller than in popular "business as usual" or 1% per year CO2 growth scenarios. The summary implication is a paradigm change for long-term climate projections: uncertainties in climate forcings have supplanted global climate sensitivity as the predominant issue.

  20. Climate Forcings in the Industrial Era

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hansen, James E.; Sato, Makiko; Lacis, Andrew; Ruedy, Reto; Tegen, Ina; Matthews, Elaine

    1998-01-01

    The forcings that drive long-term climate change are not known with an accuracy sufficient to define future climate change. Anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs), which are well measured, cause a strong positive (warming) forcing. But other, poorly measured, anthropogenic forcings, especially changes of atmospheric aerosols, clouds, and land-use patterns, cause a negative forcing that tends to offset greenhouse warming. One consequence of this partial balance is-that the natural forcing due to solar irradiance changes may play a larger role in long-term climate change than inferred from comparison with GHGs alone. Current trends in GHG climate forcings are smaller than in popular "business as usual" or 1% per year CO2 growth scenarios. The summary implication is a paradigm change for long-term climate projections: uncertainties in climate forcings have supplanted global climate sensitivity as the predominant issue.

  1. Climate forcings in the Industrial era

    PubMed Central

    Hansen, James E.; Sato, Makiko; Lacis, Andrew; Ruedy, Reto; Tegen, Ina; Matthews, Elaine

    1998-01-01

    The forcings that drive long-term climate change are not known with an accuracy sufficient to define future climate change. Anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs), which are well measured, cause a strong positive (warming) forcing. But other, poorly measured, anthropogenic forcings, especially changes of atmospheric aerosols, clouds, and land-use patterns, cause a negative forcing that tends to offset greenhouse warming. One consequence of this partial balance is that the natural forcing due to solar irradiance changes may play a larger role in long-term climate change than inferred from comparison with GHGs alone. Current trends in GHG climate forcings are smaller than in popular “business as usual” or 1% per year CO2 growth scenarios. The summary implication is a paradigm change for long-term climate projections: uncertainties in climate forcings have supplanted global climate sensitivity as the predominant issue. PMID:9788985

  2. Climate Forcing in the Industrial Era

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hansen, James E.

    1998-01-01

    The forcings that drive long-term climate change are not known with an accuracy sufficient to define future climate change. Anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs), which are well measured, cause a strong positive (warming) forcing. But other, poorly measured, anthropogenic forcings, especially changes of atmospheric aerosols, clouds, and land-use patterns, cause a negative forcing that tends to offset greenhouse warming. One consequence of this partial balance is that the natural forcing due to solar irradiance changes may play a larger role in long-term climate change than inferred from comparison with GHGs alone. Current trends in GHG climate forcings are smaller than in popular "business as usual" or 1% per year CO2 growth scenarios. The summary implication is a paradigm change for long-term climate projections: uncertainties in climate forcings have supplanted global climate sensitivity as the predominant issue.

  3. Perspective: Climate Forcings in the Industrial Era

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hansen, James E.; Sato, Makiko; Lacis, Andrew; Ruedy, Reto; Tegen, Ina; Matthews, Elaine

    1998-01-01

    The forcings that drive long-term climate change are not known with an accuracy sufficient to define future climate change. Anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs), which are well measured, cause a strong positive (warming) forcing. But other, poorly measured, anthropogenic forcings, especially changes of atmospheric aerosols, clouds, and land-use patterns, cause a negative forcing that tends to offset greenhouse warming. One consequence of this partial balance is that the natural forcing due to solar irradiance changes may play a larger role in long-term climate change than inferred from comparison with GHGs alone. Current trends in GHG climate forcings are smaller than in popular "business as usual" or 1% per year CO growth scenarios. The summary implication is a paradigm change for long-term climate projections: uncertainties in climate forcings have supplanted global climate sensitivity as the predominant issue.

  4. Investigating the Influence Relationship Models for Stocks in Indian Equity Market: A Weighted Network Modelling Study

    PubMed Central

    Acharjee, Animesh

    2016-01-01

    The socio-economic systems today possess high levels of both interconnectedness and interdependencies, and such system-level relationships behave very dynamically. In such situations, it is all around perceived that influence is a perplexing power that has an overseeing part in affecting the dynamics and behaviours of involved ones. As a result of the force & direction of influence, the transformative change of one entity has a cogent aftereffect on the other entities in the system. The current study employs directed weighted networks for investigating the influential relationship patterns existent in a typical equity market as an outcome of inter-stock interactions happening at the market level, the sectorial level and the industrial level. The study dataset is derived from 335 constituent stocks of ‘Standard & Poor Bombay Stock Exchange 500 index’ and study period is 1st June 2005 to 30th June 2015. The study identifies the set of most dynamically influential stocks & their respective temporal pattern at three hierarchical levels: the complete equity market, different sectors, and constituting industry segments of those sectors. A detailed influence relationship analysis is performed for the sectorial level network of the construction sector, and it was found that stocks belonging to the cement industry possessed high influence within this sector. Also, the detailed network analysis of construction sector revealed that it follows scale-free characteristics and power law distribution. In the industry specific influence relationship analysis for cement industry, methods based on threshold filtering and minimum spanning tree were employed to derive a set of sub-graphs having temporally stable high-correlation structure over this ten years period. PMID:27846251

  5. Introduction: population migration and urbanization in developing countries.

    PubMed

    Kojima, R

    1996-12-01

    This introductory article discusses the correlation between migration and rapid urbanization and growth in the largest cities of the developing world. The topics include the characteristics of urbanization, government policies toward population migration, the change in absolute size of the rural population, and the problems of maintaining megacities. Other articles in this special issue are devoted to urbanization patterns in China, South Africa, Iran, Korea and Taiwan as newly industrialized economies (NIEs), informal sectors in the Philippines and Thailand, and low-income settlements in Bogota, Colombia, and India. It is argued that increased urbanization is produced by natural population growth, the expansion of the urban administrative area, and the in-migration from rural areas. A comparison of urbanization rates of countries by per capita gross national product (GNP) reveals that countries with per capita GNP of under US$2000 have urbanization rates of 10-60%. Rates are under 30% in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, China, and Indonesia. Rapid urbanization appears to follow the economic growth curve. The rate of urbanization in Latin America is high enough to be comparable to urbanization in Europe and the US. Taiwan and Korea have high rates of urbanization that surpass the rate of industrialization. Thailand and Malaysia have low rates of urbanization compared to the size of their per capita GNP. Urbanization rates under 20% occur in countries without economic development. Rates between 20% and 50% occur in countries with or without industrialization. East Asian urbanization is progressing along with industrialization. Africa and the Middle East have urbanization without industrialization. In 1990 there were 20 developing countries and 5 developed countries with populations over 5 million. In 10 of 87 developing countries rural population declined in absolute size. The author identifies and discusses four patterns of urban growth.

  6. Investigating the Influence Relationship Models for Stocks in Indian Equity Market: A Weighted Network Modelling Study.

    PubMed

    Bhattacharjee, Biplab; Shafi, Muhammad; Acharjee, Animesh

    2016-01-01

    The socio-economic systems today possess high levels of both interconnectedness and interdependencies, and such system-level relationships behave very dynamically. In such situations, it is all around perceived that influence is a perplexing power that has an overseeing part in affecting the dynamics and behaviours of involved ones. As a result of the force & direction of influence, the transformative change of one entity has a cogent aftereffect on the other entities in the system. The current study employs directed weighted networks for investigating the influential relationship patterns existent in a typical equity market as an outcome of inter-stock interactions happening at the market level, the sectorial level and the industrial level. The study dataset is derived from 335 constituent stocks of 'Standard & Poor Bombay Stock Exchange 500 index' and study period is 1st June 2005 to 30th June 2015. The study identifies the set of most dynamically influential stocks & their respective temporal pattern at three hierarchical levels: the complete equity market, different sectors, and constituting industry segments of those sectors. A detailed influence relationship analysis is performed for the sectorial level network of the construction sector, and it was found that stocks belonging to the cement industry possessed high influence within this sector. Also, the detailed network analysis of construction sector revealed that it follows scale-free characteristics and power law distribution. In the industry specific influence relationship analysis for cement industry, methods based on threshold filtering and minimum spanning tree were employed to derive a set of sub-graphs having temporally stable high-correlation structure over this ten years period.

  7. Changing industrial patterns in the metroplitan Chicago area

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

    Allardice, D.

    1994-12-31

    The industrial base of Chicago, and most Midwestern cities, continues to change. These changes are particularly visible in the manufacturing sector where the exodus of companies has left behind abandoned factories and industrial sites that now blight the urban landscape. As urban centers have seen a steady decline in their ability to attract and maintain their manufacturing base, great interest has been placed in seeing what can be done to attract economic activity back into the urban center. For most Midwestern cities, this often means trying to either replace or stem the tide of manufacturing facilities that have left themore » city for {open_quotes}greenfields{close_quotes} in suburban or rural locations or have simply moved overseas. On the replacement front, to compensate for the loss of manufacturing, some cities such as Chicago have managed to expand other areas of their economies, such as business services, finance, and tourism and recreation to maintain their vitality. This paper discusses three aspects of the changing economic landscape of Chicago and other Midwestern urban areas. First, some historical perspective will be provided on how Chicago came to be a manufacturing center and what factors since World War II have led manufacturing facilities to move away from the urban center. Second, the future prospects for manufacturing in the central city will be examined. Finally, what policies may help increase (or at the very least maintain) the concentration of manufacturing in Chicago will be discussed.« less

  8. Temporal growth and spatial distribution of the fast food industry and its relationship with economic development in China - 2005-2012.

    PubMed

    Xue, Hong; Cheng, Xi; Zhang, Qi; Wang, Huijun; Zhang, Bing; Qu, Weidong; Wang, Youfa

    2017-09-01

    The fast food (FF) industry has expanded rapidly in China during the past two decades, in parallel with an increase in the prevalence of obesity. Using government-reported longitudinal data from 21 provinces and cities in China, this study examined the growth over time and the spatial distribution patterns of the FF industry as well as the key social economic factors involved. We visualized the temporal and geographic distributions of FF industry development and conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal spatial analysis to assess associations between macroeconomic conditions, population dynamics, and the growth and distributional changes of the industry. It grew faster in the southeast coastal (more economically developed) areas since 2005 than in other regions. The industry was: 1) highly correlated with Gross Domestic Product; 2) highly correlated with per capita disposable income for urban residents; 3) moderately correlated with urban population; and 4) not correlated with an increase of population size. The mean center of the FF industry shifted westward as the mean center of the GDP moved in the same direction, while the mean center of the population shifted eastward. The results suggest that the rapid FF industry expansion in China was closely associated with economic growth and that improving the food environment should be a major component in local economic development planning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Structure, dynamics and movement patterns of the Australian pig industry.

    PubMed

    East, I J; Davis, J; Sergeant, E S G; Garner, M G

    2014-03-01

    To assess management practices and movement patterns that could influence the establishment and spread of exotic animal diseases (EAD) in pigs in Australia. A literature review of published information and a telephone survey of 370 pig producers owning >10 pigs who were registered with the PigPass national vendor declaration scheme. The movement and marketing patterns of Australian pig producers interviewed were divided into two groups based predominantly on the size of the herd. Major pig producers maintain closed herds, use artificial insemination and market direct to abattoirs. Smaller producers continue to purchase from saleyards and market to other farms, abattoirs and through saleyards in an apparently opportunistic fashion. The role of saleyards in the Australian pig industry continues to decline, with 92% of all pigs marketed directly from farm to abattoir. This survey described movement patterns that will assist in modelling the potential spread of EAD in the Australian pig industry. Continued movement towards vertical integration and closed herds in the Australian pig industry effectively divides the industry into a number of compartments that mitigate against the widespread dissemination of disease to farms adopting these practices. © 2014 Australian Veterinary Association.

  10. Chemical Compounds Toxic to Invertebrates Isolated from Marine Cyanobacteria of Potential Relevance to the Agricultural Industry

    PubMed Central

    Essack, Magbubah; Alzubaidy, Hanin S.; Bajic, Vladimir B.; Archer, John A. C.

    2014-01-01

    In spite of advances in invertebrate pest management, the agricultural industry is suffering from impeded pest control exacerbated by global climate changes that have altered rain patterns to favour opportunistic breeding. Thus, novel naturally derived chemical compounds toxic to both terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates are of interest, as potential pesticides. In this regard, marine cyanobacterium-derived metabolites that are toxic to both terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates continue to be a promising, but neglected, source of potential pesticides. A PubMed query combined with hand-curation of the information from retrieved articles allowed for the identification of 36 cyanobacteria-derived chemical compounds experimentally confirmed as being toxic to invertebrates. These compounds are discussed in this review. PMID:25356733

  11. Chemical compounds toxic to invertebrates isolated from marine cyanobacteria of potential relevance to the agricultural industry.

    PubMed

    Essack, Magbubah; Alzubaidy, Hanin S; Bajic, Vladimir B; Archer, John A C

    2014-10-29

    In spite of advances in invertebrate pest management, the agricultural industry is suffering from impeded pest control exacerbated by global climate changes that have altered rain patterns to favour opportunistic breeding. Thus, novel naturally derived chemical compounds toxic to both terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates are of interest, as potential pesticides. In this regard, marine cyanobacterium-derived metabolites that are toxic to both terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates continue to be a promising, but neglected, source of potential pesticides. A PubMed query combined with hand-curation of the information from retrieved articles allowed for the identification of 36 cyanobacteria-derived chemical compounds experimentally confirmed as being toxic to invertebrates. These compounds are discussed in this review.

  12. The effect of aerosols on northern hemisphere wintertime stationary waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewinschal, Anna; Ekman, Annica M. L.

    2010-05-01

    Aerosol particles have a considerable impact on the energy budget of the atmosphere because of their ability to scatter and absorb incoming solar radiation. Since the beginning of the industrialisation a large increase has been seen mainly in the concentrations of sulphate and black carbon as a result of combustion of fossil fuel and biomass burning. Aerosol particles have a relatively short residence time in the atmosphere why the aerosol concentration shows a large variation spatially as well as in time where high concentrations are found close to emission sources. This leads to a highly varying radiative forcing pattern which modifies temperature gradients which in turn can alter the pressure distribution and lead to changes in the circulation in the atmosphere. In this study, the effect on the wintertime planetary scale waves on the northern hemisphere is specifically considered together with the regional climate impact due to changes in the stationary waves. To investigate the effect of aerosols on the circulation a global general circulation model based on the ECMWF operational forecast model is used (EC-Earth). The aerosol description in EC-Earth consists of prescribed monthly mean mass concentration fields of five different types of aerosols: sulphate, black carbon, organic carbon, dust and sea salt. Only the direct radiative effect is considered and the different aerosol types are treated as external mixtures. Changes in the stationary wave pattern are determined by comparing model simulations using present-day and pre-industrial concentrations of aerosol particles. Since the planetary scale waves largely influence the storm tracks and are an important part of the meridional heat transport, changes in the wave pattern may have substantial impact on the climate globally and locally. By looking at changes in the model simulations globally it can be found that the aerosol radiative forcing has the potential to change the stationary wave pattern. Furthermore, it shows that regional changes in the climate occur also where the radiative forcing from aerosol particles is not particularly strong, which would indicate that the large scale dynamical response to aerosol forcing can induce changes in temperature, precipitation and wind patterns outside the region where the forcing is initially located.

  13. A pattern of contractor selection for oil and gas industries in a safety approach using ANP-DEMATEL in a Grey environment.

    PubMed

    Gharedaghi, Gholamreza; Omidvari, Manouchehr

    2018-01-11

    Contractor selection is one of the major concerns of industry managers such as those in the oil industry. The objective of this study was to determine a contractor selection pattern for oil and gas industries in a safety approach. Assessment of contractors based on specific criteria and ultimately selecting an eligible contractor preserves the organizational resources. Due to the safety risks involved in the oil industry, one of the major criteria of contractor selection considered by managers today is safety. The results indicated that the most important safety criterion of contractor selection was safety records and safety investments. This represented the industry's risks and the impact of safety training and investment on the performance of other sectors and the overall organization. The output of this model could be useful in the safety risk assessment process in the oil industry and other industries.

  14. A population based survey of ergonomic risk factors in Connecticut: distribution by industry, occupation, and demographics.

    PubMed

    Morse, Tim F; Warren, Nicholas; Dillon, Charles; Diva, Ulysses

    2007-05-01

    Risk factors for upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) include biomechanical factors (force, repetition, posture) and psychosocial factors (job stress). A population-based telephone survey of workers in Connecticut characterized these risk factors by industry, occupation, gender, and age. Risk factors were highly prevalent in the Connecticut workplace, but varied considerably by industry, occupation, gender, and age. Risk factors clustered based on (a) physically active occupations/industries (pushing/pulling, reaching, bent wrists, and tool use), (b) physically passive occupations/industries (static postures, stress, and computer use), and (c) repetitive motion exposures. Physically active patterns had the highest prevalence in construction/agriculture/mining, followed by (in order) wholesale/retail trade, utilities, manufacturing, services, government, and finance/insurance. Physically passive patterns tended to reverse this order, and repetitive motion followed a third pattern. Physically active risk factors were typically higher for males, though this varied by industry and occupation. All risk factors except for stress show a steady decrease with age. Almost 1,000,000 Connecticut workers are estimated to be exposed to repetitive work, bent wrists, and job stress. Workers in high exposure industries and occupations should be closely evaluated for risks, with outreach to industries for preventive ergonomic interventions as preferred to treatment for conditions that arise.

  15. The pyrohealth transition: how combustion emissions have shaped health through human history.

    PubMed

    Johnston, Fay H; Melody, Shannon; Bowman, David M J S

    2016-06-05

    Air pollution from landscape fires, domestic fires and fossil fuel combustion is recognized as the single most important global environmental risk factor for human mortality and is associated with a global burden of disease almost as large as that of tobacco smoking. The shift from a reliance on biomass to fossil fuels for powering economies, broadly described as the pyric transition, frames key patterns in human fire usage and landscape fire activity. These have produced distinct patters of human exposure to air pollution associated with the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions and post-industrial the Earth global system-wide changes increasingly known as the Anthropocene. Changes in patterns of human fertility, mortality and morbidity associated with economic development have been previously described in terms of demographic, epidemiological and nutrition transitions, yet these frameworks have not explicitly considered the direct consequences of combustion emissions for human health. To address this gap, we propose a pyrohealth transition and use data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) collaboration to compare direct mortality impacts of emissions from landscape fires, domestic fires, fossil fuel combustion and the global epidemic of tobacco smoking. Improving human health and reducing the environmental impacts on the Earth system will require a considerable reduction in biomass and fossil fuel combustion.This article is part of the themed issue 'The interaction of fire and mankind'. © 2016 The Author(s).

  16. The pyrohealth transition: how combustion emissions have shaped health through human history

    PubMed Central

    Johnston, Fay H.; Melody, Shannon

    2016-01-01

    Air pollution from landscape fires, domestic fires and fossil fuel combustion is recognized as the single most important global environmental risk factor for human mortality and is associated with a global burden of disease almost as large as that of tobacco smoking. The shift from a reliance on biomass to fossil fuels for powering economies, broadly described as the pyric transition, frames key patterns in human fire usage and landscape fire activity. These have produced distinct patters of human exposure to air pollution associated with the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions and post-industrial the Earth global system-wide changes increasingly known as the Anthropocene. Changes in patterns of human fertility, mortality and morbidity associated with economic development have been previously described in terms of demographic, epidemiological and nutrition transitions, yet these frameworks have not explicitly considered the direct consequences of combustion emissions for human health. To address this gap, we propose a pyrohealth transition and use data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) collaboration to compare direct mortality impacts of emissions from landscape fires, domestic fires, fossil fuel combustion and the global epidemic of tobacco smoking. Improving human health and reducing the environmental impacts on the Earth system will require a considerable reduction in biomass and fossil fuel combustion. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The interaction of fire and mankind’. PMID:27216506

  17. [Changes of wetland landscape pattern in Dayang River Estuary based on high-resolution remote sensing image].

    PubMed

    Wu, Tao; Zhao, Dong-zhi; Zhang, Feng-shou; Wei, Bao-quan

    2011-07-01

    Based on the comprehensive consideration of the high resolution characteristics of remote sensing data and the current situation of land cover and land use in Dayang River Estuary wetland, a classification system with different resolutions of wetland landscape in the Estuary was established. The landscape pattern indices and landscape transition matrix were calculated by using the high resolution remote sensing data, and the dynamic changes of the landscape pattern from 1984 to 2008 were analyzed. In the study period, the wetland landscape components changed drastically. Wetland landscape transferred from natural wetland into artificial wetland, and wetland core regional area decreased. Natural wetland's largest patch area index descended, and the fragmentation degree ascended; while artificial wetland area expanded, its patch number decreased, polymerization degree increased, and the maximum patch area index had an obvious increasing trend. Increasing human activities, embankment construction, and reclamation for aquaculture were the main causes for the decrease of wetland area and the degradation of the ecological functions of Dayang River Estuary. To constitute long-term scientific and reasonable development plan, establish wetland nature reserves, protect riverway, draft strict inspective regimes for aquaculture reclamation, and energetically develop resource-based tourism industry would be the main strategies for the protection of the estuarine wetland.

  18. The West Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Initiative: practicum training for a new marketplace.

    PubMed

    Meyer, J D; Becker, P E; Stockdale, T; Ducatman, A M

    1999-05-01

    Occupational medicine practice has experienced a shift from larger corporate medical departments to organizations providing services for a variety of industries. Specific training needs will accompany this shift in practice patterns; these may differ from those developed in the traditional industrial or corporate medical department setting. The West Virginia Occupational Health and Safety Initiative involves occupational medicine residents in consultation to a variety of small industries and businesses. It uses the expertise of occupational physicians, health and safety extension faculty, and faculty in engineering and industrial hygiene. Residents participate in multidisciplinary evaluations of worksites, and develop competencies in team-building, workplace health and safety evaluation, and occupational medical consulting. Specific competencies that address requirements for practicum training are used to measure the trainee's acquisition of knowledge and skills. Particular attention is paid to the acquisition of group problem-solving expertise, skills relevant to the current market in practice opportunities, and the specific career interests of the resident physician. Preliminary evaluation indicates the usefulness of training in evaluation of diverse industries and worksites. We offer this program as a training model that can prepare residents for the challenges of a changing marketplace for occupational health and safety services.

  19. Concern About Petrochemical Health Risk Before and After a Refinery Explosion

    PubMed Central

    Cutchin, Malcolm P.; Martin, Kathryn Remmes; Owen, Steven V.; Goodwin, James S.

    2014-01-01

    On March 23, 2005, a large explosion at an oil refinery in Texas City, Texas caused 15 deaths and approximately 170 injuries. Little is known about how such an industrial accident influences concern about environmental health risks. We used measures of environmental health concern about nearby petrochemical production with a sample of Texas City residents to understand patterns of concern and change in concern after an industrial accident, as well as individual and contextual factors associated with those patterns. Survey interviews with residents of Texas City, Texas (N =315) both pre- and postexplosion using a brief Concern About Petrochemical Health Risk Scale (CAPHRS) and other questions were used to collect pertinent predictor information. CAPHRS baseline, postexplosion, and change scores were compared and modeled using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and a mixed model. Higher preexplosion CAPHRS scores were predicted by younger adults, foreign-born Hispanics, non-Hispanic blacks, lower- and middle-income groups, and those who live with someone who has worked at the petrochemical plants. Higher CAPHRS change scores are predicted by the same variables (except income), as well as proximity to, or perception of, the explosion, and reports of neighborhood damage. Findings suggest these groups’ concern scores could indicate a greater vulnerability to psychological and physical harm generated by concern and stress arising from local petrochemical activities. A clearer understanding of concern about actual environmental health risks in exposed populations may enhance the evolving theory of stress and coping and eventually enable public health professionals to develop appropriate mitigation strategies. PMID:18643817

  20. Pricing health care services: applications to the health maintenance organization.

    PubMed

    Sweeney, R E; Franklin, S P

    1986-01-01

    This article illustrates how management in one type of service industry, the health maintenance organization (HMO), have attempted to formalize pricing. This effort is complicated by both the intangibility of the service delivered and the relatively greater influence in service industries of non-cost price factors such as accessibility, psychology, and delays. The presentation describes a simple computerized approach that allows the marketing manager to formally estimate the effect of incremental changes in rates on the firm's projected patterns of enrollment growth and net revenues. The changes in turn reflect underlying variations in the mix of pricing influences including psychological and other factors. Enrollment projections are crucial to the firm's financial planning and staffing. In the past, most HMO enrollment and revenue projections of this kind were notoriously unreliable. The approach described here makes it possible for HMOs to fine-tune their pricing policies. It also provides a formal and easily understood mechanism by which management can evaluate and reach consensus on alternative scenarios for enrollment growth, staff recruitment and capacity expansion.

  1. National Renewable Energy Policy in a Global World

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jeong, Minji

    Increasing trade of renewable energy products has significantly contributed to reducing the costs of renewable energy sources, but at the same time, it has generated protectionist policies, which may negatively affect the trend of the cost reduction. Although a few recent studies examined the rise of renewable energy protectionism and trade disputes, they are limited in addressing the conflict between the original goal of traditional renewable energy policies and the new protectionist policies under the globalized renewable energy industry. To fill this gap, this dissertation explores how the globalized renewable energy industry has changed national renewable energy policies. Through three analyses, three aspects of the globalized renewable energy industry are examined: the rise of multinational corporations, international interactions among actors, and the changes of the global and domestic market conditions. First analysis investigates how multinational renewable energy corporations have affected national policies. A content analysis of the annual reports of 15 solar photovoltaic multinational corporation shows that solar multinationals have been influenced by national policies and have adapted to the changes rather than having attempted to change national policies. Second analysis examines how diverse actors have framed renewable energy trade issues through a network analysis of the Chinese solar panel issue in the United States. The result shows that the Chinese solar panel issue was framed differently from the traditional environmental frame of renewable energy, being dominated by multinational corporations headquartered in other countries. Third analysis explores what has caused the increasing diversity in national renewable energy policies through the case studies of the U.S. and South Korea. The result reveals that the globalization of solar industry has affected the diversification of solar policies in two countries by generating both challenges, which needed to be addressed by new and additional policies, and opportunities, which strengthened the political power of domestic solar industries. The three analyses show that the globalized renewable energy industry has led to the diversification of national renewable energy policies by increasing international interactions between actors and by introducing both challenges and opportunities to domestic renewable energy industries. This research contributes to the literature on trade and the environment by analyzing a new pattern of the conflicts between traditional environmental policies and "green" protectionist policies. It also contributes to the literature on protectionism by adding an empirical case of green protectionism, one of the forms of "murky" protectionism that has risen after the global financial crisis.

  2. Population and labour force growth and patterns in ASEAN countries.

    PubMed

    Saw, S

    1988-01-01

    "The paper shows that the diverse labor dimensions prevailing in the ASEAN region can be attributed to changes in the structure of the society and economy in the course of recent economic development. It observes the considerable variety in the growth of the population and its effect on the labor force in the ASEAN region.... The paper details the similarity and diversity in the level and type of labor force participation rates. A common feature shared by ASEAN countries is a general pattern in the age-specific participation rate of men. In contrast, the women, aside from participating in the labor force at a much lower level than men at almost all ages, display diverse patterns of participation over the working age range. Lastly, the distribution of the labor force according to major industrial sectors in the six ASEAN countries is presented...." excerpt

  3. Impacts of 1, 1.5, and 2 Degree Warming on Arctic Terrestrial Snow and Sea Ice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Derksen, C.; Mudryk, L.; Howell, S.; Flato, G. M.; Fyfe, J. C.; Gillett, N. P.; Sigmond, M.; Kushner, P. J.; Dawson, J.; Zwiers, F. W.; Lemmen, D.; Duguay, C. R.; Zhang, X.; Fletcher, C. G.; Dery, S. J.

    2017-12-01

    The 2015 Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) established the global temperature goal of "holding the increase in the global average temperature to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels." In this study, we utilize multiple gridded snow and sea ice products (satellite retrievals; assimilation systems; physical models driven by reanalyses) and ensembles of climate model simulations to determine the impacts of observed warming, and project the relative impacts of the UNFCC future warming targets on Arctic seasonal terrestrial snow and sea ice cover. Observed changes during the satellite era represent the response to approximately 1°C of global warming. Consistent with other studies, analysis of the observational record (1970's to present) identifies changes including a shorter snow cover duration (due to later snow onset and earlier snow melt), significant reductions in spring snow cover and summer sea ice extent, and the loss of a large proportion of multi-year sea ice. The spatial patterns of observed snow and sea ice loss are coherent across adjacent terrestrial/marine regions. There are strong pattern correlations between snow and temperature trends, with weaker association between sea ice and temperature due to the additional influence of dynamical effects such wind-driven redistribution of sea ice. Climate model simulations from the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5(CMIP-5) multi-model ensemble, large initial condition ensembles of the Community Earth System Model (CESM) and Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM2) , and warming stabilization simulations from CESM were used to identify changes in snow and ice under further increases to 1.5°C and 2°C warming. The model projections indicate these levels of warming will be reached over the coming 2-4 decades. Warming to 1.5°C results in an increase in the number of melting days over snow and sea ice (and resultant increases in snow-free and ice-free duration), which are similar in magnitude to the change from pre-industrial conditions to present day. Continued warming to 2°C further intensifies the cryospheric response consistent with amplified Arctic warming relative to the global average trend.

  4. Revealed variations of air quality in industrial development over a remote plateau of Southwest China: an application of atmospheric visibility data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Tianliang; Liu, Di; Zheng, Xiaobo; Yang, Lexin; Gu, Xiaoping; Hu, Jun; Shu, Zhuozhi; Chang, Jiacheng; Wu, Xiasheng

    2017-12-01

    Since the 1980s, an industrial development has bloomed in China including the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau (YGP), a remote region in Southwest China. To analyze the regional variations in air quality over YGP during the industrial development, we adopt the equivalent visibility by excluding the influence of natural factors on the observed visibility based on the meteorological data observed at 203 sites over YGP from 1980 to 2010 in this study. The YGP air quality exhibits the tremendous spatial differences in a general distribution from western good to eastern poor air quality. A similar pattern shifts seasonally in the spatial distribution with a typical seasonality of air quality over YGP between summertime low air pollution and wintertime high air pollution. The increasing and decreasing trends in visibility are mostly concentrated, respectively, in the YGP regions with high and low visibility, displaying the phenomenon of polarization in air quality change over YGP during 1980-2010. The regional mean visibility of the YGP presents a significant declining trend with change rate of -1.5 km decade-1 for air quality deterioration. The seasonal differences in visibility between summer (33.6 km) and winter (25.2 km) became obscure with the interannual change trends of visibility with stronger declines (-2.29 km decade-1) in summer and weaker decreases (-0.89 km decade-1) in winter over 1980-2010, which lead to a indistinct seasonality of air quality change over YGP. The remote YGP had experienced more frequent haze pollution, especially in the eastern plateau over 31 years. In accompany of increasing energy consumption in the industrial development, population growth is an important factor influencing the interannual change of YGP air quality. The distinct spatial distribution in the YGP terrain exerts an impact on poor air quality in lower flatlands harbored by mountainous topography with good air quality. Declined monsoon winds could meteorologically drive the air quality change with less regional transport of air pollutant over YGP during 1980-2010. Implications of the climate change for atmospheric environment will be having potential utility for sustainable development in China.

  5. Potential reduced exposure products (PREPs) in industry trial testimony.

    PubMed

    Wayne, Geoffrey Ferris

    2006-12-01

    To identify patterns in trial testimony that may reflect on the intentions or expectations of tobacco manufacturers with regard to the introduction of potential reduced exposure products (PREPs). Research was conducted using the Deposition and Trial Testimony Archive (DATTA) collection of trial testimony and depositions housed online at Tobacco Documents Online (www.tobaccodocuments.org). Relevant testimony was identified through full-text searches of terms indicating PREPs or harm reduction strategies. The role and function of PREPs in testimony were classified according to common and contrasting themes. These were analysed in the context of broader trial arguments and against changes in time period and the market. Analysis of testimony suggests that the failure of PREPs in the market tempered initial industry enthusiasm and made protection of the conventional cigarette market its major priority. The "breakthrough" character of PREPs has been de-emphasised, with trial arguments instead positioning PREPs as simply another choice for consumers. This framework legitimises the sale of conventional brands, and shifts the responsibility for adoption of safer products from the manufacturer to the consumer. Likewise, testimony has abandoned earlier dramatic health claims made with regard to PREPs, which had undermined industry arguments regarding efforts to reduce harm in conventional products. More recent testimony advocates the broad acceptance of independent guidelines that would validate use of health claims and enable the industry to market PREPs to consumers. Trial testimony reflects the changing role and positioning of PREPs by the tobacco industry. The findings are of particular importance with regard to future evaluation and potential regulation of reduced harm products.

  6. Use of a moss biomonitoring method to compile emission inventories for small-scale industries.

    PubMed

    Varela, Z; Aboal, J R; Carballeira, A; Real, C; Fernández, J A

    2014-06-30

    We used a method of detecting small-scale pollution sources (DSSP) that involves measurement of the concentrations of elements in moss tissues, with the following aims: (i) to determine any common qualitative patterns of contaminant emissions for individual industrial sectors, (ii) to compare any such patterns with previously described patterns, and (iii) to compile an inventory of the metals and metalloids emitted by the industries considered. Cluster analysis revealed that there were no common patterns of emission associated with the industrial sectors, probably because of differences in production processes and in the types of fuel and raw materials. However, when these variables were shared by different factories, the concentrations of the elements in moss tissues enabled the factories to be grouped according to their emissions. We compiled a list of the metals and metalloids emitted by the factories under study and found that the DSSP method was satisfactory for this purpose in most cases (53 of 56). The method appears to be a useful tool for compiling contaminant inventories; it may also be useful for determining the efficacy of technical improvements aimed at reducing the industrial emission of contaminants and could be incorporated in environmental monitoring and control programmes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Climatic Redistribution of Canada's Water Resources (CROCWR): An analysis of spatial and temporal hydrological trends and patterns in western Canada

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bawden, A. J.; Burn, D. H.; Prowse, T. D.

    2012-12-01

    Climate variability and change can have profound impacts on the hydrologic regime of a watershed. These effects are likely to be especially severe in regions particularly sensitive to changes in climate, such as the Canadian north, or when there are other stresses on the hydrologic regime, such as may occur when there are large withdrawals from, or land-use changes within, a watershed. A recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stressed that future climate is likely to accelerate the hydrologic cycle and hence may affect water security in certain locations. For some regions, this will mean enhanced access to water resources, but because the effects will not be spatially uniform, other regions will experience reduced access. Understanding these patterns is critical for water managers and government agencies in western Canada - an area of highly contrasting hydroclimatic regimes and overlapping water-use and jurisdictional borders - as adapting to climate change may require reconsideration of inter-regional transfers and revised allocation of water resources to competing industrial sectors, including agriculture, hydroelectric production, and oil and gas. This research involves the detection and examination of spatial and temporal streamflow trends in western Canadian rivers as a response to changing climatic factors, including temperature, precipitation, snowmelt, and the synoptic patterns controlling these drivers. The study area, known as the CROCWR region, extends from the Pacific coast of British Columbia as far east as the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border and from the Canada-United States international border through a large portion of the Northwest Territories. This analysis examines hydrologic trends in monthly and annual streamflow for a collection of 34 hydrometric gauging stations believed to adequately represent the overall effects of climate variability and change on flows in western Canada by means of the Mann-Kendall non-parametric trend test. Large-scale spatial patterns are determined through examination of trends and contrasts between upper and lower reaches of individual sub-basins, as well as via analysis of streamflow redistributions within the CROCWR region as an entirety (i.e. north, south, east and/or west-moving patterns). Results are used to predict future implications of hydroclimatic variability and change on western Canada's water resources and recommend measures to be taken by water managers in response to these changes. This research is part of a larger hydroclimatic study that includes an analysis of the climatic drivers contributing to shifting flow regimes in western Canada as well as a study of the controlling synoptic patterns and teleconnections associated with changes in these driving forces.

  8. Exposure to Nickel, Chromium, or Cadmium Causes Distinct Changes in the Gene Expression Patterns of a Rat Liver Derived Cell Line

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-11-16

    nickel, cadmium, and chromium are toxic industrial chemicals with an exposure. While these substances are known to produce adverse health effects leading...in both occupational and environmental settings that may cause harmful outcomes. While these substances are known to produce adverse health effects...that particular bin. A chi-squared test was used to test bin enrichment ( p ≤0.05). Probe sets that did not contain any biological process annotation were

  9. Visualization and minimization of clustering of micro-pillars and walls due to liquid film evaporation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Tae-Hong; Kim, Jungchul; Kim, Ho-Young

    2013-11-01

    The spin drying, in which a rinsing liquid deposited on a wafer is rapidly dried by wafer spinning, is an essential step in the semiconductor manufacturing process. While the liquid evaporates, its meniscus straddles neighboring submicron-size patterns such as pillars and walls. Then the capillary effects that pull the patterns together may lead to direct contact of the patterns, which is often referred to as pattern leaning. This poses a problem becoming more and more serious as the pattern size shrinks and the aspect ratio of the patterns increases. While the clustering behavior of high-aspect-ratio micro- and nanopillars was investigated before, a technical strategy to prevent such clustering has been pursed in industrial practices without being supported by the recently established theory of elastocapillarity. Here we visualize the clustering behavior of polymer micropatterns with the evaporation of liquid film while varying the sizes and temperature of the micropatterns. We find a critical role of substrate temperature in preventing the leaning of the patterns via changing the evaporation rate and behavior of the liquid film. Also, we construct a regime map that guides us to find a process condition to avoid pattern leaning in semiconductor manufacturing. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (grant no. 2012-008023).

  10. The Negro in the Supermarket Industry. The Racial Policies of American Industry.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bloom, Gordon F.; Fletcher, F. Marion

    The supermarket industry is important in the study of racial employment policies of American industry for several reasons: the ubiquitous nature of the industry, its size, the relatively low skill employment requirements, the high percentage of part-time jobs available, and the comparatively attractive employment patterns. The latter include…

  11. Technological Diversification of Japanese Industry.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kodama, Fumio

    1986-01-01

    Describes an approach for measuring industrial technological diversification behavior. Identifies sectoral patterns of Japanese industry as related to diversification behaviors. Delineates the mechanisms and effectiveness of Japanese corporate and government policies relevant to diversification. (ML)

  12. Correlative microscopy including CLSM and SEM to improve high-speed, high-resolution laser-engraved print and embossing forms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bohrer, Markus; Schweitzer, Michael; Nirnberger, Robert; Weinberger, Bernhard

    2015-10-01

    The industrial market for processing large-scale films has seen dramatic changes since the 1980s and has almost completely been replaced by lasers and digital processes. A commonly used technology for engraving screens, print and embossing forms in the printing industry, well known since then, is the use of RF-excited CO2 lasers with a beam power up to about 1 kW, modulated in accordance to the pattern to be engraved. Future needs for high-security printing (banknotes, security papers, passports, etc.) will require laser engraving of at least half a million or even more structured elements with a depth from some μm up to 500 μm. Industry now wants photorealistic pictures in packaging design, which requires a similar performance. To ensure 'trusted pulses' from the digital process to the print result the use of correlative microscopy (CLSM and SEM) is demonstrated as a complete chain for a correlative print process in this paper.

  13. Real-Time Pattern Recognition - An Industrial Example

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fitton, Gary M.

    1981-11-01

    Rapid advancements in cost effective sensors and micro computers are now making practical the on-line implementation of pattern recognition based systems for a variety of industrial applications requiring high processing speeds. One major application area for real time pattern recognition is in the sorting of packaged/cartoned goods at high speed for automated warehousing and return goods cataloging. While there are many OCR and bar code readers available to perform these functions, it is often impractical to use such codes (package too small, adverse esthetics, poor print quality) and an approach which recognizes an item by its graphic content alone is desirable. This paper describes a specific application within the tobacco industry, that of sorting returned cigarette goods by brand and size.

  14. Thank goodness it's Friday: weekly pattern of workplace incivility.

    PubMed

    Nicholson, Tahnee; Griffin, Barbara

    2017-01-01

    Recent research has shown day-level differences in an individual's experience of uncivil behavior; however, it is unknown if that experience follows a consistent weekly change pattern. This study extends incivility theory and research by applying latent growth curve (LGC) modeling to diary study data to understand day-to-day changes in incivility. The authors took a theory-driven approach, reviewing both mood and recovery theory that would support a decrease in incivility over the working week. Diary survey methodology was used, with a morning and evening survey completed on five consecutive workdays by 171 (73% of the 235 who initially volunteered, 95% of those who completed any surveys) employees in the legal industry. LGC analysis was used to identify patterns of experienced incivility, mood (both measured after work), and recovery (assessed the following morning). Regardless of job demands and gender, a weekly pattern was identified with the likelihood of experiencing incivility (coded as 0 = none, 1 = some) decreasing from Monday to Friday by .78 each day (p < .001) in a relatively linear fashion with a slope factor of .34 (SE = 0.23; p > .05), indicating invariance between individuals. This weekly pattern was not explained by changes in mood or recovery. Results emphasize the impact of contextual factors such as time on workplace incivility and the need to consider weekly rhythms of other behaviors that are likely to affect employee well-being and productivity. Although limited to one week of data per person, the findings are likely to be relevant to studies of other forms of interpersonal mistreatment, such as social undermining and interpersonal conflict.

  15. Application of Six Sigma/CAP methodology: controlling blood-product utilization and costs.

    PubMed

    Neri, Robert A; Mason, Cindy E; Demko, Lisa A

    2008-01-01

    Blood-product components are a limited commodity whose cost is rising. Many patients benefit from their use, but patients who receive transfusions face an unnecessary increased risk for developing infections; fatal, febrile, or allergic reactions; and circulatory overload. To improve patient care, safety, and resource stewardship, transfusion practices must be evaluated for appropriateness (Wilson et al. 2002). A multihospital health system undertook a rigorous study of blood-product utilization patterns and management processes to address cost-control problems in the organization. The system leveraged two process improvement tools widely implemented outside of the healthcare industry: (1) Six Sigma methodology to identify blood-utilization drivers and to standardize transfusion practice, and (2) change acceleration process model to drive effective change. The initiative resulted in a decreased rate of inappropriate transfusions of packed red blood cell from 16 percent to less than 5 percent, improved clinician use of a blood-component order form, establishment of internal benchmarks, enhanced laboratory-to-clinician communication, and better blood-product expense control. The project further demonstrated how out-of-industry tools and methodologies can be adopted, adapted, and systematically applied to generate positive change (Black and Revere 2006).

  16. [Climatic changes in Scandinavia--consequences for public health].

    PubMed

    Kanestrøm, I

    1999-01-30

    Atmospheric composition and climate conditions are of great importance for health. Increasing consumption of fossil fuels ever since the industrial revolution has resulted in higher contents of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Primarily, this will increase the global temperature. Secondarily, it may change the patterns of precipitation and droughts. Higher extreme temperatures will have a negative effect on health. Climate changes can also change the living conditions of undesirable insects and microbes. The ozone gas in the atmosphere acts as a shield against the harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Chlorofluorocarbons contribute to reduction of the ozone layer and increase ultraviolet radiation. Increased exposure of the skin to this radiation may cause damage such as sunburn and skin cancer. In order to avoid damage, it is of importance to wear protective clothing or use effective sunshades.

  17. A cross-sectional analysis of pharmaceutical industry-funded events for health professionals in Australia

    PubMed Central

    Fabbri, Alice; Grundy, Quinn; Mintzes, Barbara; Swandari, Swestika; Moynihan, Ray; Walkom, Emily; Bero, Lisa A

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To analyse patterns and characteristics of pharmaceutical industry sponsorship of events for Australian health professionals and to understand the implications of recent changes in transparency provisions that no longer require reporting of payments for food and beverages. Design Cross-sectional analysis. Participants and setting 301 publicly available company transparency reports downloaded from the website of Medicines Australia, the pharmaceutical industry trade association, covering the period from October 2011 to September 2015. Results Forty-two companies sponsored 116 845 events for health professionals, on average 608 per week with 30 attendees per event. Events typically included a broad range of health professionals: 82.0% included medical doctors, including specialists and primary care doctors, and 38.3% trainees. Oncology, surgery and endocrinology were the most frequent clinical areas of focus. Most events (64.2%) were held in a clinical setting. The median cost per event was $A263 (IQR $A153–1195) and over 90% included food and beverages. Conclusions Over this 4-year period, industry-sponsored events were widespread and pharmaceutical companies maintained a high frequency of contact with health professionals. Most events were held in clinical settings, suggesting a pervasive commercial presence in everyday clinical practice. Food and beverages, known to be associated with changes to prescribing practice, were almost always provided. New Australian transparency provisions explicitly exclude meals from the reporting requirements; thus, a large proportion of potentially influential payments from pharmaceutical companies to health professionals will disappear from public view. PMID:28667226

  18. Trends in rates of occupational fatal injuries in the United States (1983-92).

    PubMed

    Bailer, A J; Stayner, L T; Stout, N A; Reed, L D; Gilbert, S J

    1998-07-01

    An updated version of a national surveillance system of traumatic occupational fatalities was used to explore adjusted and unadjusted trends in rates of fatal injury. Data from the national traumatic occupational fatalities surveillance system were combined with data on employment from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Poisson regression was then used to examine trends in rates of occupational fatality injuries while controlling for demographic and workplace characteristics. Adjusted annual changes in rates of fatal injuries ranged from a decline of 6.2% for workers in technical and administrative support occupations--for example, health, science, and engineering technicians, pilots, computer programmers--to an increase of 1.6% in machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors. For industries, annual changes ranged from a decline of 5.3% for workers in public administration--for example, justice, public order, and safety workers--to an increase of 2.6% for workers in the wholesale trade. By comparison, the annual decline over all industries and occupations was 3.1%. In many industries and occupations, an effect modification of annual trends by the age of the worker was also found with the oldest workers experiencing either no decline or a significant increase in rates of fatal injuries. This general pattern of decline, adjusted for the effects of demographic characteristics of the worker population, is encouraging; however, increases in rates of fatal injuries found in particular industries and occupations, suggest appropriate targets for increased injury prevention efforts.

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

    Marshall, Rachael E., E-mail: rmarsh01@uoguelph.ca; Farahbakhsh, Khosrow, E-mail: khosrowf@uoguelph.ca

    Highlights: ► Five drivers led developed countries to current solid waste management paradigm. ► Many unique factors challenge developing country solid waste management. ► Limited transferability of developed country approaches to developing countries. ► High uncertainties and decision stakes call for post-normal approaches. ► Systems thinking needed for multi-scale, self-organizing eco-social waste systems. - Abstract: Solid waste management (SWM) has become an issue of increasing global concern as urban populations continue to rise and consumption patterns change. The health and environmental implications associated with SWM are mounting in urgency, particularly in the context of developing countries. While systems analyses largelymore » targeting well-defined, engineered systems have been used to help SWM agencies in industrialized countries since the 1960s, collection and removal dominate the SWM sector in developing countries. This review contrasts the history and current paradigms of SWM practices and policies in industrialized countries with the current challenges and complexities faced in developing country SWM. In industrialized countries, public health, environment, resource scarcity, climate change, and public awareness and participation have acted as SWM drivers towards the current paradigm of integrated SWM. However, urbanization, inequality, and economic growth; cultural and socio-economic aspects; policy, governance, and institutional issues; and international influences have complicated SWM in developing countries. This has limited the applicability of approaches that were successful along the SWM development trajectories of industrialized countries. This review demonstrates the importance of founding new SWM approaches for developing country contexts in post-normal science and complex, adaptive systems thinking.« less

  20. Trends in rates of occupational fatal injuries in the United States (1983-92)

    PubMed Central

    Bailer, A. J.; Stayner, L. T.; Stout, N. A.; Reed, L. D.; Gilbert, S. J.

    1998-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: An updated version of a national surveillance system of traumatic occupational fatalities was used to explore adjusted and unadjusted trends in rates of fatal injury. METHODS: Data from the national traumatic occupational fatalities surveillance system were combined with data on employment from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Poisson regression was then used to examine trends in rates of occupational fatality injuries while controlling for demographic and workplace characteristics. RESULTS: Adjusted annual changes in rates of fatal injuries ranged from a decline of 6.2% for workers in technical and administrative support occupations--for example, health, science, and engineering technicians, pilots, computer programmers--to an increase of 1.6% in machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors. For industries, annual changes ranged from a decline of 5.3% for workers in public administration--for example, justice, public order, and safety workers--to an increase of 2.6% for workers in the wholesale trade. By comparison, the annual decline over all industries and occupations was 3.1%. In many industries and occupations, an effect modification of annual trends by the age of the worker was also found with the oldest workers experiencing either no decline or a significant increase in rates of fatal injuries. CONCLUSIONS: This general pattern of decline, adjusted for the effects of demographic characteristics of the worker population, is encouraging; however, increases in rates of fatal injuries found in particular industries and occupations, suggest appropriate targets for increased injury prevention efforts.   PMID:9816383

  1. Public health implications of changing patterns of recruitment into the South African mining industry, 1973-2012: a database analysis.

    PubMed

    Ehrlich, Rodney; Montgomery, Alex; Akugizibwe, Paula; Gonsalves, Gregg

    2017-08-03

    The triple epidemic of silicosis, tuberculosis and HIV infection among migrant miners from South Africa and neighbouring countries who have worked in the South African mining industry is currently the target of regional and international control efforts. These initiatives are hampered by a lack of information on this population. This study analysed the major South African mining recruitment database for the period 1973 to 2012 by calendar intervals and demographic and occupational characteristics. Changes in area of recruitment were mapped using a geographic information system. The database contained over 10 million contracts, reducible to 1.64 million individuals. Major trends relevant to health projection were a decline in gold mining employment, the major source of silicosis; increasing recruitment of female miners; and shifts in recruitment from foreign to South African miners, from the Eastern to the Northwestern parts of South Africa, and from company employees to contractors. These changes portend further externalisation of the burden of mining lung disease to home communities, as miners, particularly from the gold sector, leave the industry. The implications for health, surveillance and health services of the growing number of miners hired as contractors need further research, as does the health experience of female miners. Overall, the information in this report can be used for projection of disease burden and direction of compensation, screening and treatment services for the ex-miner population throughout Southern Africa.

  2. Removal of nonylphenol from industrial sludge by using an electron beam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choi, Jang-Seung; Park, Jun-Hyun; Kim, Yuri; Kim, JinKyu; Jung, SeungTae; Han, Bumsoo; Alkhuraiji, Turki S.

    2016-09-01

    Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and potential EDCs are mostly man-made, found in various materials such as pesticides, additives or contaminants in food, and personal care products. EDCs have been suspected to be associated with altered reproductive function in males and females increased incidence of breast cancer, abnormal growth patterns and neuro-developmental delays in children and changes in immune function. A number of processes were investigated regarding their potential for removing of endocrine disrupters. Those processes are ferric chloride coagulation, powdered activated carbon, magnetic ion exchange combined with microfiltration or ultrafiltration, as well as nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis. They show some good removal of EDCs in aqueous solution, but do not show good efficiency when EDCs are in sludge. High energy ionizing radiation has the ability to remove the EDCs with a very high degree of reliability and in a clean and efficient manner. The ionizing radiation interacts with EDCs both directly and indirectly. Direct interaction takes place with EDCs, and the structure of EDCs is destroyed or changed. During indirect interaction, radiolysis products of water result in the formation of highly reactive intermediates which then react with the target molecules, culminating in structural changes. For confirmation of radiation reduction of EDCs in industrial sludge, a pilot scale experiment up to 50 kGy of electron beam was conducted with samples from the textile dyeing industries. The experimental result showed over a 90% reduction of nonylphenol (NP) at absorbed doses of around 10 kGy.

  3. Environmental injustice along the US-Mexico border: residential proximity to industrial parks in Tijuana, Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grineski, Sara E.; Collins, Timothy W.; de Lourdes Romo Aguilar, María

    2015-09-01

    Research in the Global North (e.g., US, Europe) has revealed robust patterns of environmental injustice whereby low income and minority residents face exposure to industrial hazards in their neighborhoods. A small body of research suggests that patterns of environmental injustice may diverge between the Global North and South due to differing urban development trajectories. This study uses quantitative environmental justice methods to examine spatial relationships between residential socio-demographics and industrial parks in Tijuana, Baja California Norte, Mexico using 2010 census data for Tijuana’s 401 neighborhoods and municipality-provided locations of industrial parks in the city. Results of spatial lag regression models reveal that formal development is significantly associated with industrial park density, and it accounts for the significant effect of higher socioeconomic status (measured using mean education) on greater industrial density. Higher proportions of female-headed households are also significantly associated with industrial park density, while higher proportions of children and recent migrants are not. The formal development findings align with other studies in Mexico and point to the importance of urban development trajectories in shaping patterns of environmental injustice. The risks for female-headed households are novel in the Mexican context. One potential explanation is that women factory workers live near their places of employment. A second, albeit counterintuitive explanation, is the relative economic advantage experienced by female-headed households in Mexico.

  4. Evaluating patterns and drivers of spatial change in the recreational guided fishing sector in Alaska

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Understanding the impacts of recreational fishing on habitats and species, as well as the social and ecological importance of place to anglers, requires information on the spatial distribution of fishing activities. This study documented long-term changes in core fishing areas of a major recreational fishery in Alaska and identified biological, regulatory, social, and economic drivers of spatial fishing patterns by charter operators. Using participatory mapping and in-person interviews, we characterized the spatial footprint of 46 charter operators in the communities of Sitka and Homer since the 1990s. The spatial footprint differed between Homer and Sitka respondents, with Homer operators consistently using larger areas for Pacific halibut than Sitka operators. Homer and Sitka showed opposite trends in core fishing location area over time, with an overall decrease in Homer and an overall increase in Sitka. For both Sitka and Homer respondents, the range of areas fished was greater for Pacific halibut than for rockfish/lingcod or Pacific salmon. Spatial patterns were qualitatively different between businesses specializing in single species trips and those that operated multispecies trips and between businesses with one vessel and those with multiple vessels. In Homer, the most frequently cited reasons for changes in the location and/or extent of fishing were changes in trip type and the price of fuel, while in Sitka, the most frequently cited reasons for spatial shifts were changes to Pacific halibut regulations and gaining experience or exploring new locations. The diversity of charter fishing strategies in Alaska may allow individual charter operators to respond differently to perturbations and thus maintain resilience of the industry as a whole to social, environmental, and regulatory change. This research also highlights the importance of understanding fishers’ diverse portfolio of activities to effective ecosystem-based management. PMID:28632745

  5. Evaluating patterns and drivers of spatial change in the recreational guided fishing sector in Alaska.

    PubMed

    Chan, Maggie N; Beaudreau, Anne H; Loring, Philip A

    2017-01-01

    Understanding the impacts of recreational fishing on habitats and species, as well as the social and ecological importance of place to anglers, requires information on the spatial distribution of fishing activities. This study documented long-term changes in core fishing areas of a major recreational fishery in Alaska and identified biological, regulatory, social, and economic drivers of spatial fishing patterns by charter operators. Using participatory mapping and in-person interviews, we characterized the spatial footprint of 46 charter operators in the communities of Sitka and Homer since the 1990s. The spatial footprint differed between Homer and Sitka respondents, with Homer operators consistently using larger areas for Pacific halibut than Sitka operators. Homer and Sitka showed opposite trends in core fishing location area over time, with an overall decrease in Homer and an overall increase in Sitka. For both Sitka and Homer respondents, the range of areas fished was greater for Pacific halibut than for rockfish/lingcod or Pacific salmon. Spatial patterns were qualitatively different between businesses specializing in single species trips and those that operated multispecies trips and between businesses with one vessel and those with multiple vessels. In Homer, the most frequently cited reasons for changes in the location and/or extent of fishing were changes in trip type and the price of fuel, while in Sitka, the most frequently cited reasons for spatial shifts were changes to Pacific halibut regulations and gaining experience or exploring new locations. The diversity of charter fishing strategies in Alaska may allow individual charter operators to respond differently to perturbations and thus maintain resilience of the industry as a whole to social, environmental, and regulatory change. This research also highlights the importance of understanding fishers' diverse portfolio of activities to effective ecosystem-based management.

  6. [Agricultural policies and farming systems: A case study of landscape changes in Shizuitou Village in the recent four decades].

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiao-jun; Zhou, Yang; Yan, Yan-bin; Li, Lei

    2015-01-01

    Agricultural policy in China's rural heartland is driving profound changes to traditional farming systems. A case study covering four decades mapped and recorded farming patterns and processes in Shizuitou Village, a rural village in northwest Shanxi. An integrated geospatial methodology from geography and anthropology was employed in the case study to record the changing dynamics of farming systems in Shizuitou Village to discover the long-term impacts of China's agricultural policies on village farming systems. Positive and negative impacts of agricultural policies on village farming systems were mapped, inventoried and evaluated using Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS). The results revealed traditional polycultures are being gradually replaced by industrialized monocultures. The driving forces behind these farming changes come from a series of government agricultural policies aiming at modernization of farming systems in China. The goal of these policies was to spur rapid development of industrial agriculture under the guise of modernization but is leading to the decay of traditional farming systems in the village that maintained local food security with healthy land for hundreds of years. The paper concluded with a recommendation that in future, agricultural policy makers should strike a more reasonable balance between short-term agricultural profits and long-term farming sustainability based on the principles of ecological sustainable development under the context of global changes.

  7. [Some aspects of lifestyle and health status in students].

    PubMed

    Khisamov, E N; Musalimova, R S

    2004-01-01

    To study the lifestyle of students, the spread of bad habits and the self-appraisal of their health status, a sociological survey was made among the indigenous dwellers of a large industrial town and nonresident students. A slight deterioration of health indices was revealed in the students residing in a chemically polluted area of the town and in those who had come from other environmentally unfavorable areas of the republic. These changes may be associated not only with the known reorganization of the pattern of academic activities and lifestyle, but also with the adverse physicochemical influence of a new environment. Changing the environment may promote the strain of mechanisms responsible for adaptation and health destabilization.

  8. Continental-scale assessment of long-term trends in wet deposition trajectories: Role of anthropogenic and hydro-climatic drivers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, J.; Gall, H. E.; Niyogi, D.; Rao, S.

    2012-12-01

    The global trend of increased urbanization, and associated increased intensity of energy and material consumption and waste emissions, has contributed to shifts in the trajectories of aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments. Here, we focus on continental-scale spatiotemporal patterns in two atmospheric constituents (nitrate and sulfate), whose global biogeochemical cycles have been dramatically altered by emissions from mobile and fixed sources in urbanized and industrialized regions. The observed patterns in wet deposition fluxes of nitrate and sulfate are controlled by (1) natural hydro-climatic forcing, and (2) anthropogenic forcing (emissions and regulatory control), both of which are characterized by stochasticity and non-stationarity. We examine long-term wet deposition records in the U.S., Europe, and East Asia to evaluate how anthropogenic and natural forcing factors jointly contributed to the shifting temporal patterns of wet deposition fluxes at continental scales. These data offer clear evidence for successful implementation of regulatory controls and widespread adoption of technologies contributed to improving water quality and mitigation of adverse ecological impacts. We developed a stochastic model to project the future trajectories of wet deposition fluxes in emerging countries with fast growing urban areas. The model generates ellipses within which projected wet deposition flux trajectories are inscribed, similar to the trends in observational data. The shape of the ellipses provides information regarding the relative dominance of anthropogenic (e.g., industrial and urban emissions) versus hydro-climatic drivers (e.g., rainfall patterns, aridity index). Our analysis facilitates projections of the trajectory shift as a result of urbanization and other land-use changes, climate change, and regulatory enforcement. We use these observed data and the model to project likely trajectories for rapidly developing countries (BRIC), with a particular emphasis on various approaches to sustainable economic development. Brazil represents the case of shifts to alternate energy sources (bioethanol and hydroelectric power), while India and China are on the fossil fuel dependent trajectories, the same that North America and Europe had followed. Rapid increases in population, urbanization, and economic development of African cities presents an interesting case study for choices available for sustainable development, similar to that of Brazil rather than that followed by India and China. Coordinated air quality monitoring at urban and reference sites needs to be established to follow the fast-changing conditions.

  9. The role of industry influence in sinus balloon dilation: Trends over time.

    PubMed

    Gadkaree, Shekhar K; Rathi, Vinay K; Gottschalk, Esther; Feng, Allen L; Phillips, Katie M; Scangas, George A; Metson, Ralph

    2018-05-08

    Balloon dilation (BD) is a controversial alternative to conventional sinus surgery. The role of industry on practice patterns remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether industry payments from BD manufacturers influence practice patterns for otolaryngologists and evaluate how these payments change over time. Retrospective cohort study using Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment (PUP) Data and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments (OP) general payment datasets. A total of 294 otolaryngologists identified in the PUP dataset who performed BD procedures from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2015, were cross-referenced in the OP dataset from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2016, for BD manufacturer payments. Payments to surgeons performing BD stratified by amount, type, and number of procedures performed were primary outcome measures. Of the 294 otolaryngologists reporting BD procedures, 223 (76%) received payments from a company that manufactures BD devices. Receipt of $2,500 in BD payments was associated with performance of one additional BD procedure, and consulting fees were most positively associated with performing additional BD procedures (P = 0.006). The providers receiving the most in BD payments were more likely to continue to receive the most in payments, regardless of number of BD procedures performed. Performing more BD procedures did not correlate with decrease in other sinus procedures. Payments to otolaryngologists from manufacturers of sinus BD devices are associated with the performance of an increased number of such procedures. Surgeons should consider the impact of interactions with industry when evaluating patients for BD procedures. 4. Laryngoscope, 00:000-000, 2018. © 2018 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  10. Industrial melanism in British peppered moths has a singular and recent mutational origin.

    PubMed

    van't Hof, Arjen E; Edmonds, Nicola; Dalíková, Martina; Marec, Frantisek; Saccheri, Ilik J

    2011-05-20

    The rapid spread of a novel black form (known as carbonaria) of the peppered moth Biston betularia in 19th-century Britain is a textbook example of how an altered environment may produce morphological adaptation through genetic change. However, the underlying genetic basis of the difference between the wild-type (light-colored) and carbonaria forms has remained unknown. We have genetically mapped the carbonaria morph to a 200-kilobase region orthologous to a segment of silkworm chromosome 17 and show that there is only one core sequence variant associated with the carbonaria morph, carrying a signature of recent strong selection. The carbonaria region coincides with major wing-patterning loci in other lepidopteran systems, suggesting the existence of basal color-patterning regulators in this region.

  11. Potential Changes in Disease Patterns and Pharmaceutical Use in Response to Climate Change

    PubMed Central

    Redshaw, Clare H.; Stahl-Timmins, Will M.; Fleming, Lora E.; Davidson, Iain; Depledge, Michael H.

    2013-01-01

    As climate change alters environmental conditions, the incidence and global patterns of human diseases are changing. These modifications to disease profiles and the effects upon human pharmaceutical usage are discussed. Climate-related environmental changes are associated with a rise in the incidence of chronic diseases already prevalent in the Northern Hemisphere, for example, cardiovascular disease and mental illness, leading to greater use of associated heavily used Western medications. Sufferers of respiratory diseases may exhibit exacerbated symptoms due to altered environmental conditions (e.g., pollen). Respiratory, water-borne, and food-borne toxicants and infections, including those that are vector borne, may become more common in Western countries, central and eastern Asia, and across North America. As new disease threats emerge, substantially higher pharmaceutical use appears inevitable, especially of pharmaceuticals not commonly employed at present (e.g., antiprotozoals). The use of medications for the treatment of general symptoms (e.g., analgesics) will also rise. These developments need to be viewed in the context of other major environmental changes (e.g., industrial chemical pollution, biodiversity loss, reduced water and food security) as well as marked shifts in human demographics, including aging of the population. To identify, prevent, mitigate, and adapt to potential threats, one needs to be aware of the major factors underlying changes in the use of pharmaceuticals and their subsequent release, deliberately or unintentionally, into the environment. This review explores the likely consequences of climate change upon the use of medical pharmaceuticals in the Northern Hemisphere. PMID:23909463

  12. How is post-industrial decline associated with the geography of physical activity? Evidence from the Health Survey for England.

    PubMed

    Rind, Esther; Jones, Andy; Southall, Humphrey

    2014-03-01

    In recent decades, the prevalence of physical activity has declined considerably in many developed countries, which has been related to rising levels of obesity and several weight-related medical conditions, such as coronary heart disease. There is evidence that areas exhibiting particularly low levels of physical activity have undergone a strong transition away from employment in physically demanding occupations. It is proposed that such processes of deindustrialisation may be causally linked to unexplained geographical disparities in physical activity. This study investigates how geographical variations in deindustrialisation are associated with current levels of physical activity across different activity domains and relevant macro-economic time periods in England. The analysis includes data on 27,414 adults from the Health Survey for England 2006 and 2008 who reported total, occupational, domestic, recreational and walking activity. Based on employment change in industries associated with heavy manual work, a local measurement of industrial decline was developed, covering the period 1841-2001. We applied a multilevel modelling approach to study associations between industrial decline and physical activity. Results indicate that the process of deindustrialisation appears to be associated with patterns of physical activity and that this is independent of household income. The effects observed were generally similar for men and women. However, the nature of the association differed across areas, time periods and employment types; in particular, residents of districts characterised by a history of manufacturing and mining employment had increased odds of reporting low activity levels. We conclude that post-industrial change may be a factor in explaining present-day variations in physical activity, emphasising the plausible impact of inherited cultures and regional identities on health related behaviours. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Energy use in Poland, 1970--1991: Sectoral analysis and international comparison

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

    Meyers, S.; Schipper, L.; Salay, J.

    This report provides an analysis of how and why energy use has changed in Poland since the 1970s, with particular emphasis on changes since the country began its transition from a centrally planned to a market economy in 1989. The most important factors behind the large decline in Polish energy use in 1990 were a sharp fall in industrial output and a huge drop in residential coal use driven by higher prices. The structural shift away from heavy industry was slight. Key factors that worked to increase energy use were the rise in energy intensity in many heavy industries andmore » the shift toward more energy intensive modes of transport. The growth in private activities in 1991 was nearly sufficient to balance out continued decline in industrial energy use in that year. We compared energy use in Poland and the factors that shape it with similar elements in the West. We made a number of modifications to the Polish energy data to bring it closer to a Western energy accounting framework, and augmented these with a variety of estimates in order to construct a sufficiently detailed portrait of Polish energy use to allow comparison with Western data. Per capita energy use in Poland was not much below W. European levels despite Poland`s much lower GDP per capita. Poland has comparatively high energy intensities in manufacturing and residential space heating, and a large share of heavy industries in manufacturing output, all factors that contribute to higher energy use per capita. The structure of passenger and freight transportation and the energy intensity of automobiles contribute to lower energy use per capita in Poland than in Western Europe, but the patterns in Poland are moving closer to those that prevail in the West.« less

  14. INDUSTRIE 4.0 - Automation in weft knitting technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simonis, K.; Gloy, Y.-S.; Gries, T.

    2016-07-01

    Industry 4.0 applies to the knitting industry. Regarding the knitting process retrofitting activities are executed mostly manually by an operator on the basis on the operator's experience. In doing so, the knitted fabric is not necessarily produced in the most efficient way regarding process speed and fabric quality aspects. The knitting division at ITA is concentrating on project activities regarding automation and Industry 4.0. ITA is working on analysing the correspondences of the knitting process parameters and their influence on the fabric quality. By using e.g. the augmented reality technology, the operator will be supported when setting up the knitting machine in case of product or pattern change - or in case of an intervention when production errors occur. Furthermore, the RFID-Technology offers great possibilities to ensure information flow between sub-processes of the fragmented textile process chain. ITA is using RFID-chips to save yarn production information and connect the information to the fabric producing machine control. In addition, ITA is currently working on integrating image processing systems into the large circular knitting machine in order to ensure online-quality measurement of the knitted fabrics. This will lead to a self-optimizing and selflearning knitting machine.

  15. Alternative demographic futures and the composition of the demand for labor, by industry and by occupation.

    PubMed

    Serow, W J

    1981-01-01

    An effort is made in this discussion to demonstrate the effects of varying rates of population growth upon the industrial and occupational compositions of demand for labor. The discussion extends previous research activity that has demonstrated that changes in the composition of consumer demand are insensitive to alternative rates of population growth. The discussion begins with a replication of projections of consumer demand patterns under 3 alternative population projections and then transforms these results into projections of final demand by industrial sector, demand for labor by industrial sector, and demand for labor by occupational group. Projections of US household composition patterns are made for the 1980-2020 period. The size and composition of the population and households are derived from US Bureau of the Census Series 1, 2, and 3 projections. From these, projections of size and composition of the labor force are derived utilizing Bureau of Labor Statistics' to 1990. Projections of average earnings per worker, in the aggregate, are taken from Bureau of Economic Analysis projections. The results show that both labor force compositions are relatively insensitive to varying demographic patterns. The industrial composition reflects a continuation of already existing trends, but the occupational composition shows some tendency to move away from professional and highly skilled blue collar occupations and towards service and clerical occupations. The results contain a variety of implications for policy considerations concerning higher education and the proper functioning of the labor market. The relative decline in the number of professional and managerial workers, the groups who are most likely to possess a university degree, suggests that the prospects for conventional higher education might be even less bright than would be suggested by an inspection of trends in the size of the 18-24 year old population. Some mitigation of this possibly adverse trend is possible if the system of higher education proves sufficiently flexible to provide more occupational and retraining services than is currently the case. The findings also suggest the need for greater attention to be directed to the design of training programs intended to meet the need for specific occupations. Another problem is the adequacy of labor supply. A possible response to the potential supply-demand imbalances is a reconsideration of current immigration policies in order to allow larger numbers of migrants to enter the labor force.

  16. Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in tree-rings of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana L.) from two industrial sites in the Pearl River Delta, south China.

    PubMed

    Kuang, Yuan-wen; Zhou, Guo-yi; Wen, Da-zhi; Li, Jiong; Sun, Fang-fang

    2011-09-01

    Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were examined and potential sources of PAHs were identified from the dated tree-rings of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana L.) near two industrial sites (Danshuikeng, DSK and Xiqiaoshan, XQS) in the Pearl River Delta of south China. Total concentrations of PAHs (∑PAHs) were revealed with similar patterns of temporal trends in the tree-rings at both sites, suggesting tree-rings recorded the historical variation in atmospheric PAHs. The differences of individual PAHs and of ∑PAHs detected in the tree-rings between the two sites reflected the historical differences of airborne PAHs. Regional changes in industrial activities might contribute to the site-specific and period-specific patterns of the tree-ring PAHs. The diagnostic PAH ratios of Ant/(Ant + PA), FL/(FL + Pyr), and BaA/(BaA + Chr)) revealed that PAHs in the tree-rings at both sites mainly stemmed from the combustion process (pyrogenic sources). Principal component analysis further confirmed that wood burning, coal combustion, diesel, and gasoline-powered vehicular emissions were the dominant contributors of PAHs sources at DSK, while diesel combustion, gasoline and natural gas combustion, and incomplete coal combustion were responsible for the main origins of PAHs at XQS. Tree-ring analysis of PAHs was indicative of PAHs from a mixture of sources of combustion, thus minimizing the bias of short-term active air sampling.

  17. Extreme selenium and tellurium contamination in soils--an eighty year-old industrial legacy surrounding a Ni refinery in the Swansea Valley.

    PubMed

    Perkins, William T

    2011-12-15

    Elevated levels of selenium (maximum 200 mg/kg) and tellurium (maximum 11 mg/kg) are reported in topsoils (<5 cm) from around a long-established nickel refinery at Clydach in the Lower Swansea Valley, UK. Se and Te are correlated with each other and when these data are plotted as contour diagrams they show a concentric pattern centred on the refinery site. The origin of the Se and Te contamination is investigated. A review of the changes in the refinery practices at the site is presented and used to link the soil contamination to industrial pollution which took place over 80 years ago. The most recent air quality data available cannot rule out some Se contamination up to 2003. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Respiratory Symptoms and Lung Function among Greek Cotton Industry Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

    PubMed

    Anyfantis, Ioannis D; Rachiotis, Georgios; Hadjichristodoulou, Cristos; Gourgoulianis, Konstantinos I

    2017-01-01

    Workers in cotton industry are occupationally exposed to various dust-related hazards. The nature of these agents and the respective exposure levels depend on the cotton industry specific sector. These exposures could be associated with respiratory symptoms and changes in lung function parameters. To evaluate associations between occupational exposure and respiratory function as well as reported symptoms in several groups of workers at different stages of the cotton industry in a vertical approach that covers all the major sectors-from cotton ginning to weaving and fabric production. A questionnaire on respiratory symptoms and individual as well as workplace characteristics was completed by 256 workers at the cotton industry and 148 office workers (control group). Both groups underwent spirometry. Workers in cotton industry reported a higher prevalence of severe dyspnea (p=0.002) and wheezing (p=0.004) compared to the control group. Also they were found to have a lower predicted FEV 1 % (p<0.029) and lower FEV 1 /FVC (p<0.001) values. In addition, a higher prevalence of FEV 1 % <80% (p<0.001) and FEV 1 /FVC <70% (p=0.041) were found among textile workers. Similar results were found for non-smoker textile workers compared to non-smoker control group workers. Those working in cotton ginning mills recorded the highest decrease of spirometric values. Duration of employment in cotton industry and smoking use were found to be predictors of lung function decline for cotton industry workers. Occupational exposure to cotton dust was associated with increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms and obstructive pattern in pulmonary function test.

  19. Hysteresis in consumer markets with focus on the mobile communications market

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Twomey, C.

    2008-11-01

    Our aim here is to try to identify hysteresis in the switching patterns of consumers in the Irish mobile phone industry. It was not until the introduction by the Communication Regulator of full-number portability that consumers began to take advantage of the savings that switching mobile phone operator could produce. As with most relatively new industries, the awareness of savings is clouded by a lack of understanding of whats on offer and an underlying fear of change from something they have only just started to comprehend. With people changing company loyalties more frequently than ever at the prospect of better, more cost-efficient services, it is now the million euro question for the phone companies on how close they should match each others' offers to maximize their profits, and what their best pricing strategy should be to obtain an even larger share of the market. Through the use of experimental economics and by modelling switching behaviour using the Preisach model, along with observed and market data, we hope to both pose this problem and start the journey to answering this question.

  20. Cyrano "Nose" The Smell of Success

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    Cyrano Sciences, Inc. has commercialized a simple, accurate, non- invasive tool that enables "machines to smell". The Cyranose 320 is used for quality control purposes in the food and chemical industries. Using a sensor array and onboard pattern recognition algorithms, the lightweight, portable device works by exposing an array of polymer composite sensors to the chemical components in a vapor. When the sensors come in contact with the vapor, the polymer expands like a sponge, changing the resistance of the composites. The change in resistance is measured, and from that measurement, the presence of a pre-trained substance is determined with a quick and accurate diagnosis. This real-time, portable device enables food companies to spot test raw materials for batch-to-batch consistency, spoilage, or contamination. The Cyranose 320 is also used by chemical and petrochemical companies for quick assessment of the chemical status associated with various industrial processes. Profiling a chemical environment in a hazardous materials situation allows emergency crews to accurately select fire retardants, containment strategies, and protective gear. Future applications for the Cyranose 320 are fast growing and other uses of this technology are on the horizon.

  1. Biological nitrogen fixation: rates, patterns and ecological controls in terrestrial ecosystems

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Vitousek, Peter M.; Menge, Duncan N.L.; Reed, Sasha C.; Cleveland, Cory C.

    2013-01-01

    New techniques have identified a wide range of organisms with the capacity to carry out biological nitrogen fixation (BNF)—greatly expanding our appreciation of the diversity and ubiquity of N fixers—but our understanding of the rates and controls of BNF at ecosystem and global scales has not advanced at the same pace. Nevertheless, determining rates and controls of BNF is crucial to placing anthropogenic changes to the N cycle in context, and to understanding, predicting and managing many aspects of global environmental change. Here, we estimate terrestrial BNF for a pre-industrial world by combining information on N fluxes with 15N relative abundance data for terrestrial ecosystems. Our estimate is that pre-industrial N fixation was 58 (range of 40–100) Tg N fixed yr−1; adding conservative assumptions for geological N reduces our best estimate to 44 Tg N yr−1. This approach yields substantially lower estimates than most recent calculations; it suggests that the magnitude of human alternation of the N cycle is substantially larger than has been assumed.

  2. Predicting Deforestation Patterns in Loreto, Peru from 2000-2010 Using a Nested GLM Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vijay, V.; Jenkins, C.; Finer, M.; Pimm, S.

    2013-12-01

    Loreto is the largest province in Peru, covering about 370,000 km2. Because of its remote location in the Amazonian rainforest, it is also one of the most sparsely populated. Though a majority of the region remains covered by forest, deforestation is being driven by human encroachment through industrial activities and the spread of colonization and agriculture. The importance of accurate predictive modeling of deforestation has spawned an extensive body of literature on the topic. We present a nested GLM approach based on predictions of deforestation from 2000-2010 and using variables representing the expected drivers of deforestation. Models were constructed using 2000 to 2005 changes and tested against data for 2005 to 2010. The most complex model, which included transportation variables (roads and navigable rivers), spatial contagion processes, population centers and industrial activities, performed better in predicting the 2005 to 2010 changes (75.8% accurate) than did a simpler model using only transportation variables (69.2% accurate). Finally we contrast the GLM approach with a more complex spatially articulated model.

  3. Seasonal Transitions and the Westerly Jet in the Holocene East Asian Summer Monsoon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kong, W.; Chiang, J. C. H.

    2015-12-01

    The Holocene East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) was characterized by a trend to weaker monsoon intensity paced by orbital insolation. Here, we attribute the stronger EASM intensity in the early-mid Holocene to changes in the timing of the transition between the EASM seasonal stages - Spring, pre Mei- Yu, Mei-Yu, and Summer - during that time. Following the recent 'jet transition hypothesis' (Chiang et al., 2015), we explore the role of north-south displacement of the westerlies relative to the Tibetan Plateau that is hypothesized to control the downstream EASM seasonality changes across the Holocene. To this end, we analyze model simulations of the Holocene EASM, compare the simulated Holocene climate with the paleodata observations, and examine the role of atmospheric circulation and specifically the westerlies in modulating the East Asia summer climate. The PMIP3 climate model simulations suggest that, compared to the pre-industrial, the Mei-Yu onset and the transition from Mei-Yu to Summer rainfall occur earlier in the mid-Holocene. The advanced seasonal rainfall transition is accompanied by the weakened and northward-shifted upstream westerlies. In our atmospheric general circulation model (coupled to a slab ocean) simulations of various time periods across the Holocene (9ka, 6ka, 3ka, and pre-industrial), we quantitatively show that the timing and the length of each rainfall stage are closely related to the jet position over East Asia. We also show that the simulated changes in the maximum annual rainfall band and dust emission over East Asia largely agree with the paleo-proxy observations. In addition, we find that changes to the seasonal rainfall transitions, latitudinal westerly position, and stationary eddy activity over East Asia co-vary across the Holocene. In particular, we argue that the changes in the rainfall seasonal transitions are tied to an altered stationary wave pattern, resembling today's the so-called 'Silk Road Pattern', riding along the westerly jet. We end by discussing the mechanism that is proposed to explain the changed EASM seasonality across the Holocene.

  4. Climatic Changes on Tibetan Plateau Based on Ice Core Records

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, T.

    2008-12-01

    Climatic changes have been reconstructed for the Tibetan Plateau based on ice core records. The Guliya ice core on the Tibetan Plateau presents climatic changes in the past 100,000 years, thus is comparative with that from Vostok ice core in Antarctica and GISP2 record in Arctic. These three records share an important common feature, i.e., our climate is not stable. It is also evident that the major patterns of climatic changes are similar on the earth. Why does climatic change over the earth follow a same pattern? It might be attributed to solar radiation. We found that the cold periods correspond to low insolation periods, and warm periods to high insolation periods. We found abrupt climatic change in the ice core climatic records, which presented dramatic temperature variation of as much as 10 °C in 50 or 60 years. Our major challenge in the study of both climate and environment is that greenhouse gases such as CO2, CH4 are possibly amplifying global warming, though at what degree remains unclear. One of the ways to understand the role of greenhouse gases is to reconstruct the past greenhouse gases recorded in ice. In 1997, we drilled an ice core from 7100 m a.s.l. in the Himalayas to reconstruct methane record. Based on the record, we found seasonal cycles in methane variation. In particular, the methane concentration is high in summer, suggestiing active methane emission from wet land in summer. Based on the seasonal cycle, we can reconstruct the methane fluctuation history in the past 500 years. The most prominent feature of the methane record in the Himalayan ice core is the abrupt increase since 1850 A.D.. This is closely related to the industrial revolution worldwide. We can also observe sudden decrease in methane concentration during the World War I and World War II. It implies that the industrial revolution has dominated the atmospheric greenhouse gas emission for about 100 years. Besides, the average methane concentration in the Himalayan ice core is higher than that in polar regions, indicating that the low latitude wet land is a major natural source of atmospheric methane.

  5. Are nondrinkers missing from the picture?

    PubMed

    Bakke, Øystein

    2015-03-01

    WHO statistics indicate that half the world's population does not drink alcohol. With a Western outlook this fact is often overlooked. The article explores the global drinking patterns focusing on non-drinking and the global forces that contribute towards change. The large segment of non-drinking population is beneficial for public health but it is also seen as a great potential for the international alcoholic beverage industry. The forces of globalization towards conformity and a global mono-culture deprived of cultural diversity also affects non-drinking populations, to the detriment of public health.

  6. Global Rice Watch: Spatial-temporal dynamics, driving factors, and impacts of paddy rice agriculture in the world

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, X.; Dong, J.; Zhang, G.; Xin, F.; Li, X.

    2017-12-01

    Paddy rice croplands account for more than 12% of the global cropland areas, and provide food to feed more than 50% of the world population. Spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of paddy rice croplands have changed remarkably in the past decades, driven by growing human population and their changing diet structure, land use (e.g., urbanization, industrialization), climate, markets, and technologies. In this presentation, we will provide a comprehensive review of our current knowledge on (1) the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of paddy rice croplands from agricultural statistics data and remote sensing approaches; (2) major driving factors for the observed changes in paddy rice areas, including social, economic, climate, land use, markets, crop breeding technology, and farming technology; and (3) major impacts on atmospheric methane concentration, land surface temperature, water resources and use, and so on. We will highlight the results from a few case studies in China and monsoon Asia. We will also call for a global synthesis analysis of paddy rice agriculture, and invite researchers to join the effort to write and edit a book that provides comprehensive and updated knowledge on paddy rice agriculture.

  7. Authorship and characteristics of articles in pharmacy journals: changes over a 20-year interval.

    PubMed

    Dotson, Bryan; McManus, Kevin P; Zhao, Jing J; Whittaker, Peter

    2011-03-01

    To our knowledge, no studies have evaluated authorship patterns and characteristics of articles in pharmacy journals. To investigate changes over a 20-year period in authorship and characteristics of articles in pharmacy journals. All articles published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, and Pharmacotherapy in 1989, 1999, and 2009 were reviewed. Data collected for each article included article type, number of authors, number of physician authors, whether any author was affiliated with a pharmaceutical company, and source of funding. The number of articles included was 574 in 1989, 659 in 1999, and 589 in 2009. The mean number of authors per article increased from 2.5 in 1989 to 2.8 in 1999 and 3.6 in 2009 (p<0.001). Conversely, the proportion of articles with a single author decreased from 35% in 1989 to 23% in 1999 and 11% in 2009 (p<0.001), while the proportion of multi-authored articles (>6 authors) increased from 2% in 1989 to 3% in 1999 and 9% in 2009 (p<0.001). A physician author was listed on 25% of papers in 1989, which increased to 38% in 1999 and 41% in 2009 (p<0.001). Among research articles with declared funding from industry, there was an increase over time in reported author affiliation with an industry sponsor (10% of articles in 1989, 17% in 1999, and 66% in 2009; p<0.001). Significant changes in authorship patterns and characteristics of articles were observed from 1989 to 2009. We found an increase in the number of authors per article over time, with fewer single-author papers now published. The explanations for the changes are likely multifactorial, including increased pressure to publish, increased research complexity, and inappropriate authorship. To prevent inappropriate author-number inflation and to preserve authorship's meaning and value, authors should adhere to the criteria for authorship from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

  8. The Negro in the Drugstore Industry. The Racial Policies of American Industry.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fletcher, F. Marion; Keeney, Marie R.

    This study examines the historical and current levels of Negro employment in drugstores, the reasons for the employment patterns, the prospects for greater Negro employment in high status jobs, and the effects of industry employment policies on the retail drug industry employment of Negroes. The report explores the nature of the retail drug…

  9. Exploring spatial evolution of economic clusters: A case study of Beijing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Zhenshan; Sliuzas, Richard; Cai, Jianming; Ottens, Henk F. L.

    2012-10-01

    An identification of economic clusters and analysing their changing spatial patterns is important for understanding urban economic space dynamics. Previous studies, however, suffer from limitations as a consequence of using fixed geographically areas and not combining functional and spatial dynamics. The paper presents an approach, based on local spatial statistics and the case of Beijing to understand the spatial clustering of industries that are functionally interconnected by common or complementary patterns of demand or supply relations. Using register data of business establishments, it identifies economic clusters and analyses their pattern based on postcodes at different time slices during the period 1983-2002. The study shows how the advanced services occupy the urban centre and key sub centres. The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) cluster is mainly concentrated in the north part of the city and circles the urban centre, and the main manufacturing clusters are evolved in the key sub centers. This type of outcomes improves understanding of urban-economic dynamics, which can support spatial and economic planning.

  10. The global metabolic transition: Regional patterns and trends of global material flows, 1950–2010

    PubMed Central

    Schaffartzik, Anke; Mayer, Andreas; Gingrich, Simone; Eisenmenger, Nina; Loy, Christian; Krausmann, Fridolin

    2014-01-01

    Since the World War II, many economies have transitioned from an agrarian, biomass-based to an industrial, minerals-based metabolic regime. Since 1950, world population grew by factor 2.7 and global material consumption by factor 3.7–71 Gigatonnes per year in 2010. The expansion of the resource base required by human societies is associated with growing pressure on the environment and infringement on the habitats of other species. In order to achieve a sustainability transition, we require a better understanding of the currently ongoing metabolic transition and its potential inertia. In this article, we present a long-term global material flow dataset covering material extraction, trade, and consumption of 177 individual countries between 1950 and 2010. We trace patterns and trends in material flows for six major geographic and economic country groupings and world regions (Western Industrial, the (Former) Soviet Union and its allies, Asia, the Middle East and Northern Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa) as well as their contribution to the emergence of a global metabolic profile during a period of rapid industrialization and globalization. Global average material use increased from 5.0 to 10.3 tons per capita and year (t/cap/a) between 1950 and 2010. Regional metabolic rates range from 4.5 t/cap/a in Sub-Saharan Africa to 14.8 t/cap/a in the Western Industrial grouping. While we can observe a stabilization of the industrial metabolic profile composed of relatively equal shares of biomass, fossil energy carriers, and construction minerals, we note differences in the degree to which other regions are gravitating toward a similar form of material use. Since 2000, Asia has overtaken the Western Industrial grouping in terms of its share in global resource use although not in terms of its per capita material consumption. We find that at a sub-global level, the roles of the world regions have changed. There are, however, no signs yet that this will lead to stabilization or even a reduction of global resource use. PMID:25844026

  11. Permeability Changes in Reaction Induced Fracturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ulven, Ole Ivar; Malthe-Sørenssen, Anders; Kalia, Rajiv

    2013-04-01

    The process of fracture formation due to a volume increasing chemical reaction has been studied in a variety of different settings, e.g. weathering of dolerites by Røyne et al.[4], serpentinization and carbonation of peridotite by Rudge et al.[3] and replacement reactions in silica-poor igneous rocks by Jamtveit et al.[1]. It is generally assumed that fracture formation will increase the net permeability of the rock, and thus increase the reactant transport rate and subsequently the total reaction rate, as summarised by Kelemen et al.[2]. Røyne et al.[4] have shown that transport in fractures will have an effect on the fracture pattern formed. Understanding the feedback process between fracture formation and permeability changes is essential in assessing industrial scale CO2 sequestration in ultramafic rock, but little is seemingly known about how large the permeability change will be in reaction-induced fracturing under compression, and it remains an open question how sensitive a fracture pattern is to permeability changes. In this work, we study the permeability of fractures formed under compression, and we use a 2D discrete element model to study the fracture patterns and total reaction rates achieved with different permeabilities. We achieve an improved understanding of the feedback processes in reaction-driven fracturing, thus improving our ability to decide whether industrial scale CO2 sequestration in ultramafic rock is a viable option for long-term handling of CO2. References [1] Jamtveit, B, Putnis, C. V., and Malthe-Sørenssen, A., "Reaction induced fracturing during replacement processes," Contrib. Mineral Petrol. 157, 2009, pp. 127 - 133. [2] Kelemen, P., Matter, J., Streit, E. E., Rudge, J. F., Curry, W. B., and Blusztajn, J., "Rates and Mechanisms of Mineral Carbonation in Peridotite: Natural Processes and Recipes for Enhanced, in situ CO2 Capture and Storage," Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 2011. 39:545-76. [3] Rudge, J. F., Kelemen, P. B., and Spiegelman, M., "A simple model of reaction induced cracking applied to serpentinization and carbonation of peridotite," Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 291, Issues 1-4, 2010, pp. 215 - 227. [4] Røyne, A., Jamtveit, B., and Malthe-Sørenssen, A., "Controls on rock weathering rates by reaction-induced hierarchial fracturing," Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 275, 2008, pp. 364 - 369.

  12. Industrial waste recycling strategies optimization problem: mixed integer programming model and heuristics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, Jiafu; Liu, Yang; Fung, Richard; Luo, Xinggang

    2008-12-01

    Manufacturers have a legal accountability to deal with industrial waste generated from their production processes in order to avoid pollution. Along with advances in waste recovery techniques, manufacturers may adopt various recycling strategies in dealing with industrial waste. With reuse strategies and technologies, byproducts or wastes will be returned to production processes in the iron and steel industry, and some waste can be recycled back to base material for reuse in other industries. This article focuses on a recovery strategies optimization problem for a typical class of industrial waste recycling process in order to maximize profit. There are multiple strategies for waste recycling available to generate multiple byproducts; these byproducts are then further transformed into several types of chemical products via different production patterns. A mixed integer programming model is developed to determine which recycling strategy and which production pattern should be selected with what quantity of chemical products corresponding to this strategy and pattern in order to yield maximum marginal profits. The sales profits of chemical products and the set-up costs of these strategies, patterns and operation costs of production are considered. A simulated annealing (SA) based heuristic algorithm is developed to solve the problem. Finally, an experiment is designed to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method. By comparing a single strategy to multiple strategies in an example, it is shown that the total sales profit of chemical products can be increased by around 25% through the simultaneous use of multiple strategies. This illustrates the superiority of combinatorial multiple strategies. Furthermore, the effects of the model parameters on profit are discussed to help manufacturers organize their waste recycling network.

  13. Two-phase flow pattern measurements with a wire mesh sensor in a direct steam generating solar thermal collector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berger, Michael; Mokhtar, Marwan; Zahler, Christian; Willert, Daniel; Neuhäuser, Anton; Schleicher, Eckhard

    2017-06-01

    At Industrial Solar's test facility in Freiburg (Germany), two phase flow patterns have been measured by using a wire mesh sensor from Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). Main purpose of the measurements was to compare observed two-phase flow patterns with expected flow patterns from models. The two-phase flow pattern is important for the design of direct steam generating solar collectors. Vibrations should be avoided in the peripheral piping, and local dry-outs or large circumferential temperature gradients should be prevented in the absorber tubes. Therefore, the choice of design for operation conditions like mass flow and steam quality are an important step in the engineering process of such a project. Results of a measurement with the wire mesh sensor are the flow pattern and the plug or slug frequency at the given operating conditions. Under the assumption of the collector power, which can be assumed from previous measurements at the same collector and adaption with sun position and incidence angle modifier, also the slip can be evaluated for a wire mesh sensor measurement. Measurements have been performed at different mass flows and pressure levels. Transient behavior has been tested for flashing, change of mass flow, and sudden changes of irradiation (cloud simulation). This paper describes the measurements and the method of evaluation. Results are shown as extruded profiles in top view and in side view. Measurement and model are compared. The tests have been performed at low steam quality, because of the limits of the test facility. Conclusions and implications for possible future measurements at larger collectors are also presented in this paper.

  14. Different patterns of extracellular proteolytic activity in W303a and BY4742 Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains.

    PubMed

    Seredyński, Rafał; Wolna, Dorota; Kędzior, Mateusz; Gutowicz, Jan

    2017-01-01

    Protease secretion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cultures is a complex process, important for the application of this organism in the food industry and biotechnology. Previous studies provide rather quantitative data, yielding no information about the number of enzymes involved in proteolysis and their individual biochemical properties. Here we demonstrate that W303a and BY4742 S. cerevisiae strains reveal different patterns of spontaneous and gelatin-induced extracellular proteolytic activity. We applied the gelatin zymography assay to track changes of the proteolytic profile in time, finding the protease secretion dependent on the growth phase and the presence of the protein inducer. Detected enzymes were characterized regarding their substrate specificity, pH tolerance, and susceptibility to inhibitors. In case of the W303a strain, only one type of gelatin-degrading secretory protease (presumably metalloproteinase) was observed. However, the BY4742 strain secreted different proteases of the various catalytic types, depending on the substrate availability. Our study brings the evidence that S. cerevisiae strains secrete several kinds of proteases depending on the presence and type of the substrate. Protein induction may cause not only quantitative but also qualitative changes in the extracellular proteolytic patterns. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Quantifying the past and future impact of climate on outbreak patterns of bank voles (Myodes glareolus).

    PubMed

    Imholt, Christian; Reil, Daniela; Eccard, Jana A; Jacob, Daniela; Hempelmann, Nils; Jacob, Jens

    2015-02-01

    Central European outbreak populations of the bank vole (Myodes glareolus Schreber) are known to cause damage in forestry and to transmit the most common type of Hantavirus (Puumala virus, PUUV) to humans. A sound estimation of potential effects of future climate scenarios on population dynamics is a prerequisite for long-term management strategies. Historic abundance time series were used to identify the key weather conditions associated with bank vole abundance, and were extrapolated to future climate scenarios to derive potential long-term changes in bank vole abundance dynamics. Classification and regression tree analysis revealed the most relevant weather parameters associated with high and low bank vole abundances. Summer temperatures 2 years prior to trapping had the highest impact on abundance fluctuation. Extrapolation of the identified parameters to future climate conditions revealed an increase in years with high vole abundance. Key weather patterns associated with vole abundance reflect the importance of superabundant food supply through masting to the occurrence of bank vole outbreaks. Owing to changing climate, these outbreaks are predicted potentially to increase in frequency 3-4-fold by the end of this century. This may negatively affect damage patterns in forestry and the risk of human PUUV infection in the long term. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  16. Child patterns of growth delay and cognitive development in a Bolivian mining city.

    PubMed

    Ruiz-Castell, María; Carsin, Anne-Elie; Barbieri, Flavia-Laura; Paco, Pamela; Gardon, Jacques; Sunyer, Jordi

    2013-01-01

    This study aims to (1) follow up and characterize infant growth patterns during the first year of life in Bolivia, and (2) determine whether there exists an association between weight gain and cognitive development in children living near contaminated mining industries. Data on 175 children participating to the ToxBol (Toxicity in Bolivia) birth cohort were analyzed. Rapid-growth during the first 6 months was defined as a change in weight z-score > 0.67 while slow-growth was defined as a weight z-score change of < -0.67. Neurodevelopment was evaluated using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 10.5-12.5 months of age. Mixed models were used to examine the association between cognitive development and weight gain. Rapid growers weighed less at birth (P < 0.01). However, they revealed a higher body mass index at 12 months of age (0.70 ± 0.73, P < 0.01). After adjustment for confounding, rapid growth was not associated with cognitive development (coef = 0.49, 95% confidence interval = -4.10, 5.08). In this Bolivian cohort, children born smaller were more likely to grow/develop faster and attain greater weight and length. Their cognitive development was not affected by their growth patterns. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Quantifying spatial habitat loss from hydrocarbon development through assessing habitat selection patterns of mule deer.

    PubMed

    Northrup, Joseph M; Anderson, Charles R; Wittemyer, George

    2015-11-01

    Extraction of oil and natural gas (hydrocarbons) from shale is increasing rapidly in North America, with documented impacts to native species and ecosystems. With shale oil and gas resources on nearly every continent, this development is set to become a major driver of global land-use change. It is increasingly critical to quantify spatial habitat loss driven by this development to implement effective mitigation strategies and develop habitat offsets. Habitat selection is a fundamental ecological process, influencing both individual fitness and population-level distribution on the landscape. Examinations of habitat selection provide a natural means for understanding spatial impacts. We examined the impact of natural gas development on habitat selection patterns of mule deer on their winter range in Colorado. We fit resource selection functions in a Bayesian hierarchical framework, with habitat availability defined using a movement-based modeling approach. Energy development drove considerable alterations to deer habitat selection patterns, with the most substantial impacts manifested as avoidance of well pads with active drilling to a distance of at least 800 m. Deer displayed more nuanced responses to other infrastructure, avoiding pads with active production and roads to a greater degree during the day than night. In aggregate, these responses equate to alteration of behavior by human development in over 50% of the critical winter range in our study area during the day and over 25% at night. Compared to other regions, the topographic and vegetative diversity in the study area appear to provide refugia that allow deer to behaviorally mediate some of the impacts of development. This study, and the methods we employed, provides a template for quantifying spatial take by industrial activities in natural areas and the results offer guidance for policy makers, mangers, and industry when attempting to mitigate habitat loss due to energy development. © 2015 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Environmental tobacco smoke: views from the Dunedin hospitality industry on prohibition of smoking in licensed premises.

    PubMed

    Reeder, A; Blair, A

    2000-11-24

    To describe Dunedin hospitality industry perceptions of difficulties in enforcement of a prohibition on smoking in licensed premises, and possible effects on staff, customers and business. To identify any need for education to assist transition and reduce compliance difficulties with smoke-free legislation. A reply paid questionnaire was mailed to all 311 licensed premises registered with the Dunedin District Licensing Agency, operational in May 1999. overall response rate (67%) differed significantly by type of premises (bar, club, restaurant and off-licence). Overall, a smoking ban was considered likely to be difficult to enforce (82%), upset customers (74%), reduce business (59%) and negatively effect employees (51%). On each issue, there was a consistent pattern of increasing concern from off-licenses (least concern) through restaurants, to clubs and bars (most concern). Considerable concern exists in the hospitality industry about the effects of extending smoke-free status to licensed premises. To assist transition and future compliance, there is a need to address these concerns and provide reliable information to calm unnecessary fears and develop appreciation of the need for change.

  19. Mortality patterns among residents in Louisiana's industrial corridor, USA, 1970–99

    PubMed Central

    Tsai, S; Cardarelli, K; Wendt, J; Fraser, A

    2004-01-01

    Background: Because of the high concentration of oil refining and petrochemical facilities, the industrial area of the lower Mississippi River of South Louisiana has been termed the Industrial Corridor and has frequently been referred to as the "Cancer Corridor". Aims: To quantitatively assess the "Cancer Corridor" controversy based on mortality data available in the public domain, and to identify potential contributing factors to the observed differences in mortality. Methods: Age adjusted mortality rates were calculated for white and non-white males and females in the Industrial Corridor, Louisiana, and the United States for the time periods 1970–79, 1980–89, and 1990–99. Results: All-cause mortality and all cancer combined for white males in the Industrial Corridor were significantly lower than the corresponding Louisiana population while Louisiana had significantly higher rates than the US population for all three time periods. Cancer of the lung was consistently higher in the Industrial Corridor region relative to national rates but lower than or similar to Louisiana. Non-respiratory disease and cerebrovascular disease mortality for white males in the Industrial Corridor were consistently lower than either Louisiana or the USA. However, mortality due to diabetes and heart disease, particularly during the 1990s, was significantly higher in the Industrial Corridor and Louisiana when compared to the USA. Similar mortality patterns were observed for white females. The mortality for non-white males and females in the Industrial Corridor was generally similar to the corresponding populations in Louisiana. There were no consistent patterns for all cancer mortality combined. Stomach cancer was increased among non-whites in both the Industrial Corridor and Louisiana when compared to the corresponding US data. Mortality from diabetes and heart disease among non-whites was significantly higher in the Industrial Corridor and Louisiana than in the USA. Conclusions: Mortality rates in the Industrial Corridor area were generally similar to or lower than the State of Louisiana, which were increased compared to the United States. Contrary to prior public perceptions, mortality due to cancer in the Industrial Corridor does not exceed that for the State of Louisiana. PMID:15031386

  20. Enduring an Economic Crisis: The Effect of Macroeconomic Shocks on Intragenerational Mobility in Japan

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Wei-hsin

    2010-01-01

    After the burst of its “bubble” economy in 1989, Japan experienced an astonishingly long economic recession whose gravity surpassed any seen in the industrialized world since the 1930s. While this recession is likely to have important consequences on the well-known workplace arrangements and career mobility patterns in that country, systematic analyses of such consequences are nearly absent. This study examines changes in the rates and directions of job mobility in Japan using work history data collected in 2005 from a nationally representative sample of men and women. I find evidence that Japanese firms have largely retained the core elements of the permanent employment system. The norm that stresses men’s loyalty to their employers, however, appears to have weakened, resulting in higher voluntary job turnover among male workers. In addition, the gender gap in lifetime mobility processes has narrowed, but not because Japanese women have gained opportunities in the workplace. Rather, economic stagnation has led to greater fluctuations in employment and wages over men’s life course, thereby closing the gender gap. Beyond illustrating the changing stratification process in Japan, the findings have general implications for understanding how economic crises impact employment relations, institutional transformations, and social change in advanced industrialized countries. PMID:21278839

  1. Biofuels and North American agriculture--implications for the health and safety of North American producers.

    PubMed

    Gunderson, Paul D

    2008-01-01

    This decade has provided North American agricultural producers with opportunity to not only produce fiber and food, but also fuel and other industrial products. The drivers incenting this development could be sustained well into the future, therefore workforce safety and health implications are likely to persist for some time. Within production agriculture, the 'feedstock growth and harvest cycle' and 'transport' sectors possess the changing exposures experienced by workers. The Conference explored the following exposures: distiller's grains and bio-processing byproducts, spent catalyst, solvent brine, microbial agents, genetically modified organisms, discharge effluent, H2O dilutes, change in cropping patterns and resultant use of different seeding and harvest technologies, pests (whether target or non-target), and rural traffic resulting from concentrated movement of massive quantities of biomass and grain. Other issues of a more general public health nature such as watershed implications, other environmental impacts, emissions, uneven economic development potential, public safety issues associated with transport of both fuel and other industrial products, and rural emergency medical service need were explored. And, agronomic impacts were noted, including tillage change, potassium buildup in soil, nutrient depletion, sedimentation and erosion of tillable soil, and local esthetics. It was concluded that rural venues for formation and exploration of public policy need to be created.

  2. Enduring an Economic Crisis: The Effect of Macroeconomic Shocks on Intragenerational Mobility in Japan.

    PubMed

    Yu, Wei-Hsin

    2010-11-01

    After the burst of its "bubble" economy in 1989, Japan experienced an astonishingly long economic recession whose gravity surpassed any seen in the industrialized world since the 1930s. While this recession is likely to have important consequences on the well-known workplace arrangements and career mobility patterns in that country, systematic analyses of such consequences are nearly absent. This study examines changes in the rates and directions of job mobility in Japan using work history data collected in 2005 from a nationally representative sample of men and women. I find evidence that Japanese firms have largely retained the core elements of the permanent employment system. The norm that stresses men's loyalty to their employers, however, appears to have weakened, resulting in higher voluntary job turnover among male workers. In addition, the gender gap in lifetime mobility processes has narrowed, but not because Japanese women have gained opportunities in the workplace. Rather, economic stagnation has led to greater fluctuations in employment and wages over men's life course, thereby closing the gender gap. Beyond illustrating the changing stratification process in Japan, the findings have general implications for understanding how economic crises impact employment relations, institutional transformations, and social change in advanced industrialized countries.

  3. Nuclear power, energy, and the national debate

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

    McCormack, R.A.

    1976-01-01

    The U.S. power industry is engaged in a national debate. On the outside, it appears to be a nuclear issue, but basically it is energy, growth, capitalism, institutions, and the way of life itself. It is a new experience for the engineers in the power industry, who, in the past handled their responsibilities in a ''low-key way, the way of the specialist.'' All this has changed. The author reviews the concerns the power industry now faces--the lack of an energy policy, state referenda, power plant delays, lobbying for financial support, energy shortages, and fragmentation of the energy industry. The authormore » urges ''that we of the third estate establish a permanent national energy forum bringing together every major sector of the energy industry--coal, oil, uranium, the electric utilities, suppliers and users of high technology, those on the forefront of research for using new fuels, and the major financial institutions who must obtain for all the rest of us in the private sector the money we need from the investor marketplace. The founding purpose and initial task would be to assemble a panel of statesmen from the private sector, following the pattern employed by the National Petroleum Council, to undertake and direct in the next year a fundamental reassessment of the role of the private sector in energy supply and in the research, development, and full commercialization of advanced energy production technology.'' (MCW)« less

  4. Factors Influencing Advancement of Women Senior Leaders in Aerospace Companies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garrett-Howard, Camille Elaine

    The problem researched in this study was the limited number of women in senior leadership positions in the aerospace industry. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to interview women senior leaders in the aerospace industry to explore the factors they perceived as beneficial to their advancement to senior leadership positions in the aerospace industry. The research study was guided by a central research question relating to what professional and personal factors might have led to promotional opportunities into senior leadership roles. Transformational leadership was the conceptual framework used to inform the study. The qualitative, phenomenological approach was selected to gain insights of the lived experiences and perceptions relating to career advancement of women to senior leadership positions in the aerospace industry. Data were collected using a modified Van Kaam method, coded, and analyzed to discern themes or patterns. Findings were that the attributes participants contributed to their success, included a focus on leadership, personal development, and the importance of mentoring relationships. This study presented a positive direction in addressing the gaps in the body of knowledge related to women and leadership development by exploring the experiences of women in senior leadership positions in the aerospace industry. Implications for social change include informing organizations and women about specific leadership development practices as one way to promote more women into leadership positions thus reducing the gap between the number of men and women leaders.

  5. Employment in the Catering & Hospitality Industry--Employee Attitudes and Career Expectations. Research Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hotel and Catering Training Co., London (England).

    A study examined the attitudes and career expectations of a random sample of catering and hospitality industry employees in the United Kingdom. The survey focused on the following: aspiration and career intentions, factors causing job satisfaction/dissatisfaction, employment patterns in the industry, satisfaction with/access to…

  6. Concentration evolution of pharmaceutically active compounds in raw urban and industrial wastewater.

    PubMed

    Camacho-Muñoz, Dolores; Martín, Julia; Santos, Juan Luis; Aparicio, Irene; Alonso, Esteban

    2014-09-01

    The distribution of pharmaceutically active compounds in the environment has been reported in several works in which wastewater treatment plants have been identified as the main source of these compounds to the environment. The concentrations of these compounds in influent wastewater can vary widely not only during the day but also along the year, because of the seasonal-consumption patterns of some pharmaceuticals. However, only few studies have attempted to assess the hourly variability of the concentrations of pharmaceutically active compounds in wastewater. In this work, the distribution and seasonal and hourly variability of twenty-one pharmaceuticals, belonging to seven therapeutic groups, have been investigated in urban and industrial wastewater. The highest concentrations of pharmaceutically active compounds, except salicylic acid, were found in urban wastewater, especially in the case of anti-inflammatory drugs and caffeine. The highest concentrations of salicylic acid were measured in industrial wastewater, reaching concentration levels up to 3295μgL(-)(1). The studied pharmaceutically active compounds showed different distribution patterns during winter and summer periods. Temporal variability of pharmaceutically active compounds during a 24-h period showed a distribution in concordance with their consumption and excretion patterns, in the case of urban wastewater, and with the schedule of industrial activities, in the case of industrial wastewater. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Decision support tool for diagnosing the source of variation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masood, Ibrahim; Azrul Azhad Haizan, Mohamad; Norbaya Jumali, Siti; Ghazali, Farah Najihah Mohd; Razali, Hazlin Syafinaz Md; Shahir Yahya, Mohd; Azlan, Mohd Azwir bin

    2017-08-01

    Identifying the source of unnatural variation (SOV) in manufacturing process is essential for quality control. The Shewhart control chart patterns (CCPs) are commonly used to monitor the SOV. However, a proper interpretation of CCPs associated to its SOV requires a high skill industrial practitioner. Lack of knowledge in process engineering will lead to erroneous corrective action. The objective of this study is to design the operating procedures of computerized decision support tool (DST) for process diagnosis. The DST is an embedded tool in CCPs recognition scheme. Design methodology involves analysis of relationship between geometrical features, manufacturing process and CCPs. The DST contents information about CCPs and its possible root cause error and description on SOV phenomenon such as process deterioration in tool bluntness, offsetting tool, loading error, and changes in materials hardness. The DST will be useful for an industrial practitioner in making effective troubleshooting.

  8. Gender at Work Within the Software Industry: AN Indian Perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arun, Shoba; Arun, T. G.

    Increasing globalization and the massive growth of the software Industry have created new opportunities for a skilled workforce in developing countries such as India. This study examines the impact of these changes on women's work in the state of Kerala, India, where there are high claims for social development, especially for women. The study indicates that although women tend to possess equal or better credentials than men, the nature of the labor market often renders it difficult for women to progress through their careers compared with men. The project-based,competltive nature of software development reproduces a masculine culture, which further interacts with the different career patterns of women and social norms and tends to disadvantage women. Most significantly, the centrality of social norms and gender ideologies within the workplace affects the Income and progression of women In the Internal labor market to a large extent.

  9. Direct observations of ice seasonality reveal changes in climate over the past 320–570 years

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sharma, Sapna; Magnuson, John J.; Batt, Ryan D.; Winslow, Luke; Korhonen, Johanna; Yasuyuki Aono,

    2016-01-01

    Lake and river ice seasonality (dates of ice freeze and breakup) responds sensitively to climatic change and variability. We analyzed climate-related changes using direct human observations of ice freeze dates (1443–2014) for Lake Suwa, Japan, and of ice breakup dates (1693–2013) for Torne River, Finland. We found a rich array of changes in ice seasonality of two inland waters from geographically distant regions: namely a shift towards later ice formation for Suwa and earlier spring melt for Torne, increasing frequencies of years with warm extremes, changing inter-annual variability, waning of dominant inter-decadal quasi-periodic dynamics, and stronger correlations of ice seasonality with atmospheric CO2 concentration and air temperature after the start of the Industrial Revolution. Although local factors, including human population growth, land use change, and water management influence Suwa and Torne, the general patterns of ice seasonality are similar for both systems, suggesting that global processes including climate change and variability are driving the long-term changes in ice seasonality.

  10. Direct observations of ice seasonality reveal changes in climate over the past 320–570 years

    PubMed Central

    Sharma, Sapna; Magnuson, John J.; Batt, Ryan D.; Winslow, Luke A.; Korhonen, Johanna; Aono, Yasuyuki

    2016-01-01

    Lake and river ice seasonality (dates of ice freeze and breakup) responds sensitively to climatic change and variability. We analyzed climate-related changes using direct human observations of ice freeze dates (1443–2014) for Lake Suwa, Japan, and of ice breakup dates (1693–2013) for Torne River, Finland. We found a rich array of changes in ice seasonality of two inland waters from geographically distant regions: namely a shift towards later ice formation for Suwa and earlier spring melt for Torne, increasing frequencies of years with warm extremes, changing inter-annual variability, waning of dominant inter-decadal quasi-periodic dynamics, and stronger correlations of ice seasonality with atmospheric CO2 concentration and air temperature after the start of the Industrial Revolution. Although local factors, including human population growth, land use change, and water management influence Suwa and Torne, the general patterns of ice seasonality are similar for both systems, suggesting that global processes including climate change and variability are driving the long-term changes in ice seasonality. PMID:27113125

  11. Tobacco denormalization and industry beliefs among smokers from four countries.

    PubMed

    Hammond, David; Fong, Geoffrey T; Zanna, Mark P; Thrasher, James F; Borland, Ron

    2006-09-01

    Tobacco denormalization is an important concept for understanding smoking behavior. The present study sought to assess beliefs about the tobacco industry and the social acceptability of smoking among nationally representative samples of adult smokers from four countries, and to assess the relationship of these measures to cessation behavior and tobacco-control policy. A longitudinal survey of 9058 adult smokers from Canada (n = 2214), the United States (n = 2138), the United Kingdom (n = 2401), and Australia (n = 2305), was conducted in October-December 2002 and again in June and August 2003 (75% follow-up rate). The analyses were conducted in 2005. The findings indicate that few smokers perceive approval for their smoking, and most hold relatively antagonistic beliefs toward the tobacco industry. For example, 80% of smokers reported that society disapproves of smoking, and more than three quarters reported that tobacco companies cannot be trusted to tell the truth. Social and industry denormalization were independently associated with intentions to quit smoking. Baseline levels of social denormalization were associated with abstinence at the 8-month follow-up, as were changes in industry denormalization beliefs between baseline and follow-up. Anti-industry beliefs at baseline did not predict abstinence at follow-up. A similar pattern of findings was observed across all four countries. In addition, social denormalization and anti-industry beliefs were significantly associated with tobacco-control policies, such as noticing health warnings on packages and greater workplace smoking restrictions. Tobacco denormalization constructs were independently linked to cessation-related outcomes among adults from four countries. Tobacco-industry denormalization themes in mass media campaigns may help to reduce tobacco use above and beyond more traditional communications that target social norms.

  12. Highlight removal based on the regional-projection fringe projection method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qi, Zhaoshuai; Wang, Zhao; Huang, Junhui; Xing, Chao; Gao, Jianmin

    2018-04-01

    In fringe projection profilometry, highlight usually causes the saturation and blooming in captured fringes and reduces the measurement accuracy. To solve the problem, a regional-projection fringe projection (RP-FP) method is proposed. Regional projection patterns (RP patterns) are projected onto the tested object surface to avoid the saturation and blooming. Then, an image inpainting technique is employed to reconstruct the missing phases in the captured RP patterns and a complete surface of the tested object is obtained. Experiments verified the effectiveness of the proposed method. The method can be widely used in industrial inspections and quality controlling in mechanical and manufacturing industries.

  13. Stock dynamics and emission pathways of the global aluminum cycle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Müller, Daniel B.; Liu, Gang; Bangs, Colton

    Climate change mitigation in the materials sector faces a twin challenge: satisfying rapidly rising global demand for materials while significantly curbing greenhouse-gas emissions. Process efficiency improvement and recycling can contribute to reducing emissions per material output; however, long-term material demand and scrap availability for recycling depend fundamentally on the dynamics of societies' stocks of products in use, an issue that has been largely neglected in climate science. Here, we show that aluminium in-use stock patterns set essential boundary conditions for future emission pathways, which has significant implications for mitigation priority setting. If developing countries follow industrialized countries in their aluminium stock patterns, a 50% emission reduction by 2050 below 2000 levels cannot be reached even under very optimistic recycling and technology assumptions. The target can be reached only if future global per-capita aluminium stocks saturate at a level much lower than that in present major industrialized countries. As long as global in-use stocks are growing rapidly, radical new technologies in primary production (for example, inert anode and carbon capture and storage) have the greatest impact in emission reduction; however, their window of opportunity is closing once the stocks begin to saturate and the largest reduction potential shifts to post-consumer scrap recycling.

  14. Instant noodles, processed food intake, and dietary pattern are associated with atopic dermatitis in an adult population (KNHANES 2009-2011).

    PubMed

    Park, Sunmin; Choi, Hyun-Seok; Bae, Ji-Hyun

    2016-01-01

    The incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD) is continuously increasing in industrialized countries, possibly due to dietary and lifestyle changes. However, the association between processed food intake and AD has not been studied in a large adult population. We investigated the association between dietary habits and AD in 17,497 adults in the 2009-2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). We identified 4 dietary patterns using principal components analysis of a 63-item food frequency questionnaire: the "traditional dietary pattern", rich in rice and kimchi; the "processed food pattern", with more meat, instant noodles, soda, and processed foods; the "healthy dietary pattern", high in grains, vegetables, fruits, and seaweeds; and the "drinking dietary pattern", mainly drinking coffee and alcohol. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for AD were calculated according to dietary patterns after adjusting for potential confounders with incorporation of sample weights for the complex sample design. The "meat and processed food" pattern was associated with a significant 1.57 fold higher OR for atopic dermatitis than the low consumption group. Further analysis revealed that the increased atopic dermatitis was most closely associated with instant noodles. In contrast, the groups with high intake of rice and kimchi exhibited lower ORs, 0.38 and 0.43 folds, compared to the low intake group. Consuming instant noodles, meat and processed foods was associated with increased prevalence of atopic dermatitis, whereas consuming rice and kimchi, and coffee was associated with decreased prevalence of atopic dermatitis.

  15. Source identification and apportionment of halogenated compounds observed at a remote site in East Asia.

    PubMed

    Li, Shanlan; Kim, Jooil; Park, Sunyoung; Kim, Seung-Kyu; Park, Mi-Kyung; Mühle, Jens; Lee, Gangwoong; Lee, Meehye; Jo, Chun Ok; Kim, Kyung-Ryul

    2014-01-01

    The sources of halogenated compounds in East Asia associated with stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change are relatively poorly understood. High-precision in situ measurements of 18 halogenated compounds and carbonyl sulfide (COS) made at Gosan, Jeju Island, Korea, from November 2007 to December 2011 were analyzed by a positive matrix factorization (PMF). Seven major industrial sources were identified from the enhanced concentrations of halogenated compounds observed at Gosan and corresponding concentration-based source contributions were also suggested: primary aluminum production explaining 37% of total concentration enhancements, solvent usage of which source apportionment is 25%, fugitive emissions from HCFC/HFC production with 11%, refrigerant replacements (9%), semiconductor/electronics industry (9%), foam blowing agents (6%), and fumigation (3%). Statistical trajectory analysis was applied to specify the potential emission regions for seven sources using back trajectories. Primary aluminum production, solvent usage and fugitive emission sources were mainly contributed by China. Semiconductor/electronics sources were dominantly located in Korea. Refrigerant replacement, fumigation and foam blowing agent sources were spread throughout East Asian countries. The specified potential source regions are consistent with country-based consumptions and emission patterns, verifying the PMF analysis results. The industry-based emission sources of halogenated compounds identified in this study help improve our understanding of the East Asian countries' industrial contributions to halogenated compound emissions.

  16. Post-Fordist technology and the changing patterns of women's employment in the Third World.

    PubMed

    Nanda, M

    2000-01-01

    Literate but unskilled--and largely female--labor has thus far fueled the tremendous increase in manufactured exports of garments and microelectronic products from the Third World to the industrially advanced economies of the North. The future growth of these sectors, however, may require literate and skilled workers--a category in which women are woefully under-represented, especially in the Third World. In the case of the garment industry, defensive innovation in the industrially advanced countries, including automation and flexible management, has initiated a relocation of jobs to these countries or to offshore locations geographically close to their markets. Automated garment production in these countries requires fewer but computer-literate workers. In the case of microelectronics, development policies of East Asian countries and the competitive pressures on start-up companies in the North have led to an increased demand for computer-literate, skilled technicians over the unskilled and overwhelmingly female workforce of manual-assembly workers. Women's continued employment and advancement in these industries globally will depend upon their acquisition of new technical skills. The ratification by the 1995 international women's conference at Beijing of the demand for better access to education and skills training for women, especially in the Third World, is a step in the right direction.

  17. Economic development and wage inequality: A complex system analysis

    PubMed Central

    Pugliese, Emanuele; Pietronero, Luciano

    2017-01-01

    Adapting methods from complex system analysis, this paper analyzes the features of the complex relationship between wage inequality and the development and industrialization of a country. Development is understood as a combination of a monetary index, GDP per capita, and a recently introduced measure of a country’s economic complexity: Fitness. Initially the paper looks at wage inequality on a global scale, over the time period 1990–2008. Our empirical results show that globally the movement of wage inequality along with the ongoing industrialization of countries has followed a longitudinally persistent pattern comparable to the one theorized by Kuznets in the fifties: countries with an average level of development suffer the highest levels of wage inequality. Next, the study narrows its focus on wage inequality within the United States. By using data on wages and employment in the approximately 3100 US counties over the time interval 1990–2014, it generalizes the Fitness-Complexity metric for geographic units and industrial sectors, and then investigates wage inequality between NAICS industries. The empirical time and scale dependencies are consistent with a relation between wage inequality and development driven by institutional factors comparing countries, and by change in the structural compositions of sectors in a homogeneous institutional environment, such as the counties of the United States. PMID:28926577

  18. Economic development and wage inequality: A complex system analysis.

    PubMed

    Sbardella, Angelica; Pugliese, Emanuele; Pietronero, Luciano

    2017-01-01

    Adapting methods from complex system analysis, this paper analyzes the features of the complex relationship between wage inequality and the development and industrialization of a country. Development is understood as a combination of a monetary index, GDP per capita, and a recently introduced measure of a country's economic complexity: Fitness. Initially the paper looks at wage inequality on a global scale, over the time period 1990-2008. Our empirical results show that globally the movement of wage inequality along with the ongoing industrialization of countries has followed a longitudinally persistent pattern comparable to the one theorized by Kuznets in the fifties: countries with an average level of development suffer the highest levels of wage inequality. Next, the study narrows its focus on wage inequality within the United States. By using data on wages and employment in the approximately 3100 US counties over the time interval 1990-2014, it generalizes the Fitness-Complexity metric for geographic units and industrial sectors, and then investigates wage inequality between NAICS industries. The empirical time and scale dependencies are consistent with a relation between wage inequality and development driven by institutional factors comparing countries, and by change in the structural compositions of sectors in a homogeneous institutional environment, such as the counties of the United States.

  19. Occupational Employment Statistics Program. Staffing Patterns in Selected Nonmanufacturing Industries.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Indiana State Employment Security Div., Indianapolis. Research and Statistics Section.

    The material in the publication is intended to acquaint users with the occupational composition of the various nonmanufacturing industries in the State of Indiana. It is directed particularly to those who are concerned with designing academic and vocational education programs in order to supply workers to fill the needs of industry and to…

  20. Romanian traditional motif - element of modernity in clothing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doble, L.; Stan, O.; Suteu, M. D.; Albu, A.; Bohm, G.; Tsatsarou-Michalaki, A.; Gialinou, E.

    2017-10-01

    In this paper are presented the phases for improving from an aesthetic point of view a clothing item, the jacket respectively, with a straight cut for women using software design patterns, computerised graphics and textile different modern technologies including: industrial embroidery, digital printing, sublimation. In the first phase a documentation was prepared in the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania from Cluj Napoca where more traditional motifs were selected specific to Transylvania etnographic region and were reintepreted and stylized whilst preserving the symbolism and color range specified to the area. For the styling phase was used CorelDraw vector graphics program that allows changing the shape, size and color of the drawings without affecting the identity of the pattern. In the patterns design phase Gemini CAD software was used and for the modeling and model development Optitex software was used. The part for garnishing the model was performed using Embrodery machine software reproducing the stylized motif identically. In order to obtain a significantly improved aesthetic look and an added artistic value the pattern chosen for the jacket was done using a combination of modern textile technologies. This has allowed the realization of a particular texture on the surface of the designed product, demonstrating that traditional patterns can be reintepreted in modern clothing

  1. Statistical analysis on the signals monitoring multiphase flow patterns in pipeline-riser system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Jing; Guo, Liejin

    2013-07-01

    The signals monitoring petroleum transmission pipeline in offshore oil industry usually contain abundant information about the multiphase flow on flow assurance which includes the avoidance of most undesirable flow pattern. Therefore, extracting reliable features form these signals to analyze is an alternative way to examine the potential risks to oil platform. This paper is focused on characterizing multiphase flow patterns in pipeline-riser system that is often appeared in offshore oil industry and finding an objective criterion to describe the transition of flow patterns. Statistical analysis on pressure signal at the riser top is proposed, instead of normal prediction method based on inlet and outlet flow conditions which could not be easily determined during most situations. Besides, machine learning method (least square supported vector machine) is also performed to classify automatically the different flow patterns. The experiment results from a small-scale loop show that the proposed method is effective for analyzing the multiphase flow pattern.

  2. Longitudinal Analysis of Adolescent Girls' Activity Patterns: Understanding the Influence of the Transition to Licensure

    PubMed Central

    McDonald, Noreen C.; Merlin, Louis; Hu, Haoting; Shih, Joshu; Cohen, Deborah A.; Evenson, Kelly R.; McKenzie, Thomas L.; Rodriguez, Daniel A.

    2016-01-01

    The proportion of teens and young adults with driver's licenses has declined sharply in many industrialized countries including the United States. Explanations for this decline have ranged from the introduction of graduated driver licensing programs to the increase in online social interaction. We used a longitudinal cohort study of teenage girls in San Diego and Minneapolis to evaluate factors associated with licensure and whether teens' travel patterns become more independent as they aged. We found that licensure depended not only on age, but on race and ethnicity as well as variables that correlate with household income. Results also showed evidence that teen travel became more independent as teen's age, and that acquiring a license is an important part of this increased independence. However, we found limited evidence that teen's travel-activity patterns changed as a result of acquiring a driver's license. Rather, teen independence resulted in less parental chauffeuring, but little shift in travel patterns. For the larger debate on declining Millennial mobility, our results suggest the need for more nuanced attention to variation across demographic groups and consideration of the equity implications if declines in travel and licensure are concentrated in low-income and minority populations. PMID:28458769

  3. Laser interference patterning methods: Possibilities for high-throughput fabrication of periodic surface patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lasagni, Andrés Fabián

    2017-06-01

    Fabrication of two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) structures in the micro- and nano-range allows a new degree of freedom to the design of materials by tailoring desired material properties and, thus, obtaining a superior functionality. Such complex designs are only possible using novel fabrication techniques with high resolution, even in the nanoscale range. Starting from a simple concept, transferring the shape of an interference pattern directly to the surface of a material, laser interferometric processing methods have been continuously developed. These methods enable the fabrication of repetitive periodic arrays and microstructures by irradiation of the sample surface with coherent beams of light. This article describes the capabilities of laser interference lithographic methods for the treatment of both photoresists and solid materials. Theoretical calculations are used to calculate the intensity distributions of patterns that can be realized by changing the number of interfering laser beams, their polarization, intensity and phase. Finally, different processing systems and configurations are described and, thus, demonstrating the possibility for the fast and precise tailoring of material surface microstructures and topographies on industrial relevant scales as well as several application cases for both methods.

  4. Coronary heart disease prevention: Nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns

    PubMed Central

    Bhupathiraju, Shilpa N.; Tucker, Katherine L.

    2018-01-01

    Diet is a key modifiable risk factor in the prevention and risk reduction of coronary heart disease (CHD). Results from the Seven Countries Study in the early 1970s spurred an interest in the role of single nutrients such as total fat in CHD risk. With accumulating evidence, we have moved away from a focus on total fat to the importance of considering the quality of fat. Recent meta-analyses of intervention studies confirm the beneficial effects of replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fatty acids on CHD risk. Scientific evidence for a detrimental role of trans fat intake from industrial sources on CHD risk has led to important policy changes including listing trans fatty acid content on the “Nutrition Facts” panel and banning the use of trans fatty acids in food service establishments in some cities. The effects of such policy changes on changes in CHD incidence are yet to be evaluated. There has been a surging interest in the protective effects of vitamin D in primary prevention. Yet, its associations with secondary events have been mixed and intervention studies are needed to clarify its role in CHD prevention. Epidemiological and clinical trial evidence surrounding the benefit of B vitamins and antioxidants such as carotenoids, vitamin E, and vitamin C, have been contradictory. While pharmacological supplementation of these vitamins in populations with existing CHD has been ineffective and, in some cases, even detrimental, data repeatedly show that consumption of a healthy dietary pattern has considerable cardioprotective effects for primary prevention. Results from these studies and the general ineffectiveness of nutrient-based interventions have shifted interest to the role of foods in CHD risk reduction. The strongest and most consistent protective associations are seen with fruit and vegetables, fish, and whole grains. Epidemiological and clinical trial data also show risk reduction with moderate alcohol consumption. In the past decade, there has been a paradigm shift in nutritional epidemiology to examine associations between dietary patterns and health. Several epidemiological studies show that people following the Mediterranean style diet or the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet have lower risk of CHD and lower likelihood of developing hypertension. Studies using empirical or data driven dietary patterns have frequently identified two patterns — “Healthy or Prudent” and “Western”. In general, the “Healthy”, compared to the “Western” pattern has been associated with more favorable biological profiles, slower progression of atherosclerosis, and reduced incidence. Evidence on changes in dietary patterns and changes in CHD risk is still emerging. With the emergence of the concept of personalized nutrition, studies are increasingly considering the role of genetic factors in the modulation of the association between nutrients and CHD. More studies of genetic variation and dietary patterns in relation to CHD are needed. PMID:21575619

  5. The Urban Heat Island Impact in Consideration of Spatial Pattern of Urban Landscape and Structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, J.; Lee, D. K.; Jeong, W.; Sung, S.; Park, J.

    2015-12-01

    Preceding study has established a clear relationship between land surface temperature and area of land covers. However, only few studies have specifically examined the effects of spatial patterns of land covers and urban structure. To examine how much the local climate is affected by the spatial pattern in highly urbanized city, we investigated the correlation between land surface temperature and spatial patterns of land covers. In the analysis of correlation, we categorized urban structure to four different land uses: Apartment residential area, low rise residential area, industrial area and central business district. Through this study, we aims to examine the types of residential structure and land cover pattern for reducing urban heat island and sustainable development. Based on land surface temperature, we investigated the phenomenon of urban heat island through using the data of remote sensing. This study focused on Daegu in Korea. This city, one of the hottest city in Korea has basin form. We used high-resolution land cover data and land surface temperature by using Landsat8 satellite image to examine 100 randomly selected sample sites of 884.15km2 (1)In each land use, we quantified several landscape-levels and class-level landscape metrics for the sample study sites. (2)In addition, we measured the land surface temperature in 3 year hot summer seasons (July to September). Then, we investigated the pattern of land surface temperature for each land use through Ecognition package. (3)We deducted the Pearson correlation coefficients between land surface temperature and each landscape metrics. (4)We analyzed the variance among the four land uses. (5)Using linear regression, we determined land surface temperature model for each land use. (6)Through this analysis, we aims to examine the best pattern of land cover and artificial structure for reducing urban heat island effect in highly urbanized city. The results of linear regression showed that proportional land cover of grass, tree, water and impervious surfaces well explained the temperature in apartment residential areas. In contrast, the changes in the pattern of water, grass, tree and impervious surfaces were the best to determine the temperature in low rise residential area, central business district and industrial area.

  6. A study of commuter air service

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Belina, F. W.; Bush, L. R.

    1977-01-01

    A regionally oriented overview of the commuter air service industry is provided. A framework for an eventual assessment of potential technology directions that may be of benefit to the industry is presented. Data are provided on the industry's market characteristics, service patterns, patronage characteristics, aircraft and airport needs, economic characteristics and institutional issues. Using personal interview and literature survey methods, investigation of a considerable cross-section of the industry was made.

  7. An Optoelectronic Nose for Detection of Toxic Gases

    PubMed Central

    Lim, Sung H.; Feng, Liang; Kemling, Jonathan W.; Musto, Christopher J.; Suslick, Kenneth S.

    2009-01-01

    We have developed a simple colorimetric sensor array (CSA) for the detection of a wide range of volatile analytes and applied it to the detection of toxic gases. The sensor consists of a disposable array of cross-responsive nanoporous pigments whose colors are changed by diverse chemical interactions with analytes. Although no single chemically responsive pigment is specific for any one analyte, the pattern of color change for the array is a unique molecular fingerprint. Clear differentiation among 19 different toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) within two minutes of exposure at IDLH (immediately dangerous to life or health) concentration has been demonstrated. Quantification of each analyte is easily accomplished based on the color change of the array, and excellent detection limits have been demonstrated, generally below the PELs (permissible exposure limits). Identification of the TICs was readily achieved using a standard chemometric approach, i.e., hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), with no misclassifications over 140 trials. PMID:20160982

  8. An optoelectronic nose for the detection of toxic gases.

    PubMed

    Lim, Sung H; Feng, Liang; Kemling, Jonathan W; Musto, Christopher J; Suslick, Kenneth S

    2009-10-01

    We have developed a simple colorimetric sensor array that detects a wide range of volatile analytes and then applied it to the detection of toxic gases. The sensor consists of a disposable array of cross-responsive nanoporous pigments with colours that are changed by diverse chemical interactions with analytes. Although no single chemically responsive pigment is specific for any one analyte, the pattern of colour change for the array is a unique molecular fingerprint. Clear differentiation among 19 different toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) within two minutes of exposure at concentrations immediately dangerous to life or health were demonstrated. Based on the colour change of the array, quantification of each analyte was accomplished easily, and excellent detection limits were achieved, generally below the permissible exposure limits. Different TICs were identified readily using a standard chemometric approach (hierarchical clustering analysis), with no misclassifications over 140 trials.

  9. Landscape dynamics analysis of the Yongding River watershed (Mentougou section) by multi-temporal Landsat imagery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yuhu; Yu, Changqing; Qi, Jiaguo; Zhang, Zili; Shi, Qinshan

    2007-11-01

    The problem of efficient use of multi-temporal remotely sensed data for land-cover and landscape pattern dynamics has already considerable attention in landscape ecology and some other disciplines. This research develops and tests a methodological approach to monitor and analysis landscape dynamics change of Yongding river watershed (Mentougou section) as study area from 1988 to 2005, The result shows that the OIF is the best method of optimal bands selection in Landsat TM remote sensing data, TM3, 4, 5 bands is optimal band combination ;the Mentougou Reach of Yongding river watershed landscape changed significantly in terms of its composition over the period 1988-2005, The total landscape patches of study area in 2005 are more those in 1988,2001, Mean patch size(MPS)decreased sharply, Number of patches(NP) increased sharply, The landscape pattern takes on the fragmentation trends under the effect on the human activity. The forest (woodland and shrubland)are the main landscape matrix. with a significant decrease in croplands and a increase in built-up (residential, urban land) and industrial minerals mining land(coal, open-pit)over the 17 years, And the underlying socio-economic and other drivers of landscape change in study area are discussed.

  10. Comparison of Melatonin Profile and Alertness of Firefighters with Different Work Schedules

    PubMed Central

    Kazemi, Reza; Zare, Sajad

    2018-01-01

    Introduction: A two-shift work schedule with different rotations is common among firefighters in Iranian petrochemical companies. This study compared salivary melatonin and sleepiness on the last night before turning to day shift at 19:00, 23:00, 3:00, and 7:00 among petrochemical firefighters (PFFs) working seven and four consecutive night shifts. Methods: Sixty four PFFs working in the petrochemical industry were selected. To measure melatonin, saliva samples were taken, whereas the KSS index was used to assess sleepiness. Chi-square and independent samples t-test were carried out to analyze the data, and generalized linear model (GLM) was employed to determine the effect of confounding factors such as lighting and caffeine. Results: The levels of melatonin at 3:00 and 7:00, and the overall changes during the shift in the two shift patterns under the study were different (P < 0.05). Sleepiness was significantly different only at 3:00 in the two studied shift patterns, while the effects of lighting and caffeine on melatonin changes were not significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion: It seems that a slow shift rotation is better because it reduces the secretion of melatonin (hence reducing sleepiness during the night) and changes the peak of melatonin secretion to the daytime, which is a sign of adaptation.

  11. When new human-modified habitats favour the expansion of an amphibian pioneer species: Evolutionary history of the natterjack toad (Bufo calamita) in a coal basin.

    PubMed

    Faucher, Leslie; Hénocq, Laura; Vanappelghem, Cédric; Rondel, Stéphanie; Quevillart, Robin; Gallina, Sophie; Godé, Cécile; Jaquiéry, Julie; Arnaud, Jean-François

    2017-09-01

    Human activities affect microevolutionary dynamics by inducing environmental changes. In particular, land cover conversion and loss of native habitats decrease genetic diversity and jeopardize the adaptive ability of populations. Nonetheless, new anthropogenic habitats can also promote the successful establishment of emblematic pioneer species. We investigated this issue by examining the population genetic features and evolutionary history of the natterjack toad (Bufo [Epidalea] calamita) in northern France, where populations can be found in native coastal habitats and coalfield habitats shaped by European industrial history, along with an additional set of European populations located outside this focal area. We predicted contrasting patterns of genetic structure, with newly settled coalfield populations departing from migration-drift equilibrium. As expected, coalfield populations showed a mosaic of genetically divergent populations with short-range patterns of gene flow, and native coastal populations indicated an equilibrium state with an isolation-by-distance pattern suggestive of postglacial range expansion. However, coalfield populations exhibited (i) high levels of genetic diversity, (ii) no evidence of local inbreeding or reduced effective population size and (iii) multiple maternal mitochondrial lineages, a genetic footprint depicting independent colonization events. Furthermore, approximate Bayesian computations suggested several evolutionary trajectories from ancient isolation in glacial refugia during the Pleistocene, with biogeographical signatures of recent expansion probably confounded by human-mediated mixing of different lineages. From an evolutionary and conservation perspective, this study highlights the ecological value of industrial areas, provided that ongoing regional gene flow is ensured within the existing lineage boundaries. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Modelling of Singapore's topographic transformation based on DEMs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Tao; Belle, Iris; Hassler, Uta

    2015-02-01

    Singapore's topography has been heavily transformed by industrialization and urbanization processes. To investigate topographic changes and evaluate soil mass flows, historical topographic maps of 1924 and 2012 were employed, and basic topographic features were vectorized. Digital elevation models (DEMs) for the two years were reconstructed based on vector features. Corresponding slope maps, a surface difference map and a scatter plot of elevation changes were generated and used to quantify and categorize the nature of the topographic transformation. The surface difference map is aggregated into five main categories of changes: (1) areas without significant height changes, (2) lowered-down areas where hill ranges were cut down, (3) raised-up areas where valleys and swamps were filled in, (4) reclaimed areas from the sea, and (5) new water-covered areas. Considering spatial proximity and configurations of different types of changes, topographic transformation can be differentiated as either creating inland flat areas or reclaiming new land from the sea. Typical topographic changes are discussed in the context of Singapore's urbanization processes. The two slope maps and elevation histograms show that generally, the topographic surface of Singapore has become flatter and lower since 1924. More than 89% of height changes have happened within a range of 20 m and 95% have been below 40 m. Because of differences in land surveying and map drawing methods, uncertainties and inaccuracies inherent in the 1924 topographic maps are discussed in detail. In this work, a modified version of a traditional scatter plot is used to present height transformation patterns intuitively. This method of deriving categorical maps of topographical changes from a surface difference map can be used in similar studies to qualitatively interpret transformation. Slope maps and histograms were also used jointly to reveal additional patterns of topographic change.

  13. Alternative control of Aedes aegypti resistant to pyrethroids: lethal and sublethal effects of monoterpene bioinsecticides.

    PubMed

    Silva, Indira Ma; Martins, Gustavo F; Melo, Carlisson R; Santana, Alisson S; Faro, Ruan Rn; Blank, Arie F; Alves, Péricles B; Picanço, Marcelo C; Cristaldo, Paulo F; Araújo, Ana Paula A; Bacci, Leandro

    2018-04-01

    The mosquito Aedes aegypti is intensively controlled because it is a vector of viruses that cause numerous diseases, especially in tropical regions. As a consequence of the indiscriminate use of insecticides, populations from different regions have become resistant to pyrethroids. Here, we analyzed the lethal and sublethal effects of essential oil of Aristolochia trilobata and its major compounds on A. aegypti from susceptible and pyrethroid-resistant populations. Our results showed that the toxicity of the different compounds and behavioral changes in response to them are dependent on the stage of the insect life cycle. The monoterpene ρ-cymene caused high mortality in both larvae and adult females of A. aegypti, including those from the pyrethroid-resistant population. The monoterpenes limonene and linalool caused a sublethal effect in the larvae, triggering changes in the swimming pattern. This study highlights the potential of the essential oil of A. trilobata and its major compounds ρ-cymene and limonene for the control of A. aegypti and reveals the importance of analyzing sublethal effects on the population dynamics of the A. aegypti mosquito. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  14. Modernization is Associated with Intensive Breastfeeding Patterns in the Bolivian Amazon

    PubMed Central

    Veile, Amanda; Martin, Melanie; McAllister, Lisa

    2014-01-01

    For many traditional, non-industrialized populations, intensive and prolonged breastfeeding buffers infant health against poverty, poor sanitation, and limited health care. Due to novel influences on local economies, values, and beliefs, the traditional and largely beneficial breastfeeding patterns of such populations may be changing to the detriment of infant health. To assess if and why such changes are occurring in a traditional breastfeeding population, we document breastfeeding patterns in the Bolivian Tsimane, a forager-horticulturalist population in the early stages of modernization. Three predictions are developed and tested to evaluate the general hypothesis that modernizing influences encourage less intensive breastfeeding in the Tsimane: 1) Tsimane mothers in regions of higher infant mortality will practice more intensive BF; 2) Tsimane mothers who are located closer to a local market town will practice more intensive BF; and 3) Older Tsimane mothers will practice more intensive BF. Predictions were tested using a series of maternal interviews (from 2003-2011, n=215) and observations of mother-infant dyads (from 2002-2007, n=133). Tsimane breastfeeding patterns were generally intensive: 72% of mothers reported initiating BF within a few hours of birth, mean (± SD) age of CF introduction was 4.1±2.0 months, and mean (± SD) weaning age was 19.2±7.3 months. There was, however, intra-population variation in several dimensions of breastfeeding (initiation, frequency, duration, and complementary feeding). Contrary to our predictions, breastfeeding was most intensive in the most modernized Tsimane villages, and maternal age was not a significant predictor of breastfeeding patterns. Regional differences accounted for variation in most dimensions of breastfeeding (initiation, frequency, and complementary feeding). Future research should therefore identify constraints on breastfeeding in the less modernized Tsimane regions, and examine the formation of maternal beliefs regarding infant feeding. PMID:24444850

  15. The role of precipitation in aerosol-induced changes in northern hemisphere wintertime stationary waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewinschal, A.; Ekman, A. M. L.; Körnich, H.

    2012-04-01

    Aerosol particles have a considerable impact on the energy budget of the atmosphere due to their ability to scatter and absorb incoming solar radiation. Persistent particle emissions in certain regions of the world have lead to quasi-permanent aerosol forcing patterns. This spatially varying forcing pattern has the potential to modify temperature gradients that in turn alter pressure gradients and the atmospheric circulation. This study focuses on the effect of aerosol direct radiative forcing on northern hemisphere wintertime stationary waves. A global general circulation model based on the ECMWF operational forecast model is applied (EC-Earth). Aerosols are prescribed as monthly mean mixing ratios of sulphate, black carbon, organic carbon, dust and sea salt. Only the direct aerosol effect is considered. The climatic change is defined as the difference between model simulations using present-day and pre-industrial concentrations of aerosol particles. Data from 40-year long simulations using a coupled ocean-atmosphere model system are used. In EC-Earth, the high aerosol loading over South Asia leads to a surface cooling, which appears to enhance the South Asian winter monsoon and weaken the Indian Ocean Walker circulation. The anomalous Walker circulation leads to changes in tropical convective precipitation and consequent changes in latent heat release which effectively acts to generate planetary scale waves propagating into the extra-tropics. Using a steady-state linear model we verify that the aerosol-induced anomalous convective precipitation is a crucial link between the wave changes and the direct aerosol radiative forcing.

  16. Sub-lethal effects of the neurotoxic pyrethroid insecticide Fastac 50EC on the general motor and locomotor activities of the non-targeted beneficial carabid beetle Platynus assimilis (Coleoptera: Carabidae).

    PubMed

    Tooming, Ene; Merivee, Enno; Must, Anne; Sibul, Ivar; Williams, Ingrid

    2014-06-01

    Sub-lethal effects of pesticides on behavioural endpoints are poorly studied in carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) though changes in behaviour caused by chemical stress may affect populations of these non-targeted beneficial insects. General motor activity and locomotion are inherent in many behavioural patterns, and changes in these activities that result from xenobiotic influence mirror an integrated response of the insect to pesticides. Influence of pyrethroid insecticides over a wide range of sub-lethal doses on the motor activities of carabids still remains unclear. Video tracking of Platynus assimilis showed that brief exposure to alpha-cypermethrin at sub-lethal concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 100 mg L(-1) caused initial short-term (< 2 h) locomotor hyperactivity followed by a long-term (>24 h) locomotor hypo-activity. In addition, significant short- and long-term concentration and time-dependent changes occurred in general motor activity patterns and rates. Conspicuous changes in motor activity of Platynus assimilis beetles treated at alpha-cypermethrin concentrations up to 75,000-fold lower than maximum field recommended concentration (MFRC) suggest that many, basic fitness-related behaviours might be severely injured as well. These changes may negatively affect carabid populations in agro-ecosystems. Long-term hypo-activity could directly contribute to decreased trap captures of carabids frequently observed after insecticide application in the field. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

  17. Pan-European household and industrial water demand: regional relevant estimations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bernhard, Jeroen; Reynaud, Arnaud; de Roo, Ad

    2016-04-01

    Sustainable water management is of high importance to provide adequate quality and quantity of water to European households, industries and agriculture. Especially since demographic, economic and climate changes are expected to increase competition for water between these sectors in the future. A shortage of water implies a reduction in welfare of households or damage to economic sectors. This socio-economic component should be incorporated into the decision-making process when developing water allocation schemes, requiring detailed water use information and cost/benefit functions. We now present the results of our study which is focused at providing regionally relevant pan-European water demand and cost-benefit estimations for the household and industry sector. We gathered consistent data on water consumption, water prices and other relevant variables at the highest spatial detail available from national statistical offices and other organizational bodies. This database provides the most detailed up to date picture of present water use and water prices across Europe. The use of homogeneous data allowed us to compare regions and analyze spatial patterns. We applied econometric methods to determine the main determinants of water demand and make a monetary valuation of water for both the domestic and industry sector. This monetary valuation is important to allow water allocation based on economic damage estimates. We also attempted to estimate how population growth, as well as socio-economic and climatic changes impact future water demand up to 2050 using a homogeneous method for all countries. European projections for the identified major drivers of water demand were used to simulate future conditions. Subsequently, water demand functions were applied to estimate future water use and potential economic damage caused by water shortages. We present our results while also providing some estimation of the uncertainty of our predictions.

  18. Ocean carbon and heat variability in an Earth System Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, J. L.; Waugh, D.; Gnanadesikan, A.

    2016-12-01

    Ocean carbon and heat content are very important for regulating global climate. Furthermore, due to lack of observations and dependence on parameterizations, there has been little consensus in the modeling community on the magnitude of realistic ocean carbon and heat content variability, particularly in the Southern Ocean. We assess the differences between global oceanic heat and carbon content variability in GFDL ESM2Mc using a 500-year, pre-industrial control simulation. The global carbon and heat content are directly out of phase with each other; however, in the Southern Ocean the heat and carbon content are in phase. The global heat mutli-decadal variability is primarily explained by variability in the tropics and mid-latitudes, while the variability in global carbon content is primarily explained by Southern Ocean variability. In order to test the robustness of this relationship, we use three additional pre-industrial control simulations using different mesoscale mixing parameterizations. Three pre-industrial control simulations are conducted with the along-isopycnal diffusion coefficient (Aredi) set to constant values of 400, 800 (control) and 2400 m2 s-1. These values for Aredi are within the range of parameter settings commonly used in modeling groups. Finally, one pre-industrial control simulation is conducted where the minimum in the Gent-McWilliams parameterization closure scheme (AGM) increased to 600 m2 s-1. We find that the different simulations have very different multi-decadal variability, especially in the Weddell Sea where the characteristics of deep convection are drastically changed. While the temporal frequency and amplitude global heat and carbon content changes significantly, the overall spatial pattern of variability remains unchanged between the simulations.

  19. Sex, politics, and social change in the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries: evidence from the Swiss Alps.

    PubMed

    Guzzi-Heeb, Sandro

    2011-01-01

    The eighteenth-century "sexual revolution" cannot simply be explained as a consequence of economic or institutional factors -- industrialization, agricultural revolution, secularization, or legal hindrances to marriages. The example of western Valais (Switzerland) shows that we have to deal with a complex configuration of factors. The micro-historical approach reveals that in the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century sexuality -- and above all illicit sexuality -- was a highly subversive force that was considerably linked to political innovation and probably more generally to historical change. Nonmarital sexuality was clearly tied to political dissent and to innovative ways of behavior, both among the social elites and the common people. This behavior patterns influenced crucial evolutions in the social, cultural, and economic history of the region.

  20. [Emergy analysis on different planting patterns of typical watersheds in Loess Plateau.

    PubMed

    Deng, Jian; Zhao, Fa Zhu; Han, Xin Hui; Feng, Yong Zhong; Yang, Gai He

    2016-05-01

    To objectively evaluate and compare the stability and sustainability of different planting patterns of typical watersheds in Loess Plateau of China after the Grain for Green Project, this paper used the emergy analysis method to quantify the emergy inputs and outputs of three watersheds with different planting patterns, i.e., both grains and fruit trees (Gaoxigou watershed), mainly grains (Wuliwan watershed) and mainly fruit trees (Miaozuigou watershed). In addition, an emergy analysis system was established to evaluate the suitability of the three patterns from the perspectives of natural resources pressure as well as social and economic development levels. More than 75% of the total emergy inputs of all the three watersheds were purchased, and nonrenewable emergy inputs had a much larger contribution than renewable emergy inputs, indicating the characteristic of low emergy self-sufficient ratio and considerable high environmental loading ratio. The pattern of planting grains had high emergy inputs but low emergy outputs, while the patterns of planting fruit trees and planting both had high emergy inputs and outputs. The energy densities of all three patterns reached two times of the average of agricultural systems in China. Especially, the net emergy of planting grains pattern was the lowest while that of planting both grains and fruit trees was the highest. The environmental sustainability index (ESI) of planting grains pattern was less than 1 and both emergy and ESI were much lower than national averages. The ESI of planting both grains and fruit trees pattern was the highest. In summary, comparison of the three patterns showed that planting both grains and fruit trees had better sustainability and high stability and the emergy production efficiency was high. Thus, it was suggested to change the agricultural development from watershed based units to multi-industry integrated mode.

  1. Whole Genome Analysis of a Wine Yeast Strain

    PubMed Central

    Hauser, Nicole C.; Fellenberg, Kurt; Gil, Rosario; Bastuck, Sonja; Hoheisel, Jörg D.

    2001-01-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains frequently exhibit rather specific phenotypic features needed for adaptation to a special environment. Wine yeast strains are able to ferment musts, for example, while other industrial or laboratory strains fail to do so. The genetic differences that characterize wine yeast strains are poorly understood, however. As a first search of genetic differences between wine and laboratory strains, we performed DNA-array analyses on the typical wine yeast strain T73 and the standard laboratory background in S288c. Our analysis shows that even under normal conditions, logarithmic growth in YPD medium, the two strains have expression patterns that differ significantly in more than 40 genes. Subsequent studies indicated that these differences correlate with small changes in promoter regions or variations in gene copy number. Blotting copy numbers vs. transcript levels produced patterns, which were specific for the individual strains and could be used for a characterization of unknown samples. PMID:18628902

  2. Net Working: Work Patterns and Workforce Policies for the New Media Industry.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Batt, Rosemary; Christopherson, Susan; Rightor, Ned; Van Jaarsveld, Danielle

    A study was made of the labor market issues facing professionals and employers in the new media industry, an industry that combines elements of computing technology, telecommunications, and content to create products and services that can be used interactively by consumers and business owners. The study was carried out through a Web-based survey…

  3. Women's Path to Management in the Hotel and Catering Industry.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hotel and Catering Training Board, Wembley (England).

    A study examined the employment patterns of women working in the United Kingdom's hotel and catering industry and the opportunities for vocational education that would lead to careers in management. Sixty-four women from different sectors of the industry were interviewed (including women in senior and middle management and some still looking to be…

  4. Time-wise change in neck pain in response to rehabilitation with specific resistance training: implications for exercise prescription.

    PubMed

    Zebis, Mette K; Andersen, Christoffer H; Sundstrup, Emil; Pedersen, Mogens T; Sjøgaard, Gisela; Andersen, Lars L

    2014-01-01

    To determine the time-wise effect of specific resistance training on neck pain among industrial technicians with frequent neck pain symptoms. Secondary analysis of a parallel-group cluster randomized controlled trial of 20 weeks performed at two large industrial production units in Copenhagen, Denmark. Women with neck pain >30 mm VAS (N = 131) were included in the present analysis. The training group (N = 77) performed specific resistance training for the neck/shoulder muscles three times a week, and the control group (N = 54) received advice to stay active. Participants of both groups registered neck pain intensity (0-100 mm VAS) once a week. Neck pain intensity was 55 mm (SD 23) at baseline. There was a significant group by time interaction for neck pain (F-value 2.61, P<0.001, DF = 19). Between-group differences in neck pain reached significance after 4 weeks (11 mm, 95% CI 2 to 20). The time-wise change in pain showed three phases; a rapid decrease in the training group compared with the control group during the initial 7 weeks, a slower decrease in pain during the following weeks (week 8-15), and a plateau during the last weeks (week 16-20). Adherence to training followed a two-phase pattern, i.e. weekly participation rate was between 70-86% during the initial 7 weeks, dropping towards 55-63% during the latter half of the training period. Four weeks of specific resistance training reduced neck pain significantly, but 15 weeks is required to achieve maximal pain reduction. The time-wise change in pain followed a three-phase pattern with a rapid effect during the initial 7 weeks followed by a slower but still positive effect, and finally a plateau from week 15 and onwards. Decreased participation rate may explain the decreased efficacy during the latter phase of the intervention.

  5. Development of noise emission measurement specifications for color printing multifunctional devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kimizuka, Ikuo

    2005-09-01

    Color printing (including copying) is becoming more popular application in home, as well as in offices. Existing de jule and/or industrial standards (such as ISO 7779, ECMA-74, ANSI S12.10 series, etc.), however, state only monochrome patterns, which are mainly intended for acoustic noise testing of mechanical impact type printers. This paper discusses the key issues and corresponding resolutions for development of color printing patterns for acoustic noise measurements. The results of these technical works will be published by JBMS-74 (new industry standard of JBMIA within 2005), and hopefully be the technical basis of updating other standards mentioned above. This paper also shows the development processes and key features of proposed patterns.

  6. The Effect of Economic Growth, Urbanization, and Industrialization on Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Concentrations in China.

    PubMed

    Li, Guangdong; Fang, Chuanglin; Wang, Shaojian; Sun, Siao

    2016-11-01

    Rapid economic growth, industrialization, and urbanization in China have led to extremely severe air pollution that causes increasing negative effects on human health, visibility, and climate change. However, the influence mechanisms of these anthropogenic factors on fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentrations are poorly understood. In this study, we combined panel data and econometric methods to investigate the main anthropogenic factors that contribute to increasing PM 2.5 concentrations in China at the prefecture level from 1999 to 2011. The results showed that PM 2.5 concentrations and three anthropogenic factors were cointegrated. The panel Fully Modified Least Squares and panel Granger causality test results indicated that economic growth, industrialization, and urbanization increased PM 2.5 concentrations in the long run. The results implied that if China persists in its current development pattern, economic growth, industrialization and urbanization will inevitably lead to increased PM 2.5 emissions in the long term. Industrialization was the principal factor that affected PM 2.5 concentrations for the total panel, the industry-oriented panel and the service-oriented panel. PM 2.5 concentrations can be reduced at the cost of short-term economic growth and industrialization. However, reducing the urbanization level is not an efficient way to decrease PM 2.5 pollutions in the short term. The findings also suggest that a rapid reduction of PM 2.5 concentrations relying solely on adjusting these anthropogenic factors is difficult in a short-term for the heavily PM 2.5 -polluted panel. Moreover, the Chinese government will have to seek much broader policies that favor a decoupling of these coupling relationships.

  7. In the Shadow of Coal: How Large-Scale Industries Contributed to Present-Day Regional Differences in Personality and Well-Being.

    PubMed

    Obschonka, Martin; Stuetzer, Michael; Rentfrow, Peter J; Shaw-Taylor, Leigh; Satchell, Max; Silbereisen, Rainer K; Potter, Jeff; Gosling, Samuel D

    2017-11-20

    Recent research has identified regional variation of personality traits within countries but we know little about the underlying drivers of this variation. We propose that the Industrial Revolution, as a key era in the history of industrialized nations, has led to a persistent clustering of well-being outcomes and personality traits associated with psychological adversity via processes of selective migration and socialization. Analyzing data from England and Wales, we examine relationships between the historical employment share in large-scale coal-based industries (coal mining and steam-powered manufacturing industries that used this coal as fuel for their steam engines) and today's regional variation in personality and well-being. Even after controlling for possible historical confounds (historical energy supply, education, wealth, geology, climate, population density), we find that the historical local dominance of large-scale coal-based industries predicts today's markers of psychological adversity (lower Conscientiousness [and order facet scores], higher Neuroticism [and anxiety and depression facet scores], lower activity [an Extraversion facet], and lower life satisfaction and life expectancy). An instrumental variable analysis, using the historical location of coalfields, supports the causal assumption behind these effects (with the exception of life satisfaction). Further analyses focusing on mechanisms hint at the roles of selective migration and persisting economic hardship. Finally, a robustness check in the U.S. replicates the effect of the historical concentration of large-scale industries on today's levels of psychological adversity. Taken together, the results show how today's regional patterns of personality and well-being (which shape the future trajectories of these regions) may have their roots in major societal changes underway decades or centuries earlier. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. Human ecology and behavior and sexually transmitted bacterial infections.

    PubMed Central

    Holmes, K K

    1994-01-01

    The three direct determinants of the rate of spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are sexual behaviors, the mean duration of infectiousness, and the mean efficiency of sexual transmission of each STD. Underlying ecological and behavioral factors that operate through one or more of these direct determinants lie on a continuum, ranging from those most proximate back to those more remote (in time or mechanism) from the direct determinants. Most remote and least modifiable are the historical stages of economic development that even today conspicuously influence patterns of sexual behavior. Next are the distribution and changing patterns of climate, hygiene, and population density; the global population explosion and stages of the demographic transition; and ongoing changes in human physiology (e.g., menarche at younger age) and culture (e.g., later marriage). More proximate on the continuum are war, migration, and travel; and current policies for economic development and social welfare. Most recent or modifiable are technologic and commercial product development (e.g., oral contraceptives); circumcision, condom, spermicide, and contraception practices; patterns of illicit drug use that influence sexual behaviors; and the accessibility, quality, and use of STD health care. These underlying factors help explain why the curable bacterial STDs are epidemic in developing countries and why the United States is the only industrialized country that has failed to control bacterial STDs during the AIDS era. Images PMID:8146138

  9. Maintaining Moore's law: enabling cost-friendly dimensional scaling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mallik, Arindam; Ryckaert, Julien; Mercha, Abdelkarim; Verkest, Diederik; Ronse, Kurt; Thean, Aaron

    2015-03-01

    Moore's Law (Moore's Observation) has been driving the progress in semiconductor technology for the past 50 years. The semiconductor industry is at a juncture where significant increase in manufacturing cost is foreseen to sustain the past trend of dimensional scaling. At N10 and N7 technology nodes, the industry is struggling to find a cost-friendly solution. At a device level, technologists have come up with novel devices (finFET, Gate-All-Around), material innovations (SiGe, Ge) to boost performance and reduce power consumption. On the other hand, from the patterning side, the relative slow ramp-up of alternative lithography technologies like EUVL and DSA pushes the industry to adopt a severely multi-patterning-based solution. Both of these technological transformations have a big impact on die yield and eventually die cost. This paper is aimed to analyze the impact on manufacturing cost to keep the Moore's law alive. We have proposed and analyzed various patterning schemes that can enable cost-friendly scaling. We evaluated the impact of EUVL introduction on tackling the high cost of manufacturing. The primary objective of this paper is to maintain Moore's scaling from a patterning perspective and analyzing EUV lithography introduction at a die level.

  10. Producing Production Level Tooling in Prototype Timing

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

    Mc Hugh, Kevin Matthew; Knirsch, J.

    A new rapid solidification process machine will be able to produce eight-inch diameter by six-inch thick finished cavities at the rate of one per hour - a rate that will change the tooling industry dramatically. Global Metal Technologies, Inc. (GMTI) (Solon, OH) has signed an exclusive license with Idaho National Engineered and Environmental Laboratories (INEEL) (Idaho Falls, ID) for the development and commercialization of the rapid solidification process (RSP tooling). The first production machine is scheduled for delivery in July 2001. The RSP tooling process is a method of producing production level tooling in prototype timing. The process' inventor, Kevinmore » McHugh, describes it as a rapid solidification method, which differentiates it from the standard spray forming methods. RSP itself is relatively straightforward. Molten metal is sprayed against the ceramic pattern, replicating the pattern's contours, surface texture and details. After spraying, the molten tool steel is cooled at room temperature and separated from the pattern. The irregular periphery of the freshly sprayed insert is squared off, either by machining or, in the case of harder tool steels, by wire EDM. XX« less

  11. Decoding depositional sequences in carbonate systems: Concepts vs experience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pomar, Luis; Haq, Bilal U.

    2016-11-01

    Efficacy of sequence stratigraphic concepts in siliciclastic systems has been proven by successful applications in both academia and the industry over the past four decades. However, experience has demonstrated repeatedly that the relatively simple advective transportational approach of these models is less than successful when applied to the more complex carbonate systems and can lead to erroneous interpretations. Instead, an approach that includes the use of the changes in the biotic components of carbonate deposits to infer the sea-level trajectory and thereby placing it in the proper sequence framework is deemed to be more meaningful. This is exemplified with several well-studied examples that illustrate the variety of ways in which the biotic components can build carbonate platforms, and how these have changed through the ages prompted by biological evolution. This extended review discusses carbonate production, source to sink transportation influenced by sea-level changes, surface waves, as well as the less understood and under-appreciated internal waves, and the resulting variety of platforms that can be built by the interaction of these factors, as well as the changing patterns of biotic components with time. Their effect on the carbonate reservoir is considerable, understanding of which is the ultimate objective of carbonate research for applications in the industry. Key elements in the carbonate environments that differ from the siliciclastic systems are: 1) intrabasinal conditions (nutrients, salinity, temperature, water energy, transparency) are important controls on carbonate production and therefore also control in-situ accommodation and how it may be filled; 2) depositional accommodation can be both physical (controlled by hydrodynamics) and ecological (in the building-up above the base level mode); 3) because carbonates are products of biological activity, their production modes have been changing with time as their biotic components have evolved; 4) seafloor morphology determines the size and efficiency of the carbonate factory; 5) several carbonate factories may coexist or alternate, in-phase, out-of-phase with or independently of the sea level changes. The complexity and interplay of all of these governing factors contribute to very diverse carbonate production styles and edifices. Consequently, sequence-stratigraphic interpretations in carbonates are more meaningful when seen through the lens of process-product relationships, rather than simply through bedding patterns and bounding surfaces characterization.

  12. Methane and nitrous oxide in the ice core record.

    PubMed

    Wolff, Eric; Spahni, Renato

    2007-07-15

    Polar ice cores contain, in trapped air bubbles, an archive of the concentrations of stable atmospheric gases. Of the major non-CO2 greenhouse gases, methane is measured quite routinely, while nitrous oxide is more challenging, with some artefacts occurring in the ice and so far limited interpretation. In the recent past, the ice cores provide the only direct measure of the changes that have occurred during the industrial period; they show that the current concentration of methane in the atmosphere is far outside the range experienced in the last 650,000 years; nitrous oxide is also elevated above its natural levels. There is controversy about whether changes in the pre-industrial Holocene are natural or anthropogenic in origin. Changes in wetland emissions are generally cited as the main cause of the large glacial-interglacial change in methane. However, changing sinks must also be considered, and the impact of possible newly described sources evaluated. Recent isotopic data appear to finally rule out any major impact of clathrate releases on methane at these time-scales. Any explanation must take into account that, at the rapid Dansgaard-Oeschger warmings of the last glacial period, methane rose by around half its glacial-interglacial range in only a few decades. The recent EPICA Dome C (Antarctica) record shows that methane tracked climate over the last 650,000 years, with lower methane concentrations in glacials than interglacials, and lower concentrations in cooler interglacials than in warmer ones. Nitrous oxide also shows Dansgaard-Oeschger and glacial-interglacial periodicity, but the pattern is less clear.

  13. National Freight Demand Modeling - Bridging the Gap between Freight Flow Statistics and U.S. Economic Patterns

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

    Chin, Shih-Miao; Hwang, Ho-Ling

    2007-01-01

    This paper describes a development of national freight demand models for 27 industry sectors covered by the 2002 Commodity Flow Survey. It postulates that the national freight demands are consistent with U.S. business patterns. Furthermore, the study hypothesizes that the flow of goods, which make up the national production processes of industries, is coherent with the information described in the 2002 Annual Input-Output Accounts developed by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The model estimation framework hinges largely on the assumption that a relatively simple relationship exists between freight production/consumption and business patterns for each industry defined by the three-digit Northmore » American Industry Classification System industry codes (NAICS). The national freight demand model for each selected industry sector consists of two models; a freight generation model and a freight attraction model. Thus, a total of 54 simple regression models were estimated under this study. Preliminary results indicated promising freight generation and freight attraction models. Among all models, only four of them had a R2 value lower than 0.70. With additional modeling efforts, these freight demand models could be enhanced to allow transportation analysts to assess regional economic impacts associated with temporary lost of transportation services on U.S. transportation network infrastructures. Using such freight demand models and available U.S. business forecasts, future national freight demands could be forecasted within certain degrees of accuracy. These freight demand models could also enable transportation analysts to further disaggregate the CFS state-level origin-destination tables to county or zip code level.« less

  14. Insect-plant-pathogen interactions as shaped by future climate: effects on biology, distribution, and implications for agriculture.

    PubMed

    Trębicki, Piotr; Dáder, Beatriz; Vassiliadis, Simone; Fereres, Alberto

    2017-12-01

    Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is the main anthropogenic gas which has drastically increased since the industrial revolution, and current concentrations are projected to double by the end of this century. As a consequence, elevated CO 2 is expected to alter the earths' climate, increase global temperatures and change weather patterns. This is likely to have both direct and indirect impacts on plants, insect pests, plant pathogens and their distribution, and is therefore problematic for the security of future food production. This review summarizes the latest findings and highlights current knowledge gaps regarding the influence of climate change on insect, plant and pathogen interactions with an emphasis on agriculture and food production. Direct effects of climate change, including increased CO 2 concentration, temperature, patterns of rainfall and severe weather events that impact insects (namely vectors of plant pathogens) are discussed. Elevated CO 2 and temperature, together with plant pathogen infection, can considerably change plant biochemistry and therefore plant defense responses. This can have substantial consequences on insect fecundity, feeding rates, survival, population size, and dispersal. Generally, changes in host plant quality due to elevated CO 2 (e.g., carbon to nitrogen ratios in C3 plants) negatively affect insect pests. However, compensatory feeding, increased population size and distribution have also been reported for some agricultural insect pests. This underlines the importance of additional research on more targeted, individual insect-plant scenarios at specific locations to fully understand the impact of a changing climate on insect-plant-pathogen interactions. © 2017 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

  15. A Profile of Tax Subsidies and Investment Behavior in Six Major Polluting Industries (1997)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Reviews investment trends in pollution control technology to determine existing patterns and to highlight the likely investment incentives that six industries, metals mining, petroleum, primary metals, pulp and paper, chemicals, and electric utilities.

  16. Arcobacter butzleri in sheep ricotta cheese at retail and related sources of contamination in an industrial dairy plant.

    PubMed

    Scarano, Christian; Giacometti, Federica; Manfreda, Gerardo; Lucchi, Alex; Pes, Emanuela; Spanu, Carlo; De Santis, Enrico Pietro Luigi; Serraino, Andrea

    2014-11-01

    This study aimed to evaluate Arcobacter species contamination of industrial sheep ricotta cheese purchased at retail and to establish if the dairy plant environment may represent a source of contamination. A total of 32 sheep ricotta cheeses (1.5 kg/pack) packed in a modified atmosphere were purchased at retail, and 30 samples were collected in two sampling sessions performed in the cheese factory from surfaces in contact with food and from surfaces not in contact with food. Seven out of 32 samples (21.9%) of ricotta cheese collected at retail tested positive for Arcobacter butzleri at cultural examination; all positive samples were collected during the same sampling and belonged to the same batch. Ten surface samples (33.3%) collected in the dairy plant were positive for A. butzleri. Cluster analysis identified 32 pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns. The same PFGE pattern was isolated from more than one ricotta cheese sample, indicating a common source of contamination, while more PFGE patterns could be isolated in single samples, indicating different sources of contamination. The results of the environmental sampling showed that A. butzleri may be commonly isolated from the dairy processing plant investigated and may survive over time, as confirmed by the isolation of the same PFGE pattern in different industrial plant surface samples. Floor contamination may represent a source of A. butzleri spread to different areas of the dairy plant, as demonstrated by isolation of the same PFGE pattern in different production areas. Isolation of the same PFGE pattern from surface samples in the dairy plant and from ricotta cheese purchased at retail showed that plant surfaces may represent a source of A. butzleri postprocessing contamination in cheeses produced in industrial dairy plants. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  17. Industry Employment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Occupational Outlook Quarterly, 2012

    2012-01-01

    This article illustrates projected employment change by industry and industry sector over 2010-20 decade. Workers are grouped into an industry according to the type of good produced or service provided by the establishment for which they work. Industry employment projections are shown in terms of numeric change (growth or decline in the total…

  18. Product differentiation, competition and prices in the retail gasoline industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manuszak, Mark David

    This thesis presents a series of studies of the retail gasoline industry using data from Hawaii. This first chapter examines a number of pricing patterns in the data and finds evidence that gasoline stations set prices which are consistent with a number of forms of price discrimination. The second chapter analyzes various patterns of cross-sectional, cross-market and intertemporal variation in the data to investigate their suitability for use in structural econometric estimation. The remainder of the dissertation consists of specification and estimation of a structural model of supply and demand for retail gasoline products sold at individual gasoline stations. This detailed micro-level analysis permits examination of a number of important issues in the industry, most notably the importance of spatial differentiation in the industry. The third chapter estimates the model and computes new equilibria under a number of asymmetric taxation regimes in order to examine the impact of such tax policies on producer and consumer welfare as well as tax revenue. The fourth chapter examines whether there is any evidence of tacitly collusive behavior in the Hawaiian retail gasoline industry and concludes that, in fact, conduct is fairly competitive in this industry and market.

  19. Electronic business in the home medical equipment industry.

    PubMed

    Wei, June; Graham, Michael J; Liu, Lai C

    2011-01-01

    This paper aims at developing electronic business solutions to increase value for the home medical equipment industry. First, an electronic strategic value chain model was developed for the home medical equipment industry. Second, electronic business solutions were mapped from this model. Third, the top 20 dominant companies in the home medical equipment industry were investigated to see the current adoption patterns of these electronic business solutions. The solutions will be beneficial to decision-makers in the information technology adoptions in the home medical equipment industry to increase the business values.

  20. Increasing arsenic concentrations in runoff from 12 small forested catchments (Czech Republic, Central Europe): patterns and controls.

    PubMed

    Novak, Martin; Erbanova, Lucie; Fottova, Daniela; Voldrichova, Petra; Prechova, Eva; Blaha, Vladimir; Veselovsky, Frantisek; Krachler, Michael

    2010-08-01

    The 40-year long period of heavy industrialization in Central Europe (1950-1990) was accompanied by burning of arsenic-rich lignite in thermal power plants, and accumulation of anthropogenic arsenic in forest soils. There are fears that retreating acidification may lead to arsenic mobilization into drinking water, caused by competitive ligand exchange. We present monthly arsenic concentrations in surface runoff from 12 headwater catchments in the Czech Republic for a period of 13 years (1996-2008). The studied area was characterized by a north-south gradient of decreasing pollution. Acidification, caused mainly by SOx and NOx emissions from power plants, has been retreating since 1987. Between 1996 and 2003, maximum arsenic concentrations in runoff did not change, and were < 1 ppb in the rural south and < 2 ppb in the industrial north. During the subsequent two years, 2004-2005, maximum arsenic concentrations in runoff increased, reaching 60% of the drinking water limit (10 ppb). Starting in 2006, maximum arsenic concentrations returned to lower values at most sites. We discuss three possible causes of the recent arsenic concentration maximum in runoff. We rule out retreating acidification and a pulse of high industrial emission rates as possible controls. The pH of runoff has not changed since 1996, and is still too low (<6.5) at most sites for an As-OH(-) ligand exchange to become significant. Elevated arsenic concentrations in runoff in 2004-2005 may reflect climate change through changing hydrological conditions at some, but not all sites. Dry conditions may result in elevated production of DOC and sulfur oxidation in the soil. Subsequent wet conditions may be accompanied by acidification leading to faster dissolution of arsenic-bearing sulfides, dissolution of arsenic-bearing Fe-oxyhydroxides, and elevated transport of arsenic sorbed on organic matter. Anaerobic domains exist in normally well-aerated upland soils for hours-to-days following precipitation events. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Whither ink jet? Current patent trends

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pond, Stephen F.; Karz, Robert S.

    1995-04-01

    The status and potential of ink jet technology is discernible in its major technical literature forum: worldwide patents. Most ink jet technical activity is focused in commercial research and development laboratories where proprietary considerations make patents the norm for publication. Currently there are about 2,000 ink jet disclosures issued annually with over 200 enterprises represented. Ink jet patent activity is increasing about 25% per year driven by a rapidly expanding base of products, applications, and revenue. An analysis of the ink jet patent literature reveals a few major themes (i.e. continuous ink jet, piezoelectric drop-on-demand, and thermal ink jet) and numerous minor ones (i.e. electrohydro-dynamic extraction, magnetic drop-on-demand, Hertz continuous, acoustic ink printing). Patents bear witness to transformations in the industry as dominant players of the 1970's have given way to new leaders in the 1990's. They also foretell important commercial developments in ink jet's near term future. When studied in aggregate, the patent record reveals patterns for the industry in general as well as for individual companies. It becomes possible to use the patent data base not only to identify technical approaches and problems for specific firms, but also to track progress and monitor changing strategies. In addition, international filing patterns can provide insights into industry priorities. This paper presents an overview of ink jet technology as revealed by the patent literature. It will include a 25 year perspective, a review of trends over the past five years, and a survey of today's most active companies and their technical approaches. With this analysis, it will be shown that the information inherent in the patent record is more than the sum of its individual disclosures. Indeed, by using it, we can outlook whither goes ink jet.

  2. Spatial and temporal dynamics of agricultural residue resources in the last 30 years in China.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yanli; Zhang, Peidong; Yang, Xutong; Xu, Xiaoning

    2016-12-01

    The availability and distribution of biomass resources are important for the development of the bioenergy industry in a region. Biomass resources are abundant in China; however, the raw material is severely deficient, which makes the Chinese bioenergy industry an embarrassment and a contradiction. Unclear reserves and distribution and changing trends of biomass resources are the reason for this situation. A collection coefficient model of Chinese agricultural residue resources was established and the spatial and temporal pattern dynamics of agricultural residue resources in the last 30 years were analyzed. The results show that agricultural residue resources increased in stages from 1978 to 2011, including a rapid increase from 1978 to 1999, a significant fall from 2000 to 2004, and a slow increase from 2004 to 2011. Crops straw and livestock manure are the main ingredients of agricultural residue resources with proportions of 53-59% and 31-38%, respectively. However, the former has gradually decreased, while the latter is increasing. This mainly resulted from the strategic reorganization of the Chinese agriculture structure and the rapid development of large-scale livestock breeding and agricultural mechanization. Large regional differences existed in Chinese agricultural residue resources, and three distribution types formed, including resource-rich areas in North China, Northeast and Inner Mongolia, resource-limited areas in Central and Southwest China, and resource-poor areas along Northwest and Southeast coasts. This pattern is a reverse of the distributions of climatic conditions, water resources, economic development, human resources, and technological levels. Finally, it can be predicted that livestock manure and biomass conversion technology at low temperature will play increasingly significant roles in bioenergy industry development. © The Author(s) 2016.

  3. Integrated Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Sediments from a Coastal Industrial Basin, NE China

    PubMed Central

    Li, Xiaoyu; Liu, Lijuan; Wang, Yugang; Luo, Geping; Chen, Xi; Yang, Xiaoliang; Gao, Bin; He, Xingyuan

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the current status of metal pollution of the sediments from urban-stream, estuary and Jinzhou Bay of the coastal industrial city, NE China. Forty surface sediment samples from river, estuary and bay and one sediment core from Jinzhou bay were collected and analyzed for heavy metal concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni and Mn. The data reveals that there was a remarkable change in the contents of heavy metals among the sampling sediments, and all the mean values of heavy metal concentration were higher than the national guideline values of marine sediment quality of China (GB 18668-2002). This is one of the most polluted of the world’s impacted coastal systems. Both the correlation analyses and geostatistical analyses showed that Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd have a very similar spatial pattern and come from the industrial activities, and the concentration of Mn mainly caused by natural factors. The estuary is the most polluted area with extremely high potential ecological risk; however the contamination decreased with distance seaward of the river estuary. This study clearly highlights the urgent need to make great efforts to control the industrial emission and the exceptionally severe heavy metal pollution in the coastal area, and the immediate measures should be carried out to minimize the rate of contamination, and extent of future pollution problems. PMID:22768107

  4. Integrated assessment of heavy metal contamination in sediments from a coastal industrial basin, NE China.

    PubMed

    Li, Xiaoyu; Liu, Lijuan; Wang, Yugang; Luo, Geping; Chen, Xi; Yang, Xiaoliang; Gao, Bin; He, Xingyuan

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the current status of metal pollution of the sediments from urban-stream, estuary and Jinzhou Bay of the coastal industrial city, NE China. Forty surface sediment samples from river, estuary and bay and one sediment core from Jinzhou bay were collected and analyzed for heavy metal concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni and Mn. The data reveals that there was a remarkable change in the contents of heavy metals among the sampling sediments, and all the mean values of heavy metal concentration were higher than the national guideline values of marine sediment quality of China (GB 18668-2002). This is one of the most polluted of the world's impacted coastal systems. Both the correlation analyses and geostatistical analyses showed that Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd have a very similar spatial pattern and come from the industrial activities, and the concentration of Mn mainly caused by natural factors. The estuary is the most polluted area with extremely high potential ecological risk; however the contamination decreased with distance seaward of the river estuary. This study clearly highlights the urgent need to make great efforts to control the industrial emission and the exceptionally severe heavy metal pollution in the coastal area, and the immediate measures should be carried out to minimize the rate of contamination, and extent of future pollution problems.

  5. Work-related mortality in the US fishing industry during 2000-2014: New findings based on improved workforce exposure estimates.

    PubMed

    Lucas, Devin L; Case, Samantha L

    2018-01-01

    Commercial fishing is a global industry that has been frequently classified as high-risk. The use of detailed surveillance data is critical in identifying hazards. The purpose of this study was to provide updated statistics for the entire US fishing industry during 2010-2014, generate fleet-specific fatality rates using a revised calculation of full-time equivalent estimates, and examine changes in the patterns of fatalities and in risk over a 15-year period (2000-2014). During 2010-2014, 188 commercial fishing fatalities occurred in the United States. Vessel disasters and falls overboard remain leading contributors to commercial fishing deaths. The Atlantic scallop fleet stands out for achieving substantial declines in the risk of fatalities over the 15-year study period. However, fatality rates ranged from 21 to 147 deaths per 100 000 FTEs, many times higher than the rate for all US workers. Although the number of fatalities among commercial fishermen in the United States has generally declined since 2000, commercial fishing continues to have one of the highest occupational fatality rates in the United States. The sustainable seafood movement could assist in improving the health and safety of fishing industry workers if worker well-being was integrated into the definition of sustainable seafood. © Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  6. Agrarian change and labour migration in the Sierra of Ecuador.

    PubMed

    Peek, P

    1980-01-01

    "Among the effects produced in the Sierra of Ecuador by the programme of land reforms launched in 1964 was a reduction in the incomes from small-scale farming. At the same time, the growth of productive employment in urban areas was insufficient to provide round-the-year work to the fast growing army of jobseekers. Analysis of the agrarian structure and migration patterns before and after 1964 suggests that it was primarily this combination of circumstances that produced a pronounced shift towards short-term rather than permanent migration, thereby providing industry and services with the labour they needed while avoiding the disadvantages of severe urban overpopulation." excerpt

  7. The changing structure of the hardwood lumber industry with implications on technology adaptation

    Treesearch

    William Luppold; John Baumgras; John Baumgras

    2000-01-01

    The hardwood sawmilling industry has been changing over the last 50 years as a result of changes in hardwood sawtimber inventory and in the demand for hardwood lumber. In 1950 the industry was composed of numerous individual mills, few of which produced more than 3 million board feet of lumber annually. During this time the furniture industry was the major user of...

  8. Analysis of an industry in transition.

    PubMed

    Baliga, B R; Johnson, B

    1986-12-01

    The health care industry is undergoing major structural changes. The significance of these changes for individual competitors moving toward the 1990s is not yet clear. This article assesses the implications of the current changes by applying Porter's industry structure and generic strategy frameworks to the health care industry. Present trends are compared to this analysis to highlight areas where individual hospitals might improve their competitive positioning.

  9. Connecting Current Research on Climate and Snow with Individuals Who Care

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moore, C. E.; Denning, S.

    2015-12-01

    A growing body of research explores the effects of climate change on snow in the Southern Rocky Mountains. This research includes observing climate and weather patterns, modeling potential future winter climate and snowpack, and exploring how these changes will affect the ecosystems, people, and industries that rely on frozen reservoirs of seasonal snow. We review existing resources for non-scientists on this topic, and explain how climate and snow are changing in the Southern Rocky Mountains. The Southern Rockies urban corridor is home to a growing population of people who rely directly on snowmelt runoff for daily life, health, and prosperity. Many of these people also seek refuge from growing urbanization by escaping to the mountains. Meanwhile, high elevations in the Rockies are already experiencing noticeable effects of climate change. Individuals with personal connections to the mountains make a ready audience to receive accessible science communication grounded in current research. People who care about mountains may be inspired to join the conversation and take action in their own lives as they learn what is already changing and what they might expect to find in winters to come.

  10. Microcontact printing of monodiamond nanoparticles: an effective route to patterned diamond structure fabrication.

    PubMed

    Zhuang, Hao; Song, Bo; Staedler, Thorsten; Jiang, Xin

    2011-10-04

    By combining microcontact printing with a nanodiamond seeding technique, a precise micrometer-sized chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond pattern have been obtained. On the basis of the guidance of basic theoretical calculations, monodisperse detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) were chosen as an "ink" material and oxidized poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was selected to serve as a stamp because it features a higher interaction energy with the DNDs compared to that of the original PDMS. The adsorption kinetics shows an approximately exponential law with a maximum surface DND density of 3.4 × 10(10) cm(-2) after 20 min. To achieve a high transfer ratio of DNDs from the PDMS stamp to a silicon surface, a thin layer of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was spin coated onto the substrates. A microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition system was used to synthesize the CVD diamond on the seeded substrate areas. Precise diamond patterns with a low expansion ratio (3.6%) were successfully prepared after 1.5 h of deposition. Further increases in the deposition time typically lead to a high expansion rate (∼0.8 μm/h). The general pattern shape, however, did not show any significant change. Compared with conventional diamond pattern deposition methods, the technique described here offers the advantages of being simple, inexpensive, damage-free, and highly compatible, rendering it attractive for a broad variety of industrial applications. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  11. Financing the Air Transportation Industry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lloyd-Jones, D. J.

    1972-01-01

    The basic characteristics of the air transportation industry are outlined and it is shown how they affect financing requirements and patterns of production. The choice of financial timing is imperative in order to get the best interest rates available and to insure a fair return to investors. The fact that the industry cannot store its products has a fairly major effect on the amount of equipment to purchase, the amount of capital investment required, and the amount of return required to offset industry depriciation.

  12. Assessing changes in the U.S. hardwood sawmill industry with a focus on markets and distribution

    Treesearch

    Omar Espinoza; Urs Buehlmann; Matthew Bumgardner; Bob Smith

    2011-01-01

    The U.S. hardwood sawmilling industry has experienced significant changes over the past decade. A slowing housing industry, competition from imported products, higher transportation costs, and high stumpage prices have changed the business of manufacturing and marketing hardwood lumber. Also, hardwood lumber buyers are changing their business practices by shortening...

  13. Retrospect and prospect of China's population.

    PubMed

    Liu, G

    1985-03-01

    This discussion of the population of China covers the reproductive pattern and fertility rate, the death pattern and mortality, age-sex structure of the population, population and employment, urbanization, migration, and the aging of the population. During the 1949-83 period, China almost doubled her population with an annual natural growth rate of 19/1000. China's reproductive pattern developed from early childbearing, short birth spacing and many births to later childbearing, longer birth spacing and fewer births. China's total fertility rate (TFR) was 5.8 in 1950 and 2.1 in 1983 with an annual decrease of 3%. The annual national income grew at a rate of 7.1%, while the annual growth rate of population 1.9% from 1950-82. Consequently, the national income per capita increased from 50 yuan in 1950 to 338 yuan in 1982. The major factor responsible for the changes is the remarkable decline in the rural fertility rate. The crude death rate dropped from 27.1/1000 in 1963 to 7.1 in 1983 and the infant mortality rate from 179.4/1000 live births in 1936 to 36.6 in 1981. There was also a significant change in the causes of death. Population aged 0-14 in China account for 33.6%, 15-49 for 51.3%, and 50 and over for 15.1% of the total population. China is in the process of transition from an expansive to a stationary population. The age-dependency ratio declined from 68.6% in 1953 and 79.4% in 1964 to 62.6% in 1982. Sex ratios recorded in the 3 population censuses are 105.99 in 1953, 105.45 in 1964, and 105.46 in 1982. Employment in both collective and individual economies did not expand until 1978. Sectoral, occupational, and industrial structures of population started to change rationally with the adjustment and reform of economic management system in 1978. The strategic stress on the employment of China's economically active population should be shifted from farming to diversified economy and urban industry and commerce, from sectors of industrial-agricultural production to those of non-material production, and from expansion of employment to the rise of employment efficiency. The proportion of urban population in China accounted for 20.8% in 1982 with an annual growth rate of 4% during the 1949-82 period. The 1982 population census reveals that 94.4% of China's population resides on the southeast side of Aihui-Tengchong Line. Compared with the statistics in 1953, there was no notable change of the unbalanced population distribution on each side of the Line over the last 50 years. China is comparatively young in its population age structure. 1982 census data show that there were 49.29 million people at age 65 and over in 1982, representing 4.91% of the whole population. It is estimated from the age composition of 1982 and age-specific mortality rate of 1981 that there will be 88 million elderly persons by 2000, 150 million by 2020, and about 300 million as a maximum around 2040.

  14. Effects of two different domestic boiling practices on the allergenicity of cow's milk proteins.

    PubMed

    Lamberti, Cristina; Baro, Cristina; Giribaldi, Marzia; Napolitano, Lorenzo; Cavallarin, Laura; Giuffrida, Maria Gabriella

    2018-04-01

    The sale of raw drinking milk through automatic dispensers is permitted in some EU member states, but consumers are usually advised to boil the milk before consumption. The present study has been conducted to evaluate the effects of two common domestic boiling techniques on the proteins of raw milk and, in particular, on their potential allergenicity. Native one-dimensional electrophoresis, N-terminal amino acid sequencing and immunoblotting have been used to characterize the protein pattern and to evaluate the possible changes in the allergenic properties of the processed milk. The main result of this investigation is that heating induces the aggregation of β-lactoglobulin in higher-molecular-weight products, while caseins seem to be more resistant to the treatments. β-Lactoglobulin aggregates have been found to be non-immunoreactive with the sera of subjects suffering from cow's milk protein allergy. Domestic boiling modifies the milk protein profile, causing a minor reduction in milk allergenicity. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  15. Study of heat-moisture treatment of potato starch granules by chemical surface gelatinization.

    PubMed

    Bartz, Josiane; da Rosa Zavareze, Elessandra; Dias, Alvaro Renato Guerra

    2017-08-01

    Native potato starch was subjected to heat-moisture treatment (HMT) at 12%, 15%, 18%, 21%, and 24% of moisture content at 110 °C for 1 h, and the effects on morphology, structure, and thermal and physicochemical properties were investigated. To reveal the internal structure, 30% and 50% of the granular surface were removed by chemical surface gelatinization in concentrated LiCl solution. At moisture contents of 12% and 15%, HTM reduced the gelatinization temperatures and relative crystallinity of the starches, while at moisture contents of 21% and 24 % both increased. The alterations on morphology, X-ray pattern, physicochemical properties, and increase of amylose content were more intense with the increase of moisture content of HMT. The removal of granular layers showed that the changes promoted by HMT occur throughout the whole granule and were pronounced at the core or peripheral region, depending of the moisture content applied during HMT. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  16. Impact of nowcasting on the production and processing of agricultural crops. [in the US

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dancer, W. S.; Tibbitts, T. W.

    1973-01-01

    The value was studied of improved weather information and weather forecasting to farmers, growers, and agricultural processing industries in the United States. The study was undertaken to identify the production and processing operations that could be improved with accurate and timely information on changing weather patterns. Estimates were then made of the potential savings that could be realized with accurate information about the prevailing weather and short term forecasts for up to 12 hours. This weather information has been termed nowcasting. The growing, marketing, and processing operations of the twenty most valuable crops in the United States were studied to determine those operations that are sensitive to short-term weather forecasting. Agricultural extension specialists, research scientists, growers, and representatives of processing industries were consulted and interviewed. The value of the crops included in this survey and their production levels are given. The total value for crops surveyed exceeds 24 billion dollars and represents more than 92 percent of total U.S. crop value.

  17. Qualitative CFD for Rapid Learning in Industrial and Academic Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Variano, Evan

    2010-11-01

    We present a set of tools that allow CFD to be used at an early stage in the design process. Users can rapidly explore the qualitative aspects of fluid flow using real-time simulations that react immediately to design changes. This can guide the design process by fostering an intuitive understanding of fluid dynamics at the prototyping stage. We use an extremely stable Navier-Stokes solver that is available commercially (and free to academic users) plus a custom user interface. The code is designed for the animation and gaming industry, and we exploit the powerful graphical display capabilities to develop a unique human-machine interface. This interface allows the user to efficiently explore the flow in 3D + real time, fostering an intuitive understanding of steady and unsteady flow patterns. There are obvious extensions to use in an academic setting. The trade-offs between accuracy and speed will be discussed in the context of CFD's role in design and education.

  18. Events affecting gold exploration in Venezuela since 1999

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wilburn, David R.

    2014-01-01

    The structure of the gold mining industry in Venezuela has changed significantly since 1999 as a result of Government policy changes and industry response to these changes. This report documents the policy decisions that have affected the mining industry, discusses the response of the industry on a site by site basis, and suggests possible effects of these changes on the global economy. For the short term, at least, it appears that these changes have made Venezuela a more difficult place to invest for U.S. and Canadian companies, while investment by Chinese entities has been encouraged.

  19. Recent trends in human migrations: the case of the Venezuelan Andes.

    PubMed

    Suarez, M M; Torrealba, R

    1982-01-01

    Changes in world capitalism caused prices of traditional raw materials to fall and new energy demands to arise at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The Andean countries witnessed the fall in the value of their exports and began to receive large flows of foreign investment in mining and industry. Consequently, urban economies were strengthened and demographic patterns were changed. This led to the internal migrations and to a process of social change. These consequences are summarized from relevant studies focusing on Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. Since the 1960s a compendium of information has become available which highlights the causes of the migration, migration patterns, the composition of migratory movements, and the mechanisms that the migrant uses to establish himself/herself in the city. Preston (1969) distinguished 2 migratory patterns in Ecuador: rural to urban, with migratory flows from the rural areas to urban centers and new industrial cities that experienced development and high demand for unskilled labor at comparatively high wages: and rural to rural, based on the movement of population from depressed rural areas to other areas in which programs for colonization or commercial agriculture have been promoted. In a study of Colombia, McGreevey (1968) identifies the lack of cultivatable land, rural violence in certain departments, and other economic and family causes as the principal factors that induced migrations to the cities. The study emphasizes that the predominant model of movement relates to "fill in" migration. The spatial mobility of the Venezuelan Andean population was initially outlined in a voluminous report on economic and social problems of the region (1954). The study indicates that during the intercensal period 1941-50 cities grew much more rapidly than rural "municipos" and that the drive to find employment and earn a living were the most important motives in the movement of peasants to the cities. All of the studies identified that use demographic, economic, or phychosocial approaches have provided partial explanations of the current status of Andean migrations. The explanations they offer, by not transcending the current reality of the migrants, overlook the historical traits of internal migration. Migratory flows do not spring up suddenly. They result from specific socio-political circumstances which, when closely linked to demographic evidence, serve as a basis for understanding the process. Review of studies on internal migration in the Northern Andes, as presented here, reveals a series of distinguishing characteristics: there are 5 migratory patterns--rural to rural, rural to urban, urban to urban, seasonal worker migration, and return migration, and the predominant pattern has been rural to urban; the demographic data show the importance of rural migrants to urban growth in the region and a complementary loss of population in the rural areas; depopulation of the countryside has been selective; and there is a marked disparity in employment remuneration between rural and urban areas.

  20. The pallet industry: a changing hardwood market

    Treesearch

    G.P. Dempsey; D.G. Martens

    1991-01-01

    From its inception during World War II, the wooden pallet industry has grown to become the Nation's largest industrial consumer of hardwood lumber products. Since most of the raw material in wooden pallets is lower grade lumber, the pallet industry's growth, efficiency, and changing raw material inputs must be of concern to the grade hardwood lumber industry...

  1. Characterizing China's energy consumption with selective economic factors and energy-resource endowment: a spatial econometric approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Lei; Ji, Minhe; Bai, Ling

    2015-06-01

    Coupled with intricate regional interactions, the provincial disparity of energy-resource endowment and other economic conditions in China have created spatially complex energy consumption patterns that require analyses beyond the traditional ones. To distill the spatial effect out of the resource and economic factors on China's energy consumption, this study recast the traditional econometric model in a spatial context. Several analytic steps were taken to reveal different aspects of the issue. Per capita energy consumption (AVEC) at the provincial level was first mapped to reveal spatial clusters of high energy consumption being located in either well developed or energy resourceful regions. This visual spatial autocorrelation pattern of AVEC was quantitatively tested to confirm its existence among Chinese provinces. A Moran scatterplot was employed to further display a relatively centralized trend occurring in those provinces that had parallel AVEC, revealing a spatial structure with attraction among high-high or low-low regions and repellency among high-low or low-high regions. By a comparison between the ordinary least square (OLS) model and its spatial econometric counterparts, a spatial error model (SEM) was selected to analyze the impact of major economic determinants on AVEC. While the analytic results revealed a significant positive correlation between AVEC and economic development, other determinants showed some intricate influential patterns. The provinces endowed with rich energy reserves were inclined to consume much more energy than those otherwise, whereas changing the economic structure by increasing the proportion of secondary and tertiary industries also tended to consume more energy. Both situations seem to underpin the fact that these provinces were largely trapped in the economies that were supported by technologies of low energy efficiency during the period, while other parts of the country were rapidly modernized by adopting advanced technologies and more efficient industries. On the other hand, institutional change (i.e., marketization) and innovation (i.e., technological progress) exerted positive impacts on AVEC improvement, as always expected in this and other studies. Finally, the model comparison indicated that SEM was capable of separating spatial effect from the error term of OLS, so as to improve goodness-of-fit and the significance level of individual determinants.

  2. The Flux-Anomaly-Forced Model Intercomparison Project (FAFMIP) Contribution to CMIP6: Investigation of Sea-Level and Ocean Climate Change in Response to CO2 Forcing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gregory, Jonathan M.; Bouttes, Nathaelle; Griffies, Stephen M.; Haak, Helmuth; Hurlin, William J.; Jungclaus, Johann; Kelley, Maxwell; Lee, Warren G.; Marshall, John; Romanou, Anastasia; hide

    2016-01-01

    The Flux-Anomaly-Forced Model Intercomparison Project (FAFMIP) aims to investigate the spread in simulations of sea-level and ocean climate change in response to CO2 forcing by atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs). It is particularly motivated by the uncertainties in projections of ocean heat uptake, global-mean sealevel rise due to thermal expansion and the geographical patterns of sea-level change due to ocean density and circulation change. FAFMIP has three tier-1 experiments, in which prescribed surface flux perturbations of momentum, heat and freshwater respectively are applied to the ocean in separate AOGCM simulations. All other conditions are as in the pre-industrial control. The prescribed fields are typical of pattern and magnitude of changes in these fluxes projected by AOGCMs for doubled CO2 concentration. Five groups have tested the experimental design with existing AOGCMs. Their results show diversity in the pattern and magnitude of changes, with some common qualitative features. Heat and water flux perturbation cause the dipole in sea-level change in the North Atlantic, while momentum and heat flux perturbation cause the gradient across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) declines in response to the heat flux perturbation, and there is a strong positive feedback on this effect due to the consequent cooling of sea-surface temperature in the North Atlantic, which enhances the local heat input to the ocean. The momentum and water flux perturbations do not substantially affect the AMOC. Heat is taken up largely as a passive tracer in the Southern Ocean, which is the region of greatest heat input, while the weakening of the AMOC causes redistribution of heat towards lower latitudes. Future analysis of these and other phenomena with the wider range of CMIP6 FAFMIP AOGCMs will benefit from new diagnostics of temperature and salinity tendencies, which will enable investigation of the model spread in behaviour in terms of physical processes as formulated in the models.

  3. Horticultural activity predicts later localized limb status in a contemporary pre-industrial population.

    PubMed

    Stieglitz, Jonathan; Trumble, Benjamin C; Kaplan, Hillard; Gurven, Michael

    2017-07-01

    Modern humans may have gracile skeletons due to low physical activity levels and mechanical loading. Tests using pre-historic skeletons are limited by the inability to assess behavior directly, while modern industrialized societies possess few socio-ecological features typical of human evolutionary history. Among Tsimane forager-horticulturalists, we test whether greater activity levels and, thus, increased loading earlier in life are associated with greater later-life bone status and diminished age-related bone loss. We used quantitative ultrasonography to assess radial and tibial status among adults aged 20+ years (mean ± SD age = 49 ± 15; 52% female). We conducted systematic behavioral observations to assess earlier-life activity patterns (mean time lag between behavioural observation and ultrasound = 12 years). For a subset of participants, physical activity was again measured later in life, via accelerometry, to determine whether earlier-life time use is associated with later-life activity levels. Anthropometric and demographic data were collected during medical exams. Structural decline with age is reduced for the tibia (female: -0.25 SDs/decade; male: 0.05 SDs/decade) versus radius (female: -0.56 SDs/decade; male: -0.20 SDs/decade), which is expected if greater loading mitigates bone loss. Time allocation to horticulture, but not hunting, positively predicts later-life radial status (β Horticulture  = 0.48, p = 0.01), whereas tibial status is not significantly predicted by subsistence or sedentary leisure participation. Patterns of activity- and age-related change in bone status indicate localized osteogenic responses to loading, and are generally consistent with the logic of bone functional adaptation. Nonmechanical factors related to subsistence lifestyle moderate the association between activity patterns and bone structure. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Synchronous multi-decadal climate variability of the whole Pacific areas revealed in tree rings since 1567

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, Keyan; Cook, Edward; Guo, Zhengtang; Chen, Deliang; Ou, Tinghai; Zhao, Yan

    2018-02-01

    Oceanic and atmospheric patterns play a crucial role in modulating climate variability from interannual to multi-decadal timescales by causing large-scale co-varying climate changes. The brevity of the existing instrumental records hinders the ability to recognize climate patterns before the industrial era, which can be alleviated using proxies. Unfortunately, proxy based reconstructions of oceanic and atmospheric modes of the past millennia often have modest agreements with each other before the instrumental period, raising questions about the robustness of the reconstructions. To ensure the stability of climate signals in proxy data through time, we first identified tree-ring datasets from distant regions containing coherent variations in Asia and North America, and then interpreted their climate information. We found that the multi-decadal covarying climate patterns of the middle and high latitudinal regions around the northern Pacific Ocean agreed quite well with the climate reconstructions of the tropical and southern Pacific areas. This indicates a synchronous variability at the multi-decadal timescale of the past 430 years for the entire Pacific Ocean. This pattern is closely linked to the dominant mode of the Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) after removing the warming trend. This Pacific multi-decadal SST variability resembles the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation.

  5. Basics of breastfeeding. Part I: Infant feeding patterns past and present.

    PubMed

    Riordan, J; Countryman, B A

    1980-01-01

    One of the great medical advances of the past decade has been the scientific validation of the importance of species-specific milk. This "discovery" has led to a growing general awareness of the value, during the first year of life, of the milk of the baby's own mother for optimal physical and emotional development. These benefits of breastfeeding may last a lifetime. The need to understand and assist the mother in maintaining this relationship presents a major challenge to the nurse. Beginning with this issue of JOGN and continuing in two subsequent issues a series of six articles is being presented that gives an overview of breastfeeding, from historical perspectives to specific problems nursing mothers may encounter. The initial installment consists of "Infant Feeding Patterns Past and Present" and "The Anatomy and Psychophysiology of Lactation." Following in September/October and November/December will be "The Biologic Specificity of Breast Milk," "Preparation for Breastfeeding and Early Optimal Functioning," "Self-Care for Continued Breastfeeding," and "Some Breastfeeding Problems and Solutions." The cultural pattern of breastfeeding in ancient and contemporary cultures are compared, and changes during the Industrial Revolution that led to the decline in breastfeeding are outlined. Also described are the consequences of the trend away from breastfeeding in Third World countries and current breastfeeding patterns in the United States.

  6. APPROACH TO INDUSTRIAL TRAINING, AN ASSESSMENT OF THE MAIN TASKS FACING INDUSTRIAL TRAINING BOARDS--A STATEMENT BY THE CENTRAL TRAINING COUNCIL. MEMORANDUM NUMBER 5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ministry of Labour, London (England).

    THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING BOARDS' MAIN TASKS UNDER THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING ACT ARE TO (1) ASSESS THE MANPOWER AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS OF EACH INDUSTRY (BASED ON FORECASTS OF GROWTH OR CONTRACTION OF INDUSTRY, TECHNICAL, DEMOGRAPHIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CHANGE, AND CHANGES IN THE LEVEL AND DIRECTION OF DEMAND FOR GOODS AND SERVICES), (2) DRAW UP…

  7. Hydrological sciences and water security: An overview

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Young, G.; Demuth, S.; Mishra, A.; Cudennec, C.

    2015-04-01

    This paper provides an introduction to the concepts of water security including not only the risks to human wellbeing posed by floods and droughts, but also the threats of inadequate supply of water in both quantity and quality for food production, human health, energy and industrial production, and for the natural ecosystems on which life depends. The overall setting is one of constant change in all aspects of Earth systems. Hydrological systems (processes and regimes) are changing, resulting from varying and changing precipitation and energy inputs, changes in surface covers, mining of groundwater resources, and storage and diversions by dams and infrastructures. Changes in social, political and economic conditions include population and demographic shifts, political realignments, changes in financial systems and in trade patterns. There is an urgent need to address hydrological and social changes simultaneously and in combination rather than as separate entities, and thus the need to develop the approach of `socio-hydrology'. All aspects of water security, including the responses of both UNESCO and the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) to the concepts of socio-hydrology, are examined in detailed papers within the volume titled Hydrological Sciences and Water Security: Past, Present and Future.

  8. Changing historical flood behaviour - is there a link to landscape changes?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rogger, Magdalena; Kiss, Andrea; Bloeschl, Guenter

    2014-05-01

    Although large-scale changes in flood behaviour are usually related to the variability and changes of climatic conditions and atmospheric patterns, human impact clearly also played an important role in changing flood behaviour by various types of river regulations and by land use changes (vegetation cover and soil conditions). The influence of land use changes on the flood regime is, however, still poorly understood. Based on scientific literature, we present the major phases of historical landscape changes of the last 1000 years in Europe discussing possible impacts on the related flood regimes. On the one hand, we provide an overview of major landscape changes and phases of changes in Europe dividing the available evidence into four major regions (Central Europe, Mediterranean, North- and West-Europe). On the other hand, we present case studies where we discuss the potential differences in the impacts of changes in specific vegetation types or the abandonment of formerly cultivated areas (with special emphasis on hilly areas) on the flood regime. In this sense, we make a special emphasis on the LIA-MWP (Little Ice Age - Medieval Warm Period) transition (i.e. 13th-15th centuries) as well as on the period of the early industrial revolution (18th-19th centuries).

  9. Towards sets of hazardous waste indicators. Essential tools for modern industrial management.

    PubMed

    Peterson, Peter J; Granados, Asa

    2002-01-01

    Decision-makers require useful tools, such as indicators, to help them make environmentally sound decisions leading to effective management of hazardous wastes. Four hazardous waste indicators are being tested for such a purpose by several countries within the Sustainable Development Indicator Programme of the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development. However, these indicators only address the 'down-stream' end-of-pipe industrial situation. More creative thinking is clearly needed to develop a wider range of indicators that not only reflects all aspects of industrial production that generates hazardous waste but considers socio-economic implications of the waste as well. Sets of useful and innovative indicators are proposed that could be applied to the emerging paradigm shift away from conventional end-of-pipe management actions and towards preventive strategies that are being increasingly adopted by industry often in association with local and national governments. A methodological and conceptual framework for the development of a core-set of hazardous waste indicators has been developed. Some of the indicator sets outlined quantify preventive waste management strategies (including indicators for cleaner production, hazardous waste reduction/minimization and life cycle analysis), whilst other sets address proactive strategies (including changes in production and consumption patterns, eco-efficiency, eco-intensity and resource productivity). Indicators for quantifying transport of hazardous wastes are also described. It was concluded that a number of the indicators proposed could now be usefully implemented as management tools using existing industrial and economic data. As cleaner production technologies and waste minimization approaches are more widely deployed, and industry integrates environmental concerns at all levels of decision-making, it is expected that the necessary data for construction of the remaining indicators will soon become available.

  10. How industries change.

    PubMed

    McGahan, Anita M

    2004-10-01

    It's fairly obvious: To make intelligent investments within your organization, you need to understand how your whole industry is changing. But such knowledge is not always easy to come by. Companies misread clues and arrive at false conclusions all the time. To truly understand where your industry is headed, you have to take a long-term, high-level look at the context in which you do business, says Boston University professor Anita McGahan. She studied a variety of businesses from a cross section of industries over a ten-year period, examining how industry structure affects business profitability and investor returns. Her research suggests that industries evolve along one of four distinct trajectories--radical, progressive, creative, and intermediating--that set boundaries on what will generate profits in a business. These four trajectories are defined by two types of threats. The first is when new, outside alternatives threaten to weaken or make obsolete core activities that have historically generated profits for an industry. The second is when an industry's core assets--its resources, knowledge, and brand capital--fail to generate value as they once did. Industries undergo radical change when core assets and core activities are both threatened with obsolescence; they experience progressive change when neither are jeopardized. Creative change occurs when core assets are under threat but core activities are stable, and intermediating change happens when core activities are threatened while core assets retain their capacity to create value. If your company's innovation strategy is not aligned with your industry's change trajectory, your plan for achieving returns on invested capital cannot succeed, McGahan says. But if you understand which path you're on, you can determine which strategies will succeed and which will backfire.

  11. Rhetoric and the law, or the law of rhetoric: How countries oppose novel tobacco control measures at the World Trade Organization

    PubMed Central

    Lencucha, Raphael; Drope, Jeffrey; Labonte, Ronald

    2016-01-01

    The tobacco industry has developed an extensive array of strategies and arguments to prevent or weaken government regulation. These strategies and arguments are well documented at the domestic level. However, there remains a need to examine how these arguments are reflected in the challenges waged by governments within the World Trade Organization (WTO). Decisions made at the WTO have the potential to shape how countries govern. Our analysis was conducted on two novel tobacco control measures: tobacco additives bans (Canada, United States and Brazil) and plain, standardized packaging of tobacco products (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, EU and UK). We analyzed WTO documents (i.e. meeting minutes and submissions) (n=62) in order to identify patterns of argumentation and compare these patterns with well-documented industry arguments. The pattern of these arguments reveal that despite the unique institutional structure of the WTO, country representatives opposing novel tobacco control measures use the same non-technical arguments as those that the tobacco industry continues to use to oppose these measures at the domestic level. PMID:27475056

  12. The changing landscape of careers in the chemical industry.

    PubMed

    Watson, Keith J

    2011-08-23

    Changes in the chemical industry over the past decade — ranging from globalization to an increased focus on speciality chemicals — threaten to leave the aspiring industrial chemist unprepared. This Commentary discusses those changes and outlines strategies to enter the job market as well equipped as possible.

  13. The Effects of industrial workers' food choice attribute on sugar intake pattern and job satisfaction with Structural Equcation Model

    PubMed Central

    Park, Young Il

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES This research analyzes the effects of the food choices of industrial workers according to their sugar intake pattern on their job satisfaction through the construction of a model on the relationship between sugar intake pattern and job satisfaction. SUBJECTS/METHODS Surveys were collected from May to July 2015. A statistical analysis of the 775 surveys from Kyungsangnam-do was conducted using SPSS13.0 for Windows and SEM was performed using the AMOS 5.0 statistics package. RESULTS The reliability of the data was confirmed by an exploratory factor analysis through a Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and the measurement model was proven to be appropriate by a confirmatory factor analysis in conjunction with AMOS. The results of factor analysis on food choice, sugar intake pattern and job satisfaction were categorized into five categories. The reliability of these findings was supported by a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.6 and higher for all factors except confection (0.516) and dairy products (0.570). The multicollinearity results did not indicate a problem between the variables since the highest correlation coefficient was 0.494 (P < 0.01). In an attempt to study the sugar intake pattern in accordance with the food choices and job satisfaction of industrial workers, a structural equation model was constructed and analyzed. CONCLUSIONS All tests confirmed that the model satisfied the recommended levels for the goodness of fit index, and thus, the overall research model was proven to be appropriate. PMID:27478555

  14. Survey of symbology for aeronautical charts and electronic displays : navigation aids, airports, lines, and linear patterns

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-09-01

    This industry survey documents the symbols for navigation aids, airports, lines, and linear patterns currently in use by avionics manufactureres and chart providers for depicting aeronautical charting information. Nine avionics display manufacturers ...

  15. Modelling deforestation trends in Costa Rica and predicting future forest sustainability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stan, Kayla; Sanchez, Arturo

    2017-04-01

    Deforestation in Costa Rica has historically varied between the original degradation of primary forest due to land-based industries, followed by secondary regrowth. The regeneration of forests largely came into effect with incentive based programs such as payments for ecosystem services, creation of large protected areas, and a new industry of ecotourism in the country. Given the changes that have occurred within the last 50 years from heavy deforestation pressures to regeneration patterns, and a correlation between deforestation and policy/economic influences, it is important to understand the historical changes that have occurred and how the forests will change in the future, which provides the objective of this study. Future projections are increasingly important given changes in the global socio-political structure, climatic change, and the ever increasing globalization of capitalistic endeavours. The trajectory of the forest in the country can also serve as a way to track both these global pressures on the natural landscape in Costa Rica, and as a proxy for how to manage deforestation in other similar political and geographic areas of the tropics. To determine the historical deforestation trends and link them to the different biogeophysical and socioeconomic variables, forest maps from 1960-2013 were used in the Dinamica Environment for Geoprocessing Objects (Dinamica EGO) to create deforestation models for Costa Rica. Dinamica EGO is a cellular automata model which utilizes Bayesian statistics and expert opinion to replicate both patterns and quantities of land cover change over time with both static and dynamic variables. Additional legislative variables can be used to track how political pressures shift deforestation both spatially and temporally. The historical model was built and analyzed for changes in landscape metrics such as patch size and distance between 1960 and 2013. After validation of the model's ability to replicate patterns, first between 2005 and 2013, and then back to 1997, a future model was created to determine future country wide changes. There was a significant decrease in patch size between 1960 and 2013 in forests and a non-significant decrease is patch size for non-forests. The historical model validated at 85% accuracy within 600m for both the 2005-2013 and 1997-2005 iterations. Future scenario building determines the point in time and area at which the forest area equilibrates, indicating the approximate maximal forest extent under extreme scenarios. None of the scenarios were sufficiently damaging to decrease the forest area below present day levels. The Puntarenas province is the only region which had deforestation in the most extreme scenario. Using the inclusion and exclusion of protected areas within the model, it was determined which of the parks suffers from high pressure of deforestation should there be policy removing protected area status. These parks are predominantly limited to small areas on coastal regions, while the large central parks suffer relatively little pressure from deforestation. This indicates that even under the most extreme scenarios, the secondary forests are likely to remain permanently and continue to regenerate as time progresses.

  16. A 15-year climatology of wind pattern impacts on surface ozone in Houston, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Souri, Amir Hossein; Choi, Yunsoo; Li, Xiangshang; Kotsakis, Alexander; Jiang, Xun

    2016-06-01

    Houston is recognized for its large petrochemical industrial facilities providing abundant radicals for tropospheric ozone formation. Fortunately, maximum daily 8-h average (MDA8) surface ozone concentrations have declined in Houston (- 0.6 ± 0.3 ppbv yr- 1) during the summers (i.e., May to September) of 2000 to 2014, possibly due to the reductions in precursor emissions by effective control policies. However, it is also possible that changes in meteorological variables have affected ozone concentrations. This study focused on the impact of long-term wind patterns which have the highest impact on ozone in Houston. The analysis of long-term wind patterns can benefit surface ozone studies by 1) providing wind patterns that distinctly changed ozone levels, 2) investigating the frequency of patterns and the respective changes and 3) estimating ozone trends in specific wind patterns that local emissions are mostly involved, thus separating emissions impacts from meteorology to some extent. To this end, the 900-hPa flow patterns in summers of 2000 to 2014 were clustered in seven classes (C1-C7) by deploying an unsupervised partitioning method. We confirm the characteristics of the clusters from a backward trajectory analysis, monitoring networks, and a regional chemical transport model simulation. The results indicate that Houston has experienced a statistically significant downward trend (- 0.6 ± 0.4 day yr- 1) of the cluster of weak easterly and northeasterly days (C4), when the highest fraction of ozone exceedances (MDA8 > 70 ppbv) occurred. This suggests that the reduction in ozone precursors was not the sole reason for the decrease in ozone exceedance days (- 1.5 ± 0.6 day yr- 1). Further, to examine the efficiency of control policies intended to reduce the amount of ozone, we estimated the trend of MDA8 ozone in C4 and C5 (weak winds) days when local emissions are primarily responsible for high ambient ozone levels. Both C4 and C5 show a large reduction in the 95th percentile and summertime trends mainly due to effective control strategies. Based on the 5th percentile daytime ozone for C1 (strong southeasterly wind) in coastal sites, this study found that the cleanest air masses that Houston received became more polluted during the summer of 2000-2014 by 1-3 ppbv. Though this study focused on Houston, the analysis method presented could generally be used to estimate ozone trends in other regions where surface ozone is dominantly influenced by both wind patterns and local emissions.

  17. Effect of Drug Sample Removal on Prescribing in a Family Practice Clinic

    PubMed Central

    Hartung, Daniel M.; Evans, David; Haxby, Dean G.; Kraemer, Dale F.; Andeen, Gabriel; Fagnan, Lyle J.

    2010-01-01

    PURPOSE Little is known about the impact of recent restrictions on pharmaceutical industry detailing and sampling on prescribing behavior, particularly within smaller, independent practices. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a policy prohibiting prescription drug samples and pharmaceutical industry interaction on prescribing patterns in a rural family practice clinic in central Oregon. METHODS Segmented linear regression models were used to evaluate trends in prescribing using locally obtained pharmacy claims. Oregon Medicaid pharmacy claims were used to control for secular prescribing changes. Total and class-specific monthly trends in branded, promoted, and average prescription drug costs were analyzed 18 months before and after policy implementation. RESULTS Aggregate trends of brand name drug use did not change significantly after policy implementation. In aggregate, use of promoted agents decreased by 1.43% while nonpromoted branded agents increased by 3.04%. Branded drugs prescribed for respiratory disease declined significantly by 11.34% compared with a control group of prescribers. Relative to the control group, prescriptions of promoted cholesterol-lowering drugs and antidepressants were reduced by approximately 9.98% and 11.34%, respectively. The trend in average cost per prescription for lipid-lowering drugs was significantly reduced by $0.70 per prescription per month. Overall, average prescription drug costs increased by $5.18 immediately after policy implementation. CONCLUSIONS Restriction of pharmaceutical industry representatives and samples from a rural family practice clinic produced modest reductions in branded drug use that varied by class. Although aggregate average costs increased, prescriptions for branded and promoted lipid-lowering agents and antidepressants were reduced. PMID:20843881

  18. Effect of drug sample removal on prescribing in a family practice clinic.

    PubMed

    Hartung, Daniel M; Evans, David; Haxby, Dean G; Kraemer, Dale F; Andeen, Gabriel; Fagnan, Lyle J

    2010-01-01

    Little is known about the impact of recent restrictions on pharmaceutical industry detailing and sampling on prescribing behavior, particularly within smaller, independent practices. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a policy prohibiting prescription drug samples and pharmaceutical industry interaction on prescribing patterns in a rural family practice clinic in central Oregon. Segmented linear regression models were used to evaluate trends in prescribing using locally obtained pharmacy claims. Oregon Medicaid pharmacy claims were used to control for secular prescribing changes. Total and class-specific monthly trends in branded, promoted, and average prescription drug costs were analyzed 18 months before and after policy implementation. Aggregate trends of brand name drug use did not change significantly after policy implementation. In aggregate, use of promoted agents decreased by 1.43% while nonpromoted branded agents increased by 3.04%. Branded drugs prescribed for respiratory disease declined significantly by 11.34% compared with a control group of prescribers. Relative to the control group, prescriptions of promoted cholesterol-lowering drugs and antidepressants were reduced by approximately 9.98% and 11.34%, respectively. The trend in average cost per prescription for lipid-lowering drugs was significantly reduced by $0.70 per prescription per month. Overall, average prescription drug costs increased by $5.18 immediately after policy implementation. Restriction of pharmaceutical industry representatives and samples from a rural family practice clinic produced modest reductions in branded drug use that varied by class. Although aggregate average costs increased, prescriptions for branded and promoted lipid-lowering agents and antidepressants were reduced.

  19. Changes in monosaccharides, organic acids and amino acids during Cabernet Sauvignon wine ageing based on a simultaneous analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xin-Ke; Lan, Yi-Bin; Zhu, Bao-Qing; Xiang, Xiao-Feng; Duan, Chang-Qing; Shi, Ying

    2018-01-01

    Monosaccharides, organic acids and amino acids are the important flavour-related components in wines. The aim of this article is to develop and validate a method that could simultaneously analyse these compounds in wine based on silylation derivatisation and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and apply this method to the investigation of the changes of these compounds and speculate upon their related influences on Cabernet Sauvignon wine flavour during wine ageing. This work presented a new approach for wine analysis and provided more information concerning red wine ageing. This method could simultaneously quantitatively analyse 2 monosaccharides, 8 organic acids and 13 amino acids in wine. A validation experiment showed good linearity, sensitivity, reproducibility and recovery. Multiple derivatives of five amino acids have been found but their effects on quantitative analysis were negligible, except for methionine. The evolution pattern of each category was different, and we speculated that the corresponding mechanisms involving microorganism activities, physical interactions and chemical reactions had a great correlation with red wine flavours during ageing. Simultaneously quantitative analysis of monosaccharides, organic acids and amino acids in wine was feasible and reliable and this method has extensive application prospects. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  20. Joint implementation: Biodiversity and greenhouse gas offsets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cutright, Noel J.

    1996-11-01

    One of the most pressing environmental issues today is the possibility that projected increases in global emissions of greenhouse gases from increased deforestation, development, and fossil-fuel combustion could significantly alter global climate patterns. Under the terms of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, signed in Rio de Janeiro during the June 1992 Earth Summit, the United States and other industrialized countries committed to balancing greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels in the year 2000. Included in the treaty is a provision titled “Joint Implementation,” whereby industrialized countries assist developing countries in jointly modifying long-term emission trends, either through emission reductions or by protecting and enhancing greenhouse gas sinks (carbon sequestration). The US Climate Action Plan, signed by President Clinton in 1993, calls for voluntary climate change mitigation measures by various sectors, and the action plan included a new program, the US Initiative on Joint Implementation. Wisconsin Electric decided to invest in a Jl project because its concept encourages creative, cost-effective solutions to environmental problems through partnering, international cooperation, and innovation. The project chosen, a forest preservation and management effort in Belize, will sequester more than five million tons of carbon dioxide over a 40-year period, will become economically selfsustaining after ten years, and will have substantial biodiversity benefits.

  1. Transformation of industrial territories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Plotnikova, N. I.; Kolocova, I. I.

    2017-08-01

    The problem of removing industrial enterprises from the historical center of the city and the subsequent effective use of the territories has been relevant for Western countries. Nowadays, the problem is crucial for Russia, its megacities and regional centers. The paper analyzes successful projects of transforming industrial facilities into cultural, business and residential objects in the world and in Russia. The patterns of the project development have been determined and presented in the paper.

  2. Aircraft Mishap Fire Pattern Investigations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-08-01

    AD-AI61 094 AIRC1Arr WSWEA FlREg PATMEN INVESTIGATIONS . Joseph M. Kuchta Mining and industrial Cadre15143 Green latetrutiovalp 𔃻nco 54 Sewickley...ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMSER(S) AFWAL-TR-85-2057 6. NAME OF PERFORMING ORGANIZATION kb. OFFICE SYMBOL 7a. NAME OF MONITORING ORGANIZATION Mining and Industrial...IS OBSOLETE. Unc .assi fied SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE ( / FOREWARD This report was prepared by the Mining and Industrial Cadre of Green

  3. Planning Staff and Space Capacity Requirements during Wartime.

    PubMed

    Kepner, Elisa B; Spencer, Rachel

    2016-01-01

    Determining staff and space requirements for military medical centers can be challenging. Changing patient populations change the caseload requirements. Deployment and assignment rotations change the experience and education of clinicians and support staff, thereby changing the caseload capacity of a facility. During wartime, planning becomes increasingly more complex. What will the patient mix and caseload volume be by location? What type of clinicians will be available and when? How many beds are needed at each facility to meet caseload demand and match clinician supply? As soon as these factors are known, operations are likely to change and planning factors quickly become inaccurate. Soon, more beds or staff are needed in certain locations to meet caseload demand while other locations retain underutilized staff, waiting for additional caseload fluctuations. This type of complexity challenges the best commanders. As in so many other industries, supply and demand principles apply to military health, but very little is stable about military health capacity planning. Planning analysts build complex statistical forecasting models to predict caseload based on historical patterns. These capacity planning techniques work best in stable repeatable processes where caseload and staffing resources remain constant over a long period of time. Variability must be simplified to predict complex operations. This is counterintuitive to the majority of capacity planners who believe more data drives better answers. When the best predictor of future needs is not historical patterns, traditional capacity planning does not work. Rather, simplified estimation techniques coupled with frequent calibration adjustments to account for environmental changes will create the most accurate and most useful capacity planning and management system. The method presented in this article outlines the capacity planning approach used to actively manage hospital staff and space during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

  4. Home Health Chains and Practice Patterns: Evidence of 2008 Medicare Reimbursement Revision.

    PubMed

    Huang, Sean Shenghsiu; Kim, Hyunjee

    2017-10-01

    Home health agencies (HHAs) are known to exploit the Medicare reimbursement schedule by targeting a specific number of therapy visits. These targeting behaviors cause unnecessary medical spending. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services estimates that during fiscal year 2015, Medicare made more than $10 billion in improper payments to HHAs. Better understanding of heterogeneous gaming behaviors among HHAs can inform policy makers to more effectively oversee the home health care industry. This article aims to study how home health chains adjust and adopt new targeting behaviors as compared to independent agencies under the new reimbursement schedule. The analytic data are constructed from: (1) 5% randomly sampled Medicare home health claim data, and (2) HHA chain information extracted from the Medicare Cost Report. The study period spans from 2007 to 2010, and the sample includes 7800 unique HHAs and 380,118 treatment episodes. A multivariate regression model is used to determine whether chain and independent agencies change their practice patterns and adopt different targeting strategies after the revision of the reimbursement schedule in 2008. This study finds that independent agencies are more likely to target 6 and 14 visits, while chain agencies are more likely to target 20 visits. Such a change of practice patterns is more significant among for-profit HHAs. The authors expect these findings to inform policy makers that organizational structures, especially the combination of for-profit status and chain affiliation, should be taken into the consideration when detecting medical fraud and designing the reimbursement schedule.

  5. Bayesian methods to estimate urban growth potential

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, Jordan W.; Smart, Lindsey S.; Dorning, Monica; Dupéy, Lauren Nicole; Méley, Andréanne; Meentemeyer, Ross K.

    2017-01-01

    Urban growth often influences the production of ecosystem services. The impacts of urbanization on landscapes can subsequently affect landowners’ perceptions, values and decisions regarding their land. Within land-use and land-change research, very few models of dynamic landscape-scale processes like urbanization incorporate empirically-grounded landowner decision-making processes. Very little attention has focused on the heterogeneous decision-making processes that aggregate to influence broader-scale patterns of urbanization. We examine the land-use tradeoffs faced by individual landowners in one of the United States’ most rapidly urbanizing regions − the urban area surrounding Charlotte, North Carolina. We focus on the land-use decisions of non-industrial private forest owners located across the region’s development gradient. A discrete choice experiment is used to determine the critical factors influencing individual forest owners’ intent to sell their undeveloped properties across a series of experimentally varied scenarios of urban growth. Data are analyzed using a hierarchical Bayesian approach. The estimates derived from the survey data are used to modify a spatially-explicit trend-based urban development potential model, derived from remotely-sensed imagery and observed changes in the region’s socioeconomic and infrastructural characteristics between 2000 and 2011. This modeling approach combines the theoretical underpinnings of behavioral economics with spatiotemporal data describing a region’s historical development patterns. By integrating empirical social preference data into spatially-explicit urban growth models, we begin to more realistically capture processes as well as patterns that drive the location, magnitude and rates of urban growth.

  6. [Dynamic changes of landscape pattern and hemeroby in Ximen Island wetland, Zhejiang Province, China].

    PubMed

    Xiao, Cui; Xie, Xue-Fen; Wu, Tao; Jiang, Guo-Jun; Bian, Hua-Jing; Xu, Wei

    2014-11-01

    Abstract: The hemeroby type classification system of Ximen Island wetland of Zhejiang Province was established based on the multiple datasets: SOPT-5 image data with a spatial resolution of 5 m in 2007 and 2010, its wetland land cover and land use status, the National Land Use Classification (on trail), and sea area use classification of marine industry standards as well as remote sensing data features. Meanwhile, the dynamic relationship between the landscape pattern and the degree of hemeroby in Ximen Island was investigated with the landscape indices and hemeroby index (HI) derived from the landscape pattern index and GIS spatial analysis. The results showed that the wetland landscape spatial heterogeneity, fragmentation and dominance index dropped, and the landscape shape index complexity was low. The human disturbance center developed from a dispersion type to a concentration type. The landscape type of the disturbance center was bare land and settlement. The HI rose up from the sea to the land. Settlement, wharf and traffic land had the highest HI. The HI of the mudflat cultivation, mudflats and raft-cultivation dramatically changed. Marine-terrestrial interlaced zone showed a low total HI with unstable characteristics. The number of patches declined of undisturbed, partially disturbed and completely disturbed landscapes. Mean patch areas of partially disturbed and completely disturbed landscapes increased, and that of the undisturbed decreased. Mean shape index of the undisturbed landscape decreased, while the partially disturbed and completely disturbed landscapes showed a trend of shape complication.

  7. Economic Restructuring and Emerging Patterns of Industrial Relations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sleigh, Stephen R., Ed.

    This book contains nine papers presented during a year-long series of seminars and a conference that analyzed the relationship between economic restructuring and industrial relations involving the joint academics, union leaders, government officials, business executives, and graduate fellows. These analyses include case studies from Western…

  8. Is Work Conducive to Self-Destruction?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karcher, Charles J.; Linden, Leonard L.

    1982-01-01

    Analyzed data on industry, age, and mortality rates for seven stress-related causes of death (suicide, homocide, hypertensive heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver, arteriosclerotic heart disease, ulcer of the stomach, and hypertension). Using available United States' mortality statistics, a consistent pattern was found by industry and age. (JAC)

  9. Climate change and viticulture in Mediterranean climates: the complex response of socio-ecosystems. A comparative case study from France and Australia (1955-2040)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lereboullet, A.-L.; Beltrando, G.; Bardsley, D. K.

    2012-04-01

    The wine industry is very sensitive to extreme weather events, especially to temperatures above 35°C and drought. In a context of global climate change, Mediterranean climate regions are predicted to experience higher variability in rainfall and temperatures and an increased occurrence of extreme weather events. Some viticultural systems could be particularly at risk in those regions, considering their marginal position in the growth climatic range of Vitis vinifera, the long commercial lifespan of a vineyard, the high added-value of wine and the volatile nature of global markets. The wine industry, like other agricultural systems, is inserted in complex networks of climatic and non-climatic (other physical, economical, social and legislative) components, with constant feedbacks. We use a socio-ecosystem approach to analyse the adaptation of two Mediterranean viticultural systems to recent and future increase of extreme weather events. The present analysis focuses on two wine regions with a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (CSb type in the Köppen classification): Côtes-du-Roussillon in southern France and McLaren Vale in southern Australia. Using climate data from two synoptic weather stations, Perpignan (France) and Adelaide (Australia), with time series running from 1955 to 2010, we highlight changes in rainfall patterns and an increase in the number of days with Tx >35°c since the last three decades in both regions. Climate models (DRIAS project data for France and CSIRO Mk3.5 for Australia) project similar trends in the future. To date, very few projects have focused on an international comparison of the adaptive capacity of viticultural systems to climate change with a holistic approach. Here, the analysis of climate data was complemented by twenty in-depth semi-structured interviews with key actors of the two regional wine industries, in order to analyse adaptation strategies put in place regarding recent climate evolution. This mixed-methods approach allows for a comprehensive assessment of adaptation capacity of the two viticultural systems to future climate change. The strategies of grape growers and wine producers focus on maintaining optimal yields and a constant wine style adapted to markets in a variable and uncertain climate. Their implementation and efficiency depend strongly on non-climatic factors. Thus, adaptation capacity to recent and future climate change depends strongly on adaptation to other non-climatic changes.

  10. Multi-photon lithography of 3D micro-structures in As2S3 and Ge5(As2Se3)95 chalcogenide glasses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwarz, Casey M.; Labh, Shreya; Barker, Jayk E.; Sapia, Ryan J.; Richardson, Gerald D.; Rivero-Baleine, Clara; Gleason, Benn; Richardson, Kathleen A.; Pogrebnyakov, Alexej; Mayer, Theresa S.; Kuebler, Stephen M.

    2016-03-01

    This work reports a detailed study of the processing and photo-patterning of two chalcogenide glasses (ChGs) - arsenic trisulfide (As2S3) and a new composition of germanium-doped arsenic triselenide Ge5(As2Se3)95 - as well as their use for creating functional optical structures. ChGs are materials with excellent infrared (IR) transparency, large index of refraction, low coefficient of thermal expansion, and low change in refractive index with temperature. These features make them well suited for a wide range of commercial and industrial applications including detectors, sensors, photonics, and acousto-optics. Photo-patternable films of As2S3 and Ge5(As2Se3)95 were prepared by thermally depositing the ChGs onto silicon substrates. For some As2S3 samples, an anti-reflection layer of arsenic triselenide (As2Se3) was first added to mitigate the effects of standing-wave interference during laser patterning. The ChG films were photo-patterned by multi-photon lithography (MPL) and then chemically etched to remove the unexposed material, leaving free-standing structures that were negative-tone replicas of the photo-pattern in networked-solid ChG. The chemical composition and refractive index of the unexposed and photo-exposed materials were examined using Raman spectroscopy and near-IR ellipsometry. Nano-structured arrays were photo-patterned and the resulting nano-structure morphology and chemical composition were characterized and correlated with the film compositions, conditions of thermal deposition, patterned irradiation, and etch processing. Photo-patterned Ge5(As2Se3)95 was found to be more resistant than As2S3 toward degradation by formation of surface oxides.

  11. Trends in the global aluminum fabrication industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, Subodh; Yin, Weimin

    2007-02-01

    The aluminum fabrication industry has become more vital to the global economy as international aluminum consumption has grown steadily in the past decades. Using innovation, value, and sustainability, the aluminum industry is strengthening its position not only in traditional packaging and construction applications but also in the automotive and aerospace markets to become more competitive and to face challenges from other industries and higher industrial standards. The aluminum fabrication industry has experienced a significant geographical shift caused by rapid growth in emerging markets in countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Market growth and distribution will vary with different patterns of geography and social development; the aluminum industry must be part of the transformation and keep pace with market developments to benefit.

  12. Regional-Scale Forcing and Feedbacks from Alternative Scenarios of Global-Scale Land Use Change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, A. D.; Chini, L. P.; Collins, W.; Janetos, A. C.; Mao, J.; Shi, X.; Thomson, A. M.; Torn, M. S.

    2011-12-01

    Future patterns of land use change depend critically on the degree to which terrestrial carbon management strategies, such as biological carbon sequestration and biofuels, are utilized in order to mitigate global climate change. Furthermore, land use change associated with terrestrial carbon management induces biogeophysical changes to surface energy budgets that perturb climate at regional and possibly global scales, activating different feedback processes depending on the nature and location of the land use change. As a first step in a broader effort to create an integrated earth system model, we examine two scenarios of future anthropogenic activity generated by the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM) within the full-coupled Community Earth System Model (CESM). Each scenario stabilizes radiative forcing from greenhouse gases and aerosols at 4.5 W/m^2. In the first, stabilization is achieved through a universal carbon tax that values terrestrial carbon equally with fossil carbon, leading to modest afforestation globally and low biofuel utilization. In the second scenario, stabilization is achieved with a tax on fossil fuel and industrial carbon alone. In this case, biofuel utilization increases dramatically and crop area expands to claim approximately 50% of forest cover globally. By design, these scenarios exhibit identical climate forcing from atmospheric constituents. Thus, differences among them can be attributed to the biogeophysical effects of land use change. In addition, we utilize offline radiative transfer and offline land model simulations to identify forcing and feedback mechanisms operating in different regions. We find that boreal deforestation has a strong climatic signature due to significant albedo change coupled with a regional-scale water vapor feedback. Tropical deforestation, on the other hand, has more subtle effects on climate. Globally, the two scenarios yield warming trends over the 21st century that differ by 0.5 degrees Celsius. This work demonstrates the importance of land use in shaping future patterns of climate change, both globally and regionally.

  13. Stabilization process in Saccharomyces intra and interspecific hybrids in fermentative conditions.

    PubMed

    Pérez-Través, Laura; Lopes, Christian A; Barrio, Eladio; Querol, Amparo

    2014-12-01

    We evaluated the genetic stabilization of artificial intra- (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and interspecific (S. cerevisiae × S. kudriavzevii) hybrids under wine fermentative conditions. Large-scale transitions in genome size and genome reorganizations were observed during this process. Interspecific hybrids seem to need fewer generations to reach genetic stability than intraspecific hybrids. The largest number of molecular patterns recovered among the derived clones was observed for intraspecific hybrids, particularly for those obtained by rare-mating. Molecular marker analyses revealed that unstable clones could change during the industrial process to obtain active dry yeast. When no changes in molecular markers and ploidy were observed after this process, no changes in genetic composition were confirmed by comparative genome hybridization, considering the clone as a stable hybrid. According to our results, under these conditions, fermentation steps 3 and 5 (30-50 generations) would suffice to obtain genetically stable interspecific and intraspecific hybrids, respectively. Copyright© by the Spanish Society for Microbiology and Institute for Catalan Studies.

  14. Coasts: the ethical dimension.

    PubMed

    Olsen, S; Hale, L Z

    1994-01-01

    Rapidly increasing numbers of people are profoundly altering the very qualities of coastal regions that make them the preferred home for the majority of the world's population. Along with masses of people, coastal areas contain a high proportion of the world's productive and diverse ecosystems, produce most of the world's fish catch, and support major portions of the world's agriculture, industry, and tourism. Over years of development, changes have been noted to local environments. Along coastlines, global change is manifested in terms of major shifts in rainfall patterns, an increase in the number of violent and destructive storms, and a rise in sea level. However, much of the degradation and conflict noted is considered avoidable and unnecessary. National coastal management programs should prioritize bringing order and control to the process of change and consider equity issues in the development process. Moreover, a ¿two-track approach¿, which uses local-level demonstration projects to discover, test, and apply innovative governance and technical solutions to the complex matrix of coastal management issues, is recommended.

  15. Cranberry flowering times and climate change in southern Massachusetts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ellwood, Elizabeth R.; Playfair, Susan R.; Polgar, Caroline A.; Primack, Richard B.

    2014-09-01

    Plants in wild and agricultural settings are being affected by the warmer temperatures associated with climate change. Here we examine the degree to which the iconic New England cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon, is exhibiting signs of altered flowering phenology. Using contemporary records from commercial cranberry bogs in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States, we found that cranberry plants are responsive to temperature. Flowering is approximately 2 days earlier for each 1 °C increase in May temperature. We also investigated the relationship between cranberry flowering and flight dates of the bog copper, Lycaena epixanthe—a butterfly dependent upon cranberry plants in its larval stage. Cranberry flowering and bog copper emergence were found to be changing disproportionately over time, suggesting a potential ecological mismatch. The pattern of advanced cranberry flowering over time coupled with increased temperature has implications not only for the relationship between cranberry plants and their insect associates but also for agricultural crops in general and for the commercial cranberry industry.

  16. Cranberry flowering times and climate change in southern Massachusetts.

    PubMed

    Ellwood, Elizabeth R; Playfair, Susan R; Polgar, Caroline A; Primack, Richard B

    2014-09-01

    Plants in wild and agricultural settings are being affected by the warmer temperatures associated with climate change. Here we examine the degree to which the iconic New England cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon, is exhibiting signs of altered flowering phenology. Using contemporary records from commercial cranberry bogs in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States, we found that cranberry plants are responsive to temperature. Flowering is approximately 2 days earlier for each 1 °C increase in May temperature. We also investigated the relationship between cranberry flowering and flight dates of the bog copper, Lycaena epixanthe-a butterfly dependent upon cranberry plants in its larval stage. Cranberry flowering and bog copper emergence were found to be changing disproportionately over time, suggesting a potential ecological mismatch. The pattern of advanced cranberry flowering over time coupled with increased temperature has implications not only for the relationship between cranberry plants and their insect associates but also for agricultural crops in general and for the commercial cranberry industry.

  17. 78 FR 21449 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; Order Approving...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-10

    ...-Regulatory Organizations; Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; Order Approving Proposed Rule Change... ``Act'') \\1\\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\\2\\ a proposed rule change to amend FINRA's Customer and Industry... arbitrator'' in the Codes. Specifically, the proposed rule change would (a) exclude persons associated with a...

  18. Decoupling analysis and socioeconomic drivers of environmental pressure in China.

    PubMed

    Liang, Sai; Liu, Zhu; Crawford-Brown, Douglas; Wang, Yafei; Xu, Ming

    2014-01-21

    China's unprecedented change offers a unique opportunity for uncovering relationships between economic growth and environmental pressure. Here we show the trajectories of China's environmental pressure and reveal underlying socioeconomic drivers during 1992-2010. Mining and manufacturing industries are the main contributors to increasing environmental pressure from the producer perspective. Changes in urban household consumption, fixed capital formation, and exports are the main drivers from the consumer perspective. While absolute decoupling is not realized, China has in general achieved relative decoupling between economic growth and environmental pressure. China's decoupling performance has four distinguishable periods, closely aligning with nation-wide major policy adjustments, which indicates significant impact of China's national socioeconomic policies on its environmental pressure. Material intensity change is the main contributor to the mitigation of environmental pressure, except for ammonia nitrogen, solid wastes, aquatic Cu, and aquatic Zn. Production structure change is the largest contributor to mitigate ammonia nitrogen emissions, and final demand structure change is the largest contributor to mitigate emissions of solid wastes, aquatic Cu, and aquatic Zn. We observe materialization trends for China's production structure and final demand structure during 2002-2007. Environmental sustainability can only be achieved by timely technology innovation and changes of production structure and consumption pattern.

  19. Effects of changing sea ice on marine mammals and subsistence hunters in northern Alaska from traditional knowledge interviews.

    PubMed

    Huntington, Henry P; Quakenbush, Lori T; Nelson, Mark

    2016-08-01

    Marine mammals are important sources of food for indigenous residents of northern Alaska. Changing sea ice patterns affect the animals themselves as well as access to them by hunters. Documenting the traditional knowledge of Iñupiaq and Yupik hunters concerning marine mammals and sea ice makes accessible a wide range of information relevant to understanding the ecosystem to which humans belong. We interviewed hunters in 11 coastal villages from the northern Bering Sea to the Beaufort Sea. Hunters reported extensive changes in sea ice and weather that have affected the timing of marine mammal migrations, their distribution and behaviour and the efficacy of certain hunting methods. Amidst these changes, however, hunters cited offsetting technological benefits, such as more powerful and fuel-efficient outboard engines. Other concerns included potential impacts to subsistence hunting from industrial activity such as shipping and oil and gas development. While hunters have been able to adjust to some changes, continued environmental changes and increased disturbance from human activity may further challenge their ability to acquire food in the future. There are indications, however, that innovation and flexibility provide sources of resilience. © 2016 The Authors.

  20. Reshaping the energy industry

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

    Payne, F.W.

    1988-01-01

    Our energy industry has gone through the dynamic restructuring. The changes taking place in the energy industry will affect the pocketbooks, thus the lives, of every American, at every level. The geopolitical/militaristic intrigues which surround the international oil segment of this industry must be left to the dubious talents of others. But as motivators, planners, and executors of the powerful changes which are restructuring the other aspects of our industry, the author believes the American people share grave responsibilities. The author defines the scope, the meaning, the results of these changes, and applies the new techniques and technologies they provide.

  1. Managing innovation: lessons from the cardiac-pacing industry.

    PubMed

    Gobeli, D H; Rudelius, W

    1985-01-01

    In this article, the authors argue that innovation is a surefire way for a firm to increase its sales and market share. This, in turn, can stimulate American industries and make American firms more competitive in international markets. Through their study of the cardiac-pacing industry, they draw conclusions about what factors contribute to a successful innovation in other industries besides medical electronics. They identify general patterns and stages of the innovation process, key roles top management must fill in an organization, and effective policies that foster important innovations.

  2. Interaction of Soil Heavy Metal Pollution with Industrialisation and the Landscape Pattern in Taiyuan City, China

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Yong; Su, Chao; Zhang, Hong; Li, Xiaoting; Pei, Jingfei

    2014-01-01

    Many studies indicated that industrialization and urbanization caused serious soil heavy metal pollution from industrialized age. However, fewer previous studies have conducted a combined analysis of the landscape pattern, urbanization, industrialization, and heavy metal pollution. This paper was aimed at exploring the relationships of heavy metals in the soil (Pb, Cu, Ni, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Zn) with landscape pattern, industrialisation, urbanisation in Taiyuan city using multivariate analysis. The multivariate analysis included correlation analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent-sample T test, and principal component analysis (PCA). Geographic information system (GIS) was also applied to determine the spatial distribution of the heavy metals. The spatial distribution maps showed that the heavy metal pollution of the soil was more serious in the centre of the study area. The results of the multivariate analysis indicated that the correlations among heavy metals were significant, and industrialisation could significantly affect the concentrations of some heavy metals. Landscape diversity showed a significant negative correlation with the heavy metal concentrations. The PCA showed that a two-factor model for heavy metal pollution, industrialisation, and the landscape pattern could effectively demonstrate the relationships between these variables. The model explained 86.71% of the total variance of the data. Moreover, the first factor was mainly loaded with the comprehensive pollution index (P), and the second factor was primarily loaded with landscape diversity and dominance (H and D). An ordination of 80 samples could show the pollution pattern of all the samples. The results revealed that local industrialisation caused heavy metal pollution of the soil, but such pollution could respond negatively to the landscape pattern. The results of the study could provide a basis for agricultural, suburban, and urban planning. PMID:25251460

  3. Interaction of soil heavy metal pollution with industrialisation and the landscape pattern in Taiyuan city, China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yong; Su, Chao; Zhang, Hong; Li, Xiaoting; Pei, Jingfei

    2014-01-01

    Many studies indicated that industrialization and urbanization caused serious soil heavy metal pollution from industrialized age. However, fewer previous studies have conducted a combined analysis of the landscape pattern, urbanization, industrialization, and heavy metal pollution. This paper was aimed at exploring the relationships of heavy metals in the soil (Pb, Cu, Ni, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Zn) with landscape pattern, industrialisation, urbanisation in Taiyuan city using multivariate analysis. The multivariate analysis included correlation analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent-sample T test, and principal component analysis (PCA). Geographic information system (GIS) was also applied to determine the spatial distribution of the heavy metals. The spatial distribution maps showed that the heavy metal pollution of the soil was more serious in the centre of the study area. The results of the multivariate analysis indicated that the correlations among heavy metals were significant, and industrialisation could significantly affect the concentrations of some heavy metals. Landscape diversity showed a significant negative correlation with the heavy metal concentrations. The PCA showed that a two-factor model for heavy metal pollution, industrialisation, and the landscape pattern could effectively demonstrate the relationships between these variables. The model explained 86.71% of the total variance of the data. Moreover, the first factor was mainly loaded with the comprehensive pollution index (P), and the second factor was primarily loaded with landscape diversity and dominance (H and D). An ordination of 80 samples could show the pollution pattern of all the samples. The results revealed that local industrialisation caused heavy metal pollution of the soil, but such pollution could respond negatively to the landscape pattern. The results of the study could provide a basis for agricultural, suburban, and urban planning.

  4. Radiocarbon Dating the Anthropocene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chaput, M. A.; Gajewski, K. J.

    2015-12-01

    The Anthropocene has no agreed start date since current suggestions for its beginning range from Pre-Industrial times to the Industrial Revolution, and from the mid-twentieth century to the future. To set the boundary of the Anthropocene in geological time, we must first understand when, how and to what extent humans began altering the Earth system. One aspect of this involves reconstructing the effects of prehistoric human activity on the physical landscape. However, for global reconstructions of land use and land cover change to be more accurately interpreted in the context of human interaction with the landscape, large-scale spatio-temporal demographic changes in prehistoric populations must be known. Estimates of the relative number of prehistoric humans in different regions of the world and at different moments in time are needed. To this end, we analyze a dataset of radiocarbon dates from the Canadian Archaeological Radiocarbon Database (CARD), the Palaeolithic Database of Europe and the AustArch Database of Australia, as well as published dates from South America. This is the first time such a large quantity of dates (approximately 60,000) has been mapped and studied at a global scale. Initial results from the analysis of temporal frequency distributions of calibrated radiocarbon dates, assumed to be proportional to population density, will be discussed. The utility of radiocarbon dates in studies of the Anthropocene will be evaluated and potential links between population density and changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, climate, migration patterning and fire frequency coincidence will be considered.

  5. Effect of Processing Intensity on Immunologically Active Bovine Milk Serum Proteins.

    PubMed

    Brick, Tabea; Ege, Markus; Boeren, Sjef; Böck, Andreas; von Mutius, Erika; Vervoort, Jacques; Hettinga, Kasper

    2017-08-31

    Consumption of raw cow's milk instead of industrially processed milk has been reported to protect children from developing asthma, allergies, and respiratory infections. Several heat-sensitive milk serum proteins have been implied in this effect though unbiased assessment of milk proteins in general is missing. The aim of this study was to compare the native milk serum proteome between raw cow's milk and various industrially applied processing methods, i.e., homogenization, fat separation, pasteurization, ultra-heat treatment (UHT), treatment for extended shelf-life (ESL), and conventional boiling. Each processing method was applied to the same three pools of raw milk. Levels of detectable proteins were quantified by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry following filter aided sample preparation. In total, 364 milk serum proteins were identified. The 140 proteins detectable in 66% of all samples were entered in a hierarchical cluster analysis. The resulting proteomics pattern separated mainly as high (boiling, UHT, ESL) versus no/low heat treatment (raw, skimmed, pasteurized). Comparing these two groups revealed 23 individual proteins significantly reduced by heating, e.g., lactoferrin (log2-fold change = -0.37, p = 0.004), lactoperoxidase (log2-fold change = -0.33, p = 0.001), and lactadherin (log2-fold change = -0.22, p = 0.020). The abundance of these heat sensitive proteins found in higher quantity in native cow's milk compared to heat treated milk, renders them potential candidates for protection from asthma, allergies, and respiratory infections.

  6. Tracking the roots of cellulase hyperproduction by the fungus Trichoderma reesei using massively parallel DNA sequencing

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

    Le Crom, Stphane; Schackwitz, Wendy; Pennacchiod, Len

    2009-09-22

    Trichoderma reesei (teleomorph Hypocrea jecorina) is the main industrial source of cellulases and hemicellulases harnessed for the hydrolysis of biomass to simple sugars, which can then be converted to biofuels, such as ethanol, and other chemicals. The highly productive strains in use today were generated by classical mutagenesis. To learn how cellulase production was improved by these techniques, we performed massively parallel sequencing to identify mutations in the genomes of two hyperproducing strains (NG14, and its direct improved descendant, RUT C30). We detected a surprisingly high number of mutagenic events: 223 single nucleotides variants, 15 small deletions or insertions andmore » 18 larger deletions leading to the loss of more than 100 kb of genomic DNA. From these events we report previously undocumented non-synonymous mutations in 43 genes that are mainly involved in nuclear transport, mRNA stability, transcription, secretion/vacuolar targeting, and metabolism. This homogeneity of functional categories suggests that multiple changes are necessary to improve cellulase production and not simply a few clear-cut mutagenic events. Phenotype microarrays show that some of these mutations result in strong changes in the carbon assimilation pattern of the two mutants with respect to the wild type strain QM6a. Our analysis provides the first genome-wide insights into the changes induced by classical mutagenesis in a filamentous fungus, and suggests new areas for the generation of enhanced T. reesei strains for industrial applications such as biofuel production.« less

  7. 78 FR 71869 - Changes To Implement the Hague Agreement Concerning International Registration of Industrial Designs

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-29

    ... International Registration of Industrial Designs; Proposed Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 78 , No. 230... Changes To Implement the Hague Agreement Concerning International Registration of Industrial Designs... Registration of Industrial Designs (``Hague Agreement'') and is to take effect on the entry into force of the...

  8. A Suggested Planned Course in Industrial Arts; Grades 7 and 8. Reprint.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pennsylvania State Dept. of Education, Harrisburg. Bureau of Curriculum Services.

    The Pennsylvania industrial arts curriculum guide for grades 7 and 8 reflects changing philosophy and practices in industrial arts education as well as incorporating the effect of technological changes. Objectives unique to industrial arts education are: (1) to develop literacy in a technological civilization, (2) to develop an insight and…

  9. Wyoming's forest products industry and timber harvest, 2000

    Treesearch

    Todd A. Morgan; Timothy P. Spoelma; Charles E. Keegan; Alfred L. Chase; Mike T. Thompson

    2005-01-01

    This report traces the flow of Wyoming's 2000 timber harvest through the primary wood-using industries; provides a description of the structure, capacity, and condition of Wyoming's primary forest products industry; and quantifies volumes and uses of wood fiber. Historical wood products industry changes are discussed, as well as changes in harvest, production...

  10. Montana's forest products industry and timber harvest, 2004

    Treesearch

    Timothy P. Spoelma; Todd A. Morgan; Thale Dillon; Alfred L. Chase; Charles E. Keegan; Larry T. DeBlander

    2008-01-01

    This report traces the flow of Montana's 2004 timber harvest through the primary wood-using industries; provides a description of the structure, capacity, and condition of Montana's primary forest products industry; and quantifies volumes and uses of wood fiber. Historical wood products industry changes are discussed, as well as changes in harvest, production...

  11. Market Tested Business Education: Corporate Sector Perceptions of Saudi Graduates Competencies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iqbal, Adnan; Zenchenkov, Mikhail

    2014-01-01

    University-industry collaboration patterns in more advanced economies have greatly impacted expectations for higher educational systems in developing countries. In Saudi Arabia, generally poor innovation performance of domestic industry has been perceived as a constraint in global competitiveness. The purpose of this study was to determine if…

  12. College Textbook Publishing: Patterns of Corporate Diversification and the Rationalization of the Publishing Process.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suarez, Jacinto E.

    1994-01-01

    Examines the impact of publishing industry diversification on the college textbook publishing process. Topics discussed include characteristics and trends of the college publishing industry; corporate ownership and managerial practices; the rationalization of editorial and marketing processes; evaluative criteria; author selection; and suggestions…

  13. Turbulent flow in a vessel agitated by side entering inclined blade turbine with different diameter using CFD simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fathonah, N. N.; Nurtono, T.; Kusdianto; Winardi, S.

    2018-03-01

    Single phase turbulent flow in a vessel agitated by side entering inclined blade turbine has simulated using CFD. The aim of this work is to identify the hydrodynamic characteristics of a model vessel, which geometrical configuration is adopted at industrial scale. The laboratory scale model vessel is a flat bottomed cylindrical tank agitated by side entering 4-blade inclined blade turbine with impeller rotational speed N=100-400 rpm. The effect of the impeller diameter on fluid flow pattern has been investigated. The fluid flow patterns in a vessel is essentially characterized by the phenomena of macro-instabilities, i.e. the flow patterns change with large scale in space and low frequency. The intensity of fluid flow in the tank increase with the increase of impeller rotational speed from 100, 200, 300, and 400 rpm. It was accompanied by shifting the position of the core of circulation flow away from impeller discharge stream and approached the front of the tank wall. The intensity of fluid flow in the vessel increase with the increase of the impeller diameter from d=3 cm to d=4 cm.

  14. Sediment-associated pesticides in an urban stream in Guangzhou, China: implication of a shift in pesticide use patterns.

    PubMed

    Li, Huizhen; Sun, Baoquan; Lydy, Michael J; You, Jing

    2013-04-01

    Pesticide use patterns in China have changed in recent years; however, the study of the environmental fate of current-use pesticides (CUPs) and their ecotoxicological significance in aquatic ecosystems is limited. In the present study, sediments were collected from an urban stream in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. Sediment-associated legacy organochlorine pesticides and CUPs-including organophosphates, pyrethroids, fipronil, and abamectin-were analyzed. Additionally, the relative toxicity of the sediments was evaluated with 10-d bioassays using Chironomus dilutus. Fifteen of 16 sediments collected from the stream were acutely toxic to C. dilutus, with 81% of the samples causing 100% mortality. Abamectin, fipronil, and pyrethroids (mainly cypermethrin) were identified as the principal contributors to the noted toxicity in the midges, with median predicted toxic units of 1.63, 1.63, and 1.03, respectively. Sediments taken from downstream sites, where residential and industrial regions were located, had elevated CUP concentrations and sediment toxicity compared with upstream sites. The present study is the first of its kind to link sediment CUPs, fipronil, and abamectin concentrations with toxicity in urban streams in China with a focus on shifting pesticide usage patterns. Copyright © 2013 SETAC.

  15. Stochastic Analysis and Forecasts of the Patterns of Speed, Acceleration, and Levels of Material Stock Accumulation in Society.

    PubMed

    Fishman, Tomer; Schandl, Heinz; Tanikawa, Hiroki

    2016-04-05

    The recent acceleration of urbanization and industrialization of many parts of the developing world, most notably in Asia, has resulted in a fast-increasing demand for and accumulation of construction materials in society. Despite the importance of physical stocks in society, the empirical assessment of total material stock of buildings and infrastructure and reasons for its growth have been underexplored in the sustainability literature. We propose an innovative approach for explaining material stock dynamics in society and create a country typology for stock accumulation trajectories using the ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average) methodology, a stochastic approach commonly used in business studies and economics to inspect and forecast time series. This enables us to create scenarios for future demand and accumulation of building materials in society, including uncertainty estimates. We find that the so-far overlooked aspect of acceleration trends of material stock accumulation holds the key to explaining material stock growth, and that despite tremendous variability in country characteristics, stock accumulation is limited to only four archetypal growth patterns. The ability of nations to change their pattern will be a determining factor for global sustainability.

  16. Parametric Estimation of Load for Air Force Data Centers

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-27

    R. Nelson, L. Orsenigo and S . Winter, "’History-friendly’ models of industry evolution : the computer industry," Industrial and Corporate Change...34’History-friendly’ models of industry evolution : the computer industry," Industrial and Corporate Change, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 3-40, 1999. [7] VMWare...NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES) Vinh Phung, 38ES/ENOC 5813 Arnold St, Building 4064 Tinker AFB OK 73145-8120 COM : 405-734-7461, vinh.phung@us.af.mil 10

  17. [Protecting health of workers and predictive preventive personified medicine].

    PubMed

    Izmerov, N F; Bukhtiiarov, I V; Prokopenko, L V; Kuz'mina, L P

    2013-01-01

    Industrial medicine is an integrated sphere of preventive medicine, aimed to regulate health of workers and concerned with scentific basis and practical application of means and methods to preserve and improve workers' health. The article covers major research trends in workers' health preservation, results of fundamental studies on pathogenetic mechanisms and developmental patterns of contemporary occupational and industrial pathologies, prospects of predictive personified trend development and its application in industrial medicine.

  18. International Trade Drives Global Resource Use: A Structural Decomposition Analysis of Raw Material Consumption from 1990-2010.

    PubMed

    Plank, Barbara; Eisenmenger, Nina; Schaffartzik, Anke; Wiedenhofer, Dominik

    2018-04-03

    Globalization led to an immense increase of international trade and the emergence of complex global value chains. At the same time, global resource use and pressures on the environment are increasing steadily. With these two processes in parallel, the question arises whether trade contributes positively to resource efficiency, or to the contrary is further driving resource use? In this article, the socioeconomic driving forces of increasing global raw material consumption (RMC) are investigated to assess the role of changing trade relations, extended supply chains and increasing consumption. We apply a structural decomposition analysis of changes in RMC from 1990 to 2010, utilizing the Eora multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model. We find that changes in international trade patterns significantly contributed to an increase of global RMC. Wealthy developed countries play a major role in driving global RMC growth through changes in their trade structures, as they shifted production processes increasingly to less material-efficient input suppliers. Even the dramatic increase in material consumption in the emerging economies has not diminished the role of industrialized countries as drivers of global RMC growth.

  19. Long-term changes in the type, but not amount, of ingested plastic particles in short-tailed shearwaters in the southeastern Bering Sea.

    PubMed

    Vlietstra, Lucy S; Parga, Joyce A

    2002-09-01

    We report the current (1997-1999, 2001) incidence and amount of ingested plastic in short-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus tenuirostris) in the southeastern Bering Sea and compare our results with plastic reported in shearwaters during 1970-1978. We also examine correlations between plastic loads and shearwater body mass. We found that 84% (N = 330) of shearwaters sampled in 1997-1999 and 2001 contained plastic. The incidence and amount of ingested plastic have not significantly changed since the 1970s. In contrast, the predominant type of plastic has changed over time, from industrial plastic to user plastic. S,asonal patterns in the incidence and amount of ingested plastic also changed from peak levels during early and late summer in the 1970s to mid summer in the late 1990s and 2001. We suggest that the availability of neuston plastic to seabirds in the Bering Sea has undergone a shift in composition since the 1970s. Shearwater body mass appears little if at all impaired by plastic, at least at present levels of consumption.

  20. [Research on contribution decomposition by industry to China's carbon intensity reduction and carbon emission growth].

    PubMed

    Jiang, Jing-Jing; Ye, Bin; Ji, Jun-Ping; Ma, Xiao-Ming

    2014-11-01

    The binding carbon intensity index and the pilot "cap-and-trade" emission trading scheme are two important approaches currently applied by China to mitigate its greenhouse gases emissions. It is of great significance to research the influence mechanism of related factors by industry on the dynamics of national carbon intensity and emission, not only for setting industry-specified intensity reduction target but also for setting industry coverage of the ETS. Two LMDI models were applied in this paper to decompose industry contributions to the changes of China's carbon intensity and carbon emission during the period of 1996-2010. Empirical results showed that: The decline of national carbon intensity was jointly determined by the changes of carbon intensities and the added value proportions of all industries, and the impact of industry carbon intensities was larger. The increase of national carbon emission was jointly determined by the changes of carbon intensities and the added value of all industries. The former had inhibitory effect whist the latter had decisive promoting effect. The five industries making the largest contribution to the changes of national carbon emission and carbon intensity included industries of electricity, nonmetal mineral, ferrous metal, transportation service, chemical materials, which were followed by the industries of agriculture, coal mining and processing, petroleum and natural gas extraction. Petroleum refining and coking industry and construction industry made small contribution to the decline of national carbon intensity, but made large contribution to the growth of national carbon emission. The contributions of service industries to national carbon emission growth showed a rising trend, especially those of transportation service industry, wholesaling, retailing and catering service industry.

  1. Congenitally missing teeth (hypodontia): A review of the literature concerning the etiology, prevalence, risk factors, patterns and treatment

    PubMed Central

    Rakhshan, Vahid

    2015-01-01

    Congenitally missing teeth (CMT), or as usually called hypodontia, is a highly prevalent and costly dental anomaly. Besides an unfavorable appearance, patients with missing teeth may suffer from malocclusion, periodontal damage, insufficient alveolar bone growth, reduced chewing ability, inarticulate pronunciation and other problems. Treatment might be usually expensive and multidisciplinary. This highly frequent and yet expensive anomaly is of interest to numerous clinical, basic science and public health fields such as orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, periodontics, maxillofacial surgery, anatomy, anthropology and even the insurance industry. This essay reviews the findings on the etiology, prevalence, risk factors, occurrence patterns, skeletal changes and treatments of congenitally missing teeth. It seems that CMT usually appears in females and in the permanent dentition. It is not conclusive whether it tends to occur more in the maxilla or mandible and also in the anterior versus posterior segments. It can accompany various complications and should be attended by expert teams as soon as possible. PMID:25709668

  2. Global energy, sustainability, and the conventional development paradigm

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

    Raskin, P.D.; Margolis, R.M.

    1998-05-01

    The conventional development paradigm assumes that the values, consumption patterns, and dynamics of the western industrial system will be progressively played out on a global scale. In this inquiry, the authors explore the implications of the conventional paradigm for the evolution of global energy patterns, and the compatibility with notions of sustainability. They present a global long-range conventional development scenario to the year 2050, and identify major environmental, resource, and social pressures and uncertainties. These include the economic and geopolitical consequences of fossil fuel depletion, the environmental and security implications of increased nuclear generation, the risk of significant climatic change,more » and the threats to social cohesion of distributional inequities. Such potential problems could negate the basic scenario assumption of steady economic and social development. By clarifying the stress points in a conventional picture of energy development, the scenario provides a useful point of departure for examining alternative long-range scenarios for sustainable energy development.« less

  3. Utilisation of Chlorella vulgaris cell biomass for the production of enzymatic protein hydrolysates.

    PubMed

    Morris, Humberto J; Almarales, Angel; Carrillo, Olimpia; Bermúdez, Rosa C

    2008-11-01

    Studies on enzymatic hydrolysis of cell proteins in green microalgae Chlorella vulgaris 87/1 are described. Different proteases can be used for production of hydrolysates from ethanol extracted algae. The influence of reaction parameters on hydrolysis of extracted biomass with pancreatin was considered, and the composition of hydrolysates (Cv-PH) was investigated in relation to the starting materials. Significant changes in the degree of hydrolysis were observed only during the first 2h and it remained constant throughout the process. An enzyme-substrate ratio of 30-45 units/g algae, an algae concentration of 10-15% and pH values of 7.5-8.0 could be recommended. Differences in the chromatographic patterns of Cv-PH and a hot-extract from Chlorella biomass were observed. Adequate amounts of essential amino acids (44.7%) in relation to the reference pattern of FAO for human nutrition were found, except for sulfur amino acids. Cv-PH could be considered as a potential ingredient in the food industry.

  4. Characteristics of digital micromirror projection for 3D shape measurement at extreme speed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Höfling, Roland; Aswendt, Petra; Leischnig, Frank; Förster, Matthias

    2015-03-01

    3D shape measurement is one of the growing industrial applications of the Texas Instruments DLP® micro-mirror device. This paper presents investigations on precision and repeatability of that spatial light modulators output when it is driven up to its high-speed limit. The study concerns the basic switching behavior of the individual micro-mirror at different frame rates ranging over three orders of magnitude. The 3D shape measuring methodologies are focused on phase encoded triangulation, i.e. the projection of sinusoidal patterns. The DLP chip is a bi-stable device providing an on/off pattern at each certain moment in time, i.e. it has a native binary output. Sinusoidal patterns are the result of either a temporal integration of multiple on/off patterns or a spatial integration within one on/off pattern. Both approaches are studied experimentally with respect to precision and stability of the pattern output. The STAR-07 industrial projection unit, based upon the 0.7" DLP Discovery™4100 chipset, has been used for this work and the pattern frame rates cover the range from 225 frames per second (fps) to 50,000 fps. The STAR-07 output is detected by a photodiode, amplified, and analyzed in a Yokogawa digital storage oscilloscope. All results prove the very high precision and repeatability of the STAR-07 pattern projection, up to the extreme speed of 50,000 fps.

  5. Development and status of Arkansas' primary forest products industry

    Treesearch

    Dennis M. May

    1990-01-01

    The development of Arkansas' primary forest products industry is presented by following the changes in numbers and types of mills operating through time as well as the State's production of roundwood to supply the changing industry.

  6. Variability-aware double-patterning layout optimization for analog circuits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yongfu; Perez, Valerio; Tripathi, Vikas; Lee, Zhao Chuan; Tseng, I.-Lun; Ong, Jonathan Yoong Seang

    2018-03-01

    The semiconductor industry has adopted multi-patterning techniques to manage the delay in the extreme ultraviolet lithography technology. During the design process of double-patterning lithography layout masks, two polygons are assigned to different masks if their spacing is less than the minimum printable spacing. With these additional design constraints, it is very difficult to find experienced layout-design engineers who have a good understanding of the circuit to manually optimize the mask layers in order to minimize color-induced circuit variations. In this work, we investigate the impact of double-patterning lithography on analog circuits and provide quantitative analysis for our designers to select the optimal mask to minimize the circuit's mismatch. To overcome the problem and improve the turn-around time, we proposed our smart "anchoring" placement technique to optimize mask decomposition for analog circuits. We have developed a software prototype that is capable of providing anchoring markers in the layout, allowing industry standard tools to perform automated color decomposition process.

  7. A Study on Effect of Technological Change on the Frequency of Child Labour in the Indian Match Industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Velayutham, C. Muthu; Palanivel, R. V.; Anbarasan, R.; Sinthuja, M.

    2012-08-01

    The Indian match industry in the southern state of Tamil Nadu has been characterized by child labour and a stagnant technology for over half a century. We investigate the technological changes and industrial restructuring, catalyzed by the changing duty structure that has moved the match industry towards greater mechanization. Our examination indicates that increased mechanization in the production processes has implied greater demand for skilled labour and a decline in child labour.

  8. Impact of Real-world Factors Influencing Investment Decisions on the Costs and Distribution of Climate Change Mitigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Edmonds, J.; Iyer, G.; McJeon, H. C.; Leon, C.; Hultman, N.

    2015-12-01

    Strategies to mitigate dangerous anthropogenic climate change require a dramatic transformation of the energy system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, that in turn requires large-scale investments. Investment decisions depend not only on investment capital availability but also on investment risks. A number of factors such as national policy environments, quality of public and private institutions, sector, firm and technology specific characteristics can affect investors' assessments of risks, leading to a wide variation in the business climate for investment. Such heterogeneity in investment risks can have important implications, as investors usually respond to risks by requiring higher returns for riskier projects; delaying or forgoing the investments; or preferring to invest in existing, familiar projects. We study the impact of variation in investment risks on regional patterns of emissions mitigation, the cost of emissions mitigation and patterns of technology deployment. We modify an integrated assessment model, widely used in global climate policy analyses (the Global Change Assessment Model) and incorporate decisions on investments based on risks along two dimensions. Along the first dimension, we vary perceived risks associated with particular technologies. To do so, we assign a higher cost of capital for investment in low-carbon technologies as these involve intrinsically higher levels of regulatory and market risk. The second dimension uses a proxy to vary investment risks across regions, based on an institutional quality metric published by the World Economic Forum. Explicit representation of investment risks has two major effects. First, it raises the cost of emissions mitigation relative to a world with uniform investment risks. Second, it shifts the pattern of emissions mitigation, with industrialized countries mitigating more, and developing countries mitigating less. Our results suggest that institutional reforms aimed at lowering investment risks could be an important element in lowering the cost of climate change mitigation solutions.

  9. The past, present, and future of U.S. utility demand-side management programs

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

    Eto, J.

    Demand-side management or DSM refers to active efforts by electric and gas utilities to modify customers` energy use patterns. The experience in the US shows that utilities, when provided with appropriate incentives, can provide a powerful stimulus to energy efficiency in the private sector. This paper describes the range and history of DSM programs offered by US electric utilities, with a focus on the political, economic, and regulatory events that have shaped their evolution. It also describes the changes these programs are undergoing as a result of US electricity industry restructuring. DSM programs began modestly in the 1970s in responsemore » to growing concerns about dependence on foreign sources of oil and environmental consequences of electricity generation, especially nuclear power. The foundation for the unique US partnership between government and utility interests can be traced first to the private-ownership structure of the vertically integrated electricity industry and second to the monopoly franchise granted by state regulators. Electricity industry restructuring calls into question both of these basic conditions, and thus the future of utility DSM programs for the public interest. Future policies guiding ratepayer-funded energy-efficiency DSM programs will need to pay close attention to the specific market objectives of the programs and to the balance between public and private interests.« less

  10. The Population Ecology of Technology: An Empirical Study of US Biotechnology Patents from 1976 to 2003

    PubMed Central

    van den Oord, Ad; van Witteloostuijn, Arjen

    2017-01-01

    A detailed understanding of technological change as an evolutionary process is currently not well understood. To increase our understanding, we build upon theory from organizational ecology to develop a model of endogenous technological growth and determine to what extent the pattern of technological growth can be attributed to the structural or systemic characteristics of the technology itself. Through an empirical investigation of patent data in the biotechnology industry from 1976 to 2003, we find that a technology’s internal (i.e., density and diversity) ecological characteristics have a positive effect on its growth rate. The niche’s external characteristics of crowding and status have a negative effect on its growth rate. Hence, applying theory from organizational ecology increases our understanding of technological change as an evolutionary process. We discuss the implications of our findings for the study of technological growth and evolution, and suggest avenues for further research. PMID:28081570

  11. The Population Ecology of Technology: An Empirical Study of US Biotechnology Patents from 1976 to 2003.

    PubMed

    van den Oord, Ad; van Witteloostuijn, Arjen

    2017-01-01

    A detailed understanding of technological change as an evolutionary process is currently not well understood. To increase our understanding, we build upon theory from organizational ecology to develop a model of endogenous technological growth and determine to what extent the pattern of technological growth can be attributed to the structural or systemic characteristics of the technology itself. Through an empirical investigation of patent data in the biotechnology industry from 1976 to 2003, we find that a technology's internal (i.e., density and diversity) ecological characteristics have a positive effect on its growth rate. The niche's external characteristics of crowding and status have a negative effect on its growth rate. Hence, applying theory from organizational ecology increases our understanding of technological change as an evolutionary process. We discuss the implications of our findings for the study of technological growth and evolution, and suggest avenues for further research.

  12. Satellites monitor Atlanta regional development

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Todd, William J.; Blackmon, C.C.; Rudasill, R.G.

    1979-01-01

    Since the adoption of a Regional Development Plan in 1975, the Atlanta Regional Commission has investigated methods for monitoring regional development patterns in a periodic, efficient manner. A promising approach appears to be the use of Landsat satellite data. In cooperation with the Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center, the commission used machine processing of digital temporal overlays of Landsat data collected in 1972, 1974 and 1976 to detect land use and land cover changes in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Results of the analysis revealed the conversion of forested and open space areas to residential, commercial and industrial land use in the urban-rural fringe zone from 1972 to 1974 and from 1974 to 1976. The study indicated that a land use and land cover change-detection program may be used to revise small-area forecasts of land use, population and employment made by planning models.

  13. Enterprise Pattern: integrating the business process into a unified enterprise model of modern service company

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Ying; Luo, Zhiling; Yin, Jianwei; Xu, Lida; Yin, Yuyu; Wu, Zhaohui

    2017-01-01

    Modern service company (MSC), the enterprise involving special domains, such as the financial industry, information service industry and technology development industry, depends heavily on information technology. Modelling of such enterprise has attracted much research attention because it promises to help enterprise managers to analyse basic business strategies (e.g. the pricing strategy) and even optimise the business process (BP) to gain benefits. While the existing models proposed by economists cover the economic elements, they fail to address the basic BP and its relationship with the economic characteristics. Those proposed in computer science regardless of achieving great success in BP modelling perform poorly in supporting the economic analysis. Therefore, the existing approaches fail to satisfy the requirement of enterprise modelling for MSC, which demands simultaneous consideration of both economic analysing and business processing. In this article, we provide a unified enterprise modelling approach named Enterprise Pattern (EP) which bridges the gap between the BP model and the enterprise economic model of MSC. Proposing a language named Enterprise Pattern Description Language (EPDL) covering all the basic language elements of EP, we formulate the language syntaxes and two basic extraction rules assisting economic analysis. Furthermore, we extend Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) to support EPDL, named BPMN for Enterprise Pattern (BPMN4EP). The example of mobile application platform is studied in detail for a better understanding of EPDL.

  14. Modernization is associated with intensive breastfeeding patterns in the Bolivian Amazon.

    PubMed

    Veile, Amanda; Martin, Melanie; McAllister, Lisa; Gurven, Michael

    2014-01-01

    For many traditional, non-industrialized populations, intensive and prolonged breastfeeding buffers infant health against poverty, poor sanitation, and limited health care. Due to novel influences on local economies, values, and beliefs, the traditional and largely beneficial breastfeeding patterns of such populations may be changing to the detriment of infant health. To assess if and why such changes are occurring in a traditional breastfeeding population, we document breastfeeding patterns in the Bolivian Tsimane, a forager-horticulturalist population in the early stages of modernization. Three predictions are developed and tested to evaluate the general hypothesis that modernizing influences encourage less intensive breastfeeding in the Tsimane: 1) Tsimane mothers in regions of higher infant mortality will practice more intensive BF; 2) Tsimane mothers who are located closer to a local market town will practice more intensive BF; and 3) Older Tsimane mothers will practice more intensive BF. Predictions were tested using a series of maternal interviews (from 2003 to 2011, n = 215) and observations of mother-infant dyads (from 2002 to 2007, n = 133). Tsimane breastfeeding patterns were generally intensive: 72% of mothers reported initiating BF within a few hours of birth, mean (±SD) age of CF introduction was 4.1 ± 2.0 months, and mean (±SD) weaning age was 19.2 ± 7.3 months. There was, however, intra-population variation in several dimensions of breastfeeding (initiation, frequency, duration, and complementary feeding). Contrary to our predictions, breastfeeding was most intensive in the most modernized Tsimane villages, and maternal age was not a significant predictor of breastfeeding patterns. Regional differences accounted for variation in most dimensions of breastfeeding (initiation, frequency, and complementary feeding). Future research should therefore identify constraints on breastfeeding in the less modernized Tsimane regions, and examine the formation of maternal beliefs regarding infant feeding. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Industry: Relocation Changes the Landscape.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    World of Work, 1993

    1993-01-01

    Includes "World Industry on the Move"; "The Future Belongs to Those Who Can Adapt" (Fromont); "The Automobile Industry: Engines of Change" (O'Brien); "Negotiating Flexibility to Save Jobs" (Fromont); and "Fixing the Rules of the Game: Partners State Their Case." (JOW)

  16. Outlook at the Future of the Airline Avionics Industry

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-01-01

    The aviation industry is slowly but surely changing its character. As airlines restructure, what they ask of, and how they relate to their suppliers (including avionics manufacturers) will greatly change as well. The avionics industry is currently fa...

  17. Fragment-based lead discovery: challenges and opportunities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Chaohong; Petros, Andrew M.; Hajduk, Philip J.

    2011-07-01

    Fragment-based lead discovery has undergone remarkable changes over the last 15 years. During this time, the pharmaceutical industry has changed dramatically as well, and continued evolution of the industry is assured. These changes present many challenges but also several opportunities for executing fragment-based drug design. This article will explore some of the more significant changes in the industry and how they may affect future discovery efforts related to fragment-based initiatives.

  18. Fillers in the skin of color population.

    PubMed

    Heath, Candrice R; Taylor, Susan C

    2011-05-01

    The skin of color population in the United States is rapidly growing and the cosmetic industry is responding to the demand for skin of color targeted treatments. The aging face in skin of color patients has a unique pattern that can be successfully augmented by dermal fillers. Though many subjects with skin of color were not included in the pre-market dermal filler clinical trials, some post-market studies have examined the safety and risks of adverse events in this population. The safety data from a selection of these studies was examined. Though pigmentary changes occurred, there have been no reports of keloid development. Developing a patient-specific care plan and instituting close follow up is emphasized.

  19. Broadband interference lithography at extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray wavelengths.

    PubMed

    Mojarad, Nassir; Fan, Daniel; Gobrecht, Jens; Ekinci, Yasin

    2014-04-15

    Manufacturing efficient and broadband optics is of high technological importance for various applications in all wavelength regimes. Particularly in the extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray spectra, this becomes challenging due to the involved atomic absorption edges that rapidly change the optical constants in these ranges. Here we demonstrate a new interference lithography grating mask that can be used for nanopatterning in this spectral range. We demonstrate photolithography with cutting-edge resolution at 6.5 and 13.5 nm wavelengths, relevant to the semiconductor industry, as well as using 2.5 and 4.5 nm wavelength for patterning thick photoresists and fabricating high-aspect-ratio metal nanostructures for plasmonics and sensing applications.

  20. Data on the agitation of a viscous Newtonian fluid by radial impellers in a cylindrical tank.

    PubMed

    Ameur, Houari; Kamla, Youcef; Sahel, Djamel

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, the data assembled concerning the agitation of a Newtonian fluid in a cylindrical vessel is disclosed. The stirred vessel is not provided with baffles and has a flat-bottom. The data presents some information on the characteristics of two impellers: a six-blade Rushton turbine and a six-blade paddle impeller. The flow patterns generated by both impellers are depicted and compared. Also, the power required when changing the impeller rotational speed is given. The data summarized here via three-dimensional calculations of velocities and viscous dissipation in the whole volume of the tank provides additional knowledge for the best choice of impellers for each industrial process.

  1. Testing anti-smoking messages for Air Force trainees

    PubMed Central

    Popova, Lucy; Linde, Brittany D.; Bursac, Zoran; Talcott, G. Wayne; Modayil, Mary V.; Little, Melissa A.; Ling, Pamela M.; Glantz, Stanton A.; Klesges, Robert C.

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Young adults in the military are aggressively targeted by tobacco companies and are at high risk of tobacco use. Existing anti-smoking advertisements developed for the general population might be effective in educating young adults in the military. This study evaluated the effects of different themes of existing anti-smoking advertisements on perceived harm and intentions to use cigarettes and other tobacco products among Air Force trainees. Methods In a pretest-posttest experiment, 782 Airmen were randomized to view anti-smoking advertisements in one of six conditions: anti-industry, health effects+anti-industry, sexual health, secondhand smoke, environment+anti-industry, or control. We assessed the effect of different conditions on changes in perceived harm and intentions to use cigarettes, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), smokeless tobacco, hookah and cigarillos from pretest to posttest with multivariable linear regression models (perceived harm) and zero-inflated Poisson regression model (intentions). Results Anti-smoking advertisements increased perceived harm of various tobacco products and reduced intentions to use. Advertisements featuring negative effects of tobacco on health and sexual performance coupled with revealing tobacco industry manipulations had the most consistent pattern of effects on perceived harm and intentions. Conclusion Anti-smoking advertisements produced for the general public might also be effective with a young adult military population and could have spillover effects on perceptions of harm and intentions to use other tobacco products besides cigarettes. Existing anti-smoking advertising may be a cost-effective tool to educate young adults in the military. PMID:26482786

  2. Organization of bulk power markets: A concept paper

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

    Kahn, E.; Stoft, S.

    The electricity industry in the US today is at a crossroads. The restructuring debate going on in most regions has made it clear that the traditional model of vertically integrated firms serving defined franchise areas and regulated by state commissions may not be the pattern for the future. The demands of large customers seeking direct access to power markets, the entry of new participants, and proposed reforms of the regulatory process all signify a momentum for fundamental change in the organization of the industry. This paper addresses electricity restructuring from the perspective of bulk power markets. The authors focus attentionmore » on the organization of electricity trade and the various ways it has been and might be conducted. Their approach concentrates on conceptual models and empirical case studies, not on specific proposals made by particular utilities or commissions. They review literature in economics and power system engineering that is relevant to the major questions. The objective is to provide conceptual background to industry participants, e.g. utility staff, regulatory staff, new entrants, who are working on specific proposals. While they formulate many questions, they do not provide definitive answers on most issues. They attempt to put the industry restructuring dialogue in a neutral setting, translating the language of economists for engineers and vice versa. Towards this end they begin with a review of the basic economic institutions in the US bulk power markets and a summary of the engineering practices that dominate trade today.« less

  3. Barriers to electric energy efficiency in Ghana

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berko, Joseph Kofi, Jr.

    Development advocates argue that sustainable development strategies are the best means to permanently improve living standards in developing countries. Advocates' arguments are based on the technical, financial, and environmental advantages of sustainable development. However, they have not addressed the organizational and administrative decision-making issues which are key to successful implementation of sustainable development in developing countries. Using the Ghanaian electricity industry as a case study, this dissertation identifies and analyzes organizational structures, administrative mechanisms, and decision-maker viewpoints that critically affect the success of adoption and implementation of energy efficiency within a sustainable development framework. Utilizing semi-structured interviews in field research, decision-makers' perceptions of the pattern of the industry's development, causes of the electricity supply shortfall, and barriers to electricity-use efficiency were identified. Based on the initial findings, the study formulated a set of policy initiatives to establish support for energy use efficiency. In a second set of interviews, these policy suggestions were presented to some of the top decision-makers to elicit their reactions. According to the decision-makers, the electricity supply shortfall is due to rapid urbanization and increased industrial consumption as a result of the structural adjustment program, rural electrification, and the sudden release of suppressed loads. The study found a lack of initiative and collaboration among industry decision-makers, and a related divergence in decision-makers' concerns and viewpoints. Also, lacking are institutional support systems and knowledge of proven energy efficiency strategies and technologies. As a result, planning, and even the range of perceived solutions to choose from are supply-side oriented. The final chapter of the study presents implications of its findings and proposes that any implementation strategy will have to address the different decision-makers' concerns and viewpoints. These include the need for national policies to promote electric energy efficiency and institutional development to provide support, guidance and direction to an energy efficiency effort. It also proposes structural changes within the industry to reduce government influence by creating an independent regulatory board. Finally, it proposes the adoption of integrated resource planning strategies and changes in the supply-side dominated culture within the electric utilities.

  4. Profit pools: a fresh look at strategy.

    PubMed

    Gadiesh, O; Gilbert, J L

    1998-01-01

    In charting strategy, many managers focus on revenue growth, assuming that profits will follow. But that approach is dangerous: today's deep revenue pool may become tomorrow's dry hole. To create strategies that result in profitable growth, managers need to look beyond revenues to see the shape of their industry's profit pool. The authors define an industry's profit pool as the total profits earned at all points along the industry's value chain. Although the concept is simple, the structure of a profit pool is usually quite complex. The pool will be deeper in some segments of the value chain than in others, and depths will vary within an individual segment as well. Segment profitability may, for example, vary widely by customer group, product category, geographic market, and distribution channel. Moreover, the pattern of profit concentration in an industry will often be very different from the pattern of revenue concentration. The authors describe how successful companies have gained competitive advantage by developing sophisticated profit-pool strategies. They explain how U-Haul identified new sources of profit in the consumer-truck-rental industry; how Merck reached beyond its traditional value-chain role to protect its profits in the pharmaceuticals industry; how Dell rebounded from a misguided channel decision by refocusing on its traditional source of profit; and how Anheuser-Busch made a series of astute product, pricing, and operating decisions to dominate the beer industry's profit pool. The companies with the best understanding of their industry's profit pool, the authors argue, will be in the best position to thrive over the long term.

  5. The Relationship Between Emissions and Economic Growth for SO2, CO2, and BC

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ru, M.; Shindell, D. T.; Tao, S.; Zhong, Q.; Seltzer, K.

    2017-12-01

    We characterize the relationship between per person emissions of SO2, CO2, and black carbon (BC) and income using a global country-level emission inventory. Pollutant emissions of SO2 and BC from the power, industry, and transportation sectors largely follow an Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) pattern with peak emissions at income levels between 10,000 and 100,000 USD per capita. However, for CO2, any estimated turnover income is extremely high and unlikely to be reached in the near future in power, industry, and transportation. Residential emissions show a negatively sloped linear relationship for BC, a small positive slope for CO2, and a fairly flat trajectory for SO2. For the EKC-like trajectories, "turning point" incomes for each sector and pollutant are related to technological advances and the effectiveness of emission controls. These results suggest that policy targeting technological advances and emission controls could change future pathways by affecting the "turning point" incomes. For the linear trajectories in the residential sector, we show that transitions from biomass fuel to coal in low-income countries and from coal to natural gas in middle and high-income countries, in concert with electrification levels, are the main factors governing slopes. Thus, the three pollutants show different income-emission trajectories based on the sum of the four major sectors, and the residential sector in particular has a unique relationship with income growth. As one of the first studies to analyze historical emission trajectories of BC, we find that BC differs from SO2 and CO2 because of its significantly earlier turnover in the power and industry sectors due to control policies. Total BC emissions trajectories follow a unique shape due to the combination of linearly decreasing residential emissions with EKC-like patterns in industry and transportation. We compare these trajectories to those in three Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs), GCAM, AIM, and MESSAGE, finding large differences for residential sector trajectories and earlier estimations of turnover incomes in the IAMs. Users of IAMs should consider the assumptions underlying projected emissions in light of this historical analysis, especially the apparently optimistic turnover incomes and residential sector emissions.

  6. Paradise lost: A study of the decline of institutions and the restructuring of organizational fields in the United States power industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sine, Wesley David

    Institutional theorists have a long tradition of examining the persistence organizational forms and practices. Most institutional analysis, however, fails to discuss change in organizational forms and practices that at one time were highly taken for granted. This dissertation presents three papers that explore questions of institutional change in the context of the evolving power industry. The first paper, Dimensions of Institutional Resistance to Change, examines the qualities that make institutions more or less resistant to change. This paper surveys the literature on institutional change and suggests four institutional qualities for indexing institutional change: taken for grantedness, diffuseness, symbolic value, and integrativeness. I argue that these qualities can be used to measure the extent to which an institution is resistant to change, thus providing a means for studying and predicting the life spans of institutions. The second paper, From Hierarchies to Markets: The Deregulation of the Electric Generating Industry, uses the dimensions proposed in the first paper to understand the structural changes in the electric utility industry between 1935 and 1978. It theorizes that crisis catalyzes both organizational scrutiny, which erodes institutional symbolic value and taken-for-grantedness, and search processes for solutions, which redefine fringe alternatives within an institutional field as possible solutions. The net result is the delegitimation of incumbent institutions and the recognition of alternative solutions, creating a solution bazaar, where solutions compete to solve organizational inefficiencies made relevant by the crisis. The third paper, The Institutional Context of Founding Variation in the Emerging Independent Power Industry, presents and tests a theory of the effects of institutional structures on the genesis, development, and variation of organizational forms in a newborn industry created by radical regulatory change. Nascent industries formed by punctuated change are particularly susceptible to institutional influences. Normative, regulative, and cognitive structures form the context that shape entrepreneurial decisions about organizational foundings. Institutional structures can either increase or decrease barriers to entry into nascent industries, thus influencing the heterogeneity of organizational forms founded within the niche. These propositions are examined and tested in the context of the independent power industry.

  7. Aspects of Migration in an Advanced Industrial Society.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Franklin D.

    This paper evaluates the hypothesis that patterns of migration within and between the metropolitan and nonmetropolitan sectors and between regions, and migrant/nonmigrant differentials in education attainment during the 1935-1980 period of United States history reflect historical differences in socioeconomic development and settlement patterns.…

  8. Time series analysis of Carbon Monoxide from MOPITT over the Asian Continent from 2000-2004

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhattacharjee, P. S.; Roy, P.

    2005-12-01

    The human population continues to grow and large parts of the world industrialize rapidly, causing changes in the global atmospheric chemistry. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas in the troposphere when highly concentrated, and is produced by fossil fuel combustion, biomass burning and through natural emissions from plants. It is also an important trace gas in the atmosphere and plays a major role in the atmospheric chemistry. We present a study of CO from the measurement of MOPITT (Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere-Level 3 gridded data) instrument on NASA Terra satellite over India and Eastern Asia for the period of 2000-2004. Day- and night-time total column CO measurements are considered over the selected regions in India, China, Thailand and Japan. The selected regions comprise of industrial cities in the Asian continent which form the source of high CO in the atmosphere. The time series data do not show an overall increasing or decreasing trend, but CO is affected by seasonal variations, wind, and precipitation patterns. East Asian regions have higher and wider seasonal fluctuations than the Indian region. CO total column values over the Bay of Bengal are also high and can be explained through wind patterns from the land towards the ocean. Although the sources of CO are mostly confined to the land, it is transported globally through the atmosphere, and has high concentrations over the ocean.

  9. The Adaptation of Workers to Industrial Change. European Seminar (Toulouse, France, January 22-23, 1996). Summary of the Debates.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Social Europe, 1996

    1996-01-01

    This document summarizes the debates that occurred at a European seminar on the adaptation of workers to industrial change. The document begins with the following three speeches: "The Challenges of Adapting Workers to Industrial Change" (Dominique Balmary); "Objective 4 of the Structural Funds: A Response to the Double Challenge of…

  10. Tropical climate and vegetation changes during Heinrich Event 1: comparing climate model output to pollen-based vegetation reconstructions with emphasis on the region around the tropical Atlantic Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Handiani, D.; Paul, A.; Dupont, L.

    2011-06-01

    Abrupt climate changes associated with Heinrich Event 1 (HE1) about 18 to 15 thousand years before present (ka BP) strongly affected climate and vegetation patterns not only in the Northern Hemisphere, but also in tropical regions in the South Atlantic Ocean. We used the University of Victoria (UVic) Earth System-Climate Model (ESCM) with dynamical vegetation and land surface components to simulate four scenarios of climate-vegetation interaction: the pre-industrial era (PI), the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and a Heinrich-like event with two different climate backgrounds (interglacial and glacial). The HE1-like simulation with a glacial climate background produced sea surface temperature patterns and enhanced interhemispheric thermal gradients in accordance with the "bipolar seesaw" hypothesis. It allowed us to investigate the vegetation changes that result from a transition to a drier climate as predicted for northern tropical Africa due to a southward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). We found that a cooling of the Northern Hemisphere caused a southward shift of those plant-functional types (PFTs) in Northern Tropical Africa that are indicative of an increased desertification, and a retreat of broadleaf forests in Western Africa and Northern South America. We used the PFTs generated by the model to calculate mega-biomes to allow for a direct comparison between paleodata and palynological vegetation reconstructions. Our calculated mega-biomes for the pre-industrial period and the LGM corresponded well to the modern and LGM sites of the BIOME6000 (v.4.2) reconstruction, except that our present-day simulation predicted the dominance of grassland in Southern Europe and our LGM simulation simulated more forest cover in tropical and sub-tropical South America. The mega-biomes from the HE1 simulation with glacial background climate were in agreement with paleovegetation data from land and ocean proxies in West, Central, and Northern Tropical Africa as well as Northeast South America. However, our model did not agree well with predicted biome distributions in Eastern South America.

  11. Sediment-hosted contaminants and distribution patterns in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River Deltas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Flocks, James G.; Kindinger, Jack G.; Ferina, Nicholas; Dreher, Chandra

    2002-01-01

    The Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers transport very large amounts of bedload and suspended sediments to the deltaic and coastal environments of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Absorbed onto these sediments are contaminants that may be detrimental to the environment. To adequately assess the impact of these contaminants it is first necessary to develop an understanding of sediment distribution patterns in these deltaic systems. The distribution patterns are defined by deltaic progradational cycles. Once these patterns are identified, the natural and industrial contaminant inventories and their depositional histories can be reconstructed. Delta progradation is a function of sediment discharge, as well as channel and receiving-basin dimensions. Fluvial energy controls the sediment distribution pattern, resulting in a coarse grained or sandy framework, infilled with finer grained material occupying the overbank, interdistributary bays, wetlands and abandoned channels. It has been shown that these fine-grained sediments can carry contaminants through absorption and intern them in the sediment column or redistribute them depending on progradation or degradation of the delta deposit. Sediment distribution patterns in delta complexes can be determined through high-resolution geophysical surveys and groundtruthed with direct sampling. In the Atchafalaya and Mississippi deltas, remote sensing using High-Resolution Single-Channel Seismic Profiling (HRSP) and Sidescan Sonar was correlated to 20-ft vibracores to develop a near-surface geologic framework that identifies variability in recent sediment distribution patterns. The surveys identified bedload sand waves, abandoned-channel back-fill, prodelta and distributary mouth bars within the most recently active portions of the deltas. These depositional features respond to changes in deltaic processes and through their response may intern or transport absorbed contaminants. Characterizing these features provides insight into the fate of sediment-hosted contaminants.

  12. Spatiotemporal dynamics of LUCC from 2001 to 2010 in Yunnan Province, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Z. J.; Yu, J. S.; Yao, X. L.; Chen, X.; Li, Z. L.

    2016-08-01

    LUCC (Land use and land cover change) is increasingly regarded as an important component of global environmental change and sustainable development. In this study, regional land cover type maps were drawn using the MODIS products from 2001 and 2010 based on the modified classification scheme embodied by the characteristics of land cover in Yunnan. Dynamic change in each type of land cover was investigated by classification statistics, dynamic transfer matrices, and landscape pattern metrics. In addition, the driving factors of LUCC were discussed. The results showed that the land cover types of the Yunnan province, especially woodland (WL), cropland (CL) and grassland (GL), had experienced noticeable changes with an area of about 30% of land during the study period. And there was an obvious vertical distribution pattern for land cover types. The average altitude of different land cover types from the highest to the lowest were unused land (UUT), WL, GL, water (WT), urban and built-up areas (UB) and CL. The average slope for most of the land-cover types did not vary over the past 10 years. Stabilization and homogenization will be the direction of land cover in the future according to landscape metrics analysis. The regional differences of land use structure in the area are strongly influenced by such factors as the geographical position, level of economic development and land use policy. The new policy of land use, Construction of Mountainous Town, would be provided to achieve the economical and intensive utilization of land resources during the rapid development of urbanization and industrialization in Yunnan.

  13. Border Cave and the beginning of the Later Stone Age in South Africa

    PubMed Central

    Villa, Paola; Soriano, Sylvain; Tsanova, Tsenka; Degano, Ilaria; Higham, Thomas F. G.; d’Errico, Francesco; Backwell, Lucinda; Lucejko, Jeannette J.; Colombini, Maria Perla; Beaumont, Peter B.

    2012-01-01

    The transition from the Middle Stone Age (MSA) to the Later Stone Age (LSA) in South Africa was not associated with the appearance of anatomically modern humans and the extinction of Neandertals, as in the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in Western Europe. It has therefore attracted less attention, yet it provides insights into patterns of technological evolution not associated with a new hominin. Data from Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal) show a strong pattern of technological change at approximately 44–42 ka cal BP, marked by adoption of techniques and materials that were present but scarcely used in the previous MSA, and some novelties. The agent of change was neither a revolution nor the advent of a new species of human. Although most evident in personal ornaments and symbolic markings, the change from one way of living to another was not restricted to aesthetics. Our analysis shows that: (i) at Border Cave two assemblages, dated to 45–49 and >49 ka, show a gradual abandonment of the technology and tool types of the post-Howiesons Poort period and can be considered transitional industries; (ii) the 44–42 ka cal BP assemblages are based on an expedient technology dominated by bipolar knapping, with microliths hafted with pitch from Podocarpus bark, worked suid tusks, ostrich eggshell beads, bone arrowheads, engraved bones, bored stones, and digging sticks; (iii) these assemblages mark the beginning of the LSA in South Africa; (iv) the LSA emerged by internal evolution; and (v) the process of change began sometime after 56 ka. PMID:22847432

  14. Editorial: 2nd Special Issue on behavior change, health, and health disparities.

    PubMed

    Higgins, Stephen T

    2015-11-01

    This Special Issue of Preventive Medicine (PM) is the 2nd that we have organized on behavior change, health, and health disparities. This is a topic of fundamental importance to improving population health in the U.S. and other industrialized countries that are trying to more effectively manage chronic health conditions. There is broad scientific consensus that personal behavior patterns such as cigarette smoking, other substance abuse, and physical inactivity/obesity are among the most important modifiable causes of chronic disease and its adverse impacts on population health. As such behavior change needs to be a key component of improving population health. There is also broad agreement that while these problems extend across socioeconomic strata, they are overrepresented among more economically disadvantaged populations and contribute directly to the growing problem of health disparities. Hence, behavior change represents an essential step in curtailing that unsettling problem as well. In this 2nd Special Issue, we devote considerable space to the current U.S. prescription opioid addiction epidemic, a crisis that was not addressed in the prior Special Issue. We also continue to devote attention to the two largest contributors to preventable disease and premature death, cigarette smoking and physical inactivity/obesity as well as risks of co-occurrence of these unhealthy behavior patterns. Across each of these topics we included contributions from highly accomplished policy makers and scientists to acquaint readers with recent accomplishments as well as remaining knowledge gaps and challenges to effectively managing these important chronic health problems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Integration of plume and puff diffusion models/application of CFD

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mori, Akira

    The clinical symptoms of patients and other evidences of a gas poisoning accident inside an industrial building strongly suggested an abrupt influx of engine exhaust from a construction vehicle which was operating outside in the open air. But the obviously high level of gas concentration could not be well explained by any conventional steady-state gas diffusion models. The author used an unsteady-state continuous Puff Model to simulate the time-wise changes in air stream with the pollutant gas being continuously emitted, and successfully reproduced the observed phenomena. The author demonstrates that this diffusion formula can be solved analytically by the use of error function as long as the change in wind velocity is stepwise, and clarifies the accurate differences between the unsteady- and steady-states and their convergence profiles. Also, the relationship between the Puff and Plume Models is discussed. The case study included a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to estimate the steady-state air stream and the gas concentration pattern in the affected area. It is well known that clear definition of the boundary conditions is key to successful CFD analysis. The author describes a two-step use of CFD: the first step to define the boundary conditions and the second to determine the steady-state air stream and the gas concentration pattern.

  16. C, N, and H isotope fractionation of the herbicide isoproturon reflects different microbial transformation pathways.

    PubMed

    Penning, Holger; Sørensen, Sebastian R; Meyer, Armin H; Aamand, Jens; Elsner, Martin

    2010-04-01

    The fate of pesticides in the subsurface is of great interest to the public, industry, and regulatory authorities. Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is a promising tool complementary to existing methods for elucidating pesticide degradation reactions. Here, we address three different initial biotransformation reactions of the phenylurea herbicide isoproturon (3-(4-isopropylphenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea) in pure culture experiments with bacterial and fungal strains. When analyzing isotopic changes in different parts of the isoproturon molecule, hydroxylation of the isopropyl group by fungi was found to be associated with C and H isotope fractionation. In contrast, hydrolysis by Arthrobacter globiformis D47 caused strong C and N isotope fractionation, albeit in a different manner than abiotic hydrolysis so that isotope measurements can distinguish between both modes of transformation. No significant isotope fractionation was observed during N-demethylation by Sphingomonas sp. SRS2. The observed isotope fractionation patterns were in agreement with the type of reactions and elements involved. Moreover, their substantially different nature suggests that isotope changes in natural samples may be uniquely attributed to either pathway, allowing even to distinguish the abiotic versus biotic nature of hydrolysis. Our investigations show how characteristic isotope patterns may significantly add to the present understanding of the environmental fate of pesticides.

  17. Pharmaceutical marketing research and the prescribing physician.

    PubMed

    Greene, Jeremy A

    2007-05-15

    Surveillance of physicians' prescribing patterns and the accumulation and sale of these data for pharmaceutical marketing are currently the subjects of legislation in several states and action by state and national medical associations. Contrary to common perception, the growth of the health care information organization industry has not been limited to the past decade but has been building slowly over the past 50 years, beginning in the 1940s when growth in the prescription drug market fueled industry interest in understanding and influencing prescribing patterns. The development of this surveillance system was not simply imposed on the medical profession by the pharmaceutical industry but was developed through the interactions of pharmaceutical salesmen, pharmaceutical marketers, academic researchers, individual physicians, and physician organizations. Examination of the role of physicians and physician organizations in the development of prescriber profiling is directly relevant to the contemporary policy debate surrounding this issue.

  18. Towards a better understanding of long-term wood-chemistry variations in old-growth forests: A case study on ancient Pinus uncinata trees from the Pyrenees.

    PubMed

    Hevia, Andrea; Sánchez-Salguero, Raúl; Camarero, J Julio; Buras, Allan; Sangüesa-Barreda, Gabriel; Galván, J Diego; Gutiérrez, Emilia

    2018-06-01

    Dendrochemical studies in old forests are still underdeveloped. Old trees growing in remote high-elevation areas far from direct human influence constitute a promising biological proxy for the long-term reconstructions of environmental changes using tree-rings. Furthermore, centennial-long chronologies of multi-elemental chemistry at inter- and intra-annual resolution are scarce. Here, we use a novel non-destructive method by applying Micro X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) to wood samples of old Pinus uncinata trees from two Pyrenean high-elevation forests growing on acidic and basic soils. To disentangle ontogenetic (changes in tree age and diameter) from environmental influences (e.g., climate warming) we compared element patterns in sapwood (SW) and heartwood (HW) during the pre-industrial (1700-1849) and industrial (1850-2008) periods. We quantified tree-ring growth, wood density and relative element concentrations at annual (TRW, tree-ring) to seasonal resolution (EW, earlywood; LW, latewood) and related them to climate variables (temperature and precipitation) and volcanic eruptions in the 18th and 19th centuries. We detected differences for most studied elements between SW and HW along the stem and also between EW and LW within rings. Long-term positive and negative trends were observed for Ca and K, respectively. Cl, P and S showed positive trends during the industrial period. However, differences between sites were also notable. Higher values of Mg, Al, Si and the Ca/Mn ratio were observed at the site with acidic soil. Growing-season temperatures were positively related to growth, maximum wood density and to the concentration of most elements. Peaks in S, Fe, Cl, Zn and Ca were linked to major volcanic eruptions (e.g., Tambora in 1815). Our results reveal the potential of long-term wood-chemistry studies based on the μXRF non-destructive technique to reconstruct environmental changes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Textual analysis of sugar industry influence on the World Health Organization's 2015 sugars intake guideline.

    PubMed

    Stuckler, David; Reeves, Aaron; Loopstra, Rachel; McKee, Martin

    2016-08-01

    To determine whether sugar industry-related organizations influenced textual changes between the draft and final versions of the World Health Organization's (WHO's) 2015 guideline Sugars intake for adults and children. Stakeholder consultation submissions on the draft guideline from seven sugar industry-related and 10 public health organizations were assessed using the Wordscores program. Document scores were rescaled using the Martin-Vanberg transformation to improve comparability. Draft and final guidelines were compared to identify changes influenced by the sugar industry and public health organizations. There was a small shift in transformed Wordscores score between the draft and final guidelines, from 0.25 to 0.24, towards the industry position. The change was linked to increased use of the word "low" to describe the quality of the evidence, consistent with industry arguments. There was also a shift from use of the word "consumption" to "intake", irrespective of policy position. Scores for World Sugar Research Organisation and Sugar Nutrition UK submissions ( 0.11 and 0.18, respectively) represented strong pro-industry positions and scores for European Public Health Alliance and Wemos submissions (1.00 and 0.88, respectively) represented the strongest public health positions. Industry tactics included challenging the quality of the evidence, distinguishing between different types of sugar and advocating harm reduction. There was little change between draft and final versions of the WHO sugars intake guideline 2015, following industry consultation. The main change was linked to emphasizing the low quality of the evidence on sugar's adverse effects. Guideline development appeared relatively resistant to industry influence at the stakeholder consultation stage.

  20. a Web-Based Framework for Visualizing Industrial Spatiotemporal Distribution Using Standard Deviational Ellipse and Shifting Routes of Gravity Centers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Y.; Gui, Z.; Wu, H.; Wei, Y.

    2017-09-01

    Analysing spatiotemporal distribution patterns and its dynamics of different industries can help us learn the macro-level developing trends of those industries, and in turn provides references for industrial spatial planning. However, the analysis process is challenging task which requires an easy-to-understand information presentation mechanism and a powerful computational technology to support the visual analytics of big data on the fly. Due to this reason, this research proposes a web-based framework to enable such a visual analytics requirement. The framework uses standard deviational ellipse (SDE) and shifting route of gravity centers to show the spatial distribution and yearly developing trends of different enterprise types according to their industry categories. The calculation of gravity centers and ellipses is paralleled using Apache Spark to accelerate the processing. In the experiments, we use the enterprise registration dataset in Mainland China from year 1960 to 2015 that contains fine-grain location information (i.e., coordinates of each individual enterprise) to demonstrate the feasibility of this framework. The experiment result shows that the developed visual analytics method is helpful to understand the multi-level patterns and developing trends of different industries in China. Moreover, the proposed framework can be used to analyse any nature and social spatiotemporal point process with large data volume, such as crime and disease.

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