Local Homing Navigation Based on the Moment Model for Landmark Distribution and Features

PubMed Central

Lee, Changmin; Kim, DaeEun

2017-01-01

For local homing navigation, an agent is supposed to return home based on the surrounding environmental information. According to the snapshot model, the home snapshot and the current view are compared to determine the homing direction. In this paper, we propose a novel homing navigation method using the moment model. The suggested moment model also follows the snapshot theory to compare the home snapshot and the current view, but the moment model defines a moment of landmark inertia as the sum of the product of the feature of the landmark particle with the square of its distance. The method thus uses range values of landmarks in the surrounding view and the visual features. The center of the moment can be estimated as the reference point, which is the unique convergence point in the moment potential from any view. The homing vector can easily be extracted from the centers of the moment measured at the current position and the home location. The method effectively guides homing direction in real environments, as well as in the simulation environment. In this paper, we take a holistic approach to use all pixels in the panoramic image as landmarks and use the RGB color intensity for the visual features in the moment model in which a set of three moment functions is encoded to determine the homing vector. We also tested visual homing or the moment model with only visual features, but the suggested moment model with both the visual feature and the landmark distance shows superior performance. We demonstrate homing performance with various methods classified by the status of the feature, the distance and the coordinate alignment. PMID:29149043

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Consortium Agreement

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-03-01

This is the third progress report of the M.I.T. Home Automation and Healthcare Consortium-Phase Two. It covers majority of the new findings, concepts...research projects of home automation and healthcare, ranging from human modeling, patient monitoring, and diagnosis to new sensors and actuators, physical...aids, human-machine interface and home automation infrastructure. This report contains several patentable concepts, algorithms, and designs.

Occupancy in continuous habitat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Efford, Murray G.; Dawson, Deanna K.

2012-01-01

The probability that a site has at least one individual of a species ('occupancy') has come to be widely used as a state variable for animal population monitoring. The available statistical theory for estimation when detection is imperfect applies particularly to habitat patches or islands, although it is also used for arbitrary plots in continuous habitat. The probability that such a plot is occupied depends on plot size and home-range characteristics (size, shape and dispersion) as well as population density. Plot size is critical to the definition of occupancy as a state variable, but clear advice on plot size is missing from the literature on the design of occupancy studies. We describe models for the effects of varying plot size and home-range size on expected occupancy. Temporal, spatial, and species variation in average home-range size is to be expected, but information on home ranges is difficult to retrieve from species presence/absence data collected in occupancy studies. The effect of variable home-range size is negligible when plots are very large (>100 x area of home range), but large plots pose practical problems. At the other extreme, sampling of 'point' plots with cameras or other passive detectors allows the true 'proportion of area occupied' to be estimated. However, this measure equally reflects home-range size and density, and is of doubtful value for population monitoring or cross-species comparisons. Plot size is ill-defined and variable in occupancy studies that detect animals at unknown distances, the commonest example being unlimited-radius point counts of song birds. We also find that plot size is ill-defined in recent treatments of "multi-scale" occupancy; the respective scales are better interpreted as temporal (instantaneous and asymptotic) rather than spatial. Occupancy is an inadequate metric for population monitoring when it is confounded with home-range size or detection distance.

Modelling ranging behaviour of female orang-utans: a case study in Tuanan, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.

PubMed

Wartmann, Flurina M; Purves, Ross S; van Schaik, Carel P

2010-04-01

Quantification of the spatial needs of individuals and populations is vitally important for management and conservation. Geographic information systems (GIS) have recently become important analytical tools in wildlife biology, improving our ability to understand animal movement patterns, especially when very large data sets are collected. This study aims at combining the field of GIS with primatology to model and analyse space-use patterns of wild orang-utans. Home ranges of female orang-utans in the Tuanan Mawas forest reserve in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia were modelled with kernel density estimation methods. Kernel results were compared with minimum convex polygon estimates, and were found to perform better, because they were less sensitive to sample size and produced more reliable estimates. Furthermore, daily travel paths were calculated from 970 complete follow days. Annual ranges for the resident females were approximately 200 ha and remained stable over several years; total home range size was estimated to be 275 ha. On average, each female shared a third of her home range with each neighbouring female. Orang-utan females in Tuanan built their night nest on average 414 m away from the morning nest, whereas average daily travel path length was 777 m. A significant effect of fruit availability on day path length was found. Sexually active females covered longer distances per day and may also temporarily expand their ranges.

Hedgehogs on the move: Testing the effects of land use change on home range size and movement patterns of free-ranging Ethiopian hedgehogs.

PubMed

Abu Baker, Mohammad A; Reeve, Nigel; Conkey, April A T; Macdonald, David W; Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki

2017-01-01

Degradation and alteration of natural environments because of agriculture and other land uses have major consequences on vertebrate populations, particularly on spatial organization and movement patterns. We used GPS tracking to study the effect of land use and sex on the home range size and movement of a typical model species, the Ethiopian hedgehogs. We used free-ranging hedgehogs from two areas with different land use practices: 24 from an area dominated by irrigated farms (12 ♂♂, 12 ♀♀) and 22 from a natural desert environment within a biosphere reserve (12 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀). Animals were significantly heavier in the resource-rich irrigated farms area (417.71 ±12.77SE g) in comparison to the natural desert area (376.37±12.71SE g). Both habitat and sex significantly influenced the home range size of hedgehogs. Home ranges were larger in the reserve than in the farms area. Total home ranges averaged 103 ha (±17 SE) for males and 42 ha (±11SE) for females in the farms area, but were much larger in the reserve averaging 230 ha (±33 SE) for males and 150 ha (±29 SE) for females. The home ranges of individuals of both sexes overlapped. Although females were heavier than males, body weight had no effect on home range size. The results suggest that resources provided in the farms (e.g. food, water, and shelters) influenced animal density and space use. Females aggregated around high-resource areas (either farms or rawdhats), whereas males roamed over greater distances, likely in search of mating opportunities to maximize reproductive success. Most individual home ranges overlapped with many other individuals of either sex, suggesting a non-territorial, promiscuous mating. Patterns of space use and habitat utilization are key factors in shaping aspects of reproductive biology and mating system. To minimize the impacts of agriculture on local wildlife, we recommend that biodiversity-friendly agro-environmental schemes be introduced in the Middle East where the transformation from dry lands to 'islands of fertility' is often extreme.

Hedgehogs on the move: Testing the effects of land use change on home range size and movement patterns of free-ranging Ethiopian hedgehogs

PubMed Central

Reeve, Nigel; Conkey, April A. T.; Macdonald, David W.

2017-01-01

Degradation and alteration of natural environments because of agriculture and other land uses have major consequences on vertebrate populations, particularly on spatial organization and movement patterns. We used GPS tracking to study the effect of land use and sex on the home range size and movement of a typical model species, the Ethiopian hedgehogs. We used free-ranging hedgehogs from two areas with different land use practices: 24 from an area dominated by irrigated farms (12 ♂♂, 12 ♀♀) and 22 from a natural desert environment within a biosphere reserve (12 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀). Animals were significantly heavier in the resource-rich irrigated farms area (417.71 ±12.77SE g) in comparison to the natural desert area (376.37±12.71SE g). Both habitat and sex significantly influenced the home range size of hedgehogs. Home ranges were larger in the reserve than in the farms area. Total home ranges averaged 103 ha (±17 SE) for males and 42 ha (±11SE) for females in the farms area, but were much larger in the reserve averaging 230 ha (±33 SE) for males and 150 ha (±29 SE) for females. The home ranges of individuals of both sexes overlapped. Although females were heavier than males, body weight had no effect on home range size. The results suggest that resources provided in the farms (e.g. food, water, and shelters) influenced animal density and space use. Females aggregated around high-resource areas (either farms or rawdhats), whereas males roamed over greater distances, likely in search of mating opportunities to maximize reproductive success. Most individual home ranges overlapped with many other individuals of either sex, suggesting a non-territorial, promiscuous mating. Patterns of space use and habitat utilization are key factors in shaping aspects of reproductive biology and mating system. To minimize the impacts of agriculture on local wildlife, we recommend that biodiversity-friendly agro-environmental schemes be introduced in the Middle East where the transformation from dry lands to ‘islands of fertility’ is often extreme. PMID:28746381

Estimated home ranges can misrepresent habitat relationships on patchy landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mitchell, M.S.; Powell, R.A.

2008-01-01

Home ranges of animals are generally structured by the selective use of resource-bearing patches that comprise habitat. Based on this concept, home ranges of animals estimated from location data are commonly used to infer habitat relationships. Because home ranges estimated from animal locations are largely continuous in space, the resource-bearing patches selected by an animal from a fragmented distribution of patches would be difficult to discern; unselected patches included in the home range estimate would bias an understanding of important habitat relationships. To evaluate potential for this bias, we generated simulated home ranges based on optimal selection of resource-bearing patches across a series of simulated resource distributions that varied in the spatial continuity of resources. For simulated home ranges where selected patches were spatially disjunct, we included interstitial, unselected cells most likely to be traveled by an animal moving among selected patches. We compared characteristics of the simulated home ranges with and without interstitial patches to evaluate how insights derived from field estimates can differ from actual characteristics of home ranges, depending on patchiness of landscapes. Our results showed that contiguous home range estimates could lead to misleading insights on the quality, size, resource content, and efficiency of home ranges, proportional to the spatial discontinuity of resource-bearing patches. We conclude the potential bias of including unselected, largely irrelevant patches in the field estimates of home ranges of animals can be high, particularly for home range estimators that assume uniform use of space within home range boundaries. Thus, inferences about the habitat relationships that ultimately define an animal's home range can be misleading where animals occupy landscapes with patchily distributed resources.

Movement is the glue connecting home ranges and habitat selection.

PubMed

Van Moorter, Bram; Rolandsen, Christer M; Basille, Mathieu; Gaillard, Jean-Michel

2016-01-01

Animal space use has been studied by focusing either on geographic (e.g. home ranges, species' distribution) or on environmental (e.g. habitat use and selection) space. However, all patterns of space use emerge from individual movements, which are the primary means by which animals change their environment. Individuals increase their use of a given area by adjusting two key movement components: the duration of their visit and/or the frequency of revisits. Thus, in spatially heterogeneous environments, animals exploit known, high-quality resource areas by increasing their residence time (RT) in and/or decreasing their time to return (TtoR) to these areas. We expected that spatial variation in these two movement properties should lead to observed patterns of space use in both geographic and environmental spaces. We derived a set of nine predictions linking spatial distribution of movement properties to emerging space-use patterns. We predicted that, at a given scale, high variation in RT and TtoR among habitats leads to strong habitat selection and that long RT and short TtoR result in a small home range size. We tested these predictions using moose (Alces alces) GPS tracking data. We first modelled the relationship between landscape characteristics and movement properties. Then, we investigated how the spatial distribution of predicted movement properties (i.e. spatial autocorrelation, mean, and variance of RT and TtoR) influences home range size and hierarchical habitat selection. In landscapes with high spatial autocorrelation of RT and TtoR, a high variation in both RT and TtoR occurred in home ranges. As expected, home range location was highly selective in such landscapes (i.e. second-order habitat selection); RT was higher and TtoR lower within the selected home range than outside, and moose home ranges were small. Within home ranges, a higher variation in both RT and TtoR was associated with higher selectivity among habitat types (i.e. third-order habitat selection). Our findings show how patterns of geographic and environmental space use correspond to the two sides of a coin, linked by movement responses of individuals to environmental heterogeneity. By demonstrating the potential to assess the consequences of altering RT or TtoR (e.g. through human disturbance or climatic changes) on home range size and habitat selection, our work sets the basis for new theoretical and methodological advances in movement ecology. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2015 British Ecological Society.

Effectiveness and cost of reducing particle-related mortality with particle filtration

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

Fisk, W. J.; Chan, W. R.

This study evaluates the mortality-related benefits and costs of improvements in particle filtration in U.S. homes and commercial buildings based on models with empirical inputs. The models account for time spent in various environments as well as activity levels and associated breathing rates. The scenarios evaluated include improvements in filter efficiencies in both forced-air heating and cooling systems of homes and heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems of workplaces as well as use of portable air cleaners in homes. The predicted reductions in mortality range from approximately 0.25 to 2.4 per 10 000 population. The largest reductions in mortality were frommore » interventions with continuously operating portable air cleaners in homes because, given our scenarios, these portable air cleaners with HEPA filters most reduced particle exposures. For some interventions, predicted annual mortality-related economic benefits exceed $1000 per person. Economic benefits always exceed costs with benefit-to-cost ratios ranging from approximately 3.9 to 133. In conclusion, restricting interventions to homes of the elderly further increases the mortality reductions per unit population and the benefit-to-cost ratios.« less

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

Logue, Jennifer M; Singer, Brett

Range hood use during residential cooking is essential to maintaining good indoor air quality. However, widespread use will impact the energy demand of the U.S. housing stock. This paper describes a modeling study to determine site energy, source energy, and consumer costs for comprehensive range hood use. To estimate the energy impacts for all 113 million homes in the U.S., we extrapolated from the simulation of a representative weighted sample of 50,000 virtual homes developed from the 2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey database. A physics-based simulation model that considered fan energy, energy to condition additional incoming air, and the effectmore » on home heating and cooling due to exhausting the heat from cooking was applied to each home. Hoods performing at a level common to hoods currently in U.S. homes would require 19?33 TWh [69?120 PJ] of site energy, 31?53 TWh [110-190 PJ] of source energy; and would cost consumers $1.2?2.1 billion (U.S.$2010) annually in the U.S. housing stock. The average household would spend less than $15 annually. Reducing required airflow, e.g. with designs that promote better pollutant capture has more energy saving potential, on average, than improving fan efficiency.« less

Winter and summer home ranges of American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) captured at loafing sites in the southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

King, D. Tommy; Fischer, Justin W.; Strickland, Bronson K.; Walter, W. David; Cunningham, Fred L.; Wang, Guiming

2016-01-01

Satellite telemetry was used to investigate summer and winter home ranges for resident and migrant American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) captured in the southeastern United States between 2002 and 2007. Home range utilization distributions were calculated using 50% and 95% kernel density estimators with the plug-in bandwidth selector. Mean summer home ranges (95%) varied from 177 to 4,710 km2 and mean winter home ranges (95%) ranged from 185 to 916 km2. Mean 50% and 95% home ranges of adult American White Pelicans during summer tended to be larger than those during winter, whereas mean 50% and 95% home ranges of immature pelicans during summer tended to be smaller than those during winter. Home ranges for all American White Pelicans encompassed the latitude range of 24°–55° N, including wintering, stop over, and nesting habitat. These data provide baseline movement and home range data for future studies of American White Pelican ecology.

Home range and residency status of Northern Goshawks breeding in Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boal, C.W.; Andersen, D.E.; Kennedy, P.L.

2003-01-01

We used radio-telemetry to estimate breeding season home-range size of 17 male and 11 female Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) and combined home ranges of 10 pairs of breeding goshawks in Minnesota. Home-range sizes for male and female goshawks were 2593 and 2494 ha, respectively, using the minimum convex polygon, and 3927 and 5344 ha, respectively, using the 95% fixed kernel. Home ranges of male and female members of 10 goshawk pairs were smaller than combined home-range size of those pairs (mean difference = 3527 ha; 95% CI = 891 to 6164 ha). Throughout the nonbreeding season, the maximum distance from the nest recorded for all but one goshawk was 12.4 km. Goshawks breeding in Minnesota have home ranges similar to or larger than those reported in most other areas. Home-range overlap between members of breeding pairs was typically ???50%, and both members of breeding pairs were associated with breeding home ranges year round. Goshawk management plans based on estimated home-range size of individual hawks may substantially underestimate the area actually used by a nesting pair.

Ecology, distribution, and predictive occurrence modeling of Palmers chipmunk (Tamias palmeri): a high-elevation small mammal endemic to the Spring Mountains in southern Nevada, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowrey, Chris E.; Longshore, Kathleen M.; Riddle, Brett R.; Mantooth, Stacy

2016-01-01

Although montane sky islands surrounded by desert scrub and shrub steppe comprise a large part of the biological diversity of the Basin and Range Province of southwestern North America, comprehensive ecological and population demographic studies for high-elevation small mammals within these areas are rare. Here, we examine the ecology and population parameters of the Palmer’s chipmunk (Tamias palmeri) in the Spring Mountains of southern Nevada, and present a predictive GIS-based distribution and probability of occurrence model at both home range and geographic spatial scales. Logistic regression analyses and Akaike Information Criterion model selection found variables of forest type, slope, and distance to water sources as predictive of chipmunk occurrence at the geographic scale. At the home range scale, increasing population density, decreasing overstory canopy cover, and decreasing understory canopy cover contributed to increased survival rates.

Childhood incident asthma and traffic-related air pollution at home and school.

PubMed

McConnell, Rob; Islam, Talat; Shankardass, Ketan; Jerrett, Michael; Lurmann, Fred; Gilliland, Frank; Gauderman, Jim; Avol, Ed; Künzli, Nino; Yao, Ling; Peters, John; Berhane, Kiros

2010-07-01

Traffic-related air pollution has been associated with adverse cardiorespiratory effects, including increased asthma prevalence. However, there has been little study of effects of traffic exposure at school on new-onset asthma. We evaluated the relationship of new-onset asthma with traffic-related pollution near homes and schools. Parent-reported physician diagnosis of new-onset asthma (n = 120) was identified during 3 years of follow-up of a cohort of 2,497 kindergarten and first-grade children who were asthma- and wheezing-free at study entry into the Southern California Children's Health Study. We assessed traffic-related pollution exposure based on a line source dispersion model of traffic volume, distance from home and school, and local meteorology. Regional ambient ozone, nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), and particulate matter were measured continuously at one central site monitor in each of 13 study communities. Hazard ratios (HRs) for new-onset asthma were scaled to the range of ambient central site pollutants and to the residential interquartile range for each traffic exposure metric. Asthma risk increased with modeled traffic-related pollution exposure from roadways near homes [HR 1.51; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25-1.82] and near schools (HR 1.45; 95% CI, 1.06-1.98). Ambient NO(2) measured at a central site in each community was also associated with increased risk (HR 2.18; 95% CI, 1.18-4.01). In models with both NO(2) and modeled traffic exposures, there were independent associations of asthma with traffic-related pollution at school and home, whereas the estimate for NO(2) was attenuated (HR 1.37; 95% CI, 0.69-2.71). Traffic-related pollution exposure at school and homes may both contribute to the development of asthma.

Variation in home range size of red foxes Vulpes vulpes along a gradient of productivity and human landscape alteration

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Home range size is a fundamental concept for understanding animal dispersion and ecological needs, and it is one of the most commonly reported ecological attributes of free-ranging mammals. Previous studies indicate that red foxes Vulpes vulpes display great variability in home range size. Yet, there has been little consensus regarding the reasons why home range sizes of red foxes vary so extensively. In this study, we examine possible causes of variation in red fox home range sizes using data from 52 GPS collared red foxes from four study areas representing a gradient of landscape productivity and human landscape alteration in Norway and Sweden. Using 90% Local Convex Hull home range estimates, we examined how red fox home range size varied in relation to latitude, elevation, vegetation zone, proportion of agricultural land and human settlement within a home range, and sex and age. We found considerable variation in red fox home range sizes, ranging between 0.95 km2 to 44 km2 (LoCoH 90%) and 2.4 km2 to 358 km2 (MCP 100%). Elevation, proportion of agricultural land and sex accounted for 50% of the variation in home range size found amongst foxes, with elevation having the strongest effect. Red foxes residing in more productive landscapes (those in more southern vegetation zones), had home ranges approximately four times smaller than the home ranges of foxes in the northern boreal vegetation zone. Our results indicate that home range size was influenced by a productivity gradient at both the landscape (latitude) and the local (elevation) scale. The influence of the proportion of agriculture land on home range size of foxes illustrates how human landscape alteration can affect the space use and distribution of red foxes. Further, the variation in home range size found in this study demonstrates the plasticity of red foxes to respond to changing human landscape alteration as well as changes in landscape productivity, which may be contributing to red fox population increases and northern range expansions. PMID:28384313

[Home range of Aspidoscelis cozumela (Squamata: Teiidae): a parthenogenetic lizard microendemic to Cozumel Island, México].

PubMed

Hernández-Gallegos, Oswaldo; López-Moreno, Ana Esthela; Méndez-Sánchez, José Fernando; Rheubert, Justin Lloyd; Méndez-de la Cruz, Fausto Roberto

2015-09-01

Home range is defined as the area within which an individual moves to acquire resources necessary to increase their fitness and may vary inter and intra-specifically with biotic and abiotic factors. This study details the home range of the parthenogenic lizard, Aspidoscelis cozumela, an active forager microendemic to Cozumel Island, México, with high preference for open sand beaches. The home range of A. cozumela was compared with other species of Aspidoscelis (gonochoric and parthenogenetic) and other lizards that occupy coastal habitats. Furthermore, the biotic and abiotic factors that may influence home range were analyzed. This study was conducted in the beach located on the East side of the island (area of 4,000 M2) that is composed primarily of halophyte vegetation with high levels of sunlight. From 1999 to 2001, nine samples were taken which included the dry, rainy, "nortes", and breeding seasons. During each sampling, capture-mark-recapture techniques were conducted and the date, time of day, and snout-vent length (SVL) were recorded to the nearest millimeter. Individuals were located in the study area using a bi-coordinate reference using 10 x 10 m subdivisions of the habitat. Home range and home range overlap were calculated using the convex polygon method in McPaal and home range/SVL correlation was tested using Pearson's correlation. To calculate females home range, three or more recaptures were considered. A total of 20 home ranges that averaged 45.1 ± 14.0 m2 were obtained and no correlation between SVL and home range size was detected (p = 0.9229, n = 20). However, removing individuals with outlier home ranges (females with home ranges > 100 m2, n = 2) resulted in a positive correlation with SVL (r = 0.61, p = 0.0072, n = 18). A 22.9 ± 5.7% overlap in home range was also detected. The small home range of A. cozumela represents the smallest home range within the Aspidoscelis genus recorded to date (including both parthenogenetic and gonochoric species) and contrasts the theoretical predictions of broad home ranges for widely foraging species. Thermoregulatory benefits and a high population density may explain the small home range of A. cozumela. Although this species is highly adapted to the environmental conditions present on the open sand beaches, anthropogenic effects on these habitats by the development of tourism infrastructure may jeopardize their existence on Cozumel Island.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Consortium Agreement

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-03-01

In this, our second progress report of the Phase Two Home Automation and Healthcare Consortium at the Brit and Alex d’Arbeloff Laboratory for...Covered here are the diverse fields of home automation and healthcare research, ranging from human modeling, patient monitoring, and diagnosis to new...sensors and actuators, physical aids, human-machine interface and home automation infrastructure. These results will be presented at the upcoming General Assembly of the Consortium held on October 27-October 30, 1998 at MIT.

Home range and travels

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stickel, L.F.; King, John A.

1968-01-01

The concept of home range was expressed by Seton (1909) in the term 'home region,' which Burr (1940, 1943) clarified with a definition of home range and exemplified in a definitive study of Peromyscus in the field. Burt pointed out the ever-changing characteristics of home-range area and the consequent absence of boundaries in the usual sense--a finding verified by investigators thereafter. In the studies summarized in this paper, sizes of home ranges of Peromyscus varied within two magnitudes, approximately from 0.1 acre to ten acres, in 34 studies conducted in a variety of habitats from the seaside dunes of Florida to the Alaskan forests. Variation in sizes of home ranges was correlated with both environmental and physiological factors; with habitat it was conspicuous, both in the same and different regions. Food supply also was related to size of home range, both seasonally and in relation to habitat. Home ranges generally were smallest in winter and largest in spring, at the onset of the breeding season. Activity and size also were affected by changes in weather. Activity was least when temperatures were low and nights were bright. Effects of rainfall were variable. Sizes varied according to sex and age; young mice remained in the parents' range until they approached maturity, when they began to travel more widely. Adult males commonly had larger home ranges than females, although there were a number of exceptions. An inverse relationship between population density and size of home range was shown in several studies and probably is the usual relationship. A basic need for activity and exploration also appeared to influence size of home range. Behavior within the home range was discussed in terms of travel patterns, travels in relation to home sites and refuges, territory, and stability of size of home range. Travels within the home range consisted of repeated use of well-worn trails to sites of food, shelter, and refuge, plus more random exploratory travels. Peromyscus generally used and maintained several or many different home sites and refuges in various parts of their home ranges, and frequently shifted about so that their principal activities centered on different sets of holes at different times. Once established, many Peromyscus remained in the same general area for a long time, perhaps for the duration of their lives. Extent of their travels in different directions and intensity of use of different portions of their home ranges varied within a general area in response to habitat changes, loss of neighbors, or other factors. Various authors have obtained both direct and indirect evidence of territoriality, in some degree, among certain species of Peromyscus. Young mice dispersed from their birth sites to establish home ranges of their own. Adults also sometimes left their home areas; some re-established elsewhere; others returned after exploratory travels. Most populations contained a certain proportion of transients; these may have been wanderers or individuals exploring out from established home ranges or seeking new ones. When areas were depopulated by removal trapping, other Peromyscus invaded. Invasion rates generally followed seasonal trends of reproduction and population density. Peromyscus removed from their home areas and released elsewhere returned home from various distances, but fewer returned from greater distances than from nearby; speed of return increased with successive trials. The consensus from present evidence is that ho-ming is made possible by a combination of random wandering and familiarity with a larger area than the day-to-day range. Records of juvenile wanderings during the dispersal phase and of adult explorations very nearly encompassed the distances over which any substantial amount of successful homing occurred. Methods of measuring sizes of home ranges and the limitations of these measurements were discussed in brief synopsis. It was co

Standardising Home Range Studies for Improved Management of the Critically Endangered Black Rhinoceros

PubMed Central

Plotz, Roan D.; Grecian, W. James; Kerley, Graham I.H.; Linklater, Wayne L.

2016-01-01

Comparisons of recent estimations of home range sizes for the critically endangered black rhinoceros in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP), South Africa, with historical estimates led reports of a substantial (54%) increase, attributed to over-stocking and habitat deterioration that has far-reaching implications for rhino conservation. Other reports, however, suggest the increase is more likely an artefact caused by applying various home range estimators to non-standardised datasets. We collected 1939 locations of 25 black rhino over six years (2004–2009) to estimate annual home ranges and evaluate the hypothesis that they have increased in size. A minimum of 30 and 25 locations were required for accurate 95% MCP estimation of home range of adult rhinos, during the dry and wet seasons respectively. Forty and 55 locations were required for adult female and male annual MCP home ranges, respectively, and 30 locations were necessary for estimating 90% bivariate kernel home ranges accurately. Average annual 95% bivariate kernel home ranges were 20.4 ± 1.2 km2, 53 ±1.9% larger than 95% MCP ranges (9.8 km2 ± 0.9). When home range techniques used during the late-1960s in HiP were applied to our dataset, estimates were similar, indicating that ranges have not changed substantially in 50 years. Inaccurate, non-standardised, home range estimates and their comparison have the potential to mislead black rhino population management. We recommend that more care be taken to collect adequate numbers of rhino locations within standardized time periods (i.e., season or year) and that the comparison of home ranges estimated using dissimilar procedures be avoided. Home range studies of black rhino have been data deficient and procedurally inconsistent. Standardisation of methods is required. PMID:27028728

Standardising Home Range Studies for Improved Management of the Critically Endangered Black Rhinoceros.

PubMed

Plotz, Roan D; Grecian, W James; Kerley, Graham I H; Linklater, Wayne L

2016-01-01

Comparisons of recent estimations of home range sizes for the critically endangered black rhinoceros in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP), South Africa, with historical estimates led reports of a substantial (54%) increase, attributed to over-stocking and habitat deterioration that has far-reaching implications for rhino conservation. Other reports, however, suggest the increase is more likely an artefact caused by applying various home range estimators to non-standardised datasets. We collected 1939 locations of 25 black rhino over six years (2004-2009) to estimate annual home ranges and evaluate the hypothesis that they have increased in size. A minimum of 30 and 25 locations were required for accurate 95% MCP estimation of home range of adult rhinos, during the dry and wet seasons respectively. Forty and 55 locations were required for adult female and male annual MCP home ranges, respectively, and 30 locations were necessary for estimating 90% bivariate kernel home ranges accurately. Average annual 95% bivariate kernel home ranges were 20.4 ± 1.2 km(2), 53 ± 1.9% larger than 95% MCP ranges (9.8 km(2) ± 0.9). When home range techniques used during the late-1960s in HiP were applied to our dataset, estimates were similar, indicating that ranges have not changed substantially in 50 years. Inaccurate, non-standardised, home range estimates and their comparison have the potential to mislead black rhino population management. We recommend that more care be taken to collect adequate numbers of rhino locations within standardized time periods (i.e., season or year) and that the comparison of home ranges estimated using dissimilar procedures be avoided. Home range studies of black rhino have been data deficient and procedurally inconsistent. Standardisation of methods is required.

Estimating landscape carrying capacity through maximum clique analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donovan, Therese; Warrington, Greg; Schwenk, W. Scott; Dinitz, Jeffrey H.

2012-01-01

Habitat suitability (HS) maps are widely used tools in wildlife science and establish a link between wildlife populations and landscape pattern. Although HS maps spatially depict the distribution of optimal resources for a species, they do not reveal the population size a landscape is capable of supporting--information that is often crucial for decision makers and managers. We used a new approach, "maximum clique analysis," to demonstrate how HS maps for territorial species can be used to estimate the carrying capacity, N(k), of a given landscape. We estimated the N(k) of Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapillus) and bobcats (Lynx rufus) in an 1153-km2 study area in Vermont, USA. These two species were selected to highlight different approaches in building an HS map as well as computational challenges that can arise in a maximum clique analysis. We derived 30-m2 HS maps for each species via occupancy modeling (Ovenbird) and by resource utilization modeling (bobcats). For each species, we then identified all pixel locations on the map (points) that had sufficient resources in the surrounding area to maintain a home range (termed a "pseudo-home range"). These locations were converted to a mathematical graph, where any two points were linked if two pseudo-home ranges could exist on the landscape without violating territory boundaries. We used the program Cliquer to find the maximum clique of each graph. The resulting estimates of N(k) = 236 Ovenbirds and N(k) = 42 female bobcats were sensitive to different assumptions and model inputs. Estimates of N(k) via alternative, ad hoc methods were 1.4 to > 30 times greater than the maximum clique estimate, suggesting that the alternative results may be upwardly biased. The maximum clique analysis was computationally intensive but could handle problems with < 1500 total pseudo-home ranges (points). Given present computational constraints, it is best suited for species that occur in clustered distributions (where the problem can be broken into several, smaller problems), or for species with large home ranges relative to grid scale where resampling the points to a coarser resolution can reduce the problem to manageable proportions.

Space use of wintering waterbirds in India: Influence of trophic ecology on home-range size

USGS Publications Warehouse

Namgail, Tsewang; Takekawa, John Y.; Balachandran, Sivananinthaperumal; Sathiyaselvam, Ponnusamy; Mundkur, Taej; Newman, Scott H.

2014-01-01

Relationship between species' home range and their other biological traits remains poorly understood, especially in migratory birds due to the difficulty associated with tracking them. Advances in satellite telemetry and remote sensing techniques have proved instrumental in overcoming such challenges. We studied the space use of migratory ducks through satellite telemetry with an objective of understanding the influence of body mass and feeding habits on their home-range sizes. We marked 26 individuals, representing five species of migratory ducks, with satellite transmitters during two consecutive winters in three Indian states. We used kernel methods to estimate home ranges and core use areas of these waterfowl, and assessed the influence of body mass and feeding habits on home-range size. Feeding habits influenced the home-range size of the migratory ducks. Carnivorous ducks had the largest home ranges, herbivorous ducks the smallest, while omnivorous species had intermediate home-ranges. Body mass did not explain variation in home-range size. To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind on migratory ducks, and it has important implications for their conservation and management.

Survival and home-range size of Northern Spotted Owls in southwestern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schilling, Jason W.; Dugger, Katie M.; Anthony, Robert G.

2013-01-01

In the Klamath province of southwestern Oregon, Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) occur in complex, productive forests that historically supported frequent fires of variable severity. However, little is known about the relationships between Spotted Owl survival and home-range size and the characteristics of fire-prone, mixed-conifer forests of the Klamath province. Thus, the objectives of this study were to estimate monthly survival rates and home-range size in relation to habitat characteristics for Northern Spotted Owls in southwestern Oregon. Home-range size and survival of 15 Northern Spotted Owls was monitored using radiotelemetry in the Ashland Ranger District of the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest from September 2006 to October 2008. Habitat classes within Spotted Owl home ranges were characterized using a remote-sensed vegetation map of the study area. Estimates of monthly survival ranged from 0.89 to 1.0 and were positively correlated with the number of late-seral habitat patches and the amount of edge, and negatively correlated with the mean nearest neighbor distance between late-seral habitats. Annual home-range size varied from to 189 to 894 ha ( x =  576; SE  =  75), with little difference between breeding and nonbreeding home ranges. Breeding-season home-range size increased with the amount of hard edge, and the amount of old and mature forest combined. Core area, annual and nonbreeding season home-range sizes all increased with increased amounts of hard edge, suggesting that increased fragmentation is associated with larger core and home-range sizes. Although no effect of the amount of late-seral stage forest on either survival or home-range size was detected, these results are the first to concurrently demonstrate increased forest fragmentation with decreased survival and increased home-range size of Northern Spotted Owls.

Effects of sample size on KERNEL home range estimates

USGS Publications Warehouse

Seaman, D.E.; Millspaugh, J.J.; Kernohan, Brian J.; Brundige, Gary C.; Raedeke, Kenneth J.; Gitzen, Robert A.

1999-01-01

Kernel methods for estimating home range are being used increasingly in wildlife research, but the effect of sample size on their accuracy is not known. We used computer simulations of 10-200 points/home range and compared accuracy of home range estimates produced by fixed and adaptive kernels with the reference (REF) and least-squares cross-validation (LSCV) methods for determining the amount of smoothing. Simulated home ranges varied from simple to complex shapes created by mixing bivariate normal distributions. We used the size of the 95% home range area and the relative mean squared error of the surface fit to assess the accuracy of the kernel home range estimates. For both measures, the bias and variance approached an asymptote at about 50 observations/home range. The fixed kernel with smoothing selected by LSCV provided the least-biased estimates of the 95% home range area. All kernel methods produced similar surface fit for most simulations, but the fixed kernel with LSCV had the lowest frequency and magnitude of very poor estimates. We reviewed 101 papers published in The Journal of Wildlife Management (JWM) between 1980 and 1997 that estimated animal home ranges. A minority of these papers used nonparametric utilization distribution (UD) estimators, and most did not adequately report sample sizes. We recommend that home range studies using kernel estimates use LSCV to determine the amount of smoothing, obtain a minimum of 30 observations per animal (but preferably a?Y50), and report sample sizes in published results.

Attributes of seasonal home range influence choice of migratory strategy in white-tailed deer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Henderson, Charles R.; Mitchell, Michael S.; Myers, Woodrow L.; Lukacs, Paul M.; Nelson, Gerald P.

2018-01-01

Partial migration is a common life-history strategy among ungulates living in seasonal environments. The decision to migrate or remain on a seasonal range may be influenced strongly by access to high-quality habitat. We evaluated the influence of access to winter habitat of high quality on the probability of a female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) migrating to a separate summer range and the effects of this decision on survival. We hypothesized that deer with home ranges of low quality in winter would have a high probability of migrating, and that survival of an individual in winter would be influenced by the quality of their home range in winter. We radiocollared 67 female white-tailed deer in 2012 and 2013 in eastern Washington, United States. We estimated home range size in winter using a kernel density estimator; we assumed the size of the home range was inversely proportional to its quality and the proportion of crop land within the home range was proportional to its quality. Odds of migrating from winter ranges increased by 3.1 per unit increase in home range size and decreased by 0.29 per unit increase in the proportion of crop land within a home range. Annual survival rate for migrants was 0.85 (SD = 0.05) and 0.84 (SD = 0.09) for residents. Our finding that an individual with a low-quality home range in winter is likely to migrate to a separate summer range accords with the hypothesis that competition for a limited amount of home ranges of high quality should result in residents having home ranges of higher quality than migrants in populations experiencing density dependence. We hypothesize that density-dependent competition for high-quality home ranges in winter may play a leading role in the selection of migration strategy by female white-tailed deer.

Average dispersal success: linking home range, dispersal, and metapopulation dynamics to reserve design.

PubMed

Fagan, William F; Lutscher, Frithjof

2006-04-01

Spatially explicit models for populations are often difficult to tackle mathematically and, in addition, require detailed data on individual movement behavior that are not easily obtained. An approximation known as the "average dispersal success" provides a tool for converting complex models, which may include stage structure and a mechanistic description of dispersal, into a simple matrix model. This simpler matrix model has two key advantages. First, it is easier to parameterize from the types of empirical data typically available to conservation biologists, such as survivorship, fecundity, and the fraction of juveniles produced in a study area that also recruit within the study area. Second, it is more amenable to theoretical investigation. Here, we use the average dispersal success approximation to develop estimates of the critical reserve size for systems comprising single patches or simple metapopulations. The quantitative approach can be used for both plants and animals; however, to provide a concrete example of the technique's utility, we focus on a special case pertinent to animals. Specifically, for territorial animals, we can characterize such an estimate of minimum viable habitat area in terms of the number of home ranges that the reserve contains. Consequently, the average dispersal success framework provides a framework through which home range size, natal dispersal distances, and metapopulation dynamics can be linked to reserve design. We briefly illustrate the approach using empirical data for the swift fox (Vulpes velox).

On the potential of a chemical Bonds: Possible effects of steroids on home run production in baseball

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobin, R. G.

2008-01-01

In recent years several baseball players have hit a remarkable number of home runs, and there has been speculation that their achievements were enhanced by the use of anabolic steroids. Basic mechanics and physiology, combined with simple but reasonable models, show that steroid use by a player who is already highly skilled could produce such dramatic increases in home run production. Because home runs are relatively rare events on the tail of a batter's range distribution, even modest changes in bat speed can increase the proportion of batted balls that result in home runs by 50-100%. The possible effect of steroid use by pitchers is briefly considered.

Home range size of Tengmalm's owl during breeding in Central Europe is determined by prey abundance.

PubMed

Kouba, Marek; Bartoš, Luděk; Tomášek, Václav; Popelková, Alena; Šťastný, Karel; Zárybnická, Markéta

2017-01-01

Animal home ranges typically characterized by their size, shape and a given time interval can be affected by many different biotic and abiotic factors. However, despite the fact that many studies have addressed home ranges, our knowledge of the factors influencing the size of area occupied by different animals is, in many cases, still quite poor, especially among raptors. Using radio-telemetry (VHF; 2.1 g tail-mounted tags) we studied movements of 20 Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus) males during the breeding season in a mountain area of Central Europe (the Czech Republic, the Ore Mountains: 50° 40' N, 13° 35' E) between years 2006-2010, determined their average hunting home range size and explored what factors affected the size of home range utilised. The mean breeding home range size calculated according to 95% fixed kernel density estimator was 190.7 ± 65.7 ha (± SD) with a median value of 187.1 ha. Home range size was affected by prey abundance, presence or absence of polygyny, the number of fledglings, and weather conditions. Home range size increased with decreasing prey abundance. Polygynously mated males had overall larger home range than those mated monogamously, and individuals with more fledged young possessed larger home range compared to those with fewer raised fledglings. Finally, we found that home ranges recorded during harsh weather (nights with strong wind speed and/or heavy rain) were smaller in size than those registered during better weather. Overall, the results provide novel insights into what factors may influence home range size and emphasize the prey abundance as a key factor for breeding dynamics in Tengmalm's owl.

Evaluating methods for estimating home ranges using GPS collars: A comparison using proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus)

PubMed Central

Vaughan, Ian P.; Ramirez Saldivar, Diana A.; Nathan, Senthilvel K. S. S.; Goossens, Benoit

2017-01-01

The development of GPS tags for tracking wildlife has revolutionised the study of home ranges, habitat use and behaviour. Concomitantly, there have been rapid developments in methods for estimating habitat use from GPS data. In combination, these changes can cause challenges in choosing the best methods for estimating home ranges. In primatology, this issue has received little attention, as there have been few GPS collar-based studies to date. However, as advancing technology is making collaring studies more feasible, there is a need for the analysis to advance alongside the technology. Here, using a high quality GPS collaring data set from 10 proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus), we aimed to: 1) compare home range estimates from the most commonly used method in primatology, the grid-cell method, with three recent methods designed for large and/or temporally correlated GPS data sets; 2) evaluate how well these methods identify known physical barriers (e.g. rivers); and 3) test the robustness of the different methods to data containing either less frequent or random losses of GPS fixes. Biased random bridges had the best overall performance, combining a high level of agreement between the raw data and estimated utilisation distribution with a relatively low sensitivity to reduced fixed frequency or loss of data. It estimated the home range of proboscis monkeys to be 24–165 ha (mean 80.89 ha). The grid-cell method and approaches based on local convex hulls had some advantages including simplicity and excellent barrier identification, respectively, but lower overall performance. With the most suitable model, or combination of models, it is possible to understand more fully the patterns, causes, and potential consequences that disturbances could have on an animal, and accordingly be used to assist in the management and restoration of degraded landscapes. PMID:28362872

Simulation analyses of space use: Home range estimates, variability, and sample size

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bekoff, Marc; Mech, L. David

1984-01-01

Simulations of space use by animals were run to determine the relationship among home range area estimates, variability, and sample size (number of locations). As sample size increased, home range size increased asymptotically, whereas variability decreased among mean home range area estimates generated by multiple simulations for the same sample size. Our results suggest that field workers should ascertain between 100 and 200 locations in order to estimate reliably home range area. In some cases, this suggested guideline is higher than values found in the few published studies in which the relationship between home range area and number of locations is addressed. Sampling differences for small species occupying relatively small home ranges indicate that fewer locations may be sufficient to allow for a reliable estimate of home range. Intraspecific variability in social status (group member, loner, resident, transient), age, sex, reproductive condition, and food resources also have to be considered, as do season, habitat, and differences in sampling and analytical methods. Comparative data still are needed.

Fish movement and habitat use depends on water body size and shape

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woolnough, D.A.; Downing, J.A.; Newton, T.J.

2009-01-01

Home ranges are central to understanding habitat diversity, effects of fragmentation and conservation. The distance that an organism moves yields information on life history, genetics and interactions with other organisms. Present theory suggests that home range is set by body size of individuals. Here, we analyse estimates of home ranges in lakes and rivers to show that body size of fish and water body size and shape influence home range size. Using 71 studies including 66 fish species on five continents, we show that home range estimates increased with increasing water body size across water body shapes. This contrasts with past studies concluding that body size sets home range. We show that water body size was a consistently significant predictor of home range. In conjunction, body size and water body size can provide improved estimates of home range than just body size alone. As habitat patches are decreasing in size worldwide, our findings have implications for ecology, conservation and genetics of populations in fragmented ecosystems. ?? 2008 Blackwell Munksgaard.

Red-cockaded Woodpecker Picoides borealis Microhabitat Characteristics and Reproductive Success in a Loblolly-Shortleaf Pine Forest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wood, Douglas R.; Burger, L. Wesley; Vilella, Francisco

2014-01-01

We investigated the relationship between red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) reproductive success and microhabitat characteristics in a southeastern loblolly (Pinus taeda) and shortleaf (P. echinata) pine forest. From 1997 to 1999, we recorded reproductive success parameters of 41 red-cockaded woodpecker groups at the Bienville National Forest, Mississippi. Microhabitat characteristics were measured for each group during the nesting season. Logistic regression identified understory vegetation height and small nesting season home range size as predictors of red-cockaded woodpecker nest attempts. Linear regression models identified several variables as predictors of red-cockaded woodpecker reproductive success including group density, reduced hardwood component, small nesting season home range size, and shorter foraging distances. Red-cockaded woodpecker reproductive success was correlated with habitat and behavioral characteristics that emphasize high quality habitat. By providing high quality foraging habitat during the nesting season, red-cockaded woodpeckers can successfully reproduce within small home ranges.

Home range and use of habitat of western yellow-billed cuckoos on the middle Rio Grande, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sechrist, Juddson; Ahlers, Darrell; Potak Zehfuss, Katherine; Doster, Robert; Paxton, Eben H.; Ryan, Vicky M.

2013-01-01

The western yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus occidentalis) is a Distinct Population Segment that has been proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act, yet very little is known about its spatial use on the breeding grounds. We implemented a study, using radio telemetry, of home range and use of habitat for breeding cuckoos along the Middle Rio Grande in central New Mexico in 2007 and 2008. Nine of 13 cuckoos were tracked for sufficient time to generate estimates of home range. Overall size of home ranges for the 2 years was 91 ha for a minimum-convex-polygon estimate and 62 ha for a 95%-kernel-home-range estimate. Home ranges varied considerably among individuals, highlighting variability in spatial use by cuckoos. Additionally, use of habitat differed between core areas and overall home ranges, but the differences were nonsignificant. Home ranges calculated for western yellow-billed cuckoos on the Middle Rio Grande are larger than those in other southwestern riparian areas. Based on calculated home ranges and availability of riparian habitat in the study area, we estimate that the study area is capable of supporting 82-99 nonoverlapping home ranges of cuckoos. Spatial data from this study should contribute to the understanding of the requirements of area and habitat of this species for management of resources and help facilitate recovery if a listing occurs.

Spotted owl home range and habitat use in the southern Oregon Coast Range.

Treesearch

A.B. Carey; J.A. Reid; S.P. Horton

1991-01-01

We radiotracked 9 adult spotted owls (Strix occidentalis) in the southern Oregon Coast Ranges for 6-12 months. Owls selected home ranges that emphasized old growth within the landscape. Minimum convex polygon home ranges of 4 pairs were 1,153-3,945 ha and contained 726-1,062 ha of old growth. The percentages of. the home ranges in old growth were...

Roads influence movement and home ranges of a fragmentation-sensitive carnivore, the bobcat, in an urban landscape

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poessel, Sharon A; Boydston, Erin E.; Lyren, Lisa M.; Fisher, Robert N.; Burdett, Christopher L.; Alonso, Robert S.; Crooks, Kevin R.

2014-01-01

Roads in urbanized areas can impact carnivore populations by constraining their movements and increasing mortality. Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are felids capable of living in urban environments, but are sensitive to habitat fragmentation and, thus, useful indicators of landscape connectivity; in particular, bobcat habitat selection, movement, and mortality may be affected by roads. We analyzed movement patterns of 52 bobcats in southern California in three study sites and investigated: (1) how bobcats responded to two types of roads within their home ranges; (2) how they placed their home ranges with respect to roads within the study area; and (3) whether male and female bobcats differed in their behavioral responses to roads. Within home ranges, primary and secondary roads did not influence movements, but bobcats more frequently crossed secondary roads when road densities were higher within their home ranges, thus increasing mortality risk. However, road densities within each study site were several times higher than road densities within home ranges, suggesting bobcats selected against roaded areas in home-range placement. Male home ranges bordering roads were smaller than home ranges for other males, but male home ranges containing roads were larger than those without roads. Male bobcats also were more likely to cross roads than females, potentially reflecting larger male home range sizes. Our results suggest roads have important impacts on urban bobcats, with stronger effects on males than females, and continued efforts to mitigate the effects of roads on carnivores and other fragmentation-sensitive species would help promote connectivity conservation in urban systems.

Home range location of white-tailed deer.

Treesearch

Michael E. Nelson

1979-01-01

Deer migrations and home range traditions indicated that home range location is determined more by early social experience, learning, and tradition than by an innate ability to select the best habitat. Different deer preferred the same or similar habitat but such selection was a secondary influence on home range location.

Behavioural cues surpass habitat factors in explaining prebreeding resource selection by a migratory diving duck

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Neil, Shawn T.; Warren, Jeffrey M.; Takekawa, John Y.; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.; Cutting, Kyle A.; Parker, Michael W.; Yee, Julie L.

2014-01-01

Prebreeding habitat selection in birds can often be explained in part by habitat characteristics. However, females may also select habitats on the basis of fidelity to areas of previous reproductive success or use by conspecifics. The relative influences of sociobehavioural attributes versus habitat characteristics in habitat selection has been primarily investigated in songbirds, while less is known about how these factors affect habitat selection processes in migratory waterfowl. Animal resource selection models often exhibit much unexplained variation; spatial patterns driven by social and behavioural characteristics may account for some of this. We radiomarked female lesser scaup, Aythya affinis, in the southwestern extent of their breeding range to explore hypotheses regarding relative roles of habitat quality, site fidelity and conspecific density in prebreeding habitat selection. We used linear mixed-effects models to relate intensity of use within female home ranges to habitat features, distance to areas of reproductive success during the previous breeding season and conspecific density. Home range habitats included shallow water (≤118 cm), moderate to high densities of flooded emergent vegetation/open water edge and open water areas with submerged aquatic vegetation. Compared with habitat features, conspecific female density and proximity to successful nesting habitats from the previous breeding season had greater influences on habitat use within home ranges. Fidelity and conspecific attraction are behavioural characteristics in some waterfowl species that may exert a greater influence than habitat features in influencing prebreeding space use and habitat selection within home ranges, particularly where quality habitat is abundant. These processes may be of critical importance to a better understanding of habitat selection in breeding birds.

Elucidating spatially explicit behavioral landscapes in the Willow Flycatcher

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bakian, Amanda V.; Sullivan, Kimberly A.; Paxton, Eben H.

2012-01-01

Animal resource selection is a complex, hierarchical decision-making process, yet resource selection studies often focus on the presence and absence of an animal rather than the animal's behavior at resource use locations. In this study, we investigate foraging and vocalization resource selection in a population of Willow Flycatchers, Empidonax traillii adastus, using Bayesian spatial generalized linear models. These models produce “behavioral landscapes” in which space use and resource selection is linked through behavior. Radio telemetry locations were collected from 35 adult Willow Flycatchers (n = 14 males, n = 13 females, and n = 8 unknown sex) over the 2003 and 2004 breeding seasons at Fish Creek, Utah. Results from the 2-stage modeling approach showed that habitat type, perch position, and distance from the arithmetic mean of the home range (in males) or nest site (in females) were important factors influencing foraging and vocalization resource selection. Parameter estimates from the individual-level models indicated high intraspecific variation in the use of the various habitat types and perch heights for foraging and vocalization. On the population level, Willow Flycatchers selected riparian habitat over other habitat types for vocalizing but used multiple habitat types for foraging including mountain shrub, young riparian, and upland forest. Mapping of observed and predicted foraging and vocalization resource selection indicated that the behavior often occurred in disparate areas of the home range. This suggests that multiple core areas may exist in the home ranges of individual flycatchers, and demonstrates that the behavioral landscape modeling approach can be applied to identify spatially and behaviorally distinct core areas. The behavioral landscape approach is applicable to a wide range of animal taxa and can be used to improve our understanding of the spatial context of behavior and resource selection.

MOAB: a spatially explicit, individual-based expert system for creating animal foraging models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, J.; Finn, John T.

1999-01-01

We describe the development, structure, and corroboration process of a simulation model of animal behavior (MOAB). MOAB can create spatially explicit, individual-based animal foraging models. Users can create or replicate heterogeneous landscape patterns, and place resources and individual animals of a goven species on that landscape to simultaneously simulate the foraging behavior of multiple species. The heuristic rules for animal behavior are maintained in a user-modifiable expert system. MOAB can be used to explore hypotheses concerning the influence of landscape patttern on animal movement and foraging behavior. A red fox (Vulpes vulpes L.) foraging and nest predation model was created to test MOAB's capabilities. Foxes were simulated for 30-day periods using both expert system and random movement rules. Home range size, territory formation and other available simulation studies. A striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis L.) model also was developed. The expert system model proved superior to stochastic in respect to territory formation, general movement patterns and home range size.

Site Fidelity in Space Use by Spider Monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

PubMed Central

Ramos-Fernandez, Gabriel; Smith Aguilar, Sandra E.; Schaffner, Colleen M.; Vick, Laura G.; Aureli, Filippo

2013-01-01

Animal home ranges may vary little in their size and location in the short term but nevertheless show more variability in the long term. We evaluated the degree of site fidelity of two groups of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) over a 10- and 13-year period, respectively, in the northeastern Yucatan peninsula, Mexico. We used the Local Convex Hull method to estimate yearly home ranges and core areas (defined as the 60% probability contour) for the two groups. Home ranges varied from 7.7 to 49.6 ha and core areas varied from 3.1 to 9.2 ha. We evaluated the degree of site fidelity by quantifying the number of years in which different areas were used as either home ranges or core areas. Large tracts were used only as home ranges and only for a few years, whereas small areas were used as either core area or home range for the duration of the study. The sum of the yearly core areas coincided partially with the yearly home ranges, indicating that home ranges contain areas used intermittently. Home ranges, and especially core areas, contained a higher proportion of mature forest than the larger study site as a whole. Across years and only in one group, the size of core areas was positively correlated with the proportion of adult males in the group, while the size of home ranges was positively correlated with both the proportion of males and the number of tree species included in the diet. Our findings suggest that spider monkey home ranges are the result of a combination of long-term site fidelity and year-to-year use variation to enable exploration of new resources. PMID:23675427

Spatial ecology of white-tailed deer fawns in the northern Great Plains: implications of loss of conservation reserve program grasslands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grovenburg, Troy W.; Klaver, Robert W.; Jenks, Jonathan A.

2012-01-01

Few studies have evaluated how wildlife, and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in particular, respond to Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands. We conducted a 3-year study (2007–2009) to determine the influence of CRP on fawn ecology during a time of declining CRP enrollment. We captured and radiocollared 81 fawn white-tailed deer during 15 May to 15 June 2007–2009 in north-central South Dakota, collected 6,505 locations, and documented 70 summer home ranges. Mean summer home ranges increased temporally during 2007–2009 (P P < 0.001) from 2007 to 2009. Analysis of covariance models indicated that change in CRP influenced home-range size, and change in CRP and wheat influenced daily movement. Smaller home ranges and reduced movements were associated with greater quantity of CRP available to fawns, and increased movements were associated with more acreage of wheat available to fawns. Fawns shifted resource selection during the summer at a mean age ranging from 48.8 days to 58.6 days, and this shift was associated with height of corn (83–87 cm). During early summer, fawns consistently selected for CRP; selection of wheat progressed temporally from avoidance in 2007 to selection in 2009. During late summer, fawns consistently selected for corn habitat and used CRP at least in proportion to its availability. Reduction in CRP-grasslands seemed to increase fawn home-range size and daily movements and, influenced change in resource selection to wheat. Current legislation mandates continued decrease in CRP enrollment and concomitant increase in the planting of corn for ethanol production. Management of habitat throughout the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains that maximizes cover habitats would provide neonates with adequate cover for protection from predators.

Scale-Dependent Habitat Selection and Size-Based Dominance in Adult Male American Alligators

PubMed Central

Strickland, Bradley A.; Vilella, Francisco J.; Belant, Jerrold L.

2016-01-01

Habitat selection is an active behavioral process that may vary across spatial and temporal scales. Animals choose an area of primary utilization (i.e., home range) then make decisions focused on resource needs within patches. Dominance may affect the spatial distribution of conspecifics and concomitant habitat selection. Size-dependent social dominance hierarchies have been documented in captive alligators, but evidence is lacking from wild populations. We studied habitat selection for adult male American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis; n = 17) on the Pearl River in central Mississippi, USA, to test whether habitat selection was scale-dependent and individual resource selectivity was a function of conspecific body size. We used K-select analysis to quantify selection at the home range scale and patches within the home range to determine selection congruency and important habitat variables. In addition, we used linear models to determine if body size was related to selection patterns and strengths. Our results indicated habitat selection of adult male alligators was a scale-dependent process. Alligators demonstrated greater overall selection for habitat variables at the patch level and less at the home range level, suggesting resources may not be limited when selecting a home range for animals in our study area. Further, diurnal habitat selection patterns may depend on thermoregulatory needs. There was no relationship between resource selection or home range size and body size, suggesting size-dependent dominance hierarchies may not have influenced alligator resource selection or space use in our sample. Though apparent habitat suitability and low alligator density did not manifest in an observed dominance hierarchy, we hypothesize that a change in either could increase intraspecific interactions, facilitating a dominance hierarchy. Due to the broad and diverse ecological roles of alligators, understanding the factors that influence their social dominance and space use can provide great insight into their functional role in the ecosystem. PMID:27588947

Scale-dependent habitat selection and size-based dominance in adult male American alligators

USGS Publications Warehouse

Strickland, Bradley A.; Vilella, Francisco; Belant, Jerrold L.

2016-01-01

Habitat selection is an active behavioral process that may vary across spatial and temporal scales. Animals choose an area of primary utilization (i.e., home range) then make decisions focused on resource needs within patches. Dominance may affect the spatial distribution of conspecifics and concomitant habitat selection. Size-dependent social dominance hierarchies have been documented in captive alligators, but evidence is lacking from wild populations. We studied habitat selection for adult male American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis; n = 17) on the Pearl River in central Mississippi, USA, to test whether habitat selection was scale-dependent and individual resource selectivity was a function of conspecific body size. We used K-select analysis to quantify selection at the home range scale and patches within the home range to determine selection congruency and important habitat variables. In addition, we used linear models to determine if body size was related to selection patterns and strengths. Our results indicated habitat selection of adult male alligators was a scale-dependent process. Alligators demonstrated greater overall selection for habitat variables at the patch level and less at the home range level, suggesting resources may not be limited when selecting a home range for animals in our study area. Further, diurnal habitat selection patterns may depend on thermoregulatory needs. There was no relationship between resource selection or home range size and body size, suggesting size-dependent dominance hierarchies may not have influenced alligator resource selection or space use in our sample. Though apparent habitat suitability and low alligator density did not manifest in an observed dominance hierarchy, we hypothesize that a change in either could increase intraspecific interactions, facilitating a dominance hierarchy. Due to the broad and diverse ecological roles of alligators, understanding the factors that influence their social dominance and space use can provide great insight into their functional role in the ecosystem.

Fine-scale assessment of home ranges and activity patterns for resident black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and turkey vultures (Cathartes aura)

DOE PAGES

Holland, Amanda E.; Byrne, Michael E.; Bryan, A. Lawrence; ...

2017-07-05

Knowledge of black vulture (Coragyps atratus) and turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) spatial ecology is surprisingly limited despite their vital ecological roles. Fine-scale assessments of space use patterns and resource selection are particularly lacking, although development of tracking technologies has allowed data collection at finer temporal and spatial resolution. The objectives of this study were to conduct the first assessment of monthly home range and core area sizes of resident black and turkey vultures with consideration to sex, as well as elucidate differences in monthly, seasonal, and annual activity patterns based on fine-scale movement data analyses. We collected 2.8-million locations formore » 9 black and 9 turkey vultures from June 2013 –August 2015 using solar-powered GSM/GPS transmitters. We quantified home ranges and core areas using the dynamic Brownian bridge movement model and evaluated differences as a function of species, sex, and month. Mean monthly home ranges for turkey vultures were ~50% larger than those of black vultures, although mean core area sizes did not differ between species. Turkey vulture home ranges varied little across months, with exception to a notable reduction in space-use in May, which corresponds with timing of chick-rearing activities. Black vulture home ranges and core areas as well as turkey vulture core areas were larger in breeding season months (January–April). Comparison of space use between male and female vultures was only possible for black vultures, and space use was only slightly larger for females during breeding months (February–May). Analysis of activity patterns revealed turkey vultures spend more time in flight and switch motion states (between flight and stationary) more frequently than black vultures across temporal scales. Our study reveals substantive variability in space use and activity rates between sympatric black and turkey vultures, providing insights into potential behavioral mechanisms contributing to niche differentiation between these species.« less

Fine-scale assessment of home ranges and activity patterns for resident black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and turkey vultures (Cathartes aura)

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

Holland, Amanda E.; Byrne, Michael E.; Bryan, A. Lawrence

Knowledge of black vulture (Coragyps atratus) and turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) spatial ecology is surprisingly limited despite their vital ecological roles. Fine-scale assessments of space use patterns and resource selection are particularly lacking, although development of tracking technologies has allowed data collection at finer temporal and spatial resolution. The objectives of this study were to conduct the first assessment of monthly home range and core area sizes of resident black and turkey vultures with consideration to sex, as well as elucidate differences in monthly, seasonal, and annual activity patterns based on fine-scale movement data analyses. We collected 2.8-million locations formore » 9 black and 9 turkey vultures from June 2013 –August 2015 using solar-powered GSM/GPS transmitters. We quantified home ranges and core areas using the dynamic Brownian bridge movement model and evaluated differences as a function of species, sex, and month. Mean monthly home ranges for turkey vultures were ~50% larger than those of black vultures, although mean core area sizes did not differ between species. Turkey vulture home ranges varied little across months, with exception to a notable reduction in space-use in May, which corresponds with timing of chick-rearing activities. Black vulture home ranges and core areas as well as turkey vulture core areas were larger in breeding season months (January–April). Comparison of space use between male and female vultures was only possible for black vultures, and space use was only slightly larger for females during breeding months (February–May). Analysis of activity patterns revealed turkey vultures spend more time in flight and switch motion states (between flight and stationary) more frequently than black vultures across temporal scales. Our study reveals substantive variability in space use and activity rates between sympatric black and turkey vultures, providing insights into potential behavioral mechanisms contributing to niche differentiation between these species.« less

Home ranges of lions in the Kalahari, Botswana exhibit vast sizes and high temporal variability.

PubMed

Zehnder, André; Henley, Stephen; Weibel, Robert

2018-06-01

The central Kalahari region in Botswana is one of the few remaining ecosystems with a stable lion population. Yet, relatively little is known about the ecology of the lions there. As an entry point, home range estimations provide information about the space utilization of the studied animals. The home ranges of eight lions in this region were determined to investigate their spatial overlaps and spatiotemporal variations. We found that, except for MCP, all home range estimators yielded comparable results regarding size and shape. The home ranges of all individuals were located predominantly inside the protected reserves. Their areas were among the largest known for lions with 1131 - 4314km 2 (95%), with no significant differences between males and females. Numerous overlaps between lions of different sexes were detected, although these originate from different groups. A distance chart confirmed that most of these lions directly encountered each other once or several times. Strong temporal variations of the home ranges were observed that did not match a seasonal pattern. The exceptionally large home ranges are likely to be caused by the sparse and dynamic prey populations. Since the ungulates in the study area move in an opportunistic way, too, strong spatiotemporal home range variations emerge. This can lead to misleading home ranges. We therefore recommend clarifying the stability of the home ranges by applying several levels of temporal aggregation. The lack of strict territoriality is likely an adaptation to the variable prey base and the high energetic costs associated with defending a large area. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

An analysis of monthly home range size in the critically endangered California Condor Gymnogyps californianus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rivers, James W.; Johnson, Matthew J.; Haig, Susan M.; Schwarz, Carl J.; Burnett, Joseph; Brandt, Joseph; George, Daniel; Grantham, Jesse

2014-01-01

Condors and vultures comprise the only group of terrestrial vertebrates in the world that are obligate scavengers, and these species move widely to locate ephemeral, unpredictable, and patchily-distributed food resources. In this study, we used high-resolution GPS location data to quantify monthly home range size of the critically endangered California Condor Gymnogyps californianus throughout the annual cycle in California. We assessed whether individual-level characteristics (age, sex and breeding status) and factors related to endangered species recovery program efforts (rearing method, release site) were linked to variation in monthly home range size. We found that monthly home range size varied across the annual cycle, with the largest monthly home ranges observed during late summer and early fall (July–October), a pattern that may be linked to seasonal changes in thermals that facilitate movement. Monthly home ranges of adults were significantly larger than those of immatures, but males and females used monthly home ranges of similar size throughout the year and breeding adults did not differ from non-breeding adults in their average monthly home range size. Individuals from each of three release sites differed significantly in the size of their monthly home ranges, and no differences in monthly home range size were detected between condors reared under captive conditions relative to those reared in the wild. Our study provides an important foundation for understanding the movement ecology of the California Condor and it highlights the importance of seasonal variation in space use for effective conservation planning for this critically endangered species.

Landscape heterogeneity reduces coyote predation on white-tailed deer fawns

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

Gulsby, William D.; Kilgo, John C.; Vukovich, Mark

Coyote (Canis latrans) predation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns in southeastern North America has led to deer population declines in some areas. Research or management efforts initiated in response to coyote predation on fawns have primarily focused on implementation of reduced antlerless deer harvest or coyote control to mitigate population declines. Vegetation characteristics may influence coyote hunting efficiency, but the potential influence of land cover at large scales in the southeastern United States is underexplored. We investigated whether mortality risk was affected by landscape characteristics within fawn home ranges for a sample of 165 fawns on the United Statesmore » Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina, 2007–2012. We monitored fawns every 8 hours to ≥ 4 weeks of age and 1–3 times daily to 12 weeks of age. We included only surviving or coyote-predated fawns in the dataset. The most supported model describing hazard ratios included the length of edge (i.e., area where 2 land cover types joined) in fawn home ranges. Probability of coyote predation increased 1.26 times for each 968-m decrease in edge within a fawn’s simulated home range (29.1-ha circular buffer) under this model. Further, fawns with the least edge in their home ranges were >2 times more likely to be depredated by a coyote than fawns with the greatest edge availability. Support for other models was relatively low, but informative variables (e.g., mean patch fractal dimension, Shannon’s diversity index, mean forest patch size) supported a general trend that as fawn home ranges became more homogeneous and contained larger patches with less edge and fewer cover types, predation risk increased. These findings are consistent with similar work in the midwestern United States, despite landscape differences between regions. The combined weight of evidence suggests maintenance of a heterogeneous landscape consisting of relatively small dispersed patches may reduce fawn losses to coyotes. In conclusion, this information may also be used to identify areas susceptible to greater fawn predation rates across large spatial scales. However, the relatively long forestry rotation lengths and large scale of consistent forest management on the SRS are uncommon in the southeastern United States and the mechanism for the pattern we observed is unclear. Therefore, our results may not be applicable to sites with different forest management practices.« less

Landscape heterogeneity reduces coyote predation on white-tailed deer fawns

DOE PAGES

Gulsby, William D.; Kilgo, John C.; Vukovich, Mark; ...

2017-03-07

Coyote (Canis latrans) predation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns in southeastern North America has led to deer population declines in some areas. Research or management efforts initiated in response to coyote predation on fawns have primarily focused on implementation of reduced antlerless deer harvest or coyote control to mitigate population declines. Vegetation characteristics may influence coyote hunting efficiency, but the potential influence of land cover at large scales in the southeastern United States is underexplored. We investigated whether mortality risk was affected by landscape characteristics within fawn home ranges for a sample of 165 fawns on the United Statesmore » Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina, 2007–2012. We monitored fawns every 8 hours to ≥ 4 weeks of age and 1–3 times daily to 12 weeks of age. We included only surviving or coyote-predated fawns in the dataset. The most supported model describing hazard ratios included the length of edge (i.e., area where 2 land cover types joined) in fawn home ranges. Probability of coyote predation increased 1.26 times for each 968-m decrease in edge within a fawn’s simulated home range (29.1-ha circular buffer) under this model. Further, fawns with the least edge in their home ranges were >2 times more likely to be depredated by a coyote than fawns with the greatest edge availability. Support for other models was relatively low, but informative variables (e.g., mean patch fractal dimension, Shannon’s diversity index, mean forest patch size) supported a general trend that as fawn home ranges became more homogeneous and contained larger patches with less edge and fewer cover types, predation risk increased. These findings are consistent with similar work in the midwestern United States, despite landscape differences between regions. The combined weight of evidence suggests maintenance of a heterogeneous landscape consisting of relatively small dispersed patches may reduce fawn losses to coyotes. In conclusion, this information may also be used to identify areas susceptible to greater fawn predation rates across large spatial scales. However, the relatively long forestry rotation lengths and large scale of consistent forest management on the SRS are uncommon in the southeastern United States and the mechanism for the pattern we observed is unclear. Therefore, our results may not be applicable to sites with different forest management practices.« less

Home range and habitat utilization of breeding male merlins, Falco columbarius, in southeastern Montana

Treesearch

Dale M. Becker; Carolyn Hull Sieg

1987-01-01

Home range size and habitat utilization of three breeding male Richardson’s Merlins (Falco columbarius richardsonii) in southeastern Montana were studied using radio telemetry. Home ranges of these birds encompassed 13,23, and 28 km2. Each bird traveled up to 9 km from its nest. Each home range encompassed five habitats;...

Home range and movements of Feral cats on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goltz, Dan M.; Hess, S.C.; Brinck, K.W.; Banko, P.C.; Danner, R.M.

2008-01-01

Feral cats Felis catus in dry subalpine woodland of Mauna Kea, Hawai'i, live in low density and exhibit some of the largest reported home ranges in the literature. While 95% fixed kemel home range estimates for three females averaged 772 ha, four males averaged 1 418 ha, and one male maintained a home range of 2 050 ha. Mean daily movement rates between sexes overlapped widely and did not differ significantly (P = 0.083). Log-transformed 95% kernel home ranges for males were significantly larger than those of females (P = 0.024), but 25% kernel home ranges for females were larger than those of males (P = 0.017). Moreover, log-transformed home ranges of males were also significantly larger than those of females in this and seven other studies from the Pacific region (P = 0.044). Feral cats present a major threat to endangered Hawaiian birds, but knowledge of their ecology can be used for management by optimizing trap spacing and creating buffer zones around conservation areas.

Towards Post-Colonial Management of Transnational Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ling, Peter; Mazzolini, Margaret; Giridharan, Beena

2014-01-01

Increasingly, universities in developed countries are engaging in transnational education. Responsibilities and opportunities to exercise management and leadership in the provision of transnational education depend on the organisational model adopted and whether the academics involved are on home or international campuses. Models range from…

Northern spotted owls: influence of prey base and landscape character.

Treesearch

A.B. Carey; S.P. Horton; B.L. Biswell

1992-01-01

We studied prey populations and the use and composition of home ranges of 47 Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) over 12 mo in five landscapes in two forest types in southwestern Oregon. We measured 1-yr home ranges of 23 owl pairs, 2-yr home ranges of 13 pairs, and 3-yr home ranges of 3 pairs. The landscapes differed in the degree...

Linking seasonal home range size with habitat selection and movement in a mountain ungulate.

PubMed

Viana, Duarte S; Granados, José Enrique; Fandos, Paulino; Pérez, Jesús M; Cano-Manuel, Francisco Javier; Burón, Daniel; Fandos, Guillermo; Aguado, María Ángeles Párraga; Figuerola, Jordi; Soriguer, Ramón C

2018-01-01

Space use by animals is determined by the interplay between movement and the environment, and is thus mediated by habitat selection, biotic interactions and intrinsic factors of moving individuals. These processes ultimately determine home range size, but their relative contributions and dynamic nature remain less explored. We investigated the role of habitat selection, movement unrelated to habitat selection and intrinsic factors related to sex in driving space use and home range size in Iberian ibex, Capra pyrenaica . We used GPS collars to track ibex across the year in two different geographical areas of Sierra Nevada, Spain, and measured habitat variables related to forage and roost availability. By using integrated step selection analysis (iSSA), we show that habitat selection was important to explain space use by ibex. As a consequence, movement was constrained by habitat selection, as observed displacement rate was shorter than expected under null selection. Selection-independent movement, selection strength and resource availability were important drivers of seasonal home range size. Both displacement rate and directional persistence had a positive relationship with home range size while accounting for habitat selection, suggesting that individual characteristics and state may also affect home range size. Ibex living at higher altitudes, where resource availability shows stronger altitudinal gradients across the year, had larger home ranges. Home range size was larger in spring and autumn, when ibex ascend and descend back, and smaller in summer and winter, when resources are more stable. Therefore, home range size decreased with resource availability. Finally, males had larger home ranges than females, which might be explained by differences in body size and reproductive behaviour. Movement, selection strength, resource availability and intrinsic factors related to sex determined home range size of Iberian ibex. Our results highlight the need to integrate and account for process dependencies, here the interdependence of movement and habitat selection, to understand how animals use space. This study contributes to understand how movement links environmental and geographical space use and determines home range behaviour in large herbivores.

Home range establishment and utilization by reintroduced lions (Panthera leo) in a small South African wildlife reserve.

PubMed

Yiu, Sze-Wing; Parrini, Francesca; Karczmarski, Leszek; Keith, Mark

2017-07-01

Understanding of animal spatial behavior is essential for informed management decisions. In southern Africa, reintroduction of lions (Panthera leo) to small reserves (<1000 km 2 ) has increased since the early 2000s, however studies on their ranging behavior in these enclosed systems remain lacking. We applied Time Local Convex Hull (T-LoCoH) methods to study the home range establishment and utilization of 11 lions reintroduced to Dinokeng Game Reserve, South Africa, during 2011 through 2014. Lions established home ranges close to their release sites and during the following 3 years their home range sizes continued to increase, but in each individual case the size remained smaller than half of the reserve area (<70 km 2 ). Space use strategies differed between the core and the entire home range, with higher frequency of visits found in core areas. Exceptionally high rates (>60 separate visits) around the largest dam and along rivers suggest the importance of water and its surrounding vegetation in the lions' space utilization pattern. The home range size did not differ with season or sex of the individuals, whereas shifts in locations of home ranges revealed differences in the response of the 2 sexes to territorial conflicts and management interventions. Our study shows a dynamic home range utilization pattern and highlights the importance of both fine-scale space use patterns (frequency and duration of visits) and broad-scale home range changes in understanding the ranging behavior of reintroduced animals. © 2016 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Acoustic Environment of Haro Strait: Preliminary Propagation Modeling and Data Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

the frequency range 1–10 kHz are combined to analyze the acoustic environment of Haro Strait of Puget Sound , an area frequented by the southern...51Haro Strait, Puget Sound , acoustic environment, shallow water, acoustic model, southern resident killer whales, shipping noise Field measurements and...acoustic propagation modeling for the frequency range 1–10 kHz are combined to analyze the acous- tic environment of Haro Strait of Puget Sound , home to

A spatial risk assessment of bighorn sheep extirpation by grazing domestic sheep on public lands.

PubMed

Carpenter, Tim E; Coggins, Victor L; McCarthy, Clinton; O'Brien, Chans S; O'Brien, Joshua M; Schommer, Timothy J

2014-04-01

Bighorn sheep currently occupy just 30% of their historic distribution, and persist in populations less than 5% as abundant overall as their early 19th century counterparts. Present-day recovery of bighorn sheep populations is in large part limited by periodic outbreaks of respiratory disease, which can be transmitted to bighorn sheep via contact with domestic sheep grazing in their vicinity. In order to assess the viability of bighorn sheep populations on the Payette National Forest (PNF) under several alternative proposals for domestic sheep grazing, we developed a series of interlinked models. Using telemetry and habitat data, we characterized herd home ranges and foray movements of bighorn sheep from their home ranges. Combining foray model movement estimates with known domestic sheep grazing areas (allotments), a Risk of Contact Model estimated bighorn sheep contact rates with domestic sheep allotments. Finally, we used demographic and epidemiologic data to construct population and disease transmission models (Disease Model), which we used to estimate bighorn sheep persistence under each alternative grazing scenario. Depending on the probability of disease transmission following interspecies contact, extirpation probabilities for the seven bighorn sheep herds examined here ranged from 20% to 100%. The Disease Model allowed us to assess the probabilities that varied domestic sheep management scenarios would support persistent populations of free-ranging bighorn sheep. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bayesian State-Space Modelling of Conventional Acoustic Tracking Provides Accurate Descriptors of Home Range Behavior in a Small-Bodied Coastal Fish Species

PubMed Central

Alós, Josep; Palmer, Miquel; Balle, Salvador; Arlinghaus, Robert

2016-01-01

State-space models (SSM) are increasingly applied in studies involving biotelemetry-generated positional data because they are able to estimate movement parameters from positions that are unobserved or have been observed with non-negligible observational error. Popular telemetry systems in marine coastal fish consist of arrays of omnidirectional acoustic receivers, which generate a multivariate time-series of detection events across the tracking period. Here we report a novel Bayesian fitting of a SSM application that couples mechanistic movement properties within a home range (a specific case of random walk weighted by an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process) with a model of observational error typical for data obtained from acoustic receiver arrays. We explored the performance and accuracy of the approach through simulation modelling and extensive sensitivity analyses of the effects of various configurations of movement properties and time-steps among positions. Model results show an accurate and unbiased estimation of the movement parameters, and in most cases the simulated movement parameters were properly retrieved. Only in extreme situations (when fast swimming speeds are combined with pooling the number of detections over long time-steps) the model produced some bias that needs to be accounted for in field applications. Our method was subsequently applied to real acoustic tracking data collected from a small marine coastal fish species, the pearly razorfish, Xyrichtys novacula. The Bayesian SSM we present here constitutes an alternative for those used to the Bayesian way of reasoning. Our Bayesian SSM can be easily adapted and generalized to any species, thereby allowing studies in freely roaming animals on the ecological and evolutionary consequences of home ranges and territory establishment, both in fishes and in other taxa. PMID:27119718

Enhancing the use of Argos satellite data for home range and long distance migration studies of marine animals.

PubMed

Hoenner, Xavier; Whiting, Scott D; Hindell, Mark A; McMahon, Clive R

2012-01-01

Accurately quantifying animals' spatial utilisation is critical for conservation, but has long remained an elusive goal due to technological impediments. The Argos telemetry system has been extensively used to remotely track marine animals, however location estimates are characterised by substantial spatial error. State-space models (SSM) constitute a robust statistical approach to refine Argos tracking data by accounting for observation errors and stochasticity in animal movement. Despite their wide use in ecology, few studies have thoroughly quantified the error associated with SSM predicted locations and no research has assessed their validity for describing animal movement behaviour. We compared home ranges and migratory pathways of seven hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) estimated from (a) highly accurate Fastloc GPS data and (b) locations computed using common Argos data analytical approaches. Argos 68(th) percentile error was <1 km for LC 1, 2, and 3 while markedly less accurate (>4 km) for LC ≤ 0. Argos error structure was highly longitudinally skewed and was, for all LC, adequately modelled by a Student's t distribution. Both habitat use and migration routes were best recreated using SSM locations post-processed by re-adding good Argos positions (LC 1, 2 and 3) and filtering terrestrial points (mean distance to migratory tracks ± SD = 2.2 ± 2.4 km; mean home range overlap and error ratio = 92.2% and 285.6 respectively). This parsimonious and objective statistical procedure however still markedly overestimated true home range sizes, especially for animals exhibiting restricted movements. Post-processing SSM locations nonetheless constitutes the best analytical technique for remotely sensed Argos tracking data and we therefore recommend using this approach to rework historical Argos datasets for better estimation of animal spatial utilisation for research and evidence-based conservation purposes.

How Many Wolves (Canis lupus) Fit into Germany? The Role of Assumptions in Predictive Rule-Based Habitat Models for Habitat Generalists

PubMed Central

Fechter, Dominik; Storch, Ilse

2014-01-01

Due to legislative protection, many species, including large carnivores, are currently recolonizing Europe. To address the impending human-wildlife conflicts in advance, predictive habitat models can be used to determine potentially suitable habitat and areas likely to be recolonized. As field data are often limited, quantitative rule based models or the extrapolation of results from other studies are often the techniques of choice. Using the wolf (Canis lupus) in Germany as a model for habitat generalists, we developed a habitat model based on the location and extent of twelve existing wolf home ranges in Eastern Germany, current knowledge on wolf biology, different habitat modeling techniques and various input data to analyze ten different input parameter sets and address the following questions: (1) How do a priori assumptions and different input data or habitat modeling techniques affect the abundance and distribution of potentially suitable wolf habitat and the number of wolf packs in Germany? (2) In a synthesis across input parameter sets, what areas are predicted to be most suitable? (3) Are existing wolf pack home ranges in Eastern Germany consistent with current knowledge on wolf biology and habitat relationships? Our results indicate that depending on which assumptions on habitat relationships are applied in the model and which modeling techniques are chosen, the amount of potentially suitable habitat estimated varies greatly. Depending on a priori assumptions, Germany could accommodate between 154 and 1769 wolf packs. The locations of the existing wolf pack home ranges in Eastern Germany indicate that wolves are able to adapt to areas densely populated by humans, but are limited to areas with low road densities. Our analysis suggests that predictive habitat maps in general, should be interpreted with caution and illustrates the risk for habitat modelers to concentrate on only one selection of habitat factors or modeling technique. PMID:25029506

Home range and territoriality of two Hawaiian honeycreepers, the 'Akohekohe and Maui Parrotbill

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pratt, Thane K.; Simon, John C.; Farm, Brian P.; Berlin, Kim E.; Kowalsky, James R.

2001-01-01

Hawaiian honeycreepers have radiated into a diversity of trophic niches and patterns of space-use. We investigated space-use in two honeycreeper species, the ‘Ākohekohe (Palmeria dolei), an endangered nectarivore, and Maui Parrotbill (Pseudonestor xanthophrys), an endangered wood excavator, by mapping the home ranges and dispersion of color-banded individuals at a study site in relatively undisturbed montane cloud forest on Maui Island, Hawai‘i. With 20% of outlying points excluded, home-range size averaged much smaller for adult male ‘Ākohekohe (0.56 ha) than for male Maui Parrotbill (2.26 ha). In both species, a female's home range mostly overlapped that of her mate. Adult male Maui Parrotbill defended year-round home ranges from which they excluded conspecifics except for their mates and dependent offspring. Although our data suggest that ‘Ākohekohe also maintained all-purpose territories, the evidence is less convincing because these birds were seen feeding in the home ranges of other individuals. By defending all-purpose territories, these two species depart from the more common honeycreeper pattern of sharing large, undefended home ranges.

Whitebark pine, population density, and home-range size of grizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bjornlie, Daniel D.; van Manen, Frank T.; Ebinger, Michael R.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Thompson, Daniel J.; Costello, Cecily M.

2014-01-01

Changes in life history traits of species can be an important indicator of potential factors influencing populations. For grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), recent decline of whitebark pine (WBP; Pinus albicaulis), an important fall food resource, has been paired with a slowing of population growth following two decades of robust population increase. These observations have raised questions whether resource decline or density-dependent processes may be associated with changes in population growth. Distinguishing these effects based on changes in demographic rates can be difficult. However, unlike the parallel demographic responses expected from both decreasing food availability and increasing population density, we hypothesized opposing behavioral responses of grizzly bears with regard to changes in home-range size. We used the dynamic changes in food resources and population density of grizzly bears as a natural experiment to examine hypotheses regarding these potentially competing influences on grizzly bear home-range size. We found that home-range size did not increase during the period of whitebark pine decline and was not related to proportion of whitebark pine in home ranges. However, female home-range size was negatively associated with an index of population density. Our data indicate that home-range size of grizzly bears in the GYE is not associated with availability of WBP, and, for female grizzly bears, increasing population density may constrain home-range size.

Whitebark Pine, Population Density, and Home-Range Size of Grizzly Bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

PubMed Central

Bjornlie, Daniel D.; Van Manen, Frank T.; Ebinger, Michael R.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Thompson, Daniel J.; Costello, Cecily M.

2014-01-01

Changes in life history traits of species can be an important indicator of potential factors influencing populations. For grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), recent decline of whitebark pine (WBP; Pinus albicaulis), an important fall food resource, has been paired with a slowing of population growth following two decades of robust population increase. These observations have raised questions whether resource decline or density-dependent processes may be associated with changes in population growth. Distinguishing these effects based on changes in demographic rates can be difficult. However, unlike the parallel demographic responses expected from both decreasing food availability and increasing population density, we hypothesized opposing behavioral responses of grizzly bears with regard to changes in home-range size. We used the dynamic changes in food resources and population density of grizzly bears as a natural experiment to examine hypotheses regarding these potentially competing influences on grizzly bear home-range size. We found that home-range size did not increase during the period of whitebark pine decline and was not related to proportion of whitebark pine in home ranges. However, female home-range size was negatively associated with an index of population density. Our data indicate that home-range size of grizzly bears in the GYE is not associated with availability of WBP, and, for female grizzly bears, increasing population density may constrain home-range size. PMID:24520354

Whitebark pine, population density, and home-range size of grizzly bears in the greater yellowstone ecosystem.

PubMed

Bjornlie, Daniel D; Van Manen, Frank T; Ebinger, Michael R; Haroldson, Mark A; Thompson, Daniel J; Costello, Cecily M

2014-01-01

Changes in life history traits of species can be an important indicator of potential factors influencing populations. For grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), recent decline of whitebark pine (WBP; Pinus albicaulis), an important fall food resource, has been paired with a slowing of population growth following two decades of robust population increase. These observations have raised questions whether resource decline or density-dependent processes may be associated with changes in population growth. Distinguishing these effects based on changes in demographic rates can be difficult. However, unlike the parallel demographic responses expected from both decreasing food availability and increasing population density, we hypothesized opposing behavioral responses of grizzly bears with regard to changes in home-range size. We used the dynamic changes in food resources and population density of grizzly bears as a natural experiment to examine hypotheses regarding these potentially competing influences on grizzly bear home-range size. We found that home-range size did not increase during the period of whitebark pine decline and was not related to proportion of whitebark pine in home ranges. However, female home-range size was negatively associated with an index of population density. Our data indicate that home-range size of grizzly bears in the GYE is not associated with availability of WBP, and, for female grizzly bears, increasing population density may constrain home-range size.

Spacing behaviour of juvenile corn mice, Calomys musculinus , at the beginning of the breeding period, in absence of adult males

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinmann, Andrea; Priotto, José; Sommaro, Lucia; Polop, Jaime

2006-05-01

This research was carried out to examine the hypothesis that the absence of fathers promotes a different spacing behaviour in juveniles Calomys musculinus at the beginning of the breeding period. The study was carried out in four 0.25-ha enclosures (two control and two experimental), in a natural pasture, between November 2003 and February 2004. In this study the fathers were removed from the experimental enclosures after juveniles were born. Home-range size depended on sex of juveniles and treatment (father removal). In control and experimental enclosures, female home-range sizes were always smaller than male home-ranges. Male home-ranges were always larger in experimental enclosures than in control enclosures. Treatment and overlap type (intra- and inter-sexual) were not independent. The overlap proportions of male home-ranges were greatest in experimental enclosures than in control enclosures, in both the overlap types (male/male, males/females). The intra- (females/females) and inter-sexual (females/males) overlap proportions of female home-ranges were independent of treatment. In C. musculinus, at the beginning of the breeding period and in absence of adult males, juvenile males increase their home-range size and therefore the degree of inter- and intra-sexual home-range overlap as a mechanism for enlarging the number of receptive females that they encounter.

Patterns of space and habitat use by northern bobwhites in South Florida, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Singh, A.; Hines, T.C.; Hostetler, J.A.; Percival, H.F.; Oli, M.K.

2011-01-01

The manner by which animals use space and select resources can have important management consequences. We studied patterns of habitat selection by northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) on Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area, Charlotte County, Florida and evaluated factors influencing the sizes of their home ranges. A total of 1,245 radio-tagged bobwhites were monitored for 19,467 radio days during 2002-2007. The mean (?? 1 SE) annual home range size, estimated using the Kernel density method, was 88. 43 (?? 6. 16) ha and did not differ between genders. Winter home ranges of bobwhites (69. 27 ?? 4. 92 ha) were generally larger than summer home ranges (53. 90 ?? 4. 93 ha). Annual and winter home ranges were smaller for bobwhites whose ranges contained food plots compared to those that did not; however, the presence of food plots did not influence summer home ranges. We used distance-based methods to investigate habitat selection by bobwhites at two scales: selection of home ranges within the study site (second-order selection) and selection of habitats within home ranges (third-order selection). Across both scales, bobwhites generally preferred food plots and dry prairie habitat and avoided wet prairies and roads. This pattern was generally consistent between genders and across years. Our data indicate that management practices aimed at increasing and maintaining a matrix of food plots and dry prairie habitat would provide the most favorable environment for bobwhites. ?? 2010 Springer-Verlag.

Topographic home ranges of white-tailed deer in the central Appalachians

Treesearch

Tyler A. Campbell; Benjamin R. Laseter; W. Mark Ford; Karl V. Miller

2004-01-01

Planimetric comparisons of home range sizes of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann) from across their range may not be appropriate due to regional differences in topography. We compare seasonal topographic diversity between male and female white-tailed deer home ranges in the central Appalachians using percent increase from...

Home range characteristics of Mexican Spotted Owls in the canyonlands of Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Willey, D.W.; van Riper, Charles

2007-01-01

We studied home-range characteristics of adult Mexican Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) in southern Utah. Twenty-eight adult owls were radio-tracked using a ground-based telemetry system during 1991-95. Five males and eight females molted tail feathers and dropped transmitters within 4 wk. We estimated cumulative home ranges for 15 Spotted Owls (12 males, 3 females). The mean estimate of cumulative home-range size was not statistically different between the minimum convex polygon and adaptive kernel (AK) 95% isopleth. Both estimators yielded relatively high SD, and male and female range sizes varied widely. For 12 owls tracked during both the breeding and nonbreeding seasons, the mean size of the AK 95% nonbreeding home range was 49% larger than the breeding home-range size. The median AK 75% bome-range isopleth (272 ha) we observed was similar in size to Protected Activity Centers (PACs) recommended by a recovery team. Our results lend support to the PAC concept and we support continued use of PACs to conserve Spotted Owl habitat in Utah. ?? 2007 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.

Performance analysis and improvement of WPAN MAC for home networks.

PubMed

Mehta, Saurabh; Kwak, Kyung Sup

2010-01-01

The wireless personal area network (WPAN) is an emerging wireless technology for future short range indoor and outdoor communication applications. The IEEE 802.15.3 medium access control (MAC) is proposed to coordinate the access to the wireless medium among the competing devices, especially for short range and high data rate applications in home networks. In this paper we use analytical modeling to study the performance analysis of WPAN (IEEE 802.15.3) MAC in terms of throughput, efficient bandwidth utilization, and delay with various ACK policies under error channel condition. This allows us to introduce a K-Dly-ACK-AGG policy, payload size adjustment mechanism, and Improved Backoff algorithm to improve the performance of the WPAN MAC. Performance evaluation results demonstrate the impact of our improvements on network capacity. Moreover, these results can be very useful to WPAN application designers and protocol architects to easily and correctly implement WPAN for home networking.

Performance Analysis and Improvement of WPAN MAC for Home Networks

PubMed Central

Mehta, Saurabh; Kwak, Kyung Sup

2010-01-01

The wireless personal area network (WPAN) is an emerging wireless technology for future short range indoor and outdoor communication applications. The IEEE 802.15.3 medium access control (MAC) is proposed to coordinate the access to the wireless medium among the competing devices, especially for short range and high data rate applications in home networks. In this paper we use analytical modeling to study the performance analysis of WPAN (IEEE 802.15.3) MAC in terms of throughput, efficient bandwidth utilization, and delay with various ACK policies under error channel condition. This allows us to introduce a K-Dly-ACK-AGG policy, payload size adjustment mechanism, and Improved Backoff algorithm to improve the performance of the WPAN MAC. Performance evaluation results demonstrate the impact of our improvements on network capacity. Moreover, these results can be very useful to WPAN application designers and protocol architects to easily and correctly implement WPAN for home networking. PMID:22319274

Effects of population reduction on white-tailed deer home-range dynamics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crimmins, Shawn M.; Edwards, John W.; Campbell, Tyler A; Ford, W. Mark; Keyser, Patrick D.; Miller, Brad F.; Miller, Karl V.

2015-01-01

Management strategies designed to reduce the negative impacts of overabundant Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) populations on forest regeneration may be influenced by changes in both population density and timber harvest. However, there is conflicting evidence as to how such changes in per capita resource availability influence home-range patterns. We compared home-range patterns of 33 female White-tailed Deer from a low-density population at a site with abundant browse to patterns of a sample of >100 females prior to a 75% reduction in population density and a doubling in timber harvest area. Home-range and core-area sizes were approximately 3 times larger than were found prior to population decline and timber harvest increase, consistent with predictions related to intraspecific competition. We also observed greater site fidelity than previously exhibited, although this may be an artifact of increased home-range sizes. Our results support previous research suggesting that White-tailed Deer home-range size is inversely related to population density and is driven, in part, by intraspecific competition for resources. Relationships among population density, resource availability, and home-range patterns among female White-tailed Deer appear to be complex and context specific.

Effects of Clear-Fell Harvest on Bat Home Range

PubMed Central

Borkin, Kerry M.; Parsons, Stuart

2014-01-01

We investigated effects of roost loss due to clear-fell harvest on bat home range. The study took place in plantation forest, inhabited by the New Zealand long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus), in which trees are harvested between the ages 26–32 years. We determined home ranges by radiotracking different bats in areas that had and had not been recently clear-fell harvested. Home ranges were smaller in areas that had been harvested. Adult male bats selected 20–25 year old stands within home ranges before and after harvest. Males selected edges with open unplanted areas when harvest had not occurred but no longer selected these at proportions greater than their availability post harvest, probably because they were then readily available. This is the first radiotracking study to demonstrate a change in home range size and selection concomitant with felling of large areas of plantation forest, and thus quantify negative effects of forestry operations on this speciose group. The use of smaller home ranges post-harvest may reflect smaller colony sizes and lower roost availability, both of which may increase isolation of colonies and vulnerability to local extinction. PMID:24465938

A habitat assessment for Florida panther population expansion into central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thatcher, C.A.; Van Manen, F.T.; Clark, J.D.

2009-01-01

One of the goals of the Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) recovery plan is to expand panther range north of the Caloosahatchee River in central Florida. Our objective was to evaluate the potential of that region to support panthers. We used a geographic information system and the Mahalanobis distance statistic to develop a habitat model based on landscape characteristics associated with panther home ranges. We used cross-validation and an independent telemetry data set to test the habitat model. We also conducted a least-cost path analysis to identify potential habitat linkages and to provide a relative measure of connectivity among habitat patches. Variables in our model were paved road density, major highways, human population density, percentage of the area permanently or semipermanently flooded, and percentage of the area in natural land cover. Our model clearly identified habitat typical of that found within panther home ranges based on model testing with recent telemetry data. We identified 4 potential translocation sites that may support a total of approximately 36 panthers. Although we identified potential habitat linkages, our least-cost path analyses highlighted the extreme isolation of panther habitat in portions of the study area. Human intervention will likely be required if the goal is to establish female panthers north of the Caloosahatchee in the near term.

Responding to home maintenance challenge scenarios: the role of selection, optimization, and compensation in aging-in-place.

PubMed

Kelly, Andrew John; Fausset, Cara Bailey; Rogers, Wendy; Fisk, Arthur D

2014-12-01

This study examined potential issues faced by older adults in managing their homes and their proposed solutions for overcoming hypothetical difficulties. Forty-four diverse, independently living older adults (66-85) participated in structured group interviews in which they discussed potential solutions to manage difficulties presented in four scenarios: perceptual, mobility, physical, and cognitive difficulties. The proposed solutions were classified using the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC) model. Participants indicated they would continue performing most tasks and reported a range of strategies to manage home maintenance challenges. Most participants reported that they would manage home maintenance challenges using compensation; the most frequently mentioned compensation strategy was using tools and technologies. There were also differences across the scenarios: Optimization was discussed most frequently with perceptual and cognitive difficulty scenarios. These results provide insights into supporting older adults' potential needs for aging-in-place and provide evidence of the value of the SOC model in applied research. © The Author(s) 2012.

Among-Individual Variation in Desert Iguanas (Squamata: Dipsosaurus dorsalis): Endurance Capacity Is Positively Related to Home Range Size.

PubMed

Singleton, Jennifer M; Garland, Theodore

Among species of lizards, endurance capacity measured on a motorized treadmill is positively related to daily movement distance and time spent moving, but few studies have addressed such relationships at the level of individual variation within a sex and age category in a single population. Both endurance capacity and home range size show substantial individual variation in lizards, rendering them suitable for such studies. We predicted that these traits would be positively related because endurance capacity is one of the factors that has the potential to limit home range size. We measured the endurance capacity and home range size of adult male desert iguanas (Dipsosaurus dorsalis). Lizards were field captured for measurements of endurance, and home range data were gathered using visual identification of previously marked individuals. Endurance was significantly repeatable between replicate trials, conducted 1-17 d apart ([Formula: see text] for log-transformed values, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]). The log of the higher of two endurance trials was positively but not significantly related to log body mass. The log of home range area was positively but not significantly related to log body mass, the number of sightings, or the time span from first to last sighting. As predicted, log endurance was positively correlated with log home range area ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], one-tailed [Formula: see text]; for body-mass residual endurance values: [Formula: see text], one-tailed [Formula: see text]). These results suggest that endurance capacity may have a permissive effect on home range size. Alternatively, individuals with larger home ranges may experience training effects (phenotypic plasticity) that increase their endurance.

Home advantage in southern hemisphere rugby union: national and international.

PubMed

Morton R, Hugh

2006-05-01

This study evaluates home advantages both for national (Super 12) and international (Tri-nations) rugby union teams from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, over the five-year period 2000 - 2004 using linear modelling. These home advantages are examined for statistical and practical significance, for variability between teams, for stability over time and for inter-correlation. These data reveal that the overall home advantage in elite rugby union has a mean of +6.7 points, and that this changes little from year to year. Closer scrutiny nevertheless reveals a high degree of variability. Different teams can and do have different home advantages, which ranges from a low of -0.7 to a high of +28.3 points in any one year. Furthermore, some team home advantages change up or down from one year to the next, by as much as -36.5 to +31.4 points at the extremes. There is no evidence that the stronger teams have the higher home advantages, or that a high home advantage leads to a superior finishing position in the competition.

Home in the heat: Dramatic seasonal variation in home range of desert golden eagles informs management for renewable energy development

USGS Publications Warehouse

Braham, Melissa A.; Miller, Tricia A.; Duerr, Adam E.; Lanzone, Michael J.; Fesnock, Amy; LaPre, Larry; Driscoll, Daniel; Katzner, Todd E.

2015-01-01

Renewable energy is expanding quickly with sometimes dramatic impacts to species and ecosystems. To understand the degree to which sensitive species may be impacted by renewable energy projects, it is informative to know how much space individuals use and how that space may overlap with planned development. We used global positioning system–global system for mobile communications (GPS-GSM) telemetry to measure year-round movements of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) from the Mojave Desert of California, USA. We estimated monthly space use with adaptive local convex hulls to identify the temporal and spatial scales at which eagles may encounter renewable energy projects in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan area. Mean size of home ranges was lowest and least variable from November through January and greatest in February–March and May–August. These monthly home range patterns coincided with seasonal variation in breeding ecology, habitat associations, and temperature. The expanded home ranges in hot summer months included movements to cooler, prey-dense, mountainous areas characterized by forest, grasslands, and scrublands. Breeding-season home ranges (October–May) included more lowland semi-desert and rock vegetation. Overlap of eagle home ranges and focus areas for renewable energy development was greatest when eagle home ranges were smallest, during the breeding season. Golden eagles in the Mojave Desert used more space and a wider range of habitat types than expected and renewable energy projects could affect a larger section of the regional population than was previously thought.

Effects of high density on spacing behaviour and reproduction in Akodon azarae: A fencing experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ávila, Belén; Bonatto, Florencia; Priotto, José; Steinmann, Andrea R.

2016-01-01

We studied the short term spacing behavioural responses of Pampean grassland mouse (Akodon azarae) with regard to population density in four 0.25 ha enclosures (two control and two experimental) in the 2011 breeding season. Based on the hypothesis that A. azarae breeding females exhibit spacing behaviour, and breeding males show a fusion spatial response, we tested the following predictions: (1) home range size and intrasexual overlap degree of females are independent of population density values; (2) at high population density, home range size of males decreases and the intrasexual home range overlap degree increases. To determine if female reproductive success decreases at high population density, we analyzed pregnancy rate, size and weight of litters, and period until fecundation in both low and high enclosure population density. We found that both males and females varied their home range size in relation to population density. Although male home ranges were always bigger than those of females in populations with high density, home range sizes of both sexes decreased. Females kept exclusive home ranges independent of density values meanwhile males decreased home range overlap in high breeding density populations. Although females produced litters of similar size in both treatments, weight of litter, pregnant rate and period until fecundation varied in relation to population density. Our results did not support the hypothesis that at high density females of A. azarae exhibit spacing behaviour neither that males exhibit a fusion spatial response.

Permissible Home Range Estimation (PHRE) in restricted habitats: A new algorithm and an evaluation for sea otters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tarjan, Lily M; Tinker, M. Tim

2016-01-01

Parametric and nonparametric kernel methods dominate studies of animal home ranges and space use. Most existing methods are unable to incorporate information about the underlying physical environment, leading to poor performance in excluding areas that are not used. Using radio-telemetry data from sea otters, we developed and evaluated a new algorithm for estimating home ranges (hereafter Permissible Home Range Estimation, or “PHRE”) that reflects habitat suitability. We began by transforming sighting locations into relevant landscape features (for sea otters, coastal position and distance from shore). Then, we generated a bivariate kernel probability density function in landscape space and back-transformed this to geographic space in order to define a permissible home range. Compared to two commonly used home range estimation methods, kernel densities and local convex hulls, PHRE better excluded unused areas and required a smaller sample size. Our PHRE method is applicable to species whose ranges are restricted by complex physical boundaries or environmental gradients and will improve understanding of habitat-use requirements and, ultimately, aid in conservation efforts.

Comparison of the ranging behavior of Scotophilus kuhlii (Lesser Asiatic Yellow Bat) in agricultural and urban landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atiqah, Nur; Akbar, Zubaid; Syafrinna, Ubaidah, Nur; Foo, Ng Yong

2015-09-01

Knowledge on home range sizes and movement patterns of animals through the environment is crucial for determining effects of habitat disturbance and fragmentation. To gauge the effects of land-use changes on Scotophilus kuhlii, a telemetric study was conducted between February 2014 and April 2014 in Tasik Chini, Pahang and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi Campus. The home range sizes and movement patterns of S. kuhlii inhabiting agricultural landscape (Tasik Chini, Pahang) versus urban landscape (UKM) were compared. A total of ten individuals were successfully radio-tracked. Comparison of home range sizes of both sexes showed male S. kuhlii at Tasik Chini have larger mean home range sizes compared to UKM while female S.kuhlii in UKM have larger mean home range sizes compared to Tasik Chini. All individuals from both localities showed random movement. It is suggested that the home range and activity patterns might be influenced by food availability in the study area, food preferences and diet segregation and breeding behavior. This study provides baseline information on habitat utilization by S. kuhlii in relation to habitat perturbations.

Defining space use and movements of Canada lynx with global positioning system telemetry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burdett, C.L.; Moen, R.A.; Niemi, G.J.; Mech, L.D.

2007-01-01

Space use and movements of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) are difficult to study with very-high-frequency radiocollars. We deployed global positioning system (GPS) collars on 11 lynx in Minnesota to study their seasonal space-use patterns. We estimated home ranges with minimum-convex-polygon and fixed-kernel methods and estimated core areas with area/probability curves. Fixed-kernel home ranges of males (range = 29-522 km2) were significantly larger than those of females (range = 5-95 km2) annually and during the denning season. Some male lynx increased movements during March, the month most influenced by breeding activity. Lynx core areas were predicted by the 60% fixed-kernel isopleth in most seasons. The mean core-area size of males (range = 6-190 km2) was significantly larger than that of females (range = 1-19 km2) annually and during denning. Most female lynx were reproductive animals with reduced movements, whereas males often ranged widely between Minnesota and Ontario. Sensitivity analyses examining the effect of location frequency on home-range size suggest that the home-range sizes of breeding females are less sensitive to sample size than those of males. Longer periods between locations decreased home-range and core-area overlap relative to the home range estimated from daily locations. GPS collars improve our understanding of space use and movements by lynx by increasing the spatial extent and temporal frequency of monitoring and allowing home ranges to be estimated over short periods that are relevant to life-history characteristics. ?? 2007 American Society of Mammalogists.

The association between quality of care and quality of life in long-stay nursing home residents with preserved cognition.

PubMed

Kim, Sun Jung; Park, Eun-Cheol; Kim, Sulgi; Nakagawa, Shunichi; Lung, John; Choi, Jong Bum; Ryu, Woo Sang; Min, Too Jae; Shin, Hyun Phil; Kim, Kyudam; Yoo, Ji Won

2014-03-01

To assess the overall quality of life of long-stay nursing home residents with preserved cognition, to examine whether the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service's Nursing Home Compare 5-star quality rating system reflects the overall quality of life of such residents, and to examine whether residents' demographics and clinical characteristics affect their quality of life. Quality of life was measured using the Participant Outcomes and Status Measures-Nursing Facility survey, which has 10 sections and 63 items. Total scores range from 20 (lowest possible quality of life) to 100 (highest). Long-stay nursing home residents with preserved cognition (n = 316) were interviewed. The average quality- of-life score was 71.4 (SD: 7.6; range: 45.1-93.0). Multilevel regression models revealed that quality of life was associated with physical impairment (parameter estimate = -0.728; P = .04) and depression (parameter estimate = -3.015; P = .01) but not Nursing Home Compare's overall star rating (parameter estimate = 0.683; P = .12) and not pain (parameter estimate = -0.705; P = .47). The 5-star quality rating system did not reflect the quality of life of long-stay nursing home residents with preserved cognition. Notably, pain was not associated with quality of life, but physical impairment and depression were. Copyright © 2014 American Medical Directors Association, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and practices among providers in a medical home.

PubMed

Szucs, Kinga A; Miracle, Donna J; Rosenman, Marc B

2009-03-01

Breastfeeding offers numerous health advantages to children, mothers, and society. From obstetrics to pediatrics, breastfeeding dyads come in contact with a wide range of healthcare providers. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) calls for pediatricians to support breastfeeding enthusiastically and for all children to have a medical home. We studied an inner-city healthcare system with a Dyson Community Pediatrics Training Initiative Model Medical Home clinic, to explore how a breastfeeding/baby-friendly medical home might be built upon this framework. We describe breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and practices among a full range of providers and healthcare system-level barriers to effective and coordinated breastfeeding services. We conducted eight focus groups using semistructured interviews: (1) pediatricians; (2) obstetricians; (3) pediatric nurses and allied health professionals; (4) obstetric nurses and allied health professionals; (5) 24-hour telephone triage answering service nurses; (6) public health nurses; (7) Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) personnel; and (8) lactation consultants and peer counselors. We identified gaps in providers' breastfeeding knowledge, counseling skills, and professional education and training. Providers' cultures and attitudes affect breastfeeding promotion and support. Providers used their own breastfeeding experiences to replace evidence-based knowledge and AAP policy statement recommendations for breastfeeding dyads. There were communication disconnects between provider groups. Providers underestimated their own, and overestimated others', influence on breastfeeding. The system lacked a coordinated breastfeeding mission. This study illuminated key disconnectedness challenges (and, hence, opportunities) for a model medical home in fostering continuous, comprehensive, coordinated, culturally effective, and evidence-based breastfeeding promotion and support.

THE ROLE OF THE CONSEQUENCE MANAGEMENT HOME TEAM IN THE FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI RESPONSE

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

Pemberton, Wendy; Mena, RaJah; Beal, William

The Consequence Management Home Team is a U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration asset. It assists a variety of response organizations with modeling; radiological operations planning; field monitoring techniques; and the analysis, interpretation, and distribution of radiological data. These reach-back capabilities are activated quickly to support public safety and minimize the social and economic impact of a nuclear or radiological incident. In the Fukushima Daiichi response, the Consequence Management Home Team grew to include a more broad range of support than was historically planned. From the early days of the response to the continuing involvement in supporting late phasemore » efforts, each stage of the Consequence Management Home Team support had distinct characteristics in terms of management of incoming data streams as well as creation of products. Regardless of stage, the Consequence Management Home Team played a critical role in the Fukushima Daiichi response effort.« less

Experimental evidence of spatial memory and home range affinity in White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Michael E.

2015-01-01

The role of spatial memory in the movement of animals through landscapes remains elusive. To examine spatial memory and home range affinity of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in northeastern Minnesota during 1995–2007, I translocated 17 adult does with known home ranges to unfamiliar sites and radio-tracked them after their release. Twelve does wearing transmitting radio-collars returned to their home ranges. Death and collar expiration precluded determination of whether the remaining five does would have returned to home ranges. Three of five does wearing global positioning system collars traveled throughout hundreds of square kilometres, circling, backtracking, and returning to release sites, while two others exhibited directional movement for tens of kilometres. Four does that survived to parturition stopped traveling and moved at hourly rates similar to those of control does during the first three weeks of the typical fawn-rearing period, but continued traveling later. Their aberrant extensive travel before and after interruption by parturition suggests that they recognized they were in unfamiliar areas, demonstrating both their capacity and propensity to search for and occupy the familiar space of their individual home ranges. Their successful return to home ranges provided experimental evidence of spatial memory and further elucidated its pervasive role in White-tailed Deer spatial ecology.

Proposal of a service delivery integration index of home care for older persons: application in several European cities

PubMed Central

Henrard, Jean-Claude; Ankri, Joël; Frijters, Dinnus; Carpenter, Iain; Topinkova, Eva; Garms-Homolova, Vjenka; Finne-Soveri, Harriett; Sørbye, Liv Wergeland; Jónsson, Palmi V.; Ljunggren, Gunnar; Schroll, Marianne; Wagner, Cordula; Bernabei, Roberto

2006-01-01

Abstract Purpose To propose an integration index of home care delivery to older persons, to study its validity and to apply it to home care services of European cities. Theory Home care delivery integration was based on two dimensions referring to process-centred integration and organisational structure approach. Method Items considered as part of both dimensions according to an expert consensus (face validity) were extracted from a standardised questionnaire used in “Aged in Home care” (AdHoc) study to capture basic characteristics of home care services. Their summation leads to a services' delivery integration index. This index was applied to AdHoc services. A factor analysis was computed in order to empirically test the validity of the theoretical constructs. The plot of the settings was performed. Results Application of the index ranks home care services in four groups according to their score. Factor analysis identifies a first factor which opposes working arrangement within service to organisational structure bringing together provisions for social care. A second factor corresponds to basic nursing care and therapies. Internal consistency for those three domains ranges from 0.78 to 0.93. When plotting the different settings different models of service delivery appear. Conclusion The proposed index shows that behind a total score several models of care delivery are hidden. Comparison of service delivery integration should take into account this heterogeneity. PMID:17006549

Building America Case Study: New Town Builders' Power of Zero Energy Center, Denver, Colorado (Brochure)

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

Not Available

New Town Builders, a builder of energy efficient homes in Denver, Colorado, offers a zero energy option for all the homes it builds. To attract a wide range of potential homebuyers to its energy efficient homes, New Town Builders created a 'Power of Zero Energy Center' linked to its model home in the Stapleton community of Denver. This case study presents New Town Builders' marketing approach, which is targeted to appeal to homebuyers' emotions rather than overwhelming homebuyers with scientific details about the technology. The exhibits in the Power of Zero Energy Center focus on reduced energy expenses for themore » homeowner, improved occupant comfort, the reputation of the builder, and the lack of sacrificing the homebuyers' desired design features to achieve zero net energy in the home. The case study also contains customer and realtor testimonials related to the effectiveness of the Center in influencing homebuyers to purchase a zero energy home.« less

New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: New Town Builders' Power of Zero Energy Center - Denver, Colorado

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

None

New Town Builders, a builder of energy efficient homes in Denver, Colorado, offers a zero energy option for all the homes it builds. To attract a wide range of potential homebuyers to its energy efficient homes, New Town Builders created a "Power of Zero Energy Center" linked to its model home in the Stapleton community. This case study presents New Town Builders' marketing approach, which is targeted to appeal to homebuyers' emotions rather than overwhelming homebuyers with scientific details about the technology. The exhibits in the Power of Zero Energy Center focus on reduced energy expenses for the homeowner, improvedmore » occupant comfort, the reputation of the builder, and the lack of sacrificing the homebuyers' desired design features to achieve zero net energy in the home. This case study also contains customer and realtor testimonials related to the effectiveness of the Center in influencing homebuyers to purchase a zero energy home.« less

Movement behavior, dispersal, and the potential for localized management of deer in a suburban environment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Porter, W.F.; Underwood, H.B.; Woodard, J.L.

2004-01-01

We examined the potential for localized management of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to be successful by measuring movements, testing site fidelity, and modeling the effects of dispersal. Fifty-nine females were radiomarked and tracked during 1997 through 2000 in Irondequoit, New York, USA, a suburb of Rochester. We constructed home ranges for those deer with A greater than or equal to 18 reclocations/season. Fifty percent minimum convex polygons (MCP) averaged 3.9 (SE = 0.53) ha in the summer and 5.3 (SE = 0.80) ha in the winter. Deer showed strong fidelity to both summer and winter home ranges, and 30 of 31 females showed overlap of summer and winter home ranges. Annual survival was 64%; the major cause of mortality was deer-automobile collisions. Average annual dispersal rates were <15% for yearlings and adults. Using matrix population modeling, we explored the role of female dispersal in sustaining different management objectives in adjacent locales of approximately 1,000 ha. Modeling showed that if female dispersal was 8%, culling would have to reduce annual survival to 58% to maintain a population just under ecological carrying capacity and reduce survival to 42% to keel) the population at one-half carrying capacity. With the same dispersal, contraception Would need to be effective in 32% of females if the population is near carrying capacity and 68% if the population is at one-half of carrying capacity. Movement behavior data and modeling results lend support to the use of a localized approach to management of females that emphasizes neighborhood-scale manipulation of deer populations, but our research suggests that dispersal rates in females could be critical to long-term success.

Family home visiting outcomes for mothers with and without intellectual disabilities.

PubMed

Monsen, K; Sanders, A; Yu, F; Radosevich, D; Geppert, J

2011-05-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcomes of public health nurse home visiting for mothers with intellectual disabilities (ID) and a comparison group. The study was a secondary analysis of existing de-identified family home visiting data. It used a two-group comparative, 1:3 match design. Sixty-eight clients were in the study (n = 17 for mothers with ID and n = 51 for mothers without ID). Client characteristics and problem prevalence were compared using standard descriptive and inferential statistics. Mixed model methods were used for the analysis of outcomes, accounting for baseline scores, time of services and matched cases. Mothers with and without ID showed statistically significant improvement following family home visiting services. For both groups, discharge scores were consistently higher than the corresponding admission scores, with a mean increase of 0.37 (range = 0.05-0.90). Mothers without ID attained higher outcomes than mothers with ID. Seven of 21 outcomes significantly improved for mothers with ID, and 10 of 21 for the comparison group. The percentage of mothers with ID attaining the benchmark of 4 ranged from 13.3% to 90.4% and for the comparison group ranged from 30% to 95.7%. Public health nurses addressed 15 environmental, psychosocial, physiological and behavioural problems for both groups. Family home visiting appears to be effective in assisting parents with ID to have improved outcomes in many domains. These results provide an opportunity for service providers, home visiting nurses and public health agencies to understand the unique needs of mothers with ID. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Sexual differentiation in the distribution potential of northern jaguars (Panthera onca)

Treesearch

Erin E. Boydston; Carlos A. Lopez Gonzalez

2005-01-01

We estimated the potential geographic distribution of jaguars in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico by modeling the jaguar ecological niche from occurrence records. We modeled separately the distributions of males and females, assuming records of females probably represented established home ranges while male records likely included dispersal...

Scale dependency of American marten (Martes americana) habitat relations [Chapter 12

Treesearch

Andrew J. Shirk; Tzeidle N. Wasserman; Samuel A. Cushman; Martin G. Raphael

2012-01-01

Animals select habitat resources at multiple spatial scales; therefore, explicit attention to scale-dependency when modeling habitat relations is critical to understanding how organisms select habitat in complex landscapes. Models that evaluate habitat variables calculated at a single spatial scale (e.g., patch, home range) fail to account for the effects of...

Evaluation of Automated Model Calibration Techniques for Residential Building Energy Simulation

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

Robertson, J.; Polly, B.; Collis, J.

2013-09-01

This simulation study adapts and applies the general framework described in BESTEST-EX (Judkoff et al 2010) for self-testing residential building energy model calibration methods. BEopt/DOE-2.2 is used to evaluate four mathematical calibration methods in the context of monthly, daily, and hourly synthetic utility data for a 1960's-era existing home in a cooling-dominated climate. The home's model inputs are assigned probability distributions representing uncertainty ranges, random selections are made from the uncertainty ranges to define 'explicit' input values, and synthetic utility billing data are generated using the explicit input values. The four calibration methods evaluated in this study are: an ASHRAEmore » 1051-RP-based approach (Reddy and Maor 2006), a simplified simulated annealing optimization approach, a regression metamodeling optimization approach, and a simple output ratio calibration approach. The calibration methods are evaluated for monthly, daily, and hourly cases; various retrofit measures are applied to the calibrated models and the methods are evaluated based on the accuracy of predicted savings, computational cost, repeatability, automation, and ease of implementation.« less

Evaluation of Automated Model Calibration Techniques for Residential Building Energy Simulation

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

and Ben Polly, Joseph Robertson; Polly, Ben; Collis, Jon

2013-09-01

This simulation study adapts and applies the general framework described in BESTEST-EX (Judkoff et al 2010) for self-testing residential building energy model calibration methods. BEopt/DOE-2.2 is used to evaluate four mathematical calibration methods in the context of monthly, daily, and hourly synthetic utility data for a 1960's-era existing home in a cooling-dominated climate. The home's model inputs are assigned probability distributions representing uncertainty ranges, random selections are made from the uncertainty ranges to define "explicit" input values, and synthetic utility billing data are generated using the explicit input values. The four calibration methods evaluated in this study are: an ASHRAEmore » 1051-RP-based approach (Reddy and Maor 2006), a simplified simulated annealing optimization approach, a regression metamodeling optimization approach, and a simple output ratio calibration approach. The calibration methods are evaluated for monthly, daily, and hourly cases; various retrofit measures are applied to the calibrated models and the methods are evaluated based on the accuracy of predicted savings, computational cost, repeatability, automation, and ease of implementation.« less

Microhabitat selection, demography, and correlates of home range size for the King Rail (Rallus elegans)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pickens, Bradley A.; King, Sammy L.

2013-01-01

Animal movements and habitat selection within the home range, or microhabitat selection, can provide insights into habitat requirements, such as foraging and area requirements. The King Rail (Rallus elegans) is a wetland bird of high conservation concern in the United States, but little is known about its movements, habitats, or demography. King Rails (n = 34) were captured during the 2010–2011 breeding seasons in the coastal marshes of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas. Radio telemetry and direct habitat surveys of King Rail locations were conducted to estimate home ranges and microhabitat selection. Within home ranges, King Rails selected for greater plant species richness and comparatively greater coverage of Phragmites australis, Typha spp., and Schoenoplectus robustus. King Rails were found closer to open water compared to random locations placed 50 m from King Rail locations. Home ranges (n = 22) varied from 0.8–32.8 ha and differed greatly among sites. Home range size did not vary by year or sex; however, increased open water, with a maximum of 29% observed in the study, was correlated with smaller home ranges. Breeding season cumulative survivorship was 89% ± 22% in 2010 and 61% ± 43% in 2011, which coincided with a drought. With an equal search effort, King Rail chicks and juveniles observed in May-June decreased from 110 in 2010 to only 16 in the drier year of 2011. The findings show King Rail used marsh with ≤ 29% open water and had smaller home ranges when open water was more abundant.

Influence of primary prey on home-range size and habitat-use patterns of northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina)

Treesearch

Cynthia J. Zabel; Kevin S. McKelvey; James P. Ward

1995-01-01

Correlations between the home-range size of northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) and proportion of their range in old-growth forest have been reported, but there are few data on the relationship between their home-range size and prey. The primary prey of spotted owls are wood rats and northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus). Wood...

Free-ranging farm cats: home range size and predation on a livestock unit in Northwest Georgia.

PubMed

Kitts-Morgan, Susanna E; Caires, Kyle C; Bohannon, Lisa A; Parsons, Elizabeth I; Hilburn, Katharine A

2015-01-01

This study's objective was to determine seasonal and diurnal vs. nocturnal home range size, as well as predation for free-ranging farm cats at a livestock unit in Northwest Georgia. Seven adult cats were tracked with attached GPS units for up to two weeks for one spring and two summer seasons from May 2010 through August 2011. Three and five cats were tracked for up to two weeks during the fall and winter seasons, respectively. Feline scat was collected during this entire period. Cats were fed a commercial cat food daily. There was no seasonal effect (P > 0.05) on overall (95% KDE and 90% KDE) or core home range size (50% KDE). Male cats tended (P = 0.08) to have larger diurnal and nocturnal core home ranges (1.09 ha) compared to female cats (0.64 ha). Reproductively intact cats (n = 2) had larger (P < 0.0001) diurnal and nocturnal home ranges as compared to altered cats. Feline scat processing separated scat into prey parts, and of the 210 feline scats collected during the study, 75.24% contained hair. Of these 158 scat samples, 86 contained non-cat hair and 72 contained only cat hair. Other prey components included fragments of bone in 21.43% of scat and teeth in 12.86% of scat. Teeth were used to identify mammalian prey hunted by these cats, of which the Hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) was the primary rodent. Other targeted mammals were Peromyscus sp., Sylvilagus sp. and Microtus sp. Invertebrates and birds were less important as prey, but all mammalian prey identified in this study consisted of native animals. While the free-ranging farm cats in this study did not adjust their home range seasonally, sex and reproductive status did increase diurnal and nocturnal home range size. Ultimately, larger home ranges of free-ranging cats could negatively impact native wildlife.

Free-Ranging Farm Cats: Home Range Size and Predation on a Livestock Unit In Northwest Georgia

PubMed Central

Kitts-Morgan, Susanna E.; Caires, Kyle C.; Bohannon, Lisa A.; Parsons, Elizabeth I.; Hilburn, Katharine A.

2015-01-01

This study’s objective was to determine seasonal and diurnal vs. nocturnal home range size, as well as predation for free-ranging farm cats at a livestock unit in Northwest Georgia. Seven adult cats were tracked with attached GPS units for up to two weeks for one spring and two summer seasons from May 2010 through August 2011. Three and five cats were tracked for up to two weeks during the fall and winter seasons, respectively. Feline scat was collected during this entire period. Cats were fed a commercial cat food daily. There was no seasonal effect (P > 0.05) on overall (95% KDE and 90% KDE) or core home range size (50% KDE). Male cats tended (P = 0.08) to have larger diurnal and nocturnal core home ranges (1.09 ha) compared to female cats (0.64 ha). Reproductively intact cats (n = 2) had larger (P < 0.0001) diurnal and nocturnal home ranges as compared to altered cats. Feline scat processing separated scat into prey parts, and of the 210 feline scats collected during the study, 75.24% contained hair. Of these 158 scat samples, 86 contained non-cat hair and 72 contained only cat hair. Other prey components included fragments of bone in 21.43% of scat and teeth in 12.86% of scat. Teeth were used to identify mammalian prey hunted by these cats, of which the Hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) was the primary rodent. Other targeted mammals were Peromyscus sp., Sylvilagus sp. and Microtus sp. Invertebrates and birds were less important as prey, but all mammalian prey identified in this study consisted of native animals. While the free-ranging farm cats in this study did not adjust their home range seasonally, sex and reproductive status did increase diurnal and nocturnal home range size. Ultimately, larger home ranges of free-ranging cats could negatively impact native wildlife. PMID:25894078

Comparison of home advantage in men's and women's football leagues in Europe.

PubMed

Pollard, Richard; Gómez, Miguel A

2014-01-01

Most research into home advantage is based on men's sports. This article analyses home advantage in the women's domestic football leagues of Europe and makes a comparison with the corresponding men's football leagues. A total of 47,042 games were included. From 2004 to 2010, home advantage existed in the domestic women's soccer leagues of all 26 European countries analysed, ranging from 51.0% to 58.8% and averaging 54.2%. In every country, this was less than the corresponding men's home advantage which averaged 60.0%. Crowd effects, both on players and referees, and different gender perceptions of territorial protection are plausible reasons for the differences found. Using a regression model that controlled for the competitive balance of each league, as well as for crowd size, the Gender Gap Index, which quantifies the status of women in each country, was a significant predictor of the difference between men's and women's home advantage. As the status of women becomes closer to that of men within a country, the difference in home advantage is less between the men's and women's football leagues.

Indoor air quality in 24 California residences designed as high-performance homes

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

Less, Brennan; Mullen, Nasim; Singer, Brett

2015-01-01

Today’s high performance green homes are reaching previously unheard of levels of airtightness and are using new materials, technologies and strategies, whose impacts on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) cannot be fully anticipated from prior studies. This research study used pollutant measurements, home inspections, diagnostic testing and occupant surveys to assess IAQ in 24 new or deeply retrofitted homes designed to be high performance green buildings in California. Although the mechanically vented homes were six times as airtight as non-mechanically ventilated homes (medians of 1.1 and 6.1 ACH 50, n=11 and n=8, respectively), their use of mechanical ventilation systems and possiblymore » window operation meant their median air exchange rates were almost the same (0.30 versus 0.32 hr -1, n=8 and n=8, respectively). Pollutant levels were also similar in vented and unvented homes. In addition, these similarities were achieved despite numerous observed faults in complex mechanical ventilation systems. More rigorous commissioning is still recommended. Cooking exhaust systems were used inconsistently and several suffered from design flaws. Failure to follow best practices led to IAQ problems in some cases. Ambient nitrogen dioxide standards were exceeded or nearly so in four homes that either used gas ranges with standing pilots, or in Passive House-style homes that used gas cooking burners without venting range hoods. Homes without active particle filtration had particle count concentrations approximately double those in homes with enhanced filtration. The majority of homes reported using low-emitting materials; consistent with this, formaldehyde levels were approximately half those in conventional, new CA homes built before 2008. Emissions of ultrafine particles (with diameters <100 nm) were dramatically lower on induction electric cooktops, compared with either gas or resistance electric models. These results indicate that high performance homes can achieve acceptable and even exceptional IAQ by providing adequate general mechanical ventilation, using low-emitting materials, providing mechanical particle filtration, incorporating well-designed exhaust ventilation for kitchens and bathrooms, and educating occupants to use the kitchen and bath ventilation.« less

Effects of GPS sampling intensity on home range analyses

Treesearch

Jeffrey J. Kolodzinski; Lawrence V. Tannenbaum; David A. Osborn; Mark C. Conner; W. Mark Ford; Karl V. Miller

2010-01-01

The two most common methods for determining home ranges, minimum convex polygon (MCP) and kernel analyses, can be affected by sampling intensity. Despite prior research, it remains unclear how high-intensity sampling regimes affect home range estimations. We used datasets from 14 GPS-collared, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to describe...

Home range size of Black-backed Woodpeckers in burned forests of southwestern Idaho

Treesearch

Jonathan G. Dudley; Victoria A. Saab

2007-01-01

We examined home range size of Black-backed Woodpeckers (Picoides arcticus) in burned ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) / Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests of southwestern Idaho during 2000 and 2002 (6 and 8 years following fire). Home range size for 4 adult males during the post-fledging period was 115....

HOME RANGES AND HABITAT USE OF SUBURBAN RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS

EPA Science Inventory

Radio telemetry was used to determine home range size and habitat use for breeding season and non-breedng season red-shouldered hawks nesting in a surburban area in southwestern Ohio. Home ranges averaged 96.0 ha for males (n=4) and 48.3 for females (n-2) during the breeding sea...

Modelling seasonal habitat suitability for wide-ranging species: Invasive wild pigs in northern Australia.

PubMed

Froese, Jens G; Smith, Carl S; Durr, Peter A; McAlpine, Clive A; van Klinken, Rieks D

2017-01-01

Invasive wildlife often causes serious damage to the economy and agriculture as well as environmental, human and animal health. Habitat models can fill knowledge gaps about species distributions and assist planning to mitigate impacts. Yet, model accuracy and utility may be compromised by small study areas and limited integration of species ecology or temporal variability. Here we modelled seasonal habitat suitability for wild pigs, a widespread and harmful invader, in northern Australia. We developed a resource-based, spatially-explicit and regional-scale approach using Bayesian networks and spatial pattern suitability analysis. We integrated important ecological factors such as variability in environmental conditions, breeding requirements and home range movements. The habitat model was parameterized during a structured, iterative expert elicitation process and applied to a wet season and a dry season scenario. Model performance and uncertainty was evaluated against independent distributional data sets. Validation results showed that an expert-averaged model accurately predicted empirical wild pig presences in northern Australia for both seasonal scenarios. Model uncertainty was largely associated with different expert assumptions about wild pigs' resource-seeking home range movements. Habitat suitability varied considerably between seasons, retracting to resource-abundant rainforest, wetland and agricultural refuge areas during the dry season and expanding widely into surrounding grassland floodplains, savanna woodlands and coastal shrubs during the wet season. Overall, our model suggested that suitable wild pig habitat is less widely available in northern Australia than previously thought. Mapped results may be used to quantify impacts, assess risks, justify management investments and target control activities. Our methods are applicable to other wide-ranging species, especially in data-poor situations.

Modelling seasonal habitat suitability for wide-ranging species: Invasive wild pigs in northern Australia

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Invasive wildlife often causes serious damage to the economy and agriculture as well as environmental, human and animal health. Habitat models can fill knowledge gaps about species distributions and assist planning to mitigate impacts. Yet, model accuracy and utility may be compromised by small study areas and limited integration of species ecology or temporal variability. Here we modelled seasonal habitat suitability for wild pigs, a widespread and harmful invader, in northern Australia. We developed a resource-based, spatially-explicit and regional-scale approach using Bayesian networks and spatial pattern suitability analysis. We integrated important ecological factors such as variability in environmental conditions, breeding requirements and home range movements. The habitat model was parameterized during a structured, iterative expert elicitation process and applied to a wet season and a dry season scenario. Model performance and uncertainty was evaluated against independent distributional data sets. Validation results showed that an expert-averaged model accurately predicted empirical wild pig presences in northern Australia for both seasonal scenarios. Model uncertainty was largely associated with different expert assumptions about wild pigs’ resource-seeking home range movements. Habitat suitability varied considerably between seasons, retracting to resource-abundant rainforest, wetland and agricultural refuge areas during the dry season and expanding widely into surrounding grassland floodplains, savanna woodlands and coastal shrubs during the wet season. Overall, our model suggested that suitable wild pig habitat is less widely available in northern Australia than previously thought. Mapped results may be used to quantify impacts, assess risks, justify management investments and target control activities. Our methods are applicable to other wide-ranging species, especially in data-poor situations. PMID:28472113

Sampling strategies for radio-tracking coyotes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, G.J.; Cary, J.R.; Rongstad, O.J.

1981-01-01

Ten coyotes radio-tracked for 24 h periods were most active at night and moved little during daylight hours. Home-range size determined from radio-locations of 3 adult coyotes increased with the number of locations until an asymptote was reached at about 35-40 independent day locations or 3 6 nights of hourly radio-locations. Activity of the coyote did not affect the asymptotic nature of the home-range calculations, but home-range sizes determined from more than 3 nights of hourly locations were considerably larger than home-range sizes determined from daylight locations. Coyote home-range sizes were calculated from daylight locations, full-night tracking periods, and half-night tracking periods. Full- and half-lnight sampling strategies involved obtaining hourly radio-locations during 12 and 6 h periods, respectively. The half-night sampling strategy was the best compromise for our needs, as it adequately indexed the home-range size, reduced time and energy spent, and standardized the area calculation without requiring the researcher to become completely nocturnal. Sight tracking also provided information about coyote activity and sociability.

Enhancing the Use of Argos Satellite Data for Home Range and Long Distance Migration Studies of Marine Animals

PubMed Central

Hoenner, Xavier; Whiting, Scott D.; Hindell, Mark A.; McMahon, Clive R.

2012-01-01

Accurately quantifying animals’ spatial utilisation is critical for conservation, but has long remained an elusive goal due to technological impediments. The Argos telemetry system has been extensively used to remotely track marine animals, however location estimates are characterised by substantial spatial error. State-space models (SSM) constitute a robust statistical approach to refine Argos tracking data by accounting for observation errors and stochasticity in animal movement. Despite their wide use in ecology, few studies have thoroughly quantified the error associated with SSM predicted locations and no research has assessed their validity for describing animal movement behaviour. We compared home ranges and migratory pathways of seven hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) estimated from (a) highly accurate Fastloc GPS data and (b) locations computed using common Argos data analytical approaches. Argos 68th percentile error was <1 km for LC 1, 2, and 3 while markedly less accurate (>4 km) for LC ≤0. Argos error structure was highly longitudinally skewed and was, for all LC, adequately modelled by a Student’s t distribution. Both habitat use and migration routes were best recreated using SSM locations post-processed by re-adding good Argos positions (LC 1, 2 and 3) and filtering terrestrial points (mean distance to migratory tracks ± SD = 2.2±2.4 km; mean home range overlap and error ratio  = 92.2% and 285.6 respectively). This parsimonious and objective statistical procedure however still markedly overestimated true home range sizes, especially for animals exhibiting restricted movements. Post-processing SSM locations nonetheless constitutes the best analytical technique for remotely sensed Argos tracking data and we therefore recommend using this approach to rework historical Argos datasets for better estimation of animal spatial utilisation for research and evidence-based conservation purposes. PMID:22808241

Proximity to crops and residential to agricultural herbicides in Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ward, M.H.; Lubin, J.; Giglierano, J.; Colt, J.S.; Wolter, C.; Bekiroglu, N.; Camann, D.; Hartge, P.; Nuckols, J.R.

2006-01-01

Rural residents can be exposed to agricultural pesticides through the proximity of their homes to crop fields. Previously, we developed a method to create historical crop maps using a geographic information system. The aim of the present study was to determine whether crop maps are useful for predicting levels of crop herbicides in carpet dust samples from residences. From homes of participants in a case-control study of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Iowa (1998-2000), we collected vacuum cleaner dust and measured 14 herbicides with high use on corn and soybeans in Iowa. Of 112 homes, 58% of residences had crops within 500 m of their home, an intermediate distance for primary drift from aerial and ground applications. Detection rates for herbicides ranged from 0% for metribuzin and cyanazine to 95% for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Six herbicides used almost exclusively in agriculture were detected in 28% of homes. Detections and concentrations were highest in homes with an active farmer. Increasing acreage of corn and soybean fields within 750 m of homes was associated with significantly elevated odds of detecting agricultural herbicides compared with homes with no crops within 750 m (adjusted odds ratio per 10 acres = 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.11). Herbicide concentrations also increased significantly with increasing acreage within 750 m. We evaluated the distance of crop fields from the home at < 100, 101-250, 251-500, and 501-750 m. Including the crop buffer distance parameters in the model did not significantly improve the fit compared with a model with total acres within 750 m. Our results indicate that crop maps may be a useful method for estimating levels of herbicides in homes from nearby crop fields.

Emergence of long distance bird migrations: a new model integrating global climate changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Louchart, Antoine

2008-12-01

During modern birds history, climatic and environmental conditions have evolved on wide scales. In a continuously changing world, landbirds annual migrations emerged and developed. However, models accounting for the origins of these avian migrations were formulated with static ecogeographic perspectives. Here I reviewed Cenozoic paleoclimatic and paleontological data relative to the palearctic paleotropical long distance (LD) migration system. This led to propose a new model for the origin of LD migrations, the ‘shifting home’ model (SHM). It is based on a dynamic perspective of climate evolution and may apply to the origins of most modern migrations. Non-migrant tropical African bird taxa were present at European latitudes during most of the Cenozoic. Their distribution limits shifted progressively toward modern tropical latitudes during periods of global cooling and increasing seasonality. In parallel, decreasing winter temperatures in the western Palearctic drove shifts of population winter ranges toward the equator. I propose that this induced the emergence of most short distance migrations, and in turn LD migrations. This model reconciliates ecologically tropical ancestry of most LD migrants with predominant winter range shifts, in accordance with requirements for heritable homing. In addition, it is more parsimonious than other non-exclusive models. Greater intrinsic plasticity of winter ranges implied by the SHM is supported by recently observed impacts of the present global warming on migrating birds. This may induce particular threats to some LD migrants. The ancestral, breeding homes of LD migrants were not ‘northern’ or ‘southern’ but shifted across high and middle latitudes while migrations emerged through winter range shifts themselves.

A preliminary case-mix classification system for Medicare home health clients.

PubMed

Branch, L G; Goldberg, H B

1993-04-01

In this study, a hierarchical case-mix model was developed for grouping Medicare home health beneficiaries homogeneously, based on the allowed charges for their home care. Based on information from a two-page form from 2,830 clients from ten states and using the classification and regression trees method, a four-component model was developed that yielded 11 case-mix groups and explained 22% of the variance for the test sample of 1,929 clients. The four components are rehabilitation, special care, skilled-nurse monitoring, and paralysis; each are categorized as present or absent. The range of mean-allowed charges for the 11 groups in the total sample was $473 to $2,562 with a mean of $847. Of the six groups with mean charges above $1,000, none exceeded 5.2% of clients; thus, the high-cost groups are relatively rare.

Space use and movements of moose in Massachusetts: implications for conservation of large mammals in a fragmented environment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wattles, David W.; DeStefano, Stephen

2013-01-01

Moose (Alces alces) have recently re-occupied a portion of their range in the temperate deciduous forest of the northeastern United States after a >200 year absence. In southern New England, moose encounter different forest types, more human development, and higher temperatures than in other parts of their geographic range in North America. We analyzed seasonal minimum convex polygon home ranges, utilization distributions, movement rates, and home range composition of GPS-collared moose in Massachusetts. Seasonal home range sizes were not different for males and females and were within the range reported for low latitudes elsewhere in North America. Seasonal movement patterns reflected the seasonal changes in metabolic rate and the influence of the species’ reproductive cycle and weather. Home ranges consisted almost entirely of forested habitat, included large amounts of conservation land, and had lower road densities as compared to the landscape as a whole, indicating that human development may be a limiting factor for moose in the region. The size and configuration of home ranges, seasonal movement patterns, and use relative to human development have implications for conservation of moose and other wide-ranging species in more highly developed portions of their ranges.

Winter home-range characteristics of American Marten (Martes americana) in Northern Wisconsin

Treesearch

Joseph B. Dumyahn; Patrick A. Zollner

2007-01-01

We estimated home-range size for American marten (Martes americana) in northern Wisconsin during the winter months of 2001-2004, and compared the proportion of cover-type selection categories (highly used, neutral and avoided) among home-ranges (95% fixed-kernel), core areas (50% fixed-kernel) and the study area. Average winter homerange size was 3....

Passive acoustic telemetry reveals highly variable home range and movement patterns among unicornfish within a marine reserve

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshell, A.; Mills, J. S.; Rhodes, K. L.; McIlwain, J.

2011-09-01

Marine reserves are the primary management tool for Guam's reef fish fishery. While a build-up of fish biomass has occurred inside reserve boundaries, it is unknown whether reserve size matches the scale of movement of target species. Using passive acoustic telemetry, we quantified movement patterns and home range size of two heavily exploited unicornfish Naso unicornis and Naso lituratus. Fifteen fish ( N. unicornis: n = 7; N. lituratus: n = 4 male, n = 4 female) were fitted with internal acoustic tags and tracked continuously over four months within a remote acoustic receiver array located in a decade-old marine reserve. This approach provided robust estimates of unicornfish movement patterns and home range size. The mean home range of 3.2 ha for N. unicornis was almost ten times larger than that previously recorded from a three-week tracking study of the species in Hawaii. While N. lituratus were smaller in body size, their mean home range (6.8 ha) was over twice that of N. unicornis. Both species displayed strong site fidelity, particularly during nocturnal and crepuscular periods. Although there was some overlap, individual movement patterns and home range size were highly variable within species and between sexes. N. unicornis home range increased with body size, and only the three largest fish home ranges extended into the deeper outer reef slope beyond the shallow reef flat. Both Naso species favoured habitat dominated by corals. Some individuals made predictable daily crepuscular migrations between different locations or habitat types. There was no evidence of significant spillover from the marine reserve into adjacent fished areas. Strong site fidelity coupled with negligible spillover suggests that small-scale reserves, with natural habitat boundaries to emigration, are effective in protecting localized unicornfish populations.

Movements and home ranges of mountain plovers raising broods in three Colorado landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dreitz, V.J.; Wunder, Michael B.; Knopf, F.L.

2005-01-01

We report movements and home-range sizes of adult Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus) with broods on rangeland, agricultural fields, and prairie dog habitats in eastern Colorado. Estimates of home range size (95% fixed kernel) were similar across the three habitats: rangeland (146.1 ha ± 101.5), agricultural fields (131.6 ha ± 74.4), and prairie dog towns (243.3 ha ± 366.3). Our minimum convex polygon estimates of home-range size were comparable to those on rangeland reported by Knopf and Rupert (1996). In addition, movements—defined as the distance between consecutive locations of adults with broods—were equivalent across habitats. However, our findings on prairie dog habitat suggest that home-range size for brood rearing may be related to whether the prairie dog habitat is in a complex of towns or in an isolated town.

Optimal group size in a highly social mammal

PubMed Central

Markham, A. Catherine; Gesquiere, Laurence R.; Alberts, Susan C.; Altmann, Jeanne

2015-01-01

Group size is an important trait of social animals, affecting how individuals allocate time and use space, and influencing both an individual’s fitness and the collective, cooperative behaviors of the group as a whole. Here we tested predictions motivated by the ecological constraints model of group size, examining the effects of group size on ranging patterns and adult female glucocorticoid (stress hormone) concentrations in five social groups of wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus) over an 11-y period. Strikingly, we found evidence that intermediate-sized groups have energetically optimal space-use strategies; both large and small groups experience ranging disadvantages, in contrast to the commonly reported positive linear relationship between group size and home range area and daily travel distance, which depict a disadvantage only in large groups. Specifically, we observed a U-shaped relationship between group size and home range area, average daily distance traveled, evenness of space use within the home range, and glucocorticoid concentrations. We propose that a likely explanation for these U-shaped patterns is that large, socially dominant groups are constrained by within-group competition, whereas small, socially subordinate groups are constrained by between-group competition and predation pressures. Overall, our results provide testable hypotheses for evaluating group-size constraints in other group-living species, in which the costs of intra- and intergroup competition vary as a function of group size. PMID:26504236

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.

Home range, social behavior, and dominance relationships in the African unstriped ground squirrel, Xerus rutilus

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Shea, Thomas J.

1976-01-01

A field study of home range, social behavior, and dominance relationships in the African unstriped ground squirrel, Xerus rutilus, was conducted in semi-arid bushland near Kibwezi, Kenya. Ground squirrels lived alone or in small groups in isolated burrow systems and had broadly overlapping home ranges. They were neither territorial or colonial. Home ranges were estimated by visual observation of marked animals and those of males were considerably larger (mean=7.01 hectares (ha); n=4) than those of females (mean=1.37 ha; n-6). A continuum of agonistic behavior ranging from threat to combat is described, although actual combat was rarely observed. Sexual behavior includes a stereotypical tail display by adult males. Dominance relationships, based on 542 observed encounters between marked individuals, include a consistent male dominance over females and a fairly constant linear hierarchy among all individuals with shared home ranges. Similarities in the behavior of African ground squirrels and tree squirrels (Sciurus) are discussed.

Late winter home range and habitat use of the Virginia northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus)

Treesearch

W. Mark Ford; Kely N. Mertz; Jennifer M. Menzel; Kenneth K. Sturm

2007-01-01

We radio-tracked two male and one female Virginia northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus) in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, in winter 2003 and Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in winter 2004, respectively, to document winter home range and habitat use in or near ski areas. Male home range...

Structural characteristics of forest stands within home ranges of Mexican spotted owls in Arizona and New Mexico

Treesearch

Joseph L. Ganey; William M. Block; Steven H. Ackers

2003-01-01

As part of a set of studies evaluating home-range size and habitat use of radio-marked Mexican spotted owls (Strix occidentalis lucida), we sampled structural characteristics of forest stands within owl home ranges on two study areas in Arizona and New Mexico. Study areas were dominated by ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)-Gambel...

Lynx home range and movements in Montana and Wyoming: Preliminary results [Chapter 11

Treesearch

John R. Squires; Tom Laurion

2000-01-01

Preliminary telemetry data suggest that lynx in Montana and Wyoming have large home ranges; this result supports the Koehler and Aubry (1994) contention that lynx from southern lynx populations have large spatial-use areas. Annual home ranges of males were larger than females. Straight-line, daily travel distance averaged 2 to 4 km, which is similar to northern...

Mexican spotted owl home range and habitat use in pine-oak forest: Implications for forest management

Treesearch

Joseph L. Ganey; William M. Block; Jeffrey S. Jenness; Randolph A. Wilson

1998-01-01

To better understand the habitat relationships of the Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida), and how such relationships might influence forest management, we studied home-range and habitat use of radio-marked owls in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) forest. Annual home-range size (95% adaptive-kernel estimate) averaged 895 ha...

Spatial organization of northern flying squirrels, Glaucomys sabrinus: Territoriality in females?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, J.R.; Vuren, D.H.V.; Kelt, D.A.; Johnson, M.L.

2011-01-01

We determined home-range overlap among northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) to assess their spatial organization. We found extensive home-range overlap among females, and though this overlap could reflect social behavior, we found no evidence of attraction among females, with only one instance of den sharing. Instead, our results suggest that females share foraging areas but may be territorial in portions of the home range, especially around den trees and during young-rearing. Home-range overlap could also result from, the extrinsic effect of forest fragmentation due to timber harvest, which might impede dispersal and force squirrels to cluster on remaining fragments of suitable habitat.

Elephant (Loxodonta africana) home ranges in Sabi Sand Reserve and Kruger National Park: a five-year satellite tracking study.

PubMed

Thomas, Bindi; Holland, John D; Minot, Edward O

2008-01-01

During a five-year GPS satellite tracking study in Sabi Sand Reserve (SSR) and Kruger National Park (KNP) we monitored the daily movements of an elephant cow (Loxodonta africana) from September 2003 to August 2008. The study animal was confirmed to be part of a group of seven elephants therefore her position is representative of the matriarchal group. We found that the study animal did not use habitat randomly and confirmed strong seasonal fidelity to its summer and winter five-year home ranges. The cow's summer home range was in KNP in an area more than four times that of her SSR winter home range. She exhibited clear park habitation with up to three visits per year travelling via a well-defined northern or southern corridor. There was a positive correlation between the daily distance the elephant walked and minimum daily temperature and the elephant was significantly closer to rivers and artificial waterholes than would be expected if it were moving randomly in KNP and SSR. Transect lines established through the home ranges were surveyed to further understand the fine scale of the landscape and vegetation representative of the home ranges.

Ranging behaviour and habitat preferences of the Martial Eagle: Implications for the conservation of a declining apex predator

PubMed Central

van Eeden, Rowen; Whitfield, D. Philip; Botha, Andre; Amar, Arjun

2017-01-01

Understanding the ranging behaviours of species can be helpful in effective conservation planning. However, for many species that are rare, occur at low densities, or occupy challenging environments, this information is often lacking. The Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) is a low density apex predator declining in both non-protected and protected areas in southern Africa, and little is known about its ranging behaviour. We use GPS tags fitted to Martial Eagles (n = 8) in Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa to describe their ranging behaviour and habitat preference. This represents the first time that such movements have been quantified in adult Martial Eagles. Territorial eagles (n = 6) held home ranges averaging ca. 108 km2. Home range estimates were similar to expectations based on inter-nest distances, and these large home range sizes could constrain the carrying capacity of even the largest conservation areas. Two tagged individuals classed as adults on plumage apparently did not hold a territory, and accordingly ranged more widely (ca. 44,000 km2), and beyond KNP boundaries as floaters. Another two territorial individuals abandoned their territories and joined the ‘floater’ population, and so ranged widely after leaving their territories. These unexpected movements after territory abandonment could indicate underlying environmental degradation. Relatively high mortality of these wide-ranging ‘floaters’ due to anthropogenic causes (three of four) raises further concerns for the species’ persistence. Habitat preference models suggested Martial Eagles used areas preferentially that were closer to rivers, had higher tree cover, and were classed as dense bush rather than open bush or grassland. These results can be used by conservation managers to help guide actions to preserve breeding Martial Eagles at an appropriate spatial scale. PMID:28306744

The Influence of Sex and Season on Conspecific Spatial Overlap in a Large, Actively-Foraging Colubrid Snake

PubMed Central

Bauder, Javan M.; Breininger, David R.; Bolt, M. Rebecca; Legare, Michael L.; Jenkins, Christopher L.; Rothermel, Betsie B.; McGarigal, Kevin

2016-01-01

Understanding the factors influencing the degree of spatial overlap among conspecifics is important for understanding multiple ecological processes. Compared to terrestrial carnivores, relatively little is known about the factors influencing conspecific spatial overlap in snakes, although across snake taxa there appears to be substantial variation in conspecific spatial overlap. In this study, we described conspecific spatial overlap of eastern indigo snakes (Drymarchon couperi) in peninsular Florida and examined how conspecific spatial overlap varied by sex and season (breeding season vs. non-breeding season). We calculated multiple indices of spatial overlap using 6- and 3-month utilization distributions (UD) of dyads of simultaneously adjacent telemetered snakes. We also measured conspecific UD density values at each telemetry fix and modeled the distribution of those values as a function of overlap type, sex, and season using generalized Pareto distributions. Home range overlap between males and females was significantly greater than overlap between individuals of the same sex and male home ranges often completely contained female home ranges. Male home ranges overlapped little during both seasons, whereas females had higher levels of overlap during the non-breeding season. The spatial patterns observed in our study are consistent with those seen in many mammalian carnivores, in which low male-male overlap and high inter-sexual overlap provides males with greater access to females. We encourage additional research on the influence of prey availability on conspecific spatial overlap in snakes as well as the behavioral mechanisms responsible for maintaining the low levels of overlap we observed. PMID:27490346

The family child care home environment and children's diet quality.

PubMed

Benjamin-Neelon, Sara E; Vaughn, Amber E; Tovar, Alison; Østbye, Truls; Mazzucca, Stephanie; Ward, Dianne S

2018-07-01

Developing healthy eating behaviors and food preferences in early childhood may help establish future healthy diets. Large numbers of children spend time in child care, but little research has assessed the nutritional quality of meals and snacks in family child care homes. Therefore, it is important to assess foods and beverages provided, policies related to nutrition and feeding children, and interactions between providers and children during mealtimes. We examined associations between the nutrition environments of family child care homes and children's diet quality. We assessed the nutrition environments of 166 family child care homes using the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) (scores range: 0-21). We also recorded foods and beverages consumed by 496 children in care and calculated healthy eating index (HEI) (scores range: 0-100). We used a mixed effects linear regression model to examine the association between the EPAO nutrition environment (and EPAO sub-scales) and child HEI, controlling for potential confounders. Family child care homes had a mean (standard deviation, SD) of 7.2 (3.6) children in care, 74.1% of providers were black or African American, and children had a mean (SD) age of 35.7 (11.4) months. In adjusted multivariable models, higher EPAO nutrition score was associated with increased child HEI score (1.16; 95% CI: 0.34, 1.98; p = 0.006). Higher scores on EPAO sub-scales for foods provided (8.98; 95% CI: 3.94, 14.01; p = 0.0006), nutrition education (5.37; 95% CI: 0.80, 9.94; p = 0.02), and nutrition policy (2.36; 95% CI: 0.23, 4.49; p = 0.03) were all associated with greater child HEI score. Foods and beverages served, in addition to nutrition education and nutrition policies in family child care homes, may be promising intervention targets for improving child diet quality. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effect of high density on the short term Calomys musculinus spacing behaviour: A fencing experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sommaro, Lucía V.; Steinmann, Andrea R.; Chiappero, Marina B.; Priotto, José W.

2010-05-01

We studied the short term spacing behavioural responses of corn mice ( Calomys musculinus) with regard to population density in four 0.25 ha enclosures (two control and two experimental) in the 2007 breeding season. The goal of this research was to test the hypothesis that spacing behaviour only operates among C. musculinus adult females. We estimated 207 home ranges to study: 1) the home range size and the overlap degree of adult males and females in relation to population density; 2) the settlement distances of juveniles to the centre of activity of their mothers and the home range overlap proportion between them and their mothers in relation to population density. We found that home range size and overlap degree in C. musculinus adults were determined by sex and density. At high population density males had significant smaller and more exclusive home ranges, and this might reflect induced territoriality derived from social restrictions. Female home range sizes remained similar irrespective of population density, and they kept exclusive home ranges in both control and experimental enclosures. Thus, females maintained their territories independent of the population density values. The settlement distances of juveniles from their mothers and the overlap proportion between them and their mothers were independent of population density. We conclude that spacing behaviour only operates among C. musculinus adult females and it could have a role in regulating population abundances limiting the number of females that acquire breeding spaces.

Home ranges and habitat use of sloth bears Melursus ursinus inornatus in Wasgomuwa National Park, Sri Lanka

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ratnayeke, S.; Van Manen, F.T.; Padmalal, U.K.G.K.

2007-01-01

We studied home ranges and habitat selection of 10 adult sloth bears Melursus ursinus inornatus at Wasgomuwa National Park, Sri Lanka during 2002-2003. Very little is known about the ecology and behaviour of M. u. inornatus, which is a subspecies found in Sri Lanka. Our study was undertaken to assess space and habitat requirements typical of a viable population of M. u. inornatus to facilitate future conservation efforts. We captured and radio-collared 10 adult sloth bears and used the telemetry data to assess home-range size and habitat use. Mean 95% fixed kernel home ranges were 2.2 km2 (SE = 0.61) and 3.8 km2 (SE = 1.01) for adult females and males, respectively. Although areas outside the national park were accessible to bears, home ranges were almost exclusively situated within the national park boundaries. Within the home ranges, high forests were used more and abandoned agricultural fields (chenas) were used less than expected based on availability. Our estimates of home-range size are among the smallest reported for any species of bear. Thus, despite its relatively small size, Wasgomuwa National Park may support a sizeable population of sloth bears. The restriction of human activity within protected areas may be necessary for long-term viability of sloth bear populations in Sri Lanka as is maintenance of forest or scrub cover in areas with existing sloth bear populations and along potential travel corridors. ?? Wildlife Biology 2007.

Home range use and survival of southern flying squirrels in fragmented forest landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacques, Christopher N.; Zweep, James S.; Jenkins, Sean E.; Klaver, Robert W.

2017-01-01

We studied home range use, spatial activity patterns, and annual survival of southern flying squirrels (SFS; Glaucomys volans) across fragmented landscapes of west-central Illinois. We calculated seasonal home range sizes and annual survival from 67 animals (36 males, 31 females) captured during 2014–2016. Home range and core area sizes were similar (P ≥ 0.46) among males and females across summer (April–September) and winter (October–March) seasons. Average distance between consecutive animal locations did not vary by sex, season, or year. Similarly, cumulative distance between consecutive locations did not vary by sex, season, or year and ranged from 1,189 to 1,661 m between summer and winter seasons. Mean annual composite home range and core area sizes were 10.39 and 1.25 ha, respectively; estimated home ranges (10.3 ha) of females are the largest documented for this species. We documented 8 deaths, all attributed to predation, the majority (63%) of which occurred during winter; annual survival was 71%. Our results underscore effects of habitat productivity on seasonal home range dynamics and space use patterns of SFS in fragmented landscapes. SFS may compensate for reduced availability of overstory mast-producing trees that characterize unproductive habitats and low-density populations by exhibiting similar movement patterns and use of available habitat by both sexes throughout the year. Winter communal nesting appears to be influenced by availability of cavity trees, thereby confirming the importance of standing snags in contributing essential habitat to flying squirrel populations in fragmented forests.

Home range overlap as a driver of intelligence in primates.

PubMed

Grueter, Cyril C

2015-04-01

Various socioecological factors have been suggested to influence cognitive capacity in primates, including challenges associated with foraging and dealing with the complexities of social life. Alexander [Alexander, 1989]. Evolution of the human psyche. In: Mellars P, Stringer C, editors. The human revolution: Behavioural and biological perspectives on the origins of modern humans. Princeton: Princeton University Press. p 455-513] proposed an integrative model for the evolution of human cognitive abilities and complex sociality that incorporates competition among coalitions of conspecifics (inter-group conflict) as a major selective pressure. However, one of the premises of this model, i.e., that when confronted with inter-group conflict selection should favor enhanced cognition, has remained empirically untested. Using a comparative approach on species data, I aimed to test the prediction that primate species (n = 104) that face greater inter-group conflict have higher cognitive abilities (indexed by endocranial volume). The degree of inter-group conflict/complexity was approximated via the variable home range overlap among groups. I found a significant relationship between home range overlap and endocranial volume, even after controlling for other predictor variables and covariates such as group size and body mass. I conclude that brain size evolution cannot be attributed exclusively to social factors such as group size, but likely reflects a variety of social and ecological determinants including inter-group conflict which poses cognitive demands on monitoring both the wider social milieu as well as spatial attributes of the habitat. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of study area size on home range estimates of common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus

PubMed Central

Nekolny, Samantha R; Denny, Matthew; Biedenbach, George; Howells, Elisabeth M; Mazzoil, Marilyn; Durden, Wendy N; Moreland, Lydia; David Lambert, J

2017-01-01

Abstract Knowledge of an animal’s home range is a crucial component in making informed management decisions. However, many home range studies are limited by study area size, and therefore may underestimate the size of the home range. In many cases, individuals have been shown to travel outside of the study area and utilize a larger area than estimated by the study design. In this study, data collected by multiple research groups studying bottlenose dolphins on the east coast of Florida were combined to determine how home range estimates increased with increasing study area size. Home range analyses utilized photo-identification data collected from 6 study areas throughout the St Johns River (SJR; Jacksonville, FL, USA) and adjacent waterways, extending a total of 253 km to the southern end of Mosquito Lagoon in the Indian River Lagoon Estuarine System. Univariate kernel density estimates (KDEs) were computed for individuals with 10 or more sightings (n = 20). Kernels were calculated for the primary study area (SJR) first, then additional kernels were calculated by combining the SJR and the next adjacent waterway; this continued in an additive fashion until all study areas were included. The 95% and 50% KDEs calculated for the SJR alone ranged from 21 to 35 km and 4 to 19 km, respectively. The 95% and 50% KDEs calculated for all combined study areas ranged from 116 to 217 km and 9 to 70 km, respectively. This study illustrates the degree to which home range may be underestimated by the use of limited study areas and demonstrates the benefits of conducting collaborative science. PMID:29492031

Effects of study area size on home range estimates of common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus.

PubMed

Nekolny, Samantha R; Denny, Matthew; Biedenbach, George; Howells, Elisabeth M; Mazzoil, Marilyn; Durden, Wendy N; Moreland, Lydia; David Lambert, J; Gibson, Quincy A

2017-12-01

Knowledge of an animal's home range is a crucial component in making informed management decisions. However, many home range studies are limited by study area size, and therefore may underestimate the size of the home range. In many cases, individuals have been shown to travel outside of the study area and utilize a larger area than estimated by the study design. In this study, data collected by multiple research groups studying bottlenose dolphins on the east coast of Florida were combined to determine how home range estimates increased with increasing study area size. Home range analyses utilized photo-identification data collected from 6 study areas throughout the St Johns River (SJR; Jacksonville, FL, USA) and adjacent waterways, extending a total of 253 km to the southern end of Mosquito Lagoon in the Indian River Lagoon Estuarine System. Univariate kernel density estimates (KDEs) were computed for individuals with 10 or more sightings ( n =  20). Kernels were calculated for the primary study area (SJR) first, then additional kernels were calculated by combining the SJR and the next adjacent waterway; this continued in an additive fashion until all study areas were included. The 95% and 50% KDEs calculated for the SJR alone ranged from 21 to 35 km and 4 to 19 km, respectively. The 95% and 50% KDEs calculated for all combined study areas ranged from 116 to 217 km and 9 to 70 km, respectively. This study illustrates the degree to which home range may be underestimated by the use of limited study areas and demonstrates the benefits of conducting collaborative science.

Movements and use of space by Mangrove Cuckoos (Coccyzus minor) in Florida, USA.

PubMed

Lloyd, John David

2017-01-01

I used radio-telemetry to track the movements of Mangrove Cuckoos ( Coccyzus minor ) captured in southwest Florida. Relatively little is known about the natural history of Mangrove Cuckoos, and my goal was to provide an initial description of how individuals use space, with a focus on the size and placement of home ranges. I captured and affixed VHF radio-transmitters to 32 individuals between 2012 and 2015, and obtained a sufficient number of relocations from 16 of them to estimate home-range boundaries and describe patterns of movement. Home-range area varied widely among individuals, but in general was roughly four times larger than expected based on the body size of Mangrove Cuckoos. The median core area (50% isopleth) of a home range was 42 ha (range: 9-91 ha), and the median overall home range (90% isopleth) was 128 ha (range: 28-319 ha). The median distance between estimated locations recorded on subsequent days was 298 m (95% CI [187 m-409 m]), but variation within and among individuals was substantial, and it was not uncommon to relocate individuals >1 km from their location on the previous day. Site fidelity by individual birds was low; although Mangrove Cuckoos were present year-round within the study area, I did not observe any individuals that remained on a single home range throughout the year. Although individual birds showed no evidence of avoiding anthropogenic edges, they did not incorporate developed areas into their daily movements and home ranges consisted almost entirely of mangrove forest. The persistence of the species in the study area depended on a network of conserved lands-mostly public, but some privately conserved land as well-because large patches of mangrove forest did not occur on tracts left unprotected from development.

Preliminary data used to assess the accuracy of estimating female white-tailed deer diel birthing-season home ranges using only daytime locations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barber-Meyer, Shannon M.; Mech, L. David

2014-01-01

Because many white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) home-range and habitat-use studies rely only on daytime radio-tracking data, we were interested in whether diurnal data sufficiently represented diel home ranges. We analyzed home-range and core-use size and overlap of 8 adult-female Global-Positioning-System-collared deer during May and June 2001 and 2002 in the Superior National Forest, Minnesota, USA. We used 2 traditional means of analysis: minimum-convex polygons (MCP) and fixed kernels (95% FK, home range and 50% FK, core use) and two methods to partition day and night location data: (1) daytime = 0800-2000 h versus nighttime = 2000-0800 h and (2) sunup versus sundown. We found no statistical difference in size of home-range and core-use areas across day and night comparisons; however, in terms of spatial overlap, approximately 30% of night-range areas on average were not accounted for using daytime locations, with even greater differences between core-use areas (on average approximately 50%). We conclude that diurnal data do not adequately describe diel adult-female-deer, May-June home-ranges due to differences in spatial overlap (location). We suggest research to determine (1) if our findings hold in other circumstances (e.g., exclusive of the parturition period, other age classes, etc.), (2) if our conclusions generalize under other conditions (e.g., across deer range, varying seasons, etc.), (3) if habitat-use conclusions are affected by the incomplete overlap between diurnal and diel data, (4) how many nocturnal locations must be included to generate sufficient overlap, and (5) the influence of using other kernel sizes (e.g., 75%, 90%).

Health Benefits and Risks of Pets in Nursing Homes: A Survey of Facilities in Ohio.

PubMed

Stull, Jason W; Hoffman, Cydney C; Landers, Timothy

2018-05-01

Pets are encountered in nursing homes and although they provide health benefits to individuals, they are also a source of health risks. The current study aimed to determine the frequency and types of animals in nursing homes, perceived benefits, and content of policies addressing health risks. Ninety-five administrators from unique nursing homes in Ohio completed an online survey addressing perceived benefits and risks of animals and policies in place. Animals were permitted in 99% of nursing homes, with dogs (95%), cats (85%), birds (71%), fish (55%), and farm animals (40%) most frequently reported. Respondents perceived animal interactions resulted in high health benefits for residents. Most facilities (70/75; 93%) reported having an animal policy, yet important gaps were frequently identified in the content of policies. Most respondents (75%) did not report health and safety concerns with animals in facilities. Best practice guidelines and policies should be developed and implemented in nursing homes to address requirements for different animal ownership models, range of animal species, and staff knowledge. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 44(5), 39-45.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

Home range use by swamp rabbits (Sylvilagus aquaticus) in a frequently inundated bottomland forest

Treesearch

Patrick A. Zollner; Winston P. Smith; Leonard A. Brennan

2000-01-01

Home range size of six swamp rabbits in south-central Arkansas was estilnated by radio-telemetry from February 1991 through March 1992. The average home range size was significantly larger than previously reported estimates. This difference is partly attributable to the large number of observations per rabbit in our study, but may also be explained by our inclusion of...

Home range areas and activity patterns of red tree voles (Arborimus longicaudus) in western Oregon

Treesearch

James K. Swingle; Eric D. Forsman

2009-01-01

We radiocollared 45 red tree voles (Arborimus longicaudus) in western Oregon and monitored their movements during July 2002-September 2003. We predicted that home range areas would be larger in young forests than in old forests and that males would have larger home ranges and use more nests than females. We tracked individual voles for 82 ± 9 days...

Integrating information about location and value of resources by white-faced saki monkeys (Pithecia pithecia).

PubMed

Cunningham, Elena; Janson, Charles

2007-07-01

Most studies of spatial memory in primates focus on species that inhabit large home ranges and have dispersed, patchy resources. Researchers assume that primates use memory to minimize distances traveled between resources. We investigated the use of spatial memory in a group of six white-faced sakis (Pithecia pithecia) on 12.8-ha Round Island, Guri Lake, Venezuela during a period of fruit abundance. The sakis' movements were analyzed with logistic regressions, a predictive computer model and a computer model that simulates movements. We considered all the resources available to the sakis and compared observed distances to predicted distances from a computer model for foragers who know nothing about the location of resources. Surprisingly, the observed distances were four times greater than the predicted distances, suggesting that the sakis passed by a majority of the available fruit trees without feeding. The odds of visiting a food tree, however, were significantly increased if the tree had been visited in the previous 3 days and had more than 100 fruit. The sakis' preferred resources were highly productive fruit trees, Capparis trees, and trees with water holes. They traveled efficiently to these sites. The sakis choice of feeding sites indicate that they combined knowledge acquired by repeatedly traveling through their home range with 'what' and 'where' information gained from individual visits to resources. Although the sakis' foraging choices increased the distance they traveled overall, choosing more valued sites allowed the group to minimize intra-group feeding competition, maintain intergroup dominance over important resources, and monitor the state of resources throughout their home range. The sakis' foraging decisions appear to have used spatial memory, elements of episodic-like memory and social and nutritional considerations.

Weatherization Innovation Pilot Program: Program Overview and Philadelphia Project Highlight (Fact Sheet)

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

Not Available

2012-01-01

Case Study with WIPP program overview, information regarding eligibility, and successes from Pennsylvania's Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO) that demonstrate innovative approaches that maximize the benefit of the program. The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) recently launched the Weatherization Innovation Pilot Program (WIPP) to accelerate innovations in whole-house weatherization and advance DOE's goal of increasing the energy efficiency and health and safety of homes of low-income families. Since 2010, WIPP has helped weatherization service providers as well as new and nontraditional partners leverage non-federal financial resources to supplement federal grants, saving taxpayer money.more » WIPP complements the Weatherization Assistance program (WAP), which operates nation-wide, in U.S. territories and in three Native American tribes. 16 grantees are implementing weatherization innovation projects using experimental approaches to find new and better ways to weatherize homes. They are using approaches such as: (1) Financial tools - by understanding a diverse range of financing mechanisms, grantees can maximize the impact of the federal grant dollars while providing high-quality work and benefits to eligible low-income clients; (2) Green and healthy homes - in addition to helping families reduce their energy costs, grantees can protect their health and safety. Two WIPP projects (Connecticut and Maryland) will augment standard weatherization services with a comprehensive green and healthy homes approach; (3) New technologies and techniques - following the model of continuous improvement in weatherization, WIPP grantees will continue to use new and better technologies and techniques to improve the quality of work; (4) Residential energy behavior change - Two grantees are rigorously testing home energy monitors (HEMs) that display energy used in kilowatt-hours, allowing residents to monitor and reduce their energy use, and another is examining best-practices for mobile home energy efficiency; (5) Workforce development and volunteers - with a goal of creating a self-sustaining weatherization model that does not require future federal investment, three grantees are adapting business models successful in other sectors of the home performance business to perform weatherization work. Youthbuild is training youth to perform home energy upgrades to eligible clients and Habitat for Humanity is developing a model for how to incorporate volunteer labor in home weatherization. These innovative approaches will improve key weatherization outcomes, such as: Increasing the total number of homes that are weatherized; Reducing the weatherization cost per home; Increasing the energy savings in each weatherized home; Increasing the number of weatherization jobs created and retained; and Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.« less

Factors associated with antimicrobial use in nursing homes: a multilevel model.

PubMed

Benoit, Stephen R; Nsa, Wato; Richards, Chesley L; Bratzler, Dale W; Shefer, Abigail M; Steele, Lynn M; Jernigan, John A

2008-11-01

To describe antimicrobial prescribing patterns in nursing homes. Retrospective, observational study. Total of 73 nursing homes in four U.S. states; study period was from September 1, 2001, through February 28, 2002. Four thousand seven hundred eighty nursing home residents. Number and type of antimicrobials, indication for their use, and resident and facility factors associated with antimicrobial use in nursing homes. Of 4,780 residents, 2,017 (42%) received one or more antibiotic courses. Overall, residents received a mean of 4.8 courses/1,000 resident-days (mean facility range 0.4-23.5). In multivariable analysis, higher probability of nursing home discharge and of being categorized in the rehabilitation, extensive services, special care, or clinically complex Resource Utilization Groups were associated with higher rates of antimicrobial usage. Three drug classes accounted for nearly 60% of antimicrobial courses-fluoroquinolones (38%), first-generation cephalosporins (11%), and macrolides (10%). The most common conditions for which antimicrobials were prescribed were respiratory tract (33%) and urinary tract (32%) infections. Antibiotic use is variable in nursing homes. Targeting educational and other antimicrobial use interventions to the treatment of certain clinical diagnoses and conditions may be an appropriate strategy for optimizing antimicrobial use in this setting.

The relation between respiratory illness in primary schoolchildren and the use of gas for cooking--II. Factors affecting nitrogen dioxide levels in the home.

PubMed

Goldstein, B D; Melia, R J; Chinn, S; Florey, C V; Clark, D; John, H H

1979-12-01

The study was designed to determine whether there was an association between indoor levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and respiratory illness and lung function in schoolchildren. NO2 was measured for one week in the winter outside and inside the homes of children aged 6-7 years living and attending primary schools in a defined 4 square km area in Middlesbrough, Cleveland, UK. Outdoor levels of NO2 measured at 75 points within the area ranged from 14-24 ppb weekly average. Measurements were also made in 428 kitchens with gas cookers, range 5-317 ppb, mean 112.2 ppb, and in 87 kitchens with electric cookers, range 6-188 ppb, mean 18.0 ppb. In a random subsample of homes the range of NO2 levels in 107 children's bedrooms in homes where gas was used for cooking was 4-169 ppb, mean 30.5 ppb, in 18 bedrooms in electric cooking homes the range was 3-37 ppb, mean 13.9 ppb. NO2 levels in the gas cooking kitchens were positively related to the presence of pilot lights, use of gas fires for main heating, number of regular smokers, and the number of people in the home. Information from 29 homes with the highest kitchen NO2 levels paired with 29 low NO2 gas cooking homes showed that the daily number of meals eaten and the frequency with which the cooker was used for heating and drying clothes were significantly greater in the high NO2 homes.

Factor associated variations in the home range of a resident Adriatic common bottlenose dolphin population.

PubMed

Rako-Gospić, Nikolina; Radulović, Marko; Vučur, Tihana; Pleslić, Grgur; Holcer, Draško; Mackelworth, Peter

2017-11-15

This study investigates the influence of the most dominant factors (association patterns, gender, natal philopatry and anthropogenic pressure) on the home range size of the 44 most resident common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabiting the waters of the Cres-Lošinj archipelago (north Adriatic Sea, Croatia), a recently declared NATURA 2000 SCI. Results show that variations in home range patterns (MCP, 95% KDE and 50% KDE home range size) among the individual resident dolphins are primarily related to differences in gender and reflect the way in which different genders respond to external stressors. In addition, results confirm the seasonal influence of nautical tourism on both female and male dolphins through changes in their home range sizes. The overall results improve current knowledge of the main anthropogenic threats that should be taken into consideration when developing conservation measures to be applied to this Cres and Lošinj SCI. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in home range of breeding and post-breeding male Pearly-eyed Thrashers in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico

Treesearch

Jose William Beltran; Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr.; Wayne J. Arendt

2010-01-01

Food abundance, time of year, and stage of the reproductive cycle are important factors affecting home range size in birds. Between 23 January and 28 November 2003, we determined the home range and core area sizes for 10 radio-tagged male Pearly-eyed Thrashers (Margarops fuscatus; Mimidae) within the Luquillo Experimental Forest, northeastern Puerto Rico. We found...

Economic assessment of home-based COPD management programs.

PubMed

Liu, Sheena Xin; Lee, Michael C; Atakhorrami, Maryam; Tatousek, Jan; McCormack, Meredith; Yung, Rex; Hart, Nicholas; White, David P

2013-12-01

Home-based exacerbation management programs have been proposed as an approach to reducing the clinical and financial burden of COPD. We demonstrate a framework to evaluate such programs in order to guide program design and performance decisions towards optimizing cost and clinical outcomes. This study models the impact of hypothetical exacerbation management programs through probabilistic Markov simulations. Patients were stratified by risk using exacerbation rates from the ECLIPSE study and expert opinion. Three scenarios were modeled, using base, worst and best case parameters to suggest potential telehealth program performance. In these scenarios, acute exacerbations could be detected early, with sensitivity and specificity ranging from 60-90%. Detected acute exacerbations could be diverted to either a sub-acute pathway (12.5-50% probability), thus entirely avoiding hospitalization, or a lower cost pathway through length-of-stay reduction (14-28% reduction). For a cohort of patients without prior hospitalization, the base case telehealth scenario results in a cumulative per-patient lifetime savings of $2.9 K over ≈ 12 years. For a higher risk cohort of patients with a prior admission and 1 to 2 acute exacerbations per year, a cumulative $16K per patient was saved during the remaining ≈ 3 life-years. Acceptable prices for home-based exacerbation detection testing were highly dependent on patient risk and scenario, but ranged from $290-$1263 per month for the highest risk groups. These results suggest the economic viability of exacerbation management programs and highlight the importance of risk stratification in such programs. The presented model can further be adapted to model specific programs as trial data becomes available.

Home range characteristics of Mexican Spotted Owls in the Rincon Mountains, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Willey, David W.; van Riper, Charles

2014-01-01

We studied a small isolated population of Mexican Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) from 1996–1997 in the Rincon Mountains of Saguaro National Park, southeastern Arizona, USA. All mixed-conifer and pine-oak forest patches in the park were surveyed for Spotted Owls, and we located, captured, and radio-tagged 10 adult birds representing five mated pairs. Using radio-telemetry, we examined owl home range characteristics, roost habitat, and monitored reproduction within these five territories. Breeding season (Mar–Sep) home range size for 10 adult owls (95% adaptive kernel isopleths) averaged 267 ha (±207 SD), and varied widely among owls (range 34–652 ha). Mean home range size for owl pairs was 478 ha (±417 ha SD), and ranged from 70–1,160 ha. Owls that produced young used smaller home ranges than owls that had no young. Six habitat variables differed significantly between roost and random sites, including: percent canopy cover, number of trees, number of vegetation layers, average height of trees, average diameter of trees, and tree basal area. Radio-marked owls remained in their territories following small prescribed management fires within those territories, exhibiting no proximate effects to the presence of prescribed fire.

Duckling survival, fecundity, and habitat selection of mottled duck broods on the upper Texas Gulf Coast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rigby, Elizabeth A.; Haukos, David A.

2015-01-01

Mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula) on the western Gulf Coast have exhibited a steep population decline since the mid 1990s. Low rates of breeding incidence and nest success have been implicated in this decline, but duckling survival and the habitat needs of broods have not been previously investigated in this region. We fitted mottled duck ducklings and adult females with radio transmitters and tracked broods to estimate duckling survival and brood habitat selection on the upper Texas Gulf Coast. Duckling survival to 30 days was high (range among models 0.354–0.567) compared to other dabbling duck species. Estimated fecundity was low, (range among models 0.398–0.634) however, indicating that overall reproductive output is low. Within coastal marsh, broods selected home ranges with more water cover and less upland and fresh marsh landcover than was available in the study area. Within coastal marsh home ranges, broods selected for water cover relative to other landcover types, and there was some evidence that broods avoided unvegetated landcover. Although high quality brood habitat is undeniably important, management efforts to increase mottled duck population growth on the western Gulf Coast may best be spent on increasing nesting habitat quality to increase nest success and breeding incidence.

Home Healthcare Nurses' Job Satisfaction Scale: refinement and psychometric testing.

PubMed

Ellenbecker, Carol H; Byleckie, James J

2005-10-01

This paper describes a study to further develop and test the psychometric properties of the Home Healthcare Nurses' Job Satisfaction Scale, including reliability and construct and criterion validity. Numerous scales have been developed to measure nurses' job satisfaction. Only one, the Home Healthcare Nurses' Job Satisfaction Scale, has been designed specifically to measure job satisfaction of home healthcare nurses. The Home Healthcare Nurses' Job Satisfaction Scale is based on a theoretical model that integrates the findings of empirical research related to job satisfaction. A convenience sample of 340 home healthcare nurses completed the Home Healthcare Nurses' Job Satisfaction Scale and the Mueller and McCloskey Satisfaction Scale, which was used to test criterion validity. Factor analysis was used for testing and refinement of the theory-based assignment of items to constructs. Reliability was assessed by Cronbach's alpha internal consistency reliability coefficients. The data were collected in 2003. Nine factors contributing to home healthcare nurses' job satisfaction emerged from the factor analysis and were strongly supported by the underlying theory. Factor loadings were all above 0.4. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for each of the nine subscales ranged from 0.64 to 0.83; the alpha for the global scale was 0.89. The correlations between the Home Healthcare Nurses' Job Satisfaction Scale and Mueller and McCloskey Satisfaction Scale was 0.79, indicating good criterion-related validity. The Home Healthcare Nurses' Job Satisfaction Scale has potential as a reliable and valid scale for measurement of job satisfaction of home healthcare nurses.

CHARACTERISTICS OF RANGE HOODS IN CALIFORNIA HOMES DATA COLLECTED FROM A REAL ESTATE WEB SITE

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

Klug, Victoria; Singer, Brett; Bedrosian, Tod

2011-09-02

Venting range hoods are important residential ventilation components that remove pollutants generated by cooking activities and natural gas cooking burners. To address the lack of data on range hood installations in California, we conducted a survey by examining photographs of homes for sale or rent listed on a popular real estate web site. The survey was conducted in November 2010 and April–May 2011. Posted photos of the homes were reviewed to determine if a hood was installed, the type of hood, and two installation details that can impact performance, namely the height above the cooktop and the degree to whichmore » the hood covers the cooktop burners. We additionally collected information about the homes, including asking price for purchase or rent, type of building (e.g. detached house, townhouse or apartment), building age, floor area, and cooktop fuel type. Listings were first sampled to focus on homes built since 2005, then randomly sampled to include varied prices and locations around the state. Data were obtained for 1002 homes built between 1865 and 2011 (median year built 1989). Homes for sale varied in asking price from $16,000 to $16,500,000 (median $353,000) and homes for rent varied from $500 to $25,000 (median $2125) per month. Approximately 74% of the sample had natural gas cooktops. In this sample, natural gas cooktops were more prevalent in more expensive homes than in less expensive homes. Across the entire sample, 7.4 % appeared to have no hood installed, 33% had a short hood, 13% had a deep hood and 47% had a microwave over the range. The percentage of these hoods that vent to the outdoors could not be determined. Hood type was related to coverage of the cooktop. For deep hoods, 76% appeared to cover most or all of the cooktop burners. For short hoods, 70% covered about three quarters of the cooktop. And for microwaves the vast majority (96%) covered the back burners but not the front burners. Hood type was also correlated with asking price or monthly rent, with deep hoods most common in the most expensive homes. Hood type was also correlated with home age, with microwave hoods more common in newer homes. Installation height was related to device type with microwaves installed lower (closer) to the cooktop (median 18 inches), and short hoods (median 28 inches) and deep hoods (median 30 inches) installed higher. Deep range hoods are more common with natural gas cooktops than with electric cooktops, and slightly fewer homes with natural gas cooktops lack a range hood (7%) than homes with electric cooktops (9%). This study provides limited but useful information about the characteristics of range hoods in California homes and demonstrates the potential value of non-traditional forms of data collection.« less

Emblematic forest dwellers reintroduced into cities: resource selection by translocated juvenile kaka.

PubMed

Recio, Mariano R; Payne, Keith; Seddon, Philip J

2016-02-01

Urbanization and exotic species are major threats to the conservation of forest-dependent wildlife species. Some emblematic species, indicators of habitat quality for the conservation of other species, might successfully be reintroduced within cities when habitat restoration and pest management programs are combined. We studied the landscape resource selection of juvenile kaka Nestor meridionalis tracked with Global Positioning System (GPS) units and released into the predator-free reserve of Zealandia in Wellington city, New Zealand. Kaka moved beyond the predator exclusion fence into urban suburbs. The home range size and areas of high use estimated using local convex hull ( a -LoCoH) ranged from 20 to 240 ha and 2 to 21 ha, respectively. Using resource selection functions and model selection we found that native forest patches and urban areas close to the reserve were selected by kaka to establish their home ranges. At a lower scale of selection (i.e., selection of habitats within home ranges), kaka selected the same habitat, but not necessarily those close to the reserve. Native forest patches throughout the city can facilitate the dispersal of individuals, while the reserve provides protection and opportunities for supplementary feeding. Urban areas might have been selected due to the placement of feeders in private backyards. Survival of forest-dwelling species in cities requires careful urban planning and management to provide the necessary habitat patches, refugia, and food sources.

Autonomous rehabilitation at stroke patients home for balance and gait: safety, usability and compliance of a virtual reality system.

PubMed

Held, Jeremia P; Ferrer, Begoña; Mainetti, Renato; Steblin, Alexander; Hertler, Benjamin; Moreno-Conde, Alberto; Dueñas, Alvaro; Pajaro, Marta; L-Parra-Calderón, Carlos; Vargiu, Eloisa; Zarco, Maria J; Barrera, Maria; Echevarria, Carmen; Jódar-Sánchez, Francisco; Luft, Andreas R; Borghese, Nunzio A

2017-09-25

New technologies, such as telerehabilitation and gaming devices offer the possibility for patients to train at home. This opens the challenge of safety for the patient as he is called to exercise neither with a therapist on the patients' side nor with a therapist linked remotely to supervise the sessions. To study the safety, usability and patient acceptance of an autonomous telerehabilitation system for balance and gait (the REWIRE platform) in the patients home. Cohort study. Community, in the stroke patients' home. 15 participants with first-ever stroke, with a mild to moderate residual deficit of the lower extremities. Autonomous rehabilitation based on virtual rehabilitation was provided at the participants' home for twelve weeks. The primary outcome was compliance (the ratio between days of actual and scheduled training), analysed with the two-tailed Wilcoxon Mann- Whitney test. Furthermore safety is defined by adverse events. The secondary endpoint was the acceptance of the system measured with the Technology Acceptance Model. Additionally, the cumulative duration of weekly training was analysed. During the study there were no adverse events related to the therapy. Patients performed on average 71% (range 39 to 92%) of the scheduled sessions. The Technology Acceptance Model Questionnaire showed excellent values for stroke patients after the training. The average training duration per week was 99 ±53min. Autonomous telerehabilitation for balance and gait training with the REWIRE-system is safe, feasible and can help to intensive rehabilitative therapy at home. Telerehabilitation enables safe training in home environment and supports of the standard rehabilitation therapy.

Measuring nursing home resident satisfaction with food and food service: initial testing of the FoodEx-LTC.

PubMed

Crogan, Neva L; Evans, Bronwynne; Velasquez, Donna

2004-04-01

Malnutrition impacts the quality of life and general health of many older persons living in our nation's 20,000 nursing homes (1). Despite the urgency of this issue, no instrument that measures resident satisfaction with food and food service was found in an extensive literature search. The purpose of this article is to describe the development and initial testing of a resident satisfaction with food and food service questionnaire (FoodEx-LTC) in the context of the Quality Nutrition Outcomes-Long-Term Care Model. This pilot study was conducted in two phases. During phase one the instrument was developed, peer-reviewed, and pretested. Phase two further tested the instrument using a correlational design, measuring both intermediate and long-term outcomes found on the Quality Nutrition Outcomes-Long-Term Care Model. Hypothesis testing was used to measure construct validity. 4 of 5 FoodEx-LTC domains were significantly correlated with depression, 2 of 5 with serum albumin. The FoodEx-LTC demonstrates acceptable reliability for a new instrument. The coefficient alpha scores ranged from.69-.87 and test-retest correlations ranged from.55-.89, dependent upon domain. FoodEx-LTC appears to be a valid and reliable measure of resident food and food service satisfaction in nursing homes. This line of inquiry is of great importance because perceived quality of food and food service are strongly related to quality of life for residents in nursing homes, and adequate food intake is integral to maintaining weight and preventing protein-calorie malnutrition among elderly residents.

Evaluation of trapping-web designs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lukacs, P.M.; Anderson, D.R.; Burnham, K.P.

2005-01-01

The trapping web is a method for estimating the density and abundance of animal populations. A Monte Carlo simulation study is performed to explore performance of the trapping web for estimating animal density under a variety of web designs and animal behaviours. The trapping performs well when animals have home ranges, even if the home ranges are large relative to trap spacing. Webs should contain at least 90 traps. Trapping should continue for 5-7 occasions. Movement rates have little impact on density estimates when animals are confined to home ranges. Estimation is poor when animals do not have home ranges and movement rates are rapid. The trapping web is useful for estimating the density of animals that are hard to detect and occur at potentially low densities. ?? CSIRO 2005.

Ranging pattern and use of space in a group of red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) in a southeastern Colombian rainforest.

PubMed

Palacios, E; Rodriguez, A

2001-12-01

We studied a group of red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) bordering a lake in an eastern Colombian Amazon rainforest for 10 months. The group used an area of 182 ha located mainly on Pleistocene terrace forest and had no overlap with other howler home ranges. Home range use varied through the year as a consequence of fruit and leaf abundance. For example, during the fruit scarcity season the group used an area of flooded forest nearly exclusively, indicating that at least for a portion of the year they are habitat specialists. Two areas intensively used by the group were identified, representing 17.6 % of the home range, and within which 56.9 % of the feeding trees were located. Overall density of feeding trees within the group's home range was very low (1.12 trees/ha). Home range size, as well as mean length of daily ranges (1,150 m), is the largest reported for this species to date, and it is likely a consequence of the diminished productivity of the plant communities on poor soil. Our results give an interesting example of the ranging behavior of this primate, which clearly differs from previous descriptions of red howlers. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Dynamics at Intermediate Time Scales and Management of Ecological Populations

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-10

thinking about the importance of transients is to recognize the importance of serial autocorrelation in time of forcing terms over realistic ecological time...rich areas helps produce divergent home range responses bet - ween individuals from difference age classes. This model has broad applications for

Term infants born at home in Peru are less likely to be hospitalised in the neonatal period than those born in hospital.

PubMed

Lavin, Tina; Preen, David B

2017-08-01

More than 50% of women worldwide give birth at home, but little is known about home birth and subsequent neonatal hospitalisation. The objective of the study was to investigate home birth and neonatal hospitalisation of term neonates in Peru. The relationship between birth setting [home - with or without skilled birth attendant (SBA), health centre, hospital] and neonatal hospitalisation (n = 1656) and incubator care (n = 1651) was investigated using data from the 2002 Young Lives Study. Infants were sampled from 20 sentinel sites across Peru. At each sentinel site 100 households with children aged 6-18 months were randomly sampled (therefore the sample only captured children surviving to 6 months of age). Multivariate regression modelling was used with models adjusted for a range of demographic and clinical factors. After adjustment, the odds of hospitalisation were lower in neonates born at home (with SBA OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.0-0.8, p = 0.021; without SBA OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.7, p = 0.002) than in those born in hospital. Socio-demographic factors such as ethnicity, rural living, education, socio-economic status and access to transport did not influence neonatal hospitalisation, time in hospital, incubator care or time under incubator care. Neonates born at home were less likely to be hospitalised after birth owing to neonatal morbidity than neonates born in hospital. It is unclear whether this finding reflects poorer accessibility to hospital care for neonates born at home, or if neonates born at home required hospitalisation less frequently than neonates born in hospital owing to lower neonatal morbidity or other factors such as lower rates of medical intervention for home births. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms of these findings.

Comparing Public Quality Ratings for Accredited and Nonaccredited Nursing Homes.

PubMed

Williams, Scott C; Morton, David J; Braun, Barbara I; Longo, Beth Ann; Baker, David W

2017-01-01

Compare quality ratings of accredited and nonaccredited nursing homes using the publicly available Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Nursing Home Compare data set. This cross-sectional study compared the performance of 711 Joint Commission-accredited (TJC-accredited) nursing homes (81 of which also had Post-Acute Care Certification) to 14,926 non-Joint Commission-accredited (non-TJC-accredited) facilities using the Nursing Home Compare data set (as downloaded on April 2015). Measures included the overall Five-Star Quality Rating and its 4 components (health inspection, quality measures, staffing, and RN staffing), the 18 Nursing Home Compare quality measures (5 short-stay measures, 13 long-stay measures), as well as inspection deficiencies, fines, and payment denials. t tests were used to assess differences in rates for TJC-accredited nursing homes versus non-TJC-accredited nursing homes for quality measures, ratings, and fine amounts. Analysis of variance models were used to determine differences in rates using Joint Commission accreditation status, nursing home size based on number of beds, and ownership type. An additional model with an interaction term using Joint Commission accreditation status and Joint Commission Post-Acute Care Certification status was used to determine differences in rates for Post-Acute Care Certified nursing homes. Binary variables (eg, deficiency type, fines, and payment denials) were evaluated using a logistic regression model with the same covariates. After controlling for the influences of facility size and ownership type, TJC-accredited nursing homes had significantly higher star ratings than non-TJC-accredited nursing homes on each of the star rating component subscales (P < .05) (but not on the overall star rating), and TJC-accredited nursing homes with Post-Acute Care Certification performed statistically better on the overall star rating, as well as 3 of the 4 subscales (P < .05). TJC-accredited nursing homes had statistically fewer deficiencies than non-TJC-accredited nursing homes (P < .001), were less likely to have immediate jeopardy or widespread deficiencies (P < .001), and had fewer payment denials (P < .001) and lower fines (P < .001). Despite recent changes made to the CMS NHC star-rating methodology, results confirm previous findings that demonstrate a consistent pattern of superior performance among nursing homes accredited by The Joint Commission when compared to non-TJC-accredited facilities across a broad range of indicators in the Nursing Home Compare data set. It is important to note, however, that a cross-sectional study cannot determine causation, so it is unclear if accreditation assists nursing homes in achieving better care, or if higher-performing nursing homes are more likely to pursue accreditation. Accreditation status remains a significant predictor of nursing home quality across multiple dimensions, independent of facility size and ownership type. Copyright © 2016 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Short-Term Space-Use Patterns of Translocated Mojave Desert Tortoise in Southern California

PubMed Central

Farnsworth, Matthew L.; Dickson, Brett G.; Zachmann, Luke J.; Hegeman, Ericka E.; Cangelosi, Amanda R.; Jackson, Thomas G.; Scheib, Amanda F.

2015-01-01

Increasingly, renewable energy comprises a larger share of global energy production. Across the western United States, public lands are being developed to support renewable energy production. Where there are conflicts with threatened or endangered species, translocation can be used in an attempt to mitigate negative effects. For the threatened Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), we sought to compare habitat- and space-use patterns between short-distance translocated, resident, and control groups. We tested for differences in home range size based on utilization distributions and used linear mixed-effects models to compare space-use intensity, while controlling for demographic and environmental variables. In addition, we examined mean movement distances as well as home range overlap between years and for male and female tortoises in each study group. During the first active season post-translocation, home range size was greater and space-use intensity was lower for translocated tortoises than resident and control groups. These patterns were not present in the second season. In both years, there was no difference in home range size or space-use intensity between control and resident groups. Translocation typically resulted in one active season of questing followed by a second active season characterized by space-use patterns that were indistinguishable from control tortoises. Across both years, the number of times a tortoise was found in a burrow was positively related to greater space-use intensity. Minimizing the time required for translocated tortoises to exhibit patterns similar to non-translocated individuals may have strong implications for conservation by reducing exposure to adverse environmental conditions and predation. With ongoing development, our results can be used to guide future efforts aimed at understanding how translocation strategies influence patterns of animal space use. PMID:26352691

Short-Term Space-Use Patterns of Translocated Mojave Desert Tortoise in Southern California.

PubMed

Farnsworth, Matthew L; Dickson, Brett G; Zachmann, Luke J; Hegeman, Ericka E; Cangelosi, Amanda R; Jackson, Thomas G; Scheib, Amanda F

2015-01-01

Increasingly, renewable energy comprises a larger share of global energy production. Across the western United States, public lands are being developed to support renewable energy production. Where there are conflicts with threatened or endangered species, translocation can be used in an attempt to mitigate negative effects. For the threatened Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), we sought to compare habitat- and space-use patterns between short-distance translocated, resident, and control groups. We tested for differences in home range size based on utilization distributions and used linear mixed-effects models to compare space-use intensity, while controlling for demographic and environmental variables. In addition, we examined mean movement distances as well as home range overlap between years and for male and female tortoises in each study group. During the first active season post-translocation, home range size was greater and space-use intensity was lower for translocated tortoises than resident and control groups. These patterns were not present in the second season. In both years, there was no difference in home range size or space-use intensity between control and resident groups. Translocation typically resulted in one active season of questing followed by a second active season characterized by space-use patterns that were indistinguishable from control tortoises. Across both years, the number of times a tortoise was found in a burrow was positively related to greater space-use intensity. Minimizing the time required for translocated tortoises to exhibit patterns similar to non-translocated individuals may have strong implications for conservation by reducing exposure to adverse environmental conditions and predation. With ongoing development, our results can be used to guide future efforts aimed at understanding how translocation strategies influence patterns of animal space use.

This week?s Citation Classic: 'Stickel, L. F. A comparison of certain methods of measuring ranges of small mammals. J. Mammalogy 35: 1-15, 1954.'

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stickel, L.F.

1986-01-01

During my first employment as a junior biologist conducting food habits analyses at the Patuxent Research Refuge (now Patuxent Wildlife Research Center) of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the first station director, Arnold L. Nelson, gave each staff biologist the opportunity to spend a little time conducting field studies on the 2,600-acre research area. These studies were to help in ecological evaluation of the area, but also, no doubt, functioned as a morale builder for biologists daily engaged in difficult, demanding and confining laboratory work. I undertook to measure the population density of small mammals in different habitats. The state-of-the-art methods recommended to me and prevalent in the literature worried me, especially after preliminary field work. Reading the classic, paper by W.H. Burt [Terrioriality and home range concepts as applied to mammals. J. Mammalogy 24:346-352, 1943] was a turning point for me in seeing that knowledge of home-range size was the key to measuring population density. My first papers employed these concepts in field evaluations. However, they could give-only limited attention to the question of how home ranges could be measured. Furthermore, the importance of knowledge of the home range to habitat evaluation and to understanding animal behavior was becoming increasingly apparent. Advocacy of many different methods of measuring home ranges appeared in the literature. It did not seem possible to evaluate them objectively. It occurred to me that artificial populations could be used to help in understanding the mechanisms of measuring home ranges. The effects of random trap-visiting, bias toward central traps, trap-spacing, range shape, and other factors could be considered. So grids of traps were inked onto oversize graph paper, and simulated ranges were cut from plastic to be tossed as randomly as possible on the trap-grids. It was a slow, laborious job. Analysis showed that random captures in artificial populations produced patterns that were similar in many ways to those observed in field studies; the necessity of appropriate trap-spacing in relation to range size became obvious. Some commonly used methods of expressing range size proved to be clearly superior to others. However, the artificial populations could not fully simulate actual populations, where use patterns changed as conditions changed and the ?boundaries? of ranges tended to shift continuously or with time. Progress was made, but problems remained. I suspect that the reasons the paper has been cited frequently rest on the continuing interest in home-range behavior and the continuing difficulty in field evaluations, despite the many advances in observational methodology. The sophisticated techniques that became possible with the use of computers [R.I. Jennrich and F.B. Turner. Measurement of non-circular home range. J. Theor. Biol 23:227-237, 1969] also presented new possibilities for analysis and understanding of home-range characteristics and created a resurgence of interest in home-range behavior and its biological significance.

Sox and Drugs: Baseball, Steroids and Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobin, Roger

2008-03-01

The sports world is in an uproar over performance-enhancing drugs. In the United States steroids in baseball have received the most attention, in part because the purported effects are much more dramatic than in any other sport. From 1995-2003 a few players hit home runs at rates 20-50% higher than the best sluggers of the preceding century. Could steroids really increase home-run performance that much? I will describe a model that combines estimates of the physiological effects of steroids, known baseball physics, and reasonable models of batting effectiveness for highly skilled hitters. A 10% increase in muscle mass, which can reasonably be expected from steroid use, increases the speed of a batted ball by 3%. Because home runs are relatively rare events on the tail of a batter's range distribution, even this modest change in ball speed can increase the proportion of batted balls that result in home runs by 30 -- 70%, enough to account for the record-shattering performances of the recent past. I will also describe some of the attention -- both welcome and not -- that comes to the unsuspecting physicist who wades into such emotionally troubled waters.

Interfacing models of wildlife habitat and human development to predict the future distribution of puma habitat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burdett, Christopher L.; Crooks, Kevin R.; Theobald, David M.; Wilson, Kenneth R.; Boydston, Erin E.; Lyren, Lisa A.; Fisher, Robert N.; Vickers, T. Winston; Morrison, Scott A.; Boyce, Walter M.

2010-01-01

The impact of human land uses on ecological systems typically differ relative to how extensively natural conditions are modified. Exurban development is intermediate-intensity residential development that often occurs in natural landscapes. Most species-habitat models do not evaluate the effects of such intermediate levels of human development and even fewer predict how future development patterns might affect the amount and configuration of habitat. We addressed these deficiencies by interfacing a habitat model with a spatially-explicit housing-density model to study the effect of human land uses on the habitat of pumas (Puma concolor) in southern California. We studied the response of pumas to natural and anthropogenic features within their home ranges and how mortality risk varied across a gradient of human development. We also used our housing-density model to estimate past and future housing densities and model the distribution of puma habitat in 1970, 2000, and 2030. The natural landscape for pumas in our study area consisted of riparian areas, oak woodlands, and open, conifer forests embedded in a chaparral matrix. Pumas rarely incorporated suburban or urban development into their home ranges, which is consistent with the hypothesis that the behavioral decisions of individuals can be collectively manifested as population-limiting factors at broader spatial scales. Pumas incorporated rural and exurban development into their home ranges, apparently perceiving these areas as modified, rather than non-habitat. Overall, pumas used exurban areas less than expected and showed a neutral response to rural areas. However, individual pumas that selected for or showed a neutral response to exurban areas had a higher risk of mortality than pumas that selected against exurban habitat. Exurban areas are likely hotspots for puma-human conflict in southern California. Approximately 10% of our study area will transform from exurban, rural, or undeveloped areas to suburban or urban by 2030, and 35% of suitable puma habitat on private land in 1970 will have been lost by 2030. These land-use changes will further isolate puma populations in southern California, but the ability to visualize these changes had provided a new tool for developing proactive conservation solutions.

From "No Place" to Home: The Quest for a Western Home in Brewster Higley's "Home on the Range"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, C. M.

2011-01-01

In the spring of 1934, New York attorney Samuel Moanfeldt set out on a trip that would take him through most of the states west of the Mississippi in search of the origins of the popular American folk song "Home on the Range." The reason for his trip was a $500,000 lawsuit filed by William and Mary Goodwin of Tempe, Arizona, who claimed that they…

Home Range and Ranging Behaviour of Bornean Elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) Females

PubMed Central

Alfred, Raymond; Ahmad, Abd Hamid; Payne, Junaidi; Williams, Christy; Ambu, Laurentius Nayan; How, Phua Mui; Goossens, Benoit

2012-01-01

Background Home range is defined as the extent and location of the area covered annually by a wild animal in its natural habitat. Studies of African and Indian elephants in landscapes of largely open habitats have indicated that the sizes of the home range are determined not only by the food supplies and seasonal changes, but also by numerous other factors including availability of water sources, habitat loss and the existence of man-made barriers. The home range size for the Bornean elephant had never been investigated before. Methodology/Principal Findings The first satellite tracking program to investigate the movement of wild Bornean elephants in Sabah was initiated in 2005. Five adult female elephants were immobilized and neck collars were fitted with tracking devices. The sizes of their home range and movement patterns were determined using location data gathered from a satellite tracking system and analyzed by using the Minimum Convex Polygon and Harmonic Mean methods. Home range size was estimated to be 250 to 400 km2 in a non-fragmented forest and 600 km2 in a fragmented forest. The ranging behavior was influenced by the size of the natural forest habitat and the availability of permanent water sources. The movement pattern was influenced by human disturbance and the need to move from one feeding site to another. Conclusions/Significance Home range and movement rate were influenced by the degree of habitat fragmentation. Once habitat was cleared or converted, the availability of food plants and water sources were reduced, forcing the elephants to travel to adjacent forest areas. Therefore movement rate in fragmented forest was higher than in the non-fragmented forest. Finally, in fragmented habitat human and elephant conflict occurrences were likely to be higher, due to increased movement bringing elephants into contact more often with humans. PMID:22347469

Home range, habitat selection, and movements of California Black Rails at tidal marshes at San Francisco Bay, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tsao, Danika C.; Takekawa, John Y.; Woo, Isa; Yee, Julie L.; Evens, Jules G.

2009-01-01

Little is known about the movements and habitat selection of California Black Rails (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus) in coastal California. We captured 130 Black Rails, of which we radio-marked 48, in tidal marshes in San Francisco Bay during 2005 and 2006. Our objective was to examine their home ranges, movements, and habitat selection to improve the species' conservation. The mean fixed-kernel home range was 0.59 ha, the mean core area was 0.14 ha. Home ranges and core areas did not differ by year or site. Males had significantly larger home ranges and core areas than did females. All sites combined, Black Rails used areas with ≥94% total vegetative cover, with perennial pickleweed (Sarcocornia pacifica) the dominant plant. The rails' habitat selection varied by year and site but not by sex. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated that Black Rails selected areas with pickleweed taller and denser than average, greater cover and height of alkali bulrush (Bolboschoenus maritimus) and common saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), more stems between 20 and 30 cm above the ground, maximum vegetation height, and shorter distance to refugia. On average, Black Rails moved 27.6 ±1.8 (SE) m daily and 38.4 ± 5.5 m during extreme high tides. Understanding the California Black Rail's movements, home range, and habitat use is critical for management to benefit the species.

Masticophis flagellum selects florida scrub habitat at multiple spatial scales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Halstead, B.J.; Mushinsky, H.R.; McCoy, E.D.

2009-01-01

The use of space by individual animals strongly influences the spatial extent, abundance, and growth rates of their populations. We analyzed the spatial ecology and habitat selection of Masticophis flagellum (the coachwhip) at three different scales to determine which habitats are most important to this species. Home ranges and mean daily displacements of M. flagellum in Florida were large compared to individuals in other populations of this species. Home ranges contained a greater proportion of Florida scrub habitat than did the study site as a whole, and individuals selected Florida scrub habitat within their home ranges. For both selection of the home range within the study site and selection of habitats within the home range, mesic cutthroat and hydric swamp habitats were avoided. Standardized selection ratios of Florida scrub patches were positively correlated with lizard abundance. Several non-mutually exclusive mechanisms, including foraging success (prey abundance, prey vulnerability, and foraging efficiency), abundance of refugia, and thermoregulatory opportunity may underlie the selection of Florida scrub by M. flagellum. Historic rarity and anthropogenic loss and fragmentation of Florida scrub habitat, coupled with the long-distance movements, large home ranges, and selection of Florida scrub by M. flagellum, indicate that large contiguous tracts of land containing Florida scrub will be essential for the persistence of M. flagellum in central Florida. ?? 2009 by The Herpetologists' League, Inc.

A nationwide survey of patient centered medical home demonstration projects.

PubMed

Bitton, Asaf; Martin, Carina; Landon, Bruce E

2010-06-01

The patient centered medical home has received considerable attention as a potential way to improve primary care quality and limit cost growth. Little information exists that systematically compares PCMH pilot projects across the country. Cross-sectional key-informant interviews. Leaders from existing PCMH demonstration projects with external payment reform. We used a semi-structured interview tool with the following domains: project history, organization and participants, practice requirements and selection process, medical home recognition, payment structure, practice transformation, and evaluation design. A total of 26 demonstrations in 18 states were interviewed. Current demonstrations include over 14,000 physicians caring for nearly 5 million patients. A majority of demonstrations are single payer, and most utilize a three component payment model (traditional fee for service, per person per month fixed payments, and bonus performance payments). The median incremental revenue per physician per year was $22,834 (range $720 to $91,146). Two major practice transformation models were identified--consultative and implementation of the chronic care model. A majority of demonstrations did not have well-developed evaluation plans. Current PCMH demonstration projects with external payment reform include large numbers of patients and physicians as well as a wide spectrum of implementation models. Key questions exist around the adequacy of current payment mechanisms and evaluation plans as public and policy interest in the PCMH model grows.

Home range, territoriality, and flight time budgets in the black-bellied fruit bat, Melonycteris melanops (Pteropodidae)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bonaccorso, F.J.; Winkelmann, J.R.; Byrnes, D.G.P.

2005-01-01

Based on 1,362 radiotelemetry positions, mean home range for 10 adult black-bellied fruit bats, Melonycteris melanops (Pteropodidae), in lowland rainforest at Mount Garbuna, West New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea, was 2.3 ha ?? 1.2 SD. Mean core-use area of adults was 0.5 ha ?? 0.4 SD, and mean long axis of home range was 370 m ?? 90 SD. Core-use areas were associated with day-roost shelters or flowering bananas. Means of home range, core-use area, and long axis across home range were significantly larger in subadults than in adults. During the day, M. melanops roosted singly under banana leaves or in subcanopy foliage, often showing extended fidelity to day-roost sites. Adults excluded other same-sex adults from feeding territories around bananas, but mixed-sex pairs overlapped strongly. During the first 2 h of the night, individual bats made 69-99 flights of 2- to 139-s duration. Cumulative flight represented 24-36% of the 2-h sampling periods. ?? 2005 American Society of Mammalogists.

Patterns of out-of-home placement decision-making in child welfare.

PubMed

Chor, Ka Ho Brian; McClelland, Gary M; Weiner, Dana A; Jordan, Neil; Lyons, John S

2013-10-01

Out-of-home placement decision-making in child welfare is founded on the best interest of the child in the least restrictive setting. After a child is removed from home, however, little is known about the mechanism of placement decision-making. This study aims to systematically examine the patterns of out-of-home placement decisions made in a state's child welfare system by comparing two models of placement decision-making: a multidisciplinary team decision-making model and a clinically based decision support algorithm. Based on records of 7816 placement decisions representing 6096 children over a 4-year period, hierarchical log-linear modeling characterized concordance or agreement, and discordance or disagreement when comparing the two models and accounting for age-appropriate placement options. Children aged below 16 had an overall concordance rate of 55.7%, most apparent in the least restrictive (20.4%) and the most restrictive placement (18.4%). Older youth showed greater discordant distributions (62.9%). Log-linear analysis confirmed the overall robustness of concordance (odd ratios [ORs] range: 2.9-442.0), though discordance was most evident from small deviations from the decision support algorithm, such as one-level under-placement in group home (OR=5.3) and one-level over-placement in residential treatment center (OR=4.8). Concordance should be further explored using child-level clinical and placement stability outcomes. Discordance might be explained by dynamic factors such as availability of placements, caregiver preferences, or policy changes and could be justified by positive child-level outcomes. Empirical placement decision-making is critical to a child's journey in child welfare and should be continuously improved to effect positive child welfare outcomes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transitioning a home telehealth project into a sustainable, large-scale service: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Wade, Victoria A; Taylor, Alan D; Kidd, Michael R; Carati, Colin

2016-05-16

This study was a component of the Flinders Telehealth in the Home project, which tested adding home telehealth to existing rehabilitation, palliative care and geriatric outreach services. Due to the known difficulty of transitioning telehealth projects services, a qualitative study was conducted to produce a preferred implementation approach for sustainable and large-scale operations, and a process model that offers practical advice for achieving this goal. Initially, semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior clinicians, health service managers and policy makers, and a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts was undertaken to identify the range of options for ongoing operations, plus the factors affecting sustainability. Subsequently, the interviewees and other decision makers attended a deliberative forum in which participants were asked to select a preferred model for future implementation. Finally, all data from the study was synthesised by the researchers to produce a process model. 19 interviews with senior clinicians, managers, and service development staff were conducted, finding strong support for home telehealth but a wide diversity of views on governance, models of clinical care, technical infrastructure operations, and data management. The deliberative forum worked through these options and recommended a collaborative consortium approach for large-scale implementation. The process model proposes that the key factor for large-scale implementation is leadership support, which is enabled by 1) showing solutions to the problems of service demand, budgetary pressure and the relationship between hospital and primary care, 2) demonstrating how home telehealth aligns with health service policies, and 3) achieving clinician acceptance through providing evidence of benefit and developing new models of clinical care. Two key actions to enable change were marketing telehealth to patients, clinicians and policy-makers, and building a community of practice. The implementation of home telehealth services is still in an early stage. Change agents and a community of practice can contribute by marketing telehealth, demonstrating policy alignment and providing potential solutions for difficult health services problems. This should assist health leaders to move from trials to large-scale services.

The validation of a home food inventory.

PubMed

Fulkerson, Jayne A; Nelson, Melissa C; Lytle, Leslie; Moe, Stacey; Heitzler, Carrie; Pasch, Keryn E

2008-11-04

Home food inventories provide an efficient method for assessing home food availability; however, few are validated. The present study's aim was to develop and validate a home food inventory that is easily completed by research participants in their homes and includes a comprehensive range of both healthful and less healthful foods that are associated with obesity. A home food inventory (HFI) was developed and tested with two samples. Sample 1 included 51 adult participants and six trained research staff who independently completed the HFI in participants' homes. Sample 2 included 342 families in which parents completed the HFI and the Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ) and students completed three 24-hour dietary recall interviews. HFI items assessed 13 major food categories as well as two categories assessing ready-access to foods in the kitchen and the refrigerator. An obesogenic household food availability score was also created. To assess criterion validity, participants' and research staffs' assessment of home food availability were compared (staff = gold standard). Criterion validity was evaluated with kappa, sensitivity, and specificity. Construct validity was assessed with correlations of five HFI major food category scores with servings of the same foods and associated nutrients from the DHQ and dietary recalls. Kappa statistics for all 13 major food categories and the two ready-access categories ranged from 0.61 to 0.83, indicating substantial agreement. Sensitivity ranged from 0.69 to 0.89, and specificity ranged from 0.86 to 0.95. Spearman correlations between staff and participant major food category scores ranged from 0.71 to 0.97. Correlations between the HFI scores and food group servings and nutrients on the DHQ (parents) were all significant (p < .05) while about half of associations between the HFI and dietary recall interviews (adolescents) were significant (p < .05). The obesogenic home food availability score was significantly associated (p < .05) with energy intake of both parents and adolescents. This new home food inventory is valid, participant-friendly, and may be useful for community-based behavioral nutrition and obesity prevention research. The inventory builds on previous measures by including a wide range of healthful and less healthful foods rather than foods targeted for a specific intervention.

Home Range and Habitat Use of Male Rafinesque's Big-Eared Bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii)

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

Menzel, M.A.; Menzel, J.M.; Ford, W.M.

We examined home range size and habitat use of four reproductively active male Rafinesque Big-eared bats in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina during August and September of 1999. Most foraging activity occurred during the first 4 hours after sunset and the first two hours before sunrise. Mean home range size was 93.1 hectares. Most foraging activity occurred in young pines even though large tracks of bottomland hardwood were available. Only 9% of foraging occurred in bottomland hardwoods.

KERNELHR: A program for estimating animal home ranges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Seaman, D.E.; Griffith, B.; Powell, R.A.

1998-01-01

Kernel methods are state of the art for estimating animal home-range area and utilization distribution (UD). The KERNELHR program was developed to provide researchers and managers a tool to implement this extremely flexible set of methods with many variants. KERNELHR runs interactively or from the command line on any personal computer (PC) running DOS. KERNELHR provides output of fixed and adaptive kernel home-range estimates, as well as density values in a format suitable for in-depth statistical and spatial analyses. An additional package of programs creates contour files for plotting in geographic information systems (GIS) and estimates core areas of ranges.

Home Health Care: What It Is and What to Expect

MedlinePlus

... care + Share widget - Select to show What’s home health care? What's home health care? Home health care is a wide range of ... listed. What should I expect from my home health care? Doctor’s orders are needed to start care. Once ...

Space use by foragers consuming renewable resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abramson, Guillermo; Kuperman, Marcelo N.; Morales, Juan M.; Miller, Joel C.

2014-05-01

We study a simple model of a forager as a walk that modifies a relaxing substrate. Within it simplicity, this provides an insight on a number of relevant and non-intuitive facts. Even without memory of the good places to feed and no explicit cost of moving, we observe the emergence of a finite home range. We characterize the walks and the use of resources in several statistical ways, involving the behavior of the average used fraction of the system, the length of the cycles followed by the walkers, and the frequency of visits to plants. Preliminary results on population effects are explored by means of a system of two non directly interacting animals. Properties of the overlap of home ranges show the existence of a set of parameters that provides the best utilization of the shared resource.

Consequences of animal interactions on their dynamics: emergence of home ranges and territoriality.

PubMed

Giuggioli, Luca; Kenkre, V M

2014-01-01

Animal spacing has important implications for population abundance, species demography and the environment. Mechanisms underlying spatial segregation have their roots in the characteristics of the animals, their mutual interaction and their response, collective as well as individual, to environmental variables. This review describes how the combination of these factors shapes the patterns we observe and presents a practical, usable framework for the analysis of movement data in confined spaces. The basis of the framework is the theory of interacting random walks and the mathematical description of out-of-equilibrium systems. Although our focus is on modelling and interpreting animal home ranges and territories in vertebrates, we believe further studies on invertebrates may also help to answer questions and resolve unanswered puzzles that are still inaccessible to experimental investigation in vertebrate species.

Differences in beliefs and home environments regarding energy balance behaviors according to parental education and ethnicity among schoolchildren in Europe: the ENERGY cross sectional study.

PubMed

Brug, Johannes; Uijtdewilligen, Léonie; van Stralen, Maartje M; Singh, Amika S; ChinAPaw, Mai J M; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Lien, Nanna; Bere, Elling; Maes, Lea; Fernández-Alvira, Juan M; Jan, Nataša; Kovacs, Eva; Dössegger, Alain; Manios, Yannis; te Velde, Saskia J

2014-06-17

To explore differences in personal and home environmental factors that are regarded as determinants of energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs) according to parental education and ethnic background among 10-12 year old schoolchildren across Europe. A school-based survey among 10-12 year olds was conducted in eight countries across Europe. A range of personal and home environment variables relevant for soft drink consumption, daily breakfast, sport participation and TV time was assessed by means of child report. Personal factors included attitude, health beliefs, and preference/liking. Home environment factors included parental subjective norm, modeling, support, practices and home availability. Children were classified based on parental education (i.e., low vs. high) and ethnic background (i.e., native vs. non-native). Data from 6018 children originating from 83 schools were included in the analyses. Multilevel logistic regression analyses showed that the majority of the factors tested -and especially home environment variables- were more favorable among children from higher educated parents and from native ethnicity. None of the personal and home environment factors was found to be more favorable among children from lower educated parents or non-native ethnicity. The present study indicates that schoolchildren from lower educated and non-native parents across Europe have EBRB-related beliefs and are exposed to home environments that are less favorable for engagement in healthy EBRBs.

Habitat Use and Selection by Giant Pandas.

PubMed

Hull, Vanessa; Zhang, Jindong; Huang, Jinyan; Zhou, Shiqiang; Viña, Andrés; Shortridge, Ashton; Li, Rengui; Liu, Dian; Xu, Weihua; Ouyang, Zhiyun; Zhang, Hemin; Liu, Jianguo

2016-01-01

Animals make choices about where to spend their time in complex and dynamic landscapes, choices that reveal information about their biology that in turn can be used to guide their conservation. Using GPS collars, we conducted a novel individual-based analysis of habitat use and selection by the elusive and endangered giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). We constructed spatial autoregressive resource utilization functions (RUF) to model the relationship between the pandas' utilization distributions and various habitat characteristics over a continuous space across seasons. Results reveal several new insights, including use of a broader range of habitat characteristics than previously understood for the species, particularly steep slopes and non-forest areas. We also used compositional analysis to analyze habitat selection (use with respect to availability of habitat types) at two selection levels. Pandas selected against low terrain position and against the highest clumped forest at the at-home range level, but no significant factors were identified at the within-home range level. Our results have implications for modeling and managing the habitat of this endangered species by illustrating how individual pandas relate to habitat and make choices that differ from assumptions made in broad scale models. Our study also highlights the value of using a spatial autoregressive RUF approach on animal species for which a complete picture of individual-level habitat use and selection across space is otherwise lacking.

Habitat Use and Selection by Giant Pandas

PubMed Central

Hull, Vanessa; Zhang, Jindong; Huang, Jinyan; Zhou, Shiqiang; Viña, Andrés; Shortridge, Ashton; Li, Rengui; Liu, Dian; Xu, Weihua; Ouyang, Zhiyun; Zhang, Hemin; Liu, Jianguo

2016-01-01

Animals make choices about where to spend their time in complex and dynamic landscapes, choices that reveal information about their biology that in turn can be used to guide their conservation. Using GPS collars, we conducted a novel individual-based analysis of habitat use and selection by the elusive and endangered giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). We constructed spatial autoregressive resource utilization functions (RUF) to model the relationship between the pandas' utilization distributions and various habitat characteristics over a continuous space across seasons. Results reveal several new insights, including use of a broader range of habitat characteristics than previously understood for the species, particularly steep slopes and non-forest areas. We also used compositional analysis to analyze habitat selection (use with respect to availability of habitat types) at two selection levels. Pandas selected against low terrain position and against the highest clumped forest at the at-home range level, but no significant factors were identified at the within-home range level. Our results have implications for modeling and managing the habitat of this endangered species by illustrating how individual pandas relate to habitat and make choices that differ from assumptions made in broad scale models. Our study also highlights the value of using a spatial autoregressive RUF approach on animal species for which a complete picture of individual-level habitat use and selection across space is otherwise lacking. PMID:27627805

The influence of habitat, prey abundance, sex, and breeding success on the ranging behavior of Prairie Falcons

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marzluff, J.M.; Kimsey, Bryan A.; Schueck, Linda S.; McFadzen, Mary E.; Vekasy, M.S.; Bednarz, James C.

1997-01-01

We studied the ranging behavior and habitat selection of radio-tagged Prairie Falcons (Falco mexicanus) during the breeding season in southwestern Idaho. The distribution and numbers of Townsend's ground squirrels (Spermophilus townsendii), the primary prey of Prairie Falcons in our study area, varied in response to drought during the study period. Prairie Falcons ranged over large areas (ca. 300 km2) and increased their foraging ranges in response to declining ground squirrels. Reptiles and birds were preyed upon most frequently when squirrels were rare. Males and females differed little in their use of space. Successful pairs ranged over smaller areas than non-nesters and unsuccessful pairs. Falcons nesting near habitat most suitable for ground squirrels ranged over smaller areas than those nesting farther from such habitat. Home ranges contained significantly more winterfat (Ceratoides lanata) and native perennial grasses (especially Poa secunda), and significantly less salt desert shrubs and exotic annual grasses than expected based on availability. Salt desert shrubs were found less than expected, based on availability in core areas within home ranges. Selection for winterfat and bluegrass in core areas was contingent upon selection at the larger scale of the home range; falcons with home ranges containing more winterfat and bluegrass than expected based on availability were less selective in their placement of core areas with respect to these habitats. We believe salient features of Prairie Falcon home ranges result largely from patchy distribution of landscape features associated with different densities and availabilities of Townsend's ground squirrels.

Home range defense in the red fox, Vulpes vulpes L

USGS Publications Warehouse

Preston, E.M.

1975-01-01

This paper describes the home range defense behavior observed when nonresident male red foxes were introduced into established home ranges of resident male-female pairs. In 12 observation periods, four intruders were introduced to each of three mated pairs which had been given three weeks to acclimate to a 4.05-hectare, fenced enclosure. The residents centered their activities around a natural den and the frequency of intruder-resident encounters decreased rapidly with increasing distance from the den. The primary home range defense was continual harassment of the intruders by the resident males through agonistic displays and chases. Physical contact was rare. Even though the resident males were dominant in less than a majority of the interactions observed, they were usually successful in displacing the intruders within a few hours. The resident females seldom interacted with the intruders.

An Analysis of the Effects of Residential Photovoltaic Energy Systems on Home Sales Prices in California

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

Hoen, Ben; Cappers, Peter; Wiser, Ryan

2011-04-19

An increasing number of homes in the U.S. have sold with photovoltaic (PV) energy systems installed at the time of sale, yet relatively little research exists that estimates the marginal impacts of those PV systems on home sale prices. A clearer understanding of these possible impacts might influence the decisions of homeowners considering the installation of a PV system, homebuyers considering the purchase of a home with PV already installed, and new home builders considering including PV as an optional or standard product on their homes. This research analyzes a large dataset of California homes that sold from 2000 throughmore » mid-2009 with PV installed. It finds strong evidence that homes with PV systems sold for a premium over comparable homes without PV systems during this time frame. Estimates for this premium expressed in dollars per watt of installed PV range, on average, from roughly $4 to $5.5/watt across a large number of hedonic and repeat sales model specifications and robustness tests. When expressed as a ratio of the sales price premium of PV to estimated annual energy cost savings associated with PV, an average ratio of 14:1 to 19:1 can be calculated; these results are consistent with those of the more-extensive existing literature on the impact of energy efficiency on sales prices. When the data are split among new and existing homes, however, PV system premiums are markedly affected. New homes with PV show premiums of $2.3-2.6/watt, while existing homes with PV show premiums of more than $6/watt. Reasons for this discrepancy are suggested, yet further research is warranted. A number of other areas where future research would be useful are also highlighted.« less

Crossing Latitudes—Long-Distance Tracking of an Apex Predator

PubMed Central

Ferreira, Luciana C.; Thums, Michele; Meeuwig, Jessica J.; Vianna, Gabriel M. S.; Stevens, John; McAuley, Rory; Meekan, Mark G.

2015-01-01

Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are apex predators occurring in most tropical and warm temperate marine ecosystems, but we know relatively little of their patterns of residency and movement over large spatial and temporal scales. We deployed satellite tags on eleven tiger sharks off the north-western coast of Western Australia and used the Brownian Bridge kernel method to calculate home ranges and analyse movement behaviour. One individual recorded one of the largest geographical ranges of movement ever reported for the species, travelling over 4000 km during 517 days of monitoring. Tags on the remainder of the sharks reported for shorter periods (7-191 days). Most of these sharks had restricted movements and long-term (30-188 days) residency in coastal waters in the vicinity of the area where they were tagged. Core home range areas of sharks varied greatly from 1166.9 to 634,944 km2. Tiger sharks spent most of their time in water temperatures between 23°-26°C but experienced temperatures ranging from 6°C to 33°C. One shark displayed seasonal movements among three distinct home range cores spread along most of the coast of Western Australia and generalized linear models showed that this individual had different patterns of temperature and depth occupancy in each region of the coast, with the highest probability of residency occurring in the shallowest areas of the coast with water temperatures above 23°C. These results suggest that tiger sharks can migrate over very large distances and across latitudes ranging from tropical to the cool temperate waters. Such extensive long-term movements may be a key element influencing the connectivity of populations within and among ocean basins. PMID:25671609

The conjoint influence of home enriched environment and lead exposure on children's cognition and behaviour in a Mexican lead smelter community.

PubMed

Moodie, Sue; Ialongo, Nick; López, Patricia; Rosado, Jorge; García-Vargas, Gonzalo; Ronquillo, Dolores; Kordas, Katarzyna

2013-01-01

A range of studies has been conducted on the detrimental effects of lead in mining and smelting communities. The neurocognitive and behavioural health effects of lead on children are well known. This research characterized the conjoint influence of lead exposure and home enriched environment on neurocognitive function and behaviour for first-grade children living in a Mexican lead smelter community. Structural equation models were used for this analysis with latent outcome variables, Cognition and Behaviour, constructed based on a battery of assessments administered to the first-grade children, their parents, and teachers. Structural equation modelling was used to describe complex relationships of exposure and health outcomes in a manner that permitted partition of both direct and indirect effects of the factors being measured. Home Environment (a latent variable constructed from information on mother's education and support of school work and extracurricular activities), and child blood lead concentration each had a main significant effect on cognition and behaviour. However, there were no statistically significant moderation relationships between lead and Home Environment on these latent outcomes. Home Environment had a significant indirect mediation effect between lead and both Cognition and Behaviour (p-value<0.001). The mediation model had a good fit with Root Mean Square Error of Approximation <0.0001 and a Weighted Root Mean Square Residual of 0.895. These results were highly significant and suggest that Home Environment has a moderate mediation effect with respect to lead effects on Behaviour (β=0.305) and a lower mediation effect on Cognition (β=0.184). The extent of home enrichment in this study was most highly related to the mother's support of schoolwork and slightly less by the mother's support of extracurricular activities or mother's education. Further research may be able to develop approaches to support families to make changes within their home and child rearing practices, or advocate for different approaches to support their child's behaviour to reduce the impact of lead exposure on children's cognitive and behavioural outcomes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Home Is where You Draw Strength and Rest: The Meanings of Home for Houseless Young People

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidd, Sean A.; Evans, Josh D.

2011-01-01

This qualitative study examined the meanings ascribed to the construct "home" by 208 youths defined by mainstream society as "homeless". Youth narratives on the topic of home ranged across a continuum with home as state at one end (i.e., home is a state of mind, comprised of one's friends) and home as place at the other (i.e.,…

Variability in core areas of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) in a tropical dry forest in Costa Rica.

PubMed

Asensio, Norberto; Schaffner, Colleen M; Aureli, Filippo

2012-04-01

Core areas are highly used parts of the home range on which the survival of solitary or group-living animals depends. We investigated the home range and core area size and area fidelity of a spider monkey community in a tropical dry forest over a 4-year period. Home ranges overlapped extensively across years, subgroup sizes, and seasons. In contrast, spider monkeys used core areas that varied in size and location across the study years, subgroup sizes, and seasons. These shifts in core areas suggest that the understanding of core areas, and thus the spatial requirements, of a species in a particular habitat may be limited if based on short-term studies. In this respect, our findings emphasize the importance of long-term studies of the spatial ecology of any species in a particular habitat. Our study also shows that the yearly home range basically includes all the core areas from different years, seasons, and subgroup sizes (i.e., the super-core area). This is conceptually important for territorial species, such as spider monkeys, which defend a stable home range as it contains not only the current, but also the future core areas.

Climate Prediction - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

Statistical Models... MOS Prod GFS-LAMP Prod Climate Past Weather Predictions Weather Safety Weather Radio National Weather Service on FaceBook NWS on Facebook NWS Director Home > Climate > Predictions Climate Prediction Long range forecasts across the U.S. Climate Prediction Web Sites Climate Prediction

Data-Driven Residential Load Modeling and Validation in GridLAB-D

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

Gotseff, Peter; Lundstrom, Blake

Accurately characterizing the impacts of high penetrations of distributed energy resources (DER) on the electric distribution system has driven modeling methods from traditional static snap shots, often representing a critical point in time (e.g., summer peak load), to quasi-static time series (QSTS) simulations capturing all the effects of variable DER, associated controls and hence, impacts on the distribution system over a given time period. Unfortunately, the high time resolution DER source and load data required for model inputs is often scarce or non-existent. This paper presents work performed within the GridLAB-D model environment to synthesize, calibrate, and validate 1-second residentialmore » load models based on measured transformer loads and physics-based models suitable for QSTS electric distribution system modeling. The modeling and validation approach taken was to create a typical GridLAB-D model home that, when replicated to represent multiple diverse houses on a single transformer, creates a statistically similar load to a measured load for a given weather input. The model homes are constructed to represent the range of actual homes on an instrumented transformer: square footage, thermal integrity, heating and cooling system definition as well as realistic occupancy schedules. House model calibration and validation was performed using the distribution transformer load data and corresponding weather. The modeled loads were found to be similar to the measured loads for four evaluation metrics: 1) daily average energy, 2) daily average and standard deviation of power, 3) power spectral density, and 4) load shape.« less

Badgers prefer cattle pasture but avoid cattle: implications for bovine tuberculosis control.

PubMed

Woodroffe, Rosie; Donnelly, Christl A; Ham, Cally; Jackson, Seth Y B; Moyes, Kelly; Chapman, Kayna; Stratton, Naomi G; Cartwright, Samantha J

2016-10-01

Effective management of infectious disease relies upon understanding mechanisms of pathogen transmission. In particular, while models of disease dynamics usually assume transmission through direct contact, transmission through environmental contamination can cause different dynamics. We used Global Positioning System (GPS) collars and proximity-sensing contact-collars to explore opportunities for transmission of Mycobacterium bovis [causal agent of bovine tuberculosis] between cattle and badgers (Meles meles). Cattle pasture was badgers' most preferred habitat. Nevertheless, although collared cattle spent 2914 collar-nights in the home ranges of contact-collared badgers, and 5380 collar-nights in the home ranges of GPS-collared badgers, we detected no direct contacts between the two species. Simultaneous GPS-tracking revealed that badgers preferred land > 50 m from cattle. Very infrequent direct contact indicates that badger-to-cattle and cattle-to-badger M. bovis transmission may typically occur through contamination of the two species' shared environment. This information should help to inform tuberculosis control by guiding both modelling and farm management. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Examining the social, emotional and behavioral needs of youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

PubMed

Neely-Barnes, Susan; Whitted, Katheryn

2011-01-01

This study assesses the social, emotional and behavioral symptoms of 2,575 youth who were receiving behavioral health services from a private provider agency, either in an out of home placement (e.g., foster care home, a group home or a residential treatment facility) or in their own home (through the In-Home Services Program). The findings suggest the prevalence of symptoms in each of the domains (i.e., conduct problems, emotional problems, ADHD, and peer problems) were relatively high compared to the general population. Over 50% of the youth had conduct problems in the borderline or abnormal range, more than 35% had hyperactivity and peer problems subscale scores in the borderline or abnormal range, and almost 25% of the youth reported symptoms of emotional problems in the borderline or abnormal range. Youth's social, emotional and behavioral problems varied by gender, race/ethnicity and age group.

Which coordinate system for modelling path integration?

PubMed

Vickerstaff, Robert J; Cheung, Allen

2010-03-21

Path integration is a navigation strategy widely observed in nature where an animal maintains a running estimate, called the home vector, of its location during an excursion. Evidence suggests it is both ancient and ubiquitous in nature, and has been studied for over a century. In that time, canonical and neural network models have flourished, based on a wide range of assumptions, justifications and supporting data. Despite the importance of the phenomenon, consensus and unifying principles appear lacking. A fundamental issue is the neural representation of space needed for biological path integration. This paper presents a scheme to classify path integration systems on the basis of the way the home vector records and updates the spatial relationship between the animal and its home location. Four extended classes of coordinate systems are used to unify and review both canonical and neural network models of path integration, from the arthropod and mammalian literature. This scheme demonstrates analytical equivalence between models which may otherwise appear unrelated, and distinguishes between models which may superficially appear similar. A thorough analysis is carried out of the equational forms of important facets of path integration including updating, steering, searching and systematic errors, using each of the four coordinate systems. The type of available directional cue, namely allothetic or idiothetic, is also considered. It is shown that on balance, the class of home vectors which includes the geocentric Cartesian coordinate system, appears to be the most robust for biological systems. A key conclusion is that deducing computational structure from behavioural data alone will be difficult or impossible, at least in the absence of an analysis of random errors. Consequently it is likely that further theoretical insights into path integration will require an in-depth study of the effect of noise on the four classes of home vectors. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A multivariate fall risk assessment model for VHA nursing homes using the minimum data set.

PubMed

French, Dustin D; Werner, Dennis C; Campbell, Robert R; Powell-Cope, Gail M; Nelson, Audrey L; Rubenstein, Laurence Z; Bulat, Tatjana; Spehar, Andrea M

2007-02-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a multivariate fall risk assessment model beyond the current fall Resident Assessment Protocol (RAP) triggers for nursing home residents using the Minimum Data Set (MDS). Retrospective, clustered secondary data analysis. National Veterans Health Administration (VHA) long-term care nursing homes (N = 136). The study population consisted of 6577 national VHA nursing home residents who had an annual assessment during FY 2005, identified from the MDS, as well as an earlier annual or admission assessment within a 1-year look-back period. A dichotomous multivariate model of nursing home residents coded with a fall on selected fall risk characteristics from the MDS, estimated with general estimation equations (GEE). There were 17 170 assessments corresponding to 6577 long-term care nursing home residents. The increased odds ratio (OR) of being classified as a faller relative to the omitted "dependent" category of activities of daily living (ADL) ranged from OR = 1.35 for "limited" ADL category up to OR = 1.57 for "extensive-2" ADL (P < .0001). Unsteady gait more than doubles the odds of being a faller (OR = 2.63, P < .0001). The use of assistive devices such as canes, walkers, or crutches, or the use of wheelchairs increases the odds of being a faller (OR = 1.17, P < .0005) or (OR = 1.19, P < .0002), respectively. Foot problems may also increase the odds of being a faller (OR = 1.26, P < .0016). Alzheimer's or other dementias also increase the odds of being classified as a faller (OR = 1.18, P < .0219) or (OR=1.22, P < .0001), respectively. In addition, anger (OR = 1.19, P < .0065); wandering (OR = 1.53, P < .0001); or use of antipsychotic medications (OR = 1.15, P < .0039), antianxiety medications (OR = 1.13, P < .0323), or antidepressant medications (OR = 1.39, P < .0001) was also associated with the odds of being a faller. This national study in one of the largest managed healthcare systems in the United States has empirically confirmed the relative importance of certain risk factors for falls in long-term care settings. The model incorporated an ADL index and adjusted for case mix by including only long-term care nursing home residents. The study offers clinicians practical estimates by combining multiple univariate MDS elements in an empirically based, multivariate fall risk assessment model.

Homing in humans: A different look.

PubMed

Bovet, J

1994-08-01

A current model holds that the long-distance homing abilities of free-ranging mammals rest primarily on a strategy of course reversal, based on outward journey information. In this study, I measured the ability to orient toward home in humans displaced under conditions that promote the use of this strategy, namely along an outward route that was direct, and the main bearing of which could be extrapolated by reference to a pre-existant mental map and by visual backup during the outward journey. Even though the individual course estimates obtained did show a certain amount of dispersion and/or error, they were more accurate and less dispersed than in experiments by other authors, where subjects could not use this strategy, because they were displaced blindfolded and/or along circuitous routes. Copyright © 1994. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Estimating the staffing infrastructure for a patient-centered medical home.

PubMed

Patel, Mitesh S; Arron, Martin J; Sinsky, Thomas A; Green, Eric H; Baker, David W; Bowen, Judith L; Day, Susan

2013-06-01

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) offers an innovative method of delivering primary care. However, the necessary staffing infrastructure is not well established. To evaluate the roles of personnel within a PCMH and to propose necessary staffing ratios and associated incremental costs to implement this model of care. We sampled primary care clinical practices that either have successfully deployed or were in the process of implementing a PCMH practice model. We conducted targeted interviews of administrators from these practices and reviewed published literature on the personnel roles within a PCMH. Collectively, these data were compared with current staffing standards and used to inform an analytical model and sensitivity analysis. Primary care practices that successfully transitioned to a PCMH have incorporated a range of new staff and functionalities. Based on our model, we estimated that 4.25 full-time equivalents (FTEs) should be allocated to staffing personnel per 1 physician FTE. Compared with the base-case model of current staffing in the United States of 2.68 FTEs per physician FTE, this is a 59% increase. After applying sensitivity analysis for variability in staffing and compensation, the incremental staffing FTE per physician FTE was 1.57 (range 1.41-1.73) and the incremental associated cost per member per month was $4.68 (range $3.79-$6.43). Our study suggests that additional staff with specific expertise and training is necessary to implement a PCMH. Further study and opportunities for funding additional staffing costs will be important for realizing the potential of the PCMH model of care.influence clinical recognition of depression among diabetes patients from different racial/ethnic groups, and the potential impact of low rates of clinical recognition on quality of care.

[Displacements of the green iguana (Iguana iguana) (Squamata: Iguanidae) during the dry season in La Palma, Veracruz, Mexico].

PubMed

Morales-Mávil, Jorge E; Vogt, Richard C; Gadsden-Esparza, Héctor

2007-06-01

The green iguana (Iguana iguana) is said to be primarily sedentary, although the females travel long distances to nest. Displacement patterns must be known to help predict the effects of environmental disturbance on iguanas' survival. We studied nesting season (February-July) movements in La Palma, Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico (18 degrees 33' N, 95 degrees 03' W). Individual movements and activity were monitored by radio tracking. The transmitters were implanted surgically in eight adult iguanas (four males and four females). Snout vent length (SVL) was used to determine the relationship between size of the body and size of home range. To estimate the size of home range, three or more points were used. Minimum convex polygons estimates of home range were calculated with McPAAL. The iguanas were radio-located between 23 and 30 occasions, mainly in trees (56% between 3-9 m); only 4% were localized under a height of 3 m (forest floor). The occupation area mean was larger for males (9,158.06+/-3,025.3 m2 vs. 6,591.24+/-4,001.1 m2) although the differences were not significant (t= 0.51, p>0.05). SVL was correlated with home range (r= 0.76; gl= 7; p<0.05). Breeding males defended their home range vigorously against other adult males. We observed one separate male home range and large portions of overlap between the sexes. The home range generally formed a conglomerate of polygons and only two had linear shapes along the river: apparently iguanas use the riparian vegetation for foraging. The females display two strategies for nesting: 1) moving to the sandy area near the sea or, 2) laying eggs near the river, in loam. Iguanas responded to habitat fragmentation and reduction by modifying their nesting strategy.

Fine scale movements and habitat use of black brant during the flightless Wing Molt in Arctic Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lewis, Tyler L.; Flint, Paul L.; Derksen, Dirk V.; Schmutz, Joel A.

2011-01-01

Thousands of Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) migrate annually to the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area (TLSA), Alaska, to undergo the flightless wing molt on tundra lakes and wetlands. GPS transmitters were attached to Brant over two summers (2007–2008) to examine patterns of movement and habitat use of molting Brant, including variation by habitat type, year and body mass. Molting Brant were located an average of 31 ± 1 m (SE) from shore and this distance did not vary across any of the explanatory variables. Brant moved an average of 123 ± 3 m hr-1 while flightless. Movement rates varied by year, averaging 22 ± 12 m hr-1 faster in 2008, and across habitat types, averaging 22 ± 13 m hr-1 faster in inland versus coastal and estuarine habitats. Two kernel home ranges were estimated: entire home range, which encompassed the complete 95% probability contour, and shoreline home range, which included only shoreline areas used by molting Brant. Entire home range (x bar = 15.1 ± 2.2 km2) was negatively correlated with body mass, suggesting that heavier individuals have more body reserves to contribute to feather growth and thereby require less food and smaller home ranges. Conversely, shoreline home range (x bar = 4.3 ± 0.6 km2) did not vary by body mass, but rather by habitat type, being larger in estuarine habitats. The complex shorelines and numerous deltaic islands of estuarine habitats offer more shoreline per area than either coastal or inland habitats. Brant appear to have limited ability to adjust their home range size or forage further from shore in response to variable food resources across years or habitats, instead altering their movement rate. Given this apparent lack of behavioral flexibility, Brant may be sensitive to development-related disturbances or habitat losses at molt sites in the TLSA.

Evaluation of a black-footed ferret resource utilization function model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eads, D.A.; Millspaugh, J.J.; Biggins, D.E.; Jachowski, D.S.; Livieri, T.M.

2011-01-01

Resource utilization function (RUF) models permit evaluation of potential habitat for endangered species; ideally such models should be evaluated before use in management decision-making. We evaluated the predictive capabilities of a previously developed black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) RUF. Using the population-level RUF, generated from ferret observations at an adjacent yet distinct colony, we predicted the distribution of ferrets within a black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colony in the Conata Basin, South Dakota, USA. We evaluated model performance, using data collected during post-breeding spotlight surveys (2007-2008) by assessing model agreement via weighted compositional analysis and count-metrics. Compositional analysis of home range use and colony-level availability, and core area use and home range availability, demonstrated ferret selection of the predicted Very high and High occurrence categories in 2007 and 2008. Simple count-metrics corroborated these findings and suggested selection of the Very high category in 2007 and the Very high and High categories in 2008. Collectively, these results suggested that the RUF was useful in predicting occurrence and intensity of space use of ferrets at our study site, the 2 objectives of the RUF. Application of this validated RUF would increase the resolution of habitat evaluations, permitting prediction of the distribution of ferrets within distinct colonies. Additional model evaluation at other sites, on other black-tailed prairie dog colonies of varying resource configuration and size, would increase understanding of influences upon model performance and the general utility of the RUF. ?? 2011 The Wildlife Society.

Testing the consistency of wildlife data types before combining them: the case of camera traps and telemetry.

PubMed

Popescu, Viorel D; Valpine, Perry; Sweitzer, Rick A

2014-04-01

Wildlife data gathered by different monitoring techniques are often combined to estimate animal density. However, methods to check whether different types of data provide consistent information (i.e., can information from one data type be used to predict responses in the other?) before combining them are lacking. We used generalized linear models and generalized linear mixed-effects models to relate camera trap probabilities for marked animals to independent space use from telemetry relocations using 2 years of data for fishers (Pekania pennanti) as a case study. We evaluated (1) camera trap efficacy by estimating how camera detection probabilities are related to nearby telemetry relocations and (2) whether home range utilization density estimated from telemetry data adequately predicts camera detection probabilities, which would indicate consistency of the two data types. The number of telemetry relocations within 250 and 500 m from camera traps predicted detection probability well. For the same number of relocations, females were more likely to be detected during the first year. During the second year, all fishers were more likely to be detected during the fall/winter season. Models predicting camera detection probability and photo counts solely from telemetry utilization density had the best or nearly best Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), suggesting that telemetry and camera traps provide consistent information on space use. Given the same utilization density, males were more likely to be photo-captured due to larger home ranges and higher movement rates. Although methods that combine data types (spatially explicit capture-recapture) make simple assumptions about home range shapes, it is reasonable to conclude that in our case, camera trap data do reflect space use in a manner consistent with telemetry data. However, differences between the 2 years of data suggest that camera efficacy is not fully consistent across ecological conditions and make the case for integrating other sources of space-use data.

Influences of landscape heterogeneity on home-range sizes of brown bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mangipane, Lindsey S.; Belant, Jerrold L.; Hiller, Tim L.; Colvin, Michael E.; Gustine, David; Mangipane, Buck A.; Hilderbrand, Grant V.

2018-01-01

Animal space use is influenced by many factors and can affect individual survival and fitness. Under optimal foraging theory, individuals use landscapes to optimize high-quality resources while minimizing the amount of energy used to acquire them. The spatial resource variability hypothesis states that as patchiness of resources increases, individuals use larger areas to obtain the resources necessary to meet energetic requirements. Additionally, under the temporal resource variability hypothesis, seasonal variation in available resources can reduce distances moved while providing a variety of food sources. Our objective was to determine if seasonal home ranges of brown bears (Ursus arctos) were influenced by temporal availability and spatial distribution of resources and whether individual reproductive status, sex, or size (i.e., body mass) mediated space use. To test our hypotheses, we radio collared brown bears (n = 32 [9 male, 23 female]) in 2014–2016 and used 18 a prioriselected linear models to evaluate seasonal utilization distributions (UD) in relation to our hypotheses. Our top-ranked model by AICc, supported the spatial resource variability hypothesis and included percentage of like adjacency (PLADJ) of all cover types (P < 0.01), reproductive class (P > 0.17 for males, solitary females, and females with dependent young), and body mass (kg; P = 0.66). Based on this model, for every percentage increase in PLADJ, UD area was predicted to increase 1.16 times for all sex and reproductive classes. Our results suggest that landscape heterogeneity influences brown bear space use; however, we found that bears used larger areas when landscape homogeneity increased, presumably to gain a diversity of food resources. Our results did not support the temporal resource variability hypothesis, suggesting that the spatial distribution of food was more important than seasonal availability in relation to brown bear home range size.

Temporal Variability of Pesticide Concentrations in Homes and Implications for Attenuation Bias in Epidemiologic Studies

PubMed Central

Ward, Mary H.; Bell, Erin M.; Whitehead, Todd P.; Gunier, Robert B.; Friesen, Melissa C.; Nuckols, John R.

2013-01-01

Background: Residential pesticide exposure has been linked to adverse health outcomes in adults and children. High-quality exposure estimates are critical for confirming these associations. Past epidemiologic studies have used one measurement of pesticide concentrations in carpet dust to characterize an individual’s average long-term exposure. If concentrations vary over time, this approach could substantially misclassify exposure and attenuate risk estimates. Objectives: We assessed the repeatability of pesticide concentrations in carpet dust samples and the potential attenuation bias in epidemiologic studies relying on one sample. Methods: We collected repeated carpet dust samples (median = 3; range, 1–7) from 21 homes in Fresno County, California, during 2003–2005. Dust was analyzed for 13 pesticides using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. We used mixed-effects models to estimate between- and within-home variance. For each pesticide, we computed intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and the estimated attenuation of regression coefficients in a hypothetical case–control study collecting a single dust sample. Results: The median ICC was 0.73 (range, 0.37–0.95), demonstrating higher between-home than within-home variability for most pesticides. The expected magnitude of attenuation bias associated with using a single dust sample was estimated to be ≤ 30% for 7 of the 13 compounds evaluated. Conclusions: For several pesticides studied, use of one dust sample to represent an exposure period of approximately 2 years would not be expected to substantially attenuate odds ratios. Further study is needed to determine if our findings hold for longer exposure periods and for other pesticides. PMID:23462689

Effects of a home-exercise therapy programme on cervical and lumbar range of motion among nurses with neck and lower back pain: a quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Freimann, Tiina; Merisalu, Eda; Pääsuke, Mati

2015-01-01

Cervical and lumbar range of motion limitations are usually associated with musculoskeletal pain in the neck and lower back, and are a major health problem among nurses. Physical exercise has been evaluated as an effective intervention method for improving cervical and lumbar range of motion, and for preventing and reducing musculoskeletal pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a home-exercise therapy programme on cervical and lumbar range of motion among intensive care unit nurses who had experienced mild to moderate musculoskeletal pain in the neck and or lower back during the previous six months. A quasi-experimental study was conducted among intensive care unit nurses at Tartu University Hospital (Estonia) between May and July 2011. Thirteen nurses who had suffered musculoskeletal pain episodes in the neck and or lower back during the previous six months underwent an 8-week home-exercise therapy programme. Eleven nurses without musculoskeletal pain formed a control group. Questions from the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and the 11-point Visual Analogue Scale were used to select potential participants for the experimental group via an assessment of the prevalence and intensity of musculoskeletal pain. Cervical range of motion and lumbar range of motion in flexion, extension, lateral flexion and (cervical range of motion only) rotation were measured with a digital goniometer. A paired t-test was used to compare the measured parameters before and after the home-exercise therapy programme. A Student's t-test was used to analyse any differences between the experimental and control groups. After the home-exercise therapy, there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in cervical range of motion in flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation, and in lumbar range of motion in lateral flexion. Cervical range of motion in flexion was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the experimental group compared to the control group after therapy. Our results suggest an 8-week intensive home-exercise therapy programme may improve cervical and lumbar range of motion among intensive care nurses. Further studies are needed to develop this simple but effective home-exercise therapy programme to help motivate nurses to perform such exercises regularly. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN19278735. Registered 27 November 2015.

The Effects of the Green House Nursing Home Model on ADL Function Trajectory: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

YOON, Ju Young; BROWN, Roger L.; BOWERS, Barbara J.; SHARKEY, Siobhan S.; HORN, Susan D.

2015-01-01

Background Growing attention in the past few decades has focused on improving care quality and quality of life for nursing home residents. Many traditional nursing homes have attempted to transform themselves to become more homelike emphasizing individualized care. This trend is referred to as nursing home culture change in the U.S. A promising culture change nursing home model, the Green House (GH) nursing home model, has shown positive psychological outcomes. However, little is known about whether the GH nursing home model has positive effects on physical function compared to traditional nursing homes. Objectives To examine the longitudinal effects of the GH nursing home model by comparing change patterns of ADL function over time between GH home residents and traditional nursing home residents. Design A retrospective longitudinal study. Settings Four GH organizations (nine GH units and four traditional units). Participants A total of 242 residents (93 GH residents and 149 traditional home residents) who had stayed in the nursing home at least six months from admission. Methods The outcome was ADL function, and the main independent variable was the facility type in which the resident stayed: a GH or traditional unit. Age, gender, comorbidity score, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms at baseline were controlled. All of these measures were from a minimum dataset. Growth curve modeling and growth mixture modeling were employed in this study for longitudinal analyses. Results The mean ADL function showed deterioration over time, and the rates of deterioration between GH and traditional home residents were not different over time. Four different ADL function trajectories were identified for 18 months, but there was no statistical difference in the likelihood of being in one of the four trajectory classes between the two groups. Conclusions Although GH nursing homes are considered to represent an innovative model changing the nursing home environment into more person-centered, this study did not demonstrate significant differences in ADL function changes for residents in the GH nursing homes compared to traditional nursing homes. Given that the GH model continues to evolve as it is being implemented and variations within and across GH homes are identified, large-scale longitudinal studies are needed to provide further relevant information on the effects of the GH model. PMID:26260709

Modelling non-Euclidean movement and landscape connectivity in highly structured ecological networks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sutherland, Christopher; Fuller, Angela K.; Royle, J. Andrew

2015-01-01

The ecological distance SCR model uses spatially indexed capture-recapture data to estimate how activity patterns are influenced by landscape structure. As well as reducing bias in estimates of abundance, this approach provides biologically realistic representations of home range geometry, and direct information about species-landscape interactions. The incorporation of both structural (landscape) and functional (movement) components of connectivity provides a direct measure of species-specific landscape connectivity.

Assistive Technologies and Issues Relating to Privacy, Ethics and Security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Suzanne; Bengtsson, Johan E.; Dröes, Rose-Marie

Emerging technologies provide the opportunity to develop innovative sustainable service models, capable of supporting adults with dementia at home. Devices range from simple stand-alone components that can generate a responsive alarm call to complex interoperable systems that even can be remotely controlled. From these complex systems the paradigm of the ubiquitous or ambient smart home has emerged, integrating technology, environmental design and traditional care provision. The service context is often complex, involving a variety of stakeholders and a range of interested agencies. Against this backdrop, as anecdotal evidence and government policies spawn further innovation it is critical that due consideration is given to the potential ethical ramifications at an individual, organisational and societal level. Well-grounded ethical thinking and proactive ethical responses to this innovation are required. Explicit policy and practice should therefore emerge which engenders confidence in existing supported living option schemes for adults with dementia and informs further innovation.

Appliance energy efficiency in new home construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1980-11-01

A survey of 224 builders was conducted to which 160 builders responded. Each respondent completed between one and seven separate questionnaires. Each of the seven questionnaires were designed to collect information about one type of equipment or major appliance. These are: heat pump; heating system; air conditioner; domestic water heater; dishwasher; range; and refrigerator. Analyses of the resulting 406 questionnaires indicated that builders were primarily responsible for brand selection. These choices were made primarily without regard for the secondary efficiency of the product. A similar apparent lack of consideration of energy efficiency during brand and model selection was found among home buyers and specialized subcontractors.

Understanding influences and decisions of households with children with asthma regarding temperature and humidity in the home in winter: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Tod, Angela Mary; Nelson, Peter; Cronin de Chavez, Anna; Homer, Catherine; Powell-Hoyland, Vanessa; Stocks, Amanda

2016-01-06

This study aimed to understand the influences and decisions of households with children with asthma regarding keeping warm and well at home in winter. Community settings in Rotherham and Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK. Individuals from 35 families and 25 health, education and social care staff underwent interview. 5 group interviews were held, 1 with parents (n=20) and 4 with staff (n=25). This qualitative study incorporated in-depth, semistructured individual and group interviews, framework analysis and social marketing segmentation techniques. The research identifies a range of psychological and contextual influences on parents that may inadvertently place a child with asthma at risk of cold, damp and worsening health in a home. Parents have to balance a range of factors to manage fluctuating temperatures, damp conditions and mould. Participants were constantly assessing their family's needs against the resources available to them. Influences, barriers and needs interacted in ways that meant they made 'trade-offs' that drove their behaviour regarding the temperature and humidity of the home, including partial self-disconnection from their energy supply. Evidence was also seen of parents lacking knowledge and understanding while working their way through conflicting and confusing information or advice from a range of professionals including health, social care and housing. Pressure on parents was increased when they had to provide help and support for extended family and friends. The findings illustrate how and why a child with asthma may be at risk of a cold home. A 'trade-off model' has been developed as an output of the research to explain the competing demands on families. Messages emerge about the importance of tailored advice and information to families vulnerable to cold-related harm. 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/

Spatial organization of a reintroduced population of bobcats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Diefenbach, D.R.; Hansen, L.A.; Warren, R.J.; Conroy, M.J.

2006-01-01

The spacing patterns and mating systems of solitary carnivores have important implications for social behavior and for the survival and reproduction of individuals. Over 2 years, we reintroduced 32 (15 males and 17 females) bobcats (Lynx rufus) to a barrier island off the coast of Georgia and studied patterns of bobcat spatial distribution. Population density increased to 3.1 bobcats/10 km2. We found overlap of the home range for all females on the island increased during 1989-1991 such that, on average, each female shared a home-range area with the equivalent of >2 other females, and for core areas overlap was equivalent to sharing a core area with nearly 1 other female. Reproduction and home-range overlap were related inversely and food resources did not seem to be limiting. Our results were consistent with the land tenure concept in that the initial reintroduced bobcats established home ranges that changed little in size and location. However, bobcats resident on the island for ??? 1 year did not successfully exclude newcomers from their home ranges or core areas and no bobcats retained areas of exclusive use from conspecifics of the same sex. We suggest that the propensity of female bobcats to reproduce successfully may be related to their access to exclusive use areas even under conditions of adequate or good food availability. Under the conditions in this study (moderate bobcat density, adequate food availability, and limited dispersal) bobcats exhibited no evidence of an ability to exclude other adult individuals from their home ranges or core areas. ?? 2006 American Society of Mammalogists.

Spatial Ecology of the Critically Endangered Fijian Crested Iguana, Brachylophus vitiensis, in an Extremely Dense Population: Implications for Conservation

PubMed Central

Morrison, Suzanne F.; Biciloa, Pita; Harlow, Peter S.; Keogh, J. Scott

2013-01-01

The Critically Endangered Fijian crested iguana, Brachylophus vitiensis, occurs at extreme density at only one location, with estimates of >10,000 iguanas living on the 70 hectare island of Yadua Taba in Fiji. We conducted a mark and recapture study over two wet seasons, investigating the spatial ecology and intraspecific interactions of the strictly arboreal Fijian crested iguana. This species exhibits moderate male-biased sexual size dimorphism, which has been linked in other lizard species to territoriality, aggression and larger male home ranges. We found that male Fijian crested iguanas exhibit high injury levels, indicative of frequent aggressive interactions. We did not find support for larger home range size in adult males relative to adult females, however male and female residents were larger than roaming individuals. Males with established home ranges also had larger femoral pores relative to body size than roaming males. Home range areas were small in comparison to those of other iguana species, and we speculate that the extreme population density impacts considerably on the spatial ecology of this population. There was extensive home range overlap within and between sexes. Intersexual overlap was greater than intrasexual overlap for both sexes, and continuing male-female pairings were observed among residents. Our results suggest that the extreme population density necessitates extensive home range overlap even though the underlying predictors of territoriality, such as male biased sexual size dimorphism and high aggression levels, remain. Our findings should be factored in to conservation management efforts for this species, particularly in captive breeding and translocation programs. PMID:24019902

Spatial ecology of the critically endangered Fijian crested iguana, Brachylophus vitiensis, in an extremely dense population: implications for conservation.

PubMed

Morrison, Suzanne F; Biciloa, Pita; Harlow, Peter S; Keogh, J Scott

2013-01-01

The Critically Endangered Fijian crested iguana, Brachylophus vitiensis, occurs at extreme density at only one location, with estimates of >10,000 iguanas living on the 70 hectare island of Yadua Taba in Fiji. We conducted a mark and recapture study over two wet seasons, investigating the spatial ecology and intraspecific interactions of the strictly arboreal Fijian crested iguana. This species exhibits moderate male-biased sexual size dimorphism, which has been linked in other lizard species to territoriality, aggression and larger male home ranges. We found that male Fijian crested iguanas exhibit high injury levels, indicative of frequent aggressive interactions. We did not find support for larger home range size in adult males relative to adult females, however male and female residents were larger than roaming individuals. Males with established home ranges also had larger femoral pores relative to body size than roaming males. Home range areas were small in comparison to those of other iguana species, and we speculate that the extreme population density impacts considerably on the spatial ecology of this population. There was extensive home range overlap within and between sexes. Intersexual overlap was greater than intrasexual overlap for both sexes, and continuing male-female pairings were observed among residents. Our results suggest that the extreme population density necessitates extensive home range overlap even though the underlying predictors of territoriality, such as male biased sexual size dimorphism and high aggression levels, remain. Our findings should be factored in to conservation management efforts for this species, particularly in captive breeding and translocation programs.

Factors associated with fulfilling the preference for dying at home among cancer patients: the role of general practitioners.

PubMed

Ko, Winne; Miccinesi, Guido; Beccaro, Monica; Moreels, Sarah; Donker, Gé A; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje; Alonso, Tomás V; Deliens, Luc; Van den Block, Lieve

2014-01-01

This study aimed to explore clinical and care-related factors associated with fulfilling cancer patients' preference for home death across four countries: Belgium (BE), The Netherlands (NL), Italy (IT), and Spain (ES). A mortality follow-back study was undertaken from 2009 to 2011 via representative networks of general practitioners (GPs). The study included all patients aged 18 and over who had died of cancer and whose home death preference and place of death were known by the GP. Factors associated with meeting home death preference were tested using multivariable logistic regressions. Among 2,048 deceased patients, preferred and actual place of death was known in 42.6 percent of cases. Home death preference met ranged from 65.5 to 90.9 percent. Country-specific factors included older age in BE, and decision-making capacity and being female in the NL. GPs' provision of palliative care was positively associated with meeting home death preference. Odds ratios (ORs) were: BE: 9.9 (95 percent confidence interval [CI] 3.7-26.6); NL: 9.7 (2.4-39.9); and IT: 2.6 (1.2-5.5). ORs for Spain are not shown because a multivariate model was not performed. Those who develop policy to facilitate home death need to examine available resources for primary end-of-life care.

Layered Learning in Multi-Agent Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-12-15

project almost from the beginning has tirelessly experimented with different robot architectures, always managing to pull things together and create...TEAM MEMBER AGENT ARCHITECTURE I " ! Midfielder, Left : • i ) ( ^ J Goalie , Center Home Coordinates Home Range Max Range Figure

Sexual differentiation in the distribution potential of northern jaguars (Panthera onca)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boydston, Erin E.; Lopez Gonzalez, Carlos A.

2005-01-01

We estimated the potential geographic distribution of jaguars in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico by modeling the jaguar ecological niche from occurrence records. We modeled separately the distribution of males and females, assuming records of females probably represented established home ranges while male records likely included dispersal movements. The predicted distribution for males was larger than that for females. Eastern Sonora appeared capable for supporting male and female jaguars with potential range expansion into southeastern Arizona. New Mexico and Chihuahua contained environmental characteristics primarily limited to the male niche and thus may be areas into which males occasionally disperse.

The Home Independence Program with non-health professionals as care managers: an evaluation.

PubMed

Lewin, Gill; Concanen, Karyn; Youens, David

2016-01-01

The Home Independence Program (HIP), an Australian restorative home care/reablement service for older adults, has been shown to be effective in reducing functional dependency and increasing functional mobility, confidence in everyday activities, and quality of life. These gains were found to translate into a reduced need for ongoing care services and reduced health and aged care costs over time. Despite these positive outcomes, few Australian home care agencies have adopted the service model - a key reason being that few Australian providers employ health professionals, who act as care managers under the HIP service model. A call for proposals from Health Workforce Australia for projects to expand the scope of practice of health/aged care staff then provided the opportunity to develop, implement, and evaluate a service delivery model, in which nonprofessionals replaced the health professionals as Care Managers in the HIP service. Seventy older people who received the HIP Coordinator (HIPC) service participated in the outcomes evaluation. On a range of personal outcome measures, the group showed statistically significant improvement at 3 and 12 months compared to baseline. On each outcome, the improvement observed was larger than that observed in a previous trial in which the service was delivered by health professionals. However, differences in the timing of data collection between the two studies mean that a direct comparison cannot be made. Clients in both studies showed a similarly reduced need for ongoing home care services at both follow-up points. The outcomes achieved by HIPC, with non-health professionals as Care Managers, were positive and can be considered to compare favorably with the outcomes achieved in HIP when health professionals take the Care Manager role. These findings will be of interest to managers of home care services and to policy makers interested in reducing the long-term care needs of older community dwelling individuals.

Substitution of Formal and Informal Home Care Service Use and Nursing Home Service Use: Health Outcomes, Decision-Making Preferences, and Implications for a Public Health Policy.

PubMed

Chen, Chia-Ching; Yamada, Tetsuji; Nakashima, Taeko; Chiu, I-Ming

2017-01-01

The purposes of this study are: (1) to empirically identify decision-making preferences of long-term health-care use, especially informal and formal home care (FHC) service use; (2) to evaluate outcomes vs. costs based on substitutability of informal and FHC service use; and (3) to investigate health outcome disparity based on substitutability. The methods of ordinary least squares, a logit model, and a bivariate probit model are used by controlling for socioeconomic, demographic, and physical/mental health factors to investigate outcomes and costs based substitutability of informal and formal health-care use. The data come from the 2013 Japanese Study of Aging and Retirement (JSTAR), which is designed by Keizai-Sangyo Kenkyu-jo, Hitotsubashi University, and the University of Tokyo. The JSTAR is a globally comparable data survey of the elderly. There exists a complement relationship between the informal home care (IHC) and community-based FHC services, and the elasticity's ranges from 0.18 to 0.22. These are reasonable results, which show that unobservable factors are positively related to IHC and community-based FHC, but negatively related to nursing home (NH) services based on our bivariate probit model. Regarding health-care outcome efficiency issue, the IHC is the best one among three types of elderly care: IHC, community-based FHC, and NH services. Health improvement/outcome of elderly with the IHC is heavier concentrated on IHC services than the elderly care services by community-based FHC and NH care services. Policy makers need to address a diversity of health outcomes and efficiency of services based on providing services to elderly through resource allocation to the different types of long-term care. A provision of partial or full compensation for elderly care at home is recommendable and a viable option to improve their quality of lives.

Home Literacy, Television Viewing, Fidgeting and ADHD in Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Froiland, John Mark; Davison, Mark L.

2016-01-01

Factors related to parent ratings of young children's (mean age = 3.72, range = 3-6) fidgeting and reports of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were examined in a nationally representative sample of US families via the National Household Education Surveys. In structural equation models, the number of television hours viewed daily was…

Better Outcomes for All: Promoting Partnerships Between Head Start and State Pre-K

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stebbins, Helene; Scott, L. Carol

2007-01-01

Every day, millions of three- and four-year-old children attend early education programs. The range of early childhood education program models includes, among others, state-funded pre-k, Head Start, and child care programs. Children attend these programs in public schools, private schools, colleges, businesses, community-based centers, and homes.…

Predicting carnivore occurrence with noninvasive surveys and occupancy modeling

Treesearch

Robert Long; Therese Donovan; Paula MacKay; William Zielinski; Jeffrey Buzas

2011-01-01

Terrestrial carnivores typically have large home ranges and exist at low population densities, thus presenting challenges to wildlife researchers. We employed multiple, noninvasive survey methods—scat detection dogs, remote cameras, and hair snares—to collect detection–nondetection data for elusive American black bears (Ursus americanus), fishers...

Home range and habitat use by Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) in Southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bennett, J.R.; Bloom, P.H.

2005-01-01

Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) are a common, widespread species that can be found in a variety of habitats across most of North America, but little is known about their space and habitat requirements. Using radiotelemetry, location data were collected on nine male and five female Great Horned Owls to determine home range and habitat use in southern California. Owls were tracked between January 1997 and September 1998 for periods ranging from 5-17 mo. Seven owls were also followed during 13 all-night observation periods. The mean 95% adaptive kernel home-range size for females was 180 ha (range = 88-282, SE = 36) and that for males was 425 ha (range = 147-1115 ha, SE = 105). Core areas estimated by the 50% adaptive kernel averaged 27 ha (range = 7-44, SE = 7) for females and 61 ha (range = 15-187, SE = 18) for males. Owls were located in areas with varying degrees of human disturbance ranging from almost entirely urban to native oak (Quercus agrifolia) woodland. Oak/sycamore (Quercus agrifolia/Platanus racemosa) woodland and ruderal grassland (Bromus spp., Avena spp., and various other non-native invasives), were used more often than expected based on availability, but we found no correlation between home-range size and any single habitat type or habitat groups. ?? 2005 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.

The effects of the Green House nursing home model on ADL function trajectory: A retrospective longitudinal study.

PubMed

Yoon, Ju Young; Brown, Roger L; Bowers, Barbara J; Sharkey, Siobhan S; Horn, Susan D

2016-01-01

Growing attention in the past few decades has focused on improving care quality and quality of life for nursing home residents. Many traditional nursing homes have attempted to transform themselves to become more homelike emphasizing individualized care. This trend is referred to as nursing home culture change in the U.S. A promising culture change nursing home model, the Green House nursing home model, has shown positive psychological outcomes. However, little is known about whether the Green House nursing home model has positive effects on physical function compared to traditional nursing homes. To examine the longitudinal effects of the Green House nursing home model by comparing change patterns of activities of daily living function over time between Green House home residents and traditional nursing home residents. A retrospective longitudinal study. Four Green House organizations (nine Green House units and four traditional units). A total of 242 residents (93 Green House residents and 149 traditional home residents) who had stayed in the nursing home at least 6 months from admission. The outcome was activities of daily living function, and the main independent variable was the facility type in which the resident stayed: a Green House or traditional unit. Age, gender, comorbidity score, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms at baseline were controlled. All of these measures were from a minimum dataset. Growth curve modeling and growth mixture modeling were employed in this study for longitudinal analyses. The mean activities of daily living function showed deterioration over time, and the rates of deterioration between Green House and traditional home residents were not different over time. Four different activities of daily living function trajectories were identified for 18 months, but there was no statistical difference in the likelihood of being in one of the four trajectory classes between the two groups. Although Green House nursing homes are considered to represent an innovative model changing the nursing home environment into more person-centered, this study did not demonstrate significant differences in activities of daily living function changes for residents in the Green House nursing homes compared to traditional nursing homes. Given that the Green House model continues to evolve as it is being implemented and variations within and across Green House homes are identified, large-scale longitudinal studies are needed to provide further relevant information on the effects of the Green House model. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of state-level expenditures for home- and community-based services on the risk of becoming a long-stay nursing home resident after hip fracture.

PubMed

Blackburn, J; Locher, J L; Morrisey, M A; Becker, D J; Kilgore, M L

2016-03-01

This study measures the effect of spending policies for long-term care services on the risk of becoming a long-stay nursing home resident after a hip fracture. Relative spending on community-based services may reduce the risk of long-term nursing home residence. Policies favoring alternative sources of care may provide opportunities for older adults to remain community-bound. This study aims to understand how long-term care policies affect outcomes by investigating the effect of state-level spending for home- and community-based services (HCBSs) on the likelihood of an individual's nursing home placement following hip fracture. This study uses data from the 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries from 2005 to 2010 to identify incident hip fractures among dual-eligibility, community-dwelling adults aged at least 65 years. A multilevel generalized estimating equation (GEE) model estimated the association between an individual's risk of nursing home residence within 1 year and the percent of states' Medicaid long-term support service (LTSS) budget allocated to HCBS. Other covariates included expenditures for Title III services and individual demographic and health status characteristics. States vary considerably in HCBS spending, ranging from 17.7 to 83.8% of the Medicaid LTSS budget in 2009. Hip fractures were observed from claims among 7778 beneficiaries; 34% were admitted to a nursing home and 25% died within 1 year. HCBS spending was associated with a decreased risk of nursing home residence by 0.17 percentage points (p 0.056). Consistent with other studies, our findings suggest that state policies favoring an emphasis on HCBS may reduce nursing home residence among low-income older adults with hip fracture who are at high risk for institutionalization.

Validity of parent's self-reported responses to home safety questions.

PubMed

Osborne, Jodie M; Shibl, Rania; Cameron, Cate M; Kendrick, Denise; Lyons, Ronan A; Spinks, Anneliese B; Sipe, Neil; McClure, Roderick J

2016-09-01

The aim of the study was to describe the validity of parent's self-reported responses to questions on home safety practices for children of 2-4 years. A cross-sectional validation study compared parent's self-administered responses to items in the Home Injury Prevention Survey with home observations undertaken by trained researchers. The relationship between the questionnaire and observation results was assessed using percentage agreement, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and intraclass correlation coefficients. Percentage agreements ranged from 44% to 100% with 40 of the total 45 items scoring higher than 70%. Sensitivities ranged from 0% to 100%, with 27 items scoring at least 70%. Specificities also ranged from 0% to 100%, with 33 items scoring at least 70%. As such, the study identified a series of self-administered home safety questions that have sensitivities, specificities and predictive values sufficiently high to allow the information to be useful in research and injury prevention practice.

The SKI*HI Model: Programming for Hearing Impaired Infants through Home Intervention, Home Visit Curriculum. Fourth Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Thomas C.; Watkins, Susan

The manual describes the SKI*HI Model, a comprehensive approach to identification and home intervention treatment of hearing impaired children and their families. The model features home programing in four basic areas: the home hearing aid program (nine lessons which facilitate the proper fit and acceptance of amplification by the child), home…

Home range and space use patterns of flathead catfish during the summer-fall period in two Missouri streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vokoun, Jason C.; Rabeni, Charles F.

2005-01-01

Flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris were radio-tracked in the Grand River and Cuivre River, Missouri, from late July until they moved to overwintering habitats in late October. Fish moved within a definable area, and although occasional long-distance movements occurred, the fish typically returned to the previously occupied area. Seasonal home range was calculated with the use of kernel density estimation, which can be interpreted as a probabilistic utilization distribution that documents the internal structure of the estimate by delineating portions of the range that was used a specified percentage of the time. A traditional linear range also was reported. Most flathead catfish (89%) had one 50% kernel-estimated core area, whereas 11% of the fish split their time between two core areas. Core areas were typically in the middle of the 90% kernel-estimated home range (58%), although several had core areas in upstream (26%) and downstream (16%) portions of the home range. Home-range size did not differ based on river, sex, or size and was highly variable among individuals. The median 95% kernel estimate was 1,085 m (range, 70– 69,090 m) for all fish. The median 50% kernel-estimated core area was 135 m (10–2,260 m). The median linear range was 3,510 m (150–50,400 m). Fish pairs with core areas in the same and neighboring pools had static joint space use values of up to 49% (area of intersection index), indicating substantial overlap and use of the same area. However, all fish pairs had low dynamic joint space use values (<0.07; coefficient of association), indicating that fish pairs were temporally segregated, rarely occurring in the same location at the same time.

Smells Like Home: The Role of Olfactory Cues in the Homing Behavior of Blacktip Sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus.

PubMed

Gardiner, Jayne M; Whitney, Nicholas M; Hueter, Robert E

2015-09-01

Animal navigation in the marine environment is believed to be guided by different sensory cues over different spatial scales. Geomagnetic cues are thought to guide long-range navigation, while visual or olfactory cues allow animals to pinpoint precise locations, but the complete behavioral sequence is not yet understood. Terra Ceia Bay is a primary nursery area for blacktip sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus, on southwestern Florida's Gulf of Mexico coast. Young-of-the-year animals show strong fidelity to a specific home range in the northeastern end of the bay and rapidly return when displaced. Older juveniles demonstrate annual philopatry for the first few years, migrating as far south as the Florida Keys each fall, then returning to Terra Ceia Bay each spring. To examine the sensory cues used in homing, we captured neonate (<3 weeks old) blacktip sharks from within their home range, fitted them with acoustic tags, and translocated them to sites 8 km away in adjacent Tampa Bay and released them. Intact animals returned to their home range, within 34 h on average, and remained there. With olfaction blocked, fewer animals returned to their home range and they took longer to do so, 130 h on average. However, they did not remain there but instead moved throughout Terra Ceia Bay and in and out of Tampa Bay. Since sharks from both treatments returned at night in tannic and turbid water, vision is likely not playing a major role in navigation by these animals. The animals in this study also returned on incoming or slack tides, suggesting that sharks, like many other fish, may use selective tidal stream transport to conserve energy and aid navigation during migration. Collectively, these results suggest that while other cues, possibly geomagnetic and/or tidal information, might guide sharks over long distances, olfactory cues are required for recognizing their specific home range. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Home Visiting Programs: What the Primary Care Clinician Should Know.

PubMed

Finello, Karen Moran; Terteryan, Araksi; Riewerts, Robert J

2016-04-01

Responsibilities for primary care clinicians are rapidly expanding ascomplexities in families' lives create increased disparities in health and developmental outcomes for young children. Despite the demands on primary care clinicians to promote health in the context of complex family and community factors, most primary care clinicians are operating in an environment of limited training and a shortage of resources for supporting families. Partnerships with evidence-based home visiting programs for very young children and their families can provide a resource that will help to reduce the impact of adverse early childhood experiences and facilitate health equity. Home visiting programs in the United States are typically voluntary and designed to be preventative in nature, although families are usually offered services based on significant risk criteria since the costs associated with universal approaches have been considered prohibitive. Programs may be funded within the health (physical orbehavioral/mental health), child welfare, early education, or early intervention systems or by private foundation dollars focused primarily on oneof the above systems (e.g., health), with a wide range of outcomes targeted by the programs and funders. Services may be primarily focused on the child, the parent, or parent-child interactions. Services include the development of targeted and individualized intervention strategies, better coaching of parents, and improved modeling of interactions that may assist struggling families. This paper provides a broad overview ofthe history of home visiting, theoretical bases of home visiting programs, key components of evidence-based models, outcomes typically targeted, research on effectiveness, cost information, challenges and benefits of home visiting, and funding/sustainability concerns. Significance for primary care clinicians isdescribed specifically and information relevant for clinicians is emphasized throughout the paper. Copyright © 2016 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Smoke-free rules and secondhand smoke exposure in homes and vehicles among US adults, 2009-2010.

PubMed

King, Brian A; Dube, Shanta R; Homa, David M

2013-05-16

An increasing number of US states and localities have implemented comprehensive policies prohibiting tobacco smoking in all indoor areas of public places and worksites. However, private settings such as homes and vehicles remain a major source of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) for many people. This study assessed the prevalence and correlates of voluntary smoke-free rules and SHS exposure in homes and vehicles among US adults. We obtained data from the 2009-2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey, a landline and cellular-telephone survey of adults aged 18 years or older residing in the 50 US states or the District of Columbia. We calculated national and state estimates of smoke-free rules and past-7-day SHS exposure in homes and vehicles and examined national estimates by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and education. The national prevalence of voluntary smoke-free home rules was 81.1% (state range, 67.9%-92.9%), and the prevalence of household smoke-free vehicle rules was 73.6% (state range, 58.6%-85.8%). Among nonsmokers, the prevalence of SHS exposure was 6.0% in homes (state range, 2.4%-13.0%) and 9.2% in vehicles (state range, 4.8%-13.7%). SHS exposure among nonsmokers was greatest among men, younger adults, non-Hispanic blacks, and those with a lower level of education. Most US adults report having voluntary smoke-free home and vehicle rules; however, millions of people remain exposed to SHS in these environments. Disparities in exposure also exist among certain states and subpopulations. Efforts are needed to warn about the dangers of SHS and to promote voluntary smoke-free home and vehicle rules.

Associations between plasma concentrations of PCB 28 and possible indoor exposure sources in Danish school children and mothers.

PubMed

Egsmose, Emilie Lund; Bräuner, Elvira Vaclavik; Frederiksen, Marie; Mørck, Thit Aarøe; Siersma, Volkert Dirk; Hansen, Pernille Winton; Nielsen, Flemming; Grandjean, Philippe; Knudsen, Lisbeth E

2016-02-01

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitously present in the environment and are suspected of carcinogenic, neurotoxic and immunotoxic effects. Significantly higher plasma concentrations of the congener PCB 28 occur in children compared to adults. Exposure in schools may contribute to this difference. To determine whether increased blood plasma concentrations of PCB 28 in Danish school children and mothers are associated with living in homes or attending schools constructed in the PCB period (1959-1977). PCB 28 was analyzed in plasma samples from 116 children aged 6-11years and 143 mothers living in an urban and a rural area in Denmark and participating in the European pilot project DEMOCOPHES (Demonstration of a study to COordinate and Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale). In Denmark, PCBs were used in construction in the period 1950-1977, and year of construction or renovation of the homes and schools was used as a proxy for indoor PCB exposure. Linear regression models were used to assess the association between potential PCB exposure from building materials and lipid adjusted concentrations of PCB 28 in plasma, with and without adjustment for potential confounders. Among the 116 children and 143 mothers, we were able to specify home construction period in all but 4 children and 5 mothers leaving 111 children and 138 mothers for our analyses. The median lipid adjusted plasma PCB 28 concentration was 3 (range: 1-28) ng/g lipid in the children and 2 (range: 1-8) ng/g lipid in the mothers. Children living in homes built in the PCB period had significantly higher lipid adjusted plasma PCB 28 concentrations compared to children living in homes built before or after the PCB period. Following adjustment for covariates, PCB 28 concentrations in children were 40 (95% CI: 13; 68) percent higher than concentrations of children living in homes constructed at other times. Furthermore, children attending schools built or substantially refurbished in the PCB period also had significantly higher (46%, 95% CI: 22; 70) PCB 28 concentrations compared to children attending schools constructed before or after the PCB period, while their mothers had similar concentrations. Adjustment for the most prevalent congener, PCB 153, did not change this effect of home or school construction. When both home and school construction year were included in the models, the increase in lipid adjusted plasma PCB 28 for children living in or attending schools from the PCB period was no longer statistically significant. The individual effect of home and school construction periods could not be evaluated further with the available data. Our results suggest that PCB exposure in the indoor environment in schools and homes constructed during the PCB period may contribute significantly to children's plasma PCB 28 concentration. Efforts to minimize PCB exposure in indoor environments should be considered. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantifying space use of breeders and floaters of a long-lived species using individual movement data.

PubMed

Penteriani, Vincenzo; del Mar Delgado, Maria; Campioni, Letizia

2015-06-01

To date, animal movement studies have mostly analysed the movement behaviours of individuals at specific times of their lives, but we lack detailed information on how individual movements may be affected by the various and different changes that individuals experience throughout their life (e.g. life history phases, experience, age). Here, we attempt to identify differences in home range and movement behaviour between two different statuses, disperser vs. breeder, of a long-lived species (the eagle owl Bubo bubo). Information on home range and movement behaviour between different stages of an individual life are crucial for species conservation and management, as well as for basic knowledge on space use and rhythm of activity. Does the transition from an exploratory stage to moving within more familiar surroundings call for changes in the movement behaviour? We observed notable differences during the two stages of the owls' lives, with individuals having different home range behaviours and rhythms of activity depending on their social status. Significant differences in home range behaviour between the sexes began only with the acquisition of a breeding site. Breeders showed larger home ranges than dispersing individuals, although nightly variation of home ranges size was higher for dispersers than for breeders. Finally, dispersers were active throughout the night, whereas breeders displayed a less active movement phase at both the beginning and end of the night. Our results demonstrate it is important to consider individual variations in space use and movement behaviour due to the different life history phases that they attain during their lifetime. The knowledge of the different needs of a species across life stages may represent an important tool for species conservation because each phase of an individual life may need different requirements.

Quantifying space use of breeders and floaters of a long-lived species using individual movement data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penteriani, Vincenzo; del Mar Delgado, Maria; Campioni, Letizia

2015-06-01

To date, animal movement studies have mostly analysed the movement behaviours of individuals at specific times of their lives, but we lack detailed information on how individual movements may be affected by the various and different changes that individuals experience throughout their life (e.g. life history phases, experience, age). Here, we attempt to identify differences in home range and movement behaviour between two different statuses, disperser vs. breeder, of a long-lived species (the eagle owl Bubo bubo). Information on home range and movement behaviour between different stages of an individual life are crucial for species conservation and management, as well as for basic knowledge on space use and rhythm of activity. Does the transition from an exploratory stage to moving within more familiar surroundings call for changes in the movement behaviour? We observed notable differences during the two stages of the owls' lives, with individuals having different home range behaviours and rhythms of activity depending on their social status. Significant differences in home range behaviour between the sexes began only with the acquisition of a breeding site. Breeders showed larger home ranges than dispersing individuals, although nightly variation of home ranges size was higher for dispersers than for breeders. Finally, dispersers were active throughout the night, whereas breeders displayed a less active movement phase at both the beginning and end of the night. Our results demonstrate it is important to consider individual variations in space use and movement behaviour due to the different life history phases that they attain during their lifetime. The knowledge of the different needs of a species across life stages may represent an important tool for species conservation because each phase of an individual life may need different requirements.

Twenty-year home-range dynamics of a white-tailed deer matriline

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Michael E.; Mech, L. David

1999-01-01

We examined the seasonal migration and home-range dynamics of a multigeneration white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) matriline comprising six females from four generations spanning a 20-year period in northeastern Minnesota. All, from the matriarch to her great-granddaughter, migrated to the same summer and winter ranges, the longest individual record being 14.5 years. Three maternal females concurrently occupied exclusive fawning sites within their ancestral matriarch's summer range, while two nonmaternal females explored new areas and ranged near their mothers. One great-granddaughter expanded her summer range 1 km beyond the matriarch's summer range while essentially vacating half of her ancestors' range and becoming nonmigratory the last 4 years of her life. These data indicate that individual movements of matriline members can potentially expand their ranges beyond the areas occupied by their ancestors through a slow process of small incremental changes. This suggests that the rapid extension of deer range in eastern North America resulted from natal dispersal by yearling deer rather than from the type of home-range expansion reported here.

Frequency of eating home cooked meals and potential benefits for diet and health: cross-sectional analysis of a population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Mills, Susanna; Brown, Heather; Wrieden, Wendy; White, Martin; Adams, Jean

2017-08-17

Reported associations between preparing and eating home cooked food, and both diet and health, are inconsistent. Most previous research has focused on preparing, rather than eating, home cooked food; used small, non-population based samples; and studied markers of nutrient intake, rather than overall diet quality or health. We aimed to assess whether frequency of consuming home cooked meals was cross-sectionally associated with diet quality and cardio-metabolic health. We used baseline data from a United Kingdom population-based cohort study of adults aged 29 to 64 years (n = 11,396). Participants self-reported frequency of consuming home cooked main meals. Diet quality was assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Score, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score, fruit and vegetable intake calculated from a 130-item food frequency questionnaire, and plasma vitamin C. Markers of cardio-metabolic health were researcher-measured body mass index (BMI), percentage body fat, haemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ), cholesterol and hypertension. Differences across the three exposure categories were assessed using linear regression (diet variables) and logistic regression (health variables). Eating home cooked meals more frequently was associated with greater adherence to DASH and Mediterranean diets, greater fruit and vegetable intakes and higher plasma vitamin C, in adjusted models. Those eating home cooked meals more than five times, compared with less than three times per week, consumed 62.3 g more fruit (99% CI 43.2 to 81.5) and 97.8 g more vegetables (99% CI 84.4 to 111.2) daily. More frequent consumption of home cooked meals was associated with greater likelihood of having normal range BMI and normal percentage body fat. Associations with HbA 1c , cholesterol and hypertension were not significant in adjusted models. Those consuming home cooked meals more than five times, compared with less than three times per week, were 28% less likely to have overweight BMI (99% CI 8 to 43%), and 24% less likely to have excess percentage body fat (99% CI 5 to 40%). In a large population-based cohort study, eating home cooked meals more frequently was associated with better dietary quality and lower adiposity. Further prospective research is required to identify whether consumption of home cooked meals has causal effects on diet and health.

Nursing home queues and home health users.

PubMed

Swan, J H; Benjamin, A E

1993-01-01

Home health market growth suggests the need for models explaining home health utilization. We have previously explained state-level Medicare home health visits with reference to nursing home markets. Here we introduce a model whereby state-level Medicare home health use is a function of nursing home queues and other demand and supply factors. Medicare home health users per state population is negatively related to nursing home bed stock, positively to Medicaid eligibility levels and to Medicaid nursing home recipients per population, as well as to various other demand and supply measures. This explanation of home health users explains previously-reported findings for home health visits. The findings support the argument that home health use is explained by factors affecting lengths of nursing home queues.

Are Plant Species Able to Keep Pace with the Rapidly Changing Climate?

PubMed Central

Cunze, Sarah; Heydel, Felix; Tackenberg, Oliver

2013-01-01

Future climate change is predicted to advance faster than the postglacial warming. Migration may therefore become a key driver for future development of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. For 140 European plant species we computed past range shifts since the last glacial maximum and future range shifts for a variety of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios and global circulation models (GCMs). Range shift rates were estimated by means of species distribution modelling (SDM). With process-based seed dispersal models we estimated species-specific migration rates for 27 dispersal modes addressing dispersal by wind (anemochory) for different wind conditions, as well as dispersal by mammals (dispersal on animal's coat – epizoochory and dispersal by animals after feeding and digestion – endozoochory) considering different animal species. Our process-based modelled migration rates generally exceeded the postglacial range shift rates indicating that the process-based models we used are capable of predicting migration rates that are in accordance with realized past migration. For most of the considered species, the modelled migration rates were considerably lower than the expected future climate change induced range shift rates. This implies that most plant species will not entirely be able to follow future climate-change-induced range shifts due to dispersal limitation. Animals with large day- and home-ranges are highly important for achieving high migration rates for many plant species, whereas anemochory is relevant for only few species. PMID:23894290

Home range and movements of juvenile Puerto Rican parrots

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindsey, G.D.; Arendt, W.J.; Kalina, J.; Pendleton, G.W.

1991-01-01

We studied home range and movements of 15 radio-marked, juvenile Puerto Rican parrots (Amazona vittata) fledging from wild nests during summer and fall, 1985-87. When juvenile parrots remained in the nest valley, home ranges during 1986 (.hivin.x = 32 .+-. 10 [SE] ha, n = 4) were larger (P = 0.0079) than during 1987 (.hivin.x = 13 .+-. 6 ha, n = 5). After radio-marked parrots integrated into adult flocks, home ranges during 1986 (.hivin.x = 1,075 .+-. 135 ha, n = 3) were similar (P = 0.10) to 1987 (.hivin.x = 416 .+-. 62 ha, n = 2). Juvenile parrots restricted their movements to nest valleys an average of 58 .+-. 29 days following fledging. After joining adult flocks, juvenile parrots routinely flew between the east and west slopes of the Luquillo Mountains but did not exhibit a seaonal pattern of movement. We recommend that captive-raised, juvenile parrots used in release programs be .gtoreq. 5 months old to ensure they are mature enough to integrate into wild flocks.

Home ranges and satellite tactics of male green swordtails (Xiphophorus helleri) in nature.

PubMed

Franck, D; Klamroth, B; Taebel-Hellwig, A; Schartl, M

1998-05-01

Dominance relationships were studied between marked or otherwise individually recognizable male green swordtails in a creek at Lake Catemaco and in a tributary of the Rio Atoyac (Veracruz, Mexico). The Atoyac population is unique because of a high degree of polymorphism, including both macromelanophore spotting and a micromelanophore tailspot pattern. During the dry season males living in the same area maintained a linear social hierarchy for periods of many days. The subordinate males settled down either in the same home ranges or in home ranges largely overlapping with that of dominant males. Although dominant males untiringly chased the subordinate males away, they returned persistently and achieved the status of non-tolerated satellites. Females were less stationary and presumably passed through many male home ranges during their feeding activities. The data clearly demonstrate that green swordtails live in complex social systems in which male-male competition and probably also female mate choice are likely to be essential factors for individual reproductive success.

Heart Rate Monitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

Under a NASA grant, Dr. Robert M. Davis and Dr. William M. Portnoy came up with a new type of electrocardiographic electrode that would enable long term use on astronauts. Their invention was an insulated capacitive electrode constructed of a thin dielectric film. NASA subsequently licensed the electrode technology to Richard Charnitski, inventor of the VersaClimber, who founded Heart Rate, Inc., to further develop and manufacture personal heart monitors and to produce exercise machines using the technology for the physical fitness, medical and home markets. Same technology is on both the Home and Institutional Model VersaClimbers. On the Home Model an infrared heart beat transmitter is worn under exercise clothing. Transmitted heart rate is used to control the work intensity on the VersaClimber using the heart rate as the speedometer of the exercise. This offers advantages to a full range of users from the cardiac rehab patient to the high level physical conditioning of elite athletes. The company manufactures and markets five models of the 1*2*3 HEART RATE monitors that are used wherever people exercise to accurately monitor their heart rate. Company is developing a talking heart rate monitor that works with portable headset radios. A version of the heart beat transmitter will be available to the manufacturers of other aerobic exercise machines.

Indoor radio channel modeling and mitigation of fading effects using linear and circular polarized antennas in combination for smart home system at 868 MHz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wunderlich, S.; Welpot, M.; Gaspard, I.

2014-11-01

The markets for smart home products and services are expected to grow over the next years, driven by the increasing demands of homeowners considering energy monitoring, management, environmental controls and security. Many of these new systems will be installed in existing homes and offices and therefore using radio based systems for cost reduction. A drawback of radio based systems in indoor environments are fading effects which lead to a high variance of the received signal strength and thereby to a difficult predictability of the encountered path loss of the various communication links. For that reason it is necessary to derive a statistical path loss model which can be used to plan a reliable and cost effective radio network. This paper presents the results of a measurement campaign, which was performed in six buildings to deduce realistic radio channel models for a high variety of indoor radio propagation scenarios in the short range devices (SRD) band at 868 MHz. Furthermore, a potential concept to reduce the variance of the received signal strength using a circular polarized (CP) patch antenna in combination with a linear polarized antenna in an one-to-one communication link is presented.

Populations and home range relationships of the box turtle, Terrapene carolina (Linnaeus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stickel, L.F.

1949-01-01

A population study of Terrapene carolina (Linnaeus) was made at the Patuxent Research Refuge, Maryland, from 1944 to 1947. A thirty acre area in bottomland forest was selected for intensive study. Turtles were marked by filing notches in marginal scutes according to a code. Turtles make extensive use of brushy shelter during the day as well.as at night. Gully banks and woods openings are used for sunning. Nights are usually spent in a 'form,' constructed by the turtle in leaves, debris, or earth. A form may be used once or it may be used repeatedly by the same or different turtles. Weather conditions most favorable to turtle activity are high humidity, warm sunny days, and frequent rains. Periods of activity are alternated with periods of quiet, even in favorable weather. There is no evidence for territorialism. Ranges of turtles of all ages and both sexes overlap grossly. Turtles are frequently found near each other but no antagonistic behavior has been observed. Adult turtles occupy specific home ranges which they maintain from year to year. Turtles retained their ranges even though a flood that completely covered the study area. Maximum home range diameters were determined by measurements of the mapped ranges of individual turtles. There was no significant difference between sizes of male and female ranges: males 33O+ 26 feet, females 37O+29 feet. A trail-laying device was used in following travel routes for 456 turtle days. Normal movements within the home range are characterized by (1) turns, doublings, detours, and criss-crossing paths, (2) interspersion of fairly direct traverses of the home range, (3) frequently repeated travels over certain routes. Maximum limits of the home range are ordinarily reached within a few days or weeks, although some turtles cover only one portion of the range at a time. Some turtles have two home ranges. One of these turtles was followed with a trailer for 161 days in 1946 and 1947. Trips outside the home range are made by females for egg laying. Trips of unexplained nature are made by both males and females. Turtles from other areas are occasional transients through the study plot. Standardized census trips provided data for estimating the size of the population. Census data were taken after females had returned from egg laying. The samples were spaced at intervals of a week or more to allow free movement of turtles over their ranges and assure more nearly equal availability of all turtles. These standard samples were compared by a collection ratio. Assumptions involved in the use of this ratio are discussed. Correction factors were applied to make allowance for turtles whose ranges.were partly inside and partly outside the study area, and for transient turtles. A second estimate, on the basis of the entire season's collecting, gave closely comparable results. The population of the study area is estimated to be between four and five turtles per acre, with juveniles constituting less than ten per cent of the total.

Provision of NHS generalist and specialist services to care homes in England: review of surveys.

PubMed

Iliffe, Steve; Davies, Susan L; Gordon, Adam L; Schneider, Justine; Dening, Tom; Bowman, Clive; Gage, Heather; Martin, Finbarr C; Gladman, John R F; Victor, Christina; Meyer, Julienne; Goodman, Claire

2016-03-01

The number of beds in care homes (with and without nurses) in the United Kingdom is three times greater than the number of beds in National Health Service (NHS) hospitals. Care homes are predominantly owned by a range of commercial, not-for-profit or charitable providers and their residents have high levels of disability, frailty and co-morbidity. NHS support for care home residents is very variable, and it is unclear what models of clinical support work and are cost-effective. To critically evaluate how the NHS works with care homes. A review of surveys of NHS services provided to care homes that had been completed since 2008. It included published national surveys, local surveys commissioned by Primary Care organisations, studies from charities and academic centres, grey literature identified across the nine government regions, and information from care home, primary care and other research networks. Data extraction captured forms of NHS service provision for care homes in England in terms of frequency, location, focus and purpose. Five surveys focused primarily on general practitioner services, and 10 on specialist services to care home. Working relationships between the NHS and care homes lack structure and purpose and have generally evolved locally. There are wide variations in provision of both generalist and specialist healthcare services to care homes. Larger care home chains may take a systematic approach to both organising access to NHS generalist and specialist services, and to supplementing gaps with in-house provision. Access to dental care for care home residents appears to be particularly deficient. Historical differences in innovation and provision of NHS services, the complexities of collaborating across different sectors (private and public, health and social care, general and mental health), and variable levels of organisation of care homes, all lead to persistent and embedded inequity in the distribution of NHS resources to this population. Clinical commissioners seeking to improve the quality of care of care home residents need to consider how best to provide fair access to health care for older people living in a care home, and to establish a specification for service delivery to this vulnerable population.

Cumulative Risk Exposure and Mental Health Symptoms among Maltreated Youths Placed in Out-of-Home Care

PubMed Central

Raviv, Tali; Taussig, Heather N.; Culhane, Sara E.; Garrido, Edward F.

2010-01-01

Maltreated children placed in out-of-home care are at high risk for exhibiting symptoms of psychopathology by virtue of their exposure to numerous risk factors. Research examining cumulative risk has consistently found that the accumulation of risk factors increases the likelihood of mental health problems. The goal of the current study was to elucidate the relation between cumulative risk and mental health symptomatology within a sample of 252 maltreated youths (aged 9–11) placed in out-of-home care. Results confirmed the high-risk nature of this sample and identified seven salient risk variables. The cumulative risk index comprised of these seven indicators was a strong predictor of mental health symptoms, differentiating between children who scored in the clinical range with regard to mental health symptoms and those who did not. Finally, the data supported a linear model in which each incremental increase in cumulative risk was accompanied by an increase in mental health problems. This is the first known study to examine cumulative risk within a sample of youths in out-of-home care. PMID:20932576

Living environment and mobility of older adults.

PubMed

Cress, M Elaine; Orini, Stefania; Kinsler, Laura

2011-01-01

Older adults often elect to move into smaller living environments. Smaller living space and the addition of services provided by a retirement community (RC) may make living easier for the individual, but it may also reduce the amount of daily physical activity and ultimately reduce functional ability. With home size as an independent variable, the primary purpose of this study was to evaluate daily physical activity and physical function of community dwellers (CD; n = 31) as compared to residents of an RC (n = 30). In this cross-sectional study design, assessments included: the Continuous Scale Physical Functional Performance - 10 test, with a possible range of 0-100, higher scores reflecting better function; Step Activity Monitor (StepWatch 3.1); a physical activity questionnaire, the area of the home (in square meters). Groups were compared by one-way ANOVA. A general linear regression model was used to predict the number of steps per day at home. The level of significance was p < 0.05. Of the 61 volunteers (mean age: 79 ± 6.3 years; range: 65-94 years), the RC living space (68 ± 37.7 m(2)) was 62% smaller than the CD living space (182.8 ± 77.9 m(2); p = 0.001). After correcting for age, the RC took fewer total steps per day excluding exercise (p = 0.03) and had lower function (p = 0.005) than the CD. On average, RC residents take 3,000 steps less per day and have approximately 60% of the living space of a CD. Home size and physical function were primary predictors of the number of steps taken at home, as found using a general linear regression analysis. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Secondhand smoke exposure and susceptibility to initiating cigarette smoking among never-smoking students in selected African countries: Findings from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey.

PubMed

Lee, Kyung A; Palipudi, Krishna M; English, Lorna M; Ramanandraibe, Nivo; Asma, Samira

2016-10-01

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) causes premature death and illness in non-smokers. We examined SHS exposure at home and in public places, as well as susceptibility to initiate cigarette smoking among never cigarette smokers. We used 2006-2011 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) data from 29 African countries (56,967 students). GYTS is a nationally representative, self-administered school-based survey, conducted among students aged 13-15years. Prevalence ratio, estimates and 95% confidence intervals were computed for SHS exposure in the homes and public places separately. The two-sample t-test was used to assess the difference in susceptibility to smoking by SHS exposure among never-smoking students (α=0.05). Among never-smoking students, exposure to SHS at home ranged from 12.7% (Cape Verde) to 44.0% (Senegal). The prevalence ratio (PR) comparing susceptibility to smoking initiation among never smokers exposed to SHS at home to those who were not exposed at home ranged from 1.2 to 2.6. Exposure to SHS in public places ranged from 23.9% (Cape Verde) to 80.4% (Mali). Of the countries being studied, 8 countries showed a significant difference in susceptibility to smoking initiation among never smokers exposed to SHS in public places compared to those not exposed in public places. (PR ranged from 0.5-3.5). In many African countries in the study, a substantial proportion of students who never smoked are exposed to SHS at home and in public places. Majority of never smokers who were exposed to SHS at home and in public places had a higher prevalence of susceptibility to initiate smoking than those that were not exposed to SHS at home and in public places. Adoption and enforcement of smoke-free policies in public places and smoke-free rules at home could substantially contribute to reducing SHS exposure in many of these countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Home range characteristics and overwintering ecology of the stripe-necked musk turtle (Sternotherus minor peltifer) in middle Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ennen, Joshua R.; Scott, A. Floyd

2013-01-01

Little is known about the movement behavior of the stripe-necked musk turtle, Sternotherus minor peltifer. Using radiotelemetry, we calculated mean (± SD) home range length, which was 341.4 ± 90.3 m, with home range length not differing between the sexes (males, 335 ± 194 m; females, 346 ± 79.5 m). Sternotherus m. peltifer were active in every month of the year but decreased their movement distance and frequency between December and March; during nonwinter and winter periods, individuals used limestone bluffs most often.

Decision Modeling in Sleep Apnea: The Critical Roles of Pretest Probability, Cost of Untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and Time Horizon.

PubMed

Moro, Marilyn; Westover, M Brandon; Kelly, Jessica; Bianchi, Matt T

2016-03-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP) is cost-effective. However, the optimal diagnostic strategy remains a subject of debate. Prior modeling studies have not consistently supported the widely held assumption that home sleep testing (HST) is cost-effective. We modeled four strategies: (1) treat no one; (2) treat everyone empirically; (3) treat those testing positive during in-laboratory polysomnography (PSG) via in-laboratory titration; and (4) treat those testing positive during HST with auto-PAP. The population was assumed to lack independent reasons for in-laboratory PSG (such as insomnia, periodic limb movements in sleep, complex apnea). We considered the third-party payer perspective, via both standard (quality-adjusted) and pure cost methods. The preferred strategy depended on three key factors: pretest probability of OSA, cost of untreated OSA, and time horizon. At low prevalence and low cost of untreated OSA, the treat no one strategy was favored, whereas empiric treatment was favored for high prevalence and high cost of untreated OSA. In-laboratory backup for failures in the at-home strategy increased the preference for the at-home strategy. Without laboratory backup in the at-home arm, the in-laboratory strategy was increasingly preferred at longer time horizons. Using a model framework that captures a broad range of clinical possibilities, the optimal diagnostic approach to uncomplicated OSA depends on pretest probability, cost of untreated OSA, and time horizon. Estimating each of these critical factors remains a challenge warranting further investigation. © 2016 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

NREL Improves Building Energy Simulation Programs Through Diagnostic Testing (Fact Sheet)

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

Not Available

2012-01-01

This technical highlight describes NREL research to develop Building Energy Simulation Test for Existing Homes (BESTEST-EX) to increase the quality and accuracy of energy analysis tools for the building retrofit market. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed a new test procedure to increase the quality and accuracy of energy analysis tools for the building retrofit market. The Building Energy Simulation Test for Existing Homes (BESTEST-EX) is a test procedure that enables software developers to evaluate the performance of their audit tools in modeling energy use and savings in existing homes when utility bills are available formore » model calibration. Similar to NREL's previous energy analysis tests, such as HERS BESTEST and other BESTEST suites included in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140, BESTEST-EX compares software simulation findings to reference results generated with state-of-the-art simulation tools such as EnergyPlus, SUNREL, and DOE-2.1E. The BESTEST-EX methodology: (1) Tests software predictions of retrofit energy savings in existing homes; (2) Ensures building physics calculations and utility bill calibration procedures perform to a minimum standard; and (3) Quantifies impacts of uncertainties in input audit data and occupant behavior. BESTEST-EX includes building physics and utility bill calibration test cases. The diagram illustrates the utility bill calibration test cases. Participants are given input ranges and synthetic utility bills. Software tools use the utility bills to calibrate key model inputs and predict energy savings for the retrofit cases. Participant energy savings predictions using calibrated models are compared to NREL predictions using state-of-the-art building energy simulation programs.« less

Familiar route loyalty implies visual pilotage in the homing pigeon

PubMed Central

Biro, Dora; Meade, Jessica; Guilford, Tim

2004-01-01

Wide-ranging animals, such as birds, regularly traverse large areas of the landscape efficiently in the course of their local movement patterns, which raises fundamental questions about the cognitive mechanisms involved. By using precision global-positioning-system loggers, we show that homing pigeons (Columba livia) not only come to rely on highly stereotyped yet surprisingly inefficient routes within the local area but are attracted directly back to their individually preferred routes even when released from novel sites off-route. This precise route loyalty demonstrates a reliance on familiar landmarks throughout the flight, which was unexpected under current models of avian navigation. We discuss how visual landmarks may be encoded as waypoints within familiar route maps. PMID:15572457

Home health care cost-function analysis

PubMed Central

Hay, Joel W.; Mandes, George

1984-01-01

An exploratory home health care (HHC) cost-function model is estimated using State rate-setting data for the 74 traditional (nonprofit) Connecticut agencies. The analysis demonstrates U-shaped average costs curves for agencies' provision of skilled nursing visits, with substantial diseconomies of scale in the observable range. It is determined from the estimated cost function that the sample representative agency is providing fewer visits than optimal, and its marginal cost is significantly below average cost. The finding that an agency's costs are predominantly related to output levels, with little systematic variation due to other agency or patient characteristics, suggests that the economic inefficiency in a cost-based HHC reimbursement policy may be substantial. PMID:10310596

HOME RANGE AND HABITAT USE OF SUBURBAN RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS IN SOUTHWESTERN OHIO

EPA Science Inventory

Suburban habitats may provide different resources and different challenges to raptors than do more traditional, rural habitats. Suburban red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus) of the eastern subspecies have been little studied. We measured the home ranges and habitat use of 11 su...

Initial development of the Systems Approach to Home Medication Management (SAHMM) model.

PubMed

Doucette, William R; Vinel, Shanrae'l; Pennathur, Priyadarshini

Adverse drug events and medication nonadherence are two problems associated with prescription medication use for chronic conditions. These issues often develop because patients have difficulty managing their medications at home. To guide patients and providers for achieving safe and effective medication use at home, the Systems Approach to Home Medication Management (SAHMM) model was derived from a systems engineering model for health care workplace safety. To explore how well concepts from the SAHMM model can represent home medication management by using patient descriptions of how they take prescription medications at home. Twelve patients were interviewed about home medication management using an interview guide based on the factors of the SAHMM model. Each interview was audio-taped and then transcribed verbatim. Interviews were coded to identify themes for home medication management using MAXQDA for Windows. SAHMM concepts extracted from the coded interview transcripts included work system components of person, tasks, tools & technology, internal environment, external environment, and household. Concepts also addressed work processes and work outcomes for home medication management. Using the SAHMM model for studying patients' home medication management is a promising approach to improving our understanding of the factors that influence patient adherence to medication and the development of adverse drug events. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Home advantage and referee bias in European football.

PubMed

Goumas, Chris

2014-01-01

Home advantage is well documented in a wide range of team sports including association football (soccer). Home team crowd support has been shown to be a likely causal factor and its influence on referee decision-making appears to play a significant role. Match data from the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 seasons of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League and Europa League were used to investigate referee bias in terms of the association between match location (home vs. away) and disciplinary sanctions used by football referees. The adjusted mean number of yellow cards received by home and away teams and the ratios of these means were estimated from Poisson regression models. After controlling for within-match measures of attacking dominance referees in the Champions League and Europa League issued 25% (p<0.001) and 10% (p=0.002) more yellow cards, respectively, to away teams than to home teams. The higher level of home team bias in the Champions League appeared to be mainly due to higher crowd densities. In a combined analysis of both UEFA leagues the magnitude of referee bias increased with increasing crowd density (p<0.001). Crowd size and crowd proximity were not associated with referee bias after controlling for crowd density. These results provide further evidence that crowd support influences referee decisions. Failure to control for within-match team performance may over-estimate the extent of referee bias in terms of the number of disciplinary sanctions used.

How to buy a medical home? Policy options and practical questions.

PubMed

Berenson, Robert A; Rich, Eugene C

2010-06-01

In this paper, we describe a range of payment options to support the PCMH, identifying their conceptual strengths and weaknesses. These include enhanced FFS payment for office visits to the PCMH; paying additional FFS for "new" PCMH services; variations of traditional FFS combined with new PCMH-oriented per patient per month capitation; and combined capitation payments for traditional primary care medical services as well as new medical home services. In discussing options for PCMH payment reform we consider issues in patient severity adjustment, performance payment, and the role of payments to community service organizations to collaborate with the PCMH. We also highlight some of the practical challenges that can complicate reimbursement reform for primary care and the PCMH. Through this discussion we identify key dimensions to provider payment reform relevant to promoting enhanced primary care through the patient centered medical home. These consist of paying for the basic medical home services, rewarding excellent performance of medical homes, incentivizing medical home connections to other community health care resources, and overcoming implementation challenges to medical home payments. Each of these overarching policy issues invokes a substantial subset of policy relevant research questions that collectively comprise a robust research agenda. We conclude that the conceptual strengths and weaknesses of available payment models for medical home functions invoke a complex array of options with varying levels of real-world feasibility. The different needs of patients and communities, and varying characteristics of practices must also be factors guiding PCMH payment reform. Indeed, it may be that different circumstances will require different payment approaches in various combinations.

How to Buy a Medical Home? Policy Options and Practical Questions

PubMed Central

Berenson, Robert A.

2010-01-01

In this paper, we describe a range of payment options to support the PCMH, identifying their conceptual strengths and weaknesses. These include enhanced FFS payment for office visits to the PCMH; paying additional FFS for “new” PCMH services; variations of traditional FFS combined with new PCMH-oriented per patient per month capitation; and combined capitation payments for traditional primary care medical services as well as new medical home services. In discussing options for PCMH payment reform we consider issues in patient severity adjustment, performance payment, and the role of payments to community service organizations to collaborate with the PCMH. We also highlight some of the practical challenges that can complicate reimbursement reform for primary care and the PCMH. Through this discussion we identify key dimensions to provider payment reform relevant to promoting enhanced primary care through the patient centered medical home. These consist of paying for the basic medical home services, rewarding excellent performance of medical homes, incentivizing medical home connections to other community health care resources, and overcoming implementation challenges to medical home payments. Each of these overarching policy issues invokes a substantial subset of policy relevant research questions that collectively comprise a robust research agenda. We conclude that the conceptual strengths and weaknesses of available payment models for medical home functions invoke a complex array of options with varying levels of real-world feasibility. The different needs of patients and communities, and varying characteristics of practices must also be factors guiding PCMH payment reform. Indeed, it may be that different circumstances will require different payment approaches in various combinations. PMID:20467911

Coexistence of coyotes (Canis latrans) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in an urban landscape.

PubMed

Mueller, Marcus A; Drake, David; Allen, Maximilian L

2018-01-01

Urban environments are increasing worldwide and are inherently different than their rural counterparts, with a variety of effects on wildlife due to human presence, increased habitat fragmentation, movement barriers, and access to anthropogenic food sources. Effective management of urban wildlife requires an understanding of how urbanization affects their behavior and ecology. The spatial activity and interactions of urban wildlife, however, have not been as rigorously researched as in rural areas. From January 2015 to December 2016, we captured, radio-collared, and tracked 11 coyotes and 12 red foxes in Madison, WI. Within our study area, coyotes strongly selected home ranges with high proportions of natural areas; conversely, red foxes selected home ranges with open space and moderately developed areas. Use of highly developed areas best explained variation among individual home range sizes and inversely affected home range size for coyotes and red foxes. Coyote and red fox home ranges showed some degree of spatial and temporal overlap, but generally appeared partitioned by habitat type within our study area. Coyotes and red foxes were both active at similar times of the day, but their movement patterns differed based on species-specific habitat use. This spatial partitioning may promote positive co-existence between these sympatric canids in urban areas, and our findings of spatial activity and interactions will better inform wildlife managers working in urban areas.

Coexistence of coyotes (Canis latrans) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in an urban landscape

PubMed Central

Drake, David; Allen, Maximilian L.

2018-01-01

Urban environments are increasing worldwide and are inherently different than their rural counterparts, with a variety of effects on wildlife due to human presence, increased habitat fragmentation, movement barriers, and access to anthropogenic food sources. Effective management of urban wildlife requires an understanding of how urbanization affects their behavior and ecology. The spatial activity and interactions of urban wildlife, however, have not been as rigorously researched as in rural areas. From January 2015 to December 2016, we captured, radio-collared, and tracked 11 coyotes and 12 red foxes in Madison, WI. Within our study area, coyotes strongly selected home ranges with high proportions of natural areas; conversely, red foxes selected home ranges with open space and moderately developed areas. Use of highly developed areas best explained variation among individual home range sizes and inversely affected home range size for coyotes and red foxes. Coyote and red fox home ranges showed some degree of spatial and temporal overlap, but generally appeared partitioned by habitat type within our study area. Coyotes and red foxes were both active at similar times of the day, but their movement patterns differed based on species-specific habitat use. This spatial partitioning may promote positive co-existence between these sympatric canids in urban areas, and our findings of spatial activity and interactions will better inform wildlife managers working in urban areas. PMID:29364916

Roaming of dogs in remote Indigenous communities in northern Australia and potential interaction between community and wild dogs.

PubMed

Bombara, C; Dürr, S; Gongora, J; Ward, M P

2017-06-01

To investigate the roaming of Indigenous community dogs and potential interaction with wild dogs and dingoes. Cross-sectional survey and longitudinal follow-up study. Six remote Indigenous communities in Cape York Peninsula and Arnhem Land in northern Australia were selected. Hair samples were collected from community dogs and microsatellite DNA analyses were used to determine hybrid (>10% dingo DNA) status. Dogs were fitted with GPS collars and home range (ha) was estimated during monitoring periods of up to 3 days. In Cape York Peninsula, 6% of the 35 dogs sampled were dingo hybrids, whereas in Arnhem Land 41% of the 29 dogs sampled were hybrids. The median extended home range was estimated to be 4.54 ha (interquartile range, 3.40 - 7.71). Seven community dogs were identified with an estimated home range > 20 ha and home ranges included the bushland surrounding communities. No significant difference in home ranges was detected between hybrid and non-hybrid dogs. Study results provide some evidence (dingo hybridisation, bushland forays) of the potential interaction between domestic and wild dogs in northern Australia. The nature of this interaction needs further investigation to determine its role in disease transmission; for example, in the case of a rabies incursion in this region. © 2017 Australian Veterinary Association.

Children's sugar-sweetened beverages consumption: associations with family and home-related factors, differences within ethnic groups explored.

PubMed

van de Gaar, V M; van Grieken, A; Jansen, W; Raat, H

2017-02-14

The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) may contribute to the development of overweight among children. The present study aimed to evaluate associations between family and home-related factors and children's SSB consumption. We explored associations within ethnic background of the child. Cross-sectional data from the population-based 'Water Campaign' study were used. Parents (n = 644) of primary school children (6-13 years) completed a questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, family and home-related factors and child's SSB intake. The family and home-related factors under study were: cognitive variables (e.g. parental attitude, subjective norm), environmental variables (e.g. availability of SSB, parenting practices), and habitual variables (e.g. habit strength, taste preference). Regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations between family and home-related factors and child's SSB intake (p < 0.05). Mean age of the children was 9.4 years (SD: 1.8) and 54.1% were girls. The child's average SSB intake was 0.9 litres (SD: 0.6) per day. Child's age, parents' subjective norm, parenting practices, and parental modelling were positively associated with the child's SSB intake. The availability of SSB at home and school and parental attitude were negatively associated with the child's SSB intake. The associations under study differed according to the child's ethnic background, with the explained variance of the full models ranging from 8.7% for children from Moroccan or Turkish ethnic background to 44.4% for children with Dutch ethnic background. Our results provide support for interventions targeting children's SSB intake focussing on the identified family and home-related factors, with active participation of parents. Also, the relationships between these factors and the child's SSB intake differed for children with distinct ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, we would recommend to tailor interventions taking into account the ethnic background of the family. Number NTR3400 ; date April 4th 2012; retrospectively registered.

Habitat use of the Louisiana Waterthrush during the non-breeding season in Puerto Rico

Treesearch

M.T. Hallworth; L.R. Reitsma; K. Parent

2011-01-01

We used radiotelemetry to quantify habitat and spatial use patterns of neighboring Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) along two streams in the Caribbean National Forest in Puerto Rico during 2005–2007. Home range sizes varied with younger birds having larger home ranges and core areas than older birds. All birds occupied some length of stream but a wide range...

Home Economics Education Career Path Guide and Model Curriculum Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Univ., Northridge.

This curriculum guide developed in California and organized in 10 chapters, provides a home economics education career path guide and model curriculum standards for high school home economics programs. The first chapter contains information on the following: home economics education in California, home economics careers for the future, home…

A resource perspective on the work-home interface: the work-home resources model.

PubMed

ten Brummelhuis, Lieke L; Bakker, Arnold B

2012-10-01

The objective of this article is to provide a theoretical framework explaining positive and negative work-home processes integrally. Using insights from conservation of resources theory, we explain how personal resources (e.g., time, energy, and mood) link demanding and resourceful aspects of one domain to outcomes in the other domain. The resulting work-home resources (W-HR) model describes work-home conflict as a process whereby demands in one domain deplete personal resources and impede accomplishments in the other domain. Enrichment is described as a process of resource accumulation: Work and home resources increase personal resources. Those personal resources, in turn, can be utilized to improve home and work outcomes. Moreover, our resource approach to the work-home interface allows us to address two other issues that have thus far lacked a solid theoretical foundation. The W-HR model also explains how conditional factors such as personality and culture may influence the occurrence of work-home conflict and enrichment. Furthermore, the model allows us to examine how work-home conflict and enrichment develop over time. Finally, the model provides useful insights for other psychology subdisciplines, such as gender studies and developmental psychology.

Monitoring Quality Across Home Visiting Models: A Field Test of Michigan's Home Visiting Quality Assurance System.

PubMed

Heany, Julia; Torres, Jennifer; Zagar, Cynthia; Kostelec, Tiffany

2018-06-05

Introduction In order to achieve the positive outcomes with parents and children demonstrated by many home visiting models, home visiting services must be well implemented. The Michigan Home Visiting Initiative developed a tool and procedure for monitoring implementation quality across models referred to as Michigan's Home Visiting Quality Assurance System (MHVQAS). This study field tested the MHVQAS. This article focuses on one of the study's evaluation questions: Can the MHVQAS be applied across models? Methods Eight local implementing agencies (LIAs) from four home visiting models (Healthy Families America, Early Head Start-Home Based, Parents as Teachers, Maternal Infant Health Program) and five reviewers participated in the study by completing site visits, tracking their time and costs, and completing surveys about the process. LIAs also submitted their most recent review by their model developer. The researchers conducted participant observation of the review process. Results Ratings on the MHVQAS were not significantly different between models. There were some differences in interrater reliability and perceived reliability between models. There were no significant differences between models in perceived validity, satisfaction with the review process, or cost to participate. Observational data suggested that cross-model applicability could be improved by assisting sites in relating the requirements of the tool to the specifics of their model. Discussion The MHVQAS shows promise as a tool and process to monitor implementation quality of home visiting services across models. The results of the study will be used to make improvements before the MHVQAS is used in practice.

Family Composition and Symptom Severity among Veterans with Comorbid PTSD and Substance Use Disorders

PubMed Central

Jobe-Shields, Lisa; Flanagan, Julianne C.; Killeen, Therese; Back, Sudie E.

2015-01-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUD) frequently co-occur and affect a substantial proportion of military Veterans. Although the impact of parental PTSD and SUD on child development is well-documented, little is known about the influence of family composition on PTSD/SUD symptom severity. The present study investigated children in the home as an independent risk factor for symptom severity in a sample of treatment-seeking Veterans (N = 94; 92% male) with comorbid PTSD/SUD. Twenty-seven percent of the sample had minor children (age 18 or younger) living in the home. Veterans with children in the home evidenced significantly higher PTSD symptomatology as measured by the Clinical Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS; M = 82.65 vs. M = 72.17; t = −2.18; p < .05), and reported using marijuana more frequently than Veterans without children in the home (34% vs. 13% of past 60 days; t = −2.35, p < .05). In a multivariate model, having children in the home accounted for unique variance (ΔR2 = .07) in PTSD severity after accounting for a range of covariates; however, having children in the home did not account for unique variance in substance use. Directions for future research as well as potential clinical implications for parents seeking treatment for PTSD/SUD are discussed. PMID:26132535

Physiotherapy program through home visits for community-dwelling elderly Japanese women with mild knee pain.

PubMed

Konishi, Isamu; Tanabe, Naohito; Seki, Nao; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Okamura, Taro; Shinoda, Kunihiko; Hoshino, Emiko

2009-10-01

Knee pain is extremely common among the elderly, particularly women. Hence, there is an urgent need for applicable community-based intervention models for halting the progression of knee pain and related disabilities in elderly women. We aimed to assess the efficacy of home-visit physiotherapy as a new intervention model. This non-randomized 5-month-long controlled trial enrolled elderly community-dwelling women (aged 60-83 years) with mild knee pain. The intervention consisted of two home visits by a physiotherapist, with instructions on routinely performing muscle-strengthening exercises at home and implementing simple environmental modifications when necessary. Outcome measures were assessed at baseline and 5 months later. The primary outcomes were measured as the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and a newly devised seiza-style sitting score. People in Japan, especially elderly women, are accustomed to seiza-style sitting that involves kneeling on one's lower legs while resting the buttocks on the heels. The secondary outcomes included quadriceps isometric strength, knee alignment in the frontal and sagittal planes, and passive knee extension range. Forty-two subjects (20 in the intervention group and 22 in the control group) completed the study. At baseline, characteristics and the primary outcomes did not significantly differ between the 2 groups. At 5 months, the primary outcomes improved significantly in the intervention group. Estimated differences in the change from baseline for each outcome between the 2 groups were computed, adjusting for outcome variables imbalanced at baseline. Even after the adjustment, the home-visit physiotherapy regimen provides favorable improvement in the seiza-style sitting score.

Home Care Learning Model for Medical Students in Chile: A Mixed Methods Study

PubMed Central

Gonzalez, Carolina

2014-01-01

Introduction. The relevance of home care training is not questioned. However, there are no reported learning models to teach in this setting. Aims. To develop and evaluate a learning model to teach home care to medical students. Methods. Stage 1: Learning Model Design. Tutors teaching home care and a sample of medical students were invited to focus groups analyzed according to the grounded theory. Later, the researchers designed the learning model, which was approved by all participants. Stage 2: Learning Assessment. All students in their family medicine internship at Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile were invited to participate in a nonrandomized before-and-after pilot trial, assessing changes in their perception towards home care and satisfaction with the learning model. Results. Stage 1: Six tutors and eight students participated in the focus groups. The learning model includes activities before, during, and after the visits. Stage 2: 105 students (88.2%) participated. We observed improvement in all home care training domains (P ≤ 0.001) and a high satisfaction with the model. Students with previous home visit experiences and who participated with nurses and social workers reported more learning. Conclusions. We report an effective learning model to train medical students in home care. Limitations and recommendations for future studies are discussed. PMID:24967327

The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM): A Home Care Case-Mix Model for Children Facing Special Health Care Challenges.

PubMed

Phillips, Charles D

2015-01-01

Case-mix classification and payment systems help assure that persons with similar needs receive similar amounts of care resources, which is a major equity concern for consumers, providers, and programs. Although health service programs for adults regularly use case-mix payment systems, programs providing health services to children and youth rarely use such models. This research utilized Medicaid home care expenditures and assessment data on 2,578 children receiving home care in one large state in the USA. Using classification and regression tree analyses, a case-mix model for long-term pediatric home care was developed. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM) grouped children and youth in the study sample into 24 groups, explaining 41% of the variance in annual home care expenditures. The P/ECM creates the possibility of a more equitable, and potentially more effective, allocation of home care resources among children and youth facing serious health care challenges.

The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM): A Home Care Case-Mix Model for Children Facing Special Health Care Challenges

PubMed Central

Phillips, Charles D.

2015-01-01

Case-mix classification and payment systems help assure that persons with similar needs receive similar amounts of care resources, which is a major equity concern for consumers, providers, and programs. Although health service programs for adults regularly use case-mix payment systems, programs providing health services to children and youth rarely use such models. This research utilized Medicaid home care expenditures and assessment data on 2,578 children receiving home care in one large state in the USA. Using classification and regression tree analyses, a case-mix model for long-term pediatric home care was developed. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM) grouped children and youth in the study sample into 24 groups, explaining 41% of the variance in annual home care expenditures. The P/ECM creates the possibility of a more equitable, and potentially more effective, allocation of home care resources among children and youth facing serious health care challenges. PMID:26740744

Patient Adherence to Scheduled Vital Sign Measurements During Home Telemonitoring: Analysis of the Intervention Arm in a Before and After Trial.

PubMed

Celler, Branko; Argha, Ahmadreza; Varnfield, Marlien; Jayasena, Rajiv

2018-04-09

In a home telemonitoring trial, patient adherence with scheduled vital signs measurements is an important aspect that has not been thoroughly studied and for which data in the literature are limited. Levels of adherence have been reported as varying from approximately 40% to 90%, and in most cases, the adherence rate usually dropped off steadily over time. This drop is more evident in the first few weeks or months after the start. Higher adherence rates have been reported for simple types of monitoring and for shorter periods of intervention. If patients do not follow the intended procedure, poorer results than expected may be achieved. Hence, analyzing factors that can influence patient adherence is of great importance. The goal of the research was to present findings on patient adherence with scheduled vital signs measurements in the recently completed Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) national trial of home telemonitoring of patients (mean age 70.5 years, SD 9.3 years) with chronic conditions (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, hypertensive diseases, congestive heart failure, diabetes, or asthma) carried out at 5 locations along the east coast of Australia. We investigated the ability of chronically ill patients to carry out a daily schedule of vital signs measurements as part of a chronic disease management care plan over periods exceeding 6 months (302 days, SD 135 days) and explored different levels of adherence for different measurements as a function of age, gender, and supervisory models. In this study, 113 patients forming the test arm of a Before and After Control Intervention (BACI) home telemonitoring trial were analyzed. Patients were required to monitor on a daily basis a range of vital signs determined by their chronic condition and comorbidities. Vital signs included noninvasive blood pressure, pulse oximetry, spirometry, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood glucose level, body temperature, and body weight. Adherence was calculated as the number of days during which at least 1 measurement was taken over all days where measurements were scheduled. Different levels of adherence for different measurements, as a function of age, gender, and supervisory models, were analyzed using linear regression and analysis of covariance for a period of 1 year after the intervention. Patients were monitored on average for 302 (SD 135) days, although some continued beyond 12 months. The overall adherence rate for all measurements was 64.1% (range 59.4% to 68.8%). The adherence rates of patients monitored in hospital settings relative to those monitored in community settings were significantly higher for spirometry (69.3%, range 60.4% to 78.2%, versus 41.0%, range 33.1% to 49.0%, P<.001), body weight (64.5%, range 55.7% to 73.2%, versus 40.5%, range 32.3% to 48.7%, P<.001), and body temperature (66.8%, range 59.7% to 73.9%, versus 55.2%, range 48.4% to 61.9%, P=.03). Adherence with blood glucose measurements (58.1%, range 46.7% to 69.5%, versus 50.2%, range 42.8% to 57.6%, P=.24) was not significantly different overall. Adherence rates for blood pressure (68.5%, range 62.7% to 74.2%, versus 59.7%, range 52.1% to 67.3%, P=.04), ECG (65.6%, range 59.7% to 71.5%, versus 56.5%, range 48.7% to 64.4%, P=.047), and pulse oximetry (67.0%, range 61.4% to 72.7%, versus 56.4%, range 48.6% to 64.1%, P=.02) were significantly higher in males relative to female subjects. No statistical differences were observed between rates of adherence for the younger patient group (70 years and younger) and older patient group (older than 70 years). Patients with chronic conditions enrolled in the home telemonitoring trial were able to record their vital signs at home at least once every 2 days over prolonged periods of time. Male patients maintained a higher adherence than female patients over time, and patients supervised by hospital-based care coordinators reported higher levels of adherence with their measurement schedule relative to patients supervised in community settings. This was most noticeable for spirometry. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12613000635763; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=364030&isReview=true (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xPOU3DpR). ©Branko Celler, Ahmadreza Argha, Marlien Varnfield, Rajiv Jayasena. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 09.04.2018.

Patient Adherence to Scheduled Vital Sign Measurements During Home Telemonitoring: Analysis of the Intervention Arm in a Before and After Trial

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Background In a home telemonitoring trial, patient adherence with scheduled vital signs measurements is an important aspect that has not been thoroughly studied and for which data in the literature are limited. Levels of adherence have been reported as varying from approximately 40% to 90%, and in most cases, the adherence rate usually dropped off steadily over time. This drop is more evident in the first few weeks or months after the start. Higher adherence rates have been reported for simple types of monitoring and for shorter periods of intervention. If patients do not follow the intended procedure, poorer results than expected may be achieved. Hence, analyzing factors that can influence patient adherence is of great importance. Objective The goal of the research was to present findings on patient adherence with scheduled vital signs measurements in the recently completed Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) national trial of home telemonitoring of patients (mean age 70.5 years, SD 9.3 years) with chronic conditions (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, hypertensive diseases, congestive heart failure, diabetes, or asthma) carried out at 5 locations along the east coast of Australia. We investigated the ability of chronically ill patients to carry out a daily schedule of vital signs measurements as part of a chronic disease management care plan over periods exceeding 6 months (302 days, SD 135 days) and explored different levels of adherence for different measurements as a function of age, gender, and supervisory models. Methods In this study, 113 patients forming the test arm of a Before and After Control Intervention (BACI) home telemonitoring trial were analyzed. Patients were required to monitor on a daily basis a range of vital signs determined by their chronic condition and comorbidities. Vital signs included noninvasive blood pressure, pulse oximetry, spirometry, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood glucose level, body temperature, and body weight. Adherence was calculated as the number of days during which at least 1 measurement was taken over all days where measurements were scheduled. Different levels of adherence for different measurements, as a function of age, gender, and supervisory models, were analyzed using linear regression and analysis of covariance for a period of 1 year after the intervention. Results Patients were monitored on average for 302 (SD 135) days, although some continued beyond 12 months. The overall adherence rate for all measurements was 64.1% (range 59.4% to 68.8%). The adherence rates of patients monitored in hospital settings relative to those monitored in community settings were significantly higher for spirometry (69.3%, range 60.4% to 78.2%, versus 41.0%, range 33.1% to 49.0%, P<.001), body weight (64.5%, range 55.7% to 73.2%, versus 40.5%, range 32.3% to 48.7%, P<.001), and body temperature (66.8%, range 59.7% to 73.9%, versus 55.2%, range 48.4% to 61.9%, P=.03). Adherence with blood glucose measurements (58.1%, range 46.7% to 69.5%, versus 50.2%, range 42.8% to 57.6%, P=.24) was not significantly different overall. Adherence rates for blood pressure (68.5%, range 62.7% to 74.2%, versus 59.7%, range 52.1% to 67.3%, P=.04), ECG (65.6%, range 59.7% to 71.5%, versus 56.5%, range 48.7% to 64.4%, P=.047), and pulse oximetry (67.0%, range 61.4% to 72.7%, versus 56.4%, range 48.6% to 64.1%, P=.02) were significantly higher in males relative to female subjects. No statistical differences were observed between rates of adherence for the younger patient group (70 years and younger) and older patient group (older than 70 years). Conclusions Patients with chronic conditions enrolled in the home telemonitoring trial were able to record their vital signs at home at least once every 2 days over prolonged periods of time. Male patients maintained a higher adherence than female patients over time, and patients supervised by hospital-based care coordinators reported higher levels of adherence with their measurement schedule relative to patients supervised in community settings. This was most noticeable for spirometry. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12613000635763; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=364030&isReview=true (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xPOU3DpR). PMID:29631991

Goals and Characteristics of Long-Term Care Programs: An Analytic Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braun, Kathryn L.; Rose, Charles L.

1989-01-01

Used medico-social analytic model to compare five long-term care programs: Skilled Nursing Facility-Intermediate Care Facility (SNF-ICF) homes, ICF homes, foster homes, day hospitals, and home care. Identified similarities and differences among programs. Preliminary findings suggest that model is useful in the evaluation and design of long-term…

16 CFR Appendix G4 to Part 305 - Mobile Home Furnaces

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Mobile Home Furnaces G4 Appendix G4 to Part... CONCERNING DISCLOSURES REGARDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND WATER USE OF CERTAIN HOME APPLIANCES AND OTHER... Appendix G4 to Part 305—Mobile Home Furnaces Manufacturer's rated heating capacities (Btu's/hr.) Range of...

16 CFR Appendix G4 to Part 305 - Mobile Home Furnaces

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Mobile Home Furnaces G4 Appendix G4 to Part... CONCERNING DISCLOSURES REGARDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND WATER USE OF CERTAIN HOME APPLIANCES AND OTHER... Appendix G4 to Part 305—Mobile Home Furnaces Manufacturer's rated heating capacities (Btu's/hr.) Range of...

16 CFR Appendix G4 to Part 305 - Mobile Home Furnaces

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Mobile Home Furnaces G4 Appendix G4 to Part... CONCERNING DISCLOSURES REGARDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND WATER USE OF CERTAIN HOME APPLIANCES AND OTHER... Appendix G4 to Part 305—Mobile Home Furnaces Manufacturer's rated heating capacities (Btu's/hr.) Range of...

16 CFR Appendix G4 to Part 305 - Mobile Home Furnaces

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Mobile Home Furnaces G4 Appendix G4 to Part... CONCERNING DISCLOSURES REGARDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND WATER USE OF CERTAIN HOME APPLIANCES AND OTHER... Appendix G4 to Part 305—Mobile Home Furnaces Manufacturer's rated heating capacities (Btu's/hr.) Range of...

The costs and service implications of substituting intermediate care for acute hospital care.

PubMed

Mayhew, Leslie; Lawrence, David

2006-05-01

Intermediate care is part of a package of initiatives introduced by the UK Government mainly to relieve pressure on acute hospital beds and reduce delayed discharge (bed blocking). Intermediate care involves caring for patients in a range of settings, such as in the home or community or in nursing and residential homes. This paper considers the scope of intermediate care and its role in relation to acute hospital services. In particular, it develops a framework that can be used to inform decisions about the most cost-effective care pathways for given clinical situations, and also for wider planning purposes. It does this by providing a model for evaluating the costs of intermediate care services provided by different agencies and techniques for calibrating the model locally. It finds that consistent application of the techniques over a period of time, coupled with sound planning and accounting, should result in savings to the health economy.

Holographic superconductivity from higher derivative theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jian-Pin; Liu, Peng

2017-11-01

We construct a 6 derivative holographic superconductor model in the 4-dimensional bulk spacetimes, in which the normal state describes a quantum critical (QC) phase. The phase diagram (γ1 ,Tˆc) and the condensation as the function of temperature are worked out numerically. We observe that with the decrease of the coupling parameter γ1, the critical temperature Tˆc decreases and the formation of charged scalar hair becomes harder. We also calculate the optical conductivity. An appealing characteristic is a wider extension of the superconducting energy gap, comparing with that of 4 derivative theory. It is expected that this phenomena can be observed in the real materials of high temperature superconductor. Also the Homes' law in our present models with 4 and 6 derivative corrections is explored. We find that in certain range of parameters γ and γ1, the experimentally measured value of the universal constant C in Homes' law can be obtained.

Evaluating potential effects of widening US 64 on red wolves in Washington, Tyrrell, and Dare Counties, North Carolina.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-12-31

We used data from 16 red wolves fitted with GPS-collars between January 2009 and April 2011 to evaluate home range size and : habitat selection, road permeability, and identify significant red wolf highway crossing locations. Home range size for red ...

Home range behavior among box turtles (Terrapene c. carolina) of a bottomland forest in Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stickel, L.F.

1989-01-01

Eastern box turtles (Terrapene c. carolina) in a Maryland bottomland forest were studied over a period of years (1944-1981). Home ranges of 51 males averaged 146 + SD 48 m long and 105 + SD 38 m wide; ranges of 52 females averaged 144 + SD 52 m long and 100 + SD 38 m wide. An approximation of average home range size, based on an ellipse, is 1.20 ha for males and 1.13 ha for females. Sizes of home ranges of individuals did not differ significantly between 1945 and the full term of their captures (0 =14 yr) (AOV; P > 0.05). Mean distance between capture sites, which provides an index to range size, was not significantly different among the years of 1945, 1955, 1965, and 1975 (AOV; P > 0.05). Geographic centers of ranges of 77 males in the bottomlands showed no significant (AOV; P > 0.05) change for 46, and change over relatively short distances (0 =57 + SD 23 m) for the others. Among 70 females, there was no significant change for 46 and change over short distances (0=61 + SD 24 m) for the others. Changes in location were more frequent between 1965 and 1975, a period of pronounced population decline, than between previous decades (significant only for females, x2 P < 0.025). Hibernation sites ordinarily (21 of 23 Individuals) were within the normal bottom]and range; hibernation sites of different years were near each other (all of 4 individuals). In contrast, nesting sites were far distant, extending the home range by 400-700 m, but those of different years were near each other (6 individuals). Mating partners occupied broadly overlapping or contiguous ranges (35 records). Interactions between males (18 records) were identical to courtship behavior, and are believed not to represent territorial aggression.

APPLICATION OF EPANET TO UNDERSTAND LEAD RELEASE IN PREMISE PLUMBING

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation describes the factors affecting lead concentration in tap water using an EPANET hydraulic model for a simplified home model, a realistic home model, and EPA's experimental home plumbing system.

A Simplified View of the Geochemical Diversity Surrounding Home Plate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yen, A. S.; Morris, R. V.; Clark, B. C.; Gellert, R.

2008-01-01

The Home Plate feature (Fig. 1) within the Inner Basin of the Columbia Hills consists of layered rocks and has been interpreted as an accumulation of pyroclastic deposits [1]. Samples analyzed by the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer within 25 meters of the eastern margin of Home Plate exhibit a strikingly diverse range of geochemical compositions, including the highest levels of Mg, Si, K, Zn, and Ni measured at Gusev Crater. This wide range of chemical variability across the 40+ samples analyzed on and near Home Plate can be represented by contributions from only six primary components. This reconstruction is not reflected in the M ssbauer mineralogy suggesting that significant alteration of the contributing components has occurred.

42 CFR § 484.325 - Payments for home health services under Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2017-10-01

... Purchasing (HHVBP) Model. CMS will determine a payment adjustment up to the maximum applicable percentage... Total Performance Score using a linear exchange function. Payment adjustments made under the HHVBP Model... 42 Public Health 5 2017-10-01 2017-10-01 false Payments for home health services under Home Health...

42 CFR § 484.325 - Payments for home health services under Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2016-10-01

... Purchasing (HHVBP) Model. CMS will determine a payment adjustment up to the maximum applicable percentage... Total Performance Score using a linear exchange function. Payment adjustments made under the HHVBP Model... 42 Public Health 5 2016-10-01 2016-10-01 false Payments for home health services under Home Health...

Greenhouse gas emissions and the interrelation of urban and forest sectors in reclaiming one hectare of land in the Pacific Northwest.

PubMed

Trlica, Andrew; Brown, Sally

2013-07-02

The interrelation between urban areas and land use options for greenhouse gas mitigation was evaluated by assessing the utility of urban residuals for soil reclamation. Long-term impacts on soil C storage for mine lands restored with urban organic residuals were quantified by sampling historic sites reclaimed both conventionally and with residuals-based amendments. Use of amendments resulted in greater C storage compared to conventional practices for all sites sampled, with increases ranging from 14.2 Mg C ha(-1) in a coalmine in WA to 38.4 Mg C ha(-1) for a copper mine in British Columbia. Expressed as Mg C per Mg amendment, effective C increases ranged from 0.03 to 0.31 Mg C per Mg amendment. Results were applied to three alternative land-use scenarios to model the net GHG balance for a site restored to forest or low-density development. The model included construction of 3.9 243 m(2)-homes, typical of urban sprawl. Emissions for home and road construction and use over a 30-year period resulted in net emissions of 1269 Mg CO2. In contrast, conventional reclamation to forestland or reclamation with 100 Mg of residuals resulted in net GHG reductions of -293 and -475 Mg CO2. Construction of an equivalent number of smaller homes in an urban core coupled with restoration of 1 ha with amendments was close to carbon neutral. These results indicate that targeted use of urban residuals for forest reclamation, coupled with high-density development, can increase GHG mitigation across both sectors.

Population substructure and space use of Foxe Basin polar bears.

PubMed

Sahanatien, Vicki; Peacock, Elizabeth; Derocher, Andrew E

2015-07-01

Climate change has been identified as a major driver of habitat change, particularly for sea ice-dependent species such as the polar bear (Ursus maritimus). Population structure and space use of polar bears have been challenging to quantify because of their circumpolar distribution and tendency to range over large areas. Knowledge of movement patterns, home range, and habitat is needed for conservation and management. This is the first study to examine the spatial ecology of polar bears in the Foxe Basin management unit of Nunavut, Canada. Foxe Basin is in the mid-Arctic, part of the seasonal sea ice ecoregion and it is being negatively affected by climate change. Our objectives were to examine intrapopulation spatial structure, to determine movement patterns, and to consider how polar bear movements may respond to changing sea ice habitat conditions. Hierarchical and fuzzy cluster analyses were used to assess intrapopulation spatial structure of geographic position system satellite-collared female polar bears. Seasonal and annual movement metrics (home range, movement rates, time on ice) and home-range fidelity (static and dynamic overlap) were compared to examine the influence of regional sea ice on movements. The polar bears were distributed in three spatial clusters, and there were differences in the movement metrics between clusters that may reflect sea ice habitat conditions. Within the clusters, bears moved independently of each other. Annual and seasonal home-range fidelity was observed, and the bears used two movement patterns: on-ice range residency and annual migration. We predict that home-range fidelity may decline as the spatial and temporal predictability of sea ice changes. These new findings also provide baseline information for managing and monitoring this polar bear population.

Living on the edge: Space use of Eurasian red squirrels in marginal high-elevation habitat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romeo, Claudia; Wauters, Lucas A.; Preatoni, Damiano; Tosi, Guido; Martinoli, Adriano

2010-11-01

In marginal habitats located at the edge of a species' range, environmental conditions are frequently extreme and individuals may be subject to different selective pressures compared to central populations. These so-called edge or marginal populations tend to have lower densities and reproductive rates than populations located in more suitable habitats, but little is known about local adaptations in spacing behavior. We studied space use and social organization in a population of Eurasian red squirrels ( Sciurus vulgaris) in a high-elevation marginal habitat of dwarf mountain pine ( Pinus mugo) and compared it with spacing patterns in high-quality Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) forest at lower-elevation. Home ranges and core areas were larger in the marginal habitat. In both habitats, males used larger home ranges than females, but sex differences in core area size were significant only in the edge population. Patterns of core area overlap were similar in both habitats with intra-sexual territoriality among adult females and higher degrees of inter-sexual overlap, typical for the species throughout its range. However, low densities in the edge population resulted in higher female by males overlap in spring-summer, suggesting males increased home ranges and core areas during mating season to augment access to estrus females. Thus, in the marginal habitat, with low food abundance and low population densities, linked with extreme winter conditions, squirrels, especially males, used large home ranges. Finally, squirrels responded more strongly to variation in food availability (inverse relation between home range size and seed abundance), and even to fluctuations in density (inverse relation between core area size and density of animals of the same sex), in the marginal than in the high-quality habitat, suggesting high behavioral plasticity to respond to the ecological constraints in marginal habitats.

Spatio-temporal hotspots of satellite-tracked arctic foxes reveal a large detection range in a mammalian predator.

PubMed

Lai, Sandra; Bêty, Joël; Berteaux, Dominique

2015-01-01

The scale at which animals perceive their environment is a strong fitness determinant, yet few empirical estimates of animal detection ranges exist, especially in mammalian predators. Using daily Argos satellite tracking of 26 adult arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) during a single winter in the High Canadian Arctic, we investigated the detection range of arctic foxes by detecting hotspots of fox activity on the sea ice. While maintaining territories in the tundra, these solitary foragers occasionally used the sea ice where they sometimes formed spatio-temporal hotspots, likely scavenging on marine mammal carcasses. We detected 35 movements by 13 individuals forming five hotspots. Foxes often traveled more than 10 km, and up to 40 km, to reach hotspots, which lasted one-two weeks and could gather up to 12 individuals. The likelihood of a fox joining a hotspot was neither influenced by its distance from the hotspot nor by the distance of its home range to the coast. Observed traveling distances may indicate a high detection range in arctic foxes, and our results suggest their ability to detect food sources on the sea ice from their terrestrial home range. While revealing a wide knowledge gap regarding resource detection abilities in mammalian predators, our study provides estimates of detection range useful for interpreting and modeling animal movements. It also allows a better understanding of foraging behavior and navigation capacity in terrestrial predators.

16 CFR Appendix G5 to Part 305 - Mobile Home Furnaces-Oil

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Mobile Home Furnaces-Oil G5 Appendix G5 to... LABELING RULEâ) Appendix G5 to Part 305—Mobile Home Furnaces—Oil Type Range of annual fuel utilization efficiencies (AFUEs) Low High Mobile Home Oil Furnaces Manufactured Before the Compliance Date of DOE Regional...

16 CFR Appendix G4 to Part 305 - Mobile Home Furnaces-Gas

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Mobile Home Furnaces-Gas G4 Appendix G4 to... LABELING RULEâ) Appendix G4 to Part 305—Mobile Home Furnaces—Gas Type Range of annual fuel utilization efficiencies (AFUEs) Low High Mobile Home Gas Furnaces Manufactured Before the Compliance Date of DOE Regional...

A Home Away from Home: Consumer Information on Board and Care Homes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haske, Margaret; Cohen, Rebecca, Ed.

This report provides consumer information on board and care homes, a housing alternative for older persons which serves a broad spectrum of the population, ranging from those needing a modest amount of care and assistance to those who are physically or mentally disabled, but do not need to be institutionalized. The first section of this two-part…

Seasonal movements and Home-range use by female pronghorns in sagebrush-steppe communities of western South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacques, C.N.; Jenks, J.A.; Klaver, R.W.

2009-01-01

Knowledge of seasonal movements by pronghorns (Antilocapra americana) within the easternmost extension of sagebrush-steppe communities is limited. Current hypotheses regarding movement patterns suggest that pronghorns initiate seasonal movements in response to severe winter weather, snowfall patterns, spatial and temporal variation in forage abundance, and availability of water. From January 2002 to August 2005, we monitored movements of 76 adult (≥1.5 years) female pronghorns on 2 study areas (Harding and Fall River counties) in western South Dakota. We collected 8,750 visual locations, calculated 204 home ranges, and documented 17 seasonal movements. Eighty-four percent (n = 55) of pronghorns were nonmigratory and 10% (n = 6) were conditional migrators. Mean distance between summer and winter range was 23.1 km (SE = 2.8 km, n = 13). Five adult pronghorns (8%) dispersed a mean distance of 37.6 km (SE = 12.4 km); of which 1 female moved a straight-line distance of 75.0 km. Winter and summer home-range size varied (P < 0.0001) between study sites. Mean 95% adaptive kernel winter and summer home-range size of pronghorns was 55.5 and 19.7 km2, respectively, in Harding County and 127.2 and 65.9 km2, respectively, in Fall River County. Nonmigratory behavior exhibited by pronghorns was likely associated with minimal snow cover and moderate temperatures during winter 2002–2004. Variation in size of adult seasonal home ranges between sites was likely associated with differences in forage distribution and availability between regions.

A Genetic Algorithm Approach to Motion Sensor Placement in Smart Environments.

PubMed

Thomas, Brian L; Crandall, Aaron S; Cook, Diane J

2016-04-01

Smart environments and ubiquitous computing technologies hold great promise for a wide range of real world applications. The medical community is particularly interested in high quality measurement of activities of daily living. With accurate computer modeling of older adults, decision support tools may be built to assist care providers. One aspect of effectively deploying these technologies is determining where the sensors should be placed in the home to effectively support these end goals. This work introduces and evaluates a set of approaches for generating sensor layouts in the home. These approaches range from the gold standard of human intuition-based placement to more advanced search algorithms, including Hill Climbing and Genetic Algorithms. The generated layouts are evaluated based on their ability to detect activities while minimizing the number of needed sensors. Sensor-rich environments can provide valuable insights about adults as they go about their lives. These sensors, once in place, provide information on daily behavior that can facilitate an aging-in-place approach to health care.

A Genetic Algorithm Approach to Motion Sensor Placement in Smart Environments

PubMed Central

Thomas, Brian L.; Crandall, Aaron S.; Cook, Diane J.

2016-01-01

Smart environments and ubiquitous computing technologies hold great promise for a wide range of real world applications. The medical community is particularly interested in high quality measurement of activities of daily living. With accurate computer modeling of older adults, decision support tools may be built to assist care providers. One aspect of effectively deploying these technologies is determining where the sensors should be placed in the home to effectively support these end goals. This work introduces and evaluates a set of approaches for generating sensor layouts in the home. These approaches range from the gold standard of human intuition-based placement to more advanced search algorithms, including Hill Climbing and Genetic Algorithms. The generated layouts are evaluated based on their ability to detect activities while minimizing the number of needed sensors. Sensor-rich environments can provide valuable insights about adults as they go about their lives. These sensors, once in place, provide information on daily behavior that can facilitate an aging-in-place approach to health care. PMID:27453810

The Impact of Green House Adoption on Medicare Spending and Utilization.

PubMed

Grabowski, David C; Afendulis, Christopher C; Caudry, Daryl J; O'Malley, A James; Kemper, Peter

2016-02-01

To evaluate the impact of the Green House (GH) model of nursing home care on Medicare acute hospital, other hospital, skilled nursing facility, and hospice spending and utilization. Medicare claims and enrollment data from 2005 through 2010 merged with resident-level minimum data set (MDS) assessments. Using a difference-in-differences framework, we compared Medicare Part A and hospice expenditures and utilization in 15 nursing homes that adopted the GH model relative to changes over the same time period in 223 matched nonadopting nursing homes. We applied the same method for residents of GH homes and for residents of "legacy" homes, the original nursing homes that stay open alongside the GH home(s). The adoption of GH had no detectable impact on Medicare Part A (plus hospice) spending and utilization across all residents living in the nursing home. When we analyzed residents living in GH homes and legacy units separately, however, we found that the adoption of the GH model reduced overall annual Medicare Part A spending by $7,746 per resident, although this appeared to be partially offset by an increase in spending in legacy homes. To the extent that the GH model reduces Medicare spending, adopting nursing homes do not receive any of the related Medicare savings under traditional payment mechanisms. New approaches that are currently being developed and piloted, which better align financial incentives for providers and payers, could incentivize greater adoption of the GH model. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

APPLICATION OF EPANET TO UNDERSTAND LEAD ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation describes the factors affecting lead concentration in tap water using an EPANET hydraulic model for a simplified home model, a realistic home model, and EPA's experimental home plumbing system. This presentation describes the factors affecting lead concentration in tap water using an EPANET hydraulic model.

Perceived doctor-patient relationship and satisfaction with general practitioner care in older persons in residential homes.

PubMed

de Waard, Claudia S; Poot, Antonius J; den Elzen, Wendy P J; Wind, Annet W; Caljouw, Monique A A; Gussekloo, Jacobijn

2018-06-01

Understanding patient satisfaction from the perspective of older adults is important to improve quality of their care. Since patient and care variables which can be influenced are of specific interest, this study examines the relation between patient satisfaction and the perceived doctor-patient relationship in older persons and their general practitioners (GPs). Cross-sectional survey. Older persons (n = 653, median age 87 years; 69.4% female) living in 41 residential homes. Patient satisfaction (report mark) and perceived doctor-patient relationship (Leiden Perioperative care Patient Satisfaction questionnaire); relationships were examined by comparing medians and use of regression models. The median satisfaction score was 8 (interquartile range 7.5-9; range 0-10) and doctor-patient relationship 65 (interquartile range 63-65; range 13-65). Higher satisfaction scores were related to higher scores on doctor-patient relationship (Jonckheere Terpstra test, p for trend <.001) independent of gender, age, duration of stay in the residential home, functional and clinical characteristics. Adjusted for these characteristics, per additional point for doctor-patient relationship, satisfaction increased with 0.103 points (β = 0.103, 95% CI 0.092-0.114; p < .001). In those with a 'low' doctor-patient relationship rating, the percentage awarding 'sufficient or good' to their GP for 'understanding about the personal situation' was 12%, 'receiving attention as an individual' 22%, treating the patient kindly 78%, and being polite 94%. In older persons, perceived doctor-patient relationship and patient satisfaction are related, irrespective of patient characteristics. GPs may improve patient satisfaction by focusing more on the affective aspects of the doctor-patient relationship. Key Points Examination of the perceived doctor-patient relationship as a variable might better accommodate patients' expectations and improve satisfaction with the provided primary care.

California spotted owl habitat characteristics and use

Treesearch

Susan L. Roberts

2017-01-01

California spotted owls (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) establish large home ranges averaging about 1279 ha (3,160 ac) (table 3-1), and within these home ranges individual owls select habitat at different scales, depending on their activity. At the smallest spatial scale, the nest tree, it appears there is very limited flexibility in the...

The dispersion and detection patterns of mtDNA-assigned red fox Vulpes vulpes scats in Tasmania are anomalous.

PubMed

Marks, Clive A; Obendorf, David; Pereira, Filipe; Edwards, Ivo; Hall, Graham P

2014-08-01

Models used for resource allocation in eradication programmes must be based on replicated data of known quality and have proven predictive accuracy, or they may provide a false indication of species presence and/or distribution. In the absence of data corroborating the presence of extant foxes Vulpes vulpes in Tasmania, a habitat-specific model based upon mtDNA data (Sarre et al . 2012. Journal Applied Ecology , 50, 459-468) implied that foxes were widespread. Overall, 61 of 9940 (0·6%) surveyed scats were assigned as mtDNA fox positive by the fox eradication programme (FEP). We investigated the spatiotemporal distribution of the 61 mtDNA-assigned fox scats and modelled the probability of replicating scat detection in independent surveys using detection dogs based upon empirically derived probabilities of scat detection success obtained by the FEP using imported fox scats. In a prior mainland study, fox genotypes were recurrently detected in a consecutive four-day pool of scats. In Tasmania, only three contemporaneously collected scat pairs of unknown genotype were detected by the FEP within an area corresponding to a conservatively large mainland fox home range (639 ha) in a decade. Nearest neighbour pairs were widely spaced (mean = 7·0 km; circular area = 153 km 2 ) and generated after a mean of 281 days. The majority of assigned mtDNA positive scats were found in urban and peri-urban environments corresponding to small mainland fox home ranges (30-45 ha) that imply higher scat density and more certain replication. Using the lowest empirically determined scat detection success for dogs, the failure to replicate fox scat detection on 34 of 36 occasions in a large (639 ha) home range is highly improbable ( P  = 0·00001) and suggestive of Type I error. Synthesis and applications . Type I error, which may have various sources, should be considered when scat mtDNA data are few, accumulated over many years, uncorroborated by observations of extant specimens, inadequately replicated in independent surveys within an expected spatiotemporal scale and reported in geographically isolated environments unlikely to have been colonized.

Association of Cost Sharing With Use of Home Health Services Among Medicare Advantage Enrollees.

PubMed

Li, Qijuan; Keohane, Laura M; Thomas, Kali; Lee, Yoojin; Trivedi, Amal N

2017-07-01

Several policy proposals advocate introducing copayments for home health care in the Medicare program. To our knowledge, no prior studies have assessed this cost-containment strategy. To determine the association of home health copayments with use of home health services. A difference-in-differences case-control study of 18 Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that introduced copayments for home health care between 2007 and 2011 and 18 concurrent control MA plans. The study included 135 302 enrollees in plans that introduced copayment and 155 892 enrollees in matched control plans. Introduction of copayments for home health care between 2007 and 2011. Proportion of enrollees receiving home health care, annual numbers of home health episodes, and days receiving home health care. Copayments for home health visits ranged from $5 to $20 per visit, which were estimated to be associated with $165 (interquartile range [IQR], $45-$180) to $660 (IQR, $180-$720) in out-of-pocket spending for the average user of home health care. The increased copayment for home health care was not associated with the proportion of enrollees receiving home health care (adjusted difference-in-differences, -0.15 percentage points; 95% CI, -0.38 to 0.09), the number of home health episodes per user (adjusted difference-in-differences, 0.01; 95% CI, -0.01 to 0.03), and home health days per user (adjusted difference-in-differences, -0.19; 95% CI, -3.02 to 2.64). In both intervention and control plans and across all levels of copayments, we observed higher disenrollment rates among enrollees with greater baseline use of home health care. We found no evidence that imposing copayments reduced the use of home health services among older adults. More intensive use of home health services was associated with increased rates of disenrollment in MA plans. The findings raise questions about the potential effectiveness of this cost-containment strategy.

Ranging behavior of eastern hoolock gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys) in a northern montane forest in Gaoligongshan, Yunnan, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Dao; Fei, Han-Lan; Yuan, Sheng-Dong; Sun, Wen-Mo; Ni, Qing-Yong; Cui, Liang-Wei; Fan, Peng-Fei

2014-04-01

Generally, food abundance and distribution exert important influence on primate ranging behavior. Hoolock gibbons (genus Hoolock) live in lowland and montane forests in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China. All information about hoolock gibbons comes from studies on western hoolock gibbons (Hoolock hoolock) living in lowland forest. Between August 2010 and September 2011, we studied the ranging behavior of one habituated group of eastern hoolock gibbon (H. leuconedys) living in a seasonal montane forest in Gaoligongshan, Yunnan, China. Results show that the study group did not increase foraging effort, calculated in this study as the daily path length, when fruit was less available. Instead, the gibbons fed more on leaves and decreased traveling to conserve energy. They relied heavily on a single food species in most study months which was patchily distributed within their total (14-month) home range, and during most months they used only a small portion of their total home range. In order to find enough food, the group shifted its monthly home range according to the seasonal availability of food species. To satisfy their annual food requirements, they occupied a total home range of 93 ha. The absence of neighboring groups of gibbons and the presence of tsaoko cardamom (Amomum tsaoko) plantations may also have influenced the ranging behavior of the group. Further long-term studies of neighboring groups living in intact forests are required to assess these effects.

Asymmetry hidden in birds’ tracks reveals wind, heading, and orientation ability over the ocean

PubMed Central

Goto, Yusuke; Yoda, Ken; Sato, Katsufumi

2017-01-01

Numerous flying and swimming animals constantly need to control their heading (that is, their direction of orientation) in a flow to reach their distant destination. However, animal orientation in a flow has yet to be satisfactorily explained because it is difficult to directly measure animal heading and flow. We constructed a new animal movement model based on the asymmetric distribution of the GPS (Global Positioning System) track vector along its mean vector, which might be caused by wind flow. This statistical model enabled us to simultaneously estimate animal heading (navigational decision-making) and ocean wind information over the range traversed by free-ranging birds. We applied this method to the tracking data of homing seabirds. The wind flow estimated by the model was consistent with the spatiotemporally coarse wind information provided by an atmospheric simulation model. The estimated heading information revealed that homing seabirds could head in a direction different from that leading to the colony to offset wind effects and to enable them to eventually move in the direction they intended to take, even though they are over the open sea where visual cues are unavailable. Our results highlight the utility of combining large data sets of animal movements with the “inverse problem approach,” enabling unobservable causal factors to be estimated from the observed output data. This approach potentially initiates a new era of analyzing animal decision-making in the field. PMID:28959724

Home range dynamics, habitat selection, and survival of Greater Roadrunners

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelley, S.W.; Ransom, D.; Butcher, J.A.; Schulz, G.G.; Surber, B.W.; Pinchak, W.E.; Santamaria, C.A.; Hurtado, L.A.

2011-01-01

Greater Roadrunners (Geococcyx californianus) are common, poorly studied birds of arid and semi-arid ecosystems in the southwestern United States. Conservation of this avian predator requires a detailed understanding of their movements and spatial requirements that is currently lacking. From 2006 to 2009, we quantified home-range and core area sizes and overlap, habitat selection, and survival of roadrunners (N= 14 males and 20 females) in north-central Texas using radio-telemetry and fixed kernel estimators. Median home-range and core-area sizes were 90.4 ha and 19.2 ha for males and 80.1 ha and 16.7 ha for females, respectively. The size of home range and core areas did not differ significantly by either sex or season. Our home range estimates were twice as large (x??= 108.9 ha) as earlier published estimates based on visual observations (x??= 28-50 ha). Mean percent overlap was 38.4% for home ranges and 13.7% for core areas. Male roadrunners preferred mesquite woodland and mesquite savanna cover types, and avoided the grass-forb cover type. Female roadrunners preferred mesquite savanna and riparian woodland cover types, and avoided grass-forb habitat. Kaplan-Meier annual survival probabilities for females (0.452 ?? 0.118[SE]) were twice that estimated for males (0.210 ?? 0.108), but this difference was not significant. Mortality rates of male roadrunners were higher than those of females during the spring when males call from elevated perches, court females, and chase competing males. Current land use practices that target woody-shrub removal to enhance livestock forage production could be detrimental to roadrunner populations by reducing availability of mesquite woodland and mesquite savanna habitat required for nesting and roosting and increasing the amount of grass-forb habitat that roadrunners avoid. ??2011 The Authors. Journal of Field Ornithology ??2011 Association of Field Ornithologists.

Combining familiarity and landscape features helps break down the barriers between movements and home ranges in a non-territorial large herbivore.

PubMed

Marchand, Pascal; Garel, Mathieu; Bourgoin, Gilles; Duparc, Antoine; Dubray, Dominique; Maillard, Daniel; Loison, Anne

2017-03-01

Recent advances in animal ecology have enabled identification of certain mechanisms that lead to the emergence of territories and home ranges from movements considered as unbounded. Among them, memory and familiarity have been identified as key parameters in cognitive maps driving animal navigation, but have been only recently used in empirical analyses of animal movements. At the same time, the influence of landscape features on movements of numerous species and on space division in territorial animals has been highlighted. Despite their potential as exocentric information in cognitive maps and as boundaries for home ranges, few studies have investigated their role in the design of home ranges of non-territorial species. Using step selection analyses, we assessed the relative contribution of habitat characteristics, familiarity preferences and linear landscape features in movement step selection of 60 GPS-collared Mediterranean mouflon Ovis gmelini musimon × Ovis sp. monitored in southern France. Then, we evaluated the influence of these movement-impeding landscape features on the design of home ranges by testing for a non-random distribution of these behavioural barriers within sections of space differentially used by mouflon. We reveal that familiarity and landscape features are key determinants of movements, relegating to a lower level certain habitat constraints (e.g. food/cover trade-off) that we had previously identified as important for this species. Mouflon generally avoid crossing both anthropogenic (i.e. roads, tracks and hiking trails) and natural landscape features (i.e. ridges, talwegs and forest edges) while moving in the opposite direction, preferentially toward familiar areas. These specific behaviours largely depend on the relative position of each movement step regarding distance to the landscape features or level of familiarity in the surroundings. We also revealed cascading consequences on the design of home ranges in which most landscape features were excluded from cores and relegated to the peripheral areas. These results provide crucial information on landscape connectivity in a context of marked habitat fragmentation. They also call for more research on the role of landscape features in the emergence of home ranges in non-territorial species using recent methodological developments bridging the gap between movements and space use patterns. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2016 British Ecological Society.

A spatially-dynamic preliminary risk assessment of the American peregrine falcon at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (version 1)

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

Gallegos, A.F.; Gonzales, G.J.; Bennett, K.D.

1997-06-01

The Endangered Species Act and the Record of Decision on the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory require protection of the American peregrine falcon. A preliminary risk assessment of the peregrine was performed using a custom FORTRAN model and a geographical information system. Estimated doses to the falcon were compared against toxicity reference values to generate hazard indices. Hazard index results indicated no unacceptable risk to the falcon from the soil ingestion pathway, including a measure of cumulative effects from multiple contaminants that assumes a linear additive toxicity type. Scaling home ranges on themore » basis of maximizing falcon height for viewing prey decreased estimated risk by 69% in a canyons-based home range and increased estimated risk by 40% in a river-based home range. Improving model realism by weighting simulated falcon foraging based on distance from potential nest sites decreased risk by 93% in one exposure unit and by 82% in a second exposure unit. It was demonstrated that choice of toxicity reference values can have a substantial impact on risk estimates. Adding bioaccumulation factors for several organics increased partial hazard quotients by a factor of 110, but increased the mean hazard index by only 0.02 units. Adding a food consumption exposure pathway in the form of biomagnification factors for 15 contaminants of potential ecological concern increased the mean hazard index to 1.16 ({+-} 1.0), which is above the level of acceptability (1.0). Aroclor-1254, dichlorodiphenyltrichlorethane (DDT) and dichlorodiphenylethelyne (DDE) accounted for 81% of the estimated risk that includes soil ingestion and food consumption Contaminant pathways and a biomagnification component. Information on risk by specific geographical location was generated, which can be used to manage contaminated areas, falcon habitat, facility siting, and/or facility operations. 123 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Associations between self-reported in-home smoking behaviours and surface nicotine concentrations in multiunit subsidised housing.

PubMed

Hood, Nancy E; Ferketich, Amy K; Klein, Elizabeth G; Pirie, Phyllis; Wewers, Mary Ellen

2014-01-01

Smoke-free policies are being increasingly promoted and adopted in subsidised multiunit housing to address disparities in residential secondhand smoke exposure. In order to inform the planning and evaluation of these policies, this study examined associations between self-reported in-home smoking and surface nicotine concentrations. A face-to-face, cross-sectional survey was conducted from August to October 2011 with leaseholders in a probability sample of private subsidised housing units in Columbus, Ohio, without an existing smoke-free housing policy (n=301, 64% response rate). After the survey, a wipe sample was collected from a wood surface in the living room to measure surface nicotine concentrations (n=279). In-home smoking was reported by 56.6% of respondents. Geometric mean surface nicotine concentrations differed between non-smoking and smoking homes (11.4 vs 90.9 μg/m(2); p<0.001), and between homes with complete, partial and no voluntary home smoking restrictions (8.9 vs 56.3 vs 145.6 μg/m(2); p<0.001). Surface nicotine concentrations were moderately correlated (r=.52) with the total number of cigarettes smoked indoors per week. Smoking behaviours of respondents, other household members and visitors, and length of stay were independently associated with surface nicotine concentrations in a multivariable model, explaining 52% of the variance. Surface nicotine concentrations were significantly associated with a range of self-reported in-home smoking behaviours. This measure should be considered for evaluating changes in in-home smoking behaviours after implementation of smoke-free policies by subsidised housing providers. More research is needed about how surface nicotine concentrations differ over space, time and various indoor surfaces.

Constructing a Home on the Range: Homemaking in Early-Twentieth-Century Plains Photograph Albums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dando, Christina E.

2008-01-01

For people living near the coasts or mountains of America, it must be hard to imagine longing for a "home on the plains"--but many Americans have had, and still have, a home on the Plains. The stereotypical American image of the Plains is flatness, austerity, emptiness. Not all would consider this an ideal landscape for home. So how did…

Decision Modeling in Sleep Apnea: The Critical Roles of Pretest Probability, Cost of Untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and Time Horizon

PubMed Central

Moro, Marilyn; Westover, M. Brandon; Kelly, Jessica; Bianchi, Matt T.

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP) is cost-effective. However, the optimal diagnostic strategy remains a subject of debate. Prior modeling studies have not consistently supported the widely held assumption that home sleep testing (HST) is cost-effective. Methods: We modeled four strategies: (1) treat no one; (2) treat everyone empirically; (3) treat those testing positive during in-laboratory polysomnography (PSG) via in-laboratory titration; and (4) treat those testing positive during HST with auto-PAP. The population was assumed to lack independent reasons for in-laboratory PSG (such as insomnia, periodic limb movements in sleep, complex apnea). We considered the third-party payer perspective, via both standard (quality-adjusted) and pure cost methods. Results: The preferred strategy depended on three key factors: pretest probability of OSA, cost of untreated OSA, and time horizon. At low prevalence and low cost of untreated OSA, the treat no one strategy was favored, whereas empiric treatment was favored for high prevalence and high cost of untreated OSA. In-laboratory backup for failures in the at-home strategy increased the preference for the at-home strategy. Without laboratory backup in the at-home arm, the in-laboratory strategy was increasingly preferred at longer time horizons. Conclusion: Using a model framework that captures a broad range of clinical possibilities, the optimal diagnostic approach to uncomplicated OSA depends on pretest probability, cost of untreated OSA, and time horizon. Estimating each of these critical factors remains a challenge warranting further investigation. Citation: Moro M, Westover MB, Kelly J, Bianchi MT. Decision modeling in sleep apnea: the critical roles of pretest probability, cost of untreated obstructive sleep apnea, and time horizon. J Clin Sleep Med 2016;12(3):409–418. PMID:26518699

Factors related to the provision of home-based end-of-life care among home-care nursing, home help, and care management agencies in Japan.

PubMed

Igarashi, Ayumi; Kurinobu, Takeshi; Ko, Ayako; Okamoto, Yuko; Matsuura, Shino; Feng, Mei; Yamamoto-Mitani, Noriko

2015-09-12

To promote home death, it is necessary to clarify the institutional barriers to conducting end-of-life (EOL) care and consider strategies to deal with this process. This study aims to clarify institution-related factors associated with the provision of home-based EOL care cases, and to compare them among three different types of home-care agencies. We administered a cross-sectional survey throughout Japan to investigate the number and characteristics of EOL cases of home-care nursing (HN), home-help (HH) and care management (CM) agencies. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed for each type of agency to examine factors related to the provision of EOL care. 378 HN agencies, 274 HH agencies, and 452 CM agencies responded to the distributed questionnaire. HN agencies had on average 2.1 (SD = 4.0; range 0-60) home-based EOL cases in the last 3 months, while HH agencies had 0.9 (SD = 1.3; range 0-7) and CM agencies had 1.5 (SD = 2.2; range 0-18) in the last 6 months. In a multivariable analysis of HN agencies, a large number of staff (OR: 1.52; p < 0.001) and a large number of collaborating CM agencies (OR: 1.08; p = 0.008) were positively associated with the provision of EOL care; in HH agencies, accepting EOL clients in the agency (OR: 3.29; p < 0.001) was positively associated with the provision of EOL care; in CM agencies, the number of staff (OR: 1.21; p = 0.037), the number of collaborating HH agencies (OR: 1.07; p = 0.032), and whether home-care nurses and home helpers visit clients together (OR: 1.89; p = 0.007) were positively associated with the provision of EOL care. The agency's size and the inter-agency collaborative system seemed most important among HN agencies and CM agencies, while institutional preparedness for EOL was most important for HH agencies. These findings represent important new information for targeting different effective strategies in the promotion of home-based EOL care, depending on the agency type.

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

Wilson, Eric J

The ResStock analysis tool is helping states, municipalities, utilities, and manufacturers identify which home upgrades save the most energy and money. Across the country there's a vast diversity in the age, size, construction practices, installed equipment, appliances, and resident behavior of the housing stock, not to mention the range of climates. These variations have hindered the accuracy of predicting savings for existing homes. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed ResStock. It's a versatile tool that takes a new approach to large-scale residential energy analysis by combining: large public and private data sources, statistical sampling, detailed subhourly buildingmore » simulations, high-performance computing. This combination achieves unprecedented granularity and most importantly - accuracy - in modeling the diversity of the single-family housing stock.« less

Spatial demographic models to inform conservation planning of golden eagles in renewable energy landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiens, J. David; Schumaker, Nathan H.; Inman, Richard D.; Esque, Todd C.; Longshore, Kathleen M.; Nussear, Kenneth E

2017-01-01

Spatial demographic models can help guide monitoring and management activities targeting at-risk species, even in cases where baseline data are lacking. Here, we provide an example of how site-specific changes in land use and anthropogenic stressors can be incorporated into a spatial demographic model to investigate effects on population dynamics of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). Our study focused on a population of Golden Eagles exposed to risks associated with rapid increases in renewable energy development in southern California, U.S.A. We developed a spatially explicit, individual-based simulation model that integrated empirical data on demography of Golden Eagles with spatial data on the arrangement of nesting habitats, prey resources, and planned renewable energy development sites. Our model permitted simulated eagles of different stage-classes to disperse, establish home ranges, acquire prey resources, prospect for breeding sites, and reproduce. The distribution of nesting habitats, prey resources, and threats within each individual's home range influenced movement, reproduction, and survival. We used our model to explore potential effects of alternative disturbance scenarios, and proposed conservation strategies, on the future distribution and abundance of Golden Eagles in the study region. Results from our simulations suggest that probable increases in mortality associated with renewable energy infrastructure (e.g., collisions with wind turbines and vehicles, electrocution on power poles) could have negative consequences for population trajectories, but that site-specific conservation actions could reduce the magnitude of negative effects. Our study demonstrates the use of a flexible and expandable modeling framework to incorporate spatially dependent processes when determining relative effects of proposed management options to Golden Eagles and their habitats.

Modeling indoor air pollution of outdoor origin in homes of SAPALDIA subjects in Switzerland.

PubMed

Meier, Reto; Schindler, Christian; Eeftens, Marloes; Aguilera, Inmaculada; Ducret-Stich, Regina E; Ineichen, Alex; Davey, Mark; Phuleria, Harish C; Probst-Hensch, Nicole; Tsai, Ming-Yi; Künzli, Nino

2015-09-01

Given the shrinking spatial contrasts in outdoor air pollution in Switzerland and the trends toward tightly insulated buildings, the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA) needs to understand to what extent outdoor air pollution remains a determinant for residential indoor exposure. The objectives of this paper are to identify determining factors for indoor air pollution concentrations of particulate matter (PM), ultrafine particles in the size range from 15 to 300nm, black smoke measured as light absorbance of PM (PMabsorbance) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and to develop predictive indoor models for SAPALDIA. Multivariable regression models were developed based on indoor and outdoor measurements among homes of selected SAPALDIA participants in three urban (Basel, Geneva, Lugano) and one rural region (Wald ZH) in Switzerland, various home characteristics and reported indoor sources such as cooking. Outdoor levels of air pollutants were important predictors for indoor air pollutants, except for the coarse particle fraction. The fractions of outdoor concentrations infiltrating indoors were between 30% and 66%, the highest one was observed for PMabsorbance. A modifying effect of open windows was found for NO2 and the ultrafine particle number concentration. Cooking was associated with increased particle and NO2 levels. This study shows that outdoor air pollution remains an important determinant of residential indoor air pollution in Switzerland. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Benefit-cost analysis of commercially available activated carbon filters for indoor ozone removal in single-family homes.

PubMed

Aldred, J R; Darling, E; Morrison, G; Siegel, J; Corsi, R L

2016-06-01

This study involved the development of a model for evaluating the potential costs and benefits of ozone control by activated carbon filtration in single-family homes. The modeling effort included the prediction of indoor ozone with and without activated carbon filtration in the HVAC system. As one application, the model was used to predict benefit-to-cost ratios for single-family homes in 12 American cities in five different climate zones. Health benefits were evaluated using disability-adjusted life-years and included city-specific age demographics for each simulation. Costs of commercially available activated carbon filters included capital cost differences when compared to conventional HVAC filters of similar particle removal efficiency, energy penalties due to additional pressure drop, and regional utility rates. The average indoor ozone removal effectiveness ranged from 4 to 20% across the 12 target cities and was largely limited by HVAC system operation time. For the parameters selected in this study, the mean predicted benefit-to-cost ratios for 1-inch filters were >1.0 in 10 of the 12 cities. The benefits of residential activated carbon filters were greatest in cities with high seasonal ozone and HVAC usage, suggesting the importance of targeting such conditions for activated carbon filter applications. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Complex Interaction between Home Environment, Socioeconomic Status, Maternal IQ and Early Child Neurocognitive Development: A Multivariate Analysis of Data Collected in a Newborn Cohort Study.

PubMed

Ronfani, Luca; Vecchi Brumatti, Liza; Mariuz, Marika; Tognin, Veronica; Bin, Maura; Ferluga, Valentina; Knowles, Alessandra; Montico, Marcella; Barbone, Fabio

2015-01-01

The relative role of socioeconomic status (SES), home environment and maternal intelligence, as factors affecting child cognitive development in early childhood is still unclear. The aim of this study is to analyze the association of SES, home environment and maternal IQ with child neurodevelopment at 18 months. The data were collected prospectively in the PHIME study, a newborn cohort study carried out in Italy between 2007 and 2010. Maternal nonverbal abilities (IQ) were evaluated using the Standard Progressive Matrices, a version of the Raven's Progressive Matrices; a direct evaluation of the home environment was carried out with the AIRE instrument, designed using the HOME (Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment) model; the socioeconomic characteristics were evaluated using the SES index which takes into account parents occupation, type of employment, educational level, homeownership. The study outcome was child neurodevelopment evaluated at 18 months, with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Third Edition (BSID III). Linear regression analyses and mediation analyses were carried out to evaluate the association between the three exposures, and the scaled scores of the three main scales of BSID III (cognitive, language and motor scale), with adjustment for a wide range of potential explanatory variables. Data from 502 mother-child pairs were analyzed. Mediation analysis showed a relationship between SES and maternal IQ, with a complete mediation effect of home environment in affecting cognitive and language domains. A direct significant effect of maternal IQ on the BSID III motor development scale and the mediation effect of home environment were found. Our results show that home environment was the variable with greater influence on neurodevelopment at 18 months. The observation of how parents and children interact in the home context is crucial to adequately evaluate early child development.

Summer Home Range Size of Female Indiana Bats (Myotis Sodalis) in Missouri, USA

Treesearch

Kathryn M. Womack; Sybill K. Amelon; Frank R. Thompson

2013-01-01

Knowledge of space use by wildlife that are a conservation concern is critical to ensure that management and conservation provides adequate resources to ensure survival and reproductive success. We radio tracked 13 pregnant and 12 lactating Myotis sodalis (Indiana bat) during the maternity season in northern Missouri. Mean (± SE) home range...

Spatial ecology of the coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum (Squamata: Colubridae), in eastern Texas

Treesearch

Richard W. Johnson; Robert R. Fleet; Michael B. Keck; D. Craig Rudolph

2007-01-01

We radio-tracked nine Masticophis flagellum (Coachwhips) to determine home range, habitat use, and movements in eastern Texas from April to October 2000. Home ranges of Coachwhips contained more oak savanna macrohabitat than early-successional pine plantation or forested seep, based on the availability of these three macrohabitats in the study area....

Forest Stands Selected by Foraging Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers

Treesearch

Robert G. Hooper; Richard F. Harlow

1986-01-01

Selection of forest stands by 18 clans of foraging red-cockaded woodpeckers was studied in their year-round home ranges. The foraging use of 276 stands relative to their availability within the home ranges was compared to several stand characteristics. Selection among stands with similar characteristics was highly vairable and red-cockadeds foraged in stands with a...

The National Home Visiting Coalition: A History of Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callahan, Jane; Gavaghan, Bridget; Howard, Karen; Kelley, Melissa L.; Schwartz, Marvin; Walzer, Sarah

2010-01-01

The Home Visiting Coalition represents more than 75 organizations working together to articulate the effectiveness of home visiting to a range of policymakers and stakeholders in the early childhood field. Despite varying program goals and service delivery strategies, the Coalition participants share a commitment to expanding access to…

[Polish adaptation of swing questionnaire (Survey Work-home Interaction - Nijmegen)].

PubMed

Mościcka-Teske, Agnieszka; Merecz, Dorota

2012-01-01

The aim of the paper is to present the Polish adaptation of Survey Work-Home Interaction - Nijmegen (SWING). The analyses were based on the survey results from two groups of subjects, a sample of workers, representative in terms of sex and age, living in urban areas (N = 600) and a group of 59 employees examined twice with a help of SWING to assess the stability of the obtained results over a month time. The analyses performed proved that the Polish version of SWING is a reliable tool for studying work-home interactions. Correlation coefficients of items with total result of negative work-home interaction (WHI) subscale varied from 0.51 to 0.74, with positive WHI subscale from 0.26 to 0.60, negative home-work interaction (HWI) subscale, from 0.54 to 0.68 and positive HWI subscale from 0.31 to 0.59. Cronbach's alpha for the whole survey was 0.79, and for subscales varied from 0.73 to 0.89. The results of factorial analysis confirmed a our-factor structure of SWING. Factors I, items had loading from 0.58 to 0.81; II, from 0.29 to 0.78; III, from 0.60 to 0.80; and IV, from 0.28 to 0.74. The values of fit index for a four-factor model, were 0.91 (NNFI), 0.06 (RMSEA), and 0.92 (CFI), which means that this model is characterized by a good fit to empirical data. The correlation coefficient between two measurements at one month interval were also high and reached the range of 0.63 to 0.84. The results obtained are comparable to the psychometric characteristic of the English version of SWING.

A Nationwide Survey of Patient Centered Medical Home Demonstration Projects

PubMed Central

Bitton, Asaf; Martin, Carina

2010-01-01

Background The patient centered medical home has received considerable attention as a potential way to improve primary care quality and limit cost growth. Little information exists that systematically compares PCMH pilot projects across the country. Design Cross-sectional key-informant interviews. Participants Leaders from existing PCMH demonstration projects with external payment reform. Measurements We used a semi-structured interview tool with the following domains: project history, organization and participants, practice requirements and selection process, medical home recognition, payment structure, practice transformation, and evaluation design. Results A total of 26 demonstrations in 18 states were interviewed. Current demonstrations include over 14,000 physicians caring for nearly 5 million patients. A majority of demonstrations are single payer, and most utilize a three component payment model (traditional fee for service, per person per month fixed payments, and bonus performance payments). The median incremental revenue per physician per year was $22,834 (range $720 to $91,146). Two major practice transformation models were identified—consultative and implementation of the chronic care model. A majority of demonstrations did not have well-developed evaluation plans. Conclusion Current PCMH demonstration projects with external payment reform include large numbers of patients and physicians as well as a wide spectrum of implementation models. Key questions exist around the adequacy of current payment mechanisms and evaluation plans as public and policy interest in the PCMH model grows. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11606-010-1262-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:20467907

Disability in long-term care residents explained by prevalent geriatric syndromes, not long-term care home characteristics: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Lane, Natasha E; Wodchis, Walter P; Boyd, Cynthia M; Stukel, Thérèse A

2017-02-10

Self-care disability is dependence on others to conduct activities of daily living, such as bathing, eating and dressing. Among long-term care residents, self-care disability lowers quality of life and increases health care costs. Understanding the correlates of self-care disability in this population is critical to guide clinical care and ongoing research in Geriatrics. This study examines which resident geriatric syndromes and chronic conditions are associated with residents' self-care disability and whether these relationships vary across strata of age, sex and cognitive status. It also describes the proportion of variance in residents' self-care disability that is explained by residents' geriatric syndromes versus long-term care home characteristics. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a health administrative cohort of 77,165 long-term care home residents residing in 614 Ontario long-term care homes. Eligible residents had their self-care disability assessed using the RAI-MDS 2.0 activities of daily living long-form score (range: 0-28) within 90 days of April 1st, 2011. Hierarchical multivariable regression models with random effects for long-term care homes were used to estimate the association between self-care disability and resident geriatric syndromes, chronic conditions and long-term care home characteristics. Differences in findings across strata of sex, age and cognitive status (cognitively intact versus cognitively impaired) were examined. Geriatric syndromes were much more strongly associated with self-care disability than chronic conditions in multivariable models. The direction and size of some of these effects were different for cognitively impaired versus cognitively intact residents. Residents' geriatric syndromes explained 50% of the variation in their self-care disability scores, while characteristics of long-term care homes explained an additional 2% of variation. Differences in long-term care residents' self-care disability are largely explained by prevalent geriatric syndromes. After adjusting for resident characteristics, there is little variation in self-care disability associated with long-term care home characteristics. This suggests that residents' geriatric syndromes-not the homes in which they live-may be the appropriate target of interventions to reduce self-care disability, and that such interventions may need to differ for cognitively impaired versus unimpaired residents.

Predicting personal exposure of Windsor, Ontario residents to volatile organic compounds using indoor measurements and survey data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stocco, Corinne; MacNeill, Morgan; Wang, Daniel; Xu, Xiaohong; Guay, Mireille; Brook, Jeff; Wheeler, Amanda J.

As part of a multi-year personal exposure monitoring campaign, we collected personal, indoor, and outdoor levels of 188 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In 2005, data were obtained for 48 non-smoking adults from Windsor, Ontario in order to assess their exposure to VOCs based on their daily routines and characteristics of their homes. During the 8-week winter and summer sampling sessions, five repeated 24-h measurements were obtained for each home. This paper focuses on the analysis of 18 VOCs: 11 have been declared toxic as defined under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, [1999. Statutes of Canada. Act assented to September 14, 1999. Ottawa: Queen's Printer. Available at Canada Gazette (Part III) 22(3): (Chapter 33). http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partIII/1999/g3-02203.pdf], and seven are commonly found in household and personal care products. Results of mixed effects models indicate that personal exposure to these VOCs can be largely predicted by indoor concentrations, with models including indoor concentrations found to have an r2 value for the fixed effects ranging from 58.4% to 87.2% for the CEPA toxic VOCs and from 41.7% to 90.1% for the commonly found VOCs. Given that people spend the majority of their time inside their home, characteristics of the home such as air exchange rates, type of garage, and type of stove have a greater potential to impact personal exposures.

Mind the Gap: Summary of Window Residential Retrofit Solutions

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

Petersen, Joseph M.; Cort, Katherine A.; Widder, Sarah H.

Improving the insulation, solar heat gain, and infiltration characteristics of windows in a home has the potential to significantly improve the overall thermal performance by reducing heat transfer through the window and also by decreasing infiltration of outdoor air into the home. As approximately 43% of existing homes still have single-pane clear windows (~50 million houses) and millions of other homes have only double-pane clear windows (Cort 2013), improving window performance also presents a significant opportunity for energy savings in the residential sector. Today, various energy-saving window retrofit opportunities are available to homeowners, ranging from window coverings and storm panelsmore » to highly-insulating triple-pane R-5 window replacements. Many of these technologies have been evaluated in the field, in the “Lab Homes” at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and through modeling to prove their cost-effectiveness and performance in different climate regions. Recently, the Pacific Northwest’s Regional Technical Forum approved a utility measure for low- emissivity storm windows based on such data. This action represents a watershed moment for increasing the variety and prevalence of fenestration options in utility programs, especially for the low-income demographic. This paper will review various window retrofit options, the most recent field test and modeling data regarding their performance and cost-effectiveness, and discuss future rating efforts. This information is useful for utilities and energy-efficiency program managers to help effectively implement incentive measures for these technologies.« less

Density and Proximity of Fast Food Restaurants and Body Mass Index Among African Americans

PubMed Central

Regan, Seann D.; Nguyen, Nga; Cromley, Ellen K.; Strong, Larkin L.; Wetter, David W.; McNeill, Lorna H.

2014-01-01

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to address current gaps in the literature by examining the associations of fast food restaurant (FFR) density around the home and FFR proximity to the home, respectively, with body mass index (BMI) among a large sample of African American adults from Houston, Texas. Methods. We used generalized linear models with generalized estimating equations to examine associations of FFR density at 0.5-, 1-, 2-, and 5-mile road network buffers around the home with BMI and associations of the closest FFR to the home with BMI. All models were adjusted for a range of individual-level covariates and neighborhood socioeconomic status. We additionally investigated the moderating effects of household income on these relations. Data were collected from December 2008 to July 2009. Results. FFR density was not associated with BMI in the main analyses. However, FFR density at 0.5, 1, and 2 miles was positively associated with BMI among participants with lower incomes (P ≤ .025). Closer FFR proximity was associated with higher BMI among all participants (P < .001), with stronger associations emerging among those of lower income (P < .013) relative to higher income (P < .014). Conclusions. Additional research with more diverse African American samples is needed, but results supported the potential for the fast food environment to affect BMI among African Americans, particularly among those of lower economic means. PMID:23678913

Climate change and health: Indoor heat exposure in vulnerable populations

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

White-Newsome, Jalonne L., E-mail: jalonne@umich.edu; Sanchez, Brisa N., E-mail: brisa@umich.edu; Jolliet, Olivier, E-mail: ojolliet@umich.edu

2012-01-15

Introduction: Climate change is increasing the frequency of heat waves and hot weather in many urban environments. Older people are more vulnerable to heat exposure but spend most of their time indoors. Few published studies have addressed indoor heat exposure in residences occupied by an elderly population. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between outdoor and indoor temperatures in homes occupied by the elderly and determine other predictors of indoor temperature. Materials and methods: We collected hourly indoor temperature measurements of 30 different homes; outdoor temperature, dewpoint temperature, and solar radiation data during summer 2009 inmore » Detroit, MI. We used mixed linear regression to model indoor temperatures' responsiveness to weather, housing and environmental characteristics, and evaluated our ability to predict indoor heat exposures based on outdoor conditions. Results: Average maximum indoor temperature for all locations was 34.85 Degree-Sign C, 13.8 Degree-Sign C higher than average maximum outdoor temperature. Indoor temperatures of single family homes constructed of vinyl paneling or wood siding were more sensitive than brick homes to outdoor temperature changes and internal heat gains. Outdoor temperature, solar radiation, and dewpoint temperature predicted 38% of the variability of indoor temperatures. Conclusions: Indoor exposures to heat in Detroit exceed the comfort range among elderly occupants, and can be predicted using outdoor temperatures, characteristics of the housing stock and surroundings to improve heat exposure assessment for epidemiological investigations. Weatherizing homes and modifying home surroundings could mitigate indoor heat exposure among the elderly.« less

Washington State Nursing Home Administrator Model Curriculum. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowan, Florence Kelly

The course outlines presented in this final report comprise a proposed Fort Steilacoom Community College curriculum to be used as a statewide model two-year associate degree curriculum for nursing home administrators. The eight courses described are introduction to nursing, home administration, financial management of nursing homes, nursing home…

The Quality of Home Environment in Brazil: An Ecological Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Oliveira, Ebenezer A.; Barros, Fernando C.; Anselmi, Luciana D. da Silva; Piccinini, Cesar A.

2006-01-01

Based on Bronfenbrenner's (1999) ecological perspective, a longitudinal, prospective model of individual differences in the quality of home environment (Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment--HOME) was tested in a sample of 179 Brazilian children and their families. Perinatal measures of family socioeconomic status (SES) and child…

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

Singer, Brett C.; Pass, Rebecca Zarin; Delp, William W.

Combustion pollutant concentrations were measured during the scripted operation of natural gas cooking burners in nine homes. Boiling and simmering activities were conducted on the stovetop and in the oven with and without range hood exhaust ventilation or air mixing via a forced air system. Time-resolved concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen oxides (NO x), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), particles with diameters of 6 nm or larger (PN), carbon monoxide (CO), and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) were measured in the kitchen and bedroom area of each home. Four of the nine homes had kitchen 1more » h NO 2 exceed the national ambient air quality standard (100 ppb). In all homes, the highest 1 h integrated PN exceeded 2 × 10 5 cm -3-h, and the highest 4 h PN exceeded 3 × 10 5 cm -3-hr in the kitchen. Range hood performance varied widely, but one with a large capture volume and a measured flow of 108 L/s reduced concentrations 80–95%. Increased awareness of the need to ventilate when cooking, along with building standards for minimum range hood flow rates and volume, could substantially reduce exposures to NO 2 and ultrafine particles in homes.« less

Spatial use and habitat selection of golden eagles in southwestern Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marzluff, J.M.; Knick, Steven T.; Vekasy, M.S.; Schueck, Linda S.; Zarriello, T.J.

1997-01-01

We measured spatial use and habitat selection of radio-tagged Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) at eight to nine territories each year from 1992 to 1994 in the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. Use of space did not vary between years or sexes, but did vary among seasons (home ranges and travel distances were larger during the nonbreeding than during the breeding season) and among individuals. Home ranges were large, ranging from 190 to 8,330 ha during the breeding season and from 1,370 to 170,000 ha outside of the breeding season, but activity was concentrated in small core areas of 30 to 1,535 ha and 485 to 6,380 ha during the breeding and nonbreeding seasons, respectively. Eagles selected shrub habitats and avoided disturbed areas, grasslands, and agriculture. This resulted in selection for habitat likely to contain their principal prey, black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus). Individuals with home ranges in extensive shrubland (n = 3) did not select for shrubs in the placement of their core areas or foraging points, but individuals in highly fragmented or dispersed shrublands (n = 5) concentrated their activities and foraged preferentially in jackrabbit habitats (i.e. areas with abundant and large shrub patches). As home ranges expanded outside of the breeding season, individuals selected jackrabbit habitats within their range. Shrubland fragmentation should be minimized so that remaining shrub patches are large enough to support jackrabbits.

The Green House Model of Nursing Home Care in Design and Implementation.

PubMed

Cohen, Lauren W; Zimmerman, Sheryl; Reed, David; Brown, Patrick; Bowers, Barbara J; Nolet, Kimberly; Hudak, Sandra; Horn, Susan

2016-02-01

To describe the Green House (GH) model of nursing home (NH) care, and examine how GH homes vary from the model, one another, and their founding (or legacy) NH. Data include primary quantitative and qualitative data and secondary quantitative data, derived from 12 GH/legacy NH organizations February 2012-September 2014. This mixed methods, cross-sectional study used structured interviews to obtain information about presence of, and variation in, GH-relevant structures and processes of care. Qualitative questions explored reasons for variation in model implementation. Interview data were analyzed using related-sample tests, and qualitative data were iteratively analyzed using a directed content approach. GH homes showed substantial variation in practices to support resident choice and decision making; neither GH nor legacy homes provided complete choice, and all GH homes excluded residents from some key decisions. GH homes were most consistent with the model and one another in elements to create a real home, such as private rooms and baths and open kitchens, and in staff-related elements, such as self-managed work teams and consistent, universal workers. Although variation in model implementation complicates evaluation, if expansion is to continue, it is essential to examine GH elements and their outcomes. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Big Cypress fox squirrel (Sciurus niger avicennia) ecology and habitat use in a cypress dome swamp-pine forest mosaic

PubMed Central

Kellam, John O.; Jansen, Deborah K.; Johnson, Annette T.; Arwood, Ralph W.; Merrick, Melissa J.; Koprowski, John L.

2016-01-01

Forested wetlands are in decline, as are many species that are obligate residents. Big Cypress fox squirrels (BCFS; Sciurus niger avicennia) are a threatened endemic to wet pine and cypress forests in southwestern Florida. The region is characterized by development resulting in habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and hydrological change that influence the quality of these wet forests. Through radiotelemetry and field observations, we examined the ecology and habitat use of BCFS in a natural cypress dome-pine forest mosaic. BCFS selected cypress domes for food and nests throughout the year. Cypress dome habitats were the only habitat type to be used more than available; however, the availability of nearby pine forest was also important. Home ranges were large relative to other tree squirrels, with male home ranges exceeding female ranges. Males overlapped more females than males, while sharing similar food preferences and use patterns with females, suggesting that the sexual dimorphism in home range size is related to mate searching. Roads and oil extraction pads were used less frequently than expected and were incorporated into home ranges less than randomly generated features. The importance of cypress domes within the wet forests and grasslands of Big Cypress National Preserve demonstrates the value of maintaining this delicate mosaic. PMID:26989265

Comprehensive care improves physical recovery of hip-fractured elderly Taiwanese patients with poor nutritional status.

PubMed

Liu, Hsin-Yun; Tseng, Ming-Yueh; Li, Hsiao-Juan; Wu, Chi-Chuan; Cheng, Huey-Shinn; Yang, Ching-Tzu; Chou, Shih-Wei; Chen, Ching-Yen; Shyu, Yea-Ing L

2014-06-01

The effects of nutritional management among other intervention components have not been examined for hip-fractured elderly persons with poor nutritional status. Accordingly, this study explored the intervention effects of an in-home program using a comprehensive care model that included a nutrition-management component on recovery of hip-fractured older persons with poor nutritional status at hospital discharge. A secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial with 24-month follow-up. A 3000-bed medical center in northern Taiwan. Subjects were included only if they had "poor nutritional status" at hospital discharge, including those at risk for malnutrition or malnourished. The subsample included 80 subjects with poor nutritional status in the comprehensive care group, 87 in the interdisciplinary care group, and 85 in the usual care group. The 3 care models were usual care, interdisciplinary care, and comprehensive care. Usual care provided no in-home care, interdisciplinary care provided 4 months of in-home rehabilitation, and comprehensive care included management of depressive symptoms, falls, and nutrition as well as 1 year of in-home rehabilitation. Data were collected on nutritional status and physical functions, including range of motion, muscle power, proprioception, balance and functional independence, and analyzed using a generalized estimating equation approach. We also compared patients' baseline characteristics: demographic characteristics, type of surgery, comorbidities, length of hospital stay, cognitive function, and depression. Patients with poor nutritional status who received comprehensive care were 1.67 times (95% confidence interval 1.06-2.61) more likely to recover their nutritional status than those who received interdisciplinary and usual care. Furthermore, the comprehensive care model improved the functional independence and balance of patients who recovered their nutritional status over the first year following discharge, but not of those who had not yet recovered. An in-home program using the comprehensive care model with a nutritional component effectively improved the nutritional status of hip-fractured patients with poor nutrition. This comprehensive care intervention more effectively improved recovery of functional independence and balance for patients with recovered nutritional status. Copyright © 2014 American Medical Directors Association, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictors and respiratory depositions of airborne endotoxin in homes using biomass fuels and LPG gas for cooking

PubMed Central

Padhi, Bijaya Kumar; Adhikari, Atin; Satapathy, Prakasini; Patra, Alok Kumar; Chandel, Dinesh; Panigrahi, Pinaki

2016-01-01

Recent studies have highlighted presence of endotoxin in indoor air and its role in respiratory morbidities. Burning of household fuels including unprocessed wood and dried animal dung could be a major source of endotoxin in homes. We measured endotoxin levels in different size fractions of airborne particles (PM10, PM2.5, and PM1), and estimated the deposition of particle-bound endotoxin in the respiratory tract. The study was carried out in homes burning solid biomass fuel (n = 35) and LPG (n = 35). Sample filters were analyzed for endotoxin and organic carbon (OC) content. Household characteristics including temperature, relative humidity, and carbon dioxide levels were also recorded. Multivariate regression models were used to estimate the contributing factors for airborne endotoxin. Respiratory deposition doses were calculated using a computer-based model. We found a higher endotoxin concentration in PM2.5 fractions of the particle in both LPG (median: 110, interquartile range, (IQR): 100-120 EU/m3) and biomass (median: 350, IQR: 315-430 EU/m3) burning homes. In the multivariate-adjusted model, burning of solid biomass fuel (β: 67; 95%CI: 10.5-124) emerged as the most significant predictor followed by OC (β: 4.7; 95%CI: 2.7-6.8), RH (β: 1.6; 95%CI: 0.76-2.4) and PM2.5 (β: 0.45; 95%CI: 0.11-0.78) for airborne endotoxin (p < 0.05). We also observed an interaction between PM organic carbon content and household fuel in predicting the endotoxin levels. The model calculations showed that in biomass burning homes, total endotoxin deposition was higher among infants (59%) than in adult males (47%), of which at least 10% of inhaled endotoxin is deposited in the alveolar region of the lung. These results indicate that fine particles are significant contributors to the deposition of endotoxin in the alveolar region of the lung. Considering the paramount role of endotoxin exposure, and the source and timing of exposure on respiratory health, additional studies are warranted to guide evidence-based public health interventions. PMID:26956936

Predictors and respiratory depositions of airborne endotoxin in homes using biomass fuels and LPG gas for cooking.

PubMed

Padhi, Bijaya K; Adhikari, Atin; Satapathy, Prakasini; Patra, Alok K; Chandel, Dinesh; Panigrahi, Pinaki

2017-01-01

Recent studies have highlighted the presence of endotoxin in indoor air and its role in respiratory morbidities. Burning of household fuels including unprocessed wood and dried animal dung could be a major source of endotoxin in homes. We measured endotoxin levels in different size fractions of airborne particles (PM10, PM2.5, and PM1), and estimated the deposition of particle-bound endotoxin in the respiratory tract. The study was carried out in homes burning solid biomass fuel (n=35) and LPG (n=35). Sample filters were analyzed for endotoxin and organic carbon (OC) content. Household characteristics including temperature, relative humidity, and carbon dioxide levels were also recorded. Multivariate regression models were used to estimate the contributing factors for airborne endotoxin. Respiratory deposition doses were calculated using a computer-based model. We found a higher endotoxin concentration in PM2.5 fractions of the particle in both LPG (median: 110, interquartile range (IQR) 100-120 EU/m 3 ) and biomass (median: 350, IQR: 315-430 EU/m 3 ) burning homes. In the multivariate-adjusted model, burning of solid biomass fuel (β: 67; 95% CI: 10.5-124) emerged as the most significant predictor followed by OC (β: 4.7; 95% CI: 2.7-6.8), RH (β: 1.6; 95% CI: 0.76-2.4), and PM2.5 (β: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.11-0.78) for airborne endotoxin (P<0.05). We also observed an interaction between PM organic carbon content and household fuel in predicting the endotoxin levels. The model calculations showed that in biomass burning homes, total endotoxin deposition was higher among infants (59%) than in adult males (47%), of which at least 10% of inhaled endotoxin is deposited in the alveolar region of the lung. These results indicate that fine particles are significant contributors to the deposition of endotoxin in the alveolar region of the lung. Considering the paramount role of endotoxin exposure, and the source and timing of exposure on respiratory health, additional studies are warranted to guide evidence-based public health interventions.

Prey-mediated avoidance of an intraguild predator by its intraguild prey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, R.R.; Blankenship, T.L.; Hooten, M.B.; Shivik, J.A.

2010-01-01

Intraguild (IG) predation is an important factor influencing community structure, yet factors allowing coexistence of IG predator and IG prey are not well understood. The existence of spatial refuges for IG prey has recently been noted for their importance in allowing coexistence. However, reduction in basal prey availability might lead IG prey to leave spatial refuges for greater access to prey, leading to increased IG predation and fewer opportunities for coexistence. We determined how the availability of prey affected space-use patterns of bobcats (Lynx rufus, IG prey) in relation to coyote space-use patterns (Canis latrans, IG predators). We located animals from fall 2007 to spring 2009 and estimated bobcat home ranges and core areas seasonally. For each bobcat relocation, we determined intensity of coyote use, distance to water, small mammal biomass, and mean small mammal biomass of the home range during the season the location was collected. We built generalized linear mixed models and used Akaike Information Criteria to determine which factors best predicted bobcat space use. Coyote intensity was a primary determinant of bobcat core area location. In bobcat home ranges with abundant prey, core areas occurred where coyote use was low, but shifted to areas intensively used by coyotes when prey declined. High spatial variability in basal prey abundance allowed some bobcats to avoid coyotes while at the same time others were forced into more risky areas. Our results suggest that multiple behavioral strategies associated with spatial variation in basal prey abundance likely allow IG prey and IG predators to coexist. ?? 2010 Springer-Verlag.

Integrating Parenting Support Within and Beyond the Pediatric Medical Home.

PubMed

Linton, Julie M; Stockton, Maria Paz; Andrade, Berta; Daniel, Stephanie

2018-01-01

Positive parenting programs, developmental support services, and evidence-based home visiting programs can effectively provide parenting support and improve health and developmental outcomes for at-risk children. Few models, however, have integrated referrals for on-site support and home visiting programs into the provision of routine pediatric care within a medical home. This article describes an innovative approach, through partnership with a community-based organization, to deliver on-site and home visiting support services for children and families within and beyond the medical home. Our model offers a system of on-site services, including parenting, behavior, and/or development support, with optional intensive home visiting services. Assessment included description of the population served, delineation of services provided, and qualitative identification of key themes of the impact of services, illustrated by case examples. This replicable model describes untapped potential of the pediatric medical home as a springboard to mitigate risk and optimize children's health and development.

Determinants of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in house dust samples from four areas of the United States

PubMed Central

NC, Deziel; Nuckols; JS, Colt; AJ, De Roos; A, Pronk; C, Gourley; RK, Severson; W, Cozen; Cerhan; P, Hartge; MH, Ward

2012-01-01

Determinants of levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) in dust in U.S. homes are not well characterized. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the relationship between concentrations of PCDD/F in house dust and residential proximity to known sources, including industrial facilities and traffic. Samples from vacuum bag dust from homes of 40 residents of Detroit, Los Angeles, Seattle, or Iowa who participated in a population-based case-control study of non-Hodgkin lymphoma conducted in 1998–2000 were analyzed using high resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry for 7 PCDD and 10 PCDF congeners considered toxic by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Locations of 10 types of PCDD/F-emitting facilities were obtained from the EPA; however only 4 types were located near study homes (non-hazardous waste cement kilns, coal-fired power plants, sewage sludge incinerators, and medical waste incinerators). Relationships between concentrations of each PCDD/F and proximity to industrial facilities, freight routes, and major roads were evaluated using separate multivariate regression models for each congener. The median (inter-quartile range [IQR]) toxic equivalence (TEQ) concentration of these congeners in the house dust was 20.3 pg/g (IQR=14.3, 32.7). Homes within 3 or 5 km of a cement kiln had 2 to 9-fold higher concentrations of 5 PCDD and 5 PCDF (p<0.1 in each model). Proximity to freight routes and major roads was associated with elevated concentrations of 1 PCDD and 8 PCDF. Higher concentrations of certain PCDD/F in homes near cement kilns, freight routes, and major roads suggest these outdoor sources are contributing to indoor environmental exposures. Further study of the contribution of these sources and other facility types to total PCDD/F exposure in a larger number of homes is warranted. PMID:22832089

Location Based Application Availability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naeem Akram, Raja; Markantonakis, Konstantinos; Mayes, Keith

Smart cards are being integrated into a diverse range of industries: ranging from banking, telecom, transport, home/office access control to health and E-passport. Traditionally, cardholders are required to carry a smart card for each application. However, recent developments in the Near Field Communication (NFC) have renewed the interest in multiple applications for different services on a single device. This paper builds onto the NFC initiative and avoids the smart card ownership issues that hinder the adoption of such devices. The proposal integrates the Global Positioning System with the NFC in mobile phones to provide a ubiquitously and flexible service access model.

Higher Referrals for Diabetes Education in a Medical Home Model of Care.

PubMed

Manard, William T; Syberg, Kevin; Behera, Anit; Salas, Joanne; Schneider, F David; Armbrecht, Eric; Hooks-Anderson, Denise; Crannage, Erica; Scherrer, Jeffrey

2016-01-01

The medical home model has been gaining attention from the health care community as a strategy for improved outcomes for management of chronic disease, including diabetes. The purpose of this study was to compare referrals for diabetes education among patients receiving care from a medical home model versus a traditional practice. Data were obtained from a large, university-affiliated primary care patient data registry. All patients (age 18-96 years) with a diagnosis of prediabetes or diabetes and seen by a physician at least twice during 2011 to 2013 were selected for inclusion. Multivariate regression models measuring the association between medical home status and referral to diabetes education were computed before and after adjusting for covariates. A significantly (P < .001) higher percentage of patients in a medical home than without a medical home (23.9% vs 13.5%) received a referral for diabetes education. After adjusting for covariates, medical home patients were 2.7 times more likely to receive a referral for diabetes education (odds ratio, 2.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.69-4.35). Patients in a medical home model were more likely to receive referrals for diabetes education than patients in a standard university-affiliated family medicine practice. Future longitudinal designs that match characteristics of patients with a medical home with those of patients without one will provide strong evidence to determine whether referral to diabetes education is a result of the medical home model of care independent of confounding factors. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Linking the Medical and Educational Home to Support Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Practice Recommendations.

PubMed

Shahidullah, Jeffrey D; Azad, Gazi; Mezher, Katherine R; McClain, Maryellen Brunson; McIntyre, Laura Lee

2018-05-01

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with complex medical problems that are often exacerbated by a range of other intellectual and psychiatric comorbidities. These children receive care for their physical and mental health from a range of providers within numerous child-serving systems, including their primary care clinic, school, and the home and community. Given the longitudinal nature in which care is provided for this chronic disorder, it is particularly necessary for services and providers to coordinate their care to ensure optimal efficiency and effectiveness. There are 2 primary venues that serve as a "home" for coordination of service provision for children with ASD and their families-the "medical home" and the "educational home." Unfortunately, these venues often function independently from the other. Furthermore, there are limited guidelines demonstrating methods through which pediatricians and other primary care providers (PCPs) can coordinate care with schools and school-based providers. The purpose of this article is 2-fold: (1) we highlight the provision of evidence-based care within the medical home and educational home and (2) we offer practice recommendations for PCPs in integrating these systems to optimally address the complex medical, intellectual, and psychiatric symptomology affected by autism.

Anomaly detection using temporal data mining in a smart home environment.

PubMed

Jakkula, V; Cook, D J

2008-01-01

To many people, home is a sanctuary. With the maturing of smart home technologies, many people with cognitive and physical disabilities can lead independent lives in their own homes for extended periods of time. In this paper, we investigate the design of machine learning algorithms that support this goal. We hypothesize that machine learning algorithms can be designed to automatically learn models of resident behavior in a smart home, and that the results can be used to perform automated health monitoring and to detect anomalies. Specifically, our algorithms draw upon the temporal nature of sensor data collected in a smart home to build a model of expected activities and to detect unexpected, and possibly health-critical, events in the home. We validate our algorithms using synthetic data and real activity data collected from volunteers in an automated smart environment. The results from our experiments support our hypothesis that a model can be learned from observed smart home data and used to report anomalies, as they occur, in a smart home.

System and method for optimal load and source scheduling in context aware homes

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

Shetty, Pradeep; Foslien Graber, Wendy; Mangsuli, Purnaprajna R.

A controller for controlling energy consumption in a home includes a constraints engine to define variables for multiple appliances in the home corresponding to various home modes and persona of an occupant of the home. A modeling engine models multiple paths of energy utilization of the multiple appliances to place the home into a desired state from a current context. An optimal scheduler receives the multiple paths of energy utilization and generates a schedule as a function of the multiple paths and a selected persona to place the home in a desired state.

Selection of den sites by black bears in the southern Appalachians

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reynolds-Hogland, M. J.; Mitchell, M.S.; Powell, R.A.; Brown, D.C.

2007-01-01

We evaluated selection of den sites by American black bears (Ursus americanus) in the Pisgah Bear Sanctuary, western North Carolina, by comparing characteristics of dens at 53 den sites with availability of habitat characteristics in annual home ranges of bears and in the study area. We also tested whether den-site selection differed by sex, age, and reproductive status of bears. In addition, we evaluated whether the den component of an existing habitat model for black bears predicted where bears would select den sites. We found bears selected den sites far from gravel roads, on steep slopes, and at high elevations relative to what was available in both annual home ranges and in the study area. Den-site selection did not differ by sex or age, but it differed by reproductive status. Adult females with cubs preferred to den in areas that were relatively far from gravel roads, but adult females without cubs did not. The habitat model overestimated the value of areas near gravel roads, underestimated the value of moderately steep areas, and did not include elevation as a predictor variable. Our results highlight the importance of evaluating den selection in terms of both use and availability of den characteristics. ?? 2007 American Society of Mammalogists.

Habitat use and home range of the endangered gold-spotted pond frog (Rana chosenica).

PubMed

Ra, Nam-Yong; Sung, Ha-Cheol; Cheong, Seokwan; Lee, Jung-Hyun; Eom, Junho; Park, Daesik

2008-09-01

Because of their complex life styles, amphibians and reptiles living in wetlands require both aquatic and terrestrial buffer zones in their protected conservation areas. Due to steep declines in wild populations, the gold-spotted pond frog (Rana chosenica) is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. However, lack of data about its movements and use of habitat prevents effective conservation planning. To determine the habitat use and home range of this species, we radio-tracked 44 adult frogs for 37 days between 10 July and 4 Nov. 2007 to observe three different populations in the breeding season, non-breeding season, and late fall. The gold-spotted pond frog was very sedentary; its daily average movement was 9.8 m. Frogs stayed close to breeding ponds (within 6.6 m), and did not leave damp areas surrounding these ponds, except for dormancy migration to terrestrial sites such as dried crop fields. The average distance of dormancy migration of seven frogs from the edge of their breeding ponds was 32.0 m. The average size of an individual's home range was 713.8 m(2) (0.07 ha). The year-round population home range, which accounts for the home ranges of a population of frogs, was determined for two populations to be 8,765.0 m(2) (0.88 ha) and 3,700.9 m(2) (0.37 ha). Our results showed that to conserve this endangered species, appropriately sized wetlands and extended terrestrial buffer areas surrounding the wetlands (at least 1.33 ha, diameter 130 m) should be protected.

Reproductive consequences of farmland heterogeneity in little owls (Athene noctua).

PubMed

Michel, Vanja T; Naef-Daenzer, Beat; Keil, Herbert; Grüebler, Martin U

2017-04-01

The amount of high-quality habitat patches, their distribution, and the resource accessibility therein play a key role in regulating habitat effects on reproductive success. Heterogeneous habitats offer non-substitutable resources (e.g. nest sites and food) and substitutable resources (e.g. different types of food) in close proximity, thereby facilitating landscape complementation and supplementation. However, it remains poorly understood how spatial resource separation in homogeneous agricultural landscapes affects reproductive success. To fill this gap, we investigated the relationships between farmland heterogeneity and little owl (Athene noctua) reproductive success, including potential indirect effects of the heterogeneity-dependent home-range size on reproduction. Little owl home-ranges were related to field heterogeneity in summer and to structural heterogeneity in winter. Clutch size was correlated with the amount of food-rich habitat close to the nest irrespective of female home-range size, suggesting importance of landscape complementation. Nestling survival was positively correlated with male home-range size, suggesting importance of landscape supplementation. At the same time, fledgling condition was negatively correlated with male home-range size. We conclude that decreasing farmland heterogeneity constrains population productivity by two processes: increasing separation of food resources from nest or roost sites results in low landscape complementation, and reduction of alternative food resources limits landscape supplementation. Our results suggest that structural heterogeneity affects landscape complementation, whereas the heterogeneity and management of farmland fields affect landscape supplementation. Thus, to what extent a reduction of the heterogeneity within agricultural landscapes results in species-specific habitat degradation depends on the ecological processes (i.e. landscape complementation or supplementation) which are affected.

Conservation of brown bear in the Alps: space use and settlement behavior of reintroduced bears

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preatoni, Damiano; Mustoni, Andrea; Martinoli, Adriano; Carlini, Eugenio; Chiarenzi, Barbara; Chiozzini, Simonetta; Van Dongen, Stefan; Wauters, Luc A.; Tosi, Guido

2005-11-01

Large carnivores typically need large home ranges containing habitats patches of different quality. Consequently, their conservation requires habitat protection and management at the landscape scale. In some cases, reintroduction might be used to support remnant or restore extinct populations. This is the case for the brown bear ( Ursus arctos) in the Italian Alps. We monitored spacing behavior and settlement of reintroduced brown bears in Adamello-Brenta Natural Park, North-Italy, using radio-tracking. Habitat use, dispersion and survival were studied to evaluate the success of reintroduction and possible conflicts with man. All three males and five of seven females settled in the study area. Most bears roamed widely the first months after release, exploring the new habitat. Patterns of home range overlap between seasons and years revealed that home range use stabilized the year after first hibernation. Home ranges were larger in the mating season (May-July) than in spring or autumn. Home ranges varied between 34 and 1813 km 2 the year after release, but core-areas, where feeding activity was concentrated, were much smaller. Some bears had exclusive core-areas in summer and autumn, but most showed considerable core-area overlap with animals of the same and/or the opposite sex. Bears selected deciduous forests, mixed and conifer forests were used according to availability, and areas with anthropogenic disturbance were avoided. Most bears settled and some reproduced successfully at the release site, causing high initial population growth, suggesting that reintroduction can help to re-establish a brown bear population in the Italian Alps.

Use of telehealth technology for home spirometry after lung transplantation: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Sengpiel, Juliane; Fuehner, Thomas; Kugler, Christiane; Avsar, Murat; Bodmann, Isabelle; Boemke, Annelies; Simon, Andre; Welte, Tobias; Gottlieb, Jens

2010-12-01

Complications often occur during the early phase after lung transplantation, and rapid diagnosis is vital. Home spirometry is used to detect early changes in graft function. Bluetooth-equipped cell phones are easy to use and facilitate data transfer from home spirometry. To explore use of home spirometry with Bluetooth data transfer in outpatient lung transplant recipients. Single-center prospective randomized controlled trial. Intervention-Fifty-six patients were randomized either to home spirometry with data transfer via Bluetooth-equipped cell phones or to home spirometry alone before discharge after lung transplantation. In the Bluetooth group, results were transferred to a database capable of generating alarm messages. Time from onset of symptoms to physician consultation during the first 6 months after lung transplantation was the primary end point. Adherence to home spirometry was 97.2% in the Bluetooth group and 95.3% in the home spirometry alone group (P = .73). Median time to first consultation (P = .60) and frequency of consultation (P = .06) did not differ significantly in the 2 groups. Mean scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were lower in patients in the Bluetooth group (1.5; range, 0.0-4.0) than in the home spirometry alone group (4.0; range, 2.0-6.0; P = .04). Home spirometry with data transfer is feasible and safe in lung transplant recipients. Compared with home spirometry alone, additional data transfer was equally effective regarding the time interval from symptom onset to consultation. Patients in the Bluetooth group reported less anxiety, which may improve emotional well-being.

Models of Educational Computing @ Home: New Frontiers for Research on Technology in Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kafai, Yasmin B.; Fishman, Barry J.; Bruckman, Amy S.; Rockman, Saul

2002-01-01

Discusses models of home educational computing that are linked to learning in school and recommends the need for research that addresses the home as a computer-based learning environment. Topics include a history of research on educational computing at home; technological infrastructure, including software and compatibility; Internet access;…

Disentangling the causal relationships between work-home interference and employee health.

PubMed

van Hooff, Madelon L M; Geurts, Sabine A E; Taris, Toon W; Kompier, Michiel A J; Dikkers, Josje S E; Houtman, Irene L D; van den Heuvel, Floor M M

2005-02-01

The present study was designed to investigate the causal relationships between (time- and strain-based) work-home interference and employee health. The effort-recovery theory provided the theoretical basis for this study. Two-phase longitudinal data (with a 1-year time lag) were gathered from 730 Dutch police officers to test the following hypotheses with structural equation modeling: (i) work-home interference predicts health deterioration, (ii) health complaints precede increased levels of such interference, and (iii) both processes operate. The relationship between stable and changed levels of work-home interference across time and their relationships with the course of health were tested with a group-by-time analysis of variance. Four subgroups were created that differed in starting point and the development of work-home interference across time. The normal causal model, in which strain-based (but not time-based) work-home interference was longitudinally related to increased health complaints 1 year later, fit the data well and significantly better than the reversed causal model. Although the reciprocal model also provided a good fit, it was less parsimonious than the normal causal model. In addition, both an increment in (strain-based) work-home interference across time and a long-lasting experience of high (strain-based) work-home interference were associated with a deterioration in health. It was concluded that (strain-based) work-home interference acts as a precursor of health impairment and that different patterns of (strain-based) work-home interference across time are related to different health courses. Particularly long-term experience of (strain-based) work-home interference seems responsible for an accumulation of health complaints.

The Medical Home Model and Pediatric Asthma Symptom Severity: Evidence from a National Health Survey.

PubMed

Rojanasarot, Sirikan; Carlson, Angeline M

2018-04-01

The objective was to investigate the association between receiving care under the medical home model and parental assessment of the severity of asthma symptoms. It was hypothesized that parents of children who received care under the medical home model reported less severe asthma symptoms compared with their counterparts, whose care did not meet the medical home criteria. Secondary analyses were conducted using cross-sectional data from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health. Children with asthma aged 0-17 years were included and classified as receiving care from the medical home if their care contained 5 components: a personal doctor, a usual source of sick care, family-centered care, no problems getting referrals, and effective care coordination. Ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between parent-rated severity of asthma symptoms (mild, moderate, and severe symptoms) and the medical home. Approximately 52% of 8229 children who reported having asthma received care from the medical home. Only 30.8% of children with severe asthma symptoms received care that met the medical home criteria, compared to 55.7% of children with mild symptoms. After accounting for confounding factors, obtaining care under the medical home model decreased the odds of parent-reported severe asthma symptoms by 31% (adjusted odds ratio 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56-0.85). Study results suggest that the medical home model can reduce parent-rated severity of asthma symptoms. The findings highlight the importance of providing medical home care to children with asthma to improve the outcomes that matter most to children and their families.

CULTURAL ADAPTATIONS OF EVIDENCE-BASED HOME-VISITATION MODELS IN TRIBAL COMMUNITIES.

PubMed

Hiratsuka, Vanessa Y; Parker, Myra E; Sanchez, Jenae; Riley, Rebecca; Heath, Debra; Chomo, Julianna C; Beltangady, Moushumi; Sarche, Michelle

2018-05-01

The Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (Tribal MIECHV) Program provides federal grants to tribes, tribal consortia, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations to implement evidence-based home-visiting services for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) families. To date, only one evidence-based home-visiting program has been developed for use in AI/AN communities. The purpose of this article is to describe the steps that four Tribal MIECHV Programs took to assess community needs, select a home-visiting model, and culturally adapt the model for use in AI/AN communities. In these four unique Tribal MIECHV Program settings, each program employed a rigorous needs-assessment process and developed cultural modifications in accordance with community strengths and needs. Adaptations occurred in consultation with model developers, with consideration of the conceptual rationale for the program, while grounding new content in indigenous cultures. Research is needed to improve measurement of home-visiting outcomes in tribal and urban AI/AN settings, develop culturally grounded home-visiting interventions, and assess the effectiveness of home visiting in AI/AN communities. © 2018 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Green House Adoption and Nursing Home Quality.

PubMed

Afendulis, Christopher C; Caudry, Daryl J; O'Malley, A James; Kemper, Peter; Grabowski, David C

2016-02-01

To evaluate the impact of the Green House (GH) model on nursing home resident-level quality of care measures. Resident-level minimum data set (MDS) assessments merged with Medicare inpatient claims for the period 2005 through 2010. Using a difference-in-differences framework, we compared changes in care quality and outcomes in 15 nursing homes that adopted the GH model relative to changes over the same time period in 223 matched nursing homes that had not adopted the GH model. For individuals residing in GH homes, adoption of the model lowered readmissions and several MDS measures of poor quality, including bedfast residents, catheter use, and pressure ulcers, but these results were not present across the entire GH organization, suggesting possible offsetting effects for residents of non-GH "legacy" units within the GH organization. GH adoption led to improvement in rehospitalizations and certain nursing home quality measures for individuals residing in a GH home. The absence of evidence of a decline in other clinical quality measures in GH nursing homes should reassure anyone concerned that GH might have sacrificed clinical quality for improved quality of life. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Exploring the critical quality attributes and models of smart homes.

PubMed

Ted Luor, Tainyi; Lu, Hsi-Peng; Yu, Hueiju; Lu, Yinshiu

2015-12-01

Research on smart homes has significantly increased in recent years owing to their considerably improved affordability and simplicity. However, the challenge is that people have different needs (or attitudes toward smart homes), and provision should be tailored to individuals. A few studies have classified the functions of smart homes. Therefore, the Kano model is first adopted as a theoretical base to explore whether the functional classifications of smart homes are attractive or necessary, or both. Second, three models and test user attitudes toward three function types of smart homes are proposed. Based on the Kano model, the principal results, namely, two "Attractive Quality" and nine "Indifferent Quality" items, are found. Verification of the hypotheses also indicates that the entertainment, security, and automation functions are significantly correlated with the variables "perceive useful" and "attitude." Cost consideration is negatively correlated with attitudes toward entertainment and automation. Results suggest that smart home providers should survey user needs for their product instead of merely producing smart homes based on the design of the builder or engineer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An organizational process for promoting home fire safety in two community settings.

PubMed

Lehna, Carlee; Twyman, Stephanie; Fahey, Erin; Coty, Mary-Beth; Williams, Joe; Scrivener, Drane; Wishnia, Gracie; Myers, John

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the home fire safety quality improvement model designed to aid organizations in achieving institutional program goals. The home fire safety model was developed from community-based participatory research (CBPR) applying training-the-trainer methods and is illustrated by an institutional case study. The model is applicable to other types of organizations to improve home fire safety in vulnerable populations. Utilizing the education model leaves trained employees with guided experience to build upon, adapt, and modify the home fire safety intervention to more effectively serve their clientele, promote safety, and meet organizational objectives. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

A theoretical model of job retention for home health care nurses.

PubMed

Ellenbecker, Carol Hall

2004-08-01

Predicted severe nursing shortages and an increasing demand for home health care services have made the retention of experienced, qualified nursing staff a priority for health care organizations. The purpose of this paper is to describe a theoretical model of job retention for home health care nurses. The theoretical model is an integration of the findings of empirical research related to intent to stay and retention, components of Neal's theory of home health care nursing practice and findings from earlier work to develop an instrument to measure home health care nurses' job satisfaction. The theoretical model identifies antecedents to job satisfaction of home health care nurses. The antecedents are intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics. The model also proposes that job satisfaction is directly related to retention and indirectly related to retention though intent to stay. Individual nurse characteristics are indirectly related to retention through intent to stay. The individual characteristic of tenure is indirectly related to retention through autonomy, as an intrinsic characteristic of job satisfaction, and intent to stay. The proposed model can be used to guide research that explores gaps in knowledge about intent to stay and retention among home health care nurses.

Home range use and movement patterns of non-native feral goats in a tropical island montane dry landscape

Treesearch

Mark W. Chynoweth; Christopher A. Lepczyk; Creighton M. Litton; Steven C. Hess; James R. Kellner; Susan Cordell; Lalit Kumar

2015-01-01

Advances in wildlife telemetry and remote sensing technology facilitate studies of broad-scale movements of ungulates in relation to phenological shifts in vegetation. In tropical island dry landscapes, home range use and movements of non-native feral goats (Capra hircus) are largely unknown, yet this information is important to help guide the...

The effects of burning and grazing on survival, home range, and prey dynamics of the Texas horned lizard in a thornscrub ecosystem

Treesearch

Anna L. Burrow; Richard T. Kazmaier; Eric C. Hellgren; Donald C. Ruthven, III

2002-01-01

We examined the effects of rotational livestock grazing and prescribed winter burning on the state threatened Texas horned lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum, by comparing home range sizes, survival estimates and prey abundance across burning and grazing treatments in southern Texas. Adult lizards were fitted with backpacks carrying radio transmitters and...

Late winter and early spring home range and habitat use of the endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel in western North Carolina

Treesearch

W. Mark Ford; Christine A. Kelly; Jane L. Rodrigue; Richard H. Odom; Douglas Newcomb; L. Michelle Gilley; Corrine A. Diggins

2014-01-01

The Carolina northern flying squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus is an endangered subspecies that is restricted to high elevation forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Owing to rugged terrain and nocturnal habits, the subspecies' natural history, home range characteristics and habitat preferences are poorly known. We radio-tracked 3...

Home range and habitat of western red-backed voles in the Oregon Cascades

Treesearch

R. Thompson; C.C. Chambers; B.C. McComb

2009-01-01

Western red-backed voles are endemic to western Oregon and northern California and represent a large proportion of the rodent community in mature Douglas-fir forests. Despite their dominance in these forests, little is known about their selection of home ranges. We radiotracked 23 western red-backed voles in 3 mature, coniferous forest stands in the southern Oregon...

Home range and habitat of western red-backed voles in the Oregon Cascades

Treesearch

Rebecca L. Thompson; Carol L. Chambers; Brenda C. McComb

2009-01-01

Western red-backed voles are endemic to western Oregon and northern California and represent a large proportion of the rodent community in mature Douglas-fir forests. Despite their dominance in these forests, little is known about their selection of home ranges. We radiotracked 23 western red-backed voles in three mature, coniferous forest stands in the southern Oregon...

The influence of landscape characteristics and home-range size on the quantification of landscape-genetics relationships

Treesearch

Tabitha A. Graves; Tzeidle N. Wasserman; Milton Cezar Ribeiro; Erin L. Landguth; Stephen F. Spear; Niko Balkenhol; Colleen B. Higgins; Marie-Josee Fortin; Samuel A. Cushman; Lisette P. Waits

2012-01-01

A common approach used to estimate landscape resistance involves comparing correlations of ecological and genetic distances calculated among individuals of a species. However, the location of sampled individuals may contain some degree of spatial uncertainty due to the natural variation of animals moving through their home range ormeasurement error in plant or animal...

Summer-fall home-range fidelity of female elk in northwestern Colorado: Implications for aspen management

Treesearch

April M. Brough; R. Justin DeRose; Mary M. Conner; James N. Long

2017-01-01

Understanding the degree of spatial fidelity exhibited by individuals within a species increases our ability to manage for desired future outcomes. Elk (Cervus elaphus) is a closely managed species in the Western US, but there is little research evaluating their summer home-range fidelity. Elk summer-fall homeranges overlap considerably with aspen (Populus tremuloides...

Response of Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus) to wind-power development

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walter, W. David; Leslie, David M.; Jenks, J.A.

2006-01-01

Wind-power development is occurring throughout North America, but its effects on mammals are largely unexplored. Our objective was to determine response (i.e., home-range, diet quality) of Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus) to wind-power development in southwestern Oklahoma. Ten elk were radiocollared in an area of wind-power development on 31 March 2003 and were relocated bi-weekly through March 2005. Wind-power construction was initiated on 1 June 2003 and was completed by December 2003 with 45 active turbines. The largest composite home range sizes (>80 km2) occurred April-June and September, regardless of the status of wind-power facility development. The smallest home range sizes (<50 km2) typically occurred in October-February when elk aggregated to forage on winter wheat. No elk left the study site during the study and elk freely crossed the gravel roads used to access the wind-power facility. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes and percent nitrogen in feces suggested that wind-power development did not affect nutrition of elk during construction. Although disturbance and loss of some grassland habitat was apparent, elk were not adversely affected by wind-power development as determined by home range and dietary quality.

Home range and diet of feral cats in Hawaii forests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smucker, T.D.; Lindsey, G.D.; Mosher, S.M.

2000-01-01

Feral cat Felis catus home range in a Hawaiian montane wet forest and their diet in three habitats - montane wet forest, subalpine dry forest, and lowland dry forest - were determined to provide baseline ecological data and to assess potential impacts to native terrestrial fauna. Seven cats (three males and four females) were captured in 624 trap nights. Mean weight of adult cats was 2.85 ?? 0.27 (SE) Kg for males and 1.87 ?? 0.03 kg for females. Mean diumal home range using the adaptive kernel method was 5.74 ?? 2.73 km2 for three males and 2.23 ?? 0.44 km2 for two females. Daytime locations were always within the montane wet forest with the borders on one or more sides of the home ranges of all cats defined by open grassland pastures. Rodents comprised the majority of the cat diets in all three habitats, with the frequencies of occurence between 0.88 and 0.91. Bird remains were a regular component of the diet of cats, with montane wet forest having the highest frequency of occurence (0.68), followed by subalpine dry forest (0.53), and lowland dry forest (0.21).

Movements of northern flying squirrels in different-aged forest stands of western Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, K.J.; Anthony, R.G.

1999-01-01

In western Oregon, northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) are the primary prey species for northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina), an old-growth associated species. To assess differences between old-growth and second-growth habitat, we livetrapped and radiotagged 39 northern flying squirrels to estimate their home range sizes and describe movements in 2 old-growth and 2 second-growth conifer forest stands in the Cascade Mountains of central Oregon. Sampling periods were summer and fall of 1991-92. Home range sizes averaged 4.9 ha and did not differ (P > 0.30) between the 2 stand types. Male northern flying squirrels had larger (P ??? 0.03) mean home ranges (5.9 ?? 0.8 ha; ?? ?? SE; n = 20) than females (3.9 ?? 0.4 ha; n = 19). Northern flying squirrel movement distances between successive, noncorrelated telemetry locations averaged 71 m (n = 1,090). No correlation was found between distances moved and stand type or sex. Northern flying squirrel's home range sizes, movements, and densities were similar between the 2 stand types. We suggest abundance and movements of northern flying squirrels are not influencing the preferential selection of oldgrowth forests by northern spotted owls.

Aspects of raccoon (Procyon lotor) social organization

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fritzell, E.K.

1978-01-01

Spatial and temporal relationships among members of a raccoon (Procyon lotor) population were studied during spring and summer in east-central North Dakota during 1973-1975. Radio telemetry was used to locate 48 raccoons 6443 times. Livetrapping results and other observations suggested that most raccoons in the area were radio equipped; densities were estimated to be 0.5-1.0 resident/km2. Adult males maintained large areas relatively exclusive of other adult males; they seldom were located within 3 km of each other even though their home ranges abutted. One adult male responded to the death of an adjacent adult male by shifting movements into the dead male's former home range. Two or more parous or pregnant females resided within the home ranges of a single adult male. All yearling males showed signs of dispersal in May, June, or July, some occupied exclusive areas as adults in the following year. Parous or pregnant females (six adults, one yearling) occupied extensively overlapping home ranges but were never located with other adult or yearling raccoons. Nulliparous yearling females did not disperse and tolerated other raccoons. Territoriality is indicated among adult males probably in response to competition for access to females.

The development of an integrated care model for patients with severe or very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): the COPD-Home model.

PubMed

Sunde, Synnøve; Walstad, Rolf Aksel; Bentsen, Signe Berit; Lunde, Solfrid J; Wangen, Eva Marie; Rustøen, Tone; Henriksen, Anne Hildur

2014-09-01

Adherence to guidelines for managing stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its exacerbations is inadequate among healthcare workers and patients. An appropriate care model would meet patient needs, enhance their coping with COPD and improve their quality of life (QOL). This study aims to present the 'COPD-Home' as an integrated care model for patients with severe or very severe COPD. One principle of the COPD-Home model is that hospital treatment should lead to follow up in the patient's home. The model also includes education, improved coordination of levels of care, improved accessibility and a management plan. One of the main elements of the COPD-Home model is the clear role of the home-care nurse. Model development is based on earlier research and clinical experience. It comprises: (i) education provided through an education programme for patients and involved nurses, (ii) joint visits and telephone checks, (iii) a call centre for support and communication with a general practitioner and (iv) an individualised self-management plan including home monitoring and a plan for pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions. The COPD-Home model attempts to cultivate competences and behaviours of patients and community nurses that better accord with guidelines for interventions. The next step in its development will be to evaluate its ability to assist both healthcare workers and planners to improve the management of COPD, reduce exacerbations and improve QOL and coping among patients with COPD. © 2013 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Home-Learning Practices in Kenya: Views of Parents and Education Officers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyatuka, Benard Omenge

2016-01-01

In order for children to acquire meaningful education, families are advised to participate in learning activities at home. Such activities range from monitoring homework, problem-solving to reading with children during leisure time. But home-learning was claimed to receive little attention from key stakeholders among primary schools in Kenya's…

Head Start Home-Based Resource Directory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trans-Management Systems, Inc.

A revision of the 1989 publication, this directory was compiled in order to help parents and professionals involved with Head Start home-based programming in meeting the needs of young children and families. The directory lists a broad range of guides and resources on topics related to Head Start home-based programs. Each listing provides the…

Regional Variation in Home Care Use in Manitoba

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Sandra; Shapiro, Evelyn; Roos, Noralou P.

2005-01-01

Previous studies report geographic variation in the use of home care services. In the province of Manitoba, home care is a core service that Manitoba's twelve regional health authorities (RHAs) are obligated to deliver. Manitoba's RHAs range from remote northern and rural southern regions to a major city, resulting in different challenges for…

Home Away from Home?: A Case Study of Student Transitions to an International Branch Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cicchetti, Kaitlin Oyler

2017-01-01

This study explored the transition experience of home-campus students attending an international branch campus. The studied was informed by a diverse range of literature, including the internationalization of higher education and student affairs, development of international branch campuses, students in transition, the development of student…

Engaging Families in In-Home Family Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Ronald W.; Koley, Sarah

2014-01-01

Boys Town has created a program called In-Home Family Services to deliver help to families in stress. In-home family intervention programs have become widely used to help more families who are at risk and experiencing difficulties with a wide range of problems including domestic violence, child behavior problems, parent-child and family…

Age, gender, will, and use of home-visit nursing care are critical factors in home care for malignant diseases; a retrospective study involving 346 patients in Japan

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background We aimed to clarify the factors affecting outcomes of home care for patients with malignant diseases. Methods Of 607 patients who were treated in 10 clinics specialized in home care between January and December 2007 at Chiba, Fukuoka, Iwate, Kagoshima, Tochigi and Tokyo prefectures across Japan, 346 (57%; 145 men and 201 women) had malignant diseases. We collected information on medical and social backgrounds, details of home care, and its outcomes based on their medical records. Results Median age of the patients was 77 years (range, 11-102), and 335 patients were economically self-sufficient. Their general condition was poor; advanced cancer (n = 308), performance status of 3-4 (n = 261), and dementia (n = 121). At the beginning of home care, 143 patients and 174 family members expressed their wish to die at home. All the patients received supportive treatments including fluid replacement and oxygenation. Median duration of home care was 47 days (range, 0-2,712). 224 patients died at home. For the remaining 122, home care was terminated due to complications (n = 109), change of attending physicians (n = 8), and others (n = 5). The factors which inhibited the continuity of home care were the non-use of home-visit nursing care (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-3.00, p = 0.03), the fact that the patients themselves do not wish to die at home (HR = 1.83, CI: 1.09-3.07, p = 0.02), women (HR = 1.81, CI: 1.11-2.94, p = 0.02), and age (HR = 0.98, CI: 0.97-1.00, p = 0.02). Conclusions Continuation of home care is influenced by patients' age, gender, will, and use of home-visit nursing. PMID:22044683

Cost-effective electric vehicle charging infrastructure siting for Delhi

DOE PAGES

Sheppard, Colin J. R.; Gopal, Anand R.; Harris, Andrew; ...

2016-06-10

Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) represent a substantial opportunity for governments to reduce emissions of both air pollutants and greenhouse gases. The Government of India has set a goal of deploying 6-7 million hybrid and PEVs on Indian roads by the year 2020. The uptake of PEVs will depend on, among other factors like high cost, how effectively range anxiety is mitigated through the deployment of adequate electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) throughout a region. The Indian Government therefore views EVCS deployment as a central part of their electric mobility mission. The plug-in electric vehicle infrastructure (PEVI) model - an agent-basedmore » simulation modeling platform - was used to explore the cost-effective siting of EVCS throughout the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, India. At 1% penetration in the passenger car fleet, or ~10 000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs), charging services can be provided to drivers for an investment of $4.4 M (or $ 440/BEV) by siting 2764 chargers throughout the NCT of Delhi with an emphasis on the more densely populated and frequented regions of the city. The majority of chargers sited by this analysis were low power, Level 1 chargers, which have the added benefit of being simpler to deploy than higher power alternatives. The amount of public infrastructure needed depends on the access that drivers have to EVCS at home, with 83% more charging capacity required to provide the same level of service to a population of drivers without home chargers compared to a scenario with home chargers. Results also depend on the battery capacity of the BEVs adopted, with approximately 60% more charging capacity needed to achieve the same level of service when vehicles are assumed to have 57 km versus 96 km of range.« less

Cost-effective electric vehicle charging infrastructure siting for Delhi

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

Sheppard, Colin J. R.; Gopal, Anand R.; Harris, Andrew

Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) represent a substantial opportunity for governments to reduce emissions of both air pollutants and greenhouse gases. The Government of India has set a goal of deploying 6-7 million hybrid and PEVs on Indian roads by the year 2020. The uptake of PEVs will depend on, among other factors like high cost, how effectively range anxiety is mitigated through the deployment of adequate electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) throughout a region. The Indian Government therefore views EVCS deployment as a central part of their electric mobility mission. The plug-in electric vehicle infrastructure (PEVI) model - an agent-basedmore » simulation modeling platform - was used to explore the cost-effective siting of EVCS throughout the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, India. At 1% penetration in the passenger car fleet, or ~10 000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs), charging services can be provided to drivers for an investment of $4.4 M (or $ 440/BEV) by siting 2764 chargers throughout the NCT of Delhi with an emphasis on the more densely populated and frequented regions of the city. The majority of chargers sited by this analysis were low power, Level 1 chargers, which have the added benefit of being simpler to deploy than higher power alternatives. The amount of public infrastructure needed depends on the access that drivers have to EVCS at home, with 83% more charging capacity required to provide the same level of service to a population of drivers without home chargers compared to a scenario with home chargers. Results also depend on the battery capacity of the BEVs adopted, with approximately 60% more charging capacity needed to achieve the same level of service when vehicles are assumed to have 57 km versus 96 km of range.« less

Spatial patterns of the frog Oophaga pumilio in a plantation system are consistent with conspecific attraction.

PubMed

Folt, Brian; Donnelly, Maureen A; Guyer, Craig

2018-03-01

The conspecific attraction hypothesis predicts that individuals are attracted to conspecifics because conspecifics may be cues to quality habitat and/or colonists may benefit from living in aggregations. Poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) are aposematic, territorial, and visually oriented-three characteristics which make dendrobatids an appropriate model to test for conspecific attraction. In this study, we tested this hypothesis using an extensive mark-recapture dataset of the strawberry poison frog ( Oophaga pumilio ) from La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. Data were collected from replicate populations in a relatively homogenous Theobroma cacao plantation, which provided a unique opportunity to test how conspecifics influence the spatial ecology of migrants in a controlled habitat with homogenous structure. We predicted that (1) individuals entering a population would aggregate with resident adults, (2) migrants would share sites with residents at a greater frequency than expected by chance, and (3) migrant home ranges would have shorter nearest-neighbor distances (NND) to residents than expected by chance. The results were consistent with these three predictions: Relative to random simulations, we observed significant aggregation, home-range overlap, and NND distribution functions in four, five, and six, respectively, of the six migrant-resident groups analyzed. Conspecific attraction may benefit migrant O. pumilio by providing cues to suitable home sites and/or increasing the potential for social interactions with conspecifics; if true, these benefits should outweigh the negative effects of other factors associated with aggregation. The observed aggregation between migrant and resident O. pumilio is consistent with conspecific attraction in dendrobatid frogs, and our study provides rare support from a field setting that conspecific attraction may be a relevant mechanism for models of anuran spatial ecology.

Swift Foxes and Ideal Free Distribution: Relative Influence of Vegetation and Rodent Prey Base on Swift Fox Survival, Density, and Home Range Size

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

of exploiting a wide range of habitats, reported population parameters such as density and survival vary widely indicating variation in habitat quality...more strongly influenced by the “riskiness” of the habitat than by resource availability [8]. Swift fox population parameters in different landscapes...we explored the effects of landscape heterogeneity on population parameters likely to reflect habitat quality, such as population density, home range

Advertising expenditures in the nursing home sector: evaluating the need for and purpose of advertising.

PubMed

Kash, Bita A; Boyer, Gregory J

2008-01-01

Marketing and advertising activities in the nursing home sector have increased in recent years, following the example of hospitals and health systems. The reasons for this trend may be related to the growth in competition but are not clearly identified yet. Theoretically, advertising becomes necessary to gain an advantage over the competition. The purpose of this study was to identify the reasons for the variation in advertising expenditures among nursing homes in Texas. For this study, we merged 2003 data from the Texas Medicaid Nursing Facility Cost Report, the Texas Nursing Home Quality Reporting System, and the Area Resource File for Texas. Using the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, we then examined the correlations between advertising expenses and the level of market concentration. We evaluated the association between advertising expenditures and market competition using two logistic and four linear regression models. Total advertising expenses in Texas nursing homes ranged from $0 to $165,000 per year. Higher advertising expenditures were associated with larger facilities, higher occupancy, and high Medicare census. Market competition, however, was not a significant predictor of such expenses. Advertising seems to be more resource-driven than market-driven. Therefore, some advertising expenditures may be unnecessary, may lack impact, and may even be wasteful. Reducing unnecessary advertising costs could free up resources, which may be allocated to necessary resident care activities.

Staff-family relationships in nursing home care: a typology of challenging behaviours.

PubMed

Bauer, Michael

2007-09-01

Aim.  This paper draws on data from a study which investigated how Australian nursing home staff constructed staff-family relationships. Background.  Working with the family in aged care to provide the best care possible is consistent with modern nursing philosophy which espouses holistic care. The quality and enjoyment of the experience however, is frequently fraught with problems and challenges for both the staff and the family involved. Design.  A qualitative constructivist design as described by Guba and Lincoln [Fourth Generation Evaluation. Sage Publications, London.] was used. Method.  Thirty paid caregivers drawn from eight nursing homes were interviewed about their experiences of working with residents' families. A constant comparative method of data analysis was used to arrive at the findings. Results.  This paper reports on seven themes under the category of 'unacceptable behaviours'. These themes describe a range of attitudes and behaviours exhibited by families which staff members found undesirable. Conclusions.  Staff members found a number of family behaviours challenging. Nursing home staff perceives the family as subordinate to their needs and want to retain control of the work environment. Relevance to clinical practice.  Nursing home staff need to move away from custodial models of care focused on 'getting the work done' and develop more family friendly work practices that are inclusive of the needs of the family and view them as equal partners in care.

Resource utilization in home health care: results of a prospective study.

PubMed

Trisolini, M G; Thomas, C P; Cashman, S B; Payne, S M

1994-01-01

Resource utilization in home health care has become an issue of concern due to rising costs and recent initiatives to develop prospective payment systems for home health care. A number of issues remain unresolved for the development of prospective reimbursement in this sector, including the types of variables to be included as payment variables and appropriate measures of resource use. This study supplements previous work on home health case-mix by analyzing the factors affecting one aspect of resource use for skilled nursing visits--visit length--and explores the usefulness of several specially collected variables which are not routinely available in administrative records. A data collection instrument was developed with a focus group of skilled nurses, identifying a range of variables hypothesized to affect visit length. Five categories of variables were studied using multiple regression analysis: provider-related; patient's socio-economic status; patient's clinical status; patient's support services; and visit-specific. The final regression model identifies 9 variables which significantly affect visit time. Five of the 9 are visit-specific variables, a significant finding since these are not routinely collected. Case-mix systems which include visit time as a measure of resource use will need to investigate visit-specific variables, as this study indicates they could have the largest influence on visit time. Two other types of resources used in home health care, supplies and security drivers, were also investigated in less detail.

Estimating Water Supply Arsenic Levels in the New England Bladder Cancer Study

PubMed Central

Freeman, Laura E. Beane; Lubin, Jay H.; Airola, Matthew S.; Baris, Dalsu; Ayotte, Joseph D.; Taylor, Anne; Paulu, Chris; Karagas, Margaret R.; Colt, Joanne; Ward, Mary H.; Huang, An-Tsun; Bress, William; Cherala, Sai; Silverman, Debra T.; Cantor, Kenneth P.

2011-01-01

Background: Ingestion of inorganic arsenic in drinking water is recognized as a cause of bladder cancer when levels are relatively high (≥ 150 µg/L). The epidemiologic evidence is less clear at the low-to-moderate concentrations typically observed in the United States. Accurate retrospective exposure assessment over a long time period is a major challenge in conducting epidemiologic studies of environmental factors and diseases with long latency, such as cancer. Objective: We estimated arsenic concentrations in the water supplies of 2,611 participants in a population-based case–control study in northern New England. Methods: Estimates covered the lifetimes of most study participants and were based on a combination of arsenic measurements at the homes of the participants and statistical modeling of arsenic concentrations in the water supply of both past and current homes. We assigned a residential water supply arsenic concentration for 165,138 (95%) of the total 173,361 lifetime exposure years (EYs) and a workplace water supply arsenic level for 85,195 EYs (86% of reported occupational years). Results: Three methods accounted for 93% of the residential estimates of arsenic concentration: direct measurement of water samples (27%; median, 0.3 µg/L; range, 0.1–11.5), statistical models of water utility measurement data (49%; median, 0.4 µg/L; range, 0.3–3.3), and statistical models of arsenic concentrations in wells using aquifers in New England (17%; median, 1.6 µg/L; range, 0.6–22.4). Conclusions: We used a different validation procedure for each of the three methods, and found our estimated levels to be comparable with available measured concentrations. This methodology allowed us to calculate potential drinking water exposure over long periods. PMID:21421449

Estimating water supply arsenic levels in the New England bladder cancer study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nuckols, J.R.; Beane, Freeman L.E.; Lubin, J.H.; Airola, M.S.; Baris, D.; Ayotte, J.D.; Taylor, A.; Paulu, C.; Karagas, M.R.; Colt, J.; Ward, M.H.; Huang, A.-T.; Bress, W.; Cherala, S.; Silverman, D.T.; Cantor, K.P.

2011-01-01

Background: Ingestion of inorganic arsenic in drinking water is recognized as a cause of bladder cancer when levels are relatively high (??? 150 ??g/L). The epidemiologic evidence is less clear at the low-to-moderate concentrations typically observed in the United States. Accurate retrospective exposure assessment over a long time period is a major challenge in conducting epidemiologic studies of environmental factors and diseases with long latency, such as cancer. Objective: We estimated arsenic concentrations in the water supplies of 2,611 participants in a population-based case-control study in northern New England. Methods: Estimates covered the lifetimes of most study participants and were based on a combination of arsenic measurements at the homes of the participants and statistical modeling of arsenic concentrations in the water supply of both past and current homes. We assigned a residential water supply arsenic concentration for 165,138 (95%) of the total 173,361 lifetime exposure years (EYs) and a workplace water supply arsenic level for 85,195 EYs (86% of reported occupational years). Results: Three methods accounted for 93% of the residential estimates of arsenic concentration: direct measurement of water samples (27%; median, 0.3 ??g/L; range, 0.1-11.5), statistical models of water utility measurement data (49%; median, 0.4 ??g/L; range, 0.3-3.3), and statistical models of arsenic concentrations in wells using aquifers in New England (17%; median, 1.6 ??g/L; range, 0.6-22.4). Conclusions: We used a different validation procedure for each of the three methods, and found our estimated levels to be comparable with available measured concentrations. This methodology allowed us to calculate potential drinking water exposure over long periods.

Alternatives to inpatient mental health care for children and young people

PubMed Central

Shepperd, Sasha; Doll, Helen; Gowers, Simon; James, Anthony; Fazel, Mina; Fitzpatrick, Ray; Pollock, Jon

2014-01-01

Background Current policy in the UK and elsewhere places emphasis on the provision of mental health services in the least restrictive setting, whilst also recognising that some children will require inpatient care. As a result, there are a range of mental health services to manage young people with serious mental health problems who are at risk of being admitted to an inpatient unit in community or outpatient settings. Objectives 1. To assess the effectiveness, acceptability and cost of mental health services that provide an alternative to inpatient care for children and young people. 2. To identify the range and prevalence of different models of service that seek to avoid inpatient care for children and young people. Search methods Our search included the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group Specialised Register (2007), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library 2006, issue 4), MEDLINE (1966 to 2007), EMBASE (1982 to 2006), the British Nursing Index (1994 to 2006), RCN database (1985 to 1996), CINAHL (1982 to 2006) and PsycInfo (1972 to 2007). Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials of mental health services providing specialist care, beyond the scope of generic outpatient provision, as an alternative to inpatient mental health care, for children or adolescents aged from five to 18 years who have a serious mental health condition requiring specialist services beyond the capacity of generic outpatient provision. The control group received mental health services in an inpatient or equivalent setting. Data collection and analysis Two authors independently extracted data and assessed study quality. We grouped studies according to the intervention type but did not pool data because of differences in the interventions and measures of outcome. Where data were available we calculated confidence intervals (CIs) for differences between groups at follow up. We also calculated standardised mean differences (SMDs) and 95% CIs for each outcome in terms of mean change from baseline to follow up using the follow-up SDs. We calculated SMDs (taking into account the direction of change and the scoring of each instrument) so that negative SMDs indicate results that favour treatment and positive SMDs favour the control group. Main results We included seven randomised controlled trials (recruiting a total of 799 participants) evaluating four distinct models of care: multi-systemic therapy (MST) at home, specialist outpatient service, intensive home treatment and intensive home-based crisis intervention (‘Homebuilders’ model for crisis intervention). Young people receiving home-based MST experienced some improved functioning in terms of externalising symptoms and they spent fewer days out of school and out-of-home placement. At short term follow up the control group had a greater improvement in terms of adaptability and cohesion; this was not sustained at four months follow up. There were small, significant patient improvements reported in both groups in the trial evaluating the intensive home-based crisis intervention using the ‘Homebuilders’ model. No differences at follow up were reported in the two trials evaluating intensive home treatment, or in the trials evaluating specialist outpatient services. Authors’ conclusions The quality of the evidence base currently provides very little guidance for the development of services. If randomised controlled trials are not feasible then consideration should be given to alternative study designs, such as prospective systems of audit conducted across several centres, as this has the potential to improve the current level of evidence. These studies should include baseline measurement at admission along with demographic data, and outcomes measured using a few standardised robust instruments. PMID:19370634

National Centers for Environmental Prediction

Science.gov Websites

/ VISION | About EMC EMC > NOAH > HOME Home Operational Products Experimental Data Verification Model PAGE LOGO NCEP HOME NWS LOGO NOAA HOME NOAA HOME Disclaimer for this non-operational web page

Association of Cost Sharing With Use of Home Health Services Among Medicare Advantage Enrollees

PubMed Central

Li, Qijuan; Keohane, Laura M.; Thomas, Kali; Lee, Yoojin; Trivedi, Amal N.

2017-01-01

Importance Several policy proposals advocate introducing copayments for home health care in the Medicare program. To our knowledge, no prior studies have assessed this cost-containment strategy. Objective To determine the association of home health copayments with use of home health services. Design, Setting, and Participants A difference-in-differences case-control study of 18 Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that introduced copayments for home health care between 2007 and 2011 and 18 concurrent control MA plans. The study included 135 302 enrollees in plans that introduced copayment and 155 892 enrollees in matched control plans. Exposures Introduction of copayments for home health care between 2007 and 2011. Main Outcomes and Measures Proportion of enrollees receiving home health care, annual numbers of home health episodes, and days receiving home health care. Results Copayments for home health visits ranged from $5 to $20 per visit, which were estimated to be associated with $165 (interquartile range [IQR], $45-$180) to $660 (IQR, $180-$720) in out-of-pocket spending for the average user of home health care. The increased copayment for home health care was not associated with the proportion of enrollees receiving home health care (adjusted difference-in-differences, −0.15 percentage points; 95% CI, −0.38 to 0.09), the number of home health episodes per user (adjusted difference-in-differences, 0.01; 95% CI, −0.01 to 0.03), and home health days per user (adjusted difference-in-differences, −0.19; 95% CI, −3.02 to 2.64). In both intervention and control plans and across all levels of copayments, we observed higher disenrollment rates among enrollees with greater baseline use of home health care. Conclusions and Relevance We found no evidence that imposing copayments reduced the use of home health services among older adults. More intensive use of home health services was associated with increased rates of disenrollment in MA plans. The findings raise questions about the potential effectiveness of this cost-containment strategy. PMID:28492826

Effects of biological and behavioral factors on urinary arsenic ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Abstract In older men and women who were long-term residents of Churchill County, Nevada, we examined the relation between arsenic exposure from home tap water and urinary levels of inorganic arsenic and its methylated metabolites. Over a wide exposure range (up to 1850 ug of arsenic per liter), urinary concentrations of inorganic, monomethylated, and dimethylated arsenicals strongly correlated with home tap water arsenic concentrations. However, percentages of summed urinary concentrations of inorganic, monomethylated, and dimethylated arsenicals accounted for by each arsenical species were unaffected by arsenic concentration in home tap water, suggesting thc1t capacity for formation and excretion of methylated metabolites was not exceeded. Biological factors (gender, age, body mass index, and genotype) and a behavioral factor (smoking) influenced absolute and relative levels of arsenicals in urine. A multivariate regression model showed that both biological and behavioral factors were significant predictors of absolute and relative concentrations of inorganic arsenic and its methylated metabolites in urine. These findings suggest that analyses of dose-response relations in arsenic-exposed populations should account for these biological and behavioral factors. Furthermore, evidence of significant effects of these factors on arsenic metabolism may support mode of action studies in appropriate experimental models. Running title- Methylated arsenicals as urinary b

Home or foster home care versus institutional long-term care for functionally dependent older people.

PubMed

Young, Camilla; Hall, Amanda M; Gonçalves-Bradley, Daniela C; Quinn, Terry J; Hooft, Lotty; van Munster, Barbara C; Stott, David J

2017-04-03

Changing population demographics have led to an increasing number of functionally dependent older people who require care and medical treatment. In many countries, government policy aims to shift resources into the community from institutional care settings with the expectation that this will reduce costs and improve the quality of care compared. To assess the effects of long-term home or foster home care versus institutional care for functionally dependent older people. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) via the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and two trials registers to November 2015. We included randomised and non-randomised trials, controlled before-after studies and interrupted time series studies complying with the EPOC study design criteria and comparing the effects of long-term home care versus institutional care for functionally dependent older people. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of each included study. We reported the results narratively, as the substantial heterogeneity across studies meant that meta-analysis was not appropriate. We included 10 studies involving 16,377 participants, all of which were conducted in high income countries. Included studies compared community-based care with institutional care (care homes). The sample size ranged from 98 to 11,803 (median N = 204). There was substantial heterogeneity in the healthcare context, interventions studied, and outcomes assessed. One study was a randomised trial (N = 112); other included studies used designs that had potential for bias, particularly due lack of randomisation, baseline imbalances, and non-blinded outcome assessment. Most studies did not select (or exclude) participants for any specific disease state, with the exception of one study that only included patients if they had a stroke. All studies had methodological limitations, so readers should interpret results with caution.It is uncertain whether long-term home care compared to nursing home care decreases mortality risk (2 studies, N = 314, very-low certainty evidence). Estimates ranged from a nearly three-fold increased risk of mortality in the homecare group (risk ratio (RR) 2.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.57 to 5.32) to a 62% relative reduction (RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.61). We did not pool data due to the high degree of heterogeneity (I 2 = 94%).It is uncertain whether the intervention has a beneficial effect on physical function, as the certainty of evidence is very low (5 studies, N = 1295). Two studies reported that participants who received long-term home care had improved activities of daily living compared to those in a nursing home, whereas a third study reported that all participants performed equally on physical function.It is uncertain whether long-term home care improves happiness compared to nursing home care (RR 1.97, 95% CI 1.27 to 3.04) or general satisfaction because the certainty of evidence was very low (2 studies, N = 114).The extent to which long-term home care was associated to more or fewer adverse health outcomes than nursing home care was not reported.It is uncertain whether long-term home care compared to nursing home care decreases the risk of hospital admission (very low-certainty evidence, N = 14,853). RR estimates ranged from 2.75 (95% CI 2.59 to 2.92), showing an increased risk for those receiving care at home, to 0.82 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.93), showing a slightly reduced risk for the same group. We did not pool data due to the high degree of heterogeneity (I 2 = 99%). There are insufficient high-quality published data to support any particular model of care for functionally dependent older people. Community-based care was not consistently beneficial across all the included studies; there were some data suggesting that community-based care may be associated with improved quality of life and physical function compared to institutional care. However, community alternatives to institutional care may be associated with increased risk of hospitalisation. Future studies should assess healthcare utilisation, perform economic analysis, and consider caregiver burden.

Organizational home care models across Europe: A cross sectional study.

PubMed

Van Eenoo, Liza; van der Roest, Henriëtte; Onder, Graziano; Finne-Soveri, Harriet; Garms-Homolova, Vjenka; Jonsson, Palmi V; Draisma, Stasja; van Hout, Hein; Declercq, Anja

2018-01-01

Decision makers are searching for models to redesign home care and to organize health care in a more sustainable way. The aim of this study is to identify and characterize home care models within and across European countries by means of structural characteristics and care processes at the policy and the organization level. At the policy level, variables that reflected variation in health care policy were included based on a literature review on the home care policy for older persons in six European countries: Belgium, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, and the Netherlands. At the organizational level, data on the structural characteristics and the care processes were collected from 36 home care organizations by means of a survey. Data were collected between 2013 and 2015 during the IBenC project. An observational, cross sectional, quantitative design was used. The analyses consisted of a principal component analysis followed by a hierarchical cluster analysis. Fifteen variables at the organizational level, spread across three components, explained 75.4% of the total variance. The three components made it possible to distribute home care organizations into six care models that differ on the level of patient-centered care delivery, the availability of specialized care professionals, and the level of monitoring care performance. Policy level variables did not contribute to distinguishing between home care models. Six home care models were identified and characterized. These models can be used to describe best practices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Cobblestone Homes — 2014 Model Home, Midland, MI

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

none,

2014-09-01

This builder's first DOE Zero Energy Ready Home won a Custom Builder award in the 2014 Housing Innovation Awards, scored HERS 49 without PV or HERS 44 with 1.4 kW of PV, and served as a prototype and energy efficiency demonstration model while performance testing was conducted.

Diffusion of solar energy technologies in the new-construction market: A survey of new solar-home and conventional-home buyers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rains, D.; Dunipace, D.; Woo, C. K.

1981-02-01

Consumer motivations for choosing a solar energy equipped home when the nonsolar or conventional model was available were investigated. The approach was to test the relative importance of demographic, dwelling unit, and heating system characteristics in household decisions to purchase a home equipped with solar energy devices. Two statistical models were developed: one to examine the relationship between the types of home buyers (as an identifiable market segment) and the decision to purchase a solar home; and the other to compare the energy use of solar vs. conventional homes selected in the sample.

High-speed AFM for scanning the architecture of living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jing; Deng, Zhifeng; Chen, Daixie; Ao, Zhuo; Sun, Quanmei; Feng, Jiantao; Yin, Bohua; Han, Li; Han, Dong

2013-08-01

We address the modelling of tip-cell membrane interactions under high speed atomic force microscopy. Using a home-made device with a scanning area of 100 × 100 μm2, in situ imaging of living cells is successfully performed under loading rates from 1 to 50 Hz, intending to enable detailed descriptions of physiological processes in living samples.We address the modelling of tip-cell membrane interactions under high speed atomic force microscopy. Using a home-made device with a scanning area of 100 × 100 μm2, in situ imaging of living cells is successfully performed under loading rates from 1 to 50 Hz, intending to enable detailed descriptions of physiological processes in living samples. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Movie of the real-time change of inner surface within fresh blood vessel. The movie was captured at a speed of 30 Hz in the range of 80 μm × 80 μm. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr01464a

Indoor concentrations of nicotine in low-income, multi-unit housing: associations with smoking behaviours and housing characteristics

PubMed Central

Kraev, TA; Adamkiewicz, G; Hammond, SK; Spengler, JD

2017-01-01

Objective An analysis of airborne nicotine measurements collected in 49 low-income, multi-unit residences across the Greater Boston Area. Methods Nicotine concentrations were determined using passive monitors placed in homes over a one-week sampling period and air exchange rates (AER) were sampled using the perfluorocarbon tracer technique. Residents were surveyed through a questionnaire about smoking behaviour and a visual inspection was conducted to collect information on housing characteristics contributing to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. Using a mass balance model to account for the air exchange rate, volume of the home and sorption and re-emission of nicotine on indoor surfaces, the effective smoking rate (SReff) was determined for each residence. Results Nicotine levels ranged from the limit of detection to 26.92 µg/m3, with a mean of 2.20 µg/m3 and median of 0.13 µg/m3. Nicotine measurements were significantly associated with the number of smokers in the household and the number of cigarettes smoked in the home. The results of this study suggest that questionnaire reports can provide a valid estimate of residential exposure to tobacco smoke. In addition, this study found evidence that tobacco smoke contamination in low-income housing developments is not limited to homes with smokers (either residing in the home or visiting). The frequent report of tobacco smoke odour coming from other apartments or hallways resulted in increased levels of nicotine concentrations and SReff in non-smoking homes, suggestive of SHS infiltration from neighbouring units. Conclusion These findings have important implications for smoking regulations in multi-unit homes and highlight the need to reduce involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke among low-income housing residents. PMID:19679890

Indoor concentrations of nicotine in low-income, multi-unit housing: associations with smoking behaviours and housing characteristics.

PubMed

Kraev, T A; Adamkiewicz, G; Hammond, S K; Spengler, J D

2009-12-01

An analysis of airborne nicotine measurements collected in 49 low-income, multi-unit residences across the Greater Boston Area. Nicotine concentrations were determined using passive monitors placed in homes over a one-week sampling period and air exchange rates (AER) were sampled using the perfluorocarbon tracer technique. Residents were surveyed through a questionnaire about smoking behaviour and a visual inspection was conducted to collect information on housing characteristics contributing to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. Using a mass balance model to account for the air exchange rate, volume of the home and sorption and re-emission of nicotine on indoor surfaces, the effective smoking rate (SR(eff)) was determined for each residence. Nicotine levels ranged from the limit of detection to 26.92 microg/m(3), with a mean of 2.20 microg/m(3) and median of 0.13 microg/m(3). Nicotine measurements were significantly associated with the number of smokers in the household and the number of cigarettes smoked in the home. The results of this study suggest that questionnaire reports can provide a valid estimate of residential exposure to tobacco smoke. In addition, this study found evidence that tobacco smoke contamination in low-income housing developments is not limited to homes with smokers (either residing in the home or visiting). The frequent report of tobacco smoke odour coming from other apartments or hallways resulted in increased levels of nicotine concentrations and SR(eff) in non-smoking homes, suggestive of SHS infiltration from neighbouring units. These findings have important implications for smoking regulations in multi-unit homes and highlight the need to reduce involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke among low-income housing residents.

Moving into the 'patient-centred medical home': reforming Australian general practice.

PubMed

Hayes, Paul; Lynch, Anthony; Stiffe, Jenni

2016-09-01

The Australian healthcare system is a complex network of services and providers funded and administered by federal, state and territory governments, supplemented by private health insurance and patient contributions. The broad geographical range, complexity and increasing demand within the Australian healthcare sector mean health expenditure is high. Aspects of current funding for the healthcare system have attracted criticism from medical practitioners, patients, representative organisations and independent statutory agencies. In response to the problems in primary care funding in Australia, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners developed the Vision for general practice and a sustainable healthcare system (the Vision). The Vision presents a plan to improve healthcare delivery in Australia through greater quality, access and efficiency by reorienting how general practice services are funded based on the 'patient-centred medical home' model.

The health care home model: primary health care meeting public health goals.

PubMed

Grant, Roy; Greene, Danielle

2012-06-01

In November 2010, the American Public Health Association endorsed the health care home model as an important way that primary care may contribute to meeting the public health goals of increasing access to care, reducing health disparities, and better integrating health care with public health systems. Here we summarize the elements of the health care home (also called the medical home) model, evidence for its clinical and public health efficacy, and its place within the context of health care reform legislation. The model also has limitations, especially with regard to its degree of involvement with the communities in which care is delivered. Several actions could be undertaken to further develop, implement, and sustain the health care home.

Home advantage in the Six Nations Rugby Union tournament.

PubMed

Thomas, Sion; Reeves, Colin; Bell, Andrew

2008-02-01

This study examined whether home advantage occurred in the Six Nations Rugby Union tournament. Data were gathered using the final championship standings from the tournament's inception in 2000 to the recently completed 2007 season. Home advantage for each championship season was defined as the number of points won by teams playing at home, expressed as a percentage of all points gained either at home or away. An analysis of home advantage for each of eight seasons of competition ranged from 53% (2005) to 70% (2006). There was an overall statistically significant home advantage of 61% for 120 matches played in the Six Nations tournament between 2000 and 2007. Also analysed were the percentage of points won at home by each country. Again, evidence supported home advantage amongst all competing nations regardless of the team's quality.

Territoriality, prospecting, and dispersal in cooperatively breeding Micronesian Kingfishers (Todiramphus cinnamominus reichenbachii)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kesler, D.C.; Haig, S.M.

2007-01-01

We investigated territoriality, prospecting, and dispersal behavior in cooperatively breeding Pohnpei Micronesian Kingfishers (Todiramphus cinnamominus reichenbachii) throughout the annual cycle using radiotelemetry and color-band resights. Mean home-range size was 6.3 ha and territories were 8.1 ha. Within territories, Micronesian Kingfishers shared 63% of their home-range space with coterritorial occupants, and 3% was shared with extraterritorial conspecifics. Birds on cooperative territories had larger home ranges that overlapped more with coterritory occupants' home ranges than birds in pair-held territories. Despite evidence suggesting that resources necessary for survival and reproduction occurred on each territory, Micronesian Kingfishers of all age and sex classes made extraterritorial prospecting movements. Prospecting was rare; it comprised only 4.3% of our observations. When birds departed on forays, they were gone for ∼1.9 h and returned to home territories before sunset. Prospecting by dominant birds was temporally correlated with courtship and nest initiation, and birds were observed at neighboring nest sites with opposite-sex conspecifics during the period when females were available for fertilization. Juveniles and helpers prospected throughout the year and made repeated homesteading movements to dispersal destinations before dispersing. Mean dispersal distance for radiomarked individuals was 849 m. Results suggest that prospecting in Micronesian Kingfishers is a complex behavior that provides information for dispersal decisions and familiarity with dispersal destinations. Additionally, extraterritorial movements may provide covert opportunities for reproduction, which have potential to profoundly influence the distribution of fitness among helper and dominant Micronesian Kingfishers.

Twenty years of a multidisciplinary paediatric diabetes home care unit

PubMed Central

McEvilly, A; Kirk, J

2005-01-01

As only a minority of patients with type 1 diabetes are unwell at diagnosis, these patients could be managed at home if appropriate facilities were available. A multidisciplinary diabetes home care service was established over 20 years ago at Birmingham Children's Hospital, to support children with diabetes mellitus within the home environment from diagnosis, reducing emotional upset and separation. Despite increase in the size and distribution of the unit over this time (from 230 to 400 patients (now spread over two hospitals)), the proportion of newly diagnosed children managed wholly at home (median 43%; range 31–67%), and the reduction in number and duration of admissions has been sustained (readmission rate with diabetic ketoacidosis 4.1 bed-days per 100 patients/year; range 2.9–7.1), with no deterioration in overall blood glucose control. In this way the savings achieved by reductions in expensive hospital bed occupancy have more than offset the costs of maintaining the unit. PMID:15781919

Barriers and opportunities for passive removal of indoor ozone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gall, Elliott T.; Corsi, Richard L.; Siegel, Jeffrey A.

2011-06-01

This paper presents a Monte Carlo simulation to assess passive removal materials (PRMs) that remove ozone with no additional energy input and minimal byproduct formation. Distributions for air exchange rate in a subset of homes in Houston, Texas, were taken from the literature and combined with background ozone removal rates in typical houses and previous experimentally determined ozone deposition velocities to activated carbon cloth and gypsum wallboard PRMs. The median ratio of indoor to outdoor ozone was predicted to be 0.16 for homes with no PRMs installed and ranged from 0.047 to 0.12 for homes with PRMs. Median values of ozone removal effectiveness in these homes ranged from 22% to 68% for the conditions investigated. Achieving an ozone removal effectiveness above 50% in half of the homes would require installing a large area of PRMs and providing enhanced air speed to transport pollutants to PRM surfaces. Challenges associated with achieving this removal include optimizing indoor transport and aesthetic implications of large surface areas of PRM materials.

Predictors of nursing home residents' time to hospitalization.

PubMed

O'Malley, A James; Caudry, Daryl J; Grabowski, David C

2011-02-01

To model the predictors of the time to first acute hospitalization for nursing home residents, and accounting for previous hospitalizations, model the predictors of time between subsequent hospitalizations. Merged file from New York State for the period 1998-2004 consisting of nursing home information from the minimum dataset and hospitalization information from the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System. Accelerated failure time models were used to estimate the model parameters and predict survival times. The models were fit to observations from 50 percent of the nursing homes and validated on the remaining observations. Pressure ulcers and facility-level deficiencies were associated with a decreased time to first hospitalization, while the presence of advance directives and facility staffing was associated with an increased time. These predictors of the time to first hospitalization model had effects of similar magnitude in predicting the time between subsequent hospitalizations. This study provides novel evidence suggesting modifiable patient and nursing home characteristics are associated with the time to first hospitalization and time to subsequent hospitalizations for nursing home residents. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Home range and habitat use of the Vulnerable Virginia northern flying squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus in the Central Appalachian Mountains, USA

Treesearch

Jennifer M. Menzel; W. Mark Ford; John W. Edwards; Tamara M. Terry

2006-01-01

The Virginia northern flying squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus is a Vulnerable sciurid that has experienced a 90% reduction of suitable high elevation boreal montane forest habitat over the last century in the central Appalachians of West Virginia and Virginia, USA. Using radiotelemetry and GIs analyses we examined the species' home range size...

Home range, habitat use, survival, and fecundity of Mexican spotted owls in the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico

Treesearch

Joseph L. Ganey; William M. Block; James P. Ward; Brenda E. Strohmeyer

2005-01-01

We studied home range, habitat use, and vital rates of radio-marked Mexican spotted owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) in 2 study areas in the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico. One study area (mesic) was dominated by mixed-conifer forest, the other (xeric) by ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest and pinon (P. edulis)-juniper (Juniperus) woodland. Based on existing...

Using high-resolution short-term location data to describe territoriality in Pacific martens

Treesearch

Katie M. Moriarty; Mark A. Linnell; Brandon E. Chasco; Clinton W. Epps; William J. Zielinski

2017-01-01

The home range is one of the most frequently sought-after characteristics of an animal’s behavior and ecology. However, most techniques for evaluating home ranges were developed before GPS collar technology. We use VHF and GPS location data collected in tandem on Pacific marten (Martes caurina) to determine the minimum length of time in which frequent GPS locations...

Implications of home-range estimation in the management of red-cockaded woodpeckers in South Carolina

Treesearch

Kathleen E. Franzreb

2006-01-01

I undertook a behavioral study to determine red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) home-range size at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, USA. In this location, because much of the timber was harvested in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the available habitat largely consisted of younger trees (e.g., less than 45 years old), not generally...

Habitat use and preferences of breeding female wood ducks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hartke, Kevin M.; Hepp, G.R.

2004-01-01

Female wood ducks (Aix sponsa) feed primarily on plant foods in the prelaying period and switch to a diet of mostly invertebrates during egg production. If nutrient acquisition is habitat-specific, then selection and use of habitats may differ between these reproductive stages. A better understanding of these processes is needed to assist future habitat conservation and management efforts. In January-May 1999 and 2000, we monitored movements and habitat use of radiomarked females (n = 47) during the prelaying and egg-production periods of first nests. Home-range size averaged 367 ha and did not vary with reproductive period, year, or female age. Habitat use did not differ between periods of prelaying and egg production; consequently, data were combined. Habitat use varied between years, female age, and periods of nest initiation (i.e., early vs. late). Use of beaver ponds (BP), temporary wetlands (TW), managed impoundments (MI), and lake habitats (LK) declined in 2000 compared to 1999, possibly due to reduced precipitation. Nest initiation date was independent of female age. Adult females used BP more than yearlings, and early-nesting females used BP and MI more than late-nesting females. Females selected habitats nonrandomly when habitat composition of the study area was compared to that of home ranges (second-order selection). Lake-influenced wetlands (LI) and MI were ranked highest in preference. Home-range size was inversely related to percentage of the home range comprised of MI and LI, supporting the idea that MI and LI were high-quality habitats. However, we found no relationship between nest initiation date (an important index to reproductive performance) and the combined area of MI and LI in home ranges. Habitai selection did not differ from random when habitat composition of home ranges was compared to that of radio locations (third-order selection). Although MI and LI were preferred, high-quality habitats, our results suggest that breeding female wood ducks can satisfy requirements for egg production using a variety of wetland habitats. We suggest that providing a diversity of habitat types will increase the probability of meeting needs of breeding females throughout the breeding season, especially in areas where wetland conditions frequently change.

Muslims, Home Education and Risk in British Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Martin; Bhopal, Kalwant

2018-01-01

The number of families who choose to home educate has significantly increased in the last decade. This article explores the experiences of British Muslims who home educate using data from a larger study exploring the views of a diverse range of families. Drawing on the work of Beck, we discuss how 'risk' is understood in relation to Muslim home…

Mental models of adherence: parallels in perceptions, values, and expectations in adherence to prescribed home exercise programs and other personal regimens.

PubMed

Rizzo, Jon; Bell, Alexandra

2018-05-09

A mental model is the collection of an individual's perceptions, values, and expectations about a particular aspect of their life, which strongly influences behaviors. This study explored orthopedic outpatients mental models of adherence to prescribed home exercise programs and how they related to mental models of adherence to other types of personal regimens. The study followed an interpretive description qualitative design. Data were collected via two semi-structured interviews. Interview One focused on participants prior experiences adhering to personal regimens. Interview Two focused on experiences adhering to their current prescribed home exercise program. Data analysis followed a constant comparative method. Findings revealed similarity in perceptions, values, and expectations that informed individuals mental models of adherence to personal regimens and prescribed home exercise programs. Perceived realized results, expected results, perceived social supports, and value of convenience characterized mental models of adherence. Parallels between mental models of adherence for prescribed home exercise and other personal regimens suggest that patients adherence behavior to prescribed routines may be influenced by adherence experiences in other aspects of their lives. By gaining insight into patients adherence experiences, values, and expectations across life domains, clinicians may tailor supports that enhance home exercise adherence. Implications for Rehabilitation A mental model is the collection of an individual's perceptions, values, and expectations about a particular aspect of their life, which is based on prior experiences and strongly influences behaviors. This study demonstrated similarity in orthopedic outpatients mental models of adherence to prescribed home exercise programs and adherence to personal regimens in other aspects of their lives. Physical therapists should inquire about patients non-medical adherence experiences, as strategies patients customarily use to adhere to other activities may inform strategies to promote prescribed home exercise adherence.

Examining Racial and Ethnic Differences in Nursing Home Quality.

PubMed

Hefele, Jennifer Gaudet; Ritter, Grant A; Bishop, Christine E; Acevedo, Andrea; Ramos, Candi; Nsiah-Jefferson, Laurie A; Katz, Gabrielle

2017-11-01

Identifying racial/ethnic differences in quality is central to identifying, monitoring, and reducing disparities. Although disparities across all individual nursing home residents and disparities associated with between-nursing home differences have been established, little is known about the degree to which quality of care varies by race//ethnicity within nursing homes. A study was conducted to measure within-facility differences for a range of publicly reported nursing home quality measures. Resident assessment data on approximately 15,000 nursing homes and approximately 3 million residents (2009) were used to assess eight commonly used and publicly reported long-stay quality measures: the proportion of residents with weight loss, with high-risk and low-risk pressure ulcers, with incontinence, with depressive symptoms, in restraints daily, and who experienced a urinary tract infection or functional decline. Each measure was stratified by resident race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic), and within-facility differences were examined. Small but significant differences in care on average were found, often in an unexpected direction; in many cases, white residents were experiencing poorer outcomes than black and Hispanic residents in the same facility. However, a broad range of differences in care by race/ethnicity within nursing homes was also found. The results suggest that care is delivered equally across all racial/ethnic groups in the same nursing home, on average. The results support the call for publicly reporting stratified nursing home quality measures and suggest that nursing home providers should attempt to identify racial/ethnic within-facility differences in care. Copyright © 2017 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Home Health Care Devices: Remote Usability Assessment.

PubMed

Kortum, Philip; Peres, S Camille

2015-06-05

An increasing amount of health care is now performed in a home setting, away from the hospital. While there is growing anecdotal evidence about the difficulty patients and caregivers have using increasingly complex health care devices in the home, there has been little systematic scientific study to quantify the global nature of home health care device usability in the field. Research has tended to focus on a handful of devices, making it difficult to gain a broad view of the usability of home-care devices in general. The objective of this paper is to describe a remote usability assessment method using the System Usability Scale (SUS), and to report on the usability of a broad range of health care devices using this metric. A total of 271 participants selected and rated up to 10 home health care devices of their choice using the SUS, which scores usability from 0 (unusable) to 100 (highly usable). Participants rated a total of 455 devices in their own home without an experimenter present. Usability scores ranged from 98 (oxygen masks) to 59 (home hormone test kits). An analysis conducted on devices that had at least 10 ratings showed that the effect of device on SUS scores was significant (P<.001), and that the usability of these devices was on the low end when compared with other commonly used items in the home, such as microwave ovens and telephones. A large database of usability scores for home health care devices collected using this remote methodology would be beneficial for physicians, patients, and their caregivers.

Estimation of vehicle home parking availability in China and quantification of its potential impacts on plug-in electric vehicle ownership cost

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

Ou, Shiqi; Lin, Zhenhong; He, Xin

China has become the world's largest plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market. One major barrier to greater consumer acceptance of PEVs is the lack of home parking spaces for charging outlets. This paper developed a methodology to estimate the residential parking ratios (parking spaces vs household numbers) and project the residential community-weighted parking availabilities (home parking availabilities) in China, by area and by province, through data mining from several major real estate trading network platforms. The results show that the home parking availabilities from 2015 to 2050 vary by geographic areas and building life expectancy. A method was developed to quantifymore » the shadow values of home parking impacting on PEV ownership costs and combined with Monte Carlo simulation to address estimation uncertainty. Depending on the PEV type and all-electric range, the value of home parking space to a PEV owner, measured by the reduced vehicle ownership cost, ranges from $2399 USD to 10,802 USD. Finally, the total incremental shadow value, relative to the 2015 situation, of the home parking availability for PEV owners increases over time due to both improvement in home parking availability and increase in the PEV population, and is estimated to reach over 2.51 billion USD by 2025 (U.S. dollars in 2015 level).« less

Estimation of vehicle home parking availability in China and quantification of its potential impacts on plug-in electric vehicle ownership cost

DOE PAGES

Ou, Shiqi; Lin, Zhenhong; He, Xin; ...

2018-05-03

China has become the world's largest plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market. One major barrier to greater consumer acceptance of PEVs is the lack of home parking spaces for charging outlets. This paper developed a methodology to estimate the residential parking ratios (parking spaces vs household numbers) and project the residential community-weighted parking availabilities (home parking availabilities) in China, by area and by province, through data mining from several major real estate trading network platforms. The results show that the home parking availabilities from 2015 to 2050 vary by geographic areas and building life expectancy. A method was developed to quantifymore » the shadow values of home parking impacting on PEV ownership costs and combined with Monte Carlo simulation to address estimation uncertainty. Depending on the PEV type and all-electric range, the value of home parking space to a PEV owner, measured by the reduced vehicle ownership cost, ranges from $2399 USD to 10,802 USD. Finally, the total incremental shadow value, relative to the 2015 situation, of the home parking availability for PEV owners increases over time due to both improvement in home parking availability and increase in the PEV population, and is estimated to reach over 2.51 billion USD by 2025 (U.S. dollars in 2015 level).« less

Healthy Efficient New Gas Homes (HENGH) Pilot Test Results

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

Chan, Wanyu R.; Maddalena, Randy L; Stratton, Chris

The Healthy Efficient New Gas Homes (HENGH) is a field study that will collect data on ventilation systems and indoor air quality (IAQ) in new California homes that were built to 2008 Title 24 standards. A pilot test was performed to help inform the most time and cost effective approaches to measuring IAQ in the 100 test homes that will be recruited for this study. Two occupied, single-family detached homes built to 2008 Title 24 participated in the pilot test. One of the test homes uses exhaust-only ventilation provided by a continuous exhaust fan in the laundry room. The othermore » home uses supply air for ventilation. Measurements of IAQ were collected for two weeks. Time-resolved concentrations of particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and formaldehyde were measured. Measurements of IAQ also included time-integrated concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), volatile aldehydes, and NO2. Three perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs) were used to estimate the dilution rate of an indoor emitted air contaminant in the two pilot test homes. Diagnostic tests were performed to measure envelope air leakage, duct leakage, and airflow of range hood, exhaust fans, and clothes dryer vent when accessible. Occupant activities, such as cooking, use of range hood and exhaust fans, were monitored using various data loggers. This document describes results of the pilot test.« less

Home-Based Primary Care: Beyond Extension of the Independence at Home Demonstration.

PubMed

Rotenberg, James; Kinosian, Bruce; Boling, Peter; Taler, George

2018-04-01

The Independence at Home (IAH) Demonstration Year 2 results confirmed that the first-year savings were 10 times as great as those of the pioneer accountable care organizations during their initial 2 years. We update projected savings from nationwide conversion of the IAH demonstration, incorporating Year 2 results and improving attribution of IAH-qualified (IAH-Q) Medicare beneficiaries to home-based primary care (HBPC) practices. Applying IAH qualifying criteria to beneficiaries in the Medicare 5% claims file, the effect of expanding HBPC to the 2.4 million IAH-Q beneficiaries is projected using various growth rates. Total 10-year system-wide savings (accounting for IAH implementation but before excluding shared savings) range from $2.6 billion to $27.8 billion, depending on how many beneficiaries receive HBPC on conversion to a Medicare benefit, mix of clinical practice success, and growth rate of IAH practices. Net projected savings to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) after routine billing for IAH services and distribution of shared savings ranges from $1.8 billion to $10.9 billion. If aligning IAH with other advanced alternative payment models achieved at least 35% penetration of the eligible population in 10 years, CMS savings would exceed savings with the current IAH design and HBPC growth rate. If the demonstration were simply extended 2 years with a beneficiary cap of 50,000 instead of 15,000 (as currently proposed), CMS would save an additional $46 million. The recent extension of IAH, a promising person-centered CMS program for managing medically complex and frail elderly adults, offers the chance to evaluate modifications to promote more rapid HBPC growth. © 2018, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2018, The American Geriatrics Society.

Monitoring of noninvasive ventilation by built-in software of home bilevel ventilators: a bench study.

PubMed

Contal, Olivier; Vignaux, Laurence; Combescure, Christophe; Pepin, Jean-Louis; Jolliet, Philippe; Janssens, Jean-Paul

2012-02-01

Current bilevel positive-pressure ventilators for home noninvasive ventilation (NIV) provide physicians with software that records items important for patient monitoring, such as compliance, tidal volume (Vt), and leaks. However, to our knowledge, the validity of this information has not yet been independently assessed. Testing was done for seven home ventilators on a bench model adapted to simulate NIV and generate unintentional leaks (ie, other than of the mask exhalation valve). Five levels of leaks were simulated using a computer-driven solenoid valve (0-60 L/min) at different levels of inspiratory pressure (15 and 25 cm H(2)O) and at a fixed expiratory pressure (5 cm H(2)O), for a total of 10 conditions. Bench data were compared with results retrieved from ventilator software for leaks and Vt. For assessing leaks, three of the devices tested were highly reliable, with a small bias (0.3-0.9 L/min), narrow limits of agreement (LA), and high correlations (R(2), 0.993-0.997) when comparing ventilator software and bench results; conversely, for four ventilators, bias ranged from -6.0 L/min to -25.9 L/min, exceeding -10 L/min for two devices, with wide LA and lower correlations (R(2), 0.70-0.98). Bias for leaks increased markedly with the importance of leaks in three devices. Vt was underestimated by all devices, and bias (range, 66-236 mL) increased with higher insufflation pressures. Only two devices had a bias < 100 mL, with all testing conditions considered. Physicians monitoring patients who use home ventilation must be aware of differences in the estimation of leaks and Vt by ventilator software. Also, leaks are reported in different ways according to the device used.

Bacterial and fungal aerosol in indoor environment in Upper Silesia, Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pastuszka, Jozef S.; Kyaw Tha Paw, U.; Lis, Danuta O.; Wlazło, Agnieszka; Ulfig, Krzysztof

The purpose of this study was to find the typical concentration levels of bacterial and fungal bioaerosol in healthy and moldy homes as well as in office rooms in Upper Silesia Industrial Zone. Airborne bacteria and fungi were collected using the 6-stage Andersen impactor inside and outside of buildings. It was found that the typical level of bacterial aerosol indoors is about 10 3 CFU m -3 in homes and 10 2 CFU m -3 in offices. Only Micrococcus spp was present in all homes studied, constituting 36% of the bacterial genera. The second most common was Staphylococcus epidermidis, present in 76% of homes and constituting 14% of the total. The concentration of fungal aerosol in winter ranged from 10 to 10 2 CFU m -3 in healthy homes and from 10 to 10 3 CFU m -3 in homes with mold problems. In summer these values were elevated reaching 10 3 CFU m -3 in healthy homes and 10 3-10 4 CFU m -3 in moldy buildings. In healthy homes the relative concentration of observed species, including Penicillium, ranged from 3 to about 50% while in moldy homes the highest concentration of Penicillium accounted for 90% of the total fungi. However, the differences between viable fungal species as well as concentrations observed in moldy and healthy homes seem to be too small to be a reason of significantly higher risk for allergic asthma symptoms in any group of buildings. Comparison of the respirable fraction of airborne bacteria and fungi with literature data suggests that the percentage of respirable fungi and bacteria is generally not dependent on the type of home, building material, geographical factors and particulate air pollution.

42 CFR § 484.330 - Process for determining and applying the value-based payment adjustment under the Home Health...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2016-10-01

...-based payment adjustment under the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model. § 484.330 Section... (HHVBP) Model Components for Competing Home Health Agencies Within State Boundaries § 484.330 Process for determining and applying the value-based payment adjustment under the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing...

42 CFR § 484.330 - Process for determining and applying the value-based payment adjustment under the Home Health...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2017-10-01

...-based payment adjustment under the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model. § 484.330 Section... (HHVBP) Model Components for Competing Home Health Agencies Within State Boundaries § 484.330 Process for determining and applying the value-based payment adjustment under the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing...

Links between Home and School among Low-Income Mexican-American and European-American Families. Educational Practice Report: 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azmitia, Margarita; And Others

This report shows that, in low-income Mexican-American and European-American families, children's everyday learning activities at home and aspirations of parents for their children's future are key elements in home-school linkages. Two models of home-school linkages are reviewed: the cultural match/mismatch model and the two-way partnership…

Implementation Differences of Two Staffing Models in the German Home Visiting Program "Pro Kind"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brand, Tilman; Jungmann, Tanja

2012-01-01

As different competencies or professional backgrounds may affect the quality of program implementation, staffing is a critical issue in home visiting. In this study, N = 430 women received home visits delivered either by a tandem of a midwife and a social worker or by only one home visitor (primarily midwives, continuous model). The groups were…

New Evidence on the Green House Model of Nursing Home Care: Synthesis of Findings and Implications for Policy, Practice, and Research.

PubMed

Zimmerman, Sheryl; Bowers, Barbara J; Cohen, Lauren W; Grabowski, David C; Horn, Susan D; Kemper, Peter

2016-02-01

To synthesize new findings from the THRIVE Research Collaborative (The Research Initiative Valuing Eldercare) related to the Green House (GH) model of nursing home care and broadly consider their implications. Interviews and observations conducted in GH and comparison homes, Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments, Medicare data, and Online Survey, Certification and Reporting data. Critical integration and interpretation of findings based on primary data collected 2011-2014 in 28 GH homes (from 16 organizations), and 15 comparison nursing home units (from 8 organizations); and secondary data derived from 2005 to 2010 for 72 GH homes (from 15 organizations) and 223 comparison homes. Implementation of the GH model is inconsistent, sometimes differing from design. Among residents of GH homes, adoption lowers hospital readmissions, three MDS measures of poor quality, and Part A/hospice Medicare expenditures. Some evidence suggests the model is associated with lower direct care staff turnover. Recommendations relate to assessing fidelity, monitoring quality, capitalizing opportunities to improve care, incorporating evidence-based practices, including primary care providers, supporting high-performance workforce practices, aligning Medicare financial incentives, promoting equity, informing broad culture change, and conducting future research. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Modeling Climate-Change Effects on Snake Range Extents for Military Land Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

Kirankumar Topudurti and the Director was Dr. Ilker Adiguzel. Special appreciation is owed to Fort Stewart, GA personnel John Macey, Larry Carlile, and...fatalities by intentional killing and motor-vehicle encounters, and loss of tortoise burrows (used as winter shelter) through both dwindling tortoise...numbers and gassing of burrows by rattlesnake hunters (US Fish and Wildlife Service 1982, Stevenson et al. 2003). Since it has a very large home

Personality and morphological traits affect pigeon survival from raptor attacks.

PubMed

Santos, Carlos D; Cramer, Julia F; Pârâu, Liviu G; Miranda, Ana C; Wikelski, Martin; Dechmann, Dina K N

2015-10-22

Personality traits have recently been shown to impact fitness in different animal species, potentially making them similarly relevant drivers as morphological and life history traits along the evolutionary pathways of organisms. Predation is a major force of natural selection through its deterministic effects on individual survival, but how predation pressure has helped to shape personality trait selection, especially in free-ranging animals, remains poorly understood. We used high-precision GPS tracking to follow whole flocks of homing pigeons (Columba livia) with known personalities and morphology during homing flights where they were severely predated by raptors. This allowed us to determine how the personality and morphology traits of pigeons may affect their risk of being predated by raptors. Our survival model showed that individual pigeons, which were more tolerant to human approach, slower to escape from a confined environment, more resistant to human handling, with larger tarsi, and with lighter plumage, were more likely to be predated by raptors. We provide rare empirical evidence that the personality of prey influences their risk of being predated under free-ranging circumstances.

Personality and morphological traits affect pigeon survival from raptor attacks

PubMed Central

Santos, Carlos D.; Cramer, Julia F.; Pârâu, Liviu G.; Miranda, Ana C.; Wikelski, Martin; Dechmann, Dina K. N.

2015-01-01

Personality traits have recently been shown to impact fitness in different animal species, potentially making them similarly relevant drivers as morphological and life history traits along the evolutionary pathways of organisms. Predation is a major force of natural selection through its deterministic effects on individual survival, but how predation pressure has helped to shape personality trait selection, especially in free-ranging animals, remains poorly understood. We used high-precision GPS tracking to follow whole flocks of homing pigeons (Columba livia) with known personalities and morphology during homing flights where they were severely predated by raptors. This allowed us to determine how the personality and morphology traits of pigeons may affect their risk of being predated by raptors. Our survival model showed that individual pigeons, which were more tolerant to human approach, slower to escape from a confined environment, more resistant to human handling, with larger tarsi, and with lighter plumage, were more likely to be predated by raptors. We provide rare empirical evidence that the personality of prey influences their risk of being predated under free-ranging circumstances. PMID:26489437

Populations and home range relationships of the box turtle, Terrapene c. carolina (Linnaeus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stickel, L.F.

1950-01-01

SUMMARY: A population study of the box turtle (Terrapene c. carolina Linnaeus) was made during the years 1944 to 1947 at the Patuxent Research Refuge, Maryland. A thirty acre area in well drained bottomland forest on the flood plain of the Patuxent River was selected for intensive study. Similarly forested land extended in all directions from the study plot. Markers were established at eighty-three foot intervals over the study plot for reference in recording locality data. Individuals were marked by filing notches in the marginal scutes according to a code system. There were 2109 collections of study area turtles. Records of collecting sites and turtle behavior showed that in the bottomlands habitat cover is utilized extensively during the day as well as at night. Turtles not actively moving about are almost always found in or around brush piles, heaps of debris, and tangles of vines and briars. Gully banks and woods openings are used for sunning. Turtles are occasionally found in the mud or water of the gullies. The commonest type of night retreat is a cavity constructed by the turtle in leaves, debris, or earth. These cavities, termed 'forms,' may be used only once, but are sometimes used repeatedly, often at intervals of several days or more. Different turtles sometimes use the same form on successive nights. Weather conditions most favorable to turtle activity are high humidity, warm sunny days, and frequent rains. The most unfavorable influences are low temperatures and drought. On most summer days there are some active turtles but individual turtles are not active every day. Periods of activity are alternated with periods of quiet even in favorable weather. This behavior is most pronounced in early spring and late fall when inactive days are often more numerous than active ones. Adult turtles occupy specific home ranges which they maintain from year to year. The turtles living in the study plot retained their ranges even through a flood that completely covered the area. Maximum home range diameters were determined by measurements of the mapped ranges of individual turtles. The average range of adult males was 330 feet, adult females 370 feet. The difference between male and female ranges was not statistically significant. There was no evidence of defense of territory. Ranges of turtles of all ages and both sexes overlapped grossly. Turtles were frequently found near each other and no antagonistic behavior was observed. A trail-laying device was developed in order to follow individual travel routes. The trailer consists of a light weight housing fastened to the turtle's back. It contains a spool of white thread that unwinds as the turtle moves, thus marking its exact route. Turtles selected for this more detailed study were followed with trailers for a total of 456 turtle days. Maps illustrating their travels are shown. Normal movements within the home range are characterized by, (1) turns, doublings, detours, and criss-crossing paths completely covering the area, (2) interspersion of fairly direct traverses of the home range, (3) frequently repeated travels over certain paths or routes. Trailer records and mapped collection records both show that the maximum limits of the home range are ordinarily reached within a few days or weeks. This general procedure is varied by some turtles to include intensive coverage of only one portion of the range at a time. Some turtles have two home ranges and travel between them at infrequent intervals. One turtle showing this behavior was followed with a trailer for 161 days during 1946 and 1947. Trips outside the home range are made by some turtles. These include egg laying trips by females as well as trips of unexplained nature made by both males and females. Turtles from other areas occasionally occur as transients in the study plot. The size of the population was estimated on the basis of collections during on

Design of a multi-site multi-state clinical trial of home monitoring of chronic disease in the community in Australia.

PubMed

Celler, Branko G; Sparks, Ross; Nepal, Surya; Alem, Leila; Varnfield, Marlien; Li, Jane; Jang-Jaccard, Julian; McBride, Simon J; Jayasena, Rajiv

2014-12-15

Telehealth services based on at-home monitoring of vital signs and the administration of clinical questionnaires are being increasingly used to manage chronic disease in the community, but few statistically robust studies are available in Australia to evaluate a wide range of health and socio-economic outcomes. The objectives of this study are to use robust statistical methods to research the impact of at home telemonitoring on health care outcomes, acceptability of telemonitoring to patients, carers and clinicians and to identify workplace cultural factors and capacity for organisational change management that will impact on large scale national deployment of telehealth services. Additionally, to develop advanced modelling and data analytics tools to risk stratify patients on a daily basis to automatically identify exacerbations of their chronic conditions. A clinical trial is proposed at five locations in five states and territories along the Eastern Seaboard of Australia. Each site will have 25 Test patients and 50 case matched control patients. All participants will be selected based on clinical criteria of at least two hospitalisations in the previous year or four or more admissions over the last five years for a range of one or more chronic conditions. Control patients are matched according to age, sex, major diagnosis and their Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA). The Trial Design is an Intervention control study based on the Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) design. Our preliminary data indicates that most outcome variables before and after the intervention are not stationary, and accordingly we model this behaviour using linear mixed-effects (lme) models which can flexibly model within-group correlation often present in longitudinal data with repeated measures. We expect reduced incidence of unscheduled hospitalisation as well as improvement in the management of chronically ill patients, leading to better and more cost effective care. Advanced data analytics together with clinical decision support will allow telehealth to be deployed in very large numbers nationally without placing an excessive workload on the monitoring facility or the patient's own clinicians. Registered with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry on 1st April 2013. Trial ID: ACTRN12613000635763.

Setting a good example: supervisors as work-life-friendly role models within the context of boundary management.

PubMed

Koch, Anna R; Binnewies, Carmen

2015-01-01

This multisource, multilevel study examined the importance of supervisors as work-life-friendly role models for employees' boundary management. Particularly, we tested whether supervisors' work-home segmentation behavior represents work-life-friendly role modeling for their employees. Furthermore, we tested whether work-life-friendly role modeling is positively related to employees' work-home segmentation behavior. Also, we examined whether work-life-friendly role modeling is positively related to employees' well-being in terms of feeling less exhausted and disengaged. In total, 237 employees and their 75 supervisors participated in our study. Results from hierarchical linear models revealed that supervisors who showed more segmentation behavior to separate work and home were more likely perceived as work-life-friendly role models. Employees with work-life-friendly role models were more likely to segment between work and home, and they felt less exhausted and disengaged. One may conclude that supervisors as work-life-friendly role models are highly important for employees' work-home segmentation behavior and gatekeepers to implement a work-life-friendly organizational culture. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Analysis of California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) use of six management units using location data from global positioning system transmitters, southern California, 2004-09-Initial report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Matthew; Kern, Jeffrey; Haig, Susan M.

2010-01-01

This report provides an analysis of California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) space use of six management units in southern California (Hopper Mountain and Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuges, Wildlands Conservancy-Wind Wolves Preserve, Tejon Mountain Village Specific Plan, California Condor Study Area, and the Tejon Ranch excluding Tejon Mountain Village Specific Plan and California Condor Study Area). Space use was analyzed to address urgent management needs using location data from Global Positioning System transmitters. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided the U.S. Geological Survey with location data (2004-09) for California Condors from Global Positioning System transmitters and Geographic Information System data for the six management units in southern California. We calculated relative concentration of use estimates for each management unit for each California Condor (n = 21) on an annual basis (n = 39 annual home ranges) and evaluated resource selection for the population each year using the individual as our sampling unit. The most striking result from our analysis was the recolonization of the Tejon Mountain Village Specific Plan, California Condor Study Area, and Tejon Ranch management units during 2008. During 2004-07, the home range estimate for two (25 percent) California Condors overlapped the Tejon Mountain Village Specific Plan, California Condor Study Area, and Tejon Ranch management units (n = 8), and use within the annual home range generally was bimodal and was concentrated on the Bitter Creek and Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuges. However, 10 (77 percent) California Condor home ranges overlapped the Tejon Mountain Village Specific Plan, California Condor Study Area, and Tejon Ranch management units during 2008 (n = 13), and by 2009, the home range of every condor carrying a Global Positioning System transmitter (n = 14) overlapped these management units. Space use was multimodal within the home range during 2008-09 and was concentrated on Hopper Mountain Refuge in the south, Bittercreek Refuge and the Wind Wolves Preserve in the northwest, and the Tejon Mountain Village Specific Plan, California Condor Study Area, and Tejon Ranch management units in the northeast. Recolonization of the Tejon Mountain Village Specific Plan, California Condor Study Area, and Tejon Ranch management units reestablished traditional condor movement and foraging patterns in southern California and provides the travel corridor (approximately 20 kilometers wide) for recolonization of the northeastern part of the species historical range.

Why Hospitals and Payers are Recommending Home Care Upon Discharge Instead of SNF or Traditional Home Health Services--Alternative Payment Model Hospital Incentives Aligning with Patient Choice.

PubMed

Luke, Josh

2016-01-01

Seniors and other hospital patients in the United States have traditionally had the option of being discharged to a skilled nursing facility (convalescent home) for post-acute services, or home with nursing and therapy services provided in the home setting. Traditionally, these home based services have been referred to as "home health." As more Americans have retired, home health services have expanded and are readily accessible. This growth put tremendous stress on the Medicare fund which pays for senior care services. However, "Home Care," which traditionally has been viewed as non-medical home based services, has also become a booming industry for the cost conscious in recent years as more Americans reach retirement age. With the passing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, providers and payers are now finding themselves responsible for post-acute care and continuous patient health, so cost efficient solutions for post-acute care are thriving. For the first time in history, American hospitals and Insurers are recognizing Home Care as an effective model that achieves the Triple Aim of Health Care reform. Home Care, which is no longer completely non-medical services, has proven to be an integral part of the care continuum for seniors in recent years and is now becoming a viable solution for keeping patients well, while still honoring their desire to age and heal at home. This paper analyzes the benefits and risks of home care and provides a clear understanding as to why American hospitals are emphasizing SNF Avoidance and skipping home health, opting instead to refer patients directly to home care as the preferred discharge solution in a value based model.

A comparison of certain methods of measuring ranges of small mammals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stickel, L.F.

1954-01-01

SUMMARY: A comparison is made of different methods of determining size of home range from grid trapping data. Studies of artificial populations show that a boundary strip method of measuring area and an adjusted range length give sizes closer to the true range than do minimum area or observed range length methods. In simulated trapping of artificial populations, the known range size increases with successive captures until a level is reached that approximates the true range. The same general pattern is followed whether traps are visited at random or traps nearer the center of the range are favored; but when central traps are favored the curve levels more slowly. Range size is revealed with fewer captures when traps are far apart than when they are close together. The curve levels more slowly for oblong ranges than for circular ranges of the same area. Fewer captures are required to determine range length than to determine range area. Other examples of simulated trapping in artificial populations are used to provide measurements of distances from the center of activity and distances between successive captures. These are compared with similar measurements taken from Peromyscus trapping data. The similarity of range sizes found in certain field comparisons of area trapping, colored scat collections, and trailing is cited. A comparison of home range data obtained by area trapping and nest box studies is discussed. It is shown that when traps are set too far apart to include two or more in the range of each animal, calculation of average range size gives biased results. The smaller ranges are not expressed and cannot be included in the averages. The result is that range estimates are smaller at closer spacings and greater at wider spacings, purely as a result of these erroneous calculations and not reflecting any varying behavior of the animals. The problem of variation in apparent home range with variation in trap spacing is considered further by trapping in an artificial population. It is found that trap spacing can alter the apparent size of range even when biological factors are excluded and trap visiting is random. The desirability of excluding travels outside the normal range from home range calculations is discussed. Effects of varying the trapping plan by setting alternate rows of traps, or setting two traps per site, are discussed briefly.

Predicting nursing home placement among home- and community-based services program participants.

PubMed

Greiner, Melissa A; Qualls, Laura G; Iwata, Isao; White, Heidi K; Molony, Sheila L; Sullivan, M Terry; Burke, Bonnie; Schulman, Kevin A; Setoguchi, Soko

2014-12-01

Several states offer publicly funded-care management programs to prevent long-term care placement of high-risk Medicaid beneficiaries. Understanding participant risk factors and services that may prevent long-term care placement can facilitate efficient allocation of program resources. To develop a practical prediction model to identify participants in a home- and community-based services program who are at highest risk for long-term nursing home placement, and to examine participant-level and program-level predictors of nursing home placement. In a retrospective observational study, we used deidentified data for participants in the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders who completed an annual assessment survey between 2005 and 2010. We analyzed data on patient characteristics, use of program services, and short-term facility admissions in the previous year. We used logistic regression models with random effects to predict nursing home placement. The main outcome measures were long-term nursing home placement within 180 days or 1 year of assessment. Among 10,975 study participants, 1249 (11.4%) had nursing home placement within 1 year of annual assessment. Risk factors included Alzheimer's disease (odds ratio [OR], 1.30; 95% CI, 1.18-1.43), money management dependency (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.18-1.51), living alone (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.31-1.80), and number of prior short-term skilled nursing facility stays (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.31-1.62). Use of a personal care assistance service was associated with 46% lower odds of nursing home placement. The model C statistic was 0.76 in the validation cohort. A model using information from a home- and community-based service program had strong discrimination to predict risk of long-term nursing home placement and can be used to identify high-risk participants for targeted interventions.

Home range size and habitat-use pattern of nesting prairie falcons near oil developments in northeastern Wyoming

Treesearch

John R. Squires; Stanley H. Anderson; Robert Oakleaf

1993-01-01

Movements and habitat-use patterns were evaluated for a small population (n = 6 pairs) of Prairie Falcons (Falco mexicanus) nesting near Gillette, Wyoming. A total of 2462 falcon relocations was documented through telemetry. The average (n = 6) harmonic-mean 95%-contour home-range was 69 km2, whereas the average 75% contour was 26.6 km2. The convex polygon...

Costs and cost containment in nursing homes.

PubMed Central

Smith, H L; Fottler, M D

1981-01-01

The study examines the impact of structural and process variables on the cost of nursing home care and the utilization of various cost containment methods in 43 california nursing homes. Several predictors were statistically significant in their relation to cost per patient day. A diverse range of cost containment techniques was discovered along with strong predictors of the utilization of these techniques by nursing home administrators. The trade-off between quality of care and cost of care is discussed. PMID:7228713

The impact of range anxiety and home, workplace, and public charging infrastructure on simulated battery electric vehicle lifetime utility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neubauer, Jeremy; Wood, Eric

2014-07-01

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) offer the potential to reduce both oil imports and greenhouse gas emissions, but have a limited utility due to factors including driver range anxiety and access to charging infrastructure. In this paper we apply NREL's Battery Lifetime Analysis and Simulation Tool for Vehicles (BLAST-V) to examine the sensitivity of BEV utility to range anxiety and different charging infrastructure scenarios, including variable time schedules, power levels, and locations (home, work, and public installations). We find that the effects of range anxiety can be significant, but are reduced with access to additional charging infrastructure. We also find that (1) increasing home charging power above that provided by a common 15 A, 120 V circuit offers little added utility, (2) workplace charging offers significant utility benefits to select high mileage commuters, and (3) broadly available public charging can bring many lower mileage drivers to near-100% utility while strongly increasing the achieved miles of high mileage drivers.

Variations in the Home Literacy Environment of Preschool Children: A Cluster Analytic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Beth; Lonigan, Christopher

2009-01-01

Home literacy surveys were collected from the primary caregiver of 1,044 2- to 5-year-old children (M = 49.32 months, SD = 9.36) representing a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and types of early educational programs or child care. The caregivers completed survey questions on family background and home literacy activities and materials.…

Far from Home: An Experimental Evaluation of the Mother-Child Home Program in Bermuda.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scarr, Sandra; McCartney, Kathleen

1988-01-01

Effects of the Mother-Child Home Program (MCHP) were evaluated with a broad range of measures on cognition, social behavior, and emotion. Findings indicated that children in Bermuda scored above U.S. norms on cognitive tests and were functioning well in the preschool period. The MCHP had few demonstrable effects on any segment of the sample. (RH)

The Nursing Home Physical Performance Test: A Secondary Data Analysis of Women in Long-Term Care Using Item Response Theory.

PubMed

Perera, Subashan; Nace, David A; Resnick, Neil M; Greenspan, Susan L

2017-04-11

The Nursing Home Physical Performance Test (NHPPT) was developed to measure function among nursing home residents using sit-to-stand, scooping applesauce, face washing, dialing phone, putting on sweater, and ambulating tasks. Using item response theory, we explore its measurement characteristics at item level and opportunities for improvements. We used data from long-term care women. We fitted a graded response model, estimated parameters, and constructed probability and information curves. We identified items to be targeted toward lower and higher functioning persons to increase the range of abilities to which the instrument is applicable. We revised the scoring by making sit-to-stand and sweater items harder and dialing phone easier. We examined changes to concurrent validity with activities of daily living (ADL), frailty, and cognitive function. Participants were 86 years old, had more than three comorbidities, and a NHPPT of 19.4. All items had high discrimination and were targeted toward the lower middle range of performance continuum. After revision, sit-to-stand and sweater items demonstrated greater discrimination among the higher functioning and/or greater spread of thresholds for response categories. The overall test showed discrimination over a wider range of individuals. Concurrent validity correlation improved from 0.60 to 0.68 for instrumental ADL and explained variability (R2) from 22% to 36% for frailty. NHPPT has good measurement characteristics at the item level. NHPPT can be improved, implemented in computerized adaptive testing, and combined with self-report for greater utility, but a definitive study is needed. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

When genes move farther than offspring: gene flow by male gamete dispersal in the highly philopatric bat species Thyroptera tricolor.

PubMed

Buchalski, M R; Chaverri, G; Vonhof, M J

2014-02-01

For species characterized by philopatry of both sexes, mate selection represents an important behaviour for inbreeding avoidance, yet the implications for gene flow are rarely quantified. Here, we present evidence of male gamete-mediated gene flow resulting from extra-group mating in Spix's disc-winged bat, Thyroptera tricolor, a species which demonstrates all-offspring philopatry. We used microsatellite and capture-recapture data to characterize social group structure and the distribution of mated pairs at two sites in southwestern Costa Rica over four breeding seasons. Relatedness and genetic spatial autocorrelation analyses indicated strong kinship within groups and over short distances (<50 m), resulting from matrilineal group structure and small roosting home ranges (~0.2 ha). Despite high relatedness among-group members, observed inbreeding coefficients were low (FIS  = 0.010 and 0.037). Parentage analysis indicated mothers and offspring belonged to the same social group, while fathers belonged to different groups, separated by large distances (~500 m) when compared to roosting home ranges. Simulated random mating indicated mate choice was not based on intermediate levels of relatedness, and mated pairs were less related than adults within social groups on average. Isolation-by-distance (IBD) models of genetic neighbourhood area based on father-offspring distances provided direct estimates of mean gamete dispersal distances (r^) > 10 roosting home range equivalents. Indirect estimates based on genetic distance provided even larger estimates of r^, indicating direct estimates were biased low. These results suggest extra-group mating reduces the incidence of inbreeding in T. tricolor, and male gamete dispersal facilitates gene flow in lieu of natal dispersal of young. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Gibbon travel paths are goal oriented.

PubMed

Asensio, Norberto; Brockelman, Warren Y; Malaivijitnond, Suchinda; Reichard, Ulrich H

2011-05-01

Remembering locations of food resources is critical for animal survival. Gibbons are territorial primates which regularly travel through small and stable home ranges in search of preferred, limited and patchily distributed resources (primarily ripe fruit). They are predicted to profit from an ability to memorize the spatial characteristics of their home range and may increase their foraging efficiency by using a 'cognitive map' either with Euclidean or with topological properties. We collected ranging and feeding data from 11 gibbon groups (Hylobates lar) to test their navigation skills and to better understand gibbons' 'spatial intelligence'. We calculated the locations at which significant travel direction changes occurred using the change-point direction test and found that these locations primarily coincided with preferred fruit sources. Within the limits of biologically realistic visibility distances observed, gibbon travel paths were more efficient in detecting known preferred food sources than a heuristic travel model based on straight travel paths in random directions. Because consecutive travel change-points were far from the gibbons' sight, planned movement between preferred food sources was the most parsimonious explanation for the observed travel patterns. Gibbon travel appears to connect preferred food sources as expected under the assumption of a good mental representation of the most relevant sources in a large-scale space.

Navigating aerial transects with a laptop computer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anthony, R. Michael; Stehn, R.A.

1994-01-01

SUMMARY: A comparison is made of different methods of determining size of home range from grid trapping data. Studies of artificial populations show that a boundary strip method of measuring area and an adjusted range length give sizes closer to the true range than do minimum area or observed range length methods. In simulated trapping of artificial populations, the known range size increases with successive captures until a level is reached that approximates the true range. The same general pattern is followed whether traps are visited at random or traps nearer the center of the range are favored; but when central traps are favored the curve levels more slowly. Range size is revealed with fewer captures when traps are far apart than when they are close together. The curve levels more slowly for oblong ranges than for circular ranges of the same area. Fewer captures are required to determine range length than to determine range area. Other examples of simulated trapping in artificial populations are used to provide measurements of distances from the center of activity and distances between successive captures. These are compared with similar measurements taken from Peromyscus trapping data. The similarity of range sizes found in certain field comparisons of area trapping, colored scat collections, and trailing is cited. A comparison of home range data obtained by area trapping and nest box studies is discussed. It is shown that when traps are set too far apart to include two or more in the range of each animal, calculation of average range size gives biased results. The smaller ranges are not expressed and cannot be included in the averages. The result is that range estimates are smaller at closer spacings and greater at wider spacings, purely as a result of these erroneous calculations and not reflecting any varying behavior of the animals. The problem of variation in apparent home range with variation in trap spacing is considered further by trapping in an artificial population. It is found that trap spacing can alter the apparent size of range even when biological factors are excluded and trap visiting is random. The desirability of excluding travels outside the normal range from home range calculations is discussed. Effects of varying the trapping plan by setting alternate rows of traps, or setting two traps per site, are discussed briefly.

A comparison of Tier 1 and Tier 3 medical homes under Oklahoma Medicaid program.

PubMed

Kumar, Jay I; Anthony, Melody; Crawford, Steven A; Arky, Ronald A; Bitton, Asaf; Splinter, Garth L

2014-04-01

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is a team-based model of care that seeks to improve quality of care and control costs. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) directs Oklahoma's Medicaid program and contracts with 861 medical home practices across the state in one of three tiers of operational capacity: Tier 1 (Basic), Tier 2 (Advanced) and Tier 3 (Optimal). Only 13.5% (n = 116) homes are at the optimal level; the majority (59%, n = 508) at the basic level. In this study, we sought to determine the barriers that prevented Tier 1 homes from advancing to Tier 3 level and the incentives that would motivate providers to advance from Tier 1 to 3. Our hypotheses were that Tier 1 medical homes were located in smaller practices with limited resources and the providers are not convinced that the expense of advancing from Tier 1 status to Tier 3 status was worth the added value. We analyzed OHCA records to compare the 508 Tier 1 (entry-level) with 116 Tier 3 (optimal) medical homes for demographic differences with regards to location: urban or rural, duration as medical home, percentage of contracts that were group contracts, number of providers per group contract, panel age range, panel size, and member-provider ratio. We surveyed all 508 Tier 1 homes with a mail-in survey, and with focused follow up visits to identify the barriers to, and incentives for, upgrading from Tier 1 to Tier 2 or 3. We found that Tier 1 homes were more likely to be in rural areas, run by solo practitioners, serve exclusively adult panels, have smaller panel sizes, and have higher member-to-provider ratios in comparison with Tier 3 homes. Our survey had a 35% response rate. Results showed that the most difficult changes for Tier 1 homes to implement were providing 4 hours of after-hours care and a dedicated program for mental illness and substance abuse. The results also showed that the most compelling incentives for encouraging Tier 1 homes to upgrade their tier status were less"red tape"with prior authorizations, higher pay, and help with panel member follow-up. Multiple interventions may help medical homes in Oklahoma advance from the basic to the optimal level such as sharing of resources among nearby practices, expansion of OHCA online resources to help with preauthorizations and patient follow up, and the generation and transmission of data on the benefits of medical homes.

Seniors managing multiple medications: using mixed methods to view the home care safety lens.

PubMed

Lang, Ariella; Macdonald, Marilyn; Marck, Patricia; Toon, Lynn; Griffin, Melissa; Easty, Tony; Fraser, Kimberly; MacKinnon, Neil; Mitchell, Jonathan; Lang, Eddy; Goodwin, Sharon

2015-12-12

Patient safety is a national and international priority with medication safety earmarked as both a prevalent and high-risk area of concern. To date, medication safety research has focused overwhelmingly on institutional based care provided by paid healthcare professionals, which often has little applicability to the home care setting. This critical gap in our current understanding of medication safety in the home care sector is particularly evident with the elderly who often manage more than one chronic illness and a complex palette of medications, along with other care needs. This study addresses the medication management issues faced by seniors with chronic illnesses, their family, caregivers, and paid providers within Canadian publicly funded home care programs in Alberta (AB), Ontario (ON), Quebec (QC) and Nova Scotia (NS). Informed by a socio-ecological perspective, this study utilized Interpretive Description (ID) methodology and participatory photographic methods to capture and analyze a range of visual and textual data. Three successive phases of data collection and analysis were conducted in a concurrent, iterative fashion in eight urban and/or rural households in each province. A total of 94 participants (i.e., seniors receiving home care services, their family/caregivers, and paid providers) were interviewed individually. In addition, 69 providers took part in focus groups. Analysis was iterative and concurrent with data collection in that each interview was compared with subsequent interviews for converging as well as diverging patterns. Six patterns were identified that provide a rich portrayal of the complexity of medication management safety in home care: vulnerabilities that impact the safe management and storage of medication, sustaining adequate supports, degrees of shared accountability for care, systems of variable effectiveness, poly-literacy required to navigate the system, and systemic challenges to maintaining medication safety in the home. There is a need for policy makers, health system leaders, care providers, researchers, and educators to work with home care clients and caregivers on three key messages for improvement: adapt care delivery models to the home care landscape; develop a palette of user-centered tools to support medication safety in the home; and strengthen health systems integration.

Social structure and space use of Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) in Southern Russian Far East based on GPS telemetry data.

PubMed

Hernandez-Blanco, Jose A; Naidenko, Sergei V; Chistopolova, Maria D; Lukarevskiy, Victor S; Kostyrya, Alexey; Rybin, Alexandr; Sorokin, Pavel A; Litvinov, Mikhail N; Kotlyar, Andrey K; Miquelle, Dale G; Rozhnov, Viatcheslav V

2015-07-01

To better understand the spatial structure of Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) at the southern edge of their range we fitted 14 tigers (6♀♀ and 8♂♂) with 15 GPS-Argos collars between 2008 and 2011 in 2 study sites: the Ussuriskii Reserve of southern Sikhote-Alin and the Land of the Leopard National Park in southwest Primorye, Russian Far East. Fixed kernel estimates of male home ranges were larger than those of female home ranges (P < 0.05 [mean 95% fixed kernel(♀) = 401 ± 205 km(2) ; mean 95% fixed kernel(♂) = 778 ± 267 km(2)]). The home range size of females varied greatly, but on average was similar to estimates derived from earlier work further north. Low overlap of adjacent home ranges suggested that females retained exclusive territories. Real core areas of females overlapped only slightly, and remained stable over multiple years. The home ranges of adult males were smaller than those of males to the north, and in contrast to previous studies, high overlap among males indicated the absence of territoriality. Nonetheless, real core areas of males did not overlap, suggesting some spatial separation. In comparison to other tiger populations and other areas of the Russian Far East, the sex ratio in our 2 study areas was highly skewed towards males. We believe this skewed sex ratio resulted in the dissolution of territoriality of males due to an inability to defend individual females, with males resorting to scramble competition for mates. Continued monitoring of these sites to determine whether shifts in the sex ratio might result in a return to male territoriality would provide confirmation of our tentative hypothesis. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Does Plan B work? Home range estimations from stored on board and transmitted data sets produced by GPS-telemetry in the Colombian Amazon.

PubMed

Cabrera, Jaime A; Molina, Eduardo; González, Tania; Armenteras, Dolors

2016-12-01

Telemetry based on Global Positioning Systems (GPS) makes possible to gather large quantities of information in a very fine scale and work with species that were impossible to study in the past. When working with GPS telemetry, the option of storing data on board could be more desirable than the sole satellite transmitted data, due to the increase in the amount of locations available for analysis. Nonetheless, the uncertainty in the retrieving of the collar unit makes satellite-transmitted technologies something to take into account. Therefore, differences between store-on-board (SoB) and satellite-transmitted (IT) data sets need to be considered. Differences between SoB and IT data collected from two lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris), were explored by means of the calculation of home range areas by three different methods: the Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP), the Fixed Kernel Density Estimator (KDE) and the Brownian Bridges (BB). Results showed that SoB and IT data sets for the same individual were similar, with fix ranging from 63 % to 85 % respectively, and 16 m to 17 m horizontal errors. Depending on the total number of locations available for each individual, the home ranges estimated showed differences between 2.7 % and 79.3 %, for the 50 % probability contour and between 9.9 % and 61.8 % for the 95 % probability contour. These differences imply variations in the spatial coincidence of the estimated home ranges. We concluded that the use of IT data is not a good option for the estimation of home range areas if the collar settings have not been designed specifically for this use. Nonetheless, geographical representations of the IT based estimators could be of great help to identify areas of use, besides its assistance to locate the collar for its retrieval at the end of the field season and as a proximate backup when collars disappear.

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

LaGory, K. E.; Walston, L. J.; Goulet, C

The decline of many snake populations is attributable to habitat loss, and knowledge of habitat use is critical to their conservation. Resource characteristics (e.g., relative availability of different habitat types, soils, and slopes) within a landscape are scale-dependent and may not be equal across multiple spatial scales. Thus, it is important to identify the relevant spatial scales at which resource selection occurs. We conducted a radiotelemetry study of eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos) home range size and resource use at different hierarchical spatial scales. We present the results for 8 snakes radiotracked during a 2-year study at New Boston Airmore » Force Station (NBAFS) in southern New Hampshire, USA, where the species is listed by the state as endangered. Mean home range size (minimum convex polygon) at NBAFS (51.7 {+-} 14.7 ha) was similar to that reported in other parts of the species range. Radiotracked snakes exhibited different patterns of resource use at different spatial scales. At the landscape scale (selection of locations within the landscape), snakes overutilized old-field and forest edge habitats and underutilized forested habitats and wetlands relative to availability. At this scale, snakes also overutilized areas containing sandy loam soils and areas with lower slope (mean slope = 5.2% at snake locations vs. 6.7% at random locations). We failed to detect some of these patterns of resource use at the home range scale (i.e., within the home range). Our ability to detect resource selection by the snakes only at the landscape scale is likely the result of greater heterogeneity in macrohabitat features at the broader landscape scale. From a management perspective, future studies of habitat selection for rare species should include measurement of available habitat at spatial scales larger than the home range. We suggest that the maintenance of open early successional habitats as a component of forested landscapes will be critical for the persistence of eastern hognose snake populations in the northeastern United States.« less

Development and application of a complex numerical model and software for the computation of dose conversion factors for radon progenies.

PubMed

Farkas, Árpád; Balásházy, Imre

2015-04-01

A more exact determination of dose conversion factors associated with radon progeny inhalation was possible due to the advancements in epidemiological health risk estimates in the last years. The enhancement of computational power and the development of numerical techniques allow computing dose conversion factors with increasing reliability. The objective of this study was to develop an integrated model and software based on a self-developed airway deposition code, an own bronchial dosimetry model and the computational methods accepted by International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) to calculate dose conversion coefficients for different exposure conditions. The model was tested by its application for exposure and breathing conditions characteristic of mines and homes. The dose conversion factors were 8 and 16 mSv WLM(-1) for homes and mines when applying a stochastic deposition model combined with the ICRP dosimetry model (named PM-A model), and 9 and 17 mSv WLM(-1) when applying the same deposition model combined with authors' bronchial dosimetry model and the ICRP bronchiolar and alveolar-interstitial dosimetry model (called PM-B model). User friendly software for the computation of dose conversion factors has also been developed. The software allows one to compute conversion factors for a large range of exposure and breathing parameters and to perform sensitivity analyses. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study to Assess Perceptions of Antimicrobial Stewardship in Nursing Homes

PubMed Central

Carter, Rebecca R.; Montpetite, Michelle M.; Jump, Robin L. P.

2016-01-01

Objectives Practicing antimicrobial stewardship in nursing homes faces many challenges, particularly in non-academic settings. We sought to identify features of community nursing home environments that are associated with lower rates of overall antibiotic use. Design In this pilot study, we used an explanatory sequential design that incorporated comparative feedback about antibiotic use to inform a discussion about antimicrobial stewardship practices among community nursing homes. Measurements For the quantitative phase, we measured the number of antibiotic prescriptions, length of therapy and days of therapy/1000 days of care at 6 nursing homes. For the qualitative phase, we conducted semi-structured interviews with healthcare workers in leadership positions at 5 community nursing homes. Transcripts from the recorded interviews were assessed using emergent thematic analysis. For the triangulation phase, we evaluated themes from the semi-structured interviews in the context of each NHs antibiotic use. Results The number of antibiotic prescriptions ranged from 172 to 1244, with 50% to 83% written for ≤ 7 days. All nursing homes reported a similar proportion of fluoroquinolone use (27–32% days of therapy). Triangulation yielded 6 themes for which the environment at each facility ranged from less to more supportive antimicrobial stewardship: practice patterns, external influences, infection control, leadership, communication and facility culture. All nursing homes reported pressure from well-intentioned family members to prescribe antibiotics. Nursing homes with shorter lengths of therapy and lower overall antibiotic use were consonant with an environment more supportive of antimicrobial stewardship. Conclusion Our findings suggest several features of nursing homes that are supportive of antimicrobial stewardship: practice patterns grounded in established diagnostic criteria, proactive infection control and prevention, open communication and interconnectedness among staff. PMID:28152171

Home visiting programmes for the prevention of child maltreatment: cost-effectiveness of 33 programmes.

PubMed

Dalziel, Kim; Segal, Leonie

2012-09-01

There is a body of published research on the effectiveness of home visiting for the prevention of child maltreatment, but little in the peer reviewed literature on cost-effectiveness or value to society. The authors sought to determine the cost-effectiveness of alternative home visiting programmes to inform policy. All trials reporting child maltreatment outcomes were identified through systematic review. Information on programme effectiveness and components were taken from identified studies, to which 2010 Australian unit costs were applied. Lifetime cost offsets associated with maltreatment were derived from a recent Australian study. Cost-effectiveness results were estimated as programme cost per case of maltreatment prevented and net benefit estimated by incorporating downstream cost savings. Sensitivity analyses were conducted. 33 home visiting programmes were evaluated and cost-effectiveness estimates derived for the 25 programmes not dominated. The incremental cost of home visiting compared to usual care ranged from A$1800 to A$30 000 (US$1800-US$30 000) per family. Cost-effectiveness estimates ranged from A$22 000 per case of maltreatment prevented to several million. Seven of the 22 programmes (32%) of at least adequate quality were cost saving when including lifetime cost offsets. There is great variation in the cost-effectiveness of home visiting programmes for the prevention of maltreatment. The most cost-effective programmes use professional home visitors in a multi-disciplinary team, target high risk populations and include more than just home visiting. Home visiting programmes must be carefully selected and well targeted if net social benefits are to be realised.

A comparison of preprepared commercial infant feeding meals with home-cooked recipes.

PubMed

Carstairs, Sharon A; Craig, Leone Ca; Marais, Debbi; Bora, Ourania E; Kiezebrink, Kirsty

2016-11-01

To compare the cost, nutritional and food variety contents of commercial meals and published infant and young child feeding (IYCF) home-cooked recipes, and to compare nutritional contents to age-specific recommendations. Cross-sectional study. Full range of preprepared main meals available within the UK market. Main-meal recipes identified from a survey of Amazon's top 20 best-sellers and IYCF cookbooks available from local libraries. 278 commercial IYCF savoury meals from UK market and 408 home-cooked recipes from best-selling IYCF published cookbooks. Cost and nutritional content per 100 g and food variety per meal for both commercial meals and home-cooked recipes. Commercial products provided more 'vegetable' variety per meal (median=3.0; r=-0.33) than home-cooked recipes (2.0). Home-cooked recipes provided 26% more energy and 44% more protein and total fat than commercial products (r=-0.40, -0.31, -0.40, respectively) while costing less (£0.33/100 g and £0.68/100 g, respectively). The majority of commercial products (65%) met energy density recommendations but 50% of home-cooked recipes exceeded the maximum range. The majority of commercial meals provided an energy-dense meal with greater vegetable variety per meal to their home-cooked counterparts. Home-cooked recipes provided a cheaper meal option, however the majority exceeded recommendations for energy and fats. 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/.

78 FR 41118 - Biweekly Notice; Applications and Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses and Combined Licenses...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-09

..., such as social security numbers, home addresses, or home phone numbers in their filings, unless an NRC... range monitoring (APRM) system ``Upscale'' and ``Inoperative'' scram and control rod withdrawal block...

The shortened food expectations--Long-term care questionnaire: Assessing nursing home residents' satisfaction with food and food service.

PubMed

Crogan, Neva L; Evans, Bronwynne C

2006-11-01

Lack of nursing home resident satisfaction with meals often results in reduced food intake, leading to poor nutritional status, weight loss, functional decline, and depression. The purpose of this article is to describe the development and initial testing of the 28-item revised Food Expectations-Long-Term Care (FoodEx-LTC) questionnaire with a convenience sample of nursing home residents (N = 61). Because of possible respondent burden, the original 44-item, five-domain FoodEx-LTC was revised, resulting in the deletion of 16 redundant items and those with inter-item correlations less than .25. Coefficient alpha scores ranged from .65 to .82, and test-retest correlations ranged from .79 to .88, dependent on domain. This revised instrument has good initial validity and reliability, resulting in a shorter instrument that accurately assesses nursing home resident satisfaction with food and food service.

Electronic business in the home medical equipment industry.

PubMed

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

2011-01-01

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

Beverage Intake among Children: Associations with Parent and Home-Related Factors

PubMed Central

Zahid, Arwa; Davey, Cynthia

2017-01-01

Beverage intake can influence child diet quality in a positive or negative manner depending on the beverage type and amounts consumed. Parenting practices such as role modeling and control of home beverage availability have been associated with child beverage intake, whereas examination of the influence of parental beverage nutrition knowledge has been more limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between sugar-sweetened and dairy beverage intake among children (9–12 years) and home and parental factors. A questionnaire was administered among a convenience sample of parents (n = 194) to assess beverage nutrition knowledge, beverage intake and home availability of beverages. Children completed a questionnaire to estimate usual beverage intake. Daily sugar-sweetened beverage intake by children ranged from 0.4 to 48 oz. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine relationships. Parents were mostly female, white, well educated, and employed. Home availability of sugar-sweetened and dairy beverages was positively associated with child sugar-sweetened (OR = 1.48, p = 0.03) and dairy beverage intake (OR = 1.34, p = 0.03), respectively. Parent dairy beverage intake was associated with child dairy beverage intake (OR = 1.06, p = 0.01). Parent knowledge about sugar in beverages was related to child dairy beverage intake (OR = 1.46, p = 0.02), whereas calcium/dairy knowledge and general beverage nutrition knowledge were not related to child beverage intake. Parenting practices and knowledge may play a role in determining child beverage intake. PMID:28820455

Beverage Intake among Children: Associations with Parent and Home-Related Factors.

PubMed

Zahid, Arwa; Davey, Cynthia; Reicks, Marla

2017-08-18

Beverage intake can influence child diet quality in a positive or negative manner depending on the beverage type and amounts consumed. Parenting practices such as role modeling and control of home beverage availability have been associated with child beverage intake, whereas examination of the influence of parental beverage nutrition knowledge has been more limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between sugar-sweetened and dairy beverage intake among children (9-12 years) and home and parental factors. A questionnaire was administered among a convenience sample of parents ( n = 194) to assess beverage nutrition knowledge, beverage intake and home availability of beverages. Children completed a questionnaire to estimate usual beverage intake. Daily sugar-sweetened beverage intake by children ranged from 0.4 to 48 oz. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine relationships. Parents were mostly female, white, well educated, and employed. Home availability of sugar-sweetened and dairy beverages was positively associated with child sugar-sweetened (OR = 1.48, p = 0.03) and dairy beverage intake (OR = 1.34, p = 0.03), respectively. Parent dairy beverage intake was associated with child dairy beverage intake (OR = 1.06, p = 0.01). Parent knowledge about sugar in beverages was related to child dairy beverage intake (OR = 1.46, p = 0.02), whereas calcium/dairy knowledge and general beverage nutrition knowledge were not related to child beverage intake. Parenting practices and knowledge may play a role in determining child beverage intake.

The effect of state medicaid case-mix payment on nursing home resident acuity.

PubMed

Feng, Zhanlian; Grabowski, David C; Intrator, Orna; Mor, Vincent

2006-08-01

To examine the relationship between Medicaid case-mix payment and nursing home resident acuity. Longitudinal Minimum Data Set (MDS) resident assessments from 1999 to 2002 and Online Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) data from 1996 to 2002, for all freestanding nursing homes in the 48 contiguous U.S. states. We used a facility fixed-effects model to examine the effect of introducing state case-mix payment on changes in nursing home case-mix acuity. Facility acuity was measured by aggregating the nursing case-mix index (NCMI) from the MDS using the Resource Utilization Group (Version III) resident classification system, separately for new admits and long-stay residents, and by an OSCAR-derived index combining a range of activity of daily living dependencies and special treatment measures. We followed facilities over the study period to create a longitudinal data file based on the MDS and OSCAR, respectively, and linked facilities with longitudinal data on state case-mix payment policies for the same period. Across three acuity measures and two data sources, we found that states shifting to case-mix payment increased nursing home acuity levels over the study period. Specifically, we observed a 2.5 percent increase in the average acuity of new admits and a 1.3 to 1.4 percent increase in the acuity of long-stay residents, following the introduction of case-mix payment. The adoption of case-mix payment increased access to care for higher acuity Medicaid residents.

Integrated care organizations: Medicare financing for care at home.

PubMed

Davis, Karen; Willink, Amber; Schoen, Cathy

2016-11-01

As the boomer population ages, there is a growing need for integrated care organizations (ICOs) that can integrate both medical care and long-term services and supports in the home. This paper presents a policy proposal to support the creation of ICOs, redesign care, and provide financing for home- and community-based services (HCBS), with the goal of enhancing financial protection for beneficiaries, coordinating care, and preventing costly hospital and nursing home use. This study used the 2012 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Cost and Use File, inflated to 2016 figures, to describe the characteristics of Medicare beneficiaries and their healthcare utilization and spending. The costs of covering up to 20 hours of personal care services a week were estimated using MCBS population counts, participation assumptions based on the literature, and financing design parameters. A targeted HCBS benefit could be added to Medicare and financed with income-related cost sharing ranging from 5% to 50%, a premium paid by Medicare beneficiaries of approximately $42 a month, and payroll taxes estimated at around 0.4% of earnings on employers and employees. Adoption of an HCBS benefit in Medicare would improve financial protection for beneficiaries with physical and/or cognitive impairment and provide the financing for health organizations to better integrate medical and social services. ICOs and delivery models of care emphasizing care at home would improve accessibility of care and avoid costly institutionalization; additionally, it would also reduce beneficiary reliance on Medicaid.

Household-based trip survey procedure

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-02-22

This memorandum describes the development of interim trip production cross-classification models for four home-based trip purposes: home-based work (HBW), home-based shopping and personal business (HBPB), home-based social and recreational (HBSR), an...

Patient-centered medical homes in Louisiana had minimal impact on Medicaid population's use of acute care and costs.

PubMed

Cole, Evan S; Campbell, Claudia; Diana, Mark L; Webber, Larry; Culbertson, Richard

2015-01-01

The patient-centered medical home model of primary care has received considerable attention for its potential to improve outcomes and reduce health care costs. Yet little information exists about the model's ability to achieve these goals for Medicaid patients. We sought to evaluate the effect of patient-centered medical home certification of Louisiana primary care clinics on the quality and cost of care over time for a Medicaid population. We used a quasi-experimental pre-post design with a matched control group to assess the effect of medical home certification on outcomes. We found no impact on acute care use and modest support for reduced costs and primary care use among medical homes serving higher proportions of chronically ill patients. These findings provide preliminary results related to the ability of the patient-centered medical home model to improve outcomes for Medicaid beneficiaries. The findings support a case-mix-adjusted payment policy for medical homes going forward. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Home Health Care for California's Injured Workers: Options for Implementing a Fee Schedule.

PubMed

Wynn, Barbara O; Boustead, Anne

2015-07-15

The California Department of Industrial Relations/Division of Worker's Compensation asked RAND to provide technical assistance in developing a fee schedule for home health services provided to injured workers. The fee schedule needs to address the full spectrum of home health services ranging from skilled nursing and therapy services to unskilled personal care or chore services that may be provided by family members. RAND researchers consulted with stakeholders in the California workers' compensation system to outline issues the fee schedule should address, reviewed home health fee schedules used by other payers, and conducted interviews with WC administrators from other jurisdictions to elicit their experiences. California stakeholders identified unskilled attendant services as most problematic in determining need and payment rates, particularly services furnished by family members. RAND researchers concentrated on fee schedule options that would result in a single fee schedule covering the full range of home health care services furnished to injured workers and made three sets of recommendations. The first set pertains to obtaining additional information that would highlight the policy issues likely to occur with the implementation of the fee schedule and alternatives for assessing an injured worker's home health care needs. Another approach conforms most closely with the Labor Code requirements. It would integrate the fee schedules used by Medicare, In-Home Health Supportive Services, and the federal Office of Workers' Compensation. The third approach would base the home health fee schedule on rules used by the federal Office of Workers' Compensation.

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Sterling Brook Custom Homes — Village Park Eco Home, Double Park, TX

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

none,

This builder won a Custom Builder honor in the 2014 Housing Innovation Awards for this showcase home that serves as an energy-efficient model home for the custom home builder: 1,300 visitors toured the home, thousands more learned about the home’s advanced construction via the webpage, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Effects of fragmentation on the spatial ecology of the California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anguiano, Michael P.; Diffendorfer, James E.

2015-01-01

We investigated the spatial ecology of the California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae) in unfragmented and fragmented habitat with varying patch sizes and degrees of exposure to urban edges. We radiotracked 34 Kingsnakes for up to 3 yr across four site types: interior areas of unfragmented ecological reserves, the urbanized edge of these reserves, large habitat fragments, and small habitat fragments. There was no relationship between California Kingsnake movements and the degree of exposure to urban edges and fragmentation. Home range size and movement patterns of Kingsnakes on edges and fragments resembled those in unfragmented sites. Average home-range size on each site type was smaller than the smallest fragment in which snakes were tracked. The persistence of California Kingsnakes in fragmented landscapes may be related directly to their small spatial movement patterns, home-range overlap, and ability to use urban edge habitat.

Autocorrelation of location estimates and the analysis of radiotracking data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Otis, D.L.; White, Gary C.

1999-01-01

The wildlife literature has been contradictory about the importance of autocorrelation in radiotracking data used for home range estimation and hypothesis tests of habitat selection. By definition, the concept of a home range involves autocorrelated movements, but estimates or hypothesis tests based on sampling designs that predefine a time frame of interest, and that generate representative samples of an animal's movement during this time frame, should not be affected by length of the sampling interval and autocorrelation. Intensive sampling of the individual's home range and habitat use during the time frame of the study leads to improved estimates for the individual, but use of location estimates as the sample unit to compare across animals is pseudoreplication. We therefore recommend against use of habitat selection analysis techniques that use locations instead of individuals as the sample unit. We offer a general outline for sampling designs for radiotracking studies.

Determining Home Range and Preferred Habitat of Feral Horses on the Nevada National Security Site Using Geographic Information Systems

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

Burns, Ashley V.

2014-05-30

Feral horses (Equus caballus) are free-roaming descendants of domesticated horses and legally protected by the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, which mandates how feral horses and burros should be managed and protected on federal lands. Using a geographic information system to determine the home range and suitable habitat of feral horses on the federally managed Nevada National Security Site can enable wildlife biologists in making best management practice recommendations. Home range was estimated at 88.1 square kilometers. Site suitability was calculated for elevation, forage, slope, water presence and horse observations. These variables were combined in successivemore » iterations into one polygon. Suitability rankings established that 85 square kilometers are most suitable habitat, with 2,052 square kilometers of good habitat 1,252 square kilometers of fair habitat and 122 square kilometers of least suitable habitat.« less

Automated health alerts from Kinect-based in-home gait measurements.

PubMed

Stone, Erik E; Skubic, Marjorie; Back, Jessica

2014-01-01

A method for automatically generating alerts to clinicians in response to changes in in-home gait parameters is investigated. Kinect-based gait measurement systems were installed in apartments in a senior living facility. The systems continuously monitored the walking speed, stride time, and stride length of apartment residents. A framework for modeling uncertainty in the residents' gait parameter estimates, which is critical for robust change detection, is developed; along with an algorithm for detecting changes that may be clinically relevant. Three retrospective case studies, of individuals who had their gait monitored for periods ranging from 12 to 29 months, are presented to illustrate use of the alert method. Evidence suggests that clinicians could be alerted to health changes at an early stage, while they are still small and interventions may be most successful. Additional potential uses are also discussed.

A Cognitive Framework for Understanding Barriers to the Productive Use of a Diabetes Home Telemedicine System

PubMed Central

Kaufman, David R.; Starren, Justin; Patel, Vimla L.; Morin, Philip C.; Hilliman, Charlyn; Pevzner, Jenia; Weinstock, Ruth S.; Goland, Robin; Shea, Steven

2003-01-01

Telemedicine has the potential to transcend geographic and socio-cultural barriers to the delivery of high quality health care to the medically underserved populations. However, there are significant cognitive and usability barriers. This paper presents a multifaceted cognitive evaluation of the IDEATel diabetes education and telemedicine program. The evaluation included a cognitive walkthrough analysis to characterize task complexity and identify potential problems as well as field usability testing in patients’ homes. The study revealed dimensions of the interface that impeded optimal access to system resources. In addition, we found significant obstacles corresponding to perceptual-motoric skills, mental models of the system, and health literacy. The objective of this work is to contribute to a design framework so that participants with a wide range of skills can better manage their chronic illnesses. PMID:14728194

Challenges and opportunities of power systems from smart homes to super-grids.

PubMed

Kuhn, Philipp; Huber, Matthias; Dorfner, Johannes; Hamacher, Thomas

2016-01-01

The world's power systems are facing a structural change including liberalization of markets and integration of renewable energy sources. This paper describes the challenges that lie ahead in this process and points out avenues for overcoming different problems at different scopes, ranging from individual homes to international super-grids. We apply energy system models at those different scopes and find a trade-off between technical and social complexity. Small-scale systems would require technological breakthroughs, especially for storage, but individual agents can and do already start to build and operate such systems. In contrast, large-scale systems could potentially be more efficient from a techno-economic point of view. However, new political frameworks are required that enable long-term cooperation among sovereign entities through mutual trust. Which scope first achieves its breakthrough is not clear yet.

Movements of wild pigs in Louisiana and Mississippi, 2011-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hartley, Stephen B.; Goatcher, Buddy L.; Sapkota, Sijan

2015-01-01

The prolific breeding capability, behavioral adaptation, and adverse environmental impacts of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) have increased efforts towards managing their populations and understanding their movements. Currently, little is known about wild pig populations and movements in Louisiana and Mississippi. From 2011 to 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey investigated spatial and temporal movements of wild pigs in both marsh and nonmarsh physiographic regions. Twenty-one Global Positioning System satellite telemetry tracking collars were installed on adult wild pigs captured with trained dogs and released. Coordinates of their locations were recorded hourly. We collected 16,674 hourly data points including date, time, air temperature, and position during a 3-year study. Solar and lunar attributes, such as sun and moon phases and azimuth angles, were not related significantly to the movements among wild pigs. Movements were significantly correlated negatively with air temperature. Differences in movements between seasons and years were observed. On average, movements of boars were significantly greater than those of sows. Average home range, determined by using a minimum convex polygon as a proxy, was 911 hectares for boars, whereas average home range for sows was 116 hectares. Wild pigs in marsh habitat traveled lesser distances relative to those from more arid, nonmarsh habitats. Overall, results of this study indicate that wild pigs in Louisiana and Mississippi have small home ranges. These small home ranges suggest that natural movements have not been a major factor in the recent broad-scale range expansion observed in this species in the United States.

Work-home interference among nurses: reciprocal relationships with job demands and health.

PubMed

van der Heijden, Beatrice I J M; Demerouti, Evangelia; Bakker, Arnold B

2008-06-01

This paper is a report of a study with three aims: (i) to investigate whether emotional, quantitative and physical demands have a causal, negative impact on nurses' health; (ii) to examine whether work-home interference can explain this effect, by playing a mediating role; and (iii) to test the so-called loss spiral hypothesis claiming that nurses' health problems lead to even higher job demands and more work-home interference over time. While many scholars have thought in terms of the stressor-->work-home interference-->strain model, the validity of a model that includes opposite pathways needs to be tested. A questionnaire was completed twice, with a 1-year time interval by 753 (63.4%) Registered Nurses working in hospitals, 183 (15.4%) working in nursing homes, and 251 (21.1%) working in home care institutions. The first measurement took place between October 2002 and June 2003. Our findings strongly support the idea of cross-lagged, reciprocal relationships between job demands and general health over time. The reciprocal model with work-home interference as an intervening variable (including reciprocal relationships between job demands, work-home interference and general health) showed a good fit to the data, and proved to be superior to both the causality and reversed causation models. The higher nurses' job demands, the higher is their level of work-home interference and the more likely is a general health deterioration over time, in turn giving rise to higher job demands and work-home interference, which may even aggravate the nurses' general health, and so on.

Models of home care services for persons with dementia: a narrative review.

PubMed

Low, Lee-Fay; Fletcher, Jennifer

2015-10-01

Worldwide trends of increasing dementia prevalence, have put economic and workforce pressures to shifting care for persons with dementia from residential care to home care. We reviewed the effects of the four dominant models of home care delivery on outcomes for community-dwelling persons with dementia. These models are: case management, integrated care, consumer directed care, and restorative care. This narrative review describes benefits and possible drawbacks for persons with dementia outcomes and elements that comprise successful programs. Case management for persons with dementia may increase use of community-based services and delay nursing home admission. Integrated care is associated with greater client satisfaction, increased use of community based services, and reduced hospital days however the clinical impacts on persons with dementia and their carers are not known. Consumer directed care increases satisfaction with care and service usage, but had little effect on clinical outcomes. Restorative models of home care have been shown to improve function and quality of life however these trials have excluded persons with dementia, with the exception of a pilot study. There has been a little research into models of home care for people with dementia, and no head-to-head comparison of the different models. Research to inform evidence-based policy and service delivery for people with dementia needs to evaluate both the impact of different models on outcomes, and investigate how to best deliver these models to maximize outcomes.

A Simulation of an Energy-Efficient Home.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLeod, Richard J.; And Others

1981-01-01

A shoe box is converted into a model home to demonstrate the energy efficiency of various insulation measures. Included are instructions for constructing the model home from a shoe box, insulating the shoe box, several activities involving different insulation measures, extensions of the experiment, and post-lab discussion topics. (DS)

Modeling the outcomes of nursing home care.

PubMed

Rohrer, J E; Hogan, A J

1987-01-01

In this exploratory analysis using data on 290 patients, we use regression analysis to model patient outcomes in two Veterans Administration nursing homes. We find resource use, as measured with minutes of nursing time, to be associated with outcomes when case mix is controlled. Our results suggest that, under case-based reimbursement systems, nursing homes could increase their revenues by withholding unskilled and psychosocial care and discouraging physicians' visits. Implications for nursing home policy are discussed.

Multipayer patient-centered medical home implementation guided by the chronic care model.

PubMed

Gabbay, Robert A; Bailit, Michael H; Mauger, David T; Wagner, Edward H; Siminerio, Linda

2011-06-01

A unique statewide multipayer ini Pennsylvania was undertaken to implement the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) guided by the Chronic Care Model (CCM) with diabetes as an initial target disease. This project represents the first broad-scale CCM implementation with payment reform across a diverse range of practice organizations and one of the largest PCMH multipayer initiatives. Practices implemented the CCM and PCMH through regional Breakthrough Series learning collaboratives, supported by Improving Performance in Practice (IPIP) practice coaches, with required monthly quality reporting enhanced by multipayer infrastructure payments. Some 105 practices, representing 382 primary care providers, were engaged in the four regional collaboratives. The practices from the Southeast region of Pennsylvania focused on diabetes patients (n = 10,016). During the first intervention year (May 2008-May 2009), all practices achieved at least Level 1 National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Physician Practice Connections Patient-Centered Medical Home (PPC-PCMH) recognition. There was significant improvement in the percentage of patients who had evidence-based complications screening and who were on therapies to reduce morbidity and mortality (statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors). In addition, there were small but statistically significant improvements in key clinical parameters for blood pressure and cholesterol levels, with the greatest absolute improvement in the highest-risk patients. Transforming primary care delivery through implementation of the PCMH and CCM supported by multipayer infrastructure payments holds significant promise to improve diabetes care.

Evaluating the Long-Term Health and Economic Impacts of Central Residential Air Filtration for Reducing Premature Mortality Associated with Indoor Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) of Outdoor Origin

PubMed Central

Zhao, Dan; Azimi, Parham; Stephens, Brent

2015-01-01

Much of human exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) of outdoor origin occurs in residences. High-efficiency particle air filtration in central heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems is increasingly being used to reduce concentrations of particulate matter inside homes. However, questions remain about the effectiveness of filtration for reducing exposures to PM2.5 of outdoor origin and adverse health outcomes. Here we integrate epidemiology functions and mass balance modeling to estimate the long-term health and economic impacts of HVAC filtration for reducing premature mortality associated with indoor PM2.5 of outdoor origin in residences. We evaluate 11 classifications of filters (MERV 5 through HEPA) using six case studies of single-family home vintages and ventilation system combinations located in 22 U.S. cities. We estimate that widespread use of higher efficiency filters would reduce premature mortality by 0.002–2.5% and increase life expectancy by 0.02–1.6 months, yielding annual monetary benefits ranging from $1 to $1348 per person in the homes and locations modeled herein. Large differences in the magnitude of health and economic impacts are driven largely by differences in rated filter efficiency and building and ventilation system characteristics that govern particle infiltration and persistence, with smaller influences attributable to geographic location. PMID:26197328

Evaluating the Long-Term Health and Economic Impacts of Central Residential Air Filtration for Reducing Premature Mortality Associated with Indoor Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) of Outdoor Origin.

PubMed

Zhao, Dan; Azimi, Parham; Stephens, Brent

2015-07-21

Much of human exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) of outdoor origin occurs in residences. High-efficiency particle air filtration in central heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems is increasingly being used to reduce concentrations of particulate matter inside homes. However, questions remain about the effectiveness of filtration for reducing exposures to PM2.5 of outdoor origin and adverse health outcomes. Here we integrate epidemiology functions and mass balance modeling to estimate the long-term health and economic impacts of HVAC filtration for reducing premature mortality associated with indoor PM2.5 of outdoor origin in residences. We evaluate 11 classifications of filters (MERV 5 through HEPA) using six case studies of single-family home vintages and ventilation system combinations located in 22 U.S. cities. We estimate that widespread use of higher efficiency filters would reduce premature mortality by 0.002-2.5% and increase life expectancy by 0.02-1.6 months, yielding annual monetary benefits ranging from $1 to $1348 per person in the homes and locations modeled herein. Large differences in the magnitude of health and economic impacts are driven largely by differences in rated filter efficiency and building and ventilation system characteristics that govern particle infiltration and persistence, with smaller influences attributable to geographic location.

Relative Contributions of Agricultural Drift, Para-Occupational ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Background: Increased pesticide concentrations in house dust in agricultural areas have been attributed to several exposure pathways, including agricultural drift, para-occupational, and residential use. Objective: To guide future exposure assessment efforts, we quantified relative contributions of these pathways using meta-regression models of published data on dust pesticide concentrations. Methods: From studies in North American agricultural areas published from 1995-2015, we abstracted dust pesticide concentrations reported as summary statistics (e.g., geometric means (GM)). We analyzed these data using mixed-effects meta-regression models that weighted each summary statistic by its inverse variance. Dependent variables were either the log-transformed GM (drift) or the log-transformed ratio of GMs from two groups (para-occupational, residential use). Results: For the drift pathway, predicted GMs decreased sharply and nonlinearly, with GMs 64% lower in homes 250 m versus 23 m from fields (inter-quartile range of published data) based on 52 statistics from 7 studies. For the para-occupational pathway, GMs were 2.3 times higher (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.5-3.3; 15 statistics, 5 studies) in homes of farmers who applied pesticides more versus less recently or frequently. For the residential use pathway, GMs were 1.3 (95%CI: 1.1-1.4) and 1.5 (95%CI: 1.2-1.9) times higher in treated versus untreated homes, when the probability that a pesticide was used for

Improving residential miscellaneous electrical load modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgett, Joseph M.

Over the past 30 years, the intensity of all major energy use categories has decreased in the residential market with the exception of miscellaneous electrical loads (MELs). MELs include primarily 120V plug-loads and some hard wired loads. MELs stand alone as the only category in which energy intensity has steadily increased over time. While MELs constitute approximately 15% - 25% of a typical home's total energy use, it is projected to increase to 36% by 2020. Despite the significant percentage of the home's total load, MELs are the least researched energy end use category and most poorly modeled. The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index is the most widely used residential energy rating system and uses a simple square foot multiplier to model MELs. This study improves upon the HERS model by including occupant characteristics as part of the MEL model. This "new model" was created by regressing and explanatory equation from the Energy Information Agency's Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). The RECS has a very large sample size of 12,083 respondents who answered over 90 pages of questions related to home structure, appliances they own and demographical information. The information provided by the respondents was used to calculate a MEL for all the RECS households. A stepwise regression process was used to create a model that included size of the home, household income, number of household members and presence of a home business to predict the MEL. The new model was then tested on 24 actual homes to compare its predictive power with the HERS model. The new model more closely predicted the actual MEL for 17 of the 24 test houses (71%). Additionally, the standard deviation or the "tightness of fit" of the new model was less than half of the HERS model when used on the RECS respondents. What this study found was that using occupant characteristics to supplement a square foot multiplier significantly increased the precision of MEL modeling.

24 CFR 3285.6 - Final leveling of manufactured home.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Final leveling of manufactured home... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS General § 3285.6 Final leveling of manufactured home. The manufactured home must be adequately leveled prior to completion of the...

24 CFR 3285.6 - Final leveling of manufactured home.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Final leveling of manufactured home... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS General § 3285.6 Final leveling of manufactured home. The manufactured home must be adequately leveled prior to completion of the...

24 CFR 3285.6 - Final leveling of manufactured home.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Final leveling of manufactured home... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS General § 3285.6 Final leveling of manufactured home. The manufactured home must be adequately leveled prior to completion of the...

24 CFR 3285.802 - Structural interconnection of multi-section homes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...-section homes. 3285.802 Section 3285.802 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and..., DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS Exterior and Interior Close-Up § 3285.802 Structural interconnection of multi-section homes. (a) For multi-section homes...

24 CFR 3285.802 - Structural interconnection of multi-section homes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...-section homes. 3285.802 Section 3285.802 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and..., DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS Exterior and Interior Close-Up § 3285.802 Structural interconnection of multi-section homes. (a) For multi-section homes...

24 CFR 3285.6 - Final leveling of manufactured home.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Final leveling of manufactured home... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS General § 3285.6 Final leveling of manufactured home. The manufactured home must be adequately leveled prior to completion of the...

24 CFR 3285.802 - Structural interconnection of multi-section homes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...-section homes. 3285.802 Section 3285.802 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and..., DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS Exterior and Interior Close-Up § 3285.802 Structural interconnection of multi-section homes. (a) For multi-section homes...

24 CFR 3285.6 - Final leveling of manufactured home.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Final leveling of manufactured home... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS General § 3285.6 Final leveling of manufactured home. The manufactured home must be adequately leveled prior to completion of the...

Embedding technology into inter-professional best practices in home safety evaluation.

PubMed

Burns, Suzanne Perea; Pickens, Noralyn Davel

2017-08-01

To explore inter-professional home evaluators' perspectives and needs for building useful and acceptable decision-support tools for the field of home modifications. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of home modification professionals from different regions of the United States. The interview transcripts were analyzed with a qualitative, descriptive, perspective approach. Technology supports current best practice and has potential to inform decision making through features that could enhance home evaluation processes, quality, efficiency and inter-professional communication. Technological advances with app design have created numerous opportunities for the field of home modifications. Integrating technology and inter-professional best practices will improve home safety evaluation and intervention development to meet client-centred and societal needs. Implications for rehabilitation Understanding home evaluators technology needs for home safety evaluations contributes to the development of app-based assessments. Integrating inter-professional perspectives of best practice and technological needs in an app for home assessments improves processes. Novice and expert home evaluators would benefit from decision support systems embedded in app-based assessments. Adoption of app-based assessment would improve efficiency while remaining client-centred.

Brain Computer Interface on Track to Home.

PubMed

Miralles, Felip; Vargiu, Eloisa; Dauwalder, Stefan; Solà, Marc; Müller-Putz, Gernot; Wriessnegger, Selina C; Pinegger, Andreas; Kübler, Andrea; Halder, Sebastian; Käthner, Ivo; Martin, Suzanne; Daly, Jean; Armstrong, Elaine; Guger, Christoph; Hintermüller, Christoph; Lowish, Hannah

2015-01-01

The novel BackHome system offers individuals with disabilities a range of useful services available via brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), to help restore their independence. This is the time such technology is ready to be deployed in the real world, that is, at the target end users' home. This has been achieved by the development of practical electrodes, easy to use software, and delivering telemonitoring and home support capabilities which have been conceived, implemented, and tested within a user-centred design approach. The final BackHome system is the result of a 3-year long process involving extensive user engagement to maximize effectiveness, reliability, robustness, and ease of use of a home based BCI system. The system is comprised of ergonomic and hassle-free BCI equipment; one-click software services for Smart Home control, cognitive stimulation, and web browsing; and remote telemonitoring and home support tools to enable independent home use for nonexpert caregivers and users. BackHome aims to successfully bring BCIs to the home of people with limited mobility to restore their independence and ultimately improve their quality of life.