Quantifying patron needs at intermodal facilities.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-07-01

New Jersey has a varied network of commuter rail, light rail, bus, paratransit, county and private : shuttle services. These services meet a range of needs including commuter travel to major : employment centers, local bus service for various trip pu...

Buzzards Bay commuter rail extension feasibility study.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-01-01

At present, the nearest commuter rail service to points in Barnstable County is provided at the outer terminals of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Kingston and Middleborough/Lakeville lines. These are each about 20 miles north o...

Assessing importance and satisfaction with factors in intermodal work commuting.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-03-01

Users of multiple-mode public transportation were compared to users of privately owned vehicle (POV) transportation in work commuting within two different travel corridors of Santa Clara County, California. In the first corridor, high tech companies ...

North suburban commuter-oriented transit opportunities study phase II.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-09-01

At present, the nearest commuter rail service to points in Barnstable County is provided at the outer terminals of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Kingston and Middleborough/Lakeville lines. These are each about 20 miles north o...

Driven to Support: Individual- and County-Level Factors Associated With Public Support for Active Transportation Policies.

PubMed

Cradock, Angie L; Barrett, Jessica L; Chriqui, Jamie F; Evenson, Kelly R; Goins, Karin Valentine; Gustat, Jeanette; Heinrich, Katie M; Perry, Cynthia K; Scanze, Michele; Schmid, Thomas L; Tabak, Rachel G; Umstattd Meyer, M Renee; Valko, Cheryl

2018-03-01

To assess predictors of stated support for policies promoting physically active transportation. Cross-sectional. US counties selected on county-level physical activity and obesity health status. Participants completing random-digit dialed telephone survey (n = 906). Survey measures assessed stated support for 5 policies to promote physically active transportation, access to active transportation facilities, and time spent in a car. County-level estimates included household car dependence and funding for bicycle-pedestrian projects. Multivariable generalized linear mixed models using binary distribution and logit link, accounting for clustering within county. Respondents supported policies for accommodating bicyclists and pedestrians through street improvements (89%), school active transportation programs (75%), employer-funded active commuting incentives (67%), and allocation of public funding (68%) and tax support (56%) for building and maintaining public transit. Residents spending >2 h/d (vs <0.7 hours) in cars were more likely to support street (odds ratio [OR]: 1.87; confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-3.22) and public transit (OR: 1.85; CI: 1.24-2.77) improvements. Residents in counties investing >$1.6 million in bicycle and pedestrian improvements expressed greater support for funding (OR: 1.71; CI: 1.04-2.83) and tax increases (OR: 1.73; CI: 1.08-2.75) for transit improvements compared to those with lower prior investments (<$276 100). Support for policies to enable active transportation is higher where relevant investments in active transportation infrastructure are large (>$1.6 M), public transit is nearby, and respondents drive >2 h/d.

Variations in Obesity Rates between US Counties: Impacts of Activity Access, Food Environments, and Settlement Patterns.

PubMed

Congdon, Peter

2017-09-07

There is much ongoing research about the effect of the urban environment as compared with individual behaviour on growing obesity levels, including food environment, settlement patterns (e.g., sprawl, walkability, commuting patterns), and activity access. This paper considers obesity variations between US counties, and delineates the main dimensions of geographic variation in obesity between counties: by urban-rural status, by region, by area poverty status, and by majority ethnic group. Available measures of activity access, food environment, and settlement patterns are then assessed in terms of how far they can account for geographic variation. A county level regression analysis uses a Bayesian methodology that controls for spatial correlation in unmeasured area risk factors. It is found that environmental measures do play a significant role in explaining geographic contrasts in obesity.

Variations in Obesity Rates between US Counties: Impacts of Activity Access, Food Environments, and Settlement Patterns

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

There is much ongoing research about the effect of the urban environment as compared with individual behaviour on growing obesity levels, including food environment, settlement patterns (e.g., sprawl, walkability, commuting patterns), and activity access. This paper considers obesity variations between US counties, and delineates the main dimensions of geographic variation in obesity between counties: by urban-rural status, by region, by area poverty status, and by majority ethnic group. Available measures of activity access, food environment, and settlement patterns are then assessed in terms of how far they can account for geographic variation. A county level regression analysis uses a Bayesian methodology that controls for spatial correlation in unmeasured area risk factors. It is found that environmental measures do play a significant role in explaining geographic contrasts in obesity. PMID:28880209

Identifying county characteristics associated with resident well-being: A population based study.

PubMed

Roy, Brita; Riley, Carley; Herrin, Jeph; Spatz, Erica S; Arora, Anita; Kell, Kenneth P; Welsh, John; Rula, Elizabeth Y; Krumholz, Harlan M

2018-01-01

Well-being is a positively-framed, holistic assessment of health and quality of life that is associated with longevity and better health outcomes. We aimed to identify county attributes that are independently associated with a comprehensive, multi-dimensional assessment of individual well-being. We performed a cross-sectional study examining associations between 77 pre-specified county attributes and a multi-dimensional assessment of individual US residents' well-being, captured by the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index. Our cohort included 338,846 survey participants, randomly sampled from 3,118 US counties or county equivalents. We identified twelve county-level factors that were independently associated with individual well-being scores. Together, these twelve factors explained 91% of the variance in individual well-being scores, and they represent four conceptually distinct categories: demographic (% black); social and economic (child poverty, education level [

Associations between active commuting and physical activity in working adults: Cross-sectional results from the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study

PubMed Central

Yang, Lin; Panter, Jenna; Griffin, Simon J.; Ogilvie, David

2012-01-01

Objective To quantify the association between time spent in active commuting and in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in a sample of working adults living in both urban and rural locations. Methods In 2009, participants in the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study were sent questionnaires enquiring about sociodemographic characteristics and weekly time spent in active commuting. They were also invited to wear an accelerometer for seven days. Accelerometer data were used to compute the time spent in MVPA. Multiple regression models were used to examine the association between time spent in active commuting and MVPA. Results 475 participants (70% female) provided valid data. On average, participants recorded 55 (SD: 23.02) minutes of MVPA per day. For women, reporting 150 or more minutes of active commuting per week was associated with an estimated 8.50 (95% CI: 1.75 to 51.26, p = 0.01) additional minutes of daily MVPA compared to those who reported no time in active commuting. No overall associations were found in men. Conclusions Promoting active commuting might be an important way of increasing levels of physical activity, particularly in women. Further research should assess whether increases in time spent in active commuting are associated with increases in physical activity. PMID:22964003

Complete Streets and Adult Bicyclist Fatalities: Applying G-Computation to Evaluate an Intervention That Affects the Size of a Population at Risk.

PubMed

Mooney, Stephen J; Magee, Caroline; Dang, Kolena; Leonard, Julie C; Yang, Jingzhen; Rivara, Frederick P; Ebel, Beth E; Rowhani-Rahbar, Ali; Quistberg, D Alex

2018-05-14

"Complete Streets" policies require transportation engineers to make provisions for pedestrians, cyclists and transit users. These policies may make bicycling safer for individual cyclists while increasing overall bicycle fatalities if more individuals cycle due to improved infrastructure. We merged county-level records of Complete Streets policies with Fatality Analysis Reporting System counts of cyclist fatalities occurring between January 2000 and December 2015. Because comprehensive county cycling estimates were not available, we used bicycle commute estimates from the American Community Survey and US Census as a proxy for the cycling population, and limited analysis to 183 counties (accounting for over half the US population) for which cycle commute estimates were consistently non-zero. We used G-computation to estimate the effect of policies on overall cyclist fatalities while also accounting for potential policy effects on the size of the cycling population. Over 16 years, 5,254 cyclists died in these counties, representing 34 fatalities per 100,000 cyclist-years. We estimated that Complete Streets policies made cycling safer, averting 0.6 fatalities per 100,000 cyclist-years (95% CI: 0.3, 1.0) by encouraging a 2.4% increase in cycling and a 0.7% increase in cyclist fatalities. G-computation is a useful tool for understanding policy impact on risk and exposure.

Evaluation of transit signal priority strategies for bus rapid transit project on 3500 South Street in Salt Lake County, UT.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-07-01

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is becoming one of the most popular transit services in the United States. BRT is a viable option for many cities and can offer commuters travel times comparable to those experienced in private cars. With about 100 miles of BR...

76 FR 53045 - Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment of Monmouth, NJ, as a Nonappropriated Fund Federal Wage...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-25

... contains regulatory documents #0;having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed #0... facilities activity in each county; Transportation facilities and commuting patterns; and Similarities of the... employees. The transportation facilities and commuting patterns criteria do not favor one wage area more...

Analysis of Subway Interior Noise at Peak Commuter Time.

PubMed

Lee, Donguk; Kim, Gibbeum; Han, Woojae

2017-07-01

Although mass transit systems are convenient and efficient for urban people, little attention has been paid to the potential hearing hazard from their noise. The purpose of the current study was to measure and analyze levels of subway interior noise at peak commuter times and to provide information about commuters' daily dose of noise exposure. To measure the subway interior noise, nine subway lines inside Seoul (i.e., lines 1-9) and six lines surrounding the capital city area (i.e., Central, Bundang, Sinbundang, Incheon, Gyeongui, and Gyeongchun) were chosen. The noise was measured and recorded by a sound level meter for two-hour periods in the morning and evening. 1) In the LZeq analysis, the average noise level of all 15 lines was 72.78 dB; the maximum and minimum noise levels were 78.34 and 62.46 dB, respectively. The average noise level of the nine lines inside Seoul was 73.45 dB, which was 1.68-dB louder than that of the six lines surrounding the capital city area. 2) Based on the LZeq analysis of 33 measured frequencies, 12.5 Hz was the highest frequency and 20,000 Hz was the lowest. 3) There was no remarkable difference in the level of subway interior noise between morning and evening peak commuter times. We concluded that the level of subway interior noise was not loud enough for commuters to incur noise-induced hearing loss. Regardless, environmental noise control efforts in the subway system might be needed for commuters who take a subway every day.

[Family factors influence active commuting to school in Spanish children].

PubMed

Rodríguez-López, Carlos; Villa-González, Emilio; Pérez-López, Isaac J; Delgado-Fernández, Manuel; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Chillón, Palma

2013-01-01

Active commuting to school is associated to higher levels of physical activity among children. Family factors may influence on this behaviour. The objective was to analyze the association between parents' occupational activity and parents' mode of commuting to work with the mode of commuting of their children. A total of 721 families from 4 primary schools in the province of Granada participated in this study. Families reported a questionnaire about mode of commuting of their children, parents' occupational activity and mode of commuting to work, distance and travel time to school. Associations between family's occupational activity and mode of commuting to work with mode of commuting to school of their children were examined using binary logistic regression analysis adjusting for age and children's distance to school. Children whose parents did not work used to engage in higher levels of active commuting to school than those whose parents worked (p = 0,023; OR: 2,67; 95% CI: 1,14-6,23). Children whose parents used to commute actively to work used to engage in higher levels of active commuting to school than those whose parents both used passive modes of commuting to work (p = 0,014; OR: 6,30; 95% CI: 1,45-27,26). Family factors are related to mode of commuting to school in children: Unemployed families and employed families where parent are active commuters to work are more used to have children that commuted to school using active modes. Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

77 FR 32024 - Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; State of Arizona; Pinal County; PM10

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-31

... Peak areas. The effect of this action is to establish and delineate a new PM 10 nonattainment area... and Commuting Patterns Comment: Several commenters believe that EPA's inclusion in the proposed... boundary. For the final nonattainment area boundaries, we reduced emphasis on the growth and commuting...

78 FR 37118 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-20

...; b. expanding coverage of oxygenated fuels to include counties where a strong commuting pattern into... gas and electric vehicles; and, d. employee commute options programs. NC DENR committed to implement... received by March 25, 2013, the rule would be withdrawn and not take effect, but that the proposed rule...

Associations between active commuting and physical and mental wellbeing.

PubMed

Humphreys, David K; Goodman, Anna; Ogilvie, David

2013-08-01

To examine whether a relationship exists between active commuting and physical and mental wellbeing. In 2009, cross-sectional postal questionnaire data were collected from a sample of working adults (aged 16 and over) in the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study. Travel behaviour and physical activity were ascertained using the Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire (RPAQ) and a seven-day travel-to-work recall instrument from which weekly time spent in active commuting (walking and cycling) was derived. Physical and mental wellbeing were assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form survey (SF-8). Associations were tested using multivariable linear regression. An association was observed between physical wellbeing (PCS-8) score and time spent in active commuting after adjustment for other physical activity (adjusted regression coefficients 0.48, 0.79 and 1.21 for 30-149 min/week, 150-224 min/week and ≥ 225 min/week respectively versus < 30 min/week, p=0.01 for trend; n=989). No such relationship was found for mental wellbeing (MCS-8) (p=0.52). Greater time spent actively commuting is associated with higher levels of physical wellbeing. Longitudinal studies should examine the contribution of changing levels of active commuting and other forms of physical activity to overall health and wellbeing. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Associations between active commuting and physical and mental wellbeing☆

PubMed Central

Humphreys, David K.; Goodman, Anna; Ogilvie, David

2013-01-01

Objective To examine whether a relationship exists between active commuting and physical and mental wellbeing. Method In 2009, cross-sectional postal questionnaire data were collected from a sample of working adults (aged 16 and over) in the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study. Travel behaviour and physical activity were ascertained using the Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire (RPAQ) and a seven-day travel-to-work recall instrument from which weekly time spent in active commuting (walking and cycling) was derived. Physical and mental wellbeing were assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form survey (SF-8). Associations were tested using multivariable linear regression. Results An association was observed between physical wellbeing (PCS-8) score and time spent in active commuting after adjustment for other physical activity (adjusted regression coefficients 0.48, 0.79 and 1.21 for 30–149 min/week, 150–224 min/week and ≥ 225 min/week respectively versus < 30 min/week, p = 0.01 for trend; n = 989). No such relationship was found for mental wellbeing (MCS-8) (p = 0.52). Conclusion Greater time spent actively commuting is associated with higher levels of physical wellbeing. Longitudinal studies should examine the contribution of changing levels of active commuting and other forms of physical activity to overall health and wellbeing. PMID:23618913

The physical environment and health-enhancing activity during the school commute: global positioning system, geographical information systems and accelerometry.

PubMed

McMinn, David; Oreskovic, Nicolas M; Aitkenhead, Matt J; Johnston, Derek W; Murtagh, Shemane; Rowe, David A

2014-05-01

Active school travel is in decline. An understanding of the potential determinants of health-enhancing physical activity during the school commute may help to inform interventions aimed at reversing these trends. The purpose of this study was to identify the physical environmental factors associated with health-enhancing physical activity during the school commute. Data were collected in 2009 on 166 children commuting home from school in Scotland. Data on location and physical activity were measured using global positioning systems (GPS) and accelerometers, and mapped using geographical information systems (GIS). Multi-level logistic regression models accounting for repeated observations within participants were used to test for associations between each land-use category (road/track/path, other man-made, greenspace, other natural) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Thirty-nine children provided 2,782 matched data points. Over one third (37.1%) of children's school commute time was spent in MVPA. Children commuted approximately equal amounts of time via natural and man-made land-uses (50.2% and 49.8% respectively). Commuting via road/track/path was associated with increased likelihood of MVPA (Exp(B)=1.23, P <0.05), but this association was not seen for commuting via other manmade land-uses. No association was noted between greenspace use and MVPA, but travelling via other natural land-uses was associated with lower odds of MVPA (Exp(B)=0.32, P <0.05). Children spend equal amounts of time commuting to school via man-made and natural land-uses, yet man-made transportation route infrastructure appears to provide greater opportunities for achieving health-enhancing physical activity levels.

Study of aircraft in intraurban transportation systems, San Francisco Bay area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The nine-county San Francisco Bay area is examined in two time periods (1975-1980 and 1985-1990) as a scenario for analyzing the characteristics of an intraurban, commuter-oriented aircraft transportation system. Aircraft have dominated the long-haul passenger market for some time, but efforts to penetrate the very-short-haul intraurban market have met with only token success. Yet, the characteristics of an aircraft transportation system, speed and flexibility, are very much needed to solve the transportation ills of our major urban areas. The aircraft intraurban system is a technically feasible alternative to ground transportation systems. Although requiring some subsidy, it becomes socially viable where substantial commuter traffic exists at ranges of 10 to 15 mi or more and where topographic features constrain ground travel. The general problem areas of community noise, air traffic congestion, ground transportation interface, pollution, and safety appear to have workable solutions.

Optimum bus system and water transportation study : staff report to the Board of Directors of Marin County Transit District

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1969-08-01

Describes an optimum bus system replacing existing Greyhound service and designed primarily for the purpose of meeting commuter travel demands in the San Francisco-Marin corridor as well as intra-county travel, and mid-day and weekend trips between M...

Polycentrism, commuting, and residential location in the San Francisco Bay area.

PubMed

Cervero, R; Wu K--

1997-05-01

"The San Francisco Bay Area has taken on a distinct polycentric metropolitan form, with three tiers of hierarchical employment centers encircling downtown San Francisco.... In this paper it is found that polycentric development is associated with differentials in suburban and urban commute trip times: commute trips made by employees of suburban centers are shorter in duration than commute trips made by their counterparts in larger and denser urban centers. Differentials were even greater, however, with respect to commuting modal splits. Lower density, outlying employment centers averaged far higher rates of drive-alone automobile commuting and insignificant levels of transit commuting....The effects of housing availability and prices on the residential locational choices of those working both in urban and in suburban employment centers are also investigated...." excerpt

Active travel to work in NSW: trends over time and the effect of social advantage.

PubMed

Zander, Alexis; Rissel, Chris; Rogers, Kris; Bauman, Adrian

2014-12-01

Active travel can increase population levels of physical activity, but should be promoted equitably. Socio-economic advantage, housing location and/or car ownership influence walking and cycling (active travel) for transport. We examined active commuting over time in the Sydney Greater Metropolitan Region, and associations between active commuting and socioeconomic advantage, urban/rural location and car ownership at a Local Government Area (LGA) level across New South Wales (NSW). Journey to work data from the 2001, 2006 and 2011 Australian Census were examined. Associations between levels of active commuting in each LGA in NSW and the Socio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA), Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) and car ownership were examined using negative binomial regression modelling. Between 2001 and 2011, active commuting increased in inner Sydney (relative increase of 24%), decreased slightly in outer Sydney (declined 5.1%) and declined in the Greater Metropolitan Region (down 15%). Overall, active commuting increased slightly (6.8% relative increase). After adjusting for the LGA age and sex profile and all other LGA variables, people living in NSW LGAs with high socioeconomic status, more rural areas and low car ownership were more likely to cycle or walk to work. More needs to be done in NSW to increase levels of active commuting consistently across regions and socio-demographic groups. SO WHAT?: Despite small increases in active travel in the Sydney region, active travel patterns are not evenly distributed across locations or populations.

Features of a Health-Oriented Education Program during Daily Commutes: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Ramezankhani, Ali; Heydarabadi, Akbar Babaei; Ghaffari, Mohtasham; Mehrabi, Yadollah; Kazemi, Sadegh

2016-06-01

Today, despite scientific advances, many people spend more time and distance between home and their workplaces because of various economic and population reasons. The aim of this study was to identify features of an appropriate health education program during commutes for factory staff at Ardakan county (Yazd province, Iran). This qualitative study was conducted via the phenomenological method in 2014. The population of this study was members of the staff of Ardakan Steel Company. Nineteen specialists and 11 members of the factory's staff were invited to participate in the study, and data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The interviews took 20 to 40 minutes, and their content was analyzed using content analysis. Extraction of codes and themes and their placement in this study showed that an educational program during commutes should have nine features to have the desired effectiveness, i.e., the program must be audience-oriented, repeatable, participatory, technology-based, combinational, supportive, and motivational and interesting. Also, the program should have environmental and organizational support, and it must be evaluated for its effectiveness. Considering appropriate features of a health education program in educational situations, especially interventions related to daily commutes, is very important because the effectiveness of such health-oriented educational programs must be ensured.

A Comparison of Black and White University Student Commuters. Research Report #2-75.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sedlacek, William E.; And Others

Mail questionnaires sent to 200 commuters (100 white and 100 black) indicated a number of differences and similarities between the two groups, using chi square and t at the .05 level. The black commuter, as compared to the white, tended to be an older married female traveling further and spending more time and money to get to campus, and receiving…

Analysis of Subway Interior Noise at Peak Commuter Time

PubMed Central

Lee, Donguk; Kim, Gibbeum; Han, Woojae

2017-01-01

Background and Objectives Although mass transit systems are convenient and efficient for urban people, little attention has been paid to the potential hearing hazard from their noise. The purpose of the current study was to measure and analyze levels of subway interior noise at peak commuter times and to provide information about commuters’ daily dose of noise exposure. Materials and Methods To measure the subway interior noise, nine subway lines inside Seoul (i.e., lines 1-9) and six lines surrounding the capital city area (i.e., Central, Bundang, Sinbundang, Incheon, Gyeongui, and Gyeongchun) were chosen. The noise was measured and recorded by a sound level meter for two-hour periods in the morning and evening. Results 1) In the LZeq analysis, the average noise level of all 15 lines was 72.78 dB; the maximum and minimum noise levels were 78.34 and 62.46 dB, respectively. The average noise level of the nine lines inside Seoul was 73.45 dB, which was 1.68-dB louder than that of the six lines surrounding the capital city area. 2) Based on the LZeq analysis of 33 measured frequencies, 12.5 Hz was the highest frequency and 20,000 Hz was the lowest. 3) There was no remarkable difference in the level of subway interior noise between morning and evening peak commuter times. Conclusions We concluded that the level of subway interior noise was not loud enough for commuters to incur noise-induced hearing loss. Regardless, environmental noise control efforts in the subway system might be needed for commuters who take a subway every day. PMID:28704890

Sport facility proximity and physical activity: Results from the Study of Community Sports in China.

PubMed

Guo, Xiujin; Dai, Jian; Xun, Pengcheng; Jamieson, Lynn M; He, Ka

2015-01-01

Increased sport facility proximity is associated with higher likelihood of meeting physical activity (PA) recommendations in western studies, but it is uncertain whether the findings can be generalized to the Chinese population. From September 2012 to December 2012, 3926 participants drawn from China using a multi-stage sampling strategy were invited to participate in the Study of Community Sports in China. Participants' demographics, commuting time to the nearest sport facility and PA levels were assessed. Among 3926 participants included (51.2% female) in the final analysis, 878 (22.4%) of them met the PA recommendation. Participants who spent ≥30 minutes in commuting time had 80% odds [odds ratio (OR): 0.80 (95% CI: 0.65-0.98)] of meeting the PA recommendation compared to those who spent less than 10 minutes. For every 10-minute increment in commuting time, the odds reduced by 6% [OR = 0.94 (0.88-0.99)]. The observed associations were not appreciably modified by age, gender or education level. In this cross-sectional community-based study, we found that residents in China were less likely to meet the PA recommendation if they needed more commuting time to the nearest sport facility. Increasing sport facility proximity may be effective in improving the PA levels in the Chinese population.

Increasing physical activity, but persisting social gaps among middle-aged people: trends in Northern Sweden from 1990 to 2007.

PubMed

Ng, Nawi; Söderman, Kerstin; Norberg, Margareta; Öhman, Ann

2011-01-01

Physical activity is identified as one important protective factor for chronic diseases. Physical activity surveillance is important in assessing healthy population behaviour over time. Many countries lack population trends on physical activity. To present trends in physical activity levels in Västerbotten County, Sweden and to evaluate physical activity among women and men with various educational levels. Population-based cross-sectional and panel data from the Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) during 1990-2007 were used. All individuals in Västerbotten County who turned 40, 50, or 60 years old were invited to their local primary health care for a health screening. Physical activity during commuting, recreational activities, physical exercise, and socio-demographic data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Respondents were categorised as sedentary, moderate physically active, or physically active. The prevalences of physically active behaviours increased from 16 to 24.2% among men and from 12.6 to 30.4% among women. Increases are observed in all educational groups, but gaps between educational groups widened recently. The level of sedentary behaviour was stable over the time period studied. The 10-year follow-up data show that the prevalences of physically active behaviours increased from 15.8 to 21.4% among men and 12.7 to 23.3% among women. However, 10.2% of men and 3.8% of women remained sedentary. Despite the promising evidence of increasing physical activity levels among the population in Västerbotten County, challenges remain for how to reduce the stable levels of sedentary behaviours in some subgroups. Persisting social gaps in physical activity levels should be addressed further. An exploration of people's views on engaging in physical activity and barriers to doing so will allow better formulation of targeted interventions within this population. Global Health Action 2011. © 2011 N. Ng et al.

Physical activity in the older adults related to commuting and leisure, Maceió, Brazil

PubMed Central

Mourão, Ana Raquel de Carvalho; Novais, Francini Vilela; Andreoni, Solange; Ramos, Luiz Roberto

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the level of physical activity of older adults by commuting and leisure time and associated factors. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study carried out with a population-based sample of 319 older individuals in Maceió, AL, Northeastern Brazil, in 2009. The level of physical activity in leisure and commuting was measured by applying the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, long version. The variables analyzed were: age, schooling, sex, per capita income and perceived health. We used descriptive analysis, Fisher's exact test and multiple regression analysis of prevalence rates. RESULTS We classified 87.5% as insufficiently active in commuting, being significantly higher among those individuals with older ages, with more education and who feel dissatisfied with their physical health. The prevalence of older people who are insufficiently active in leisure time activity was 76.2%, being more frequent in women, in men with advanced age; older adults with lower per capita income, and dissatisfaction with comparative physical health and self-perceived mental health. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of insufficiently active was high in commuting and leisure time activities. Factors such as age, gender and income should be considered, especially with regards leisure, in order to ensure fairness in the development of policies to promote health and physical activity in this population. PMID:24626549

[Physical activity in the older adults related to commuting and leisure, Maceió, Brazil].

PubMed

Mourão, Ana Raquel de Carvalho; Novais, Francini Vilela; Andreoni, Solange; Ramos, Luiz Roberto

2013-12-01

To evaluate the level of physical activity of older adults by commuting and leisure time and associated factors. This was a cross-sectional study carried out with a population-based sample of 319 older individuals in Maceió, AL, Northeastern Brazil, in 2009. The level of physical activity in leisure and commuting was measured by applying the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, long version. The variables analyzed were: age, schooling, sex, per capita income and perceived health. We used descriptive analysis, Fisher's exact test and multiple regression analysis of prevalence rates. We classified 87.5% as insufficiently active in commuting, being significantly higher among those individuals with older ages, with more education and who feel dissatisfied with their physical health. The prevalence of older people who are insufficiently active in leisure time activity was 76.2%, being more frequent in women, in men with advanced age; older adults with lower per capita income, and dissatisfaction with comparative physical health and self-perceived mental health. The prevalence of insufficiently active was high in commuting and leisure time activities. Factors such as age, gender and income should be considered, especially with regards leisure, in order to ensure fairness in the development of policies to promote health and physical activity in this population.

Exposure to traffic pollution, acute inflammation and autonomic response in a panel of car commuters.

PubMed

Sarnat, Jeremy A; Golan, Rachel; Greenwald, Roby; Raysoni, Amit U; Kewada, Priya; Winquist, Andrea; Sarnat, Stefanie E; Dana Flanders, W; Mirabelli, Maria C; Zora, Jennifer E; Bergin, Michael H; Yip, Fuyuen

2014-08-01

Exposure to traffic pollution has been linked to numerous adverse health endpoints. Despite this, limited data examining traffic exposures during realistic commutes and acute response exists. We conducted the Atlanta Commuters Exposures (ACE-1) Study, an extensive panel-based exposure and health study, to measure chemically-resolved in-vehicle exposures and corresponding changes in acute oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, pulmonary and systemic inflammation and autonomic response. We recruited 42 adults (21 with and 21 without asthma) to conduct two 2-h scripted highway commutes during morning rush hour in the metropolitan Atlanta area. A suite of in-vehicle particulate components were measured in the subjects' private vehicles. Biomarker measurements were conducted before, during, and immediately after the commutes and in 3 hourly intervals after commutes. At measurement time points within 3h after the commute, we observed mild to pronounced elevations relative to baseline in exhaled nitric oxide, C-reactive-protein, and exhaled malondialdehyde, indicative of pulmonary and systemic inflammation and oxidative stress initiation, as well as decreases relative to baseline levels in the time-domain heart-rate variability parameters, SDNN and rMSSD, indicative of autonomic dysfunction. We did not observe any detectable changes in lung function measurements (FEV1, FVC), the frequency-domain heart-rate variability parameter or other systemic biomarkers of vascular injury. Water soluble organic carbon was associated with changes in eNO at all post-commute time-points (p<0.0001). Our results point to measureable changes in pulmonary and autonomic biomarkers following a scripted 2-h highway commute. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exposure to traffic pollution, acute inflammation and autonomic response in a panel of car commuters

PubMed Central

Sarnat, Jeremy A.; Golan, Rachel; Greenwald, Roby; Raysoni, Amit U.; Kewada, Priya; Winquist, Andrea; Sarnat, Stefanie E.; Flanders, W. Dana; Mirabelli, Maria C.; Zora, Jennifer E.; Bergin, Michael H.; Yip, Fuyuen

2015-01-01

Background Exposure to traffic pollution has been linked to numerous adverse health endpoints. Despite this, limited data examining traffic exposures during realistic commutes and acute response exists. Objectives: We conducted the Atlanta Commuters Exposures (ACE-1) Study, an extensive panel-based exposure and health study, to measure chemically-resolved in-vehicle exposures and corresponding changes in acute oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, pulmonary and systemic inflammation and autonomic response. Methods We recruited 42 adults (21 with and 21 without asthma) to conduct two 2-h scripted highway commutes during morning rush hour in the metropolitan Atlanta area. A suite of in-vehicle particulate components were measured in the subjects’ private vehicles. Biomarker measurements were conducted before, during, and immediately after the commutes and in 3 hourly intervals after commutes. Results At measurement time points within 3 h after the commute, we observed mild to pronounced elevations relative to baseline in exhaled nitric oxide, C-reactive-protein, and exhaled malondialdehyde, indicative of pulmonary and systemic inflammation and oxidative stress initiation, as well as decreases relative to baseline levels in the time-domain heart-rate variability parameters, SDNN and rMSSD, indicative of autonomic dysfunction. We did not observe any detectable changes in lung function measurements (FEV1, FVC), the frequency-domain heart-rate variability parameter or other systemic biomarkers of vascular injury. Water soluble organic carbon was associated with changes in eNO at all post-commute time-points (p < 0.0001). Conclusions Our results point to measureable changes in pulmonary and autonomic biomarkers following a scripted 2-h highway commute. PMID:24906070

The effect of commuting microenvironment on commuter exposures to vehicular emission in Hong Kong

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, L. Y.; Chan, C. Y.; Qin, Y.

Vehicular exhaust emission has gradually become the major air pollution source in modern cities and traffic related exposure is found to contribute significantly to total human exposure level. A comprehensive survey was conducted from November 1995 to July 1996 in Hong Kong to assess the effect of traffic-induced air pollution inside different commuting microenvironments on commuter exposure. Microenvironmental monitoring is performed for six major public commuting modes (bus, light bus, MTR, railway, tram, ferry), plus private car and roadside pavement. Traffic-related pollutants, CO, NO x, THC and O 3 were selected as the target pollutants. The results indicate that commuter exposure is highly influenced by the choice of commuting microenvironment. In general, the exposure level in decreasing order of measured pollutant level for respective commuting microenvironments are: private car, the group consisting light bus, bus, tram and pavement, MTR and train, and finally ferry. In private car, the CO level is several times higher than that in the other microenvironments with a trip averaged of 10.1 ppm and a maximum of 24.9 ppm. Factors such as the body position of the vehicle, intake point of the ventilation system, fuel used, ventilation, transport mode, road and driving conditions were used in the analysis. Inter-microenvironment, intra-microenvironment and temporal variation of CO concentrations were used as the major indicator. The low body position and low intake point of the ventilation system of the private car are believed to be the cause of higher intake of exhaust of other vehicles and thus result in high pollution level in this microenvironment. Compared with other metropolis around the world and the Hong Kong Air Quality Objectives (HKAQO), exposure levels of commuter to traffic-related air pollution in Hong Kong are relatively low for most pollutants measured. Only several cases of exceedence of HKAQO by NO 2 were recorded. The strong prevailing wind plus the channeling effect created by the harbor, the fuel used, the relative abundance of new cars and the successful implementation of the vehicle emission control program are factors that compensate the effect of the emission source strength and thus lead to low exposure levels.

The contribution of travel-related urban zones, cycling and pedestrian networks and green space to commuting physical activity among adults - a cross-sectional population-based study using geographical information systems.

PubMed

Mäki-Opas, Tomi E; Borodulin, Katja; Valkeinen, Heli; Stenholm, Sari; Kunst, Anton E; Abel, Thomas; Härkänen, Tommi; Kopperoinen, Leena; Itkonen, Pekka; Prättälä, Ritva; Karvonen, Sakari; Koskinen, Seppo

2016-08-11

The current political agenda aims to promote active environments and physical activity while commuting to work, but research on it has provided mixed results. This study examines whether the proximity of green space and people's residence in different travel-related urban zones contributes to commuting physical activity. Population-based cross-sectional health examination survey, Health 2011 study, and geographical information system (GIS) data were utilized. The GIS data on green space and travel-related urban zones were linked to the individuals of the Health 2011 study, based on their home geocoordinates. Commuting physical activity was self-reported. Logistic regression models were applied, and age, gender, education, leisure-time and occupational physical activity were adjusted. Analyses were limited to those of working age, living in the core-urban areas of Finland and having completed information on commuting physical activity (n = 2 098). Home location in a pedestrian zone of a main centre (odds ratio = 1.63; 95 % confidence interval = 1.06-2.51) or a pedestrian zone of a sub-centre (2.03; 1.09-3.80) and higher proportion of cycling and pedestrian networks (3.28; 1.71-6.31) contributed to higher levels of commuting physical activity. The contribution remained after adjusting for all the environmental attributes and individuals. Based on interaction analyses, women living in a public transport zone were almost two times more likely to be physically active while commuting compared to men. A high proportion of recreational green space contributed negatively to the levels of commuting physical activity (0.73; 0.57-0.94) after adjusting for several background factors. Based on interaction analyses, individuals aged from 44 to 54 years and living in sub-centres, men living in pedestrian zones of sub-centres, and those individuals who are physically inactive during leisure-time were less likely to be physically active while commuting. Good pedestrian and cycling infrastructure may play an important role in promoting commuting physical activity among the employed population, regardless of educational background, leisure-time and occupational physical activity. Close proximity to green space and a high proportion of green space near the home may not be sufficient to initiate commuting physical activity in Finland, where homes surrounded by green areas are often situated in car-oriented zones far from work places.

Effect of Commuter Time on Emergency Medicine Residents.

PubMed

Sampson, Christopher; Borenstein, Marc

2018-01-12

Background The impact of resident work hours on resident well-being and patient safety has long been a controversial issue. Objectives What has not been considered in resident work hour limitations is whether resident commuting time has any impact on a resident's total work hours or well-being. Methods A self-administered electronic survey was distributed to emergency medicine residents in 2016. Results The survey response was 8% (569/6828). Commuter time was 30 minutes or less in 70%. Two residents reported a commuter time of 76 to 90 minutes and one resident had a commuter time of 91 to 105 minutes. None reported commuter times greater than 105 minutes. Of most concern was that 29.3% of the residents reported falling asleep while driving their car home from work. We found 12% of respondents reporting being involved in a car collision while commuting. For residents with commute times greater than one hour, 66% reported they had fallen asleep while driving. When asked their opinion on the effect of commute time, those with commute times greater than one hour (75% of residents) responded that it was detrimental. Conclusions While the majority of emergency medicine residents in this survey have commuter times of 30 minutes or less, there is a small population of residents with commuter times of 76 to 105 minutes. At times, residents whose commute is up to 105 minutes each way could be traveling a total of more than 3.5 hours for each round trip. Given that these residents often work 12-hour shifts, these extended commuter times may be having detrimental effects on their health and well-being.

Effect of Commuter Time on Emergency Medicine Residents

PubMed Central

Borenstein, Marc

2018-01-01

Background The impact of resident work hours on resident well-being and patient safety has long been a controversial issue. Objectives What has not been considered in resident work hour limitations is whether resident commuting time has any impact on a resident's total work hours or well-being. Methods A self-administered electronic survey was distributed to emergency medicine residents in 2016. Results The survey response was 8% (569/6828). Commuter time was 30 minutes or less in 70%. Two residents reported a commuter time of 76 to 90 minutes and one resident had a commuter time of 91 to 105 minutes. None reported commuter times greater than 105 minutes. Of most concern was that 29.3% of the residents reported falling asleep while driving their car home from work. We found 12% of respondents reporting being involved in a car collision while commuting. For residents with commute times greater than one hour, 66% reported they had fallen asleep while driving. When asked their opinion on the effect of commute time, those with commute times greater than one hour (75% of residents) responded that it was detrimental. Conclusions While the majority of emergency medicine residents in this survey have commuter times of 30 minutes or less, there is a small population of residents with commuter times of 76 to 105 minutes. At times, residents whose commute is up to 105 minutes each way could be traveling a total of more than 3.5 hours for each round trip. Given that these residents often work 12-hour shifts, these extended commuter times may be having detrimental effects on their health and well-being. PMID:29545979

Individual, employment and psychosocial factors influencing walking to work: Implications for intervention design

PubMed Central

Esliger, Dale W.; Taylor, Ian M.; Sherar, Lauren B.

2017-01-01

Background Promoting walking for the journey to and from work (commuter walking) is a potential strategy for increasing physical activity. Understanding the factors influencing commuter walking is important for identifying target groups and designing effective interventions. This study aimed to examine individual, employment-related and psychosocial factors associated with commuter walking and to discuss the implications for targeting and future design of interventions. Methods 1,544 employees completed a baseline survey as part of the ‘Walking Works’ intervention project (33.4% male; 36.3% aged <30 years). Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the associations of individual (age, ethnic group, educational qualifications, number of children <16 and car ownership), employment-related (distance lived from work, free car parking at work, working hours, working pattern and occupation) and psychosocial factors (perceived behavioural control, intention, social norms and social support from work colleagues) with commuter walking. Results Almost half of respondents (n = 587, 49%) were classified as commuter walkers. Those who were aged <30 years, did not have a car, had no free car parking at work, were confident of including some walking or intended to walk to or from work on a regular basis, and had support from colleagues for walking were more likely to be commuter walkers. Those who perceived they lived too far away from work to walk, thought walking was less convenient than using a car for commuting, did not have time to walk, needed a car for work or had always travelled the same way were less likely to be commuter walkers. Conclusions A number of individual, employment-related and psychosocial factors were associated with commuter walking. Target groups for interventions to promote walking to and from work may include those in older age groups and those who own or have access to a car. Multi-level interventions targeting individual level behaviour change, social support within the workplace and organisational level travel policies may be required in order to promote commuter walking. PMID:28182714

Individual, employment and psychosocial factors influencing walking to work: Implications for intervention design.

PubMed

Adams, Emma J; Esliger, Dale W; Taylor, Ian M; Sherar, Lauren B

2017-01-01

Promoting walking for the journey to and from work (commuter walking) is a potential strategy for increasing physical activity. Understanding the factors influencing commuter walking is important for identifying target groups and designing effective interventions. This study aimed to examine individual, employment-related and psychosocial factors associated with commuter walking and to discuss the implications for targeting and future design of interventions. 1,544 employees completed a baseline survey as part of the 'Walking Works' intervention project (33.4% male; 36.3% aged <30 years). Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the associations of individual (age, ethnic group, educational qualifications, number of children <16 and car ownership), employment-related (distance lived from work, free car parking at work, working hours, working pattern and occupation) and psychosocial factors (perceived behavioural control, intention, social norms and social support from work colleagues) with commuter walking. Almost half of respondents (n = 587, 49%) were classified as commuter walkers. Those who were aged <30 years, did not have a car, had no free car parking at work, were confident of including some walking or intended to walk to or from work on a regular basis, and had support from colleagues for walking were more likely to be commuter walkers. Those who perceived they lived too far away from work to walk, thought walking was less convenient than using a car for commuting, did not have time to walk, needed a car for work or had always travelled the same way were less likely to be commuter walkers. A number of individual, employment-related and psychosocial factors were associated with commuter walking. Target groups for interventions to promote walking to and from work may include those in older age groups and those who own or have access to a car. Multi-level interventions targeting individual level behaviour change, social support within the workplace and organisational level travel policies may be required in order to promote commuter walking.

Timing and Impact of Hearing Healthcare in Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients: A Rural-Urban Comparison

PubMed Central

Hixon, Brian; Chan, Stephen; Adkins, Margaret; Shinn, Jennifer B.; Bush, Matthew L.

2016-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study is to compare the timing and impact of hearing healthcare of rural and urban adults with severe hearing loss who use cochlear implants (CI). Study Design Cross-sectional questionnaire study Setting Tertiary referral center Patients Adult cochlear implant recipients. Main Outcome Measures Data collected included county of residence, socioeconomic information, impact of hearing loss on education/employment, and timing of hearing loss treatment. The benefits obtained from cochlear implantation were also evaluated. Results There were 91 participants (32 from urban counties, 26 from moderately rural counties, and 33 for extremely rural counties). Rural participants have a longer commute time to the CI center (p<0.001), lower income (p<0.001) and higher percentage of Medicaid coverage (p=0.004). Compared with urban-metro participants, rural participants with gradually progressive hearing loss had a greater time interval from the onset of hearing loss to obtaining hearing aid amplification (10 years versus 5 years, p=0.04). There was also a greater time interval from onset of hearing loss to the time of cochlear implantation in rural participants (p=0.04). Reported job loss was higher in rural participants than in urban participants (p=0.05). Both groups reported comparable benefit from cochlear implantation. Conclusions Rural CI recipients differ from urban residents in socioeconomic characteristics and may be delayed in timely treatment of hearing loss. Further efforts to expand access to hearing healthcare services may benefit rural adult patients. PMID:27636389

Timing and Impact of Hearing Healthcare in Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients: A Rural-Urban Comparison.

PubMed

Hixon, Brian; Chan, Stephen; Adkins, Margaret; Shinn, Jennifer B; Bush, Matthew L

2016-10-01

The purpose of this study is to compare the timing and impact of hearing healthcare of rural and urban adults with severe hearing loss who use cochlear implants (CI). Cross-sectional questionnaire study. Tertiary referral center. Adult cochlear implant recipients. Data collected included county of residence, socioeconomic information, impact of hearing loss on education/employment, and timing of hearing loss treatment. The benefits obtained from cochlear implantation were also evaluated. There were 91 participants (32 from urban counties, 26 from moderately rural counties, and 33 for extremely rural counties). Rural participants have a longer commute time to the CI center (p < 0.001), lower income (p < 0.001), and higher percentage of Medicaid coverage (p = 0.004). Compared with urban-metro participants, rural participants with gradually progressive hearing loss had a greater time interval from the onset of hearing loss to obtaining hearing aid amplification (10 yr versus 5 yr, p = 0.04). There was also a greater time interval from onset of hearing loss to the time of cochlear implantation in rural participants (p = 0.04). Reported job loss was higher in rural participants than in urban participants (p = 0.05). Both groups reported comparable benefit from cochlear implantation. Rural CI recipients differ from urban residents in socioeconomic characteristics and may be delayed in timely treatment of hearing loss. Further efforts to expand access to hearing healthcare services may benefit rural adult patients.

Private and public modes of bicycle commuting: a perspective on attitude and perception.

PubMed

Curto, A; de Nazelle, A; Donaire-Gonzalez, D; Cole-Hunter, T; Garcia-Aymerich, J; Martínez, D; Anaya, E; Rodríguez, D; Jerrett, M; Nieuwenhuijsen, M J

2016-08-01

Public bicycle-sharing initiatives can act as health enhancement strategies among urban populations. The aim of the study was to determine which attitudes and perceptions of behavioural control toward cycling and a bicycle-sharing system distinguish commuters with a different adherence to bicycle commuting. The recruitment process was conducted in 40 random points in Barcelona from 2011 to 2012. Subjects completed a telephone-based questionnaire including 27 attitude and perception statements. Based on their most common one-way commute trip and willingness to commute by bicycle, subjects were classified into Private Bicycle (PB), public bicycle or Bicing Bicycle (BB), Willing Non-bicycle (WN) and Non-willing Non-bicycle (NN) commuters. After reducing the survey statements through principal component analysis, a multinomial logistic regression model was obtained to evaluate associations between attitudinal and commuter sub-groups. We included 814 adults in the analysis [51.6% female, mean (SD): age 36.6 (10.3) years]. BB commuters were 2.0 times [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-3.7] less likely to perceive bicycle as a quick, flexible and enjoyable mode compared to PB. BB, WN and NN were 2.5 (95% CI = 1.46-4.24), 2.6 (95% CI = 1.53-4.41) and 2.3 times (95% CI = 1.30-4.10) more likely to perceive benefits of using public bicycles (bicycle maintenance and parking avoidance, low cost and no worries about theft and vandalism) than did PB. Willing non-bicycle and public-bicycle commuters had more favourable perception toward public-shared bicycles compared to private cyclists. Hence, public bicycles may be the impetus for those willing to start bicycle commuting, thereby increasing physical activity levels. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Socio-demographic, personal, environmental and behavioral correlates of different modes of transportation to work among Norwegian parents.

PubMed

Bjørkelund, Oline Anita; Degerud, Hanna; Bere, Elling

2016-01-01

Cycling and brisk-walking to work represents an opportunity to incorporate sustainable transport related moderate- to- vigorous physical activity (MVPA) into daily routine among adults, and thus, may make an important contributing to health. Despite the fact that walking and cycling is an option for many commuters and also brings a number of benefits, a considerable proportion of commuters choose to use other means of transport when cycling and walking would be a highly appropriate transport mode. The object of this study was to assess the associations between modes of commuting to the workplace among parental adults; taking socio-demographic, personal, environmental and behavioral factors into account. Data from a cross- sectional questionnaire were collected from a sample of 709 parents (23 % men and 77 % women) of children aged 10-12 years-old in two Norwegian counties, Hedmark and Telemark. Commuting behavior, socio- demographic determinants, personal and environmental factors were ascertained using questionnaire data from the Fruit and Vegetables Makes the Marks project (FVMM). Multivariate logistic regressions were applied. In total, 70 % of adults were categorized as car commuters to and from work, 12 % was categorized as a cyclist and 7 % as a walker. The multivariate analyses showed that active commuters were more likely to have a shorter distance to work and perceived the traffic as more safe. Moreover, those who actively commute to the workplace considered commuting as a way to obtain health benefits and a way to reduce CO 2 emissions. Active commuters also considered weather to be an obstacle to active commuting. In this cross-sectional study of parents living in sub-urban Norway, we found that active commuting to and from the workplace were associated with a shorter distance to work, traffic safety, environmental concern, health benefits and weather condition. In light of these findings, cycling to work seems to be the most appropriate target for interventions and public health campaigns within this population.

Intercounty commuter public transit services and opportunities in the central bluegrass.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

This report reviews the current state of available public transportation services in central Kentucky, with a focus on the Lexington-Fayette County commutershed. Within the region, this report identifies the major public transportation providers, des...

Method and apparatus for sensorless operation of brushless permanent magnet motors

DOEpatents

Sriram, Tillasthanam V.

1998-01-01

A sensorless method and apparatus for providing commutation timing signals for a brushless permanent magnet motor extracts the third harmonic back-emf of a three-phase stator winding and independently cyclically integrates the positive and negative half-cycles thereof and compares the results to a reference level associated with a desired commutation angle.

Method and apparatus for sensorless operation of brushless permanent magnet motors

DOEpatents

Sriram, T.V.

1998-04-14

A sensorless method and apparatus for providing commutation timing signals for a brushless permanent magnet motor extracts the third harmonic back-emf of a three-phase stator winding and independently cyclically integrates the positive and negative half-cycles thereof and compares the results to a reference level associated with a desired commutation angle. 23 figs.

Can Walking or Biking to Work Really Make a Difference? Compact Development, Observed Commuter Choice and Body Mass Index.

PubMed

Wojan, Timothy R; Hamrick, Karen S

2015-01-01

Promoting active commuting is viewed as one strategy to increase physical activity and improve the energy balance of more sedentary individuals thereby improving health outcomes. However, the potential effectiveness of promotion policies may be seriously undermined by the endogenous choice of commute mode. Policy to promote active commuting will be most effective if it can be demonstrated that 1) those in compact cities do not necessarily have a preference for more physical activity, and 2) that current active commuting is not explained by unobserved characteristics that may be the true source of a lower body mass index (BMI). Daily time-use diaries are used in combination with geographical characteristics of where respondents live and work to test 1) whether residents of more compact settlements are characterized by higher activity levels; and 2) whether residents of more compact settlements are more likely to bike or walk to work. An endogenous treatment model of active commuting allows testing whether reductions in BMI associated with walking or biking to work are in fact attributable to that activity or are more strongly associated with unobserved characteristics of these active commuters. The analysis of general activity levels confirms that residents of more compact cities do not expend more energy than residents of more sprawling cities, indicating that those in compact cities do not necessarily have a preference for more physical activity. The endogenous treatment model is consistent with walking or biking to work having an independent effect on BMI, as unobserved factors that contribute to a higher likelihood of active commuting are not associated with lower BMI. Despite evidence that more compact settlement patterns enable active commuting, only a small share of workers in these areas choose to walk or bike to work. In general, the activity level of residents in more compact cities and residents in more sprawling areas is very similar. But, there is a robust association between active commuting and lower body mass index that is not explained by unobserved attributes or preferences suggests that policies to promote active commuting may be effective. In particular, active commuting has a greater effect on BMI. Consequently, compact settlement appears to be an effective infrastructure for promoting more active lifestyles. The policy challenge is finding ways to ensure that this infrastructure is more widely utilized.

Can Walking or Biking to Work Really Make a Difference? Compact Development, Observed Commuter Choice and Body Mass Index

PubMed Central

Wojan, Timothy R.; Hamrick, Karen S.

2015-01-01

Objectives Promoting active commuting is viewed as one strategy to increase physical activity and improve the energy balance of more sedentary individuals thereby improving health outcomes. However, the potential effectiveness of promotion policies may be seriously undermined by the endogenous choice of commute mode. Policy to promote active commuting will be most effective if it can be demonstrated that 1) those in compact cities do not necessarily have a preference for more physical activity, and 2) that current active commuting is not explained by unobserved characteristics that may be the true source of a lower body mass index (BMI). Methods Daily time-use diaries are used in combination with geographical characteristics of where respondents live and work to test 1) whether residents of more compact settlements are characterized by higher activity levels; and 2) whether residents of more compact settlements are more likely to bike or walk to work. An endogenous treatment model of active commuting allows testing whether reductions in BMI associated with walking or biking to work are in fact attributable to that activity or are more strongly associated with unobserved characteristics of these active commuters. Results The analysis of general activity levels confirms that residents of more compact cities do not expend more energy than residents of more sprawling cities, indicating that those in compact cities do not necessarily have a preference for more physical activity. The endogenous treatment model is consistent with walking or biking to work having an independent effect on BMI, as unobserved factors that contribute to a higher likelihood of active commuting are not associated with lower BMI. Conclusions Despite evidence that more compact settlement patterns enable active commuting, only a small share of workers in these areas choose to walk or bike to work. In general, the activity level of residents in more compact cities and residents in more sprawling areas is very similar. But, there is a robust association between active commuting and lower body mass index that is not explained by unobserved attributes or preferences suggests that policies to promote active commuting may be effective. In particular, active commuting has a greater effect on BMI. Consequently, compact settlement appears to be an effective infrastructure for promoting more active lifestyles. The policy challenge is finding ways to ensure that this infrastructure is more widely utilized. PMID:26154176

Commuting and Sleep: Results From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sueño Ancillary Study.

PubMed

Petrov, Megan E; Weng, Jia; Reid, Kathryn J; Wang, Rui; Ramos, Alberto R; Wallace, Douglas M; Alcantara, Carmela; Cai, Jianwen; Perreira, Krista; Espinoza Giacinto, Rebeca A; Zee, Phyllis C; Sotres-Alvarez, Daniela; Patel, Sanjay R

2018-03-01

Commute time is associated with reduced sleep time, but previous studies have relied on self-reported sleep assessment. The present study investigated the relationships between commute time for employment and objective sleep patterns among non-shift working U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults. From 2010 to 2013, Hispanic/Latino employed, non-shift-working adults (n=760, aged 18-64 years) from the Sueño study, ancillary to the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, reported their total daily commute time to and from work, completed questionnaires on sleep and other health behaviors, and wore wrist actigraphs to record sleep duration, continuity, and variability for 1 week. Survey linear regression models of the actigraphic and self-reported sleep measures regressed on categorized commute time (short: 1-44 minutes; moderate: 45-89 minutes; long: ≥90 minutes) were built adjusting for relevant covariates. For associations that suggested a linear relationship, continuous commute time was modeled as the exposure. Moderation effects by age, sex, income, and depressive symptoms also were explored. Commute time was linearly related to sleep duration on work days such that each additional hour of commute time conferred 15 minutes of sleep loss (p=0.01). Compared with short commutes, individuals with moderate commutes had greater sleep duration variability (p=0.04) and lower interdaily stability (p=0.046, a measure of sleep/wake schedule regularity). No significant associations were detected for self-reported sleep measures. Commute time is significantly associated with actigraphy-measured sleep duration and regularity among Hispanic/Latino adults. Interventions to shorten commute times should be evaluated to help improve sleep habits in this minority population. Copyright © 2017 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trends and determinants of cycling in the Washington, DC region.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

This report analyzes cycling trends, policies, and commuting in the Washington, DC area. The analysis is divided into two parts. : Part 1 focuses on cycling trends and policies in Washington (DC), Alexandria (VA), Arlington County (VA), Fairfax Count...

78 FR 61197 - Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-03

...-migration adjustment based on commuting into a county located within CBSA 30780. Specifically, we are... provide a period for public comment before the provisions of a rule take effect in accordance with section...

The influence of distance to school on the associations between active commuting and physical activity.

PubMed

Panter, Jenna; Jones, Andrew; Van Sluijs, Esther; Griffin, Simon

2011-02-01

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the associations between active commuting behavior, levels of physical activity and distance to school in 9-10 year old children. Participants were children (n = 1824) who took part in the SPEEDY study (Sport, Physical activity and Eating behavior: Environmental Determinants in Young people). For both boys and girls, significant positive associations were observed between walking to school and physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during weekday journey times (8-9 am and 3-4 pm), and the size of association also became stronger with increasing distance from school. Promotion of active commuting to school might be an important way to increase levels of physical activity in school children.

Commuting by car: weight gain among physically active adults.

PubMed

Sugiyama, Takemi; Ding, Ding; Owen, Neville

2013-02-01

Prolonged sitting, including time spent sitting in cars, is detrimentally associated with health outcomes. This study examined whether commuting by car was associated with adults' weight gain over 4 years. Among 822 adult residents of Adelaide, Australia, weight change was ascertained from self-reported weight at baseline (2003-2004) and at follow-up (2007-2008). Using time spent for car commuting and work status at baseline, participants were categorized as non-car commuters, occasional car commuters, and daily car commuters. Multilevel linear regression (conducted in 2012) examined associations of weight change with car-commuting category, adjusting for potential confounding variables, for the whole sample, and among those who were physically inactive or active (≥150 minutes/week) in their leisure time. For the overall sample, adjusted mean weight gain (95% CI) over 4 years was 1.26 (0.64, 1.89) kg for non-car commuters; 1.53 (0.69, 2.37) kg for occasional car commuters; and 2.18 (1.44, 2.92) kg for daily car commuters (p for trend=0.090). Stratified analyses found a stronger association for those with sufficient leisure-time physical activity. For non-car commuters with sufficient leisure-time physical activity, the adjusted mean weight gain was 0.46 (-0.43, 1.35) kg, which was not significantly greater than 0. Over 4 years, those who used cars daily for commuting tended to gain more weight than those who did not commute by car. This relationship was pronounced among those who were physically active during leisure time. Reducing sedentary time may prevent weight gain among physically active adults. Copyright © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improved estimation of commuter waiting times using headway and commuter boarding information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramli, Muhamad Azfar; Jayaraman, Vasundhara; Kwek, Hyen Chee; Tan, Kian Heong; Lee Kee Khoon, Gary; Monterola, Christopher

2018-07-01

The average amount of waiting time spent by commuters is one of the key indicators of service quality for public bus operations. While actual measurements of actual waiting time is difficult to be done en masse, models of waiting time can be derived from bus headways and these models have been adopted by transport planners in monitoring and regulating service reliability of operators. However, these models are founded on several assumptions on the patterns of commuter arrival which may not be applicable for bus services that experience high demand and heavily fluctuating commuter patterns. Given the availability of granular data on commuter boarding from automated fare collection systems, we propose a new methodology to better estimate the average waiting time of commuters. The formulation is anchored and validated using a three-month dataset from ten selected bus routes in Singapore. Finally, we discuss how our new measure allows for minimization of commuter waiting time through schedule optimization.

NYPA/TH!NK Clean Commute Program Final Report - Inception through December 2004

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

James Francfort; Don Karner

The Clean Commute Program uses TH!NK city electric vehicles from Ford Motor Company’s electric vehicle group, TH!NK Mobility, to demonstrate the feasibility of using electric transportation in urban applications. Suburban New York City railroad commuters use the TH!NK city vehicles to commute from their private residences to railroad stations, where they catch commuter trains into New York City. Electric vehicle charging infrastructure for the TH!NK city vehicles is located at the commuters’ private residences as well as seven train stations. Ford leased at total of 97 TH!NK city electric vehicles to commuters from Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolkmore » counties for $199 per month. First Clean Commute Program vehicle deliveries occurred late in 2001, with data collection commencing in February 2002. Through May, 2004, 24 of the lessees have returned their vehicles to Ford and no longer participate in the Clean Commute Program. Reasons given for leaving the Program include relocation out of the Program area, change in employment status, change in commuting status, and, in a few cases, dissatisfaction with the vehicle. Additionally, 13 vehicles were returned to Ford when the lease was completed. In August 2002, Ford announced that it was ceasing production of the TH!NK city and would not extend any TH!NK city leases. Mileage accumulation dropped in the last quarter of the program as vehicle leases were returned to Ford. The impact of the program overall was significant as participants in the Clean Commute Program drove their vehicles over 406,074 miles, avoiding the use of over 18,887 gallons of gasoline. During the active portion of the program, the TH!NK city vehicles were driven an average of between 180 and 230 miles per month. Over 95% of all trips taken with the TH!NK city vehicles replaced trips previously taken in gasoline vehicles. This report covers the period from Program inception through December 2004.« less

Does Commuting Affect Health?

PubMed

Künn-Nelen, Annemarie

2016-08-01

This paper analyzes the relation between commuting time and health in the UK. I focus on four different types of health outcomes: subjective health measures, objective health measures, health behavior, and healthcare utilization. Fixed effect models are estimated with British Household Panel Survey data. I find that whereas objective health and health behavior are barely affected by commuting time, subjective health measures are clearly lower for people who commute longer. A longer commuting time is, moreover, related to more visits to the general practitioner. Effects turn out to be more pronounced for women and for commuters driving a car. For women, commuting time is also negatively related to regular exercise and positively to calling in sick. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Commuting behaviors and exposure to air pollution in Montreal, Canada.

PubMed

Miao, Qun; Bouchard, Michèle; Chen, Dongmei; Rosenberg, Mark W; Aronson, Kristan J

2015-03-01

Vehicular traffic is a major source of outdoor air pollution in urban areas, and studies have shown that air pollution is worse during hours of commuting to and from work and school. However, it is unclear to what extent different commuting behaviors are a source of air pollution compared to non-commuters, and if air pollution exposure actually differs by the mode of commuting. This study aimed to examine the relationships between commuting behaviors and air pollution exposure levels measured by urinary 1-OHP (1-hydroxypyrene), a biomarker of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A cross-sectional study of 174 volunteers living in Montreal, 92 females and 82 males, aged 20 to 53 years was conducted in 2011. Each participant completed a questionnaire regarding demographic factors, commuting behaviors, home and workplace addresses, and potential sources of PAH exposure, and provided a complete first morning void urine sample for 1-OHP analysis. Multivariable general linear regression models were used to examine the relationships between different types of commuting and urinary 1-OHP levels. Compared to non-commuters, commuters traveling by foot or bicycle and by car or truck had a significantly higher urinary 1-OHP concentration in urine (p=0.01 for foot or bicycle vs. non-commuters; p=0.02 for car or truck vs. non-commuters); those traveling with public transportation and combinations of two or more types of modes tended to have an increased 1-OHP level in urine (p=0.06 for public transportation vs. non-commuters; p=0.05 for commuters with combinations of two or more types of modes vs. non-commuters). No significant difference in urinary 1-OHP variation was found by mode of commuting. This preliminary study suggests that despite the mode of commuting, all types of commuting during rush hours increase exposure to air pollution as measured by a sensitive PAH metabolite biomarker, and mode of commuting did not explain exposure variation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bicycle Commuting and Exposure to Air Pollution: A Questionnaire-Based Investigation of Perceptions, Symptoms, and Risk Management Strategies.

PubMed

Cole-Hunter, Tom; Morawska, Lidia; Solomon, Colin

2015-04-01

An increase in bicycle commuting participation may improve public health and traffic congestion in cities. Information on air pollution exposure (such as perception, symptoms, and risk management) contributes to the responsible promotion of bicycle commuting participation. To determine perceptions, symptoms, and willingness for specific exposure risk management strategies of exposure to air pollution, a questionnaire-based cross-sectional investigation was conducted with adult bicycle commuters (n = 153; age = 41 ± 11 years; 28% female). Frequency of acute respiratory signs and symptoms were positively associated with in-commute and postcommute compared with precommute time periods (P < .05); there was greater positive association with respiratory disorder compared with healthy, and female compared with male, participants. The perception (but not signs or symptoms) of in-commute exposure to air pollution was positively associated with the estimated level of in-commute proximity to motorized traffic. The majority of participants indicated a willingness (which varied with health status and gender) to adopt risk management strategies (with desired features) if shown to be appropriate and effective. While acute signs and symptoms of air pollution exposure are indicated with bicycle commuting, and more so in susceptible individuals, there is willingness to manage exposure risk by adopting effective strategies with desired features.

An Ecological Analysis of Environmental Correlates of Active Commuting in Urban U.S.

PubMed Central

Fan, Jessie X.; Wen, Ming; Kowaleski-Jones, Lori

2014-01-01

We conduct a cross-sectional ecological analysis to examine environmental correlates of active commuting in 39,660 urban tracts using data from the 2010 Census, 2007-2011 American Community Survey, and other sources. The five-year average (2007-2011) prevalence is 3.05% for walking, 0.63% for biking, and 7.28% for public transportation to work, with higher prevalence for all modes in lower-income tracts. Environmental factors account for more variances in public transportation to work but economic and demographic factors account for more variances in walking and biking to work. Population density, median housing age, street connectivity, tree canopy, distance to parks, air quality, and county sprawl index are associated with active commuting, but the association can vary in size and direction for different transportation mode and for higher-income and lower-income tracts. PMID:25460907

An ecological analysis of environmental correlates of active commuting in urban U.S.

PubMed

Fan, Jessie X; Wen, Ming; Kowaleski-Jones, Lori

2014-11-01

We conduct a cross-sectional ecological analysis to examine environmental correlates of active commuting in 39,660 urban tracts using data from the 2010 Census, 2007-2011 American Community Survey, and other sources. The five-year average (2007-2011) prevalence is 3.05% for walking, 0.63% for biking, and 7.28% for public transportation to work, with higher prevalence for all modes in lower-income tracts. Environmental factors account for more variances in public transportation to work but economic and demographic factors account for more variances in walking and biking to work. Population density, median housing age, street connectivity, tree canopy, distance to parks, air quality, and county sprawl index are associated with active commuting, but the association can vary in size and direction for different transportation mode and for higher-income and lower-income tracts. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rail commuting duration and passenger stress.

PubMed

Evans, Gary W; Wener, Richard E

2006-05-01

Over 100 million Americans commute to work every weekday. Little is known, however, about how this aspect of work, which may indeed be the most stressful aspect of the job for some, affects human health and well-being. The authors studied a sample of 208 male and female suburban rail commuters who took the train to Manhattan, New York. The greater the duration of the commute, the larger the magnitude of salivary cortisol elevations in reference to resting baseline levels, the less the commuter's persistence on a task at the end of the commute, and the greater the levels of perceived stress. These effects were not moderated by gender. Commuting stress is an important and largely overlooked aspect of environmental health. 2006 APA, all rights reserved

Personal carbon monoxide exposure in Helsinki, Finland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scotto di Marco, Greta; Kephalopoulos, Stylianos; Ruuskanen, Juhani; Jantunen, Matti

Personal exposure concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) were measured for the adult urban population of Helsinki, Finland, as part of the multi-centre European EXPOLIS study. The arithmetic mean of the 48 h average personal CO exposure concentration was 1.3 mg m -3 for participants not exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and 1.6 mg m -3 for those exposed to ETS at any time and in any microenvironment. The maximum 8 and 1 h exposure values were 2.0 and 2.6 mg m -3, and 4.3 and 5.7 mg m -3, respectively. As tobacco smoke is one of the major sources of CO, therefore the personal mean exposures of ETS participants were higher than the non-ETS participants for all averaging times. The long- and short-term personal exposures were higher in winter than in summer for all participants. In order to analyse in more detail the correlation between the time-activity patterns and exposure levels, cluster analysis was performed using 24 h personal exposure profiles of 1 h moving averages. The results showed clearly that the major source of CO for non-ETS exposed participants are traffic emissions. The majority of the diurnal exposure profiles showed two notable exposure peaks corresponding to the morning and evening traffic rush hours. The time spent in street traffic was the most relevant factor for describing the short-term personal exposures. The more time was spent commuting by car the higher were the exposures. The long-term exposure levels were linked both to the time spent commuting and home location. People living in low-traffic suburban areas and working in downtown spent more time commuting and ended up experiencing similar long-term exposure levels than people who lived in heavy-traffic downtown areas, but spent little time commuting. For ETS exposed participants the personal exposure profiles were dominated by both tobacco smoke and traffic emissions.

Effects of a school-based intervention on active commuting to school and health-related fitness.

PubMed

Villa-González, Emilio; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Mendoza, Jason A; Chillón, Palma

2017-01-05

Active commuting to school has declined over time, and interventions are needed to reverse this trend. The main objective was to investigate the effects of a school-based intervention on active commuting to school and health-related fitness in school-age children of Southern Spain. A total of 494 children aged 8 to 11 years were invited to participate in the study. The schools were non-randomly allocated (i.e., school level allocation) into the experimental group (EG) or the control group (CG). The EG received an intervention program for 6 months (a monthly activity) focused on increasing the level of active commuting to school and mainly targeting children's perceptions and attitudes. Active commuting to school and health-related fitness (i.e., cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness and speed-agility), were measured at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Children with valid data on commuting to school at baseline and follow-up, sex, age and distance from home to school were included in the final analysis (n = 251). Data was analyzed through a factorial ANOVA and the Bonferroni post-hoc test. At follow up, the EG had higher rates of cycling to school than CG for boys only (p = 0.04), but not for walking to school for boys or girls. The EG avoided increases in the rates of passive commuting at follow up, which increased in the CG among girls for car (MD = 1.77; SE = 0.714; p = 0.010) and bus (MD = 1.77; SE = 0.714; p = 0.010) modes. Moreover, we observed significant interactions and main effects between independent variables (study group, sex and assessment time point) on health-related fitness (p < 0.05) over the 6-month period between groups, with higher values in the control group (mainly in boys). A school-based intervention focused on increasing active commuting to school was associated with increases in rates of cycling to school among boys, but not for walking to school or health-related fitness. However, the school-based intervention avoided increases in rates of passive commuting in the experimental group, which were significantly increased in girls of the control group.

Study of aircraft in intraurban transportation systems, San Francisco Bay area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

The nine-county San Francisco Bay area is examined in two time periods (1975-1980 and 1985-1990) as a scenario for analyzing the characteristics of an intraurban, commuter-oriented aircraft transportation system. Aircraft have dominated the long-haul passenger market for some time, but efforts to penetrate the very-short-haul intraurban market have met with only token success. Yet, the characteristics of an aircraft transportation system-speed and flexibility-are very much needed to solve the transportation ills of our major urban areas. This study attempts to determine if the aircraft can contribute toward solving the transportation problems of major metropolitan areas and be economically viable in such an environment.

Traffic pollutants measured inside vehicles waiting in line at a major US-Mexico Port of Entry.

PubMed

Quintana, Penelope J E; Khalighi, Mehdi; Castillo Quiñones, Javier Emmanuel; Patel, Zalak; Guerrero Garcia, Jesus; Martinez Vergara, Paulina; Bryden, Megan; Mantz, Antoinette

2018-05-01

At US-Mexico border Ports of Entry, vehicles idle for long times waiting to cross northbound into the US. Long wait times at the border have mainly been studied as an economic issue, however, exposures to emissions from idling vehicles can also present an exposure risk. Here we present the first data on in-vehicle exposures to driver and passengers crossing the US-Mexico border at the San Ysidro, California Port of Entry (SYPOE). Participants were recruited who regularly commuted across the border in either direction and told to drive a scripted route between two border universities, one in the US and one in Mexico. Instruments were placed in participants' cars prior to commute to monitor-1-minute average levels of the traffic pollutants ultrafine particles (UFP), black carbon (BC) and carbon monoxide (CO) in the breathing zone of drivers and passengers. Location was determined by a GPS monitor. Results reported here are for 68 northbound participant trips. The highest median levels of in-vehicle UFP were recorded during the wait to cross at the SYPOE (median 29,692particles/cm 3 ) significantly higher than the portion of the commute in the US (median 20,508particles/cm 3 ) though not that portion in Mexico (median 22, 191particles/cm 3 ). In-vehicle BC levels at the border were significantly lower than in other parts of the commute. Our results indicate that waiting in line at the SYPOE contributes a median 62.5% (range 15.5%-86.0%) of a cross-border commuter's exposure to UFP and a median 44.5% (range (10.6-79.7%) of exposure to BC inside the vehicle while traveling in the northbound direction. Reducing border wait time can significantly reduce in-vehicle exposures to toxic air pollutants such as UFP and BC, and these preventable exposures can be considered an environmental justice issue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the impacts of the clean cities program.

PubMed

Qiu, Shiyong; Kaza, Nikhil

2017-02-01

The Department of Energy's Clean Cities program was created in 1993 to reduce petroleum usage in the transportation sector. The program promotes alternative fuels such as biofuels and fuel-saving strategies such as idle reduction and fleet management through coalitions of local government, non-profit, and private actors. Few studies have evaluated the impact of the program because of its complexity that include interrelated strategies of grants, education and training and diversity of participants. This paper uses a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) approach to evaluate the effectiveness of the program between 1990 and 2010. We quantify the effectiveness of the Clean Cities program by focusing on performance measures such as air quality, number of alternative fueling stations, private vehicle occupancy and transit ridership. We find that counties that participate in the program perform better on all these measures compared to counties that did not participate. Compared to the control group, counties in the Clean Cities program experienced a reduction in days with bad air quality (3.7%), a decrease in automobile commuters (2.9%), an overall increase in transit commuters (2.1%) and had greater numbers of new alternative fueling stations (12.9). The results suggest that the program is a qualified success. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Asthma and school commuting time.

PubMed

McConnell, Rob; Liu, Feifei; Wu, Jun; Lurmann, Fred; Peters, John; Berhane, Kiros

2010-08-01

This study examined associations of asthma with school commuting time. Time on likely school commute route was used as a proxy for on-road air pollution exposure among 4741 elementary school children at enrollment into the Children's Health Study. Lifetime asthma and severe wheeze (including multiple attacks, nocturnal, or with shortness of breath) were reported by parents. In asthmatic children, severe wheeze was associated with commuting time (odds ratio, 1.54 across the 9-minute 5% to 95% exposure distribution; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 2.36). The association was stronger in analysis restricted to asthmatic children with commuting times 5 minutes or longer (odds ratio, 1.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.02 to 3.77). No significant associations were observed with asthma prevalence. Among asthmatics, severe wheeze was associated with relatively short school commuting times. Further investigation of effects of on-road pollutant exposure is warranted.

17. Photocopy of drawing, Erection Plan of Top Lateral Bracing ...

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

17. Photocopy of drawing, Erection Plan of Top Lateral Bracing of Bridge at South Norwalk for the N.Y., N.H. and H.R.R., dated June 12, 1895. Original on file with Metro North Commuter Railroad. - South Norwalk Railroad Bridge, South Main & Washington Streets, Norwalk, Fairfield County, CT

Using Crowdsourced Data (twitter & Facebook) to Delineate the Origin and Destination of Commuters of the Gautrain Public Transit System in South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyo, T.; Musakwa, W.

2016-06-01

The study of commuters' origins and destinations (O_D) promises to assist transportation planners with prediction models to inform decision making. Conventionally OD surveys are undertaken through travel surveys and traffic counts, however data collection for these surveys has historically proven to be time consuming and having a strain on human resources, thus a need for an alternative data source arises. This study combines the use social media data and geographic information systems in the creation of a model for origin and destination surveys. The model tests the potential of using big data from Echo echo software which contains Twitter and Facebook data obtained from social media users in Gauteng. This data contains geo-location and it is used to determine origin and destination as well as concentration levels of Gautrain commuters. A kriging analysis was performed on the data to determine the O-D and concentration levels of Gautrain users. The results reveal the concentration of Gautrain commuters at various points of interest that is where they work, live or socialise. The results from the study highlight which nodes attract the most commuters and also possible locations for the expansion for Gautrain. Lastly, the study also highlights some weakness of crowdsourced data for informing transportation planning.

Commuting, Life-Satisfaction and Internet Addiction.

PubMed

Lachmann, Bernd; Sariyska, Rayna; Kannen, Christopher; Stavrou, Maria; Montag, Christian

2017-10-05

The focus of the present work was on the association between commuting (business and private), life satisfaction, stress, and (over-) use of the Internet. Considering that digital devices are omnipresent in buses and trains, no study has yet investigated if commuting contributes to the development of Internet addiction. Overall, N = 5039 participants (N = 3477 females, age M = 26.79, SD = 10.68) took part in an online survey providing information regarding their commuting behavior, Internet addiction, personality, life satisfaction, and stress perception. Our findings are as follows: Personality seems to be less suitable to differentiate between commuter and non-commuter groups, which is possibly due to commuters often not having a choice but simply must accept offered job opportunities at distant locations. Second, the highest levels of satisfaction were found with income and lodging in the group commuting for business purposes. This might be related to the fact that commuting results in higher salaries (hence also better and more expensive housing style) due to having a job in another city which might exceed job opportunities at one's own living location. Third, within the business-commuters as well as in the private-commuter groups, females had significantly higher levels of stress than males. This association was not present in the non-commuter group. For females, commuting seems to be a higher burden and more stressful than for males, regardless of whether they commute for business or private reasons. Finally, we observed an association between higher stress perception (more negative attitude towards commuting) and Internet addiction. This finding suggests that some commuters try to compensate their perceived stress with increased Internet use.

Commuting, Life-Satisfaction and Internet Addiction

PubMed Central

Lachmann, Bernd; Sariyska, Rayna; Kannen, Christopher; Stavrou, Maria

2017-01-01

The focus of the present work was on the association between commuting (business and private), life satisfaction, stress, and (over-) use of the Internet. Considering that digital devices are omnipresent in buses and trains, no study has yet investigated if commuting contributes to the development of Internet addiction. Overall, N = 5039 participants (N = 3477 females, age M = 26.79, SD = 10.68) took part in an online survey providing information regarding their commuting behavior, Internet addiction, personality, life satisfaction, and stress perception. Our findings are as follows: Personality seems to be less suitable to differentiate between commuter and non-commuter groups, which is possibly due to commuters often not having a choice but simply must accept offered job opportunities at distant locations. Second, the highest levels of satisfaction were found with income and lodging in the group commuting for business purposes. This might be related to the fact that commuting results in higher salaries (hence also better and more expensive housing style) due to having a job in another city which might exceed job opportunities at one’s own living location. Third, within the business-commuters as well as in the private-commuter groups, females had significantly higher levels of stress than males. This association was not present in the non-commuter group. For females, commuting seems to be a higher burden and more stressful than for males, regardless of whether they commute for business or private reasons. Finally, we observed an association between higher stress perception (more negative attitude towards commuting) and Internet addiction. This finding suggests that some commuters try to compensate their perceived stress with increased Internet use. PMID:28981452

Exploring universal patterns in human home-work commuting from mobile phone data.

PubMed

Kung, Kevin S; Greco, Kael; Sobolevsky, Stanislav; Ratti, Carlo

2014-01-01

Home-work commuting has always attracted significant research attention because of its impact on human mobility. One of the key assumptions in this domain of study is the universal uniformity of commute times. However, a true comparison of commute patterns has often been hindered by the intrinsic differences in data collection methods, which make observation from different countries potentially biased and unreliable. In the present work, we approach this problem through the use of mobile phone call detail records (CDRs), which offers a consistent method for investigating mobility patterns in wholly different parts of the world. We apply our analysis to a broad range of datasets, at both the country (Portugal, Ivory Coast, and Saudi Arabia), and city (Boston) scale. Additionally, we compare these results with those obtained from vehicle GPS traces in Milan. While different regions have some unique commute time characteristics, we show that the home-work time distributions and average values within a single region are indeed largely independent of commute distance or country (Portugal, Ivory Coast, and Boston)-despite substantial spatial and infrastructural differences. Furthermore, our comparative analysis demonstrates that such distance-independence holds true only if we consider multimodal commute behaviors-as consistent with previous studies. In car-only (Milan GPS traces) and car-heavy (Saudi Arabia) commute datasets, we see that commute time is indeed influenced by commute distance. Finally, we put forth a testable hypothesis and suggest ways for future work to make more accurate and generalizable statements about human commute behaviors.

The influence of travel attitudes, commute mode choice, and perceived neighborhood characteristics on physical activity.

PubMed

Morckel, Victoria; Terzano, Kathryn

2014-01-01

This study examines the relationships between physical activity, travel attitudes, commute mode choice, and perceived neighborhood characteristics. A recent study found that people who walk or bike during their commute exercise more outside of the commute than do people who commute by mass transit or car. The current study seeks to explain what might account for this relationship, using ANOVA models (Method) conducted on survey data from 3 cities. Perceived neighborhood characteristics and travel attitudes influence participants' reported physical activity levels both during the commute and outside of the commute. While the study does not establish causality, the results provide some support for the notion that policy makers interested in increasing physical activity levels should consider changing not only the physical environment, but also perceived neighborhood characteristics and travel attitudes.

The association of leisure-time physical activity and active commuting with measures of socioeconomic position in a multiethnic population living in the Netherlands: results from the cross-sectional SUNSET study.

PubMed

de Munter, Jeroen S L; Agyemang, Charles; Brewster, Lizzy M; Stronks, Karien; van Valkengoed, Irene G M

2012-09-21

In most European origin populations measures of socioeconomic position are positively associated with leisure time physical activity (LTPA), this is unclear for active commuting. In addition, these associations have scarcely been studied in ethnic minority groups, who often have a high cardiovascular disease risk. Because of the expected public health potential, we assessed the relationship of active commuting and LTPA with measures of socioeconomic position across two large ethnic minority groups in the Netherlands as compared to the European-Dutch population. We included South Asian-Surinamese (n = 370), African-Surinamese (n = 689), and European-Dutch (n = 567) from the cross-sectional population-based SUNSET study (2001-2003). Active commuting and LTPA were assessed by the SQUASH physical activity questionnaire and calculated in square-root-transformed metabolic equivalents of task-hours/week (SQRTMET). Socioeconomic position was indicated by level of education (low/high) and occupational class (low/high). We used age-adjusted linear regression models to assess the association between physical activity and socioeconomic position. Compared to the European-Dutch men, South Asian-Surinamese men engaged in lower levels of commuting activity and LTPA, and South Asian-Surinamese women engaged in lower levels of LTPA than their European-Dutch counterparts. Differences between the African Surinamese and the European-Dutch were small. We observed a positive gradient in active commuting activity for education in European-Dutch men (beta high education was 0.93, 95%CI: 0.45-1.40 SQRTMET higher versus low education), in South Asian-Surinamese men (beta: 0.56, 0.19-0.92), but not in African-Surinamese men (-0.06, -0.45-0.33, p for ethnicity-interaction = 0.002). In women we observed a positive gradient in active commuting activity and occupational class in European-Dutch women, and less strongly in South Asian-Surinamese and African-Surinamese women (p for ethnicity-interaction = 0.02). For LTPA and socioeconomic position, we observed no statistically significant interaction by ethnicity. The positive gradient for socioeconomic position observed in European-Dutch was less strong, in particular for active commuting, among the South Asian-Surinamese and the African-Surinamese. This indicates that the typical focus on physical activity interventions in lower socioeconomic groups could work for European-Dutch populations, but this strategy may not be entirely applicable in the ethnic minority groups.

The association of leisure-time physical activity and active commuting with measures of socioeconomic position in a multiethnic population living in the Netherlands: results from the cross-sectional SUNSET study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In most European origin populations measures of socioeconomic position are positively associated with leisure time physical activity (LTPA), this is unclear for active commuting. In addition, these associations have scarcely been studied in ethnic minority groups, who often have a high cardiovascular disease risk. Because of the expected public health potential, we assessed the relationship of active commuting and LTPA with measures of socioeconomic position across two large ethnic minority groups in the Netherlands as compared to the European-Dutch population. Methods We included South Asian-Surinamese (n = 370), African-Surinamese (n = 689), and European-Dutch (n = 567) from the cross-sectional population-based SUNSET study (2001–2003). Active commuting and LTPA were assessed by the SQUASH physical activity questionnaire and calculated in square-root-transformed metabolic equivalents of task-hours/week (SQRTMET). Socioeconomic position was indicated by level of education (low/high) and occupational class (low/high). We used age-adjusted linear regression models to assess the association between physical activity and socioeconomic position. Results Compared to the European-Dutch men, South Asian-Surinamese men engaged in lower levels of commuting activity and LTPA, and South Asian-Surinamese women engaged in lower levels of LTPA than their European-Dutch counterparts. Differences between the African Surinamese and the European-Dutch were small. We observed a positive gradient in active commuting activity for education in European-Dutch men (beta high education was 0.93, 95%CI: 0.45-1.40 SQRTMET higher versus low education), in South Asian-Surinamese men (beta: 0.56, 0.19-0.92), but not in African-Surinamese men (−0.06, -0.45-0.33, p for ethnicity-interaction = 0.002). In women we observed a positive gradient in active commuting activity and occupational class in European-Dutch women, and less strongly in South Asian-Surinamese and African-Surinamese women (p for ethnicity-interaction = 0.02). For LTPA and socioeconomic position, we observed no statistically significant interaction by ethnicity. Conclusions The positive gradient for socioeconomic position observed in European-Dutch was less strong, in particular for active commuting, among the South Asian-Surinamese and the African-Surinamese. This indicates that the typical focus on physical activity interventions in lower socioeconomic groups could work for European-Dutch populations, but this strategy may not be entirely applicable in the ethnic minority groups. PMID:22998730

Does community type moderate the relationship between parent perceptions of the neighborhood and physical activity in children?

PubMed

Durand, Casey P; Dunton, Genevieve F; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Pentz, Mary Ann

2012-01-01

To examine whether residing in a community designed to promote physical activity moderates the relationship between parent perceptions of the neighborhood and general physical activity or active commuting to school in their children. Cross-sectional. San Bernardino County, California. Three hundred sixty-five families (one parent and one child in grades four through eight). Eighty-five reside in a smart growth community designed to be more conducive to physical activity. Parent perceptions assessed using the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS). General child physical activity was measured using accelerometers, and active commuting was self-reported by children. Two sets of regressions were performed: one for general physical activity, and one for active commuting. Separate models were run in the two sets for each of the 14 NEWS factors, while controlling for demographics. For general physical activity, walking infrastructure, lack of cul-de-sacs, and social interaction had significant main effect associations (p ≤ .05). No factors were moderated by community. The relationships between active commuting to school and perceived crime, traffic hazards, hilliness, physical barriers, cul-de-sac connectivity, aesthetics, and walking infrastructure were significant for those in the smart growth community only (p ≤ .05). Living in an activity-friendly environment is associated with positive relationships between parent perceptions and active commuting behaviors in children. Future interventions should account for both the perceived neighborhood environment and available physical activity infrastructure.

The Association between Access to Public Transportation and Self-Reported Active Commuting

PubMed Central

Djurhuus, Sune; Hansen, Henning S.; Aadahl, Mette; Glümer, Charlotte

2014-01-01

Active commuting provides routine-based regular physical activity which can reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Using public transportation involves some walking or cycling to a transit stop, transfers and a walk to the end location and users of public transportation have been found to accumulate more moderate physical activity than non-users. Understanding how public transportation characteristics are associated with active transportation is thus important from a public health perspective. This study examines the associations between objective measures of access to public transportation and self-reported active commuting. Self-reported time spent either walking or cycling commuting each day and the distance to workplace were obtained for adults aged 16 to 65 in the Danish National Health Survey 2010 (n = 28,928). Access to public transportation measures were computed by combining GIS-based road network distances from home address to public transit stops an integrating their service level. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the association between access to public transportation measures and active commuting. Distance to bus stop, density of bus stops, and number of transport modes were all positively associated with being an active commuter and with meeting recommendations of physical activity. No significant association was found between bus services at the nearest stop and active commuting. The results highlight the importance of including detailed measurements of access to public transit in order to identify the characteristics that facilitate the use of public transportation and active commuting. PMID:25489998

The association between access to public transportation and self-reported active commuting.

PubMed

Djurhuus, Sune; Hansen, Henning S; Aadahl, Mette; Glümer, Charlotte

2014-12-05

Active commuting provides routine-based regular physical activity which can reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Using public transportation involves some walking or cycling to a transit stop, transfers and a walk to the end location and users of public transportation have been found to accumulate more moderate physical activity than non-users. Understanding how public transportation characteristics are associated with active transportation is thus important from a public health perspective. This study examines the associations between objective measures of access to public transportation and self-reported active commuting. Self-reported time spent either walking or cycling commuting each day and the distance to workplace were obtained for adults aged 16 to 65 in the Danish National Health Survey 2010 (n = 28,928). Access to public transportation measures were computed by combining GIS-based road network distances from home address to public transit stops an integrating their service level. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the association between access to public transportation measures and active commuting. Distance to bus stop, density of bus stops, and number of transport modes were all positively associated with being an active commuter and with meeting recommendations of physical activity. No significant association was found between bus services at the nearest stop and active commuting. The results highlight the importance of including detailed measurements of access to public transit in order to identify the characteristics that facilitate the use of public transportation and active commuting.

Commuting--a further stress factor for working people: evidence from the European Community. II. An empirical study.

PubMed

Costa, G; Pickup, L; Di Martino, V

1988-01-01

This report summarizes the main results of research promoted by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, concerning the impact of commuting on the health and safety of workers. An empirical study, carried out among 1167 industrial Italian workers, shows that "commuters" (workers whose journey from home to work usually does not take less than 45 min in each direction) experienced a more stressed life-style than did "non commuters" (whose journey does not take more than 20 min). Commuting appears for many workers to be a necessity which is imposed by external factors, such as the housing market and job opportunities. Commuting is shown to interfere with patterns of everyday life by restricting free-time and reducing sleeping time. A majority of commuters use public transport mainly because of cost. Public transport commuters have problems due to more changes between modes, idle waiting times and delays leading to late arrival at work. Inside transport modes, commuters suffered discomfort as a result of overcrowding, microclimatic conditions, noise and vibrations. Commuters also reported higher psychological stress scores, more health complaints, essentially of psychosomatic nature, and greater absenteeism from work due to sickness. Commuting, in addition to shiftwork, further increases sleep problems, psychosomatic complaints and difficulties with family and social life. Women commuters were at a greater disadvantage than men, having more family difficulties, more travelling complaints and higher absenteeism.

Geography of College Opportunity: The Case of Education Deserts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillman, Nicholas W.

2016-01-01

When students choose where to attend college, they often stay in close proximity to home and work. Much of the college choice literature, however, does not engage with the importance of geography in shaping educational destinations. Using county and commuting zone data from various federal sources, this study finds that the number of local…

20. Photocopy of drawing, Stringers for Bridge at So. Norwalk ...

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

20. Photocopy of drawing, Stringers for Bridge at So. Norwalk for the N.Y., N.H. and H.R.R., Contract No. 3000, Berlin Iron Bridge Company, dated July 8, 1895. Original on file with Metro North Commuter Railroad. - South Norwalk Railroad Bridge, South Main & Washington Streets, Norwalk, Fairfield County, CT

21. Photocopy of drawing, Plan of Abutments for Bridge No. ...

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

21. Photocopy of drawing, Plan of Abutments for Bridge No. 79B at Main & Washington Sts., South Norwalk, N.Y. Div., N.Y., N.H. and H.R.R., dated November 22, 1895. Original on file with Metro North Commuter Railroad. - South Norwalk Railroad Bridge, South Main & Washington Streets, Norwalk, Fairfield County, CT

16. Photocopy of drawing, floor system plan, Bridge No. 79B, ...

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

16. Photocopy of drawing, floor system plan, Bridge No. 79B, Main & Washington Sts., So. Norwalk, Ct., N. Y. Division, N.Y., N.H. and H.R.R., dated April 23, 1895. Original on file with Metro North Commuter Railroad. - South Norwalk Railroad Bridge, South Main & Washington Streets, Norwalk, Fairfield County, CT

77 FR 28471 - Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment of Montgomery, PA, as a Nonappropriated Fund Federal Wage...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-15

... #0; #0;Rules and Regulations #0; Federal Register #0; #0; #0;This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents #0;having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed #0... facilities activity in each county; (ii) Transportation facilities and commuting patterns; and (iii...

Physical activity behaviours of adults in the Greater Green Triangle region of rural Australia.

PubMed

Vaughan, Clare; Kilkkinen, Annamari; Philpot, Benjamin; Brooks, Joanne; Schoo, Adrian; Laatikainen, Tiina; Chapman, Anna; Janus, Edward D; Dunbar, James A

2008-04-01

To assess physical activity (PA) behaviours of adults in rural Australia. Three cross-sectional surveys in the Greater Green Triangle area covering the south-east of South Australia (Limestone Coast), and south-west (Corangamite Shire) and north-west (Wimmera) of Victoria during 2004-2006. A total of 1546 persons, aged 25- 74 years, randomly selected from the electoral roll. Overall PA, leisure-time PA, occupational PA, active commuting and moderate-to-vigorous PA. Approximately 80% of participants, more women than men, engaged in 30 minutes or more of daily PA. Only 30% (95% CI 26.3, 33.0) of men and 21% (95% CI 18.3, 23.9) of women did moderate-to-vigorous PA for at least 20-30 minutes four or more times a week. In leisure time, most participants were moderately active; almost one-fifth were inactive and another fifth highly active. Two-thirds of men engaged in high-level occupational PA, compared with one-sixth of women. Only 30% of participants actively commuted to work. There was a tendency for a positive association between income level and leisure-time PA. One-fifth of adults in rural Australia were inactive. While there was a high prevalence of participants who engaged in daily PA, few did so at moderate-to-vigorous intensity to achieve health benefits. As occupational PA is difficult to change, improvements in levels of PA are more likely during leisure-time and for some people by engaging in commuting PA.

20 CFR 617.22 - Approval of training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... worker, either in the commuting area, as defined in § 617.3(k), or outside the commuting area in an area... reasonably accessible to the worker within the worker's commuting area at any governmental or private... precluding training outside the commuting area if none is available at the time within the worker's commuting...

20 CFR 617.22 - Approval of training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... worker, either in the commuting area, as defined in § 617.3(k), or outside the commuting area in an area... reasonably accessible to the worker within the worker's commuting area at any governmental or private... precluding training outside the commuting area if none is available at the time within the worker's commuting...

20 CFR 617.22 - Approval of training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... worker, either in the commuting area, as defined in § 617.3(k), or outside the commuting area in an area... reasonably accessible to the worker within the worker's commuting area at any governmental or private... precluding training outside the commuting area if none is available at the time within the worker's commuting...

20 CFR 617.22 - Approval of training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... worker, either in the commuting area, as defined in § 617.3(k), or outside the commuting area in an area... reasonably accessible to the worker within the worker's commuting area at any governmental or private... precluding training outside the commuting area if none is available at the time within the worker's commuting...

20 CFR 617.22 - Approval of training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... worker, either in the commuting area, as defined in § 617.3(k), or outside the commuting area in an area... reasonably accessible to the worker within the worker's commuting area at any governmental or private... precluding training outside the commuting area if none is available at the time within the worker's commuting...

Walking, cycling and driving to work in the English and Welsh 2011 census: trends, socio-economic patterning and relevance to travel behaviour in general.

PubMed

Goodman, Anna

2013-01-01

Increasing walking and cycling, and reducing motorised transport, are health and environmental priorities. This paper examines levels and trends in the use of different commute modes in England and Wales, both overall and with respect to small-area deprivation. It also investigates whether commute modal share can serve as a proxy for travel behaviour more generally. 23.7 million adult commuters reported their usual main mode of travelling to work in the 2011 census in England and Wales; similar data were available for 1971-2001. Indices of Multiple Deprivation were used to characterise socio-economic patterning. The National Travel Survey (2002-2010) was used to examine correlations between commute modal share and modal share of total travel time. These correlations were calculated across 150 non-overlapping populations defined by region, year band and income. Among commuters in 2011, 67.1% used private motorised transport as their usual main commute mode (-1.8 percentage-point change since 2001); 17.8% used public transport (+1.8% change); 10.9% walked (-0.1% change); and 3.1% cycled (+0.1% change). Walking and, to a marginal extent, cycling were more common among those from deprived areas, but these gradients had flattened over the previous decade to the point of having essentially disappeared for cycling. In the National Travel Survey, commute modal share and total modal share were reasonably highly correlated for private motorised transport (r = 0.94), public transport (r = 0.96), walking (r = 0.88 excluding London) and cycling (r = 0.77). England and Wales remain car-dependent, but the trends are slightly more encouraging. Unlike many health behaviours, it is more common for socio-economically disadvantaged groups to commute using physically active modes. This association is, however, weakening and may soon reverse for cycling. At a population level, commute modal share provides a reasonable proxy for broader travel patterns, enhancing the value of the census in characterising background trends and evaluating interventions.

Walking, Cycling and Driving to Work in the English and Welsh 2011 Census: Trends, Socio-Economic Patterning and Relevance to Travel Behaviour in General

PubMed Central

Goodman, Anna

2013-01-01

Objectives Increasing walking and cycling, and reducing motorised transport, are health and environmental priorities. This paper examines levels and trends in the use of different commute modes in England and Wales, both overall and with respect to small-area deprivation. It also investigates whether commute modal share can serve as a proxy for travel behaviour more generally. Methods 23.7 million adult commuters reported their usual main mode of travelling to work in the 2011 census in England and Wales; similar data were available for 1971–2001. Indices of Multiple Deprivation were used to characterise socio-economic patterning. The National Travel Survey (2002–2010) was used to examine correlations between commute modal share and modal share of total travel time. These correlations were calculated across 150 non-overlapping populations defined by region, year band and income. Results Among commuters in 2011, 67.1% used private motorised transport as their usual main commute mode (−1.8 percentage-point change since 2001); 17.8% used public transport (+1.8% change); 10.9% walked (−0.1% change); and 3.1% cycled (+0.1% change). Walking and, to a marginal extent, cycling were more common among those from deprived areas, but these gradients had flattened over the previous decade to the point of having essentially disappeared for cycling. In the National Travel Survey, commute modal share and total modal share were reasonably highly correlated for private motorised transport (r = 0.94), public transport (r = 0.96), walking (r = 0.88 excluding London) and cycling (r = 0.77). Conclusions England and Wales remain car-dependent, but the trends are slightly more encouraging. Unlike many health behaviours, it is more common for socio-economically disadvantaged groups to commute using physically active modes. This association is, however, weakening and may soon reverse for cycling. At a population level, commute modal share provides a reasonable proxy for broader travel patterns, enhancing the value of the census in characterising background trends and evaluating interventions. PMID:23990990

Adolescent Crash Rates and School Start Times in Two Central Virginia Counties, 2009-2011: A Follow-up Study to a Southeastern Virginia Study, 2007-2008

PubMed Central

Vorona, Robert Daniel; Szklo-Coxe, Mariana; Lamichhane, Rajan; Ware, J. Catesby; McNallen, Ann; Leszczyszyn, David

2014-01-01

Background and Objective: Early high school start times (EHSST) may lead to sleep loss in adolescents (“teens”), thus resulting in higher crash rates. (Vorona et al., 2011). In this study, we examined two other adjacent Virginia counties for the two years subsequent to the above-mentioned study. We again hypothesized that teens from jurisdictions with EHSST (versus later) experience higher crash rates. Methods: Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles supplied de-identified aggregate data on weekday crashes and time-of-day for 16-18 year old (teen) and adult drivers for school years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 in Henrico and Chesterfield Counties (HC and CC, respectively). Teen crash rates for counties with early (CC) versus later (HC) school start-times were compared using two-sample Z-tests and these compared to adult crash rates using pair-wise tests. Results: Chesterfield teens manifested a statistically higher crash rate of 48.8/1,000 licensed drivers versus Henrico's 37.9/1,000 (p = 0.04) for 2009-2010. For 2010-2011, CC 16-17 year old teens demonstrated a statistically significant higher crash rate (53.2/1,000 versus 42.0/1,000), while for 16-18 teens a similar trend was found, albeit nonsignificant (p = 0.09). Crash peaks occurred 1 hour earlier in the morning and 2 hours earlier in the afternoon in Chesterfield, consistent with commute times. Post hoc analyses found significantly more run-off road crashes to the right (potentially sleep-related) in Chesterfield teens. Adult crash rates and traffic congestion did not differ between counties. Conclusions: Higher teen crash rates occurred in jurisdictions with EHSST, as in our prior study. This study contributes to and extends existing data on preventable teen crashes and high school start times. Citation: Vorona RD, Szklo-Coxe M, Lamichhane R, Ware JC, McNallen A, Leszczyszyn D. Adolescent crash rates and school start times in two central Virginia counties, 2009-2011: a follow-up study to a southeastern Virginia study, 2007-2008. J Clin Sleep Med 2014;10(11):1169-1177. PMID:25325600

Employees' Perceptions of Cycle Commuting: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Bekkum, Jennifer E.; Williams, Joanne M.; Morris, Paul Graham

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to provide an in-depth individual level understanding of the psychological factors that affect cycle commuting. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 15 participants (eight cycle commuters and seven potential cycle commuters) from a "cycle-friendly" employer based in a Scottish city took part in the study.…

[Association between the characteristics of the neighborhood environment and physical activity].

PubMed

Rodríguez-Romo, Gabriel; Garrido-Muñoz, María; Lucía, Alejandro; Mayorga, Juan I; Ruiz, Jonatan R

2013-01-01

To assess the relationship between the physical and social attributes of the neighborhood environment and levels of total physical activity (PA), leisure time PA, and active commuting PA in adults. The present cross-sectional study comprised 1500 adults (51.1% women) aged 15-74 years from the Autonomous Region of Madrid (Spain). Data were collected through a structured telephone interview. PA was assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, version 2. Neighborhood attributes were assessed with the Environmental Module of the International Physical Activity Prevalence Study. The factors associated with a higher probability of achieving moderate to high levels of total PA and active commuting PA were living in high density residential areas, the presence of shops close to the residential area, public transport stops 10-15 minutes away from the home, and the existence of sidewalks in most of the neighborhood's streets (all p <0,05). The factors associated with moderate to high leisure time PA levels were the presence of active people in the residential area and the presence of low-cost recreational facilities (both p <0,05). Our findings suggest that most of the physical and social attributes of the neighborhood environment examined in this study are associated with total and active commuting PA, whereas only certain neighborhood attributes seem to be associated with leisure time PA. Copyright © 2012 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Potential Effects of a Scenario Earthquake on the Economy of Southern California: Intraregional Commuter, Worker, and Earnings Flow Analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sherrouse, Benson C.; Hester, David J.

2008-01-01

The Multi-Hazards Demonstration Project (MHDP) is a collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and various partners from the public and private sectors and academia, meant to improve Southern California's resiliency to natural hazards (Jones and others, 2007). In support of the MHDP objectives, the ShakeOut Scenario was developed. It describes a magnitude 7.8 (M7.8) earthquake along the southernmost 300 kilometers (200 miles) of the San Andreas Fault, identified by geoscientists as a plausible event that will cause moderate to strong shaking over much of the eight-county (Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura) Southern California region (Jones and others, 2008). This report uses selected datasets from the U.S. Census Bureau and the State of California's Employment Development Department to develop preliminary estimates of the number and spatial distribution of commuters who cross the San Andreas Fault and to characterize these commuters by the industries in which they work and their total earnings. The analysis concerns the relative exposure of the region's economy to the effects of the earthquake as described by the location, volume, and earnings of those commuters who work in each of the region's economic sectors. It is anticipated that damage to transportation corridors traversing the fault would lead to at least short-term disruptions in the ability of commuters to travel between their places of residence and work.

Criteria for Public Investment in the Two-Year College: A Program Budgeting Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heinemann, Harry N.; Sussna, Edward

Junior colleges are organized and controlled in three ways: by the county, by the public school district, or by the state. Little or no tuition, location within commuting distance, and an "open door" admissions policy means that many students can continue their education beyond high school. Further expansion of junior colleges will require…

A 22-Year Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Branch-Brioso, Karen

2009-01-01

When Dr. Modesto "Mitch" Maidique was tapped to be president of Florida International University (FIU) in 1986, the public commuter school in Miami-Dade County wasn't much of a head-turner. It had 15,000 students and offered eight doctoral degree programs. The young university, which opened its doors in 1972, had a $3 million endowment by 1986 and…

19. Photocopy of drawing, typical floor beam and stringer, Bridge ...

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

19. Photocopy of drawing, typical floor beam and stringer, Bridge No. 79B, Main & Washington Sts., So. Norwalk, Ct., N. Y. Division, N.Y., N.H. and H.R.R., dated April 23, 1895. Original on file with Metro North Commuter Railroad. - South Norwalk Railroad Bridge, South Main & Washington Streets, Norwalk, Fairfield County, CT

Twenty-five year socioeconomic trends in leisure-time and commuting physical activity among employed Finns.

PubMed

Mäkinen, T; Borodulin, K; Laatikainen, T; Fogelholm, M; Prättälä, R

2009-04-01

The trend of socioeconomic differences in physical activity is largely unknown in Finland. In this study, we examined socioeconomic trends in leisure-time and commuting physical activity among Finns in 1978-2002. Nationwide data were derived from an annually repeated cross-sectional Finnish Adult Health Behavior Survey. People under the age of 25, students, the unemployed, and retirees were excluded from the analysis. The final data set included 25 513 women and 25 302 men. Socioeconomic variables included education, occupation, and household income. Odds ratios for being physically active and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. People with the lowest income were less leisure-time and commuting physically active. Among women, low occupational status was associated with high commuting physical activity whereas among men such an association was not found. No educational differences among men in leisure-time and commuting physical activity over time were found. Some indications were found that educational differences in leisure-time physical activity among women might have been reversed. Our data suggest that socioeconomic differences in leisure-time and commuting physical activity are quite small and have remained similar between 1978 and 2002.

Reducing drag of a commuter train, using engine exhaust momentum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ha, Dong Keun

The objective of this thesis was to perform numerical investigations of two different methods of injecting fluid momentum into the air flow above a commuter train to reduce its drag. Based on previous aerodynamic modifications of heavy duty trucks in improving fuel efficiency, two structural modifications were designed and applied to a Metrolink Services commuter train in the Los Angeles (LA) County area to reduce its drag and subsequently improve fuel efficiency. The first modification was an L-shaped channel, added to the exhaust cooling fan above the locomotive roof to divert and align the exhaust gases in the axial direction. The second modification was adding an airfoil shaped lid over the L-shape channel, to minimize the drag of the perturbed structure, and thus reduce the overall drag. The computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software CCM+ from CD-Adapco with the ?-? turbulence model was used for the simulations. A single train set which consists of three vehicles: one locomotive, one trailer car and one cab car were used. All the vehicles were modeled based on the standard Metrolink fleet train size. The wind speed was at 90 miles per hour (mph), which is the maximum speed for the Orange County Metrolink line. Air was used as the exhaust gas in the simulation. The temperature of the exhausting air emitting out of the cooling fan on the roof was 150 F and the average fan speed was 120 mph. Results showed that with the addition of the lid, momentum injection results in reduced flow separation and pressure recovery behind the locomotive, which reduces the overall drag by at least 30%.

Exposure to ultrafine particles and black carbon in diesel-powered commuter trains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Cheol-Heon; Traub, Alison; Evans, Greg J.

2017-04-01

Ultrafine particle (UFP), black carbon (BC) and lung deposited surface area (LDSA) concentrations measured during 43 trips on diesel-powered commuter trains revealed elevated exposures under some conditions. When the passenger coaches were pulled by a locomotive, the geometric mean concentrations of UFP, LDSA, and BC were 18, 10, and 6 times higher than the exposure levels when the locomotive pushed the coaches, respectively. In addition, UFP, LDSA, and BC concentrations in pull-trains were 5, 3, and 4 times higher than concentrations measured while walking on city sidewalks, respectively. Exposure to these pollutants was most elevated in the coach located closest to the locomotive: geometric means were 126,000 # cm-3 for UFP, 249 μm2 cm-3 for LDSA, and 17,800 ng m-3 of BC; these concentrations are much higher than those previously reported for other modes of public transportation. Markedly high levels of diesel exhaust are present in passenger trains powered by diesel locomotives operated in pull-mode. Thus, it is recommended that immediate steps be taken to evaluate, and where needed, mitigate exposure in diesel-powered passenger trains, both commuter and inter-city.

Associations between Active Commuting to School and Health-Related Physical Fitness in Spanish School-Aged Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Villa-González, Emilio; Ruiz, Jonatan R.; Chillón, Palma

2015-01-01

Active commuting (walking or cycling) to school has been positively associated with improved fitness among adolescents. However, current evidence lacks information on whether this association persists in children. The aim of this study was to examine the association of active commuting to school with different fitness parameters in Spanish school-aged children. A total of 494 children (229 girls) from five primary schools in Granada and Jaén (Spain), aged between eight and 11 years, participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed the Assessing Levels of Physical Activity (ALPHA) fitness test battery and answered a self-reported questionnaire regarding the weekly travel mode to school. Active commuting to school was significantly associated with higher levels of speed-agility in boys (p = 0.048) and muscle strength of the lower body muscular fitness in girls (p = 0.016). However, there were no significant associations between active commuting to school and cardiorespiratory fitness and upper body muscular fitness. Our findings suggest that active commuting to school was associated with higher levels of both speed-agility and lower body muscular fitness in boys and girls, respectively. Future studies should confirm whether increasing active commuting to school increases speed-agility and muscle strength of the lower body. PMID:26322487

Walking and cycling for commuting, leisure and errands: relations with individual characteristics and leisure-time physical activity in a cross-sectional survey (the ACTI-Cités project).

PubMed

Menai, Mehdi; Charreire, Hélène; Feuillet, Thierry; Salze, Paul; Weber, Christiane; Enaux, Christophe; Andreeva, Valentina A; Hercberg, Serge; Nazare, Julie-Anne; Perchoux, Camille; Simon, Chantal; Oppert, Jean-Michel

2015-12-09

Increasing active transport behavior (walking, cycling) throughout the life-course is a key element of physical activity promotion for health. There is, however, a need to better understand the correlates of specific domains of walking and cycling to identify more precisely at-risk populations for public health interventions. In addition, current knowledge of interactions between domains of walking and cycling remains limited. We assessed past-month self-reported time spent walking and cycling in three specific domains (commuting, leisure and errands) in 39,295 French adult participants (76.5% women) of the on-going NutriNet Santé web-cohort. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations with socio-demographic and physical activity correlates. Having a transit pass was strongly positively associated with walking for commuting and for errands but was unrelated to walking for leisure or to all domains of cycling. Having a parking space at work was strongly negatively associated with walking for commuting and cycling for commuting. BMI was negatively associated with both walking for leisure and errands, and with the three domains of cycling. Leisure-time physical activity was negatively associated with walking for commuting but was positively associated with the two other domains of walking and with cycling (three domains). Walking for commuting was positively associated with the other domains of walking; cycling for commuting was also positively associated with the other domains of cycling. Walking for commuting was not associated with cycling for commuting. In adults walking and cycling socio-demographic and physical activity correlates differ by domain (commuting, leisure and errands). Better knowledge of relationships between domains should help to develop interventions focusing not only the right population, but also the right behavior.

A Random Walk Approach to Query Informative Constraints for Clustering.

PubMed

Abin, Ahmad Ali

2017-08-09

This paper presents a random walk approach to the problem of querying informative constraints for clustering. The proposed method is based on the properties of the commute time, that is the expected time taken for a random walk to travel between two nodes and return, on the adjacency graph of data. Commute time has the nice property of that, the more short paths connect two given nodes in a graph, the more similar those nodes are. Since computing the commute time takes the Laplacian eigenspectrum into account, we use this property in a recursive fashion to query informative constraints for clustering. At each recursion, the proposed method constructs the adjacency graph of data and utilizes the spectral properties of the commute time matrix to bipartition the adjacency graph. Thereafter, the proposed method benefits from the commute times distance on graph to query informative constraints between partitions. This process iterates for each partition until the stop condition becomes true. Experiments on real-world data show the efficiency of the proposed method for constraints selection.

Social optimum for evening commute in a single-entry traffic corridor with no early departures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chuan-Yao; Xu, Guang-Ming; Tang, Tie-Qiao

2018-07-01

In this paper, we investigate the evening commute behaviors on the social optimum (SO) state in a single-entry traffic corridor with no early departures. Differing from the previous studies on evening commute, the dynamic properties of traffic flow are analyzed with the LWR (Lighthill-Whitham-Richards) model. The properties of optimum cumulative inflow curve with general desired departure time distribution curve are deduced, and then the analytic solutions for common desired departure time in SO are obtained. Three numerical examples are carried out to capture the characteristics of evening commuting behaviors under different values of time. The analytic and numerical results both indicate that the rarefaction wave originating from the first entry point influences the whole or part of the outflow curve. No shock wave exists through the commuting process. In addition, the cost curves show that the trip cost increases and the departure delay cost decreases with departure time, whereas the travel time cost first increases then decreases with departure time under the SO principle.

Impact of the Mexican Alien Commuter on the Apparel Industry of El Paso, Texas--A Case Study. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rungeling, Brian Scott

This study analyzed what effect commuters had on wage levels, employment, and industrial locations, and the relative importance of the commuter as part of the work force. A questionnaire was administered to 190 workers and to their 20 employers in the apparel industry of El Paso, Texas. The questionnaires revealed that the commuters were paid the…

Exposure to carbon monoxide, fine particle mass, and ultrafine particle number in Jakarta, Indonesia: effect of commute mode.

PubMed

Both, Adam F; Westerdahl, Dane; Fruin, Scott; Haryanto, Budi; Marshall, Julian D

2013-01-15

We measured real-time exposure to PM(2.5), ultrafine PM (particle number) and carbon monoxide (CO) for commuting workers school children, and traffic police, in Jakarta, Indonesia. In total, we measured exposures for 36 individuals covering 93 days. Commuters in private cars experienced mean (st dev) exposures of 22 (9.4) ppm CO, 91 (38) μg/m(3)PM(2.5), and 290 (150)×10(3) particles cm(-3). Mean concentrations were higher in public transport than in private cars for PM(2.5) (difference in means: 22%) and particle counts (54%), but not CO, likely reflecting in-vehicle particle losses in private cars owing to air-conditioning. However, average commute times were longer for private car commuters than public transport commuters (in our sample, 24% longer: 3.0 vs. 2.3 h per day). Commute and traffic-related exposures experienced by Jakarta residents are among the highest in the world, owing to high on-road concentrations and multi-hour commutes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential to increase active commuting level in university area (Case study: Universitas Gadjah Mada)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devi, M. K.

2017-06-01

In order to alleviate the negative impacts of motorized vehicle use as well as create sustainable environment within campus area, it is pivotal to encourage mode shifting among university students. Active transport modes such as walking, cycling, and using public transport can be considered as alternative modes. This paper tried to identify the potential to increase active commuting in UGM by understanding student’s travel behavior. ANOVA test was employed to identify the perceptions between students across residential zones toward motivators and barriers to actively commute. The findings were used to propose strategies for increasing active commuting level in UGM, which are: reducing barriers to actively commute, improving public transport services, improving walking and cycling facilities, and introducing programs to discourage motorized vehicle use.

Non-Commutative Rational Yang-Baxter Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doliwa, Adam

2014-03-01

Starting from multidimensional consistency of non-commutative lattice-modified Gel'fand-Dikii systems, we present the corresponding solutions of the functional (set-theoretic) Yang-Baxter equation, which are non-commutative versions of the maps arising from geometric crystals. Our approach works under additional condition of centrality of certain products of non-commuting variables. Then we apply such a restriction on the level of the Gel'fand-Dikii systems what allows to obtain non-autonomous (but with central non-autonomous factors) versions of the equations. In particular, we recover known non-commutative version of Hirota's lattice sine-Gordon equation, and we present an integrable non-commutative and non-autonomous lattice modified Boussinesq equation.

"It's driving her mad": Gender differences in the effects of commuting on psychological health.

PubMed

Roberts, Jennifer; Hodgson, Robert; Dolan, Paul

2011-09-01

Commuting is an important component of time use for most working people. We explore the effects of commuting time on the psychological health of men and women. We use data from the British Household Panel Survey in a fixed effects framework that includes variables known to determine psychological health, as well as factors which may provide compensation for commuting such as income, job satisfaction and housing quality. Our results show that, even after these variables are considered, commuting has an important detrimental effect on the psychological health of women, but not men, and this result is robust to numerous different specifications. We explore explanations for this gender difference and can find no evidence that it is due to women's shorter working hours or weaker occupational position. Rather women's greater sensitivity to commuting time seems to be a result of their larger responsibility for day-to-day household tasks, including childcare and housework. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Commuter exposure to inhalable, thoracic and alveolic particles in various transportation modes in Delhi.

PubMed

Kumar, Pramod; Gupta, N C

2016-01-15

A public health concern is to understand the linkages between specific pollution sources and adverse health impacts. Commuting can be viewed as one of the significant-exposure activity in high-vehicle density areas. This paper investigates the commuter exposure to inhalable, thoracic and alveolic particles in various transportation modes in Delhi, India. Air pollution levels are significantly contributed by automobile exhaust and also in-vehicle exposure can be higher sometime than ambient levels. Motorcycle, auto rickshaw, car and bus were selected to study particles concentration along two routes in Delhi between Kashmere Gate and Dwarka. The bus and auto rickshaw were running on compressed natural gas (CNG) while the car and motorcycle were operated on gasoline fuel. Aerosol spectrometer was employed to measure inhalable, thoracic and alveolic particles during morning and evening rush hours for five weekdays. From the study, we observed that the concentration levels of these particles were greatly influenced by transportation modes. Concentrations of inhalable particles were found higher during morning in auto rickshaw (332.81 ± 90.97 μg/m(3)) while the commuter of bus exhibited higher exposure of thoracic particles (292.23 ± 110.45 μg/m(3)) and car commuters were exposed to maximum concentrations of alveolic particles (222.37 ± 26.56 μg/m(3)). We observed that in evening car commuters experienced maximum concentrations of all sizes of particles among the four commuting modes. Interestingly, motorcycle commuters were exposed to lower levels of inhalable and thoracic particles during morning and evening hours as compared to other modes of transport. The mean values were found greater than the median values for all the modes of transport suggesting that positive skewed distributions are characteristics of naturally occurring phenomenon. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impact of rural hospital closures on equity of commuting time for haemodialysis patients: simulation analysis using the capacity-distance model.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Masatoshi; Ogawa, Takahiko; Kashima, Saori; Takeuchi, Keisuke

2012-07-23

Frequent and long-term commuting is a requirement for dialysis patients. Accessibility thus affects their quality of lives. In this paper, a new model for accessibility measurement is proposed in which both geographic distance and facility capacity are taken into account. Simulation of closure of rural facilities and that of capacity transfer between urban and rural facilities are conducted to evaluate the impacts of these phenomena on equity of accessibility among dialysis patients. Post code information as of August 2011 of all the 7,374 patients certified by municipalities of Hiroshima prefecture as having first or third grade renal disability were collected. Information on post code and the maximum number of outpatients (capacity) of all the 98 dialysis facilities were also collected. Using geographic information systems, patient commuting times were calculated in two models: one that takes into account road distance (distance model), and the other that takes into account both the road distance and facility capacity (capacity-distance model). Simulations of closures of rural and urban facilities were then conducted. The median commuting time among rural patients was more than twice as long as that among urban patients (15 versus 7 minutes, p<0.001). In the capacity-distance model 36.1% of patients commuted to the facilities which were different from the facilities in the distance model, creating a substantial gap of commuting time between the two models. In the simulation, when five rural public facilitiess were closed, Gini coefficient of commuting times among the patients increased by 16%, indicating a substantial worsening of equity, and the number of patients with commuting times longer than 90 minutes increased by 72 times. In contrast, closure of four urban public facilities with similar capacities did not affect these values. Closures of dialysis facilities in rural areas have a substantially larger impact on equity of commuting times among dialysis patients than closures of urban facilities. The accessibility simulations using the capacity-distance model will provide an analytic framework upon which rational resource distribution policies might be planned.

The impact of rural hospital closures on equity of commuting time for haemodialysis patients: simulation analysis using the capacity-distance model

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Frequent and long-term commuting is a requirement for dialysis patients. Accessibility thus affects their quality of lives. In this paper, a new model for accessibility measurement is proposed in which both geographic distance and facility capacity are taken into account. Simulation of closure of rural facilities and that of capacity transfer between urban and rural facilities are conducted to evaluate the impacts of these phenomena on equity of accessibility among dialysis patients. Methods Post code information as of August 2011 of all the 7,374 patients certified by municipalities of Hiroshima prefecture as having first or third grade renal disability were collected. Information on post code and the maximum number of outpatients (capacity) of all the 98 dialysis facilities were also collected. Using geographic information systems, patient commuting times were calculated in two models: one that takes into account road distance (distance model), and the other that takes into account both the road distance and facility capacity (capacity-distance model). Simulations of closures of rural and urban facilities were then conducted. Results The median commuting time among rural patients was more than twice as long as that among urban patients (15 versus 7 minutes, p < 0.001). In the capacity-distance model 36.1% of patients commuted to the facilities which were different from the facilities in the distance model, creating a substantial gap of commuting time between the two models. In the simulation, when five rural public facilitiess were closed, Gini coefficient of commuting times among the patients increased by 16%, indicating a substantial worsening of equity, and the number of patients with commuting times longer than 90 minutes increased by 72 times. In contrast, closure of four urban public facilities with similar capacities did not affect these values. Conclusions Closures of dialysis facilities in rural areas have a substantially larger impact on equity of commuting times among dialysis patients than closures of urban facilities. The accessibility simulations using thecapacity-distance model will provide an analytic framework upon which rational resource distribution policies might be planned. PMID:22824294

Commuter exposure to ultrafine particles in different urban locations, transportation modes and routes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragettli, Martina S.; Corradi, Elisabetta; Braun-Fahrländer, Charlotte; Schindler, Christian; de Nazelle, Audrey; Jerrett, Michael; Ducret-Stich, Regina E.; Künzli, Nino; Phuleria, Harish C.

2013-10-01

A better understanding of ultrafine particle (UFP) exposure in different urban transport microenvironments is important for epidemiological exposure assessments and for policy making. Three sub-studies were performed to characterize personal exposure to UFP concentration and average particle size distribution diameters in frequently traveled commuter microenvironments in the city of Basel, Switzerland. First, the spatial variation of sidewalk UFP exposures within urban areas and transport-specific microenvironments was explored. Second, exposure to UFP concentration and average particle size were quantified for five modes of transportation (walking, bicycle, bus, tram, car) during different times of the day and week, along the same route. Finally, the contribution of bicycle commuting along two different routes (along main roads, away from main roads) to total daily exposures was assessed by 24-h personal measurements. In general, smaller average particle sizes and higher UFP levels were measured at places and for travel modes in close proximity to traffic. Average trip UFP concentrations were higher in car (31,784 particles cm-³) and on bicycle (22,660 particles cm-³) compared to walking (19,481 particles cm-³) and public transportation (14,055-18,818 particles cm-³). Concentrations were highest for all travel modes during weekday morning rush hours, compared to other time periods. UFP concentration was lowest in bus, regardless of time period. Bicycle travel along main streets between home and work place (24 min on average) contributed 21% and 5% to total daily UFP exposure in winter and summer, respectively. Contribution of bicycle commutes to total daily UFP exposure could be reduced by half if main roads are avoided. Our results show the importance of considering commuter behavior and route choice in exposure assessment studies.

Combined use of tri-axial accelerometers and GPS reveals the flexible foraging strategy of a bird in relation to weather conditions

PubMed Central

Rodríguez, Carlos; Dell’Omo, Giacomo; Bustamante, Javier

2017-01-01

Tri-axial accelerometry has proved to be a useful technique to study animal behavior with little direct observation, and also an effective way to measure energy expenditure, allowing a refreshing revisit to optimal foraging theory. This theory predicts that individuals should gain the most energy for the lowest cost in terms of time and energy when foraging, in order to maximize their fitness. However, during a foraging trip, central-place foragers could face different trade-offs during the commuting and searching parts of the trip, influencing behavioral decisions. Using the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) as an example we study the time and energy costs of different behaviors during the commuting and searching parts of a foraging trip. Lesser kestrels are small insectivorous falcons that behave as central-place foragers during the breeding season. They can commute by adopting either time-saving flapping flights or energy-saving soaring-gliding flights, and capture prey by using either time-saving active hovering flights or energy-saving perch-hunting. We tracked 6 lesser kestrels using GPS and tri-axial accelerometers during the breeding season. Our results indicate that males devoted more time and energy to flight behaviors than females in agreement with being the sex responsible for food provisioning to the nest. During the commuting flights, kestrels replaced flapping with soaring-gliding flights as solar radiation increased and thermal updrafts got stronger. In the searching part, they replaced perch-hunting with hovering as wind speed increased and they experienced a stronger lift. But also, they increased the use of hovering as air temperature increased, which has a positive influence on the activity level of the preferred prey (large grasshoppers). Kestrels maintained a constant energy expenditure per foraging trip, although flight and hunting strategies changed dramatically with weather conditions, suggesting a fixed energy budget per trip to which they adjusted their commuting and searching strategies in response to weather conditions. PMID:28591181

EFFECTS OF LONG-TIME COMMUTING AND LONG-HOUR WORKING ON LIFESTYLE AND MENTAL HEALTH AMONG SCHOOL TEACHERS IN TOKYO, JAPAN.

PubMed

Nomoto, Marino; Hara, Akiko; Kikuchi, Kimiyo

2015-06-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of long-time commuting and long-hour working on lifestyle including sleeping, physical exercise, breakfast, smoking, alcohol intake and mental health. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 146 school teachers in Tokyo. The binary associations of commuting time and working hours with lifestyle, mental stress measured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and stress coping measured by the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scores were examined. The Chi-square test was used for statistical analyses. Our results indicated that the mean commuting time and working hours per week of the respondents were 42.1 (SD 22.5) minutes and 50.4 (SD 8.6) hours, respectively. Longer commuting time was significantly associated with shorter working hours (p = 0.023), less physical exercise (p < 0.001) and shorter sleeping hours (p = 0.001). Longer working hours were significantly associated with more frequent working on holidays (p = 0.001), higher SOC scores (p = 0.001) and more smoking (p = 0.028). The negative association between GHQ and SOC scores was also significant (p < 0.001). Our findings revealed that long-time commuters were more likely to sleep less, exercise less and work less long. Long-hour workers were more likely to commute shorter, work on holidays more frequently, smoke more and their stress coping potentials were higher. Some kinds of strategies are required to improve the healthy lifestyle for long-time com- muters or long-hour workers. Key words: stress; stress coping; general health questionnaire; sense of coherence

[Influence of active commuting on happiness, well-being, psychological distress and body shape in adolescents].

PubMed

Ruiz-Ariza, Alberto; de la Torre-Cruz, Manuel J; Redecillas-Peiró, María T; Martínez-López, Emilio J

2015-01-01

To analyse the association between active commuting to secondary school and indicators of psychological health in a sample of 1012 adolescents. Active commuting was assessed through a questionnaire, subjective happiness with the Subjective Happiness Scale, well-being and psychological distress with the General Well-Being Scale, and body shape was assessed using the short version of the Body Shape Questionnaire. Adolescents who spent more than 15 minutes per day actively commuting to secondary school had higher levels of subjective happiness (p=0.032) and psychological well-being (p=0.021) and lower levels of psychological distress (p=0.021) than adolescents who spent 15 minutes or less per day. There were no differences in body shape between less and more active adolescents (p >0.05). Active commuting to secondary school for more of 15 minutes per day is recommended because it is associated with higher levels of happiness and well-being in adolescents. Copyright © 2015 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Utilizing Crowdsourced Data for Studies of Cycling and Air Pollution Exposure: A Case Study Using Strava Data.

PubMed

Sun, Yeran; Mobasheri, Amin

2017-03-08

With the development of information and communications technology, user-generated content and crowdsourced data are playing a large role in studies of transport and public health. Recently, Strava, a popular website and mobile app dedicated to tracking athletic activity (cycling and running), began offering a data service called Strava Metro, designed to help transportation researchers and urban planners to improve infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians. Strava Metro data has the potential to promote studies of cycling and health by indicating where commuting and non-commuting cycling activities are at a large spatial scale (street level and intersection level). The assessment of spatially varying effects of air pollution during active travel (cycling or walking) might benefit from Strava Metro data, as a variation in air pollution levels within a city would be expected. In this paper, to explore the potential of Strava Metro data in research of active travel and health, we investigate spatial patterns of non-commuting cycling activities and associations between cycling purpose (commuting and non-commuting) and air pollution exposure at a large scale. Additionally, we attempt to estimate the number of non-commuting cycling trips according to environmental characteristics that may help identify cycling behavior. Researchers who are undertaking studies relating to cycling purpose could benefit from this approach in their use of cycling trip data sets that lack trip purpose. We use the Strava Metro Nodes data from Glasgow, United Kingdom in an empirical study. Empirical results reveal some findings that (1) when compared with commuting cycling activities, non-commuting cycling activities are more likely to be located in outskirts of the city; (2) spatially speaking, cyclists riding for recreation and other purposes are more likely to be exposed to relatively low levels of air pollution than cyclists riding for commuting; and (3) the method for estimating of the number of non-commuting cycling activities works well in this study. The results highlight: (1) a need for policymakers to consider how to improve cycling infrastructure and road safety in outskirts of cities; and (2) a possible way of estimating the number of non-commuting cycling activities when the trip purpose of cycling data is unknown.

Utilizing Crowdsourced Data for Studies of Cycling and Air Pollution Exposure: A Case Study Using Strava Data

PubMed Central

Sun, Yeran; Mobasheri, Amin

2017-01-01

With the development of information and communications technology, user-generated content and crowdsourced data are playing a large role in studies of transport and public health. Recently, Strava, a popular website and mobile app dedicated to tracking athletic activity (cycling and running), began offering a data service called Strava Metro, designed to help transportation researchers and urban planners to improve infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians. Strava Metro data has the potential to promote studies of cycling and health by indicating where commuting and non-commuting cycling activities are at a large spatial scale (street level and intersection level). The assessment of spatially varying effects of air pollution during active travel (cycling or walking) might benefit from Strava Metro data, as a variation in air pollution levels within a city would be expected. In this paper, to explore the potential of Strava Metro data in research of active travel and health, we investigate spatial patterns of non-commuting cycling activities and associations between cycling purpose (commuting and non-commuting) and air pollution exposure at a large scale. Additionally, we attempt to estimate the number of non-commuting cycling trips according to environmental characteristics that may help identify cycling behavior. Researchers who are undertaking studies relating to cycling purpose could benefit from this approach in their use of cycling trip data sets that lack trip purpose. We use the Strava Metro Nodes data from Glasgow, United Kingdom in an empirical study. Empirical results reveal some findings that (1) when compared with commuting cycling activities, non-commuting cycling activities are more likely to be located in outskirts of the city; (2) spatially speaking, cyclists riding for recreation and other purposes are more likely to be exposed to relatively low levels of air pollution than cyclists riding for commuting; and (3) the method for estimating of the number of non-commuting cycling activities works well in this study. The results highlight: (1) a need for policymakers to consider how to improve cycling infrastructure and road safety in outskirts of cities; and (2) a possible way of estimating the number of non-commuting cycling activities when the trip purpose of cycling data is unknown. PMID:28282865

Levels of ambient air pollution according to mode of transport: a systematic review.

PubMed

Cepeda, Magda; Schoufour, Josje; Freak-Poli, Rosanne; Koolhaas, Chantal M; Dhana, Klodian; Bramer, Wichor M; Franco, Oscar H

2017-01-01

Controversy exists about the differences in air pollution exposure and inhalation dose between mode of transport. We aimed to review air pollution exposure and inhaled dose according to mode of transport and pollutant and their effect in terms of years of life expectancy (YLE). In this systematic review, we searched ten online databases from inception to April 13, 2016, without language or temporal restrictions, for cohort, cross-sectional, and experimental studies that compared exposure to carbon monoxide, black carbon, nitrogen dioxide, and fine and coarse particles in active commuters (pedestrian or cyclist) and commuters using motorised transport (car, motorcycle, bus, or massive motorised transport [MMT-ie, train, subway, or metro]). We excluded studies that measured air pollution exposure exclusively with biomarkers or on the basis of simulated data, reviews, comments, consensuses, editorials, guidelines, in-vitro studies, meta-analyses, ecological studies, and protocols. We extracted average exposure and commuting time per mode of transport and pollutant to calculate inhaled doses. We calculated exposure and inhaled dose ratios using active commuters as the reference and summarised them with medians and IQRs. We also calculated differences in YLE due to fine particle inhaled dose and physical activity. We identified 4037 studies, of which 39 were included in the systematic review. Overall, car commuters had higher exposure to all pollutants than did active commuters in 30 (71%) of 42 comparisons (median ratio 1·22 [IQR 0·90-1·76]), followed by those who commuted by bus in 57 (52%) of 109 (1·0 [0·79-1·41]), by motorcycle in 16 (50%) of 32 (0·99 [0·86-1·38]), by a car with controlled ventilation settings in 39 (45%) of 86 (0·95 [0·66-1·54]), and by MMT in 21 (38%) of 55 (0·67 [0·49-1·13]). Overall, active commuters had higher inhalation doses than did commuters using motorised transport (median ratio car with controlled ventilation settings 0·16 [0·10-0·28]; car 0·22 [0·15-0·30]; motorcycle 0·38 [0·26-0·78]; MMT 0·49 [0·34-0·81]; bus 0·72 [IQR 0·50-0·99]). Commuters using motorised transport lost up to 1 year in YLE more than did cyclists. Proximity to traffic and high air interchange increased the exposure to air pollution of commuters using motorised transport. Larger inhalation rates and commuting time increased inhaled dose among active commuters. Benefits of active commuting from physical activity are larger than the risk from an increased inhaled dose of fine particles. Departamento Administrativo de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (COLCIENCIAS), National Health and Medical Research Council, Nestlé Nutrition (Nestec), Metagenics, and AXA. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Modification of Traffic-related Respiratory Response by Asthma Control in a Population of Car Commuters.

PubMed

Mirabelli, Maria C; Golan, Rachel; Greenwald, Roby; Raysoni, Amit U; Holguin, Fernando; Kewada, Priya; Winquist, Andrea; Flanders, W Dana; Sarnat, Jeremy A

2015-07-01

Effects of traffic-related exposures on respiratory health are well documented, but little information is available about whether asthma control influences individual susceptibility. We analyzed data from the Atlanta Commuter Exposure study to evaluate modification of associations between rush-hour commuting, in- vehicle air pollution, and selected respiratory health outcomes by asthma control status. Between 2009 and 2011, 39 adults participated in Atlanta Commuter Exposure, and each conducted two scripted rush-hour highway commutes. In-vehicle particulate components were measured during all commutes. Among adults with asthma, we evaluated asthma control by questionnaire and spirometry. Exhaled nitric oxide, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and other metrics of respiratory health were measured precommute and 0, 1, 2, and 3 hours postcommute. We used mixed effects linear regression to evaluate associations between commute-related exposures and postcommute changes in metrics of respiratory health by level of asthma control. We observed increased exhaled nitric oxide across all levels of asthma control compared with precommute measurements, with largest postcommute increases observed among participants with below-median asthma control (2 hours postcommute: 14.6% [95% confidence interval {CI} = 5.7, 24.2]; 3 hours postcommute: 19.5% [95% CI = 7.8, 32.5]). No associations between in-vehicle pollutants and percent of predicted FEV1 were observed, although higher PM2.5 was associated with lower FEV1 % predicted among participants with below-median asthma control (3 hours postcommute: -7.2 [95% CI = -11.8, -2.7]). Level of asthma control may influence respiratory response to in-vehicle exposures experienced during rush-hour commuting.

Multilevel-Dc-Bus Inverter For Providing Sinusoidal And Pwm Electrical Machine Voltages

DOEpatents

Su, Gui-Jia [Knoxville, TN

2005-11-29

A circuit for controlling an ac machine comprises a full bridge network of commutation switches which are connected to supply current for a corresponding voltage phase to the stator windings, a plurality of diodes, each in parallel connection to a respective one of the commutation switches, a plurality of dc source connections providing a multi-level dc bus for the full bridge network of commutation switches to produce sinusoidal voltages or PWM signals, and a controller connected for control of said dc source connections and said full bridge network of commutation switches to output substantially sinusoidal voltages to the stator windings. With the invention, the number of semiconductor switches is reduced to m+3 for a multi-level dc bus having m levels. A method of machine control is also disclosed.

Analysis of the equilibrium trip cost accounting for the fuel cost in a single-lane traffic system without late arrival

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Tie-Qiao; Wang, Tao; Chen, Liang; Huang, Hai-Jun

2018-01-01

In this paper, we introduce the fuel cost into each commuter's trip cost, define a new trip cost without late arrival and its corresponding equilibrium state, and use a car-following model to explore the impacts of the fuel cost on each commuter's departure time, departure interval, arrival time, arrival interval, traveling time, early arrival time and trip cost at the above equilibrium state. The numerical results show that considering the fuel cost in each commuter's trip cost has positive impacts on his trip cost and fuel cost, and the traffic situation in the system without late arrival, i.e., each commuter should explicitly consider the fuel cost in his trip cost.

Time Spent Commuting to Work and Mental Health: Evidence From 13 Waves of an Australian Cohort Study.

PubMed

Milner, Allison; Badland, Hannah; Kavanagh, Anne; LaMontagne, Anthony D

2017-09-15

Time-related stressors, such as long working hours, are recognized as being detrimental to health. We considered whether time spent commuting to work was a risk factor for poor mental health. Data from the Household, Income Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey were used to conduct fixed-effects longitudinal regression analyses. The outcome variable was the Mental Health Inventory, and the main exposure represented hours per week traveling to and from a place of paid employment. Effect modifiers included sex, low job control, high demands, and low job security. Compared with when a person commuted for ≤2 hours per week, there was a small decline (coefficient = -0.33, 95% CI: -0.62, -0.04; P = 0.025) in the Mental Health Inventory score when they commuted for over 6 hours per week. Compared with persons with high job control, persons working in jobs with low job control experienced significantly greater declines in the Mental Health Inventory score when commuting 4 to 6 hours per week and when commuting over 6 hours per week. We found no influence from the other hypothesized effect modifiers. These results suggest the importance of considering commuting time as an additional work-related time stressor. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Commuting to work: RN travel time to employment in rural and urban areas.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Marie-Claire; Corcoran, Sean P; Kovner, Christine; Brewer, Carol

2011-02-01

To investigate the variation in average daily travel time to work among registered nurses (RNs) living in urban, suburban, and rural areas. We examine how travel time varies across RN characteristics, job setting, and availability of local employment opportunities. Descriptive statistics and linear regression using a 5% sample from the 2000 Census and a longitudinal survey of newly licensed RNs (NLRN). Travel time for NLRN respondents was estimated using geographic information systems (GIS) software. In the NLRN, rural nurses and those living in small towns had significantly longer average commute times. Young married RNs and RNs with children also tended to have longer commute times, as did RNs employed by hospitals. The findings indicate that travel time to work varies significantly across locale types. Further research is needed to understand whether and to what extent lengthy commute times impact RN workforce needs in rural and urban areas.

15. Photocopy of drawing, truss elevations, Bridge No. 79B, Main ...

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

15. Photocopy of drawing, truss elevations, Bridge No. 79B, Main & Washington Sts., So. Norwalk, Ct., N. Y. Division, N.Y., N.H. and H.R.R., dated April 21, 1895. Original on file with Construction Management and Facilities Engineering Department, Metro North Commuter Railroad, 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. - South Norwalk Railroad Bridge, South Main & Washington Streets, Norwalk, Fairfield County, CT

Commutation circuit for an HVDC circuit breaker

DOEpatents

Premerlani, William J.

1981-01-01

A commutation circuit for a high voltage DC circuit breaker incorporates a resistor capacitor combination and a charging circuit connected to the main breaker, such that a commutating capacitor is discharged in opposition to the load current to force the current in an arc after breaker opening to zero to facilitate arc interruption. In a particular embodiment, a normally open commutating circuit is connected across the contacts of a main DC circuit breaker to absorb the inductive system energy trapped by breaker opening and to limit recovery voltages to a level tolerable by the commutating circuit components.

Commutation circuit for an HVDC circuit breaker

DOEpatents

Premerlani, W.J.

1981-11-10

A commutation circuit for a high voltage DC circuit breaker incorporates a resistor capacitor combination and a charging circuit connected to the main breaker, such that a commutating capacitor is discharged in opposition to the load current to force the current in an arc after breaker opening to zero to facilitate arc interruption. In a particular embodiment, a normally open commutating circuit is connected across the contacts of a main DC circuit breaker to absorb the inductive system energy trapped by breaker opening and to limit recovery voltages to a level tolerable by the commutating circuit components. 13 figs.

Constant power speed range extension of surface mounted PM motors

DOEpatents

Lawler, Jack Steward; Bailey, John Milton

2001-01-01

A circuit and method for controlling a rotating machine (11) in the constant horsepower range above base speed uses an inverter (15) having SCR's (T1-T6) connected in series with the primary commutation switches (Q1-Q6) to control turn off of the primary commutation switches and to protect the primary commutation switches from faults. The primary commutation switches (Q1-Q6) are controlled by a controller (14), to fire in advance or after a time when the back emf equals the applied voltage, and then to turn off after a precise dwell time, such that suitable power is developed at speeds up to at least six times base speed.

Causal pathways linking environmental change with health behaviour change: Natural experimental study of new transport infrastructure and cycling to work.

PubMed

Prins, R G; Panter, J; Heinen, E; Griffin, S J; Ogilvie, D B

2016-06-01

Mechanisms linking changes to the environment with changes in physical activity are poorly understood. Insights into mechanisms of interventions can help strengthen causal attribution and improve understanding of divergent response patterns. We examined the causal pathways linking exposure to new transport infrastructure with changes in cycling to work. We used baseline (2009) and follow-up (2012) data (N=469) from the Commuting and Health in Cambridge natural experimental study (Cambridge, UK). Exposure to new infrastructure in the form of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway was defined using residential proximity. Mediators studied were changes in perceptions of the route to work, theory of planned behaviour constructs and self-reported use of the new infrastructure. Outcomes were modelled as an increase, decrease or no change in weekly cycle commuting time. We used regression analyses to identify combinations of mediators forming potential pathways between exposure and outcome. We then tested these pathways in a path model and stratified analyses by baseline level of active commuting. We identified changes in perceptions of the route to work, and use of the cycle path, as potential mediators. Of these potential mediators, only use of the path significantly explained (85%) the effect of the infrastructure in increasing cycling. Path use also explained a decrease in cycling among more active commuters. The findings strengthen the causal argument that changing the environment led to changes in health-related behaviour via use of the new infrastructure, but also show how some commuters may have spent less time cycling as a result. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Real-time rideshare matching problem.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-01-01

According to the Commuting in America report, more than 88% of American workers commute to work in private vehicles, which accounts for a daily sum of 166 million miles. The report also indicates that more than 76% of the commuters drive alone, resul...

Motivational readiness for active commuting by university students: incentives and barriers.

PubMed

Cole, Rachel; Leslie, Eva; Donald, Maria; Cerin, Ester; Neller, Anne; Owen, Neville

2008-12-01

Walking for transport can contribute significantly to health-enhancing physical activity. We examined the associations of stages of motivational readiness for active transport with perceived barriers and incentives to walking to and from university among students. Mail-back surveys were completed by 781 students in a regional university in south-east Queensland. They identified one of eight options on motivational readiness for active commuting, which were then classified as: pre-contemplation; contemplation-preparation; or, action-maintenance. Open-ended questions were used to identify relevant barriers and incentives. Logistic regressions were used to examine the barriers and incentives that distinguished between those at different stages of motivational readiness. Barriers most frequently reported were long travel distances, inconvenience and time constraints. Incentives most frequently reported were shorter travel distance, having more time, supportive infrastructure and better security. Those not considering active commuting (pre-contemplation) were significantly more likely to report shorter travel distance as an incentive compared to those in contemplation-preparation. Those in contemplation-preparation were significantly more likely to report lack of motivation, inadequate infrastructure, shorter travel distance and inconvenience as barriers; and, having more time, supportive infrastructure, social support and incentive programs as encouragement. Different barriers and incentives to walking to or from university exist for students in the different stages of motivational readiness for active commuting. Interventions targeted specifically to stage of motivational readiness may be potentially helpful in increasing activity levels, through active transport.

Simplified High-Power Inverter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, D. B.; Rippel, W. E.

1984-01-01

Solid-state inverter simplified by use of single gate-turnoff device (GTO) to commutate multiple silicon controlled rectifiers (SCR's). By eliminating conventional commutation circuitry, GTO reduces cost, size and weight. GTO commutation applicable to inverters of greater than 1-kilowatt capacity. Applications include emergency power, load leveling, drives for traction and stationary polyphase motors, and photovoltaic-power conditioning.

The standard model on non-commutative space-time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calmet, X.; Jurčo, B.; Schupp, P.; Wess, J.; Wohlgenannt, M.

2002-03-01

We consider the standard model on a non-commutative space and expand the action in the non-commutativity parameter θ^{μ ν}. No new particles are introduced; the structure group is SU(3)× SU(2)× U(1). We derive the leading order action. At zeroth order the action coincides with the ordinary standard model. At leading order in θ^{μν} we find new vertices which are absent in the standard model on commutative space-time. The most striking features are couplings between quarks, gluons and electroweak bosons and many new vertices in the charged and neutral currents. We find that parity is violated in non-commutative QCD. The Higgs mechanism can be applied. QED is not deformed in the minimal version of the NCSM to the order considered.

Modification of Traffic-related Respiratory Response by Asthma Control in a Population of Car Commuters

PubMed Central

Mirabelli, Maria C.; Golan, Rachel; Greenwald, Roby; Raysoni, Amit U.; Holguin, Fernando; Kewada, Priya; Winquist, Andrea; Flanders, W. Dana; Sarnat, Jeremy A.

2015-01-01

Background Effects of traffic-related exposures on respiratory health are well documented, but little information is available about whether asthma control influences individual susceptibility. We analyzed data from the Atlanta Commuter Exposure study to evaluate modification of associations between rush-hour commuting, in-vehicle air pollution, and selected respiratory health outcomes by asthma control status. Methods Between 2009 and 2011, 39 adults participated in Atlanta Commuter Exposure, and each conducted two scripted rush-hour highway commutes. In-vehicle particulate components were measured during all commutes. Among adults with asthma, we evaluated asthma control by questionnaire and spirometry. Exhaled nitric oxide, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and other metrics of respiratory health were measured precommute and 0, 1, 2, and 3 hours postcommute. We used mixed effects linear regression to evaluate associations between commute-related exposures and postcommute changes in metrics of respiratory health by level of asthma control. Results We observed increased exhaled nitric oxide across all levels of asthma control compared with precommute measurements, with largest postcommute increases observed among participants with below-median asthma control (2 hours postcommute: 14.6% [95% confidence interval {CI} = 5.7, 24.2]; 3 hours postcommute: 19.5% [95% CI = 7.8, 32.5]). No associations between in-vehicle pollutants and percent of predicted FEV1 were observed, although higher PM2.5 was associated with lower FEV1 % predicted among participants with below-median asthma control (3 hours postcommute: −7.2 [95% CI = −11.8, −2.7]). Conclusions Level of asthma control may influence respiratory response to in-vehicle exposures experienced during rush-hour commuting. PMID:25901844

THE NEXT GENERATION OF VMT REDUCTION PROGRAMS

EPA Science Inventory

This research is structured to provide a clear delineation of factors that influence trip chaining, identify levels of flexibility in commuter travel, present a market segmentation of commuters in terms of their flexibility levels, and estimate the reach of current programs. ...

Metro Commuter Exposures to Particulate Air Pollution and PM2.5-Associated Elements in Three Canadian Cities: The Urban Transportation Exposure Study.

PubMed

Van Ryswyk, Keith; Anastasopolos, Angelos T; Evans, Greg; Sun, Liu; Sabaliauskas, Kelly; Kulka, Ryan; Wallace, Lance; Weichenthal, Scott

2017-05-16

System-representative commuter air pollution exposure data were collected for the metro systems of Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, Canada. Pollutants measured included PM 2.5 (PM = particulate matter), PM 10 , ultrafine particles, black carbon, and the elemental composition of PM 2.5 . Sampling over three weeks was conducted in summer and winter for each city and covered each system on a daily basis. Mixed-effect linear regression models were used to identify system features related to particulate exposures. Ambient levels of PM 2.5 and its elemental components were compared to those of the metro in each city. A microenvironmental exposure model was used to estimate the contribution of a 70 min metro commute to daily mean exposure to PM 2.5 elemental and mass concentrations. Time spent in the metro was estimated to contribute the majority of daily exposure to several metallic elements of PM 2.5 and 21.2%, 11.3% and 11.5% of daily PM 2.5 exposure in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, respectively. Findings suggest that particle air pollutant levels in Canadian metros are substantially impacted by the systems themselves, are highly enriched in steel-based elements, and can contribute a large portion of PM 2.5 and its elemental components to a metro commuter's daily exposure.

Real-time optimization of passenger collection for commuter rail systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-09-01

Commuter rail systems are being introduced into many urban areas as an alternative mode to automobiles : for commuting trips. The shift from the auto mode to rail mode is anticipated to greatly help alleviate : traffic congestion in urban road networ...

Municipal investment in off-road trails and changes in bicycle commuting in Minneapolis, Minnesota over 10 years: a longitudinal repeated cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Hirsch, Jana A; Meyer, Katie A; Peterson, Marc; Zhang, Le; Rodriguez, Daniel A; Gordon-Larsen, Penny

2017-02-13

We studied the effect of key development and expansion of an off-road multipurpose trail system in Minneapolis, Minnesota between 2000 and 2007 to understand whether infrastructure investments are associated with increases in commuting by bicycle. We used repeated measures regression on tract-level (N = 116 tracts) data to examine changes in bicycle commuting between 2000 and 2008-2012. We investigated: 1) trail proximity measured as distance from the trail system and 2) trail potential use measured as the proportion of commuting trips to destinations that might traverse the trail system. All analyses (performed 2015-2016) adjusted for tract-level sociodemographic covariates and contemporaneous cycling infrastructure changes (e.g., bicycle lanes). Tracts that were both closer to the new trail system and had a higher proportion of trips to destinations across the trail system experienced greater 10-year increases in commuting by bicycle. Proximity to off-road infrastructure and travel patterns are relevant to increased bicycle commuting, an important contributor to overall physical activity. Municipal investment in bicycle facilities, especially off-road trails that connect a city's population and its employment centers, is likely to lead to increases in commuting by bicycle.

Long commuting time, extensive overtime, and sympathodominant state assessed in terms of short-term heart rate variability among male white-collar workers in the Tokyo megalopolis.

PubMed

Kageyama, T; Nishikido, N; Kobayashi, T; Kurokawa, Y; Kaneko, T; Kabuto, M

1998-07-01

To investigate the possible effects of long commuting time and extensive overtime on daytime cardiac autonomic activity, the short-term heart rate variability (HRV) both at supine rest and at standing rest of 223 male white-collar workers in the Tokyo Megalopolis was examined. Workers with a one-way commute of 90 min or more exhibited decreased vagal activity at supine rest and increased sympathetic activity regardless of posture, and those doing overtime of 60 h/month or more exhibited decreased vagal activity and increased sympathetic activity at standing rest. These findings suggest that chronic stress or fatigue resulting from long commuting time or extensive overtime caused these individuals to be in a sympathodominant state. Although these shifts in autonomic activities are not direct indicators of disease, it can be hypothesized that they can induce cardiovascular abnormalities or dysfunctions related to the onset of heart disease. Assessment of the daily and weekly variations in HRV as a function of daily life activities (such as working, commuting, sleeping, and exercising) among workers in Asia-Pacific urban areas might be one way of studying the possible effects of long commuting time, and extensive overtime, on health.

Susan Koogle Marks 40+ Years at NCI at Frederick | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Nancy Parrish, Staff Writer In 1973, Susan Koogle commuted from Washington County to a small data processing company in Arlington, Va. When gas prices spiked from 25 to 54 cents a gallon, she began to look for a job closer to home. That’s when she came to work at NCI at Frederick, and in December 2013, she marked her 40th year with the facility.

Marketing Career Services to Part-Time Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Behrens, Troy; Gordon, David E.

1996-01-01

Profiles the differences between commuter students and students at traditional resident schools and the special career-related needs of commuter students that college career centers must address. Topics discussed are the different needs of commuter students, student communication vehicles, and faculty and community communication. (SNR)

Vehicle occupants' exposure to aromatic volatile organic compounds while commuting on an urban-suburban route in Korea.

PubMed

Jo, W K; Choi, S J

1996-08-01

This study identified in-auto and in-bus exposures to six selected aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for commutes on an urban-suburban route in Korea. A bus-service route was selected to include three segments of Taegu and one suburban segment (Hayang) to satisfy the criteria specified for this study. This study indicates that motor vehicle exhaust and evaporative emissions are major sources of both auto and bus occupants' exposures to aromatic VOCs in both Taegu and Hayang. A nonparametric statistical test (Wilcoxon test) showed that in-auto benzene levels were significantly different from in-bus benzene levels for both urban-segment and suburban-segment commutes. The test also showed that the benzene-level difference between urban-segment and suburban-segment commutes was significant for both autos and buses. An F-test showed the same statistical results for the comparison of the summed in-vehicle concentration of the six target VOCs (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o,m,p-xylenes) as those for the comparison of the in-vehicle benzene concentration. On the other hand, the in-vehicle benzene level only and the sum were not significantly different among the three urban-segment commutes and between the morning and evening commutes. The in-auto VOC concentrations were intermediate between the results for the Los Angeles and Boston. The in-bus VOC concentrations were about one-tenth of the Taipei, Taiwan results.

Motivations for active commuting: a qualitative investigation of the period of home or work relocation.

PubMed

Jones, Caroline H D; Ogilvie, David

2012-09-11

Promoting walking or cycling to work (active commuting) could help to increase population physical activity levels. According to the habit discontinuity and residential self-selection hypotheses, moving home or workplace is a period when people (re)assess, and may be more likely to change, their travel behavior. Research in this area is dominated by the use of quantitative research methods, but qualitative approaches can provide in-depth insight into the experiences and processes of travel behavior change. This qualitative study aimed to explore experiences and motivations regarding travel behavior around the period of relocation, in an effort to understand how active commuting might be promoted more effectively. Participants were recruited from the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study cohort in the UK. Commuters who had moved home, workplace or both between 2009 and 2010 were identified, and a purposive sample was invited to participate in semi-structured interviews regarding their experiences of, and travel behavior before and after, relocating. A grounded theory approach was taken to analysis. Twenty-six commuters participated. Participants were motivated by convenience, speed, cost and reliability when selecting modes of travel for commuting. Physical activity was not a primary motivation, but incidental increases in physical activity were described and valued in association with active commuting, the use of public transport and the use of park-and-ride facilities. Emphasizing and improving the relative convenience, cost, speed and reliability of active commuting may be a more promising approach to promoting its uptake than emphasizing the health benefits, at least around the time of relocation. Providing good quality public transport and free car parking within walking or cycling distance of major employment sites may encourage the inclusion of active travel in the journey to work, particularly for people who live too far from work to walk or cycle the entire journey. Contrary to a straightforward interpretation of the self-selection hypothesis, people do not necessarily decide how they prefer to travel, relocate, and then travel in their expected way; rather, there is constant negotiation, reassessment and adjustment of travel behavior following relocation which may offer an extended window of opportunity for travel behavior change.

Assessment of different route choice on commuters' exposure to air pollution in Taipei, Taiwan.

PubMed

Li, Hsien-Chih; Chiueh, Pei-Te; Liu, Shi-Ping; Huang, Yu-Yang

2017-01-01

The purposes of this study are to develop a healthy commute map indicating cleanest route in Taipei metropolitan area for any given journey and to evaluate the pollutant doses exposed in different commuting modes. In Taiwan, there are more than 13.6 million motorcycles and 7.7 million vehicles among the 23 million people. Exposure to traffic-related air pollutants can thus cause adverse health effects. Moreover, increasing the level of physical activity during commuting and longer distances will result in inhalation of more polluted air. In this study, we utilized air pollution monitoring data (CO, SO 2 , NO 2 , PM 10 , and PM 2.5 ) from Taiwan EPA's air quality monitoring stations in Taipei metropolitan area to estimate each pollutant exposure while commuting by different modes (motorcycling, bicycling, and walking). Spatial interpolation methods such as inverse distance weighting (IDW) were used to estimate each pollutant's distribution in Taipei metropolitan area. Three routes were selected to represent the variety of different daily commuting pathways. The cleanest route choice was based upon Dijkstra's algorithm to find the lowest cumulative pollutant exposure. The IDW interpolated values of CO, SO 2 , NO 2 , PM 10 , and PM 2.5 ranged from 0.42-2.2 (ppm), 2.6-4.8 (ppb), 17.8-42.9 (ppb), 32.4-65.6 (μg/m 3 ), and 14.2-38.9 (μg/m 3 ), respectively. To compare with the IDW results, concentration of particulate matter (PM 10 , PM 2.5 , and PM 1 ) along the motorcycle route was measured in real time. In conclusion, the results showed that the shortest commuting route for motorcyclists resulted in a much higher cumulative dose (PM 2.5 3340.8 μg/m 3 ) than the cleanest route (PM 2.5 912.5 μg/m 3 ). The mobile personal monitoring indicated that the motorcyclists inhaled significant high pollutants during commuting as a result of high-concentration exposure and short-duration peaks. The study could effectively present less polluted commuting routes for citizen health benefits.

Euclidean commute time distance embedding and its application to spectral anomaly detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albano, James A.; Messinger, David W.

2012-06-01

Spectral image analysis problems often begin by performing a preprocessing step composed of applying a transformation that generates an alternative representation of the spectral data. In this paper, a transformation based on a Markov-chain model of a random walk on a graph is introduced. More precisely, we quantify the random walk using a quantity known as the average commute time distance and find a nonlinear transformation that embeds the nodes of a graph in a Euclidean space where the separation between them is equal to the square root of this quantity. This has been referred to as the Commute Time Distance (CTD) transformation and it has the important characteristic of increasing when the number of paths between two nodes decreases and/or the lengths of those paths increase. Remarkably, a closed form solution exists for computing the average commute time distance that avoids running an iterative process and is found by simply performing an eigendecomposition on the graph Laplacian matrix. Contained in this paper is a discussion of the particular graph constructed on the spectral data for which the commute time distance is then calculated from, an introduction of some important properties of the graph Laplacian matrix, and a subspace projection that approximately preserves the maximal variance of the square root commute time distance. Finally, RX anomaly detection and Topological Anomaly Detection (TAD) algorithms will be applied to the CTD subspace followed by a discussion of their results.

Prevalence and Correlates of Physical Inactivity during Leisure-Time and Commuting among Beneficiaries of Government Welfare Assistance in Poland.

PubMed

Kaleta, Dorota; Kalucka, Sylwia; Szatko, Franciszek; Makowiec-Dąbrowska, Teresa

2017-09-26

Physical activity (PA) has well-documented health benefits helping to prevent development of non-communicable diseases. The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence and factors associated with physical inactivity during leisure-time (LTPA) and commuting (CPA) among adult social assistance beneficiaries in Piotrkowski district. The studied sample consisted of 1817 respondents. Over 73% of the study population did not meet the recommended levels of LTPA. Fifty two % of the respondents had none leisure-time physical activity and 21.5% exercised occasionally. Main reasons for not taking up LTPA included: high general physical activity (36.4%), lack of time (28.1%), no willingness to exercise (25.4%). Close to 82% of the surveyed population did not practice commuting physical activity (CPA). The men had higher risk for inactivity during LTPA compared to the women (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.11-1.65; p ≤ 0.05). Higher odds of CPA inactivity were associated with unemployment, moderate and heavy drinking and having a number of health problems. The prevalence of physical inactivity among the social assistance recipients is much higher than it is in the general population. Promotion of an active lifestyle should take into consideration substantial differences between the general population and disadvantaged individuals and their various needs.

Low physical activity as a predictor for total and cardiovascular disease mortality in middle-aged men and women in Finland.

PubMed

Barengo, Noël C; Hu, Gang; Lakka, Timo A; Pekkarinen, Heikki; Nissinen, Aulikki; Tuomilehto, Jaakko

2004-12-01

To investigate separately for men and women whether moderate or high leisure time physical activity, occupational physical activity, and commuting activity are associated with a reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality, independent of CVD risk factors and other forms of physical activity. Prospective follow-up of 15,853 men and 16,824 women aged 30-59 years living in eastern and south-western Finland (median follow-up time 20 years). CVD and all-cause mortality were lower (9-21%) in men and women (2-17%) who were moderately or highly physically active during leisure time. Moderate and high levels of occupational physical activity decreased CVD and all-cause mortality by 21-27% in both sexes. Women spending daily 15 min or more in walking or cycling to and from work had a reduced CVD and all-cause mortality before adjustment for occupational and leisure time physical activity. Commuting activity was not associated with CVD or all-cause mortality in men. Moderate and high levels of leisure time and occupational physical activity are associated with a reduced CVD and all-cause mortality among both sexes. Promoting already moderate levels of leisure time and occupational physical activity are essential to prevent premature CVD and all-cause mortality.

Battery cars on superconducting magnetically levitated carriers: One commuting solution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Briggs, B. Mike; Oman, Henry

1992-01-01

Commuting to work in an urban-suburban metropolitan environment is becoming an unpleasant time-wasting process. We applied the technology of communication management to this commuting problem. Communication management is a system-engineering tool that produced today's efficient telephone network. The resulting best commuting option is magnetically levitated carriers of two-passenger, battery-powered, personally-owned local-travel cars. A commuter drives a car to a nearby station, selects a destination, drives on a waiting carrier, and enters an accelerating ramp. A central computer selects an optimum 100 miles-per-hour trunk route, considering existing and forecast traffic; assigns the commuter a travel slot, and subsequently orders switching-station actions. The commuter uses the expensive facilities for only a few minutes during each trip. The cost of travel could be less than 6 cents per mile.

Size and shape of Brain may be such as to take advantage of two Dimensions of Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kriske, Richard

2014-03-01

This author had previously Theorized that there are two non-commuting Dimensions of time. One is Clock Time and the other is Information Time (which we generally refer to as Information, like Spin Up or Spin Down). When time does not commute with another Dimension of Time, one takes the Clock Time at one point in space and the Information time is not known; that is different than if one takes the Information time at that point and the Clock time is not known--This is not explicitly about time but rather space. An example of this non-commutation is that if one knows the Spin at one point and the Time at one point of space then simultaneosly, one knows the Spin at another point of Space and the Time there (It is the same time), it is a restatement of the EPR paradox. As a matter of fact two Dimensions of Time would prove the EPR paradox. It is obvious from that argument that if one needed to take advantage of Information, then a fairly large space needs to be used, a large amount of Energy needs to be Generated and a symmetry needs to be established in Space-like the lobes of a Brain in order to detect the fact that the Tclock and Tinfo are not Commuting. This Non-Commuting deposits a large amount of Information simultaneously in that space, and synchronizes the time there.

Associations between patterns of active commuting and socioeconomic factors in women with fibromyalgia: the al-Ándalus project.

PubMed

Herrador-Colmenero, Manuel; Álvarez-Gallardo, Inmaculada C; Segura-Jiménez, Víctor; Estévez-López, Fernando; Soriano-Maldonado, Alberto; Ruiz-Montero, Pedro J; Tercedor, Pablo; Girela-Rejón, María José; Delgado-Fernández, Manuel; Chillón, Palma

2016-01-01

The aims of this study were to know whether active commuting behaviour differs between fibromyalgia patients and controls, and to test whether active commuting is associated with socioeconomic factors in this population. This cross-sectional study included 459 women with fibromyalgia (52.2 years) and 214 female control participants (51.3 years) from Andalusia (southern Spain). Participants reported patterns of active commuting and socioeconomic factors (civil status, accompaniment at home, living with, educational level, and current occupational and professional status). On the age group <51 years, women with fibromyalgia revealed a significant higher percentage of active commuting for the variable active worker commuters than control group (p<0.05). On the age group ≥51 years, control group displayed a significant higher percentage of active commuting for commuting to local shops, super-market and active commuters variables (all, p<0.05). Women with fibromyalgia who lived alone were more active commuters in comparison to either those living accompanied, or living with both partner and children, only partner and only children (all, p<0.05). The prevalence of active commuting was similar in women with fibromyalgia and controls aged <51 years. However, fibromyalgia participants aged ≥51 years displayed differences: fibromyalgia women who lived alone were more active commuters than those living accompanied; family demands were inversely associated with commuting patterns. Policies focused on reducing family demands for fibromyalgia patients (i.e. social help on housework, childcare or overprotection) might facilitate the inclusion of daily active behaviours.

Quantifying commuter exposures to volatile organic compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kayne, Ashleigh

Motor-vehicles can be a predominant source of air pollution in cities. Traffic-related air pollution is often unavoidable for people who live in populous areas. Commuters may have high exposures to traffic-related air pollution as they are close to vehicle tailpipes. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one class of air pollutants of concern because exposure to VOCs carries risk for adverse health effects. Specific VOCs of interest for this work include benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX), which are often found in gasoline and combustion products. Although methods exist to measure time-integrated personal exposures to BTEX, there are few practical methods to measure a commuter's time-resolved BTEX exposure which could identify peak exposures that could be concealed with a time-integrated measurement. This study evaluated the ability of a photoionization detector (PID) to measure commuters' exposure to BTEX using Tenax TA samples as a reference and quantified the difference in BTEX exposure between cyclists and drivers with windows open and closed. To determine the suitability of two measurement methods (PID and Tenax TA) for use in this study, the precision, linearity, and limits of detection (LODs) for both the PID and Tenax TA measurement methods were determined in the laboratory with standard BTEX calibration gases. Volunteers commuted from their homes to their work places by cycling or driving while wearing a personal exposure backpack containing a collocated PID and Tenax TA sampler. Volunteers completed a survey and indicated if the windows in their vehicle were open or closed. Comparing pairs of exposure data from the Tenax TA and PID sampling methods determined the suitability of the PID to measure the BTEX exposures of commuters. The difference between BTEX exposures of cyclists and drivers with windows open and closed in Fort Collins was determined. Both the PID and Tenax TA measurement methods were precise and linear when evaluated in the laboratory using standard BTEX gases. The LODs for the Tenax TA sampling tubes (determined with a sample volume of 1,000 standard cubic centimeters which is close to the approximate commuter sample volumes collected) were orders of magnitude lower (0.04 to 0.7 parts per billion (ppb) for individual compounds of BTEX) compared to the PIDs' LODs (9.3 to 15 ppb of a BTEX mixture), which makes the Tenax TA sampling method more suitable to measure BTEX concentrations in the sub-parts per billion (ppb) range. PID and Tenax TA data for commuter exposures were inversely related. The concentrations of VOCs measured by the PID were substantially higher than BTEX concentrations measured by collocated Tenax TA samplers. The inverse trend and the large difference in magnitude between PID responses and Tenax TA BTEX measurements indicates the two methods may have been measuring different air pollutants that are negatively correlated. Drivers in Fort Collins, Colorado with closed windows experienced greater time-weighted average BTEX exposures than cyclists (p: 0.04). Commuter BTEX exposures measured in Fort Collins were lower than commuter exposures measured in prior studies that occurred in larger cities (Boston and Copenhagen). Although route and intake may affect a commuter's BTEX dose, these variables are outside of the scope of this study. Within the limitations of this study (including: small sample size, small representative area of Fort Collins, and respiration rates not taken into account), it appears health risks associated with traffic-induced BTEX exposures may be reduced by commuting via cycling instead of driving with windows closed and living in a less populous area that has less vehicle traffic. Although the PID did not reliably measure low-level commuter BTEX exposures, the Tenax TA sampling method did. The PID measured BTEX concentrations reliably in a controlled environment, at high concentrations (300-800 ppb), and in the absence of other air pollutants. In environments where there could be multiple chemicals present that may produce a PID signal (such as nitrogen dioxide), Tenax TA samplers may be a better choice for measuring BTEX. Tenax TA measurements were the only suitable method within this study to measure commuter's BTEX exposure in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Particle exposure and inhaled dose during commuting in Singapore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Sok Huang; Roth, Matthias; Velasco, Erik

2017-12-01

Exposure concentration and inhaled dose of particles during door-to-door trips walking and using motorized transport modes (subway, bus, taxi) are evaluated along a selected route in a commercial district of Singapore. Concentrations of particles smaller than 2.5 μm in size (PM2.5), black carbon, particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, number of particles, active surface area and carbon monoxide have been measured in-situ using portable instruments. Simultaneous measurements were conducted at a nearby park to capture the background concentrations. The heart rate of the participants was monitored during the measurements as a proxy of the inhalation rate used to calculate the inhaled dose of particles. All measured metrics were highest and well above background levels during walking. No significant difference was observed in the exposure concentration of PM2.5 for the three motorized transport modes, unlike for the metrics associated with ultrafine particles (UFP). The concentration of these freshly emitted particles was significantly lower on subway trips. The absence of combustion sources, use of air conditioning and screen doors at station platforms are effective measures to protect passengers' health. For other transport modes, sections of trips close to accelerating and idling vehicles, such as bus stops, traffic junctions and taxi stands, represent hotspots of particles. Reducing the waiting time at such locations will lower pollutants exposure and inhaled dose during a commute. After taking into account the effect of inhalation and travel duration when calculating dose, the health benefit of commuting by subway for this particular district of Singapore became even more evident. For example, pedestrians breathe in 2.6 and 3.2 times more PM2.5 and UFP, respectively than subway commuters. Public buses were the second best alternative. Walking emerged as the worst commuting mode in terms of particle exposure and inhaled dose.

Differences in Work, Levels of Involvement, and Academic Performance between Residential and Commuter Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alfano, Halley J.; Eduljee, Nina B.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between work, levels of involvement and academic performance between residential and commuter students. One hundred and eight undergraduate students at a private college in the Northeast were surveyed. Surveys aimed at examining work and levels of involvement were administered to the…

Effects of Automobile Commute Characteristics on Affect and Job Candidate Evaluations: A Field Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Rooy, David L.

2006-01-01

The current study assesses the effects of the commuting environment on affective states and hiring decisions. A total of 136 undergraduate females were randomly assigned to one of four conditions based on the length (10 km vs. 30 km) and level of congestion (low vs. high) during a commute. Multivariate analyses of variance indicate that affective…

Active commuting among K-12 educators: a study examining walking and biking to work.

PubMed

Bopp, Melissa; Hastmann, Tanis J; Norton, Alyssa N

2013-01-01

Walking and biking to work, active commuting (AC) is associated with many health benefits, though rates of AC remain low in the US. K-12 educators represent a significant portion of the workforce, and employee health and associated costs may have significant economic impact. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the current rates of AC and factors associated with AC among K-12 educators. A volunteer sample of K-12 educators (n = 437) was recruited to participate in an online survey. Participants responded about AC patterns and social ecological influences on AC (individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental factors). t-tests and ANOVAs examined trends in AC, and Pearson correlations examined the relationship between AC and dependent variables. Multiple regression analysis determined the relative influence of individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental levels on AC. Participants actively commuted 0.51 ± 1.93 times/week. There were several individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental factors significantly related to AC. The full model explained 60.8% of the variance in AC behavior. This study provides insight on the factors that determine K-12 educators mode of commute and provide some insight for employee wellness among this population.

The relevance of commuter and work/school exposure in an epidemiological study on traffic-related air pollution.

PubMed

Ragettli, Martina S; Phuleria, Harish C; Tsai, Ming-Yi; Schindler, Christian; de Nazelle, Audrey; Ducret-Stich, Regina E; Ineichen, Alex; Perez, Laura; Braun-Fahrländer, Charlotte; Probst-Hensch, Nicole; Künzli, Nino

2015-01-01

Exposure during transport and at non-residential locations is ignored in most epidemiological studies of traffic-related air pollution. We investigated the impact of separately estimating NO2 long-term outdoor exposures at home, work/school, and while commuting on the association between this marker of exposure and potential health outcomes. We used spatially and temporally resolved commuter route data and model-based NO2 estimates of a population sample in Basel, Switzerland, to assign individual NO2-exposure estimates of increasing complexity, namely (1) home outdoor concentration; (2) time-weighted home and work/school concentrations; and (3) time-weighted concentration incorporating home, work/school and commute. On the basis of their covariance structure, we estimated the expectable relative differences in the regression slopes between a quantitative health outcome and our measures of individual NO2 exposure using a standard measurement error model. The traditional use of home outdoor NO2 alone indicated a 12% (95% CI: 11-14%) underestimation of related health effects as compared with integrating both home and work/school outdoor concentrations. Mean contribution of commuting to total weekly exposure was small (3.2%; range 0.1-13.5%). Thus, ignoring commute in the total population may not significantly underestimate health effects as compared with the model combining home and work/school. For individuals commuting between Basel-City and Basel-Country, ignoring commute may produce, however, a significant attenuation bias of 4% (95% CI: 4-5%). Our results illustrate the importance of including work/school locations in assessments of long-term exposures to traffic-related air pollutants such as NO2. Information on individuals' commuting behavior may further improve exposure estimates, especially for subjects having lengthy commutes along major transportation routes.

Longitudinal associations of active commuting with body mass index.

PubMed

Mytton, Oliver Tristan; Panter, Jenna; Ogilvie, David

2016-09-01

To investigate the longitudinal associations between active commuting (walking and cycling to work) and body mass index (BMI). We used self-reported data on height, weight and active commuting from the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study (2009 to 2012; n=809). We used linear regression to test the associations between: a) maintenance of active commuting over one year and BMI at the end of that year; and b) change in weekly time spent in active commuting and change in BMI over one year. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, other physical activity, physical wellbeing and maintenance of walking, those who maintained cycle commuting reported a lower BMI on average at one year follow-up (1.14kg/m(2), 95% CI: 0.30 to 1.98, n=579) than those who never cycled to work. No significant association remained after adjustment for baseline BMI. No significant associations were observed for maintenance of walking. An increase in walking was associated with a reduction in BMI (0.32kg/m(2), 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.62, n=651, after adjustment for co-variates and baseline BMI) only when restricting the analysis to those who did not move. No other significant associations between changes in weekly time spent walking or cycling on the commute and changes in BMI were observed. This work provides further evidence of the contribution of active commuting, particularly cycling, to preventing weight gain or facilitating weight loss. The findings may be valuable for employees choosing how to commute and engaging employers in the promotion of active travel. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Commuting Patterns on HIV Care Attendance Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) in Atlanta, Georgia

PubMed Central

Kramer, Michael R; Rosenberg, Eli S; Sanchez, Travis H; Reed, Landon; Sullivan, Patrick S

2015-01-01

Background Travel-related barriers to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care, such as commute time and mode of transportation, have been reported in the United States. Objective The objective of the study was to investigate the association between public transportation use and HIV care attendance among a convenience sample of Atlanta-based, HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM), evaluate differences across regions of residence, and estimate the relationship between travel distance and time by mode of transportation taken to attend appointments. Methods We used Poisson regression to estimate the association between use of public transportation to attend HIV-related medical visits and frequency of care attendance over the previous 12 months. The relationship between travel distance and commute time was estimated using linear regression. Kriging was used to interpolate commute time to visually examine geographic differences in commuting patterns in relation to access to public transportation and population-based estimates of household vehicle ownership. Results Using public transportation was associated with lower rates of HIV care attendance compared to using private transportation, but only in south Atlanta (south: aRR: 0.75, 95% CI 0.56, 1.0, north: aRR: 0.90, 95% CI 0.71, 1.1). Participants living in south Atlanta were more likely to have longer commute times associated with attending HIV visits, have greater access to public transportation, and may live in areas with low vehicle ownership. A majority of attended HIV providers were located in north and central Atlanta, despite there being participants living all across the city. Estimated commute times per mile traveled were three times as high among public transit users compared to private transportation users. Conclusions Improving local public transit and implementing use of mobile clinics could help address travel-related barriers to HIV care. PMID:27227128

Using real time traveler demand data to optimize commuter rail feeder systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-08-01

"This report focuses on real time optimization of the Commuter Rail Circulator Route Network Design Problem (CRCNDP). The route configuration of the circulator system where to stop and the route among the stops is determined on a real-time ba...

The GO-ACTIWE randomized controlled trial - An interdisciplinary study designed to investigate the health effects of active commuting and leisure time physical activity.

PubMed

Rosenkilde, Mads; Petersen, Martin Bæk; Gram, Anne Sofie; Quist, Jonas Salling; Winther, Jonas; Kamronn, Simon Due; Milling, Desirée Hornbæk; Larsen, Jakob Eg; Jespersen, Astrid Pernille; Stallknecht, Bente

2017-02-01

Regular physical activity is efficacious for improving metabolic health in overweight and obese individuals, yet, many adults lead sedentary lives. Most exercise interventions have targeted leisure time, but physical activity also takes place in other domains of everyday life. Active commuting represents a promising alternative to increase physical activity, but it has yet to be established whether active commuting conveys health benefits on par with leisure time physical activity (LTPA). A 6-month randomized controlled trial was designed to investigate the effects of increased physical activity in transport (bicycling) or leisure time domains (moderate or vigorous intensity endurance exercise). We included 188 overweight and class 1 obese sedentary women and men (20-45years) of which 130 were randomized to either sedentary controls (n=18), active commuting (n=35) or moderate (n=39) or vigorous (n=38) intensity LTPA. At baseline and after 3 and 6months, participants underwent a rigorous 3-day biomedical test regimen followed by free-living measurements. In a sub-sample, physical activity level and energy expenditure were monitored by means of personal assistive technology and the doubly labeled water technique. Additionally, the delivery, reception and routinization of the exercise regimens were investigated by ethnological fieldwork. One year after termination of the intervention, participants will be invited for a follow-up visit to investigate sustained health effects and continuous physical activity adherence. By combining biomedical, technological and humanistic approaches, we aim to understand the health benefits of physical activity in different domains of everyday life, as well as how to improve adherence to physical activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Commuter exposure to PM2.5, BC, and UFP in six common transport microenvironments in Sacramento, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ham, Walter; Vijayan, Abhilash; Schulte, Nico; Herner, Jorn D.

2017-10-01

This study was designed to estimate and compare the air pollution exposures experienced by commuters in six common transportation modes utilized by California residents, and to evaluate the impact of practical exposure mitigation strategies in reducing commute exposures. We measured concentrations of fine particle matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), and ultrafine particles (UFP) for 161 commutes between April 2014 and November 2015 in Sacramento, CA. We collected measurements for six modes including single occupancy vehicles, high occupancy vehicles (multiple occupants), buses, light rail, train, and bicycling. The largest average concentrations for most pollutants were measured during train commutes and the lowest average concentrations were observed during light-rail commutes. Mitigation options were explored for personal vehicles, bicycling, and train commute modes. We found that ventilation settings of personal vehicles can reduce in-vehicle PM2.5, BC, and UFP concentrations by up to 75%. Similarly, bicycle route choice can reduce exposures by 15-75% with the lowest concentrations observed during commutes on dedicated bicycle paths away from traffic sources. Train commuters experienced UFP concentrations an order of magnitude greater when the locomotive engine was pulling the rail cars versus pushing the rail cars. We found that UFP concentrations during bus, bicycling, and train commutes were 1.6-5.3 times greater than personal vehicle commutes, while light rail commutes had 30% lower UFP concentrations than personal vehicle commutes. The largest exposure per mile occurred during bicycle commutes with PM2.5, BC, and UFP exposures of 1.312 μg/mile, 0.097 μg/mile, and 3.0 × 109 particles/mile, respectively. Train commutes experienced the largest exposure per mile of all of the combustion-derived transportation commute modes. BC accounted for 5-20% of total PM mass across all commute modes with an average fraction of ∼7% of PM2.5.

Powerplexer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woods, J. M. (Inventor)

1973-01-01

An electrical power distribution system is described for use in providing different dc voltage levels. A circuit is supplied with DC voltage levels and commutates pulses for timed intervals onto a pair of distribution wires. The circuit is driven by a command generator which places pulses on the wires in a timed sequence. The pair of wires extend to voltage strippers connected to the various loads. The voltage strippers each respond to the pulse dc levels on the pair of wires and form different output voltages communicated to each load.

Particulate matter (PM) concentrations in underground and ground-level rail systems of the Los Angeles Metro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kam, Winnie; Cheung, Kalam; Daher, Nancy; Sioutas, Constantinos

2011-03-01

Elevated concentrations of particulate matter (PM) have been found in a number of worldwide underground transit systems, with major implications regarding exposure of commuters to PM and its associated health effects. An extensive sampling campaign was conducted in May-August 2010 to measure PM concentrations in two lines of the Los Angeles Metro system - an underground subway line (Metro red line) and a ground-level light-rail line (Metro gold line). The campaign goals were to: 1) determine personal PM exposure of commuters of both lines, and 2) measure and compare PM concentrations at station platforms and inside the train. Considering that a commuter typically spent 75% of time inside the train and 25% of time waiting at a station, subway commuters were exposed on average to PM 10 and PM 2.5 concentrations that were 1.9 and 1.8 times greater than the light-rail commuters. The average PM 10 concentrations for the subway line at station platforms and inside the train were 78.0 μg m -3 and 31.5 μg m -3, respectively; for the light-rail line, corresponding PM 10 concentrations were 38.2 μg m -3 and 16.2 μg m -3. Regression analysis demonstrated that personal exposure concentrations for the light-rail line are strongly associated with ambient PM levels ( R2 = 0.61), while PM concentrations for the subway line are less influenced by ambient conditions ( R2 = 0.38) and have a relatively stable background level of about 21 μg m -3. Our findings suggest that local emissions (i.e., vehicular traffic, road dust) are the main source of airborne PM for the light-rail line. The subway line, on the other hand, has an additional source of PM, most likely generated from the daily operation of trains. Strong inter-correlation of PM 10 between the train and station microenvironments shows that airborne PM at stations are the main source of PM inside the trains for both lines ( R2 = 0.91 and 0.81 for subway and light-rail line, respectively). In addition, PM 2.5 and coarse PM (PM 10-2.5) are also strongly correlated for the subway line ( R2 = 0.89) and the light-rail line ( R2 = 0.52-0.92), suggesting that PM 2.5 and coarse PM originate from a common source. Finally, in comparison to worldwide subway systems, the L.A. Metro system is relatively 'clean'. Since the system is comparatively new (in operation since 1993), its ventilation system and braking technology are probably more efficient and more advanced than older subway systems.

Commutability of control materials for external quality assessment of serum apolipoprotein A-I measurement.

PubMed

Zeng, Jie; Qi, Tianqi; Wang, Shu; Zhang, Tianjiao; Zhou, Weiyan; Zhao, Haijian; Ma, Rong; Zhang, Jiangtao; Yan, Ying; Dong, Jun; Zhang, Chuanbao; Chen, Wenxiang

2018-04-25

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the commutability of commercial control materials and human serum pools and to investigate the suitability of the materials for the external quality assessment (EQA) of serum apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) measurement. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) EP14-A3 protocol was used for the commutability study. Apo A-I concentrations in two levels of commercial control materials used in EQA program, two fresh-frozen human serum pools (FSPs) and two frozen human serum pools prepared from residual clinical specimens (RSPs) were measured along with 50 individual samples using nine commercial assays. Measurement results of the 50 individual samples obtained with different assays were pairwise analyzed by Deming regression, and 95% prediction intervals (PIs) were calculated. The commutability of the processed materials was evaluated by comparing the measurement results of the materials with the limits of the PIs. The FSP-1 was commutable for all the 36 assay pairs, and FSP-2 was commutable for 30 pairs; RSP-1 and RSP-2 showed commutability for 27/36 and 22/36 assay pairs, respectively, whereas the two EQA materials were commutable only for 4/36 and 5/36 assay pairs, respectively. Non-commutability of the tested EQA materials has been observed among current apo A-I assays. EQA programs need either to take into account the commutability-related biases in the interpretation of the EQA results or to use more commutable materials. Frozen human serum pools were commutable for most of the assays.

Impact of New Transport Infrastructure on Walking, Cycling, and Physical Activity.

PubMed

Panter, Jenna; Heinen, Eva; Mackett, Roger; Ogilvie, David

2016-02-01

Walking and cycling bring health and environmental benefits, but there is little robust evidence that changing the built environment promotes these activities in populations. This study evaluated the effects of new transport infrastructure on active commuting and physical activity. Quasi-experimental analysis nested within a cohort study. Four hundred and sixty-nine adult commuters, recruited through a predominantly workplace-based strategy, who lived within 30 kilometers of Cambridge, United Kingdom and worked in areas of the city to be served by the new transport infrastructure. The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway opened in 2011 and comprised a new bus network and a traffic-free walking and cycling route. Exposure to the intervention was defined using the shortest distance from each participant's home to the busway. Change in weekly time spent in active commuting between 2009 and 2012, measured by validated 7-day recall instrument. Secondary outcomes were changes in total weekly time spent walking and cycling and in recreational and overall physical activity, measured using the validated Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire. Data were analyzed in 2014. In multivariable multinomial regression models--adjusted for potential sociodemographic, geographic, health, and workplace confounders; baseline active commuting; and home or work relocation-exposure to the busway was associated with a significantly greater likelihood of an increase in weekly cycle commuting time (relative risk ratio=1.34, 95% CI=1.03, 1.76) and with an increase in overall time spent in active commuting among the least active commuters at baseline (relative risk ratio=1.76, 95% CI=1.16, 2.67). The study found no evidence of changes in recreational or overall physical activity. Providing new sustainable transport infrastructure was effective in promoting an increase in active commuting. These findings provide new evidence to support reconfiguring transport systems as part of public health improvement strategies. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Information scrambling at an impurity quantum critical point

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dóra, Balázs; Werner, Miklós Antal; Moca, Cǎtǎlin Paşcu

2017-10-01

The two-channel Kondo impurity model realizes a local non-Fermi-liquid state with finite residual entropy. The competition between the two channels drives the system to an impurity quantum critical point. We show that the out-of-time-ordered (OTO) commutator for the impurity spin reveals markedly distinct behavior depending on the low-energy impurity state. For the one-channel Kondo model with Fermi-liquid ground state, the OTO commutator vanishes for late times, indicating the absence of the butterfly effect. For the two channel case, the impurity OTO commutator is completely temperature independent and saturates quickly to its upper bound 1/4, and the butterfly effect is maximally enhanced. These compare favorably to numerics on spin chain representation of the Kondo model. Our results imply that a large late time value of the OTO commutator does not necessarily diagnose quantum chaos.

Effects of commuting mode on air pollution exposure and cardiovascular health among young adults in Taipei, Taiwan.

PubMed

Liu, Wen-Te; Ma, Chih-Ming; Liu, I-Jung; Han, Bor-Cheng; Chuang, Hsiao-Chi; Chuang, Kai-Jen

2015-05-01

The association between traffic-related air pollution and adverse cardiovascular effects has been well documented; however, little is known about whether different commuting modes can modify the effects of air pollution on the cardiovascular system in human subjects in urban areas with heavy traffic. We recruited 120 young, healthy subjects in Taipei, Taiwan. Each participant was classified with different commuting modes according to his/her own commuting style. Three repeated measurements of heart rate variability (HRV) indices {standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN) and the square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent NN intervals (r-MSSD)}, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), temperature, humidity and noise level were conducted for each subject during 1-h morning commutes (0900-1000 h) in four different commuting modes, including an electrically powered subway, a gas-powered bus, a gasoline-powered car, and walking. Linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate the association of PM2.5 with HRV indices. The results showed that decreases in the HRV indices were associated with increased levels of PM2.5. The personal exposure levels to PM2.5 were the highest in the walking mode. The effects of PM2.5 on cardiovascular endpoints were the lowest in the subway mode compared to the effects in the walking mode. The participants in the car and bus modes had reduced effects on their cardiovascular endpoints compared to the participants in the walking mode. We concluded that traffic-related PM2.5 is associated with autonomic alteration. Commuting modes can modify the effects of PM2.5 on HRV indices among young, healthy subjects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Analysis of electric vehicle's trip cost allowing late arrival

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leng, Jun-Qiang; Liu, Wei-Yi; Zhao, Lin

2017-05-01

In this paper, we use a car-following model to study each electric vehicle's trip cost and the total trip cost allowing late arrival. The numerical result show that the electricity cost has great effects on each commuter's trip cost and the total trip costs and that these effects are dependent on each commuter's time headway at the origin, but the electricity cost has no prominent impacts on the minimum value of total trip cost under each commuter's different time headway at the origin.

Relative importance of school bus-related microenvironments to children's pollutant exposure.

PubMed

Behrentz, Eduardo; Sabin, Lisa D; Winer, Arthur M; Fitz, Dennis R; Pankratz, David V; Colome, Steven D; Fruin, Scott A

2005-10-01

Real-time concentrations of black carbon, particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate counts, as well as integrated and real-time fine particulate matter (PM2.5) mass concentrations were measured inside school buses during long commutes on Los Angeles Unified School District bus routes, at bus stops along the routes, at the bus loading/unloading zone in front of the selected school, and at nearby urban "background" sites. Across all of the pollutants, mean concentrations during bus commutes were higher than in any other microenvironment. Mean exposures (mean concentration times time spent in a particular microenvironment) in bus commutes were between 50 and 200 times greater than those for the loading/unloading microenvironment, and 20-40 times higher than those for the bus stops, depending on the pollutant. Although the analyzed school bus commutes represented only 10% of a child's day, on average they contributed one-third of a child's 24-hr overall black carbon exposure during a school day. For species closely related to vehicle exhaust, the within- cabin exposures were generally dominated by the effect of surrounding traffic when windows were open and by the bus's own exhaust when windows were closed. Low-emitting buses generally exhibited high concentrations only when traveling behind a diesel vehicle, whereas high-emitting buses exhibited high concentrations both when following other diesel vehicles and when idling without another diesel vehicle in front of the bus. To reduce school bus commute exposures, we recommend minimizing commute times, avoiding caravanning with other school buses, using the cleanest buses for the longest bus routes, maintaining conventional diesel buses to eliminate visible emissions, and transitioning to cleaner fuels and advanced particulate control technologies as soon as possible.

Passenger train emergency systems : single-level commuter rail car egress experiments

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-04-01

Under FRA sponsorship, a series of three experimental egress trials was conducted in 2005 and 2006 to obtain human factors data relating to the amount of time necessary for individuals to exit from a passenger rail car. This final report describes th...

Individual Public Transportation Accessibility is Positively Associated with Self-Reported Active Commuting.

PubMed

Djurhuus, Sune; Hansen, Henning Sten; Aadahl, Mette; Glümer, Charlotte

2014-01-01

Active commuters have lower risk of chronic disease. Understanding which of the, to some extent, modifiable characteristics of public transportation that facilitate its use is thus important in a public health perspective. The aim of the study was to examine the association between individual public transportation accessibility and self-reported active commuting, and whether the associations varied with commute distance, age, and gender. Twenty-eight thousand nine hundred twenty-eight commuters in The Capital Region of Denmark reported self-reported time spent either walking or cycling to work or study each day and the distance to work or study. Data were obtained from the Danish National Health Survey collected in February to April 2010. Individual accessibility by public transportation was calculated using a multi-modal network in a GIS. Multilevel logistic regression was used to analyze the association between accessibility, expressed as access area, and being an active commuter. Public transport accessibility area based on all stops within walking and cycling distance was positively associated with being an active commuter. Distance to work, age, and gender modified the associations. Residing within 10 km commute distance and in areas of high accessibility was associated with being an active commuter and meeting the recommendations of physical activity. For the respondents above 29 years, individual public transportation accessibility was positively associated with being an active commuter. Women having high accessibility had significantly higher odds of being an active commuter compared to having a low accessibility. For men, the associations were insignificant. This study extends the knowledge about the driving forces of using public transportation for commuting by examining the individual public transportation accessibility. Findings suggest that transportation accessibility supports active commuting and planning of improved public transit accessibility has thus a potential of providing health benefits to commuters.

A comparative assessment of PM2.5 exposures in light-rail, subway, freeway, and surface street environments in Los Angeles and estimated lung cancer risk.

PubMed

Kam, Winnie; Delfino, Ralph J; Schauer, James J; Sioutas, C

2013-01-01

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 570000+ commuters in Los Angeles travel for over 60 minutes to work. Studies have shown that a substantial portion of particulate matter (PM) exposure can occur during this commute. This study represents the integration of the results from five commute environments in Los Angeles. Personal PM exposures are discussed for the: (1) METRO gold line, a ground-level light-rail route, (2) METRO red line, a subway line, (3) the 110, a high volume freeway with low heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) fraction, (4) the 710, a major corridor for HDVs from the Port of Los Angeles, and (5) Wilshire/Sunset Boulevards, major surface streets. Chemical analysis including total and water-soluble metals and trace elements, elemental and organic carbon (EC/OC), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was performed. The focus of this study is to compare the composition and estimated lung cancer risk of PM2.5 (dp < 2.5 μm) for the five differential commute environments. Metals associated with stainless steel, notably Fe, Cr, and Mn, were elevated for the red line (subway), most likely from abrasion processes between the rail and brakes; elements associated with tire and brake wear and oil additives (Ca, Ti, Sn, Sb, and Pb) were elevated on roadways. Elemental concentrations on the gold line (light-rail) were the lowest. For water-solubility, metals observed on the red line (subway) were the least soluble. PAHs are primarily derived from vehicular emissions. Overall, the 710 exhibited high levels of PAHs (3.0 ng m−3), most likely due to its high volume of HDVs, while the red and gold lines exhibited low PAH concentrations (0.6 and 0.8 ng m−3 for red and gold lines, respectively). Lastly, lung cancer risk due to inhalation of PAHs was calculated based on a commuter lifetime (45 years for 2 hours per workday). Results showed that lung cancer risk for the 710 is 3.8 and 4.5 times higher than the light-rail (gold line) and subway (red line), respectively. With low levels of both metal and PAH pollutants, our results indicate that commuting on the light-rail (gold line) may have potential health benefits when compared to driving on freeways and busy roadways.

36 CFR § 1192.95 - Mobility aid accessibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... mechanical, electrical or other system operates to ensure that cars do not move when the lift is in use. (3... VEHICLES Commuter Rail Cars and Systems § 1192.95 Mobility aid accessibility. (a)(1) General. All new commuter rail cars, other than level entry cars, covered by this subpart shall provide a level-change...

36 CFR 1192.95 - Mobility aid accessibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... mechanical, electrical or other system operates to ensure that cars do not move when the lift is in use. (3... Commuter Rail Cars and Systems § 1192.95 Mobility aid accessibility. (a)(1) General. All new commuter rail cars, other than level entry cars, covered by this subpart shall provide a level-change mechanism or...

36 CFR 1192.95 - Mobility aid accessibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... mechanical, electrical or other system operates to ensure that cars do not move when the lift is in use. (3... Commuter Rail Cars and Systems § 1192.95 Mobility aid accessibility. (a)(1) General. All new commuter rail cars, other than level entry cars, covered by this subpart shall provide a level-change mechanism or...

36 CFR 1192.95 - Mobility aid accessibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... mechanical, electrical or other system operates to ensure that cars do not move when the lift is in use. (3... Commuter Rail Cars and Systems § 1192.95 Mobility aid accessibility. (a)(1) General. All new commuter rail cars, other than level entry cars, covered by this subpart shall provide a level-change mechanism or...

36 CFR 1192.95 - Mobility aid accessibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... mechanical, electrical or other system operates to ensure that cars do not move when the lift is in use. (3... Commuter Rail Cars and Systems § 1192.95 Mobility aid accessibility. (a)(1) General. All new commuter rail cars, other than level entry cars, covered by this subpart shall provide a level-change mechanism or...

Getting to High School in Baltimore: Student Commuting and Public Transportation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Marc L.; Grigg, Jeffrey; Cronister, Curt; Chavis, Celeste; Connolly, Faith

2017-01-01

This report is the first publication of a multi-year project examining the relationship between student commutes using public transportation and on-time arrival and absenteeism. This report begins to develop a basic understanding of how students commute to high school in Baltimore with a focus on those using public transportation. The report is…

Prevalence and Correlates of Physical Inactivity during Leisure-Time and Commuting among Beneficiaries of Government Welfare Assistance in Poland

PubMed Central

Kaleta, Dorota; Kalucka, Sylwia; Szatko, Franciszek; Makowiec-Dąbrowska, Teresa

2017-01-01

Physical activity (PA) has well-documented health benefits helping to prevent development of non-communicable diseases. The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence and factors associated with physical inactivity during leisure-time (LTPA) and commuting (CPA) among adult social assistance beneficiaries in Piotrkowski district. The studied sample consisted of 1817 respondents. Over 73% of the study population did not meet the recommended levels of LTPA. Fifty two % of the respondents had none leisure-time physical activity and 21.5% exercised occasionally. Main reasons for not taking up LTPA included: high general physical activity (36.4%), lack of time (28.1%), no willingness to exercise (25.4%). Close to 82% of the surveyed population did not practice commuting physical activity (CPA). The men had higher risk for inactivity during LTPA compared to the women (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.11–1.65; p ≤ 0.05). Higher odds of CPA inactivity were associated with unemployment, moderate and heavy drinking and having a number of health problems. The prevalence of physical inactivity among the social assistance recipients is much higher than it is in the general population. Promotion of an active lifestyle should take into consideration substantial differences between the general population and disadvantaged individuals and their various needs. PMID:28954440

Commuter Train Passenger Safety Model Using Positive Behavior Approach: The Case Study in Suburban Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suryanto, D. A.; Adisasmita, S. A.; Hamid, S.; Hustim, M.

2018-04-01

Currently, Train passanger safety measures are more predominantly measurable using negative dimensions in user mode behavior, such as accident rate, accident intensity and accident impact. This condition suggests that safety improvements aim only to reduce accidents. Therefore, this study aims to measure the safety level of light train transit modes (KRL) through the dimensions of traveling safety on commuters based on positive safety indicators with severel condition departure times and returns for work purposes and long trip rates above KRL. The primary survey were used in data collection methods. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used in data analysis. The results show that there are different models of the safety level of departure and return journey. The highest difference is in the security dimension which is the internal variable of KRL users.

An ecological analysis of pertussis disease in Minnesota, 2009-2013.

PubMed

Iroh Tam, P Y; Menk, J S; Hughes, J; Kulasingam, S L

2016-03-01

The increase in pertussis cases in Minnesota in the last decade has been mainly attributed to the switch from whole cell to acellular pertussis [as part of the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP)]. It is unclear, however, to what degree community-level risk factors also contribute. Understanding these factors can help inform public health policy-makers about where else to target resources. We performed an ecological analysis within Minnesota to identify risk factors at the county level using a Bayesian Poisson generalized linear areal model to account for spatial dependence. Univariate analyses suggested an association between increased pertussis rates at the county level and white maternal ethnicity, being US born, urban counties and average household size. In the multivariable analysis, the rate of pertussis was 1·79 times greater for urban vs. rural counties and 4·75 times greater for counties with a one-person larger average household size. Pertussis rates in counties with higher (i.e. 4+DTaP) receipt in children were 0·97 times lower. Examining county-level factors associated with varying levels of pertussis may help identify those counties that would most benefit from targeted interventions and increased resource allocation.

A Dream of Yukawa — Non-Local Fields out of Non-Commutative Spacetime —

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naka, Shigefumi; Toyoda, Haruki; Takanashi, Takahiro; Umezawa, Eizo

The coordinates of κ-Minkowski spacetime form Lie algebraic elements, in which time and space coordinates do not commute in spite of that space coordinates commute each other. The non-commutativity is realized by a Planck-length-scale constant κ - 1( ne 0), which is a universal constant other than the light velocity under the κ-Poincare transformation. Such a non-commutative structure can be realized by SO(1,4) generators in dS4 spacetime. In this work, we try to construct a κ-Minkowski like spacetime with commutative 4-dimensional spacetime based on Adsn+1 spacetime. Another aim of this work is to study invariant wave equations in this spacetime from the viewpoint of non-local field theory by H. Yukawa, who expected to realize elementary particle theories without divergence according to this viewpoint.

Motivations for active commuting: a qualitative investigation of the period of home or work relocation

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Promoting walking or cycling to work (active commuting) could help to increase population physical activity levels. According to the habit discontinuity and residential self-selection hypotheses, moving home or workplace is a period when people (re)assess, and may be more likely to change, their travel behavior. Research in this area is dominated by the use of quantitative research methods, but qualitative approaches can provide in-depth insight into the experiences and processes of travel behavior change. This qualitative study aimed to explore experiences and motivations regarding travel behavior around the period of relocation, in an effort to understand how active commuting might be promoted more effectively. Methods Participants were recruited from the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study cohort in the UK. Commuters who had moved home, workplace or both between 2009 and 2010 were identified, and a purposive sample was invited to participate in semi-structured interviews regarding their experiences of, and travel behavior before and after, relocating. A grounded theory approach was taken to analysis. Results Twenty-six commuters participated. Participants were motivated by convenience, speed, cost and reliability when selecting modes of travel for commuting. Physical activity was not a primary motivation, but incidental increases in physical activity were described and valued in association with active commuting, the use of public transport and the use of park-and-ride facilities. Conclusions Emphasizing and improving the relative convenience, cost, speed and reliability of active commuting may be a more promising approach to promoting its uptake than emphasizing the health benefits, at least around the time of relocation. Providing good quality public transport and free car parking within walking or cycling distance of major employment sites may encourage the inclusion of active travel in the journey to work, particularly for people who live too far from work to walk or cycle the entire journey. Contrary to a straightforward interpretation of the self-selection hypothesis, people do not necessarily decide how they prefer to travel, relocate, and then travel in their expected way; rather, there is constant negotiation, reassessment and adjustment of travel behavior following relocation which may offer an extended window of opportunity for travel behavior change. PMID:22967090

Improving value of travel time savings estimation for more effective transportation project evaluation : [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-01-01

The daily commute to a job is a cost of working. Workers may share stories about the extent or rigors of their commute, or they may enjoy the time with reading, music, or drive-time radio personalities. For any trip, many factors contribute to a trav...

Modeling the Commuting Travel Activities within Historic Districts in Chinese Cities

PubMed Central

Yin, Fengjun; Hu, Qizhou

2014-01-01

The primary objective of this study is to analyze the characteristics of commuting activities within the historical districts in cities of China. The impacts of various explanatory variables on commuters' travels are evaluated using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The household survey was conducted in the historical districts in Yangzhou, China. Based on the data, various individual and household attributes were considered exogenous variables, while the subsistence activity characteristics, travel times, numbers of three typical home-based trip chains, trip chains, and travel mode were considered as the endogenous variables. Commuters in our study were classified into two main groups according to their working location, which were the commuters in the historic district and those out of the district. The modeling results show that several individual and household attributes of commuters in historic district have significant impacts on the characteristics of travel activities. Additionally, the characteristics of travel activities within the two groups are quite different, and the contributing factors related to commuting travels are different as well. PMID:25435864

Modeling the commuting travel activities within historic districts in Chinese cities.

PubMed

Ye, Mao; Yu, Miao; Li, Zhibin; Yin, Fengjun; Hu, Qizhou

2014-01-01

The primary objective of this study is to analyze the characteristics of commuting activities within the historical districts in cities of China. The impacts of various explanatory variables on commuters' travels are evaluated using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The household survey was conducted in the historical districts in Yangzhou, China. Based on the data, various individual and household attributes were considered exogenous variables, while the subsistence activity characteristics, travel times, numbers of three typical home-based trip chains, trip chains, and travel mode were considered as the endogenous variables. Commuters in our study were classified into two main groups according to their working location, which were the commuters in the historic district and those out of the district. The modeling results show that several individual and household attributes of commuters in historic district have significant impacts on the characteristics of travel activities. Additionally, the characteristics of travel activities within the two groups are quite different, and the contributing factors related to commuting travels are different as well.

The joint associations of occupational, commuting, and leisure-time physical activity, and the Framingham risk score on the 10-year risk of coronary heart disease.

PubMed

Hu, Gang; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; Borodulin, Katja; Jousilahti, Pekka

2007-02-01

To determine joint associations of different kinds of physical activity and the Framingham risk score (FRS) with the 10-year risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events. Study cohorts included 41 053 Finnish participants aged 25-64 years without history of CHD and stroke. The multivariable-adjusted 10-year hazard ratios (HRs) of coronary events associated with low, moderate, and high occupational physical activity were 1.00, 0.66, and 0.74 (Ptrend<0.001) for men, and 1.00, 0.53, and 0.58 (Ptrend<0.001) for women, respectively. The multivariable-adjusted 10-year HRs of coronary events associated with low, moderate, and high leisure-time physical activity were 1.00, 0.97, and 0.66 (Ptrend=0.002) for men, and 1.00, 0.74, and 0.54 (Ptrend=0.003) for women, respectively. Active commuting had a significant inverse association with 10-year risk of coronary events in women only. The FRS predicted 10-year risk of coronary events among both men and women. The protective effects of occupational, commuting, or leisure-time physical activity were consistent in subjects with a very low (<6%), low (6-9%), intermediate (10-19%), or high (>or=20%) risk of the FRS. Moderate or high levels of occupational or leisure-time physical activity among both men and women, and daily walking or cycling to and from work among women are associated with a reduced 10-year risk of CHD events. These favourable effects of physical activity on CHD risk are observed at all levels of CHD risk based on FRS assessment.

Study protocol: the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of an employer-led intervention to increase walking during the daily commute: the Travel to Work randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Audrey, Suzanne; Cooper, Ashley R; Hollingworth, William; Metcalfe, Chris; Procter, Sunita; Davis, Adrian; Campbell, Rona; Gillison, Fiona; Rodgers, Sarah E

2015-02-18

Physical inactivity increases the risk of many chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. It is recommended that adults should undertake at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity throughout the week but many adults do not achieve this. An opportunity for working adults to accumulate the recommended activity levels is through the daily commute. Employees will be recruited from workplaces in south-west England and south Wales. In the intervention arm, workplace Walk-to-Work promoters will be recruited and trained. Participating employees will receive Walk-to-Work materials and support will be provided through four contacts from the promoters over 10 weeks. Workplaces in the control arm will continue with their usual practice. The intervention will be evaluated by a cluster randomized controlled trial including economic and process evaluations. The primary outcome is daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Secondary outcomes are: overall physical activity; sedentary time; modal shift away from private car use during the commute; and physical activity/MVPA during the commute. Accelerometers, GPS receivers and travel diaries will be used at baseline and one year follow-up. Questionnaires will be used at baseline, immediately post intervention, and one year follow-up. The process evaluation will examine the context, delivery and response to the intervention from the perspectives of employers, Walk-to-Work promoters and employees using questionnaires, descriptive statistics, fieldnotes and interviews. A cost-consequence study will include employer, employee and health service costs and outcomes. Time and consumables used in implementing the intervention will be measured. Journey time, household commuting costs and expenses will be recorded using travel diaries to estimate costs to employees. Presenteeism, absenteeism, employee wellbeing and health service use will be recorded. Compared with other forms of physical activity, walking is a popular, familiar and convenient, and the main option for increasing physical activity in sedentary populations. To our knowledge, this is the first full-scale randomised controlled trial to objectively measure (using accelerometers and GPS receivers) the effectiveness of a workplace intervention to promote walking during the commute to and from work. ISRCTN15009100 (10 December 2014).

Evaluation of the Trackstick[TM] Super GPS Tracker for Use in Walking Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMinn, David; Rowe, David A.; Cuk, Ivan

2012-01-01

Low levels of physical activity and an associated rise in obesity prevalence in adults and children are causes for concern. One approach to increasing daily physical activity levels is through active commuting to work or school. The recent interest in promoting active commuting necessitates an accurate and feasible method to measure ambulatory…

Longitudinal, cross-cohort comparison of physical activity patterns in Chinese mothers and children

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background There is limited evidence comparing adult and child physical activity (PA) trends and examining parent–child PA associations within a newly industrialized country setting. PA research within a newly industrialized country setting is particularly important given the negative effects of rapid urbanization, socioeconomic growth, and technological advances on PA behaviors. The purpose of our study was to examine trends and associations in PA behaviors in Chinese mother-child pairs and to investigate relationships between PA behaviors and socioeconomic variables in this dyad. Methods We studied PA behaviors in 2 separate cohorts of mother-child pairs (n = 353) followed over a 2–4 year time period using longitudinal data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (2000 Cohort: 2000–2004; 2004 Cohort: 2004–2006). Comparable mother-child PA behaviors included total metabolic equivalent hours per week (MET-hrs/wk) from active commuting, leisure-time sports, and sedentary behaviors. Logistic regression models were used to examine associations between mother and child PA and relationships between PA behaviors and socioeconomic variables. Results Children experienced increases in active commuting and leisure-time sports activities with increasing child age, whereas mothers experienced temporal declines in active commuting and minimal change in leisure-time sports activity. Sedentary behavior was high for children and mothers over time. Mother-child associations were positive for active commuting and leisure-time sports activities and negative for sedentary behavior (P < 0.05). Maternal education was associated with a greater likelihood of high leisure-time sports activity and high sedentary behavior in mothers but not in children (P < 0.05). Conclusion Efforts to reduce sedentary behavior in Chinese mothers and children are imperative. While increased leisure-time and active commuting activities in children is encouraging, continued PA promotion in children and more intensive efforts to promote leisure-time sports and active commuting in mothers is needed. PMID:22472289

Corporate/commuter airlines meteorological requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olcott, J. W.

1985-01-01

The meteorological information requirements of corporate and commuter airlines are reviewed. The skill level and needs of this class of aviator were assessed. An overview of the methodology by which meteorological data is communicated to these users is presented.

The effect of a school-based active commuting intervention on children's commuting physical activity and daily physical activity.

PubMed

McMinn, David; Rowe, David A; Murtagh, Shemane; Nelson, Norah M

2012-05-01

To investigate the effect of a school-based intervention called Travelling Green (TG) on children's walking to and from school and total daily physical activity. A quasi-experiment with 166 Scottish children (8-9 years) was conducted in 2009. One group (n=79) received TG and another group (n=87) acted as a comparison. The intervention lasted 6 weeks and consisted of educational lessons and goal-setting tasks. Steps and MVPA (daily, a.m. commute, p.m. commute, and total commute) were measured for 5 days pre- and post-intervention using accelerometers. Mean steps (daily, a.m., p.m., and total commute) decreased from pre- to post-intervention in both groups (TG by 901, 49, 222, and 271 steps/day and comparison by 2528, 205, 120, and 325 steps/day, respectively). No significant group by time interactions were found for a.m., p.m., and total commuting steps. A medium (partial eta squared=0.09) and significant (p<0.05) group by time interaction was found for total daily steps. MVPA results were similar to step results. TG has a little effect on walking to and from school. However, for total daily steps and daily MVPA, TG results in a smaller seasonal decrease than for children who do not receive the intervention. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Air Pollution Exposure in Relation to the Commute to School: A Bradford UK Case Study

PubMed Central

Dirks, Kim N.; Wang, Judith Y. T.; Khan, Amirul; Rushton, Christopher

2016-01-01

Walking School Buses (WSBs) provide a safe alternative to being driven to school. Children benefit from the contribution the exercise provides towards their daily exercise target, it gives children practical experience with respect to road safety and it helps to relieve traffic congestion around the entrance to their school. Walking routes are designed largely based in road safety considerations, catchment need and the availability of parent support. However, little attention is given to the air pollution exposure experienced by children during their journey to school, despite the commuting microenvironment being an important contributor to a child’s daily air pollution exposure. This study aims to quantify the air pollution exposure experienced by children walking to school and those being driven by car. A school was chosen in Bradford, UK. Three adult participants carried out the journey to and from school, each carrying a P-Trak ultrafine particle (UFP) count monitor. One participant travelled the journey to school by car while the other two walked, each on opposite sides of the road for the majority of the journey. Data collection was carried out over a period of two weeks, for a total of five journeys to school in the morning and five on the way home at the end of the school day. Results of the study suggest that car commuters experience lower levels of air pollution dose due to lower exposure and reduced commute times. The largest reductions in exposure for pedestrians can be achieved by avoiding close proximity to traffic queuing up at intersections, and, where possible, walking on the side of the road opposite the traffic, especially during the morning commuting period. Major intersections should also be avoided as they were associated with peak exposures. Steps to ensure that the phasing of lights is optimised to minimise pedestrian waiting time would also help reduce exposure. If possible, busy roads should be avoided altogether. By the careful design of WSB routes, taking into account air pollution, children will be able to experience the benefits that walking to school brings while minimizing their air pollution exposure during their commute to and from school. PMID:27801878

Air Pollution Exposure in Relation to the Commute to School: A Bradford UK Case Study.

PubMed

Dirks, Kim N; Wang, Judith Y T; Khan, Amirul; Rushton, Christopher

2016-10-29

Walking School Buses (WSBs) provide a safe alternative to being driven to school. Children benefit from the contribution the exercise provides towards their daily exercise target, it gives children practical experience with respect to road safety and it helps to relieve traffic congestion around the entrance to their school. Walking routes are designed largely based in road safety considerations, catchment need and the availability of parent support. However, little attention is given to the air pollution exposure experienced by children during their journey to school, despite the commuting microenvironment being an important contributor to a child's daily air pollution exposure. This study aims to quantify the air pollution exposure experienced by children walking to school and those being driven by car. A school was chosen in Bradford, UK. Three adult participants carried out the journey to and from school, each carrying a P-Trak ultrafine particle (UFP) count monitor. One participant travelled the journey to school by car while the other two walked, each on opposite sides of the road for the majority of the journey. Data collection was carried out over a period of two weeks, for a total of five journeys to school in the morning and five on the way home at the end of the school day. Results of the study suggest that car commuters experience lower levels of air pollution dose due to lower exposure and reduced commute times. The largest reductions in exposure for pedestrians can be achieved by avoiding close proximity to traffic queuing up at intersections, and, where possible, walking on the side of the road opposite the traffic, especially during the morning commuting period. Major intersections should also be avoided as they were associated with peak exposures. Steps to ensure that the phasing of lights is optimised to minimise pedestrian waiting time would also help reduce exposure. If possible, busy roads should be avoided altogether. By the careful design of WSB routes, taking into account air pollution, children will be able to experience the benefits that walking to school brings while minimizing their air pollution exposure during their commute to and from school.

Cross sectional analysis of the association between mode of school transportation and physical fitness in children and adolescents.

PubMed

Ostergaard, Lars; Kolle, Elin; Steene-Johannessen, Jostein; Anderssen, Sigmund A; Andersen, Lars Bo

2013-07-17

To investigate the associations between body composition, cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness in relation to travel mode to school in children and adolescents. Children and adolescents from 40 elementary schools and 23 high schools representing all regions in Norway were invited to participate in the study. Anthropometry, cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness were tested at the school location. Questionnaires were used in order to register mode of transport to school, age, gender and levels of leisure time physical activity. A total of 1694 (i.e. 60% of all invited participants) children and adolescents at a mean age of 9.6 and 15.6 respectively (SD = 0.4 for both groups) were analyzed for associations with physical fitness variables. Males cycling to school had lower sum of skin folds than adolescents walking to school. Higher cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescents and male cyclists compared to walkers and passive commuters were observed. Among children, cycling and walking to school, higher isometric muscle endurance in the back extensors compared to passive commuters was observed. Based on this national representative cross-sectional examination of randomly selected children and adolescents there is evidence that active commuting, especially cycling, is associated with a favourable body composition and better cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness as compared to passive commuting.

Active Commuting among K-12 Educators: A Study Examining Walking and Biking to Work

PubMed Central

Bopp, Melissa; Hastmann, Tanis J.; Norton, Alyssa N.

2013-01-01

Background. Walking and biking to work, active commuting (AC) is associated with many health benefits, though rates of AC remain low in the US. K-12 educators represent a significant portion of the workforce, and employee health and associated costs may have significant economic impact. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the current rates of AC and factors associated with AC among K-12 educators. Methods. A volunteer sample of K-12 educators (n = 437) was recruited to participate in an online survey. Participants responded about AC patterns and social ecological influences on AC (individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental factors). t-tests and ANOVAs examined trends in AC, and Pearson correlations examined the relationship between AC and dependent variables. Multiple regression analysis determined the relative influence of individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental levels on AC. Results. Participants actively commuted 0.51 ± 1.93 times/week. There were several individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental factors significantly related to AC. The full model explained 60.8% of the variance in AC behavior. Conclusions. This study provides insight on the factors that determine K-12 educators mode of commute and provide some insight for employee wellness among this population. PMID:24089620

Silicon Valley as an Early Adopter for On-Demand Civil VTOL Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antcliff, Kevin R.; Moore, Mark D.; Goodrich, Kenneth H.

2016-01-01

With high incomes, long commutes, severe ground geographic constraints, severe highway congestion during peak commute times, high housing costs, and near perfect year-round weather, the Silicon Valley is positioned to be an excellent early adopter market for emerging aviation On-Demand Mobility transportation solutions. Prior efforts have attempted to use existing aviation platforms (helicopters or General Aviation aircraft) with existing infrastructure solutions, or only investigated new vehicle platforms without understanding how to incorporate new vehicle types into existing built-up communities. Research has been performed with the objective of minimizing door-to-door time for "Hyper Commuters" (frequent, long-distance commuters) in the Silicon Valley through the development of new helipad infrastructure for ultra-low noise Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft. Current travel times for chosen city-pairs across urban and suburban commutes are compared to future mobility concepts that provide significantly higher utilization and productivity to yield competitive operating costs compared to existing transportation choices. Helipads are introduced near current modes of transportation and infrastructure for ease-of-access, and maximizing proximity. Strategies for both private and public infrastructure development are presented that require no new land purchase while minimizing community noise exposure. New VTOL concepts are introduced with cruise speeds of 200 mph, which yield a greater than three times improvement in overall door-to-door time when compared to current automobiles, and in some cases, improvements of up to 6 times lower trip times.

Design of a digital ride quality augmentation system for commuter aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hammond, T. A.; Amin, S. P.; Paduano, J. D.; Downing, D. R.

1984-01-01

Commuter aircraft typically have low wing loadings, and fly at low altitudes, and so they are susceptible to undesirable accelerations caused by random atmospheric turbulence. Larger commercial aircraft typically have higher wing loadings and fly at altitudes where the turbulence level is lower, and so they provide smoother rides. This project was initiated based on the goal of making the ride of the commuter aircraft as smooth as the ride experienced on the major commercial airliners. The objectives of this project were to design a digital, longitudinal mode ride quality augmentation system (RQAS) for a commuter aircraft, and to investigate the effect of selected parameters on those designs.

Variability in and agreement between modeled and personal continuously measured black carbon levels using novel smartphone and sensor technologies.

PubMed

Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J; Donaire-Gonzalez, David; Rivas, Ioar; de Castro, Montserrat; Cirach, Marta; Hoek, Gerard; Seto, Edmund; Jerrett, Michael; Sunyer, Jordi

2015-03-03

Novel technologies, such as smartphones and small personal continuous air pollution sensors, can now facilitate better personal estimates of air pollution in relation to location. Such information can provide us with a better understanding about whether and how personal exposures relate to residential air pollution estimates, which are normally used in epidemiological studies. The aims of this study were to examine (1) the variability in personal air pollution levels during the day and (2) the relationship between modeled home and school estimates and continuously measured personal air pollution exposure levels in different microenvironments (e.g., home, school, and commute). We focused on black carbon as an indicator of traffic-related air pollution. We recruited 54 school children (aged 7-11) from 29 different schools around Barcelona as part of the BREATHE study, an epidemiological study of the relation between air pollution and brain development. For 2 typical week days during 2012-2013, the children were given a smartphone with CalFit software to obtain information on their location and physical activity level and a small sensor, the micro-aethalometer model AE51, to measure their black carbon levels simultaneously and continuously. We estimated their home and school exposure to PM2.5 filter absorbance, which is well-correlated with black carbon, using a temporally adjusted PM2.5 absorbance land use regression (LUR) model. We found considerable variation in the black carbon levels during the day, with the highest levels measured during commuting periods (geometric mean = 2.8 μg/m(3)) and the lowest levels at home (geometric mean = 1.3 μg/m(3)). Hourly temporally adjusted LUR model estimates for the home and school showed moderate to good correlation with measured personal black carbon levels at home and school (r = 0.59 and 0.68, respectively) and lower correlation with commuting trips (r = 0.32 and 0.21, respectively). The correlation between modeled home estimates and overall personal black carbon levels was 0.62. Personal black carbon levels vary substantially during the day. The correlation between modeled and measured black carbon levels was generally good, with the exception of commuting times. In conclusion, novel technologies, such as smartphones and sensors, provide insights in personal exposure to air pollution.

Individual Public Transportation Accessibility is Positively Associated with Self-Reported Active Commuting

PubMed Central

Djurhuus, Sune; Hansen, Henning Sten; Aadahl, Mette; Glümer, Charlotte

2014-01-01

Background: Active commuters have lower risk of chronic disease. Understanding which of the, to some extent, modifiable characteristics of public transportation that facilitate its use is thus important in a public health perspective. The aim of the study was to examine the association between individual public transportation accessibility and self-reported active commuting, and whether the associations varied with commute distance, age, and gender. Methods: Twenty-eight thousand nine hundred twenty-eight commuters in The Capital Region of Denmark reported self-reported time spent either walking or cycling to work or study each day and the distance to work or study. Data were obtained from the Danish National Health Survey collected in February to April 2010. Individual accessibility by public transportation was calculated using a multi-modal network in a GIS. Multilevel logistic regression was used to analyze the association between accessibility, expressed as access area, and being an active commuter. Results: Public transport accessibility area based on all stops within walking and cycling distance was positively associated with being an active commuter. Distance to work, age, and gender modified the associations. Residing within 10 km commute distance and in areas of high accessibility was associated with being an active commuter and meeting the recommendations of physical activity. For the respondents above 29 years, individual public transportation accessibility was positively associated with being an active commuter. Women having high accessibility had significantly higher odds of being an active commuter compared to having a low accessibility. For men, the associations were insignificant. Conclusion: This study extends the knowledge about the driving forces of using public transportation for commuting by examining the individual public transportation accessibility. Findings suggest that transportation accessibility supports active commuting and planning of improved public transit accessibility has thus a potential of providing health benefits to commuters. PMID:25453030

Comparisons of personal exposure to PM2.5 and CO by different commuting modes in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Huang, Jing; Deng, Furong; Wu, Shaowei; Guo, Xinbiao

2012-05-15

Epidemiological studies have shown that commuting in traffic is associated with adverse health effects. It is vital to investigate commuters' exposure to traffic-related air pollutants before considering potential health risks. However, there are relatively few publications considering commuters' personal exposure in China. We carried out a field investigation measuring commuters' personal exposure to particulate matter ≤2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM(2.5)) and carbon monoxide (CO) by three commuting modes in Beijing. Both PM(2.5) and CO personal concentrations and whole trip exposures were compared among the three commuting modes. After controlling confounding factors, we found that taxi commuters were exposed to lower concentrations of PM(2.5) (31.64±20.77 μg/m(3)) compared with bus commuters (42.40±23.36 μg/m(3)) and cyclists (49.10±26.60 μg/m(3)). By contrast, CO personal concentrations were significantly higher when commuting by taxi (5.21±1.52 ppm) than by bus (2.41±0.99 ppm) and bicycle (1.90±0.55 ppm). However, when inhalation rates and trip duration were taken into consideration, cyclists experienced the highest whole trip exposures to both PM(2.5) and CO (p<0.05). We also found fixed site monitoring data were not appropriate surrogates for personal exposure while commuting, especially during traffic heavy times. PM(2.5) and CO personal concentrations were greatly influenced by the commuting mode. Furthermore, the highest whole trip exposures to PM(2.5) and CO which cyclists experienced indicates it is not preferable to commute by bicycle in a relatively high air polluted environment. Cyclists are possibly subject to greater health risks than other commuters. Thus further research needs to be conducted to investigate the health risks associated with cycling. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Average County-Level IQ Predicts County-Level Disadvantage and Several County-Level Mortality Risk Rates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, J. C.; Beaver, Kevin M.; Boutwell, Brian B.

2013-01-01

Research utilizing individual-level data has reported a link between intelligence (IQ) scores and health problems, including early mortality risk. A growing body of evidence has found similar associations at higher levels of aggregation such as the state- and national-level. At the same time, individual-level research has suggested the…

Environmental Impact Analysis Process. Environmental Assessment for Replacement Medical Clinic 61st Medical Squadron, Los Angeles Air Force Base

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-12-01

mass transit (buses, commuter trains and light rail ) serves Los Angeles County. Immediate public transit access to Los Angeles AFB is by bus only. 3.8...mostly paved. As a result, surface drainage enters the storm sewer system. Stormwater run-off from Area B of Los Angeles AFB, and specifically from...leaves the installation in the form of stormwater run-off. Little infiltration of rainfall is expected. 3.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES As a result of the

Integrability and superintegrability of the generalized n-level many-mode Jaynes-Cummings and Dicke models

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

Skrypnyk, T.

2009-10-15

We analyze symmetries of the integrable generalizations of Jaynes-Cummings and Dicke models associated with simple Lie algebras g and their reductive subalgebras g{sub K}[T. Skrypnyk, 'Generalized n-level Jaynes-Cummings and Dicke models, classical rational r-matrices and nested Bethe ansatz', J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 41, 475202 (2008)]. We show that their symmetry algebras contain commutative subalgebras isomorphic to the Cartan subalgebras of g, which can be added to the commutative algebras of quantum integrals generated with the help of the quantum Lax operators. We diagonalize additional commuting integrals and constructed with their help the most general integrable quantum Hamiltonian of themore » generalized n-level many-mode Jaynes-Cummings and Dicke-type models using nested algebraic Bethe ansatz.« less

Demographic factors, workplace factors and active transportation use in the USA: a secondary analysis of 2009 NHTS data.

PubMed

Quinn, Tyler D; Jakicic, John M; Fertman, Carl I; Barone Gibbs, Bethany

2017-05-01

While active transportation has health, economic and environmental benefits, participation within the USA is low. The purpose of this study is to examine relationships of demographic and workplace factors with health-enhancing active transportation and commuting. Participants in the 2009 National Household Travel Survey reported demographics, workplace factors (time/distance to work, flextime availability, option to work from home and work start time) and active transportation (for any purpose) or commuting (to and from work, workers only) as walking or biking (≥10 min bouts only). Multiple logistic regression examined cross-sectional relationships between demographics and workplace factors with active transportation and commuting. Among 152 573 participants, active transportation was reported by 1.11% by biking and 11.74% by walking. Among 111 808 working participants, active commuting was reported by 0.80% by biking and 2.76% by walking. Increased odds (p<0.05) of active commuting and transportation were associated with younger age, lower income, urban dwelling, and the highest and lowest education categories. Males had greater odds of commuting and transporting by bike but decreased odds of walk transporting. Inconsistent patterns were observed by race, but whites had greater odds of any biking (p<0.05). Odds of active commuting were higher with a flexible schedule (p<0.001), the option to work from home (p<0.05), shorter time and distance to work (both p<0.001), and work arrival time between 11:00 and 15:59 (walking only, p=0.001). Active transportation differed across demographic and workplace factors. These relationships could inform infrastructure policy decisions and workplace wellness programming targeting increased active transportation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

A Novel Environmental Justice Indicator for Managing Local Air Pollution.

PubMed

Zhao, Jing; Gladson, Laura; Cromar, Kevin

2018-06-14

Environmental justice efforts in the United States seek to provide equal protection from environmental hazards, such as air pollution, to all groups, particularly among traditionally disadvantaged populations. To accomplish this objective, the U.S. EPA has previously required states to use an environmental justice screening tool as part of air quality planning decision-making. The generally utilized approach to assess potential areas of environmental justice concern relies on static comparisons of environmental and demographic information to identify areas where minority and low income populations experience elevated environmental exposures, but does not include any additional information that may inform the trade-offs that sub-populations of varying socio-demographic groups make when choosing where to reside in cities. In order to address this limitation, job accessibility (measured by a mobility index defining the number of jobs available within a set commuting time) was developed as a novel environmental justice indicator of environmental justice priority areas at the local level. This approach is modeled using real-world data in Allegheny County, PA (USA), and identifies areas with relatively high levels of outdoor air pollution and low access to jobs. While traditional tools tend to flag the poorest neighborhoods for environmental justice concerns, this new method offers a more refined analysis, targeting populations suffering from the highest environmental burden without the associated benefits of urban living.

Weather factor impacts on commuting to work by bicycle.

PubMed

Flynn, Brian S; Dana, Greg S; Sears, Justine; Aultman-Hall, Lisa

2012-02-01

Quantify the impact of weather conditions on individual decisions to commute to work by bicycle among a diverse panel of adults who commute ≥2 miles each way. Working adults (n=163) in a northern U.S. state reported transportation mode for four seven-day periods in 2009-2010 that maximized seasonal weather variations. Personal characteristics, trip to work distances, and commuting mode data were linked to location- and time-specific weather data and daylight hours. Analyses focused on effect of weather conditions on reports of commuting by bicycle. Participants were diverse in age, gender and bicycle use, but were relatively well-educated; they traveled to work by bicycle on 34.5% of the logged commuting days. Modeling indicated that the likelihood of bicycle commuting increased in the absence of rain (odds ratio=1.91; 95% confidence interval 1.42, 2.57) and with higher temperatures (1.03; 1.02, 1.04), and decreased with snow (0.90; 0.84, 0.98) and wind (0.95; 0.92, 0.97). Independent effects also were found for bicycle commuting distance, gender, and age, but not for daylight hours. Precipitation, temperature, wind and snow conditions had significant and substantial independent effects on the odds of travel to work by bicycle among a diverse panel of adult bicycle commuters. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PubMed

Giliberti, Claudia; Salerno, Silvana

2016-12-13

Commuting accidents represent the leading cause of work-related fatalities among women in Italy. For working women, the journey from home to work is the most dangerous part of the day. Analysis of data on fatal commuting accidents in order to identify risk factors among women. INAIL Statistical Data (2009-2013) related to fatal commuting were analyzed by gender, age, immigration, activities, geographical area, working time, month and day of the week. Italian and immigrant women die mainly from commuting accidents (207 cases out of 371; 56%), a significant number of immigrant women also die in commuting accidents involving no vehicles (4%); Italian and immigrant men die mainly from causes related to the work environment (48%), especially immigrants (54%), and not from commuting accidents (921 out of 3997; 23%). Prevalent age at commuting fatality is 35-49 years, and among immigrant women 18-34. Deaths among women occur mostly in Northeast Italy, and among women working in health and social services; among immigrant women accommodation and catering services are also relevant. The highest number of fatal accidents among men occurs in Northwest Italy, among men working in wholesale trade. All fatalities take place mainly going to work, between 5-10 a.m., among women from October to December, among men from July to September, among Italian women are significantly higher on Saturday, among immigrant women on Sunday. Deaths among men are significantly higher in the eighth hour of work, between 3- 8 p.m. and on Monday among Italian workers, on Wednesday among immigrant men. Commuting fatalities among women, according to INAIL Statistical Data, show specific risk conditions by age, immigration, work activity, geographical area, working time, month and day of the week that require targeted preventive policies.

Magnetic-free non-reciprocity based on staggered commutation

PubMed Central

Reiskarimian, Negar; Krishnaswamy, Harish

2016-01-01

Lorentz reciprocity is a fundamental characteristic of the vast majority of electronic and photonic structures. However, non-reciprocal components such as isolators, circulators and gyrators enable new applications ranging from radio frequencies to optical frequencies, including full-duplex wireless communication and on-chip all-optical information processing. Such components today dominantly rely on the phenomenon of Faraday rotation in magneto-optic materials. However, they are typically bulky, expensive and not suitable for insertion in a conventional integrated circuit. Here we demonstrate magnetic-free linear passive non-reciprocity based on the concept of staggered commutation. Commutation is a form of parametric modulation with very high modulation ratio. We observe that staggered commutation enables time-reversal symmetry breaking within very small dimensions (λ/1,250 × λ/1,250 in our device), resulting in a miniature radio-frequency circulator that exhibits reduced implementation complexity, very low loss, strong non-reciprocity, significantly enhanced linearity and real-time reconfigurability, and is integrated in a conventional complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor integrated circuit for the first time. PMID:27079524

Cross-national comparisons of socioeconomic differences in the prevalence of leisure-time and occupational physical activity, and active commuting in six Asia-Pacific countries.

PubMed

Bauman, Adrian; Ma, Guansheng; Cuevas, Frances; Omar, Zainal; Waqanivalu, Temo; Phongsavan, Philayrath; Keke, Kieren; Bhushan, Anjana

2011-01-01

This study describes physical activity patterns and their association with socioeconomic factors in six countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and examines whether physical activity associations with socioeconomic status follow similar patterns across the six countries. Population-wide representative surveys of non-communicable disease risk factors and socioeconomic factors conducted in Australia, China, Fiji, Malaysia, Nauru and the Philippines between 2002 and 2006 were used. Survey respondents aged 18-64 years who provided information on their socioeconomic status (age, education, income, area of residence) and physical activity level in three domains (leisure-time, occupation, commuting) were included in the study (Australia N=15,786; China N=142,693; Fiji N=6763; Malaysia N=2572; Nauru N=2085; Philippines N=3307). Leisure-time physical activity increased with age in China, showed inverse associations for Fiji and Nauru men, and there were no age relationships in other countries. Individuals in China, Fiji and Malaysia living in urban areas, with higher educational attainment and affluence were physically active during leisure time but less active at work and during commuting compared to those in rural areas, with lower educational attainment and lower income. There is a link between types of physical activity participation and socioeconomic factors in developing countries. Associations with socioeconomic indicators are likely to reflect economic growth. The findings strongly support the need for a comparable non-communicable risk factors surveillance system in developing countries.

Alcohol Use and Abuse on an Urban Commuter Campus.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunnicut, David M.; And Others

1992-01-01

Findings from 470 students at 1 urban commuter university revealed that sizable percentage of respondents reported consuming alcohol 10 or more times within last 30 days, drinking to intoxication 3 or more times within last 2 weeks, having family history of alcoholism, driving while using alcohol, missing class because of drinking, and receiving…

45 CFR 400.81 - Criteria for appropriate employability services and employment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... basis. Any claim of adverse effect on physical or mental health must be based on adequate medical... the individual's physical or mental health. (3) The total daily commuting time to and from home to the... and from a child care facility, unless a longer commuting distance or time is generally accepted in...

45 CFR 400.81 - Criteria for appropriate employability services and employment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... basis. Any claim of adverse effect on physical or mental health must be based on adequate medical... the individual's physical or mental health. (3) The total daily commuting time to and from home to the... and from a child care facility, unless a longer commuting distance or time is generally accepted in...

45 CFR 400.81 - Criteria for appropriate employability services and employment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... basis. Any claim of adverse effect on physical or mental health must be based on adequate medical... the individual's physical or mental health. (3) The total daily commuting time to and from home to the... and from a child care facility, unless a longer commuting distance or time is generally accepted in...

45 CFR 400.81 - Criteria for appropriate employability services and employment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... basis. Any claim of adverse effect on physical or mental health must be based on adequate medical... the individual's physical or mental health. (3) The total daily commuting time to and from home to the... and from a child care facility, unless a longer commuting distance or time is generally accepted in...

45 CFR 400.81 - Criteria for appropriate employability services and employment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... basis. Any claim of adverse effect on physical or mental health must be based on adequate medical... the individual's physical or mental health. (3) The total daily commuting time to and from home to the... and from a child care facility, unless a longer commuting distance or time is generally accepted in...

Can advanced technology improve future commuter aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, L. J.; Snow, D. B.

1981-01-01

The short-haul service abandoned by the trunk and local airlines is being picked up by the commuter airlines using small turboprop-powered aircraft. Most of the existing small transport aircraft currently available represent a relatively old technology level. However, several manufacturers have initiated the development of new or improved commuter transport aircraft. These aircraft are relatively conservative in terms of technology. An examination is conducted of advanced technology to identify those technologies that, if developed, would provide the largest improvements for future generations of these aircraft. Attention is given to commuter aircraft operating cost, aerodynamics, structures and materials, propulsion, aircraft systems, and technology integration. It is found that advanced technology can improve future commuter aircraft and that the largest of these improvements will come from the synergistic combination of technological advances in all of the aircraft disciplines. The most important goals are related to improved fuel efficiency and increased aircraft productivity.

Study of an intraurban travel demand model incorporating commuter preference variables

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holligan, P. E.; Coote, M. A.; Rushmer, C. R.; Fanning, M. L.

1971-01-01

The model is based on the substantial travel data base for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area, provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. The model is of the abstract type, and makes use of commuter attitudes towards modes and simple demographic characteristics of zones in a region to predict interzonal travel by mode for the region. A characterization of the STOL/VTOL mode was extrapolated by means of a subjective comparison of its expected characteristics with those of modes characterized by the survey. Predictions of STOL demand were made for the Bay Area and an aircraft network was developed to serve this demand. When this aircraft system is compared to the base case system, the demand for STOL service has increased five fold and the resulting economics show considerable benefit from the increased scale of operations. In the previous study all systems required subsidy in varying amounts. The new system shows a substantial profit at an average fare of $3.55 per trip.

Impacts of public transit improvements on ridership, and implications for physical activity, in a low-density Canadian city

PubMed Central

Collins, Patricia A.; Agarwal, Ajay

2015-01-01

Public transit ridership offers valuable opportunities for modest amounts of daily physical activity (PA). Transit is a more feasible option for most Canadian commuters who live too far from work to walk or cycle, yet public transit usage in midsized Canadian cities has historically remained low due to inefficient transit service. The objectives of this longitudinal study were threefold: to assess whether the introduction of express transit service in the low-density city of Kingston, Ontario, has translated to greater transit use among a targeted employee group; to document the characteristics of those employees that have shifted to transit; and to examine the PA levels of employees using transit compared to other commute modes. An online survey was administered in October 2013 and October 2014 to all non-student employees at Queen's University. 1356 employees completed the survey in 2013, and 1123 in 2014; 656 of these employees completed the survey both years, constituting our longitudinal sample. Year-round transit ridership increased from 5.5% in 2013 to 8.5% in 2014 (p < 0.001). Employees who shifted to transit had fewer household-level opportunities to drive to work and more positive attitudes toward transit. Transit commuters accrued an average of 80 minutes/week of commute-related PA, and 50 minutes/week more total PA than those that commuted entirely passively. Kingston Transit's express service has stimulated an increase in transit ridership among one of their target employers, Queen's University. The findings from this study suggest that shifting to transit from entirely passive commuting can generate higher overall PA levels. PMID:26844163

Attentional Drift: An Exploratory Study into the Development of an Attention Level Monitoring System Based on Human Eye Fixation

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

1979). As drivers’ daily commuting times increase, and as new technologies such as Blackberrys , navigation systems, DVDs, etc., become more pervasive...Thomas, L.C., & Wickens, C.D. (2001). Visual displays and cognitive tunneling : frames of reference effects on spatial judgments and change

Sociodemographic inequalities in leisure-time physical activity and active commuting to school in Brazilian adolescents: National School Health Survey (PeNSE 2009, 2012, and 2015).

PubMed

Ferreira, Rodrigo Wiltgen; Varela, Andrea Ramirez; Monteiro, Luciana Zaranza; Häfele, César Augusto; Santos, Simone José Dos; Wendt, Andrea; Silva, Inácio Crochemore Mohnsam

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to identify inequalities in leisure-time physical activity and active commuting to school in Brazilian adolescents, as well as trends according to gender, type of school, maternal schooling, and geographic region, from 2009 to 2015. This was a descriptive study based on data from the Brazilian National School Health Survey (PeNSE) in 2009, 2012, and 2015. Students were defined as active in their leisure time when they practiced at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day on five or more of the seven days prior to the interview. Active commuting to school was defined as walking or biking to school on the week prior to the interview. The outcomes were stratified by gender, type of school, maternal schooling, and geographic region. Inequalities were assessed by differences and ratios between the estimates, as well as summary inequality indices. The 2009, 2012, and 2015 surveys included 61,301, 61,145, and 51,192 schoolchildren, respectively. Prevalence of leisure-time physical activity was 13.8% in 2009, 15.9% in 2012, and 14.7% in 2015; the rates for active commuting to school were 70.6%, 61.7%, and 66.7%, respectively. Boys showed 10 percentage points higher prevalence of leisure-time physical activity and 5 points higher active commuting to school than girls. Children of mothers with more schooling showed a mean of 10 percentage points higher prevalence of leisure-time physical activity than children of mothers with the lowest schooling and some 30 percentage points lower in relation to active commuting to school. The observed inequalities remained constant over the course of the period. The study identified socioeconomic and gender inequalities that remained constant throughout the period and which were specific to each domain of physical activity.

Safety from Crime and Physical Activity among Older Adults: A Population-Based Study in Brazil

PubMed Central

Weber Corseuil, Maruí; Hallal, Pedro Curi; Xavier Corseuil, Herton; Jayce Ceola Schneider, Ione; d'Orsi, Eleonora

2012-01-01

Objective. To evaluate the association between safety from crime and physical activity among older adults. Methods. A population-based survey including 1,656 older adults (60+ years) took place in Florianopolis, Brazil, in 2009-2010. Commuting and leisure time physical activity were assessed through the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Perception of safety from crime was assessed using the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale. Results. Perceiving the neighbourhood as safe during the day was related to a 25% increased likelihood of being active in leisure time (95% CI 1.02–1.53); general perception of safety was also associated with a 25% increase in the likelihood of being active in leisure time (95% CI 1.01–1.54). Street lighting was related to higher levels of commuting physical activity (prevalence ratio: 1.89; 95% CI 1.28–2.80). Conclusions. Safety investments are essential for promoting physical activity among older adults in Brazil. PMID:22291723

Design, implementation, and application of 150-degree commutation VSI to improve speed range of sensored BLDC motor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozgenel, Mehmet Cihat

2017-09-01

Permanent magnet brushless dc (BLDC) motors are very convenient for many applications such as industrial, medical, robotic, aerospace, small electric vehicles, and home applications because of their inherent satisfying dynamic characteristics. There are numerous studies about these motors and their control schemes such as sensorless control and different speed and torque control schemes. All electric motors need commutation in order to produce speed and torque. Commutation in brushed DC motors is performed by means of a brush and collector. In BLDC motors, commutation is provided electronically in contrast to the brushed dc motors. In BLDC motors, motor phase windings are energized according to the information of the rotor position by inverter transistors. Rotor position information is used for commutation. Therefore, rotor position information is required to produce speed and torque for BLDC motors. The easiest and cheapest way to obtain rotor position information is to use Hall-effect or optical sensors. BLDC motor manufacturers generally produce BLDC motors equipped with three Hall-effect position sensors. Having three position sensors on BLDC motors provides six-step commutation which ensures two phase windings are energized in each moment. The third phase is empty. In this study, all phase windings are energized in the same time. This commutation method is twelve-step or 150 degrees commutation. So that more speed can be achieved from the same BLDC motor by comparison with six-step commutation. In this paper, both six-step and twelve-step commutation methods applied to the same BLDC motor and obtained experimental results from this study were presented, examined, and discussed.

Design, implementation, and application of 150-degree commutation VSI to improve speed range of sensored BLDC motor.

PubMed

Ozgenel, Mehmet Cihat

2017-09-01

Permanent magnet brushless dc (BLDC) motors are very convenient for many applications such as industrial, medical, robotic, aerospace, small electric vehicles, and home applications because of their inherent satisfying dynamic characteristics. There are numerous studies about these motors and their control schemes such as sensorless control and different speed and torque control schemes. All electric motors need commutation in order to produce speed and torque. Commutation in brushed DC motors is performed by means of a brush and collector. In BLDC motors, commutation is provided electronically in contrast to the brushed dc motors. In BLDC motors, motor phase windings are energized according to the information of the rotor position by inverter transistors. Rotor position information is used for commutation. Therefore, rotor position information is required to produce speed and torque for BLDC motors. The easiest and cheapest way to obtain rotor position information is to use Hall-effect or optical sensors. BLDC motor manufacturers generally produce BLDC motors equipped with three Hall-effect position sensors. Having three position sensors on BLDC motors provides six-step commutation which ensures two phase windings are energized in each moment. The third phase is empty. In this study, all phase windings are energized in the same time. This commutation method is twelve-step or 150 degrees commutation. So that more speed can be achieved from the same BLDC motor by comparison with six-step commutation. In this paper, both six-step and twelve-step commutation methods applied to the same BLDC motor and obtained experimental results from this study were presented, examined, and discussed.

Occupational, commuting, and leisure-time physical activity in relation to heart failure among finnish men and women.

PubMed

Wang, Yujie; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; Jousilahti, Pekka; Antikainen, Riitta; Mähönen, Markku; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Hu, Gang

2010-09-28

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of different levels of occupational, commuting, and leisure-time physical activity and heart failure (HF) risk. The role of different types of physical activity in explaining the risk of HF is not properly established. Study cohorts included 28,334 Finnish men and 29,874 women who were 25 to 74 years of age and free of HF at baseline. Baseline measurement of different types of physical activity was used to predict incident HF. During a mean follow-up of 18.4 years, HF developed in 1,868 men and 1,640 women. The multivariate adjusted (age; smoking; education; alcohol consumption; body mass index; systolic blood pressure; total cholesterol; history of myocardial infarction, valvular heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, and use of antihypertensive drugs; and other types of physical activity) hazard ratios of HF associated with light, moderate, and active occupational activity were 1.00, 0.90, and 0.83 (p = 0.005, for trend) for men and 1.00, 0.80, and 0.92 (p = 0.007, for trend) for women, respectively. The multivariate adjusted hazard ratios of HF associated with low, moderate, and high leisure-time physical activity were 1.00, 0.83, and 0.65 (p < 0.001, for trend) for men and 1.00, 0.84, and 0.75 (p < 0.001, for trend) for women, respectively. Active commuting had a significant inverse association with HF risk in women, but not in men, before adjustment for occupational and leisure-time physical activity. The joint effects of any 2 types of physical activity on HF risk were even greater. Moderate and high levels of occupational or leisure-time physical activity are associated with a reduced risk of HF. Copyright © 2010 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of telehealth systems and satisfaction with health expenditure among patients with metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Uei, Shu-Lin; Tsai, Chung-Hung; Kuo, Yu-Ming

2016-04-29

Telehealth cost analysis has become a crucial issue for governments in recent years. In this study, we examined cases of metabolic syndrome in Hualien County, Taiwan. This research adopted the framework proposed by Marchand to establish a study process. In addition, descriptive statistics, a t test, analysis of variance, and regression analysis were employed to analyze 100 questionnaires. The results of the t$ test revealed significant differences in medical health expenditure, number of clinical visits for medical treatment, average amount of time spent commuting to clinics, amount of time spent undergoing medical treatment, and average number of people accompanying patients to medical care facilities or assisting with other tasks in the past one month, indicating that offering telehealth care services can reduce health expenditure. The statistical analysis results revealed that customer satisfaction has a positive effect on reducing health expenditure. Therefore, this study proves that telehealth care systems can effectively reduce health expenditure and directly improve customer satisfaction with medical treatment.

Switching for electric rail guns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barber, J. P.; Bauer, D. P.

1984-03-01

The switching requirements of single-stage electric railguns powered by inductive energy stores are analyzed, and the design of a 500-kA commutation switch is shown. The closed, commutation, and off states of the switch and the reclosure function at the end of the projectile acceleration are discussed in general terms, and the specific requirements of the railgun facility at Australian National University are listed. The switch designed is essentially a railgun mounted perpendicular to the breech of the electric railgun, with the armature accelerating down copper rails at closing speeds from 50 m/sec at 100 kA to 300 m/sec at 500 kA to commutate current to the railgun. Commutation time and maximum voltage during 200 shots at 400 kA were found to be 50 microsec and 100 V; commutation inductance was 18-20 nH.

Six-year trend in active commuting to school in Spanish adolescents. The AVENA and AFINOS Studies.

PubMed

Chillón, Palma; Martínez-Gómez, David; Ortega, Francisco B; Pérez-López, Isaac J; Díaz, Ligia E; Veses, Ana M; Veiga, Oscar L; Marcos, Ascensión; Delgado-Fernández, Manuel

2013-12-01

Promoting daily routine activities, such as active commuting to school, may have important health implications for young people. The aim of the study was to examine the secular trend of active commuting to school in Spanish adolescents over a 6-year period (2001-2002 to 2006-2007). We also examined several factors that might explain this trend. Data comes from two separate cross-sectional studies, both representatives from the city of Madrid (Spain): AVENA and AFINOS studies. These took place in 2001-2002 and 2006-2007 and included 415 (198 girls) and 891 (448 girls) adolescents aged 13-17, respectively. Commuting to school was assessed using a standardized question about their habitual mode of transportation to school: walking, cycling, bus/subway, car, or motorcycle. Chi-square and binary logistic regression were used. Percentage of active commuting girls decreased significantly from 61 % to 48 % (p = 0.002) from 2001-2002 to 2006-2007. Walking declined from 61 % to 46 % and the use of bus/subway increased from 25 % to 37 % in girls. Girls belonging to average/small families had lower odds of being active commuters than girls of large families (OR, 95 % CI: 0.69, 0.48 to 0.98). There were no significant differences in mode of commuting to school for boys (p = 0.269). Spanish adolescent girls in 2007-2008 had lower levels of active commuting to school, mainly walking, than their counterparts 6 years before. Belonging to a large family was related with higher active commuting in girls.

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

PubMed

An, Ruopeng; Li, Xinye; Jiang, Ning

2017-10-31

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

Criterion distances and environmental correlates of active commuting to school in children

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Active commuting to school can contribute to daily physical activity levels in children. Insight into the determinants of active commuting is needed, to promote such behavior in children living within a feasible commuting distance from school. This study determined feasible distances for walking and cycling to school (criterion distances) in 11- to 12-year-old Belgian children. For children living within these criterion distances from school, the correlation between parental perceptions of the environment, the number of motorized vehicles per family and the commuting mode (active/passive) to school was investigated. Methods Parents (n = 696) were contacted through 44 randomly selected classes of the final year (sixth grade) in elementary schools in East- and West-Flanders. Parental environmental perceptions were obtained using the parent version of Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale for Youth (NEWS-Y). Information about active commuting to school was obtained using a self-reported questionnaire for parents. Distances from the children's home to school were objectively measured with Routenet online route planner. Criterion distances were set at the distance in which at least 85% of the active commuters lived. After the determination of these criterion distances, multilevel analyses were conducted to determine correlates of active commuting to school within these distances. Results Almost sixty percent (59.3%) of the total sample commuted actively to school. Criterion distances were set at 1.5 kilometers for walking and 3.0 kilometers for cycling. In the range of 2.01 - 2.50 kilometers household distance from school, the number of passive commuters exceeded the number of active commuters. For children who were living less than 3.0 kilometers away from school, only perceived accessibility by the parents was positively associated with active commuting to school. Within the group of active commuters, a longer distance to school was associated with more cycling to school compared to walking to school. Conclusions Household distance from school is an important correlate of transport mode to school in children. Interventions to promote active commuting in 11-12 year olds should be focusing on children who are living within the criterion distance of 3.0 kilometers from school by improving the accessibility en route from children's home to school. PMID:21831276

Assessment of leisure-time physical activity for the prediction of inflammatory status and cardiometabolic profile.

PubMed

Pires, Milena Monfort; Salvador, Emanuel P; Siqueira-Catania, Antonela; Folchetti, Luciana D; Cezaretto, Adriana; Ferreira, Sandra Roberta G

2012-11-01

Associations of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), commuting and total physical activity with inflammatory markers, insulin resistance and metabolic profile in individuals at high cardiometabolic risk were investigated. This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 193 prediabetic adults were compared according to physical activity levels measured by the international physical activity questionnaire; p for trend and logistic regression was employed. The most active subset showed lower BMI and abdominal circumference, reaching significance only for LTPA (p for trend=0.02). Lipid profile improved with increased physical activity levels. Interleukin-6 decreased with increased total physical activity and LTPA (p for trend=0.02 and 0.03, respectively), while adiponectin increased in more active subsets for LTPA (p for trend=0.03). Elevation in adjusted OR for hypercholesterolemia was significant for lower LTPA durations (p for trend=0.04). High apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A ratio was inversely associated with LTPA, commuting and total physical activity. Increase in adjusted OR for insulin resistance was found from the highest to the lowest category of LTPA (p for trend=0.04) but significance disappeared after adjustments for BMI and energy intake. No association of increased C-reactive protein with physical activity domains was observed. In general, the associations of LTPA, but not commuting or total physical activity, with markers of cardiometabolic risk reinforces the importance of initiatives to increase this domain in programs for the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. Copyright © 2012 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of transportation microenvironments through assessment of cyclists' exposure to traffic related particulate matter.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-03-01

Urban residents spend a considerable amount of outdoor time in transportation microenvironments as pedestrians, bicycle commuters, public transit users, residents and workers situated along roadways, and commuters within vehicles. Within these transp...

Epidemic Process over the Commute Network in a Metropolitan Area

PubMed Central

Yashima, Kenta; Sasaki, Akira

2014-01-01

An understanding of epidemiological dynamics is important for prevention and control of epidemic outbreaks. However, previous studies tend to focus only on specific areas, indicating that application to another area or intervention strategy requires a similar time-consuming simulation. Here, we study the epidemic dynamics of the disease-spread over a commute network, using the Tokyo metropolitan area as an example, in an attempt to elucidate the general properties of epidemic spread over a commute network that could be used for a prediction in any metropolitan area. The model is formulated on the basis of a metapopulation network in which local populations are interconnected by actual commuter flows in the Tokyo metropolitan area and the spread of infection is simulated by an individual-based model. We find that the probability of a global epidemic as well as the final epidemic sizes in both global and local populations, the timing of the epidemic peak, and the time at which the epidemic reaches a local population are mainly determined by the joint distribution of the local population sizes connected by the commuter flows, but are insensitive to geographical or topological structure of the network. Moreover, there is a strong relation between the population size and the time that the epidemic reaches this local population and we are able to determine the reason for this relation as well as its dependence on the commute network structure and epidemic parameters. This study shows that the model based on the connection between the population size classes is sufficient to predict both global and local epidemic dynamics in metropolitan area. Moreover, the clear relation of the time taken by the epidemic to reach each local population can be used as a novel measure for intervention; this enables efficient intervention strategies in each local population prior to the actual arrival. PMID:24905831

49 CFR 38.95 - Mobility aid accessibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Commuter Rail Cars and Systems § 38.95 Mobility aid accessibility. (a)(1) General. All new commuter rail cars, other than level entry cars, covered by this subpart shall...(d) are provided, the car is not required to be equipped with a car-borne device. The access systems...

49 CFR 38.95 - Mobility aid accessibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Commuter Rail Cars and Systems § 38.95 Mobility aid accessibility. (a)(1) General. All new commuter rail cars, other than level entry cars, covered by this subpart shall...(d) are provided, the car is not required to be equipped with a car-borne device. The access systems...

49 CFR 38.95 - Mobility aid accessibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Commuter Rail Cars and Systems § 38.95 Mobility aid accessibility. (a)(1) General. All new commuter rail cars, other than level entry cars, covered by this subpart shall...(d) are provided, the car is not required to be equipped with a car-borne device. The access systems...

Expected indoor 222Rn levels in counties with very high and very low lung cancer rates.

PubMed

Cohen, B L

1989-12-01

Counties in the U.S. with high lung cancer rates should have higher average 222Rn levels than counties with low lung cancer rates, assuming the average 222Rn level in a county is not correlated with other factors that cause lung cancer. The magnitude of this effect was calculated, using the absolute risk model, the relative risk model, and an intermediate model, for females who died in 1950-1969. The results were similar for all three models. We concluded that, ignoring migration, the average Rn level in the highest lung cancer counties should be about three times higher than in the lowest lung cancer counties according to the theory. Preliminary data are presented indicating that the situation is quite the opposite: The average Rn level in the highest lung cancer counties was only about one-half that in the lowest lung cancer counties.

Commutability of the First World Health Organization International Standard for Human Cytomegalovirus

PubMed Central

Preiksaitis, J.; Tong, Y.; Pang, X.; Sun, Y.; Tang, L.; Cook, L.; Pounds, S.; Fryer, J.; Caliendo, A. M.

2015-01-01

Quantitative detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA has become a standard part of care for many groups of immunocompromised patients; recent development of the first WHO international standard for human CMV DNA has raised hopes of reducing interlaboratory variability of results. Commutability of reference material has been shown to be necessary if such material is to reduce variability among laboratories. Here we evaluated the commutability of the WHO standard using 10 different real-time quantitative CMV PCR assays run by eight different laboratories. Test panels, including aliquots of 50 patient samples (40 positive samples and 10 negative samples) and lyophilized CMV standard, were run, with each testing center using its own quantitative calibrators, reagents, and nucleic acid extraction methods. Commutability was assessed both on a pairwise basis and over the entire group of assays, using linear regression and correspondence analyses. Commutability of the WHO material differed among the tests that were evaluated, and these differences appeared to vary depending on the method of statistical analysis used and the cohort of assays included in the analysis. Depending on the methodology used, the WHO material showed poor or absent commutability with up to 50% of assays. Determination of commutability may require a multifaceted approach; the lack of commutability seen when using the WHO standard with several of the assays here suggests that further work is needed to bring us toward true consensus. PMID:26269622

Daily impaired detachment and short-term effects of impaired sleep quality on next-day commuting near-accidents - an ambulatory diary study.

PubMed

Pereira, Diana; Bucher, Sarah; Elfering, Achim

2016-08-01

This study investigated the short-term effects of daily recovery, that is, impaired psychological detachment from work and various actigraphical indicators of sleep quality, on near-accidents when commuting to work the next morning. Furthermore, the mediating effect of actigraphically assessed sleep quality on the relationship between impaired psychological detachment from work and near-accidents when commuting to work was analysed. Fifty-six full-time employees of a Swiss assurance company participated in the one-week study. Multilevel analyses revealed that impaired detachment was highly related to a decrease in sleep duration. Furthermore, impaired daily recovery processes, such as impaired psychological detachment from work and disturbed sleep quality, were related to commuting near-accidents. Impaired sleep quality mediated the effect of impaired psychological detachment from work on these near-accidents. Our results show that occupational safety interventions should address both impaired psychological detachment from work and sleep quality in order to prevent near accidents when commuting to work. Practitioner Summary: Commuting accidents occur frequently and have detrimental effects on employees, organisations and society. This study shows that daily lack of recovery, that is, impaired psychological detachment and impaired sleep quality, is related to near-accidents when commuting to work the next morning. Primary prevention of commuting accidents should therefore address daily lack of recovery.

Implementation of a MFAC based position sensorless drive for high speed BLDC motors with nonideal back EMF.

PubMed

Li, Haitao; Ning, Xin; Li, Wenzhuo

2017-03-01

In order to improve the reliability and reduce power consumption of the high speed BLDC motor system, this paper presents a model free adaptive control (MFAC) based position sensorless drive with only a dc-link current sensor. The initial commutation points are obtained by detecting the phase of EMF zero-crossing point and then delaying 30 electrical degrees. According to the commutation error caused by the low pass filter (LPF) and other factors, the relationship between commutation error angle and dc-link current is analyzed, a corresponding MFAC based control method is proposed, and the commutation error can be corrected by the controller in real time. Both the simulation and experimental results show that the proposed correction method can achieve ideal commutation effect within the entire operating speed range. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and determinations of physical inactivity among public hospital employees in Shanghai, China: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Li, Xinjian; Cheng, Minna; Zhang, Hao; Ke, Ting; Chen, Yisheng

2015-03-01

This study aims to explore the prevalence and determinations of physical inactivity among hospital employees in Shanghai, China. A cross-sectional study of 4612 employees aged 19 to 68 years was conducted through stratified cluster sampling from different classes of Shanghai hospitals in 2011. The total physical activity was evaluated using the metabolic equivalent according to the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Among the participants, 38.5%, 32.3%, and 64.6% of the employees are inactive at work, commuting, and taking leisure time, respectively. Up to 41.8% of the men and 37.8% of the women (P = 0.012) are physically inactive. When the age and educational level are adjusted, male doctors and medical technicians show a higher percentage of physical inactivity than male workers in logistics (P = 0.001). Among females, employees who are working in second- and third-class hospitals show a higher proportion of physical inactivity than those who are working in community health care centers. Logistic regression analyses show that the odds ratios (ORs) of leisure-time physical inactivity associated with the intensity of physical activity at work are 2.259, 2.897, and 4.266 for men (P < 0.001) and 2.456, 3.259, and 3.587 for women (P < 0.001), respectively. The time during commuting activities is significantly associated with leisure-time physical inactivity in either sex (OR = 2.116 for men and 2.173 for women, P < 0.001). Hospital employees, particularly doctors and medical technicians, show a higher proportion of physical inactivity than other inhabitants in Shanghai. The time and intensity of activity at work and commuting are associated with leisure-time activities.

Assessment of the Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Flint, Michigan.

PubMed

Zahran, Sammy; McElmurry, Shawn P; Kilgore, Paul E; Mushinski, David; Press, Jack; Love, Nancy G; Sadler, Richard C; Swanson, Michele S

2018-02-20

The 2014-2015 Legionnaires' disease (LD) outbreak in Genesee County, MI, and the outbreak resolution in 2016 coincided with changes in the source of drinking water to Flint's municipal water system. Following the switch in water supply from Detroit to Flint River water, the odds of a Flint resident presenting with LD increased 6.3-fold (95% CI: 2.5, 14.0). This risk subsided following boil water advisories, likely due to residents avoiding water, and returned to historically normal levels with the switch back in water supply. During the crisis, as the concentration of free chlorine in water delivered to Flint residents decreased, their risk of acquiring LD increased. When the average weekly chlorine level in a census tract was <0.5 mg/L or <0.2 mg/L, the odds of an LD case presenting from a Flint neighborhood increased by a factor of 2.9 (95% CI: 1.4, 6.3) or 3.9 (95% CI: 1.8, 8.7), respectively. During the switch, the risk of a Flint neighborhood having a case of LD increased by 80% per 1 mg/L decrease in free chlorine, as calculated from the extensive variation in chlorine observed. In communities adjacent to Flint, the probability of LD occurring increased with the flow of commuters into Flint. Together, the results support the hypothesis that a system-wide proliferation of legionellae was responsible for the LD outbreak in Genesee County, MI.

In-vehicle exposures to particulate air pollution in Canadian metropolitan areas: the urban transportation exposure study.

PubMed

Weichenthal, Scott; Van Ryswyk, Keith; Kulka, Ryan; Sun, Liu; Wallace, Lance; Joseph, Lawrence

2015-01-06

Commuters may be exposed to increased levels of traffic-related air pollution owing to close proximity to traffic-emissions. We collected in-vehicle and roof-top air pollution measurements over 238 commutes in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, Canada between 2010 and 2013. Voice recordings were used to collect real-time information on traffic density and the presence of diesel vehicles and multivariable linear regression models were used to estimate the impact of these factors on in-vehicle pollutant concentrations (and indoor/outdoor ratios) along with parameters for road type, land use, and meteorology. In-vehicle PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations consistently exceeded regional outdoor levels and each unit increase in the rate of encountering diesel vehicles (count/min) was associated with substantial increases (>100%) in in-vehicle concentrations of ultrafine particles (UFPs), black carbon, and PM2.5 as well as strong increases (>15%) in indoor/outdoor ratios. A model based on meteorology and the length of highway roads within a 500 m buffer explained 53% of the variation in in-vehicle UFPs; however, models for PM2.5 (R(2) = 0.24) and black carbon (R(2) = 0.30) did not perform as well. Our findings suggest that vehicle commuters experience increased exposure to air pollutants and that traffic characteristics, land use, road types, and meteorology are important determinants of these exposures.

Will urban commuting time affect housing prices and vehicle emissions?

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-03-01

The transportation cost is an essential factor that impacts land and house values in urban areas. In a classical monocentric city model, residents who work in the Central Business District (CBD) are facing a tradeoff between rent and commuting dis...

Walking and cycling to work despite reporting an unsupportive environment: insights from a mixed-method exploration of counterintuitive findings.

PubMed

Guell, Cornelia; Panter, Jenna; Ogilvie, David

2013-05-24

Perceptions of the environment appear to be associated with walking and cycling. We investigated the reasons for walking and cycling to or from work despite reporting an unsupportive route environment in a sample of commuters. This mixed-method analysis used data collected as part of the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study. 1164 participants completed questionnaires which assessed the travel modes used and time spent on the commute and the perceived environmental conditions on the route to work. A subset of 50 also completed qualitative interviews in which they discussed their experiences of commuting. Participants were included in this analysis if they reported unsupportive conditions for walking or cycling on their route (e.g. heavy traffic) in questionnaires, walked or cycled all or part of the journey to work, and completed qualitative interviews. Using content analysis of these interviews, we investigated their reasons for walking or cycling. 340 participants reported walking or cycling on the journey to work despite unsupportive conditions, of whom 15 also completed qualitative interviews. From these, three potential explanations emerged. First, some commuters found strategies for coping with unsupportive conditions. Participants described knowledge of the locality and opportunities for alternative routes more conducive to active commuting, as well as their cycling experience and acquired confidence to cycle in heavy traffic. Second, some commuters had other reasons for being reliant on or preferring active commuting despite adverse environments, such as childcare arrangements, enjoyment, having more control over their journey time, employers' restrictions on car parking, or the cost of petrol or parking. Finally, some survey respondents appeared to have reported not their own environmental perceptions but those of others such as family members or 'the public', partly to make a political statement regarding the adversity of active commuting in their setting. Participants report walking and cycling to work despite adverse environmental conditions. Understanding this resilience might be just as important as investigating 'barriers' to cycling. These findings suggest that developing knowledge of safe walking and cycling routes, improving cycling confidence and restricting workplace parking may help to encourage walking and cycling to and from work.

Walking and cycling to work despite reporting an unsupportive environment: insights from a mixed-method exploration of counterintuitive findings

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Perceptions of the environment appear to be associated with walking and cycling. We investigated the reasons for walking and cycling to or from work despite reporting an unsupportive route environment in a sample of commuters. Methods This mixed-method analysis used data collected as part of the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study. 1164 participants completed questionnaires which assessed the travel modes used and time spent on the commute and the perceived environmental conditions on the route to work. A subset of 50 also completed qualitative interviews in which they discussed their experiences of commuting. Participants were included in this analysis if they reported unsupportive conditions for walking or cycling on their route (e.g. heavy traffic) in questionnaires, walked or cycled all or part of the journey to work, and completed qualitative interviews. Using content analysis of these interviews, we investigated their reasons for walking or cycling. Results 340 participants reported walking or cycling on the journey to work despite unsupportive conditions, of whom 15 also completed qualitative interviews. From these, three potential explanations emerged. First, some commuters found strategies for coping with unsupportive conditions. Participants described knowledge of the locality and opportunities for alternative routes more conducive to active commuting, as well as their cycling experience and acquired confidence to cycle in heavy traffic. Second, some commuters had other reasons for being reliant on or preferring active commuting despite adverse environments, such as childcare arrangements, enjoyment, having more control over their journey time, employers’ restrictions on car parking, or the cost of petrol or parking. Finally, some survey respondents appeared to have reported not their own environmental perceptions but those of others such as family members or ‘the public’, partly to make a political statement regarding the adversity of active commuting in their setting. Conclusions Participants report walking and cycling to work despite adverse environmental conditions. Understanding this resilience might be just as important as investigating ‘barriers’ to cycling. These findings suggest that developing knowledge of safe walking and cycling routes, improving cycling confidence and restricting workplace parking may help to encourage walking and cycling to and from work. PMID:23705951

Utility of an alternative bicycle commute route of lower proximity to motorised traffic in decreasing exposure to ultra-fine particles, respiratory symptoms and airway inflammation – a structured exposure experiment

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Bicycle commuting in an urban environment of high air pollution is known to be a potential health risk, especially for susceptible individuals. While risk management strategies aimed to reduce exposure to motorised traffic emissions have been suggested, only limited studies have assessed the utility of such strategies in real-world circumstances. Objectives The potential to lower exposure to ultrafine particles (UFP; < 0.1 μm) during bicycle commuting by reducing proximity to motorised traffic was investigated with real-time air pollution and intermittent acute inflammatory measurements in healthy individuals using their typical higher proximity, and an alternative lower proximity, bicycle commute route. Methods Thirty-five healthy adults (mean ± SD: age = 39 ± 11 yr; 29% female) completed two return trips, one each in the condition of their typical route (HIGH) and a pre-determined alternative route of lower proximity to motorised traffic (LOW); proximity being determined by the proportion of on-road cycle paths. Particle number concentration (PNC) and diameter (PD) were monitored in-commute in real-time. Acute inflammatory indices of respiratory symptoms (as a scalar of frequency from very low to very high / 1 to 5), lung function and spontaneous sputum (for inflammatory cell analyses) were collected immediately pre-commute, and immediately and three hours post-commute. Results In the condition of LOW, compared to in the condition of HIGH, there was a significant decrease in mean PNC (1.91 x e4 ± 0.93 × e4 ppcc vs. 2.95 × e4 ± 1.50 × e4 ppcc; p ≤ 0.001), and the mean frequency of in-commute offensive odour detection (2.1 vs. 2.8; p = 0.019), dust and soot observation (1.7 vs. 2.3; p = 0.038) and nasopharyngeal irritation (1.5 vs. 1.9; p = 0.007). There were no significant differences between LOW and HIGH in the commute distance and duration (12.8 ± 7.1 vs. 12.0 ± 6.9 km and 44 ± 17 vs. 42 ± 17 min, respectively), or other indices of acute airway inflammation. Conclusions Exposure to PNC and offensive odour, and nasopharyngeal irritation, can be significantly lowered when utilising a route of lower proximity to motorised traffic whilst bicycle commuting, without significantly affecting commute distance or duration. This may bring health benefits for both healthy and susceptible individuals. PMID:23566176

49 CFR 38.95 - Mobility aid accessibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... mechanical, electrical or other system operates to ensure that cars do not move when the lift is in use. (3... SPECIFICATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Commuter Rail Cars and Systems § 38.95 Mobility aid accessibility. (a)(1) General. All new commuter rail cars, other than level entry cars, covered by this subpart shall...

Parent, psycho-social, and household factors associated with children's active commuting to school

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Active commuting to school (ACS), i.e. walking or cycling to school, has been associated with higher levels of physical activity. Few studies have examined children's ACS using the framework of behavior change theory. This study used social cognitive theory as the framework. To examine the relations...

Perceived risk and modal choice: risk compensation in transportation systems.

PubMed

Noland, R B

1995-08-01

A transportation mode choice analysis is performed that examines behavioral responses to perceived risk in the choice of mode for daily commute trips. This methodology provides a technique for examining, by means of disaggregate individual level data, risk-compensating effects in transportation systems. Various measures of perceived risk are examined for explaining modal choice. Other studies have described how safety regulations have resulted in increases in "driving intensity." This study defines one component of driving intensity to be the increased probability of commuting by automobile. The results show that modal shifts occur when risk perceptions for a given mode are reduced. To demonstrate potential risk-compensating effects within the transportation system, an estimate of changes in accident fatalities due to commuting is derived using rough estimates of fatalities per person-mile travelled. It is shown that a given change in the perceived risk of commuting by automobile results in a less than proportionate change in net commuting fatalities. The relative magnitude is dependent on how objective reductions in risk translate into perceived reductions in risk. This study also shows that perceived safety improvements in bicycle transportation have an aggregate elasticity value that is greater than one. This means that bicycle safety improvements attract proportionately more people to bicycle commuting (i.e. a 10% increase in safety results in a greater than 10% increase in the share of people bicycle commuting).

Effect of a School Choice Policy Change on Active Commuting to Elementary School.

PubMed

Sirard, John R; McDonald, Kelsey; Mustain, Patrick; Hogan, Whitney; Helm, Alison

2015-01-01

The purposes of this study were to assess the effect of restricting school choice on changes in travel distance to school and transportation mode for elementary school students. Study design was pre-post (spring 2010-fall 2010) quasi-experimental. Study setting was all public elementary schools in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Subjects comprised approximately 20,500 students across 39 schools. Study assessed a school choice policy change that restricted school choice to a school closer to the family's home. School district transportation data were used to determine distance to school. Direct observations of student travel modes (two morning and two afternoon commutes at each time point) were used to assess transportation mode. Chi-square and independent-sample t-tests were calculated to describe the schools. Repeated measures general linear models were used to assess changes in travel distance to school and observed commuting behavior. Distance to school significantly decreased (1.83 ± .48 miles to 1.74 ± .46 miles; p = .002). We failed to observe any significant changes in morning (+.7%) or afternoon (-.7%) active commuting (both p = .08) or the number of automobiles in the morning (-7 autos per school; p = .06) or afternoon (+3 autos per school; p = .14). The more restrictive school choice policy decreased distance to school but had no significant effect on active commuting. Policy interventions designed to increase active commuting to school may require additional time to gain traction and programmatic support to induce changes in behavior.

Propagators for the Time-Dependent Kohn-Sham Equations: Multistep, Runge-Kutta, Exponential Runge-Kutta, and Commutator Free Magnus Methods.

PubMed

Gómez Pueyo, Adrián; Marques, Miguel A L; Rubio, Angel; Castro, Alberto

2018-05-09

We examine various integration schemes for the time-dependent Kohn-Sham equations. Contrary to the time-dependent Schrödinger's equation, this set of equations is nonlinear, due to the dependence of the Hamiltonian on the electronic density. We discuss some of their exact properties, and in particular their symplectic structure. Four different families of propagators are considered, specifically the linear multistep, Runge-Kutta, exponential Runge-Kutta, and the commutator-free Magnus schemes. These have been chosen because they have been largely ignored in the past for time-dependent electronic structure calculations. The performance is analyzed in terms of cost-versus-accuracy. The clear winner, in terms of robustness, simplicity, and efficiency is a simplified version of a fourth-order commutator-free Magnus integrator. However, in some specific cases, other propagators, such as some implicit versions of the multistep methods, may be useful.

Dynamically Timed Electric Motor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Casper, Ann M. (Inventor)

1997-01-01

A brushless DC motor including a housing having an end cap secured thereto. The housing encloses a rotor. a stator and a rotationally displaceable commutation board having sensors secured thereon and spaced around the periphery of the rotor. An external rotational force is applied to the commutation board for displacement of the sensors to various positions whereby varying feedback signals are generated by the positioning of the sensors relative to the rotating rotor. The commutation board is secured in a fixed position in response to feedback signals indicative of optimum sensor position being determined. The rotation of the commutation board and the securing of the sensors in the desired fixed position is accomplished without requiring the removal of the end cap and with the DC motor operating.

Outmigration patterns in development transition of rural areas.

PubMed

Kaistha, K C

1987-01-01

Using a broadened concept of migration, which includes circulatory migration and commuting, this paper maintains that the patterns of outmigration vary a great deal when the level of development of a rural area is treated as an independent variable. This study uses a stratified conditional sample of 192 households selected from 3 areas: 53 households from a low developed (LDL) area, 56 from a medium (MDL), and 83 from a high (HDL). Data were collected by personal observation, interview, and genealogical methods at both the household and individual level. The households are divided into 3 main categories: 1) non-migrating, 2) commuting only, and 3) migrating (which is further divided into migrating within and migrating outside the boundaries of the district). Results show that 1) 37.51% of household members neither commute nor have migrated outside the village; 2) using the narrow definition of migration, only 10% of males over age 15 migrate, while including commuting in the definition increases the percentage to 40; 3) proportions of non-migrating households decrease from 58.4% for the LDL, to 35.7% for the MDL, to 25.3% for the HDL area; 4) the proportion of commuting only households increases from 26.4% for the LDL, to 35.7% to the MDL, and 55.4% for the HDL area; 5) 15.2% of households in the LDL, 28.6% in the MDL, and 19.3% in the HDL area experience a permanent change in residence; 6) as development accelerates, the overall volume of outmigration increases; 7) the flow of migration from rural to rural areas is mostly limited to the MDL area, while cityward migration increasingly occurs on both LDL and HDL areas; 8) the median age of commuters increases with rising levels of development; and 9) almost all migrants from the LDL area are employed in low prestige occupations, most from the HDL area have higher prestige jobs, and those from the MDL area have both high and low prestige jobs.

Changes in mode of travel to work: a natural experimental study of new transport infrastructure.

PubMed

Heinen, Eva; Panter, Jenna; Mackett, Roger; Ogilvie, David

2015-06-20

New transport infrastructure may promote a shift towards active travel, thereby improving population health. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a major transport infrastructure project on commuters' mode of travel, trip frequency and distance travelled to work. Quasi-experimental analysis nested within a cohort study of 470 adults working in Cambridge, UK. The intervention consisted of the opening of a guided busway with a path for walking and cycling in 2011. Exposure to the intervention was defined as the negative of the square root of the shortest distance from home to busway. The outcome measures were changes in commute mode share and number of commute trips - both based on a seven-day travel-to-work record collected before (2009) and after (2012) the intervention - and change in objective commute distance. The mode share outcomes were changes in the proportions of trips (i) involving any active travel, (ii) involving any public transport, and (iii) made entirely by car. Separate multinomial regression models were estimated adjusting for commute and sociodemographic characteristics, residential settlement size and life events. Proximity to the busway predicted an increased likelihood of a large (>30 %) increase in the share of commute trips involving any active travel (relative risk ratio [RRR] 1.80, 95 % CI 1.27, 2.55) and a large decrease in the share of trips made entirely by car (RRR 2.09, 95 % CI 1.35, 3.21), as well as a lower likelihood of a small (<30 %) reduction in the share of trips involving any active travel (RRR 0.47, 95 % CI 0.28, 0.81). It was not associated with changes in the share of commute trips involving any public transport, the number of commute trips, or commute distance. The new infrastructure promoted an increase in the share of commuting trips involving active travel and a decrease in the share made entirely by car. Further analysis will show the extent to which the changes in commute mode share were translated into an increase in time spent in active commuting and consequent health gain.

Biologic and epigenetic impact of commuting to work by car or using public transportation: a case-control study.

PubMed

Morabia, Alfredo; Zhang, Fang Fang; Kappil, Maya A; Flory, Janine; Mirer, Frank E; Santella, Regina M; Wolff, Mary; Markowitz, Steven B

2012-01-01

Commuting by public transportation (PT) entails more physical activity and energy expenditure than by cars, but its biologic consequences are unknown. In 2009-2010, we randomly sampled New York adults, usually commuting either by car (n=79) or PT (n=101). Measures comprised diet and physical activity questionnaires, weight and height, white blood cell (WBC) count, C reactive protein, (CRP) gene-specific methylation (IL-6), and global genomic DNA methylation (LINE-1 methylation). Compared to the 101 PT commuters, the 79 car drivers were about 9 years older, 2 kg/m(2) heavier, more often non-Hispanic whites, and ate more fruits and more meats. The 2005 guidelines for physical activity were met by more car drivers than PT users (78.5% vs. 65.0%). There were no differences in median levels of CRP (car vs. PT: 0.6 vs. 0.5mg/dl), mean levels of WBC (car vs. PT: 6.7 vs. 6.5 cells/mm(3)), LINE-1 methylation (car vs. PT: 78.0% vs. 78.3%), and promoter methylation of IL-6 (car vs. PT: 56.1% vs. 58.0%). PT users were younger and lighter than car drivers, but their commute mode did not translate into a lower inflammatory response or a higher DNA methylation, maybe because, overall, car drivers were more physically active. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

BIOLOGIC AND EPIGENETIC IMPACT OF COMMUTING TO WORK BY CAR OR USING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

PubMed Central

Morabia, Alfredo; Zhang, Fang Fang; Kappil, Maya A.; Flory, Janine; Mirer, Frank E; Santella, Regina M.; Wolff, Mary; Markowitz, Steven B

2013-01-01

Background and Aims Commuting by public transportation (PT) entails more physical activity and energy expenditure than by cars, but its biologic consequences are unknown. Methods In 2009-2010, we randomly sampled New York adults, usually commuting either by car (n=79) or PT (n=101). Measures comprised diet and physical activity questionnaires, weight and height, white blood cell (WBC) count, C reactive protein, (CRP) gene-specific methylation (IL-6), and global genomic DNA methylation (LINE-1 methylation). Results Compared to the 101 PT commuters, the 79 car drivers were about 9 years older, 2 kg/m2 heavier, more often non-Hispanic whites, and ate more fruits and more meats. The 2005 guidelines for physical activity were met by more car drivers than PT users (78.5% vs. 65.0%). There were no differences in median levels of CRP (car vs. PT: 0.6 vs. 0.5 mg/dl), mean levels of WBC (car vs. PT: 6.7 vs. 6.5 cells/mm3), LINE-1 methylation (car vs. PT: 78.0% vs. 78.3%), and promoter methylation of IL-6 (car vs. PT: 56.1% vs. 58.0%). Conclusions PT users were younger and lighter than car drivers, but their commute mode did not translate into a lower inflammatory response or a higher DNA methylation, maybe because, overall, car drivers were more physically active. PMID:22313796

Change in commute mode and body-mass index: prospective, longitudinal evidence from UK Biobank.

PubMed

Flint, Ellen; Webb, Elizabeth; Cummins, Steven

2016-12-01

Insufficient physical activity is a determinant of obesity and cardiovascular disease. Active travel to work has declined in high-income countries in recent decades. We aimed to determine which socioeconomic and demographic characteristics predicted switching to or from active commuting, whether switching from passive to active commuting (or the reverse) independently predicts change in objectively measured body-mass index (BMI), and to ascertain whether any association is attenuated by socioeconomic, demographic, or behavioural factors. This study used longitudinal data from UK Biobank. Baseline data collection occurred at 22 centres between March, 2006, and July, 2010, with a repeat assessment at one centre (Stockport) between August, 2012, and June, 2013, for a subset of these participants. Height and weight were objectively measured at both timepoints. We included individuals present at both timepoints with complete data in the analytic sample. Participants were aged 40-69 years and commuted from home to a workplace on a regular basis at both baseline and follow-up. Two exposures were investigated: transition from car commuting to active or public transport commuting and transition from active or public transport to car commuting. Change in BMI between baseline and repeat assessment was the outcome of interest, assessed with bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models. 502 656 individuals provided baseline data, with 20 346 participating in the repeat assessment after a median of 4·4 years (IQR 3·7-4·9). 5861 individuals were present at both timepoints and had complete data for all analytic variables. Individuals who transitioned from car commuting at baseline to active or public transportation modes at follow-up had a decrease in BMI of -0·30 kg/m 2 (95% CI -0·47 to -0·13; p=0·0005). Conversely, individuals who transitioned from active commuting at baseline to car commuting at follow-up had a BMI increase of 0·32 kg/m 2 (0·13 to 0·50; p=0·008). These effects were not attenuated by adjustment for hypothesised confounders. Change in household income emerged as a determinant of commute mode transitions. Incorporation of increased levels of physical activity as part of the commute to work could reduce obesity among middle-aged adults in the UK. UK Medical Research Council.

Evaluation of Exposures to Diesel Particulate Matter Utilizing Ambient Air Monitoring and Urinary Biomarkers Among Pedestrian Commuters who Cross the U.S.-Mexico Border at San Ysidro, CA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galaviz, Vanessa Eileen

Background: Walk-in-line pedestrians crossing the U.S.-Mexico border northbound at the San Ysidro, CA Port of Entry ("Border Commuters") may be at an increased risk of experiencing elevated traffic-related air pollution, including diesel exhaust (DE). DE exposure has been associated with numerous adverse health effects, particularly cardiovascular and respiratory problems, including as lung cancer. Pedestrian crossers wait in line for extended periods and stand within 10 feet of highly concentrated traffic, particularly to diesel buses. Understanding the magnitude of traffic-related exposures is important for this vulnerable population. It was hypothesized that subjects who reside in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico and cross the border as a pedestrian will experience higher exposure to traffic-related pollutants than those who live and work in South San Diego, CA, USA and do not cross the border. Methods: Ninety-one participants were enrolled for this study; 80% were "Border Commuters" and 20% were "Non-Border Commuters". "Non-Border Commuters" served as the comparison group and were defined as residents who lived in or near and worked or went to school in San Ysidro, CA but did not cross the border. Questionnaires, time activity diaries, and urine samples were collected from all participants. Of the "Border Commuters", 56 personal 24-hour PM2.5 and 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) - a marker for diesel exhaust - samples were collected. There were 22 at-home indoor and 14 at-home outdoor 1-NP samples collected. Additionally, area samples collected at the border included 35 days of 1-NP, black carbon (BC), carbon monoxide (CO), fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ultrafine particulate matter (UFP). Of the "Non-Border Commuters", 15 personal 24-hour PM2.5 and 1-NP samples were collected. Additonally, 3 at-home indoor and outdoor 24-hour 1-NP samples were collected. Results: Personal exposure to PM2.5 was nearly 2-fold higher among "Border Commuters" compared to "Non-Border Commuters" (39 +/- 30 μg/m3 vs 21 +/- 11 μg/m3), while personal exposure to 1-NP was more than 8-fold higher among the "Border Commuters"(1.7 +/- 2.6 vs 0.22 +/- 0.21 pg/m3, p<0.01, Mann-Whitney). Two metabolites of 1-NP were readily detected in urine samples, the most abundant of which was 8-hydroxy-1-nitropyrene (8-OHNP). "Border Commuters" had greater than a 2-fold higher concentration of 8-OHNP (0.071 +/- 0.066 vs 0.032 +/- 0.021 pg/mL, p=0.05, Mann-Whitney) and a 3-fold higher concentration of 8-OHNAAP (0.063 +/- 0.11 vs 0.021 +/- 0.013 pg/mL, p=0.11, Mann-Whitney) as compared to "Non-Border Commuters". Home indoor concentrations of 1-NP were 30-60% of home outdoor concentrations with "Border Commuters" having higher concentrations both indoors (0.64 +/- 0.81 vs 0.078 +/- 0.075 pg/m3, p=0.04, Mann-Whitney) and outdoors (1.0 +/- 0.93 vs 0.27 +/- 0.24 pg/m3, p=0.11, Mann-Whitney) compared to "Non-Border Commuters". Border concentrations of 1-NP weighted by the time spent at the border, total travel given season, and season were all predictors of personal exposure to 1-NP among "Border Commuters". However, when placed in a multivariate linear regression model total travel given season was the only predictor variable to remain significant. Season was the only predictor for personal exposure to PM2.5 among "Border Commuters". Total travel was also a significant predictor for 8-OHNP among "Border Commuters." Median values (IQR) of daily averages for fixed-site measurements made at the border were as follows: 40,000 (24,000-52,000) UFP/cm3, 5 (3-6) ppm CO, 1.3 (0.5-2.6) pg/m3 1-NP, 4 (3-11) μg/m3 BC, 41 (23-57) μg/m3 real-time PM2.5, and 15 (13-22) μg/m3 gravimetric PM2.5. Wind speed was a predictor of gravimetric PM2.5 at the border explaining 22% of the variance. Relative humidity and vehicle delay were both predictors of UFP measured at the border, explaining 13% and 21% of the variance, respectively. However, when modeled together none remain significant. There were no predictors for 1-NP measurements at the border. Conclusions: This is the first quantitative study characterizing traffic-related exposure to a vulnerable population, indicating that this vulnerable population is indeed at high risk for exposure. "Border Commuters" experience higher exposure to 1-NP and PM2.5 as compared to "Non-Border Commuters", as determined by both personal and at-home measurements. In addition, traffic-related air pollution exposure among "Border Commuters" within 10 feet of highly concentrated traffic is of great public health concern as concentrations at the border are similar to near-roadway studies that link exposure to adverse health effects. Interventions to reduce border wait times would significantly reduce traffic pollutant exposures in this vulnerable population. However, further work needs to be done to understand the spatial heterogeneity of at-home exposures between the two study groups.

Records of water-level measurements in wells in the Oklahoma panhandle, 1971-72

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hart, Donald L.; Hoffman, George L.; Goemaat, Robert L.

1972-01-01

Investigations of the ground-water resources of the Oklahoma panhandle by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board includes collection of water-level records; the systematic collection of these records began in 1937. Records of many shallow wells were compiled in 1937 and periodic measurements were made in a few wells until 1966. Owing to the heavy development of irrigation during the 1960's (fig. 1) an expanded network of observation wells established in Texas County in 1966 and in Beaver and Cimarron Counties in 1967; measurement of water levels have been made on an annual basis since those times.This report contains water-level records for the period 1971-72 and the water-level change for the period 1966-72 in Texas County, and for the period 1967-72 in Beaver and Cimarron Counties. At the present time (1972) the annual observation-well network includes 521 wells, of which 97 are in Beaver County, 203 are in Cimarron County, and 221 are in Texas County. These data provide an index to available ground-water supplies; they will be useful in planning and studying water resources development; and they will serve as a framework of data for the detailed hydrologic investigation now in progress in the panhandle.

Quantifying the physical activity energy expenditure of commuters using a combination of global positioning system and combined heart rate and movement sensors.

PubMed

Costa, Silvia; Ogilvie, David; Dalton, Alice; Westgate, Kate; Brage, Søren; Panter, Jenna

2015-12-01

Active commuting may help to increase adults' physical activity levels. However, estimates of its energy cost are derived from a small number of studies which are laboratory-based or use self-reported measures. Adults working in Cambridge (UK) recruited through a predominantly workplace-based strategy wore combined heart rate and movement sensors and global positioning system (GPS) devices for one week, and completed synchronous day-by-day travel diaries in 2010 and 2011. Commuting journeys were delineated using GPS data, and metabolic intensity (standard metabolic equivalents; MET) was derived and compared between journey types using mixed-effects linear regression. 182 commuting journeys were included in the analysis. Median intensity was 1.28 MET for car journeys; 1.67 MET for bus journeys; 4.61 MET for walking journeys; 6.44 MET for cycling journeys; 1.78 MET for journeys made by car in combination with walking; and 2.21 MET for journeys made by car in combination with cycling. The value for journeys made solely by car was significantly lower than those for all other journey types (p<0.04). On average, 20% of the duration of journeys incorporating any active travel (equating to 8 min) was spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). We have demonstrated how GPS and activity data from a free-living sample can be used simultaneously to provide objective estimates of commuting energy expenditure. On average, incorporating walking or cycling into longer journeys provided over half the weekly recommended activity levels from the commute alone. This may be an efficient way of achieving physical activity guidelines and improving population health. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantifying the physical activity energy expenditure of commuters using a combination of global positioning system and combined heart rate and movement sensors

PubMed Central

Costa, Silvia; Ogilvie, David; Dalton, Alice; Westgate, Kate; Brage, Søren; Panter, Jenna

2015-01-01

Background Active commuting may help to increase adults' physical activity levels. However, estimates of its energy cost are derived from a small number of studies which are laboratory-based or use self-reported measures. Methods Adults working in Cambridge (UK) recruited through a predominantly workplace-based strategy wore combined heart rate and movement sensors and global positioning system (GPS) devices for one week, and completed synchronous day-by-day travel diaries in 2010 and 2011. Commuting journeys were delineated using GPS data, and metabolic intensity (standard metabolic equivalents; MET) was derived and compared between journey types using mixed-effects linear regression. Results 182 commuting journeys were included in the analysis. Median intensity was 1.28 MET for car journeys; 1.67 MET for bus journeys; 4.61 MET for walking journeys; 6.44 MET for cycling journeys; 1.78 MET for journeys made by car in combination with walking; and 2.21 MET for journeys made by car in combination with cycling. The value for journeys made solely by car was significantly lower than those for all other journey types (p < 0.04). On average, 20% of the duration of journeys incorporating any active travel (equating to 8 min) was spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Conclusions We have demonstrated how GPS and activity data from a free-living sample can be used simultaneously to provide objective estimates of commuting energy expenditure. On average, incorporating walking or cycling into longer journeys provided over half the weekly recommended activity levels from the commute alone. This may be an efficient way of achieving physical activity guidelines and improving population health. PMID:26441297

Integrating Place and Time with Tasks: Supporting the Student Commuter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lackey, Stephen

2014-01-01

Though the role of traveler information in transportation has been widely recognized in Activity Analysis research, the needs of specific populations receive limited attention. The commuting burden on community college students received comparatively little attention, despite first semester attrition rates and sharp declines in observed parking…

Gate drive latching circuit for an auxiliary resonant commutation circuit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delgado, Eladio Clemente (Inventor); Kheraluwala, Mustansir Hussainy (Inventor)

1999-01-01

A gate drive latching circuit for an auxiliary resonant commutation circuit for a power switching inverter includes a current monitor circuit providing a current signal to a pair of analog comparators to implement latching of one of a pair of auxiliary switching devices which are used to provide commutation current for commutating switching inverters in the circuit. Each of the pair of comparators feeds a latching circuit which responds to an active one of the comparators for latching the associated gate drive circuit for one of the pair of auxiliary commutating switches. An initial firing signal is applied to each of the commutating switches to gate each into conduction and the resulting current is monitored to determine current direction and therefore the one of the switches which is carrying current. The comparator provides a latching signal to the one of the auxiliary power switches which is actually conducting current and latches that particular power switch into an on state for the duration of current through the device. The latching circuit is so designed that the only time one of the auxiliary switching devices can be latched on is during the duration of an initial firing command signal.

Bicycle weight and commuting time: randomised trial.

PubMed

Groves, J

2010-12-09

To determine whether the author's 20.9 lb (9.5 kg) carbon frame bicycle reduced commuting time compared with his 29.75 lb (13.5 kg) steel frame bicycle. Randomised trial. Sheffield and Chesterfield, United Kingdom, between mid-January 2010 and mid-July 2010. One consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care. Total time to complete the 27 mile (43.5 kilometre) journey from Sheffield to Chesterfield Royal Hospital and back. The total distance travelled on the steel frame bicycle during the study period was 809 miles (1302 km) and on the carbon frame bicycle was 711 miles (1144 km). The difference in the mean journey time between the steel and carbon bicycles was 00:00:32 (hr:min:sec; 95% CI -00:03:34 to 00:02:30; P=0.72). A lighter bicycle did not lead to a detectable difference in commuting time. Cyclists may find it more cost effective to reduce their own weight rather than to purchase a lighter bicycle.

Using alternatives to the car and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality.

PubMed

Panter, Jenna; Mytton, Oliver; Sharp, Stephen; Brage, Søren; Cummins, Steven; Laverty, Anthony A; Wijndaele, Katrien; Ogilvie, David

2018-05-21

To investigate the associations between using alternatives to the car which are more active for commuting and non-commuting purposes, and morbidity and mortality. We conducted a prospective study using data from 3 58 799 participants, aged 37-73 years, from UK Biobank. Commute and non-commute travel were assessed at baseline in 2006-2010. We classified participants according to whether they relied exclusively on the car or used alternative modes of transport that were more active at least some of the time. The main outcome measures were incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer, and CVD, cancer and all-cause mortality. We excluded events in the first 2 years and conducted analyses separately for those who regularly commuted and those who did not. In maximally adjusted models, regular commuters with more active patterns of travel on the commute had a lower risk of incident (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.00) and fatal (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.95) CVD. Those regular commuters who also had more active patterns of non-commute travel had an even lower risk of fatal CVD (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.85). Among those who were not regular commuters, more active patterns of travel were associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.99). More active patterns of travel were associated with a reduced risk of incident and fatal CVD and all-cause mortality in adults. This is an important message for clinicians advising people about how to be physically active and reduce their risk of disease. © 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.

Association between active commuting and elevated blood pressure in adolescents.

PubMed

Santana, Fábio da Silva; Palmeira, Aline Cabral; Santos, Marcos André Moura Dos; Farah, Breno Quintella; Souza, Bruna Cadengue Coêlho de; Ritti-Dias, Raphael Mendes

2017-01-01

To analyze the association between active commuting and blood pressure in adolescents. This is a cross-sectional study with high school students from public education network in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Data from 6039 students (14 to 19 years) were collected using a questionnaire. "Physically inactive" were considered those who reported not to walk or ride a bicycle to and from school on any day of the past week, and/or those who, regardless of the weekly frequency of practice this type of activity, reported the duration of commuting to school was less than 20 minutes (round trip). The high blood pressure was obtained by Omron HEM 742 equipment. Adolescents with high blood pressure were defined as those with higher blood pressure or equal to the 95th percentile for age, sex and height. Regression logistic analyses were used to assess the association between active commuting and high blood pressure, considering adjustments for the following confounders: sex, age, overweight, total physical activity, socioeconomic level, place of residence. The prevalence of high blood pressure was 7.3%, and 79.3% were considered insufficiently active in commuting. There was an association between high blood pressure and active commuting only among those living in rural areas (OR = 6.498; 95% CI = 1.513-27.900), and the same was not observed among those living in urban areas (OR = 1.113; 95% CI = 0.812-1.526). Active commuting can be considered a protective factor for high blood pressure in adolescents living in rural areas.

Dynamically timed electric motor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Casper, Ann M. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

The invention disclosed in this document is a brushless DC motor including a housing having an end cap secured thereto. The housing encloses a rotor, a stator and a rotationally displaceable commutation board having 5 sensors secured thereon and spaced around the periphery of the rotor. An external rotational force is applied to the commutation board for displacement of the sensors to various positions whereby varying feedback signals are generated by the positioning of the sensors relative to the rotating rotor. The commutation board is secured in a fixed position in response to feedback signals indicative of optimum sensor position being determined. The rotation of the commutation board and the securing of the sensors in the desired fixed position is accomplished without requiring the removal of the 5 end cap and with the DC motor operating.

On the road again: patient perspectives on commuting for palliative care.

PubMed

Pesut, Barbara; Robinson, Carole A; Bottorff, Joan L; Fyles, Gillian; Broughton, Sandra

2010-06-01

The aim of this research project was to gain an understanding of the experiences of rural cancer patients who commute to an urban cancer center for palliative care. The study utilized a mixed method design. Fifteen individuals with a palliative designation participated in semi-structured interviews and filled out the Problems and Needs in Palliative Care Questionnaire. Qualitative findings included three major themes: cultures of rural life and care, strategies for commuting, and the effects of commuting. Participants valued their rural lifestyles and gained significant support from their communities. Strategies included preparing for the trip with particular attention to pain management, making the most of time, and maintaining significant relationships. Establishing a routine helped to offset the anxiety of commuting. Commuting was costly but the quality of life and supportive relationships obtained through treatment were significant benefits. Questionnaire data suggested that participants were experiencing a number of problems but few indicated they desired more professional attention to those problems. Rural lifestyles are often an important part of overall well-being and commuting for care is both costly and complex. Health care providers should assist individuals to weigh the relative contributions of staying in their rural locale versus commuting for care to their overall quality of life. Palliative-care individuals in this study indicated a number of ongoing problems but were not inclined to seek further assistance from health care providers in addressing those problems. Clinicians should actively inquire about problems and further research is needed to understand why patients are reluctant to seek help.

Marginal Consistency: Upper-Bounding Partition Functions over Commutative Semirings.

PubMed

Werner, Tomás

2015-07-01

Many inference tasks in pattern recognition and artificial intelligence lead to partition functions in which addition and multiplication are abstract binary operations forming a commutative semiring. By generalizing max-sum diffusion (one of convergent message passing algorithms for approximate MAP inference in graphical models), we propose an iterative algorithm to upper bound such partition functions over commutative semirings. The iteration of the algorithm is remarkably simple: change any two factors of the partition function such that their product remains the same and their overlapping marginals become equal. In many commutative semirings, repeating this iteration for different pairs of factors converges to a fixed point when the overlapping marginals of every pair of factors coincide. We call this state marginal consistency. During that, an upper bound on the partition function monotonically decreases. This abstract algorithm unifies several existing algorithms, including max-sum diffusion and basic constraint propagation (or local consistency) algorithms in constraint programming. We further construct a hierarchy of marginal consistencies of increasingly higher levels and show than any such level can be enforced by adding identity factors of higher arity (order). Finally, we discuss instances of the framework for several semirings, including the distributive lattice and the max-sum and sum-product semirings.

A BAYESIAN SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL MODELING APPROACH TO MAPPING GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN MORTALITY RATES FOR SUBNATIONAL AREAS WITH R-INLA.

PubMed

Khana, Diba; Rossen, Lauren M; Hedegaard, Holly; Warner, Margaret

2018-01-01

Hierarchical Bayes models have been used in disease mapping to examine small scale geographic variation. State level geographic variation for less common causes of mortality outcomes have been reported however county level variation is rarely examined. Due to concerns about statistical reliability and confidentiality, county-level mortality rates based on fewer than 20 deaths are suppressed based on Division of Vital Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) statistical reliability criteria, precluding an examination of spatio-temporal variation in less common causes of mortality outcomes such as suicide rates (SRs) at the county level using direct estimates. Existing Bayesian spatio-temporal modeling strategies can be applied via Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA) in R to a large number of rare causes of mortality outcomes to enable examination of spatio-temporal variations on smaller geographic scales such as counties. This method allows examination of spatiotemporal variation across the entire U.S., even where the data are sparse. We used mortality data from 2005-2015 to explore spatiotemporal variation in SRs, as one particular application of the Bayesian spatio-temporal modeling strategy in R-INLA to predict year and county-specific SRs. Specifically, hierarchical Bayesian spatio-temporal models were implemented with spatially structured and unstructured random effects, correlated time effects, time varying confounders and space-time interaction terms in the software R-INLA, borrowing strength across both counties and years to produce smoothed county level SRs. Model-based estimates of SRs were mapped to explore geographic variation.

Health risk represented by inhaling polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during daily commuting involving using a high traffic flow route in Bogotá.

PubMed

Pachón, Jorge E; Sarmiento, Hugo; Hoshiko, Tomomi

2013-01-01

Assessing the risk to health by inhaling particles and particle-bound PAH during daily commuting along a high traffic flow route/corridor in Bogotá. A van was equipped with a PAS2000 photo-electric sensor for real-time measurement of particle-bound PAH and a Dust Trakfor monitoring PM10 concentration; it drove along typical commuting routes in the city. Exposure to particles and particle-bound PAH was assessed by using an inhalation intake model. A similar trend was observed for both PM10 and PAH concentration, indicating that traffic was the same source for both contaminants. Extreme PM10 and PAH inhalation concentrations were recorded every time direct bus and microbus emissions were measured by the van. Inhalation model results indicated that exposure was significantly greater when using a venues having mixed traffic use (i.e. buses, microbuses, passenger vehicles, motorcycles) compared to using roads where the TransMilenio system (articulated buses) had been implemented. The results may support evaluating bus drivers, commuters and bike users' exposure to toxic compounds in the city.

Records of water-level measurements in wells in the Oklahoma panhandle, 1966-70

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hart, Donald L.

1972-01-01

Investigations of the ground-water resources of the Oklahoma panhandle by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board includes collection of water-level records; the systematic collection of these records began in 1937. Records of many shallow wells were compiled in 1937 and periodic measurements were made in a few wells until 1966. Owing to the heavy development of irrigation during the 1960's (fig. 1) an expanded network of observation wells established in Texas County in 1966 and in Beaver and Cimarron Counties in 1967; measurement of water levels have been made on an annual basis since those times. This report contains water-level records for the period 1966-70 in Texas County, and for the period 1967-70 in Beaver and Cimarron Counties. At the present time (1971) the annual observation-well network includes 528 wells, of which 98 are in Beaver County, 211 are in Cimarron County, and 219 are in Texas County. These data provide an index to available ground-water supplies; they will be useful in planning and studying water resources development; and they will serve as a framework of data for the detailed hydrologic investigation now in progress in the panhandle. (available as photostat copy only)

Brushless DC motor control system responsive to control signals generated by a computer or the like

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Packard, D. T. (Inventor)

1985-01-01

A control system for a brushless DC motor responsive to digital control signals is disclosed. The motor includes a multiphase wound stator and a permanent magnet rotor. The motor is arranged so that each phase winding, when energized from a DC source, will drive the rotor through a predetermined angular position or step. A commutation signal generator responsive to the shaft position provides a commutation signal for each winding. A programmable control signal generator such as a computer or microprocessor produces individual digital control signals for each phase winding. The control signals and commutation signals associated with each winding are applied to an AND gate for that phase winding. Each gate controls a switch connected in series with the associated phase winding and the DC source so that each phase winding is energized only when the commutation signal and the control signal associated with that phase winding are present. The motor shaft may be advanced one step at a time to a desired position by applying a predetermined number of control signals in the proper sequence to the AND gates and the torque generated by the motor be regulated by applying a separate control signal and each AND gate which is pulse width modulated to control the total time that each switch connects its associated winding to the DC source during each commutation period.

Brushless DC motor control system responsive to control signals generated by a computer or the like

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Packard, Douglas T. (Inventor); Schmitt, Donald E. (Inventor)

1987-01-01

A control system for a brushless DC motor responsive to digital control signals is disclosed. The motor includes a multiphase wound stator and a permanent magnet rotor. The rotor is arranged so that each phase winding, when energized from a DC source, will drive the rotor through a predetermined angular position or step. A commutation signal generator responsive to the shaft position provides a commutation signal for each winding. A programmable control signal generator such as a computer or microprocessor produces individual digital control signals for each phase winding. The control signals and commutation signals associated with each winding are applied to an AND gate for that phase winding. Each gate controls a switch connected in series with the associated phase winding and the DC source so that each phase winding is energized only when the commutation signal and the control signal associated with that phase winding are present. The motor shaft may be advanced one step at a time to a desired position by applying a predetermined number of control signals in the proper sequence to the AND gates and the torque generated by the motor may be regulated by applying a separate control signal to each AND gate which is pulse width modulated to control the total time that each switch connects its associated winding to the DC source during each commutation period.

Changes in Disparity in County-Level Diagnosed Diabetes Prevalence and Incidence in the United States, between 2004 and 2012

PubMed Central

Gregg, Edward W.; Beckles, Gloria L.; Luman, Elizabeth T.; Barker, Lawrence E.; Geiss, Linda S.

2016-01-01

Background In recent decades, the United States experienced increasing prevalence and incidence of diabetes, accompanied by large disparities in county-level diabetes prevalence and incidence. However, whether these disparities are widening, narrowing, or staying the same has not been studied. We examined changes in disparity among U.S. counties in diagnosed diabetes prevalence and incidence between 2004 and 2012. Methods We used 2004 and 2012 county-level diabetes (type 1 and type 2) prevalence and incidence data, along with demographic, socio-economic, and risk factor data from various sources. To determine whether disparities widened or narrowed over the time period, we used a regression-based β-convergence approach, accounting for spatial autocorrelation. We calculated diabetes prevalence/incidence percentage point (ppt) changes between 2004 and 2012 and modeled these changes as a function of baseline diabetes prevalence/incidence in 2004. Covariates included county-level demographic and, socio-economic data, and known type 2 diabetes risk factors (obesity and leisure-time physical inactivity). Results For each county-level ppt increase in diabetes prevalence in 2004 there was an annual average increase of 0.02 ppt (p<0.001) in diabetes prevalence between 2004 and 2012, indicating a widening of disparities. However, after accounting for covariates, diabetes prevalence decreased by an annual average of 0.04 ppt (p<0.001). In contrast, changes in diabetes incidence decreased by an average of 0.04 ppt (unadjusted) and 0.09 ppt (adjusted) for each ppt increase in diabetes incidence in 2004, indicating a narrowing of county-level disparities. Conclusions County-level disparities in diagnosed diabetes prevalence in the United States widened between 2004 and 2012, while disparities in incidence narrowed. Accounting for demographic and, socio-economic characteristics and risk factors for type 2 diabetes narrowed the disparities, suggesting that these factors are strongly associated with changes in disparities. Public health interventions that target modifiable risk factors, such as obesity and physical inactivity, in high burden counties might further reduce disparities in incidence and, over time, in prevalence. PMID:27487006

Extreme Precipitation, Stormwater, and Flooding in King County: Co-producing Research to Support Adaptation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mauger, G. S.; Lorente-Plazas, R.; Salathe, E. P., Jr.; Mitchell, T. P.; Simmonds, J.; Lee, S. Y.; Hegewisch, K.; Warner, M.; Won, J.

2017-12-01

King County has experienced 12 federally declared flood disasters since 1990, and tens of thousands of county residents commute through, live, and work in floodplains. In addition to flooding, stormwater is a critical management challenge, exacerbated by aging infrastructure, combined sewer and drainage systems, and continued development. Even absent the effects of climate change these are challenging management issues. Recent studies clearly point to an increase in precipitation extremes for the Pacific Northwest (e.g., Warner et al. 2015). Yet very little information is available on the magnitude and spatial distribution of this change. Others clearly show that local-scale changes in extreme precipitation can only be accurately quantified with dynamical downscaling, i.e.: using a regional climate model. This talk will describe a suite of research and adaptation efforts developed in a close collaboration between King County and the UW Climate Impacts Group. Building on past collaborations, research efforts were defined in collaboration with King County managers, addressing three key science questions: (1) How are the mesoscale variations in extreme precipitation modulated by changes in large-scale weather conditions? (2) How will precipitation extremes change? This was assessed via two new high-resolution regional model projections using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model (Skamarock et al. 2005). (3) What are the implications for stormwater and flooding in King County? This was assessed by both exploring the statistics of hourly precipitation extremes in the new projections, as well as new hydrologic modeling to assess the implications for river flooding. The talk will present results from these efforts, review the implications for King County planning and infrastructure, and synthesize lessons learned and opportunities for additional work.

Association between active commuting and elevated blood pressure in adolescents

PubMed Central

Santana, Fábio da Silva; Palmeira, Aline Cabral; dos Santos, Marcos André Moura; Farah, Breno Quintella; de Souza, Bruna Cadengue Coêlho; Ritti-Dias, Raphael Mendes

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the association between active commuting and blood pressure in adolescents. Methods This is a cross-sectional study with high school students from public education network in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Data from 6039 students (14 to 19 years) were collected using a questionnaire. “Physically inactive” were considered those who reported not to walk or ride a bicycle to and from school on any day of the past week, and/or those who, regardless of the weekly frequency of practice this type of activity, reported the duration of commuting to school was less than 20 minutes (round trip). The high blood pressure was obtained by Omron HEM 742 equipment. Adolescents with high blood pressure were defined as those with higher blood pressure or equal to the 95th percentile for age, sex and height. Regression logistic analyses were used to assess the association between active commuting and high blood pressure, considering adjustments for the following confounders: sex, age, overweight, total physical activity, socioeconomic level, place of residence. Results The prevalence of high blood pressure was 7.3%, and 79.3% were considered insufficiently active in commuting. There was an association between high blood pressure and active commuting only among those living in rural areas (OR = 6.498; 95% CI = 1.513-27.900), and the same was not observed among those living in urban areas (OR = 1.113; 95% CI = 0.812-1.526). Conclusion Active commuting can be considered a protective factor for high blood pressure in adolescents living in rural areas. PMID:29364363

Children's active commuting to school: current knowledge and future directions.

PubMed

Davison, Kirsten K; Werder, Jessica L; Lawson, Catherine T

2008-07-01

Driven largely by international declines in rates of walking and bicycling to school and the noted health benefits of physical activity for children, research on children's active commuting to school has expanded rapidly during the past 5 years. We summarize research on predictors and health consequences of active commuting to school and outline and evaluate programs specific to children's walking and bicycling to school. Literature on children's active commuting to school published before June 2007 was compiled by searching PubMed, PsycINFO, and the National Transportation Library databases; conducting Internet searches on program-based activities; and reviewing relevant transportation journals published during the last 4 years. Children who walk or bicycle to school have higher daily levels of physical activity and better cardiovascular fitness than do children who do not actively commute to school. A wide range of predictors of children's active commuting behaviors was identified, including demographic factors, individual and family factors, school factors (including the immediate area surrounding schools), and social and physical environmental factors. Safe Routes to School and the Walking School Bus are 2 public health efforts that promote walking and bicycling to school. Although evaluations of these programs are limited, evidence exists that these activities are viewed positively by key stakeholders and have positive effects on children's active commuting to school. Future efforts to promote walking and bicycling to school will be facilitated by building on current research, combining the strengths of scientific rigor with the predesign and postdesign provided by intervention activities, and disseminating results broadly and rapidly.

The impact of a Bus Rapid Transit system on commuters' exposure to Benzene, CO, PM 2.5 and PM 10 in Mexico City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wöhrnschimmel, Henry; Zuk, Miriam; Martínez-Villa, Gerardo; Cerón, Julia; Cárdenas, Beatriz; Rojas-Bracho, Leonora; Fernández-Bremauntz, Adrián

Carbon monoxide (CO), benzene and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and suspended particles PM 2.5 and PM 10 were measured inside public transportation vehicles, before and after a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system was implemented in Mexico City in June 2005. The objective was to evaluate the BRT system's impact on commuters' exposure to these air pollutants. The BRT system replaced conventional transport modes along 20 km of Insurgentes Avenue, and features confined corridors and new articulated diesel buses. We assessed the impact of the transportation mode on commuters' exposure using least squares regression models. We also analyzed the chemical composition of VOCs to evaluate the possible origin of these species. The implementation of the BRT system resulted in reductions in commuters' exposure to CO, benzene and PM 2.5 ranging between 20% and 70%. No significant reductions in PM 10 exposure were observed. Lower commuting times further reduced total commuters' exposure. Major sources affecting VOCs inside all transport modes are likely to be related to traffic and to emissions from the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas. The results suggest that BRT systems could in general be an effective means of reducing human exposure to traffic related air pollutants and associated health impacts.

Characterising food environment exposure at home, at work, and along commuting journeys using data on adults in the UK.

PubMed

Burgoine, Thomas; Monsivais, Pablo

2013-06-27

Socio-ecological models of behaviour suggest that dietary behaviours are potentially shaped by exposure to the food environment ('foodscape'). Research on associations between the foodscape and diet and health has largely focussed on foodscapes around the home, despite recognition that non-home environments are likely to be important in a more complete assessment of foodscape exposure. This paper characterises and describes foodscape exposure of different types, at home, at work, and along commuting routes for a sample of working adults in Cambridgeshire, UK. Home and work locations, and transport habits for 2,696 adults aged 29-60 were drawn from the Fenland Study, UK. Food outlet locations were obtained from local councils and classified by type - we focus on convenience stores, restaurants, supermarkets and takeaway food outlets. Density of and proximity to food outlets was characterised at home and work. Commuting routes were modelled based on the shortest street network distance between home and work, with exposure (counts of food outlets) that accounted for travel mode and frequency. We describe these three domains of food environment exposure using descriptive and inferential statistics. For all types of food outlet, we found very different foodscapes around homes and workplaces (with overall outlet exposure at work 125% higher), as well as a potentially substantial exposure contribution from commuting routes. On average, work and commuting environments each contributed to foodscape exposure at least equally to residential neighbourhoods, which only accounted for roughly 30% of total exposure. Furthermore, for participants with highest overall exposure to takeaway food outlets, workplaces accounted for most of the exposure. Levels of relative exposure between home, work and commuting environments were poorly correlated. Relying solely on residential neighbourhood characterisation greatly underestimated total foodscape exposure in this sample, with levels of home exposure unrelated to levels of away from home exposure. Such mis-estimation is likely to be expressed in analyses as attenuated parameter estimates, suggesting a minimal 'environmental' contribution to outcomes of interest. Future work should aim to assess exposure more completely through characterising environments beyond the residential neighbourhood, where behaviours related to food consumption are likely to occur.

Estimating city-level travel patterns using street imagery: A case study of using Google Street View in Britain

PubMed Central

Goodman, Anna; Johnson, Rob; Aldred, Rachel; Brage, Soren; Bhalla, Kavi; Woodcock, James

2018-01-01

Background Street imagery is a promising and growing big data source providing current and historical images in more than 100 countries. Studies have reported using this data to audit road infrastructure and other built environment features. Here we explore a novel application, using Google Street View (GSV) to predict travel patterns at the city level. Methods We sampled 34 cities in Great Britain. In each city, we accessed 2000 GSV images from 1000 random locations. We selected archived images from time periods overlapping with the 2011 Census and the 2011–2013 Active People Survey (APS). We manually annotated the images into seven categories of road users. We developed regression models with the counts of images of road users as predictors. The outcomes included Census-reported commute shares of four modes (combined walking plus public transport, cycling, motorcycle, and car), as well as APS-reported past-month participation in walking and cycling. Results We found high correlations between GSV counts of cyclists (‘GSV-cyclists’) and cycle commute mode share (r = 0.92)/past-month cycling (r = 0.90). Likewise, GSV-pedestrians was moderately correlated with past-month walking for transport (r = 0.46), GSV-motorcycles was moderately correlated with commute share of motorcycles (r = 0.44), and GSV-buses was highly correlated with commute share of walking plus public transport (r = 0.81). GSV-car was not correlated with car commute mode share (r = –0.12). However, in multivariable regression models, all outcomes were predicted well, except past-month walking. The prediction performance was measured using cross-validation analyses. GSV-buses and GSV-cyclists are the strongest predictors for most outcomes. Conclusions GSV images are a promising new big data source to predict urban mobility patterns. Predictive power was the greatest for those modes that varied the most (cycle and bus). With its ability to identify mode of travel and capture street activity often excluded in routinely carried out surveys, GSV has the potential to be complementary to new and traditional data. With half the world’s population covered by street imagery, and with up to 10 years historical data available in GSV, further testing across multiple settings is warranted both for cross-sectional and longitudinal assessments. PMID:29718953

Environmental justice in the context of commuters' exposure to CO and PM10 in Bangalore, India.

PubMed

Sabapathy, Ashwin; Saksena, Sumeet; Flachsbart, Peter

2015-01-01

The Information Technology (IT) industry in the globalizing city of Bangalore has transformed the socio-economic characteristics of the city. The intent of this study, developed from an environmental justice framework, was to determine whether air pollutant exposure while commuting to and from work is related to a commuter's income characteristics and whether differences are larger for the IT economy when compared with a traditional manufacturing-oriented economy of the city. The study measured exposures to CO and PM10 using personal samplers for a sample of employees of a traditional public sector manufacturing industry (n=20) and an IT industry (n=26). This approach overcomes the methodological limitations of previous environmental justice studies. Socio-economic characteristics were obtained from a questionnaire-based survey of 436 employees in two firms. The results do not support the environmental justice hypothesis for commuting in Bangalore mainly because longer commuting times of higher-income groups offsets the benefits of lower pollutant concentrations. The study nevertheless demonstrates the use of personal exposure for environmental justice assessments.

On the Use of Human Mobility Proxies for Modeling Epidemics

PubMed Central

Tizzoni, Michele; Bajardi, Paolo; Decuyper, Adeline; Kon Kam King, Guillaume; Schneider, Christian M.; Blondel, Vincent; Smoreda, Zbigniew; González, Marta C.; Colizza, Vittoria

2014-01-01

Human mobility is a key component of large-scale spatial-transmission models of infectious diseases. Correctly modeling and quantifying human mobility is critical for improving epidemic control, but may be hindered by data incompleteness or unavailability. Here we explore the opportunity of using proxies for individual mobility to describe commuting flows and predict the diffusion of an influenza-like-illness epidemic. We consider three European countries and the corresponding commuting networks at different resolution scales, obtained from (i) official census surveys, (ii) proxy mobility data extracted from mobile phone call records, and (iii) the radiation model calibrated with census data. Metapopulation models defined on these countries and integrating the different mobility layers are compared in terms of epidemic observables. We show that commuting networks from mobile phone data capture the empirical commuting patterns well, accounting for more than 87% of the total fluxes. The distributions of commuting fluxes per link from mobile phones and census sources are similar and highly correlated, however a systematic overestimation of commuting traffic in the mobile phone data is observed. This leads to epidemics that spread faster than on census commuting networks, once the mobile phone commuting network is considered in the epidemic model, however preserving to a high degree the order of infection of newly affected locations. Proxies' calibration affects the arrival times' agreement across different models, and the observed topological and traffic discrepancies among mobility sources alter the resulting epidemic invasion patterns. Results also suggest that proxies perform differently in approximating commuting patterns for disease spread at different resolution scales, with the radiation model showing higher accuracy than mobile phone data when the seed is central in the network, the opposite being observed for peripheral locations. Proxies should therefore be chosen in light of the desired accuracy for the epidemic situation under study. PMID:25010676

29 CFR 785.50 - Section 4 of the Portal-to-Portal Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... which are incidental to the use of such vehicle for commuting shall not be considered part of the employee's principal activities if the use of such vehicle for travel is within the normal commuting area... by either: (1) An express provision of a written or nonwritten contract in effect, at the time of...

29 CFR 785.50 - Section 4 of the Portal-to-Portal Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... which are incidental to the use of such vehicle for commuting shall not be considered part of the employee's principal activities if the use of such vehicle for travel is within the normal commuting area... by either: (1) An express provision of a written or nonwritten contract in effect, at the time of...

Ethnic Enclave Residence, Employment, and Commuting of Latino Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Cathy Yang

2009-01-01

This paper examines the impact of living in ethnic enclaves in different parts of a metropolitan area on low-skilled Latino immigrants' employment accessibility. It does so by comparing the employment status and commuting times of Latinos living in and out of ethnic neighborhoods in central city, inner-ring suburbs, and outer-ring suburbs in…

29 CFR 785.50 - Section 4 of the Portal-to-Portal Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... which are incidental to the use of such vehicle for commuting shall not be considered part of the employee's principal activities if the use of such vehicle for travel is within the normal commuting area... by either: (1) An express provision of a written or nonwritten contract in effect, at the time of...

76 FR 75505 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (Algiers Alternate Route), Belle...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-02

... vehicles (40%) commuted across the bridge during the same times. Thus, a substantial delay can occur to vehicular traffic during the morning and afternoon heavy commute periods. The proposed change would allow... will be in effect from December 19, 2011 until January 17, 2012. The Coast Guard will review the logs...

29 CFR 785.50 - Section 4 of the Portal-to-Portal Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... which are incidental to the use of such vehicle for commuting shall not be considered part of the employee's principal activities if the use of such vehicle for travel is within the normal commuting area... by either: (1) An express provision of a written or nonwritten contract in effect, at the time of...

Gravity versus radiation models: on the importance of scale and heterogeneity in commuting flows.

PubMed

Masucci, A Paolo; Serras, Joan; Johansson, Anders; Batty, Michael

2013-08-01

We test the recently introduced radiation model against the gravity model for the system composed of England and Wales, both for commuting patterns and for public transportation flows. The analysis is performed both at macroscopic scales, i.e., at the national scale, and at microscopic scales, i.e., at the city level. It is shown that the thermodynamic limit assumption for the original radiation model significantly underestimates the commuting flows for large cities. We then generalize the radiation model, introducing the correct normalization factor for finite systems. We show that even if the gravity model has a better overall performance the parameter-free radiation model gives competitive results, especially for large scales.

Leisure-time exercise, physical activity during work and commuting, and risk of metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Kuwahara, Keisuke; Honda, Toru; Nakagawa, Tohru; Yamamoto, Shuichiro; Akter, Shamima; Hayashi, Takeshi; Mizoue, Tetsuya

2016-09-01

Data are limited regarding effect of intensity of leisure-time physical activity on metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, no prospective data are available regarding effect of occupational and commuting physical activity on metabolic syndrome. We compared metabolic syndrome risk by intensity level of leisure-time exercise and by occupational and commuting physical activity in Japanese workers. We followed 22,383 participants, aged 30-64 years, without metabolic syndrome until 2014 March (maximum, 5 years of follow-up). Physical activity was self-reported. Metabolic syndrome was defined by the Joint Statement criteria. We used Cox regression models to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of metabolic syndrome. During a mean follow-up of 4.1 years, 5361 workers developed metabolic syndrome. After adjustment for covariates, compared with engaging in no exercise, the HRs (95 % CIs) for <7.5, 7.5 to <16.5, and ≥16.5 metabolic equivalent hours of exercise per week were 0.99 (0.90, 1.08), 0.99 (0.90, 1.10), and 0.95 (0.83, 1.08), respectively, among individuals engaging in moderate-intensity exercise alone; 0.93 (0.75, 1.14), 0.81 (0.64, 1.02), and 0.84 (0.66, 1.06), among individuals engaging in vigorous-intensity exercise alone; and 0.90 (0.70, 1.17), 0.74 (0.62, 0.89), and 0.81 (0.69, 0.96) among individuals engaging in the two intensities. Higher occupational physical activity was weakly but significantly associated with lower risk of metabolic syndrome. Walking to and from work was not associated with metabolic syndrome. Vigorous-intensity exercise alone or vigorous-intensity combined with moderate-intensity exercise and worksite intervention for physical activity may help prevent metabolic syndrome for Japanese workers.

Application of an Ir tracer to determine soot exposure to students commuting to school on Baltimore public buses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Charles C.; Suarez, Ana E.; Lin, Zhibo; Kidwell, Christopher B.; Borgoul, Polina V.; Caffrey, Peter F.; Ondov, John M.; Sattler, Barbara

An important component of urban aerosol, diesel soot is a known respiratory irritant and contains mutagenic and carcinogenic organic compounds. To estimate student exposures to soot emitted from public diesel buses during commutes to city high schools, a portion of the Baltimore municipal fuel supply was tagged with an iridium tracer and exposure was monitored during commutes with personal aerosol monitors as a part of an Environmental Justice Project. A total of 68.2 g of Ir as iridium(III)-2,4-pentanedionate were used to induce a concentration of 48.5 μg Ir ℓ -1 of fuel. Twenty samples were collected over 10 days while four students commuted on regularly scheduled buses and a fifth student commuted by private car. Individual samples integrated from 1 to 4 round trips. Iridium analyses were performed instrumentally after neutron activation with a detection limit (DL) of about 500 fg. For students commuting by bus and following protocols, Ir tracer concentrations ranged from 53±38 to >1980±49 fg m -3. Concentrations up to 3530±220 fg m -3 were observed for student #5, who sampled only when boarding and disembarking. Exposure were greatest for students commuting through the heavily trafficked central business district. Corresponding estimates of exposures to soot emitted from municipal buses ranged from ⩽3 to 82 ng soot m -3 (⩽145 ng m -3 for student #5), i.e. well below the exposure level of 2-10 μg m -3 total C from all sources, including the more than 30,000 diesel trucks which pass through the city's major toll facilities each day. Ir was undetectable in samples collected by the student commuting by car when its windows were closed, but comparable to those of the other students when commutes were made with windows open. The Ir tracer DL corresponds to about 21 ng soot, about half of which is carbon. This is far below the 230 ng reported for analysis by a highly sensitive thermal-optical technique.

Fermionic Tunneling Effect and Hawking Radiation in a Non Commutative FRW Universe

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

Bouhalouf, H.; Aissaoui, H.; Mebarki, N.

2010-10-31

The formalism of a non commutative gauge gravity is applied to an FRW universe and the corresponding modified metric, veirbein and spin connection components are obtained. Moreover, using the Hamilton-Jacobi method and as a pure space-time deformation effect, the NCG Hawking radiation via a fermionic tunneling transition through the dynamical NCG horizon is also studied.

Investigation of DC hybrid circuit breaker based on high-speed switch and arc generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yifei; Rong, Mingzhe; Wu, Yi; Yang, Fei; Li, Mei; Zhong, Jianying; Han, Guohui; Niu, Chunping; Hu, Yang

2015-02-01

A new design of DC hybrid circuit breaker based on high-speed switch (HSS) and arc generator (AG), which can drastically profit from low heat loss in normal state and fast current breaking under fault state, is presented and analyzed in this paper. AG is designed according to the magnetic pinch effect of liquid metal. By utilizing the arc voltage generated across AG, the fault current is rapidly commutated from HSS into parallel connected branch. As a consequence, the arcless open of HSS is achieved. The post-arc conducting resume time (Δ tc) of AG and the commutation original voltage (Uc), two key factors in the commutation process, are investigated experimentally. Particularly, influences of the liquid metal channel diameter (Φ) of AG, fault current rate of rise (di/dt) and Uc on Δ tc are focused on. Furthermore, a suitable Uc is determined during the current commutation process, aiming at the reliable arcless open of HSS and short breaking time. Finally, the fault current breaking test is carried out for the current peak value of 11.8 kA, and the validity of the design is confirmed by the experimental results.

Investigation of DC hybrid circuit breaker based on high-speed switch and arc generator.

PubMed

Wu, Yifei; Rong, Mingzhe; Wu, Yi; Yang, Fei; Li, Mei; Zhong, Jianying; Han, Guohui; Niu, Chunping; Hu, Yang

2015-02-01

A new design of DC hybrid circuit breaker based on high-speed switch (HSS) and arc generator (AG), which can drastically profit from low heat loss in normal state and fast current breaking under fault state, is presented and analyzed in this paper. AG is designed according to the magnetic pinch effect of liquid metal. By utilizing the arc voltage generated across AG, the fault current is rapidly commutated from HSS into parallel connected branch. As a consequence, the arcless open of HSS is achieved. The post-arc conducting resume time (Δ tc) of AG and the commutation original voltage (Uc), two key factors in the commutation process, are investigated experimentally. Particularly, influences of the liquid metal channel diameter (Φ) of AG, fault current rate of rise (di/dt) and Uc on Δ tc are focused on. Furthermore, a suitable Uc is determined during the current commutation process, aiming at the reliable arcless open of HSS and short breaking time. Finally, the fault current breaking test is carried out for the current peak value of 11.8 kA, and the validity of the design is confirmed by the experimental results.

[Effect of precipitation and seasonal period on the patterns of commuting to school in children and adolescents from Granada].

PubMed

Segura-Díaz, José Manuel; Herrador-Colmenero, Manuel; Martínez-Téllez, Borja; Chillón Garzón, Palma

2014-12-17

Active commuting (walking or cycling) to school contributes to increase physical activity levels in young people. Meteorological conditions might have a remarkable influence on this behaviour. The aim is to study the impact of the rainfall and seasonality on the mode of commuting to primary school or secondary school in children and adolescents from Granada. A total of 384 students (166 children and 218 adolescents) between 8-18 years from 2 different schools (primary and secondary schools) of Granada took part in the research. Participants filled a questionnaire about their weekly pattern on the mode of commuting to school in the three seasons of the academic year. Data about the rainfall in those three weeks was obtained from the National Agency of Meteorology. The association between rainfall and seasonality with mode of commuting to school was studied by McNemar test. No significant associations were spotted between the rainfall and the seasonality with mode of commuting in children and adolescents (p>0.05) except for: a) a positive effect of rainfall in the percentage of children who usually walked to school between a rainy day and a non-rainy day in spring (p=0.031) and b) a weak effect of the seasonality on the percentage of children and adolescents who usually walk between autumn and winter (45.8% and 37.5% walk to school) and between autumn and spring (59.7% and 56%) respectively (p=0.07). The meteorological conditions do not seem to influence the mode of commuting to school in children and adolescents from Granada, which might indicate that this behavior keeps a constant pattern throughout the whole academic year. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Individual, socio-cultural and environmental predictors of uptake and maintenance of active commuting in children: longitudinal results from the SPEEDY study.

PubMed

Panter, Jenna; Corder, Kirsten; Griffin, Simon J; Jones, Andrew P; van Sluijs, Esther Mf

2013-06-26

Active commuting is prospectively associated with physical activity in children. Few longitudinal studies have assessed predictors of change in commuting mode. To investigate the individual, socio-cultural and environmental predictors of uptake and maintenance of active commuting in 10-year-old children. Children were recruited in 2007 and followed-up 12 months later. Children self-reported usual travel mode to school. 31 child, parent, socio-cultural and physical environment characteristics were assessed via self-reported and objective methods. Associations with uptake and maintenance of active travel were studied using multi-level multiple logistic regression models in 2012. Of the 912 children (59.1% girls, mean ± SD baseline age 10.2 ± 0.3 yrs) with complete data, 15% changed their travel mode. Those children who lived less than 1 km from school were more likely to take up (OR: 4.73, 95% CI: 1.97, 11.32, p = 0.001) and maintain active commuting (OR: 2.80 95% CI: 0.98, 7.96, p = 0.02). Children whose parents reported it was inconvenient to use the car for school travel were also more likely to take up (OR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.08, 3.85, p = 0.027) and maintain their active commuting (OR: 5.43 95% CI: 1.95, 15.13, p = 0.001). Lower socio-economic status and higher road safety were also associated with uptake. Findings from this longitudinal study suggest that reducing the convenience of the car and improving the convenience of active modes as well as improving the safety of routes to school may promote uptake and maintenance of active commuting and the effectiveness of these interventions should be evaluated.

Active commuting reduces the risk of wrist fractures in middle-aged women-the UFO study.

PubMed

Englund, U; Nordström, P; Nilsson, J; Hallmans, G; Svensson, O; Bergström, U; Pettersson-Kymmer, U

2013-02-01

Middle-aged women with active commuting had significantly lower risk for wrist fracture than women commuting by car/bus. Our purpose was to investigate whether a physically active lifestyle in middle-aged women was associated with a reduced risk of later sustaining a low-trauma wrist fracture. The Umeå Fracture and Osteoporosis (UFO) study is a population-based nested case-control study investigating associations between lifestyle and fragility fractures. From a cohort of ~35,000 subjects, we identified 376 female wrist fracture cases who had reported data regarding their commuting habits, occupational, and leisure physical activity, before they sustained their fracture. Each fracture case was compared with at least one control drawn from the same cohort and matched for age and week of reporting data, yielding a total of 778 subjects. Mean age at baseline was 54.3 ± 5.8 years, and mean age at fracture was 60.3 ± 5.8 years. Conditional logistic regression analysis with adjustments for height, body mass index, smoking, and menopausal status showed that subjects with active commuting (especially walking) were at significantly lower risk of sustaining a wrist fracture (OR 0.48; 95 % CI 0.27-0.88) compared with those who commuted by car or bus. Leisure time activities such as dancing and snow shoveling were also associated with a lower fracture risk, whereas occupational activity, training, and leisure walking or cycling were unrelated to fracture risk. This study suggests that active commuting is associated with a lower wrist fracture risk, in middle-aged women.

Breakfast Skipping, Extreme Commutes, and the Sex Composition at Birth.

PubMed

Mazumder, Bhashkar; Seeskin, Zachary

2015-01-01

A growing body of literature has shown that environmental exposures in the period around conception can affect the sex ratio at birth through selective attrition that favors the survival of female conceptuses. Glucose availability is considered a key indicator of the fetal environment, and its absence as a result of meal skipping may inhibit male survival. We hypothesize that breakfast skipping during pregnancy may lead to a reduction in the fraction of male births. Using time use data from the United States we show that women with commute times of 90 minutes or longer are 20 percentage points more likely to skip breakfast. Using U.S. census data we show that women with commute times of 90 minutes or longer are 1.2 percentage points less likely to have a male child under the age of 2. Under some assumptions, this implies that routinely skipping breakfast around the time of conception leads to a 6 percentage point reduction in the probability of a male child. Skipping breakfast during pregnancy may therefore constitute a poor environment for fetal health more generally.

Analysis of real-time variables affecting children's exposure to diesel-related pollutants during school bus commutes in Los Angeles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabin, Lisa D.; Kozawa, Kathleen; Behrentz, Eduardo; Winer, Arthur M.; Fitz, Dennis R.; Pankratz, David V.; Colome, Steven D.; Fruin, Scott A.

Variables affecting children's exposure during school bus commutes were investigated using real-time measurements of black carbon (BC), particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PB-PAH) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) inside 3 conventional diesel school buses, a particle trap-outfitted (TO) diesel school bus and a compressed natural gas (CNG) school bus, while traveling along an urban Los Angeles Unified School District bus route. A video camera was mounted at the front of each bus to record roadway conditions ahead of the bus during each commute. The videotapes from 12 commutes, in conjunction with pollutant concentration time series, were used to determine the influence of variables such as vehicles being followed, bus type and roadway type on pollutant concentrations inside the bus. For all buses tested, the highest concentrations of BC, PB-PAH and NO 2 were observed when following a diesel school bus, especially if that bus was emitting visible exhaust. This result was important because other diesel school buses were responsible for the majority of the diesel vehicle encounters, primarily due to caravanning with each other when leaving a school at the same time. Compared with following a gasoline vehicle or no target, following a smoky diesel school bus yielded BC and PB-PAH concentrations inside the cabin 8 and 11 times higher, respectively, with windows open, and ˜1.8 times higher for both pollutants with windows closed. When other diesel vehicles were not present, pollutant concentrations were highest inside the conventional diesel buses and lowest inside the CNG bus, while the TO diesel bus exhibited intermediate concentrations. Differences in pollutant concentrations between buses were most pronounced with the bus windows closed, and were attributed to a combination of higher concentrations in the exhaust and higher exhaust gas intrusion rates for the conventional diesel buses. Conventional diesel school buses can have a double exposure impact on commuting children: first, exposures to the exhaust from other nearby diesel school buses and, second, exposure to the bus's own exhaust through "self-pollution".

Active commuting and sociodemographic factors among university students in Spain.

PubMed

Molina-García, Javier; Sallis, James F; Castillo, Isabel

2014-02-01

Commuting to university represents an opportunity to incorporate physical activity (walking or biking) into students' daily routines. There are few studies that analyze patterns of transport in university populations. This cross-sectional study estimated energy expenditure from active commuting to university (ACU) and examined sociodemographic differences in findings. The sample included 518 students with a mean age of 22.4 years (59.7% female) from 2 urban universities in Valencia, Spain. Time spent in each mode of transport to university and sociodemographic factors was assessed by self-report. Nearly 35% of the students reported walking or biking as their main mode of transport. ACU (min/wk) were highest for walkers (168) and cyclists (137) and lowest for motorbike riders (0.0) and car drivers (16). Public transport users, younger students, low socioeconomic status students, and those living ≤ 2 km from the university had higher energy expenditure from active commuting than comparison groups. Biking was highest among those living 2-5 km from the university. Our findings suggest that active commuting and public transit use generated substantial weekly energy expenditure, contributed to meeting physical activity recommendations, and may aid in obesity prevention.

Two Dimensions of Time could produce a New Supersymmetric Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kriske, Richard

2014-03-01

In the collapse of a system into the eigenstate of an operator,a new type of time, call it ``information time,'' could be inferred. One could look at this time to evolve the quantum state as a type of ``mass.'' This would be a correction to the explaination to the existing Higgs mechanism. Likewise one could see the dual of this in the Dilation in ``clock time'' seen in Special Relativity. In other words we see a time Dilation in ``Information Time'' as being a delay in Acceleration which we call ``mass.'' The two types of Time are Duals to each other and are symmetric. The second dimension of time has been overlooked for this reason. Time Dilation is the dual to persistance of the collapse of a system. This Duality produces some interesting and measurable effects. One conclusion that one can draw from this ``Symmetry'' is that there is a non-commuting set of operators, and a particle that connects the two ``Perpendicular'' time axis. We know from classical Quantum Theory that Momentum and Position do not commute, and this is something like the Noncommuting Time Dimensions, in that Momentum has a time-like construction and Position has a Space like construction, it is something like x, and t, not Commuting. What is the Conserved Quantity between the two types of time, is it Energy?

14 CFR 298.52 - Air taxi operations by commuter air carriers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Air taxi operations by commuter air... (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) ECONOMIC REGULATIONS EXEMPTIONS FOR AIR TAXI AND COMMUTER AIR CARRIER OPERATIONS Commuter Air Carrier Authorizations § 298.52 Air taxi operations by commuter air carriers. (a) A commuter...

14 CFR 298.52 - Air taxi operations by commuter air carriers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Air taxi operations by commuter air... (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) ECONOMIC REGULATIONS EXEMPTIONS FOR AIR TAXI AND COMMUTER AIR CARRIER OPERATIONS Commuter Air Carrier Authorizations § 298.52 Air taxi operations by commuter air carriers. (a) A commuter...

14 CFR 298.52 - Air taxi operations by commuter air carriers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Air taxi operations by commuter air... (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) ECONOMIC REGULATIONS EXEMPTIONS FOR AIR TAXI AND COMMUTER AIR CARRIER OPERATIONS Commuter Air Carrier Authorizations § 298.52 Air taxi operations by commuter air carriers. (a) A commuter...

14 CFR 298.52 - Air taxi operations by commuter air carriers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Air taxi operations by commuter air... (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) ECONOMIC REGULATIONS EXEMPTIONS FOR AIR TAXI AND COMMUTER AIR CARRIER OPERATIONS Commuter Air Carrier Authorizations § 298.52 Air taxi operations by commuter air carriers. (a) A commuter...

14 CFR 298.52 - Air taxi operations by commuter air carriers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Air taxi operations by commuter air... (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) ECONOMIC REGULATIONS EXEMPTIONS FOR AIR TAXI AND COMMUTER AIR CARRIER OPERATIONS Commuter Air Carrier Authorizations § 298.52 Air taxi operations by commuter air carriers. (a) A commuter...

A COMPARISON OF THE COMMUTING AND NON-COMMUTING STUDENT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DRESSEL, PAUL L.; NISULA, EINAR S.

AN EXPLORATORY SURVEY INVESTIGATED THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCES AMONG COMMUTING STUDENTS, ATTENDING THREE TYPES OF INSTITUTIONS TO COMPARE COLLEGE EXPERIENCES BETWEEN COMMUTING AND RESIDENT STUDENTS. STUDENTS SELECTED FOR STUDY WERE (1) 100 COMMUTERS FROM A LARGE, PRIMARILY RESIDENT UNIVERSITY, (2) 100 COMMUTERS FROM A COMMUNITY COLLEGE WITH NO…

An Analysis of the Relationship between Distance from Campus and GPA of Commuter Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Danielle; Misra, Kaustav; Sype, Gail E.; Mackie, Wayne

2016-01-01

A variety of factors influence a student's ability to succeed in college and complete a degree program. Students who live on-campus, at least during their freshman year, have been shown to be more likely to complete their degrees than are students who live off-campus. Students who are commuters may have more demands on their time and may have…

Time and band limiting for matrix valued functions: an integral and a commuting differential operator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grünbaum, F. A.; Pacharoni, I.; Zurrián, I.

2017-02-01

The problem of recovering a signal of finite duration from a piece of its Fourier transform was solved at Bell Labs in the 1960’s, by exploiting a ‘miracle’: a certain naturally appearing integral operator commutes with an explicit differential one. Here we show that this same miracle holds in a matrix valued version of the same problem.

Virtual Estimator for Piecewise Linear Systems Based on Observability Analysis

PubMed Central

Morales-Morales, Cornelio; Adam-Medina, Manuel; Cervantes, Ilse; Vela-Valdés and, Luis G.; García Beltrán, Carlos Daniel

2013-01-01

This article proposes a virtual sensor for piecewise linear systems based on observability analysis that is in function of a commutation law related with the system's outpu. This virtual sensor is also known as a state estimator. Besides, it presents a detector of active mode when the commutation sequences of each linear subsystem are arbitrary and unknown. For the previous, this article proposes a set of virtual estimators that discern the commutation paths of the system and allow estimating their output. In this work a methodology in order to test the observability for piecewise linear systems with discrete time is proposed. An academic example is presented to show the obtained results. PMID:23447007

Look who's walking: social and environmental correlates of children's walking in London.

PubMed

Steinbach, Rebecca; Green, Judith; Edwards, Phil

2012-07-01

A substantial literature examines the social and environmental correlates of walking to school but less addresses walking outside the school commute. Using travel diary data from London, we examined social and environmental correlates of walking: to school; outside the school commute during term time; and during the summer and weekends. Living in a household without a car was associated with all journey types; 'Asian' ethnicity was negatively associated with walking for non-school travel; environmental factors were associated with non-school journeys, but not the school commute. Interventions aiming to increase children's active travel need to take account of the range of journeys they make. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water Levels In Major Artesian Aquifers Of The New Jersey Coastal Plain, 1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosman, Robert; Lacombe, Pierre J.; Storck, Donald A.

1995-01-01

Water levels in 1,251 wells in the New Jersey Coastal Plain, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, and Kent and New Castle Counties, Delaware, were measured from October 1988 to February 1989 and compared with 1,071 water levels measured from September 1983 to May 1984. Water levels in 916 of the wells measured in the 1983 study were remeasured in the 1988 study. Alternate wells were selected to replace wells used in 1983 that were inaccessible at the time of the water-level measurements in 1988 or had been destroyed. New well sites were added in strategic locations to increase coverage where possible. Large cones of depression have formed or expanded in the nine major artesian aquifers that underlie the New Jersey Coastal Plain. Water levels are shown on nine potentiometric-surface maps. Hydrographs for observation wells typically show water-level declines for 1983, through 1989. In the confined Cohansey aquifer, the lowest water level, 20 feet below sea level, was measured in a well located at Cape May City Water Department, Cape May County. Water levels in the Atlantic City 800-foot sand declined as much as 21 feet at Ventnor, Atlantic County, over the 6-year period from the 1983 study to this study for 1988. Water levels in the Piney Point aquifer were as low as 56 feet below sea level at Seaside Park, Ocean County; 45 feet below sea level in southern Cumberland County; and 28 feet below sea level at Margate, Atlantic County. Water levels in the Vincentown aquifer did not change over the 6-year period. The lowest water levels in the Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer and the Englishtown aquifer system were 218 feet and 256 feet below sea level, respectively. Large cones of depression in the Potomac- Raritan-Magothy aquifer system are centered in the Camden County area and the Middlesex and Monmouth County area. Water levels declined as much as 46 feet in these areas over the 6-year period.

Development potential of Intermittent Combustion (I.C.) aircraft engines for commuter transport applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willis, E. A.

1982-01-01

An update on general aviation (g/a) and commuter aircraft propulsion research effort is reviewed. The following topics are discussed: on several advanced intermittent combustion engines emphasizing lightweight diesels and rotary stratified charge engines. The current state-of-the-art is evaluated for lightweight, aircraft suitable versions of each engine. This information is used to project the engine characteristics that can be expected on near-term and long-term time horizons. The key enabling technology requirements are identified for each engine on the long-term time horizon.

Gravity models to classify commuting vs. resident workers. An application to the analysis of residential risk in a contaminated area

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The analysis of risk for the population residing and/or working in contaminated areas raises the topic of commuting. In fact, especially in contaminated areas, commuting groups are likely to be subject to lower exposure than residents. Only very recently environmental epidemiology has started considering the role of commuting as a differential source of exposure in contaminated areas. In order to improve the categorization of groups, this paper applies a gravitational model to the analysis of residential risk for workers in the Gela petrochemical complex, which began life in the early 60s in the municipality of Gela (Sicily, Italy) and is the main source of industrial pollution in the local area. Results A logistic regression model is implemented to measure the capacity of Gela "central location" to attract commuting flows from other sites. Drawing from gravity models, the proposed methodology: a) defines the probability of finding commuters from municipalities outside Gela as a function of the origin's "economic mass" and of its distance from each destination; b) establishes "commuting thresholds" relative to the origin's mass. The analysis includes 367 out of the 390 Sicilian municipalities. Results are applied to define "commuters" and "residents" within the cohort of petrochemical workers. The study population is composed of 5,627 workers. Different categories of residence in Gela are compared calculating Mortality Rate Ratios for lung cancer through a Poisson regression model, controlling for age and calendar period. The mobility model correctly classifies almost 90% of observations. Its application to the mortality analysis confirms a major risk for lung cancer associated with residence in Gela. Conclusions Commuting is a critical aspect of the health-environment relationship in contaminated areas. The proposed methodology can be replicated to different contexts when residential information is lacking or unreliable; however, a careful consideration of the territorial characteristics ("insularity" and its impact on transportation time and costs, in our case) is suggested when specifying the area of application for the mobility analysis. PMID:21272299

Particulates and noise exposure during bicycle, bus and car commuting: A study in three European cities.

PubMed

Okokon, Enembe O; Yli-Tuomi, Tarja; Turunen, Anu W; Taimisto, Pekka; Pennanen, Arto; Vouitsis, Ilias; Samaras, Zissis; Voogt, Marita; Keuken, Menno; Lanki, Timo

2017-04-01

In order to curb traffic-related air pollution and its impact on the physical environment, contemporary city commuters are encouraged to shift from private car use to active or public transport modes. However, personal exposures to particulate matter (PM), black carbon and noise during commuting may be substantial. Therefore, studies comparing exposures during recommended modes of transport versus car trips are needed. We measured personal exposure to various-sized particulates, soot, and noise during commuting by bicycle, bus and car in three European cities: Helsinki in Finland, Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Thessaloniki in Greece using portable monitoring devices. We monitored commonly travelled routes in these cities. The total number of one-way trips yielding data on any of the measured parameters were 84, 72, 94 and 69 for bicycle, bus, closed-window car and open-window car modes, respectively. The highest mean PM 2.5 (85µg/m 3 ), PM 10 (131µg/m 3 ), black carbon (10.9µg/m 3 ) and noise (75dBA) levels were recorded on the bus, bus (again), open-window car and bicycle modes, respectively, all in Thessaloniki, PM and soot concentrations were generally higher during biking and taking a bus than during a drive in a a car with closed windows. Ratios of bike:car PM 10 ranged from 1.1 in Thessaloniki to 2.6 in Helsinki, while bus:car ratios ranged from in 1.0 in Rotterdam to 5.6 in Thessaloniki. Higher noise levels were mostly recorded during bicycle rides. Based on our study, active- and public-transport commuters are often at risk of higher air pollution and noise exposure than private car users. This should be taken into account in urban transportation planning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Personal exposure to fine particulate air pollution while commuting: An examination of six transport modes on an urban arterial roadway.

PubMed

Chaney, Robert A; Sloan, Chantel D; Cooper, Victoria C; Robinson, Daniel R; Hendrickson, Nathan R; McCord, Tyler A; Johnston, James D

2017-01-01

Traffic-related air pollution in urban areas contributes significantly to commuters' daily PM2.5 exposures, but varies widely depending on mode of commuting. To date, studies show conflicting results for PM2.5 exposures based on mode of commuting, and few studies compare multiple modes of transportation simultaneously along a common route, making inter-modal comparisons difficult. In this study, we examined breathing zone PM2.5 exposures for six different modes of commuting (bicycle, walking, driving with windows open and closed, bus, and light-rail train) simultaneously on a single 2.7 km (1.68 mile) arterial urban route in Salt Lake City, Utah (USA) during peak "rush hour" times. Using previously published minute ventilation rates, we estimated the inhaled dose and exposure rate for each mode of commuting. Mean PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 5.20 μg/m3 for driving with windows closed to 15.21 μg/m3 for driving with windows open. The estimated inhaled doses over the 2.7 km route were 6.83 μg for walking, 2.78 μg for cycling, 1.28 μg for light-rail train, 1.24 μg for driving with windows open, 1.23 μg for bus, and 0.32 μg for driving with windows closed. Similarly, the exposure rates were highest for cycling (18.0 μg/hr) and walking (16.8 μg/hr), and lowest for driving with windows closed (3.7 μg/hr). Our findings support previous studies showing that active commuters receive a greater PM2.5 dose and have higher rates of exposure than commuters using automobiles or public transportation. Our findings also support previous studies showing that driving with windows closed is protective against traffic-related PM2.5 exposure.

Agent Reward Shaping for Alleviating Traffic Congestion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tumer, Kagan; Agogino, Adrian

2006-01-01

Traffic congestion problems provide a unique environment to study how multi-agent systems promote desired system level behavior. What is particularly interesting in this class of problems is that no individual action is intrinsically "bad" for the system but that combinations of actions among agents lead to undesirable outcomes, As a consequence, agents need to learn how to coordinate their actions with those of other agents, rather than learn a particular set of "good" actions. This problem is ubiquitous in various traffic problems, including selecting departure times for commuters, routes for airlines, and paths for data routers. In this paper we present a multi-agent approach to two traffic problems, where far each driver, an agent selects the most suitable action using reinforcement learning. The agent rewards are based on concepts from collectives and aim to provide the agents with rewards that are both easy to learn and that if learned, lead to good system level behavior. In the first problem, we study how agents learn the best departure times of drivers in a daily commuting environment and how following those departure times alleviates congestion. In the second problem, we study how agents learn to select desirable routes to improve traffic flow and minimize delays for. all drivers.. In both sets of experiments,. agents using collective-based rewards produced near optimal performance (93-96% of optimal) whereas agents using system rewards (63-68%) barely outperformed random action selection (62-64%) and agents using local rewards (48-72%) performed worse than random in some instances.

Impact of Distance on Mode of Active Commuting in Chilean Children and Adolescents

PubMed Central

Cristi-Montero, Carlos; Escobar-Gómez, Danica; Chillón, Palma

2017-01-01

Active commuting could contribute to increasing physical activity. The objective of this study was to characterise patterns of active commuting to and from schools in children and adolescents in Chile. A total of 453 Chilean children and adolescents aged between 10 and 18 years were included in this study. Data regarding modes of commuting and commuting distance was collected using a validated questionnaire. Commuting mode was classified as active commuting (walking and/or cycling) or non-active commuting (car, motorcycle and/or bus). Commuting distance expressed in kilometres was categorised into six subgroups (0 to 0.5, 0.6 to 1, 1.1 to 2, 2.1 to 3, 3.1 to 5 and >5 km). Car commuting was the main mode for children (to school 64.9%; from school 51.2%) and adolescents (to school 50.2%; from school 24.7%). Whereas public bus commuting was the main transport used by adolescents to return from school. Only 11.0% and 24.8% of children and adolescents, respectively, walk to school. The proportion of children and adolescents who engage in active commuting was lower in those covering longer distances compared to a short distance. Adolescents walked to and from school more frequently than children. These findings show that non-active commuting was the most common mode of transport and that journey distances may influence commuting modes in children and adolescents. PMID:29099044

Impact of Distance on Mode of Active Commuting in Chilean Children and Adolescents.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Fernando; Cristi-Montero, Carlos; Celis-Morales, Carlos; Escobar-Gómez, Danica; Chillón, Palma

2017-11-02

Active commuting could contribute to increasing physical activity. The objective of this study was to characterise patterns of active commuting to and from schools in children and adolescents in Chile. A total of 453 Chilean children and adolescents aged between 10 and 18 years were included in this study. Data regarding modes of commuting and commuting distance was collected using a validated questionnaire. Commuting mode was classified as active commuting (walking and/or cycling) or non-active commuting (car, motorcycle and/or bus). Commuting distance expressed in kilometres was categorised into six subgroups (0 to 0.5, 0.6 to 1, 1.1 to 2, 2.1 to 3, 3.1 to 5 and >5 km). Car commuting was the main mode for children (to school 64.9%; from school 51.2%) and adolescents (to school 50.2%; from school 24.7%). Whereas public bus commuting was the main transport used by adolescents to return from school. Only 11.0% and 24.8% of children and adolescents, respectively, walk to school. The proportion of children and adolescents who engage in active commuting was lower in those covering longer distances compared to a short distance. Adolescents walked to and from school more frequently than children. These findings show that non-active commuting was the most common mode of transport and that journey distances may influence commuting modes in children and adolescents.

Commutability of food microbiology proficiency testing samples.

PubMed

Abdelmassih, M; Polet, M; Goffaux, M-J; Planchon, V; Dierick, K; Mahillon, J

2014-03-01

Food microbiology proficiency testing (PT) is a useful tool to assess the analytical performances among laboratories. PT items should be close to routine samples to accurately evaluate the acceptability of the methods. However, most PT providers distribute exclusively artificial samples such as reference materials or irradiated foods. This raises the issue of the suitability of these samples because the equivalence-or 'commutability'-between results obtained on artificial vs. authentic food samples has not been demonstrated. In the clinical field, the use of noncommutable PT samples has led to erroneous evaluation of the performances when different analytical methods were used. This study aimed to provide a first assessment of the commutability of samples distributed in food microbiology PT. REQUASUD and IPH organized 13 food microbiology PTs including 10-28 participants. Three types of PT items were used: genuine food samples, sterile food samples and reference materials. The commutability of the artificial samples (reference material or sterile samples) was assessed by plotting the distribution of the results on natural and artificial PT samples. This comparison highlighted matrix-correlated issues when nonfood matrices, such as reference materials, were used. Artificially inoculated food samples, on the other hand, raised only isolated commutability issues. In the organization of a PT-scheme, authentic or artificially inoculated food samples are necessary to accurately evaluate the analytical performances. Reference materials, used as PT items because of their convenience, may present commutability issues leading to inaccurate penalizing conclusions for methods that would have provided accurate results on food samples. For the first time, the commutability of food microbiology PT samples was investigated. The nature of the samples provided by the organizer turned out to be an important factor because matrix effects can impact on the analytical results. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Excess weight, arterial pressure and physical activity in commuting to school: correlations.

PubMed

Silva, Kelly S; Lopes, Adair S

2008-08-01

The prevalence of obesity and elevated arterial pressure (AP) has increased in children and adolescents, whereas physical activity has decreased. To identify and correlate excess weight, body fat and elevated AP among active and passive students with the way they commute to school. One thousand five hundred and seventy students aged 7 to 12 years participated in the study conducted in João Pessoa, state of Paraíba. Students completed a questionnaire about the way they commuted to school (active = walking/biking or passive = by car/motorcycle/bus) and the time spent traveling to school. Excess weight was determined by BMI > or =25 kg/m(2), excess body fat as > or =85th percentile for tricipital fold measurement, and high AP as > or =90th percentile. Chi-square test and Poisson's regression were used for the analysis. Active commuting was associated with a lower prevalence of excess weight and body fat as compared to passive commuting (p<0.05). The prevalence ratio (PR) of excess weight was associated with excess body fat (Male: PR= 6.45 95%CI= 4.55-9.14; Female: PR= 4.10 95%CI= 3.09-5.45), elevated SAP [Systolic Arterial Pressure] (Male: PR= 1.99 95%CI= 1.30-3.06; Female: PR= 2.09 95%CI= 1.45-3.01), and elevated DAP [Diastolic Arterial Pressure] in girls (PR = 1.96 95%CI= 1.41-2.75). No association with active commuting was observed (p>0.05) Passive commuting to school showed a correlation with excess weight and body fat but not with elevated AP. Excess weight was associated with excessive body fat and elevated AP. Excess weight should be prevented as a way to avoid fat accumulation and AP elevation.

Does providing more services increase the primary hospitals' revenue? An assessment of national essential medicine policy based on 2,675 counties in China.

PubMed

Chen, Fei; Yang, Min; Li, Qian; Pan, Jay; Li, Xiaosong; Meng, Qun

2018-01-01

To understand whether the increased outpatient service provision (OSP) brings in enough additional income (excluding income from essential medicine) for primary hospitals (INCOME) to compensate for reduced costs of medicine. The two outcomes, annual OSP and INCOME for the period of 2008-2012, were collected from 34,506 primary hospitals in 2,675 counties in 31 provinces in China by the national surveillance system. The data had a four-level hierarchical structure; time points were nested within primary hospital, hospitals within county, and counties within province. We fitted bivariate five-level random effects regression models to examine correlations between OSP and INCOME in terms of their mean values and dose-response effects of the essential medicine policy (EMP). We adjusted for the effects of time period and selected hospital resources. The estimated correlation coefficients between the two outcomes' mean values were strongly positive among provinces (r = 0.910), moderately positive among counties (r = 0.380), and none among hospitals (r = 0.002) and time (r = 0.007). The correlation between their policy effects was weakly positive among provinces (r = 0.234), but none at the county and hospital levels. However, there were markedly negative correlation coefficients between the mean and policy effects at -0.328 for OSP and -0.541 for INCOME at the hospital level. There was no evidence to suggest an association between the two outcomes in terms of their mean values and dose-response effects of EMP at the hospital level. This indicated that increased OSP did not bring enough additional INCOME. Sustainable mechanisms to compensate primary hospitals are needed.

The contribution of walking to work to adult physical activity levels: a cross sectional study.

PubMed

Audrey, Suzanne; Procter, Sunita; Cooper, Ashley R

2014-03-11

To objectively examine the contribution to adult physical activity levels of walking to work. Employees (n = 103; 36.3 ± 11.7 years) at 17 workplaces in south-west England, who lived within 2 miles (3.2 km) of their workplace, wore Actigraph accelerometers for seven days during waking hours and carried GPS receivers during the commute to and from work. Physical activity volume (accelerometer counts per minute (cpm)) and intensity (minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA)) were computed overall and during the walk to work. Total weekday physical activity was 45% higher in participants who walked to work compared to those travelling by car (524.6. ± 170.4 vs 364.6 ± 138.4 cpm) and MVPA almost 60% higher (78.1 ± 24.9 vs 49.8 ± 25.2 minutes per day). No differences were seen in weekend physical activity, and sedentary time did not differ between the groups. Combined accelerometer and GPS data showed that walking to work contributed 47.3% of total weekday MVPA. Walking to work was associated with overall higher levels of physical activity in young and middle-aged adults. These data provide preliminary evidence to underpin the need for interventions to increase active commuting, specifically walking, in adults.

Neighborhood, route, and school environments and children's active commuting.

PubMed

Panter, Jenna R; Jones, Andrew P; Van Sluijs, Esther M F; Griffin, Simon J

2010-03-01

Walking and cycling to school represent an opportunity for children to achieve regular physical activity. These behaviors may be influenced by characteristics of the environment around homes and schools, yet few studies have quantified the potential associations between these two sets of factors. This study aims to assess whether objectively measured characteristics of the neighborhood, route, and school environments are associated with active commuting to school among children, and it explores whether distance acts as a moderator in this association. A cross-sectional study was conducted of 2012 children (899 boys and 1113 girls) aged 9-10 years attending 92 schools in the county of Norfolk, United Kingdom. Questionnaires were completed by children and parents during Summer 2007. Attributes around the home and children's route to school were assessed using a GIS. School environments were assessed using a newly developed school audit and via questionnaires completed by head teachers. Data were analyzed in 2008. Almost half of the children usually walked or cycled to school. Children who lived in a more deprived area and whose route to school was direct were less likely to walk or cycle to school, whereas those who had a higher density of roads in their neighborhood were more likely to walk. Further, children whose routes had a high density of streetlights were less likely to cycle to school. Distance did not moderate the observed associations. Objectively measured neighborhood and route factors are associated with walking and cycling to school. However, distance did not moderate the associations found here. Creating safe environments by improving urban design may influence children's commuting behavior. Intervention studies are needed to confirm the findings from this observational cross-sectional study. Copyright (c) 2010 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Commutability of Cytomegalovirus WHO International Standard in Different Matrices

PubMed Central

Jones, Sara; Webb, Erika M.; Barry, Catherine P.; Choi, Won S.; Abravaya, Klara B.; Schneider, George J.

2016-01-01

Commutability of quantitative standards allows patient results to be compared across molecular diagnostic methods and laboratories. This is critical to establishing quantitative thresholds for use in clinical decision-making. A matrix effect associated with the 1st cytomegalovirus (CMV) WHO international standard (IS) was identified using the Abbott RealTime CMV assay. A commutability study was performed to compare the CMV WHO IS and patient specimens diluted in plasma and whole blood. Patient specimens showed similar CMV DNA quantitation values regardless of the diluent or extraction procedure used. The CMV WHO IS, on the other hand, exhibited a matrix effect. The CMV concentration reported for the WHO IS diluted in plasma was within the 95% prediction interval established with patient samples. In contrast, the reported DNA concentration of the CMV WHO IS diluted in whole blood was reduced approximately 0.4 log copies/ml, and values fell outside the 95% prediction interval. Calibrating the assay by using the CMV WHO IS diluted in whole blood would introduce a bias for CMV whole-blood quantitation; samples would be reported as having higher measured concentrations, by approximately 0.4 log IU/ml. Based on the commutability study with patient samples, the RealTime CMV assay was standardized based on the CMV WHO IS diluted in plasma. A revision of the instructions for use of the CMV WHO IS should be considered to alert users of the potential impact from the diluent matrix. The identification of a matrix effect with the CMV WHO IS underscores the importance of assessing commutability of the IS in order to achieve consistent results across methods. PMID:27030491

Traffic pollutant exposures experienced by pedestrians waiting to enter the U.S. at a major U.S.-Mexico border crossing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galaviz, V. E.; Yost, M. G.; Simpson, C. D.; Camp, J. E.; Paulsen, M. H.; Elder, J. P.; Hoffman, L.; Flores, D.; Quintana, P. J. E.

2014-05-01

Pedestrians waiting to cross into the US from Mexico at Ports of Entry experience long wait times near idling vehicles. The near-road environment is associated with elevated pollutant levels and adverse health outcomes. This is the first exposure assessment conducted to quantify northbound pedestrian commuter exposure to traffic-related air pollutants at the U.S.-Mexico border San Ysidro Port of Entry (SYPOE). Seventy-three persons who regularly crossed the SYPOE in the pedestrian line and 18 persons who did not cross were recruited to wear personal air monitors for 24-h to measure traffic pollutants particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) - a marker for diesel exhaust - and carbon monoxide (CO). Fixed site concentrations were collected at SYPOE and occurred during the time subjects were crossing northbound to approximate their exposure to 1-NP, ultrafine particles (UFP), PM2.5, CO, and black carbon (BC) while standing in line during their border wait. Subjects who crossed the border in pedestrian lanes had a 6-fold increase in exposure to 1-NP, a 3-fold increase in exposure to CO, and a 2-fold increase in exposure to gravimetric PM2.5, vs. non-border commuters. Univariate regression analysis for UFP (median 40,000 # cm-3) found that border wait time for vehicles explained 21% of variability and relative humidity 13%, but when modeled together neither predictor remained significant. Concentrations at the SYPOE of UFP, PM2.5, CO, and BC are similar to those in other near-roadway studies that show associations with acute and chronic adverse health effects. Although results are limited by small sample numbers, these findings warrant concern for adverse health effects experienced by pedestrian commuters waiting in a long northbound queue at SYPOE and demonstrates a potential health benefit of reduced wait times at the border.

On the Path Integral in Non-Commutative (nc) Qft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dehne, Christoph

2008-09-01

As is generally known, different quantization schemes applied to field theory on NC spacetime lead to Feynman rules with different physical properties, if time does not commute with space. In particular, the Feynman rules that are derived from the path integral corresponding to the T*-product (the so-called naïve Feynman rules) violate the causal time ordering property. Within the Hamiltonian approach to quantum field theory, we show that we can (formally) modify the time ordering encoded in the above path integral. The resulting Feynman rules are identical to those obtained in the canonical approach via the Gell-Mann-Low formula (with T-ordering). They preserve thus unitarity and causal time ordering.

Commuter exposure to black carbon, carbon monoxide, and noise in the mass transport khlong boats of Bangkok, Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziegler, A. D.; Velasco, E.; Ho, K. J.

2013-12-01

Khlong (canal) boats are a unique mass transport alternative in the congested city of Bangkok. Canals and rivers provide exclusive transit-ways for reducing the commuting time of thousands of city residents daily. However, as a consequence of the service characteristics and boats design and state of repair, they can represent a potential public health risk and an important source of black carbon and greenhouse gases. This work quantifies commuter exposure to black carbon, CO and noise when waiting for and travelling in these diesel fueled boats. Exposure to toxic pollutants and acute noise is similar or worse than for other transportation modes. Mean black carbon concentrations observed at one busy pier and along the main canal were much higher than ambient concentrations at sites impacted by vehicular traffic. Concentrations of CO were similar to those reported for roadside areas of Bangkok. The equivalent continuous sound levels registered at the landing pier were similar to those reported for roadsides, but values recorded inside the boats were significantly higher. We believe that the boat service is a viable alternative mode of mass transport, but public safety could be improved to provide a high quality service, comparable to modern rail systems or emerging bus rapid transit systems. These investments would also contribute to reduce the emission of black carbon and other greenhouse and toxic pollutants.

Systematic review of interventions for promoting active school transport.

PubMed

Villa-González, Emilio; Barranco-Ruiz, Yaira; Evenson, Kelly R; Chillón, Palma

2018-06-01

Active commuting to school has been recognized as a potential avenue to increase physical activity in children and adolescents. However, active commuting to school has declined over time, and interventions are needed to reverse this trend. The main aim in the current study was to update a previous systematic review on interventions focused on active travel to school, following the same methodology and addressing the quality and effectiveness of new studies detected in the more recent scientific literature. A systematic review was conducted to identify intervention studies of active commuting to school published from February 2010 to December 2016. Five electronic databases and a manual search were conducted. Detailed information was extracted, including a quantitative assessment comparing the effect sizes, with Cohen's d, and a qualitative assessment using the Evaluation of Public Health Practice Projects tool. We identified 23 interventions that focused on active commuting to school. Among the 23 interventions, three were randomized control trials, 22 had a pre/post design, and 12 used control groups. Most interventions reported a small effect size on active commuting to school (14/23) (d: from -1.45 to 2.37). The quality assessment was rated as weak in most studies (21/23). Government funding continues investing in public policies to promote active commuting to school. However, even though seven years have passed since the last systematic review, research with high quality designs with randomization, greater sample size, and the use of valid and reliable instruments are needed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vehicle occupant exposure to carbon monoxide.

PubMed

Koushki, P A; al-Dhowalia, K H; Niaizi, S A

1992-12-01

This paper focuses on the auto commuting micro-environment and presents typical carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations to which auto commuters in central Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were exposed. Two test vehicles traveling over four main arterial roadways were monitored for inside and outside CO levels during eighty peak and off-peak hours extending over an eight-month period. The relative importance of several variables which explained the variability in CO concentrations inside autos was also assessed. It was found that during peak hours auto commuters were exposed to mean CO levels that ranged from 30 to 40 ppm over trips that typically took between 25 to 40 minutes. The mean ratio of inside to outside CO levels was 0.84. Results of variance component analyses indicated that the most important variables affecting CO concentrations inside autos were, in addition to the smoking of vehicle occupants, traffic volume, vehicle speed, period of day and wind velocity. An increase in traffic volume from 1,000 to 5,000 vehicles per hour (vph) increased mean CO level exposure by 71 percent. An increase in vehicle speed from 14 to 55 km/h reduced mean CO exposure by 36 percent. The number of traffic interruptions had a moderate effect on mean concentrations of CO inside vehicles.

Analysis of School Commuting Data for Exposure Modeling Purposes

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

Xue, Jianping; McCurdy, Thomas; Burke, Janet

Human exposure models often make the simplifying assumption that school children attend school in the same census tract where they live. This paper analyzes that assumption and provides information on the temporal and spatial distributions associated with school commuting. The data were obtained using Oak Ridge National Laboratory s LandScan USA population distribution model (Bhaduri et al., 2007) applied to Philadelphia PA. It is a high-resolution model used to allocate individual school-aged children to both a home and school location, and to devise a minimum-time home-to school commuting path (called a trace) between the two locations. LandScan relies heavily onmore » Geographic Information System (GIS) data. Our GIS analyses found that in Philadelphia: (1) about 32% of the students walk across 2 or more census tracts and 40% of them walk across 4 or more census blocks; (2) 60% drive across 4 or more census tracts going to school and 50% drive across 10 or more census blocks; (3) five-minute commuting time intervals result in misclassification as high as 90% for census blocks, 70% for block groups, and 50% for census tracts; (4) a one-minute time interval is needed to reasonably resolve time spent in the various census unit designations; (5) approximately 50% of both schoolchildren s homes and schools are located within 160 m of highly-traveled roads, and 64% of the schools are located within 200 m. These findings are very important when modeling school children s exposures, especially when ascertaining the impacts of near-roadway concentrations on their total daily body burden. Since many school children also travel along these streets and roadways to get to school, a majority of children in Philadelphia are in mobile-source dominated locations most of the day. We hypothesize that exposures of school children in Philadelphia to benzene and particulate matter will be much higher than if home and school locations and commuting paths at a 1-minute time resolution are not explicitly modeled in an exposure assessment. Undertaking such an assessment will be the topic of a future paper.« less

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Weaker: Prenatal Pollution Exposure and Educational Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanders, Nicholas J.

2012-01-01

I examine the impact of prenatal total suspended particulate (TSP) exposure on educational outcomes using county-level variation in the timing and severity of the industrial recession of the early 1980s as a shock to ambient TSPs (similar to Chay and Greenstone 2003b). I then instrument for pollution levels using county-level changes in relative…

Relative commutativity degree of some dihedral groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdul Hamid, Muhanizah; Mohd Ali, Nor Muhainiah; Sarmin, Nor Haniza; Abd Manaf, Fadila Normahia

2013-04-01

The commutativity degree of a finite group G was introduced by Erdos and Turan for symmetric groups, finite groups and finite rings in 1968. The commutativity degree, P(G), is defined as the probability that a random pair of elements in a group commute. The relative commutativity degree of a group G is defined as the probability for an element of subgroup, H and an element of G to commute with one another and denoted by P(H,G). In this research the relative commutativity degree of some dihedral groups are determined.

Exploring bikeability in a metropolitan setting: stimulating and hindering factors in commuting route environments

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Route environments may influence people's active commuting positively and thereby contribute to public health. Assessments of route environments are, however, needed in order to better understand the possible relationship between active commuting and the route environment. The aim of this study was, therefore, to assess the potential associations between perceptions of whether the route environment on the whole hinders or stimulates bicycle commuting and perceptions of environmental factors. Methods The Active Commuting Route Environment Scale (ACRES) was used for the assessment of bicycle commuters' perceptions of their route environments in the inner urban parts of Greater Stockholm, Sweden. Bicycle commuters (n = 827) were recruited by advertisements in newspapers. Simultaneous multiple regression analyses were used to assess the relation between predictor variables (such as levels of exhaust fumes, noise, traffic speed, traffic congestion and greenery) and the outcome variable (hindering - stimulating route environments). Two models were run, (Model 1) without and (Model 2) with the item traffic: unsafe or safe included as a predictor. Results Overall, about 40% of the variance of hindering - stimulating route environments was explained by the environmental predictors in our models (Model 1, R2 = 0.415, and Model 2, R 2= 0.435). The regression equation for Model 1 was: y = 8.53 + 0.33 ugly or beautiful + 0.14 greenery + (-0.14) course of the route + (-0.13) exhaust fumes + (-0.09) congestion: all types of vehicles (p ≤ 0.019). The regression equation for Model 2 was y = 6.55 + 0.31 ugly or beautiful + 0.16 traffic: unsafe or safe + (-0.13) exhaust fumes + 0.12 greenery + (-0.12) course of the route (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions The main results indicate that beautiful, green and safe route environments seem to be, independently of each other, stimulating factors for bicycle commuting in inner urban areas. On the other hand, exhaust fumes, traffic congestion and low 'directness' of the route seem to be hindering factors. Furthermore, the overall results illustrate the complexity of a research area at the beginning of exploration. PMID:22401492

Choice of commuting mode among employees: Do home neighborhood environment, worksite neighborhood environment, and worksite policy and supports matter?

PubMed Central

Yang, Lin; Hipp, J. Aaron; Adlakha, Deepti; Marx, Christine M.; Tabak, Rachel G.; Brownson, Ross C.

2015-01-01

Background Promoting the use of public transit and active transport (walking and cycling) instead of car driving is an appealing strategy to increase overall physical activity. Purpose To quantify the combined associations between self-reported home and worksite neighborhood environments, worksite support and policies, and employees’ commuting modes. Method Between 2012 and 2013, participants residing in four Missouri metropolitan areas were interviewed via telephone (n = 1,338) and provided information on socio-demographic characteristics, home and worksite neighborhoods, and worksite support and policies. Commuting mode was self-reported and categorized into car driving, public transit, and active commuting. Commuting distance was calculated using geographic information systems. Commuters providing completed data were included in the analysis. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the correlates of using public transit and active commuting. Result The majority of participants reported commuting by driving (88.9%); only 4.9% used public transit and 6.2% used active modes. After multivariate adjustment, having transit stops within 10-15 minutes walking distance from home (p=0.05) and using worksite incentive for public transit (p<0.001) were associated with commuting by public transit. Commuting distance (p<0.001) was negatively associated with active commuting. Having free or low cost recreation facilities around the worksite (p=0.04) and using bike facilities to lock bikes at the worksite (p<0.001) were associated with active commuting. Conclusion Both environment features and worksite supports and policies are associated with the choice of commuting mode. Future studies should use longitudinal designs to investigate the potential of promoting alternative commuting modes through worksite efforts that support sustainable commuting behaviors as well as the potential of built environment improvements. PMID:26085979

Characterizing the range of children's air pollutant exposure during school bus commutes.

PubMed

Sabin, Lisa D; Behrentz, Eduardo; Winer, Arthur M; Jeong, Seong; Fitz, Dennis R; Pankratz, David V; Colome, Steven D; Fruin, Scott A

2005-09-01

Real-time and integrated measurements of gaseous and particulate pollutants were conducted inside five conventional diesel school buses, a diesel bus with a particulate trap, and a bus powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) to determine the range of children's exposures during school bus commutes and conditions leading to high exposures. Measurements were made during 24 morning and afternoon commutes on two Los Angeles Unified School District bus routes from South to West Los Angeles, with seven additional runs on a rural/suburban route, and three runs to test the effect of window position. For these commutes, the mean concentrations of diesel vehicle-related pollutants ranged from 0.9 to 19 microg/m(3) for black carbon, 23 to 400 ng/m(3) for particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PB-PAH), and 64 to 220 microg/m(3) for NO(2). Concentrations of benzene and formaldehyde ranged from 0.1 to 11 microg/m(3) and 0.3 to 5 microg/m(3), respectively. The highest real-time concentrations of black carbon, PB-PAH and NO(2) inside the buses were 52 microg/m(3), 2000 ng/m(3), and 370 microg/m(3), respectively. These pollutants were significantly higher inside conventional diesel buses compared to the CNG bus, although formaldehyde concentrations were higher inside the CNG bus. Mean black carbon, PB-PAH, benzene and formaldehyde concentrations were higher when the windows were closed, compared with partially open, in part, due to intrusion of the bus's own exhaust into the bus cabin, as demonstrated through the use of a tracer gas added to each bus's exhaust. These same pollutants tended to be higher on urban routes compared to the rural/suburban route, and substantially higher inside the bus cabins compared to ambient measurements. Mean concentrations of pollutants with substantial secondary formation, such as PM(2.5), showed smaller differences between open and closed window conditions and between bus routes. Type of bus, traffic congestion levels, and encounters with other diesel vehicles contributed to high exposure variability between runs.

Changes in the food environment over time: examining 40 years of data in the Framingham Heart Study.

PubMed

James, Peter; Seward, Michael W; James O'Malley, A; Subramanian, S V; Block, Jason P

2017-06-24

Research has explored associations between diet, body weight, and the food environment; however, few studies have examined historical trends in food environments. In the Framingham Heart Study Offspring (N = 3321) and Omni (N = 447) cohorts, we created food environment metrics in four Massachusetts towns utilizing geocoded residential, workplace, and food establishment addresses from 1971 to 2008. We created multilevel models adjusted for age, sex, education, and census tract poverty to examine trends in home, workplace, and commuting food environments. Proximity to and density of supermarkets, fast-food, full service restaurants, convenience stores, and bakeries increased over time for residential, workplace, and commuting environments; exposure to grocery stores decreased. The greatest increase in access was for supermarkets, with residential distance to the closest supermarket 1406 m closer (95% CI 1303 m, 1508 m) by 2005-2008 than in 1971-1975. Although poorer census tracts had higher access to fast-food restaurants consistently across follow-up, this disparity dissipated over time, due to larger increases in proximity to fast-food in wealthier neighborhoods. Access to most food establishment types increased over time, with similar trends across home, workplace, and commuter environments.

The relevance of socio-demographic and occupational variables for the assessment of work-related stress risk.

PubMed

Marinaccio, Alessandro; Ferrante, Pierpaolo; Corfiati, Marisa; Di Tecco, Cristina; Rondinone, Bruna M; Bonafede, Michela; Ronchetti, Matteo; Persechino, Benedetta; Iavicoli, Sergio

2013-12-10

Work-related stress is widely recognized as one of the major challenges to occupational health and safety. The correlation between work-related stress risk factors and physical health outcomes is widely acknowledged. This study investigated socio-demographic and occupational variables involved in perceived risk of work-related stress. The Italian version of the Health and Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool was used in a large survey to examine the relationship between work-related stress risks and workers' demographic and occupational characteristics. Out of 8,527 questionnaires distributed among workers (from 75 organizations) 6,378 were returned compiled (74.8%); a set of mixed effects models were adopted to test single and combined effects of the variables on work-related stress risk. Female workers reported lower scores on control and peer support and more negative perceptions of relationships and change at work than male workers, most of them with full-time contracts. Age, job seniority, and educational level appeared positively correlated with control at work, but negatively with job demands. Fixed-term workers had positive perceptions regarding job demands and relationships, but more difficulties about their role at work than permanent workers. A commuting time longer than one hour and shift work appeared to be associated with higher levels of risk factors for work-related stress (except for role), the latter having more negative effects, increasing with age. The findings suggest that the assessment and management of work-related stress risk should consider specific socio-demographic and occupational risk factors such as gender, age, educational level, job status, shift work, commuting time, job contracts.

Minute ventilation of cyclists, car and bus passengers: an experimental study.

PubMed

Zuurbier, Moniek; Hoek, Gerard; van den Hazel, Peter; Brunekreef, Bert

2009-10-27

Differences in minute ventilation between cyclists, pedestrians and other commuters influence inhaled doses of air pollution. This study estimates minute ventilation of cyclists, car and bus passengers, as part of a study on health effects of commuters' exposure to air pollutants. Thirty-four participants performed a submaximal test on a bicycle ergometer, during which heart rate and minute ventilation were measured simultaneously at increasing cycling intensity. Individual regression equations were calculated between heart rate and the natural log of minute ventilation. Heart rates were recorded during 280 two hour trips by bicycle, bus and car and were calculated into minute ventilation levels using the individual regression coefficients. Minute ventilation during bicycle rides were on average 2.1 times higher than in the car (individual range from 1.3 to 5.3) and 2.0 times higher than in the bus (individual range from 1.3 to 5.1). The ratio of minute ventilation of cycling compared to travelling by bus or car was higher in women than in men. Substantial differences in regression equations were found between individuals. The use of individual regression equations instead of average regression equations resulted in substantially better predictions of individual minute ventilations. The comparability of the gender-specific overall regression equations linking heart rate and minute ventilation with one previous American study, supports that for studies on the group level overall equations can be used. For estimating individual doses, the use of individual regression coefficients provides more precise data. Minute ventilation levels of cyclists are on average two times higher than of bus and car passengers, consistent with the ratio found in one small previous study of young adults. The study illustrates the importance of inclusion of minute ventilation data in comparing air pollution doses between different modes of transport.

78 FR 75484 - Federal Management Regulation (FMR); Shipping Household Goods

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-12

... information on the commuted rate schedule and correct a Web site address. Commuted rate and actual expense are... commuted rate method. Using the commuted rate method, the individual assumes responsibility for shipment and payment. The commuted rate schedule establishes the reimbursement rate. DATES: Effective Date...

Physical activity by stealth? The potential health benefits of a workplace transport plan.

PubMed

Brockman, R; Fox, K R

2011-04-01

There are few published evaluations of the effects of travel policy on health-enhancing physical activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a workplace travel plan, which mainly focused on restricting parking opportunities, on levels of active commuting and its potential to contribute to public health. Analysis of a repeated bi-annual travel survey in a workplace setting. Usual mode of commuting, gender, age, worksite location and distance commuted to and from work were obtained from the University of Bristol Staff Travel Surveys conducted in 1998 (n = 2292), 2001 (n = 2332), 2003 (n = 1950), 2005 (n = 2647) and 2007 (n = 2829). Z-tests were used to examine the significance of trends in active commuting between 1998 and 2007. The largest and most recent survey (2007) was used to calculate the effects of gender, age and salary band on mode of transport, length of commuter journey, and the extent to which active commuting contributed to meeting national recommendations for physical activity. Results showed that between 1998 and 2007, in contrast to national trends, the percentage of respondents who reported that they usually walked to work increased from 19.0% to 30.0% (Z = 4.24, P < 0.001). The percentage of regular cyclists increased from 7.0% to 11.8%, but this was not statistically significant. In 2007, regular walkers were more likely to be female, under 35 years of age and earning a middle-band salary. Regular cyclists were more likely to be male, aged 36-45 years and earning a higher-band salary. Approximately 70% of respondents who usually walked or cycled to work achieved greater than 80% of the recommended guidelines for physical activity through their active commuting. This study suggests that transport plans aimed at reducing car usage should be considered as a feasible and effective strategy for increasing health-enhancing physical activity among the workforce. Copyright © 2011 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exposure to fine particulate, black carbon, and particle number concentration in transportation microenvironments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales Betancourt, R.; Galvis, B.; Balachandran, S.; Ramos-Bonilla, J. P.; Sarmiento, O. L.; Gallo-Murcia, S. M.; Contreras, Y.

2017-05-01

This research determined intake dose of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), equivalent black carbon (eBC), and number of sub-micron particles (Np) for commuters in Bogotá, Colombia. Doses were estimated through measurements of exposure concentration, a surrogate of physical activity, as well as travel times and speeds. Impacts of travel mode, traffic load, and street configuration on dose and exposure were explored. Three road segments were selected because of their different traffic loads and composition, and dissimilar street configuration. The transport modes considered include active modes (walking and cycling) and motorized modes (bus, car, taxi, and motorcycle). Measurements were performed simultaneously in the available modes at each road segment. High average eBC concentrations were observed throughout the campaign, ranging from 20 to 120 μgm-3 . Commuters in motorized modes experienced significantly higher exposure concentrations than pedestrians and bicyclists. The highest average concentrations of PM2.5, eBC , and Np were measured inside the city's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system vehicles. Pedestrians and bicycle users in an open street configuration were exposed to the lowest average concentrations of PM2.5 and eBC , six times lower than those experienced by commuters using the BRT in the same street segment. Pedestrians experienced the highest particulate matter intake dose in the road segments studied, despite being exposed to lower concentrations than commuters in motorized modes. Average potential dose of PM2.5 and eBC per unit length traveled were nearly three times higher for pedestrians in a street canyon configuration compared to commuters in public transport. Slower travel speed and elevated inhalation rates dominate PM dose for pedestrians. The presence of dedicated bike lanes on sidewalks has a significant impact on reducing the exposure concentration for bicyclists compared to those riding in mixed traffic lanes. This study proposes a simple method to perform loading effect correction for measurements of black carbon using multiple portable aethalometers.

14 CFR 23.574 - Metallic damage tolerance and fatigue evaluation of commuter category airplanes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... evaluation of commuter category airplanes. 23.574 Section 23.574 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION... COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Structure Fatigue Evaluation § 23.574 Metallic damage tolerance and fatigue evaluation of commuter category airplanes. For commuter category airplanes— (a) Metallic damage tolerance. An...

14 CFR 23.574 - Metallic damage tolerance and fatigue evaluation of commuter category airplanes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... evaluation of commuter category airplanes. 23.574 Section 23.574 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION... COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Structure Fatigue Evaluation § 23.574 Metallic damage tolerance and fatigue evaluation of commuter category airplanes. For commuter category airplanes— (a) Metallic damage tolerance. An...

14 CFR 23.574 - Metallic damage tolerance and fatigue evaluation of commuter category airplanes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... evaluation of commuter category airplanes. 23.574 Section 23.574 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION... COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Structure Fatigue Evaluation § 23.574 Metallic damage tolerance and fatigue evaluation of commuter category airplanes. For commuter category airplanes— (a) Metallic damage tolerance. An...

14 CFR 23.574 - Metallic damage tolerance and fatigue evaluation of commuter category airplanes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... evaluation of commuter category airplanes. 23.574 Section 23.574 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION... COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Structure Fatigue Evaluation § 23.574 Metallic damage tolerance and fatigue evaluation of commuter category airplanes. For commuter category airplanes— (a) Metallic damage tolerance. An...

14 CFR 23.574 - Metallic damage tolerance and fatigue evaluation of commuter category airplanes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... evaluation of commuter category airplanes. 23.574 Section 23.574 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION... COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Structure Fatigue Evaluation § 23.574 Metallic damage tolerance and fatigue evaluation of commuter category airplanes. For commuter category airplanes— (a) Metallic damage tolerance. An...

Suicide Trends Among and Within Urbanization Levels by Sex, Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, and Mechanism of Death — United States, 2001–2015

PubMed Central

Crosby, Alex E.; Jack, Shane P. D.; Haileyesus, Tadesse; Kresnow-Sedacca, Marcie-jo

2017-01-01

Problem/Condition Suicide is a public health problem and one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States. Substantial geographic variations in suicide rates exist, with suicides in rural areas occurring at much higher rates than those occurring in more urban areas. Understanding demographic trends and mechanisms of death among and within urbanization levels is important to developing and targeting future prevention efforts. Reporting Period 2001–2015. Description of System Mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) include demographic, geographic, and cause of death information derived from death certificates filed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. NVSS was used to identify suicide deaths, defined by International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) underlying cause of death codes X60–X84, Y87.0, and U03. This report examines annual county level trends in suicide rates during 2001–2015 among and within urbanization levels by select demographics and mechanisms of death. Counties were collapsed into three urbanization levels using the 2006 National Center for Health Statistics classification scheme. Results Suicide rates increased across the three urbanization levels, with higher rates in nonmetropolitan/rural counties than in medium/small or large metropolitan counties. Each urbanization level experienced substantial annual rate changes at different times during the study period. Across urbanization levels, suicide rates were consistently highest for men and non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Natives compared with rates for women and other racial/ethnic groups; however, rates were highest for non-Hispanic whites in more metropolitan counties. Trends indicate that suicide rates for non-Hispanic blacks were lowest in nonmetropolitan/rural counties and highest in more urban counties. Increases in suicide rates occurred for all age groups across urbanization levels, with the highest rates for persons aged 35–64 years. For mechanism of death, greater increases in rates of suicide by firearms and hanging/suffocation occurred across all urbanization levels; rates of suicide by firearms in nonmetropolitan/rural counties were almost two times that of rates in larger metropolitan counties. Interpretation Suicide rates in nonmetropolitan/rural counties are consistently higher than suicide rates in metropolitan counties. These trends also are observed by sex, race/ethnicity, age group, and mechanism of death. Public Health Action Interventions to prevent suicides should be ongoing, particularly in rural areas. Comprehensive suicide prevention efforts might include leveraging protective factors and providing innovative prevention strategies that increase access to health care and mental health care in rural communities. In addition, distribution of socioeconomic factors varies in different communities and needs to be better understood in the context of suicide prevention. PMID:28981481

Suicide Trends Among and Within Urbanization Levels by Sex, Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, and Mechanism of Death - United States, 2001-2015.

PubMed

Ivey-Stephenson, Asha Z; Crosby, Alex E; Jack, Shane P D; Haileyesus, Tadesse; Kresnow-Sedacca, Marcie-Jo

2017-10-06

Suicide is a public health problem and one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States. Substantial geographic variations in suicide rates exist, with suicides in rural areas occurring at much higher rates than those occurring in more urban areas. Understanding demographic trends and mechanisms of death among and within urbanization levels is important to developing and targeting future prevention efforts. 2001-2015. Mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) include demographic, geographic, and cause of death information derived from death certificates filed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. NVSS was used to identify suicide deaths, defined by International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) underlying cause of death codes X60-X84, Y87.0, and U03. This report examines annual county level trends in suicide rates during 2001-2015 among and within urbanization levels by select demographics and mechanisms of death. Counties were collapsed into three urbanization levels using the 2006 National Center for Health Statistics classification scheme. Suicide rates increased across the three urbanization levels, with higher rates in nonmetropolitan/rural counties than in medium/small or large metropolitan counties. Each urbanization level experienced substantial annual rate changes at different times during the study period. Across urbanization levels, suicide rates were consistently highest for men and non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Natives compared with rates for women and other racial/ethnic groups; however, rates were highest for non-Hispanic whites in more metropolitan counties. Trends indicate that suicide rates for non-Hispanic blacks were lowest in nonmetropolitan/rural counties and highest in more urban counties. Increases in suicide rates occurred for all age groups across urbanization levels, with the highest rates for persons aged 35-64 years. For mechanism of death, greater increases in rates of suicide by firearms and hanging/suffocation occurred across all urbanization levels; rates of suicide by firearms in nonmetropolitan/rural counties were almost two times that of rates in larger metropolitan counties. Suicide rates in nonmetropolitan/rural counties are consistently higher than suicide rates in metropolitan counties. These trends also are observed by sex, race/ethnicity, age group, and mechanism of death. Interventions to prevent suicides should be ongoing, particularly in rural areas. Comprehensive suicide prevention efforts might include leveraging protective factors and providing innovative prevention strategies that increase access to health care and mental health care in rural communities. In addition, distribution of socioeconomic factors varies in different communities and needs to be better understood in the context of suicide prevention.

Associations of Physical Activity, Sports Participation and Active Commuting on Mathematic Performance and Inhibitory Control in Adolescents.

PubMed

Domazet, Sidsel L; Tarp, Jakob; Huang, Tao; Gejl, Anne Kær; Andersen, Lars Bo; Froberg, Karsten; Bugge, Anna

2016-01-01

To examine objectively measured physical activity level, organized sports participation and active commuting to school in relation to mathematic performance and inhibitory control in adolescents. The design was cross-sectional. A convenient sample of 869 sixth and seventh grade students (12-14 years) was invited to participate in the study. A total of 568 students fulfilled the inclusion criteria and comprised the final sample for this study. Mathematic performance was assessed by a customized test and inhibitory control was assessed by a modified Eriksen flanker task. Physical activity was assessed with GT3X and GT3X+ accelerometers presented in sex-specific quartiles of mean counts per minute and mean minutes per day in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Active commuting and sports participation was self-reported. Mixed model regression was applied. Total physical activity level was stratified by bicycling status in order to bypass measurement error subject to the accelerometer. Non-cyclists in the 2nd quartile of counts per minute displayed a higher mathematic score, so did cyclists in the 2nd and 3rd quartile of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity relative to the least active quartile. Non-cyclists in the 3rd quartile of counts per minute had an improved reaction time and cyclists in the 2nd quartile of counts per minute and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity displayed an improved accuracy, whereas non-cyclists in the 2nd quartile of counts per minute showed an inferior accuracy relative to the least active quartile. Bicycling to school and organized sports participation were positively associated with mathematic performance. Sports participation and bicycling were positively associated with mathematic performance. Results regarding objectively measured physical activity were mixed. Although, no linear nor dose-response relationship was observed there was no indication of a higher activity level impairing the scholastic or cognitive performance.

Associations of Physical Activity, Sports Participation and Active Commuting on Mathematic Performance and Inhibitory Control in Adolescents

PubMed Central

Huang, Tao; Gejl, Anne Kær; Froberg, Karsten

2016-01-01

Objectives To examine objectively measured physical activity level, organized sports participation and active commuting to school in relation to mathematic performance and inhibitory control in adolescents. Methods The design was cross-sectional. A convenient sample of 869 sixth and seventh grade students (12–14 years) was invited to participate in the study. A total of 568 students fulfilled the inclusion criteria and comprised the final sample for this study. Mathematic performance was assessed by a customized test and inhibitory control was assessed by a modified Eriksen flanker task. Physical activity was assessed with GT3X and GT3X+ accelerometers presented in sex-specific quartiles of mean counts per minute and mean minutes per day in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Active commuting and sports participation was self-reported. Mixed model regression was applied. Total physical activity level was stratified by bicycling status in order to bypass measurement error subject to the accelerometer. Results Non-cyclists in the 2nd quartile of counts per minute displayed a higher mathematic score, so did cyclists in the 2nd and 3rd quartile of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity relative to the least active quartile. Non-cyclists in the 3rd quartile of counts per minute had an improved reaction time and cyclists in the 2nd quartile of counts per minute and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity displayed an improved accuracy, whereas non-cyclists in the 2nd quartile of counts per minute showed an inferior accuracy relative to the least active quartile. Bicycling to school and organized sports participation were positively associated with mathematic performance. Conclusions Sports participation and bicycling were positively associated with mathematic performance. Results regarding objectively measured physical activity were mixed. Although, no linear nor dose-response relationship was observed there was no indication of a higher activity level impairing the scholastic or cognitive performance. PMID:26727211

Counties eliminating racial disparities in colorectal cancer mortality.

PubMed

Rust, George; Zhang, Shun; Yu, Zhongyuan; Caplan, Lee; Jain, Sanjay; Ayer, Turgay; McRoy, Luceta; Levine, Robert S

2016-06-01

Although colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality rates are declining, racial-ethnic disparities in CRC mortality nationally are widening. Herein, the authors attempted to identify county-level variations in this pattern, and to characterize counties with improving disparity trends. The authors examined 20-year trends in US county-level black-white disparities in CRC age-adjusted mortality rates during the study period between 1989 and 2010. Using a mixed linear model, counties were grouped into mutually exclusive patterns of black-white racial disparity trends in age-adjusted CRC mortality across 20 three-year rolling average data points. County-level characteristics from census data and from the Area Health Resources File were normalized and entered into a principal component analysis. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to test the relation between these factors (clusters of related contextual variables) and the disparity trend pattern group for each county. Counties were grouped into 4 disparity trend pattern groups: 1) persistent disparity (parallel black and white trend lines); 2) diverging (widening disparity); 3) sustained equality; and 4) converging (moving from disparate outcomes toward equality). The initial principal component analysis clustered the 82 independent variables into a smaller number of components, 6 of which explained 47% of the county-level variation in disparity trend patterns. County-level variation in social determinants, health care workforce, and health systems all were found to contribute to variations in cancer mortality disparity trend patterns from 1990 through 2010. Counties sustaining equality over time or moving from disparities to equality in cancer mortality suggest that disparities are not inevitable, and provide hope that more communities can achieve optimal and equitable cancer outcomes for all. Cancer 2016;122:1735-48. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Inventory of forest resources (including water) by multi-level sampling. [nine northern Virginia coastal plain counties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aldrich, R. C.; Dana, R. W.; Roberts, E. H. (Principal Investigator)

1977-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. A stratified random sample using LANDSAT band 5 and 7 panchromatic prints resulted in estimates of water in counties with sampling errors less than + or - 9% (67% probability level). A forest inventory using a four band LANDSAT color composite resulted in estimates of forest area by counties that were within + or - 6.7% and + or - 3.7% respectively (67% probability level). Estimates of forest area for counties by computer assisted techniques were within + or - 21% of operational forest survey figures and for all counties the difference was only one percent. Correlations of airborne terrain reflectance measurements with LANDSAT radiance verified a linear atmospheric model with an additive (path radiance) term and multiplicative (transmittance) term. Coefficients of determination for 28 of the 32 modeling attempts, not adverseley affected by rain shower occurring between the times of LANDSAT passage and aircraft overflights, exceeded 0.83.

Water-quality and ground-water-level data, Bernalillo County, central New Mexico, 1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rankin, D.R.

1996-01-01

Water-quality and ground-water-level data were collected in two areas of eastern Bernalillo County in central New Mexico between March and July of 1995. Fifty-one wells, two springs, and the Ojo Grande Acequia in the east mountain area of Bernalillo County and nine wells in the northeast area of the city of Albuquerque were sampled. The water samples were analyzed for selected nutrient species; total organic carbon; major dissolved constituents; dissolved arsenic, boron, iron, and manganese; and methylene blue active substances. Analytical results were used to compute hardness, sodium adsorption ratio, and dissolved solids. Specific conductance, pH, temperature, and alkalinity were measured in the field at the time of sample collection. Ground- water-level and well-depth measurements were made at the time of sample collection when possible. Water-quality data, ground- water-level data, and well-depth data are presented in tabular form.

Age of diagnosis among Medicaid-enrolled children with autism, 2001-2004.

PubMed

Mandell, David S; Morales, Knashawn H; Xie, Ming; Lawer, Lindsay J; Stahmer, Aubyn C; Marcus, Steven C

2010-08-01

This study examined child- and county-level factors associated with age of diagnosis of autism among Medicaid-enrolled children and the change in age of diagnosis over time. National Medicaid claims from 2002 to 2004 were used to identify age of diagnosis and characteristics of children younger than ten years old with a diagnosis of autism (ICD-9 codes 299, 299.0x, or 299.8x). These data were linked to county-level education and health care variables. Linear regression with random effects for state and county was used to examine associations between these variables and age of diagnosis. A total of 28,722 Medicaid-enrolled children newly diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder were identified. Their average age of diagnosis was 64.9 months. Adjusted average age of diagnosis dropped 5.0 months for autistic disorder and 1.8 months for other spectrum disorders during the study period. Asian children were diagnosed earlier than children in other racial or ethnic groups, although these differences were much more pronounced for other spectrum disorders than for autistic disorder. Children eligible for Medicaid through the poverty category were diagnosed earlier, on average, than children who were eligible through disability, foster care, or other reasons, although this difference decreased over time. Children in large urban or rural counties were diagnosed later than children in small urban or suburban counties. Findings showed that diagnosis of autism occurs much later than it should among Medicaid-enrolled children, although timeliness is improving over time. Analyses suggest that most of the observed variation is accounted for by child-level variables, rather than county-level resources or state policies.

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

PubMed

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

2017-05-17

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

Wigner functions for noncommutative quantum mechanics: A group representation based construction

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

Chowdhury, S. Hasibul Hassan, E-mail: shhchowdhury@gmail.com; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8; Ali, S. Twareque, E-mail: twareque.ali@concordia.ca

This paper is devoted to the construction and analysis of the Wigner functions for noncommutative quantum mechanics, their marginal distributions, and star-products, following a technique developed earlier, viz, using the unitary irreducible representations of the group G{sub NC}, which is the three fold central extension of the Abelian group of ℝ{sup 4}. These representations have been exhaustively studied in earlier papers. The group G{sub NC} is identified with the kinematical symmetry group of noncommutative quantum mechanics of a system with two degrees of freedom. The Wigner functions studied here reflect different levels of non-commutativity—both the operators of position and thosemore » of momentum not commuting, the position operators not commuting and finally, the case of standard quantum mechanics, obeying the canonical commutation relations only.« less

Carbon monoxide levels measured in major commuting corridors covering different landuse and roadway microenvironments in Hong Kong

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, L. Y.; Liu, Y. M.; Lee, S. C.; Chan, C. Y.

Vehicle exhaust is the major source of pollutant in modern cities. About half of Hong Kong residents are living in suburban or rural areas. They need to traverse through tunnels, highways, urban street canyons and other road conditions in different landuse areas when they traverse to work in urban centres or new towns. Also, there is increasing traffic, especially trucks across the border between Hong Kong and mainland China via several border highways. This study helps us in assessing the exposure level of suburban and cross border commuters. Carbon monoxide (CO) is used as a tracer for traffic emission. An experimental vehicle traversing major commuting corridors were used to measure CO levels in different landuse and roadway microenvironments including tunnels and highways. The air samples were taken simultaneously at the outside and inside of a travelling vehicle. Result indicates that the pattern of fluctuation of the out-vehicle and in-vehicle CO level vary with different landuse areas. The variation pattern of in-vehicle CO level is closely related to that of out-vehicle level. The effects of the out-vehicle CO concentration on the in-vehicle CO concentration under different roadway conditions in various landuse categories are examined. There is an indication that external air pollutants penetrated into the in-vehicle compartment through car body cracks, ventilation system. From our observation, the exhaust of a nearby petrol vehicle contributed significantly to the in-vehicle CO level. The use of low standard of diesel fuel from Shenzhen in mainland China leads to higher CO level near border area.

Impact of commuting exposure to traffic-related air pollution on cognitive development in children walking to school.

PubMed

Alvarez-Pedrerol, Mar; Rivas, Ioar; López-Vicente, Mònica; Suades-González, Elisabet; Donaire-Gonzalez, David; Cirach, Marta; de Castro, Montserrat; Esnaola, Mikel; Basagaña, Xavier; Dadvand, Payam; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark; Sunyer, Jordi

2017-12-01

A few studies have found associations between the exposure to traffic-related air pollution at school and/or home and cognitive development. The impact on cognitive development of the exposure to air pollutants during commuting has not been explored. We aimed to assess the role of the exposure to traffic-related air pollutants during walking commute to school on cognitive development of children. We performed a longitudinal study of children (n = 1,234, aged 7-10 y) from 39 schools in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) who commuted by foot to school. Children were tested four times during a 12-month follow-up to characterize their developmental trajectories of working memory (d' of the three-back numbers test) and inattentiveness (hit reaction time standard error of the Attention Network Test). Average particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ), Black Carbon (BC) and NO 2 concentrations were estimated using Land Use Regression for the shortest walking route to school. Differences in cognitive growth were evaluated by linear mixed effects models with age-by-pollutant interaction terms. Exposure to PM 2.5 and BC from the commutes by foot was associated with a reduction in the growth of working memory (an interquartile range increase in PM 2.5 and BC concentrations decreased the annual growth of working memory by 5.4 (95% CI [-10.2, -0.6]) and 4.6 (95% CI [-9.0, -0.1]) points, respectively). The findings for NO 2 were not conclusive and none of the pollutants were associated with inattentiveness. Efforts should be made to implement pedestrian school pathways through low traffic streets in order to increase security and minimize children's exposure to air pollutants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating In-Car Movements in the Design of Mindful Commute Interventions: Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Paredes, Pablo Enrique; Hamdan, Nur Al-Huda; Clark, Dav; Cai, Carrie; Ju, Wendy; Landay, James A

2017-12-04

The daily commute could be a right moment to teach drivers to use movement or breath towards improving their mental health. Long commutes, the relevance of transitioning from home to work, and vice versa and the privacy of commuting by car make the commute an ideal scenario and time to perform mindful exercises safely. Whereas driving safety is paramount, mindful exercises might help commuters decrease their daily stress while staying alert. Increasing vehicle automation may present new opportunities but also new challenges. This study aimed to explore the design space for movement-based mindful interventions for commuters. We used qualitative analysis of simulated driving experiences in combination with simple movements to obtain key design insights. We performed a semistructured viability assessment in 2 parts. First, a think-aloud technique was used to obtain information about a driving task. Drivers (N=12) were given simple instructions to complete movements (configural or breath-based) while engaged in either simple (highway) or complex (city) simulated urban driving tasks using autonomous and manual driving modes. Then, we performed a matching exercise where participants could experience vibrotactile patterns from the back of the car seat and map them to the prior movements. We report a summary of individual perceptions concerning different movements and vibrotactile patterns. Beside describing situations within a drive when it may be more likely to perform movement-based interventions, we also describe movements that may interfere with driving and those that may complement it well. Furthermore, we identify movements that could be conducive to a more relaxing commute and describe vibrotactile patterns that could guide such movements and exercises. We discuss implications for design such as the influence of driving modality on the adoption of movement, need for personal customization, the influence that social perception has on participants, and the potential role of prior awareness of mindful techniques in the adoption of new movement-based interventions. This exploratory study provides insights into which types of movements could be better suited to design mindful interventions to reduce stress for commuters, when to encourage such movements, and how best to guide them using noninvasive haptic stimuli embedded in the car seat. ©Pablo Enrique Paredes, Nur Al-Huda Hamdan, Dav Clark, Carrie Cai, Wendy Ju, James A Landay. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 04.12.2017.

Evaluating In-Car Movements in the Design of Mindful Commute Interventions: Exploratory Study

PubMed Central

Hamdan, Nur Al-Huda; Clark, Dav; Cai, Carrie; Ju, Wendy; Landay, James A

2017-01-01

Background The daily commute could be a right moment to teach drivers to use movement or breath towards improving their mental health. Long commutes, the relevance of transitioning from home to work, and vice versa and the privacy of commuting by car make the commute an ideal scenario and time to perform mindful exercises safely. Whereas driving safety is paramount, mindful exercises might help commuters decrease their daily stress while staying alert. Increasing vehicle automation may present new opportunities but also new challenges. Objective This study aimed to explore the design space for movement-based mindful interventions for commuters. We used qualitative analysis of simulated driving experiences in combination with simple movements to obtain key design insights. Methods We performed a semistructured viability assessment in 2 parts. First, a think-aloud technique was used to obtain information about a driving task. Drivers (N=12) were given simple instructions to complete movements (configural or breath-based) while engaged in either simple (highway) or complex (city) simulated urban driving tasks using autonomous and manual driving modes. Then, we performed a matching exercise where participants could experience vibrotactile patterns from the back of the car seat and map them to the prior movements. Results We report a summary of individual perceptions concerning different movements and vibrotactile patterns. Beside describing situations within a drive when it may be more likely to perform movement-based interventions, we also describe movements that may interfere with driving and those that may complement it well. Furthermore, we identify movements that could be conducive to a more relaxing commute and describe vibrotactile patterns that could guide such movements and exercises. We discuss implications for design such as the influence of driving modality on the adoption of movement, need for personal customization, the influence that social perception has on participants, and the potential role of prior awareness of mindful techniques in the adoption of new movement-based interventions. Conclusions This exploratory study provides insights into which types of movements could be better suited to design mindful interventions to reduce stress for commuters, when to encourage such movements, and how best to guide them using noninvasive haptic stimuli embedded in the car seat. PMID:29203458

Comparison of ArcGIS and SAS Geostatistical Analyst to Estimate Population-Weighted Monthly Temperature for US Counties.

PubMed

Xiaopeng, Q I; Liang, Wei; Barker, Laurie; Lekiachvili, Akaki; Xingyou, Zhang

Temperature changes are known to have significant impacts on human health. Accurate estimates of population-weighted average monthly air temperature for US counties are needed to evaluate temperature's association with health behaviours and disease, which are sampled or reported at the county level and measured on a monthly-or 30-day-basis. Most reported temperature estimates were calculated using ArcGIS, relatively few used SAS. We compared the performance of geostatistical models to estimate population-weighted average temperature in each month for counties in 48 states using ArcGIS v9.3 and SAS v 9.2 on a CITGO platform. Monthly average temperature for Jan-Dec 2007 and elevation from 5435 weather stations were used to estimate the temperature at county population centroids. County estimates were produced with elevation as a covariate. Performance of models was assessed by comparing adjusted R 2 , mean squared error, root mean squared error, and processing time. Prediction accuracy for split validation was above 90% for 11 months in ArcGIS and all 12 months in SAS. Cokriging in SAS achieved higher prediction accuracy and lower estimation bias as compared to cokriging in ArcGIS. County-level estimates produced by both packages were positively correlated (adjusted R 2 range=0.95 to 0.99); accuracy and precision improved with elevation as a covariate. Both methods from ArcGIS and SAS are reliable for U.S. county-level temperature estimates; However, ArcGIS's merits in spatial data pre-processing and processing time may be important considerations for software selection, especially for multi-year or multi-state projects.

Size and seasonal distributions of airborne bioaerosols in commuting trains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ya-Fen; Wang, Che-Hsu; Hsu, Kai-Lin

2010-11-01

Aerobiological studies in commuting trains in northern Taiwan were carried out from August, 2007 until July, 2008. Two six-stage (>7 μm, 4.7˜7 μm, 3.3˜4.7 μm, 2.1˜3.3 μm, 1.1˜2.1 μm, 0.65˜1.1 μm) cascade impactors of 400 orifices were used to collect viable bacteria and fungi, respectively. The levels of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2), formaldehyde (HCHO), temperature, and relative humidity in the commuting trains were also recorded during the sampling period. Results show that bacterial concentrations ranged from 25 to 1530 CFU m -3, and averaged 417 CFU m -3. The fungal concentrations ranged from 45 to 1906 CFU m -3, and averaged 413 CFU m -3. Additionally, the highest fractions occurred in the fifth stage (1.1˜2.1 μm) for both bacteria and fungi. The respirable fractions, Rb and Rf, for bacteria and fungi were 62.8% and 81.4%, respectively, which are higher than those in other studies. Furthermore, the bacterial concentration reached its highest level in autumn, and its lowest level in winter. However, the fungal concentration was highest in spring and lowest in winter. Though the total bacterial or fungal concentration did not exceed the recommendation standard in Taiwan, the relatively high respirable fraction in commuting trains probably implies a higher adverse health risk for sensitive commuters. This study further conducted multiple regression analysis to determine the relationship of various stage fractions of airborne bacteria and fungi with indoor air pollutants (CO and HCHO) and environmental parameters (CO 2, temperature, and relative humidity). The correlation coefficients of multiple regression analysis for total bacteria and fungi concentrations with indoor air pollutants and environmental parameters were 0.707 ( p < 0.00376) and 0.612 ( p < 0.00471), respectively. There are currently no formally regulated laws for indoor air quality (IAQ) in Taiwan, and this preliminary study can provide references to the Taiwan government on IAQ management.

Estimating Active Transportation Behaviors to Support Health Impact Assessment in the United States

PubMed Central

Mansfield, Theodore J.; Gibson, Jacqueline MacDonald

2016-01-01

Health impact assessment (HIA) has been promoted as a means to encourage transportation and city planners to incorporate health considerations into their decision-making. Ideally, HIAs would include quantitative estimates of the population health effects of alternative planning scenarios, such as scenarios with and without infrastructure to support walking and cycling. However, the lack of baseline estimates of time spent walking or biking for transportation (together known as “active transportation”), which are critically related to health, often prevents planners from developing such quantitative estimates. To address this gap, we use data from the 2009 US National Household Travel Survey to develop a statistical model that estimates baseline time spent walking and biking as a function of the type of transportation used to commute to work along with demographic and built environment variables. We validate the model using survey data from the Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill, NC, USA, metropolitan area. We illustrate how the validated model could be used to support transportation-related HIAs by estimating the potential health benefits of built environment modifications that support walking and cycling. Our statistical model estimates that on average, individuals who commute on foot spend an additional 19.8 (95% CI 16.9–23.2) minutes per day walking compared to automobile commuters. Public transit riders walk an additional 5.0 (95% CI 3.5–6.4) minutes per day compared to automobile commuters. Bicycle commuters cycle for an additional 28.0 (95% CI 17.5–38.1) minutes per day compared to automobile commuters. The statistical model was able to predict observed transportation physical activity in the Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill region to within 0.5 MET-hours per day (equivalent to about 9 min of daily walking time) for 83% of observations. Across the Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill region, an estimated 38 (95% CI 15–59) premature deaths potentially could be avoided if the entire population walked 37.4 min per week for transportation (the amount of transportation walking observed in previous US studies of walkable neighborhoods). The approach developed here is useful both for estimating baseline behaviors in transportation HIAs and for comparing the magnitude of risks associated with physical inactivity to other competing health risks in urban areas. PMID:27200327

Estimating Active Transportation Behaviors to Support Health Impact Assessment in the United States.

PubMed

Mansfield, Theodore J; Gibson, Jacqueline MacDonald

2016-01-01

Health impact assessment (HIA) has been promoted as a means to encourage transportation and city planners to incorporate health considerations into their decision-making. Ideally, HIAs would include quantitative estimates of the population health effects of alternative planning scenarios, such as scenarios with and without infrastructure to support walking and cycling. However, the lack of baseline estimates of time spent walking or biking for transportation (together known as "active transportation"), which are critically related to health, often prevents planners from developing such quantitative estimates. To address this gap, we use data from the 2009 US National Household Travel Survey to develop a statistical model that estimates baseline time spent walking and biking as a function of the type of transportation used to commute to work along with demographic and built environment variables. We validate the model using survey data from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, USA, metropolitan area. We illustrate how the validated model could be used to support transportation-related HIAs by estimating the potential health benefits of built environment modifications that support walking and cycling. Our statistical model estimates that on average, individuals who commute on foot spend an additional 19.8 (95% CI 16.9-23.2) minutes per day walking compared to automobile commuters. Public transit riders walk an additional 5.0 (95% CI 3.5-6.4) minutes per day compared to automobile commuters. Bicycle commuters cycle for an additional 28.0 (95% CI 17.5-38.1) minutes per day compared to automobile commuters. The statistical model was able to predict observed transportation physical activity in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill region to within 0.5 MET-hours per day (equivalent to about 9 min of daily walking time) for 83% of observations. Across the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill region, an estimated 38 (95% CI 15-59) premature deaths potentially could be avoided if the entire population walked 37.4 min per week for transportation (the amount of transportation walking observed in previous US studies of walkable neighborhoods). The approach developed here is useful both for estimating baseline behaviors in transportation HIAs and for comparing the magnitude of risks associated with physical inactivity to other competing health risks in urban areas.

Predictors of initiating and maintaining active commuting to work using transport and public health perspectives in Australia.

PubMed

Merom, Dafna; Miller, Yvette D; van der Ploeg, Hidde P; Bauman, Adrian

2008-09-01

To identify predictors for initiating and maintaining active commuting (AC) to work following the 2003 Australia's Walk to Work Day (WTWD) campaign. Pre- and post-campaign telephone surveys of a cohort of working age (18-65 years) adults (n=1100, 55% response rate). Two dependent campaign outcomes were assessed: initiating or maintaining AC (i.e., walk/cycle and public transport) on a single day (WTWD), and increasing or maintaining health-enhancing active commuting (HEAC) level (> or = 30 min/day) in a usual week following WTWD campaign. A significant population-level increase in HEAC (3.9%) was observed (McNemar's chi(2)=6.53, p=0.01) with 136 (19.0%) achieving HEAC at post campaign. High confidence in incorporating walking into commute, being active pre-campaign and younger age (<46years) were positively associated with both outcomes. The utility of AC for avoiding parking hassles (AOR=2.1, 95% CI: 1.2-3.6), for less expense (AOR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-3.1), for increasing one's health (AOR=2.5, 95% CI: 1.1-5.6) and for clean air (AOR=2.2, 95% CI: 1.0-4.4) predicted HEAC outcome whereas avoiding the stress of driving (AOR=2.6, 95% CI: 1.4-5.0) and the hassle of parking predicted the single-day AC. Transportation interventions targeting parking and costs could be further enhanced by emphasizing health benefits of AC. AC was less likely to occur among inactive employees.

49 CFR 37.89 - Remanufacture of intercity and commuter rail cars and purchase or lease of remanufactured...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Remanufacture of intercity and commuter rail cars and purchase or lease of remanufactured intercity and commuter rail cars. 37.89 Section 37.89... commuter rail cars and purchase or lease of remanufactured intercity and commuter rail cars. (a) This...

49 CFR 37.89 - Remanufacture of intercity and commuter rail cars and purchase or lease of remanufactured...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Remanufacture of intercity and commuter rail cars and purchase or lease of remanufactured intercity and commuter rail cars. 37.89 Section 37.89... commuter rail cars and purchase or lease of remanufactured intercity and commuter rail cars. (a) This...

Commuter Chronicle: An Effort to Enhance Commuter Communication in a Traditional Residential Campus Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henckler, Joyce D.

1982-01-01

In an effort to inform commuter students of services and programs on a regular basis, the University of Maine at Orono launched a campaign consisting of a newsletter and orientation sessions targeted directly at commuter students. The newsletter included topics of special interest to commuter students such as housing services, ridesharing, child…

Non-singular Brans-Dicke collapse in deformed phase space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasouli, S. M. M.; Ziaie, A. H.; Jalalzadeh, S.; Moniz, P. V.

2016-12-01

We study the collapse process of a homogeneous perfect fluid (in FLRW background) with a barotropic equation of state in Brans-Dicke (BD) theory in the presence of phase space deformation effects. Such a deformation is introduced as a particular type of non-commutativity between phase space coordinates. For the commutative case, it has been shown in the literature (Scheel, 1995), that the dust collapse in BD theory leads to the formation of a spacetime singularity which is covered by an event horizon. In comparison to general relativity (GR), the authors concluded that the final state of black holes in BD theory is identical to the GR case but differs from GR during the dynamical evolution of the collapse process. However, the presence of non-commutative effects influences the dynamics of the collapse scenario and consequently a non-singular evolution is developed in the sense that a bounce emerges at a minimum radius, after which an expanding phase begins. Such a behavior is observed for positive values of the BD coupling parameter. For large positive values of the BD coupling parameter, when non-commutative effects are present, the dynamics of collapse process differs from the GR case. Finally, we show that for negative values of the BD coupling parameter, the singularity is replaced by an oscillatory bounce occurring at a finite time, with the frequency of oscillation and amplitude being damped at late times.

Magnus integrators on multicore CPUs and GPUs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auer, N.; Einkemmer, L.; Kandolf, P.; Ostermann, A.

2018-07-01

In the present paper we consider numerical methods to solve the discrete Schrödinger equation with a time dependent Hamiltonian (motivated by problems encountered in the study of spin systems). We will consider both short-range interactions, which lead to evolution equations involving sparse matrices, and long-range interactions, which lead to dense matrices. Both of these settings show very different computational characteristics. We use Magnus integrators for time integration and employ a framework based on Leja interpolation to compute the resulting action of the matrix exponential. We consider both traditional Magnus integrators (which are extensively used for these types of problems in the literature) as well as the recently developed commutator-free Magnus integrators and implement them on modern CPU and GPU (graphics processing unit) based systems. We find that GPUs can yield a significant speed-up (up to a factor of 10 in the dense case) for these types of problems. In the sparse case GPUs are only advantageous for large problem sizes and the achieved speed-ups are more modest. In most cases the commutator-free variant is superior but especially on the GPU this advantage is rather small. In fact, none of the advantage of commutator-free methods on GPUs (and on multi-core CPUs) is due to the elimination of commutators. This has important consequences for the design of more efficient numerical methods.

Class 2 design update for the family of commuter airplanes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Creighton, Thomas R.; Hendrich, Louis J.

1987-01-01

This is the final report of seven on the design of a family of commuter airplanes. This design effort was performed in fulfillment of NASA/USRA grant NGT-8001. Its contents are as follows: (1) the class 1 baseline designs for the commuter airplane family; (2) a study of takeoff weight penalties imposed on the commuter family due to implementing commonality objectives; (3) component structural designs common to the commuter family; (4) details of the acquisition and operating economics of the commuter family, i.e., savings due to production commonality and handling qualities commonality are determined; (5) discussion of the selection of an advanced turboprop propulsion system for the family of commuter airplanes, and (6) a proposed design for an SSSA controller design to achieve similar handling for all airplanes. Final class 2 commuter airplane designs are also presented.

Personal exposure to fine particulate air pollution while commuting: An examination of six transport modes on an urban arterial roadway

PubMed Central

Sloan, Chantel D.; Cooper, Victoria C.; Robinson, Daniel R.; Hendrickson, Nathan R.; McCord, Tyler A.; Johnston, James D.

2017-01-01

Traffic-related air pollution in urban areas contributes significantly to commuters’ daily PM2.5 exposures, but varies widely depending on mode of commuting. To date, studies show conflicting results for PM2.5 exposures based on mode of commuting, and few studies compare multiple modes of transportation simultaneously along a common route, making inter-modal comparisons difficult. In this study, we examined breathing zone PM2.5 exposures for six different modes of commuting (bicycle, walking, driving with windows open and closed, bus, and light-rail train) simultaneously on a single 2.7 km (1.68 mile) arterial urban route in Salt Lake City, Utah (USA) during peak “rush hour” times. Using previously published minute ventilation rates, we estimated the inhaled dose and exposure rate for each mode of commuting. Mean PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 5.20 μg/m3 for driving with windows closed to 15.21 μg/m3 for driving with windows open. The estimated inhaled doses over the 2.7 km route were 6.83 μg for walking, 2.78 μg for cycling, 1.28 μg for light-rail train, 1.24 μg for driving with windows open, 1.23 μg for bus, and 0.32 μg for driving with windows closed. Similarly, the exposure rates were highest for cycling (18.0 μg/hr) and walking (16.8 μg/hr), and lowest for driving with windows closed (3.7 μg/hr). Our findings support previous studies showing that active commuters receive a greater PM2.5 dose and have higher rates of exposure than commuters using automobiles or public transportation. Our findings also support previous studies showing that driving with windows closed is protective against traffic-related PM2.5 exposure. PMID:29121096

The use of alternative pollutant metrics in time-series studies of ambient air pollution and respiratory emergency department visits.

PubMed

Darrow, Lyndsey A; Klein, Mitchel; Sarnat, Jeremy A; Mulholland, James A; Strickland, Matthew J; Sarnat, Stefanie E; Russell, Armistead G; Tolbert, Paige E

2011-01-01

Various temporal metrics of daily pollution levels have been used to examine the relationships between air pollutants and acute health outcomes. However, daily metrics of the same pollutant have rarely been systematically compared within a study. In this analysis, we describe the variability of effect estimates attributable to the use of different temporal metrics of daily pollution levels. We obtained hourly measurements of ambient particulate matter (PM₂.₅), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and ozone (O₃) from air monitoring networks in 20-county Atlanta for the time period 1993-2004. For each pollutant, we created (1) a daily 1-h maximum; (2) a 24-h average; (3) a commute average; (4) a daytime average; (5) a nighttime average; and (6) a daily 8-h maximum (only for O₃). Using Poisson generalized linear models, we examined associations between daily counts of respiratory emergency department visits and the previous day's pollutant metrics. Variability was greatest across O₃ metrics, with the 8-h maximum, 1-h maximum, and daytime metrics yielding strong positive associations and the nighttime O₃ metric yielding a negative association (likely reflecting confounding by air pollutants oxidized by O₃). With the exception of daytime metric, all of the CO and NO₂ metrics were positively associated with respiratory emergency department visits. Differences in observed associations with respiratory emergency room visits among temporal metrics of the same pollutant were influenced by the diurnal patterns of the pollutant, spatial representativeness of the metrics, and correlation between each metric and copollutant concentrations. Overall, the use of metrics based on the US National Ambient Air Quality Standards (for example, the use of a daily 8-h maximum O₃ as opposed to a 24-h average metric) was supported by this analysis. Comparative analysis of temporal metrics also provided insight into underlying relationships between specific air pollutants and respiratory health.

Changes in diagnosed diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity prevalence in US counties, 2004-2012

PubMed Central

Kirtland, Karen; Lin, Ji; Shrestha, Sundar; Thompson, Ted; Albright, Ann; Gregg, Edward W.

2017-01-01

Recent studies suggest that prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in the United States reached a plateau or slowed around 2008, and that this change coincided with obesity plateaus and increases in physical activity. However, national estimates can obscure important variations in geographic subgroups. We examine whether a slowing or leveling off in diagnosed diabetes, obesity, and leisure time physical inactivity prevalence is also evident across the 3143 counties of the United States. We used publicly available county estimates of the age-adjusted prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, obesity, and leisure-time physical inactivity, which were generated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Using a Bayesian multilevel regression that included random effects by county and year and applied cubic splines to smooth these estimates over time, we estimated the average annual percentage point change (APPC) from 2004 to 2008 and from 2008 to 2012 for diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity prevalence in each county. Compared to 2004–2008, the median APPCs for diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity were lower in 2008–2012 (diabetes APPC difference = 0.16, 95%CI 0.14, 0.18; obesity APPC difference = 0.65, 95%CI 0.59, 0.70; physical inactivity APPC difference = 0.43, 95%CI 0.37, 0.48). APPCs and APPC differences between time periods varied among counties and U.S. regions. Despite improvements, levels of these risk factors remained high with most counties merely slowing rather than reversing, which suggests that all counties would likely benefit from reductions in these risk factors. The diversity of trajectories in the prevalence of these risk factors across counties underscores the continued need to identify high risk areas and populations for preventive interventions. Awareness of how these factors are changing might assist local policy makers in targeting and tracking the impact of efforts to reduce diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity. PMID:28267760

Changes in diagnosed diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity prevalence in US counties, 2004-2012.

PubMed

Geiss, Linda S; Kirtland, Karen; Lin, Ji; Shrestha, Sundar; Thompson, Ted; Albright, Ann; Gregg, Edward W

2017-01-01

Recent studies suggest that prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in the United States reached a plateau or slowed around 2008, and that this change coincided with obesity plateaus and increases in physical activity. However, national estimates can obscure important variations in geographic subgroups. We examine whether a slowing or leveling off in diagnosed diabetes, obesity, and leisure time physical inactivity prevalence is also evident across the 3143 counties of the United States. We used publicly available county estimates of the age-adjusted prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, obesity, and leisure-time physical inactivity, which were generated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Using a Bayesian multilevel regression that included random effects by county and year and applied cubic splines to smooth these estimates over time, we estimated the average annual percentage point change (APPC) from 2004 to 2008 and from 2008 to 2012 for diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity prevalence in each county. Compared to 2004-2008, the median APPCs for diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity were lower in 2008-2012 (diabetes APPC difference = 0.16, 95%CI 0.14, 0.18; obesity APPC difference = 0.65, 95%CI 0.59, 0.70; physical inactivity APPC difference = 0.43, 95%CI 0.37, 0.48). APPCs and APPC differences between time periods varied among counties and U.S. regions. Despite improvements, levels of these risk factors remained high with most counties merely slowing rather than reversing, which suggests that all counties would likely benefit from reductions in these risk factors. The diversity of trajectories in the prevalence of these risk factors across counties underscores the continued need to identify high risk areas and populations for preventive interventions. Awareness of how these factors are changing might assist local policy makers in targeting and tracking the impact of efforts to reduce diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity.

Active Commuting: Workplace Health Promotion for Improved Employee Well-Being and Organizational Behavior

PubMed Central

Page, Nadine C.; Nilsson, Viktor O.

2017-01-01

Objective: This paper describes a behavior change intervention that encourages active commuting using electrically assisted bikes (e-bikes) for health promotion in the workplace. This paper presents the preliminary findings of the intervention’s impact on improving employee well-being and organizational behavior, as an indicator of potential business success. Method: Employees of a UK-based organization participated in a workplace travel behavior change intervention and used e-bikes as an active commuting mode; this was a change to their usual passive commuting behavior. The purpose of the intervention was to develop employee well-being and organizational behavior for improved business success. We explored the personal benefits and organizational co-benefits of active commuting and compared these to a travel-as-usual group of employees who did not change their behavior and continued taking non-active commutes. Results: Employees who changed their behavior to active commuting reported more positive affect, better physical health and more productive organizational behavior outcomes compared with passive commuters. In addition, there was an interactive effect of commuting mode and commuting distance: a more frequent active commute was positively associated with more productive organizational behavior and stronger overall positive employee well-being whereas a longer passive commute was associated with poorer well-being, although there was no impact on organizational behavior. Conclusion: This research provides emerging evidence of the value of an innovative workplace health promotion initiative focused on active commuting in protecting and improving employee well-being and organizational behavior for stronger business performance. It considers the significant opportunities for organizations pursuing improved workforce well-being, both in terms of employee health, and for improved organizational behavior and business success. PMID:28119640

Active Commuting: Workplace Health Promotion for Improved Employee Well-Being and Organizational Behavior.

PubMed

Page, Nadine C; Nilsson, Viktor O

2016-01-01

Objective: This paper describes a behavior change intervention that encourages active commuting using electrically assisted bikes (e-bikes) for health promotion in the workplace. This paper presents the preliminary findings of the intervention's impact on improving employee well-being and organizational behavior, as an indicator of potential business success. Method: Employees of a UK-based organization participated in a workplace travel behavior change intervention and used e-bikes as an active commuting mode; this was a change to their usual passive commuting behavior. The purpose of the intervention was to develop employee well-being and organizational behavior for improved business success. We explored the personal benefits and organizational co-benefits of active commuting and compared these to a travel-as-usual group of employees who did not change their behavior and continued taking non-active commutes. Results: Employees who changed their behavior to active commuting reported more positive affect, better physical health and more productive organizational behavior outcomes compared with passive commuters. In addition, there was an interactive effect of commuting mode and commuting distance: a more frequent active commute was positively associated with more productive organizational behavior and stronger overall positive employee well-being whereas a longer passive commute was associated with poorer well-being, although there was no impact on organizational behavior. Conclusion: This research provides emerging evidence of the value of an innovative workplace health promotion initiative focused on active commuting in protecting and improving employee well-being and organizational behavior for stronger business performance. It considers the significant opportunities for organizations pursuing improved workforce well-being, both in terms of employee health, and for improved organizational behavior and business success.

Stress management using UMTS cellular phones: a controlled trial.

PubMed

Riva, Giuseppe; Preziosa, Alessandra; Grassi, Alessandra; Villani, Daniela

2006-01-01

One of the best strategies for dealing with stress is learning how to relax. However, relaxing is difficult to achieve in typical real world situations. For this study, we developed a specific protocol based on mobile narratives - multimedia narratives experienced on UMTS/3G phones - to help workers in reducing commuting stress. In a controlled trial 33 commuters were randomly divided between three conditions: Mobile narratives (MN); New age music and videos (NA); no treatment (CT). In two consecutive days the MN and NA samples experienced during their commute trip 2 x 2 6-minute multimedia experiences on a Motorola A925 3G phone provided by the "TRE" Italian UMTS carrier: the MN sample experienced a mobile narrative based on the exploration of a desert beach; the NA sample experienced a commercial new age video with similar visual contents. The trials showed the efficacy of mobile narratives in reducing the level of stress experienced during a commute trip. No effects were found in the other groups. These results suggest that 3G mobile handsets may be used as relaxation tool if backed by a specific therapeutic protocol and meaningful narratives.

Indoor-Air Microbiome in an Urban Subway Network: Diversity and Dynamics

PubMed Central

Leung, Marcus H. Y.; Wilkins, David; Li, Ellen K. T.; Kong, Fred K. F.

2014-01-01

Subway systems are indispensable for urban societies, but microbiological characteristics of subway aerosols are relatively unknown. Previous studies investigating microbial compositions in subways employed methodologies that underestimated the diversity of microbial exposure for commuters, with little focus on factors governing subway air microbiology, which may have public health implications. Here, a culture-independent approach unraveling the bacterial diversity within the urban subway network in Hong Kong is presented. Aerosol samples from multiple subway lines and outdoor locations were collected. Targeting the 16S rRNA gene V4 region, extensive taxonomic diversity was found, with the most common bacterial genera in the subway environment among those associated with skin. Overall, subway lines harbored different phylogenetic communities based on α- and β-diversity comparisons, and closer inspection suggests that each community within a line is dependent on architectural characteristics, nearby outdoor microbiomes, and connectedness with other lines. Microbial diversities and assemblages also varied depending on the day sampled, as well as the time of day, and changes in microbial communities between peak and nonpeak commuting hours were attributed largely to increases in skin-associated genera in peak samples. Microbial diversities within the subway were influenced by temperature and relative humidity, while carbon dioxide levels showed a positive correlation with abundances of commuter-associated genera. This Hong Kong data set and communities from previous studies conducted in the United States formed distinct community clusters, indicating that additional work is required to unravel the mechanisms that shape subway microbiomes around the globe. PMID:25172855

A dynamic parking charge optimal control model under perspective of commuters' evolutionary game behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, XuXun; Yuan, PengCheng

2018-01-01

In this research we consider commuters' dynamic learning effect by modeling the trip mode choice behavior from a new perspective of dynamic evolutionary game theory. We explore the behavior pattern of different types of commuters and study the evolution path and equilibrium properties under different traffic conditions. We further establish a dynamic parking charge optimal control (referred to as DPCOC) model to alter commuters' trip mode choice while minimizing the total social cost. Numerical tests show. (1) Under fixed parking fee policy, the evolutionary results are completely decided by the travel time and the only method for public transit induction is to increase the parking charge price. (2) Compared with fixed parking fee policy, DPCOC policy proposed in this research has several advantages. Firstly, it can effectively turn the evolutionary path and evolutionary stable strategy to a better situation while minimizing the total social cost. Secondly, it can reduce the sensitivity of trip mode choice behavior to traffic congestion and improve the ability to resist interferences and emergencies. Thirdly, it is able to control the private car proportion to a stable state and make the trip behavior more predictable for the transportation management department. The research results can provide theoretical basis and decision-making references for commuters' mode choice prediction, dynamic setting of urban parking charge prices and public transit induction.

Quantum Gibbs Samplers: The Commuting Case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kastoryano, Michael J.; Brandão, Fernando G. S. L.

2016-06-01

We analyze the problem of preparing quantum Gibbs states of lattice spin Hamiltonians with local and commuting terms on a quantum computer and in nature. Our central result is an equivalence between the behavior of correlations in the Gibbs state and the mixing time of the semigroup which drives the system to thermal equilibrium (the Gibbs sampler). We introduce a framework for analyzing the correlation and mixing properties of quantum Gibbs states and quantum Gibbs samplers, which is rooted in the theory of non-commutative {mathbb{L}_p} spaces. We consider two distinct classes of Gibbs samplers, one of them being the well-studied Davies generator modelling the dynamics of a system due to weak-coupling with a large Markovian environment. We show that their spectral gap is independent of system size if, and only if, a certain strong form of clustering of correlations holds in the Gibbs state. Therefore every Gibbs state of a commuting Hamiltonian that satisfies clustering of correlations in this strong sense can be prepared efficiently on a quantum computer. As concrete applications of our formalism, we show that for every one-dimensional lattice system, or for systems in lattices of any dimension at temperatures above a certain threshold, the Gibbs samplers of commuting Hamiltonians are always gapped, giving an efficient way of preparing the associated Gibbs states on a quantum computer.

The relationship between bicycle commuting and perceived stress: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Avila-Palencia, Ione; de Nazelle, Audrey; Cole-Hunter, Tom; Donaire-Gonzalez, David; Jerrett, Michael; Rodriguez, Daniel A; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J

2017-01-01

Introduction Active commuting — walking and bicycling for travel to and/or from work or educational addresses — may facilitate daily, routine physical activity. Several studies have investigated the relationship between active commuting and commuting stress; however, there are no studies examining the relationship between solely bicycle commuting and perceived stress, or studies that account for environmental determinants of bicycle commuting and stress. The current study evaluated the relationship between bicycle commuting, among working or studying adults in a dense urban setting, and perceived stress. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed with 788 adults who regularly travelled to work or study locations (excluding those who only commuted on foot) in Barcelona, Spain. Participants responded to a comprehensive telephone survey concerning their travel behaviour from June 2011 through to May 2012. Participants were categorised as either bicycle commuters or non-bicycle commuters, and (based on the Perceived Stress Scale, PSS-4) as either stressed or non-stressed. Multivariate Poisson regression with robust variance models of stress status based on exposures with bicycle commuting were estimated and adjusted for potential confounders. Results Bicycle commuters had significantly lower risk of being stressed than non-bicycle commuters (Relative Risk; RR (95% CI)=0.73 (0.60 to 0.89), p=0.001). Bicycle commuters who bicycled 4 days per week (RR (95% CI)=0.42 (0.24 to 0.73), p=0.002) and those who bicycled 5 or more days per week (RR (95% CI)=0.57 (0.42 to 0.77), p<0.001) had lower risk of being stressed than those who bicycled less than 4 days. This relationship remained statistically significant after adjusting for individual and environmental confounders and when using different cut-offs of perceived stress. Conclusions Stress reduction may be an important consequence of routine bicycle use and should be considered by decision makers as another potential benefit of its promotion. PMID:28645948

Sleep inertia associated with a 10-min nap before the commute home following a night shift: A laboratory simulation study.

PubMed

Hilditch, Cassie J; Dorrian, Jillian; Centofanti, Stephanie A; Van Dongen, Hans P; Banks, Siobhan

2017-02-01

Night shift workers are at risk of road accidents due to sleepiness on the commute home. A brief nap at the end of the night shift, before the commute, may serve as a sleepiness countermeasure. However, there is potential for sleep inertia, i.e. transient impairment immediately after awakening from the nap. We investigated whether sleep inertia diminishes the effectiveness of napping as a sleepiness countermeasure before a simulated commute after a simulated night shift. N=21 healthy subjects (aged 21-35 y; 12 females) participated in a 3-day laboratory study. After a baseline night, subjects were kept awake for 27h for a simulated night shift. They were randomised to either receive a 10-min nap ending at 04:00 plus a 10-min pre-drive nap ending at 07:10 (10-NAP) or total sleep deprivation (NO-NAP). A 40-min York highway driving task was performed at 07:15 to simulate the commute. A 3-min psychomotor vigilance test (PVT-B) and the Samn-Perelli Fatigue Scale (SP-Fatigue) were administered at 06:30 (pre-nap), 07:12 (post-nap), and 07:55 (post-drive). In the 10-NAP condition, total pre-drive nap sleep time was 9.1±1.2min (mean±SD), with 1.3±1.9min spent in slow wave sleep, as determined polysomnographically. There was no difference between conditions in PVT-B performance at 06:30 (before the nap). In the 10-NAP condition, PVT-B performance was worse after the nap (07:12) compared to before the nap (06:30); no change across time was found in the NO-NAP condition. There was no significant difference between conditions in PVT-B performance after the drive. SP-Fatigue and driving performance did not differ significantly between conditions. In conclusion, the pre-drive nap showed objective, but not subjective, evidence of sleep inertia immediately after awakening. The 10-min nap did not affect driving performance during the simulated commute home, and was not effective as a sleepiness countermeasure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applying PWM to control overcurrents at unbalanced faults of force-commutated VSCs used as static var compensators

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

Jiang, Y.; Ekstroem, A.

1997-01-01

This study is devoted to investigating the possibility of controlling the overcurrent of a forced-commutated voltage source converter (VSC) by PWM when the ac system is undergoing large unbalanced disturbance. The converter is supposed to be used as a static var compensator at a high power level. A novel control strategy is proposed for controlling the reactive current and the dc side voltage independently. Digital simulation results are presented and compared with the results by using just the reactive current control with fundamental switching frequency.

Commutated automatic gain control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yost, S. R.

1982-01-01

The commutated automatic gain control (AGC) system was designed and built for the prototype Loran-C receiver is discussed. The current version of the prototype receiver, the Mini L-80, was tested initially in 1980. The receiver uses a super jolt microcomputer to control a memory aided phase loop (MAPLL). The microcomputer also controls the input/output, latitude/longitude conversion, and the recently added AGC system. The AGC control adjusts the level of each station signal, such that the early portion of each envelope rise is about at the same amplitude in the receiver envelope detector.

Analyses of school commuting data for exposure modeling purposes.

PubMed

Xue, Jianping; McCurdy, Thomas; Burke, Janet; Bhaduri, Budhendra; Liu, Cheng; Nutaro, James; Patterson, Lauren

2010-01-01

Human exposure models often make the simplifying assumption that school children attend school in the same census tract where they live. This paper analyzes that assumption and provides information on the temporal and spatial distributions associated with school commuting. The data were obtained using Oak Ridge National Laboratory's LandScan USA population distribution model applied to Philadelphia, PA. It is a high-resolution model used to allocate individual school-aged children to both a home and school location, and to devise a minimum-time home-to-school commuting path (called a trace) between the two locations. LandScan relies heavily on Geographic Information System (GIS) data. With respect to school children attending school in their home census tract, the vast majority does not in Philadelphia. Our analyses found that: (1) about 32% of the students walk across two or more census tracts going to school and 40% of them walk across four or more census blocks; and (2) 60% drive across four or more census tracts going to school and 50% drive across 10 or more census blocks. We also find that: (3) using a 5-min commuting time interval - as opposed to the modeled "trace" - results in misclassifying the "actual" path taken in 90% of the census blocks, 70% of the block groups, and 50% of the tracts; (4) a 1-min time interval is needed to reasonably resolve time spent in the various census unit designations; and (5) approximately 50% of both the homes and schools of Philadelphia school children are located within 160 m of highly traveled roads, and 64% of the schools are located within 200 m. These findings are very important when modeling school children's exposures, especially, when ascertaining the impacts of near-roadway concentrations on their total daily body burden. As many school children also travel along these streets and roadways to get to school, a majority of children in Philadelphia are in mobile source-dominated locations most of the day. We hypothesize that exposures of school children in Philadelphia to benzene and particulate matter will be much higher than if home and school locations and commuting paths at a 1-min time resolution are not explicitly modeled in an exposure assessment. Undertaking such an assessment will be the topic of a future paper.

14 CFR 23.201 - Wings level stall.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Wings level stall. 23.201 Section 23.201... STANDARDS: NORMAL, UTILITY, ACROBATIC, AND COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Flight Stalls § 23.201 Wings level... airplane stalls. (b) The wings level stall characteristics must be demonstrated in flight as follows...

PM2.5 Population Exposure in New Delhi Using a Probabilistic Simulation Framework.

PubMed

Saraswat, Arvind; Kandlikar, Milind; Brauer, Michael; Srivastava, Arun

2016-03-15

This paper presents a Geographical Information System (GIS) based probabilistic simulation framework to estimate PM2.5 population exposure in New Delhi, India. The framework integrates PM2.5 output from spatiotemporal LUR models and trip distribution data using a Gravity model based on zonal data for population, employment and enrollment in educational institutions. Time-activity patterns were derived from a survey of randomly sampled individuals (n = 1012) and in-vehicle exposure was estimated using microenvironmental monitoring data based on field measurements. We simulated population exposure for three different scenarios to capture stay-at-home populations (Scenario 1), working population exposed to near-road concentrations during commutes (Scenario 2), and the working population exposed to on-road concentrations during commutes (Scenario 3). Simulated annual average levels of PM2.5 exposure across the entire city were very high, and particularly severe in the winter months: ∼200 μg m(-3) in November, roughly four times higher compared to the lower levels in the monsoon season. Mean annual exposures ranged from 109 μg m(-3) (IQR: 97-120 μg m(-3)) for Scenario 1, to 121 μg m(-3) (IQR: 110-131 μg m(-3)), and 125 μg m(-3) (IQR: 114-136 μ gm(-3)) for Scenarios 2 and 3 respectively. Ignoring the effects of mobility causes the average annual PM2.5 population exposure to be underestimated by only 11%.

MRI-related magnetic field exposures and risk of commuting accidents - A cross-sectional survey among Dutch imaging technicians.

PubMed

Huss, Anke; Schaap, Kristel; Kromhout, Hans

2017-07-01

Imaging technicians working with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may experience acute effects such as vertigo or dizziness when being exposed. A previous study also reported an increased risk of accidents in MRI exposed staff. We aimed at evaluating commuting accident risk in Dutch imaging technicians. Of invited imaging technicians, 490 (29%) filled in a questionnaire pertaining to (near) accidents when driving or riding a bike, health, lifestyle and work practices. We used logistic regression to evaluate the association between exposure to MRI-related electromagnetic fields and risk of commuting (near) accidents in the year prior to the survey, adjusted for a range of potential confounders. Our cross-sectional study indicated an increased risk of (near) accidents if imaging technicians had worked with MRI in the year prior to the survey (odds ratio OR 2.13, 95%CI 1.23-3.69). Risks were higher in persons who worked with MRI more often (OR 2.32, 95%CI 1.25-4.31) compared to persons who worked sometimes with MRI (OR 1.91, 95%CI 0.98-3.72), and higher in those who had likely experienced higher peak exposures to static and time-varying magnetic fields (OR 2.18, 95%CI 1.06-4.48). The effect was seen on commuting accidents that had occurred on the commute from home to work as well as accidents from work to home or elsewhere. Imaging technicians working with MRI scanners may be at an increased risk of commuting (near) accidents. This result needs confirmation and potential risks for other groups (volunteers, patients) should be investigated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

US County-Level Trends in Mortality Rates for Major Causes of Death, 1980-2014.

PubMed

Dwyer-Lindgren, Laura; Bertozzi-Villa, Amelia; Stubbs, Rebecca W; Morozoff, Chloe; Kutz, Michael J; Huynh, Chantal; Barber, Ryan M; Shackelford, Katya A; Mackenbach, Johan P; van Lenthe, Frank J; Flaxman, Abraham D; Naghavi, Mohsen; Mokdad, Ali H; Murray, Christopher J L

2016-12-13

County-level patterns in mortality rates by cause have not been systematically described but are potentially useful for public health officials, clinicians, and researchers seeking to improve health and reduce geographic disparities. To demonstrate the use of a novel method for county-level estimation and to estimate annual mortality rates by US county for 21 mutually exclusive causes of death from 1980 through 2014. Redistribution methods for garbage codes (implausible or insufficiently specific cause of death codes) and small area estimation methods (statistical methods for estimating rates in small subpopulations) were applied to death registration data from the National Vital Statistics System to estimate annual county-level mortality rates for 21 causes of death. These estimates were raked (scaled along multiple dimensions) to ensure consistency between causes and with existing national-level estimates. Geographic patterns in the age-standardized mortality rates in 2014 and in the change in the age-standardized mortality rates between 1980 and 2014 for the 10 highest-burden causes were determined. County of residence. Cause-specific age-standardized mortality rates. A total of 80 412 524 deaths were recorded from January 1, 1980, through December 31, 2014, in the United States. Of these, 19.4 million deaths were assigned garbage codes. Mortality rates were analyzed for 3110 counties or groups of counties. Large between-county disparities were evident for every cause, with the gap in age-standardized mortality rates between counties in the 90th and 10th percentiles varying from 14.0 deaths per 100 000 population (cirrhosis and chronic liver diseases) to 147.0 deaths per 100 000 population (cardiovascular diseases). Geographic regions with elevated mortality rates differed among causes: for example, cardiovascular disease mortality tended to be highest along the southern half of the Mississippi River, while mortality rates from self-harm and interpersonal violence were elevated in southwestern counties, and mortality rates from chronic respiratory disease were highest in counties in eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia. Counties also varied widely in terms of the change in cause-specific mortality rates between 1980 and 2014. For most causes (eg, neoplasms, neurological disorders, and self-harm and interpersonal violence), both increases and decreases in county-level mortality rates were observed. In this analysis of US cause-specific county-level mortality rates from 1980 through 2014, there were large between-county differences for every cause of death, although geographic patterns varied substantially by cause of death. The approach to county-level analyses with small area models used in this study has the potential to provide novel insights into US disease-specific mortality time trends and their differences across geographic regions.

Comparison of ArcGIS and SAS Geostatistical Analyst to Estimate Population-Weighted Monthly Temperature for US Counties

PubMed Central

Xiaopeng, QI; Liang, WEI; BARKER, Laurie; LEKIACHVILI, Akaki; Xingyou, ZHANG

2015-01-01

Temperature changes are known to have significant impacts on human health. Accurate estimates of population-weighted average monthly air temperature for US counties are needed to evaluate temperature’s association with health behaviours and disease, which are sampled or reported at the county level and measured on a monthly—or 30-day—basis. Most reported temperature estimates were calculated using ArcGIS, relatively few used SAS. We compared the performance of geostatistical models to estimate population-weighted average temperature in each month for counties in 48 states using ArcGIS v9.3 and SAS v 9.2 on a CITGO platform. Monthly average temperature for Jan-Dec 2007 and elevation from 5435 weather stations were used to estimate the temperature at county population centroids. County estimates were produced with elevation as a covariate. Performance of models was assessed by comparing adjusted R2, mean squared error, root mean squared error, and processing time. Prediction accuracy for split validation was above 90% for 11 months in ArcGIS and all 12 months in SAS. Cokriging in SAS achieved higher prediction accuracy and lower estimation bias as compared to cokriging in ArcGIS. County-level estimates produced by both packages were positively correlated (adjusted R2 range=0.95 to 0.99); accuracy and precision improved with elevation as a covariate. Both methods from ArcGIS and SAS are reliable for U.S. county-level temperature estimates; However, ArcGIS’s merits in spatial data pre-processing and processing time may be important considerations for software selection, especially for multi-year or multi-state projects. PMID:26167169

Forecasting weed distributions using climate data: a GIS early warning tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Holcombe, Tracy R.; Barnett, David T.; Stohlgren, Thomas J.; Kartesz, John T.

2010-01-01

The number of invasive exotic plant species establishing in the United States is continuing to rise. When prevention of exotic species from entering into a country fails at the national level and the species establishes, reproduces, spreads, and becomes invasive, the most successful action at a local level is early detection followed eradication. We have developed a simple geographic information system (GIS) analysis for developing watch lists for early detection of invasive exotic plants that relies upon currently available species distribution data coupled with environmental data to aid in describing coarse-scale potential distributions. This GIS analysis tool develops environmental envelopes for species based upon the known distribution of a species thought to be invasive and represents the first approximation of its potential habitat while the necessary data are collected to perform more in­-depth analyses. To validate this method we looked at a time series of species distributions for 66 species in Pacific Northwest, and northern Rocky Mountain counties. The time series analysis presented here did select counties that the invasive exotic weeds invaded in subsequent years, showing that this technique could be useful in developing watch lists for the spread of particular exotic species. We applied this same habitat-matching model based upon bioclimaric envelopes to 100 invasive exotics with various levels of known distributions within continental U.S. counties. For species with climatically limited distributions, county watch lists describe county-specific vulnerability to invasion. Species with matching habitats in a county would be added to that county's list. These watch lists can influence management decisions for early warning, control prioritization, and targeted research to determine specific locations within vulnerable counties. This tool provides useful information for rapid assessment of the potential distribution based upon climate envelopes of current distributions for new invasive exotic species.

Network structure and travel time perception.

PubMed

Parthasarathi, Pavithra; Levinson, David; Hochmair, Hartwig

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research is to test the systematic variation in the perception of travel time among travelers and relate the variation to the underlying street network structure. Travel survey data from the Twin Cities metropolitan area (which includes the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul) is used for the analysis. Travelers are classified into two groups based on the ratio of perceived and estimated commute travel time. The measures of network structure are estimated using the street network along the identified commute route. T-test comparisons are conducted to identify statistically significant differences in estimated network measures between the two traveler groups. The combined effect of these estimated network measures on travel time is then analyzed using regression models. The results from the t-test and regression analyses confirm the influence of the underlying network structure on the perception of travel time.

A national survey of commuter rail policy.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-09-22

The research project will provided a detailed survey of the history and effectiveness of commuter rail policy in the United States. It will examine the means by which commuter rail policy is locally modified and re-employed in subsequent commuter rai...

Accident report of Chicago Metra commuter train derailment on September 17, 2005.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-10-01

On Saturday, September 17, 2005, Metra commuter train 504 was heading north from Joliet to Chicago on the Rock Island District Line operated by the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation, which is the commuter rail system that serv...

Commuter choice primer : an employer's guide to implementing effective commuter choice programs

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-01-01

The Commuter Choice Primer is intended to be a concise, user-friendly reference guide for employers and transportation professionals to developing and implementing worksite commuter choice programs. It is available on-line in both HTML and PDF format...

The Strathclyde Evaluation of Children's Active Travel (SE-CAT): study rationale and methods.

PubMed

McMinn, David; Rowe, David A; Murtagh, Shemane; Nelson, Norah M

2011-12-30

The school commute is a prime opportunity to increase children's physical activity levels. However, active commuting has decreased over the past 40 years. Strategies that increase walking to school are therefore needed. Travelling Green (TG) is a school-based active travel resource aimed at increasing children's walking to school. The resource consists of a curriculum-based program of lessons and goal setting activities. A previous study found that children who received the TG intervention increased self-reported distance travelled to school by active modes and reduced the distance travelled by inactive modes. This study was limited by self-reported outcome measures, a small sample, and no follow-up measures. A more robust evaluation of TG is required to address these limitations. This paper describes the rationale and methods for such an evaluation of Travelling Green, and describes the piloting of various active commuting measures in primary school children. Measures of active commuting were piloted in a sample of 26 children (aged 8-9 years) over one school week. These measures were subsequently used in an 18-month quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effect of TG on commuting behaviour. Participants were 166 children (60% male) aged 8-9 years from 5 primary schools. Two schools (n = 79 children) received TG in September/October 2009. Three schools (n = 87 children) acted as a comparison group, and subsequently received TG at a later date. Physical activity was measured using Actigraph GT1M accelerometers. Personal and environmental determinants of active commuting were measured via parent and child questionnaires, as were factors related to the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the construct of habit. Measures were taken pre- and post-intervention and at 5 and 12 months follow-up. The piloted protocol was practical and feasible and piloted measures were reliable and valid. All study data, including 5 and 12 month follow-up, have been collected and processed. Data analysis is ongoing. Results will indicate whether TG successfully increases active commuting in a sample of Scottish school children and will inform future efforts in school active travel promotion.

The Strathclyde Evaluation of Children's Active Travel (SE-CAT): study rationale and methods

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The school commute is a prime opportunity to increase children's physical activity levels. However, active commuting has decreased over the past 40 years. Strategies that increase walking to school are therefore needed. Travelling Green (TG) is a school-based active travel resource aimed at increasing children's walking to school. The resource consists of a curriculum-based program of lessons and goal setting activities. A previous study found that children who received the TG intervention increased self-reported distance travelled to school by active modes and reduced the distance travelled by inactive modes. This study was limited by self-reported outcome measures, a small sample, and no follow-up measures. A more robust evaluation of TG is required to address these limitations. This paper describes the rationale and methods for such an evaluation of Travelling Green, and describes the piloting of various active commuting measures in primary school children. Methods/Design Measures of active commuting were piloted in a sample of 26 children (aged 8-9 years) over one school week. These measures were subsequently used in an 18-month quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effect of TG on commuting behaviour. Participants were 166 children (60% male) aged 8-9 years from 5 primary schools. Two schools (n = 79 children) received TG in September/October 2009. Three schools (n = 87 children) acted as a comparison group, and subsequently received TG at a later date. Physical activity was measured using Actigraph GT1M accelerometers. Personal and environmental determinants of active commuting were measured via parent and child questionnaires, as were factors related to the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the construct of habit. Measures were taken pre- and post-intervention and at 5 and 12 months follow-up. Discussion The piloted protocol was practical and feasible and piloted measures were reliable and valid. All study data, including 5 and 12 month follow-up, have been collected and processed. Data analysis is ongoing. Results will indicate whether TG successfully increases active commuting in a sample of Scottish school children and will inform future efforts in school active travel promotion. PMID:22208498

Parental perceptions of barriers to active commuting to school in Spanish children and adolescents.

PubMed

Huertas-Delgado, Francisco Javier; Herrador-Colmenero, Manuel; Villa-González, Emilio; Aranda-Balboa, María Jesús; Cáceres, María Victoria; Mandic, Sandra; Chillón, Palma

2017-06-01

: Understanding parental barriers is crucial to promote active commuting to school since the parental perceptions influence how young people commute. This study examined parental barriers to active commuting to school among Spanish children and adolescents, and their association with their gender and the usual mode of commuting. Parents of children ( n = 628) and parents of adolescents ( n = 151) from Granada (Spain) completed a paper-based questionnaire about perceived parental barriers to active commuting to school and mode of commuting. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test. Among Spanish parents, the most common barriers reported by parents of children were traffic volume and dangerous intersections, whereas the most frequent barriers reported by parents of adolescents were distance to school and dangerous intersections. Compared to parents of children, a greater proportion of parents of adolescents reported distance to school and crime and smaller proportion reported traffic volume as barriers to active commuting to school. Among parents of children, crime was a more commonly reported as a barrier by parents of girls. Although some barriers reported by parents of passive commuters were similar for children and adolescents (such as distance to school and absence of a policeman at crosswalks), other barriers were specific to parents of children. The main parental barriers to active commuting in children were traffic volume and dangerous intersections whereas for adolescents were distance and dangerous intersections. Among Spanish parents, parental barriers to active commuting are influenced by children's age, gender and mode of commuting to school. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Towards a differentiated understanding of active travel behaviour: using social theory to explore everyday commuting.

PubMed

Guell, C; Panter, J; Jones, N R; Ogilvie, D

2012-07-01

Fostering physical activity is an established public health priority for the primary prevention of a variety of chronic diseases. One promising population approach is to seek to embed physical activity in everyday lives by promoting walking and cycling to and from work ('active commuting') as an alternative to driving. Predominantly quantitative epidemiological studies have investigated travel behaviours, their determinants and how they may be changed towards more active choices. This study aimed to depart from narrow behavioural approaches to travel and investigate the social context of commuting with qualitative social research methods. Within a social practice theory framework, we explored how people describe their commuting experiences and make commuting decisions, and how travel behaviour is embedded in and shaped by commuters' complex social worlds. Forty-nine semi-structured interviews and eighteen photo-elicitation interviews with accompanying field notes were conducted with a subset of the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study cohort, based in the UK. The findings are discussed in terms of three particularly pertinent facets of the commuting experience. Firstly, choice and decisions are shaped by the constantly changing and fluid nature of commuters' social worlds. Secondly, participants express ambiguities in relation to their reasoning, ambitions and identities as commuters. Finally, commuting needs to be understood as an embodied and emotional practice. With this in mind, we suggest that everyday decision-making in commuting requires the tactical negotiation of these complexities. This study can help to explain the limitations of more quantitative and static models and frameworks in predicting travel behaviour and identify future research directions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In-vehicle carbon dioxide concentration in commuting cars in Bangkok, Thailand.

PubMed

Luangprasert, Maytat; Vasithamrong, Chainarin; Pongratananukul, Suphasit; Chantranuwathana, Sunhapos; Pumrin, Suree; De Silva, I P D

2017-05-01

It is known that in-vehicle carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration tends to increase due to occupant exhalation when the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) air is in recirculation mode. Field experiments were conducted to measure CO 2 concentration during typical commute in Bangkok, Thailand. The measured concentrations agreed with the concentration predicted using first-order mass balance equation, in both recirculating and outside air modes. The long-term transient decay of the concentration when the vehicle was parked and the HVAC system was turned off was also studied. This decay was found to follow Fickian diffusion process. The paper also provides useful operational details of the automotive HVAC system and fresh air ventilation exchange between cabin interior and exterior. Drivers in tropical Asian countries typically use HVAC recirculation mode in their automobiles. This behavior leads to excessive buildup of cabin CO 2 concentration levels. The paper describes the CO 2 buildup in a typical commute in Bangkok, Thailand. Auto manufacturers can potentially take measures to alleviate such high concentration levels. The paper also discusses the diffusion of CO 2 through the vehicle envelope, an area that has never been investigated before.

Reducing employee travelling time through smart commuting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, A. N. N. A.; Yusoff, Z. M.; Aziz, I. S.; Omar, D.

2014-02-01

Extremely congested roads will definitely delay the arrival time of each trip.This certainly impacted the journey of employees. Tardiness at the workplace has become a perturbing issue for companies where traffic jams are the most common worker excuses. A depressing consequence on daily life and productivity of the employee occurs. The issues of commuting distance between workplace and resident area become the core point of this research. This research will emphasize the use of Geographical Information System (GIS) technique to explore the distance parameter to the employment area and will focus on the accessibility pattern of low-cost housing. The research methodology consists of interview sessions and a questionnaire to residents of low-cost housing areas in Melaka Tengah District in Malaysia. The combination of these processes will show the criteria from the selected parameter for each respondent from their resident area to the employment area. This will further help in the recommendation of several options for a better commute or improvement to the existing routes and public transportations system. Thus enhancing quality of life for employees and helping to reduce stress, decrease lateness, absenteeism and improving productivity in workplace.

14 CFR 135.398 - Commuter category airplanes performance operating limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Commuter category airplanes performance... ON BOARD SUCH AIRCRAFT Airplane Performance Operating Limitations § 135.398 Commuter category airplanes performance operating limitations. (a) No person may operate a commuter category airplane unless...

14 CFR 135.398 - Commuter category airplanes performance operating limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Commuter category airplanes performance... ON BOARD SUCH AIRCRAFT Airplane Performance Operating Limitations § 135.398 Commuter category airplanes performance operating limitations. (a) No person may operate a commuter category airplane unless...

14 CFR 135.398 - Commuter category airplanes performance operating limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Commuter category airplanes performance... ON BOARD SUCH AIRCRAFT Airplane Performance Operating Limitations § 135.398 Commuter category airplanes performance operating limitations. (a) No person may operate a commuter category airplane unless...

The relationship between bicycle commuting and perceived stress: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Avila-Palencia, Ione; de Nazelle, Audrey; Cole-Hunter, Tom; Donaire-Gonzalez, David; Jerrett, Michael; Rodriguez, Daniel A; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J

2017-06-23

Active commuting - walking and bicycling for travel to and/or from work or educational addresses - may facilitate daily, routine physical activity. Several studies have investigated the relationship between active commuting and commuting stress; however, there are no studies examining the relationship between solely bicycle commuting and perceived stress, or studies that account for environmental determinants of bicycle commuting and stress. The current study evaluated the relationship between bicycle commuting, among working or studying adults in a dense urban setting, and perceived stress. A cross-sectional study was performed with 788 adults who regularly travelled to work or study locations (excluding those who only commuted on foot) in Barcelona, Spain. Participants responded to a comprehensive telephone survey concerning their travel behaviour from June 2011 through to May 2012. Participants were categorised as either bicycle commuters or non-bicycle commuters, and (based on the Perceived Stress Scale, PSS-4) as either stressed or non-stressed. Multivariate Poisson regression with robust variance models of stress status based on exposures with bicycle commuting were estimated and adjusted for potential confounders. Bicycle commuters had significantly lower risk of being stressed than non-bicycle commuters (Relative Risk; RR (95% CI)=0.73 (0.60 to 0.89), p=0.001). Bicycle commuters who bicycled 4 days per week (RR (95% CI)=0.42 (0.24 to 0.73), p=0.002) and those who bicycled 5 or more days per week (RR (95% CI)=0.57 (0.42 to 0.77), p<0.001) had lower risk of being stressed than those who bicycled less than 4 days. This relationship remained statistically significant after adjusting for individual and environmental confounders and when using different cut-offs of perceived stress. Stress reduction may be an important consequence of routine bicycle use and should be considered by decision makers as another potential benefit of its promotion. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Chemiluminometric determination of phenothiazines by means of a combined multi-commutated/multi-pumped flow assembly.

PubMed

Halaburda, P; Mateo, J V García

2012-07-15

A rapid, sensitive and fully automated chemiluminometric method is described for determination of five phenothiazine derivatives, namely, trifluoperazine, fluphenazine, perphenazine, thioridazine and chlorpromazine. The method is based on the chemiluminescence (CL) induced by the oxidation of drugs with Ce(IV) in nitric acid. A flow manifold based on the association of multi-commutation and multi-pumping flow methodologies is proposed. The active operated solenoid devices consisted of a micro-pump (propelling 50μL per stroke) and a six ports solenoid valve. Reconfiguration of the flow manifold was performed by using software settings, without physical alteration of the instrument manifold. It permits the design of flexible miniaturized networks for flow analysis based on a time-pulse-counting strategy. The proposed method allows the determination of the drugs at the ngmL(-1) level with a sample throughput of 38h(-1) (chlorpromazine) and 40h(-1) (trifluoperazine, fluphenazine, perphenazine, and thioridazine). The method was successfully applied to the determination of the phenothiazine derivatives in pharmaceuticals formulations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Japanese high school students' usage of mobile phones while cycling.

PubMed

Ichikawa, Masao; Nakahara, Shinji

2008-03-01

To investigate the perception and actual use of mobile phones among Japanese high school students while riding their bicycles, and their experience of bicycle crash/near-crash. A questionnaire survey was carried out at high schools that were, at the time of the survey, commissioned by the National Agency for the Advancement of Sports and Health to conduct school safety research. In the survey, we found that mobile phone use while riding a bicycle was quite common among the students during their commute, but those who have a higher perception of danger in this practice, and those who perceived that this practice is prohibited, were less likely to engage in this practice. Male students and students commuting to school by bicycle only were more likely to have used phones while riding. There was a significant relationship between phone usage while riding a bicycle and the experience of bicycle crash/near-crash, although its causality was not established. Bicycle crash/near-crash experienced while using a phone was less prevalent among the students who had a higher perception of danger in phone usage while riding, students who perceived that this practice is prohibited, and students with a shorter travel time by bicycle during the commute. Since mobile phone use while riding a bicycle potentially increases crash risk among cyclists, student bicycle commuters should be made aware of this risk. Moreover, they should be informed that cyclists' phone usage while riding is prohibited according to the road traffic law.

Non-singular Brans–Dicke collapse in deformed phase space

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

Rasouli, S.M.M., E-mail: mrasouli@ubi.pt; Centro de Matemática e Aplicações; Physics Group, Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin

2016-12-15

We study the collapse process of a homogeneous perfect fluid (in FLRW background) with a barotropic equation of state in Brans–Dicke (BD) theory in the presence of phase space deformation effects. Such a deformation is introduced as a particular type of non-commutativity between phase space coordinates. For the commutative case, it has been shown in the literature (Scheel, 1995), that the dust collapse in BD theory leads to the formation of a spacetime singularity which is covered by an event horizon. In comparison to general relativity (GR), the authors concluded that the final state of black holes in BD theorymore » is identical to the GR case but differs from GR during the dynamical evolution of the collapse process. However, the presence of non-commutative effects influences the dynamics of the collapse scenario and consequently a non-singular evolution is developed in the sense that a bounce emerges at a minimum radius, after which an expanding phase begins. Such a behavior is observed for positive values of the BD coupling parameter. For large positive values of the BD coupling parameter, when non-commutative effects are present, the dynamics of collapse process differs from the GR case. Finally, we show that for negative values of the BD coupling parameter, the singularity is replaced by an oscillatory bounce occurring at a finite time, with the frequency of oscillation and amplitude being damped at late times.« less

Health risk assessment and personal exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in metro carriages - A case study in Shanghai, China.

PubMed

Gong, Yu; Wei, Yijie; Cheng, Jinghui; Jiang, Tianyao; Chen, Ling; Xu, Bin

2017-01-01

Air pollution in transportation cabins has recently become a public concern. However, few studies assessed the exposure levels of suspected air pollutants including Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). This paper studied the exposure levels of in-carriage VOCs (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, styrene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone and acrolein) in Shanghai, China and estimated the health risk in different conditions. The results indicated that VOCs concentrations in metro carriages varied from different train models, due to the difference in carriage size and ventilation system. The concentrations of aromatic VOCs in old metro carriage were 1-2 times higher than the new ones, as better paintings were used in new trains. Poor air circulation and ventilation in the underground track was likely to be the cause of higher VOCs levels (~10%) than the above-ground track. Lower aromatic compounds levels and higher carbonyls levels were observed in metro carriages at suburban areas than those at urban areas, likely due to less aromatic emission sources and more carbonyls emission sources in suburban areas. Acetone and acrolein were found to increase from 7.71 to 26.28μg/m 3 with number of commuters increasing from 40 to 200 in the carriages. According to the acceptable level proposed by the World Health Organization (1×10 -6 -1×10 -5 ), the life carcinogenic risk of commuters by subway (8.5×10 -6 -4.8×10 -5 ) was little above the acceptable level in Shanghai. Further application of our findings is possible to act as a reference in facilitating regulations for metro systems in other cities around world, so that in-carriage air quality might be improved. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Commutating Permanent-Magnet Motors At Low Speed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dolland, C.

1985-01-01

Circuit provides forced commutation during starting. Forced commutation circuit diverts current from inverter SCR's and turns SCR's off during commutation intervals. Silicon controlled rectifier in circuit unnecessary when switch S10 replaced by high-current, high-voltage transistor. At present, high-current, low-voltage device must suffice.

Structural barriers to comprehensive, coordinated HIV care: geographic accessibility in the US South.

PubMed

Kimmel, April D; Masiano, Steven P; Bono, Rose S; Martin, Erika G; Belgrave, Faye Z; Adimora, Adaora A; Dahman, Bassam; Galadima, Hadiza; Sabik, Lindsay M

2018-05-30

Structural barriers to HIV care are particularly challenging in the US South, which has higher HIV diagnosis rates, poverty, uninsurance, HIV stigma, and rurality, and fewer comprehensive public health programs versus other US regions. Focusing on one structural barrier, we examined geographic accessibility to comprehensive, coordinated HIV care (HIVCCC) in the US South. We integrated publicly available data to study travel time to HIVCCC in 16 Southern states and District of Columbia. We geocoded HIVCCC service locations and estimated drive time between the population-weighted county centroid and closest HIVCCC facility. We evaluated drive time in aggregate, and by county-level HIV prevalence quintile, urbanicity, and race/ethnicity. Optimal drive time was ≤30 min, a common primary care accessibility threshold. We identified 228 service locations providing HIVCCC across 1422 Southern counties, with median drive time to care of 70 min (IQR 64 min). For 368 counties in the top HIV prevalence quintile, median drive time is 50 min (IQR 61 min), exceeding 60 min in over one-third of these counties. Among counties in the top HIV prevalence quintile, drive time to care is six-folder higher for rural versus super-urban counties. Counties in the top HIV prevalence quintiles for non-Hispanic Blacks and for Hispanics have >50% longer drive time to care versus for non-Hispanic Whites. Including another potential care source-publicly-funded health centers serving low-income populations-could double the number of high-HIV burden counties with drive time ≤30 min, representing nearly 35,000 additional people living with HIV with accessible HIVCCC. Geographic accessibility to HIVCCC is inadequate in the US South, even in high HIV burden areas, and geographic and racial/ethnic disparities exist. Structural factors, such as geographic accessibility to care, may drive disparities in health outcomes. Further research on programmatic policies, and evidence-based alternative HIV care delivery models improving access to care, is critical.

Estimating spatial accessibility to facilities on the regional scale: an extended commuting-based interaction potential model

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background There is growing interest in the study of the relationships between individual health-related behaviours (e.g. food intake and physical activity) and measurements of spatial accessibility to the associated facilities (e.g. food outlets and sport facilities). The aim of this study is to propose measurements of spatial accessibility to facilities on the regional scale, using aggregated data. We first used a potential accessibility model that partly makes it possible to overcome the limitations of the most frequently used indices such as the count of opportunities within a given neighbourhood. We then propose an extended model in order to take into account both home and work-based accessibility for a commuting population. Results Potential accessibility estimation provides a very different picture of the accessibility levels experienced by the population than the more classical "number of opportunities per census tract" index. The extended model for commuters increases the overall accessibility levels but this increase differs according to the urbanisation level. Strongest increases are observed in some rural municipalities with initial low accessibility levels. Distance to major urban poles seems to play an essential role. Conclusions Accessibility is a multi-dimensional concept that should integrate some aspects of travel behaviour. Our work supports the evidence that the choice of appropriate accessibility indices including both residential and non-residential environmental features is necessary. Such models have potential implications for providing relevant information to policy-makers in the field of public health. PMID:21219597

Towards a differentiated understanding of active travel behaviour: Using social theory to explore everyday commuting

PubMed Central

Guell, C.; Panter, J.; Jones, N.R.; Ogilvie, D.

2012-01-01

Fostering physical activity is an established public health priority for the primary prevention of a variety of chronic diseases. One promising population approach is to seek to embed physical activity in everyday lives by promoting walking and cycling to and from work (‘active commuting’) as an alternative to driving. Predominantly quantitative epidemiological studies have investigated travel behaviours, their determinants and how they may be changed towards more active choices. This study aimed to depart from narrow behavioural approaches to travel and investigate the social context of commuting with qualitative social research methods. Within a social practice theory framework, we explored how people describe their commuting experiences and make commuting decisions, and how travel behaviour is embedded in and shaped by commuters' complex social worlds. Forty-nine semi-structured interviews and eighteen photo-elicitation interviews with accompanying field notes were conducted with a subset of the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study cohort, based in the UK. The findings are discussed in terms of three particularly pertinent facets of the commuting experience. Firstly, choice and decisions are shaped by the constantly changing and fluid nature of commuters' social worlds. Secondly, participants express ambiguities in relation to their reasoning, ambitions and identities as commuters. Finally, commuting needs to be understood as an embodied and emotional practice. With this in mind, we suggest that everyday decision-making in commuting requires the tactical negotiation of these complexities. This study can help to explain the limitations of more quantitative and static models and frameworks in predicting travel behaviour and identify future research directions. PMID:22486840

78 FR 75483 - Federal Travel Regulation (FTR); Relocation Allowances; Commuted Rate

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-12

... Allowances; Commuted Rate AGENCY: Office of Governmentwide Policy (OGP), U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The GSA, OGP, is providing a workable commuted rate to be used by.... 5724(c) requires that GSA maintain a commuted rate incorporating all aspects of household goods...

20 CFR 631.65 - Special provisions for CAETA and DDP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... job search outside the commuting area under CAETA. Allowances for job search outside the commuting... worker cannot reasonably be expected to secure suitable employment within the commuting area in which the... secure suitable employment within the commuting area in which the dislocated worker resides shall be...

20 CFR 631.65 - Special provisions for CAETA and DDP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... job search outside the commuting area under CAETA. Allowances for job search outside the commuting... worker cannot reasonably be expected to secure suitable employment within the commuting area in which the... secure suitable employment within the commuting area in which the dislocated worker resides shall be...

20 CFR 631.65 - Special provisions for CAETA and DDP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... job search outside the commuting area under CAETA. Allowances for job search outside the commuting... worker cannot reasonably be expected to secure suitable employment within the commuting area in which the... secure suitable employment within the commuting area in which the dislocated worker resides shall be...

Commuter Family Relationships: Alive and Thriving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Sharon Ervin

This study examined the impact that commuting, as part of a professional career lifestyle, has on family relationships. One hundred commuting couples participated in a paper and pencil survey. They responded to questions about coping as a family; dealing with the complications of children; keeping their relationship healthy; and commuting as a…

Personal exposure to particulate matter in commuters using different transport modes (bus, bicycle, car and subway) in an assigned route in downtown Santiago, Chile.

PubMed

Suárez, Liliana; Mesías, Stephanie; Iglesias, Verónica; Silva, Claudio; Cáceres, Dante D; Ruiz-Rudolph, Pablo

2014-05-01

The objective of this study was to compare personal exposure to particulate matter (fine and ultrafine particles) in commuters using different transport modes (bicycle, bus, car and subway) in a busy, assigned route in downtown Santiago, Chile. Volunteers carrying personal samplers completed scheduled commutes during the morning rush hours, while central site measurements were conducted in parallel. A total of 137 valid commutes were assessed. The impact of central site, traffic and other variables was explored with regression models. PM2.5 personal concentrations were equal to or slightly above central site measurements, while UFP personal concentrations were above them. Regression models showed impacts of both background levels and traffic emissions on personal PM2.5 and UFP exposure. Traffic impacts varied with transport modes. Estimates of traffic impacts on personal PM2.5 exposure were 2.0, 13.0, 16.9 and 17.5 μg m(-3), for car, bicycle, subway and bus, respectively; while for UFP exposure were 8400, 16 200, 25 600 and 30 100 counts per cm(3), for subway, car, bicycle and bus, respectively. After controlling the central site and transport mode, higher temperatures increased PM2.5 exposure and decreased UFP ones, while the wind direction affected UFP personal exposure. In conclusion, we found significant impacts of both central site background measurements and traffic emissions on personal exposure of volunteer commuters in an assigned route in Santiago, with impacts varying with transport modes.

Network Structure and Travel Time Perception

PubMed Central

Parthasarathi, Pavithra; Levinson, David; Hochmair, Hartwig

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research is to test the systematic variation in the perception of travel time among travelers and relate the variation to the underlying street network structure. Travel survey data from the Twin Cities metropolitan area (which includes the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul) is used for the analysis. Travelers are classified into two groups based on the ratio of perceived and estimated commute travel time. The measures of network structure are estimated using the street network along the identified commute route. T-test comparisons are conducted to identify statistically significant differences in estimated network measures between the two traveler groups. The combined effect of these estimated network measures on travel time is then analyzed using regression models. The results from the t-test and regression analyses confirm the influence of the underlying network structure on the perception of travel time. PMID:24204932

Mass Commuting and Influenza Vaccination Prevalence in New York City: Protection in a Mixing Environment

PubMed Central

Levine, Burton; Wilcosky, Tim; Wagener, Diane; Cooley, Phillip

2010-01-01

Objective Assess influenza vaccination among commuters using mass transit in New York City (NYC). Methods We used the 2006 NYC Community Health Survey (CHS) to analyze the prevalence of influenza immunization by commuting behaviors and to understand what socioeconomic and geographic factors may explain any differences found. Results Vaccination prevalence is significantly lower for New Yorkers who commute on public transportation compared to other New Yorkers. This difference is largely attenuated after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and neighborhood of residence. Conclusions The analysis identified a low prevalence of immunization among commuters, and given the transmissibility in that setting, targeting commuters for vaccination campaigns may impede influenza spread. PMID:21218159

Perfect commuting-operator strategies for linear system games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cleve, Richard; Liu, Li; Slofstra, William

2017-01-01

Linear system games are a generalization of Mermin's magic square game introduced by Cleve and Mittal. They show that perfect strategies for linear system games in the tensor-product model of entanglement correspond to finite-dimensional operator solutions of a certain set of non-commutative equations. We investigate linear system games in the commuting-operator model of entanglement, where Alice and Bob's measurement operators act on a joint Hilbert space, and Alice's operators must commute with Bob's operators. We show that perfect strategies in this model correspond to possibly infinite-dimensional operator solutions of the non-commutative equations. The proof is based around a finitely presented group associated with the linear system which arises from the non-commutative equations.

Effects of urban growth controls on intercity commuting.

PubMed

Ogura, Laudo M

2010-01-01

This paper presents an empirical study of the effects of urban growth controls on the intercity commuting of workers. Growth controls (land use regulations that attempt to restrict population growth and urban sprawl) have increased housing prices and diverted population growth to uncontrolled cities. It has been suggested that resulting changes in local labour supply might stimulate intercity commuting from uncontrolled to controlled cities. To test this hypothesis, a gravity model of commuting flows between places in California is estimated using alternative econometric methods (OLS, Heckman selection and count-data). The possibility of spatial dependence in commuting flows is also taken into consideration. Results suggest larger commuting flows to destination places that restrict residential growth.

Gender Differences in Commuting Injuries in Spain and Their Impact on Injury Prevention

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

A gender analysis of workers injured while commuting in Spain is presented, distinguishing between injury due to traffic-related accidents and injury due to other causes. Method. A total of 266,646 traffic-related injuries and 168,129 nontraffic-related injuries are studied over the period 2006–2010. Results. In Spain, the accident rate recorded in working hours is much higher among men; nevertheless, it is curious that commuting-related accident rates are higher among women than men, in both traffic-related injuries and nontraffic-related injuries. The study of the frequency distribution confirmed that many more injuries occurred in Spain while commuting to work rather than from work and that women suffered twice as many injuries as men at nine in the morning. Musculoskeletal disorders are the only injuries that registered a higher number of cases among women and falls to the same level are the most relevant cause among women. Conclusions. The analysis of these and more findings established that a great effort should go into the promotion of preventive measures in favour of women workers. These results may encourage companies to modify their accident prevention plans, so as to increase their effectiveness in the struggle against occupational accidents following the five points described in this article. PMID:29318145

Commutability of NIST SRM 1955 Homocysteine and Folate in Frozen Human Serum with selected total homocysteine immunoassays and enzymatic assays.

PubMed

Nelson, Bryant C; Pfeiffer, Christine M; Zhang, Ming; Duewer, David L; Sharpless, Katherine E; Lippa, Katrice A

2008-09-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has recently developed Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1955 Homocysteine and Folate in Frozen Human Serum with certified values for total homocysteine (tHcy) and 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolic acid. NIST has performed an international, interlaboratory assessment of SRM 1955 commutability; results are reported for tHcy only. Total Hcy was measured in 20 patient sera and in 3 levels of SRM 1955 using 14 immunoassays and/or enzymatic assays. Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry was utilized as the reference assay. An "errors-in-variables" statistical model was utilized to assess the commutability of SRM 1955. Normalized residuals ranged from -2.65 to 2.19 for SRM 1955. The median interlaboratory/interassay imprecision (CV) was approximately 4% for patient specimens and ranged from approximately 3% to approximately 7% for SRM 1955. The median intra-assay imprecision ranged from approximately 1% to approximately 13%. Orthogonal residuals, as a descriptor of assay accuracy, ranged from 0.29 to 7.71 and from 0.20 to 2.22 for patient specimens and SRM 1955 samples, respectively. The current study suggests that SRM 1955 is commutable with the investigated tHcy assays; however, a broader specimen set needs to be evaluated to completely substantiate this conclusion.

Correlators in simultaneous measurement of non-commuting qubit observables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atalaya, Juan; Hacohen-Gourgy, Shay; Martin, Leigh S.; Siddiqi, Irfan; Korotkov, Alexander N.

We consider simultaneous continuous measurement of non-commuting qubit observables and analyze multi-time correlators 〈i κ1 (t1) ^i κN (tN) 〉 for output signals i κ (t) from the detectors. Both informational (''spooky'') and phase backactions from cQED-type measurements with phase-sensitive amplifiers are taken into account. We find an excellent agreement between analytical results and experimental data for two-time correlators of the output signals from simultaneous measurement of qubit observables σx and σφ =σx cosφ +σy sinφ . The correlators can be used to extract small deviations of experimental parameters, e.g., phase backaction and residual Rabi frequency. The multi-time correlators are important in analysis of Bacon-Shor error correction/detection codes, operated with continuous measurements.

Happiness and Satisfaction with Work Commute.

PubMed

Olsson, Lars E; Gärling, Tommy; Ettema, Dick; Friman, Margareta; Fujii, Satoshi

2013-03-01

Research suggests that for many people happiness is being able to make the routines of everyday life work, such that positive feelings dominate over negative feelings resulting from daily hassles. In line with this, a survey of work commuters in the three largest urban areas of Sweden show that satisfaction with the work commute contributes to overall happiness. It is also found that feelings during the commutes are predominantly positive or neutral. Possible explanatory factors include desirable physical exercise from walking and biking, as well as that short commutes provide a buffer between the work and private spheres. For longer work commutes, social and entertainment activities either increase positive affects or counteract stress and boredom. Satisfaction with being employed in a recession may also spill over to positive experiences of work commutes. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11205-012-0003-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

20 CFR 656.3 - Definitions, for purposes of this part, of terms used in this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... normal commuting distance of the place (address) of intended employment. There is no rigid measure of distance which constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there may be widely varying factual circumstances among different areas (e.g., normal commuting distances might be 20...

20 CFR 656.3 - Definitions, for purposes of this part, of terms used in this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... normal commuting distance of the place (address) of intended employment. There is no rigid measure of distance which constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there may be widely varying factual circumstances among different areas (e.g., normal commuting distances might be 20...

20 CFR 656.3 - Definitions, for purposes of this part, of terms used in this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... normal commuting distance of the place (address) of intended employment. There is no rigid measure of distance which constitutes a normal commuting distance or normal commuting area, because there may be widely varying factual circumstances among different areas (e.g., normal commuting distances might be 20...

8 CFR 211.5 - Alien commuters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Alien commuters. 211.5 Section 211.5 Aliens...: IMMIGRANTS; WAIVERS § 211.5 Alien commuters. (a) General. An alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.... An alien commuter engaged in seasonal work will be presumed to have taken up residence in the United...

8 CFR 211.5 - Alien commuters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Alien commuters. 211.5 Section 211.5 Aliens...: IMMIGRANTS; WAIVERS § 211.5 Alien commuters. (a) General. An alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.... An alien commuter engaged in seasonal work will be presumed to have taken up residence in the United...

20 CFR 704.102 - Commutation of payments to aliens and nonresidents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 4 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Commutation of payments to aliens and... FOR LHWCA EXTENSIONS Defense Base Act § 704.102 Commutation of payments to aliens and nonresidents. Authority to commute payments to aliens and nonnationals who are not residents of the United States and...

20 CFR 704.102 - Commutation of payments to aliens and nonresidents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Commutation of payments to aliens and... LHWCA EXTENSIONS Defense Base Act § 704.102 Commutation of payments to aliens and nonresidents. Authority to commute payments to aliens and nonnationals who are not residents of the United States and...

8 CFR 211.5 - Alien commuters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Alien commuters. 211.5 Section 211.5 Aliens...: IMMIGRANTS; WAIVERS § 211.5 Alien commuters. (a) General. An alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.... An alien commuter engaged in seasonal work will be presumed to have taken up residence in the United...

8 CFR 211.5 - Alien commuters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Alien commuters. 211.5 Section 211.5 Aliens...: IMMIGRANTS; WAIVERS § 211.5 Alien commuters. (a) General. An alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.... An alien commuter engaged in seasonal work will be presumed to have taken up residence in the United...

8 CFR 211.5 - Alien commuters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Alien commuters. 211.5 Section 211.5 Aliens...: IMMIGRANTS; WAIVERS § 211.5 Alien commuters. (a) General. An alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.... An alien commuter engaged in seasonal work will be presumed to have taken up residence in the United...

20 CFR 704.102 - Commutation of payments to aliens and nonresidents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 4 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Commutation of payments to aliens and... FOR LHWCA EXTENSIONS Defense Base Act § 704.102 Commutation of payments to aliens and nonresidents. Authority to commute payments to aliens and nonnationals who are not residents of the United States and...

20 CFR 704.102 - Commutation of payments to aliens and nonresidents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 4 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Commutation of payments to aliens and... FOR LHWCA EXTENSIONS Defense Base Act § 704.102 Commutation of payments to aliens and nonresidents. Authority to commute payments to aliens and nonnationals who are not residents of the United States and...

20 CFR 704.102 - Commutation of payments to aliens and nonresidents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Commutation of payments to aliens and... FOR LHWCA EXTENSIONS Defense Base Act § 704.102 Commutation of payments to aliens and nonresidents. Authority to commute payments to aliens and nonnationals who are not residents of the United States and...

77 FR 72432 - Application of Boutique Air, Inc. for Commuter Air Carrier Authority

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-05

... Boutique Air, Inc. for Commuter Air Carrier Authority AGENCY: Department of Transportation. ACTION: Notice... interested persons to show cause why it should not issue an order finding Boutique Air, Inc., fit, willing, and able, and awarding it commuter air carrier authority to conduct scheduled commuter service. DATES...

26 CFR 1.46-11 - Commuter highway vehicles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 1 2011-04-01 2009-04-01 true Commuter highway vehicles. 1.46-11 Section 1.46... Rules for Computing Credit for Investment in Certain Depreciable Property § 1.46-11 Commuter highway... investment under section 46(c)(1) for a qualifying commuter highway vehicle is 100 percent. A qualifying...

26 CFR 1.46-11 - Commuter highway vehicles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Commuter highway vehicles. 1.46-11 Section 1.46... Rules for Computing Credit for Investment in Certain Depreciable Property § 1.46-11 Commuter highway... investment under section 46(c)(1) for a qualifying commuter highway vehicle is 100 percent. A qualifying...

26 CFR 1.46-11 - Commuter highway vehicles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 1 2014-04-01 2013-04-01 true Commuter highway vehicles. 1.46-11 Section 1.46... Rules for Computing Credit for Investment in Certain Depreciable Property § 1.46-11 Commuter highway... investment under section 46(c)(1) for a qualifying commuter highway vehicle is 100 percent. A qualifying...

The Development of an Orientation Brochure for Commuter Students at Mount Vernon Nazarene College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolender, Ronald

This study examined the necessary elements for the development of a student orientation brochure for commuter students at Mount Vernon Nazarene College in Mount Vernon, Ohio. It reviewed nontraditional and commuter student literature and 10 commuter student brochures and orientation materials from other institutions. The orientation brochure that…

Fostering Formal Commutativity Knowledge with Approximate Arithmetic

PubMed Central

Hansen, Sonja Maria; Haider, Hilde; Eichler, Alexandra; Godau, Claudia; Frensch, Peter A.; Gaschler, Robert

2015-01-01

How can we enhance the understanding of abstract mathematical principles in elementary school? Different studies found out that nonsymbolic estimation could foster subsequent exact number processing and simple arithmetic. Taking the commutativity principle as a test case, we investigated if the approximate calculation of symbolic commutative quantities can also alter the access to procedural and conceptual knowledge of a more abstract arithmetic principle. Experiment 1 tested first graders who had not been instructed about commutativity in school yet. Approximate calculation with symbolic quantities positively influenced the use of commutativity-based shortcuts in formal arithmetic. We replicated this finding with older first graders (Experiment 2) and third graders (Experiment 3). Despite the positive effect of approximation on the spontaneous application of commutativity-based shortcuts in arithmetic problems, we found no comparable impact on the application of conceptual knowledge of the commutativity principle. Overall, our results show that the usage of a specific arithmetic principle can benefit from approximation. However, the findings also suggest that the correct use of certain procedures does not always imply conceptual understanding. Rather, the conceptual understanding of commutativity seems to lag behind procedural proficiency during elementary school. PMID:26560311

Making almost commuting matrices commute

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

Hastings, Matthew B

Suppose two Hermitian matrices A, B almost commute ({parallel}[A,B]{parallel} {<=} {delta}). Are they close to a commuting pair of Hermitian matrices, A', B', with {parallel}A-A'{parallel},{parallel}B-B'{parallel} {<=} {epsilon}? A theorem of H. Lin shows that this is uniformly true, in that for every {epsilon} > 0 there exists a {delta} > 0, independent of the size N of the matrices, for which almost commuting implies being close to a commuting pair. However, this theorem does not specifiy how {delta} depends on {epsilon}. We give uniform bounds relating {delta} and {epsilon}. The proof is constructive, giving an explicit algorithm to construct A'more » and B'. We provide tighter bounds in the case of block tridiagonal and tridiagnonal matrices. Within the context of quantum measurement, this implies an algorithm to construct a basis in which we can make a projective measurement that approximately measures two approximately commuting operators simultaneously. Finally, we comment briefly on the case of approximately measuring three or more approximately commuting operators using POVMs (positive operator-valued measures) instead of projective measurements.« less

Built Environment and Active Commuting: Rural-Urban Differences in the U.S.

PubMed

Fan, Jessie X; Wen, Ming; Wan, Neng

2017-12-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate rural-urban differences in participation rates in three modes of active commuting (AC) and their built environmental correlates. The 2010 Census supplemented with other datasets were used to analyze AC rates in percent of workers age 16+ walking, biking, or taking public transportation to work in 70,172 Census tracts, including 12,844 rural and 57,328 urban. Random-intercept factional logit regressions were used to account for zero-inflated data and for clustering of tracts within counties. We found that the average AC rates were 3.44% rural and 2.77% urban (p<0.01) for walking to work, 0.40% rural and 0.58% urban (p<0.01) for biking to work, and 0.59% rural and 5.86% urban (p<0.01) for public transportation to work. Some environmental variables had similar relationships with AC in rural and urban tracts, such as a negative association between tract greenness and prevalence of walking to work. Others had opposite correlational directions for rural vs. urban, such as street connectivity for walking to work and population density for both walking to work and public transportation to work. We concluded that rurality is an important moderator in AC-environment relationships. In developing strategies to promote AC, attention needs to be paid to rural-urban differences to avoid unintended consequences.

Aldehydes in passenger vehicles: An analysis of data from the RIOPA Study 1999-2001

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mapou, Ashley E. M.; Shendell, Derek G.; Therkorn, Jennifer H.; Xiong, Youyou; Meng, Qingyu; Zhang, Junfeng

2013-11-01

In-vehicle air quality (IVAQ) can be a major health concern due to factors such as urban sprawl and increased commuting time spent by individuals in vehicles. Few studies, particularly in the U.S., have considered in-vehicle toxic air contaminants, and none to date collected/analyzed field data in multiple communities across multiple climate zones. This study presents analyses of field data collected during the RIOPA Study from participating non-smoking adults for communities in Los Angeles County, CA, Elizabeth, NJ and Houston, TX. A significant difference (p < 0.001) in in-vehicle formaldehyde concentrations was observed, with the median concentration of in-vehicle formaldehyde in the CA communities about twice as high as in the NJ and TX communities. The highest median concentration of in-vehicle acetaldehyde was observed among the TX participants, over 40% higher than the overall study median. Given small sample sizes, the community (state) differences may be driven independently by differences in individual vehicle conditions and driving habits. Positive correlations were found between average community outdoor relative humidity in CA and NJ and in-vehicle formaldehyde and acetaldehyde concentrations. The amount of time car windows were reported as closed was inversely correlated with in-vehicle formaldehyde across study locations, and for in-vehicle acetaldehyde in CA and TX. Average wind speed and varying sky conditions also had suggested associations to in-vehicle formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. In CA and TX, 88% (7/8) of participants with a diagnosis of bronchitis reported at study baseline had in-vehicle formaldehyde concentrations greater than the overall study median. Every participant with diagnoses of both asthma and bronchitis (n = 3) reported at study baseline had in-vehicle formaldehyde and acetaldehyde concentrations above the overall study median; one participant in TX with two seasonal in-vehicle samplings had in-vehicle concentrations > 75th percentile. IVAQ during commuting may vary based on human behavior and meteorological factors. Additional studies are needed to further characterize ways to help reduce in-vehicle aldehyde exposures, especially for people with existing chronic respiratory illnesses who could experience symptom exacerbations upon such exposures.

Current interruption in inductive storage systems with inertial current source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vitkovitsky, I. M.; Conte, D.; Ford, R. D.; Lupton, W. H.

1980-03-01

Utilization of inertial current source inductive storage with high power output requires a switch with short opening time. This switch must operate as a circuit breaker, i.e., be capable to carry the current for a time period characteristic of inertial systems, such as homopolar generators. For reasonable efficiency, its opening time must be fast to minimize the energy dissipated in downstream fuse stages required for any additional pulse compression. A switch that satisfies these criteria, as well as other requirements such as that for high voltage operation associated with high power output, is an explosively driven switch consisting of large number of gaps arranged in series. The performance of this switch in limiting and/or interrupting currents produced by large generators has been studied. Single switch modules were designed and tested for limiting the commutating current output of 1 MW, 60 Hz, generator and 500 KJ capacitor banks. Current limiting and commutation were evaluated, using these sources, for currents ranging up to 0.4 MA. The explosive opening of the switch was found to provide an effective first stage for further pulse compression. It opens in tens of microseconds, commutates current at high efficiency ( = 905) recovers very rapidly over a wide range of operating conditions.

Modeling and real time simulation of an HVDC inverter feeding a weak AC system based on commutation failure study.

PubMed

Mankour, Mohamed; Khiat, Mounir; Ghomri, Leila; Chaker, Abdelkader; Bessalah, Mourad

2018-06-01

This paper presents modeling and study of 12-pulse HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) based on real time simulation where the HVDC inverter is connected to a weak AC system. In goal to study the dynamic performance of the HVDC link, two serious kind of disturbance are applied at HVDC converters where the first one is the single phase to ground AC fault and the second one is the DC link to ground fault. The study is based on two different mode of analysis, which the first is to test the performance of the DC control and the second is focalized to study the effect of the protection function on the system behavior. This real time simulation considers the strength of the AC system to witch is connected and his relativity with the capacity of the DC link. The results obtained are validated by means of RT-lab platform using digital Real time simulator Hypersim (OP-5600), the results carried out show the effect of the DC control and the influence of the protection function to reduce the probability of commutation failures and also for helping inverter to take out from commutation failure even while the DC control fails to eliminate them. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Factors associated with overweight in students from tri-border region: Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay].

PubMed

Legnani, Elto; Legnani, Rosimeide Francisco Santos; Filho, Valter Cordeiro Barbosa; Krinski, Kleverton; Elsangedy, Hassan Muhamed; de Campos, Wagner; da Silva, Sergio Gregório; Lopes, Adair da Silva

2010-12-01

The Tri-Border Region has several social and health problems among young people, however, there are no data about the overweight between adolescents. This study investigated the prevalence of overweight and associated factors in students from Tri-Border Region: Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Study participants were 1.183 students, ages from 15 to 18 years. The overweight was identified according to body mass index cut-off points proposed by the World Health Organization. The Global School-Based Student Health Survey questionnaire was used to identify sociodemographic (gender and age) and behavioral factors (physical activity outside of school, commuting to school, time watching TV and fruits, vegetables, sweet, and salty snack consumption) associated with overweight in adolescents. It was used the descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, chi-square and binary logistic regression, adopting p < 0.05. Thirteen percent of students were overweight. Boys were approximately two times more likely to have overweight than girls, independently of nationality. Brazilian students that realized passive commuting to school and Argentineans students with low consumption of vegetables (< 1 time/day) were 2.2 and 2.9 times more likely to have overweight than their counterparts who performed active commuting to school and consumed vegetables daily, respectively. These results suggest that public policies to combat overweight should attention on promoting healthy lifestyle among young people from Tri-Border Region.

Lessons Learned From the Environmental Public Health Tracking Sub-County Data Pilot Project.

PubMed

Werner, Angela K; Strosnider, Heather; Kassinger, Craig; Shin, Mikyong

2017-12-07

Small area data are key to better understanding the complex relationships between environmental health, health outcomes, and risk factors at a local level. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (Tracking Program) conducted the Sub-County Data Pilot Project with grantees to consider integration of sub-county data into the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network). The Tracking Program and grantees developed sub-county-level data for several data sets during this pilot project, working to standardize processes for submitting data and creating required geographies. Grantees documented challenges they encountered during the pilot project and documented decisions. This article covers the challenges revealed during the project. It includes insights into geocoding, aggregation, population estimates, and data stability and provides recommendations for moving forward. National standards for generating, analyzing, and sharing sub-county data should be established to build a system of sub-county data that allow for comparison of outcomes, geographies, and time. Increasing the availability and accessibility of small area data will not only enhance the Tracking Network's capabilities but also contribute to an improved understanding of environmental health and informed decision making at a local level.

Disparities in Temporal and Geographic Patterns of Declining Heart Disease Mortality by Race and Sex in the United States, 1973-2010.

PubMed

Vaughan, Adam S; Quick, Harrison; Pathak, Elizabeth B; Kramer, Michael R; Casper, Michele

2015-12-15

Examining small-area differences in the strength of declining heart disease mortality by race and sex provides important context for current racial and geographic disparities and identifies localities that could benefit from targeted interventions. We identified and described temporal trends in declining county-level heart disease mortality by race, sex, and geography between 1973 and 2010. Using a Bayesian hierarchical model, we estimated age-adjusted mortality with diseases of the heart listed as the underlying cause for 3099 counties. County-level percentage declines were calculated by race and sex for 3 time periods (1973-1985, 1986-1997, 1998-2010). Strong declines were statistically faster or no different than the total national decline in that time period. We observed county-level race-sex disparities in heart disease mortality trends. Continual (from 1973 to 2010) strong declines occurred in 73.2%, 44.6%, 15.5%, and 17.3% of counties for white men, white women, black men, and black women, respectively. Delayed (1998-2010) strong declines occurred in 15.4%, 42.0%, 75.5%, and 76.6% of counties for white men, white women, black men, and black women, respectively. Counties with the weakest patterns of decline were concentrated in the South. Since 1973, heart disease mortality has declined substantially for these race-sex groups. Patterns of decline differed by race and geography, reflecting potential disparities in national and local drivers of these declines. Better understanding of racial and geographic disparities in the diffusion of heart disease prevention and treatment may allow us to find clues to progress toward racial and geographic equity in heart disease mortality. © 2015 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Indoor-air microbiome in an urban subway network: diversity and dynamics.

PubMed

Leung, Marcus H Y; Wilkins, David; Li, Ellen K T; Kong, Fred K F; Lee, Patrick K H

2014-11-01

Subway systems are indispensable for urban societies, but microbiological characteristics of subway aerosols are relatively unknown. Previous studies investigating microbial compositions in subways employed methodologies that underestimated the diversity of microbial exposure for commuters, with little focus on factors governing subway air microbiology, which may have public health implications. Here, a culture-independent approach unraveling the bacterial diversity within the urban subway network in Hong Kong is presented. Aerosol samples from multiple subway lines and outdoor locations were collected. Targeting the 16S rRNA gene V4 region, extensive taxonomic diversity was found, with the most common bacterial genera in the subway environment among those associated with skin. Overall, subway lines harbored different phylogenetic communities based on α- and β-diversity comparisons, and closer inspection suggests that each community within a line is dependent on architectural characteristics, nearby outdoor microbiomes, and connectedness with other lines. Microbial diversities and assemblages also varied depending on the day sampled, as well as the time of day, and changes in microbial communities between peak and nonpeak commuting hours were attributed largely to increases in skin-associated genera in peak samples. Microbial diversities within the subway were influenced by temperature and relative humidity, while carbon dioxide levels showed a positive correlation with abundances of commuter-associated genera. This Hong Kong data set and communities from previous studies conducted in the United States formed distinct community clusters, indicating that additional work is required to unravel the mechanisms that shape subway microbiomes around the globe. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Personal exposure to black carbon during commuting in peak and off-peak hours in Shanghai.

PubMed

Li, Bo; Lei, Xiao-ning; Xiu, Guang-li; Gao, Chi-yuan; Gao, Shuang; Qian, Ni-sheng

2015-08-15

A study on a commuter's exposure to black carbon (BC) in five different traffic modes (taxi, bus, subway, cycling and walking) was conducted in Xuhui District, Shanghai. A commuter's real-time exposure concentrations were recorded by MicroAeth AE51 BC monitors, and the average BC exposure concentration and inhalation dose were analyzed. Data collected by cyclist was applied to characterize the micro-variability in relation to traffic density and street topology. The distance to the traffic and the street topology as well as the volume of heavy diesel trucks were the dominant factors influencing the BC concentrations. In this study, a high variability of BC concentrations between streets and even within streets was observed, and also between days and hour of the day. The average BC exposure concentrations were 5.59±1.02 μg/m(3), 6.58±1.78 μg/m(3), 7.28±1.87 μg/m(3), 8.62±4.13 μg/m(3) and 9.43±2.89 μg/m(3) for walking, cycling, bus, taxi and subway trips, respectively. Exposure levels of in-vehicle microenvironments were 8.66±3.66 μg/m(3), 9.39±6.98 μg/m(3) and 10.96±2.72 μg/m(3) for bus, taxi and subway, respectively. While inhalation doses were 0.68±0.33 μg, 0.95±0.29 μg, 1.36±0.37 μg, 1.50±0.39 μg and 1.58±0.29 μg for taxi, subway, cycling, bus and walking, respectively. BC exposure level of walking was the lowest among all the traffic modes, but its inhalation dose was the highest. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Micro-planning in a wide age range measles rubella (MR) campaign using mobile phone app, a case of Kenya, 2016.

PubMed

Ismail, Amina; Tabu, Collins; Onuekwusi, Iheoma; Otieno, Samuel Kevin; Ademba, Peter; Kamau, Peter; Koki, Beatrice; Ngatia, Anthony; Wainaina, Anthony; Davis, Robert

2017-01-01

A Measles rubella campaign that targeted 9 months to 14 year old children was conducted in all the 47 counties in Kenya between 16th and 24th of May 2016. Micro-planning using an android phone-based app was undertaken to map out the target population and logistics in all the counties 4 weeks to the campaign implementation instead of 6 months as per the WHO recommendation. The outcomes of the micro-planning exercise were a detailed micro-plan that served as a guide in ensuring that every eligible individual in the population was vaccinated with potent vaccine. A national Trainer of Trainers training was done to equip key officers with new knowledge and skills in developing micro-plans at all levels. The micro planning was done using a mobile phone app, the doforms that enabled data to be transmitted real time to the national level. The objective of the study was to establish whether use of mobile phone app would contribute to quality of sub national micro plans that can be used for national level planning and implementation of the campaign. There were 9 data collection forms but only forms 1-7 were to be uploaded onto the app. Forms 8A and 9A were to be filled but were to remain at the implementation level for use intra campaign. The forms were coded; Form 1A&B, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A and 9A The Village form (form 1A&B) captured information by household which included village names, name of head of household, cell phone contact of head of household, number of children aged 9 months to 14years in the household, possible barriers to reaching the children, appropriate vaccination strategy based on barriers identified and estimated or proposed number of teams and type. This was the main form and from this every other form picked the population figures to estimate other supplies and logistics. On advocacy, communication and social mobilization the information collected included mobile network coverage, public amenities such as churches, mosques and key partners at the local level. On human resource and cold chain supplies the information collected included number of health facilities by type, number of health workers by cadre in facilities within the village, number of vaccine carriers and icepacks by size, refrigerators and freezers. All these forms were to be uploaded onto the phone app. except form 8A, the individual team plan, which was to be used during implementation at the local level. Android phone application, doforms, was used to capture data. Training on micro planning, data entry and doforms app was conducted at National, County, Sub-county and ward levels using standardized guidelines. An interactive case study was used in all the trainings to facilitate understanding. The App was also available on Laptops through its provided web-application. The app allowed multiple users to log in concurrently. Feedback on all the variables were obtained from the team at the Ward level. The ward level team included education officers or teachers, village elders, community health workers and other community stakeholders. Only the Ward level was allowed to collect information on paper and that information was subsequently transferred to the phone-based app, doforms, by health information officers. The national, county and sub county were able to access their data from the app using a password provided by the administrator. Real time data was received from 46 of 47 counties. One county (Marsabit) did not participate in the micro plan process. Over 97% (283/290) of the sub counties responded and shared various information via the app. Different data forms had different completion rates. There was 100% completion rate for the data on villages and target population. Much valuable information was shared but there was no time for the national and county level to interrogate and harmonize for proper implementation. The information captured during the campaign can be used for routine immunization and other community based interventions. Electronic data collection not only provided the number of children but provided the locations also where these children could be found. Despite the limitations of time to harmonize the micro plans with the national plan, the micro planning process was a great success with 46/47 counties responding through the mobile phone app. Not only did it provide the numbers of the target children, it further provided the places where these children could be found. There was timely data transfer, data integrity, tracking, real time data visualization reporting and analysis. The app enabled real time feedback to national focal point by data entry clerks as well as enabling trouble shooting by the administrator. This ensured campaign planning was done from the lowest level to the national level.

Micro-planning in a wide age range measles rubella (MR) campaign using mobile phone app, a case of Kenya, 2016

PubMed Central

Ismail, Amina; Tabu, Collins; Onuekwusi, Iheoma; Otieno, Samuel Kevin; Ademba, Peter; Kamau, Peter; Koki, Beatrice; Ngatia, Anthony; Wainaina, Anthony; Davis, Robert

2017-01-01

Introduction A Measles rubella campaign that targeted 9 months to 14 year old children was conducted in all the 47 counties in Kenya between 16th and 24th of May 2016. Micro-planning using an android phone-based app was undertaken to map out the target population and logistics in all the counties 4 weeks to the campaign implementation instead of 6 months as per the WHO recommendation. The outcomes of the micro-planning exercise were a detailed micro-plan that served as a guide in ensuring that every eligible individual in the population was vaccinated with potent vaccine. A national Trainer of Trainers training was done to equip key officers with new knowledge and skills in developing micro-plans at all levels. The micro planning was done using a mobile phone app, the doforms that enabled data to be transmitted real time to the national level. The objective of the study was to establish whether use of mobile phone app would contribute to quality of sub national micro plans that can be used for national level planning and implementation of the campaign. Methods There were 9 data collection forms but only forms 1-7 were to be uploaded onto the app. Forms 8A and 9A were to be filled but were to remain at the implementation level for use intra campaign. The forms were coded; Form 1A&B, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A and 9A The Village form (form 1A&B) captured information by household which included village names, name of head of household, cell phone contact of head of household, number of children aged 9 months to 14years in the household, possible barriers to reaching the children, appropriate vaccination strategy based on barriers identified and estimated or proposed number of teams and type. This was the main form and from this every other form picked the population figures to estimate other supplies and logistics. On advocacy, communication and social mobilization the information collected included mobile network coverage, public amenities such as churches, mosques and key partners at the local level. On human resource and cold chain supplies the information collected included number of health facilities by type, number of health workers by cadre in facilities within the village, number of vaccine carriers and icepacks by size, refrigerators and freezers. All these forms were to be uploaded onto the phone app. except form 8A, the individual team plan, which was to be used during implementation at the local level. Android phone application, doforms, was used to capture data. Training on micro planning, data entry and doforms app was conducted at National, County, Sub-county and ward levels using standardized guidelines. An interactive case study was used in all the trainings to facilitate understanding. The App was also available on Laptops through its provided web-application. The app allowed multiple users to log in concurrently. Feedback on all the variables were obtained from the team at the Ward level. The ward level team included education officers or teachers, village elders, community health workers and other community stakeholders. Only the Ward level was allowed to collect information on paper and that information was subsequently transferred to the phone-based app, doforms, by health information officers. The national, county and sub county were able to access their data from the app using a password provided by the administrator. Results Real time data was received from 46 of 47 counties. One county (Marsabit) did not participate in the micro plan process. Over 97% (283/290) of the sub counties responded and shared various information via the app. Different data forms had different completion rates. There was 100% completion rate for the data on villages and target population. Much valuable information was shared but there was no time for the national and county level to interrogate and harmonize for proper implementation. The information captured during the campaign can be used for routine immunization and other community based interventions. Electronic data collection not only provided the number of children but provided the locations also where these children could be found. Conclusion Despite the limitations of time to harmonize the micro plans with the national plan, the micro planning process was a great success with 46/47 counties responding through the mobile phone app. Not only did it provide the numbers of the target children, it further provided the places where these children could be found. There was timely data transfer, data integrity, tracking, real time data visualization reporting and analysis. The app enabled real time feedback to national focal point by data entry clerks as well as enabling trouble shooting by the administrator. This ensured campaign planning was done from the lowest level to the national level. PMID:29296151

49 CFR 37.85 - Purchase or lease of new intercity and commuter rail cars.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... rail cars. 37.85 Section 37.85 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation TRANSPORTATION....85 Purchase or lease of new intercity and commuter rail cars. Amtrak or a commuter authority making a solicitation after August 25, 1990, to purchase or lease a new intercity or commuter rail car for use on the...

49 CFR 37.85 - Purchase or lease of new intercity and commuter rail cars.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... rail cars. 37.85 Section 37.85 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation TRANSPORTATION....85 Purchase or lease of new intercity and commuter rail cars. Amtrak or a commuter authority making a solicitation after August 25, 1990, to purchase or lease a new intercity or commuter rail car for use on the...

49 CFR 37.85 - Purchase or lease of new intercity and commuter rail cars.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... rail cars. 37.85 Section 37.85 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation TRANSPORTATION....85 Purchase or lease of new intercity and commuter rail cars. Amtrak or a commuter authority making a solicitation after August 25, 1990, to purchase or lease a new intercity or commuter rail car for use on the...

49 CFR 37.85 - Purchase or lease of new intercity and commuter rail cars.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... rail cars. 37.85 Section 37.85 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation TRANSPORTATION....85 Purchase or lease of new intercity and commuter rail cars. Amtrak or a commuter authority making a solicitation after August 25, 1990, to purchase or lease a new intercity or commuter rail car for use on the...

"We are toothless and hanging, but optimistic": sub county managers' experiences of rapid devolution in coastal Kenya.

PubMed

Nyikuri, Mary M; Tsofa, Benjamin; Okoth, Philip; Barasa, Edwine W; Molyneux, Sassy

2017-09-15

In March 2013, Kenya transitioned from a centralized to a devolved system of governance. Within the health sector, this entailed the transfer of service provision functions to 47 newly formed semi-autonomous counties, while policy and regulatory functions were retained at the national level. The devolution process was rapid rather than progressive. We conducted qualitative research within one county to examine the early experiences of devolution in the health sector. We specifically focused on the experience of change from the perspective of sub-county managers, who form the link between county level managers and health facility managers. We collected data by observing a diverse range of management meetings, support supervision visits and outreach activities involving sub-county managers between May 2013 and June 2015, conducting informal interviews wherever we could. Informal observations and interviews were supplemented by fifteen tape recorded in depth interviews with purposively selected sub-county managers from three sub-counties. We found that sub county managers as with many other health system actors were anxious about and ill-prepared for the unexpectedly rapid devolution of health functions to the newly created county government. They experienced loss of autonomy and resources in addition to confused lines of accountability within the health system. However, they harnessed individual, team and stakeholder resources to maintain their jobs, and continued to play a central role in supporting peripheral facility managers to cope with change. Our study illustrates the importance in accelerated devolution contexts for: 1) mid-level managers to adopt new ways of working and engagement with higher and lower levels in the system; 2) clear lines of communication during reforms to these actors and 3) anticipating and managing the effect of change on intangible software issues such as trust and motivation. More broadly, we show the value of examining organisational change from the perspective of key actors within the system, and highlight the importance in times of rapid change of drawing upon and working with those already in the system. These actors have valuable tacit knowledge, but tapping into and building on this knowledge to enable positive response in times of health system shocks requires greater attention to sustained software capacity building within the health system.

Correlates of county-level nonviral sexually transmitted infection hot spots in the US: application of hot spot analysis and spatial logistic regression.

PubMed

Chang, Brian A; Pearson, William S; Owusu-Edusei, Kwame

2017-04-01

We used a combination of hot spot analysis (HSA) and spatial regression to examine county-level hot spot correlates for the most commonly reported nonviral sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the 48 contiguous states in the United States (US). We obtained reported county-level total case rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis in all counties in the 48 contiguous states from national surveillance data and computed temporally smoothed rates using 2008-2012 data. Covariates were obtained from county-level multiyear (2008-2012) American Community Surveys from the US census. We conducted HSA to identify hot spot counties for all three STIs. We then applied spatial logistic regression with the spatial error model to determine the association between the identified hot spots and the covariates. HSA indicated that ≥84% of hot spots for each STI were in the South. Spatial regression results indicated that, a 10-unit increase in the percentage of Black non-Hispanics was associated with ≈42% (P < 0.01) [≈22% (P < 0.01), for Hispanics] increase in the odds of being a hot spot county for chlamydia and gonorrhea, and ≈27% (P < 0.01) [≈11% (P < 0.01) for Hispanics] for P&S syphilis. Compared with the other regions (West, Midwest, and Northeast), counties in the South were 6.5 (P < 0.01; chlamydia), 9.6 (P < 0.01; gonorrhea), and 4.7 (P < 0.01; P&S syphilis) times more likely to be hot spots. Our study provides important information on hot spot clusters of nonviral STIs in the entire United States, including associations between hot spot counties and sociodemographic factors. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A Multi-Level Bayesian Analysis of Racial Bias in Police Shootings at the County-Level in the United States, 2011-2014.

PubMed

Ross, Cody T

2015-01-01

A geographically-resolved, multi-level Bayesian model is used to analyze the data presented in the U.S. Police-Shooting Database (USPSD) in order to investigate the extent of racial bias in the shooting of American civilians by police officers in recent years. In contrast to previous work that relied on the FBI's Supplemental Homicide Reports that were constructed from self-reported cases of police-involved homicide, this data set is less likely to be biased by police reporting practices. County-specific relative risk outcomes of being shot by police are estimated as a function of the interaction of: 1) whether suspects/civilians were armed or unarmed, and 2) the race/ethnicity of the suspects/civilians. The results provide evidence of a significant bias in the killing of unarmed black Americans relative to unarmed white Americans, in that the probability of being {black, unarmed, and shot by police} is about 3.49 times the probability of being {white, unarmed, and shot by police} on average. Furthermore, the results of multi-level modeling show that there exists significant heterogeneity across counties in the extent of racial bias in police shootings, with some counties showing relative risk ratios of 20 to 1 or more. Finally, analysis of police shooting data as a function of county-level predictors suggests that racial bias in police shootings is most likely to emerge in police departments in larger metropolitan counties with low median incomes and a sizable portion of black residents, especially when there is high financial inequality in that county. There is no relationship between county-level racial bias in police shootings and crime rates (even race-specific crime rates), meaning that the racial bias observed in police shootings in this data set is not explainable as a response to local-level crime rates.

A Multi-Level Bayesian Analysis of Racial Bias in Police Shootings at the County-Level in the United States, 2011–2014

PubMed Central

Ross, Cody T.

2015-01-01

A geographically-resolved, multi-level Bayesian model is used to analyze the data presented in the U.S. Police-Shooting Database (USPSD) in order to investigate the extent of racial bias in the shooting of American civilians by police officers in recent years. In contrast to previous work that relied on the FBI’s Supplemental Homicide Reports that were constructed from self-reported cases of police-involved homicide, this data set is less likely to be biased by police reporting practices. County-specific relative risk outcomes of being shot by police are estimated as a function of the interaction of: 1) whether suspects/civilians were armed or unarmed, and 2) the race/ethnicity of the suspects/civilians. The results provide evidence of a significant bias in the killing of unarmed black Americans relative to unarmed white Americans, in that the probability of being {black, unarmed, and shot by police} is about 3.49 times the probability of being {white, unarmed, and shot by police} on average. Furthermore, the results of multi-level modeling show that there exists significant heterogeneity across counties in the extent of racial bias in police shootings, with some counties showing relative risk ratios of 20 to 1 or more. Finally, analysis of police shooting data as a function of county-level predictors suggests that racial bias in police shootings is most likely to emerge in police departments in larger metropolitan counties with low median incomes and a sizable portion of black residents, especially when there is high financial inequality in that county. There is no relationship between county-level racial bias in police shootings and crime rates (even race-specific crime rates), meaning that the racial bias observed in police shootings in this data set is not explainable as a response to local-level crime rates. PMID:26540108

Brief analysis of Jiangsu grid security and stability based on multi-infeed DC index in power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wenjia; Wang, Quanquan; Ge, Yi; Huang, Junhui; Chen, Zhengfang

2018-02-01

The impact of Multi-infeed HVDC has gradually increased to security and stability operating in Jiangsu power grid. In this paper, an appraisal method of Multi-infeed HVDC power grid security and stability is raised with Multi-Infeed Effective Short Circuit Ratio, Multi-Infeed Interaction Factor and Commutation Failure Immunity Index. These indices are adopted in security and stability simulating calculation of Jiangsu Multi-infeed HVDC system. The simulation results indicate that Jiangsu power grid is operating with a strong DC system. It has high level of power grid security and stability, and meet the safety running requirements. Jinpin-Suzhou DC system is located in the receiving end with huge capacity, which is easily leading to commutation failure of the transmission line. In order to resolve this problem, dynamic reactive power compensation can be applied in power grid near Jinpin-Suzhou DC system. Simulation result shows this method is feasible to commutation failure.

Crisis & Commitment: 150 Years of Service by Los Angeles County Public Hospitals

PubMed Central

Cousineau, Michael R.; Tranquada, Robert E.

2007-01-01

The Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center will open soon, replacing the county’s current 74-year-old facility with a modern, although smaller, facility. Los Angeles County has provided hospital care to the indigent since 1858, during which time, the operation of public hospitals has shifted from a state-mandated welfare responsibility to a preeminent part of the county’s public health mission. As this shift occurred, the financing of Los Angeles County hospitals changed from primarily county support to state and federal government sources, particularly Medicaid. The success of the new hospital will depend on whether government leaders at all levels provide the reforms needed to help the county and its partners stabilize its funding base. PMID:17329642

Steel dust in the New York City subway system as a source of manganese, chromium, and iron exposures for transit workers.

PubMed

Chillrud, Steven N; Grass, David; Ross, James M; Coulibaly, Drissa; Slavkovich, Vesna; Epstein, David; Sax, Sonja N; Pederson, Dee; Johnson, David; Spengler, John D; Kinney, Patrick L; Simpson, H James; Brandt-Rauf, Paul

2005-03-01

The United States Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 reflected increasing concern about potential effects of low-level airborne metal exposure on a wide array of illnesses. Here we summarize results demonstrating that the New York City (NYC) subway system provides an important microenvironment for metal exposures for NYC commuters and subway workers and also describe an ongoing pilot study of NYC transit workers' exposure to steel dust. Results from the TEACH (Toxic Exposure Assessment, a Columbia and Harvard) study in 1999 of 41 high-school students strongly suggest that elevated levels of iron, manganese, and chromium in personal air samples were due to exposure to steel dust in the NYC subway. Airborne concentrations of these three metals associated with fine particulate matter were observed to be more than 100 times greater in the subway environment than in home indoor or outdoor settings in NYC. While there are currently no known health effects at the airborne levels observed in the subway system, the primary aim of the ongoing pilot study is to ascertain whether the levels of these metals in the subway air affect concentrations of these metals or related metabolites in the blood or urine of exposed transit workers, who due to their job activities could plausibly have appreciably higher exposures than typical commuters. The study design involves recruitment of 40 transit workers representing a large range in expected exposures to steel dust, the collection of personal air samples of fine particulate matter, and the collection of blood and urine samples from each monitored transit worker.

A Week in the Life of Full-Time Office Workers: Work Day and Weekend Light Exposure in Summer and Winter

PubMed Central

Crowley, Stephanie J.; Molina, Thomas A.; Burgess, Helen J.

2014-01-01

Little is known about the light exposure in full-time office workers, who spend much of their workdays indoors. We examined the 24-hour light exposure patterns of 14 full-time office workers during a week in summer, and assessed their dim light melatonin onset (DLMO, a marker of circadian timing) at the end of the working week. Six workers repeated the study in winter. Season had little impact on the workers' schedules, as the timing of sleep, commute, and work did not vary by more than 30 minutes in the summer and winter. In both seasons, workers received significantly more morning light on workdays than weekends, due to earlier wake times and the morning commute. Evening light in the two hours before bedtime was consistently dim. The timing of the DLMO did not vary between season, and by the end of the working week, the workers slept at a normal circadian phase. PMID:25172304

Particles exposure while sitting at bus stops of hot and humid Singapore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velasco, Erik; Tan, Sok Huang

2016-10-01

Transport microenvironments represent hotspots of personal exposure to airborne toxics, particularly of ultrafine particles. Thus, a large exposure may be experienced during daily commuting trips. Amongst these microenvironments, bus stops are critical because of the commuters' close proximity to fresh fumes rich in particles emitted by passing, idling and accelerating buses and motor vehicles, in general. Standing at a bus stop may represent a period of disproportionately high exposure and it is, therefore, essential to know the number, chemical composition and physical characteristics of such particles for a proper public health assessment and design of mobility strategies. On this account, a set of portable and battery operated sensors were used to evaluate a number of properties of the traffic particles to which thousands of citizens are daily exposed at bus stops of Singapore. In terms of fine particles, the exposure concentration was on average 1.5-3 times higher than the mean concentration at ambient level reported by the local authorities. On average 60% of those particles corresponded to black carbon. An important presence of particle-bound polycyclic aromatics was observed. The particle number concentration and active surface area were effective metrics to quantify ultrafine particles, as expected both showed strong correlations. The number of particles at bus stops was on average 3.5 times higher than at ambient level. The most alarming issue was probably the size of the particles. Assuming spherical particles, a median of 27 nm was estimated based on the active surface area and particle number data. Particles of this size form the nucleation mode, which is related to harmful health effects.

The reforms of the Chinese health care system: county level changes: the Jiangxi Study.

PubMed

Zheng, X; Hillier, S

1995-10-01

A survey of the economic performance of county hospitals in middle income counties in Jiangxi province was undertaken in 1989. The survey considered the impact of health policy changes in the P.R.C., especially cost recovery, decentralization, managerial changes and the promotion of traditional medicine. The financial records of county level hospitals and traditional medicine hospitals for the period 1980-89 were examined, as were patient expenditures. Opinions of those responsible for policy execution were surveyed. The data showed that hospitals from which state subsidy had been removed had become dependent on medicine sales and increasing itemization of treatment to recover costs. The insurance status of patients influenced the length of stay and levels of payment. Uninsured peasants had a shorter stay and were charged more for items of treatment. Traditional Medicine hospitals saw more outpatients than County hospitals, but were more likely to have a deficit. They were also very dependent on medicine sales for income. Most officials questioned felt that the changing system caused problems, but at the same time were eager to invest in equipment as a source of revenue.

Commuting to school and to work among high school students in Santa Catarina state, Brazil: a comparative analysis between 2001 and 2011.

PubMed

Silva, Kelly Samara; Lopes, Adair da Silva; Hardman, Carla Menêses; Cabral, Luciana Gatto Azevedo; da Silva, Shana Ginar; Nahas, Markus Vinicius

2014-11-01

Commuting reflects an important opportunity for youth to engage in physical activity. This study aimed to compare modes of commuting to school and to work and to identify sociodemographic factors associated with various modes of transportation. Epidemiologic study with a repeated cross-sectional design. Participants included high school students (15-19 years of age) from Santa Catarina state, Brazil, in 2001 (n = 5028) and 2011 (n = 6529). A questionnaire containing information on the type of transport used to commute to school and to work was administered. Walking/bicycling and the use of the bus to commute to school and to work remained stable after a decade; however, the use of car/motorcycle to school (6.4% versus 12.6%) and to work (10.2% versus 19.7%) increased significantly. In both cases, females more frequently used buses, whereas males commuted to work by car/bus. Students from rural areas more commonly commuted to school by car/motorcycle, whereas those from urban areas traveled to work more by bus. There was a greater use of cars/motorcycles by young people from higher-income families. The use of cars/motorcycles to commute to school/work has almost doubled in the last decade. Sex, residential area and income were associated with passive commuting.

Measurement and evaluation of transit travel time reliability

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

Transportation system customers need consistency in their daily travel times to enable them to plan their daily : activities, whether that is a commuter on their way to work, a company setting up delivery schedules for justintime : manufacturin...

Exponential propagators for the Schrödinger equation with a time-dependent potential.

PubMed

Bader, Philipp; Blanes, Sergio; Kopylov, Nikita

2018-06-28

We consider the numerical integration of the Schrödinger equation with a time-dependent Hamiltonian given as the sum of the kinetic energy and a time-dependent potential. Commutator-free (CF) propagators are exponential propagators that have shown to be highly efficient for general time-dependent Hamiltonians. We propose new CF propagators that are tailored for Hamiltonians of the said structure, showing a considerably improved performance. We obtain new fourth- and sixth-order CF propagators as well as a novel sixth-order propagator that incorporates a double commutator that only depends on coordinates, so this term can be considered as cost-free. The algorithms require the computation of the action of exponentials on a vector similar to the well-known exponential midpoint propagator, and this is carried out using the Lanczos method. We illustrate the performance of the new methods on several numerical examples.